I don't own White Collar.
Set in during the first half of season 2, so the U-boat treasure and Agent Kramer (oh how I despise him) don't exist yet. hah!
"Oh, come on Diana. I'm pretty sure we can call this even." Neal Caffrey said as he stepped off the elevator on the twenty-first floor of the FBI building on a Monday morning in New York City with Agent Diana Berrigan.
"We are so not even, Caffrey." She countered as she pushed the glass doors open and stepped inside the White Collar division office. She turned to face him once he had followed her through the threshold. "Stealing my debit card from my wallet goes way beyond what I did to you."
"I did not steal your debit card. I simply picked it up from the table and I bought you the biggest size of your favorite coffee. So really, you're getting mad at me for doing something for you."
Diana crossed her arms and failed to keep the corner of her mouth from lifting up. "Oh really? You do realize that when people say 'I bought you something' they mean they actually paid for it with their own money. You bought me something with my own money. Not only that but you bought yourself a cup of coffee."
"I told you," Neal drug out as he picked up the rubber band ball from his desk they were standing beside and rolled it around in his palm. "I left my wallet in Peter's car last night on the stakeout so I didn't have any money on me. Besides, last week you asked me to lunch and then conveniently left your money here at the office."
"Oh, come on. I only did that because you wouldn't bring me back a doughnut from Perry's Bake Shop that morning when you went on the coffee run!" She laughed as she shifted her weight onto one leg and stuck a hip out in mock attitude.
Neal gaped at her. "Perry's Bake Shop is six blocks away and it was storming outside!"
"If you two are done bickering, Diana I need you in the conference room." Peter interrupted as he walked up behind them. They both quickly turned their heads and tried to pass an innocent expression. Peter just gave them that look that meant he knew better. "Here's your wallet." He said tossing it to his consultant.
Neal grinned and shook it at Diana who rolled her eyes before turning her attention back to Peter.
"We got a new case, Boss?" Diana asked, as she glanced up at the conference room where a number of agents were frantically chatting. She felt her throat constrict when she noticed a few agents from the Homicide division.
"Yeah." Peter answered gravely. "Agent Harris...his wife was murdered last night and some of their heirlooms were stolen."
A look of sympathy crossed Diana's face. "Do they have a lead?"
Peter gave a short nod and motioned for her to walk. "Yeah, they seem pretty certain it was Sam. Agent Harris witnessed it and there's DNA evidence on the murder weapon as well."
Neal watched the conversation unfold, completely at a loss. He didn't know who Agent Harris was or the Sam of which Peter mentioned. He took a step forward to follow them, but was stopped by Peter coming to a halt and holding out a hand.
"What?" Neal asked. A look passed across Peter's face that the consultant couldn't read. The agent licked his bottom lip before biting it.
"You're going to catch up on writing those reports you tried to pass on to Agent Wesley today."
Neal started to shake his head and draw up to protest. "Peter-"
"Neal." Peter warned. "Finish the reports. You can work from home today. I'll check your anklet to make sure."
Neal's mouth hung open a little before he closed it in a tight smile and nodded his head. "Okay, yeah. Work from home today. Got it."
"I mean it, Neal." Peter emphasized while he followed Diana up the stairs and into the conference room.
"Why are you here?"
Neal questioned as he shut the door to his apartment behind him and walked over to the dining table where a short, balding man sat sipping some wine and reading a book.
"I could ask you the same thing."
Neal dropped his paperwork onto the table and dropped into the chair across from his friend. "I live here, Moz."
"It's Monday. Shouldn't you be at the pig sty?"
Neal rolled his eyes and grabbed an empty glass from the center of the table and poured himself a few sips of wine. "Peter's letting me work from home."
"Oh. The Suit is letting you or making you work from home?"
Neal threw a glare at him. "It's Monday. Shouldn't you be...I don't know...unraveling a conspiracy?"
"Ha. Ha. Did you know that-"
"Whatever it is, it's probably better that I didn't know so let's keep it that way." Neal countered, saving his ears and brain from having to suffer through one of Mozzie's long rants.
"So, what's with the Suit?" Mozzie asked, taking a sip of his wine.
"Nothing. There's just a case. Some Agent's wife was murdered last night."
"So why is Peter working on it?"
"Some of their family heirlooms were stolen." Neal replied.
"Ah, so why is it that you can't work on the case?"
The consultant locked his hands together and rested them under his nose, before dropping them onto the table. "I don't know, Moz. I don't know."
