Because Aquawolfgirl asked so nicely.
.
"Caffrey?" Lauren Cruz's voice is a squeak. "What are you doing?"
Neal takes another step towards her, a look of concentration on his face.
"What are you doing?" she asks again.
He steps behind her chair and she turns to look at him, really wishing that Jones wasn't getting files and Peter wasn't getting coffee.
"What-" She tries to squirm away from his hand on her shoulder.
"Sit still," he orders, just loud enough for her to hear. She freezes, frightened and confused.
"W-" She twitches as he leans forward, brushing hair off her neck.
"Shhh." She can feel his breath on her skin… "Got it."
"Got what?" Lauren wasn't aware her voice could go that high.
"Peter!" Neal's hand is closed into a fist.
"What now?" Burke walks in, carrying a large mug.
"You'll never guess what I found." The con man grins widely.
"What did he find?" Peter looks around him at Lauren.
"I've got no clue!" She shakes her head, managing to lower her voice almost to normal. Good enough. It's always good to sound a little panicked when Neal's acting weird, anyways.
Neal opens his fist. Peter looks at it, a little blankly.
"What is it?"
Neal covers the little circuit again. "It's a bug."
"How'd we miss it?" The FBI agent puts the mug down on the glass table, taking the bug. How'd we miss it? How'd she miss it? It was planted on her! How did she not notice it? How did she not notice it being planted?
"Um, it's a quarter the size of a postage stamp?" Neal smiles in reply to Peter's glare. She can read the silent conversation.
That isn't an excuse, Caffrey.
Yes, dear.
She can hear Neal saying that, in just the right sarcastic tone of voice, so well that it almost makes her laugh out loud. She manages not to, though.
"Where was it?" On Lauren Cruz, where she hadn't noticed it in the five hours it's been since she met with the criminal who's probably listening in on it right now!
"On the inside of the back of Lauren's collar." The inside of the back of her shirt collar? Okay, she doesn't feel so bad anymore. Not quite so bad, at least.
"How'd you catch it?" Peter's voice is accusing, but of Neal, not Lauren.
The con man smirks. "Oh, you know, just paying attention."
"Huh." Peter obviously wants to know more, but he doesn't ask, thankfully. "Is it still…"
"Nah, I don't think so." Neal points at some tiny little scratch on the bug, or something. "See?"
"All right. I'll have Jones get this down to the lab, see what they can make of it." Peter wanders back out the door.
There's a heavy silence as Neal looks at Lauren.
"What? You think I've got another bug on me?" she finally snaps.
"No…" He pauses. "But I think you owe me."
She ought to be afraid of whatever he might want in return, but she isn't.
Not yet, at least.