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Chapter One
Meredith
The crisp morning mountain air nips at my skin as I step out of the taxi. I tug my coat closer around my body while the taxi driver lifts my suitcases from the trunk.
“Enjoy your stay in Frosty Crest,” he says as he hands me my luggage. “If you need any help finding the town’s hotspots, make sure to pay a visit to the tourism office. The people of Frosty Crest are a friendly bunch.”
I offer him a soft smile. “Thanks, I appreciate it.”
The lies I told him earlier about me being a tourist leave a bad taste in my mouth, but if I want to stay alive, I’d better get used to lying.
I take a deep breath and head up the steps of the rental I’ll be staying at for the foreseeable future. This quaint town tucked away in the mountains feels like a world apart from the chaos I left behind. It’s a relief that I’m finally here, even though I miss home so much that it hurts. The thought that I’ll be relatively safe in this small town softens the blow of having to live a completely new life. Only a little bit, though.
I’m still having nightmares about the brutal crime I accidentally witnessed. Just thinking about how the killer locked eyes with me before I ran away and called the cops makes me sick to my stomach. The feds putting me in the Witness Protection Program more than likely saved my life. Those gangsters won’t stop at anything.
I try to push those horrible memories away. I need to focus on rebuilding my life. The rental is small, but perfectly fine for a single girl like me. With one bedroom, one bathroom, an open-plan kitchen, and a cute backyard, the house is even nicer than the one I live in at home. Or should I say lived at? There’s no telling when I’ll be able to return. As soon as the trial is over and the criminals who want to silence me are locked up, hopefully, but who knows how long that will take?
Just as I’m inspecting the kitchen cupboards, I hear a sound at the backdoor and I freeze. Have the bad guys found me already?
I frantically open the drawers and remove a chef’s knife. I tiptoe to the backdoor, the knife held out in front of me. When I hear that the sound is accompanied by scratching, I sigh a breath of relief. My tense shoulders relax a bit. It’s just a cat!
I unlock the door and let the animal in. I pet her soft fur and check to see if I’m dealing with a male or female cat. The cat’s clearly a girl, but there’s no sign of a collar or another tag, so I’m not sure if she belongs to anyone.
I fill a bowl with water and place it on the kitchen floor. The cat happily laps up the water, and I make a mental note to go out and buy a bag of cat food later. I have to head out anyway since I don’t have a job yet. I doubt I’ll be able to work as a chem lab assistant like I did back home, but I’m open to anything. Luckily for me, the government will be covering my rent for the next year, but I don’t want to raise suspicions in town by not working. Besides, sitting at home and doing nothing all day would drive me crazy. I need a distraction. Something that I can focus all my energy on and will leave me exhausted so I don’t lie awake for hours. I’m having a hard enough time sleeping as it is.
The cat circles around my leg, begging me to pet her. The sound of her purring soothes me.
“Do you have a name?” I ask the cat, as if she’d ever be able to answer me. “How about Mittens? Or Furball?”
The cat purrs louder after my last suggestion, so I decide to call her Furball until I can locate her owner.
“I’ll go out and get you some food. Maybe inquire about installing a pet door here. You’re welcome to stay here while I’m out.”
Wow, I really need to socialize some more. I love cats, but Furball can’t be the only living creature I talk to.
I grab my purse and check to see if I’ve locked the back door, twice, before heading to the town center.
I scribbled down a list of possible work opportunities, ranging from shops to restaurants to small businesses. Surely, someone must be looking to hire in a town that thrives on tourism.
My first stop is a gourmet pet treat shop called Winnie & Woof. The concept is so different from what I’m used to that it speaks to me.
I step inside the shop and let my gaze wander over the different kinds of gourmet treats on offer. I grab a couple of premade bags for Furball and head to the counter. A yellow labrador is sleeping in a far corner of the shop, snoring loudly.
I put the bags of treats down and reach for my purse when a pregnant woman appears from a door in the back, holding a box.
“Welcome to Winnie & Woof! I’m Winnie and that snoring dog over there is Woof,” she says with a beaming smile. “Sorry to have kept you waiting.”
“That’s okay, I’m… Meredith,” I say, hesitating at the name.
It still feels weird to refer to myself as Meredith, but it’s all part of the new identity they gave me in the Witness Protection Program.
“Nice to meet you,” Winnie says as she rings up the treats. “Are you visiting or new in town?”
“I’m new in town. In fact, I’m also looking for a job. Do you happen to need any help around here?”
She shakes her head. “I’m afraid not. Why don’t you try your luck at Frosty Crest Haven, the local lodge? My sister Wren works there. Maybe she can put in a good word for you.”
“I’ll do that, thank you, Winnie. I really appreciate it.”
