"Rachel Thornton and Patricia Holmes."
He stood up abruptly, his chair rolling backward. As his bottom lip trembled and his eyes opened wide, Kate was sure he might start weeping. "Rachel and Patricia? Are you serious?"
"I'm afraid so," Kate said, watching his reaction carefully. "Both women were killed in their homes within the past three days."
Crawford walked to the window, his back to them. When he turned around, he looked shaken in a way that seemed authentic. Kate saw that a single tear had indeed made its way down his face. "I can't believe this. They were both wonderful women. Rachel was doing so well with her design business, and Patricia's life coaching practice was taking off based on some of the news I’d heard. And… and..." He shook his head. "What happened?"
"That's what we're trying to determine," Sloane said. "We need to know everything you can tell us about your program and how these women participated. Because right now, it’s the only thing linking them."
Crawford returned to his desk and sat down as some of his composure returned. "Second Act Success is a mentorship program for people over fifty who are starting new careers or businesses. We provide structured business planning, networking opportunities, and ongoing support. We've helped hundreds of women launch legitimate businesses."
"How does the program work?" Sloane asked.
"Participants sign up for a twelve-week cohort. They work in small groups, usually six to eight people, to develop their business concepts. Each person has a mentor, someone with experience in their chosen field. We cover everything from market research to financial planning to marketing strategies." Crawford stopped for a moment and pulled up something on his computer, apparently looking for something. "Both Rachel andPatricia were in Cohort 47, which concluded about eight months ago."
Sloane leaned forward slightly. "After they complete the program, do you maintain contact with them?"
"Not regularly, no. We send out a monthly newsletter and invite graduates to networking events, but we don't have ongoing one-on-one contact." Crawford's tone became slightly defensive. "We're a mentorship program, not a support group. Once participants graduate, they're equipped to run their businesses independently. Sometimes successful graduates will stop by to visit, just to say hello and spread the cheer, but that’s about it."
"But you do use their success stories for promotional purposes?" Kate asked. She wished she had not asked; she really wanted to make sure Sloane felt that she was running the show.
"Well, yes. When graduates do well, we like to highlight that. It shows potential participants what the program can achieve." Crawford looked between them as a bit of concern started to creep into his features. "Is that relevant to the investigation?"
"We're just trying to understand the full picture," Sloane said. She pulled up something on her phone, looked at it for a moment as she considered, and then leaned in even closer. "Where were you two nights ago between ten a.m. and two p.m.?"
Crawford's expression hardened slightly. For a moment, it looked as if he’d been slapped. "You're asking for my alibi?"
"We're asking the only person we know of that is connected to the victims about their whereabouts," Sloane said, clarifying.
"I was… I was at home. All night.”
“Are you married?”
“I am. And we have two kids. They’ll prove that I was home.”
“And what about all day yesterday?” Sloane asked, giving him little time to breathe.
“I was here, in the office. I had meetings all morning and afternoon." His voice had taken on an edge. "You can check with my assistant if you need verification." He stood up again, and this time his body language was less shocked and more irritated. "I understand you have to ask these questions, but I hope you're not suggesting I had anything to do with what happened to Rachel and Patricia."
Kate noticed the shift in his demeanor. He'd gone from genuinely upset to defensive, and it made her wonder what he was protecting. His reputation, probably. Having the FBI investigate murders connected to his program couldn't be good for business. Even if he was one hundred percent innocent, it would be more than enough to get him worried.
"We need access to your program records," Sloane said, not backing down from her aggressive approach. "Participant lists, mentor assignments, business concepts developed, anything that might help us understand if there's a connection we're missing."
"You think other participants might be in danger?"
"It's possible. And, as I said, anyone linked to the two victims is of interest. Can you think of anyone else in your program that was close to both women?”
To his credit, Crawford did take some time to think about it, but he started to shake his head after about ten seconds or so. “No… no, not that I know of."
“Would we be able to find things like that in your records?”
“I… I don’t know,” he said, sitting back and letting out a huge sigh. "This is going to destroy the program. If word gets out that two graduates were murdered, no one will want to join."
The comment rubbed Kate the wrong way. Two women were dead, and Crawford's first concern seemed to be his program's reputation. She understood the impulse to protect something you'd built, but the timing of it felt off.
"We need those records," Kate said, her voice firm. "Today, if possible. As this is not a very public case yet. If we can get the answers we need, the organization itself may be able to come away unscathed."
Crawford looked at her, then at Sloane, and seemed to realize he didn't have much choice. "Fine. I'll have my assistant pull everything. Give me a few minutes."
