“DeCosta assaulted his ex-wife. There’s your connection.”

Mason pulled that apart and examined it from all directions. “Weak. Improbable.”

“What are you? A Borg? You sound like a computer program.”

“Next input, please.”

Ray blew out a frustrated breath that floated up and dissipated in the cold air. “OK. Jack Harper.”

Mason stopped walking and turned to face Ray. “He’s still on your list? The man’s appointed himself bodyguard to Dr. Campbell.”

“Yeah, convenient access.”

“Aw, you’re full of shit.” Mason started his snowplowing again, but Ray pushed ahead and stopped him with a hand to the chest.

“Listen. He’s been in both places. We can place him close by on the night Suzanne Mills vanished, he owns the property she turned up on, and he dated one of the victims. His name’s turned up in more places than anyone else’s. Plus he’s got a hot temper.”

Mason knocked Ray’s hand off his chest and pushed on.

“Hey, I know you like the guy and I do too, but we gotta keep looking at him.”

Mason halted and spun to face his partner. “He’s also a former cop with a bullet hole in his leg and he’s the head of one of the most successful businesses in town.”

“BTK.”

“What?”

“The BTK killer was an elder in his church or something. I doubt his neighbors ever thought he was the killer type. For some reason you’re not logical when it comes to Harper.” Ray eyed Mason with concern. Like he was cracking.

Mason didn’t answer, considering Ray’s words. The BTK killer had killed over decades, fooling police and family. You couldn’t look at a person from the outside and know he was a killer. Mason knew that. Police school 101.

Ray hadn’t mentioned it, but Mason knew he was thinking of the short FBI profile. Seemed to fit Harper to a T. Charismatic. Intelligent. Socially competent.

“What have you found on DeCosta’s family?” Analyze other suspects for now.

Ray winced. “Still nothing. I can’t find them. I did just dig up a previous address for the mother, Linda DeCosta, in Mount Junction.”

“During our window of time?”

“For the most part.”

“What does that mean?” Mason didn’t like half answers.

“Well, it looks like she lived there during the Amy Smith case and one of the other Mount Junction deaths. But not during the other case. The hiker who fell in the ravine.”

“Where’d she live at that time?”

“Don’t know. Maybe she stayed with family or friends.”

“They don’t have any family. And I seriously doubt they have friends.”

“You know what I mean, somewhere temporary. Maybe even a shelter or something.”

“Look into it.”

Ray made a note in his book. Mason could see the wheels turning in Ray’s mind as the detective considered where to search online. The man had a gift when it came to computers.

“I don’t like the big hole DeCosta’s family is leaving. For some reason…”

Pencil poised, Ray finished his partner’s sentence. “You like the mother and the younger brother.”

“Yeah, I do. We don’t have much to go with there, but my gut tells me we need to dig some more. Who has better motivation to avenge her son’s death than a mother?” Mason said it out loud even though he knew exactly what Ray’s counterargument would be.

“Well, for the most part few women are serial killers. And when they do kill, their methods are less…gory. Poison is usually a woman’s instrument.”

“Usually is the key word there. How about the kid? Maybe the mother is the brains and the kid the brawn.” Mason was grasping at straws. “Not that he’s a kid anymore. Gotta be in his twenties.”

“But why the strange focus on Dr. Campbell? That’s got to be a male not a mother instigating that crap, the note card and video surveillance.”

“Maybe she’s a lesbian.” That idea got a chest rumble from Ray.

“Don’t laugh. Remember that movie about the female serial killer? Monster. Aileen Wuornos killed truckers. She was gay and it affected what she did. Nothing’s improbable.”

“You just told me Frank Stevenson was improbable.”

“He’s still on our list, isn’t he? I’m not ruling anyone out right now.” The look on Ray’s face told Mason he was thinking of his partner’s illogical view on Harper.

Ignoring him, Mason noticed his hands were numb. “Let’s get inside. We’ve got some threads to tie up.”

The two men kicked the snow off their boots, their breath forming misty clouds, and silently went up the station stairs. Mason was sure they’d accomplished nothing except raising more questions.

Jack had exhaled deeply when Lacey headed down the hall to her room. Any more time alone with her and he’d have her in that little bed with her feet over her shoulders. The crying on his chest had nearly undone him. After he’d calmed her down while mentally reciting every baseball statistic he could remember, she left the kitchen for bed and he hit the fridge, searching for a beer.

He downed the entire beer and stared unseeing at her empty chair. Then opened another beer.

“She’s really great.”

Jack jerked at the voice. He hadn’t heard Alex come back in the room. He relaxed and slammed the second beer. “I know.”