FBI, Thursday morning
Like most mornings, Peter gathered his team in the conference room of the 21st floor of the FBI building. He handed out the files.
"We have a new case."
"The exhibition 'Chalices: Prayer and Power' was robbed last night. The museum is showing a unique collection of chalices from different periods, some dating back to the 5th century, all loaded with history, yet only one piece was stolen.…"
He showed a picture.
Neal froze. So Edward had finally done it. But why was the FBI getting that theft case?
"The chalice of jade…." Neal mumbled with a wince.
"The jade chalice," Peter repeated, looking at Neal, surprised.
His CI seemed quite upset.
"Neal? Where were you last night?" Peter asked out of habit. He was a little bit surprised by the look on his CI's face, and suddenly worried that the case had found its answer in his own conference room.
Neal didn't answer, still looking at the picture of the chalice.
"Neal?"
The con man jumped in surprise and gave him a brilliant smile, showing an indifference he was far from feeling.
"Come on, Peter, you know where I was. I'm sure you already checked."
Peter frowned. "I didn't… yet. Should I?"
"I went to the exhibition last Saturday, during my free time; it is inside my radius," Neal informed him. He was hoping that volunteering the fact would make him less suspicious. "Do I need to ask for authorization for my weekend whereabouts now?" he asked in a tense voice.
Peter clenched his teeth at the tone but didn't comment. He couldn't help it, as soon as Neal got too close to something valuable, his personal alarm was triggered.
"What do you know about this chalice?"
"Not much. Clearly, it is not the most valuable piece there. The 18th century chalice from the Vatican is worth more than all the other pieces put together. Hence the incredible security measures. This particular chalice is made of a single piece of jade, which gives it its value, but it would only be interesting for a private collector. The jade would be almost worthless if it were cut down."
"What about the inscription?"
"Mysterious, which gives the chalice more value. Apparently no one has ever been able to translate it, the language is a totally unknown too."
"Are we sure it is a chalice, not just a 'cup'?" Jones asked.
Peter looked at him frowning. "I assume the museum people would know. Why do you ask?"
"If the language is that mysterious, maybe some dark sect giving it some kind of special value?"
"Jade was quite precious to pre-Colombian cultures, but this piece goes back to before America's discovery…" Diana suggested.
"The cup could have been brought back to the old continent," Jones answered.
Neal was strangely silent, his face slightly pale and taut. Peter looked at him with a wince, startled he didn't take part in the exchange. Any given day, he would have jumped in, to share his knowledge. Pieces of art had generally few secrets for him. He was going to check his anklet; his CI was hiding something from him, again. He couldn't help a sigh. Two steps forward, one step back; life was never simple with this criminal he considered a friend.
"Jones, go to the museum. Talk to the personnel and get the videos, inside and outside cameras. Diana, do some research on the chalice. Let's find out who could be interested by the symbolic aspect of it."
The agents left the conference room and Peter went to the door towards his office.
"Neal, my office."
Neal scowled but followed him inside and sat on his usual chair.
"Neal, do you mean to tell me what happened in the conference room?"
"You came up with a new case and once again I proved my amazing knowledge of the most beautiful art in the world?" Neal offered with a smug smile.
"Neal.…"
Neal looked at the file he still held without opening it. He knew exactly what was inside and what the videos would show. The theft had his signature all over it; he might as well have left a business card. He had promised Peter not to lie and once again he was in a tight spot. He needed time. Time for Edward to use the chalice, then it would reappear mysteriously and the case would be put aside.
He could tell Peter about the chalice, part of it. Omitting some aspects wasn't lying… not really.
Neal dropped the file on the desk and rose. He went to the windows, looking over the city. The sun was shining over the buildings, the trees were green in the streets, yet he felt a terrible cold in his bones. He had agreed to help Edward; he didn't regret that. The young man was entitled to love; he hadn't chosen to be a vampire. But lying to Peter took him back years ago, when his release from prison was just an excuse to look for Kate and run away. Things had changed since that time. He didn't want to run anymore; he wanted to keep working with Peter. More than anything else, he wanted to keep the trust he had built with Peter; everything was about to blow up because of a thousand-year old story, and because vampires did exist. The chalice was indeed cursed. They had troubled its rest and now doom was near.
