Page 57 of Final Approach

Sounds good. I’m going home now, will come back early in the morning to check on Emily, then be free to NOT help.

Haha. Understood. Later.

Later.

No heart emoji this time.

Well, that was disappointing.

He must have fallen asleep faster than he’d thought he would, because he was almost surprised when he woke. The house was dark. Quiet.

And yet...

Something had disturbed his sleep.

Or maybe he’d just had enough rest and his body was ready to get up?

A buzz next to his bed startled him. Ah, the phone. He forgot he’d left it on vibrate. Four in the morning. All righty then. The text was from Kristine.

I can’t sleep. I hope you have your phone on silent, but on the off chance that you’re awake, feel free to text me.

I’m awake. Want some leftover pizza?

He hit send before he could delete it, then wondered what had possessed him to ask her that.

If you’re serious, I can bring cheesecake.

He blinked. Okay, hereallyliked her.

I hate to ask you to get out at this time ofmorning. I can come to you. You might want to go back to bed once you’re up for a while.

Haha. Cute. After so many years flying, my circadian rhythm is permanently damaged. I don’t mind coming there.

Andrew chuckled.

I’m fine with you coming over.

Okay, send me the address.

He did so.

Hey, that’s not too far from me. Ten minutes max. See ya in a bit.

A low hum caught his attention and he lifted his eyes from his phone to listen. As though that would help.

Coming from outside? Maybe.

He threw the covers off, pulled on a T-shirt, then a sweatshirt, and shoved his feet into his sneakers, all in under five seconds. He walked to the window and listened.

Nothing.

He frowned and left the bedroom to step into the combination dining area and great room. The back deck was off that and the kitchen was to his right. The other two bedrooms and bath were straight across from him.

The living space was empty. “Tim?” Andrew glanced at his watch. The agent could be walking the perimeter of the house, checking for weak areas.

He sniffed. Gas?

He strode into the kitchen, started to flip the light on, and froze. Flipping a light switch when he thought he smelled gas might not be the smartest move. Instead, he tapped the flashlight app on hisphone and the strong beam lit up the area. He crossed to the gas stove and found all the burners off.