Chapter 239: The Private Investigation Begins at Melissa’s Cafe

Not long after, Eric, Katie, Keisha, and Mike headed downstairs to meet with Norman and a man in his fifties, a retired cop currently working as a private investigator, at Melissa’s pastry cafe, since the two men preferred not to head up to the office.

Once everyone was seated at a table, Melissa temporarily locked up the front shop and stepped outside, giving Eric and the others total privacy after serving fresh coffee and pastries.

"Alright, while we wait for Greg to get here, let’s kick things off," Katie opened.

"I’ve already let Greg know to come straight down here," Eric said, checking his smartphone.

"Ah right, Eric, let me introduce you to Mr. Kyle Cole. He’s one of the private investigators frequently retained by the Stone and Friends law firm for major investigations, and he’s also skilled in forensic audits to help crack tricky cases," Katie introduced the fifty-year-old middle-aged man sitting next to Norman.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Kyle," Eric said, extending his hand.

"Nice to meet you too, Mr. Eric. I’m glad I finally get to meet you in person. I heard a lot about your work when I was handling the investigation over at CJR Real Estate and Construction," Kyle smiled.

"Ah... thanks for all your hard work back then," Eric replied, finally coming face-to-face with the PI who had helped him out in the past.

"Okay... let’s get right down to business. Ms. Keisha, could you describe the guy you spotted trailing one of the Nobelia members?" Norman asked Keisha.

"Honestly, I didn’t get a very clear look at his face because he was wearing a hoodie, but he was a bit heavy-set, carrying a backpack, and holding a camera. He looked like a college student... and it seemed like he wore glasses and had a wide face," Keisha recalled, piecing the details together.

"Where exactly did you spot him?" Norman asked.

"Across the street. That evening, I happened to be walking Tania out to the curb and chatting with her about choreography. Before Ruby came out of the basement with her car, Tania ran back inside for a moment to grab something. That guy crossed the street, intending to follow Tania inside, but he froze right in front of the building. I immediately called him out and asked what he wanted, and he bolted," Keisha answered.

"Hmm... why did you walk Tania out to the street instead of taking her down to the basement?" Norman pressed.

"Because Tania and I were on the main floor reviewing and ironing out the steps for the choreography we’re practicing. Ruby had already headed down to grab the car along with Jade, who was also getting picked up in the basement, while Emma had already gone upstairs. I took Tania to the main floor because there was still a movement she was struggling with, and messing it up during a live performance could ruin the whole routine. For the upcoming song, she’s stepping in as the center, taking over Emma’s spot for half the track," Keisha explained.

"Hmm... that’s right, I was picking up Jade that day... if I remember correctly, it was about three days ago, right?" Mike chimed in.

"That’s spot on, Mr. Mike," Keisha confirmed.

Norman scribbled notes down on his pad, while Kyle sat quietly, nodding along as if mentally processing every single detail.

"Do you happen to recall the color of his hoodie?" Norman asked.

"Hmm... I didn’t pay close attention, but it looked like a shade of gray. I’m not entirely sure because when he took off, his back was blocked by his heavy backpack, and it was already past 7 PM, so it was pretty dark out... but I’m 100 percent certain he was carrying a camera," Keisha said, deep in thought.

"I see... based on Ms. Keisha’s description, the guy definitely sounds suspicious, but is it possible he was just an overzealous fan trying to snap secret photos of his favorite idol?" Norman suggested.

"That’s definitely a possibility... but what’s strange is that Jade, Emma, and Ruby experienced the exact same thing, right?" Eric pointed out, looking at Keisha.

"That’s correct, Mr. Eric. It wasn’t until I heard their stories the next day that everything clicked, and I realized how suspicious the guy I ran into that night really was," Keisha added.

"In that case, could I get statements directly from Jade, Emma, Ruby, and Tania?" Norman requested.

"They’ll be coming down shortly. Right now, they’re still shaken up over this scandal, take a look for yourself," Katie said, sliding her smartphone across the table toward Norman.

Norman scanned the article, his eyes darting from right to left and scrolling down to the bottom. Once he finished, he set the phone back down. Kyle picked it up next and gave it a thorough read.

"Hmm... this piece is completely fabricated, right?" Norman asked.

"Not a word of it is true," Eric stated.

Eric recounted what Tania had told him, adding that once Tania and Greg arrived, they could explain the details firsthand. Norman nodded thoughtfully as he listened, then swept his gaze across Eric, Keisha, Katie, and Mike.

