Simon Says Die

to the conference room helped comfort her, but she was still shaking inside. She had no idea what they were meeting about, but Alex had assured her the bail hadn’t been revoked.
    Yet.
    Pierce opened the door, and Alex, who was already inside waiting, stood and shook both of their hands.
    â€œWhat’s this about?” Pierce asked.
    â€œNo idea. Hamilton told me what he told you—to get here quick because he had some news to share about the investigation.”
    Madison declined the seat Pierce pulled out for her. “I’d rather stand.”
    He leaned down next to her ear. “I’d rather you sit. That way I can grab you if you start to slug Hamilton.”
    She narrowed her eyes at him and leaned against the wall beside the window.
    Mimicking her pose, he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall beside her. He grinned and gave her a sexy wink.
    Seeing this teasing side of him had the anxiety inside her loosening its hold. If he could smile and tease her, maybe she shouldn’t be so worried.
    The door opened and Lieutenant Hamilton stepped inside, along with Casey and Tessa.
    Pierce straightened away from the wall, his face mirroring his surprise. “What are you two doing here?”
    â€œOne of our agents on another case stumbled across some evidence that ties back to this case,” Casey said.
    Everyone except Pierce and Madison sat down. Hamilton plopped a manila folder on the table. He pulled out an eight-by-ten color photo and slid it toward Pierce.
    Madison started to step forward, but Pierce moved in front of her, blocking her view. “What are you trying to pull, Hamilton? Turn the picture over. Now.”
    â€œYou don’t have to protect me,” Madison said. “I have a right to see any evidence against me.”
    â€œThat isn’t evidence,” Pierce said, his voice shaking with anger.
    She shoved past him and grabbed the photograph. He swore behind her and joined her at the table, but he didn’t try to shield her again or take the picture away.
    Her gut wrenched at the look of terror frozen on the dead woman’s face. But then her stomach twisted with a completely different emotion. She glanced up at Hamilton in surprise. “She’s wearing my clothes, and she looks just like me. Who is she? What happened to her?”
    â€œHer street name is Misti,” Hamilton said.
    â€œStreet name?”
    â€œShe’s a hooker, was a hooker,” Casey explained. “Her body was found in an alley not far from the motel where you were supposedly caught on camera the day you went missing. An undercover agent found her, and when I saw the picture, I knew we were on to something. She could practically be your twin, and it can’t be a coincidence that she’s wearing the same outfit you were the day you were abducted.”
    Pierce raised a brow. “So, now you believe her story?”
    â€œHard not to. Even Hamilton is coming around, aren’t you, Lieutenant?”
    â€œI’m stubborn, not stupid. Even I can’t deny what this looks like. Damon McKinley, or whoever abducted you, may very well have used this woman to pretend to be you at the motel. The only motive I can think of is the one written on the note you said you saw when you woke up in that room where your abductor held you. He wants to ‘punish’ you. I sure wish I had that note,” he grumbled.
    Since his voice sounded disappointed rather than suspicious, Madison wasn’t sure what to think.
    Tessa pointed one of her perfect fingernails to the dead woman’s cleavage. “See that mole? We studied the motel photographs and found the same mole in an overhead shot when her shirt was gapping open. All of us—Hamilton, Casey, and me—believe this is the woman who was in your car at the motel. Unless you have the same mole, this is corroboration for your story that you weren’t at the motel.”
    â€œShe doesn’t.” Pierce’s eyes widened and his face flushed light red, as if he’d just realized he’d spoken out loud, and hadn’t meant too. He cleared his throat. “Go on, what else do you have.”
    Casey looked like he was stifling a grin.
    Alex frowned at Pierce and leaned forward, his hands crossed on the table. “Lieutenant, this is great news, but I got the impression on the phone there was something more you wanted to tell us.”
    Hamilton loosened his tie and suddenly looked