Five o'clock was quitting time at the magazine office.
Amanda Smith left the office and went to a nearby florist to buy a bouquet. Then she asked the clerk to write a greeting card for her, which she carefully placed in the middle of the bouquet before getting into a taxi, cradling the beautiful and delicate flowers in her arms.
Evan Willow's home was quite a distance from her workplace. After more than an hour's taxi ride, she finally stopped in front of those enormous iron gates.
Amanda stepped out of the cab, holding the bouquet. She took a gentle sniff of the flowers and couldn't help but smile.
Visiting Evan Willow's home always filled her with an involuntary sense of ease and pleasure.
By six or seven o'clock, the sky had darkened, and the fading sunset cast a hazy glow around her, bringing with it a touch of gentle warmth.
