Chapter 1: Rabbit Holes
White Collar breakroom, Federal Building. Friday, September 1, 2006.
"Now this is the way to start the Labor Day weekend," Diana declared as she reached for a cannoli.
Neal smiled appreciatively and passed the pastry box to Jones. They'd planned the pre-holiday celebration the previous day. Each supplied their own sandwich but also brought something to be shared. Diana's contribution was red-pepper hummus and pita chips. Jones brought potato salad.
"This is a sendoff of sorts," Jones said. "Once Sara arrives, Caffrey will probably be spending all his lunch breaks with her."
"Not necessarily," Neal said. "Besides, can't Sara join us occasionally in the breakroom?"
"Of course, she can," Diana said. "Especially after she starts working at Winston-Winslow. Henry's office is only a short distance away."
"Has the deal gone through?" Jones asked.
"It was finalized two weeks ago," Neal confirmed. "In September, Sara will continue to work at Sterling-Bosch as a member of the New York transition team. Then, starting on October 2, she'll become a Win-Win employee."
Henry's plan to diversify Win-Win's business had been a triumph. The initial concept was developed thanks to a tip provided by Sara. She'd alerted him several months ago that insurance companies were starting to outsource their investigation needs. Henry convinced Win-Win's CEO that they should look into it. Acquiring the first client had been a challenge, but once Henry had successfully negotiated the agreement, others quickly followed. By the time Sterling-Bosch decided to outsource their needs, Win-Win could make a compelling case. For Neal and Sara, it was the dream they'd hoped for. Sara would be working out of the Win-Win office in lower Manhattan. Her focus would be Sterling-Bosch, essentially providing the same expertise she had before. And although she would continue to travel, her home base would now be New York.
"When does Sara arrive in town?" Diana asked.
"This evening."
"So that's why you've had a permanent smile on your face," she chortled. "I should have known."
Neal took a sip of the hazelnut Sumatra coffee he'd picked up at the coffee hut on the corner. No one should be forced to drink Bureau swill when munching on the mascarpone pistachio chocolate decadence of the cannolis.
"I hope Sara isn't giving you ideas to jump ship too," Jones said.
"Leaving no one to provide comic relief in the bullpen?" Neal said in mock horror. "I wouldn't be so cruel!" Not that he hadn't considered it, and both Diana and Jones must have realized it too. But as he'd explained to Sara, despite the many positives, abandoning Peter and the team was a deal-breaker.
"Good," Diana said. "I'm still adjusting to Travis's defection. That's enough shock for one year."
Last month, White Collar's tech expert had made the surprise announcement that he'd accepted a position with Root32, the cybersecurity firm Neal's friend Aidan worked for. Travis had worked closely with the company when they developed security software to counteract Rolf Mansfeld's malware. Root32 was expanding its business into security electronics and wanted Travis to manage the team. It was a plum role for Travis and would also bring a significant pay increase.
On the positive side, Root32's office was in the Columbia University area. Travis would also continue to volunteer with SETI so Neal would have plenty of opportunities to see him on campus. But it wouldn't be the same. Travis used to sit next to Neal's art niche in the tech lab. Aside from Peter, he was Neal's closest friend at work. Realistically, though, Neal wouldn't be able to hold onto his art niche much longer. The new boss of D.C. Art Crimes, Laura Jemison, had warned that White Collar could soon lose the ability to investigate art cases. She'd held off on a decision while the Rolf Mansfeld case was still ongoing, but it wrapped up over a month ago.
Jemison had made it abundantly clear that Neal was welcome to join the team in D.C., but a move was out of the question. Sara could probably work out of D.C., but he still had three years to go on his doctorate. In any case, he had no desire to uproot his life in New York, especially now that the remodeling work on June's house was due to start.
"It's not as bad as it could be," Jones said, sounding as if he was trying to convince himself as much as them. "Travis will continue to consult with us. He mentioned Henry was also interested in Root32 helping Win-Win with their electronic needs."
"And I can't be too upset since Darika's been named his replacement," Diana said. "I hope she's the vanguard of many more women at White Collar. It's too bad Henry snatched Sara away. I would have loved to have recruited her for the Bureau." She offered a mischievous smile. "If she knew about the case Peter and Hughes are discussing, it would be an easy sell."
"What have you heard?" Neal asked eagerly. Peter had originally planned to join them for lunch but he'd been called away to meet with Hughes.
Diana leaned forward, placing her elbows on the table, and dropped her voice to a whisper. "Hughes asked me to prepare background information on Bergdorf Goodman."
