Daniel took another swig of wine to drown his sorrows. He looked as if he would come apart at any time, but then he heard Hilda's quiet voice in his ear.

"To tell you the truth, I had someone deliberately infect you with AIDS. Several of the clubs that you often went to all had my people in them, and half of the women you usually picked were women who I had arranged for and were infected with AIDS. The lady who tempted you to take drugs was also deliberately arranged by me! So how is it? Are you surprised?"

Daniel's eyes widened instantly. His pupils shrank slightly, and his...