Читать книгу In Violet's Wake - Robin Devereaux-Nelson - Страница 17

chapter 11

Costa left for Omer to pick up some more beer, and while he was gone, Marshall persuaded Hubcap to take a shower and change his clothes. Sitting in Hubcap’s living room, Marshall was privy to something most Omerites—except for Hubcap’s mom and perhaps his sisters—didn’t know. Not only was the outside of the house swathed in wheel covers; now Hubcap was working on the inside of the house.

There seemed to be a method to his madness, though. He was kind of an artist, really, when you took a good look at his handiwork. The living room, for example, was done in a bulls-eye pattern of alternating Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla wheel covers. Prior to hanging the hubcaps, the walls had been painted a deep blue. It was kind of cool, in a creepy, weird sort of way. Maybe Marshall would let Hubcap do a wall in his living room, now that he was the sole decorator. His soon-to-be-ex would love that, wouldn’t she? Fuck you, Violet, he thought to himself.

For all the weirdness with the hubcaps and the less-than-perfect personal hygiene, the inside of Hubcap’s house was clean and organized. The carpeting appeared to be recently vacuumed, clean dishes were stacked in the drainer in a sink, and the rooms were orderly, if a bit run down. It seemed the guy cared more about the house than he did about himself.

Brian emerged from the bathroom in a cloud of steam. He had on a pair of clean jeans, and his feet were bare and pink. He’d shaved, and his face looked youngish and bloated. It was apparent he’d been drinking too much. He was thin, except for a little soft potbelly that hung dejectedly over the waistband of his pants. He was rubbing his wet hair with a holey towel.

“Where’s your friend?” Brian asked.

“Went to pick up some more beer,” Marshall said, draining his bottle. “And he’s not exactly my friend.”

Marshall outlined what had happened over the past few days, about Violet leaving him, his thinking she had someone on the side—why else would she give him such a piss-poor excuse for getting a divorce? She was no good for him? She was making him unhappy? He’d had no idea he was that unhappy until she told him he was. About how he’d heard that she’d gone to Costa months back, supposedly looking for a job. Now, why would she do something like that? Work for her ex-husband? According to Costa, she wouldn’t lift a finger in the restaurant when they were married.

Marshall told Brian how he’d been sure she and Costa were seeing each other. That she had these therapy appointments and that she’d started coming home later and later. She said it was the group. The therapy. That she was supporting her group mates. That they’d meet for coffee. To Marshall she seemed secretive. It gave him a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.