The luxury Fifth Avenue department store was one of the top fashion destinations of the city. Diana was right that Sara would be jumping at the opportunity to participate in the investigation.
"I bet it has something to do with Fashion Week," Jones said, growing excited in turn. "The case is bound to include models. Maybe we can go undercover."
"And you're volunteering," Diana mocked. "I bet you already know the schedule for Fashion Week."
"No, but I can easily find out."
"That's not necessary," Neal said. "The couture shows start on the sixth. Ready to wear begins on the ninth." He turned at the sound of footsteps. "And here's Mr. Fashionista himself, dapperly attired in a classic Brooks Brothers charcoal-gray two-piece suit."
Peter frowned, glancing down at his jacket. "What's wrong with it?"
"Not a thing," Neal assured him. "That's why it's a classic."
Peter narrowed his eyes but didn't challenge the statement since Jones was already peppering him with questions about the case.
"Simmer down," Peter said. "This isn't about couturier fashion, and there will be no models to interview. Bergdorf's discovered that a shipment of expensive handbags contains several knockoffs."
"Counterfeit purses?" Jones raised an eyebrow. "The loss can't be very great."
"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Neal said. "What's the brand?"
"Tracy Hicks," Peter said.
Neal gave a low whistle, and Peter nodded in agreement.
"Boss, you've heard about her?" Diana asked, surprised.
"Hey, ask me what I know about Prada. I've worked enough rip-off cases to know that Tracy Hicks is one of the most expensive lines in the world."
Jones was apparently not as well versed so Neal added, "Some of her handbags go for over a million dollars."
"Wow," Jones breathed.
"My sentiment exactly," Peter agreed. "An actress carried one of her bags at the Oscars. It was accented with diamonds and gold and worth over two million. In Bergdorf's case, the bags' average price is over $500,000. They took delivery of seven of them."
"How did they find out they were rip-offs?" Neal asked.
"A customer who'd purchased a bag took it to a jeweler for appraisal. He realized the diamonds were synthetic. For now, the case isn't being publicized. We'd first like to know how extensive the problem is. Most likely, it's an inside job—either at Bergdorf's or at Tracy Hicks."
"Where is the company located?" Jones asked.
"Hicks is a New York designer. Her factory is in Brooklyn. Jones, I want you and Diana to check out Bergdorf's this afternoon. Look into their distribution system and prepare backgrounds of anyone who could have access to the bags."
He turned to Neal. "How are you coming on the Interpol report?"
"I'll finish it this afternoon."
"Good. Send it to me as soon as you're done and we'll review it together."
Jemison had requested the document. It was to include a summary of the cases they'd conducted for the Interpol art crimes task force led by John Hobhouse. The task force had been in existence for a little over a year. The small group of agents represented law enforcement agencies across the world. Peter and Neal had served on the task force since its inception but that could soon change. They'd been told the Bureau was uncomfortable with them working part-time for the international agency when the Bureau was mandated to operate strictly within the United States.
But just as the FBI was getting cold feet, Hobhouse was anticipating an expansion of his budget. He'd already asked about Neal and Peter's availability to work more cases. Was this a case of the Titanic hitting an iceberg or a new opportunity knocking at the door?
#
"It's an excellent report," Peter told Neal. "I can tell all the writing you've done for your courses has had a positive impact." He'd called Neal into his office after reviewing the document. When Neal started at White Collar, his reports lacked discipline. He often glossed over important facts while making the action sequences resemble an adventure novel. Entertaining, yes, but inappropriate for the FBI.
"It's not too concise?" Neal asked. "I could have easily tripled it in length."
"I'm sure you could have, but we'll be lucky if upper management gives it more than a cursory glance."
Neal eyed him questioningly. "Have you heard any whispers about which way they're leaning?"
"Nothing definite," Peter hedged, but his gut told him Jemison had already made her decision, or, even more likely, her boss had made it for her. "Have you heard anything from Hobhouse?"
"He called this morning for a consult on an Egyptian smuggling ring. He mentioned that he expects a decision from Interpol about the expansion in the next few days."
"Then we should have clarity on both fronts shortly," Peter said, keeping his tone upbeat. "Don't your classes start in a couple of weeks?"
"I wish. I could use the extra time, but the first classes are held on Tuesday, the day after Labor Day."
"I'm sorry it won't be possible for you to cut back on your Bureau hours this term."
Neal shrugged. "It will be a crunch but I'll manage. White Collar will be a peaceful refuge from the mayhem at June's. Eric plans to start next week on the remodeling project. He's coming over on Saturday to finalize the design with us."
