Chapter 1

John stood at the diner counter waiting for Carlotta to return from the back The Chief of Detectives was dressed in all back and had been in Angel Square working on a case. He stopped into the diner to pick up his usual breakfast.

"What can I get you this morning Lieutenant?" she asked him

"Large coffee to go, that’s it" John replied

As Carlotta turned towards the back counter to turn towards the back counter and get John his coffee, John paid the cashier and looked outside the diner windows. He saw a tall mocha skinned woman stepping out of a cab carrying a suitcase and her purse. Her big hat shielded the rest of her face and all John could see was her mouth.

"Here you go John, did y need any cream or sugar with that?

John snapped back around at Carlotta comments.

"Yeah, thanks" he replied.

He stood at the counter and poured the cream and sugar into his coffee. The woman out on the street struggled to get her suitcase over the curb, with no help from the cab driver. As John was leaving the diner she was coming in. The suitcase was till giving her problems. By now she had taker her hat and sun glasses off. John held the door open for this new comer to Llanview. As she fought to get the suitcase inside she said

Thank you, thank you, very much. She said looking in too John’s eyes.

"Your welcome" he said as he looked into her eyes.

There was something familiar about them and when she said thank you her voice felt soothing and calming. Her smile reminded him of someone else, but he couldn’t think of whom. He shrugged off the feeling of knowing this woman.

The women took a seat at a booth and order her breakfast. She watched as the man in the black suit who had been so kind to hold open the door for her walked out of the diner. He had amazing blue eyes and a striking smile, he was gorgeous.

"Probably has a wife or girlfriend" she said to her self as she at her breakfast. Her mind flashed back to her all too brief encounters with the man in black.

"Maybe this trip to Llanview will not be as bad I thought." She thought to herself.

This woman had come to Llanview looking for something, but what she was looking for was a mystery to her. All she had to go on was the name of the town and three initials on a piece of paper her mom had given to her before she died.

back | next