Part 4 Ann and Helen were sitting at a table outside a café. Helen was mechanically stirring a spoon in her cup of tea, while Ann was sipping a Guinness. ''So, you feel like leaving him?'' Ann asked gently. ''I... I don't know, actually. You see, I'm...

Part 5 Mike jumped out of the bus. He had had a nice day, and was looking forward to telling Helen about the lecture on the influence of Scots Gaelic and Irish on modern English, which was planned the following Wednesday. He knew Helen would enjoy it,...

Part 6 ''Here is the kitchen, and this is my room. The bathroom, with the shower and the toilets, and finally your room, which we used before as a guest room. I'm sure you'll be fine here.'' ''That's really kind of you to shelter me, Ann. I couldn't have...

Part 7 Helen had left the agency earlier than usual, because her boss had suddenly decided to allow his employees to take advantage of the wonderful weather of the afternoon. Helen liked her boss and his fancies. Moreover, he was always very considerate...

Part 8 As always after making love, Helen couldn't help thinking of Mike. She reckoned she had made the right choice, after all, although she felt guilty to have forsaken him this way. But Mike was a wonderful guy, and Helen knew he would not remain alone...

Part 9 Helen was observing Ann preparing her injection. Her motions were accurate and fluid. Helen thought there was a kind of poetry in her friend's movements. Ann looked at her friend, and smiled. ''Would you like to try ?'' Helen was hesitating. It...

Part 10 For the second time in the night, and like every other night for the past two weeks, Helen was making hatred with someone she didn't even know two months before.

Part 11 For the third time in two days, Helen mixed the dark powder with water and acid in the spoon. Placing some cotton wool at its extremity, she sucked up the liquid in the syringe she held in her right hand. She let out the air bubbles, introduced...

Part 12 When she woke up, Helen felt nauseous. Her head was like in a vice and her ideas were not clear at all. How long had she been unconscious? She tried to raise her head and her arm so as to have a look at her watch, but she started to feel dizzy...

Part 13 Helen found the letter in the mailbox. She immediately knew it was the results of the analyses. Hearing her heart beat strongly in her chest, she opened it and unfolded the paper. Her hand shaking, she looked for the column in which the verdict...