Summary

In Chapter 1, Cal watches as the rooks in his yard, with whom he has been trying to make friends, kill a small animal. He considers stepping in and putting the animal out of its misery, but realizes it would be rude to interfere, especially since he does not know the ways of the rooks.

Cal has been working on the run-down farm cottage he bought in the remote Western Ireland village of Ardnakelty after moving from Chicago. He moved to this remote location hoping to be able to play his music as loud as he wanted to and not worry about anyone watching him. Even though he has had his mental alarm system turned off, he feels the back of his neck flare while cooking supper, just like it did when he was working for the Chicago Police Department, alerting him that someone...