Рита Браун - Pay Dirt

"—to do." Norman's voice was ragged.

"Get a divorce."

"She'll never allow it."

"Norman, what's she going to do—kill you?"

He laughed nervously. "She's violently in love with me, or so she says, but I don't think she really loves me. She loves the idea of a husband. When no one's around, she tells me what to do like I'm an idiot. And if she's not telling me what to do, Ottoline takes up the slack."

"Just tell her it isn't working for you. You're sorry."

He sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I can try. I don't know what happened to me. I don't know why I left you. But it was like I had malaria or something. A fever. I couldn't think straight."

Kerry didn't really want to hear this part. "You need to be real clear. Just 'I'm sorry, I want a divorce' is a good way to start. Okay, so she loses her temper and runs you down all over town. Everyone does that when they break up, or almost everyone."

"Yeah—yeah, I know. It's just that I'm under so much pressure now. This mess here at die bank. I don't know if I can handle two crises at the same time. I need to solve one before attacking the other. I'm not stringing you along. I love you, I know that now. I

know I've always loved you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, but can't you wait—until I get things straightened out here? Please, Kerry. Please, you won't regret it."

"I—" She began crying. "I'll try."

"I do love you." He put his arm around her and kissed her.

Mrs. Murphy, belly low, quiedy backed away, then turned and tiptoed down die hall to die stairs. Once on the first floor, she raced across the polished parquet in that sanctuary of money, scooted back down into the cellar, and squeezed out the hole to freedom.

Tucker, relieved to see her friend, bounced up and down on her stubby legs.

" Kerry and Norman are in there crying and kissing. Damn . "Mrs. Murphy sat and wrapped her tail around her, for die air was quite cool now.

" Where're their cars ?" Tucker was curious. " They had to have hidden them. Everyone knows everyone, right? Imagine if Reverend Jones or anybody, really, drqpe by and found their cars at the bank. I want to know where they've stashed their cars ."

" Me too ." Mrs. Murphy inhaled die cool air. "/ hate love triangles. Someone always gets hurt ."

" Usually all three ," die dog sagely noted. " Come on. Let's check in the alleyway behind the post office ."

They hurried across the railroad tracks. No car rewarded their speedy efforts.

" Ifyou were a human, where would you park your car?" the cat wondered. " Under something or behind something unused or ignored in some way ."

They thought for a time.

"There are always cars behind Berryman's garage. Let's look."

They ran back out to Railroad Avenue and loped west, turning south at the railroad underpass onto Route 240. The little garage, freshly painted, was on the next corner.

Stuck behind the other cars waiting to be repaired was Norman's Audi.

" Score 0«?/"Tucker yipped.

"We'd better head home. If we circle the town trying to find Kerry's car, we won't be home by daylight. Mom will be worried. We found one, that's good enough for now."

Footsteps in the distance alerted them. Norman Cramer was heading their way.

" Ssst, here ." Mrs. Murphy pointed to a truck that was easy to crawl under.

They peered out but remained motionless. Norman, wiping his eyes, quietly opened the driver's door, got in, started the motor, and drove about half a block without lights before turning them on.

" He looks like Death eating a cracker , "Tucker said.

They made it home by sunrise. When Harry fed them she noticed grease on Tuckers back. "Damn, Tucker, have you been playing under the truck again? Now I've got to give you a bath."

" Oh , »o/"Tucker wailed to Murphy. " See the trouble you got me into ."

22

"I'm not stupid." Ayshas lower lip stuck out when she pouted. "You weren't at work late last night."

"I was."

"Don't lie to me, Norman. I drove by the bank and your car wasn't parked there."

"I was there until ten-thirty." He devoutly prayed that she hadn't driven by before that, but as she had attended an Ash Lawn meeting, a special fund-raiser, he figured she wouldn't have gotten out until ten-thirty or eleven. "Then I dropped the papers off at Hogan Freely's and he wanted to talk. I couldn't very well give my boss the finger, could I?"

Red-faced, Aysha picked up the phone and dialed. "Laura, hello, Aysha Cramer. I'm calling for Norman. He thinks he left his Mark Cross pen over there from his meeting last night with Hogan. Have you found it?"

"No. Let me ask Hogan, he's right here." Laura returned to the phone. "No, he hasn't found anything either."

"I'm sorry to disturb you."

"No trouble at all. Tell Norman to rest."

"I will, and thank you. Good-bye." She hung up the phone carefully, then faced her husband. "I apologize. You were there."

"Honey, what's the matter with you? Everything is going to be fine. I'm not going to run off or keel over from a heart attack or whatever you're worried about. We're both under pressure. Let's try to relax."

"It's Kerry, I'm worried about Kerry! I know you can handle the job, but I don't know about—"

He put his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck. "I married you, didn't I?"

23

" Never, never am I speaking to you again !''Mrs. Murphy hissed.

"One more," Dr. Parker cooed as she hit up the cat with her rabies booster. "There we go, all over."

Ears flat against her head, hunched up and livid, Mrs. Murphy shot off the examining table. She raced around the room.

"Murphy, calm down."

" You lied to get me here , "Mrs. Murphy howled.

The doctor checked her needles. "She'll stop in a minute. She does this once a year and I expect she'll do it next year."

" I'll remember when the year rolls around. I wont get in the truck ." Murphy, ears still flat back, sat with her back to the humans.

"Come on," Harry cajoled her.

The sleek tiger refused to budge or even turn her face to her friend. Humans give the cold shoulder. Cats give the cold body.

Scooping her up with one hand under her bottom and the other around her chest, Harry said, "You were a brave girl. Let's go home."

As they rode back into town, Mrs. Murphy stared out die window, back still turned toward Harry.

"Now, look here, Murphy, I hate it when you get in one of your snits. These shots are for your own good. After what you and Tucker did last year, I can't dream of hauling you in to Dr. Parker together. It cost me $123 to replace the curtains in her waiting room. Do you know how long I have to work to make $123? I—"

"Oh, shut up. I don't want to hear how poor you are. My rear end hurts."

"What a yowl. Murphy—Murphy, look at me."

The cat hopped down and crouched on the floor.

Harrys voice rose. "Don't you dare pee in this truck. I mean it." She quickly pulled to die side of die road, got out, and opened the passenger door. She walked into a field, Murphy in her arms. "If you have to go, go here."

" I'm not doing anything you ask me to do ." She hunched down amid the daisies.

By die time Harry rolled into Crozet, both cat and human were frazzled. Harry pulled into die market. When she opened the door, Mrs. Murphy nimbly squeezed past her and rushed to the door.

"Open up, Pewter, open up. She's torturing me!"

Harry pushed open the glass door and die cat ran between her legs. Pewter, having heard the complaint, hurried out to touch her nose and have a consoling sniff.