Page 16 of Built of Illusions
Because his buddy knew Nico rarely called to chat. He was definitely living his job. But how could he not when some asshole was out there killing these women? “I need to connect with someone in Houston to talk about a potential connection to a case. Any suggestions?”
“I’m assuming you’re talking about another scumbag serial killer?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
Flynn took a moment to think. “There are a few who would be good, but I’m thinking Sidney Cruz might be the best fit for this. They’re an intelligence analyst and have their fingers in all kinds of information. They’re putting in the hours to become a profiler too, so you’ll probably hit it off.”
“Sounds good. Can you shoot them an email and give them my contact information? Ask them to connect with me whenever it’s a good time.”
“Will do. This the same case that was dragging you down at Christmas? The one that pulled you away?”
“It is.”
“Another victim?”
Nico sighed. “Yeah. I want this bastard behind bars.”
They chatted for a few minutes and then Nico yawned. He could feel Flynn’s frown over the phone line. “You need to sleep, man. Keep that brain snapping. Then you can catch this guy and join us up here.”
Nico laughed. Flynn was nothing if not persistent, which had made him an outstanding agent. And a great addition to Midnight Security.
Was it time to toss in the towel and head north with his friends? He’d loved his years in the FBI. It was an excellent organization to work for. But he was more tired than he liked to admit. He probably just needed a real vacation.
Somewhere with a beach and women in tiny bikinis. The image that flashed in his head wasn’t of a random woman or a string of women. It was Josie wearing a bright orange bikini. Full curves on display. Smile as bright as the sun.
Damn. He was definitely overtired.
Josie wasn’t the job and he needed to focus on the job.
Nico turned his attention to the timeline. If the asshole was working on a three-week schedule and he’d started in Houston, they were missing victims between San Antonio and Lubbock, and between Lubbock and Tucson.
Time to start digging.
It was a couple of hours later when his phone rang with a Houston area code.
It didn’t take long to get through the preliminaries and down to work. Sidney was happy to help and it didn’t take long for Nico to wonder if Sidney’s brain was built on the same model as Tessa’s. They both thought in patterns and sifted through data more quickly than most anyone.
After Nico had run through the case, Sidney summarized. “So, if the guy has a kill in Houston, it’s probably in October. Hang on.”
Nico could hear them typing and muttering for a few minutes.
“Maybe. Okay. I think I may have a name for you. Zoey Gutierrez. Twenty-four. Single. Sculptor. Beautiful with long curly black hair and Mexican heritage. Had her stuff in a small gallery but was making a name for herself with the abstract stuff I can never understand. Looks good, but I can’t figure out the story behind those things.”
Neither could Nico, but he’d bet Josie could.
“I’ll get approval from my boss and I’ll shoot you what I’ve got. Probably be late tonight or tomorrow, but that should get you started.”
“Thanks Sydney. Let me know if I can return the favor.”
“Just lock this jackass up and we’re even.”
Nico searched the name and the photo confirmed Sydney’s words. Zoey Gutierrez matched the profile visually and career-wise.
Deciding to wait on Sydney’s information, Nico returned to his search. From the map he’d made, he had seven potential locations to dig into. So far, he had a potential victim in Santa Rosa and a call into that PD.
A rolled up wad of paper bounced off his forehead and Nico looked up to find Roman beside his desk. “Shut it down. My brain is mush and I’m sure yours isn’t any better.”
“You get anything?”