In Violet's Wake by Robin Devereaux-Nelson

Author:Robin Devereaux-Nelson
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781593765712
Publisher: Catapult
Published: 2018-04-27T00:00:00+00:00

chapter 20

Marshall and Costa sat at the table finishing off a bottle of Tsaoussi. Brian was in the kitchen helping Niki with the last of the closing chores, and one of the girls was vacuuming up front. Costa had his feet propped up on a chair next to him, and Marshall was lounging across the banquette.

“It’s nice what you’re doing for Brian,” Marshall said.

“He’s a good kid.” Costa’d never had a little brother, only sisters, but he imagined if he’d had a brother, and that brother was in need, he’d help him much the same way he was helping Brian. All the kid needed was a little push, a little guidance, like Costa’d gotten from his father, his brothers, and uncles. It was a shame Brian’s dad had run out on them when he was a boy.

Marshall took a drink of the sweet, fruity wine. He leaned his head back against the banquette, savoring it. “I never thought of myself as much of a wine drinker,” he said, “But this is fucking good.”

Costa nodded. “From Greece. My dad knows someone on the island of Cephalonia.”

“You really are a decent guy,” Marshall said. “I’m sorry I thought you and Violet—”

Costa held up his hand. “No worries. Is past. And hey, we all had our doubts about Violet at one time or another, huh?” He took a drink of his wine. “She was like . . . what’s that weird metal liquid?”

“Mercury?”

“Yeah. Didn’t they used to call it quicksilver?”

Marshall nodded.

“Yeah, that,” Costa said.

“You’re kind of a poet,” Marshall said, smiling.

“Hey, I’m Greek. It’s in the blood.”

“Do you think this is stupid? All of us getting together like this?”

Marshall looked at Costa, and the older man could see the weariness in the younger man’s face. He was having a harder time than he’d admit, but all in all, he was sure holding it together better than Costa had when he was in the same boat.

“The guys?” Costa said. “Nah. It’s good. Hey,” he said. “We’re like brothers.”

“We did sorta gel right away, didn’t we?”

“Common ground,” said Costa. They sat in silence for a moment. Then Costa leaned forward and lowered his voice. “So, how you really doing, huh?”

Marshall let out a sigh. “I don’t know. I haven’t heard from her. I expect next time I do it will be in divorce court. I wonder about the house. If she’ll want it. There’s still some of her stuff there.”

“She won’t,” said Costa, shaking his head. “Violet doesn’t like to go back to the scene of the crime.”

“Yeah,” said Marshall. “I’m not sure I want to stay there either.”

“I know what you mean,” Costa said.

Marshall laughed. “I threw the bed out.”

“No shit?”

“Right out on the curb. After our first meeting with the guys. It was only out there like twenty minutes. Some one in a beat-up truck stopped and took it.”

“Don’t rush yourself.” Costa poured the last of the wine in their glasses. “But don’t stay in a rut either.”

“What kind of fucked-up advice is that?”

“You godda listen to your heart.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.