Summary of the previous chapter: Bette and Tina have dinner. The girls and Tina wait on pins and needles.
Bette continues to thumb through the magazine and Tina continues to flip TV channels. Desperately she wants to initiate the fight, get it over with, waiting was agony. The guilt in her told her that the least she owed Bette was to let Bette control the timing of her justified wrath. They sit as such for over an hour before Bette speaks in a voice so normal and so calm that it scared Tina more than if she had screamed.
Do we have any empty boxes in the garage? I need to go clean out my office and I would rather do it tonight while no one is there. I dont really care to go in tomorrow and have to explain to everyone why I abruptly resigned.
I dont think we have any boxes.
Im sure we have some at the CAC. I shouldnt be long, a couple of hours at most.
What was Tina to do? It scares her to think of what would happen if she let Bette leave. Would Bette go looking to hunt down and hurt Helena? Would Bette try to hurt herself? Would she, in a fit of rage, trash the CAC? Would she go get drunk and try to drive?
Tina, in the first moment of bravery that she had exhibited that day, speaks. Would you like me to go with you?
Thats fine, Baby if you dont have anything else to do.
No, I can go with you.
Great. Shall we?
Bette gathers her purse and keys and heads toward the door. She waits for Tina to exit with her before locking the door to their house. They walk down the steps and enter the Saab.
Meanwhile, frustrated beyond all belief, Alice cant stand to sit in her apartment anymore. She is smart enough to know that she should not be driving after her smoking. She picks up her ever present cell phone.
Al. Hi. Have you heard anything? Dana answers before the first ring has even completed.
Nothing, Dane. I cant take it. Its driving me crazy. You want to pick me up and go over there to make sure that theyre still alive?
Alice hears Dana explain to Tonya that she has to go out. Tonya, in her whiny voice, protests. From the conversation she is overhearing, Alice could tell that Dana had not told Tonya about Bette and Tina. Danas loyalty to Bette and Tina prevented her from telling Tonya, an outsider, about the potential disaster that had befallen. Dana tells her fianc that she needed to go over to Bette and Tinas, but doesnt tell Tonya the reason.
It is just something I have to do. Dana yells to Tonya before turning her attention back to her cell phone.
Alice has rarely heard Dana be so assertive. It is obvious that the stress of not knowing had taken its toll on her tennis player.
Im on my way, Al. She says into the phone before closing it. Grabbing the keys to the Subaru, Dana brushs past Tonya and out the door. As she is closing the door, she looks at her fianc. If you really love me, you need to trust me.
Paying no attention to the speed limit, Dana races over to Alices apartment letting her mind race between thoughts of Bette and Tina and thoughts of Alice. They have still not discussed or acknowledged the kiss between them only a week previously.
Dana arrives at Alices apartment to find that Alice has called Shane. Shane is too far away to be able to arrive quickly. She doesnt want to delay Alice and Dana by having them wait for her arrival.
Dana and Alice leave the apartment to deploy their mission to ascertain disposition of their friends Bette and Tina. They drive over to the Porter-Kennard household to see that the Saab is not in the driveway. They knock; they call; they walk around and look into all of the windows.
*****, what if Bette killed Tina and shes laying in the house dying? Alice asks with her propensity for melodrama.
What should we do, Al? Call the police? Break-in?
Lets call Shane.
They place a call to their friend who, by this time, as turned around and headed back toward WeHo. Her contemplations will have to wait as action is needed more than idle thought. She tells Alice and Dana to stay put as she is on her way to meet them at the house, but to call her if Bette shows up or if they see signs of Tina in the house.