***
The flight to Los Angeles was a blur. Ashley curled up in her window seat and tried to exhaust her demons by sketching, but for once her art couldn’t ease her pain. Tears blurred the charcoal sketches and streamed down her face. Giving in, she let loose enough tears to irrigate the Sahara. The wad of tissue in her hand kept getting wetter, but the pain clawing at her insides refused to abate. The male passenger with salt-and-pepper hair and ruddy complexion seated beside her asked several times if she was okay and finally gave up when he only made her cry harder.
Of course she wasn’t okay. She was in love with a man who was wrong for her. No, actually Ron was perfect for her in every way except that he treated her like a child and didn’t trust her, and his father killed her parents. How could he hide things from her and then claim that he loved her? There could never be love without trust. It was best they went their separate ways. What his father did would have poisoned their relationship anyway.
I love you. No matter what you think or feel now, remember that. His words echoed in her head, mocking her, making her question her decision. What if she were screwing things up by running away? What if he really loved her? The past wouldn’t have mattered. His father’s sin weren’t his. The bottom line was Ron hadn’t trusted her. Leaving him behind might be the hardest thing she’d ever done, but it was the right thing to do. A fresh trail of tears streamed down her face.
In L.A, Ashley waited for all the passengers to deplane before she slipped on her sunglasses and trudged to the gate. She found a cab smoothly. The driver was pulling away when she saw Kenny Lambert jump from a SUV and race toward the terminal.
“Stop the ca…,” she bit back the last word. When the taxi driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror, she shook her head and said, “Never mind.”
No more fraternizing with anyone who knew Ron. She pressed her hands against her stomach and curled against her seat as fresh tears filled her eyes. It was hard to think about a future without factoring in Ron. Everything in her home would remind her of him. The paintings, her kitchen, the couch where they’d made love.
She slapped a hand over her mouth to catch a sob and closed her eyes. This had to stop. She had to be strong. Maybe she should move to a different city, but what difference would it make? Ron was so imbedded in her heart it wouldn’t matter where she went. She had to get her act together and move on. She’d suffered through the loss of her parents and survived. This one might take her just as long to get over, but she would. She must.
Ashley blew her nose and doggedly avoided the taxi driver’s not-so-subtle glances. The man had been watching her through the rearview mirror since they left the airport. Taking a deep breath, she stared out the window until they pulled outside her place. She paid the driver and entered her building.
For once, she ignored her phobia for tight places and took the elevator. The red light on her landline phone drew her attention. The messages were probably from her cousins and aunties wanting to know about her fight with Nina Noble. Let them speculate. She wasn’t discussing the Nobles with anyone except her immediate family members.
She pressed the button, plopped on a stool and dropped her chin and her arms on the granite counter. She jerked up when the first recording started.
“Call me as soon as you get this message, Ms. Fitzgerald,” Nina Noble’s voice said. “We need to talk. Here’s the number where I can be reached.”
Ashley pressed the button to stop the voicemail and dialed Nina’s number. It was picked up after a ring. “May I talk to Mrs. Noble?”
“She’s expecting you,” the male voice said.
“Where?”
“At Carlyle House.”
Ashley frowned. Carlyle House? “Why? I already told her son I don’t want the house.”
“I don’t know anything about that, miss. I’m just the driver. She’s waiting for you inside right now.”
Ashley looked at the clock. It was almost seven, early enough to get to Carlyle House, tell the woman she didn’t want it, and come back for a long bath and an early night. She’d bet Nina would be thrilled to learn that Ashley and her son were no longer together.
The musical chime of her cell phone interrupted her thoughts. She ignored it when she saw Ron’s number. Instead, she scribbled a brief note about where she was going on a Post-It, slapped it on the fridge door and went to wash her face. After changing into a pair of black jeans and a plum turtleneck, she picked up her purse and keys and hurried back downstairs. Her cell phone went off again. Ron. This time, she turned the power off.
Downstairs, the security guard hurried from behind the booth when she entered the lobby. “Mr. Noble called,” the guard said. “He wants you to call him back.”
