Steven Davis comes home one day to find a letter from his wife, Diane, coldly stating she has left him and intends to get a divorce.
Upon entering, he finds the maître d', eventually revealed to be named Guy, apparently in the beginnings of a psychotic break, talking senselessly about a non-existent dog.
Desperately struggling to hold off the lunatic, Steve implores Diane to unbolt the rear entrance door so they can both escape, but she remains in a state of gaping shock.
Devoid of any shred of gratitude for his protection, the events of the last few minutes have only reinforced her perception of Steve as a bullying control freak, and she's decided it is time to stand up to him.
Incredulous and overwhelmed with fury, he loses interest in reconciliation; Diane's self-empowering harangue is sharply interrupted by Steve slapping her across the face.
He imagines Guy living in a similar situation to his own, driven insane by the irrationality of his wife, whom he may have murdered before coming to work this day, and the constant barking of the neighbor's dog.
The story was adapted into a short film entitled Gotham Café in 2005, directed by Jack Edward Sawyers.