Chapter 9: Shards of Glass

"Sara and I are prepared to leave on an hour's notice," Mozzie said. "Just say the word."

When Mozzie arrived early at the telescope class at Columbia University, Peter suspected he had an ulterior motive. They'd been teaching a group of kids the basics of telescope construction for the past month. Normally Peter and Travis handled the setup with Mozzie making his appearance like a visiting rock star after the workshop had already started.

But this time was different. Mozzie was already present when Peter entered the classroom at Pupin Hall. Even more telling, he offered to retrieve the equipment needed to demonstrate the art of mirror grinding.

Peter had been tempted to let others handle the workshop. But he wasn't needed for surveillance duty, and taking time out for a scheduled activity while engaged in a battle of wits with Rolf was exactly what was required. Peter needed to appear to be in control and as ruthless as his potential business partner.

"Mozzie's right to be concerned about another trigger," Travis agreed. "It's been on all our minds."

"You think Neal's overseas," Peter said.

Mozzie held up a mirror to inspect it. "I fear Rolf intends to have Penfold perform his psychological voodoo on Neal once more. The States would be too risky a location for the fugitive witch doctor."

Peter wished he could go with Mozzie. Sara would add a reassuring presence. After her participation in the U-boat con, he considered her to be an auxiliary member of the team, but he was surprised Mozzie felt that way too. Sara had the heart of an adventurer, but in the type of mission Mozzie was advocating, she could quickly get in over her head. Surely she knew enough about Mozzie to know what she was in for. Peter planned to call her to discuss it after class.

"I assume you weren't able to get any data from the meeting with Rolf yesterday?" Mozzie asked Travis.

"None," he conceded gloomily. "He must be carrying a miniature jammer. Peter's watch stopped broadcasting the moment he entered the limo. It didn't resume till he was dropped off at the Federal Building."

"Don't be discouraged," Mozzie said. "He'll make a mistake. They all do."

Mozzie's hopeful words sounded like something Peter would advise. Peter had noticed before that when focused on a job, Mozzie became much more rational. Gone were the wild conspiracy theories. He was almost level-headed. Really quite an amazing transformation.

Rolf had said he'd contact Peter again. That slip-up would happen. Until it did, Peter reined in his emotions as best he could. He could hear Neal in his head. This is what we planned for. We'll finally be able to end Rolf's games once and for all.

In the Arkham Files stories, he and Neal could occasionally exchange messages telepathically in times of duress. What he'd give to have that ability now.

#

The anticipated meeting with Rolf didn't take long to materialize. Peter was walking to his car after the workshop when he saw a black limousine approach. It rolled to a stop beside him. This time, Rolf was sitting in the backseat waiting for him.

Peter opened the door, using the opportunity to press two side buttons on his watch. His watch would now send an alert signal to the lab and also record his conversation.

Rolf was reclining nonchalantly on the camel-leather seat, seemingly completely at ease. "The workshop went well?" he inquired politely.

"It did." Peter reminded himself of the need to be friendly. This was his future business partner, not the enemy. "We're coaching fifteen future astronomers. That's an interest you and I share." While Rolf asked him for details, the chauffeur drove along Riverside Drive.

"Neal wasn't interested in stargazing in Geneva," Rolf said. "I'm glad you introduced him to astronomy. His painting of the three of you stargazing is charming."

It was a brazen move, calculated to remind Peter of how well-informed Rolf was about Neal while hoping to rattle him that Rolf was familiar with his house. Peter wasn't about to give him any indication that he was troubled. "You should join us in a session. Is Klaus interested in the stars?" Peter could have used the past tense with Klaus but he opted to do a little cage-rattling on his own. Up to now, the knowledge that the team knew Klaus was alive had been a closely guarded secret.

Rolf adopted Peter's strategy, displaying no hint of surprise. "Like Neal, his interest is only casual. You have the start of a promising art collection. The Renoir is a lovely piece. Do you have any other items?"

Was he fishing for Peter to mention The Astronomer or the Raphael? "The Renoir was for my wife. I prefer paintings with a more scientific bent."

