"He was being selective with the truth," Sloane said. “But why over something like this?”
Kate sat back in her chair, her eyes still on the marketing materials. Crawford's careful wording during their interview replayed in her mind. He had been so precise about everything, so measured. He seemed like the kind of person who chose his words carefully because he knew exactly what he was hiding.
"Hey, Paula," Kate called out.
The assistant appeared in the doorway almost immediately. "Yes?"
"Can you tell us about the people who go through this program and don't succeed?" Kate asked. "The ones who complete the training but can't get their businesses off the ground?"
Paula shifted her weight, looking uncomfortable. "Well, not everyone achieves the same level of success. Mr. Crawford always tells participants that the program provides the tools and knowledge, but execution is up to them. Some people struggle with the business side of things even after the training. They might have great product ideas, but can't handle marketing or finances."
"How common is that?" Sloane asked.
"I don't have exact numbers," Paula said. "But it happens. Some participants get frustrated when they see others succeeding while their own businesses struggle. Some people simply have the mentality that they should be seeing results right away. And when they don’t, they give up. It can be difficult."
"Do any of those struggling participants ever express resentment toward the success stories?" Kate asked. "The ones who get featured in the marketing materials?"
Paula hesitated. "I wouldn't sayresentmentexactly. But there's definitely some comparison. People see others from theircohort doing well and wonder why they're not experiencing the same results. Mr. Crawford tries to manage expectations, but it's still hard for some people."
Kate nodded slowly. "Thank you, Paula. We'll let you know if we need anything else."
After Paula left, Kate turned back to the files. She worked methodically through the records, taking notes on her phone as she went. Sloane did the same with the digital files, occasionally highlighting passages or saving screenshots. The records were comprehensive, but Kate couldn't shake the feeling that they were also carefully curated. Crawford had provided exactly what he wanted them to see, nothing more. The participant information, the cohort details, and the business plans were all there. But something was missing.
"He's hiding something," Kate said after another twenty minutes of review.
"Yeah, it’s starting to feel that way," Sloane replied. "These records are too clean. Too organized. It’s like someone went through and made sure everything looked good—and not for us, but for someone else in the past. So maybe people wanting to have a look at these records is a little more common than we’re thinking.”
"I don't think he's the killer," Kate said. "But I think he knows more than he's telling us. About the program, about the relationships between participants… about something."
Sloane saved another file to her laptop. "Should we confront him about it?"
Kate considered this. Crawford would be defensive if they pushed too hard right now. He had already demonstrated his tendency to measure every word, to protect himself and his program. Coming at him directly might just make him shut down completely. On the other hand, he’d handed over the files they’d asked for without too much of a fight.
"Not yet," Kate said. "Let's finish going through these records first. Maybe there’s more to find."
They continued working in silence, the afternoon light shifting through the window as time passed. Kate made note of the cohort members who had been in both Rachel's and Patricia's groups. She documented the business types, the success rates that Crawford had mentioned, the testimonials from satisfied participants.
But the more she read, the more convinced she became that something was off. The program looked good on paper, maybe too good. Every record told a story of careful mentorship and professional development. Every testimonial praised Crawford's methods. It was the kind of documentation that suggested someone who was very concerned with how things appeared.
The door opened and Crawford stepped back into the conference room. He had changed into a fresh shirt, and his earlier tension seemed to have eased slightly.
"How is everything going?" he asked. "Are you finding what you need?"
"We're making progress," Kate said, keeping her tone neutral. "Thank you for providing all of this."
"Of course. I want to help however I can." Crawford glanced at the spread of files across the table. "I know it's a lot of information to process."
"It's very thorough," Sloane said.
Crawford nodded, seeming pleased with this assessment. "I believe in proper documentation. It protects both the program and the participants. If there's anything specific you need clarification on, please don't hesitate to ask." Heseemedto mean it, but there was still a defensive edge to the way he spoke.
After Crawford left again, Sloane raised her eyebrows at Kate. "You didn't mention the marketing materials."
"No," Kate said. "Not yet. If it becomes necessary, we can use it as a little bomb of sorts later in the investigation if we need to come back to him."
“Like a gotcha-trap?” Sloane asked with a little smile.
“Yes. And ultimately, it’s really not that big of an issue.” Kate had noticed Sloane’s smile and thought some of that defensive armor might be starting to crack.
