A Bride By Summer: The Texas Ranger's Bride / From Best Friend to Bride / Once Upon a Bride

Her body shook as she reached for the phone. Doing as Cy asked, she clicked on. “Hello?”

“I knew you got home today. How did you like my letter?”

Her eyes closed tightly. “How did you get my phone and address?”

“That was easy as skinning a cat.”

She shuddered. “What do you want? I told you I’m married.”

“I saw what you wrote on your blog. You think I’d believe that crap? You’re a liar!” He shouted the last word.

“You think I’d lie to all my fans and friends? If that’s true, then why do you keep phoning a liar?”

“Because you deserve to be taught a lesson you’ll never forget.”

“Did your girlfriend lie to you?”

“They all lie. When I get through with you, you’ll wish you’d never been born, Kellie girl.”

“My husband’s going to have a lot to say about that.”

“Liar, liar, liar, liar, liar, liar!” The line went dead.

Kellie was trembling so hard she dropped the phone. Cy retrieved it and clicked on the recorded conversation. She’d forgotten to put on the speakerphone. His jaw hardened as he listened to the recording.

“That was rage we heard just now. He’s afraid you might be telling the truth. You handled him perfectly and kept him on long enough to record his voice patterns. I’ll be going into headquarters tomorrow. I’ll drop off the letter at the forensics lab and take your phone to our voice expert to see what he can do with it.”

He checked his watch. “It’s only four in the morning. Why don’t you go up to your bed? If he phones again, I’ll let it ring. You need more sleep.”

“What about you?”

“I’m fine.”

“Even if you aren’t, you’d never tell me. Thank you.” She grabbed her pillow and blanket before going upstairs.

* * *

CY HAD SPOKEN prophetic words. The phone rang every half hour until eight on Tuesday morning. Then it stopped. He made breakfast with the groceries he and Vic had bought yesterday. While he devoured eggs and bacon, he phoned Vic on his phone. His friend answered before the second ring.

“What’s up?”

“The stalker phoned her at four this morning. We were able to get a decent recording. When I’m back in the office, I’ll have the lab analyze it. I’m headed there as soon as she leaves for her parents’ ranch. I assume she’ll be gone most of the day.”

“The team will take turns monitoring her.”

“Good. Where did you leave a car for me?”

“Walk down the alley behind the town houses to the corner. It’s a Subaru parked in front of the third house on the right with a for-sale sign. The key is in the usual place.”

“Do you think the lab has the results on the fingerprints we lifted yesterday?”

“Maybe. Stan said they’d hurry it.”

“With all the bases covered, let’s hope this nut case makes his move soon.”

“Did you get any sleep last night?”

“Afraid not, but I will today after I get back from the lab. Kellie will probably be gone most of the day. I’ll tell her to call me when she’s coming back.”

“You can level with me,” he said in a quiet voice. “How’s it going?”

He took a deep breath. “The easy answer is, nothing’s going on that shouldn’t.”

Just then Kellie came walking into the kitchen dressed in Levi’s jeans and a short-sleeved yellow blouse. She was a vision and he lost his train of thought.

“Cy? Are you still with me?”

“Yeah.”

“I was just saying I can’t wait to hear your difficult answer.”

Neither could Cy, but this was pure business and that was the way it would stay. “Got to go. Thanks for your help. I’ll catch up with you later at the office.” He clicked off and stood to greet her. “Good morning. How do you feel?”

“Thanks to you I was able to go right to sleep.”

“That’s good news.”

“But I bet you didn’t get a wink.” Her eyes had filled with concern.

“I’ll make up for it later. Sit down and I’ll serve you breakfast.”

“I could smell the bacon. I should have gotten up to do it. Fixing food for me isn’t your job.”

“But you need more sleep than I do after what you’ve been through this last month.” He put a plate of food in front of her and poured coffee for both of them before sitting down.

“Thank you, Cy.” She ate a piece of bacon. “Yum. Crisp, just the way I like it. Were there any more phone calls from him after I went to bed?”

Cy eyed her directly. “He rang on the half hour eight times. I let it ring every time. Your marriage announcement has set him off, exactly the reaction I’d counted on.”

