Part One: Chapters 1-4 Summary

"The Winner" opens in a busy shopping mall. A middle-aged man studies a single mother named LuAnn. The man, who calls himself Jackson, is extremely smart, although one wouldn't know it from his appearance. His intellect, when combined with a lack of reservations regarding killing those who interfere with his plans, makes him dangerous. On this particular day Jackson appears anything but dangerous. He has rented office space and hired a receptionist for the day. Jackson has tried to create the appearance of a legitimate office from which he is expecting to conduct a job interview. The potential employee, LuAnn, is observant, and recognizes the hoax for the scam that it is.

LuAnn resides with her boyfriend, Duane Harvey, in his trailer. They have a daughter, Lisa, who is eight months old and is the center of...