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Prologue

THE MIDNIGHT HOUR

Chapter 1

RAIN WAS DRUMMING HARD against the hen the an at San Francisco Municipal Hospital Inside the ICU, thirty-year-old Jessie Falk was asleep in her hospital bed, floating on a Percocet lake of cool light

Jessie was having the most beautiful dream she’d had in years

She and the light of her life, three-year-old Claudia, were in Grand pool Claudie was in her birthday suit and bright-pink water wings, slapping the water, sunlight glinting off her blond curls

“Simon says, kiss like a butterfly, Claudie”

“Like this, Mommy?”

Then theand falling down, singing out “wheeeeeee,” ithout warning a sharp pain pierced Jessie’s chest

She aith a screaht—and clapped both of her hands to her breast

What was happening? What was that pain?

Then Jessie realized that she was in a hospital—and that she was feeling sick again She re her that she was going to be fine, not to worry

Falling, nearly fainting back to the mattress, Jessie fumbled for the call button at her side Then the device slipped froainst the side of the bed with a

Oh, God, I can’t breathe What’s happening? I can’t get my breath It’s horrible I’m not fine

Tossing her head from side to side, Jessie swept the darkened hospital rooe of her vision

She knew the face

“Oh, th-thank God,” she gasped “Help me, please It’s my heart”

She stretched out her hands, clutched feebly at the air, but the figure stayed in the shadows

“Please,” Jessie pleaded

The figure wouldn’t co on? This was a hospital The person in the shadoorked here