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 embarrassing all around and I would deny anything you accused me of."
The two men paced around the living room, helped themselves to drinks and talked to each other, ignoring the fact that she was even there.
"Why don't you have a drink?" Wiles finally suggested. "It might relax you."
"I'll make it myself," she answered, not trusting him after the concoction that he had given her the last time, she didn't want to take a chance. She walked to the bar and poured herself a strong gin and tonic. As she bent down to get the ice from the refrigerator, he grabbed at the soft, round contours of her buttocks and squeezed them harshly.
She jumped up and beat at his hands, but he grabbed her by the waist and held her securely, letting his free hand grab at her full, voluptuous breasts.
This is going to be quite a party," Wiles laughed and the photographer just grinned lewdly. "We'll see how far your precious Duncan will let you go before he meets our terms."
"I told you we don't have the money, what else do you want?"
"There are ways of getting the money, and without Duncan finding out, if you're interested."
He released her and she took her drink and went back and sat on the sofa.
"What do you mean?" she asked reluctantly.
"Well, you could entertain at these parties I go to from time to time, or just party with a few of my friends. The money you'd make would go to pay me for the pictures. In a month or so, you'd have them all paid off, and Duncan wouldn't even know. You could make excuse to him when you had to be away."
"I'm not interested," she told him. "I'm not going to be a whore for you, or for anybody, so forget it!"
"Didn't be so sure," he reprimanded her. "You just could make the first instalment this afternoon and get some of the pictures back. Duncan's not here and then he wouldn't owe me so much. Think about it!"