“Thanks, Jeffrey.” She continued to the back, where residents parked their cars and got inside her car. It was still warm despite the sun dipping over the western horizon. She lowered the convertible’s top and took off.
***
Ron’s jaw muscles twitched as he listened to his friend.
“By the time I got there, she was gone,” Kenny said. “I’m approaching her place now. What do you want me to do?”
“Make sure she stays put until I get there.” He looked at his watch. His plane should be landing in less than thirty minutes. “Better yet, I’ll call in a few minutes to talk to her.” With Kenny there, she could hardly refuse to talk to him.
Why did he have a bad feeling about things? Ashley had told him she could take care of herself. Under different circumstances, he’d believe her. She was smart and cautious by nature. Unfortunately, Doyle and Frankie were ruthless bastards who’d stop at nothing to remove anyone who could finger them. With Kirkland still in a coma, that left Ashley and his mother.
Once again, Ron glanced at his watch, then swiped his credit card and reached for the in-flight phone.
“She’s gone, Ron,” Kenny said without a preamble. “I missed her by five minutes.”
Ron felt pressure in his chest. “Did she use the taxi that brought her from the airport?” They could locate the dispatch and find out where she was headed.
“According to the guard, she came home, changed and left in her car.”
Ron smothered a curse. “She probably went to one of her cousins.”
“Her cousin could track her down. I’ll give him a call. Oh, one of my guys is waiting for you at the terminal. He’s in a black SUV.” He gave him the plate number.
“Thanks. I’ll call you back in a few minutes.”
After several more calls, the flight attendant stopped by his seat. “Sir, the captain asked for passengers to stop the use of all electronic devices, including in-flight phones. We’re preparing to descend.”
He nodded at the woman and continued talking on the phone. “Your men are still keeping an eye on my mother, right?”
“She’s at home since this morning. No one’s left the compound except for her assistant who—”
“Sir,” the flight attendant repeated. “Put the phone back.”
“Left in a red Camry,” Kenny finished before the woman snatched the phone from Ron’s hand and pushed it back in the cradle. She glared at him then marched off.
Ron leaned back against his seat and closed his eyes. He couldn’t rest until he knew Ashley was safe. At least he didn’t need to worry about his mother.
***
Ashley pulled up beside a red Camry and looked around. Where were Nina’s limo and the driver? Or had they used the Camry? Ashley’s attention shifted to Carlyle House.
The pictures on the Internet hadn’t done it justice. For years she couldn’t bring herself to come here. She had driven past it, kept tabs on who rented it, but she’d lacked the guts to walk to its doors. The nuns of Marist Sisters, who lived in the house the past seven years, had done a good job of taking care of the place. But despite the majestic silhouette of the house against the darkening skies and the well-tended flower beds illuminated by the downstairs windows, there was an aura
of menace about the place. A chill skittered across her flesh, and she shivered.
Get a grip and get it over with. It’s just a house. One she no longer wanted. The house had brought her nothing but grief. Her parents’ dream would be accomplished elsewhere.
Ashley hoisted her bag onto her shoulder and stepped out of her car. She closed her car door without locking it, rubbing her arms to ward off the chill as she walked to the front stairs. Her eyes darted around, surprised by how unchanged everything was. The windows and the door were exactly like they were ten years ago. At any moment, she expected to hear her mother’s voice urging her to hurry.
She hurried up the stairs, noting that the front door was cracked open. She hesitated for a brief moment then pushed it open. It swung inward, its hinges creaking. Something cold crawled up her spine.
“Mrs. Noble?” she called out and gave the two-story foyer a sweeping glance. The walls were a different color but everything else was like she recalled in her hypnosis session—the grand stairs, the doors leading to various rooms, the hallways disappearing to nowhere.
To her immediate right was the door to the first floor bathroom, a blank wall separating it from the basement door. Ashley froze, her breath catching in her throat. Superimposed on the blank wall was her memory of the gilt and silver art deco mirror with her mother’s face reflected in it. She blinked and the image disappeared. Another shiver raked her body.
