"Well, are you selling to him?"

"Hell, no, you know that other deal is all wrapped up. But here's what I want you to do-stall him. Tell him all the usual… the Board has to approve all the loans… just stall him for a while, be nice to him."

Quigg went to the concealed mahogany bar and made them each a drink.

Handing one glass to John Blodgett, he said, "Can I ask why? Why don't you tell him right off that it's no deal? Ray isn't a bad guy, John."

"That wife of his isn't bad, either," Blodgett remarked with a low chuckle, "How would you like to get in there, Lee? You want to throw a good fuck into that stuck-up bitch, Sally Denham?"

Lee Quigg's thin, nervous face quickened with anticipation. "What you talkin' about, John? She wouldn't give either one of us the time of day."

"Like to put a little money on that?" the older man was an inveterate bettor, but as his wife's twin knew, Blodgett didn't bet unless the odds were heavily loaded in his favor… but Sally Denham? The piano teacher? This time he was overreaching. Blodgett saw the doubt and indecision of Lee's expression. "Five'll get you ten," he prompted,

"that I can lay her… and after I get her reamed out good, she's all yours!" He leaned back and sipped his bourbon, smiling.

Chapter 2

The next time Sally Denham looked from her front window, the brown station wagon was gone from its parking spot and she breathed a little sigh of relief for that. She hoped she wouldn't ever have to face her husband's boss again, that they could leave Quiggville without this being necessary. They would be leaving, she felt sure now… because of course what John Blodgett had suggested was impossible. Even if she could somehow force herself to go through with it, Ray would never want to obtain the store under such conditions… would he? The sad thing was that while she already knew now that their case was hopeless beyond any doubt, Ray still dared to think he might get the loan, after all!