Page 1 of Nicole's Shelter

Chapter 1

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 verification appointment slated for the morning, he knew it was time to walk away.

He moved closer.

* * *

Huddled with her neighbors, Nicole let them watch their chic suburban apartment building go up in flames while she watched the shadows and the spectators for any sign of who had done this. It was a nightmarish end to another tedious day at work.

Her best friend, Allie, had disappeared a few days ago amid terrible rumors circulating at their office. She desperately wanted to know if Allie was okay, but her company laptop had died a sudden death, and now her personal computer—along with the rest of her personal life—was being incinerated.

It could be a coincidence.

Right. Obviously she still believed in fairy tales.

Nicole knew she was the last person to have contact with Allie and the only person who knew where her friend had been planning to hide from the trouble dogging her.

She glanced around, looking for a face that didn’t belong, for anyone wearing an expression that didn’t match up with the traumatic situation. There were plenty of reasons for an apartment building to catch fire. It was a wonder accidents didn’t happen more frequently with so many people living in close quarters. Still, she had a feeling there was more to this particular blaze.

Seeing one of her favorite neighbors in tears, she went over to give the woman a hug. “They’ll have it out soon, Mrs. Beaumont.” The worst of the blaze was confined to Nicole’s side of the building. “Your apartment might survive.”

The older woman pressed her fist to her mouth, her gaze locked on the firefighters coming and going from the building. “He’ll never make it,” she cried, seizing Nicole in a terrified hug. A retired science teacher, Mrs. Beaumont’s classroom iguana, Oscar, had retired with her.

Nicole rubbed the older woman’s back. “Did you tell someone?”

“He was in my hands,” she said. “I heard the alarms. There was too much smoke in the hallway.” She pushed up her glasses to rub her eyes. “He was in my hands. I dropped the fire ladder out the window and he leaped away. Oh, my poor baby.”

Nicole carefully extricated herself from Mrs. Beaumont’s grasp. “Let me go ask someone.”

“Do you think they’ll actually search for a lizard? Not many people have a fondness for reptiles.”

“Let me try,” Nicole said, forcing her lips into what she could only hope was a reassuring smile. Having experienced more than her share of grief and loss, she resolved long ago to spare others that pain whenever she had the chance.

Wanting to race around the building, she had to use a cautious approach. Displaced residents and curious bystanders had been herded into a flexing knot of humanity near the emergency vehicles. She rummaged in her purse for her work ID card and the digital camera she kept with her at all times. Clipping the badge to her jacket lapel she hoped the dark and the confusion would get her past the safety line if they thought she was a journalist.

With a confident stride she moved closer to Mrs. Beaumont’s side of the building. Pretending she had permission, she mentally rehearsed a response if anyone stopped her.

But no one did. It never ceased to amaze her what a valuable tool a camera was. When she reached the rope ladder, she dropped the camera back into her purse and looped the strap so it crossed her body, pushing it behind her to make the climb.

Mrs. Beaumont often said Oscar liked to curl up in the bathroom sink when he was stressed out. Nicole hoped the lack of smoke coming from this side of the building was a good sign for the iguana and her attempt to save him. Mrs. Beaumont was a kind woman who didn’t need the guilt, however misplaced, of abandoning Oscar.

Determined, Nicole jumped for the lowest rung on the ladder but it slipped through her hands. She wiped her palms on her jeans and tried again.

Successful this time, she hauled herself up toward the apartment window. At the edge, she peeked inside, but saw only thin smoke, no flames. Maybe Oscar had a chance.

The incessant wail of the fire alarm battered her ears and set her heart pounding as she worked against her most basic survival instincts. She crawled under the smoke, feeling her way through the dark toward the bathroom. Carpet gave way to cool tile under her palms and she breathed a little deeper before reaching up into the sink.

---