Prologue

She lay in beauty.

Almost like a fairy-tale princess. Her blond hair radiated out from beneath her head like golden rays of the sun. Her cheeks were fair and her lashes lay softly against her skin, for surely she had simply fallen asleep in such a peaceful and stunning position.

Eyes closed and her hands folded prayer-fashion over her chest.

She'd been out for a night on the town, or so it appeared. She wore a stunning sequined blouse or dress... It was difficult to tell.

Because it seemed she'd brought a blanket with her, almost as if she'd intended to fall asleep in the vennel, or alleyway, right behind the popular club with nightly entertainment that was just off the Royal Mile.

Aye, she lay in beauty.

But she had to wake up and move. Edinburgh was not only Scotland's capital city, but it was also a prime tourist location. And people sleeping in the streets—even if they were beautiful—was not something that encouraged tourism.

Doreen Gantry, just arriving for the breakfast shift at the nearby café, hunkered down and was determined to wake the young woman gently.

She touched the young woman's arm, and it was ice-cold.

Of course, it had been a cold night, but...

She moved the blanket. At first, she just stared in horror, frozen in place.

She tried to scream and couldn't. Then she found her voice.

And she screamed, and screamed, and screamed...

Doreen Gantry knelt there, frozen, simply frozen in form, until someone arrived at last and dialed the emergency phone number. She knelt until officers from Police Scotland arrived. She stood, finally, when one of them gently pulled her away from the sheer horror of the body.