CHAPTER 1

 

She will always wonder what would have happened had she not looked out her window at that exact moment. Shivers run up her spine, as they always do when she thinks back to that day… It was nothing much, just a chance look out the window to see a blue truck with a white cab almost stop as it passed by her house. Ten minutes later came the phone call that changed her world forever.

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"I've been watching you, Maura," a disembodied voice started. Then, dead air…

 

 When she finally found her voice, all she could think to ask was, "Who are you?"

 

Ignoring her, he went on, "And not only should you be more careful, you should also be much more observant. It's dangerous out there. This afternoon," he continued, sounding annoyed, "I was stuck in the ditch when you passed by, so I didn't get to watch you." She gasped as she realized what he was saying. "So just take this as a friendly warning, or you could be reading more about yourself in the papers than you really want reported." Before she could respond, he hung up.

 

Oh. My. God.  Quickly she checked the phone for a name, a number — anything. Unknown. Shit. It didn't take her long to put two and two together, though. She remembered the truck stuck in the ditch. It matched the one outside her window just before the call. But who called her, and why? How did he know her name? The news articles. Damn.

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Suddenly it all became clear as she thought back to a beautiful sunny day last week. Snow, crisp and clean, covered the hills behind them, but they weren't paying any attention.