Predators can control prey numbers not only by direct killing but also through the "fear of predation". Here, I introduce three "process-oriented" studies of the interactions between a predator snail and prey limpet on an intertidal rocky shore. Firstly, I found that fear of predation resulted in reduced feeding rates of the prey, and increased prey mortality, although the effect was weaker when the prey was starved. A subsequent experiment showed that the increase in mortality was due to the reproductive behavior of the prey, which was not dependent on the presence or absence of predators. Next, I explored how the predator and prey were able to interact despite their differing activity times. As a result, the predator could locate the prey through its mucus trail, while the prey developed counter-adaptations to the predator's searching behavior. Furthermore, there was a "pattern" that the effects of the predator on prey number were temporary rather than persistent, due to the seasonal life histories of both species. While these "low-level processes" may appear as a collection of case studies, a deeper understanding of the phenomena that occur in a particular system may lead to the discovery of just "good enough" general laws.