Simon Says Die

hurried over.
    â€œShe shouldn’t be here.”
    â€œWhere I go, she goes.”
    â€œShe doesn’t come inside the yellow tape,” he said, referring to the crime-scene tape surrounding a portion of her yard, up near the house’s foundation.
    Pierce motioned toward Braedon, who was standing near the back fence along with his other brothers.
    â€œBraedon, keep Madison with you guys until I finish talking to the lieutenant.”
    â€œNo problem.” Braedon smiled and held out his hand. “Morning, darlin’. Would you mind coming with me, please?”
    She raised a brow and took his hand. “It’s nice to see at least one of the men in your family knows how to ask, instead of giving orders.”
    Pierce rolled his eyes and headed toward the crime-scene tape with Hamilton.
    â€œL OOKS LIKE WE found our missing yardman.” Hamilton held a wallet between his gloved fingers and showed it to Tessa, before showing Pierce the driver’s license inside.
    Pierce watched the medical examiner studying the remains that had been placed onto a plastic sheet beside the hole in the ground.
    â€œNow we know why the perp didn’t want my brothers digging the foundation,” Pierce said.
    â€œHow long has the vic been dead?” Tessa asked the medical examiner.
    â€œToo long to give you an exact time, or even date. He’s been in the ground for weeks, maybe longer.”
    Hamilton threw out a date. “Was he killed before or after that?”
    Pierce stiffened. That was the date when Madison had moved to Savannah. “What are you doing, Lieutenant?”
    â€œMy job.”
    Tessa glanced back and forth between them. “Something I should know here?”
    â€œHe died right around that time,” the medical examiner said. “Could be a week before, a week after. The insect activity should help narrow it down, but that’s the best guess right now.”
    Hamilton motioned toward a uniformed officer, calling him over.
    â€œDon’t do it, Lieutenant,” Pierce said.
    â€œBack off, Agent Buchanan. You’re interfering with a criminal investigation. I’ll have you arrested.”
    Tessa grabbed Pierce’s arm. “What’s going on?”
    He gently removed her hand. “Hamilton’s going to arrest Madison for the yardman’s murder.” He started to follow the lieutenant and uniformed policeman across the yard toward Madison, when one of the crime-scene techs collecting evidence in the grave yelled out.
    â€œLieutenant, I need you over here.”
    The lieutenant and officer stopped, then hurried back to the hole in the ground.
    â€œDid you find the murder weapon?” Hamilton asked.
    Pierce squatted down beside the yardman’s grave. His stomach lurched with dread when he saw what the technician had seen. Madison’s quip about being cursed might very well be right. “He found a hell of a lot more than that.” He glanced up at the lieutenant. “He found another body.”

 
    Chapter Twenty
    P IERCE DOUBLE-PARKED HIS car in front of the police station. He didn’t give a damn if he got towed. Hamilton had refused to let him ride in the patrol car with Madison, and Pierce wasn’t about to let her go into the station without an ally.
    He’d encouraged her not to talk to Hamilton without an attorney. But she’d argued that since Hamilton hadn’t arrested her yet, she might be able to answer his questions and get out quickly. Pierce thought that was a horrible idea, and he was still determined to make her listen.
    He put his pistol in the glove box, then jumped out of his car and headed over to where Hamilton had parked against the curb.
    When the uniformed officer opened the back door for Madison, Pierce shoved past him and held his hand out to help her out of the car.
    â€œSir, you need to back up,” the officer said.
    Pierce flashed his FBI badge. “I suggest you stay out of my way.”
    Hamilton slid out of the other side of the car. “It’s okay officer. Let him escort her inside. Then we’ll take her to interrogation.”
    Pierce took Madison’s hand, bracing himself for the fear he knew he’d see in her eyes. She held on to him, stood, then looked up.
    She wasn’t afraid. She was furious. Her brows were dark slashes, and her blue eyes had turned almost black.
    â€œWhen this is over,” she said, “I’m going to go