Chapter 1 - THE SHADOW IN THE RAINI didn’t realize Dr. Thomas Grant’s sedan was idling a block behind me as I sprinted through the Baltimore downpour. When I finally reached our basement apartment, I saw the black car stop under the flickering streetlamp. I hurried inside, locking the door, my heart still racing.
I set the groceries on our small table. My mother, weak and pale, stared at the bounty. "Maya... how?"
"A man," I whispered, showing her the paper: I owe $15.
She touched the note with shaking fingers, then looked out the window. She saw the sedan. She didn't call the police. She just wept, knowing that our "savior" had seen exactly how much we were suffering—and that we had absolutely nothing left to hide.
