Chapter 4

Peter was in the midst of talking with Hughes when his phone rang and checking the ID saw that it was his wife. "I need to take this sir," he said as Hughes nodded and Peter stepped away to have some privacy with his call.

"EL?...Neal, where is El?" he asked as he answered his phone and then began to listen as Neal told him everything he had told Elizabeth a few minutes earlier.

"You say you can tell me where you were held? Where," he asked a moment later? He then got out his notebook and began to write down the directions Neal was telling him. "I got it and we will check it out…you stay put and rest I'll be by later with your anklet."

"Sir, that was Neal and he was able to give me directions to where he was being held. He recognized the surroundings as he escaped. If it is okay with you I'm going to take Jones and Cruz and check it out."

"Go and find out who did this to our consultant," ordered Hughes; even though he didn't like to admit it he had grown attached to the young man under Peter's supervision and didn't appreciate the abuse someone went to against him. He felt in his bones that Macy had something to do with it and any evidence they could recover to prove it would be welcomed.

By the time Peter and his agents arrived at the location with warrant it was deserted. After searching for only a few minutes Peter found Neal's belt in the interrogation room and set about having the room and the observation room next door dusted for prints.

As Peter viewed the cuffs still attached to the table he could only imagine the pain and humiliation his partner went through while in the hands of the sadistic bastard that had beaten him with the rubber hose. "Oh Neal, I wish I had known where you were while this was going on," he murmured to himself, "I would have stopped it and arrested all involved."

Jones entered at that time to report, "we found nothing to link Detective Macy to this place…there were no prints found in the observation room or this one either. They must have wiped everything down once they realized that Neal had escaped," he surmised.

Peter nodded and ordered, "Once we get back see to it personally to see who owns this building or who did the work to convert it to an interrogation room…maybe we can get a break."

"On it," replied Jones as they backed up and left.

"Neal, how are you feeling?" asked Peter as he walked into the Neal's bedroom.

Neal looked up from the bed he was lying on his side in and smiled, "I'm feeling a bit better…did you find anything?"

"Only your belt; they cleaned up the scene and scrammed long before we got there…sorry buddy," replied Peter as he sat on the edge of Neal's bed.

"I should have said something last night," cried Neal.

"This isn't your fault Neal and we will get the ones responsible, I promise," said Peter as he ruffled Neal's hair. "Come on down, El has lunch ready," he added as he stood and waited for Neal to join him.

Neal winced as he got out of bed saying, "I don't know if I'll be able to sit, Peter."

"Come on and give it a try and then after lunch we are going to the doctor's for him to check you over and to document the damage he finds. You are going to have to sit for the ride over and for his check-up but afterwards he will give you something stronger for the pain," added Peter at Neal's look.

It took a few days but by the end of the week Neal recovered from his ordeal and was back at work with his partner Peter Burke. Hughes had just called Peter into his office to give him their new case and Neal learned soon afterwards that the Metropolitan Museum of Art had sought the FBI's White Collar department to solve the art theft that the local NYPD couldn't. It would be a slap in the face to Detective Macy who had unsuccessfully tried to pin it on Neal.

"Neal, we have a new case," began Peter as he walked back into his office.

"Great…what is it?" asked Neal interestedly.

Peter hesitated before replying bluntly, "Neal, it is the case that Detective Macy tried to pin on you. Are you still interested?"

Unexpectedly Neal smiled, "are you kidding, I want nothing more than to rub Macy's face into the fact that we found his art theft when he couldn't."

"Wait to gloat until we solve the crime buddy boy," replied Peter with a

smile.

"What's next?" asked Neal.

"We go to the Met and investigate the theft," replied Peter as he walked out of his office with Neal as they headed for the Metropolitan Museum of Art to investigate the theft of the Matisse.

Upon entering the Met Peter and Neal split up. Peter went in search of the director and to view the security tapes a few days leading to the time of the theft as well as the night of the theft. Neal went straight to the exhibit housing the Matisse collection to see if he could learn anything about how the theft could have been achieved but since it had been such a long time since he had been allowed in he took his time in getting there. He had been so focused with the art that he was unaware that he was being observed.

It was while Neal was examining the Matisse paintings that he heard, "Trying to decide which painting to steal next, Caffrey?" that he learned that he wasn't alone and that his antagonist, Detective Macy was observing him.

"I didn't steal that Matisse, Macy; I'm here with Agent Burke trying to solve

the crime," replied Neal nervously as he watched Macy come closer and seeing for the first time that Macy wasn't alone; Officers Smith and Jones were there as well.

"Burke? Why is the FBI here? This is my case, Caffrey and when you confessed I will get my promotion," Macy said angrily as he motioned for Smith and Jones to move in closer. Soon they had Neal surrounded with no way to escape.

As Macy approached Neal was forced to back up and soon found that he had been backed into a table that was located in between the paintings. Macy grabbed him by his tie and began to tighten his hold and to slowly choke Neal into compliance. "Now all you have to do is confess and I'll let you breathe," taunted Macy but he had tightened the tie too much and Neal couldn't get enough breath to speak. He felt darkness starting to take over when all of a sudden he could breathe as his tie was released.

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