Helen Grandfield was born at the age of thirty, having put behind her identities as a stripper and lap dancer who had failed to become popular and whose tainted reputation had failed to drive her father into a rage. The old man had simply ignored her. As long as she didn't use the family name, he didn't care. He had other children who didn't try to drive him crazy and he had too much on his mind, like staying alive and away from the law, to worry about one daughter. Then she had changed. Just like that. All of a sudden. Took business courses at Fordham after learning accounting. She had practical value to her father now, and was not only appreciated but listened to. She was content. She slept well. Things were going on tonight. Important things. Things that could mean a great deal for her father, for herself. Deep inside she even considered that if things went as well as planned, she'd find her hedgehog husband and have his throat cut- if possible while she watched. Helen Grandfield slept peacefully.

Ed Taxx and Cliff Collier had not slept. They had not tried to sleep. They were not supposed to sleep. They sat in the hotel room, Ed reading a mystery novel by Jonathan Kellerman, Cliff watching a taped rerun of a hockey game played hours earlier. He had avoided watching the news or ESPN so that he wouldn't know how the game turned out. At the moment, the Rangers were ahead 3-1 at the start of the third period. Cliff worked on a Diet Coke. Ed had a Dr Pepper. Neither man was really tired. Too much on their minds. However, a jolt of caffeine short of coffee or Mountain Dew wouldn't hurt. Taxx looked at his wristwatch. Two hours or so till dawn. He was having trouble concentrating on the book. Cliff had offered to watch the game without sound, but Ed had said he didn't mind. He didn't like hockey, but he knew he could tune it out. Ed adjusted his shoulder holster and lay back with the book on his chest.

The girl's name was Lilly. She was eleven, a little short for her age but not much. Something woke her. She looked over from her bed to her mother who was breathing the way she did when she slept. Lilly was reasonably sure it was the wind that awakened her.