unforum

[Sunny du Pree]

Email Phyllis and Note from JD

[dmax]

Time for him to mysteriously vanish!

[phensley]

Dear Pam,
Peaceful sleep, I have vague memories of what it was like to have a
restful night. You all may have noticed that after the incident at the Ashram I have retreated somewhat. I thought if I could avoid too much stimulation during the day, I might be rewarded with sound sleep. So I have been staying in and puttering about, waiting for the threesome to return, waiting for Douglas to return, waiting.

I had a number of annoying phone calls from the press yesterday asking
about Douglas and his involvement with the Mazano's, about his testimony
before the Grand Jury. To each and all, I replied, No Comment. Quite a few people came into the shop but they weren't really customers, just sightseers pretending to be interested in items while peering at me from the corners of theireyes.

I spent the evening doing paperwork. Being a small business owner
requires endless paperwork to satisfy all levels of government. But my mind wandered and I caught myself doodling in the margins, writing STG, over and again. What can it mean?! Some of the suggestions I've gotten from my correspondents have been downright frightening. It's one of those mind twisters that nibbles at the edge of consciousness and I just know when the meaning of those letters is found it will be so obvious I will feel a fool for not having thought of it myself.

Fairly late, the phone rang again and I thought it was probably another
reporter who was going to be rude and impudent but I answered anyway.
When I said, Hello, there was no response, only a very low pitched hum or whine softly modulating against my ear drum. I got to thinking about the AI creature, Shadowtalk, and got a bit spooked so I downed a couple of glasses of wine and headed for bed.

I thought I would evoke a lucid dream by concentrating on Sarah as I
drifted off to sleep but instead I dreamt of my past with Douglas. It went by like a hand-held home movie, all shaky snippets and random cuts: The way he looked at me as we exchanged our vows at our wedding, there surely seemed to be love in his eyes or was it only the triumph of possession? The silly part where we fed each other wedding cake and I got some on my nose, his face darting toward me, he slurped that bit of icing with a sloppy kiss. I was so embarrassed and blushed violently but over against the wall, standing aside, Father beaming with pride and pleasure. Our wedding night: My virginal fears. His charm and gentleness, a melting and merging that astounded me. Our first home, our
wedding gift from Father, Douglas swooping me up in his arms and carrying me across the threshold -- how we laughed as we ran through those rooms like children.

Then suddenly these fragmented dreams turned quite lucid. I was
reliving again the night of the burglary: coming down the stairs, seeing movement, something, in the shop, crossing the dining room, going through the French doors and down the steps into the shop, and it's there – a looming dark figure!

I awoke with a gasp in a cold sweat. I got up with adrenaline pumping
through me and went through every room in the house, out to the shop, back through the house, up to his office. And I wept there on his desk, scattering my tears all over his blotter. The adrenaline crashed like a wave on the shore of exhaustion and I returned to bed, to a dreamless sleep.

I am so sad this morning, so sad and tired.

Fondly,
Phyllis

So Phyllis's father bought them the house. Did Douglas only marry Phyllis as a means to secure the house he and his mysterious boss needed? Does anyone know if this is the only house Phyllis and Douglas have ever lived in since marriage?

[MageSteff]

[drizjr]

Question: Can we see STG?