“Was Joanne Grant the primary target? And because she left town, he came here to Ogdenburg?” Andy asked.

“I don’t know,” Matt admitted, though knowing who had been the original target could help get into this killer’s head. He had trashed Grant’s house, telling Matt he’d been furious that she wasn’t there. “We won’t know until we find the killer and ask him. But we’re processing both scenes and he is getting reckless. Trashing Grant’s house proves it. We’re jerking his chain and we are going to find him. This killer stalked his victim, knew his pattern, knew that he would be here, at home, at night, alone. He knew there was no boyfriend or girlfriend or spouse. He knew which bedroom was his. Someone had to have seen something. They might not know it, but they know you, Andy, and they trust you.”

“I graduated from Central,” he said, forlorn. “So did Kara. So did nearly everyone who lives here.”

“Stop feeling goddamn sorry for yourself. Maybe you should resign, but you’re not going to do it until we catch this killer.” Matt didn’t want to be hard on him, but maybe he needed some tough love. “I need you, and you will step up. Detective Quinn isn’t a member of your police department, and she’s been running this crime scene, which a defense attorney might be able to exploit.” He doubted it, because Kara was a sworn officer, but Matt would say anything to get Andy’s head back into the game.

“I didn’t think about that.”

“And remember—whatever your problems, it’s nothing that can’t be fixed with more training. You’re a damn good cop—and like all of us, you can get better. When you’re done here, arrange a meeting with all past and present law enforcement. I don’t care if they’re eighty years old living in a retirement home, any cop with any connection to Liberty Lake—however minor—I want in a meeting at your station tomorrow at noon. No exceptions. You put together the list and check it twice. Someone here knows this bastard, and we’re going to brainstorm until we figure it out.”

“If I may offer a suggestion?”

“Offer.”

“We don’t have enough room at Liberty Lake PD to host that many people. But the main briefing room in Spokane would work.”

The less Matt had to deal with Chief Packard, the better, but Andy was right. “Fine, you make it work. Talk to Maddox. He promised to run interference with his boss.”

“That, I can do.”

28

Spokane
1:00 p.m.

Matt finally got word that the warrants had come through for the hospital lawsuits. He asked Ryder to get Ogdenburg’s next of kin information to him, while he and Harris drove back to Spokane.

Four large boxes awaited them. He wanted to call bullshit, but the administrator explained that this was common for hospitals—more cases were dismissed or settled than ever went to court.

“But I only want the cases that name Anne Banks.”

“That’s what you have. Fifty-one cases that were settled or dismissed. In the box labeled A I included a summary sheet, and a list of each case that did go to trial where she was a named defendant or where she was called as a witness. There were only four. Your assistant said he was getting the documents already through the online file system with the court.”