“Mrs. Noble.” She angled her head to listen. Muffled sounds of laughter came from behind the door to her left, then ebbed. Heart pounding, Ashley whipped around to look.
The door was closed, the room that was once the manager’s office dark. Ten years ago, she’d sat in there and watched cartoons while her parents went to the basement for their meeting. She could have sworn she’d just heard the same TV program she’d watched that night.
Oh, God, she was losing it. Earlier, it had seemed like a good idea to make this meeting and throw Nina’s offer in her face. Now she just wanted to get the hell out of there.
Eyes wide, Ashley tried one last time. “Mrs. Noble, where are you?”
Muffled thuds filtered through the narrow opening on the basement door. She headed that way, nudged the door wider and peered inside. The lights were on downstairs, but not the short corridor. Weird. She groped the wall for the light switch and flicked it up.
One lone bulb lit up the narrow hallway with a crackling sound, flickered off and on as though on its last leg. Or someone loosened it, an inner voice added. Ashley swallowed, hating her overactive imagination for kicking in now. A jazz tune mingled with soft laughter. Someone called out her name. Her mother? Gasping, Ashley looked around. There was no one, just the dull-brown carpet that seemed out of place and bare walls. Superimposed on them were colorful pictures of blues and jazz musicians, actors and artists, wall ornaments and a lush burgundy carpet.
They’re just memories from another time, Ashley.
She moved toward the basement stairs. Just before she took the first step, a smothered curse came from behind her. She froze then turned her head to look. Her heart leaped to her throat. A man dressed in all black stood in the doorway, his broad shoulders blocking the light from the foyer.
She stepped back, fear pulsing through her nerves like a giant wave. The faulty bulb flickered on and lit his face. She gasped, her knees almost giving out from under her. “What are you doing here?”
CHAPTER 21
“I could ask you the same question,” Vaughn Doyle snarled.
Ashley’s knees knocked and her hands began to sweat, but her mind raced. When Vaughn looked over his shoulder as though searching for someone, she said, “I’m not alone. Ron and Kenny are on their way.”
“Good. Now get out of here.”
He was letting her go? “Why? Where’s Mrs. Noble? What have you done with her?”
“Me? Nothing. I was searching for her when I heard you down here.” He reached for her arm, but Ashley took a side step, panic pitching through her. “Whoever lured you and Nina is still here, Ashley. Leave right now.”
“Why should I believe anything you say?” Ashley shuffled backward, her hand dipping inside her bag for her mace gel pepper spray. She took another step back just as her fingers closed around the smooth exterior of the canister. “You’re a Doyle.”
“And that’s my curse to bear,” he muttered. Instead of following her, he stepped into the foyer and lifted his hands. “I’m not here to harm Nina. I’m here to stop this madness.”
Ashley blinked. “Stop what madness?”
“I don’t have time to explain,” he said through gritted teeth. “I’m stepping back to show you I’m not your enemy, Ashley.”
Was this some sort of a trick? Even as she asked herself the question, she picked on a few anomalies. He sounded frustrated, not ominous, and he kept looking around in fear as though he expected someone to jump him.
“What’s going on, Vaughn? Why are you acting so weird?”
“For the same reason I sent the Nobles those letters. I want the truth out. You and Nina are the only witnesses left, and I will not let them get rid of you, too. Without your testimonies, my father and Frankie will go unpunished.”
Ashley’s jaw dropped.
“Go,” he snapped again.
“You sent the letters? Why?”
“Christ, Ashley. Don’t you get it? You’re in danger. I tried to warn you outside the hospital, but Frankie was there. I hoped to do it again this morning, but you were gone by the time I got to the museum. I must find Nina before this place explodes. This is not the time for questions.”
Explodes? The desperate urgency in his tone lit a fire under Ashley’s heels. She lurched forward. “What about you? They’ll kill you if they find out you helped us.”
“After what they did to my mother, I’ll see them hung—”
A loud thud cut off his speech, causing Ashley to freeze. She stared at Vaughn in horror as he rocked on his feet, his eyes rolling in the back of his head. She didn’t notice the shorter man standing behind him with a baseball bat, until Vaughn keeled over. Her eyes widened, her mouth opened in a silent scream as Vaughn’s body slammed into her and took her down with him.
