Act I The stable gate was still swinging shut when the farm owner attacked the woman who had closed it. A nervous chestnut gelding stood several yards…

Act I The backstage door stopped halfway through its frame. Sixteen-year-old Noah Bennett had one hand on a small equipment case and the other wrapped around the…

Act I The glass elevator doors were already closing when the hotel manager turned on the elderly housekeeper. A housekeeping cart stood partly across the marble lobby…

Act I The cart wheel caught the loading-dock edge with a metallic scrape. Marcus Bell immediately raised one hand toward the waiting driver. The pallet leaned only…

Act I The drop of grape juice had barely touched the investment folder when Calvin Rourke stepped away from the signing table. It was a tiny purple…

Act I The drop landed on the investment folder before anyone saw where it came from. Walter Reed had lifted a grape crate beside the outdoor signing…

Act I The golf ball was still rolling through the wet grass when Preston Hale turned on the fifteen-year-old assistant. A thin spray of clipped turf had…

Act I The water touched the handbag before anyone noticed the cleaning cart. Three drops struck the pale leather as the cart wheel caught a seam in…

Act I The mud spot was no larger than a coin when the showroom manager attacked the elderly guide. A drop had fallen from the rubber tip…