Witness (21 page)

“Thanks.” Deborah took the coffee. “A few more minutes and you would have found me in the other chair over there asleep, too.”

“Why the hell doesn't she wake up?” Ashe squeezed the cup he held, pressing a bit of the dark liquid over the edge and onto his hand. “Damn! Good thing this stuff isn't very hot.”

“I wish we knew exactly what caused the wreck. I can't believe a careful driver like Neil would have simply lost control of the car.” Deborah sipped her coffee.

“Thank God they were both wearing their seat belts. If that pole hadn't crashed through the windshield and sideswiped Annie Laurie on the side of her head, she'd be okay.” Ashe drank half his cup of coffee, then set the container down on the windowsill.

“I keep wondering what caused the accident. Neil is such a careful driver. He said the brakes didn't work, that coming off the hill on Court Street, he realized he couldn't slow down, couldn't stop.”

“I think he probably panicked,” Ashe said. “He realized he was going to slam into the back end of the car in front of him and possibly cause a pileup, so he tried to take the car off the road.”

“I have my car serviced often. There's no reason the brakes shouldn't have worked.” Deborah clutched her coffee cup in both hands.

“We both know there's a good chance someone tampered with your Caddy.” Ashe balled his hands into fists. All night he had fought the desire to smash heads together, to run out of the hospital and hunt down Buck Stansell. But he would wait. Wait until he knew for sure.

A tall, skinny nurse walked into the room. Covering her lips with her index finger, she signaled Deborah and Ashe to be quiet. Silently she went about her business, checking on Annie Laurie, then nodding goodbye as she left.

“Are you hungry?” Ashe asked. “We could go down for breakfast soon.”

“Let's wait awhile, until Mama Mattie wakes up. She needs some rest.”

A soft knock sounded at the door. Ashe walked over and opened the door a fraction. Detective Morrow, from the Florence police, stood in the hallway.

“Could I speak to you, Mr. McLaughlin? The chief said to let you know what we've found out. He's talked to Chief Burton over in Sheffield and also to Sheriff Blaylock. They both said to fill you in.”

Ashe stepped into the hallway, closing the door behind him. “Let's have it.”

“The wreck wasn't an accident. Ms. Vaughn's Cadillac had been tampered with. There was no brake fluid. It had all leaked out. Looks like somebody intended for Ms. Vaughn to wreck her car.”

Deborah stood with the door cracked enough to overhear what the detective said. Biting down on her bottom lip, she closed her eyes and said a silent prayer. A prayer to end this madness, to keep those she loved safe.

Ashe thanked Detective Morrow. “I'd like to see a copy of your mechanic's complete report as soon as possible.” He shook hands with the policeman, then glanced at Deborah.

She opened the door, walked over to Ashe and tilted her chin defiantly. “So now we know for sure.”

“Yeah, we know Buck isn't through playing games, and the games are getting more and more deadly.” Ashe looked at her, his eyes hard, his face tense. “I think it's time ol' Buck and I have a little talk. Face-to-face.”

“No, Ashe. Please.” Deborah grabbed him by the arm. “You can't go off alone and confront a man like Buck Stansell. He could have you murdered on the spot.”

“Yeah, he could, but he won't.” Ashe put his arm around Deborah, hugging her to his side. “You forget that I know Buck and his kind. He's had me checked out thoroughly and he isn't about to bring down any more investigations on him and his boys right now. Lon Sparks has kept his mouth shut, but there isn't any doubt who was behind Looney's murder.”

“But Ashe, you should let the police handle Buck Stansell. Talk to Charlie Blaylock. Let him talk to Buck.”

“Honey, you don't understand. There is nothing to link your car's brake failure to Buck Stansell. Sheriff Blaylock has no legal reason to question Buck.” He kissed Deborah quickly, then gave her a gentle shove away from him. “I don't need a legal reason. Your safety is the only reason I need. If I don't hunt Buck down after what happened with your car last night, he'll be wondering why.”

Mama Mattie rushed out the door, waving her hands and laughing. “She's awake. She's talking to Neil. Come see. Oh, thank you Lord, she's all right!”

Deborah and Ashe went inside, stopping at the foot of Annie Laurie's bed. Sitting on the side of the bed, Neil held Annie Laurie in his arms, tears streaming down his face.

“Guess what?” Annie Laurie smiled, her bruised face beaming. “Neil just told me that he and I are going to get married.”

Everyone laughed. Mama Mattie fluffed Annie Laurie's pillow, then went around the room hugging everyone.

