Disclaimer: Credit to Jonathan Nolan, Greg Plageman, and the POI writing team for these lovely characters (though Elena is mine). Any bolded sections come straight from the episodes.

DETECTIVE AND MRS. RILEY

Brief Encounters (Part 6 - IFT)

Also known as: The five times Elena and John met before Queensbridge Park and didn't know it,
and the one time she almost met Harold

Timeline
• BRIEF ENCOUNTERS
• Queensbridge Park
• The Night Watch (ch 29)
• Elena Cassidy's Home for Retired Assassins (ch 3)
• Fusco Meets the Rileys (ch 4)
• Little Mistress Normal (ch 5)
• Drinks (ch 10)
• Detective Darkness and Little Miss Sunshine (ch 12)
• Bear's Collection (ch 2)
• Home Safe Home (ch 9)
• Hell in the Hamptons (ch 13-16)
• Risque Business (ch 20)
• Detective Cassidy (ch 21)
• Bets on Broadway (ch 11)
• Toast (ch 19)
• Friendsgiving (ch 24)
• Shootin' Around the Christmas Tree (ch 25)
• Nicknames (ch 22)
• Man in the Suit and Wife (ch 26)
• We Wish You a Merry Reesemas (ch 28)
• To Each His Own (ch 27)
• Swingers Cruise (ch 6)
• Knockout (ch 8)
• Ellie with the Pink Hair (ch 18)
• Queen E (ch 1)
• Toxic (ch 17)
• Get to the Chopper! (ch 7)
• Meat Me in St. Louis (ch 23)
• Queensbridge Park epilogue

The first time Harold Finch saw Elena Cassidy wasn't in New York's Queensbridge Park.

It was at IFT in 2006. He just didn't know it.

He'd taken a break from working on the Machine to discuss something with Nathan, but Nathan had been busy showing off his office to a young brunette.

"She doesn't look like she's even out of college, Nathan," Harold chides once he gets Nathan alone.

"She isn't," Nathan admits. "She's just here for the summer, helping out while Mary's on maternity leave."

"And do all summer interns get a tour from the CEO?"

"Here at IFT, we value each and every employee," Nathan says in his best corporate executive voice.

"Careful, Nathan. We don't need a scandal on top of everything, not now."

"Stop worrying, mother hen. I don't have nefarious designs. She's a sweet thing. Very pretty. Beautiful smile. But young, a bit naive. Not exactly my type."

Harold gives him an unimpressed look. "That sounds exactly like your type."

"Olivia also knows her grandmother from church, a grandmother who will kill me if I try anything."

"Ah, well, that's a different story, then. What's her name?"

"Elaine. Ellie, something like that. Why? Are you going to use your Machine to run a background check on her?"

"The Machine could do that without a name, as you very well know." Finch glances toward the outer office. "Oh. Interesting."

"What is it now, Harold?" Nathan sighs.

"Will's home for the summer, too, isn't he?"

"Yes. Why do you ... oh."

Harold slips away back to his lair before Will catches his Uncle Harold also visiting his father at IFT that day. However, Will seems to have forgotten his father entirely as he chats with the temporary executive assistant.