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“stare and wait” routine. This woman’s eyes had the kind of strength one sees in people used to getting their way, and I had a feeling she wouldn’t cow before two young women at her door. “We were hoping to talk to your daughter for a moment.”
    She looked us up and down, and I was certain she was about to subject us to a lengthy series of questions. Just as I made a mental note to steal either Johnson’s or Carmichael’s badge the next time we saw them, she leaned back and hollered, “Dana!” Turning to us with a smile that went nowhere near her eyes, she said, “Wait here, please.” The door shut firmly in our faces.
    “I think this is going well,” said Sera.
    “We’re getting promoted any day now,” I agreed. “We probably should have specified which daughter we wanted.”
    The door swung open, and the girl standing in the doorway was so different from her mother that she might have been adopted. She was blond and quietly pretty, with just enough extra weight for soft, gentle curves. I imagined adults told her she was lovely all the time, but it was the sort of beauty most boys would overlook for a few more years. I wanted to hug her and assure her it would get better someday soon. She looked like she wanted to disappear into the floor.
    “Can I help you?” Her voice drifted off on the final word, as if she was unused to speaking sentences of more than a word or two.
    “I think there’s been a misunderstanding. We were hoping to speak to your sister.” I kept my voice soft and even. I felt like I was speaking to a skittish deer.
    She shook her head and addressed her reply toward her shoes. “She’s not here.”
    “When do you expect her back?” I only got a shrug in reply.
    “Maybe you can help us. We’re here on behalf of the FBI,” I told the top of her head. Fortunately, she showed no interest in seeing any physical evidence that would support our claim. “James MacMahon hasn’t been seen since last night. I understand Pamela knew him?”
    “James is missing?” That was news to her. She temporarily forgot her deep desire to not exist and looked at us, her eyes round and horrified. “Where is he?”
    Sera closed her eyes tightly, obviously resisting the urge to make an inappropriate joke at this girl’s expense. “We don’t know. That’s why he’s missing.”
    Dana’s head bobbed up and down several times. “Of course. Sorry.”
    “You knew him?” I asked.
    “Only a little. He was two years above me, but he always came to the football games. Sometimes, he sat near my family. We talked a little.” Blood rushed to her cheeks, and she quickly bowed her head, letting her hair swing forward to cover the telltale flush. She’d enjoyed those chats more than she was supposed to, and she knew it.
    “We heard he was dating your sister,” I nudged gently.
    She shook her head again, more decisively than she had before. “No. They were dating, but they broke up a couple weeks ago.” She spoke loudly, and even turned her head slightly toward the inside of her home, as if she wanted the words to be overheard by her mother.
    Pamela, I gathered, wasn’t supposed to be dating James. I was sure that was an interesting fact, though I couldn’t say why.
    Before I could follow up on that line of thought, several frantic barks resonated through the house. The dog I’d seen earlier dashed down the hallway, nails clicking against the wooden floor and short legs churning wildly in an attempt to catch the small black cat racing three feet ahead of it, carrying several articles of clothing in his mouth.
    We immediately created a cat-sized opening between our legs, allowing Simon just enough room to escape, and promptly moved back into place, preventing the dog from following. I wobbled back and forth a few times to block Dana from seeing the cat who’d just stolen several pieces of her family’s wardrobe. With any luck, she’d assume I was drunk rather than an accomplice. A moment later,