Neil glanced at Deborah and smiled. “Funny how it takes something like this to make a man realize who he loves and how much he loves her.”

“I think this is wonderful,” Deborah said. “As soon as Annie Laurie is out of this dreadful place, we'll start planning an engagement party.”

“Well, I think first we need to let the nurses know that Annie Laurie has regained consciousness,” Ashe said. “The doctors will want to examine her.”

“I'll go with you.” Deborah gave Annie Laurie and Neil loving hugs, then put her arm around Mama Mattie's waist. “Why don't we leave these two alone until the doctors storm in here? We could go have breakfast.”

“Sounds good to me.”

Mattie followed Ashe and Deborah out into the hallway. After stopping by the nurses' station to alert the staff that Annie Laurie was conscious, the three headed for the elevators. The elevator doors opened and Roarke stepped out, Carol and Allen at his side.

“Mother! Allen! What are y'all doing here?”

Ashe eyed Roarke, who nodded toward Allen, but didn't say anything.

“Allen has been frantic,” Carol said. “None of us got any rest last night. He's convinced himself that someone tampered with your car, that you aren't safe.”

Deborah drew Allen into her arms, hugging him with fierce motherly protectiveness. “Oh, darling, Ashe isn't going to let anybody hurt me.”

Pulling out of Deborah's arms, Allen turned to Ashe. “They think I'm nothing but a baby. They won't tell me the truth. But you will, won't you, Ashe?”

Everyone moved away from the elevators and into the hallway. Deborah held her breath. Ashe knelt on one knee and put his hand on Allen's shoulder.

“Somebody tampered with the brakes on Deborah's car. They wanted to hurt her. But she's okay. And so is Neil and Annie Laurie.”

“But what if Deborah had been driving the car, what if—” Allen beat his fists against Ashe's chest. “I hate Buck Stansell. I'd like to tell him what I think of him. I'd tell him if he hurts Deborah, I'll kill him!”

Ashe drew Allen into his arms. Deborah's eyes glazed with tears, but she saw the look in her mother's eyes, the look that said
He's his father's son. End this lie. Tell Ashe the truth.

“That's exactly what I'm going to do, go see Buck Stansell.” Ashe patted Allen on the back, then stood and looked at Roarke. “You take care of things for me. I have to go talk to a man about revenge.”

“No, Ashe!” Deborah reached for Ashe, but Roarke grabbed her, physically restraining her while Ashe entered the elevator and punched the Down button.

 

A
SHE CAUGHT
L
EE
R
OY
and Johnny Joe just as they were leaving. He pulled his car up in the drive, blocking their departure. Both men stayed in their vehicle when Ashe got out and walked over to them. Lee Roy stepped out of his car and faced Ashe.

“You're out bright and early, cousin.” Lee Roy grinned, the look on his face as innocent as a newborn baby's.

“I've been up all night.” Ashe stood several feet away, his gaze focused on Lee Roy.

“I'm surprised you'd leave your woman alone, even to pay a visit on your relatives.”

“This isn't a social call.”

“Yeah, I figured as much.”

“I want to see Buck. I don't think sending him another message can get my point across like a personal visit.”

Johnny Joe opened the passenger-side door, got out and placed his elbows on top of the car. “We heard about that wreck last night. Sure was a shame. Guess Miss Deborah Vaughn was lucky she loaned her car out to somebody else.”

“Annie Laurie is family.” Ashe didn't move a muscle, didn't even glance Johnny Joe's way. “Lucky for everyone involved, she's going to be all right.”

“We wouldn't want to see Annie Laurie come to no harm.” Lee Roy grunted. “Hell, we've always been fond of that girl, even though she's no blood kin to us, her being on your mama's side of the family and all.”

“I want to see Buck,” Ashe repeated. “Today.”

“Well, Buck's a busy man,” Lee Roy said. “It'll take time to arrange things. You understand.”

“Then you get things arranged.”

“Buck'll be agreeable to seeing you. He ain't got nothing but the best to say about you, you know. He respects you. And
he wouldn't have allowed nothing really bad to happen to your woman.”

“Bad things
are
happening. If he's seeking revenge against Deborah for testifying, then he'd better think again. Revenge works both ways.”

“Hellfire, Ashe, Buck ain't no fool. He might have given orders to throw a scare into Deborah Vaughn, just for the principle of it, you know. But Lon Sparks ain't nothing but a speck of dirt on Buck's shoe. Not worth the trouble. Buck don't want to cross you.”