"So what are we going to do?"
A grin appeared on consultant's face. "See what you can find out about Agent Harris and who this Sam guy is."
"Alright. Let's get an APB out for Sam Hernandez. Start talking to all the transportation departments. Find this guy and be careful." Hughes said from the head of the conference table after giving out specific instructions to his agents. All of the agents started to scatter out of the conference room, except one.
"Sir, you can't leave me off this case." Agent John Harris spoke up once all his colleagues had left.
Reese stared at the Agent's face only marred by a bruise under his cheekbone and let out a sympathetic sigh. "John...I know you want to find Sam, but I can't let you out into the field. You're an agent out for blood, there's nothing worse for yourself, your colleagues and the department."
"Reese," John's voice faltered as his eyes started to water. "He k-killed my wife. He murdered-" The words caught in his throat and he shook his head with a mad laugh. "I know him better than anyone else. He has been my criminal informant for four years. They need my help to catch him."
Reese took a deep breath. "John, I know. I'll keep you in the loop and you can help out here, but that's all I can do for you. I can't let you out into the field. I'm sorry, John."
"Something's off." Peter said standing in the living room of John Harris's home.
"The famous Burke gut detector already working the magic?" Agent Clinton Jones asked while searching around the room, but getting no where.
"Yeah." Peter gave a short chuckle. "John said that he woke up to a loud crash, right?"
Diana and Jones nodded.
"Yeah. Then he came down stairs, followed by his wife and found his C.I. trying to steal from him. What does he do?"
"He tries to talk to Sam. Sam rushes him and they get in a fight. Sam gets Harris' gun, shoots his wife and while Harris checks on her, Sam flees with the heirlooms." Diana supplied.
"Exactly." Peter said, shaking his head. "Sam rushes Harris."
"So?"
"So why wouldn't Sam just run out of the door? Why would he rush Agent Harris who is armed, hoping he gets the gun just to shoot Harris' wife and not Harris?"
Jones shrugged his shoulders. "Couldn't shoot an FBI agent?"
"He's still shooting somebody. Either way its attempted murder or murder." Diana replied.
Peter nodded in agreement. "It doesn't add up."
"An interesting Suit you had me look into." Mozzie called as he walked back into Neal's apartment.
"What'd you find?" Neal questioned as he met Mozzie beside the table and retrieved the papers that the man was holding.
"Agent John Harris works in the Homicide division and has had to use his weapon quite few times while taking down a suspect, but other than that he is clean. Sam is Samuel Hernandez and he is, or was, Agent Harris' C.I. He has worked for the suit for four years. He was caught on attempted armed robbery but he was seventeen at the time so Harris tried to help him out and give him a second chance. They've worked well together." Mozzie eyed Neal. The consultant just gave a 'hmm' and indicated for Mozzie to continue.
"What is really interesting is the suit's wife, Michelle, who was five years younger and a receptionist at a doctor's office. She-"
Neal furrowed his brow with a smirk. "Why is that interesting?"
"I know patience is not a strong character trait for you, but-"
"On with it guidance counselor." Neal encouraged with amused annoyance.
"A few days ago she opened a bank account under her maiden name."
"Really?" Neal asked sounding too intrigued for Mozzie's liking.
Peter pulled his cell phone out of his suit pocket and tried to dial Neal's number only to find that his phone was dead. "Ah, damn it. I forgot to charge my phone last night."
"You want to use mine?" Jones asked as they left the crime scene empty handed, but now on a suspicious hunch.
"No, that's alright. I'll just charge it in the car. You two head back to the Bureau, start looking more into Sam. I want to question Agent Harris again, but I want to give him some time." Peter replied, walking to his car while Diana and Jones walked to another vehicle.
"So what are you going to do, Boss?" Diana asked, opening the door to the SUV.
"I'm going to check on my own consultant. Maybe him and the little guy can check their street contacts."
"Hey, why'd you send Caffrey home anyway?" Jones asked.
"Eh, I figured with Agent Harris at the FBI office, having another criminal informant around probably wouldn't help things much."
"Yeah, probably not. Well, we will check in if we get something."
Peter nodded and got into his car and drove off to a certain mansion on a fancy corner of New York.
Neal dialed Peter's number, but it went straight to voicemail.
"He's not answering. His phone must be dead."
"Try the other Suits." Mozzie offered.
"I'll just go down to the Bureau." Neal replied, buttoning his suit jacket.
"Aren't you supposed to 'work from home'? What's going to be your excuse?"
