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It was all too convenient, as if Les was meant to be a target.
She nursed her coffee as she continued to study the contents of the board. Everyone else was in their offices with explicit instructions to dig deeper into the Snyders and the injured parties involved in Project Grey Skies. It was obvious that the unsub laid most of the blame on General James Snyder for the project going sideways, but the unsub had since gotten a taste for blood.
It gave the unsub a morally superior high that he couldn't get enough of, so he'd continued down a path where he'd given himself no ability to turn around. He was committed in every way.
"I think you're right about paying Mrs. Snyder a visit today." Sylvie had entered the conference room with a cup of tea. She was holding the string as she dipped the small bag into the hot water. "I gave Theo all the information on the servicemen and women who were injured during that little classified mishap, but I was going over Les Snyder's timeline. Unless you were the man's best friend or another family member, no one would have been able to map out all of those crimes so perfectly. You'd have to be forewarned of Les' every move. You'd almost have to be in his shoes."
Nathan Dante's response when Brook had asked him about the funerals floated through her mind. He'd mentioned Daniel Snyder, but again, he didn't fit the profile.
"This Oliver Bynum...the one who didn't get the contract for Project Grey Skies," Brook said, gesturing toward the board with her coffee cup. "Would you mind focusing on him today? Oh, and include Archie Keyes. While Bit uncovered two alibies for the man, I'd still like to have them confirmed by independent sources. I'll cover the Snyder angle with my trip out to visit Brenda, but this might not be about the injured parties, at all. I noted in my profile that the unsub also had a jealousy streak. It isn't prominent, but it's there all the same. Maybe we should put more emphasis on it."
"The unsub has to be close friends with Les Snyder, right?" Sylvie asked as she wrapped both hands around her teacup. "We have to assume that they are in the same industry, vying for the same projects. It would make sense that the unsub harbored ill-will toward the man who took away a shot at climbing the ladder."
"We need to find out who got that specific contract," Brook said as she met Sylvie's gaze. "I'll contact Graham. In the meantime, I'll send Theo to go and have a talk with Mr. Bynum. At this point, everyone knows that we're reinvestigating all seven cases. As long as the classified project isn't mentioned during casual conversation, we should be in the clear to approach all the subjects in relation to this case."
"I'll gather what I can on Oliver Bynum for Theo before he leaves the office. I'll then concentrate on Archie Keyes."
Brook had left her phone in her office, so she headed in that direction as Sylvie went to pay Bit a visit. He'd mentioned earlier this morning that he was running a background search on Oliver Bynum, which would include any findings from the man's government background investigation. He would have had a thorough check completed in order to obtain a contracting license to begin with, so one or more federal agents had already done most of their homework for them.
"Oh, not sure you heard, but we're getting some snow later today," Sylvie called out from the other end of the hall. "Eight inches in one go."
"Grand," Brook muttered as she stopped by Theo's office. "Change of plans, if you're up for it."
Theo had been reading something on his monitor while rubbing his right temple, indicating that his headache hadn't dissipated any since last night. Her mother used to suffer from migraines, and there had been times that she would take to her bed for days if the headache was severe enough.
"Have a lead?"
"Possibly." Brook filled him in on what she and Sylvie had discussed, finishing up with her promise to reach out to Graham. "I'll let you know what he says. I drove today, since I'm going out to the Snyder's residence. I'm not sure how long I'll be, so text me if you need anything."
Theo had shifted in his desk chair so that he was facing her.
"Doyouneed anything?"
Brook didn't have to ask what his meaning was behind his inquiry. There had been a write-up in today's paper about her. The reporter had even spoken to old neighbors from her hometown, prompting her to call her father's nursing home. They hadn't had any problems, as of yet. It wasn't as if anyone could get information from her dad, considering that his Alzheimer's had gotten to the point that he couldn't even dress himself nor speak coherently.
Still, she'd needed to make sure that the facility was secure enough that she didn't have to move him in such a fragile state.
"No, but thanks for checking," Brook replied rather stiltedly.
Having her life be an open book wasn't something she was used to, and she didn't like addressing rumors. Someone from her building had answered questions about her, responding that she was aloof and cold in her dealings with the other tenants. That reminded her of the man who had moved into Mrs. Upton's condo. Brook had yet to do a cursory background check on him. She also hadn't had time to return the accountant's phone call, reorder the kitchen supplies she needed, or have the cleaning person come into the office during the day to have her iris scanned in case there was ever an evening that someone wasn't still in the office to let her in.
"I know we all have a lot on our plate, but there is something that you can do for me."
"Name it."
"We need to hire a receptionist who is capable of operating in our environment." Brook had to clear her throat, because the words ended up being really hard to say aloud. She was already having enough trouble adjusting to the private sector and her team, and now she was going to have to add another person into the mix. "I have no idea who would want to work here, but if you could narrow it down to three or four qualified candidates for me to do a final interview with, that would be great."
"Consider it done."
Brook had to retrace her steps, and then go even farther than the conference room. She found Sylvie leaving Bit's domain, which he left open most of the time when he was in there. It was when he left the room for any reason that he would utilize the private biometric scanner, for which all employees did have access, in case of emergencies.
"...can't do lunch today," Sylvie said softly into her cell phone as she walked past Brook with a small smile. "Maybe we can reschedule for..."
"Did you know that Little T deleted her dating app?" Bit asked distractedly as he stared at the empty doorway. "I think she's seeing that urban cowboy wannabe next door."
Next door meant the financial institution, which thereby verified that Sylviewasdating Chet. Brook wasn't about to get involved with her staff's personal lives, but she did want to impart some words of wisdom to the youngest employee.
"I get that nicknames are your thing, Bit, but I would lay off the Tinkerbell reference if I were you." The sound of multiple printers could be heard throughout the large room. He'd been busy, because every piece of hardware had been unwrapped, secured into its individual racks, properly wired and networked, and currently up and running in the green. "I really don't want to have to institute mandatory courses on how to interact with others."