“I need to hear Buck say that.” Ashe turned, walked over to his rental car and opened the door. His gaze focused on the ground, Ashe laid one hand against the side window. “I'll be back this evening, around six. Tell Buck I won't wait any longer than that.”

Johnny Joe jerked a .38 revolver out of the back of his belt, aimed it just to the left of Ashe and fired, hitting a nearby tree limb. Ashe didn't blink an eye.

“God a'mighty,” Johnny Joe said. “Did you see that? He didn't move!”

“You damned fool.” Lee Roy shook his head. “Sorry about that, Ashe. You know Johnny Joe ain't never had a lick of sense.”

Ashe looked up and grinned. “Being foolhardy runs in the family, doesn't it? Remind Buck of that inherited trait. Tell him that when it comes to defending my own, I'm not much concerned with the consequences, just the results.”

“Ain't nobody in our gang been behind what's happened to your woman since the trial ended,” Lee Roy said. “I know you ain't going to believe me, but I'll warn you that you'd better start looking elsewhere. There's somebody else wanting to see Deborah Vaughn dead. It ain't none of us. You'd better start
checking out some of her highfalutin friends and relatives. See who's got something to gain if she dies.”

“I'll keep that in mind.” Ashe slid behind the wheel of his rented car. “I'll be back at six.”

A
SHE PARKED OUTSIDE
the Sweet Nothings club, a huge blue metal building. From where he sat inside his car, he heard the loud, lonely wail of a guitar. So this was Evie Lovelady's place, huh? Ashe's old teenage girlfriend was now Buck Stansell's private property.

Lee Roy had told Ashe that meeting with Buck would clear up everything and show Ashe that none of
their
bunch was responsible for Deborah's most recent misfortunes. Ashe hadn't mentioned anything to Deborah about Lee Roy's insinuations that someone other than Buck Stansell might have reasons for wanting her dead. She'd been through enough in the last couple of months to last a lifetime, and now Miss Carol faced a second surgery for cancer. There was no point in worrying Deborah with something until he was absolutely sure.

Ashe got out, locked his car and entered the nightspot. Typical Southern honky-tonk. Nothing more. Nothing less. Loud music. Smoky air. Fun-loving rednecks and good old girls ready for a hot time on the town. A country band belted out the latest heartbreaking tunes.

Ashe glanced around, looking for the right person to ask about Buck Stansell. A tall, willowy brunette approached him.

“Long time no see, stranger.” Evie slid her arm around Ashe's waist, dropping one hand to cup his buttock. She gave him a quick little squeeze, released him and laughed. “Tight as ever.”

“You're looking good, Evie. How've you been?” Ashe
grinned at his old girlfriend, one he and Lee Roy had both dated. The scent of her expensive perfume overwhelmed him. Damn, had she taken a bath in the stuff?

“I've been just fine, sugar. Got my own business now, and I hooked me the top dog in these parts.” She held up her left hand, showing Ashe the three-carat diamond on her finger. “Of course, I haven't forgotten old friends and our good times together.”

“Yeah, we had some good times, didn't we,” Ashe said. “But we were just kids fooling around. We're grown up now and life's not fun and games anymore.”

“Come on, sugar.” Keeping her arm around Ashe's waist, Evie nudged him with her hip. “Let me get you a drink.”

“I didn't come here to drink. I came to see Buck.”

“Yeah, I know. He's waiting in back for you. I just wanted to be friendly and make you feel welcome, let you know I hadn't forgotten what good friends we used to be.”

Ashe followed Evie around the edges of the enormous room, past the dance floor and down a narrow corridor. “You were friends with a lot of guys, before me and after me.”

“You're right about that,” she said. “I used to be a real good-time girl. Now I'm a one-man woman. And Buck's that man.”

“Lucky Buck.”

Evie smiled. She was almost pretty, Ashe thought. Her eyes were too big, her lips too thin and her cheeks scarred by teen acne, scars she covered with heavy layers of makeup.

“He's waiting on you.” Evie opened the last door on the left. “Just remember that Buck thinks of you as family. Your old man and his were tight.” She crossed her index and middle fingers. “He's not going to lie to you. If your woman was marked, he'd tell you.”

Ashe looked straight into Evie's eyes and knew she believed what she'd told him. Hell, maybe she was right. These men, men like his father and uncle and cousins, might be thieves,
drug dealers and murderers, but they did adhere to a certain code of behavior when it came to their own people. And it was possible that they still considered Ashe one of their own.

“Take care of yourself, Evie.” Ashe kissed her on the cheek.

