Fragrance of Revenge by Dick C. Waters Read Free Book Online

around her while helping her into the back seat. He couldn’t help but notice that her legs went a long way up under her skirt.
    “Shit…shit,” I muttered to myself. It’s a holiday weekend and she’s headed off with him. Where the hell are they going? I tried to remember our last words last night, but I couldn’t remember saying anything that would have resulted in her running off with him.
    The cab pulled away along with a part of my life.
     
    *.*.*
     
    I entered the apartment to get what I came for. I went in the bedroom and found the bed a mess. I searched my memory and could almost swear I had made the bed before I left. Could they have gone to bed before they left?
    I sat on the bed and gave some more thought to our discussion. I felt real guilty planning to do the surveillance this evening. I’m doing what she specifically asked me not to. I love Mercedes and she said she loves me. Now I wish I had said more things to her last night.
    The thoughts of her going to bed with Ralph were absurd. I grabbed one of my suitcases in the closet and started to put some shirts and pants in it. I went over to the dresser and took out socks and underwear and added those. Then I took my shaving stuff from the bathroom. The other things I had at my own apartment, but the shaving stuff was only here. I closed the suitcase on the bed and lifted it off.
    I noticed something other than crumpled sheets. I moved the top sheet and found a pair of boxers.
    “Shit…shit…and triple, shit.” I don’t wear boxers.

Chapter 9
     
    Mercedes left no note, the bed was a mess, boxers were left between the sheets, and I saw them leaving together with suitcases.
    Despite what it looked like, this didn’t make any sense to me.
    Mercedes might have been upset with me about my doing investigations, but she didn’t know anything about her father asking me to do an investigation for him. Or, did she?
    I tried to recall last night’s conversation after my nightmare. Maybe I talked in my sleep about his request for me to do an investigation for him. I found myself sitting on the bed still holding the boxers. What would a true detective do in this situation?
    I turned the material inside out and shook it over the off-white bed cover. The sheets were black so I knew I wouldn’t be able to see anything. I wanted to see if anything appeared, but I really didn’t want to see anything.
    There on the bed cover were two short black hairs. My fear was confirmed. Ralph had indeed been with Mercedes in bed and nude. I threw the underwear, which hit the bedside lamp knocking it off the nightstand. The shade hit the wall and the lamp base bounced on the rug.
    I stood and pulled the bed cover off to the floor and then the top sheet. I felt the bottom sheet to see if it was warm, but it felt cool. I rushed into the bathroom and found two wet white towels discarded in the corner.
    Mercedes always hung her towel over a hook or at least over the shower rod. Now I knew the naked truth. They made love in bed and showered together. As hard as it was to believe Mercedes could actually do that with someone else…the facts didn’t lie.
     
    *.*.*
     
    As much as I tried to deny the facts there was no other explanation. If Mercedes really loved me, she might have just been vulnerable today. I just couldn’t accept what I had seen. Then it hit me.
    She knew I still had a key and would find the condition of the bedroom, the bathroom and worse his boxers. She did this on purpose to send me a message. I got it.
    I didn’t know why I was rushing around the apartment getting all of my stuff together, but I was. They were not coming back anytime soon. I felt like a ton of bricks was lying on my chest—it was so hard to breathe. My head was spinning with images of Mercedes and me at the cabin, with her in a towel too small for the task. Those images were quickly replaced with Ralph in bed with her and then in the shower.
    I thought we were in love and would be