The next morning, he woke with his head feeling fuzzy and only the vaguest recollection of where he was. He sat up, caught the scent of bacon, and followed it into the kitchen. The table was set, and Iris was standing at the stove.
“Good morning, sleepyhead.” She poured a cup of coffee and handed it to him.
“Morning,” he said and dropped into the chair. For a few moments, he sat there trying to recall what happened, and once he did he mumbled, “Sorry about last night.”
“Forget about it,” she said and laughed. “We had fun, didn’t we?”
“Yeah, we had fun but—”
“Well, today’s another day. Let’s have breakfast and then—”
“I gotta get going,” Earl cut in. “I should’ve been on the road by now.”
“Aw, that’s a shame. I was kinda hoping…”
Earl was already thinking about Suzanna and was anxious to make up for lost time. He folded three strips of bacon into a slice of bread, wolfed it down, then swiped the back of his hand across his mouth. “Thanks. That was good. Real good.”
“I was gonna make French toast or an omelet.” Iris gave a wistful smile. “Maybe next time, huh? If you’re coming this way, give me a call.” She jotted her number on a piece of note paper and handed it to him.
Earl folded the paper and slid it into his pocket. “I don’t expect it to be anytime soon, but when I’m back here I’ll call.”
As he turned on to Route 75, Earl thought about the night he’d spent with Iris and began to wish he’d stayed the extra day. She wasn’t bad looking and had a nice way about her. She made a man feel good about himself, which was more than he could say about Suzanna.
He could’ve delayed going to Atlanta for a day. What would have been the harm? It wasn’t like Suzanna was waiting for him or had even done anything to deserve his loyalty. But after eight years of being together, he wasn’t ready to give up. Yeah, Iris was fun, but for all he knew she took up with every trucker who passed her way. Suzanna was different. She was the kind of woman who made a man want to settle down.
It was almost nine o’clock when Earl reached the outskirts of Atlanta. His first stop was a roadside pub where he ordered whiskey with a beer chaser. After a long day of driving, he needed to relax. He downed the whiskey then went to the phone booth and searched the directory for the law firm of Greene & Garrett. The bold face listing all but jumped out at him. He tore the page from the book, tucked it into his pocket, then returned to the bar and ordered another whiskey. He made quick work of that one then sat savoring his beer and thinking over the possibilities that lay ahead.
When the beer glass was empty, he ordered another one and asked the bartender where Mitchell Street was.
“Downtown. A block over from City Hall.”
“Any motels down there?”
The bartender shook his head. “No motels, but plenty of good hotels. Thing is, they’re pricey. Some of them high as thirty to forty dollars a night.”
“For one night?”
The bartender nodded, then handed Earl another whiskey. “On the house.”
Earl grinned. “Well, then, gimme a beer to go with it.”
He drank until almost midnight, then checked into the Lucky Motel two doors down from the bar. He’d planned to be standing in front of Greene & Garrett when Bobby arrived, but he slept until noon and woke up with his head feeling like he’d been kicked by a mule. Believing he’d be in better shape after some coffee and a bite, he headed out in search of a place to eat.
With getting a late start and needing a bit of time to pull himself together, Earl didn’t arrive at the Greene & Garrett building until after four o’clock. He’d expected the building to be small, a two-story or private house maybe, but confronted with a 14-story glass structure he began to feel intimidated. He couldn’t just walk in and demand to speak to Bobby Doherty. That was too risky. A place like this had security guards. Doherty could have him thrown out then call Suzanna and warn her to keep the doors locked. If something like that happened, it would be a cat-and-mouse game with Suzanna always one step ahead. No, the best way was to come at her with no warning. Catch her unaware with her defenses down; then she’d be more willing to listen, easier to convince.
After thinking it through, Earl decided to wait until Bobby Doherty left the office then follow him home. That way he’d find out where Suzanna was without Doherty being any the wiser. Instead of barging in, he’d wait until the next morning then talk to Suzanna after Doherty was gone from the house. Pleased with his plan, Earl chuckled. Sometimes he was so clever, he amazed himself.
He parked his car a short distance from the building entrance and waited.
At 5:15 p.m. Doherty came out. He was heavier than he’d been in high school, and his hair was a bit darker, but other than that he looked the same. Earl watched as he rounded the corner and headed for the parking lot. When Bobby climbed into the car, Earl eased his foot down on the gas pedal and pulled out. He followed one or two cars behind, always keeping Bobby’s Lincoln in sight.
After they’d left most of the traffic behind, Doherty turned onto a tree-lined street and pulled into the driveway of a white colonial. Earl drove to the end of the street, rounded the corner, and parked. He got out of the car and walked back, passing Bobby’s house so
