Chapter 1

Miranda Adler was laying in bed when she heard the knock at the door. She glanced at the clock. It read 7:07. "Who the heck could that be," she mumbled out loud.

"Hold on, I'm coming," she yelled as she reached for her robe.

The knocking grew louder the closer she moved to the door.

"Who is it?" she yelled, afraid to open the door this early in the morning.

"Ms. Adler, my name is Rupert Weinstein. I have some very good news for you. If you would open the door we can discuss it."

She peered through the peephole in the door. She saw a short man, about 5' 3" in height, Grey hair slightly balding, wearing a 3-piece suit. 'Ah, but this could be a trick, ' she thought to herself.

Miranda was a meek girl, standing all of 4'11" and weighing no more than 95lbs. She had straight auburn hair which she kept cut in a bob, the length of which touched her shoulders and accented her Green eyes. Her face, although pretty, showed signs of a hard life. Her mother had died when she was three from an accidental overdose of medication. Her father did his best to raise the little girl alone, until his eventual death to a plane crash on her 7th birthday. Since then she was tossed in and out of foster homes, often being abused both physically and sexually by the people she was supposed to trust to care for her. Her experiences throughout this time left her with a distrust of most people, especially men.

"Show me some identification!" she demanded

Mr. Weinstein reached for his wallet and withdrew both his license and a business card. The business card read as follows:

Rupert Weinstein

Solicitor

Catering to the Elite

The High Street

Virginia Water

Surrey, UK

With all his identification seemingly in order, Miranda reluctantly undid the chain lock and opened the door.

"May I come in Ms. Adler? I am sure you will be very pleased with what I have to tell you."

She held the door open and handed him back his identification while motioning him toward the living room.

"You will have to forgive my apprehension Mr. Weinstein. This is not a very good neighborhood you see, and at this early hour a girl has to be careful."

"Understood Ms. Adler."

"Please, call me Miranda. No one calls me Ms. Adler"

"Of course Miranda. Now what I have to tell you."

"I am sorry Mr. Weinstein. I have not had my coffee yet and my brain doesn't function properly without that first sip." She smiled, and started to head to the kitchen turning briefly. "Can I get you a cup?"

"That would be wonderful, thank you!"

A few short moments later she returned, placed two cups of coffee on the table, and sat in the chair directly opposite the couch occupied by Mr. Weinstein.

"I am sorry. Now, what were you saying?" She lifted the cup to her lips and took a few small sips as to not burn her mouth.

"Well Ms. Adler." Miranda looked at him with an 'I told you not to call me that' face. "I mean Miranda," he corrected himself.

He reached for some paperwork he had removed from his briefcase while waiting for her to return with the coffee. "What I have here is some paperwork in need of your signature" He handed her the stack of papers.