Page 66 of Last Resort

“You have no idea.” Luke slid a file across the table. “Once we started looking we found three more. All women in Texas or connecting states. Some stalkings that turned into murders. Some with no proof of stalking, but still a dead woman. But all with thewar, battle, cross fire, be the bestsort of language in notes that were found.”

Chance flipped through the police files of the other murders. “So we know there’s four dead women.”

Brax nodded. “At least. That’s what we found in just a few hours this morning by looking for cases with this sort of language involved. There may be more.”

Chance didn’t look up from the file. “We’re dealing with a serial killer.”

“A smart one,” Weston said. “Killed in different ways so that law enforcement didn’t put together what they were dealing with. Even the notes weren’t always associated with the killings. Sometimes they were left in a way that made them look like they belonged to the victim.”

Maci couldn’t stop the whimper that fell from her throat.

Chance pushed the file away and grabbed her hand. He entwined their fingers, stroking his thumb alongside hers in soft, soothing motions, as if he could feel the absolute panic rushing through her.

There was a serial killer on the loose. One who’d announced he was afterher.

Luke attempted a comforting smile. “As scary as it sounds, it makes sense. We were confused why the stalker was getting violent with little to no provocation when it’s not typical for this type of fixation. But if he was a serial killer all along, violence was always the end goal.”

She could understand the logic of what he was saying, but it didn’t change the fact that a serial killer had set his sights on her.

Chance leaned back in his chair but didn’t let go of her hand. “Let’s work our way backward. He targeted Maci and us because of our connection to Stella. But I don’t recall notes to Stella containing the same war/battle language.”

Weston nodded. “You’re right. There’s nothing in Stella’s notes with those words.”

“Are we sure we’re dealing with the same guy?” Luke asked.

“Definitely the same as those dead women.” Brax took the last sip of his coffee, then pushed the mug away. “That language is too specific and similar for it not to be him.”

“It’s Stella who’s the anomaly,” Weston said.

Chance’s eyes narrowed. “Or...”

He faded off and Maci could almost see his mind spinning, working through various scenarios. Chance was a master at strategy and seeing patterns.

His brothers knew him well enough to give him silence while he worked it out. Maci squeezed his hand, then let it go as he stood up to pace.

“The other victims besides Brianna Puglisi, what did they do for a living?” he asked after a few seconds.

Luke grabbed the file. “Waitress in Houston. Photographer in Albuquerque. Clothing store salesperson in Austin. No evidence that they knew each other at all.”

Chance continued pacing. “They didn’t have to know each other to be connected. See if they have any connection with Stella.”

Weston caught on to his line of thinking first. “We have online access to Stella’s calendar. We can look at back dates.”

Chance nodded. “Start with the salon Brianna worked at. It catered to the upper echelon. Stella would’ve been willing to travel to Dallas to get her hair done by the stylist everyone was raving about.”

Weston sat down and got out his computer. “Okay, this is going to take a few minutes. Most of Stella’s appointments from over a year ago have been archived.”

Maci grabbed her phone. There was another, easier way to get this information. It may not have as many details as what Weston would pull up on the calendar, but...

“I’ve got it,” she said. “Stella was at the salon roughly eight months before Brianna was killed.”

All four men turned to face her. “How do you know?” Chance asked.

She spun her phone around so they could see. “It was on her social media. She said she liked Brianna and the style, but didn’t know that it would be worth coming to Dallas for every time, so she’d stick with her local stylist in San Antonio.”

Maci grabbed the file and flipped to the clothing store salesperson who’d been killed. It was a high-end boutique in Austin. She turned to her phone again and within just a minute had social media proof Stella had been there too.

“Stella has shopped at that clothing boutique in Austin multiple times. No direct proof that she knew the woman who was killed...”

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