That Went Well Who: Roman/Celeste/NPC Caleb (Written by Jess) What: A meeting Where: Las Vegas When: December 3rd Ratings/Warnings: Medium, reference to violence, threats
Celeste wasn’t the type of person who sat back and let things happen to her. She never had been. Which is why she had dug out the card that Roman gave her, and rang up the lawyer to arrange a meeting between them and Caleb, in a public place away from Searchlight. Her brother didn’t need to know where she lived.
The brunette parked the truck she had borrowed from James away from the hotel and opted to walk a few blocks over so that the make, model, and license plate remained unseen by Caleb.
I have her.
That text sent to Caleb had been gratifying. Like Celeste, Roman wasn’t the most apt to sit and wait unless there was a large prize waiting at the end of that metaphorical rope. This had been strung along for far too many days, in his opinion, mostly because it was delicate and he could see things that either side couldn’t. That happened when you were in too deep and had singular focus.
They’d been ‘searching’ for Celeste for a while now. Roman knew she was in Searchlight from the conversation at M&M and a bit of background snooping he’d done on her. And yet he’d kept her location close to the chest.
Oh, but now she was ready to meet.
The conversation with Caleb had been brief - a location that Celeste would be and they would go together to ensure his part of the deal was followed on (as anyone would want to see through) and also that he’d been true to his word.
Roman had offered to drive so that Caleb would be free to walk away without a trail at the end.
Creeping toward the location in the Navigator, the lawyer eased the vehicle a bit away so as not to be spotted and as if playing along with the secret mission. He really did feel like James Bond.
“She should be here shortly, or says the tip from the anonymous source,” Roman murmured, waiting around.
Caleb sat in the passenger seat of the luxurious, and in his opinion, overly ostentatious vehicle, staring straight ahead, his body tense and on guard. He didn’t think Celeste would attack him unprovoked or in front of people, but he had been waiting for this for what seemed like an age. There was no sentiment involved in seeing his younger sister. He was pragmatic to a fault.
“You delivered,” he replied to Roman. “You’ll receive the check for the second half of your payment after this meeting.” And then he spotted the brunette walking up to the entrance of the hotel lounge.
Celeste entered the hotel lobby and made a beeline for the bar and lounge, as instructed. She shot a text to James letting him know that she had arrived, then slipped her phone back into her pocket before finding a spot with two pairs of plush armchairs facing each other with a low table in between. From her vantage point, she could see the lobby and out onto the street from the plate glass windows.
“I always do,” he assured the other man with a perfect smile. Sharp eyes stayed focused and he watched as Celeste made her way into the location. The money was the bonus; he lived for the drama of situations exactly like this.
“We can move when you’re ready.”
As if on cue the doors for the Navigator clicked, signaling they were unlocked.
He would let Caleb call the shots from here. This was his situation, as it was, and whatever happened was between the siblings.
Caleb swung open the door, stepping out onto the sidewalk and adjusting his button-down shirt. The weather was in the high 50s today, tolerable and with a light breeze and plenty of sunshine. He felt good. In control.
Inside the hotel, she ordered a sparkling water and leaned back against the armchair. Celeste hadn’t yet spotted the Navigator. She was less nervous than she thought she would have been. Mostly, she was both wary and weary, ready to get whatever happened next rolling.
Roman eased into a pair of expensive sunglasses. The frames were posh and masculine with sharp edges that outlines his face and complimented all of the right attributes.
Crisply, he adjusted his suit and stepped out of the black vehicle keeping his expression flat though he was anxious on the inside, almost giddy for the culmination.
Toward the hotel he moved. Roman caught the door for Caleb, bading the man to enter first before he followed promptly.
Caleb nodded at what he took to be a show of deference from Roman and entered the hotel. He found these places exceedingly sterile and soulless, but it would serve its purpose well. Stepping into the lounge area, he caught Celeste’s eye immediately and shot her a cold smile. Her expression remained neutral as he and the lawyer approached.
