Chapter 4: David Montgomery

David Montgomery was 30. He inherited the farm from his dad and had always kept it the way his dad had it—a dairy farm. Dairy farms in his dad’s time were the best way to make money, but today, there was so much red tape, and the money just wasn’t there. So he had to sell out of state to places like California, Pennsylvania, and Maine, where raw milk could be sold in retail stores.

David had a farmhand who lived on the property for free and milked the cows every morning. This dairy farm had been his life—most of his life. David had his CDL and his own truck, so when orders had to go out to those states, he took them himself to cut down on costs over time. And it had paid off. David had contracts with 1,100 stores in California, 1,500 in Maine, and another 1,300 in Pennsylvania.

The first time David went to California, he was so excited. He had never left Kentucky, and he was ready to see what all the hype was about in California. The drive there was peaceful—no traffic, just David and the night sky.

As he entered San Francisco, crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, he couldn’t contain his excitement. He hit the gas pedal—and no sooner had he accelerated than a woman jumped in front of his truck. David slammed on his brakes, starting to jackknife. He pushed the gas and fought to correct the trailer before it went sideways.

When he came to a stop, a man was yelling. David looked at her, looked at the man, and then got back in his truck and drove away.

He went about 10 miles up the road before he stopped at a truck stop. He pumped gas, walked around his truck, checking for any marks, hung the pump up, and hit the road again for his dairy delivery.

In that moment, David realized something about himself. It was a darkness he couldn’t fully explain.

David made his delivery and headed back home to the farm. The whole ride, all he could think about was what it must have looked like as the woman smashed into his truck. He replayed the moment in his mind, imagining different outcomes, but it left him unsettled and wanting more.

Over the next few weeks, David drove all over the country. He intentionally went into rough neighborhoods, hoping to see a murder up close, but he was never in the right place at the right time.

After weeks of craving something more, David decided to take matters into his own hands.

Maya lived alone.

David saw an opportunity.

He walked up to her door and knocked. There was no reason for her to be afraid. She had no idea who was standing on the other side.

“Who is it?” she asked.

David replied, “Ma’am, my name is Phineas Shark. I’m a writer, heading to a conference, and my phone died. I accidentally brought the wrong charger with me. Could I use your phone, please?”

There was a pause before Maya opened the door.

Her eyes widened when she recognized him.

“Oh my! Phineas Shark is asking to use my phone! Can I get an autograph?”

She turned to grab a pen.

What happened next led to the first of many.