“But he killed other psychics. I mean, before he started targeting descendants outside the valley.”

“Looking back, there was a pattern very early on, but at the time it went virtually unnoticed. Over roughly two decades, there were some people who either supposedly left Salem or simply disappeared. No bodies were ever found, not that Finn could discover. And he couldn’t be absolutely certain those who vanished had been psychics. But he suspected. And given what we now know for certain Duncan was doing over the last year, it’s at least highly probable he’s responsible for some if not all those missing people and that they were psychics.”

Diana said, “So fear of Duncan would have kept psychics outside the Five quiet. And now that he’s no longer a threat?”

“There hasn’t been a lot of time for any long-term wariness to change,” Quentin pointed out. “Not nearly enough, if you ask me. I’m betting any surviving psychics figured out how to stay alive by being very quiet about their abilities, probably suppressing and denying, and even with Duncan gone that’ll be a hard habit to break.”

Hollis shook her head slightly, frowning. “So we really can’t be sure our unsub is one of the Five. No matter what Daniel hinted to Diana and me in the gray time, it’s probably more likely he isn’t, especially if he’s psychic and had to hide that for years in fear for his life. He could have worked up quite a grudge against Duncan and those helping him. Right?”

Bishop nodded. “Yeah. But he doesn’t appear, so far, to be targeting people who helped Duncan. Though that could be something else dictating his actions. The rabid loyalists are virtually all gone, their cases working their way through the court system. Because of the severity of the charges, none were granted bail.”

“And none of the victims we know about so far were among those who helped Duncan even in . . . less illegal, criminal ways.”

“No, Finn’s certain of that.”

Hollis was still frowning. “So whatever the unsub’s endgame is, it could very easily have nothing to do with Duncan.”

“That seems more likely than not.”

“And we don’t know that it’s about power for the unsub. Attaining more power, I mean, by specifically killing psychics. He’s just . . . killing.”

“Just,” Diana murmured.

“You know what I mean.” Hollis shook her head slightly. “Targeting the Five, but not because of Duncan’s crusade. And his victims so far . . . We’re sure Megan wasn’t psychic?”

Miranda said, “According to Finn, she wasn’t.”

“And Cole wasn’t. But Simon is.”

Bishop nodded.

“Abilities that didn’t help him,” Quentin pointed out.

“Ours don’t seem to be helping us very much,” Hollis said. “Not so far, at any rate.”

“So he really could have an edge,” Diana said steadily. “An edge over his victims, and over us. Be a step ahead of us.”

Hollis moved restlessly in her chair. “Hell, maybe more than a step. He knows the town better than we do, the valley, the slopes. The people. He has his plan and there’s been plenty of time for him to work on that, perfect it, if we believe he’s been planning since Megan if not before. He could have more than one place he can . . . work. Different places ready where he can stash victims. Dammit. Why do I have the feeling that our getting here, what we believed was early in the game, is not going to do a single thing to help us stop him.” It was not a question.