Laurel nodded. It felt good to be discussing the case in the fresh outdoors, even though she couldn’t feel her nose. “Yes. When it’s expedient to get something accomplished for a case, I’ve used the number and might do so again. For the purposes of this discussion, let’s agree that there actually are around fifty active serial killers in this country right now.” She could guess where Huck was going with the conversation. “So the fact that we have two in Washington State is only twice what we’d expect, but . . .”

“But the fact that we have two right here in small Genesis Valley is a real statistical anomaly,” Huck said, his gaze focused on Aeneas scouting along the tree line.

Laurel hunched her shoulders against the frigid air. “You think there’s another factor at play.”

“Yeah. Why here and why now?” He looked down at her, his boots breaking leftover ice on the driveway. “You’re here. We received a lot of media attention after the Snowblood Peak cases.”

Laurel grimaced. “I don’t think it’s me, Huck.” She hadn’t seen any sign that the killer had focused on her. “This murderer kills out of rage, not calculation. This isn’t a game he’s playing. He’s not trying to challenge us.” The crime scenes flicked through her mind like a slow-motion movie. “He’s out of control, except for the flowers. Those are his ritual, which he has to finish. The flowers are a statement, something between him and the victim. It’s personal for him.”

“So the appearance of a second serial killer in Genesis Valley is just a coincidence?”

“I don’t know.” It wasn’t as if Washington State hadn’t had its share of serial killers through the decades. There was something about the remote, wild, icy surroundings that helped hide bodies. But these bodies weren’t hidden, were they? “Another element to the profile,” she murmured. “He kills them where they are living. Where they’ve gone to hide.” It could be a coincidence, but perhaps not. “It’s another way to show he’s smarter and stronger than his victims. They can’t get away from him, no matter how far they run.” She shivered.

“So you don’t think the location, here in Genesis Valley, is the key?”

She slipped and quickly regained her balance. “No. I think the real question is why now? Why has he started murdering women and leaving black dahlias around their bodies right now? What tipped him into this murderous rage?” She needed those phone extractions from the victims and would have to push Nester on it in the morning.

Huck hunched his shoulders against the cold. “We need to find him to know that, I think. I’m not convinced the timing and location of these kills isn’t related to you.”