It seemed downright stupid for Suzanna to be so dead set against him having a drink now and again. Especially when it was something that made him feel so good. Whiskey had gotten him through many a bad night. It was something he could count on. With a bottle of whiskey in his hand he felt stronger, more powerful, more certain of himself.
When the lights in the surrounding houses started to come on, he downed another swig and leaned close to the windshield, hoping to see through the rain.
Before long the grays and blues of the sky disappeared, and there was nothing but blackness overhead. Still Doherty’s house remained dark. Earl imagined them out to dinner. Laughing, happy, enjoying drinks and a hot meal while he sat here cold and hungry. He took another swig. No matter how long he had to wait, he was determined to see it through. He had something to say, and like it or not Suzanna would have to listen.
After several hours, his eyelids grew heavy. He was drifting on the edge of sleep when the sound of a car startled him. He watched as the black sedan rounded the corner and pulled into Doherty’s driveway. A man got out, opened the garage door, then pulled the car into the garage and closed the door behind him. There was a woman in the car, Earl was certain of it, but given the rain and darkness he couldn’t say whether or not it was Suzanna. The thought that it might be riled him, and he reached for the bottle again.
Minutes later a light came on in the front of the house then a second one in the back. The one in the back had to be a bedroom. Remembering how it was when Suzanna first came to his bedroom, he climbed from the car, opened the trunk, and took out the tire iron. The likelihood was he wouldn’t need it, but better safe than sorry.
Rounding the corner of Palmetto, he crossed Hibiscus, his shirt now soaked by the rain but the fire inside of him raging. From the walkway in front of the house, he could see a bar on the left side of the room. Doherty was standing there, a cocktail shaker in his hand. He looked over his shoulder and hollered something, but it was too far away to hear.
Earl moved closer and caught the sound of her voice, muffled but like what he remembered. Closer up he got a look at Doherty and understood what Suzanna saw in the guy. Dressed in a jacket and tie, he was a sharp dresser, had a nice house, and likely came from money. But all that didn’t negate the fact that he was a cheater, which was something she probably didn’t know.
Doherty filled two stemmed glasses and carried them toward the right side of the room. When Earl lost sight of him, he made his way through the bougainvillea hedge and stood with his back pushed up against the house. He hesitated a moment to make certain he hadn’t been discovered, then turned to peer in the window.
Doherty was gone; so were the glasses. Now that he had a full view of the room, Earl saw the hallway leading to the rear of the house. He was ready to head for that window when he heard Doherty’s voice. He stepped back into the shadows and remained motionless.
Doherty called out saying he’d be right in; then there was music, and the light was turned off. Anxious to get a look inside that back window, Earl clamored through the bushes. He was almost clear when the heel of his shoe caught on a root, and he tumbled forward. The tire iron flew out of his hand and clanged against the walkway. The light clicked on a split-second later.
With his heart hammering against his chest, Earl flattened himself against the ground, afraid to move a muscle. The light caught the top of the bushes and fell across the yard but Earl remained face down in the dirt, hidden from sight. A shadow moved inside the house. It stopped for a moment then moved on, and the room went dark again.
Earl waited until he was certain the coast was clear before he scrambled up, grabbed the tire iron, and headed toward the back yard. Once there, he saw where the light was coming from. Two clerestory windows. They were a good six feet wide but less than two feet tall and so high up it was impossible to see into the room. He took a step back, trying to catch a glimpse of the woman from a distance, but the only thing he could see was a slow-moving ceiling fan.
In the light of day, Earl might have had sense enough to walk away, but given the amount of whiskey he’d downed and the raging fire in his head he didn’t. Instead he grabbed a trash can, dumped the contents in the yard, then upended the can and climbed atop it. Holding onto the window frame, he pulled himself up to where he could see the entire bedroom. It was empty; no Doherty, no Suzanna.
He heard voices again, only this time they came from outside. He let go of the window frame and tried to scramble down, but the can wobbled and Earl went over, landing flat on his back. Before he could move, he was blinded by a flashlight and heard an officer yelling that
