The blaze reached toward the night sky, leaping away from firefighters and warring with the billowing smoke trying to blot out the stars. It was mesmerizing, might even have been beautiful, if the end result wasn't so devastating.

Rick Dreyer had better things to look for. His boss would ask if this fire was tied to the case he was working and the woman under his surveillance or simply a lousy coincidence.

It was a sucker bet and a Murphy's Law kind of moment, but he was too jaded to assume coincidence.

Using the cover of displaced residents and gawking bystanders, he skirted the crowd to keep his target in sight. The target, a gorgeous brunette, was the only perk of this assignment. Her hourglass figure and sleek, long hair would tempt any breathing man. But there was something in her eyes, a wariness he caught whenever he zoomed in with the camera lens or binoculars. It made him wonder what put it there.

He didn't care for the feeling. Wondering, experiencing genuine concern about a target wasn't in his repertoire anymore. He worked his cases straight forward and knew the boss valued his ability to remain neutral.

As far as the current case went, Nicole Livingston wasn't a threat to the client. Being displaced by a fire just weeks before Thanksgiving didn't constitute immediate danger. Pulling out his phone, he sent a cursory alert to the office until he could file the full report.

Relieved he could leave Virginia as soon as he finished the appointment slated for the morning, he knew it was time to walk away.

He moved closer.