"I left my notes in my desk." Neal grinned.
"Oh, you left them there on purpose, didn't you? Nicely done."
"John, you've done all you can. Go get some rest or some fresh air." Hughes suggested as he walked into the conference room where he sat reading over Sam's file.
"Reese-"
"Now John, or I'll have you escorted." Hughes ordered but without heat, just friendly concern.
Agent Harris blew out a long breath but nodded. "Yeah, alright."
Neal rounded the corner that the Bureau was on. He was caught up in his own thoughts, not paying any attention to the people around him until he heard someone behind him say 'hey'. It being midday in the city of New York he figured the chances of him being the recipient of the shout were slim, that is, until the voice said, "Hey, Caffrey. I'm talking to you."
He stopped mid-stride and turned slowly to find Agent Harris leaning against the building smoking a cigarette. He felt his phone vibrate in his breast pocket but didn't move to answer it.
"And you are?" Neal asked, remaining where he stood though he already knew the answer.
"Agent Harris." The man replied with a laugh and shook his head when Neal offered a sympathetic expression. "Don't give me that look. You smoke?"
"No."
"You drink?"
"Doesn't everybody?" Neal countered.
Agent Harris chuckled. "Yeah, kid. I guess they do. You busy?"
"Do you like playing twenty questions or is it just a cop thing?" Neal grinned, trying to convey some humor.
"You're Agent Burke's consultant, yeah?"
"Yeah." Neal replied, taking a step towards the agent.
"He wouldn't mind you coming down the block with me to get a drink would he? I've been ordered to get out of the office for awhile and could use the company, preferably not an agent escort if you know what I mean." He smiled a friendly smile.
"I think I do." Neal replied, lifting up his left pant leg and showing the anklet for a laugh. "I'm supposed to work from home today, anyway."
Agent Harris nodded and pushed himself away from the wall as he threw his cigarette down. "Good."
Peter knocked on Neal's apartment door, but it wasn't Neal who answered.
"Suit?"
"Mozzie?"
"Why are you here?"
"Why shouldn't I be here?"
Mozzie faltered for a second.
"Neal isn't here is he, Mozzie?" Peter questioned with building frustration. "Where is he? He isn't picking up his phone."
"He tried to call you earlier, but you didn't answer."
"My phone was dead. Where is he Mozzie?"
Mozzie sighed, seeing no point in lying. "He was headed to the Bureau. We found some info on the case."
"The case?" Peter asked disbelievingly. "This wouldn't be the Harris case would it?"
"Well...yeah."
Peter rubbed his forehead. "What did you find?"
"Agent Harris' wife opened a bank account under her maiden name a few days ago."
Peter stared at him as he thought it over. "Was she planning on leaving him?"
Mozzie shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. That's your job suit."
Peter rolled his eyes. "Well, Neal-" Peter was cut off by the sound of his phone ringing.
"That's probably him." Mozzie said as Peter answered.
"Agent Burke."
'Agent Burke, this is the U.S. marshals office. Caffrey's anklet has been cut.'
Peter furrowed his brow and turned a questioning eye towards Mozzie.
"You said Neal was headed to the Bureau."
Mozzie nodded.
"Don't lie to me, Mozzie. The truth. Was he really going there?"
Mozzie nodded even more frantically. "Yes! He couldn't get ahold of you and decided to go back to the Bureau to try and find out more about the case!"
Peter frustratedly bit his lip and went back to the conversation on the phone. "Where was it cut? Where's the last location?"
A few seconds passed. 'Three blocks from the Bureau.'
Peter hung up his phone and ran his hand through his hair.
"Suit? What's going on?"
Peter shook his head trying to take a deep breath, before turning back to Mozzie.
"Neal's anklet has been cut three blocks from the Bureau."
"He didn't r-"
"I know he didn't, Mozzie. You're coming with me and you're going to tell me everything you found out."
"To the Bureau?" Mozzie fearfully asked, following Peter out of the apartment.
Peter stopped on the staircase and turned to Mozzie. "There's a woman murdered in all of this. Whoever killed her is still out there, and now Neal is missing."
"Why are we still standing here, Peter?" Mozzie asked, quickly descending the stairs with Peter right behind him.
AN: This will only be about 3 or 4 chapters, because I needed something else to write besides Dream a Little Me... (No worries! I'm still working on it and should have a chapter up soon for it!) There's a lot of unanswered questions so I hope you are intrigued enough to stick around and read more! Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!
