He Kills Me, He Kills Me Not

uniforms.”
    “Besides that,” Riley added. “Pierce isn’t comfortable with the setup around here. He said all our motels are old and lack modern security features.”
    “You’re staying at Logan’s house,” Pierce’s voice called out from the entryway, announcing his return. He strode across the room and stood beside Logan. “Only a handful of people know he owns that property. It’s not even in his name. It’s listed under a real estate investment company he set up. I’ve already made the arrangements. All you have to do is pack a suitcase.”
    “Wait, wait. I’m confused,” Amanda said. “What are you telling me? That I’m staying at the chief of police’s house? That’s . . . unusual, isn’t it?”
    “Ms. Stockton,” Riley said, drawing her attention. “It might be unusual but it’s an excellent alternative. Most of the department still thinks the chief lives in town in an apartment, but he loaned that out to the FBI and moved outside of town when this case started.”
    “A police officer would stay with you during the day,” Pierce said. “Logan would be there at night. You’d have ‘round-the-clock protection in a secure location. Close enough that you can continue to assist with the investigation. But perfectly safe.”
    “I guess it makes sense,” she allowed, watching Logan carefully. He’d remained silent during the entire exchange, watching her with a solemn expression on his face. “But I don’t think Logan wants me there.”
    His mouth tightened. “I want you safe. That’s what I want.”
    “What’s the problem then? Wouldn’t I be safe at your house?”
    One of his brows arched up, as if she’d asked a ridiculous question. “Of course you’d be safe.”
    “Good, it’s settled.” Pierce said. “We have two unmarked cars waiting on the street behind your house to escort you to Logan’s house. A female officer is on her way here to act as a decoy for the press out front.”
    In spite of her decision to be brave, panic filled her at the thought of leaving her sanctuary. “I didn’t say I would go to Logan’s house.”
    Logan’s expression softened and his eyes filled with concern. He reached out and took her hands again, oblivious of the two men watching. “I think having a witness living at the chief of police’s house is a conflict of interest. I need to concentrate on solving the case and I’m worried my attention will be divided.”
    She started to interrupt but he squeezed her hands to let her know he wasn’t finished.
    “For now, though, if you’re determined to stay in Shadow Falls, then staying at my house is the best alternative.”
    She noticed the tension in the tiny lines at the edges of his eyes for the first time. Riley looked agitated too. It dawned on her that what they’d been arguing about earlier had nothing to do with the decision about where she should stay. “There’s something else, isn’t there? What aren’t you telling me?”
    He hesitated, as if carefully weighing his words before he spoke. “There’s no easy way to say this.”
    “What? Tell me.”
    “There’s been another murder.”
    F rank Branson didn’t mingle with the reporters in front of Amanda Stockton’s house. He remembered some of them from four years ago, and he was afraid they might remember him. Drawing attention to himself was not part of the plan.
    The overgrown shrubs on the property next-door gave him the perfect vantage point. Hiding beneath the bushes, he could see both Amanda’s side door that opened onto the carport, and the sliding glass doors in the back. When the press got tired of their vigil out front, and the cops thinned out, he’d pay the Stockton bitch a visit.
    Two hours later he was stiff and sore, he’d drained the last of his six-pack, and he really needed to take a piss. He stumbled through the bushes, away from the cops and reporters, and relieved himself behind the neighbor’s house.
    Later. He’d come back later, maybe tomorrow, or the next day, when there weren’t so many people around.
    F or the second time in less than a week, crime scene tape cordoned off a section of the park and a young woman’s body lay broken and discarded among the pine needles. Detectives walked the grid, shoving evidence markers into the ground, and Dr. Cassie Markham processed the body.
    Logan approached the tape, Pierce at his side. They’d both stayed behind at Amanda’s to ensure the decoy worked. Riley had gone ahead to the