A: Mmm, these flowers are gorgeous, aren't they?
B: I'm afraid to read the card
A: Oh! Don't sweat it! They are for me! They are from a secret admirer.
A: No!
B: Yes!
A: Who is it?
B: I don't know. They have got to be from that guy from the bar the other night.
A: What is his name?
B: William.
A: Oh! that's right! He was really into you!
B: I mean who else it could be? I have only done a couple of Gianni shows and at
this rate I'll have my first stalker by the end of the year.
Movie: Fashion House
Why did she use "could" here? Is it kind of logical deduction? Can we use "can" or "might" there?
Best Answer
Firstly, this should be “who else could it be?”. The word order is important.
Secondly, ‘could’ is sometimes used as a softer version of ‘can’. “Who else can it be?” is also possible here, and it’s very close in meaning to “Who else could it be?”. My feeling is that ‘could’ is introducing an element of uncertainty here and inviting the other person to make possible suggestions as to who it might be, other than the person they suspect it is.