Since seeing the Boston Strangler movie version with Tony Curtis (have others including nonfiction documentary), he always put women at ease. What if he is saying "Your other plants are ll going to look like this, m'am. I'm going to have to go over the whole place. Just sign this release form for my boss, please.
The Boston killer pretended to need to fix plumbing pipes or do other work and offered to leave as the women were on guard. Then they decided to let him in.
Would seems strange for a gardener to come with a mask and want to help her plants at 1:30-2am in the morning when it’s pitch black outside.