The Intruder in the Blizzard

Three days later, a violent winter blizzard swept down from the high Sierra peaks, engulfing Lake Tahoe in a blinding whiteout. Gale-force winds howled through the towering pines, rattling the heavy timber beams of the secluded estate. Mia was in her private workshop in the east wing, carefully examining the delicate balance wheel of an eighteenth-century Breguet pocket watch under her illuminated magnifier. Suddenly, the lodge's perimeter security alarms shrieked…