Page 51 of Built of Illusions

After a few more details, Sam picked up the phone and talked to Nico off speaker while everyone else gathered around Tessa to look at the data and discuss options.

Josie didn’t move. Her mind was whirling, but her body was frozen. Would they find him tonight? Would it be over before he focused on his E victim?

She wanted to talk it all over with Nico but he needed to focus on his job. This breakthrough was exactly what they’d been hoping for.

Sam squatted beside her and smiled softly when she flinched. “Nico wants to talk to you.” He handed her his phone and patted her shoulder before walking away.

Josie forced herself to stand and move as well. The curtains were drawn, so she moved to stand beside the window. “Hey Nico.”

“Hey yourself, beautiful. I wish I was there.”

“Me too.”

“I was going to head up there tomorrow, but I need to be here to chase down these leads. We’re close, Josie.”

“I know. Don’t worry about me. I’m fine.”

He chuckled softly. “You’re always fine because you’re strong and smart. I miss you.”

That made her smile. “I miss you, too.”

She heard Roman’s voice in the background. “Go. Do your job. Be safe.” She wanted to add three little words, but this wasn’t the time.

“You too, Josie. I…I’ll see you soon.”

Josie gave the phone back to Sam and then moved back to the table. Her fingers itched to create, but she needed to find a more practical way to help.

Chapter 17

Closing In

Nico felt the adrenaline he always got as they narrowed in on their target. Adrian Nelson was going down and soon. They didn’t have physical evidence tying him to the deaths, so they hadn’t put the information out to the media yet. Every FBI office and law enforcement agency in the country had his name and picture. Everyone was on the lookout.

He and Roman had returned from Fresno to Sacramento and had updated their board. They now knew Nelson’s next target’s first name would start with E. That didn’t help narrow things down.

The victim likely lived in California between Fresno and Sacramento. Nelson hadn’t planned his attacks in a straight line and he’d always chosen fairly large cities. Modesto and Stockton were on the direct path. San Jose and San Francisco were other likely choices.

The team had updated their colleagues across the state and in Oregon and Washington. No one had been able to contact Zenaida Jiminez and that worried Nico.

Had Nelson found out they were on to him? Had he upped his schedule and gone directly to kill his mother? Abandoned the rest of his plan?

Nico was able to acknowledge the relief he felt at the thought even as he shoved it away. He didn’t want Nelson to have any more victims, but he couldn’t deny he was most worried about Josie.

So far, no one across multiple states had eyes on Adrian Nelson but now that Tessa had unlocked the puzzle, pieces were filling in.

All the victims were somehow connected to law enforcement. Some had taken self-defence courses with police officers. Others had relatives who were cops. One had worked on dispatch a few years earlier. Several more had dated a cop or agent in the past.

Nico would bet Nelson’s father had told his son a cop had been instrumental in luring his mother away. The man wanted the cops to suffer, just not as much as he wanted his mother to suffer before she died.

Roman tossed his notebook on the desk with a curse. “He’s used planes a couple of times, but for the most part, he’s in his car. Which no one in five states can find.”

“He’s probably switching plates regularly.”

Roman kicked his feet up on the desk. “Probably. Using cash for motels too. We’ve got him taking out large sums of cash every week from different areas, but not always where he’s targeted a woman.”

“I’ll get that list sent up to Tessa to see if she can find a pattern.” Not all patterns were deliberate. Tessa had done something three-dimensional to help Bella. Maybe she could do something similar here.

Nico walked along the board, studying photos he had memorized, forcing his brain to look beyond the basics. He shoved his hand in his pocket and rubbed his grandmother’s ring.

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