Slow Burn

by Ednah Walters

  Ashley concentrated on both the flickering flame and Dr. Reuben’s voice. Her eyes grew heavier until they closed. A tingling sensation started from her toes, moved up her feet, her legs. It made her limbs warm, heavy and relaxed. It moved up to her chest, shoulder and arms, and finally, her neck, jaws and facial muscles. She felt as though she were floating. It was blissful.

  “You’re in a boat, floating down a gentle river,” the doctor’s monotonous voice reached her, loud and clear. “The sky is blue. The aroma of flowers and birdsong fill the air. Everything is beautiful, peaceful. The boat stops and you step out of it. There’s a building in front of you. Walk to the door and open it. It’s your fifteenth birthday. You just finished celebrating with your cousins and had a wonderful time. You’re now saying your goodbyes, following your parents into the car….”

  Ashley was completely aware of the therapist’s presence as the scenes and sounds from her past slowly unfolded.

  Ashley leaned forward from the backseat of the car, her hands gripping the edges of her mother’s seat. She was too excited to sit still or mind the seat belt. “Are we there yet, Dad?”

  Her dad laughed. “Almost, pumpkin.”

  “You’re going to love it, babe,” her mother added, her voice ringing with excitement.

  Her dad signaled and left the street. He drove down a narrow road lined with trees to a gated entrance. Ashley craned her neck to see the house, but the trees blocked her view. Her dad rolled down the window to speak to the guard, then they drove through.

  She pressed her face against the window for a better look as the house came into view. It had three floors, large windows of different shapes and levels of roofs. Lights were on downstairs, spilling through the windows to the lawn and the parking lot. A jazz tune filtered outside through the open windows and filled the night air. The car stopped in the parking lot and her Dad stepped out and opened Ashley’s door.

  “It’s beautiful.” Ashley gripped her new camera tight, jumped out of the car and hurried to her mother’s side. “Are we going to live here?”

  Her father exchanged a look with her mother. “Well, sweetheart, we’re buying the house for something very special. Your mother and I thought we should turn it into a school for all those gifted children who don’t have a place to go. We’ll have singers, dancers and artists of all ages learning in different rooms, and also performing locally at events. You could even help out if you like.”

  “Why can’t we live here too? It’s a big house. We could live upstairs and make downstairs the school.” She didn’t wait for their response. Instead, she ran up the stairs to take a better look through the windows. Cascading crystal chandeliers dangled from the high ceiling and beautiful paintings adorned the walls. To her right, she saw what appeared to be the bottom of a majestic staircase. Her parents reached her side.

  “Stay right here. I want pictures for my collection.” Ashley went to the bottom of the stairs, turned and lifted the camera. “Smile and wave.”

  Her dad put his arm around her mother’s waist. They grinned and waved. Ashley pressed the button and the flash lit up their faces. She was about to take a second picture when the door opened behind her parents. The jazz tune grew louder.

  A pretty mocha-complexioned woman with a fancy hairstyle spoke briefly to her parents, then her mother beckoned Ashley forward. “This is Sherry McKinney, the manager. She says you can watch T.V. in her office while Daddy and I sign the papers downstairs.”

  Ashley hardly paid any attention to them. Her gaze was on the foyer with its gleaming tiled floor. A huge mirror dominated the wall opposite a grand wooden staircase winding to the second floor. No way was she sitting in some old office to watch T.V. when she could explore. Where was the music coming from?

  Mrs. McKinney disappeared downstairs with her parents and left Ashley in a tiny office with the television set on some teen show, but the music kept calling to her. Besides, it was hard to hear anything above the pulsing beat. Someone had replaced the jazz with a hip-hop song, and it appeared to come from a room on the other side of the foyer. She could sneak out, check the place out and be back before her parents came for her.

  Just as Ashley got up to investigate, the headlights of a car swept the windows and drew her attention. She peered outside just as a woman stepped from behind the wheels of a dark car and glided toward the entrance of the house. She wore a grey fur coat and a fancy scarf draped her head and crisscrossed under her chin. Ashley’s jaw dropped when the light fell on her face.