"Will you try to retain the same style?"
Neal nodded and gave a broad smile. "That means we have free rein to do whatever we want. The house was finished in 1909. The French Renaissance Revival style has elements of Art Nouveau, Art Deco, as well as Arts and Crafts. Sara and I have already decided on several Art Nouveau touches. We've already made quite a list for Eric."
Peter was glad Neal had so much to look forward to. If he was thrown a curveball on the work front, it might not register as much of an impact.
#
El hadn't lived with Peter for seven years without learning how to read his body language.
That evening as they cleared the dining room table, he displayed the telltale signs of being distracted. Throughout dinner, he'd focused on her upcoming events. She assumed he was working on a case he couldn't talk about.
She hoped he wasn't worried about Baby Burke who was still playing coy. Earlier they'd agreed to wait till the new year before discussing other options, but the initial exhilaration from their decision had worn off months ago. The renovation of her upstairs office was complete but still no baby. Peter might be concerned that he was to blame, but it was more likely her fault for having waited so long to make up her mind. She'd been warned that pregnancies would be more difficult as she grew older.
"It's my turn to wash," Peter said, handing her a dishtowel. "I'll make quick work of this. Whenever you make veal scaloppini, my plate's already scraped so bare it's virtually clean."
"You do know how to turn a girl's head! Just for that, there's a slice of Italian wedding cake in the fridge with your name on it."
"Not for long," he said, his face lighting up. "That slice will vanish as soon as the dishes are done. Are you trying out samples for Neal and Sara's wedding?"
"Not yet. The cake was left over from yesterday's event, but if it receives your seal of approval, I'll add it to the list of possibilities." She and Sara had discussed a few of the preliminary details for the wedding. Sara hoped that both June's chef Emil and Jacques, the owner of La Palette would be involved in the dinner as well as being guests. The primary focus for now, though, needed to be on the venue. As soon as Sara arrived in New York, the task of securing a location would start in earnest.
"I expect Neal will want to be involved in the planning as much as Sara," Peter said, looking unexpectedly thoughtful. "Between the remodeling project, Columbia, and the wedding, he won't have much time to think about work."
"Hon, is anything wrong?" she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"No, at least I don't think so." He turned to smile at her. "I haven't had much experience in handling transitions. I'm probably overworking it."
"You heard?" she asked, her pulse quickening.
He nodded. "Hughes told me this morning that my promotion will be official next week. For now, I can't say anything at work, but you're looking at the next section head of Organized Crime."
"Congratulations! You should have told me before dinner. I would have gotten out the champagne."
"Let's wait till it's official." He shrugged. "I wouldn't want to jinx anything."
"This is what you wanted, right?" she asked, beginning to grow anxious at his unexpected reticence.
"Absolutely," he said, looking more cheerful. "This move will give me the broadening experience I need plus we won't need to move from New York."
"I'm thrilled for you and also for us," she said, pumping extra enthusiasm into her voice.
He smiled at her. "You can continue to run New York's most talented event-planning business. We won't have to say goodbye to our friends. Our relations with them could become even stronger. I'll no longer be Neal's supervisor." His voice trailed off.
"Are you worried about how he'll react to the news?"
"Worried is not the word I'd use."
"Then what is?"
He took a breath. "Relieved? My move will probably cause him to reevaluate his own situation. This afternoon I tried to give him a few subtle nudges. Sara will be working for Win-Win. Many insurance cases involve art, antiques, jewelry . . ." He shrugged. "In Neal's eyes, mortgage and finance frauds must pale in comparison."
"But there's still Interpol."
"For now. But I'll need to resign from my position once I assume the new post. It's probably for the best. My bet is the Bureau will put the kibosh on agents being members of an international team." He shrugged. "Budgets are tight, and the current focus is on terrorism and cybercrimes."
It was odd Peter hadn't immediately told her the news when he got home. Was his concern only about how it would affect Neal? Peter loved his job at White Collar. He could be having second thoughts about the transfer. He'd enjoyed the ops with Neal and the other team members—even the ones when he had to wear a disguise, although he'd probably never admit it. It had been a wonderful period in their lives, and now it was ending. But that was part of life, right? She and Peter had discussed how the day would come for Neal too that undercover work would lose its appeal. How could the life of a con artist compare with the future he was building for himself and Sara?
Peter agreed that moving into a supervisory role was a good fit with their plans to start a family. His time in the field would be greatly reduced and along with it the long hours. Although Organized Crime sounded dangerous, it would be the agents in the field who would bear most of the risk. Would Peter be able to steer clear of participating? He'd inevitably treat the new unit as his extended family. Only now there would be many more agents to fret about.
