2020-08-16 - Progress Report

Tor went through the proper channels to request a meeting with Rhys. He's not arrogant or stupid enough to just kind of waltz in on the other man. But he did make it clear to the appropriate thugs that he has information the other man asked for. It's only about four days after he was sent out on the task - and he's hoping that's a reasonable amount of time to return with information.

He's sitting outside his office, waiting, sipping from a bottle of water, hair pulled back in a loose ponytail, board shorts and tank top with flip flops a measure of the heat outside.

Proper channels are always a good idea! And whether he texted the number Rhys gave him or simply passed word the old fashioned way, the meeting was pretty promptly set. A man who looks much more like he's properly described as 'bouncer' (to be polite) or 'thug' (to be less so) than 'receptionist' emerges from above and waves Tor past. "He says to send you on up," the delivery guy is informed, and that appears to be him doing just that.

Upstairs, Rhys is looking reasonably normally Rhysish for daytime work here in the summer: dress shirt, sleeves rolled to the elbow, slacks, blazer hanging off to the side in case he needs it. He's got a bottle of water too, and is leaning back in his chair having a sip of it when Tor arrives. "Hey," the redhead greets, with a quick, bright grin. "How's it going? Got something good for me?"

"Got somethin, yeah. Guess it's up to you whether it's good or not." Tor doesn't look nervous so much as not-relaxed. He walks in and sits down.

"Good news is, I managed to deliver a couple times and stake out her office. And I got a look at her security system at her office, which is pretty high-end."

A beat, then he drops his head before admitting, "I got made after awhile. And these thugs started circling whenever I got too close. Even if I switched cars. So they got tipped off, so I had to back off."

Yeah, that pretty much qualifies under the good-news/bad-news rubric. Rhys's brows go up a little at the first portion, not so much surprise as anticipation for what these things may have revealed, and then come down with a grimace at the second part. "Ah. So we can probably presume they're aware we're on to her, then. Well. Shit." His fingertips tap lightly against the desk. "That's what I was trying to avoid. 'Whenever'? So how long have they seemed to suspect already?"

"Yeah," grumbles Tor. "Sorry. But I did manage to lose them on the reverse tail." Which is only a small mercy in Gray Harbor, since it wouldn't take much asking around to find out where the scruffy pizza delivery kid lives. "There's a chance they just think I was staking her out for a home robbery and not something bigger. But she's definitely up to some shit, man. Her office is on Main and it's wired to hell, and recently. No straight accountant needs that much security."

"How long?" Rhys asks again, brows lifting and a touch of emphasis on the second word. It's an answer he wants. "And they only caught you around her home?" That, like losing them on the tail, would be something, anyway. His fingers tap a couple times across the surface of the desk, lightly. "Okay. Well, tell me about what you found. The security's only recent? How recent, and just how much is there, what kinds? Did you get a chance to see if the house was that way too?"

"I managed to shake 'em pretty quickly. Within a couple blocks? Like they were way more concerned with getting me away than figuring out who I am." Tor is clearly not happy with his own performance in this mission. His leg rattles. "I don't know a lot about security stuff, but I do know when it's newly-installed and expensive. There were marks on the walls from hanging cameras, like someone fucked up placing the first one. And I spotted a bit of film on one of the lenses, like someone forgot to take it off. So. Real recent. And not secondhand shit either." To the other question, he half-shrugs. "I managed to deliver a pizza to her house. No security there that I could see. So if you wanted to try and get to her, her place on Oak is the place to go. But I'm guessing she's not bringing work home."

It's not quite the question Rhys intended, but that's interesting information nonetheless. More herding than hunting? Hm. The evidence for the security being new gets a twitch of a smile, smaller and briefer than usual, but postive nonetheless. Good detail. "Recent, new, expensive, but it sounds like installed by someone who didn't entirely know what they were doing, was in a big hurry, or both. That's interesting. And if they were keeping a close eye on the feeds, you'd think they'd notice film on a lens... unless it's been barely any time at all, I suppose. Either way, I wonder why now. It's not like she just moved in there, or just started taking clients someone might have an interest in."

He nods at the parts about her home, both observation and extrapolation, and there's another light tap of fingers against desk. "Thanks. And you'd said the thugs started showing up whenever you got too close, whatever car. So I also need to know, when did that begin happening? How long ago? And is there anything else you ran into I might want to know?"

"I don't know when they made me, just when I made them. Which was about the third time I came back around in a different car," says Tor. As for anything else? He shrugs and shakes his head. "Honestly, I'm pissed that I didn't learn more than I did. All I really did was confirm what you probably already suspected, and tipped them off in the process."

Rhys nods; it's not the ideal answer, but truth is what it is. "Was that today? Last night?" As far as the rest, he tilts his head one way and then the other. "Everything's a gamble. I thought our odds were pretty decent." A slight consideration. "I still think our odds were pretty decent. Sometimes you lose a reasonable bet." There's a certain resignation to it -- has to be. "But we have confirmation, new info on the security, interesting questions about the timing. It's something. And knowing they made you is better than being unaware, anyway." He studies the slightly-younger man for a moment. "For now, keep an eye and ear out. Let me know if you catch anything interesting."

"Last night," says Tor. "Didn't want to come straight here after in case they were still tailing me." Tor's leg rattles and he clenches his jaw. He nods to the instruction. "Will do."