Prologue
Hardy's Ravine
Northwest of McCall, Virginia
Saturday Morning
He pulled the driver side door open on the Dodge Durango and, reaching in, slid the gearshift into neutral. The body in the driver’s seat was leaning over the steering wheel, giving the impression that the driver had simply fallen asleep. The man gave the vehicle a push to start it moving, then stepped back and watched the car roll down the steep slope into the ravine.
The vehicle’s forward motion was suddenly stopped as it smashed into a large boulder at the bottom of the hill. The man stood for a moment watching the vehicle, before half sliding down the slope and standing beside it. He stood there for just a moment before opening the back door of the Dodge and removing a red container.
“Let’s see if this will do the job,” he said aloud as he poured the contents of the can inside the vehicle. After emptying the container of its contents, and throwing the empty canister back into the car, he stepped away and pulled a pack of matches from his pocket He lit one and tossed it toward the Dodge. It sputtered before it could ignite the volatile liquid and the man was forced to try a second time and third time before the gasoline caught fire and in just a moment the entire vehicle was engulfed in flames.
The man retreated from the inferno and pulled himself up the slope to escape the flames. He stood at the top of the ravine, watching for a moment before turning and walking back toward the roadway to wait for his ride back to town..