Ruth Ann gimped to the cruiser. “I’m glad you stopped. You’d be surprised the number of people slow down, look at you crazy and keep going.” She got into the backseat and fanned herself with her hands. “Man, this air feels good!”
“You want me to take you home?”
“No, no, no! Let me cool off a few minutes and I’ll be on my way.”
“You know I’m not letting you walk the highway. Anywhere else you’d like to go?”
“Now is a good time as any to get your polygraph test over and done with.”
Sheriff Bledsoe suppressed a burp. “On hold right now. Problems with the machine. Tell the truth, did you and Lester get into a fight?”
“No, Sheriff. I’ve told you already we didn’t.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. You were taking a walk to improve circulation, no shoes, the hottest day of the year, and you have a new Expedition parked in the driveway. You keep lying to me we’ll go have a little talk with Lester.”
“We had an argument. Lester didn’t hit me.”
“He wouldn’t let you get your shoes?”
“I’m sure he would have. I just, you know, I just wanted to leave. Didn’t think to get my shoes.”
“Legally speaking, you and he are married, what’s his is yours and yours is his. If you want to go back and get some of your stuff, you’re within your legal rights. I’ll go with you, make sure everything is peaceful.”
“No thanks, Sheriff. Very nice of you, but I’d rather not.”
Sheriff Bledsoe started to speak when a black Dodge Ram stopped directly behind them. “Speak of the devil.”
Lester exited the truck, an overstuffed plastic garbage bag in each hand, and approached the cruiser.
Sheriff Bledsoe got out to intercept him. “How you doing, Lester?”
“Here’s some more of her shit!” Lester said, throwing the bags to the ground, huffing and puffing as if he’d run a marathon. “Everything else b-b-b-belongs…” He started sniffling like a cat trying to dislodge a fur ball, and then he let loose, crying loudly and miserably. “…b-b-b-b-belongs to me!”
“Hold on now, Lester.”
Lester pointed at Ruth Ann, staring at them through the back window, wide-eyed.
“Did you use a rubber?” Lester shouted at her. “Did you use a damn rubber?”
Ruth Ann quickly turned face front in her seat. Lester charged for the car. Sheriff Bledsoe grabbed him by the waist just as he was reaching for the door handle.
“Lester! Lester! Lester!” Sheriff Bledsoe clamped him in a headlock. “Lester, calm down!”
“Okayokayokay, Sheriff!”
“I’m going to let you go. If you try it again I’m going to arrest you. You understand?” He released him. “Are you okay?”
Still crying: “I’ve been scratching ever since she left. Ask her did they use a rubber. Tell her I want my momma’s ring back, too. She ain’t worthy of it!”
“Lester, you’re working yourself in a frenzy. Calm down.”
“She ain’t no good, Sheriff! Fucking that sorry, no-good Eric Barnes!” Hyperventilating: “I know she has a damn coochie disease! Ask her did he use a rubber.”
“By God, Lester! Calm down! The first thing you need to do is calm down. Take a deep breath and hold it, okay? Do that for me, please.”
Lester held his breath for a split second and exhaled nasally.
“Now don’t you feel better?” Sheriff Bledsoe said, though Lester continued crying, snot and tears flowing at an even pace. “Whatever she did it’s not worth losing control over, is it?”
Lester strained to respond, couldn’t, hiccupping and crying.
Sheriff Bledsoe patted his back. “This is going to take time, Lester. Try not to—” Before he could finish, Lester bear hugged him, crying on his shoulder. A wet sensation spread down his back.
“S-s-s-sh-sh-sh-she… d-d-did me… w-r-r-r-rong…. S-s-s-s-sh-sh-sheriff!”
If only he’d followed his first mind and kept going. Someone would’ve stopped and given Ruth Ann a ride into town. This very minute he should have been walking into a drugstore with the prescription for the purple pill in hand. He glanced at his wristwatch. A quarter after four.
“Lester… Lester, why don’t you go home and rest up. Later on, after you’ve relaxed a bit, call someone, a relative, your pastor, one of your friends.”
Lester continued crying.
What if, Sheriff Bledsoe thought, a state trooper drove up?
A trucker drove by in the opposite lane to avoid coming too close to the vehicles on the shoulder, rubber- necking, a curious look on his face.
Sheriff Bledsoe pried Lester’s arms loose. “Go home, Lester. Go home, take a hot bath and relax. In a few days this won’t seem the end of the world.”
Lester wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “I’m sorry, Sheriff. Dirty bitch brings out the worst in me.”
“No need for name-calling. Just go home and relax, for Pete’s sake. All right? If you think about doing something crazy, call me first. Understand?”
Lester nodded and pressed two fingers against his right nostril and blew phlegm to the pavement. “O-okay, Sheriff, I will,” extending the same hand he’d used to blow his nose.
Sheriff Bledsoe declined the shake. “Just go home, Lester. Don’t forget what I told you.”
Lester stared malevolently at the back of Ruth Ann’s head, then got into his truck and drove off.
“You think he’ll be all right?” Ruth Ann asked the moment Sheriff Bledsoe got into the cruiser.
“I hope so. He’s pretty tore up now. Does he have anyone he can commiserate with?”
“His mother and his sister. I doubt if he’ll talk to them, though.”
Sheriff Bledsoe pulled the stick into drive. “I’ll check on him later. Where do you want me to drop you off?”
“My mother’s. Sheriff, don’t forget my stuff. My pillowcase, too.” He pushed the stick back into park and started out to retrieve her belongings. “One other thing, Sheriff?”
“What?”
“You got snot all over the back of your shirt.”
He got out, slamming the door behind him, wondering would he dishonor his badge if he kicked her out and made her walk.
Chapter 27
The phone rang and rang. “Pick up the phone,” Leonard said into the cell phone. “I know you’re there, pick up the phone.”
He knew Victor was back in Chicago because he himself had left the answering machine on. The ringing continued. He folded the cell phone.
Already he was desperately missing Victor. What if Victor sought solace in the arms of his ex, Dwight. The mere thought made him sick to his stomach.
If he and Victor didn’t get back together, what would he do? Go back to dating? A risky proposition in itself. Liars, players, whiners, haters, baiters, all dressed up in pretty packages, but not one worth the pain and trouble.
Could he roll the dice again and find another Victor? Honest, compassionate, intelligent, handsome, responsible and faithful.
He thought he heard something and went to check on his mother. She lay in bed snoring, the sheet covering her entire body. He could scarcely detect her chest rising and falling.
Mother, he mused, still believed covering up the monsters would overlook you. He closed the bedroom door
