For years, Christine Daae has lived a lonely and sheltered life, clinging to memories of happier days when her father lived, and her role at the opera house meant more than simply muddling through. The one token she has left of him she keeps securely on her finger, until a moment of carelessness leads her not to the cherished wedding ring, but to a terrifying murder beneath the stage. The killer is masked, his true identity unknown, and Christine is the only one to have witnessed his activities and lived to contact the authorities. Her testimony is crucial in the lawmen's efforts to track down this elusive killer known only as the Phantom, and when her life is threatened, witness protection remains as the only course that could preserve her for the prosecution. A life of danger and excitement never appealed to Christine, who feels more lost than ever when she's made to forsake her home and what few friendships she's ever formed to start a new life, far from all that was once familiar. But when a certain marshal appears at her door, she has no choice but to accept his help, his protection, and his provision, all while trying to make sense of the strange feelings he seems to instill within her. But danger is ever present, and she must unravel the mysteries not only of the murder she so unfortunately witnessed, but of the troubled past of the man she has come to consider her safe haven. The man she knows only as Erik, U.S. Marshal."