Simon Says Die

can see what’s going on back here. She said something about making a list of everyone she’s going to sue if she isn’t let out in the next minute. She sounds serious.”
    â€œOh, I have no doubt she is.” Pierce laughed at the worried look on the policeman’s face. “Lieutenant Hamilton, do you mind if Mrs. McKinley comes back here?”
    â€œNot as long as she doesn’t touch anything and stays out of the way.” Hamilton waved toward the officer. “Go ahead, let her out.”
    Pierce strode to the side of the house so that he could watch Madison. When the car door opened, she burst from the vehicle. To say she was furious didn’t even come close.
    As she stalked across the lawn toward him, he struggled not to laugh. She looked liked an adorable little pixie, all stirred up, her face red, her eyes flashing. He couldn’t wait to find out what kind of outrageous thing she would say when she reached him.
    Everyone else watching her seemed to be holding their breath with worry.
    When she caught sight of the ruined tools scattered around the yard, her eyes widened and her anger seemed to leave her in a surprised rush. Pierce’s amusement faded when he saw the flash of fear in her eyes. Just as quickly, the fear was gone and she was back in control—or at least that’s the face she showed Lieutenant Hamilton and the others.
    Pierce knew better.
    â€œWhat happened?” she asked.
    â€œWe’re not sure.” Pierce said. “I assume your tools weren’t in this condition the last time you were back here.”
    She shook her head. “They’re not my tools. They belong to the contractor who’s adding the sun porch to the back of the house. They’ve been tearing out the landscaping and the old brick patio to make room for the addition. Are all of the tools ruined?”
    â€œLooks that way.” Lieutenant Hamilton stepped forward. “Do you have a number for the company performing the renovations? I’ll need them to sign a complaint and write up an inventory of exactly what was destroyed.”
    â€œI’ve got their number programmed into my cell phone inside. I’ll go get it.”
    â€œNo rush. Just text me once you have it. You already have my contact information.”
    She nodded. “Do you think this is related to the break-in?”
    â€œHard to say. We haven’t found any evidence to explain how someone could have gotten into your house. No scratch marks on any locks. No broken windows or unlocked entry points. Are you positive no one else has a key?”
    â€œI had the locks changed when I moved in.”
    â€œWhat about other valuables that could be missing? Maybe something you don’t use very often.”
    â€œI’ll have to look around and see.”
    He glanced over at his men. “I think we’ve done about all we can here for now. I wouldn’t normally expend this much manpower on a break-in, but with everything going on . . .” He shrugged. “We’ll get in touch with your contractor and let you know if we have more questions later. And I’ll have an officer canvas the neighborhood, see if anyone saw anything.” He gave Pierce a nod, then moved away to talk to one of the officers.
    â€œGo ahead and get your phone,” Pierce said.
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œYou heard the lieutenant. No rush. This isn’t his top priority. I don’t want to wait around. I want to talk to your contractor.”
    M ADISON CALLED THE contractor and found they were at another construction site, a Victorian a few streets away. When she and Pierce pulled up to the curb, the first thing she saw was the enormous, dark green dumpster snugged up against the house. Workers with bright yellow hardhats tossed debris out the windows on the second floor into the metal dumpster below, stirring up small clouds of dust.
    â€œWhich one is the contractor?” Pierce asked her, talking loudly to be heard over the banging as some pieces of scrap wood fell into the metal dumpster. He stepping around another, smaller dumpster at the end of the driveway.
    Madison shaded her eyes from the sun and surveyed the busy site. “I don’t see her. Maybe she’s inside, or around back.”
    The sound of a powerful engine had them both turning around. A white, long-bed pickup pulled to the curb behind Pierce’s car. There were two men in the cab. The driver started