Page 24 of Built of Illusions

Nico moved backward along the board to the next victim on the board. No keychains or football mementoes. But there had been a souvenir shot glass.

His heart rate picked up as he moved along the board.

A toy Oscar statue for the woman in LA.

A cactus Christmas tree ornament for Phoenix.

A bumper sticker of Tucson.

And a fridge magnet for Lubbock.

Holy shit.

The asshole was leaving these. They didn’t belong to the women at all. He was deliberately leaving these behind as clues and then laughing that the cops couldn’t figure it out.

Nico’s blood ran cold when he got to the final victim on their board. This time, the jackass had left a lighter. From San Antonio. An ugly lighter decorated with bull horns.

Exactly like the lighter that he’d picked up off Josie’s porch the day before.

Chapter 9

Tourist Trap

Nico didn’t know what noise he made, but Roman jumped up from his desk. “What did you find? What is it?”

Nico grabbed his keys. “Josie. She’s a target.”

He flew out of the room and raced down the hallways. The elevator wasn’t at their floor so he flung open the stairwell door and thundered down the stairs, Roman right on his heels.

They didn’t waste breath for words as they raced through the parking garage and jumped into Nico’s car. He was glad no one was in the way as he drove through the gate and up to the road.

The traffic forced him to slow and he thumped the steering wheel.

Roman turned to him. “Don’t do anything stupid. What do you mean she’s a target? Where are we going? Have you called her?”

Nico blew out a breath. Driving like a maniac would only cost him time. He knew Roman was talking sense, but he had to see her with his own eyes.

“The asshole is leaving clues at each scene. Showing off. Getting his rocks off because he thinks he’s so smart and daring. And I missed it. Didn’t see the souvenirs for anything other than souvenirs.”

Nico didn’t spare a glance at his partner, but he could feel the frown of concentration as Roman thought it through. “The little Oscar trophy, the shot glass, the magnet? That stuff.”

Nico nodded. “Yes. None of it matches the personality we know of the victims. There aren’t any other souvenir items in any of the photos. They’re not collectors.”

He blared the horn and zipped through an amber light. Halfway there.

Roman grunted. “Okay. One or two could be coincidence or the victims buying gifts for people but not all of them. I don’t see the Josie connection though.”

Nico tightened his hands on the wheel and blared his way through another light. “I was over there last night—”

Roman laughed. “Interesting. I thought you were too tired to keep your head off the desk.”

Nico didn’t bother to glare at his buddy. It wouldn’t stop him from laughing anyway. “I was leaving her place when I got a call from Kaleo. I spotted a lighter on the stoop. Thought she might use it in her art. I handed it to her and left.”

“A lighter?” There was a pause and then Roman swore. “Like the one with bull horns from Texas?”

Nico nodded and wheeled around another corner. “Exactly like it. I think this prick has his eyes on her.”

Nico slowed as they moved into the residential streets. Only another two corners.

---