The Texas Ranger's Bride (Lone Star Lawmen 1)

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.