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Satisfied, he left the house and headed up the gravel road, toward
the store.
The roof of the car was scalding to the touch and when he opened
the door, it felt like a furnace. No one was in the parking lot. Too
hot to be outside. Sweltering, without a cloud or hint of breeze.
Who in God’s name would want to live in a place like this?
In the store, he grabbed a bottle of water and drank it while
standing near the coolers. He paid for the empty container and the
old woman threw it out. She asked him if he enjoyed the carnival.
He told the nosy old woman that he had.
Back in the car, he drank more vodka, not caring that it was now
the temperature of a cup of coffee. As long as it made the pain go
away. It was too hot to think and he could have been on his way
back to Dorchester if Erin had been home. Maybe when he
brought Erin back and Bill realized how happy they were
together, he would give him his job back. He was a good detective
and Bill needed him.
As he drank, the throbbing in his temples began to recede, but he
started to see two of everything when he knew there should be
only one. He needed to keep his mind sharp, but the pain and the
heat were making him sick and he didn’t know what to do.
He started the car and turned onto the main road, heading back to
downtown Southport. Many streets were closed off and he made
countless detours before he found a spot to park. No shade for
miles, just sun and endless, stifling heat. He felt like he might
vomit.
He thought about Erin and where she might be. Ivan’s? At the
carnival? He should have called to ask whether she was working
today, should have stopped at a hotel last night. No reason to
rush, because she wasn’t at home, but he hadn’t known that then,
and it made him angry to think she was probably laughing about