Someone whispered "his secretary" and a few sympathetic, though

patronizing, gazes swept in her direction.  Amy felt the thick

makeup smudge and she frantically tried to fix her face as the

minister concluded his remarks.  Gradually the crowd melted away,

each mourner offering condolences to the daughter.  Kathryn

gratefully accepted their soft, supportive words.  A.  A.last of the

black umbrellas deserted the burial ground, Amy trotted to catch up

and blend in with the departing crowd. Kathyrn caught her before

she was able to escape.

Kathryn looked more beautiful, more poised than she ever had.

Even in her expensive, severe designer black dress and hat, she was

a stunning young woman.

"Amy?  Amy Walenski?" Her rich, cultured voice reached out for

her.

"Uh, hi, uh, Mrs.-"

Kathryn chuckled.  "Ms. Baines again, actually.  I've been sticking

with the maiden name, ever since I got divorced.  But let's go with

good ole Kathryn for now, shall we?  Like in the good old days at

Bentson High, o.k.?"

Amy nodded.  She couldn't, wouldn't tell her what a monster her

father had been.  It was over. Amy would let it lie.  "Fine, Kathryn

then.  I'm, uh, sor---,"  She stopped, then resumed.  "You have my

sympathy for your father."

Kathryn nodded.  "Thank you.  But it must be a difficult time for

you as well.  I know Daddy enjoyed having you work for him a

great deal."

Amy nodded listlessly. "I should go--"

Kathryn touched her bare arm.  "Wait.  Could you come to the

house, after the reception that is?  Daddy left you a legacy,

something that came up in the reading of the will this morning."

She looked in the distance wistfully.  "In his declining years, he

wanted to pass on what he could to those who he cared for.  I think

there was, frankly, some guilt there.  Won't you come-- say about

seven?"

Amy smiled and nodded. Could it be?  She nodded.  "O.k.  I'll be

there."

Kathryn beamed, the first time Amy had seen her smile that day.

"Look!  The sun is coming out!  How nice.  I'll see you at seven,

then."

**********************

The first place Amy went after leaving the funeral was a dress shop.

Her purse held the first paycheck from the First Metropolitan Bank

that she had ever been permitted to cash entirely.  She was amazed

at the amount. Till now Baines had cashed her check for her,

limiting her to no more than twenty dollars a paycheck to keep for

herself, the rest going to pay off the mortgage.  But with Baines no

longer able to control her, she had received her last paycheck

directly.  It wasn't a lot of money but it may as well have been a

fortune.  She knew the first thing she would purchase-- a new

wardrobe.

No more K-Mart slut panties, she thought as she bought a

comfortable pair of cotton panties.  No more Wonder Bras, she

thought as she pulled a Maidenform off the rack.  The spandex mini

was replaced with a pair of casual slacks, the clingy top with a

simple pullover.  All were neutral colors-- she would never wear

bright reds or midnight blacks again!  Spike heels were thrown

away in favor of simple blue navy flats.  As she walked out of the

store, she sighed, a natural, not a slut, smile on her face for the

first time in two years.

Amy considered her situation with rising confidence.  SHE would

manage her salary.  Human Resources had already said she might

stay on, maybe even as a trainee teller!  SHE would cover the

mortgage, maybe put the house she now hated up for sale.  She

didn't think Wendell would argue with that, if they could get a

buyer. And even if they couldn't, to hell with it.  They would get a

lawyer or work something out.  Without Baines acting as

puppetmaster to the married couple, they would be fine, if she

could just win Wendell back.

She would bring Wendell back.  He was so far away from her now,

but she would make that change.  The look in his eyes when he saw

her dressed like a slut said he had given up, but that could be

changed.  The condoms he had found, she could come up with an

explanation now, that Baines was gone. Maybe not tell Wendell

EVERYTHING that had happened, no that would only make him

feel more worthless than the last two years already had, but she

could tell him some things, maybe the less awful parts.  Then he

would understand.  And maybe he would stop drinking so much.

They could make love again-- it had been so long, Mr. Baines didn't

permit it, hadn't permitted it, Amy corrected herself, for over a year.

And, yes, maybe he would love her again, his Amy, his Ivory Girl!

She returned home disappointed not to find Wendell home.  A

quick call to the factory switchboard told her he had been called in

to work an extended shift-- a man was sick and he would be

needed, with a break in between, to work two shifts.  Amy eagerly

started to clean the little ranch house, picking up all Wendell's

empties and the dishes that were heaped high in the sink.  There

never seemed any time or any point before now to keeping a nice

home, but the rushing feeling of freedom energized Amy.  She

scoured the place from stem to stern, whistling happily as she saw

the future open up before she and Wendell.

At seven 'o clock, dressed in her new street clothes, she arrived at

the Baines residence.  Now Kathryn won't think I'm such a tramp,

she thought proudly.

Kathryn greeted her politely, even jittery, as if making up her mind

about how to handle the encounter.  As her slate eyes took in the

sight of Amy's new outfit, she smiled as if she had reached

resolution to her decision.

"Come in, Amy."

