Chapter 11 Mild mannered Nicholas Carter

Peter picked up Neal and Neal sauntered down in slightly more conservative dress to meet Peter wearing a pair of glasses. Peter snorted and said " What's up with the glasses?'

Neal mischievously smiled, his blue eyes twinkling, " Just to help my mild mannered bank examiner look."

"Huh, Clark Kent you are not." Peter grunted.

In the car at the way to Neal's new assignment, Peter said in worry and concern, "You know everything and are ready?"

"Peter really. Do you really think I cannot handle my part in a scam?" Neal smiled mockingly.

"Peter just shook his head. "I know, Neal, but not all counterfeiters are non violent and you have no back up when you are there."

" Don't worry, Papa Peter, I will be fine. I will call on my lunch break so you can relax." Neal smiled still with that tinge of mockery.

Neal exited the car at the bank entrance. Peter watched as Neal's posture and walk change so he did look like a nervous and boring bank examiner. Peter reflected that Neal put on identities like putting on a set of clothes as Peter pulled away.

Neal entered the New York Bank of the Federal Reserve, and was met at security with his new supervisor. Bill Masters, who got him all his security badges and went to Human Resources to finish all the normal employment paperwork, they discussed his duties and Nicholas Carter was introduced to his unit and Clive Brookheiser.

Nicholas Carter also got a full tour of the facility from the top offices of the Bank's officers to the lower bowels of mailrooms and the storage facilities. Neal knew that underneath that was also levels of storage for other world currencies and vaults storing various artwork and pieces that museums stored when they changed their exhibits.

Neal found it amusing that so many valuable items were stored in and underneath warehouses. He knew that in Columbia, MD they stored Smithsonian items underneath a canning factory that was changed into offices. Not even in any secured vaults just a storage space. Ignorance was their security. It had been a minor scandal when the place had been flooded in a storm and the newspapers wrote a story.

Neal just learned his duties and got to know his various co-workers that first day. Dutiful, he had called Peter on his lunch break, he also told Peter to keep his cover, not to pick him up in the evenings.

That evening after work after calling in to Peter for his check in., Neal noticed the coffee cup under the mailbox and walked down the road to a newspaper kiosk and bought a magazine. Opening the magazine was note with a line drawing and a line from Shakespeare sonnet. Neal went to the subway line and made several transfers, checked for tails and then ducked into a doorway and down some echoing tunnels to another door and more tunnels to a room set up with files, desks equipment communications and power.

Neal looked around with satisfaction at the new secured location and on the desk was a thick file on Ormond, his associations and family. Neal got a cup of coffee, regrettably not Italian roast and sat down to read.

John Singer Ormond, was reasonably well off but his investments had taken a hit in the recent down turn. He had some family trust money but that also had suffered losses. His alimony was high. It appeared that Dorothy Ormond and had a taste for high society living. The children were in private schools and that took a chink of change. So while Ormond appeared well off he was struggling to keep up his alimony, tuition costs and his living expenses. There was an indication he had a mistress in New York. No identify on the mistress or photo. Just payments to another account and for an apartment and women's fashions. He had nephew that had been caught doing minor jewelry thefts, but had probation due to family connections and good lawyer.

Ormond had motivation to get his hands on Neal's money and the Sargent to sell quietly to raise funds. There still had been no hue and cry about a counterfeit in the museum. He also had the connections to make a deal with Tulane through the nephew. Family was safer than regular street criminals for setting up deals.

Neal had a working theory that Ormond had found Kate and was putting pressure on her to find Neal's treasures and the Sargent. When that had not worked. He set up the frame and set Fowler onto Peter to frame as Neal's accessory or Peter as the criminal controller.

They went with Fowler's notes that Peter was suspected of blanking the tracker data and getting Neal to steal the diamond. Ormond could have convinced Kate that if Peter was dirty that Neal was in danger and would lose his probation. That would have made Kate want Neal to give Ormond what he wanted.

According to Fowler's case notes he was watching Kate's apartment trying to find evidence on Neal or Peter. Their theory was that Peter had used Kate to push Neal to escape and then Peter was supposed to find him and then Peter had planned to get Neal released into Peter's custody to avoid the added sentence, so Neal could do crimes for Peter. Neal was pretty sure that Ormond had pitched that idea to Fowler and set Fowler on Peter. Then Ormond had set up the frame in order to have Neal go to his treasures and liquidate or just to put pressure on him. Ormond travel records indicated he was in New York the evening and early morning that Neal's tracker was blanked.

Neal grinned it was really good theory and fit in why Peter had his phone bugged. Peter had blown it by releasing the bond initial information to Jones and then arresting him. But once Peter had cleared Neal they still believed Peter was dirty.

Problem was that Peter had not set up the idea of probation, that was Neal's idea. Peter had not blanked his tracker either. Peter was not dirty but was in danger because of Peter's protection of Neal. But Peter had an excellent record and had solid support of Hughes.

Neal decided that it would be a good idea to get any emails and correspondence that had set up his custody arrangement and who was against the idea and who had been for it.

So he opened the laptop and checked the encryption system and then got into the FBI and DOJ systems.

