Chapter 11 Make up Sex

Renee didn't know at first where he was when he woke up in the downstairs guest room. Then he remembered the fight from the night before. He was scared. So many doubts about Evie's faithfulness. He loved her more than life itself but he didn't think he could or would take it if he found out she was sleeping with another man. Jealousy wasn't a common emotion for Renee but it had reared its ugly head pretty high the night before. He was mad enough if he had been drinking, too, he might have done something he would have regretted. His mother had taught all of her boys that they were to respect women and never, NEVER, hit a woman. He had come very close to the edge a few times with Evie.

"Good morning, Mr. Herbert." Miss Maybelle greeted Renee. "Can I bring you some coffee after I take this to Miss Evie?"

"Yes, that would be good. Is she very hung over?"

"She pretty sick this morning and surly, too." Miss Maybelle giggled.

Evangeline stayed in bed all day and into the afternoon taking her meals upstairs. Renee knew that eventually she would have to come down and then they would have their talk.

At 4 o'clock in the evening Evie stepped out into the crisp fall air. Renee was sitting on the veranda drinking coffee. "Come join me. How do you feel?"

"Oh, I still feel terrible." Evie whined.

"We need to talk about last night." Renee said.

"I know; I know...I was so wrong to get drunk with Sally. I am so sorry, please, forgive me." Evie cooed sliding over to sit on Renee's lap. "I'll make it up to you I promise."

Evie promised to behave herself and that night she made love to Renee like he had never had her do before. It was a night filled with abandon and his love for her proved even stronger. She had even let him leave the lights on, the first time she had done this in their marriage. He noticed bruises and some scratches on her back but chalked that up to her drunken state the night before. He wondered how he could have ever doubted her love for him.

It had been three weeks and things seemed to be going great with Evie. She was allowing him to make love to her more frequently and he had noticed a change in the way they had sex. She seemed so more open to different positions and more verbal with their lovemaking. He didn't know what had come over her. He liked the change but somewhere in the back recesses of his mind he didn't think everything was okay. Just a lingering feeling, a word, a gesture, even one evening... a scent...something just wasn't right.

They had made love that morning and he had been an hour late for work. Sitting at his desk he sat leaning back with his eyes closed still relishing the smell of her and the warmth of her body. The phone startled him at first.
"Sheriff's office. Sheriff Herbert speaking."

"Sheriff, this is Sky Solet, I was the girlfriend of Deputy Pat. I am married to a Houmas man and was going out on my husband with Pat. I only saw him a few times and didn't have anything to do with his killin'. My husband did not either. We were both gone to Shreveport when he was killed. We have witnesses that can stand for us. I needed to get this off my chest. I didn't mean to wait so long. My husband is a good man. It would kill him if he knew. Please, don't let him find out. I will come in and make a statement if I have to." And then she hung up.

Pat's case had been nothing but one dead end after another for months. Finally, a piece of the puzzle dropped out of the clear blue sky. But this didn't help. It only made the case even more a mystery. "Who would want to kill Pat?" Renee said aloud, "and why go to all the trouble of the voodoo mumbo junk?"

Later in the afternoon, Sheriff Renee began to not feel well. Renee picked up the phone and dialed the numbers, "Doc Percy, can you work me in today. I really need to see you. I'm not feeling too well. I'll tell you when I see you. Yes, 3:00 o'clock I can make it. Thanks." Renee showed up at Doctor Percy's small clinic just at 3 o'clock and was taken immediately back to the exam room. Doctor Percy had been Renee's doctor since they had come to Houma. He knew he could trust him to tell him the truth and be discreet.

Doctor Percy knocked on the exam room and entered the small room. "Hello Renee, what brings you in today in such an all-fired emergency?"

"Doc, I think I have the Clap. I've never had it before but my brother did years ago and he had the same symptoms I'm having. I swear to you I haven't been with anyone but my wife. Can you get it any other way except sex?"

"Well, Renee let me take a look. I'll do a test and get back with you. But I can tell you that if you have the yellow drips it's Gonorrhea or as you call it the Clap. I can treat it with penicillin and it will get rid of it for good. Your wife will have to come in for treatment, too."

"Okay, doc can you go ahead and treat me today."

"I'll call my nurse to prepare the syringe. It'll only take her a few minutes to get it ready."

Shortly, a tall bespectacled nurse in a crisp white uniform entered the exam room. Her nursing cap had the black strip across the front indicating she was a Registered Nurse. Renee attempted a joke to ease the tension but Nurse Zelda was all business. "Pull your pants down and bend over Mr. Renee, this won't hurt." Nurse Zelda jabbed the two inch needle deep into Renee's buttocks.

Renee grimaced but didn't say a word.

"Now you must tell your wife to get in here immediately. Sometimes women do not feel any symptoms. It can cause all kinds of problems later on in life if not treated for women and men."

"How long does it usually take to catch this?" Renee asked.

"Oh, it varies, anywhere between 6-10 days usually." Nurse Zelda said as she was leaving the room.

Renee buckled his belt, stopped at the front desk and paid his bill and headed out the door for the nearest liquor store. He needed a drink before going home. Stopping at "Joe's Fine Liquors" store; Renee picked up a fifth of 'Jack Daniels Black Label' and headed for Bayou Blue. He parked the patrol car and took a big swig of the amber liquid. It burned all the way down but he had forgotten how he liked the nutty flavor. It had been a long time since his last drink. In fact, he had not had a drink since right after his partner Gene's funeral. He felt like tonight just might be the night to tie one on again. He took another big swig and lit a cigarette.