Chapter 3 - The Stakeout
The offices of Caleb Ross Marketing & Ventures were located in a trendy converted brick warehouse downtown—a space Nora had helped him secure by leveraging her commercial real estate contacts. Back then, she thought she was investing in his future. Now, parked across the street in her Audi SUV, she realized she had simply funded his stage set.
From her vantage point, she watched the glass-fronted ground-floor office. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, she could see Caleb pacing rapidly. He was holding a phone to his ear with one hand, gesticulating wildly with the other. A young woman—probably an administrative assistant hired to look important—was standing near his desk holding a tablet, looking terrified.
Caleb looked different. Thinner, perhaps. His jawline was sharper, courtesy of a recent weight loss or high-end grooming, and his hair was styled with expensive product. He was wearing a custom-tailored charcoal suit that Nora immediately recognized as being from the luxury menswear boutique on her statement—a $3,200 charge from three weeks ago.
Her phone buzzed again. Another text from Caleb, his tone shifting from demanding to panicked.
“Nora, seriously. This isn't funny if you’re playing games. My entire reputation is riding on this weekend. Call me.”
Your reputation.
Nora shifted the car into drive. She didn't want to confront him in his office where he could control the narrative, spin a lie, or play the victim in front of his staff. She needed to strike where his illusion was strongest.
She checked her watch. 2:45 p.m.
May you like
She pulled out of her parking space and headed toward Rosecliff Estate. If Caleb was throwing a multi-day luxury takeover of a historic property, the staff would already be on-site setting up the installations.
And Nora wanted to see what $140,000 worth of stolen elegance looked like up close.
