This fictional post by bestselling author John Rector, introduces readers to his new Kindle Single Lost Things released on July 10, 2012. Lost Things is a taut, suspenseful tale of secrets, lies, and murder that builds to a shattering, surprising climax.

Peter set his coffee cup on the table and opened the paper. He flipped to the metro section and scanned the headlines. When he found what he was looking for, he leaned back in his chair and began to read.

Unidentified Man Found Beaten to Death in Warehouse District
By Jack Zekry

Park City – The body of a man was found early Sunday morning near the intersection of 27th and Capitol in the warehouse district.

The man, believed to be between 30 and 40 years old, was found badly beaten and without identification. No missing persons report matching the man's description had been filed with the police said Trevor Hillman, Park County deputy coroner.

"We've contacted surrounding police agencies," Hillman said. "Right now, our main goal is to identify him and locate his family."

James and Edna Bellington, who own and operate a packing supply business on 27^th street, discovered the body sometime before 8:30 A.M. They called 911 but the unidentified man was already deceased when emergency responders arrived.

Hillman said autopsy findings indicate the man died no more than six to eight hours prior to the body's discovery.

After the body was discovered, officials searched the surrounding area and interviewed possible witnesses in the hopes of shining a light on the events leading to the unidentified man’s death.

“We believe he was living at the Park County homeless shelter,” said Detective Michael Rustin. “He looks to be a victim of street violence among the city’s homeless population.”

The increase in violent crime in the warehouse district has been an ongoing issue for businesses and residents. All attempts to stop the trend have failed due in part to the recent closure of Rain Tree Psychiatric Hospital.

“There are too many people living on the streets right now, and overcrowding has become a serious issue,” said Cara Vaughn, director of the Park County Homeless Shelter. “We just don’t have the funding or the space to accommodate everyone, and we end up turning people away. We don’t have a choice.”

The man was found wearing a blue down jacket and black pants, said Rustin. There were no visible scars or tattoos.

“As long as the shelters remain underfunded, we’re going to see more and more instances like this one,” said Vaughn. “Unfortunately, there’s only so much we can do.”

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Park County Police Department at 555-555-5555.

When he finished the article, Peter tossed the paper on the table and reached for his coffee cup. He could hear the traffic moving outside his window, and the sound made him smile. It meant the police were finally gone, and the street was open again. It also meant Evan had been right.

Everything was going to be fine.

Peter lifted his cup. There was a faded bloodstain on the side of his hand, and he tried to rub it away. It didn’t help, but that was fine. In a few days the stain would be gone, and no one would ever know.

After all, it was a new day.

Find out what happens to Peter in Lost Things, the new Kindle Single by John Rector. Rector is also the bestselling author of The Grove, The Cold Kiss, and the International Thriller Award nominated Already Gone.