Gillian and Duncan had settled into a nice, comfortable relationship and she knew that she did love him. She had begun in a new job that was within walking distance from the flat they shared and she felt safe and secure. She wondered sometimes if Mr. Wiles had found some new type of diversion or whether he had just reconsidered his position. The fact that he still had the pictures bothered her, but as long as he didn't threaten to use them, everything would be all right.
Andrew had not said anything to Duncan about his plan to get the pictures back and get even with Wiles, and they had decided that Duncan would not mention the matter to him unless the subject was brought up in another way. They just wanted to forget about the whole horrible incident and block it out of their lives.
Gillian was home earlier than usual one day because her office was having a sales meeting and the girls were let off an hour earlier, so she stopped at the mailbox to pick up the mail. Duncan usually did this, but today she decided to get it before she went upstairs. There was a letter addressed to Duncan and to her in the box, so she took it up and sat down to read it once she was in the flat.
She couldn't imagine who could be writing to her or to Duncan jointly, but once she had opened the envelope, she realized that they had not heard the last from Mr. Wiles. The envelope contained copies of the prints that were taken that night in his hotel room with a note attached demanding that Duncan pay a certain amount of money or Tony Wiles would see to it that he was fired from the company.
'Oh, no!' Gillian said aloud and ran to the telephone to call Jessica to see if she had gotten an envelope, but there was no answer!
She looked at the pictures and she could feel that familiar shame creep over as she saw her face, contorted with lust as she made love to Jessica and to Duncan! She put them back in the envelope and hid the letter and blackmail demand in her lingerie drawer, deciding not to tell Duncan about it, not right away. He was in line for a promotion and she knew that he couldn't afford the kind of money Wiles was demanding and it would just upset him She wasn't sure what she would do, but she knew that she had to stop him, no matter what the cost. She decided that she would call Wiles the next day and tell him-that she was going to go to the police, so he'd better change his mind and see what his reaction would be. Her nerves were on edge and she knew that Duncan would be home soon, so she poured herself a martini and tried to let the alcohol soothe her nerves. She couldn't let Duncan know that anything was the matter, everything had been going so smoothly and she couldn't ruin it for him now.
She managed to get through the evening without letting Duncan suspect that she had heard anything and their lovemaking that night was as satisfying and wonderful as ever. He was such a tender and understanding lover and he lived just to make her happy and satisfy her, she couldn't ask for a better man.
The next morning, after Duncan had left for the office, she picked up the phone and dialled the familiar number, and asked for Mr. Anthony Wiles. She was trembling when she heard his voice, and he laughed when she told him who she was.
'Nice to hear from you again, Gil. You think I'd forgotten about you, dear?'
'Hardly,' she hissed, 'but I called to say that I'm going to the police with that threatening letter and if need be, to the president of the company. You're not going to bleed Duncan for money he doesn't have and ruin his chances for promotion.'
'You're really not in a position to bargain, young lady,' he chided, his voice cold and unfeeling.
'I don't care,' she told him, 'I'm going to do as I say. In fact, I haven't told Duncan about the letter!'
'That wasn't very wise,' he continued, 'I'm sure he'll have more sense than you do.'
'Well, I'm not going to, and I know that you wouldn't take that filth into the office, it would be too risky.'
'You're very right, my dear,' he said, 'but there are other ways to get to him.'
'I'm not going to discuss any longer,' she insisted, 'I'm hanging up and going straight to the police!'
She slammed down the receiver, but her heart was pounding and her hands were shaking, knowing that he hadn't been scared and that he may still go through with his threat to hinder Duncan's job.
She called her office and told them that she wouldn't be in that day, that she had some personal business that was urgent that she had to attend to.
After that, she took a quick shower and dressed quickly. She decided that she would go to Jessica's flat and see what she would advise. She grabbed a taxi and in fifteen minutes she was ringing Jessica's doorbell, but there was no answer. She asked the doorman if he had seen her that day and he told her that she had gone out of town for a week or so and wouldn't be back until the following week. There was no way she could get in touch with her unti1 then!
Now she really didn't know what to do. She couldn't go to the police, it would be too embarrassing and there would be a scandal. Then Duncan may lose his job anyway and Andrew's position would be jeopardized too. She would just have to wait until Jessica got home to see if she had gotten the same letter.
It was a nice day so she decided to walk back to her flat, besides the fresh air might help her think of something she could do. She walked quickly and in about an hour she was back at her apartment, but she didn't have an alternative solution to her problem. Maybe she would have to tell Duncan. but it would crush him, and he had such grand hopes for this promotion.
She collapsed on the couch and began to cry, tears of frustration and anger soaking the pillows of the sofa. She dozed off for a short while, but was awakened by a persistent knock at the door.
'Who is it?' she asked, wondering why the doorman had not announced a visitor.
'Special Delivery,' a man's voice said, 'for your husband!'
'Just a minute,' she told him, 'I'll be right there.'
She couldn't imagine what Duncan would be getting Special Delivery, besides, he was not her husband, but then the mailman wouldn't know that. She shuddered at the thought that it might be another letter from Mr. Wiles, but she didn't think that it could get there so quickly. especially after she had spoken to him several hours before.
Gillian opened the door cautiously, but the man pushed past her and closed the door behind him.
'Hello, Gillian,' he said. It was Mr. Wiles' friend, the photographer!
'What do you want?' she demanded, her voice shaking with anger. 'Get out of here!'
She walked to the house phone to call the doorman and ask him to call the police or come up himself and get the man out of there, but he grabbed her wrists and slapped her viciously.
'Sit down and shut up,' he commanded her, 'and nothing too horrible will happen to you.'
He went to the phone and she could hear him ask for Mr. Wiles.
'She's here,' he told him, then paused, 'Yes, I'll keep an eye on her until you arrive!'
She was trembling with fear, she couldn't let him come to Duncan's flat, she just couldn't but it was only one o'clock and Duncan wouldn't be home until about five or six.
The man went to the bar and helped himself to a drink, letting his eyes stare through her body as though he were undressing her.
'We've got to teach you a lesson, lady,' he laughed. 'You threatened Mr.
Wiles, so now you'll have to pay!'
'You beast,' she screamed, 'I'll yell my head off until someone comes to the door!'
He walked to her chair and slapped her hard across the face again.
'It will be worse the next time if you do,' he told her, his eyes narrowed with hate and vengeance. 'I don't like women, especially women like you and I wouldn't hesitate to beat you to a pulp!'
She could tell that he wasn't joking, so she started to sob again, her whole body shaking. Why did she decide to stay home today… why?
It seemed like hours before there was another knock at the door. The photographer went to answer and let Mr. Wiles in.
'I see you're as lovely as ever, my dear Gillian,' he grinned. 'Yes, indeed!'
He sat down on the chair opposite her and just stared. She wished that he would say what he had to say and get out, she didn't want Duncan to find them here when he returned.
'What do you want from me?' she asked hesitantly. 'I don't have the money you demanded, you know that.'
'Yes, I do,' Wiles answered, we've come to teach you and Duncan a lesson so that you won't be tempted to go to the police again!'
'But I didn't go!' she insisted 'I didn't!'
'I didn't think you really would, however, it isn't nice to threaten like that, especially because it would prove
