help with this unsanctioned investigation. “Here’s the plan. Annie, I need you to do your scientific magic and find out who sent that letter.”
“I can swab the seal and stamp for any DNA trace, but I won’t make any guarantees. If he’s not in the system, I’d need more evidence to confirm a match. And this guy seems to be making a concerted effort to remain anonymous.” Annie carefully placed the sealed evidence inside her kit and locked it. Her explanation included Elise, drawing her back into the conversation. “I didn’t find any prints in your bedroom or on that vase except for your own. Even if there are prints on this letter, we’ll have nothing to compare them to, making it difficult to even know if it’s the same guy.”
“It has to be,” Elise said.
“He’s smart,” George conceded. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s wearing gloves.”
“Anyone wearing gloves would stand out in this heat, wouldn’t they?” Elise suggested. “We could look for that.”
“If we get a visual on him, yes. But I’m hoping we can ID this guy before he ever gets that close to you.” George turned to his nephew. “Nick. Compile a list of all the men in Elise’s life—everyone from family friends to men she’s dated to casual acquaintances.”
“I’m already working on it,” Elise said, turning her laptop around to show them a screenful of names. “I started with my dad and worked my way down to the kid who bags my groceries at the store. I put asterisks next to a couple I thought might hold some kind of grudge against me—”
“Like Westbrook?” George asked. Preppy-boy with the glasses had acted as if he had some sort of proprietary claim on Elise last night, which put him at the top of George’s suspect list. Of course, he’d still been mentally stomping out the residual embers from that incendiary kiss he and Elise had shared when Westbrook had stormed in, so he was pretty sure his objectivity had been in question. “Anyone else?”
Elise shrugged. “I can’t imagine that James would want to hurt me, and I don’t know anyone that I’ve insulted or angered like Dr. Kilpatrick suggested, certainly not intentionally. In a lot of ways, I live a pretty unremarkable life. And what if it’s someone I haven’t thought of, or don’t even know?”
Nick pointed to her computer. “I’ll give you my number. If you send me that list, it’ll give me a place to start running background checks, at least.”
Nodding, Elise set to work organizing the list and attaching it to an email. But a second later, she raised her head. “What about Alexsandr Titov?”
“Who’s that?” Nick asked.
George could guess what she was thinking. “He’s the brother of that European mobster who went after Quinn Gallagher and GSS a few years back—blamed Quinn for his son’s death. Elise worked at GSS during that time.”
Nick whistled between his teeth. “You were caught up in that mess?”
George interrupted before Elise could answer or confess to the collusion she blamed herself for. “Quinn’s on his way over here to discuss his suspicions about why Alexsandr is in Kansas City.”
“His timing is a little hinky, considering what’s going on with Miss Brown. Is he connected to a foreign mob, too?” Nick shook his head and jotted a note when George didn’t answer. “I’ll find out.”
But Elise refused to avoid the subject George had tried to protect her from. “It’s the same thing his brother, Nikolai, did to me when I worked for GSS.” She set her laptop on the desk and stood, clearly agitated by her thoughts. “Oh, not the threatening love letter and creepy stuff. But, seeing me as the weak link and preying on that.”
“The weak link to what?” Annie looked from George to Elise as they faced off. “Are you talking about what Dr. Kate said? If our unsub is a copycat instead of some pervert psychopath?”
Elise tilted her eyes up to George. “I would never betray you or this
“I can swab the seal and stamp for any DNA trace, but I won’t make any guarantees. If he’s not in the system, I’d need more evidence to confirm a match. And this guy seems to be making a concerted effort to remain anonymous.” Annie carefully placed the sealed evidence inside her kit and locked it. Her explanation included Elise, drawing her back into the conversation. “I didn’t find any prints in your bedroom or on that vase except for your own. Even if there are prints on this letter, we’ll have nothing to compare them to, making it difficult to even know if it’s the same guy.”
“It has to be,” Elise said.
“He’s smart,” George conceded. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s wearing gloves.”
“Anyone wearing gloves would stand out in this heat, wouldn’t they?” Elise suggested. “We could look for that.”
“If we get a visual on him, yes. But I’m hoping we can ID this guy before he ever gets that close to you.” George turned to his nephew. “Nick. Compile a list of all the men in Elise’s life—everyone from family friends to men she’s dated to casual acquaintances.”
“I’m already working on it,” Elise said, turning her laptop around to show them a screenful of names. “I started with my dad and worked my way down to the kid who bags my groceries at the store. I put asterisks next to a couple I thought might hold some kind of grudge against me—”
“Like Westbrook?” George asked. Preppy-boy with the glasses had acted as if he had some sort of proprietary claim on Elise last night, which put him at the top of George’s suspect list. Of course, he’d still been mentally stomping out the residual embers from that incendiary kiss he and Elise had shared when Westbrook had stormed in, so he was pretty sure his objectivity had been in question. “Anyone else?”
Elise shrugged. “I can’t imagine that James would want to hurt me, and I don’t know anyone that I’ve insulted or angered like Dr. Kilpatrick suggested, certainly not intentionally. In a lot of ways, I live a pretty unremarkable life. And what if it’s someone I haven’t thought of, or don’t even know?”
Nick pointed to her computer. “I’ll give you my number. If you send me that list, it’ll give me a place to start running background checks, at least.”
Nodding, Elise set to work organizing the list and attaching it to an email. But a second later, she raised her head. “What about Alexsandr Titov?”
“Who’s that?” Nick asked.
George could guess what she was thinking. “He’s the brother of that European mobster who went after Quinn Gallagher and GSS a few years back—blamed Quinn for his son’s death. Elise worked at GSS during that time.”
Nick whistled between his teeth. “You were caught up in that mess?”
George interrupted before Elise could answer or confess to the collusion she blamed herself for. “Quinn’s on his way over here to discuss his suspicions about why Alexsandr is in Kansas City.”
“His timing is a little hinky, considering what’s going on with Miss Brown. Is he connected to a foreign mob, too?” Nick shook his head and jotted a note when George didn’t answer. “I’ll find out.”
But Elise refused to avoid the subject George had tried to protect her from. “It’s the same thing his brother, Nikolai, did to me when I worked for GSS.” She set her laptop on the desk and stood, clearly agitated by her thoughts. “Oh, not the threatening love letter and creepy stuff. But, seeing me as the weak link and preying on that.”
“The weak link to what?” Annie looked from George to Elise as they faced off. “Are you talking about what Dr. Kate said? If our unsub is a copycat instead of some pervert psychopath?”
Elise tilted her eyes up to George. “I would never betray you or this