Peter looked at Neal going to the window, watching the buildings without seeing them. His face was growing darker by the second. What was the con man hiding this time? On a hunch, slyly, he checked the anklet data. Peter was sure Neal hadn't committed the theft, but if he wanted to write that down in his report, he had to check it. That's what he told himself as he checked Neal's whereabouts for the evening, feeling slightly guilty at not trusting his friend. But Neal had such a complicated past.…
"It's cursed.…" Neal said in a low voice.
"What was that?"
"The jade chalice is cursed," Neal repeated, turning back to Peter.
Peter almost replied that curses were old wives' tales but Neal seemed quite shaken up. There was more to it than what he had told them in the conference room.
"What about telling me about this chalice? The part you skipped in the meeting?"
"As I told you, I went to the exhibition last Saturday. I've got to admit this object caught my attention so I did some research. There is little information and it kind of verges on the supernatural. According to some legends, Volterra, the city where the chalice comes from, would be the chair of the vampires."
"Vampires?" Peter asked, disbelieving.
"Yeah, I know.… There is little written information about the chalice. This is more about epic tales. Anyway, it seems it was linked to several mysterious deaths, so it ended up being hidden in a crypt in Italy."
"And it never came out before the exhibition?"
"No. And I still haven't figured out why it reappeared now, nor who made it reappear. Some overzealous archivist must have thought it had a right to be at the exhibition."
Peter watched Neal. Why did this legend throw him off like that? He couldn't seriously believe that the chalice was cursed? And even then, he wasn't the thief.…
"Why does this bother you so much?"
Neal winced. He couldn't give more details, but he didn't want to lie.
"Neal.…"
"A chalice reappearing mysteriously, a curse, a theft with my alleged techniques.…"
"You think someone wants to involve you?"
Neal shrugged.
"Neal, I know you didn't steal the chalice," Peter said with such a conviction that Neal couldn't help feel guilty. "As regards your techniques.…"
"Alleged.…"
"Alleged techniques, we are still waiting for the videos to figure out what happened. You are not the only art thief in this city."
Peter rose up suddenly, looking to the entrance, and Neal followed his lead. Sara was in the entrance, greeting the agents. Neal opened the file and checked a line.
"That's the reason why the FBI got this case. Sterling Bosch insures the exhibition. I was wondering… just a cup."
"Sara used her relationships to have this case handed to us."
"Why?" Neal asked, surprised.
"You'll have to ask her yourself," Peter answered, going towards the insurance agent to greet her.
"Hello, Sara," the two men said when the young woman entered the room.
"Peter… Neal.…"
"Sara, if you're here about the theft… my team is good, but not that good," Peter joked.
"Yes, of course." She turned to Neal with a smile. "Neal, did you steal the chalice?"
The question was so unexpected and Neal's outraged air so real, she didn't need to wait for an answer.
"No!" Peter exclaimed, equally surprised by the question.
Neal turned to him, happy with the unexpected confidence. Then he remembered Peter's earlier comment; Peter saying he knew he hadn't stolen the chalice. His face darkened.
"You checked my anklet.…" he murmured, feeling betrayed.
Peter did look embarrassed, more than when he had checked the data.
Neal sighed and gave a little smile.
"You are an FBI agent… I'm a criminal.… A valuable piece is stolen from a museum.… I guess you have reports to file," Neal excused him with a forced smile.
Peter could tell this new smile was fake. He had hurt Neal and he regretted it, but his instinct still told him his CI was hiding something from him.
"When did you…?" Neal mumbled, frowning. He then raised his head to Peter. "When I was looking through the window.… Peter, I'm proud of you, nice deceit, perfect timing, I did teach you a couple of things."
Peter shot him a dark glance but didn't answer; he knew that was exactly what Neal was expecting.
Sara took a file from her purse.
"I thought so, but I still needed to ask you. After all, you did go to the museum on the opening day."
