“She’s safe. I’m heading back to town. What can I do?”

“Stay at the station with Maddox.”

“No. I’m the only one who has seen this guy up close and personal.”

“He thinks you’re a federal agent.”

“Because he saw me at the hotel?”

“Yes. We all have targets on our back.”

“I’m not running away. This is my job.” It wasn’t—not this specific case—but it felt like it. “Matt, dammit, I’m not sitting on my ass when there’s a cop killer out there.”

“Understood. Forensics just finished processing the Richmond house and is heading to Hamilton’s house near the university. Agent Harris is taking the lead there. I’m finishing up here at the station, then will head to the FBI war room. I have two officers watching the hotel for signs of Hamilton, but I would feel better if Ryder had backup, plus he’s going over all Hamilton’s financials.”

“That I can help with. Only one person?”

“No, Ryder is working with HQ on the financials, but he’s point. We think Hamilton has another car, and everything he owns seems to be under one of multiple shell corps. Ryder has now identified three different paper companies.”

“Not my strength, but I can take some of the load off.”

“I’ll call Ryder and tell him to expect you.”

“It’ll be at least twenty minutes—the roads are shit.”

“You’re not alone.”

He sounded angry.

“No, Costa, I got the memo.”

“You need to be extra careful. He knows you’re a cop.”

“I don’t have a death wish,” she said, and ended the call.

49

Spokane
8:45 p.m.

Matt left SPD later than he planned. Packard, though pompous and controlling, had proved that he would do what it took to keep his men and women safe. The foul weather had created other issues—traffic accidents, power outages—but Packard partnered with the Sheriff’s department to ensure that he had a full contingent of officers through the night.

Matt didn’t think that Hamilton would go for Maddox at the police station though he realized the clock was ticking for the sick bastard. But it would be suicide, and like Catherine said, Hamilton had a self-preservation streak. Liberty Lake PD was dealing with their own issues, much of it grief related. Andy Knolls had been the heart and soul of that department and his death was tearing it apart. But they vowed to keep an eye on Maddox’s house in case Hamilton returned for an encore. Matt had finally met the police chief, Pierce Dunn, earlier when he sat down with Andy’s fiancée. That had been awkward. Dunn was every bit the doofus Andy had implied, and it was clear no one was really in charge with Andy gone.

But Matt didn’t think that Hamilton would return because there was no one in Liberty Lake he could target. Still—Catherine felt that any cop was in potential danger if Hamilton couldn’t get to Maddox, and she didn’t count Andy’s death as the final act.

“He killed him in a rage, in a need to escape. It wouldn’t be satisfying for him in the sense of any completion of his pattern.”