Amy nodded, trying not to be too cheery in the presence of a

woman who had just lost her father.  She followed her into a den

that served as Baines' home office.  Kathryn seated herself behind

the desk, inviting Amy to take the chair opposite.

"So, where to begin?  How have you been?"  The voice was

interested, the slate eyes eerily reminiscent of the father's--

sparkling with hard-edged brilliance.

Amy smiled.  "Just fine.  You know, Wendell and I are married."

Kathryn tossed her short straight blonde hair to one side.  "Yes, I

had heard that.  How's Wendell doing?  Does he like his job as a,

what is his career in, uh, dishwashing?"

Amy's smile fell.  "He's a security guard.  Why did you want me to

come here, Kathryn?"

The slate eyes burned. "Let's make it 'Ms. Baines, shall we?"

Amy reacted at once, the stab of fear making her brown eyes blink.

"O.k.," she swallowed hard, "let's just get it over with, Miz Baines.

I have a husband to go home to."

Her former classmate nodded.  "Fine.  As you know, my father and

I were very close.  My mother never understood that, which was

why Daddy had to do what he did.  I can't blame him for having her

set up for drug possession charges-- a whole kilo of coke!

Sometimes I think he overdid that part, but it did get her major

prison time.  That way he and I could be together all the more.

With her put away for life, well..."  She lingering on the thought,

then returned. "Anyway we were close-- I think you know what

I'm alluding to.  But I don't want to overestimate your intelligence,

so I'll spell it out so they'll be no mistaking:  my father and I were

lovers."

Amy gasped.  There wasn't any depth to which Bob Baines hadn't

sunk!

"And so, he was terribly upset when I was smitten with big, dumb

Wendell.  BUT he accepted.  After all, he wanted me to get on with

my life.  But I was stupid.  I fell for a fool that would chose a

simpy little bitch like you over me."

Amy flushed.  The daughter was as evil as the father had been.

"Gone on--"

"Ms. Baines," Kathryn insisted.

"Ms. Baines," Amy added impatiently.

"Daddy was furious.  He couldn't understand it either.  So he had

Wendell targeted for a hit and run," she continued, nonchalantly.

"That moron would PAY for crossing me."  Kathryn's slate eyes

flashed. in amusement at the remark she had just made.

Amy's face paled into an ashen gray.

"Daddy sent me away to school.  It helped-- things got better.  But

with Mother locked up, Daddy didn't have a playmate.  That was

when I thought of you Amy.  And what a wonderful little slut you

could be trained to be.  Daddy remembered you from our slumber

parties and liked the idea.  I gave him ALL KINDS OF IDEAS,

ways he could break you, mold you into the perfect little cock-

hungry office slut you were born to be.  A BIMBO.  I couldn't stand

the thought of you being a good little housewifey for big stupid

Wendell...so I helped Daddy turn you into his private whore."

Kathryn Baines held a keychain with Amy's engagement ring and

wedding band.  It wasn't Bob Baine's chain-- it was hers.

"Fuck you," Amy said firmly.  She stood up to go.  Behind her,

there wawawclick of a remote and the sound of a moan.  She

turned around.

Kathyrn was watching a VHS tape on the television on the

credenza.  Amy watched herself on the screen, clad only in spike

heels and a dog collar that was leashed to the leg of a chair. She

was on her back pouting at a figure off-screen.

"Please fuck me Mister!  Please!" she begged in a little-girl voice.

If you looked carefully, you could see the hesitation in her eyes.

But it wasn't likely that a viewer would catch that nuance-- the main

action was too distracting.  Following a muted order, she spread her

legs wide and began to masturbate for her unseen lover's

amusement.  With practiced heat, she arched her back and came for

her man, three fingers buried deep in the slick, shaven pussy.

Resuming her prone position, she brought the fingers to her lips,

and with feline grace, began licking each digit.  Throughout, her

fearful eyes were glued to the unknown ringmaster.  After a few

moments, she smiled, a wide "Fuck me hard" smile and rolled onto

her fours.  "Hey Mister?  I love it doggie style 'cause I'm such a

little bitch in heat!" she purred.  The camera faded to black.

Amy looked at Kathryn's steely eyes, then dropped her own.  For

another woman to see this degradation...

"No, Amy--- to answer your earlier comment, fuck YOU.  I know

Daddy did, and often."  Kathryn's laughter trilled lightly through the

large empty house.  "Anyway, you should be a respectful girl to

your new landlady."

"WHAT!?!"

Kathryn clicked open a safe and pulled out a sheaf of papers.

"Daddy bought your mortgage when you foreclosed.  He owned the

note from the bank.  You stupid bitch, you've been paying him

RENT for the last two years.  You lost all your principal YEARS

ago.  The only reason your in-laws weren't thrown out was because

Daddy didn't need to, seeing as how you were being such a good

little slut for him.  But even though he could have and didn't does

mean I can't.  You see, I own the paper on the house now."

All for nothing.  It had all been for nothing-- the humiliation, the

pain, the torture.  She had endured it all for...nothing.  The

secretary felt the familiar feeling of powerlessness over her life come

settling back in around her.  Freedom. It was unfair, she had felt

it, tasted it,---