The brunette sat up a little straighter, alert. She hadn’t seen Caleb since she was 19, but he still looked mostly the same. They had never been close, even when she was lockstep with their family’s views. “Hello, Roman,” she spoke, her gaze sweeping over to the taller, dark-haired man. And then, “Caleb.”
As they entered the hotel the sunglasses would be slipped off, tucked into the inner pocket of his coat. He moved swiftly toward where Celeste sit waiting, staying a step behind Caleb so as to pretend the other man was in the lead.
“Miss Henry,” Roman greeted cordially. Always polite and formal, at least in these circumstances. The charade was not yet over.
He fell silent and waited to see what would happen next.
Caleb took the armchair across from Celeste, watching her carefully. She didn’t look much different in the photos he had been provided. The brunette watched him in turn, her hands resting on the arms of the chair, her fingers digging slightly into the material. He turned to Roman before speaking.
“Does the lawyer-client confidentiality extend to this meeting?” he asked, still with that icy smile on his face.
Celeste raised an eyebrow, unconsciously leaning forward another fraction of an inch. She hated being still like this, hated the fake manners.
“But of course,” Roman replied. He moved to sit down in the empty chair next to Caleb’s, finding the other empty one odd. “You are still my client, aren’t you?” The question was posed but offered with an obvious connotation and a bit of absence. Then he turned his focus on the pair of siblings, unfazed.
Beneath him, the chair was comfortable and giving. The material was new, as if it was rarely utilized for hosting guests and was more of an accent to the aesthetic.
“Then I’ll be frank,” Caleb continued, turning to Celeste and speaking directly to her now. “First, I want to let you know that no one else back home knows that I’m looking for you.”
Celeste felt a sting of vindication upon hearing that. She had already figured that was the case. “Is that because you’re here to hurt me?” she asked, glancing at Roman. “Also, I would like to point out that this confidentiality doesn’t extend to me. I can go to the police and tell them whatever it is you’re planning.”
At that, Caleb laughed. “You wouldn’t go to the police, Celeste. Did you forget that we grew up together? Anyway, if you decided to do something completely out of character like that, then...I would be forced to tell them about the jewelry store robbery in Colorado.” He sat back in the chair, a satisfied expression replacing the cold smile.
Roman knew Celeste wasn’t wrong, she was not his client but then he hadn’t told her about Caleb in the first place to lead her into a trap. There was an understanding here, or at least he assumed as much, that they would have to tolerate each other until the climax had been reached and the resources were expended.
“You’d be surprised at the number of Las Vegas Police I know personally, Miss Henry. Besides, I feel as if this can be settled without outside engagement. You are adults, after all.” His voice had taken on a soothing tone, as if he were trying to make the peace though that was not his intent. He didn’t care if they hated each other or wanted to kill each other, as long as he got paid for his time and resources.
Roman held his hands up in a gesture as if to say she was out of options, but he fell silent again, keeping his cards close to his chest.
The mention of his Las Vegas police friends rankled Celeste. She turned to Roman, narrowing her eyes. “That sounds like a very polite threat,” she said slowly, her tone even. “Have you had any good coffee today?” the brunette added pointedly, a vague reference to their first meeting at M&M in Searchlight.
She crossed her arms as she looked between the lawyer and her brother. “And I didn’t know adults routinely hired lawyers to do their stalking for them. Which class in law school taught you about that, again?”
Caleb cleared his throat, somewhat amused at the back-and-forth between errant sister and lawyer. “Let’s set the police talk aside and get to the heart of the matter. I assume you know our father is dead, and I’ve taken over all duties and responsibilities from him.”
“That’s the beauty of words, Miss Henry,” Roman purred, offering her a winning smile. “The context is always surprising in their interpretation. It’s like a dance, in a way, a waltz. Do you know the steps, Celeste?” An eyebrow would quirk playfully, though he left the question hanging in the air.
Whatever she thought she had on him could be proven baseless. He knew to cover his tracks.