Rolf gave a half-smile. "Then you'll enjoy the task I have in mind. You want to go into business with me, and your credentials are impressive. Consider this a recruitment exercise. Your assignment is to steal Van Gogh's Starry Night."

"As soon as Neal is returned safe and unharmed, I'll entertain the idea," Peter hedged. The painting was at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Peter had expected some sort of trial. How fast could Neal prepare a forgery?

"You're the one taking the test, not him. Surely you've picked up some skills from Neal in the years you've worked with him. After you've stolen the painting, Neal will be returned. And this time, there will be no deceptions. No forgeries. Your actions will be monitored throughout the theft."

"But you can't expect me to steal it on my own!" Peter protested.

He shrugged. "Klaus could. Neal could. But I acknowledge our expertise lies in other areas. I'm sure Mozzie will be glad to help. Perhaps you could encourage Neal's cousin Henry to assist."

"Are you interested in him, too?"

"Possibly. If he'd like to go into partnership with us, I'll consider it. This is a good time for him to make up his mind. And it goes without saying that Mozzie will be handsomely rewarded for his services. We've devised a way of making payments appear to be stock transactions. You can be assured no one in our employ has to worry about financial red flags being hoisted. You and Neal will both be able to keep your jobs. He'll continue to work on his doctorate. As a stargazer, you'll no doubt appreciate moonlighting for us."

Payments via stock transactions. Peter itched to learn how they'd rigged the system. "You said I could speak with Neal."

"And so you shall." Rolf pulled out his phone, tapped a speed-dial number, and placed it on speaker.

"H'lo." The voice who answered sounded like Neal's, but was it? Peter had no choice but to play along.

"Neal, this is Peter. Are you okay?" His outpouring of concern could be genuine. Rolf expected that.

"P'ter?" Neal's voice continued to be slurred. Had he been drugged or was he faking the symptoms? "Did I get you in trouble?"

"Nothing I can't handle. I told the team you relapsed. Getting mono as an adult can be dangerous. Your doctor's ordered you to rest." I hope that's what you're doing. Rolf was looking unconcerned and confident. He probably liked the fabricated excuse. Peter decided to chance an audible. "Neal, you remember that item you borrowed from me?"

"When was that?" Damn. He sounded even more slurred.

"In St. Louis."

"Oh, yeah." Peter could hear Neal breathing heavily as if talking was difficult. "T-shirt."

"No need to return it when you get back." He'd told Neal that t-shirt was his to keep, a good luck token for their partnership. Did Neal wonder if Peter was only a figment of his imagination? Peter hoped the injection of the t-shirt, something the Mansfelds didn't know about, would prove to Neal he was real.

"When will that be?" There was a note of desperation in his voice. Was that purely for Rolf's benefit and whoever else was listening in? When they'd discussed with Tricia the possibility of Neal being abducted, she'd advised Neal to act dependent on Peter. If that happened, Tricia had cautioned Peter against appearing overly concerned. They wanted Rolf to believe Peter was encouraging Neal's reliance on him. They assumed Rolf treated Klaus the same way and would appreciate the similarity in techniques.

"Very soon," Peter promised, keeping his voice low-pitched and confident. "I'm in negotiations now."

Rolf held one finger over the end call button and swiped his left hand across his throat.

Peter nodded his understanding. "Take care of yourself, Neal. I'll see you soon."

Rolf ended the transmission. "Are you satisfied that was him on the phone? That nonsense about the t-shirt was I assume meant to assure him it was really you."

"What are you drugging him with?" Peter asked, not answering him.

"Merely a sedative to keep him comfortable. You played your part well. Steal the painting and Neal will return to New York. You'll be able to retrieve that t-shirt. Try to pull a fast one, and you'll never see him again. That's not a threat. It's a promise, and you know me well enough to realize this isn't a bluff."

The chauffeur drove them back to the spot where he'd been picked up. "How can I contact you?" Peter asked.

"Text me at this number." Rolf fished in his pants for his wallet and pulled out a business card. The card was blank except for a preprinted ten-digit number. "I'll get the message."

