point o

nd Anna reached into her purse, withdrew her card, and

ion, then the tenant led her into her room, sat he

hat suddenly I was there, looming large in the small room, my features

necessary to reach her, and her gaze never

k as I saw the reddened marks apparent, noted the pain it caused her

registered...and she hated

closing and locking the door as the tenant le

the conta

retrieved a card from her pocket and gave it

e arrangements to pay her debt in ful

pocket and retrieved my wallet

o be, or personal belongings were held for a week, th

resorted to hand signals, watching as I anchored a l

ing a single bed, a dresser a

end of the hallway, and a communal lounge. A laundry

have

d me a sta

, I elaborated. 'You

he shook her head in a defenseless gesture

ed as she opened her mouth, then closed it again, warning that

rdrobe, removed the capacious spor

opening the drawers, refusing t

he battled with me about transferring cont

ne, I took hold of the bag, indicated th

a bank of lifts, and when the doors of one slid open I indica

o share my suite. Or, if I did, she hoped

ng quality minutes later as I

she coul

wn. The words were hopeles

n. Your security is paramount u

ut

t to negotiation

are with you, she a

y obdurate. 'Deal with it, Anna. At th

posed to be

icked on the lights, with two queen-sized bed

mfortable chairs positioned close to a wall

to the bedside phone, dialed Recepti

a definitive, 'No, only to be

accident-and-emergency war

g, the inevitable questions held little appeal,

t d

nd towel, extracted ice from the mini-fridge, asse

it t

fet and set the elec

readth of shoulder, and the economical e

cup and saucer, then I took a near

he hot, sweet tea, and waited several

se you haven't told m

again, all too aware how foolish she'd been in not

You were out of time, and loan sharks a

as they met mine.

ers tran

. A doctor shou

been more than ten minutes before an imperious

of painkillers and a sedativ

he tension, and she enjoyed the luxury of a seemingly endless supply of hot water...so diff

r together in a single plait, completed her nightly routine, and then

then go to be

inded of her mirrored image, the dark

one cautiously with water, then she slid beneath the

head as I switched off the lights except for a lamp on the desk, t

elieved, walking into the house, and making the phone call in the hall

her throat, the resultant pain and pressure as I lift

and she unconsciously curled

re with me

or ho

rdle...that of sharing my life without allowin

kly sensual touch of his mouth of her own, and th

ome an unconscious benchmark that

did that

was claimed by sedative-induced sleep...unaware of the man who worked a lit