The players on both sides folded, but Mr. Mustache’s opponent just sat there studying the cards in his hand.
“Excuse me,” Earl repeated, only this time his words had a bite to them. “You mind answering a question?”
No one even glanced up, and that ticked him off no end. There were two things Earl couldn’t abide: one was being put down and the other was being ignored. Mr. Mustache was doing both. He had half a mind to upend the table and send the cards flying. Then they’d acknowledge his presence. He’d make damn sure of it.
The vein in Earl’s neck throbbed, the muscles in his back tensed, and the inside of his head felt hotter than a furnace. At the moment, nothing would have given him greater pleasure than seeing these assholes get what they deserved, but he had to stay focused. Finding Suzanna was why he was there. He drew a deep breath and turned to the player who had folded.
“I’m looking for Bobby Doherty, you know him?”
The player gave a nod, held up a finger, and mouthed the words One minute.
The furnace inside his head burned hotter still. He gritted his teeth and counted backward from ten, as he’d been told to do. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. Right now, he was on the edge and sliding fast. Just as he leaned forward and gripped the rim of the table, the opponent tossed his cards down.
“I’m out,” he said begrudgingly.
As Mr. Mustache was scooping up the coins, the side player turned back to Earl. “Yes, I know Bobby. You a friend?”
Earl gave a non-committal nod. “Yeah, but it’s been a while. I’m tight with his cousin, Pauline. She said I ought to look him up while I’m over here.”
The guy looked around scanning the room. “I don’t see him here today. Could be he’s with a lady friend.”
“Oh?” Earl felt his heart quicken. This was it; the wait had been worth it. “So, he’s got a lady friend, huh?”
Before he could describe Suzanna or ask if Annie was with her, the player guffawed as if he’d just delivered the punchline of a joke. “Bobby don’t have a lady friend, he’s got a half dozen. The women love him, but only God knows why.”
The idea of this guy taking Suzanna away from him and then cheating on her was mind-blowing. After causing such a ruckus over every little thing he did, why would she tolerate cheating? It was way worse than drinking or using a few obscenities. He was about to describe Suzanna and ask if she was the lady friend when a new thought suddenly crossed his mind.
Maybe she wasn’t all that tolerant. Maybe she wanted out but had no place to go. If that were the case she’d be glad to come home, especially once he promised there’d be no more drinking or cussing in front of the kid. A grin curled the corners of his mouth. This was gonna be easier than he thought.
Trying not to tip his hand, he said, “So you figure the best place to catch Bobby is at his place on Hibiscus?”
The card player shrugged. “He comes and goes, but you can give it a shot.”
Mr. Mustache dealt another hand then leaned back in his chair and looked up at Earl. “You wanna speed this up, buddy? You’re holding up the game.”
A flash of heat sizzled across Earl’s brain, and he again reached for the table. That’s when the opponent, a man with silver hair and cool blue eyes, spoke.
“To get to Hibiscus, go back, take a right onto Long Drive, then a left on Palmetto and a quick right onto Hibiscus. Doherty’s house is the second one in.”
“Thanks,” Earl mumbled, pushing the word through his teeth.
He turned and hurried back down the hallway. It was either that or bust Mr. Mustache in the mouth. The fire inside his head was causing him to perspire, and he could smell the stink of it on his skin. Anger came quicker with Suzanna gone, and it was more uncontrollable. Years ago, he’d been able to hold back and keep it in check but now it was tougher.
He had to believe it was a temporary thing, a mood swing that came with spending too much time alone. Once Suzanna was back, he’d get it under control. He was certain of it. Well, reasonably certain.
Following the directions he’d been given, Earl headed for Hibiscus Cove and found it with no trouble. He parked around the corner on Palmetto with the car partially hidden but still having a clear line of sight to the house. It was after four, and the sky was already growing dusky. Soon the lights would be coming on, and he’d be able to see if someone was inside the house. For now, all he could do was wait and watch.
He sat there mulling over what he’d say to Suzanna, and the minutes ticked by so slowly it felt like hours. The problem with waiting was that it left him with nothing to do but think. It was a lot easier when he could move around. At the bowling alley, he could kill an hour working the counter or burn off steam loading pins into the frame. Here the only thing he could do was wait.
When the waiting became so tedious that Earl thought his head would explode, he pulled out the bottle of Seagram’s, took a swig, and relaxed into the comforting burn that slid down his throat. That drink was followed by another and then another. As he watched the dark clouds roll across the sky a rumble of thunder sounded in the distance, and before long raindrops splattered the windshield.
With the rain came a blast of cold air that sent a shiver up Earl’s spine. The fall weather was one of the
