Velocity A Novel [Paperback]

NEW YORK TIMESBESTSELLER
 
If you don’t take this note to the police . . . I will kill a lovely blond schoolteacher. . . . If you do . . . I will instead kill an elderly woman active in charity work. You have six hours to decide. The choice is yours.
 
The typewritten note under his windshield seems like just a sick joke. But in less than twenty-four hours, Billy Wiles, an ordinary, hardworking guy, is about to see his life take on the speed of a nightmare. Because a young blond schoolteacherismurdered—and now Billy has another note. And another deadline. This time he knows it’s no joke. He’s racing a killer faster than evil itself. And Billy must accept his terrifying challenge:The choice is yours.
 
Think fast. Fear never slows down. . . .

“A good, old-fashioned, barn-burning, beat-the-clock thriller.”—The Denver Post
 
“Terrifying . . .Velocitywill have readers turning the pages—and checking to make sure their doors are locked and bolted.”—Associated Press
 
“An outstanding roller-coaster ride . . . an edge-of-your-seat thriller . . . with multi-dimensional characters, agonizing suspense and a plot filled with . . . twists [from] America’s finest storyteller.”—The Washington Examiner
 
“A top-notch thriller full of well-drawn characters and anxiety-spiked sequences.”—Chicago Tribune

Dean Koontz,the author of many #1New York Timesbestsellers, lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Anna, and the enduring spirit of their golden, Trixie.Part 1
The Choice is Yours

Chapter One

With draft beer and a smile, Ned Pearsall raised a toast to his deceased neighbor, Henry Friddle, whose death greatly pleased him.

Henry had been killed by al“p