"Yeah," he said, pacing the small living room. "We've got two options. One: sit here and stew in our anger. Or two: figure out how to get our money back."
She raised an eyebrow. "And how do you suggest we do that?"
"By outsmarting the scammers," he said with a grin. "You're good at research, right? And I've got connections—people who've dealt with shady stuff like this before. We start there."
S'eris considered his words, a flicker of determination replacing her earlier frustration. "Fine. But if we're doing this, we're doing it my way. No impulsive stunts."
Tamir held up his hands. "Scout's honor."
She rolled her eyes but couldn't help the small smile that crept onto her face.
Over the next few days, they fell into an uneasy partnership. S'eris dug through property records, cross-referenced business licenses, and compiled a list of other victims, while Tamir reached out to his network for advice.
One evening, as they compared notes, Tamir paused and glanced at S'eris. "You know, you're kind of intense when you're in research mode."
She shot him a look. "Is that supposed to be a compliment?"
"Depends. Do you like compliments?" he teased.
She shook her head, but the corners of her lips twitched upward. "Just focus, Tamir."
"Alright, alright," he said, chuckling.
S'eris leaned back in her chair, scrolling through yet another set of county records. Her eyes were dry from staring at the screen for hours, but she wasn't about to stop now. The more she dug, the clearer the scam's pattern became.
"They're using shell companies to cover their tracks," she said, more to herself than Tamir, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor with a notebook.
"Yeah, I figured as much," Tamir replied, jotting something down. "But this one—" He pointed to a name circled on the paper. "This guy keeps showing up in all the LLCs. Might be our key to figuring out who's really running this."
S'eris leaned over to see what he'd written. "Jeremiah Styles."
Tamir nodded. "According to my guy, Styles is the middleman. He's the one handling the paperwork and laundering the money through fake accounts."
She narrowed her eyes at the name. "If we can connect him to the scam, we might be able to pressure him into giving us something."
Tamir tilted his head. "Pressure him how? You planning on knocking on his door with that drill of yours?"
S'eris smirked. "Tempting, but no. If we can find proof he's involved, we could report him—or use it to make him talk."
Tamir grinned. "Now you're thinking like a hustler."
She rolled her eyes. "I'm thinking like someone who wants her money back."
The atmosphere shifted as they refocused on their work, their synergy surprisingly effective. S'eris's meticulous attention to detail paired well with Tamir's ability to think on his feet and connect dots others might miss.
"I still don't get why they targeted us," S'eris said after a while, her tone thoughtful. "I mean, why not go after people who wouldn't notice the red flags?"
Tamir paused, his expression darkening slightly. "Maybe they thought we wouldn't fight back. People look at us—two Black folks trying to get ahead—and assume we'll just roll over when things go south."
S'eris nodded slowly, her anger simmering beneath the surface. "Well, they messed with the wrong people."
Breaking Down Walls
Their investigation wasn't the only thing keeping them busy. Fixing up the house became a shared project, one that brought them closer in unexpected ways.
"Pass me the tape measure," S'eris said, crouching by the crooked kitchen cabinets.
Tamir handed it to her without comment, watching as she measured the gap between the frame and the wall.
"You're pretty handy," he said after a moment.
"Had to be," she replied, not looking up. "My mom couldn't afford to call a repairman every time something broke, so I learned to fix things myself."
Tamir smiled faintly. "Same here. My dad used to say, 'Why pay someone to do what you can figure out on your own?'"
She glanced at him, her expression softening slightly. "Sounds like he was a good man."
"He was," Tamir said quietly. "Taught me a lot before he passed. HVAC was his thing too. Guess I stuck with it because… I don't know, it felt like keeping a piece of him alive."
S'eris nodded, her gaze dropping back to her work. "I get that."
For the first time since they'd met, their banter gave way to a moment of genuine connection.
Piecing Together the Puzzle
One night, as they spread out their research across the living room floor, Tamir leaned back against the couch with a sigh.
"We're getting close," he said, pointing to a web of names and companies they'd mapped out. "If we can just find one solid lead, we've got them."
S'eris traced a line between two LLCs with her finger. "This address," she said, tapping on a property linked to Jeremiah Styles. "It's local. If he's using it as an office, we might be able to catch him off guard."
Tamir raised an eyebrow. "You want to stake the place out?"
"Why not?" she challenged. "You said you wanted to outsmart them. This is how we do it—find out what he's hiding."
He grinned. "You're a lot sneakier than I gave you credit for."
"I'll take that as a compliment," she said dryly.
The plan was set: they would scope out the address the next day and see if it led to any new information.
Stakeout Shenanigans
The following afternoon, they parked a few blocks away from the nondescript office building. S'eris sat in the driver's seat, her micro-locs pulled back into a bun, while Tamir kept watch from the passenger side.
"This feels like one of those cop shows," Tamir joked, munching on a bag of chips.
"Except we're the broke version," S'eris quipped, her eyes scanning the building's entrance.
Hours passed with little activity, but just as they were about to call it a day, a sleek black car pulled up. A man in a tailored suit stepped out, his face partially obscured by sunglasses.
"That's him," Tamir whispered, straightening in his seat.
S'eris reached for her phone, snapping a few discreet photos. "Jeremiah Styles," she murmured. "Now we just need to figure out what he's up to."
They watched as Styles entered the building, carrying a briefcase.
Tamir frowned. "You think he's meeting someone?"
"Probably," S'eris said. "But we're not exactly in a position to find out right now."
Tamir's grin was mischievous. "Speak for yourself. I've got an idea."
Before she could protest, he stepped out of the car and started walking toward the building.
"Tamir!" she hissed, but he waved her off.
To Be Continued
S'eris watched anxiously as Tamir disappeared into the building, her heart pounding in her chest. This was not part of the plan.