He found the report with Neal's suggestion from Peter. Then Peter's recommendation to Hughes. Hughes had signed off. The District attorney had been reluctant but convinced. The prison warden said Caffrey was better off out of prison than in, to Neal's surprise. He really must send a gift to the warden's wife since he had used her credit card.

The DC office of FBI had signed off and also the DOJ had signed off. OPR had not objected to Neal assignment to the FBI, but objected of Peter's custody. Hughes had been adamant that Peter was the only person capable of controlling and anticipating Caffrey.

Then Hughes had written gleaming reports of the big cases closed because of Neal and Peter's arrangement to DC. There were even reports how well the arrangement was working at the upper levels of the DOJ. And they want to identify other criminals to replicate the program.

Neal made a mental note to cultivate Hughes and make sure that Peter looked good to Hughes as protection.

Neal left a coded note to Mozzie to check into Ormond's mistress and to get his home and home phone bugged in DC.

Neal wondered if a sting a la Elliot Spizter would take down Ormond and then thought no a Catch a Predator would be more damaging. But either way he needed more intelligence first.

Neal also decided that Fowler's game needed to be blown since Fowler was after Peter and hence a danger to Neal himself.

Leaving the subway, Neal went into a pub and ordered a meal. A delightful young dark haired woman with hazel eyes caught his glance and he proceeds to present her with an appreciative smile. She smiled back and waltzed over to his table and asked if he was expecting anyone. He said no and pointed at the chair. She gracefully sat down and said her name was Nancy and explained she was dancer and aspiring actress. He laughed and said she must let him know when she was performing, as he would be delighted to see her. She said she was between jobs at the moment and doing boring secretarial work at a law firm to keep her fed while waiting for a new gig.

Neal introduced himself as Nicholas Carter and that he just started at job as a bank examiner. Neal proceeds to enjoy a meal with Nancy as they exchanged stories working at boring jobs. He got her address and promised to call later and he then left and walked back to June's. He got a cup of coffee and then when he got near a trashcan, tossed the cup at the can, but it missed and was laying in the gutter as Neal crossed the street. He then went to the magazine street vendor and picked up a magazine, creased a paged in a Hiram's Poetry Review and ran his fingernail under a line of poetry. Then he put back the magazine and went to June's. He figured any watchers would have seen the typical office worker have a meal with a pretty woman and if she were approached it would solidify his cover. Plus it was nice to have a meal with a pretty woman that had no major agendas.

Peter called next morning saying he was on his way and Neal invited Peter for breakfast since it was early, in the kitchen, the terrace being too cold to enjoy in December.

The briefly discussed the case but there was nothing new, the warehouse was clean It had been a while since that batch of funny money had been printed and was a dead end. Peter brought him up to date on the investigation and movements of the other FBI agents such as Ruiz, Ramirez and Camillo in Burglaries. The Mayor's aide knew about the diamond due to the promotion and to help publicity to the shop. He had an alibi that night and no known associates in the criminal world. There was nothing to tag any of them. Of course if one were dirty it would not be obvious.

Neal in his Nicholas guise walked in wearing his glasses with that modest demeanor that struck Peter as so odd. To Neal being in the Federal Reserve Bank was only worthwhile as research, the work was boring, but he did it well. Checking various bank intuitions bank records for financial soundness was the primary function. He took a break and wondered down to the motor pool to meet the people and get a visual on his other suspect. There was nothing to stand out as most criminals look like every one else.

Neal went back to work and spent his spare time chatting with his coworkers He had a nice modest demeanor that people liked and wanted to help. He was obviously competent at his job. And his supervisor came by to see how he was settling. Neal was bored and could not wait to get the assignment finished so he could devote more time to his own business. He did not dare risk using the computers at the Federal Reserve Bank to do searches since that would light all sorts of flags. So he thought up various scenarios for stealing the paper and delivery to the counterfeit presses. Neal would have set up a double blind, but that was not done according to Agent Cameron. It was a straight theft of paper. Paper was stored, the paper loaded on unknown truck and then moved to unknown destination. No security camera footage, no tracks, no witnesses, nothing. Neal hated waiting. He decided that he needs to know the movements of his suspects and so he wandered back to the motor pool and chatted with the drivers and maintenance guys and leaned on the truck's fender that John Robey, his suspect drove and placed a GPS transmitter on the underside of the fender.

Back up at his desk he stumbled against Clive muttering profuse apologies and pocketed Clive's cell phone. Putting a transmitter in that and doing a fast program he then dropped the phone in Clives coat pocket again while it was on his chair.

Later in the afternoon he was chatting with Clive and some other guys about sports and suggested they meet for drinks at a sports bar. It was good idea to become buddies with Clive so as to help get information that was legitimate for prosecution. He illegal information sources will help but cannot be used in a trial.

He went out with Clive and some other guys in the department and they had a good time. He chatted up some ladies there and then introduced them to Clive and the guys ingratiating himself with Clive.

Neal was thinking that this is a long boring assignment. Leaving the bar he went to the subway and visited the office there. He set up the recorders for the bugs he planted and reviewed the files left. Neal also reviewed the audio files from the Fowler's bugs that were set up in their new location. Fowler was spitting mad they were looking at the wrong person. Neal just smiled.