"Excuse me?" Neal asked.
Sara smiled. "Yes, you told me, Saturday evening when we met."
"No. I remember telling you I went to a museum, not to what exhibition.…" Neal remembered perfectly. He had dropped the subject so he wouldn't have to explain his meeting with the young stranger and his thorough research in the afternoon.
Sara coughed discreetly.
"Sara?"
"The security teams on exhibitions insured by Sterling Bosch have your picture and let us know if you've been seen," Sara explained, raising her head and endorsing her decision.
"You know, some of my previous girlfriends checked on me, usually because they were afraid I was cheating on them… not with art!"
"Neal, because of your past—"
"Which is past… and most of it wild guesses," Neal answered in a dry voice.
"Oh, and you're going to tell me you actually didn't steal the Raphael?"
Neal gave her a smile and didn't answer.
Peter decided to move in. "All right, you two, calm down or I'll throw a bucket of cold water."
Neal gave Sara a wink and mouthed 'I love you'. Sara shook her head with a fake dark look. He was impossible… and she loved him with all her heart.
Sara came back to the case.
"The fact that the chalice was the only piece stolen tends to indicate it was an order. I brought you some data. We have a whole file on the chalice; maybe some detail will give you a clue. This is the first time that chalice appears in public, and it disappears. It is quite surprising."
"Yes indeed. Thank you for the file, Sara; this will be helpful for Diana. Jones went to get the videos."
"They won't be of much use; there's nothing on them."
Neal looked at her incredulously. "At what time did you get up to gather that much information already?"
"Unlike you, some of us have to work to get paid, Neal."
"As I do every day," Neal countered.
"No, you keep running your little cons…" Neal shot her a dark look. "... on behalf of the FBI."
Peter interrupted them before they started again.
"Thank you, Sara. We'll study these files immediately. And thank you for asking us to take the lead on this case; it's starting to look quite interesting."
"I aim to please."
Sara shook Peter's hand and left his office. Neal walked her to the elevator.
"So you really gave your security people my picture?" Neal asked in a low voice.
"Yes, I thought someday you'll make a mistake …" Sara stopped and looked at Neal, her eyes darkening. "... and… and I have no idea what I'll do. Being only allowed to see you through prison glass.…"
Neal bent over and gave her a small kiss. "Cancel the order then."
"I can't. Sara Ellis, insurance agent for Sterling Bosch, gave the instructions. Sara, Neal's girlfriend, has no say in it.…" she explained with a regretful voice.
"You like the cabin for the weekend?" Neal asked switching to a safer topic.
"Yes, it is lovely! How did you find that place anyway? It's absolutely idyllic."
"I'm afraid Neal Caffrey, ex alleged criminal, con man, and forger, cannot give away his sources. Neal, the boyfriend, does suggest that you don't pack too many clothes.…" he added with a meaningful glance.
"Neal!" Sara swatted his arm playfully.
The elevator doors opened and Sara went in with a wave. Neal blew her a last kiss.
From his office, Peter was watching with a caring look—of course he would have denied it should anyone have mentioned it. This relationship was good for Neal. Sara was bright and keen; it was exactly what Neal needed. A woman who kept him on his toes and wouldn't let him drag her into his dark world. The voice of reason on his shoulder… as opposed to the little devil Mozzie usually was.
The team met again in the conference room a few hours later. Diana and Jones gave their reports; Neal had been pretending to work on the case but was actually looking forward to the dinner with Bella and Edward… and his weekend with Sara.
"So, any leads?" Peter asked.
"Museum staff seem innocent. As regards our thief, he is quite the one. He managed to get into the building by picking the locks and disabling the main alarm very easily, which points to an expert. Yet he didn't notice the silent alarm connected to the glass casing, which is a rookie mistake.… Anyway, it didn't make a difference since he managed to flee before the security teams got there, even though they were in the same building." Jones pointed to his computer. "I just got the videos. They're downloading now; we should be able to see them in a few minutes."
Peter turned to Diana.
