When Susan arrived, Ronnie was on the phone. “What do you mean you don’t know where she was dropped off? How many women with cats do you drive around everyday?…Well can you at least tell me if it was a hotel or a bus station? You think it was a hotel? Any idea which one?
You’re a lot of help, thanks,” she said sarcastically as she slammed the phone down. “They don’t know or they’re not saying. Damn useless cab companies.” She looked up to see her sister standing there. “What are you doing here?”
“I thought you might need help.” She pulled out the adjacent chair and nodded at Maria’s motion toward the coffeemaker. “I saw the paperwork for the Porsche on Rose’s desk. Ronnie, I have to ask. The accident…”
“It was me,” Ronnie answered sadly.
“And you never told her.”
“No.”
“So now she’s found out on her own and decided to leave you.”
“Looks that way,” Ronnie sighed, staring at the phone. “Came here, packed a few clothes, took Tabitha and left.”
“Maybe she just needs some time to think about it.”
“I’d say she’s already thought about it.” She combed her fingers through her hair. “She’s gone, Susan. She…she left me.”
“Ronnie, she’ll come back. You two love each other.”
“She thinks I lied to her.”
“You did lie to her,” the younger Cartwright pointed out. “Ronnie, you have to expect that she’ll be upset about this. You hit her and lied about it. I can’t believe you kept that a secret. How did you think she’d react to finding out? Especially after the two of you have…you know…become lovers.”
“I can’t be without her, Susan.” Her eyes fell on the empty chair which only hours before had been filled by Rose eating her breakfast. “I need her.” She looked at the phone again. “How many hotels can there be in Albany? Maria, get me the phone book.”
“I’ll help. Where’s the phone for the other line?”
“In the office. Ask them first if they take pets. That should eliminate most of them.”
Forty-five minutes worth of calling hotels turned up no sign of her beloved Rose. Ronnie was very upset and frustrated by the time Susan came out, a piece of paper in her hand and a triumphant smile on her face. “I tried to think like she would. You know how she’s worried about money. I started calling the cheaper motels and voila, found her.”
Ronnie took the scrap of paper and looked at it. “The Barcade? That roach motel on Central?”
“It must be the cheapest motel in Albany that allows pets,” Susan replied.
“I’ve got to go see her.”
“Ronnie, wait.” Susan put her hand on her sister’s shoulder. “Maybe you should call and talk to her on the phone first. You’re upset, she’s upset. Maybe a face to face confrontation isn’t such a good idea. What if you get there and she doesn’t want to talk to you?”
“She’ll talk to me,” Ronnie said. “Why wouldn’t she? Rose is a reasonable woman. I’m sure once I explain what happened, she’ll forgive me and come home where she belongs.”
“I hope so,” Susan replied, not entirely convinced that her sister was right.
Ronnie pulled her car into the pothole-ridden parking lot. From the driver’s seat she looked at the aged and decrepit structure. The dingy cream colored paint was peeling away in several places and half the upper level was missing the railing. Dented doors and broken windows added to the flavor of the cheap motel. Ronnie was certain that she would be able to get Rose to come home with her. She was about to go into the office when she saw the familiar orange cat jump into one of the upper level’s windows.
Rose stomped on the roach she saw scurry out from behind the toilet. Tomorrow she would call around for another place to stay.“Rose?” Ronnie’s voice startled her. She had not expected to deal with her lover so quickly. Grabbing her cane, she walked across the stained carpet and stood behind the door, pressing her forehead against the cool metal.
“Go away, Ronnie,” she said softly.
“Rose, please let me in. We need to talk.”
“Please go home. I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine. If you were fine you’d be home with me.” The doorknob jiggled, showing the executive’s frustration with talking through the steel door. “Sweetheart, please just let me in so we can talk.”
“There’s nothing to say, Ronnie. Go home. You don’t have to worry. I won’t sue you or anything.”
“Sue?” The doorknob jiggled again. “Rose, let me in. I’m not worried about you suing me. Come on, Honey. We need to talk.”
“So talk. I can hear you.” Rose knew she could not open the door. She was on the verge of tears as it was and seeing Ronnie would be more than enough to push her over the edge. “What did you want to say?”
A long silence. “I wanted to say I love you. That I want you to come home with me and talk about this. Please Rose, I’m sorry I lied to you.”
“Sorry you lied or sorry I found out?” She closed her eyes. “Please…just go home, Ronnie.”
“I can’t leave without you.”
Rose slapped her hand against the door. “You…you were my knight in shining armor, you know. I really thought you had come down and rescued me like a real life Cinderella.” She did not bother wiping the tears that ran down her face. “And all this time you were just trying to protect yourself. What a fool I was.”
“No…Rose, you don’t understand.”
“What don’t I understand? You hit me, lied about it, made me think that everything you were doing was out of the goodness of your heart, then you let me fall in love with you.” Rose lashed out, slamming the side of her fist against the door. “Damn you, Ronnie. Damn you. Why did you let me fall in love with you?” The sobs refused to be held back and she collapsed to the floor.
“Please go away Ronnie. There’s nothing left to say.” She hugged her knees against her chest and cried.
“Rose, please.” The young woman refused to answer, even when the request was repeated several times. Eventually Ronnie walked away, her footsteps against the creaking wood drawing even more pain from the young woman’s heart. Rose threw herself on the threadbare blankets that covered the bed and cried herself into a restless sleep.
Susan walked into the outer office to find her secretary sitting at Rose’s desk. “How is she?” she asked.
“She hasn’t come out of her office all day,” Margaret replied.
“Are you still holding all of her calls?”
“Except…”