Cassie works a summer job at a diner, partly to keep her large Italian family from trying to manage her life. She reflects that her father lives far away, her mother is missing and presumed dead, and she feels like a shared obligation among relatives rather than anyone’s clear responsibility.

While waiting tables, Cassie demonstrates an unusual ability to read people. She predicts that one customer will ask for extra butter and another will demand more water, then mentally analyzes their personalities, habits, and likely tipping behavior. Cassie explains that her mother taught her to study behavior, personality, and environment, skills her mother used while falsely presenting herself as psychic.

A confident, polished boy about Cassie’s age enters the diner and asks for a table. Cassie immediately senses that he does not belong there and becomes wary when he watches her closely. When he orders eggs, pancakes, and ham, he challenges Cassie to guess how he wants the eggs cooked.

Cassie accepts the challenge and reasons through his personality, ruling out several options before deciding he wants the eggs over easy. The boy smiles but refuses to confirm whether Cassie is right, leaving Cassie intrigued and unsettled.

After the lunch rush, Cassie discovers that the boy has left without waiting for his check. He leaves a generous tip and a business card bearing the name Tanner Briggs, the title Special Agent, and the words Federal Bureau of Investigation. Cassie is shocked and wonders what she has done to attract the FBI’s attention.