"I'm at work," he said. "What do you want, Anne?"

"I want my life back, you bastard. I want what's mine. God, when I think of all the years I wasted on you...."

He glanced over at Yvonne. She was sitting at her desk typing up a letter from shorthand notes. He gripped the receiver tightly against his ear and turned his back on her.

"We'll talk about this later, Anne. After I get back from the office, okay?"

The receiver was silent.

"I'm putting the phone down now, Anne, I've got work to do. I'll talk to you later."

"You should know what I'm doing right now," she said. "I bet you'll never guess what I'm doing right now."

He sighed. "I give up. What are you doing?"

"I'm packing my suitcases with all my stuff, all the stuff we bought together for the house, I'm taking it all. By the time you get back from work the house will be empty. What are you going to do about that, David?"

He said nothing for a few moments. He could hear the noises of the office behind him.

"Did you hear me, David?"

"I'd like to talk to Ian, please," he said. "Could you put him on?"

"What makes you think Ian's here? My brother's got better things to do."

"I need to talk to him, Anne. Just put him on please."

"I'm not your fucking secretary. I told you, he's not...." He heard her voice fade out and a man's voice said, "What do you want, you little prick?"

"I just want to talk, Ian. I don't know what she's been saying to you about me, but I can assure you I've -"

"Shut up, you cunt. I told her when she married you you were a cunt. I never liked you, you little moon-faced bastard. Why don't you come over here and try to stop her from taking all the stuff from the house? Or don't you have the balls for that?"

There was a pause.