It was nearly six months now, and that’s a long time to carry such a terrible secret. Even if there were a few months in the middle when things seemed to be returning to normal. Three weeks ago the dream started again. Since then Alice slept fitfully when she slept at all.

She couldn’t believe that she’d managed to get through close to 180 days without Dana. Except there wasn’t a single day when Dana wasn’t a tangible presence in her life. The anxiety crept over her and triggered the return of the depression that Alice thought she’d left behind. She couldn’t work, couldn’t manage errands, couldn’t pay the bills, couldn’t open the mail; yet the lights stayed on, the phone kept working, and the landlord didn’t bother her about the rent. Hell, she couldn’t even indulge her new cleaning obsession anymore…she’d run out of products and everything still sparkled in an oddly obscene way.

As her edginess grew, she’d isolated herself, rarely answering the phone, begging off lunches, brunches and coffee. The apartment was always darkened. Light of any kind seared into her brain like a laser, pinpointing the memory of her last conversation with Dana. If only she’d kept her big mouth shut, maybe none of this would have happened. Alice glanced at the clock. Three. She had no idea if it was day or night and it didn’t matter one bit. If only she could sleep, but she was determined to get through this without any chemical assistance. No alcohol. Nothing over-the-counter. And absolutely no prescription medication. At least she’d learned that lesson.

Alice’s voicemail had been full for 24 hours when Helena decided she had to take some action. The five-hour flight from New York would be too long so she took a deep breath and called Bette, who picked up on the second ring.

“Bette Porter.”

“Bette it’s Helena. I’m sorry to trouble you, but I need a favor.”

“I’m just heading into a meeting. Can I call you in a couple of hours?” Bette said in her most professional voice, hoping that her staff couldn’t hear the annoyance she intuitively felt the moment Helena Peabody mentioned a favor.

“I’d be grateful if you could manage sooner rather than later,” Helena replied just as evenly. “It’s in regard to Alice.”