She breathed in deeply the crisp mountain air, filling her lungs, thankful to be free at last. Six weeks as a juror on a murder trial and another two sequestered in a hotel room had taken its toll. She was thankful it was over and that her friend, Mary, had offered up her family cabin for a change of scenery, a mini vacation before returning to work and the real world again. She’d arrived early that morning and had already taken a run around the lake. Weeks of sitting in a chair had been sheer torture, especially for someone that worked out every day. Not that she was a fanatic or anything, but Toni liked to eat, and that meant she had to work it off. Smiling, she thought about the chocolate cream pie she’d brought up with the rest of her groceries. That was going to cost her a few extra trips around the lake. A rattling in the bushes prompted Toni to open her eyes to investigate. She glanced around, seeing nothing except trees, the lake, and more trees. The cabin was situated on the side of the mountain, deep in the back woods of North Carolina.
