Using the age of the victims, Ruby trimmed down the list into just a few women. Then came the tricky part. It wouldn't be easy to identify the 13 connections with a search keyword. The connection could be anything, and Ruby wasn't going to find out if a name on her list happened to park in the 13th spot at work. That part would be the slog.

She stood up, crossing to the windows with the blinds drawn. Ruby peeked through the slats at the still-dark horizon. The sun was not yet threatening to come up.

She'd lost track of when she slept last. It didn't matter. For the first time in the whole case, Ruby had the faintest hope that she could actually protect someone instead of just picking up the bloody pieces.

Excitement coursed through her. It felt wrong to use that word, but it was better than the dread she felt before, when all they could do was wait for another crime scene to give them more clues.

Ruby dropped back in front of the computer, ready to put in the work.

*

Dozens of tabs lined the top of Ruby's browser, all of them tiny windows into someone's life. She blinked back the eye strain from staring at the screen.

She opened the next tab in line. When searching Amelia Brady, the very first image that came up was an athletic brunette raising her arms triumphantly as she crossed the finish line.

A 13 was pinned to her chest. A new surge of hope grabbed hold of Ruby.

She shuffled through more tabs, coming across Dana Jacobson. Her work profile popped up, her shoulder angled toward the camera to show off the ornate tattoo on her shoulder: a 13 twisted among thorny rose vines.

It was enough to cement Ruby’s certainty. This was the right direction. One of the two women on her screen had to be the next victim. Would it be enough to convince Bellisario or Gabe?

Ruby worried her lip, looking at the faces of women who might end up dead if she didn't act.

She tapped Amelia's file in the FBI database, looking for any other justification to her theory.

The computer validated her. Amelia Brady lived in a rental. Her landlord had a criminal record.

Vallejo had always thought of everything. This detail would have to prove Ruby right. Not only was Amelia a middle child, and had a 13, but she also rented from a man who could easily become their next red herring.

Ruby hastily ran Dana's name, too. Her file offered just as much grit. It looked like she'd briefly had a suspicious step-father, who her mother split from in a messy divorce when Dana was in high school.

There it was. Two perfect potential victims. Ruby could just imagine Vallejo pouring over just such a list, picking out what victims would fit every last detail of his plan.