KCPD Protector by Julie Miller

there was more than one kind of stalker.” Elise picked up her laptop from the desk and set it on her lap, opening a file to take notes or doodle or busy herself with whatever it was she suddenly needed to do besides interact with him.
    “Yes, there is,” Kate replied, probably unaware of the tension on this end of the call.
    But Nick’s raised eyebrow and glance toward Elise told George that his nephew seemed to think there might be something more prompting this meeting than protecting one of the department’s professional assets.
    Ignoring his nephew’s curious perusal, George folded his arms across his chest and sat on the front edge of his desk. “So what did the note tell you about this guy, Kate?”
    “The I ’s the sender uses in every sentence could indicate an egocentric dysfunction,” the psychologist said. “That means the sender lacks an objective perspective of the world around him.”
    “Explain,” George said.
    “He probably functions reasonably well in society—he can hold a job and have relationships. But he projects his feelings and values onto others, and assumes they think and feel the same way.”
    “Sounds pretty arrogant,” Nick commented.
    “Most psychopaths typically are.”
    “Psychopath?” Elise murmured. Her fingers stilled over her laptop keys. “How would I attract a psychopath?”
    George curled his hands into fists, quelling the urge to push past the distance and decorum Elise had insisted upon in the light of day, and go to her. “Bottom line, Kate. Is a perp who fits this profile dangerous?”
    Her lengthy pause wasn’t terribly reassuring. “He may see disagreement as a personal insult—even as an attack. And that could make him angry.”
    Nick grunted a curse that matched his own. “Let me guess, he takes that anger out on the target of his affection?”
    “It’s possible,” Dr. Kilpatrick agreed. “With a lesser degree of dysfunction, he’d probably simply turn his attention to someone else who feeds his ego. But if this guy has become obsessed with a particular target, then yes, he could definitely be a threat if he feels she’s disrespecting him or cheating on him.”
    “Cheating?” Elise’s voice was stronger.
    “Yes. Take a married woman, for example, if he was fixated on her, then he’d see her normal relationship with her husband as cheating. He’d want to punish her for that perceived betrayal.”
    “Oh, my God.”
    Exactly what he’d been afraid of. George pushed away from his desk. He was good enough at pulling the right people together to get a job done, but physically protecting Elise would require a different strategy. “Thanks, Kate. I appreciate the input.”
    “Before you hang up...” George paused with his hand over the phone. He’d been ready to do just that. “Elise is your assistant, isn’t she?”
    George stuffed his hand into the pocket of his tan slacks. “She is.”
    “Not to throw a wrench into your fact-finding meeting, but have you considered the possibility that your perp may be a copycat? This is pretty textbook stuff thus far—I’ve discussed this same unsub profile in classes I’ve taught at the university. Heck, you can read it online if you know what to look for.” Dr. Kilpatrick was as thorough at her job as he’d hired her to be. “Think about your office, George. This perp could be targeting Elise as a means to get to you.”
    Elise’s gaze shot up to his. “I would never—”
    “I’ve considered it.” George silenced the protest Elise had made more than once the night before. Whatever her ex-boyfriend Nikolai Titov had done to screw with her head to gain access to Gallagher Security Systems info, the damage he’d done to Elise’s self-assurance was unforgivable. He didn’t doubt her loyalty to him or KCPD for one moment. But the thought that Elise believed she was so weak willed that she’d betray him or the sensitive information in this office bothered him more than the fear of an unknown