Part 45 (1/2)

”Your friends aren't getting along too good, is what I hear.”

”Really.” Nothing was much of a secret in this place.

”The little woman's taken a room of her own down the road. My wife did that to me once. Crazy broad. That's their way sometimes. Get so mad they just need to walk away.”

”I get that mad, too,” Perry said.

”Oh, h.e.l.l, me too, all the time. But men usually don't have the guts to pack a suitcase and light out. Women have the guts. They're nothing but guts.”

Perry cursed. Why hadn't Kettlebelly called him? What was going on?

He called Kettlebelly.

”Hi, Perry!”

”Hi, Landon. What's up?”

”Up?”

”Yeah, how are things?”

”Things?”

”Well, I hear Eva took off. That sort of thing. Anything we can talk about?”

Kettlewell didn't say anything.

”Should I come over?”

”No,” he said. ”I'll meet you somewhere. Where?”

Francis wordlessly pa.s.sed Kettlewell a beer as he stepped out onto the terrace.

”So?”

”They're in a motel not far from here. The kids love coffins.”

Francis opened another beer for himself. ”Hard to imagine a kid loved a coffin more than your kids loved this place this afternoon.”

”Eva's pretty steamed at me. It just hasn't been very good since I retired. I guess I'm pretty hard to live with all the time.”

Perry nodded. ”I can see that.”

”Thanks,” Kettlewell said. ”Also.” He took a pull off his beer. ”Also I had an affair.”

Both men sucked air between their teeth.

”With her best friend.”