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PART ONE

"The woods are lovely, dark, and deep"

– ROBERT FROST

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Chapter 1

Behind the wheel of the Ford Expedition, A drove as if she were immortal and therefore safe at any speed

In the fitful breeze, a funnel of golden sycaht street She blasted through the across the windshield

For so backward to one ringbolt or another, in one dark place or another, and to did not know her origins Abandoned at the age of two, she had no memory of her mother and father

She had been left in a church, her na on a pew

Most likely, her surname had been invented to mislead The police had failed to trace it to anyone

Redwing suggested a Native Aued Cherokee, but her ancestors ht as likely have come from Armenia or Sicily, or Spain

Amy’s history remained incomplete, but the lack of roots did not set her free She was chained to sobolt set in the stone of a distant year

Although she presented herself as such a blithe spirit that she appeared to be capable of flight, she was in fact as earthbound as anyone

Belted to the passenger seat, feet pressed against a phantoe A, however, because he was afraid that she would look away from the street to reply to his call for caution

Besides, when she was launched upon a ht perversely incite her to stand harder on the accelerator

"I love October," she said, looking away from the street "Don’t you love October?"

"This is still September"

"I can love October in September Septe"

"I love San Francisco, but it’s hundreds of , we’ll be there in ten minutes"

"I’m a superb driver No accidents, no traffic citations"

He said, "My entire life keeps flashing before my eyes"

"You should ist"

"A at me"

"You look fine, sweetie Bed hair becomes you"

"I uy named Marco-he’s blind but he drives a car"

"Marco who?"

"Marco so He’s in the Philippines I read about hiazine"

"Nobody blind can drive a car"

"I suppose you don’t believe we actually sent men to the moon"

"I don’t believe they drove there"

"Marco’s dog sits in the passenger seat Marco senses froht or left, when to hit the brakes"

So airhead Initially, Brian had thought so, too

Then he had realized he rong He would never have fallen in love with an airhead

He said, "You aren’t seriously tellingdoesn’t drive, silly He just guides Marco"

"What bizarro raphic It was such an uplifting story about the hu bond, the empowerment of the disabled"

"I’ll bet raphic"

"I’," she said

"But not to blind "

"Well, they need to be responsible blind men"

"No place in the world," he insisted, "allows the blind to drive"

"Not anyreed

Brian did not want to ask, could not prevent hi: "Marco isn’t allowed to drive anys"

"Iine that"

"But you can’t blame Antoine"

"Antoine who?"

"Antoine the dog I’uessed hi Left curve ahead"

S at hi into things"

In the salt-pale hborhood of one-story ranch houses seemed to effloresce out of the darkness

No streetlaht, but the moon silvered the leaves and the creamy trunks of eucalyptuses Here and there, stucco walls had a faint ectoplass inhabited by spirits

In the second block, lights brightened s at one house

Ahts flared off the reflective numbers on the curbside mailbox

She shifted the Expedition into reverse Backing into the driveway, she said, "In an iffy situation, you want to be aimed out for the fastest exit"

As she killed the headlights and the engine, Brian said, "Iffy? Iffy like how?"

Getting out of the SUV, she said, "With a crazy drunk guy, you just never know"

Joining her at the back of the vehicle, where she put up the tailgate, Brian glanced at the house and said, "So there’s a crazy guy in there, and he’s drunk?"

"On the phone, this Janet Brockman said her husband, Carl, he’s crazy drunk, which probably "