Page 42 of Built of Illusions

With shaking fingers, Josie managed to place the call, even though she knew it was too late to do anything.

The man had done what he’d intended. He’d told her he knew where she was and who she was with. Because no one else would have left a pen on Nico’s windshield wiper.

A pen with Santa Rosa emblazoned on it.

Chapter 14

Road Trip

Fury raged through Nico. “That bastard was here. In the FBI parking lot. Right here.”

He paced the lot while the team worked around them. Josie stood by the elevators, arms wrapped around her middle. Another agent, tasked exclusively with keeping her safe, stood a couple of feet away.

Someone was scouring security camera footage as others looked for potential evidence left behind.

Nico felt incompetent. “Do you think he knows we’re onto him, or was this just another trinket in another place where she was?”

Roman frowned. “How is he following all these women this closely?”

That stopped Nico’s pacing. His partner was correct. If the asshole had more women in his view, he was doing the same thing with all of them. “Is he a salesman and these are stops on his route? Is he wealthy and just flies between the cities he’s chosen at whim?”

Too many questions and not enough damn answers.

Roman nodded. “All we need is one damn hair follicle but he’s too slick for that. We’ve got teams digging. Someone’s going to come up with something.”

“But will it be in time?”

He knew an approach like this on FBI property would light a fire under everyone, but research still took a damn long time. At least Josie’s insights from this morning had narrowed their search from every male in the damn country to a more manageable number.

And unless the bastard had others working with him, they knew he was in the city.

Which meant Nico wanted Josie out of it.

Logically, he knew the man was following his plan and likely knew nothing about their investigation. If their theory was correct, the man had another victim, maybe two, before Josie.

It might make him a horrible human being but he was relieved at that. He didn’t want any woman to suffer and then die at this man’s hands. But his concern for Josie was bigger than it was for anyone else.

Not that he was taking chances with her.

Roman looked around the garage. “You think this guy is spending a week or two in each place he plans a kill?”

Nico nodded. “It seems more likely than he’s working with a person in each city. Although it is possible he’s hiring someone. Dropping off souvenirs at several locations seems harmless. Maybe he’s hiring someone off an internet site.”

Roman nodded. “I’ll get someone on it.” And he walked off to the side to make the call.

Nico’s eyes drifted back to Josie. She was standing tall and strong but her arms were still wrapped about herself. He couldn’t resist walking over to her. “Hey.”

She nodded and gave him a tiny smile.

Unable to keep his hands off of her, he ran his hands up and down her arms. “You doing okay?” Which was a ridiculous question.

Of course, Josie nodded. “I’m fine. I assume there was nothing left behind to identify him?”

He nodded. “They’re checking surveillance video.”

This smile was a little bigger. “You and I both know he’s too careful to let himself get identified that way. He’s having too much fun with his little game.”

She was right. “So let’s take you out of the picture.”

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