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comes in about him.”
    â€œNo. Not yet. A bunch of people are out searching and there are flyers everywhere. I can’t let myself think we won’t find him tonight.”
    â€œWell, let me get you something while you’re waiting to hear. We have some wonderful pumpkin pie, and I just put on a fresh pot of coffee.”
    â€œI don’t think so but thanks anyway, Lucille. I’m going over to see if the police can do anything to help.”
    â€œOkay. We’ll call if we hear anything.” Lucille hugged her. “You take care.”
    It had been hard for Stella to get used to all the hugging that went on in Sweet Pepper. Even the fire brigade tended to hug when they got excited. She’d learned to live with it. Sometimes she even enjoyed it.
    Stella had stepped into the town hall when her radio went off. Phil was calling from the firehouse, where he was monitoring communications. “There’s a residential fire on Fifth and Magnolia. John says it’s possible there’s a child trapped in the house.”

Chapter Four
    It made no sense for her to go back to the firehouse. She was already close to their destination. She could see smoke billowing from that direction across the tops of the trees.
    â€œI’m going on to the house,” she told Phil. “Have Petey or Ricky grab my bunker coat, helmet, and boots. I’ll meet everyone there.”
    Stella believed the fire brigade had been together long enough that they could get ready and have the pumper and engine where it needed to be without her guidance.
    At least she hoped so.
    She’d never tried it before. They were going to have to handle calls on their own when she was gone. This was as good a time as any to see what happened.
    She put on her helmet and got back on her bike, a little disappointed that she wouldn’t be able to search along the main road going back out of town before dark. Looking for Hero would have to wait. Calls came first.
    Her Harley took the hill going up Main Street to Fifth with ease. She didn’t have to look for the address—there were flames and smoke coming out of the two-story house. John’s police car was waiting in front with the lights flashing.
    Her hopes for saving the house were extinguished when she viewed the scene. The fire was almost completely engaged. It was racing through the house with a speed only those who’d spent time with fire could appreciate. There would be significant damage, maybe a total loss.
    She didn’t like putting losses on her fire brigade’s reports. There had only been one other complete loss. That one had also included a death. She never wanted to put that on another report again while she was chief here.
    She saw John walking toward her. Something must have changed in the status of the possibility of a child still being in the house. Stella knew him well enough to know he’d be in there trying to rescue a child, even without the proper gear. It was the way he was made. Most firefighters she knew were the same way.
    â€œIt doesn’t look good.” He’d taken off his hat but his dark police uniform still looked clean and pressed.
    â€œWhat about the kid?” Stella stared at the house. “Was the report wrong?”
    He nodded to the couple hugging each other. A little girl stood between them. “Those are the Loflins. They got out okay.”
    â€œSo was the report wrong? Was there another child? I know we’re not standing out here talking about it if everyone isn’t safe.”
    â€œIt’s the craziest thing I’ve ever hearda and that’s saying a lot. There isn't another child. When I got here, Mr. and Mrs. Loflin were running out of the front door. They thought their daughter was with them. They turned around to get her off the porch, and she was gone.”
    Stella raised her eyebrows, impatient for the resolution. “And?”
    He shrugged. “I was about to go