VINNIE: Assault with a deadly weapon. Attempted manslaughter.

ROSIE: You’ve escalated.

VINNIE: It won’t stick. Just—hysterical reaction, is all it was.

ROSIE: It wasn’t Carter, was it?

VINNIE: What.

ROSIE: Did you assault Carter?

VINNIE: No. He’s safe.

ROSIE: Where is he?

VINNIE: Out there. My place.

ROSIE: How come he’s out there and you’re here? What’s going on, Vinnie?

VINNIE: He’s—He took up with a woman out there.

Pause. ROSIE stares at him. KELLY re-enters with a tray and drinks. Pause, as she sets the drinks down on glass table then turns to go. ROSIE stops her.

ROSIE: Kelly?

KELLY (stops): Yes, mam?

ROSIE: What time are you picking up the kids today?

KELLY: Three o’clock. The usual time.

ROSIE: Doesn’t Simon have band practice?

KELLY: No, not today. That’s Thursdays.

ROSIE: Oh. Right. Well, look Kelly, why don’t you take them to have ice cream and then go to Toys ’R’ Us or something. All right? Just find something to do with them for a little while.

KELLY (looks at VINNIE): Okay.

ROSIE: I need to talk with Mr Webb here.

KELLY: All right.

KELLY starts to go, then stops. She eyes VINNIE then turns to ROSIE.

KELLY (to ROSIE): Is everything—Are you sure you’ll be all right, Mrs Carter?

ROSIE: I’m fine, Kelly. Just go get the kids now. Do as you’re told.

KELLY eyes VINNIE again, then exits. Pause as ROSIE and VINNIE sip their drinks.

ROSIE: So—he’s run off with a woman. Not that I’m shocked or anything. He’s been carrying on behind my back since day one.

VINNIE: When was that?

ROSIE: What?

VINNIE: “Day One”.

ROSIE: We’re not going to drag that back up out of the dirt, are we Vinnie? Things happened. One thing led to another. I don’t know. It was a long time ago.

VINNIE: But now it’s over, right?

ROSIE: What.

VINNIE: You and him?

ROSIE: Apparently so! What’re you trying to tell me? He’s shacked up with a woman at your place and you’ve come all the way out here to give me the good news?

VINNIE: He met this girl—

ROSIE: A girl! A girl! It’s always a girl. Never a woman.

VINNIE: He met this girl in a bar out there.

ROSIE: What a surprise!

VINNIE: I guess she got infatuated with him.

ROSIE: Oh, she got infatuated with him!

VINNIE: I guess.

ROSIE: And you, very generously, donated your bed to the cause!

VINNIE: No—

ROSIE: And now you’ve gone out of your way, as a friend, to make sure I understand all the sordid details!

VINNIE (sudden burst): HE STOLE MY BUICK, ROSIE! HE STOLE MY BUICK AND HE STOLE MY WIFE!

Pause. ROSIE stares at him.