She punched him playfully on the arm, stuck her head inside the office and waved at her husband. “Ashe is here, sugar.”

Ashe entered Buck's private domain. Evie closed the door, leaving Ashe alone with the man he'd come to question. The man he'd come to warn. The man he would have to kill if all else failed.

“Come on in, Ashe.” Buck Stansell pushed back his big black velvet chair and stood. Tall and husky, with a thick mustache and the beginnings of a beer belly, Buck looked every inch the successful no-class gentleman with money that he was. “You haven't got a drink. Didn't Evie offer you something?”

“She offered,” Ashe said.

“Evie's still looking good, isn't she? She's held up well. You know she's thirty-five and had three kids. Two of 'em mine.” Buck's loud, hardy laughter filled the room.

“Yeah, Evie looks good.”

“She's having herself the time of her life running this place. Named it herself. Sweet Nothings. I try to keep her happy. We do that, don't we, Ashe, try to keep our women happy?”

“And safe.” Ashe glanced around the office. Expensive bad taste. Money could buy just about everything except good breeding and an innate sense of style.

“That goes without saying.” Buck walked around the huge, ornate desk and sat down on the edge. “I had to put a scare into Deborah Vaughn before Lon was convicted. Had to keep up appearances and let Lon think I was doing what I could for him.”

“You never meant to harm Deborah or her family?” Ashe asked.

“To be honest with you, I did consider having her taken care
of, but once you showed up, I had second thoughts. Lon Sparks is small potatoes. An idiot who made the mistake of doing his business in front of a witness. Guess I should have just gotten rid of him. It might have been easier, but I have a reputation for taking care of my own. You understand how it is?”

“You want me to believe that you're not after Deborah for revenge.”

“Why should I need revenge? Lon hasn't got the guts to double-cross me. Besides, he trusts me more than he does the law. He knows I'll keep my promises, one way or the other. He'd rather do time in the pen than spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder, wondering what day might be his last. As long as he's in prison and keeps his mouth shut, he stays alive. He knows how things work. And he understands I've done all I intend to do on his behalf.”

“Since the trial ended, the Vaughns' garage was set on fire, a gunman destroyed the front of Vaughn & Posey Realty and somebody tampered with the brakes on Deborah's Cadillac.” Ashe stood, his legs slightly apart, his arms at his sides, his jacket hanging open. “If you want me to believe you had nothing to do with these incidents, then you're going to have to prove it to me.”

“Look, old friend, I've given you some leeway because of who your daddy was, because of the man you've become, but I can be pushed only so far.”

“I haven't even begun to push you, Buck, if you have any plans to kill Deborah. There are only a few things in this world worth killing for and even fewer worth dying for. To me, Deborah Vaughn is both. Do you understand?”

“I understood just fine when Lee Roy told me that she was your woman.” Buck rose off the edge of his desk, straightened the jacket of his three-piece gray pinstriped suit, and ran his hand across the top of his head, smoothing the strands of his slick, brown hair.

“All right, let's say I believe you. If you're telling the truth, then someone else has put out a contract on Deborah. Who?”

“I don't know anything about a contract, but…for a friend, I could find out.”

“For a friend?” Ashe wasn't sure what to believe, but his gut instincts told him that he just might have to trust Buck Stansell. “Okay, Buck, old friend. Although the local and state authorities may be interested in your illegal dealings, my only concern is Deborah Vaughn. As long as she's safe, I have no reason to cause you any grief.”

“You give me your word and I'll give you mine.” Buck stuck out his broad, square hand, each finger sporting an expensive ring.

“As long as Deborah and her family are safe, you have nothing to fear from me,” Ashe said.

“You stay out of my business and, as proof of my innocence and a show of my friendship, I'll make some inquiries and find out who's behind Deborah Vaughn's recent problems.”

Ashe took Buck's hand, exchanging a powerful, macho shake, sealing a deal with the devil, a deal to keep Deborah safe. Ashe knew only too well the kind of man Buck Stansell was, the kind of man his own father had been. Among these redneck hooligans there was a certain code of honor, so Ashe was willing to give Buck the benefit of the doubt. For the time being.

He knew better than to trust Buck completely, knew he'd better watch his back. If Buck thought Ashe posed a threat to his organization, his old friend would have no qualms about killing him. A guy like Buck might even ask Lee Roy to do the job for him, and get some sort of perverse pleasure from seeing which cousin would come out alive.

No, Ashe trusted Buck Stansell only so far. Now wasn't the time to bring the man down. He'd leave that to the authorities. Unless Buck lied to him. Then he'd take care of Buck himself.

