The tomb
Chapter 1
9.1 years
DeKalb Street, Brooklyn
'Hon, where's my lucky tie?'
'Which lucky tie?'
'El, there's only one lucky tie and you know it'
Silence
'What did you do with it?'
Elizabeth just looked rather guiltily at her husband as she smiled coyly.
Meadowbrook Street, White Plains
'Sara, we're wrapping up the Calabrese case today. Can you pick up the kids after work?'
'Sure. You gonna be late?'
'I might go out with the gang and celebrate. This was a big win.'
'All right. Have fun'
This had been a particularly nasty case. The mob had been involved and their 'no holds barred' way of doing illicit business had resulted in one member of the White Collar crew in hospital, the victim of a brutal beating. Neal's undercover work had been amazing as usual and had resulted in the long awaited capture they had been hoping for.
Neal had begun to wonder if he was getting too old for these capers. Now that he had his job at Finch and Johns and a steady paycheque, he helped Peter out on cases for the sheer exhilaration of it all and somehow with two kids at home, the adventure didn't seem to hold quite as much appeal as it once had.
Hope was nine years old already and Liam was turning four in a few weeks. He was a smart kid – although smart in a quiet way – and he definitely kept Sara and Neal on their toes. Whereas Hope was incredibly clever and intense, Liam was much more laid back. At four years old, Hope had been curious about everything, asking questions and expressing her opinions freely and openly – often unsolicited as a matter of fact. Liam, on the other hand, was more introspective and understated and it was more difficult to know what he was thinking at any given time. He was much more of an observer of life, letting things wash over him before piping up with some gem when it hadn't been obvious to anyone that he'd been particularly paying attention.
'Daddy, can we watch the hockey game tonight?' he asked as he looked up from his breakfast
'Sure, buddy. I'll be a little late but I should be home by nine o'clock or so. I might miss the first period, though' Neal answered, ruffling his golden hair
Liam looked up, pleased. One of his favorite things was sitting alongside his dad on the couch in the family room watching sports on television. Although Neal could never be described as a jock, he took a passing interest and years of working alongside the likes of Peter Burke had served to initiate him to most sports. Liam had begun to develop more than a passing fascination with hockey, football and basketball and Neal was happy to nurture whatever interests his son was developing.
With Hope, it had been easy. She had been interested in art since she was a toddler and she had been his constant companion in his studio whenever he painted or sculpted. She had her own work area and she'd had her own easel ever since she'd been knee high to a grasshopper. She was turning into quite an accomplished little artist favoring watercolor and charcoal as of late. Whenever he wanted to connect with his daughter, all Neal had to do was suggest they go into the studio together – he was guaranteed a fascinating conversation as Hope opened up and shared whatever was on her mind as she mindlessly drew or painted.
Sara had always envied the closeness their daughter shared with her dad. Temperament wise, Hope was much more like her mother – fiery, determined, persistent and headstrong but she had Neal's sensitivity and gentleness as well as his talent for all things artistic which made her a most interesting young lady.
WCWCWC
'I mean it El... wait a minute, did Neal put you up to this?' Peter asked as he remembered seeing the two of them huddled together laughing and plotting when the couples had had dinner together the weekend before.
'Honey, I don't know what you're talking about' answered Elizabeth, barely looking up from her computer screen as she sat in their kitchen sipping her coffee
'El, I have had that tie for 15 years and I've worn it every single time we've closed a case. I can't go to work without it' said Peter, becoming slightly frantic
Elizabeth sighed deeply and looked up at her husband.
'Peter, it actually has a hole in it. As your wife, I cannot let you go to work with that thing hanging around your neck any more' she said, standing to make her way to the garbage can under the sink.
She bent over, picking the tie out from the pile of garbage and let it hang, unceremoniously from her hand as she stared at her husband.
'You didn't!' he exclaimed at the sight of his beloved tie with a piece of shredded carrot hanging off it
'Honey, I'm sorry but this is ridiculous. You have dozens of other ties. Pick another favorite' said Elizabeth, exasperated
Peter exhaled, grabbing the tie rather roughly from his wife's hands as he sent the small piece of orange fluff flying onto the kitchen floor. He smoothed it out as best he could and proceeded to put it around his neck as Elizabeth rolled her eyes in horror, chastising herself for not having the guts to go all the way with the plan she and Neal had hatched together.
Peter had continued to head up the White Collar Unit ever since Neal had officially left about eight years before, finally free from his anklet. The older man had watched his best friend as he had continued to thrive, first as an art authenticator for various insurance companies, as an artist in his own right and more recently as the in-house authenticator for Finch and Johns. He'd seen Neal settle down, get married and have a family and although he was thrilled for his friend, he missed the camaraderie they'd had all those years Neal had been on anklet. Peter's favorite cases were always those where he called Neal in to help, sometimes to authenticate a piece of art, sometimes as an informal advisor and others, like this most recent case, where Neal would actually get his hands dirty and go undercover for the unit.
