“Thank you,” Sloane said in a tight, crisp manner.
He left the office, and Kate and Sloane exchanged glances. "He got defensive fast," Sloane said quietly.
"Very fast. Especially about his whereabouts. That happens, though… especially to someone in his position, with this sort of organization under him. Not just employees relying on him, but people trying to get a fresh start, too." Kate shrugged and said, “I get it.”
Sloane nodded, and Kate watched as she slipped back into that very concentrated look—a look that Kate was already starting to understand was a processing phase. Sloane was taking in all she'd heard and mentally categorizing it and breaking it down. Honestly, Kate found the far-off stare and stillness a bit socially off-putting.
Crawford returned a few minutes later, carrying a small stack of folders. A younger woman was walking behind him; she carried a laptop and several file folders. "This is my assistant, Paula,” Crawford said. “She's pulling up the digital records now. The physical files are here." He indicated the folders he was holding as he said this.
"Is there a room where we can review these?" Kate asked.
“Yes, but…” Crawford checked his watch. "The office closes at 6:30. I'd like to get out on time if possible."
Again, Kate understood this, but the comment struck her as wrong. They were investigating murders, and he was worried about his schedule. She kept her expression neutral,but internally, she was cataloging every aspect of Crawford's behavior that felt off. She assumed Sloane was doing the same.
"We won't keep you," Sloane said, though her tone suggested she didn't particularly care about his timeline. "We just need space to work."
"There's a conference room on the other side of the building. You can use that." Crawford gestured for them to follow him, still holding the folders. "Paula will get you set up with everything you need."
They followed Jennier, walking through the office space, passing empty desks and offices where the last few employees were shutting down their computers. Crawford led them to a small conference room with a table, six chairs, and a wall-mounted monitor.
"This should work," he said. "Paula, make sure they have access to the network drive with all the cohort files. And agents, just let me know if you need me for anything. I have a Zoom call I have to be on in ten minutes,, but I can end it if something pops up."
“Thanks,” Sloane said, with that same tight tone.
Paula nodded and set the laptop on the table, opening it and typing quickly. "I'm logging you in now. All the records for Cohort 47 are in the folder labeled with that number. Is there anything else you need?"
"This is fine, thank you," Kate said.
Crawford lingered in the doorway. "I assume you'll lock up when you leave? Security will be in the building until eight, but I'd prefer if this didn't take all night."
"We'll be as quick as we can," Sloane said, her tone making it clear she wasn't making any promises.
Crawford nodded and left, though Kate noticed he didn't go far… Zoom call or not. Through the glass walls of the conferenceroom, she could see him standing near his desk, pacing nervously.
Kate sat down and pulled the laptop toward her. Sloane took a seat beside her, arranging the physical files so they could cross-reference digital and paper records.
"He's making me uncomfortable," Kate said quietly.
"Same. He seems too worried about his schedule and his reputation,, and not worried enough about these murders. But on the other hand, it didn't take much convincing for him to offer up these files."
"Speaking of… let's see what's in them.”
They settled in to work, aware of Crawford through the glass, still pacing across the office space.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Kate opened the first file Paula had provided and began scanning through the participant records. Sloane sat across from her at the conference table, her laptop open as she pulled up the digital copies Paula had sent over. The room was quiet, except for the occasional click of Sloane's keyboard and the soft rustle of paper as Kate turned pages. Everything was tidy and orderly, making for quick work… so quick, in fact, that Kate found what she was looking for within ten minutes.
"Sloane, look at this," Kate said, sliding one of the files across the table. "Patricia Holmes was in the Spring 2023 cohort."
Sloane glanced at the document, then pulled up something on her laptop. "And it looks like Rachel Thornton was Fall 2022. They were in different cohorts, just like Crawford said."
"Right. But look at this." Kate pulled out another set of papers, these ones glossy marketing materials that Paula had included in the stack. She spread them across the table. "Rachel is featured here, in this brochure from last year. 'Meet Our Success Stories.' And here's Patricia in this one from six months ago."
Sloane leaned forward, studying the materials. "They're both featured prominently. There are photos, quotes about their businesses, testimonials about how the program changed their lives."
"Crawford told us communication with graduate members was sparse," Kate said. "He said that they don't really stay in touch after the program ends. But you don't feature someone in your marketing materials without staying in contact with them. You need updated photos, current business information, and permission to use their stories."
