Thats right, Stanhope said. Her name was Maria Ramirez, and she was leaving an appointment when she was killed. She had the last appointment of the day, meeting with Dr. Fenton. But I will say right now that the first victim was a bit more than just a simple throat-slashing. It was pretty brutal. At least six stab wounds from what I hear, and none of them were neat or clean.

Well, if thats the case, why are we thinking they were linked at all? Jack asked. Why assume its the same killer?

Forensics thinks it was likely the same weapon at both scenes. Also, the close proximity of the bodies to medical facilities.

And what about Mrs. Ramirez? Rachel asked. Do we know what the appointment was for?

Not yet. The docs here are pretty rigid about patient confidentiality. Weve put in a warrant for the records, though. I expect for everything to pass through by the end of the day.

Was the family any help? Jack asked.

Not especially. It was news to them that she even had the appointment. Its an estranged ex-husband and a son of eleven. The only other local family is a grandfather but hes in a nursing home in Norfolk with some pretty severe Alzheimers.

Rachel started to slowly scan the site of Maria Ramirezs murder as Jack continued asking questions. She listened in as she had a look around, though it was the sort of scene that told her right away it wasnt going to have much to offer. The lot itself merged with a simple two-lane road that bordered the side of the hospital before leading into a parking garage.

And the first victim, Jack said, was a sixty-year-old man by the name of Bruce Webber, correct?

Yeah, but I had nothing to do with that crime scene, Stanhope said. That one wasnt at a hospital, but outside of a specialists office. Real butchered-up and bloody.

None of this was news to Rachel. Shed read about the murder and the scant details of the scene in the reportor, rather, had Jack read them to her while she drove between Richmond and Roanoke. Webber seemed to have been the victim of a vicious and violent attack while Ramirezs case had been much more methodical. Still, Rachel listened to the back and forth between Jack and Stanhope, seeing if some new detail might be uncovered.

It was a hepatologist, right? Jack asked.

Yeah, I think so. Thats like a liver specialist, right?

Correct.

From what we can tell on that one, Stanhope said, the victim, Mr. Webber, was headed to an appointment. The specialist and his employees…none of them ever saw him that day. He never made it to his appointment. It was a patient coming out of the office that found Mr. Webber, dead in front of his car. We assume he was headed in when he was killed. No witnesses, no security footage, nothing.