“Did he leave messages on the voice mail?” There was a tremor in her voice.

“Yes, but you don’t need to hear them. I’m taking your laptop and phone into the lab today, but I’ll bring them back.” The stalker probably had a stack of prepaid phone cards, but there might be a time when he had to use a pay phone that could be traced.

Her brows furrowed. “You think they’re too awful for me to hear?”

“No. They were more of the same. He was ranting like before.”

She sat back in the chair. “Then you really didn’t get any sleep.”

“I’ll catch up today while you’re at the ranch. Someone on the team will be monitoring you every time you leave your condo. A member of the crew will follow you. If you have any concerns, call me on your parents’ phone. This is my cell number.” He wrote it on the paper napkin.

“While I clean up the kitchen, I’d like you to get on your laptop. Post a new message on your blog. Say that you’ve read the messages and you’re overwhelmed by all the good wishes. Then start to read any messages that have come since last night. I’m curious to see if he’s posted anything. It’s my hope he’s so angry he might explode and give himself away.”

As he cleared the table, she reached for her laptop and opened her blog file. “I don’t believe it! Hundreds more messages have been added since last night.”

“That’s not surprising. Your online tips about barrel racing have won you a loyal audience. Everyone’s intrigued about your new relationship.”

She lifted her eyes to him. Along with her silver-gold hair, her eyes were a deeper blue this morning and dazzled him. “The fans want to hear about you, not me. If they knew you were one of the Sons of the Forty, they’d go crazy and you’d be forced to go into the witness protection program.”

With those words his pulse sped up. “Hiding out with you is virtually the same thing.”

He loaded the dishwasher. Cy had been a bachelor for so long in his own house, he was used to doing his own cooking and housekeeping. He felt right at home in her kitchen. “Why don’t you start reading and see if there’s a message that strikes a different chord with you?”

“It’ll take me some time.”

If they’d met under different circumstances, nothing would have pleased him more than to have whole days and nights with her with no life-threatening issue to deal with. But he had a case to solve and needed to get to headquarters pronto. As he was finishing up, he heard her cry out in alarm.

“What did you read?” He walked over to the table and stood behind her so he could see what had disturbed her. In looking over her shoulder, he could breathe in her fragrance from the shower.

“It’s this one sent at eight twenty this morning.”

“That’s when the phone calls stopped. Read what it says.”

“‘I bet you’re making it up that you have a husband. Why do you enjoy being a tease? No one would watch you in the rodeo if they knew you were such a liar.’” She let out a quiet gasp.

Without thinking, Cy put his hands on the back of her chair. He could tell she was trembling. “I’m going to stop him, Kellie. This morning he made his biggest mistake so far by posting this message on the blog. When I’m at the office, we’ll trace it to its source. With every misstep, we’re closer to catching him.”

She nodded without turning around. He quickly removed his hands and walked over to the kitchen counter where he’d put her phone. He heard her chair legs scrape the tile and turned in her direction.

“I know you’re anxious to get going, Cy. I’ll run upstairs for my purse and leave for the ranch.”

“I’ll walk you out to the garage.” While he waited for her, he put her phone in his pocket.

The door to the garage was located at the other end of the kitchen. He unlocked it and turned on the garage light where her white Toyota sedan stood parked. He and Vic had checked it for fingerprints yesterday.

When she came out, he opened the driver’s side door for her. Once she was inside, he asked her for the remote. “I need it to get in and out with my own car. I’ll let you in when you come back from the ranch.”

Her eyes played over him as she handed it to him. “Where is it?”

“Parked around the block. Try to enjoy the day, Kellie. You’ll be constantly watched. Call me from your parents’ when you’re ready to come home.”

“I will. Have a good day yourself. Be careful,” she whispered.

He took a quick breath. “You don’t have to worry about me.”

“But I do, and I will.”

It had been a long time since a woman he cared about had been concerned about him. Her unexpected smile revealed the spirit inside her that had dominated her life and made her a champion. He admired her passion for life.

As she started the engine, he pressed the remote so the garage door would open. After she’d backed out, he retrieved his phone and alerted the surveillance team that she was leaving the condo.

