Scene #29
Sydney Ramsey turned the corner of the house and stopped dead in
her tracks. Joseph O’Donnell, Braden Chief of Police, sat in his
car staring at her. Tightening her grip on a large housecat, she
darted for her car as the chief opened his car door. By the time
he walked the distant between their cars, she was safely locked
inside her Camry.
“Mrs. Ramsey, you need to step out of
the car.”
“No.”
“Mrs. Ramsey. If you step out of the
car and give me the cat, we can just forget this happened.”
“His name is Hemmingway and he is MY baby. I’m not leaving him with
that cold-hearted, cat-hating adulterer.”
“I don’t know much
about Mr. Ramsey being a cat-hater ma’am, but Judge Wilkins
suggested that Hemmingway should stay with him since the paperwork
is in his name.”
“Yes, but he was gift to me; an anniversary
present. Evan just filled out the paperwork in his name. Besides,
Roy Wilkins is just taking Evan’s side on this because he’s an
adulterer too. They stick together, you know. Like some club.
The ‘I can’t keep my pants on and penis to myself’ club.”
“Ma’am, please give me the cat. It won’t look good when you go to
court. The judge may question you ability to act responsibly and
give the cat to Mr. Ramsey permanently.”
Sydney opened the
car door and stepped out. “Okay. I’ll put him back, but if
anything happens to my baby, I’m going to hold you responsible,
Chief O’Donnell.” Back ramrod straight she headed toward the
house.
“If you give me the key, I’ll unlock the door for
you,” Joe said, following her.
“I don’t have the key.
Evan changed the locks the day I found out about his affair. Had
them changed before I got home that evening. Do you know what it
is like to find out that your husband is screwing a twenty-year old
college student and then he puts your clothes out of the front
porch and changes the locks to the house that you have helped pay
for?” She stopped and turned to face him. “No, I guess you
wouldn’t. So, I’ll tell you what it’s like, it’s hell. Thank God
I don’t have children with that man.”
“Mrs. Ramsey, if you
don’t have a key to the house, how did you get the cat?”
“Through the window beneath the deck. It’s a pain, but I’ve had to
get in that way before. I locked myself out of the house several
times when we were married. The first time I called Evan from the
neighbor’s house. The cold-hearted bastard told me if I was stupid
enough to lock myself out that I could just sit there until he got
home. The first time I did. After that I improvised. I just left
the window in the family room unlocked so I could climb in if I
locked myself out again. I mean it’s so easy to do. You think
that your house keys are in your purse, but instead they’re in the
pocket of the jacket you wore the day before and then…. Well, you
get the picture.” She finished as she lead him around the side of
the house to the backyard where they stood facing the massive
two-story home.
