Finishing his trilogy about desperate young women in New York, Amos Kollek focuses on an alcoholic, who tries to regain custody of her son. Being addicted to alcohol, single mother Anna had to give her son to foster parents, but they would "sell" him back if she offers enough money. When she gets to know Pete, the mentally handicapped son of a wealthy author, his father asks her to marry his son for one million dollar.
A visiting actress in Washington, D.C., notices dramatic and dangerous changes in the behavior and physical make-up of her 12-year-old daughter. Meanwhile, a young priest at nearby Georgetown University begins to doubt his faith while dealing with his mother's terminal sickness. And, book-ending the story, a frail, elderly priest recognizes the necessity for a show-down with an old demonic enemy. Written by Andrew Harmon aharmon@erols.com