The 18-year-old was abducted from her hotel room while on vacation in Daytona Beach. Carol Ann Barrett had been looking forward to going to Daytona Beach, Florida for nearly a year. The 18-year-old and seven of her friends left their hometown of Zanesville, Ohio on Thursday, March 20, 1980, and drove through the night, arriving in Florida on Friday morning. After checking into the Treasure Island Inn, located along the oceanfront in Daytona Beach Shores, the group immediately hit the beach. Their dream vacation started perfectly, but everything changed the following evening.
A criminal mastermind makes a bold move against a wealthy client to put himself in a position to retire in comfort. He has no idea what he's up against when a young widow, desperate to make ends meet, sets her eyes on earning the bounty set on his head.
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Newly widowed housewife Melody Scott needs to earn some major cash, fast. When her bright and busy children learn that a priceless ruby bracelet has been stolen and a six-figure reward is being offered, they convince her to try to do what the police, museum security, and the best private investigators have failed to do. Working against them is a notorious thief who has met people from around the world, but who has never once encountered a woman like Melody Scott. When the sweet innocence of the Scott family clashes against criminal forces more dangerous than they ever imagined, Melody is all too aware that a mom's got to do what a mom's got to do to protect her family.
The Widow, Melody Scott is a 2021 Watty Award Winner!
Content Warning: This story does contain depictions of stalking behavior.