As soon as Rolf sped off, Peter called Travis. Next on his list were Henry and Mozzie. Those art heist boot camps Neal had held in the summer were about to pay dividends. They agreed to meet at Henry's loft the following morning for their first planning session. Mozzie offered to case out the Museum of Modern Art in advance. The theft would need to appear authentic. Rolf might expect a double-cross, but Peter doubted the subterfuge he had in mind was on Rolf's radar.

#

"This is your fault!" Klaus said angrily. "How can you expect any results when you've got Neal so drugged, all he does is sleep." His jaw worked for a moment before he spoke again. "Give him a chance," he pleaded, a note of desperation in his voice.

Anya bit back her retort, not wanting to disclose the extent of her displeasure. Klaus had worked for a year on getting his precious lion cub here and for what? The only result had been heated arguments. She found herself spending increasing lengths of time in the conservatory with her snakes to escape Klaus's constant complaints. She should be focused on the upcoming arms sale to Tajikistan, not forced to listen to his lectures.

"Calm yourself," she urged, forcing herself to adopt a placating tone. "I spoke with Penfold this morning and he agreed to reduce Neal's medication."

Klaus's face dissolved into instant relief. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"It was to be a surprise. You should notice an improvement by dinner." She placed the python on a branch and turned to face Klaus. Softening her voice still further, she added, "There's no need for us to fight about Neal. You're restless to move forward. So am I. Focus on your forgery assignment. You'll both feel better when you've achieved tangible results."

"Once you see Neal's skill, you'll understand why he's such an asset. You'll realize there's no need for Penfold to perform the procedure."

"That decision's already been made," she countered bluntly. "It's scheduled for Wednesday."

His face darkened. "Impossible. It's far too dangerous."

"I'm being generous to give you so much time. You better spend it with Neal, getting him into shape. There will be no more delays."

She turned her back on him. Let him slam the conservatory door. The insolence of the man. What had she ever seen in him? Would he obey her orders or cause still more issues?

She was glad Penfold had suggested a palliative. The drug Neal had been on since his extraction had been intended to convince Klaus a second procedure was essential, but the side effects had been more extreme than they'd anticipated.

Neal would be less drowsy with the new drug. Klaus would believe the medication had been reduced. He wouldn't attribute Neal's increased schizophrenia to the medication. Penfold had assured her that Neal's hallucinations would increase to the point that Klaus would have no choice but to agree to the procedure.

But what if Penfold was wrong and the symptoms weren't as he'd promised? Worse, Klaus could be too stubborn to recognize the truth. This was not the time to take a chance.

Anya reached for her cell phone and punched a speed dial number.

"Yes?" Rolf's voice was more curt than normal, but she ignored it. Whatever he was working on would have to wait.

"I need you back here. Klaus is making waves. He doesn't want Neal to be reprogrammed."

Rolf didn't reply for a moment. "The situation here is proceeding smoothly, but Jacek can't handle everything on his own. Bianka's untested for this type of work."

"I'll send Marta to replace you. I need you here now."

"Very well. Give me a couple of days."

"No longer," she warned.

#

Peter slapped his hand on Henry's dining table in triumph. "We got her!"

Mozzie reached for the scattered Monopoly pieces. "This better be worth the havoc you caused to my carefully crafted heist scenario."

"It will be," Henry said, staring at Peter eagerly. "Travis got a signal, didn't he?"

Peter nodded, savoring the victory. They'd met at Henry's loft to plan the heist. Travis's call arrived an hour later. "That lucky break we were hoping for finally happened. Rolf got a call from Joanna's phone a half-hour ago and for once the jammer wasn't on. He may have forgotten to turn it on or it was malfunctioning. That's not important. She was calling from a remote area in Hungary. Travis's team captured the entire conversation." A soft ding from his laptop alerted Peter that the email had come through. "Travis sent me the transcript. You can read it for yourselves."

Mozzie and Henry clustered around his laptop while Peter picked apart every word.

A moment later, Mozzie pulled out his phone and pressed a speed-dial number. "It's on! We'll take the first flight to Budapest."

