Chapters 1-4 Summary

"Winter Prey" by John Sandford begins at the man known as the Iceman riding through the woods on a snowmobile. It is winter and bitterly cold, even though the Iceman is completely encapsulated in weatherproof gear. It is snowing and the Iceman is making his way through the woods and onto the lake, almost by instinct, looking for landmarks that might guide him to his home. The Iceman is obsessed with time, wondering if there is enough time to ensure that his plan has worked. The Iceman has killed once before and although he attempted to make the murder look like a suicide, it had failed. The murder was successful enough to eliminate the Iceman as a suspect. The Iceman approaches an unidentified house carrying a simple corn-knife to ambush his unsuspecting prey.

The focus shifts to the LaCourt's house which...