Prologue
I had always wanted a gold watch – a watch with a beautiful face and hands and numbers enclosed in a gold case that opened when you pressed that special button at the top – a watch like my father had when I was a boy. This fond childhood memory suddenly surfaced when the lawyer placed such a gold watch before me, informing me I was inheriting it from a benefactor who had died a few minutes ago. I was also inheriting all of this man’s other wealth – his magnificent house and land, his BMW, his stock portfolio, and his bank account. In fact, all of these had been put into my name a number of years ago. As per his instructions, I was just now finding out about this. In return for his largesse, this man asked me – but did not require me – to undertake a certain task, namely, that I prevent a woman from being murdered!
The matter became even weirder as the lawyer unfolded the details. The benefactor does NOT know who the woman is or any facts about her except that she will soon be murdered unless I prevent it! And, one more thing – somehow (he knew not how) the Gold Watch will help me to prevent this murder. After signing the pertinent legal documents and receiving the keys to the house and BMW, I thanked the lawyer, told him I would try to prevent this murder, although I do not see how I could do so if I did not even know who the intended victim was, plus I have no experience in criminology. As soon as I left the lawyer’s office, I went to check out my new house and the ten acres of land surrounding it.
