Perfect Justice

26.

BEN WAS GRATIFIED TO find that Deputy Gustafson was not on duty when he arrived at the jailhouse the next morning. Sheriff Collier waved Ben through, never once making eye contact with him. Ben wondered how much he knew about the beating Gustafson had dished out when Ben was here before. More than he cared to acknowledge, Ben guessed.

Vick was the only inmate of the county jail that afternoon, which Ben realized had probably been true for most of the time Vick had spent behind bars. That had to get lonely, day after day. Ben only hoped the mounting loneliness would make Vick more talkative than he had been last time around.

Vick rose from his cot when he saw Ben come down the hallway. “Are you here for a visit,” he asked, “or are you staying the night?”

“I’m definitely not staying the night,” Ben answered. “Ever again, if I can help it.”

Vick grabbed the cell bars. “What makes you think you can spring me from this hellhole when you can’t keep yourself out?”

“That night was no party for me,” Ben said. “But you’ll notice that I’m free now and you’re still behind bars.”

“Good point.” For a fleeting moment, Vick’s lips formed something that might have been a smile, or at least a smirk. “How’s the eye?”

“Much better, thanks.”

“What ticked off Gustafson so bad?”

“Principally the fact that I’m representing you.”

“Oh.” That caused Vick to reflect for a moment. Good. Ben was more than willing to let Vick be motivated by guilt. “Guess this was a bad career move for you.”

“Guess so. Mind if I ask you a few questions?”

Vick instantly pushed away from the bars. “About what?”

“This case, of course. How can I represent you without any facts?”

“I told you I want to plead—”

“Nonetheless I can’t handle this case without more information. You think I can just make the facts up as I go along?”

“I wouldn’t be surprised.”

Ben decided to move on to the questions. “I’ve been to the boardinghouse where you were staying, and I’ve talked to Mary Sue. She says you had some visitors shortly before the murder.”

Vick didn’t respond.

“Mary Sue described one of your visitors as Vietnamese. That wouldn’t have been Tommy Vuong by any chance, would it?”

A deep furrow formed over Vick’s eyes. “Why would I meet with him?”

“I can’t imagine. But I don’t think you met him for the first time in that bar. I think you two had some history.”

“Well, you’re dead wrong.”

“Am I?” Ben took a few steps down the hallway. “If it wasn’t Vuong, who was it?”

“I don’t know what Mary Sue’s talking about. She has a tendency to drink more than she should. She probably hallucinated it.”

“Imagined a Vietnamese visitor to a member of a white-supremacist group? Seems unlikely.”

“Maybe he was visiting someone else in the house. She had several tenants.”

Ben decided to move on. It was better to keep him talking, even if he was lying, than to tick him off and cause him to clam up. “Mary Sue also said someone else dropped by to see you, the night before the murder. A woman.”

Vick’s eyes widened ever so slightly.

“Don’t deny it,” Ben said. “I can already see that it’s true.”

“What’s she accusing me of? Fornicating with the whore of Babylon?”

“Nothing quite that serious. Actually she seemed to think you just talked. At least on this particular occasion. Who was she?”

“I—I—” Vick looked away suddenly. “I can’t tell you.”

“Why not?” Ben clung to the bars that separated them. “Donald, I’m your lawyer. I’m on your side.”

“I—” Vick averted his eyes. “I’m sorry. I made a promise.”

“A promise? To whom?”

“I—can’t say.”

“Mary Sue said she overheard the woman mention—”

“I said I can’t talk about it!”

“Donald, would you please screw your head back on? How can I represent you if you won’t even tell me what you know?”

Vick folded his arms across his chest and turned away.

“Is this related to the fight at the Bluebell Bar? Or was that about something else?”

Vick didn’t honor Ben’s inquiry with a reply.

“What was the point of that fistfight, anyway? I can’t believe you went after Vuong just because he was Vietnamese.”

“He and his friends outnumbered me,” Vick snapped. “They all attacked at once.”

“They didn’t gang up on you just for the hell of it. I heard you started the fight.”

“Nonetheless, they—”

“Why, Donald? Everyone keeps telling me you’re the quiet, soft-spoken type. From what I hear, you didn’t even drink, much less hang out in bars. I think you must’ve gone there looking for Vuong. Why?”

Vick didn’t respond. He sat down on his cot and faced the wall.

“Donald, answer my question!”

No change.

“Is Dunagan the one you’re protecting?”

Vick’s head jerked around, his eyes fierce and narrowed. After a long moment he slowly turned back toward the wall. He wasn’t taking the bait.

“I know you’ve known Dunagan all your life and that he’s an old family friend and all that crap. I also know you had a tough father with high expectations who passed away before you had a chance to satisfy him. Assuming that was possible.” Ben paused. “I have some understanding of that situation myself. My guess is that your involvement with these ASP goons is part of some cockeyed plan to please your father.”

Ben could see the muscles in Vick’s neck tightening.

“Is that it, Donald? Are you taking the rap to protect your daddy’s buddy, the Imperial Grand Dragon?”

Ben waited a long time, but no answer came.

Under different circumstances, Ben might’ve been willing to take Vick’s silence as confirmation, but here, he just wasn’t sure. There was so much he was uncertain of, so much he didn’t know yet. Most of his theories were flying off his tongue as soon as he thought of them.

“Are you aware that the DA found hairs on the murder weapon? Hairs he has matched to yours.”

No response.

“What about it, Donald? Have you been shedding around any crossbows lately?”

Nothing at all.

“I know they stock crossbows at the ASP training camp. I’ve been there.”

Silence. No reply.

“Do you know what’s happened to this town? It’s in an uproar. Everyone’s scared to death that today will be the day the fuse on the powder keg ignites and all hell breaks loose. They want your blood, Donald. They’re going to give you the death penalty because they’re hoping that will be enough to put Silver Springs back the way it was before you and ASP came to town. You’re going to take the rap for the whole club.

“But I know they’re wrong,” Ben continued. “I know this town will never be the same until we find out who really killed Tommy Vuong. Can’t you help me do that? Can’t you help me keep your miserable butt alive?”

Not a word. Not even a twitch.

“Fine.” Ben marched down the corridor, away from Vick’s cell. “I just hope to hell you don’t get what you deserve.”