She walked to the wooden door that connected the screen porch to a small, uncovered section of porch but saw nothing out of the ordinary there as well. It made her wonder if the Raglands didnt lock the screened-in porch or, if the scratches on the window were evidence of the killer breaking in, how he might have got to the window in the first place.

When she got out to the back yard, she saw that Jack had made the assumption shed made. When she stepped down from the screened-in porch, she saw him looking up to the thin stretch of shingled roof that ran as a connector between the second-floor windows and the roof of the porch. He looked over to her as she came across the lawn, which was lit up by the back porch light. She noted at once that there were no security lights or flood lights. She wondered if the killer had known this and if its why hed been able to leave with such confidence through the bedroom window.

He already knew the layout of the house, Jack said. More notably, the back of the house.

Yeah, I figured that, too. I think he somehow got in through the kitchen window and then escaped with this route, she said, nodding to the section of roof they were observing. But it sort of makes sense. With the first two victims, our killer somehow knew about doctors appointments. So hes doing his research before he attacks. These arent just random acts of passion.

Well, of course not. I mean, he had to get his hands on that transplant list. The very fact that he has a list suggests theres been a lot of planning in this. He also would have had to know about Webbers and Ramirezs appointments.

Looking up to the roof from the vantage point of the yard, another thought came to Rachel. You know, if we take another look at the list and the killer is indeed on it, I think wed be okay narrowing it down to someone in good shape and healthy enough to scale that roof.

Thats a good point. And based on the fact that there are now three people from the transplant list that are dead, Im willing to bet our killer is on it.

It made every possible bit of sense, but something about it just didnt seem to sit right with Rachel. She couldnt quite put her finger on what it was, but it poked at some unrealized bit of logic, teasing the edges of her mind.

As they continued to look around the yard for any sort of cluesmaybe a partial shoeprint or something mistakenly left behind by the killerRachel heard the screen door to the porch open up behind her. She saw one of the officers standing there, looking out to them. Sorry to bother you, he said, but Mr. Ragland wants to speak with you.