Belize Real Estate  Links  
Real Estate Information

FSBO: For Sale By Owners Chapter Two


Sheriff's Deputy Ted Rasmussen was thinking about Carrie-his pregnant waitress problem-when he sighted the traffic disruption meandering near the yellow line on Bay Street. A Bremerton merchant had called the Sheriff's emergency number reporting a wet morning commuter mess. Two motorists had placed 911 calls from their cell phones. When the police dispatcher asked if there were any units in the vicinity, Ted responded.

"167 Rasmussen! I'm not far from there. I'll handle it."

Lights flashing, siren blaring, motorists pulling over to let him through, the willing young officer arrived on the scene. Although everyone else noticed the lofty deputy, a starched green uniform, the disoriented young woman seemed oblivious to his police presence. Like a sapling, the deputy swayed with the chilly wind gusting between the buildings.

Horns echoed reproach while the endangered pedestrian continued to swing her purse at arm's length, twirling between cars on the wet thoroughfare. Ted ducked as her shoulder bag came by, his own determined limb catching its strap to halt the lunacy. She seemed bewildered at the interruption.

"What?"

"You tell me what," the deputy demanded. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm playing," the perplexed woman replied, jerking her purse.

Ted had her attention. She wore no rings. His squad car parked in such a way as to shield them, he pointed to the rear passenger door with his free hand.

"This isn't a safe place to play. You'd better get into the car, Miss."

"I don't want to go for any more rides."

"This isn't an option, Miss. Now, get in."

"No! I won't." Tugging on her bag, the frustrated woman insisted. " I'm walking!"

Ignoring hurry-up appeals of stalled motorists, Deputy Rasmussen confronted his challenge. Releasing his hold on her purse, Ted stepped closer to ask, "Where are you going?"

"Away. Far, far away."

Not because he needed to know, but rather in a non-threatening ploy to hold her awareness, Ted inquired, "Where do you live?"

"I used to live in that house with the green roof," she said turning abruptly, pointing at two-story brick house on a distant hillside. "But, now I'm going far away."

"You're already far away, Miss. Now, please get into the police car. This way. I'm not going to hurt you."

"You promise?"

"Of course, I promise. I'm a policeman. I'm the one who catches the one that would hurt you. Here, this way."

She didn't resist as he took her arm to gently enforce compliance.

After securing the seat belt around his disoriented passenger, Ted Rasmussen closed the back door of his cruiser. He shut off the siren, turning to the confused lady who looked to be about his own age-in her mid-twenties.

The precipitation's ample time had saturated her to the skin. Water droplets continued to form at the ends of her brown hair, then dripped to merge with countless others that had found their way to the Washington Cougars sweatshirt-clinging to her body.

Being a man, Ted couldn't help but notice she was pretty, although she was soaking wet.

You'd be a knockout at a wet T-shirt party, he thought.

Without shoes, Ted recognized his captive was mentally ill or high. Securely in his car, the deputy smiled reassuringly.

"You'll be all right, Miss."

"I am all right. I'm a good girl. You can't catch him, though."

Ted's policeman ears perked up. "Why not, Miss?"

"He died."

"Did you have something to do with that?"

"No, silly. He fell off the ladder."

"Who?"

"Daddy."

Assuming he solved the little riddle, the Deputy smiled. "He can't hurt you anymore, then."

"Yes, he does. He comes back-at night. That's why I'm going away."

"So, he can't find you?"

"Yes. You're a policeman, aren't you?"

"That's right, Miss. I'm taking you to the Hospital."

Clearly frightened, the woman pleaded. "Don't tell him where I went."

"I won't tell him, Miss. Your secret's safe with me."

"I didn't tell you the secret. Daddy told me never to tell. I didn't tell you. I didn't."

"No, Miss," the officer assured her. "You didn't tell!"

A dripping cherub, the woman relaxed. No longer terrified, her eyes glazed over. Ted proceeded-lights flashing-to the hospital, parking his cruiser by the door of the emergency entrance.

His docile passenger content in the patrol car, the officer bypassed the door's intern and proceeded directly to admissions desk. The formidable Ms. Maxine Reedman was the RN in charge.

Looking at his name tag she acknowledged him.

"May I help you, deputy?"

"I've a sick female in my car," Ted began.

"Well, you've come to the right place, officer Rasmussen," Maxine Reedman informed him, looking at Ted's name badge. "This is a hospital. What is her name?"

"I haven't asked, yet. Ah, she's not sick physically. At least, I don't think she is. She's a mental case."

"Thank you for your diagnosis, deputy." Unimpressed, the nurse asked, "What was she doing, officer?"

"Playing in the middle of the street. She wasn't struck by an automobile, I don't think."

"Good. Let's you and I go get her."

Ted opened the car door to release the restraint belt from his passenger. With a knowing smile, Ms. Reedman took over.

"Hello, Amy," she said. "Welcome back. Let's get out of the deputy's car. You can come with me, now. Okay? Where are your shoes?"

"I left them at the house when I ran away," Amy whispered, exiting the vehicle. Barefoot, she stood wiggling her toes in a rain puddle. "I was going to put on my galoshes, but I forgot."

"Have you been taking your medicine, Amy?"

