Rene ignored the question, preferring to get it all out in one long wave. “I’m here in my wife’s parish-provided house because, as my mother pointed out today, I don’t actually own anything, and every bit of money I have comes from her sufferance. Sylvie thinks I’m an asshole, and she’s right since if I’d been smart enough to know what would happen, I wouldn’t have dragged her into my nightmare. If I’d admitted how much I love her, I would have let her go sooner. I’m here tonight because I didn’t have anywhere else to go, and I figured this was the last place she would look for me.”

Dre stared at him for a long time and then turned and walked toward what looked to be the kitchen. “We’re going to need booze for this conversation. I might not have brought food with me. I’ll admit that I was going to let my sister cook, but she never has good booze so I picked up a bottle of duty-free whiskey. And the last time I was here, I hid my Xbox in Sylvie’s guest room closet because I didn’t trust Momma not to throw it out. Maybe we can drink and shoot things, and you can tell me how you married my sister and lost all your money. Damn, man. I was counting on you to be my moneybags brother-in-law someday. You know when you think about it, this loss is really about me.”

He followed his best friend, who obviously did not understand him. “Dre, I slept with your sister.”

Dre found his bottle and quickly located a couple of glasses. “Before or after you married her?”

“After,” Rene admitted. “But I told you why I married her.”

Dre poured out two fingers. “To trick your aunt. Are we talking about Roberta?”

It looked like the bullet hadn’t taken any of Dre’s reasoning skills. “Yes.”

Dre moved on to the second glass, pouring with a practiced hand. “Good move. She thinks my momma has the sight. She’ll probably vote with you just because she’ll think you’ll listen to Momma. Don’t, Rene. She knows little about running a business that doesn’t include cutting hair, and don’t let her tell you she does her own books. She hired LaTonja Nichols to do those after Dad died. So if she starts telling you she can see the stock market through her tarot cards, do not believe her. Actually, let Sylvie deal with Mom. It’s the best way to go. You agree with everything Mom says and then go tell Sylvie and she’ll get you out of it.”

Had Dre not heard a word he’d said? “I married your sister under false pretenses.”