"My research has been fascinating, though you probably won't like where it's headed. The chalice comes from Italy. It was found in Volterra. According to legend, Volterra would be the headquarters of the vampires.…" Diana stopped to check the effect of her words.
Neal winced. He had really hoped that detail wouldn't be brought forward again. He had mentioned it to Peter knowing that he was too rational to come back to the topic. Peter's team was decidedly brilliant. He had found the information, but it had taken him a long time and searches on dark web sites that he only knew of because of Mozzie's conspiracy mania. How the hell had Diana found that?
"Those vampires again.…" Peter mumbled.
"Okay, not credible. Yet chalices are related to blood.…"
"Jesus' blood; where do bloodsuckers fit?" Jones interrupted.
"That's still hazy. What we do know is that the chalice remained hidden for hundreds of years… in Volterra. An archivist brought it out…" Diana searched her notes, looking for a paper. "Here it is. When this exhibition was designed and the museums were contacted, a Mirlino Dipandragoni signed a voucher for this chalice. I called Italy and no one seems to know about him. And what's more surprising, there is not a single trace of that person."
Neal froze. No, it couldn't be… Yet the coincidence was too much… Mirlino… Merlin? Diana hadn't found any information on the fact that the magician had created the chalice. But, if it was him, how old would he be… over 1500 years? Even for an immortal… And why would Merlin decide to bring the chalice forward? It didn't make any sense. The secret about his cave had been preserved, that part of the Camlann forest was protected. Merlin knew the vampires had kept his secret. It really didn't make any sense…
"Neal… Neal!"
He jerked when he heard Peter's voice. He had totally blanked out from the meeting and had been caught day dreaming.
"If this case is boring, I have a full load of insurance frauds for you," Peter threatened.
"Sorry, Peter… I…" I what? He couldn't let them follow Diana's lead. He had to keep Merlin's existence a secret. "I'm just a bit rattled by this vampire business."
"Vampires do not exist," Peter explained slowly, like he was talking to a five year old.
"I know. It's a legend, born from an illness, porphyry, whose symptoms include light sensitivity, anemia –hence the need for blood–, gums necrosis… that's why they are said to have special teeth," he added when he saw Jones frowning. "It's not the teeth that grow; it's actually the gums that retract."
"And they can move faster than light?" Jones asked pointing to the screen.
While Neal was lost in his thoughts, Jones had launched the video of the theft. Nothing could be seen, except for a slight shadow less than a second.
"Can you slow it down?" Peter asked.
Jones pressed some keys on his laptop and the shadow could be seen a second time.
"Show it one image at a time," Diana suggested.
At that speed, a silhouette could be seen on three images. Neal bit his lip to hide a smile. Edward had stuck to the plan down to a T. Using blind spots to hide his arrival, then lifting the glass case with one hand, grabbing the chalice with the other. His black clothes didn't allow for any identification, and the speed he moved at could only hint at a camera malfunctioning. Very good pupil, deserves an A+, he thought, proud of his student.
"This is a twenty four frames per second camera, right? Peter asked. "How fast does that guy move?"
"Nobody moves that fast, Peter. And those glass cases weight approximately forty pounds, you cannot lift them one handed," Neal answered. "Someone must have tampered the video," he suggested.
Jones shook his head. "I don't think so, or else he is quite the expert and that means he had inside help. The exhibition opened only last Saturday. I'll get this to our IT guys, see what they can find."
"Back to square one," Peter muttered.
"Not exactly," Diana protested.
Peter shot her a look and raised his hand to count on his fingers. "All right, let me summarize this: a chalice missing for hundreds of years, the vampires' headquarters in Italy and a vanishing archivist. I am going to need more reliable facts or Hughes is going to give us new offices. You know white ones… with padded walls!"
Diana winced and Jones seemed suddenly fascinated by a key on his laptop.
Even Neal fidgeted on his chair. From his point of view, they were far too close to the truth. He had to tell Edward to lead the ceremony as soon as possible and return the chalice. He would tell him after the dinner. If the agents started looking at the videos from the previous days, they would see him. Knowing Peter he would ask Neal who was the stranger he had talked to. This case was really taking a turn he didn't like.
