“Yes,” I said.
“And didn’t the autopsy show that in both your cases the entire operation covered about ten hours?”
“Give or take a few minutes,” I said. Blackburn’s eyes were brighter now, and his voice was edgy with excitement. It was a very warm night but I felt a chill go down my arms.
“Same brand too,” Blackburn said. “King’s?”
“That’s right,” I said. “King’s Gin.”
“I know him, you see, McKenna. And every one of his kills are the same. Every detail is the same. With these psychos, murder is a ritual. I’ve read about all there is on the subject. It’s part of a cycle, a repetition syndrome, as the books say. Everything in the ritual must always be exactly the same. In some, the cycle is longer than others. But this pressure builds and builds, and finally they have to do it. A ritual