She mentally shook herself. They'd already decided the new job was exactly the kind of assignment he hoped to obtain. Most everyone had initial jitters about a change in status.
"I predict many parties in our future," she declared. "First up will be our celebration for Peter Burke, the FBI's newest section head!"
"I hope you'll be able to fit me into your packed schedule," he teased.
"I'll make room."
"Neal and Sara's wedding won't take up all your time?"
"You're my number one client," she said, standing on tiptoes to kiss him. "In any case, they have a lot of decisions to make before we proceed."
"If I were Neal, I might try to coax Sara into eloping," Peter confessed. "I bet he could make a strong case. With the remodeling project and a new job, she won't have much time for anything else."
El tapped his nose. "That's why she called on me."
#
Sara sighed with pleasure as she surveyed the Manhattan skyline from her seat on the terrace and Neal placed a freshly filled mug of coffee in front of her. "I can't believe this is my home too!"
Her plane had landed the previous afternoon. She'd taken a taxi from the airport, arriving just before Neal got home from work. They'd had dinner with June before moving upstairs to continue the reunion. She'd often stayed at the loft but before last night she'd always been a visitor.
Neal squeezed her shoulder before taking a seat next to her at the patio table. "You'll soon get used to it," he predicted, taking a sip of coffee. "When June's dining room table is covered with blueprints, reality will sink in."
She glanced at her watch. They still had over an hour before they needed to dress to be downstairs. Till then she was free to be decadent and enjoy a late breakfast with her fiancé.
"Do you think Eric will really be able to work around the loft, letting us live here while the rest of the floor is under construction?" she asked.
"He assured me it's achievable, and I believe him. Remember, Henry lived in his loft during the chaos of reconstruction. There were only a few nights he stayed with me. And in our case, we have the spare bedroom June designated for our use." He smiled. "Even after your clothes arrive from London, I bet we'll be able to find the bed."
"I should warn you, I didn't just ship clothes."
"I didn't expect that would be the case. How many boxes of shoes and purses?"
She made a face. "You don't want to know." She took the last bite of chocolate almond croissant. Neal did know how to spoil her. "I hope someday we'll both have cases in England. Surely Interpol will ask for your help with an art crime. It could be a case where Sterling-Bosch is the insurer and . . ." Her words trailed off as she noticed Neal didn't seem as enthusiastic as she thought he would be. "Is something wrong?"
"Not yet, but Interpol may not be in my future. Peter gave me strong signals at work today that the Bureau was preparing to sever the connection."
"Right when John Hobhouse hopes to expand your role? That's just cruel!"
"I agree, but the writing's been on the wall for a while. Even if the Bureau decides to delay a decision, Peter may not be able to continue." Neal shrugged. "I get the distinct impression a transfer is in the works for him."
"If that happens, what will you do?"
"I haven't decided." He gave her a smile. "But how can I pass on the chance to work with you?"
"Henry would love to have you a member of the team, and you know how I'd feel about that." Sara had dreamed about them becoming partners at work as well as in their personal lives. Was it about to become reality? "Have you talked with him about it?"
"Not yet. Nothing will happen for a while. But it can't hurt to start excavating additional rabbit holes."
#
Thoughts of career options quickly receded into the background. Eric's arrival was soon followed by Mozzie's appearance. June had cleared the dining room table so they'd have plenty of room to work.
Aside from Neal's loft, the top floor of the mansion had been used for storage. That space would now be gutted and transformed into living quarters. The loft would eventually become his studio as well as an office for him and Sara. Mozzie planned to retain his bunker in the basement of the Aloha Emporium to work on secret projects, but the suite in June's house would be his first publicly acknowledged residence.
Now that more of Mozzie's activities were legal, he'd found a greater need for a "permanent alias." It was especially gratifying to Sara that he'd settled on the persona of Walter Ellis, her fictitious uncle. He'd first used the name for his Doctor Who scripts. Subsequently, he revealed it to the Japanese anime company producing the adventures of Yellowface, the Masked Avenger. Billy Feng, the owner of the Aloha Emporium and Mozzie's partner in Hawaiian organic honey ventures, would finally be able to divulge the name of his partner.
"Uncle Walt" was already receiving mail at June's. He also planned to maintain his safe houses and several of his aliases. Dante Haversham would live on.
Should Neal adopt a similar strategy of having both above-ground and underground rabbit holes? Wasn't that what he was already doing, the only difference being his were figurative?
