"That you, Kate?" Sheriff Thrasher called out as I approached Troublesome Creek. "What are you doing out on a night like this?"

When it's nine-degrees below zero outdoors, I don't easily exchange the comfort of my warm house for the piercing cold of a January night. But I'd watched the Denning County Sheriff's deputies work for nearly an hour to rescue a driver who'd plowed his car into Troublesome Creek.

"I thought you and your deputies might like some hot coffee," I replied over the top of my heavy muffler. I handed him my over-sized Thermos. "Who's in there this time?"

"Don't know," he answered. "Don't recognize the car. Can't say who was driving. Did a heck of a job, though. Looks like the car rolled before it hit the creek."

"They ought to close this old road, Ed." I shuddered, pulling my coat tighter around me. I'd lived next to Troublesome Creek for three years, but this was the fourth accident I'd witnessed at what the people here called dead-man's-curve. The drivers, all teenage boys, had been revved up on alcohol and the need to push their hot cars and their driving skills to the limit. So far, they'd all lost. To fend off those memories, I offered to make the sheriff and his deputies another pot of coffee.

"No, don't bother," Ed said wearily. "We're about done here. I'm just waiting for the coroner to make it official."

Oh," I said, shoving my hands more deeply into my pockets. Somewhere, I heard a dog bark, but it was quiet where we stood. The deputies' voices were subdued as they worked around the half-submerged car--their words indistinct. Beside me, Sheriff Thrasher stirred.

"Didn't happen to see the accident or hear it, did you?"

"No. The first I became aware of it was when I heard your sirens."

"You've got a dog, don't you? Did he bark or react in any way that made you think something was wrong?"

"Yes, I've got a dog," I replied, "but he's a golden retriever. They're notoriously calm dogs. Sam is probably even more calm than most. He rarely barks. Now, if you drop something within four miles of the house, he'll bring it home. He's a collector, but he's not much of a guard dog."