Peter sighed. "Keep working on this. Maybe the long week-end will clear your minds. Enjoy your 4th of July!"
"Thank you, Peter," Diana exclaimed, glad they didn't need to work on the new case during the week-end.
"And find me an explanation that makes more sense that chalice addicted vampires!" Peter stated before he left the room.
Neal sighed deeply. He was going to leave with Sara right after dinner. He didn't mind the drive; he wanted to get as much distance as possible between himself and Peter very fast. The agent knew him too well, he would soon figure out Neal was hiding something. A few miles for a week-end were the best thing now; this permission couldn't come at a better time. He took his phone out to let the lodge know they would be arriving during the night.
Edward, Bella, Neal and Sara met in front of the restaurant, and Neal introduced everyone. As they were going inside, Neal called Edward in his head. He didn't exactly know how the vampire's gift worked out and he hoped he would hear him. He had to warn him that Sara was aware of the theft of the chalice and involved in its recovery. Edward turned to him and opened his eyes wide when he heard the news, then gave him a smile to acknowledge the information. Neal sighed relieved. Maybe this dinner wasn't such a good idea after all.
Their waitress took them to their table blushing, walking half backwards as she kept her eyes on the two men. She stammered as she showed them the table. They were sitting at a round table in a corner booth. Sara and Bella sat side by side in the center, while Neal and Edward sat on the outsides.
"What would you like to drink?" The waitress asked looking only at Neal then Edward.
Totally ignoring the devastating effect they were having on their waitress, the two men turned to their girlfriends. They ordered their drinks.
"Could I get you anything else?" The waitress asked still ogling the men.
The women giggled as she went away.
"Poor her."
"No luck."
"Happens to you often?" Sara asked.
"All the time," Bella confirmed.
Neal and Edward watched them a bit confused. Sara watched Edward with more attention. He was surprisingly handsome, different from Neal, almost surreal but definitely quite attractive. She looked at Neal, whose shiny eyes and easy smile made him a charmer. She looked at the guests in the restaurant thinking that most women there would probably gladly abandon their companions to come to their table.
"Most women in this restaurant are planning the perfect crime to take our seats at this table," Sara explained to Neal with a smile.
"Same as most men," Neal answered, always the gentleman taking her hand to give it a chaste kiss.
Bella blinked. She was in love with Edward and would give her life for him, but Neal's power of seduction couldn't be denied. She wondered how the two of them had met but the question was probably too personal to start the conversation with.
"So Sara, what do you do for a living?"
Neal and Edward traded a glance, unnoticed by Bella.
"I'm an insurance investigator."
"Oh… right, that's important," Bella answered, a bit surprised that the beautiful women didn't have a more interesting job.
"I specialize in art," Sara specified.
"How's that"? Bella asked, and Edward gave her a nudging with his foot under the table.
"Well… An example… There is a temporary exhibit on chalices in a small museum in town. Our company insures it; some pieces have been borrowed from foreign museums, their safety must be guaranteed. We actually got robbed last night. If we cannot find the thief or at least the chalice, we will need to compensate the owner."
Bella blushed and sputtered to hide her blunder.
"Oh… I… I never thought about that. I mean the fact that museums need insurances…" she mumbled.
Sara gave a forgiving smile realizing how young Bella was. "How old are you, Bella?"
"Eighteen years old.
"What about you, Edward?"
"Eighteen too."
"High school sweethearts?"
"Yes. I grew up in Phoenix but I moved to Forks, near Seattle, to my father's place when I was seventeen." Bella looking lovingly at Edward. "That's where I met him."
They remained silent a moment, watching each other, lost in their memories and the hard times they had had to face. Sara took Neal's hand, moved by the innocence and obvious love of those kids. Neal nodded; they were indeed cute, despite the dark part of their history.
The waitress came back with their drinks and left when it was obvious that they hadn't chosen their meals yet.
Bella gathered her thoughts and turned to Neal and Sara.
"So, how did you both meet?"
Sara smiled and Edward hid a laugh in a cough on his hand.
"Actually, I chased him several years."
