“Except that they kill people. I mean, I’m not trying to be insensitive or anything, but, well, they are murderers.”

“Yes.” Outside, we passed into what was becoming a crisp autumn afternoon. “That is true.”

“And fire-starting, torturing animals, and bedwetting—what is it about those three things and serial killers, anyway?”

“No one really knows. And by the way, how did you know about the Macdonald triad?”

She shrugged. “Dunno. Do you think I’m a psychopath, Patrick?”

“Do you close your eyes and direct Mozart with your finger?”

“No.”

“Grunge?”

“Death metal, maybe. But I sorta direct it with my head instead of my finger.”

“Then no. I think you’re safe. I don’t think you’re a psychopath.”

“I don’t think you’re one either.”

“Well, then.”

“I mean, for what it’s worth.”

“Thanks.”

I doubted other stepdads had conversations like this with their teenage daughters, but then again, you never know.

As long as things seemed to be in a good place between us, in the service of honesty I decided to be up front about tracing her location through her phone.

“Hey, listen, I knew you were at Renaldo’s before you told me you were there.”

“What do you mean? How could you have known that?”

“I actually had someone in our Cyber unit track your phone.”

She stopped walking. “What?”

“I was worried. We had a . . . well, a situation at the federal building, and I—”

“You tracked my phone?”

“Yes.”

“Is that even legal?”

“It’s not exactly protocol, but you’re a minor. It’s completely—”

“And you did it why?”

“I was worried about you.”

“But why?”

“Because you’re my stepdaughter.”

“And?”

“I care about what happens to you.”

She said nothing.

And I would never let anything bad happen to you or your mother, I thought. Never.

“Don’t do that again. Don’t do that ever again.”

“Tessa, I can’t promise you anything like that. If I’m ever afraid for your safety, I’ll do whatever I have to in order to make sure you’re alright.”

“I’m not sure if I should be pissed off at you right now or feel thankful.”

At this point, everything that I needed to take care of could be done online. I didn’t necessarily need to be at my desk at the Field Office. Also, since Mannie had apparently threatened one agent’s family, I didn’t like the idea of leaving Tessa alone tonight, not with him free again.

“Listen,” I said to her, “let’s head home. I have some work to do, but I think I can do it there as well as anywhere.”

“Okay. But it’s only fair if I drive.”

“How is that fair?”

“It’s the least you can do for going all NSA on me. You need to make it up to me.”