John Friday

Tormented widow in bondage

Chapter 1

Rita Wallford was dressing to go out for the afternoon when a messenger delivered a small slim box to the door of her spacious hilltop home. It contained a beautiful diamond necklace.

She stood before a mirror in the hall to try it on. The clasp seemed strange to her, larger than it needed to be. It snapped shut with a loud click like handcuffs.

Tall and titian-haired, the voluptuous forty- two-year old widow was a regal beauty, resplendent in a black mink coat with a wide raised collar to frame her finely sculptured face.

She smiled approvingly and thought the necklace must be from the handsome and wealthy man she was engaged to marry. The card was unsigned but it said, "You'll soon be mine forever.”

The phone rang and Rita rushed to answer, thinking it must be her adoring fiancй. But instead of his cultured tones she heard the gravelly voice of a stranger ask, "Is this Rita Wallford?” "Yes," she answered curiously. "Who's this?” "I sent you the necklace," his scratchy voice said. "Have you tried it on?” "Yes, I'm wearing it now.” "Good! Now your gorgeous ripe body belongs to me!" The words came hard and cold, with a cutting edge. Rita strained to swallow a dry lump of fear. It made the glittering strand of jewels seem tighter around her neck.

"Who is this?" she demanded.

Then Rita shrilled a cry of startled terror. The necklace was getting tighter and choking off her breath. She clawed at the large clasp but could not get it open. Sharp-edged stones began to cut her tender flesh.

"The clasp works like a winch by radio control," he said with a wicked cackle of laughter. "I could strangle you just by pressing a button. But first I want you to suffer in hideous torment as I have all these years.” "Why me?" Rita croaked. She dug frantically in the drawer of the telephone table to find scissors that would cut the throttling band.

He had anticipated that. "If you cut the wire that runs through the necklace, needles hidden in the clasp will inject deadly poison into your pretty neck," he warned with sadistic delight.

The strangling band then slackened just enough to let her grab a quick gulp of desperately needed breath. Rita used it to snarl, "You bastard!”