An autumnal moon cast a reddish glow over the landscape as Jake waited for a taxi. Moonglow—the perfect ending to a wonderful weekend with Fran. She’d given him a tender kiss when she left, wishing him a safe and successful trip to DC.

“I’ll hold down the fort ’til you get back,” she said. “Good luck!”

Suddenly, the smell of smoke shook him from his reverie. It wasn’t moonglow, it was fire! But where?

Just then, a taxi screeched to a halt. Jake sprinted over to the curb. Getting in, he said, “Do ya know what’s burning?”

 “Yeah. News said some lawyer’s office. Explosion.”

Jake thought of Lawton, his lawyer. He had sent him a report on his boss, Ryan Moss, outlining his suspicions.

“Do you remember the address?” he asked the cabbie.

“B’lieve they said it was on Arcadia.”

Oh, God, that’s Lawton’s office. but how could anybody have known?

‘Do you know if anyone was killed?”

“I think some were, but two were out of the office, I think they said.”

Jake’s head was spinning. Either his boss must have tapped into his computer and/or phone, or... Fran. Could it be? His Fran?

Quickly cancelling his flight, Jake told the driver to take him home. Throwing his suitcase in his car, he raced to Lawton’s house in hopes he hadn’t been at his office. As he turned into his street, he saw Fran’s car, in Lawton’s driveway.

What in the...?

Leaving his car in the next block, he hurried across Lawton’s yard, and went around to the back. Lawton, Ryan and Fran were sitting together by the pool.

He heard Fran say, “Poor Jake. He’ll find out, naturally, that you’re not dead, Brandon. He’s not dumb. He’ll figure everything out.”

“Yep. Poor sod will have to go."