Dead To Life

Chapter 1

Chapter 1Death threats and attempts on her life were not something Sara Mason anticipated when charging into her new career of solving cold cases. Two of her past cases made her wary. She needed to be. The cases involved violent serial killers who set their sights on her when they suspected she was on to them.

The deadbolts were locked on the entry doors of her home. The noise from outside was a caution. Someone had driven down off the levee and onto her gravel driveway, but she heard nothing more. Silence had become one of the best warning signals she knew.

Must be someone using my driveway to turn around.

The Sacramento River Delta levee roads, two narrow lanes and sometimes just one, left no room for turning to reverse directions. In many places, there were no soft shoulders. The asphalt was laid to the levee edges to widen the lanes. It was fairly common for a driver to pull into a random driveway. Deltans knew and understood why, but by now, she should have heard gravel crunch as the driver returned to the levee.

One of the past cases involving murder victims' remains found on and near her property in Courtland, California made Sara alert to many things people took for granted. She was instrumental in capturing the Delta serial killer, almost at the cost of her life as she acted as the Sheriff's decoy.

She had returned to her childhood hometown to fulfill a lifelong dream of owning a Victorian home along the Sacramento River. When she learned of the serial killer, and that he had his sights set on her, it forced her into a whole new awareness for safety. Serial killer profilers had difficulty pin-pointing a Modus-operandi. He didn't stick to one type of person to victimize. Not tall slender blue-eyed blondes like her. Not model-type dark-eyed brunettes like her cherished friend, Daphine Whelan. Not prostitutes, nor young or old women. His victims included men too.

Not until after his capture, did they learn that this psychopath victimized anyone he thought had wronged him, including his parents, as was later learned. Sara had resisted his advances when they first casually met and that ticked him off. That case is what drew Sara and Huxley Keane into an all-encompassing love for one another. After becoming involved in solving cold cases created by this killer, Sara and Huxley joined forces to search for missing persons.

During three Spring seasons, Sara accompanied Huxley and a team of Veterans on an MIA search in the Vietnam jungle. His brother, Rocky, was among the missing, as was Betty, the daughter of their mutual friend, Esmerelda Talbot. Much younger and stronger, Huxley was both motivation and a morale booster for the older veterans. During the last trip when Sara went along, a couple of years earlier, more meager remains were found. Huxley had returned to the States to get them identified.

Before returning to the states, Sara stopped for a rest on Kauai where she nearly fell into the purchase of a second home. There she became involved in a new cold case of a missing six-year-old girl. Twice there, she narrowly lost her life to the killer. The one person no one suspected. Those experiences proved that killers can be close by. It was a hard lesson about taking proper precautions and about keenly protecting herself.

I hope I never again come that close to dying.

She listened for other sounds in the driveway. The silence sent a warning stream of adrenaline through her system.

More recently, while Huxley was in Oregon spending time with his family, she had worked a couple of missing teenager cases in the Sacramento suburbs. Those cases hadn't been threatening in any way. She wondered why teens ran away so much in these modern times. The teenagers were returned home. The emotional reward helped restore Sara's desire to get involved in a new search. Huxley suggested one. This new case involved finding a person close to family.

Sara listened, keen to every tiny noise. No other sounds came from the driveway. Past experiences stayed fresh in her mind and drove home the value of life.

The windows in her monstrous house were locked with some simply made not to open. She also had a state-of-the-art alarm system installed back when she was being stalked. She was glad no stranger could easily get inside the house.

She was upstairs in Daphine's art studio in the spacious attic of her refurbished old Victorian. She had been cleaning up after installing a dedicated heating and cooling system for Daphine's comfort. It was a busy morning, but she had lots she could accomplish on the property before this day was over.

At night, she stayed indoors most of the time unless with friends. Night-time was when activity ceased at her property and provided uninterrupted time to create her DVD games for children, which continued to produce copious amounts of income.

The rural levee roads along the Sacramento River were not lit with streetlights the way major streets were illuminated in most small local towns. The closest neighbor was nearly half a mile away. Daphine and her art gallery activities taking place at the house helped Sara feel secure. After the big Victorian was refurbished and livable, Sara installed a spa and a 20x60 foot swimming pool which was used by local community groups teaching children to swim.

Sara patiently listened for other sounds but heard only passing traffic on the levee in front of her home. Ranchers and crop hauling trucks made use of every passable farm road. During summer and fall, the river levees were normally glutted with trucks and vehicles hauling freshly picked produce and fruit. Pleasure-seekers towed boats to and from launching ramps. Pockets of diesel fumes hung in the air everywhere. Asphalt pavements melted and sizzled and sent up dancing waves of heat. Crop picking and harvesting was now well underway and would proceed into October. It was a scorching July that sometimes made it difficult breathing.

Unfamiliar faces were everywhere, either working the crops or enjoying water sports on the river. The interior Delta farmlands from Sacramento in the north to southern California were crawling with migrant workers. Still others preferred not to work but to wreak havoc in people's lives. Their criminal activities took advantage of the influx of newcomers to hide among and victimize. The crime rate rose dramatically during the summer months.

Sara listened. The person using her driveway hadn't left.

Better sneak a look… hope that's not another prowler casing my place… and in broad daylight too.