He had never had a partner like Neal, smart, fearless, creative and did I mention, smart. He missed the 'old days' but he also really enjoyed watching Neal come into his own – finding his own calling and having a family with Sara which Peter had always not so secretly hoped would happen. It was a bittersweet thing – like watching your kids grow up and slowly drift away not needing the same level of support they had needed when they were little.
Today, they were closing the horrendous case of the Calabrese clan – a vicious family which had been making inroads in the New York underworld mostly through fencing stolen art. The case had been chugging along for the past six months and Peter had finally called on Neal about three weeks ago to give him a hand for the final takedown. Neal had been stellar, as usual, infiltrating the family, gaining their trust and finally becoming instrumental in bringing them down. The irrefutable proof Neal had been able to get his hands on would be crucial in ensuring the leaders of the notorious family spent many years to come in the slammer - now all that was left was writing up the final report and going out to celebrate, which the crew had been planning all week.
Despite his disappointment at Elizabeth's futile effort to rid him of his lucky charm, Peter walked over and gave her a quick peck on the cheek as he prepared to leave.
'Don't forget, some of us are going out to celebrate after work so I'll be home late' he said as he grabbed his briefcase and made his way to the front door.
Elizabeth sighed. Neal would be disappointed when Peter walked into the office but she just didn't have the heart to deprive Peter of wearing the ugly appendage which seemed to bring him such delight. She grabbed the phone dialing her best friend's number.
'So, what are you guys doing tonight?' she spoke into the phone
'Well, it's Friday. We always go out to eat. Do you want to come?' answered Sara on the other end
'That'd be great. How about I meet you at your place after work and we can head out together' said Elizabeth, as she began to put the breakfast dishes into the dishwasher
'Perfect. See you around five' said Sara
'Oh, and tell Neal I really tried' Elizabeth added before hanging up
Sara put the phone down and turned towards Neal relaying her friend's cryptic message. Neal rolled his eyes in response.
'So, you guys going to dinner without me?' asked Neal, feigning hurt
'Neal, we've gone out to dinner on almost every single Friday since Hope was two years old. I'm not about to stop now just because you can't be there tonight' answered Sara in her no nonsense Sara way.
'Alright' whined Neal, disappointed as he pulled his wife to him 'Have fun, but not too much' he added giving her a soft kiss on the lips
Neal could be such a baby, thought Sara. He was a strong, protective father and husband but he was also a big sensitive lug whom she loved with all her heart. Although he continued to drive her crazy at times with his impulsiveness and spontaneity, she wouldn't have him any other way.
'I promise not to have any fun until you get home' she whispered suggestively into his ear as he began to pull away, smiling broadly and making his way out the door.
WCWCWC
Luke Winston poked his head into Peter's office, peeking around Neal who was sitting across from Peter's desk with his feet up.
'Excuse me, sir' he said 'What time did you want that report?'
As low man on the totem pole, he had been roped into pulling together the evidence from the last week of the case and put pen to paper. Neal smiled as he thought back to all the times he had reluctantly taken on that role.
'No later than four o'clock' said Peter, his voice authoritative although Neal knew he was just toying with the intern.
Luke backed away, excusing himself for the interruption as he closed the door behind him leaving the two men grinning at each other.
'Do you miss those days?' asked Peter as he stroked his tie, hoping to get a rise out of Neal
'I do not' answered Neal, adamant
'So, she chickened out, huh?' he added staring at the ugly, stained apparel around his partner's neck
'She knows I'd never forgive her if this thing ever disappeared for good' said Peter, smugly
'So whose turn is it to pick a place to go for a drink' Neal asked, sincerely hoping it wasn't Peter who had the nasty habit of choosing the most mundane, uninteresting places. Of course, Neal had his share of Friday night dinners in very uninspiring places himself as of late with two young children to please. All too often, he found himself in front of chicken fingers or cheeseburgers and he was looking forward to introducing the kids to some finer cuisine as they became of age to frequent higher end restaurants.
'Diana, and she chose Venti's over on 21st. Some trendy place...' Peter let his voice trail
'So we'll have to drive over then' said Neal 'Can I hitch a ride?'
Although the Caffreys had two vehicles sitting in their driveway in White Plains, they mostly used them for shuttling the kids around to play dates or running errands in the suburbs. Whenever Neal or Sara came downtown, they would park their car at the Park and Ride and take a train into Manhattan.
'Sure, we'll leave at five' said Peter as he playfully pushed Neal's feet off the desk. 'Now, go give poor Winston a hand with that report'
TBC