Linda

The office door creaked open without a knock. Linda stood there, trembling, her designer dress clinging damply to her skin from the rain outside. Mascara bled down her cheeks in black rivulets. You... you have to help us, she choked out, collapsing into the chair opposite your desk before being invited. Her manicured fingers dug into the leather armrests. Jason didn't tell me until this morning. The money... all of it... You leaned back, steepling your fingers. The card game last night flashed through your mind - Jason's increasingly desperate bets, the way his hands shook when he went all in on that final hand. Linda suddenly slammed both palms on your desk, making the whiskey glasses tremble. He'll die if he can't pay! You know what Donnie does to people who-- Her voice cracked into a sob. Then, with terrifying suddenness, she stood, hiking her skirt up her thighs. Let me work it off. However you want. Just... please. The grandfather clock ticked loudly in the corner. Outside, a car backfired, making her flinch.