"Alright, whether the claims in this article are true or false, let’s set that aside for a moment until we get official statements. One thing is certain: this photo was taken from across the street, perfectly framed, and captured with extreme precision. Whoever took this shot was clearly waiting there ahead of time, knowing full well that Tania and Greg were walking into that hotel. They must have been trailing Tania from the moment she left her place," Norman analyzed.

"Exactly. Judging by the angle and the deliberate framing, whoever shot this remained completely calm. This wasn’t some random bystander pulling out a camera on the fly; they were staked out outside that hotel from the moment Tania arrived until she walked out," Kyle agreed, studying the photo closely.

"In other words, someone has been targeting the members of Nobelia right from the start?" Mike asked.

"Precisely. We don’t know their ultimate motive or what they’re trying to achieve yet, but it’s clear someone is systematically stalking the Nobelia girls. Now it’s just a matter of nailing down the suspect’s identity so we can launch a full investigation," Norman concluded.

"Fair enough. Let’s wait for the girls and Greg to get down here," Katie said.

"Bro, do you have any corporate rivals trying to take you down? Reading through this article, the target isn’t just Nobelia, it’s your entire business setup. Look, your company name is dropped three times, directly tied to Nobelia, and the headline paints your company as failing to honor its agreements, forcing the girls to resort to shady side gigs just to stay relevant... even though none of that is true," Mike pointed out, scrolling through the article on his own phone.

"Hmm... I honestly hadn’t thought about it from that angle," Eric muttered.

"It’s a very real possibility, Mr. Eric. If anything comes to mind, let me know immediately," Norman advised.

"Smear campaigns using manufactured gossip are a classic tactic," Kyle chimed in. "The goal is to manipulate public opinion, since people love a juicy scandal and will happily crucify whoever’s in the crosshairs without checking the facts."

Eric fell deep into thought. Right now, he couldn’t pinpoint anyone with a personal grudge deep enough to want to ruin him, especially since Caleb, not Eric, was the public face of Elliot’s Production. Then, his mind flashed back to the voicemail from Ingrid Watson, who somehow knew about E.R Holdings and reached out right as this social media hit-piece dropped.

Sensing that Eric had fallen silent and deep in thought, Katie leaned forward across the table past Keisha, who was sitting right next to Eric.

"Does something come to mind, Eric? Go ahead and share it with us," Katie urged.

Eric paused for a moment. He turned to look at Keisha beside him, then pulled his smartphone from his pocket and laid it flat on the table.

"Um... well, I’m not sure if this is relevant to what we’re dealing with right now, but earlier today I received a call from an unknown number, and they left a voicemail. Please, listen to this," Eric said, tapping his screen to play the voice message on speakerphone.

Ingrid’s voice echoed through the quiet cafe. Katie and Norman’s expressions shifted instantly at the sound, while Kyle, Keisha, and even Mike maintained neutral looks. As the voicemail ended, Katie stood up.

"Eric, can we talk outside for a second?" Katie asked.

"I’m coming too," Norman added, rising from his chair.

"Alright, let’s step outside for a moment... sorry, Ms. Keisha, Mr. Kyle, and Mike, we’ll be right back," Eric excused himself.

"No worries, bro... take your time," Mike replied.

"Go ahead, Mr. Eric," Keisha nodded.

Kyle remained silent with a knowing smile, clearly piecing together what Katie and Norman wanted to discuss in private. Once they were outside on the sidewalk,

"How on earth did a woman named Ingrid know that you’re E.R Holdings? Do you have any idea who she is?" Katie pressed, her tone dead serious.

Eric recounted his earlier phone conversation with his father, Martin, detailing who Ingrid was according to Martin’s background information. Both Katie and Norman immediately fell into deep thought.

"Hmm... let’s keep this on our radar for now. For the Nobelia scandal specifically, that invitation doesn’t seem directly relevant yet, but we shouldn’t rule it out either. Besides, it’s pretty mysterious how she managed to get your personal number and link you to E.R Holdings, it’s almost as if someone handed her your information directly," Norman noted, his suspicion evident.

"Exactly. Please forward that voicemail to me so I can log it in our files. As for whether or not you should attend that event, hold off until you hear back from your dad," Katie instructed.

"Got it... sending it to you right now," Eric replied, immediately forwarding the audio file to Katie’s phone.