  Nina Noble? Here? Chase and Baron would not believe she saw Nina tonight. She was their favorite actress. Unless....

  Ashley fumbled with her camera and lifted it as the actress hurried toward the entrance. Her grey coat whipped open to reveal a shimmering golden dress. Before she could take the picture, another car pulled up and a tall man jumped from the driver’s seat. He hurried toward Nina, his mouth opening and closing. Ashley couldn’t hear what he was saying until he caught up with Nina at the bottom of the stairs.

  “Don’t do this. I understand you’re angry at mother, but selling the house is going too far. You’ll break her heart.”

  “Heart?” Nina snapped. “Our mother is the Tin man in Wizard of Oz, Gregory. She’s cold and spiteful, totally incapable of loving anyone or anything. No, I take that back. She has a soft spot for one person…you. Grandpa left me the house. Me. Not her. Not you. And I can do whatever I want with it. Now, excuse me, big brother. I have papers to sign.” She started up the stairs, her heels tapping on the cement steps.

  Gregory ran after her and grabbed her arm. “Our grandfather built this house with his bare hands. Doesn’t that mean anything to you? I can lend you the money.”

  “I don’t want your money, Gregory.”

  “Then what is it you want? Mother’s attention? She’ll not be blackmailed into doing something she doesn’t want to do. The two of you need to work out your differences without resorting to selling our legacy.”

  Nina’s laughter rang through the night. “Legacy? Why should I want to keep a house filled with terrible memories and pain? She made father’s life miserable in this house, and if he hadn’t died young, he would’ve sold it to spite her. Go back and tell her you failed, Gregory. That will be a first but the hag will forgive you. She always does.” Nina’s voice was shaking by the time she finished speaking.

  “You’ll regret this, Nina,” Gregory growled. “You push everyone away with your tantrums and selfishness. Even Noble is getting tired of your foolishness. One day, you’ll wake up and find yourself alone.”

  “I’m an actress, Gregory. I’m never alone.” The front door opened and slammed shut. Ashley blew out the air she didn’t know she was holding. Her eyes followed Nina through the glass window between the office and the foyer, until the actress disappeared through the doors leading to the basement.

  A sound drew her attention back to Gregory, who’d turned on his heels and now hurried toward his car. A man stepped out of the shadows, forcing him to stop. Ashley couldn’t see his face, just his back. He was dressed in all black.

  Ashley lost interest in them. She turned to sneak across the foyer and downstairs, but a stretch limo pulled up beside Gregory and Nina’s car. The back window rolled down and a hand waved at the two men, a ring on one of the fingers catching the yellow light of the parking lot. Gregory and the man in black moved to the limo, but the conversation that followed couldn’t have been pleasant. The man in black lurched forward as if to punch the occupant of the limo. Gregory pulled him away and pushed him toward the house. Ashley ducked to avoid being seen, but a few seconds later, the front door opened and closed. When she looked outside again, the limo was pulling away. Gregory stayed near his car, his head bowed, then he left too.

  Tiptoeing, Ashley went to the door of the office and peered around the foyer. The man in black was gone, and Mrs. McKinney wasn’t around to stop her from leaving. Her camera clutched against her chest, Ashley hurried across the room, pushe
d open the door and closed it before the pounding music could alert the people downstairs of her presence. Just one picture of Nina was all she wanted.

  Voices drifted upstairs from below as she tiptoed along a short hallway with a set of stairs in the middle and a door at the end. She looked around with interest. Pictures of legendary singers and movies stars, even a few of Nina, covered the walls. She was careful not to make loud sounds on the hardwood steps as she crept downstairs.

  Halfway down the stairs, Ashley stopped and peered into the room. The floor was lighter than the wall panels, but the burgundy velvet chairs matched the drapes. Her parents and Uncle Kirkland, two other men and Nina stood near a bar, talking. Nina had removed her fur coat to reveal the beautiful golden sequined-covered dress. Laughing, a glass in her hand, she was the center of attention. One of the men with them was the man wearing all black.