"Wait a minute," Henry growled. "You're not going without me!"

Peter could hear Sara's excited voice demanding details.

"Call you back," Mozzie muttered.

"Simmer down, everyone," Peter ordered.

"Why?" Mozzie retorted. "Can't Travis pinpoint the location?"

"That's not the issue."

"And you already agreed that Sara and I would go to case out the location. It will take time for you to negotiate arrangements with the police. We'll be your eyes and ears."

"As soon as Travis determines the precise coordinates, I'll give them to you," Peter promised. "I'll also call John Hobhouse in London. He's offered to intercede on our behalf with any European authorities. Henry, you can't go with Mozzie, and you know that. We have to maintain the subterfuge that we're carrying out the heist as directed."

He scowled. "Doesn't Mozzie have the same problem?"

"No one's following me," Mozzie asserted. "They couldn't. Neither Sara nor I will be flying under our real names. Our disguises and passports are already prepared." He turned to Peter. "And don't even think about asking me for details."

Peter was too grateful for Mozzie's offer to make any waves. Those documents were undoubtedly forged. The less he knew about them the better. "Does Sara need me to call her boss?"

"She's already alerted him about the circumstances. Sterling-Bosch is as eager as the Bureau to put Ydrus out of business."

Henry was absently rubbing his chin. "So we steal the Van Gogh while others rescue Neal?"

Peter hedged his response, not wanting to pour salt on the wound. "Timing will be critical. We have Jacek under surveillance. He moved into a hotel in East Harlem. Now that we know Marta's on her way, we'll be on the lookout." He turned to Mozzie. "How do you expect Jacek will monitor the heist?"

"If we stage it after hours, he'll likely use hidden cameras in the galleries. Ydrus has developed ties to local gunrunners. They'll probably provide the reinforcement. When you conduct the heist, Jacek will be in his hotel room watching the feeds."

Mozzie's prediction tallied with Peter's. "We have four and a half days to work with. If Ydrus can be stormed beforehand, the heist will be unnecessary."

"We have less time than that," Henry warned. "Python wants to reprogram Neal. Rolf said he'd be there in a couple of days. Let's assume he reaches Budapest by Tuesday evening. Even if Klaus forces a temporary halt, the procedure could start as soon as Rolf arrives."

Henry wasn't telling him anything he didn't know. Peter never thought he'd be forced to pin his hopes on Klaus, but he might be the only one who had a chance of putting the brakes on Python's plans. "We can't afford to give them any suspicion we're onto them," he cautioned. "Henry you'll have to stay here. And Mozzie, before you leave, you'll need to devise a heist that will pass muster with Rolf."

"That's not necessary," he countered. "All the best thieves keep their methods a secret. Rolf won't expect you to cough up the details."

Henry was eyeing Peter speculatively. Did he realize what Peter was planning? Wouldn't he want to do the same thing? Was it even feasible? Assuming Mozzie and Sara left this evening, it would be sometime on Monday before they could be in position. There was no certainty Neal was at the location Python had called from. Until that was verified, the rest of them would have to play along. If Interpol and the Hungarians moved in on Ydrus and Neal wasn't there, they could be signing his death warrant.


Notes: The Clueless con is on hold for a while but once it resumes, there will be a new player. It seems fitting to have Mozzie, the master gamer, be the first one to figure out the con. Now that he's become a participant, he'll likely make some creative suggestions. Thanks to a reader for mentioning that Neal, despite his complaints about matchmakers, has indulged more than once in the same activity. He introduced Richard and Travis as well as Michael and Angela. Neal was also a factor for other couples getting together, including Joe and Noelle; Henry and Eric; and Janet and Mozzie. Neal would point out that his matchmaking activities were restricted to making introductions. The couples were on their own afterward. Henry's likely response would be "What's the fun in that?" The original catalyst to the Caffrey Conversation matchmaking plots is, of course, Penna. She introduced Jane Austen to the series, created the Jane Austen curse, and linked Neal to Darcy. Some may detect a touch of Jane Austen's Emma in Henry's efforts.