Page 145 of Playing for Keeps
My eyes widen. “Oh my God…that’s exactly what she’s doing to Wyatt.”
Nash nods. “Right? And get this, she got away. No charges filed.”
Wyatt frowns. “How? That’s fraud!”
“They couldn’t prove her identity. The guy didn’t even know her real name. The cops traced the emails and calls to prepaidburners. The fake documents couldn’t be tied to her directly. She used an alias and disappeared before they could track her down. They still don’t know who she is.”
“So, she could have done this multiple times?” Mom asks.
“That’s the theory. I’ve got three possible cases so far. Each time, she changes her name, and all in different states. She targets high-profile men, claims fake marriages or relationships, and then pressurizes them to pay up to avoid a scandal. It’s smart, but completely illegal and hard to pin down with fake IDs and seemingly legit documents.”
Wyatt drags a hand down his face, his jaw tight. “So, what now?”
Nash sighs. “It’s not going to be easy. I’ve got a tech friend trying to catch her out. He’s trying to link the images and emails she sent to the guy in Miami to a device or cloud she forgot to clear.” He pauses, his eyebrows raising slightly. “You said she showed up at your publicist’s office, right?”
Wyatt nods. “Yeah.”
He nods. “Can you ask her if she left a number?”
“Sure.”
Wyatt pulls out his phone, finds the contact, and brings it to his ear. “Cleo, hey.”
He pauses. “Yeah, things have been better. Listen, I’m back in Hope Creek with Ivy and my brother.”
Another pause. “Training’s not a priority right now. I texted Coach this morning, told him it’s a family emergency. I’ll deal with the consequences later.”
As he continues filling Cleo in on what Nash uncovered, my mind starts to wander. It hadn’t even occurred to me that him being here meant skipping training. I was just relieved to have him with me. But now, hearing him say it, the worry creeps in. He’s told me before how strict his coach is, that no one gets a freepass. I just hope being here for me doesn’t cost him something important.
“When she came to your office, did she leave any contact details?” He listens for a second, then says, “All right, hold on.” Lowering the phone, he turns to Nash.
“She just gave an email address.”
Nash’s eyes narrow as if he’s thinking. “Ask Cleo if she’d be willing to reach out and request a meeting. Somewhere public, just to get this woman to respond.”
Wyatt nods and brings the phone back to his ear. “Cleo, can you do me a favor? Would you be okay emailing her and asking to meet up again? Just say you’ve thought about it and want to talk more. Maybe ask for a number.” He pauses, listening. “Yeah, I get it, but Nash thinks it’s the best way to track her down.”He pauses again. “Okay, thanks. Let me know as soon as she replies.”
He ends the call and turns to Nash. “She’s going to do it. She’s emailing her now.”
“Good,” Nash says. “If we can get this woman to agree to a meeting, I can have someone from the Phoenix PD watching. They might even trail her, and hopefully we can get her real name and address. In the meantime, I’ll check in with my tech guy and see if he’s managed to find anything.”
“We’re getting close, right?” Wyatt asks Nash, his fingers lacing through mine.
“We are,” Nash says with a nod. “But we still need her to slip up. We need something that ties her directly to the fake documents or the emails. What we really need is her real name.”
“What if I met with her?” Wyatt offers.
Nash shakes his head firmly, and I exhale in quiet relief. “No. You’re too close to this, emotionally and publicly. She’d pick up on that in a heartbeat. Given the fallout, it makes more sense for your publicist to follow up instead. Let’s hope Cara, or whateverher real name is, takes the bait.” He gets to his feet. “Call me the second you hear anything back. If she bites, I’ll loop in Phoenix PD, and we’ll be ready.”
Wyatt stands and pulls Nash into a hug. “Thanks, man. I can’t tell you how much this means.”
“You don’t need to,” Nash says, clapping him on the back. “You’re my brother. And Ivy, she’s like family too.” He turns to me with a quick smile before addressing my parents. “If the press starts causing more trouble outside, call the station. We’ll send someone right over.”
“Thank you, Nash,” Mom says warmly.
“You heading back to Phoenix, Wyatt?”
“Not until tomorrow. I told Coach I needed today.”