  Ashley positioned her camera and clicked. She clicked again, and again.

  A hand landed on her shoulder and clutched. “What are you doing down here?”

  Heart pounding, Ashley looked up into a stranger’s face. Her finger twitched and the camera clicked, capturing the man’s image.

  “Did you just take a picture of me?”

  “No,” she squeaked and tried to wrestle her arm from the man’s painful grip.

  “Upstairs…now,” he snarled, pointing toward the door and neatly blocking her path so she couldn’t run to her parents.

  Ashley scrambled to her feet and hurried upstairs. When she went through the door, she collided with Sherry McKinney, took a step back and hit her elbow on the wall. Pain shot up her arm and her eyes watered.

  “What’s going on, Frankie?” Sherry asked, her gaze moving from Ashley to the man.

  “She was taking pictures of the people downstairs, just like she did outside when they arrived,” the man said.

  “Oh, leave the kid alone,” Sherry said, turned and started toward the office. “Come along, Ashley.”

  “She took one of me,” the man snarled from behind them.

  Sherry stopped walking. When she turned, Ashley took a step back. The older woman didn’t look nice anymore. Her eyes were narrowed. “Give me the camera, kid.”

  “No.”

  “Give it to me,” Sherry ordered.

  Panic hit Ashley hard. They were not taking her camera. She turned and shuffled backward. Her parents and freedom were behind the basement door. Unfortunately, Frankie stood in front of it. That left her with two options; give them her new camera or scream for help.

  Ashley opened her mouth.

  “No,” a man’s voice cut through the pounding music.

  Ashley glanced around, trying to find its owner. She followed Sherry’s horrified expression to the front entrance. A short, stout man stood in the open doorway, a fedora hat slung low on his head. Ashley couldn’t see half of his face, yet he exuded an aura that made her skin crawl. He carried a walking stick, and a flash of something drew her eyes to his hand. The ring she’d seen earlier gleamed under the brilliant chandeliers. It was the man from the back of the limo. He took a step into the room and lifted his chin to point his walking stick at Ashley. The light fell on his face.

  “Give her the camera,” he said, his voice booming around the foyer and mingling with the music.

  Dread surged through Ashley. She was boxed in, with no escape route except….

  She let out a scream as she ducked across the foyer and up the stairs. She didn’t look back to see who was behind her until she got to the top floor. Frankie sauntered up the stairs with a smirk on his face, as though he knew he had her cornered.

  Ashley entered the dark hallway. She squinted and tried to get her bearing. Her hand fluttered along the wall, as she scurried forward. She found a door and turned the knob. It was locked. She raced along the hallway, her heart hammering in her ears, her breath hitching. Her eyes finally adjusted to the dimness. But all she found were more locked doors.

  At last she saw an opening of some sort near the end of the hallway. It was too small for a door or a window. It was probably a laundry chute. She ran toward it. There was no knob, so she pushed at the edge until it was wide enough for her to slide in. Intent on escaping her pursuer, she crawled in, legs first, and let out another scream as she slid down to nowhere.

  Ashley felt pressure on her right knee, then the hypnotist’s voice reached her as though from afar. “You’re safe. You’re back on the river bank.” She kept talking until Ashley calmed down. “The boat is slowly moving upstream. See the beautiful flowers, trees and bushes, hear the birds singing. You’re becoming more awake, more alive. When you wake up,” Dr. Reuben continued, “you’ll be mentally and physically alert. You will remember everything, but also feel invigorated.”

  Ashley opened her eyes, touched her cheeks and felt wetness. Despite what she’d just remembered, she felt euphoric. She grinned at Dr. Reuben, who patted her knee. But the expression on Ron’s face shocked her. He was furious. “Ron?”

  He jerked as though prodded and tried to smile. “How are you feeling?”

  “I’m okay. The man in the doorway was Ryan Doyle. And the other man, the one whose picture I took, was Frankie Higgins.” Instead of responding, the scowl on his face deepened. Ashley snapped her fingers in front of his face. “Hey? Did you hear what I just said?”