Ashley kicked and wiggled to get her lower body from under the dead weight, her eyes on the man she last saw acting as Vaughn’s driver. Frankie Higgins. He rested the bat on his shoulder, a blood-curdling smirk on his thin lips.
“I tried to tell Doyle the boy couldn’t be trusted, but did he listen to me? No. As soon I heard he was talking to you outside their home, I suspected he was up to no good. I got my proof when he talked to you outside the hospital, but Doyle still refused to listen. After years of loyalty and friendship, he chose to believe this ungrateful pup.” He kicked the unconscious Vaughn. “After all I did for him, he turned against me because of this idiot and that bitch Nina. If I hadn’t bugged his home, I would never have known he planned to report me to the police. Now he’ll know who the smarter one is. I will take everything he’s ever loved and wanted, starting with this one.” He kicked Vaughn again.
Ashley cringed as the body rocked on top of her. She wiggled some more to free her legs, which were growing numb fast.
“A little birdie told him his father had killed his mother. It was only a joke, so he wouldn’t get too comfortable as Doyle’s heir. But he had to go and do something this stupid. He didn’t even have the balls to investigate by himself.” He zeroed on Vaughn’s ribs and side, the thuds sickening and loud in the quiet building.
“Leave him alone, you sick bastard,” Ashley yelled. “He’s just a kid.”
“At twenty-two, he’s a grown man.” Frankie grinned, showing yellowed rows of teeth, and aimed another kick. Spasms of pain shot up Ashley’s leg when the tips of his boots connected with her calf. She ground her teeth to stop herself from crying out. He laughed. A chill snaked up her spine at the pure evil of the sound.
“You know what’s even more hilarious.” He chuckled with glee. “His
bitch of a mother isn’t dead yet. I’d looked forward to finishing her off, but Doyle insisted on stashing her at a Mexican crazy house. I told him there were other ways of making someone suffer, but he had to do things his way. Three long years of listening to him whine about how she deserves to rot in hell. Her hell is about to begin. I’ll leave her for last.”
Ashley swallowed. She was dealing with a mad man. When he put his bat under his armpit and leaned toward her, the malicious grin still on his mouth, she cringed. She pressed her back against the floor, the pulse in her throat and at her temples leaping.
“You and that bitch downstairs will be first. Nina Noble.” Spittle flew from his mouth. “I could never understand what Doyle saw in her. There were too many willing women he could have had, but he had to be fixated on that dried-up bitch. I could have finished her ten years ago when she lied to his face instead of agreeing to marry him. When she did it again last night, I knew I had to get rid of her. Women manipulate and tease, and Nina is an expert at both. I’m going to enjoy watching her squirm.”
Ashley’s stomach sunk as Frankie continued to insult Nina, but she refused to die in the same house where her parents died and at the hands of the same man. She shoved at Vaughn’s body with her hands and her hips, the feeling in her legs gone. Frankie extended a hand toward her and Ashley’s breath froze in her lungs. Was he going to hurt her? Blood drained from her head at the thought, leaving her light-headed.
Frankie’s eyes flashed as though he could read her helplessness on her face. He gripped her chin and pulled it toward him, his fingers digging into her flesh. “I’d advise you against trying anything stupid, missy. I forgave you ten years ago for all the trouble you put me through because you were only a kid. I hoped you’d die along with your parents, but Boy Scout Noble foiled my plans. May he rot in hell. So play nice or I’ll make your death slow and painful.”
Why was he calling Ron’s father a boy scout? An image of a hand grabbing her mother’s face flashed in Ashley’s head, then disappeared. She jerked back and her elbow scraped on the hard floor. The sting shot up her arm, bringing with it more visions from her past—her father’s body slumped on the couch, her mother struggling, kicking and reaching for the face of her assailant. Frankie’s face superimposed on the man’s, then the images disappeared.
Slow Burn Page 31
