Do you think there could be?

Rachel didnt think it wise to let him know that the other victim had also been dealing with pregnancy issues, so she kept it simple. When we dont have answers, we just have to exhaust all possible options. So well just have to wait and see.

Thanks for your time, Jack said.

They turned to see the mother standing there behind them. Rachel assumed shed been there the entire time, listening. Without a word, she led them back to the front door. She was pleasant enough, but it was clear she wanted them gone so that her son could sit alone with his thoughts.

Getting back into the car, Jack said: Two women, both trying to get pregnant. Id say thats a pretty solid link.

Same, Rachel said. But why? And how did the killer know?

She slid behind the wheel as they shared a look. It was not a look of excitement, but one they had shared any times beforeone that communicated motivation and urgency. It was a look that said: Lets go find out.

CHAPTER TEN

The individual that had killed two women in the span of three days worked nine hours every weekday in an Advanced Learning school. Once, in a time that seemed like a lifetime ago, she had worked as a teacher in an elementary school, third and fourth graders, with an experimental year as an art teacher that had gone bust. Shed always had a passion for kids, even now.

Murder was new. It had only been a part of her life for about a week and a half now. It had been much easier than shed been expecting. It wasnt fun, per se, but it was something that exercised the mind. Shed had to truly do some soul searching over the last several days and while murder was not an enjoyable act, it was far from the brutal evil act so many movies and television shows had made it out to be.

Currently, she was teaching a class of fifteen highly gifted students how to code. The kids were an average age of seven years old, the sort of children that truly did show promise but would likely have that promise crushed when they made it to middle school and all they cared about was impressing the opposite sexor, in the case of one of the little boys in the class, the same sex. It was already quite clear.

Working with children while harboring this deep, dark secret provided an odd sort of thrill. There was shame, sure. She knew what the higher-ups might think if the secret was ever discovered. How could you teach kids so well but also so easily take life? Honestly, it was something she still considered herself when she was unable to sleep. There was no real answeror at least not one that could be learned and processed in the course of nine days.