"I haven't needed too. I feel fine, so I've stopped taking the pills."

"Well, I'm glad that this officer brought you here, today. Let's go see if we can find you some shoes and dry clothes. Okay?"

"Okay, Ms. Reedman. It's nice seeing you, again. I'm cold now."

"Thank you, Deputy Rasmussen." Staring directly into the eyes of the waiting officer, Maxine Reedman almost smiled. "Amy will be fine. I'll contact her caseworker, and her employer. We'll keep her with us for a few days." Lowing her voice, she answered the unasked question. "Amy is a victim of childhood incest. She does well when she's stabilized, but some hurts don't heal very fast."

"Thanks for your being here, Ms. Reedman," Ted said. "And for the explanation. I'll have to write a report. May I call you for Amy's other vital information?"

"Please do, deputy. I've to take Amy into the crisis center, now."

Ted watched appreciatively as the controlling nurse slipped her strong arm around Amy's waist preparing to breach the door toward renewed health.

Ted returned to his troubled thoughts about having made Carrie pregnant and whether or not to tell his girlfriend, Heather. He decided not to.

Russ Miles is author of the novel, For Sale By Owners:FSBO. A "Seasoned Real Estate NARŪ Broker," disabled by Multiple Sclerosis, Russ writes books & articles on varied subjects.

FOR SALE BY OWNERS:FSBO ISBN 0-595-28703-4,in trade paperback, is available by phone or Internet:1-800-Authors to order direct! Adobe e-book & hard cover editions also available at Amazon.com at Barnes and Noble and other fine booksellers.

Comments: MilesRuss@Gmail.com. Please visit Russ Miles's website MilesBooks.com for other informative features and information of interest.


MORE RESOURCES:

International Business Times

Mariner Real Estate acquires loan portfolio
BusinessWeek
Mariner Real Estate Management LLC said Friday that it worked with bank regulators to buy a portfolio of real estate loans worth about $760 million. ...
Leawood-based Mariner buys $760 million in real estate loans from FDICKansas City Star
Mariner Real Estate Management Acquires $760 Million FDIC Real Estate Loan ...Benzinga
FDIC sells another $760 million in REOHousing Wire
Emii.com -Bloomberg
all 24 news articles »


RiverSource LaSalle International Real Estate Fund, Inc. Declares Third ...
MarketWatch (press release)
Investments in real estate securities may be subject to specific risks, such as the risks associated with general and local economic conditions, ...
RiverSource LaSalle International Real Estate Fund, Inc. Declares Third ...TheStreet.com

all 27 news articles »


Jamie Dimon's real estate woes
Los Angeles Times (blog)
The bad real estate market has forced a series of reductions that have brought the listing price down by nearly half, to $6.95 million. ...

and more »


Real Estate News: Mortgage Rates Fall to 4.32%
Wall Street Journal (blog)
Mortgage Rates Hit New Low at 4.32%: Average mortgage rates hit another record low even as Treasurys sold off, according to Freddie Mac's ...

and more »


Investors Real Estate Trust Declares Regular Quarterly Common Share ...
MarketWatch (press release)
MINOT, ND, Sep 3, 2010 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- Investors Real Estate Trust (NASDAQ:IRET) (NASDAQ:IRETP) announced today that its Board of Trustees has ...
Investors Real Estate Trust Declares Regular Quarterly Common Share ...Trading Markets (press release)
Investors Real Estate Trust Declares Regular Quarterly Common Share ...TradersHuddle.com

all 10 news articles »


Town Hall

Mo. drops appeal of real estate ballot measure
The Associated Press
2 whether to amend the Missouri Constitution to prohibit real estate transfer taxes, which typically are charged like sales taxes based on the price of the ...
Mo. drops appeal of real estate ballot measureKOAM-TV
Mo. judge orders real estate tax on fall ballotBusinessWeek
Ballot measure on real-estate transfer tax cleared by judgeKansas City Star
Real Estate Journal Online (blog) -FOX2now.com
all 122 news articles »


Commercial real estate transactions
Dallas Morning News
John Barker of Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services negotiated the sale. SRK Properties purchased a 3540-square-foot retail building on 10672 ...
Rankin Commercial Properties says Commercial Real Estate Back to Black.dBusinessNews Triangle (press release)

all 4 news articles »


Why is Google Getting Involved in Real Estate?
Forbes (blog)
And what impact will it have on the real estate market at large? The answer to the first question, as TechCrunch points out, may just be that they can ...

and more »


Hypo Real Estate's Collapse on the Slopes
BusinessWeek
Snowmass Village, the Colorado ski town, got a lift in 2007 when Germany's Hypo Real Estate Holding agreed to arrange ...

and more »


Kansas City Star

Pending real estate sales inch up in July
Inman.com
By Inman News, Thursday, September 2, 2010. More homebuyers signed purchase contracts in July than the month before, according to a report by the National ...
Real Estate News: Pending Sales Rise in JulyWall Street Journal (blog)
Broward Pending Home Sales Continue to RiseBenzinga
Retail sales, number of home contracts increaseWashington Post
San Francisco Chronicle -DailyFinance
all 382 news articles »

Google News

home | site map | Colorado Log Homes | Homes for Sale in Denver Metro
© 2006