Once he couldn’t see her, he hurried inside for her laptop and the bagged letter. After he had everything he needed, he left through the garage, closed it with the remote and walked down the alley to the end. Eight-foot-high heavy-duty vinyl privacy fencing ran the length of the alley to separate the backyards of another set of town houses. It was a gorgeous September day, probably sixty-five degrees out.

He found the SUV and took off for headquarters. On the way to his office he stopped by the lab to leave Kellie’s phone and laptop plus the letter. Stan came out to talk to him. “TJ said this is high priority. I’ll get working on everything now and give you a ring later.”

“Thanks, Stan. I need you to do something else for me. I want Rafe to analyze this stalker’s voice and see what he can figure out.”

“I’ll ask him to work on it now and take a late lunch.”

“I’d appreciate that. I don’t see Janene. When she comes in, ask her to find out the IP for the person who sent Ms. Parrish the message on her blog. I’ve flagged it.”

“Sure. I’ll put it on her desk.”

“Thanks. See you later.”

Cy took off for his office upstairs. On the way down the hall, Vic saw him and called him into his office. “I’ve been waiting for you. I’ve got stuff to show you that will blow your mind. Look what the database brought up from the sketch you entered.”

Intrigued by Vic’s excitement, Cy grabbed a chair and sat next to him. “Thirty-two matches came up on the computer.”

“Is there one from Oregon?”

“No.”

“My first hunch was wrong, then,” Cy muttered. “How about Utah, Montana, New Mexico or Texas?”

“None of those states.”

Damn.

“Give me a second. I’m refining these for exact similarities.”

Cy watched the screen. They both made sounds when two faces came up. After studying them he exclaimed, “They’re the same person with different rap sheets. How in the hell did that happen?”

Dean Linton Michaels, aliases Dan Linton, Dan Michaels, Michael Linton, Mick Linton, Delinn Michael, twenty-eight, latest known address in Flossmoor, Illinois, is wanted for the murder of two women. The first account is for the stalking and strangulation of a twenty-four-year-old woman, Lucinda Rosen, in Chicago, Illinois. The second account a year later is for the stalking and strangulation of a nineteen-year-old woman, Mary Ferrera, in Memphis, Tennessee. Charges include Aggravated Kidnapping, Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution, Aggravated Sexual Assault. No. 10 on the FBI’s most wanted list.

Vic darted him a glance before he scrolled down. “Take a look at this rap sheet.”

Lines marred Cy’s features as he found himself looking at what appeared to be the exact same man. This one had longer hair.

Andrew Dunham, aliases Denny Andrew, Andy Dunham, Drew Denning, Donny, twenty-eight, latest known address in New Orleans, Louisiana, is wanted for First-Degree Murder in the stalking and strangulation death of a twenty-three-year-old woman in Charleston, South Carolina, thirteen months ago. Charges include Aggravated Kidnapping, Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution, Aggravated Sexual Assault.

Cy shook his head. “It’s amazing how closely these two men resemble the sketch. There has to be a mistake since both pictures have to be the same person. Three murders in three years. Kellie needs to see these pictures. If he’s the same man and the one she can identify... Let’s get on the phone to the agents working those cases while we figure this out.”

Over the next two hours they held phone conferences with the FBI agents from Illinois, Tennessee and South Carolina. In all three instances, the agents praised the Rangers for their detective work on Kellie’s case and pledged their help.

After Cy’s last call, he waited until Vic got off the phone. “I’ve sent both sets of fingerprints to Stan to verify if it’s the same man. They say every person has a double somewhere in the world.”

“I wonder if that’s really true,” Vic murmured.

“Who knows? I need to learn as much as I can before I show Kellie these photos. Even though the artist was able to find us a match, maybe he only bears a superficial resemblance to the man she saw.” He printed out both photos. After folding them, he put them in his pocket. “Want to go down to the lab with me?”

Vic jumped up. “Try to keep me away.”

When they entered the lab, Stan told them to come around to the table where he was working. They passed Rafe’s office. He looked up. “I’m working on this voice analysis. Give me until tomorrow.”

“Sure.”

They moved toward Stan.

“You got some good prints lifted from the condo and the car,” he said. “Several belong to the victim, and several others belong to the mother. One partial print you lifted from one of the buttons of the keypad for the garage doesn’t match anyone’s.”

