Rose rinsed the caked blood and dirt off her palms and had Iris apply ointment.
“I am just glad the scratches are not any worse than they could have been,” Rose said.
“How are they now?” Iris asked.
“They sting a little, but I will be all right.”
“Would you like me to schedule an appointment with a manicurist?”
“No. I will do some filing and put on a fresh coat of polish.”
Iris followed Rose to the living room where Dolph and Peter inventoried Rose’s valuables.
“Well?” Rose asked.
“Just about everything is here,” Dolph said. “I’d say you’ve lost a handful of stuff.”
“So, what is a handful?” Rose said. “Let the poor urchin have whatever she took. The pitiful ragamuffin has nothing compared to what I have, and with what I have, I can do a lot more and go a lot further than that hot-tempered, little guttersnipe. All right, leave them here and I will take care of them later.” She turned to Iris and said, “With all that has happened recently, stress is what I do not need. Since the house needs repairs and renovations, there are calls for you to make. There is a Rolodex on the desk in the study containing the names and numbers of painters, carpenters, and landscapers. Afterward, we will make arrangements to go to Antigua soon. I need to get away from here for a while as it would do me a bit of good.”
“Yes, Mrs. Windom.”