"Hey Neal, I could use your help," Eric called out, a note of frustration in his voice. Not a surprise since Mozzie was meeting with the architect to discuss his future suite.
"Go on," Sara urged. "June and I want to take the blueprints to the terrace to visualize what the changes will look like from the outside."
"This shouldn't take long," Neal said. "I'll join you shortly." That was probably overly optimistic, but he could hope.
The area earmarked for Mozzie presently consisted of four small bedrooms and a bath. In the redesign, it would become a one-bedroom apartment with a kitchenette. One of the bedrooms had already been emptied of furniture and a large worktable had been placed in the center of the room. Eric was using it as his office during the project, and that's where Neal found them.
"I thought the blueprints were in the dining room," Neal said, eyeing warily the large collection of diagrams covering the table.
"These aren't mine," Eric explained. "They're Mozzie's."
"I'm not trying to rework his designs," Mozzie clarified. "These are simply a few additions."
"For?" Neal prompted.
"Oh, just the essential—cubbyholes, secret escape routes, hidden passages."
"Are these all for your suite?" Neal asked.
"Of course not. I wouldn't be so selfish. The entire house will be transformed."
"This is why I called you in," Eric said, keeping his tone neutral.
Neal sympathized with his feelings. Eric was used to dealing with clients but Mozzie presented unique challenges. Neal, Sara, and Mozzie had entered into a partnership arrangement with June on the house, and Mozzie was gifting them with his financial expertise. But even so, Neal wasn't ready to sign off on converting the mansion into a labyrinth worthy of the de Medicis.
"What was June's reaction?" Neal asked, choosing to take a diplomatic route.
"I wanted to explain it to Eric first," Mozzie replied. "Then we can make a united front. Conceivably June will need a little encouragement. Eric was wise to call you in. Three voices will be even better. I'm sure Sara will be on our side as well."
"I think I hear June calling for me," Eric said. "I'll be right back." He was out of the room before Mozzie could object. Neal hadn't realized Henry's boyfriend could be so devious.
"Impressive," Mozzie murmured. "Eric realized we could wade into confidential waters. Henry has a treasure."
"Yes, he does," Neal agreed as he scanned Mozzie's blueprints. No wonder Eric was floored. The secret spiral staircase ascending from Mozzie's bedroom to the roof was a nice touch but a hidden trapdoor in the marble entry was likely a non-starter. "I'm surprised you didn't mention this during our preliminary discussions with Eric."
"That was because I hadn't fully grasped the possibilities," Mozzie explained. Neal gave him a knowing look, causing him to shrug. "And I was distracted by a new project."
"Concerning?"
"Early days, mon frère. Still, I can share a few details. Akihiro first alerted me to it. Not coincidentally, on my way back from Japan last week, I stopped off in St. Petersburg."
Neal knew there'd been a void in Mozzie's life since the disappearance of the Tudor Crown. Although many would believe Mozzie already had more projects in his life than one man could handle, the lure of a quest—the more quixotic the better—was a siren not to be denied. What did it involve this time? Mozzie's friend Akihiro owned an antique shop on the Lower West Side. Neal had visited it occasionally. The eclectic assortment of Asian and Western pieces meant that Mozzie's latest interest could revolve around almost anything. St. Petersburg narrowed the field. Perhaps something concerning the Hermitage? That brought back happy memories. The heist with Klaus rivaled the Louvre for thrills . . . now forbidden thrills.
Or were they? Hadn't he taken elements from his former life and current trajectory to create a new mosaic? Now that he was working more with the Interpol art crimes task force, didn't he need to do more with museums across the world? The only difference would be he'd now study their layouts to prevent crimes.
Notes: Cross-currents are tugging at Neal and Peter as they consider career options. It's no fun to be in a holding pattern while waiting for others to decide. Luckily, they'll soon be distracted by a challenge of a different sort.
Background on the Caffrey Conversation AU for new readers: The series was created by Penna Nomen and begins with her story Caffrey Conversation. Our blog has a list and short summaries for all the stories. The primary difference from canon is that Neal was never sent to prison and the characters are several years younger. The personalities of canon characters (Elizabeth, Mozzie, Diana, Jones, Hughes, June, and Sara) are the same. Peter recruited Neal in 2003 when he was 24. In the fall of 2004, he entered Columbia University's graduate program in art as a part-time student.
Visuals and Music: The Fashion Undertow board on the Caffrey Conversation Pinterest website
Blog: Penna Nomen & Silbrith Conversation
Twitter: silbrith