Chapter 1 Summary

The killer thinks he is a good man. He goes to church and pays his taxes. He also takes care of his invalid wife, Nina, whose legs were mangled in a car accident.

They moved to Chicago after her accident. He spends his free time modifying the house they purchased with the settlement money. Nina nearly died in the accident, but when she survived, he vowed to spend the rest of his life making her happy. As a result, he insists on pampering her by doing all the cooking and cleaning.

He believes he has a full and happy life. But for more than a year, he has been suffering from what he thinks are panic attacks. Heat radiates from within his body and anxiety overtakes him. Then he realizes they aren't anxiety attacks, after all. Instead, it is a beast living inside...