Cy eyed Vic. “That’s interesting. Maybe we’ll find the person who left it. Right now we’ve got a new puzzle for you to solve. I just sent you the photos and fingerprints of two wanted fugitives who appear to be the same man from the IAFIS data base. But if they’re the same man, why didn’t the computer pick it up?”

“Let me see.” Stan pulled up the information on the computer.

“Their cases have been built from two different areas of the country with different names. Their photos closely match Jim’s sketch of the man stalking Kellie. How long will it take you to determine if both pictures are of the same man?”

“Give me a few minutes and I’ll check right now.” He put both sets of prints up on the screen and used his loupe and counter. He examined them for a while, and then his head came up. “Well, what do you know? Those men aren’t the same person. This is a case of identical twins, but as you know there’s no such thing as identical fingerprints.”

Cy sucked in his breath. “That means both brothers are killers.”

Vic looked equally stunned.

“It happens,” Stan murmured. “Come close and I’ll show you.” He pointed to the subtle differences. “Fingerprints are not entirely a genetic characteristic. They are a part of a ‘phenotype,’ which means they are determined by the interaction of an individual’s genes and the intrauterine environment. One fetus in the womb has different hormonal levels, nutrition, blood pressure, position and growth rate of the fingers at the end of the first trimester.

“Minor differences in fingerprints arise from random local events during fetal development. The genes determine the general characteristics of the patterns of fingerprints. However, inside the uterus, finger tissue comes in contact with the amniotic fluid, other parts of the fetus and the uterus.

“Some experts point out, for example, that touching amniotic fluid during the six to thirteen weeks of pregnancy significantly changes the patterns of a fetus’s fingerprints.

“Overall, identical twins’ fingerprints tend to be similar, but there always will be subtle differences making even their fingerprints unique. That’s why there was no match.”

Cy unconsciously furrowed his hair with his fingers. He felt the same as years ago when his chest had been stomped on by a bull. “If one of these twin brothers was the man who’d targeted Kellie, how am I going to tell her there are two of them? Hell, Vic. What if they work together and committed all three murders?”

“Maybe that’s why the letter in her mailbox had been posted by the one brother here in Austin four days ago while the other brother trailed her all the way home from Oregon.”

He eyed Vic. “The murders of the three women were committed a year apart at different places, making it possible that they’d worked in tandem.” Cy’s body broke out in a cold sweat.

Vic clapped his shoulder. “Take it easy. I know where your thoughts are headed, but it’s too early in the process to go there. Like you said, maybe she’ll say these photos don’t look enough like the man who harassed her in Pendleton to make a definite identification. We know mug shots as well as sketches can be deceiving.”

“Yeah. I know,” he said in a wooden voice. He turned to Stan. “Do you think that partial print from her condo is substantial enough for you to detect if it matches one of these fingerprints?”

“That will take some time. I’ll see what I can do with it.”

“Thanks, Stan. Give me a ring no matter what you find. I’ll be up in my office for a while longer.”

“I’ll go with you.” Vic walked out of the lab with him.

In the space of a few minutes, Cy felt the full weight of this case to protect Kellie. During his career as a Ranger, he’d never been personally involved like this before. As the captain had warned him, this was a different kind of case for Cy. You two will be walking a very thin line.

Cy had no idea he could feel this gutted over the gravity of her situation. He couldn’t think of her as just any woman who needed help. His feelings were more complicated than that, but he had an obligation to keep this situation straightforward. Yes, he was attracted to her and admired her great talent, but he couldn’t allow that to interfere with his judgment and work ethic. When they reached his office, Vic looked at him and said, “Go home, Cy. You haven’t slept for twenty-four hours and won’t be any good on this case without sleep.”

“You’re right. I’ll leave now.” He glanced at his watch. It was one thirty. “Kellie will be coming home this evening. I want to be there when she drives in. Thanks for everything, Vic.”

“Hey—just doing my job.”

“You do a lot more than that, and now I’ve got another favor to ask.”

“Anything.”

“Pick up her phone from Stan when he’s done with it. I’ll get it from you later.”

“What’s your next move?”