“I did, actually. A beautifully constructed macchiato at M&M.” It was nearly a challenge for her to bring up the meeting. For her sake, he felt bad for her. Her back was against the wall. But it was part of the role he played so that Caleb didn’t suspect either of them.
As Caleb cleared his throat, the conversation refocused. Roman quieted and gave the floor to the siblings to cadence across as they pleased.
“It’s illuminating to know that you think of this as a dance, instead of a person’s life,” Celeste answered coolly. That performative act of nobility of warning Celeste that she was being tailed by Caleb meant nothing to her now. She wouldn’t be forgetting that soon.
“In case you don’t know what my brother’s talking about, he’s referring to the cult in Utah that my late father started. You’ve been helping a cult leader,” she explained to Roman before turning back to Caleb. “And yes, I saw the news about his death. I bet you were thrilled.”
“It was a blessing in disguise,” Caleb answered. “While I respected him greatly, I think you’re well aware that I didn’t always agree with his methods. Which is one of the many reasons why I’ve sought you out. I wanted to make sure you weren’t planning on interfering with us.”
Roman could only shrug his shoulders as Celeste addressed him. “What occurs outside the doors of my office is none of my concern, Miss Henry. I know what I am supposed to, and more if I can help it. You don’t think I would let high profile clients like Mr. Henry out of my scope? Knowing the background of someone is to understand the imperative essence of why they need my services.” Caleb could’ve been a murderer. Roman flatly didn’t care. His knowledge extended to what was important, things which could twist or impact a case. But this wasn’t a courtroom.
Religious freedom was one of the more sensitive areas of the human psyche and he did his best to skirt around that if it could be helped. Adapting a don’t ask don’t tell mentality in certain circumstances was a tool he utilized when needed.
And then he quieted again and kept his silent focus on the exchange of words.
Roman was shameless, Celeste realized, her temper flaring. But she needed to focus. Caleb was the issue at hand. “Why would I try to interfere?” she shot back at her brother. “I left. I didn’t want to see any of you again. I never asked you to insert yourself into my life.”
“Cult is an ugly word, Celeste,” he answered, ignoring her question. “And you really can’t think of a reason why I think you’d interfere?” he asked with a raised eyebrow. “No plans you made? Say, about...ending the world?”
The eyebrows of the lawyer would rise in a way that a parent’s might when scolding a child. Perfectly arched, manicured tufts silently judging. Of course he was grinning, though, much the same way the Cheshire Cat from Alice would when it found something interesting to indulge.
Caleb’s claim about ending the world brought no shock or reaction from him. Roman only became more comfortable in the seat and waited patiently as they spoke.
Celeste’s expression filled him with glee.
She sighed, her arms uncrossing. She didn’t want to discuss her previous mindset. It felt like decades ago, even though it was only months. After arriving in Searchlight, becoming close to and falling in love with James, discovering an affinity for magic and realizing that there were things worth keeping the world rotating for...it was like talking about a different Celeste, one that no longer existed. “That isn’t my intention anymore,” she told Caleb. “Whether you believe me, or not.”
“I think I understand, though,” admitted Caleb. “Not about making the world end, but not sitting around and waiting for it to happen.” He paused, folding his hands and taking on a solemn tone. “I’ve been thinking along the same lines. We think we’ve been targeted by an...investigation.”
Roman listened to the exchange of words with a bit of interest. While he didn’t want the world to end, it still intrigued him that a single individual could be responsible for such a pivotal, life changing event.
His attention drifted to the lobby. A woman sauntered past and Roman wanted to follow her, to engage her in conversation. A moment was taken to muse, though his attention went back to the matter at hand.
Celeste shifted uncomfortably in the plush leather armchair. Her memory took her back to when she was twelve and playing hide and seek with Bobby, and stumbling across that man with the camera who asked her strange questions about her family. The next day, he was gone. “That doesn’t surprise me,” she answered, tilting her chin up slightly and not turning away from Caleb’s icy blue gaze. “Maybe that’s what should happen. This has gone on long enough, don’t you think?”
