The Inn At Shadow Lake. Janet Edgar

would be here alone tonight in her unsecured house.

      Or would she?

      Maybe she was seeing someone with Emmie conveniently tucked away at her folks’ house, thanks to him. Whoever her date was, he’d investigate the guy from the day he was born.

      Zach pulled on his jacket and opened the door. Turning to Julie, he gently ran a finger along her jaw. “Lock the door behind me.”

      “I will,” she whispered softly. Smiling, she surprised him with a quick hug. “See you in the morning.”

      The door clicked as she shut and locked it behind him. A lot of good that lock would do. He could slide a credit card through and let himself back inside in a heartbeat, or kick the door in just as quickly.

      Zach scanned the area along the lake. He took in the pleasant scent of tall Douglas fir trees that cast dark shadows along the narrow pathway that led back to the inn. The wind picked up and the sounds of waves breaking along the shore spread through the otherwise quiet night.

      There were too many hiding places in this remote part of the grounds. Too many places for snipers to focus their scopes on unsuspecting souls and special agents who were onto them.

      A steady rain fell as Zach jogged back to his room. Senior Agent in Charge John Castlerock, aka John Rockwell the chef, would be waiting for him with the newest evidence concerning this case.

      They would be up all night going over the details on several unanswered mysteries—finding Agent Tomasino, who hadn’t been heard from in months, determining who could have taken shots at Zach, and figuring out who had killed the groundskeeper.

      An uneasy feeling that he was missing something settled in his gut. While Zach was pleased that John had established his cover at the inn, he had the distinct feeling that his boss was holding something back. Besides the fact that Julie had a daughter, what other details had the Bureau hidden from him?

      Zach’s intuitive nature overwhelmed him with two unshakable conclusions.

      Julie was in grave danger.

      And so was he.

      He could be falling for her…all over again.