 

A
SHE MADE SEVERAL
calls after he left the Sweet Nothings club, one to Sam Dundee to ask him to initiate an investigation of the people in Deborah's life, those who might benefit from her death. Buck Stansell could be lying about his innocence in the garage fire, the drive-by shooting, and the brakes tampering. If he was telling the truth, then someone else had a motive; someone else wanted Deborah out of the way. But who? And why?

He spoke with the Florence police again, then met with Sheriff Blaylock and Sheffield police chief Ed Burton. He couldn't fault the local authorities. They'd done their jobs the best they could. Ashe especially liked Burton. He respected the man. The two of them had spent the past few hours going over all the leads, all the possibilities.

Ashe had expected the entire Vaughn household to be in bed when he arrived; after all, it was nearly eleven. Tapping in the numbers for the security alarm at the back of the house, Ashe unlocked and opened the door. Only the tiny night-light on the refrigerator's ice and water dispenser burned, creating a dim glow in the room.

Wearing a floor-length maroon red robe, Deborah stood in his path, blocking him from entering. Dear God, she looked good enough to eat, all soft and silky, lush and delicious. His first instinct was to reach out and grab her.

“I thought you'd be in bed.” He took a step inside the kitchen. Deborah stood right in front of him, not moving an inch. “You didn't get any sleep last night. You should be resting, honey.”

“How am I supposed to rest with you out till nearly midnight? Allen asked about you at supper and Mother's been worried.”

What was this? She was fit to be tied. What was her problem? He didn't want to argue; he wanted to make love.

“Before I left, I told you I wouldn't be in until late.” When he reached out to take her by the shoulders and draw her into
his arms, she backed away from him, her blue eyes cold, their expression daring him to touch her.

“I had business to take care of,” he said. “The business of keeping you safe, of making sure nothing happens to you or Allen or Miss Carol.”

“Roarke was protecting us. Just what were you doing?”

“What the hell's wrong with you, Deborah? Why are you so angry?”

“I'm not angry.” He took several steps toward her; she backed farther and farther away. “I was worried. You left here to go see Buck Stansell. You told us you'd be late, but you've been gone nearly five hours. For all I knew, you'd been killed or—”

Ashe charged across the room, drew her into his arms and held her close. “I'm fine, honey. You shouldn't have worried about me. I told you that I know how to handle Buck Stansell and his type.”

Hell, she'd been worried about him. He should have called to let her know he was all right. But he wasn't used to having anyone worry about him.

Deborah clung to Ashe, running her hands up and down his arms, clutching him as she laid her head on his chest. She knew she was acting irrationally, but she couldn't help herself. With each passing minute that she had waited for Ashe, she'd grown more tense, more worried, more concerned that Buck Stansell might have killed him.

Smelling his jacket, she jerked her head up and looked at him, then pulled out of his arms. He'd been with a woman, someone who bathed in her perfume.

Deborah glared at him, her small hands tightening into fists. She'd been worried sick about him and he'd been with another woman! Damn him! She'd been a fool to trust Ashe McLaughlin, to believe she was the only woman in his life.

“You smell like a very expensive French whore!”

Ashe laughed. “Actually, I smell like a fairly cheap Alabama whore.”

He had left the house hours ago, on a mission to confront Buck Stansell. She'd been half out of her mind with worry. When hours passed and he didn't return, didn't call, she had imagined all sorts of terrible things, but she certainly hadn't thought that he was with another woman.

“I've spent the last two hours crazy with worry, scared to death that something had happened to you, and you've been with some woman!”

Ashe covered his mouth to conceal his chuckle. He'd never seen Deborah this jealous, not even over Whitney. Did she honestly think that he'd been fooling around with someone else? Didn't she realize that he couldn't see anyone except her, that she was the only woman he wanted, that thoughts of her filled his every waking moment?

“Don't you dare stand there and laugh about it!”

“Your life is in danger,” Ashe said. “There could be a contract out on you and what are you worried about? You're worried about whether or not I've been out messing around with another woman.”

Dammit, he couldn't believe this! She honestly thought he'd touch another woman when he could have her.

“I don't care who you…you…mess around with!”

Ashe came toward her, taking slow, determined steps. He shoved Deborah against the kitchen wall, then braced his hands on each side of her head. “I'm only going to say this once, so listen very carefully. I have not been having sex with another woman. I don't want or need another woman. There has been no one else in my life since the day I came back to Sheffield.”