“Don’t pretend to be stupid, Celeste,” Caleb answered back harshly. “Anyway, I’ve determined that we won’t be letting any kind of investigation run its course. The better option is to end things now. Why delay the inevitable? We’ll be welcomed into heaven with open arms, and we won’t have to suffer any kind of battle or indignity.”
The brunette’s mouth dropped open slightly. “You’re fucking insane,” she blurted out. “You can’t be saying what I think you are.” Their father had brought this up before, of course, but always as the last, most desperate resort.
Roman absorbed the information and also the animated reactions from Celeste. He felt a touch surprised but his own expression remained evened out. While he was supposed to report things to the authorities that may be harmful to others, Roman had no desire to stop the conversation or do much of anything to stop the momentum.
His knowledge of cults or what people claimed to be religious havens or groups wasn’t more than what many others knew - he was familiar with some of the more intense situations that arose, primarily the news reports from that time in Waco and a few other circumstances.
But the lawyer only spectated.
“You couldn’t have missed this, Miss Henry,” Roman added, as if scolding her a touch for not seeing it coming.
Celeste rounded on Roman. “You have no idea what you’re talking about,” she told him, her temper rising like a snake uncoiling. She was growing rather tired of his smug, supercilious attitude. “You didn’t grow up the way I did. You haven’t seen the things I have.” The memory of her younger brother’s death sprang up in her mind, unbidden.
“Anyone who thinks they can stop it, or gets in the way, well...I’d have to get rid of them. Including you,” Caleb told Celeste. “If you plan on interfering, or coming to Utah, or foolishly attempt to contact the authorities. I don’t even need to be there. With one phone call, they will follow my orders and it’ll be done.”
Roman only offered Celeste a sympathetic smile. “I don’t have to know every single detail, Miss Henry. Your reaction tells me all that I need to know.” They didn’t have to have the same background to be victims, all that mattered was the core of the problem and what you did about it. That was where they differed in opinion.
He only observed patiently through the next part, taking mental notes and seeing what he could use, salvage, or keep for later need.
The brunette took a moment to steady herself emotionally. Anger or fear wasn’t going to be her ally in this situation. She also knew, now, what she needed to do, which in some ways was a gift. There was no uncertainty now.
“I won’t interfere,” she told Caleb. “That has absolutely nothing to do with me now. I left for a reason. Do what you need to do. I’m done with it.”
An expression of surprise flickered across Caleb’s face. “That...was easier than I had expected.” He turned to Roman. “I suppose our business is done, now.”
Roman turned to Caleb with a nod. He took a moment to smooth a hand down the front of his own suit, then began to stand. “Miss Henry, it was a pleasure to see you today. Myself and my client thank you immensely for your time.” While he didn’t believe Celeste was being honest, if Caleb was finished with his business then they were done.
He waited for Caleb to join him in standing, keeping his focus on Celeste all the while. This was too public a place to try to do much of anything but he knew some sneakier people who were bold enough to try things even in broad daylight.
Celeste nodded, but remained seated. “I’m going to stay here,” she told him, “And have a drink.” That was a lie, but she didn’t want to chance either of them following her to James’s truck.
Caleb raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, opting instead to follow Roman out of the hotel. Of course, he didn’t take his sister at her word, knowing as he did that she was not the type to sit back and do nothing as something big happened. Still, there was nothing he could do about it in such a public place. “Let’s go, then,” he told Roman.
Roman nodded at Celeste, offering her a charming albeit Cheshire Cat like grin. Those sunglasses would slide back onto his face as they exited he hotel, and he got the door once more for Caleb.
“Well, that was eventful,” Roman murmured, leading his client back toward where they’d parked his vehicle. If Caleb needed to take phone calls or whatever, they could wait to begin the trek back to the office.
“I can’t help but find that she’s up to more than she is letting on to.”
“She might be,” Caleb agreed. “But I have ways of dealing with her if she is.” He gave Roman a somewhat ominous smile.