CHAPTER NINE
The elevator ride down to the forensics department was quiet and tense.
Kate looked over to Sloane and could tell she was deep in thought.
Years of experience had her catching little tics—like how Sloane made little nervous fists out of her hands and then released them over and over again; how she chewed at her lower lip just barely.
Kate then watched the floor numbers descend, her mind back to the letter openers and the kind of person who would use them as murder weapons.
The letter openers, Kate thought. Maybe I would have picked up on the out-of-date instrument fairly soon, but it came to Sloane almost right away. She was sure it could be a generational thing, but there wasn’t time to wax philosophical about such things right now.
The elevator doors opened on the basement level, where the forensics labs occupied a series of interconnected rooms with reinforced doors and specialized ventilation systems. Kate had been down here countless times over the years, but it still felt slightly surreal to be back in this slightly restrained capacity.
They found Jacob Green in the third lab, bent over a microscope with the kind of concentration that suggested he was looking at something interesting.
He was in his early forties, with graying hair pulled back in a short ponytail and wire-rimmed glasses that he pushed up his nose as he straightened.
"Agent Wise," he said, recognizing her. "It’s been a while!”
“It has. Good to see you, Jacob.”
“What can I do for you?"
"This is Agent Erica Sloane," Kate said. "She's the agent in charge of the Thornton and Holmes murders."
Jacob nodded at Kate. "Ah, yeah. I just finished processing that one. What do you need?"
"We wanted to ask about the letter opener," Sloane said. "Did you find any prints on it?"
"None at all." Jacob moved to a nearby workstation and pulled up photos on his computer screen.
He was quick and methodical, humming as he pulled up a series of photographs.
"The weapon was completely clean,” he said.
Whoever used it either wore gloves or wiped it down afterward.
Given the lack of other trace evidence, I'd say gloves. "
Kate moved closer to see the screen. The letter opener was ornate, with a silver handle engraved with decorative scrollwork. The blade was thin and sharp, designed more for elegance than function.
"The attack was fierce, though… even with just the one stab," Jacob continued. "We found spinal fluid on the blade, which means it penetrated deep enough to reach the spinal column. That takes significant force."
Kate nearly shuddered at the detail. The brutality of it contrasted sharply with the careful staging of the bodies, the methodical cleanup of evidence. This killer was both violent and controlled, capable of extreme force, but also meticulous planning.
"What about the letter opener from the Holmes murder?" Sloane asked. "Do you have that here yet?"
"Not physically, but it's being transferred from the precinct that handled that case.
Should be here by this afternoon." Jacob opened another file on his computer with the same speed as before.
"The precinct that was originally in charge did send over the full report though. I've been comparing the two weapons."
"And?" Kate prompted.
Jacob pulled up side-by-side photos on his monitor. Both letter openers looked nearly identical, with the same ornate silver handles and similar blade shapes. The detail was remarkable.
"The weapon used on Patricia Holmes was also wiped clean of prints," Jacob said. "Same level of care in removing evidence, same lack of trace materials. This killer is meticulous and takes their time."
Sloane leaned forward, studying the images. "They look like they came from the same manufacturer."
"They did. Same company, same product line." Jacob zoomed in on one of the photos. "But here's where it gets interesting. Each letter opener was personalized."
"Personalized how?" Kate asked.
Jacob adjusted the image, focusing on the blade. "See this engraving along the edge of the blade? It's small, designed to be decorative but not immediately obvious. And as creepy as it seems, each victim was killed with their own letter opener."
Kate stared at the screen. "The names were engraved on the blades?"
"Along the flat part, near where it would be hidden inside the body,” Jacob said. “You wouldn't see it if the blade was down int the body to the hilt—which it was, in both cases." Jacob pulled up another angle. "The engraving is professional quality, done by machine rather than by hand."
Sloane pulled out her phone and made notes. "So both victims had personalized letter openers that were nearly identical except for the names."
"Yep. Same manufacturer, same style, same type of engraving." Jacob closed the images. "Either that's one hell of a coincidence, or these letter openers came from the same source."
Kate looked at Sloane, seeing her own thoughts reflected in the younger agent's expression. This wasn't a coincidence. It couldn't be. Someone had given both victims these letter openers, personalized with their names, and then used those same objects to kill them.
"Thank you," Sloane said to Jacob. "This is incredibly helpful."
"Let me know if you need anything else. I'll call as soon as the Holmes weapon arrives for physical examination."
Kate and Sloane left the lab and walked down the hallway toward the elevators. The basement level was quiet, most of the other labs empty this time of day. Kate's mind was working through the implications of what they'd just learned.
"We need to find out where these letter openers came from," Sloane said, echoing Kate's thoughts.
"James might know. But my money is on these things being either gifts or brand new purchases for the victims’ new business ventures.
" Kate pulled out her phone and brought up the file for the Thornton murder.
She found the home number and called it, not liking the idea of bothering James again. "I'll call him now."
The phone rang four times before he answered, his voice rough and distant.
"Hello?"
“Is this James?”
“James, it’s Kate… Kate Wise. Wise. I'm sorry to bother you again, but I have an important question about Rachel. And it might help us get some very important answers."
There was a pause, and Kate could hear him breathing, trying to pull himself together enough to speak. "Okay."
"The letter opener that was used... do you know where Rachel got it?"
There was another pause, longer this time. Kate waited, giving him space to think and to not break over realizing what the letter opener had been used for. She could hear movement in the background, probably James getting up or moving to a different room.
"It was a gift," he said finally. "From that mentorship program she did."
Kate felt her pulse quicken slightly. "What mentorship program?"
"The one she completed before starting her business. Second Act Success, I think it was called. Some sort of class or lesson. They gave her the letter opener and some stationery when she finished the program. It had her name on it and everything. I told her I thought it was kind of cheesy but she was sort of proud of it.”
Kate looked at Sloane, who had moved closer to hear the conversation. Sloane's eyes widened at the update.
"Do you remember anything else about the program?" Kate asked. "Where it was held, who ran it, or anything like that?"
"Not really. Rachel handled all of that. She went to meetings for a few months, worked with a mentor, that kind of thing. She said it really helped her get her business off the ground." James's voice was getting shakier. "I'm sorry, I can't... I need to go."
"Of course. Thank you, James. You've been very helpful."
Kate ended the call and immediately pulled up a search engine on her phone. Sloane did the same, both of them typing in "Second Act Success."
The results came up quickly. Second Act Success was a mentorship program for people in their later years who were starting new careers or businesses.
It offered guidance, networking opportunities, and support for what it called "life's second act.
" The website showed smiling people in professional settings, testimonials from successful participants, and information about upcoming cohorts.
Kate scrolled through the site, looking for anything that might connect it to Patricia Holmes. If Rachel had gotten her letter opener from this program, there was a decent chance that Patricia had too.
"We need to contact them," Sloane said. "Find out if Patricia Holmes participated in the program."
"And if she did, we need a list of everyone else who's gone through it recently." Kate looked at Sloane. "Because if both victims got their letter openers from Second Act Success, this killer might be targeting other participants."
Sloane met her eyes, and Kate saw the same spark of urgency she was feeling.
They'd found their connection. The link between Rachel Thornton and Patricia Holmes wasn't just that they were women in their fifties starting new businesses.
It was this specific program, this mentorship organization that had given both of them personalized letter openers.
Letter openers that had become murder weapons.
Kate and Sloane shared a look of growing anxiousness, the kind that came from finally catching a solid lead in a case that had felt frustratingly vague. They had something concrete now, a clear direction to pursue.
And with the day coming to a close and a new, calmer life to maintain, Kate didn’t have much more time for the day.