Simon Says Die

was a master at the behave-or-else-guidance-counselor-death stare .
    Too bad it was wasted on her.
    She sat down on the couch and tried to be good, to give him privacy. But after a couple of minutes she gave up. She’d never been good at being good. She crept over to one of the back windows and peeked through the blinds.
    T ESSA LEANED AGAINST one of the oak trees in the backyard, a concerned look on her face. “How are the ribs?”
    â€œA little stiff. I’ll be good as new in a couple of days. You said Casey has some news already?”
    â€œAn initial report, yes. He said to tell you he’s still digging.” She reached into her purse, pulled out a manila envelope and handed it to him.
    He slid the report out and scanned the first page.
    â€œI admit I was surprised when I walked inside and saw Mrs. McKinley,” Tessa said. “I didn’t expect her to be with you.”
    He glanced up from the page. Something in her tone put him on alert. “I’d hoped to have her settled somewhere safe by now, but she’s being stubborn. Things seldom go as planned when Madison is involved.”
    â€œYeah, I can see that. She’s something else. Has quite a temper.”
    Apparently, the dislike between Madison and Tessa wasn’t all one-sided. After Madison’s target-practice comment yesterday, and her asking for her gun a few minutes ago, he could understand Tessa being wary. But she didn’t know Madison well enough to judge her.
    Madison’s bravado was her way of dealing with a world that assumed she was weak because of how petite and fragile she looked. And her outlook was jaded from being brought up by an older brother who constantly warned her how dangerous the world was. She’d protected herself by building that tough, sarcastic shield to hide her true emotions. Pierce felt privileged to have been one of the few people she’d ever let in past that shield.
    â€œShe has a good heart. She’s been through some rough times.” He skimmed a few more paragraphs of the report. “How did Casey get into the NYC medical examiner’s database?”
    Tessa was frowning when he glanced at her, but her face quickly smoothed out. “He did mention he called in a favor he’d been saving, and that you owe him. Big time.” She stepped toward him and peered at the report. “I think what you’re interested in is on page five.”
    He flipped to the indicated page, which gave the medical examiner’s conclusions. “Not much here.”
    â€œDepends on what you’re looking for. Everything seems straightforward. Damon McKinley died in a car crash. Freak accident, nothing suspicious. I’m not sure what you thought you’d find.”
    Something to explain why Madison felt Damon could still be alive.
    He lowered the report. “I was hoping for something more.”
    â€œCasey said you’d say that.”
    He slid the pages back into the envelope, then slid it into the large inside pocket of his jacket, exchanging it for the packet of papers Madison had given him earlier. He handed them to Tessa.
    â€œWhat are these?” she asked, flipping through them. “Contracts?”
    â€œThey’re contracts Madison said her husband created, allegedly fake. Can you get those to Casey for me?”
    She shoved them into her purse. “No problem.” She glanced back at the house, and tapped her fingernails against her thigh.
    â€œSomething bothering you?” Pierce asked.
    She smiled a sad smile and leaned against the tree again. “I may be a relatively new investigator, but even I know you didn’t meet me here just to get that report, or to turn over your keys—or those contracts.”
    â€œYou’re right. I wanted to tell you that I’m taking Madison to my house until I get to the bottom of this stalker business. I’m not sure how long I’ll need to watch over her. A few days, a week, maybe more.”
    â€œYour house huh?” She pursed her lips. “Well, I guess that means our first date you’d promised after the case was over is on hold.” She glanced at him. “Or canceled entirely.” Her voice sounded brittle, and she was no longer smiling.
    He wasn’t sure what to say. He couldn’t seem to gather any enthusiasm for setting up a future date with her, even though he’d been looking forward to getting to know her better—before