“Great. But I sense a problem.”

“Lawsuits that are settled or dropped for lack of standing aren’t in the database. If a lawsuit was filed and dismissed, we need to pull it from another field, and often the names of the defendants—such as if Anne Banks was named as a defendant—are redacted because the suit was determined to be without merit.”

This was why Matt never once considered being a lawyer. Shit like this would drive him insane.

“I’ve reached out to the legal department at the hospital and they claim their lawyers are figuring out what they can give us,” Ryder continued, “but I don’t think they’ll share anything. I asked Tony to expedite a warrant for any complaints against Anne Banks or the emergency room during those years.”

“Outstanding,” Matt said. His phone rang. It was Andy Knolls. Matt answered. “Good job on the ATV.”

“Credit Kara, not me. We’re heading to Spokane—but we have time before the press conference. When is it scheduled?”

“Four—swing by the hotel first.” He could use as many people as possible right now.”

“Almost there.”

“Room 310.”

Matt used the few minutes he had to update the whiteboard with information about Anne Banks and how she connected to Spokane. But she didn’t connect to Liberty Lake. Just like Victoria Manners.

So why Liberty Lake? Why not kill her in Newman Lake where he left her car? Why not kill her any number of places in Spokane? There were parks, lakes, a river that went through town, wide-open spaces, mountains, flatlands—there was a specific reason the killer chose that spot. Matt had to figure it out.

Matt pulled out the maps of Portland and Missoula where he had already marked the locations where the bodies were found. All within the city limits, but not clustered together. He stared, willing the answers to come to him, but he didn’t even know the right questions.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. Ryder jumped up and let Andy and Kara in. Andy looked around. “You could have used my office. We have room.”

“I appreciate it,” Matt said, “and we may need to expand there, but we’re still on a learning curve—and a time crunch. It helps to have my room right there.” He jerked a finger toward the adjoining door. Plus, at the time Ryder set this up they didn’t know how cooperative the local police would be. The jury was still out on Chief Dunn, who Matt had yet to meet but had been quoted in that damn newspaper article.

To Ryder he said, “Find out Harris’s ETA.”

To Kara he said, “You were right.”

“I usually am,” she said, then winked. “You mean about the lake or the ATV?”

“ATV?” Matt questioned.

Andy said, “That was all Kara. I was ready to go to lunch, but she had a hunch and it paid off.”

“I was thinking about the lake—they found the knife and the clothes.”

“What does it mean?” Kara said. “Other than he knows how to destroy evidence.”