  He nodded. “Frankie and Doyle were there. My mother said Doyle wasn’t there that night.”

  “Maybe she didn’t see him.” When he got to his feet, Ashley turned her attention to the therapist. “Can you take me back? I must know what happened next.”

  Dr. Reuben glanced at Ron, who was now pacing. “Not tonight, my dear. Tomorrow morning. You did great, told us everything you saw, heard and felt with such clarity. I wish all my subjects were as cooperative as you.”

  Then why was Ron acting weird? Had she said something that bothered him? “Then why did you bring me out? I wasn’t that scared.”

  Instead of answering, Dr. Reuben said to Ron, “Why don’t you tell her. I’ll find the young men who brought me here and tell them I’m ready to go home.” She turned on the lights and blew out the candle. She squeezed Ashley’s arm. “Until tomorrow, dear.”

  Ashley nodded and waited for the doctor to leave the room. She got to her feet and approached Ron. He was still pacing like a caged animal dying to run free. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah.” He stopped and scrubbed his face, his blue eyes shadowed.

  “You don’t look it. Did I recall anything you didn’t already know?”

  “A few things here and there. My mother forgot to mention she and my uncle fought that night.” Ron squinted at her and appeared to ponder something. “Do you think you can come with me to Vegas tomorrow?”

  Ashley shook her head. “Tomorrow? What about Dr. Reuben? I want to know everything that happened that night, Ron.”

  “So do I. We can leave after she is done. I must talk to my uncle. I want to know what he and my father discussed with Ryan that night.”

  “Your father?”

  “The man dressed in black. Remember the pictures I showed you?”

  It seemed like ages ago when Ron showed her those pictures. “Why was Frankie there that night?”

  “Probably to start the fire. And from what you recalled, he knew Sherry Wilkins quite well. Maybe her death wasn’t an accident after all.”

  Ashley shivered. They were so close to putting the pieces together and ending this investigation. Would her relationship with Ron end too? She glanced at him to find him staring at her with an expectant expression, probably waiting for her answer. Was she ready to meet the rest of his family? Even in the present circumstances?

  “I don’t know if this is the right time to come to Vegas with you, hon.”

  “Believe me, it is.” He cupped her face, his eyes serious. “I don’t want to leave you here in L.A., not with everything that’s happening. I must know what other secrets my family has kept from me. I need you with me, babe.”
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  How could she refuse him? “Okay. Now can you tell me what Dr. Reuben meant by ‘tell her’? Tell me what?”

  He rubbed her arms as though trying to console her. “Your phone kept vibrating while you were under. I picked it up after the third time. It was the hospital. Your uncle regained consciousness and is asking for you.”

  Ashley’s heart lifted. “Let’s go.” She raced to the door, Ron close behind her.

  CHAPTER 16

  They made it to Good Samaritan Hospital in record time. For once, Ashley fought her fear of confined places. Instead of the stairs, they took the elevator to the ICU on the fourth floor. Matt and his wife Lorraine were on a corner couch in the waiting room, conversing in quiet tones.

  Lorraine saw them first, squeezed her husband’s hand and whispered, “She’s here.”

  Ashley met her across the room and they hugged. “You didn’t call me,” she whispered, then leaned back to study her long-time friend. “How’re you holding up?”

  “Much better now.” Lorraine stepped back and reached for her husband’s hand. “We know he’s going to make it.”

  Ashley turned her attention to Matt. The whites of his eyes had red streaks, like he hadn’t slept in days. His clothes hung loose on his heavy body and only the Lord knew when he had last shaved.

  “Where’s your mom?” she asked him after a quick hug.

  Matt nodded toward the hallway. “With Dad.” His gaze moved to Ron. “Who’s he?”

  Ashley quickly performed the introductions and explained that Ron was a friend. Still, Matt shot Ron a suspicious look. “The cops told us the man who hurt Dad was dead, but not before he tried to get you too. Why would he come after the two of you, Ash?”

  Ashley hoped her expression didn’t show she was about to lie. “He must have thought I overheard him when he attacked your father. Remember? I told you he and I were talking at the time.”