Laurel unwrapped her scarf and tossed it over her coat. “Do you have information for our case, Dr. Franklin?” She pulled out one of the luxurious white chairs and sat.

“Please, call me Christine. I think I’m being stalked by the killer.” The doctor slid her phone toward Laurel. “I found those on my front porch three nights ago and thought it odd. But I was exhausted after a fifteen-hour shift and had to return to work shortly, so I just forgot about it. Once I started thinking about the situation, I realized that quite a few odd things have happened lately.” Her voice remained controlled, her presentation logical.

Laurel looked at the phone to find a picture of black dahlias in the shape of a heart on a front stoop. “Who did you think did this?”

Christine shrugged. “I didn’t think much about it. Just that maybe a delivery person had left them or a secret admirer or something like that. I truly didn’t have time to worry about it, so I didn’t. Until I saw the news this morning.” She wore a light green suit with a white shell, and her jewelry was gold and understated. “Were these flowers left by the killer?”

“Perhaps.” Laurel quickly forwarded the photo to herself. “Do you have a security system at your home?”

“No. I’ve been meaning to get one but just haven’t had the chance. I’ve lived in the same house for ten years, and it’s in a nice neighborhood with many five acre lots. There has never been a problem in Forest Ridge, I don’t think.” Christine brushed her hair away from her face. “I’m concerned. What should I do?”

Laurel thought through the options. Forest Ridge was the same high-end subdivision where Abigail lived in a far corner of Genesis Valley. Now that wasn’t a coincidence. She needed Huck’s team to hurry through the security videos they’d gotten from other residents. “We should get you to a safe house. You mentioned you had a long shift and that you’re a doctor. What is your area of practice?”

“I’m the head of cardiology at the Pacific Western Hospital outside of Seattle,” Christine said. “My specialty is interventional cardiology, but it seems I spend more time with paperwork now than I did before I was promoted.”

Walter’s eyebrows lifted. “Pac-Western is one of the best heart hospitals in the country.” He took one of the seats.

Christine nodded. “We are, and I’m busy. Apparently too busy to realize I’m being stalked.” She crossed her legs, showing black high heels. How had the woman walked across the parking lot in those shoes? “I did notice that pictures of friends in my office at the hospital had been rearranged, but I figured the cleaning staff had done so.”

Laurel stiffened. “How about inside your home? Anything odd?”