Simon Says Die

said he left because I was suspicious about Daddy, and that he knew I’d tell you if he stuck around. Supposedly, the only reason he didn’t kill me . . . was because he loved me.”
    â€œWhen did he tell you all this?”
    â€œToday, when he came to the station.”
    A knock sounded on the door.
    â€œIt better be important,” Hamilton said, as a police officer opened the door and stepped inside.
    â€œYes, sir.” He looked at the others and hesitated.
    â€œDon’t worry about them. What’s up?”
    â€œThere’s been a murder, sir, outside of town off I-95. The man’s name is Joshua MacGuffin.”
    Madison gasped and stared at the policeman in horror.
    â€œDo you have any more details?” Hamilton asked.
    â€œThe medical examiner is on the scene, says the C.O.D. is most likely strangulation. Mr. MacGuffin has been dead for several days. And, Lieutenant, we found a room in the basement of his house with a mattress. The ceiling had all kinds of pictures on it. One of the officers on the scene said he e-mailed some snapshots to you from his phone.”
    Hamilton clawed for his cell phone and opened up his e-mail. He turned the phone around toward Madison. “Are these the pictures you saw when you were abducted?”
    She nodded, her heart breaking at the thought of poor Mr. MacGuffin being killed just because he’d wanted to help her. “Yes,” she whispered. “Those are the pictures I saw.”
    Hamilton shoved the phone in his jacket. “Thanks, officer. I’ll head out there in a few minutes.”
    The officer nodded and closed the door.
    â€œSeveral days,” Pierce said. “I bet he was killed the night he called to tell Madison he’d seen her husband. When he saw Damon in the restaurant, he must have reacted somehow, and Damon realized the man had recognized him.”
    Madison blinked back tears. “Mr. MacGuffin was so nice to me, so concerned about me.”
    â€œHamilton,” Logan said, from the monitor. “I heard you have Madison’s computer. We’ll need a look at that, to see if the files she had on Damon can help us prove his crimes.”
    â€œOf course.”
    â€œAnd,” Logan continued, “you need to have Damon tested to prove he’s faking the paralysis. That will take away his main defense, and you can investigate from there.”
    It was Hamilton’s turn to redden slightly as he shifted in his chair. “I’m afraid that’s not possible.”
    â€œWhy not?” Pierce and Logan asked at the same time.
    â€œI had a tail put on McKinley when he drove off in his van. But I think he must have realized he was being followed. He shook the tail. I don’t know where Damon McKinley is.”
    M ADISON RUBBED HER hands up and down her arms and paced the length of Pierce’s bedroom. They were back in the bed-and-breakfast, because once again Pierce had wanted to stay in town to be close to the investigation, and the search for Damon.
    He quietly watched her from his bed. The cashier’s check pressed against Madison’s chest like a heavy weight, reminding her of the lie she’d told him.
    Reminding her of the choice she had to make.
    â€œHamilton dropped all the charges against you,” he said. “You should be relieved.”
    â€œI know. I am. But—”
    â€œBut you’re still worried about Damon. I won’t let him hurt you.”
    She stopped pacing at the foot of the bed and put her hands on her hips. “You may be tall, dark, and handsome, but you’re not Superman. You still bleed. You can still die.”
    He slid off the bed and stood in front of her. He put his arms on her shoulders. “I may not be a superhero, but Damon isn’t a supervillain either. He’s just a man. I’ll find the evidence I need to put him away for a very long time. I’m good at what I do. I will put him behind bars.”
    She shook her head. “You don’t understand. He’s sneaky, and smart, and . . . and . . . he doesn’t have a conscience. You heard the lieutenant after that call with Logan. He said he still doesn’t have enough evidence to take to a grand jury. There’s nothing he can do.”
    â€œThere’s nothing he can do yet . Casey’s working on the case. Logan’s still trying to dig up evidence. Hamilton’s looking into it. It’s just a