Joe’s pager went off at eight o’clock that night. He reached for it, thinking if Cindy hadn’t ditched him two weeks ago, she’d surely have done so now. Just about every evening since had been interrupted for one emergency or another.

He called dispatch, and when he got the address downtown in the center of Orchard Beach he forgot about everything as his heart kicked into high gear. Creative Interiors II. He raced there, breaking a few laws and possibly the speed of light to stare in dread at the flames hurdling out of the building and into the night sky. There were fire trucks, an ambulance, a few squad cars, and curious onlookers as the fire raged its war. Beneath their feet lay a sea of water hoses while firefighters battled to get the blaze under control, also protecting the buildings on either side. He rushed forward but Kenny came out of nowhere to block his way.

“You’re not suited up,” Kenny said, holding on to him with shocking strength. “They’ll get the fire out. They’ll get her.”

He stared at Kenny. “They’ll get who?”

Kenny looked at him from anguished eyes. The kind of look you give someone when they have really, really bad news.

Joe’s stomach sank to his toes. “No.” Still restrained, he whipped his head back to the building. Flames pushed and shoved their way through the opening where the front glass door had been. From the windows. From the roof. The entire thing was ablaze.

And Summer was in there.

“She fell asleep downstairs,” Kenny said. “And woke to smoke. She had a cell phone in her pocket and was able to call for help. They’re going to get her out, Joe. They are. It’s Jake Rawlins in there, you know how good he is.”

“Is she injured?” he said hoarsely.

“Don’t know yet.”

The flames were hot and out of control, and he knew no one would be coming out the front door. Don’t be hurt. Please, God, don’t let her be hurt.

Kenny used his free hand to turn up the volume on the radio at his hip. As he did, one of the side windows blew out, and two firefighters appeared in the opening, one of them Jake, with a third person held between them.

Summer.

Joe twisted free from Kenny and rushed forward, meeting them as they cleared the building.

Someone put an oxygen mask on Summer, another wrapped a blanket around her shoulders. They were all drenched, having been nailed by the water hoses aiming in the window.