Page 7 (1/2)

Chapter One

August 10, 1994

Bangs and muffled screa in the weeds next to the vehicle, he stared at the closed lid

Still alive

Oh, well A minor miscalculation Didn’t matter This would all be over soon

“Let me out Help!”

He scanned his surroundings No one in sight Inky black in the darkness, the murky water of Grey Lake stretched out forsurface Thick forest fringed its banks There were no buildings nearby But there was always a chance of soaze swept the bank of the lake, but he saw no flicker of can of human activity

The public park, beaches, and boat ramp were two miles to the south The wilder north end of the lake saw little activity

A mosquito landed on his arm, and he swatted it away Three more took its place

The war, but the su srasses around the lake buzzed with insects To the billion gnats and mosquitoes that lived here, his warm body was a free meal

“You can’t do this!”

The pleas for help triggered no guilt No remorse for the series of events that had led hirets were the risk and inconvenience he’d brought upon himself

But then, his lack of a conscience was one of the reasons he was here in the ht

He’d done things tonight he couldn’t undo Things that would ruin his life if anyone knew His only option was to clean up the mess

Besides, he’d be lying if he denied that killing a person wasn’t exciting He wasn’t planning on doing it again But there was a thrill, deep in his veins, over the control, the sense of power that ca another human life

More banging froht shifted So metal struck the underside of the lid Tire iron? Like that would do anything

“Please I’ll do anything Please let me out”

The plea was desperate

Panicked

And for good reason

He ignored the cries, opening the driver’s side door and sliding behind the wheel He started the engine, lowered the , and stared at the lake ahead The bank fell away on a steep grade He knew the lake’s bottorew deep quickly Farther out, a tiny sliver of moon reflected on the surface

The Buick idled, its ten-year-old engine knocking and pinging With the car door still open, he hesitated, his foot on the brake

He eyed the brick on the floor It would hold the gas pedal dohen he was ready

Was he really going to do this?

This was another indelible moment, one that would leave a permanent mark, one from which there could be no return Unlike his i, this decision was born of careful thought and consideration This was a conscious act

This was cold

Calculated

Murder

But ere his options? Aduilt? Go to prison? Ruin his entire life?

Hell, no

He had plans