“If Kellie identifies this man as the one who approached her, I’m going to fly to Colorado Springs early in the morning and take her with me. She said she gave her cell-phone number to a friend of hers who works in the office of the Women’s Pro Rodeo Association. The stalker had to get her cell phone number from someone.

“I checked out her friends and horse handler while we were at the town house yesterday. They haven’t given her phone number to anyone, so I’m going to check out a hunch. We’ll be back by evening at the latest. Keep a close eye on her place while we’re gone.”

“Will do.”

“Thanks, Vic.”

Cy left the building and hurried out to the car. He couldn’t get to Kellie’s town house fast enough. Once he’d parked in the garage, he rushed through the house to the upstairs bathroom for a shower and shave. After putting on a clean pair of jeans and a T-shirt in the guest bedroom, he felt better. All he needed now was some food.

He ate a couple of peanut-butter sandwiches and drank half a quart of milk. After putting his phone on the floor next to him, he collapsed on the hide-a-bed. He’d catch a couple of hours before she phoned. Cy had her garage-door opener and would have to let her in.

It felt as if he’d barely sacked out when his phone rang. He reached down for it and saw that his mother was on the line. In the midst of everything, he’d forgotten to tell his family that he’d gone undercover on a new case and wouldn’t be available for a while.

That wasn’t like him to let something so important slide. As he lay there, he realized he needed to get his act together in a hurry. Biting the bullet, he clicked on.

“Hi, Mom. How are you and Dad?”

“We’re fine, darling. The point is, how are you?”

“I’m well, but I’m on a new case and have gone undercover.”

“Oh, Cyril—we never see you anymore.”

He knew his mother worried about the career he’d chosen, and she never failed to complain about it. But right now he didn’t give her the chance.

“Sorry about that, but it’s the nature of the job. I promise I’ll leave messages to let you know I’m all right.”

“I guess that means you can’t come to the engagement party we’re planning for Beth and Tom on Sunday night.”

“I wish I could, but I’ll have to wait to see them after this case is solved.” He had to solve it. “Give everyone my love. I promise to call you soon.”

Cy hung up and lay back again, letting out a heavy sigh. His sister was marrying Thomas Adamson in six weeks. He was an up-and-coming attorney in the law firm Cy’s great-grandfather had established in Dripping Springs. Cy was meant to join the business, but law had never held any interest for him. He preferred law enforcement.

After high school, he’d gone the rounds with his father more times than he could count. To make matters worse, halfway through college he’d broken his engagement to a young woman whom his parents really wanted him to marry. He wasn’t anyone’s favorite son.

Cy fell back to sleep until the phone rang again. A look at the caller ID showed Bronco Parrish. It was Kellie’s father. She was calling from the ranch. He clicked on and said hello.

“Hi” came her slightly breathless greeting.

“Are you coming home now?”

“Yes. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

“I’ll be waiting and open the garage door for you.”

“Thank you. See you soon.”

It was a long ten minutes. Unable to stand it any longer, he hurried through the house to the garage and opened it while he waited for her. His pulse picked up speed when he saw her drive in next to his Subaru SUV and turn off the engine. She got out of the car and walked toward him with a look that led him to believe she was relieved to see him.

He was relieved, too. Night had already fallen.

Chapter Four

“How’s Trixie?” Cy asked after Kellie walked past him into the kitchen.

“Happy to be home. We had a good ride.”

He shut and locked the door. “Have you eaten dinner?”

She swung around. “Yes.” Her eyes searched his. “Any news yet?”

“Why don’t we sit at the table? I have something to show you.”

Kellie swallowed hard and sank down onto the nearest chair. He sat opposite her and pulled a paper out of his pocket. “The sketch Jim made was run through the IAFIS criminal database. This is what resulted.”

He unfolded it and placed it in front of her. Her gasp filled the kitchen’s interior. “That’s the man! But his hair is longer here and he looks a little thinner than I remember.”

Cy pulled out another paper and unfolded it. The second he put it in front of her, she jumped to her feet. “This one is exactly like I described to you and the artist. His hair is short here.”

“There’s no doubt in your mind?”

She stared at him. “I’m positive both photos are of the same man who approached me in Pendleton.”