Chapter 1 - The Shadow Trail
"Yes," Claire said, her voice tight as she stared at the fading tail lights of the blue sedan. "Someone is in danger. My family."
Walter, the rideshare driver, didn't ask another question. He shifted into drive and kept a steady two-car distance behind Mark. Claire’s heart hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird. She watched her husband navigate the familiar streets of Maple Ridge, expecting him to turn left toward the Northgate Neurology Center.
Instead, Mark turned right.
He was heading away from the clinic, straight toward the affluent lakeside district of Whispering Pines. Claire gripped her purse, her mind racing. Vanessa Cole lived in Whispering Pines. She remembered seeing the address on a holiday card Vanessa had sent to the house—a card Mark had quickly hidden away.
The blue sedan pulled into the driveway of a stunning, modern colonial home surrounded by weeping willows. Mark climbed out of the car, adjusting his blazer with a spring in his step that Claire hadn’t seen since before his alleged accident. He didn't look like a man suffering from debilitating brain stem headaches. He looked like a man in love.
The front door of the colonial opened, and Vanessa Cole stepped out. She wore a silk emerald dress, her blonde hair falling perfectly around her shoulders.
Claire watched from the rideshare car as Vanessa threw her arms around Mark’s neck. Mark caught her, lifting her slightly, and kissed her deeply right there in the driveway.
"Oh, honey," Walter muttered softly from the front seat, looking at Claire through the rearview mirror with pure pity. "I am so sorry."
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But Claire didn't cry. The tears that had been threatening to fall all morning suddenly evaporated, replaced by a cold, blinding rage. She watched Vanessa hand Mark a sleek leather briefcase. Mark opened it, laughing, and Claire caught the unmistakable flash of neat stacks of hundred-dollar bills.
"Walter," Claire said, her voice dropping to an icy, calm register. "Take me to Northgate Neurology Center. It's time to find out exactly what I've been paying for."
