"Don't blame yourself too much, Ralph. She must have been a _very_ beautiful woman." "Well--" "Please don't worry about it, Ralph. It's all over now, done with. Don't even think about it." "I'm trying very hard not to. But it isn't so easy--" "Kiss me, Ralph. Kiss me and take me into your arms and make passionate love to me, like you did once." "We're going to get married, Nora. You know that, don't you? We'll go right down to City Hall tomorrow, and apply for a marriage license." "You don't have to marry me, Ralph. You don't--" "But I want to. Don't you understand, you little fool? I want to and I'll do it ... if I have to drag you all the way downtown by the hair!" "Ralph...." "Yes?" "Oh, Ralph, darling--" * * * * * Fenton had slept so soundly for ten hours his wife had to tug at his arm three times to awaken him. "Joseph," she said. "The hospital just phoned again. Gallison is completely out of danger. You said he was last night, but I could see you were still a little worried." Fenton came wide awake in an instant. "They're absolutely sure about it, eh?" "Yes, the bullet's out and he'll be reporting back for duty in two weeks. He told them to tell you that." "Is he crazy?" Fenton grumbled. "He rates a month's sick leave, at least." "I'm just repeating the message he asked them to give you." Fenton sighed and rolled over on his side. "I always thought he was a little crazy. Well ... it's good news, anyway. Will you please go away now." "But why? Breakfast is--" "Never mind about my breakfast," Fenton said, drawing the sheets up over his head. "I'm not anything like as crazy as Gallison is. I'm going to sleep for a month." * * * * * The Sadist "She'll insert the knife so delicately that the man won't feel any pain at all. Just a warm gratefulness, an intoxicating sort of happiness. Then she'll start twisting the blade back and forth ... back and forth ... until the poor devil has been tormented beyond endurance. He'll either wrap a nylon stocking around her beautiful white throat, or something worse ... something uglier...." _Here is the story of a sadistic woman, and the warped lives of those who loved ... and hated her._ _Fred Ellers, the Pulitzer Prize winning writer who was corrupted by fame...._ _Joe Fenton, who considered crime a fascinating sort of disease, and police work a scientific game...._ _Ruth Porges, who was caught in the most vicious of all triangles...._ A brand-new tale of New York City's Nightmare Zone, by one of the greatest craftsmen of suspense, Frank Long. A BELMONT BOOK