"Better, much better thank you."

Mrs. Hunter smiled and butter wouldn't melt in her mouth as she asked, "And how is Mr. Dodge?"

"Fine."

"My, it seems he's away an awful lot."

Nancy drew herself erect. She looked at Mrs. Hunter with her elegant features growing cold. "I've got things to do." With that she spun on her heel and left the old woman standing in her yard, smiling and laughing to herself.

Once inside her house, once she was sure she was alone and wouldn't be seen by anyone, Nancy could let go. It was as if a dam broke inside of her and she couldn't resist any longer. She put her lovely chiseled features in her hands and heaved the first long sob. Moments later, blinded by tears, she stumbled to the bedroom and fell full length on the bed and cried hard and long. She sobbed herself out, crying until she found a weary kind of relaxation. She couldn't feel peace. She rolled over and stared at the ceiling with puffy eyes and wondered what, if anything, she could do about her present situation.

Nancy Dodge was being blackmailed.

It had all started off so innocently, so innocuously. One thing had led to another and, before she knew it, she found herself in an impossible situation where there seemed only one way out: suicide.

Now, she got to her feet and went to the bathroom, putting a cold towel on her face and sighing deeply into the cool refreshing depths of the towel. Her eyes avoided looking in the mirror… above all, she didn't want to look at herself. Hastily, she went to the modern kitchen with its vinyl counters and took a bottle out of one of the cupboards. Allan was beginning to be suspicious of all the liquor that was being consumed. Nancy had taken to buying booze out of the house money and hiding the bottles from Allan. She knew she was lying to her husband and she also knew that alcohol wouldn't solve any of her problems. In fact, if pressed, she probably would admit booze only made things worse. That wasn't the point. The point was… she needed a drink.