"I'd even say stalked," Neal commented, playing the game.
Bella frowned, not understanding.
"Of course, her moment of glory was when she testified against me on court," Neal concluded.
They laughed, then started explaining their past to the young couple.
Dinner was pleasant, full of stories and laughs.
Neal, Sara, Bella and Edward left the restaurant laughing.
Edward hugged Bella tenderly and Neal gave a passionate kiss to Sara. He stepped back regretfully and looked at Sara's shiny eyes.
"I love you," he whispered, with a serious look.
Sara smiled and snuggled in his arms. "I love you too," she whispered back.
"Hey lovers, can you move on?" Bella called.
Neal let Sara go so they could walk and go towards their car, parked close by, ready to take them to their lodge in the Catskills. Sara came up to Bella as Neal and Edward walked in front, talking in a low voice.
"It was a very nice evening. I had almost forgotten how nice it was to have dinner with friends," Bella said with a smile.
"You live near Seattle, right? You never go out?"
"Not a lot. You know, we are currently leaving with Edward's parents. His brothers and sisters are there too, so it's quite a large group…" And again, she was the only one who needed to eat, so…
"You're lucky…" Sara sighed.
"You don't have a family?"
"No." Sara clammed up as she did any time somebody broached the topic.
Bella could tell it was a sensitive issue and did not insist. She pointed to their partners who seemed to be having the time of their life.
"I still can't believe how fast those two became friends. Usually Edward keeps his distance. If you only knew what I had to do to have him pay attention to me…"
The two women giggled like teenagers.
"Neal is a charmer. He seduces everyone," Sara explained, thinking how she had been seduced too.
"Yeah, I saw that first hand!" Bella exclaimed laughing. Then she took her hand to her mouth mortified. "Sara, I'm…"
Sara shook her head.
"No, don't worry. I know him. He just can't help himself. Most of the time, I don't even think he does it consciously.
"He's so…" Bella stopped, not meaning to hurt Sara's feelings.
"Right out from a model's magazine?" Sara suggested. She turned to look at him. "Yes, he is really good looking, and despite his… disputable career choice, he is a good person. Generous, understanding, faithful…"
Holding each other's arm and laughing friendly, they never saw the two guys dressed in black jump them. Neal and Edward heard their screams and ran to them; the incredible speed of the vampire only added to the mayhem. A few seconds later, the two robbers had run away, defeated.
Edward took Bella's hands to check her and make sure she was all right. Sara turned to Neal and screamed.
The conman was on the ground, his eyes wild fixed on a knife protruding from his chest.
"Neal!" Sara yelled.
Bella screamed in anguish too.
Sara knelt by Neal and put her hands to the wound, trying to stop the blood pouring. "No no no… Neal please…" she begged crying.
Neal tried to talk but couldn't make any sound. He made a silent scream and went unmoving under Sara's hands.
"Noooooooooo."
"Sara, let me have a look," Edward said, kneeling by Neal to examine him.
He sighed deeply. Calling for help would be useless; his friend was already almost dead. What a waste… Human beings were so fragile, even when they were as smart as Neal.
He lifted his head hearing Bella's sobs. Her eyes were begging.
Of course, there was a solution, but Neal had never said he wanted to become a vampire, even if he did seem fascinated by the fact.
He couldn't force that on someone who hadn't requested it. The idea of changing Bella was so repulsive to him that he had always rejected doing it, even before this new opportunity of becoming human appeared.
"No, Bella, I cannot do it. I do not have the right. I cannot force this upon him."
"Edward, look at Sara. She won't get over it. She already lost all her loved ones. You can save him."
Did he really want his last act as a vampire to be changing a person? He had never even done it before. The procedure required a huge control. Would he be able to do it and not kill him? The limit between the killing and the changing was so thin…
"Bella, we are in this city because I do not want to be what I am. I cannot inflict this to another being."
"But he wouldn't need to remain…"
They stared at each other in silence. They had placed all their bets on the chalice, on the wild dream that what had been done nine hundred years in the past could be done again. What if it did not work out?
End chapter 2
TBC