Chapter 1: A Friend in Need
Morgan Library Café. Wednesday, November 8, 2006.
Raquel LaRoque studied Neal as she took a sip of espresso. "You rewrote the playbook. I thought you'd be chained to the Bureau for several more years. How did you secure your freedom?"
The last time Neal had seen the sultry brunette was in her Venetian boutique last January. When she contacted him, requesting a meeting, he leaped at the opportunity. This would be his first chance to test his new cover. He'd left the FBI a month ago. How much did Raquel know and how had she found out? Was she now conducting a fishing expedition out of idle curiosity or did she have something else in mind?
Raquel had suggested meeting at the café of the Morgan Library. It was the same location they'd used over a year ago when she wanted him to retrieve a stolen ancient Egyptian statue. Did she realize the Morgan now had an additional significance for him?
"I took advantage of an opportunity that came my way in the summer," he said, deliberately keeping his answer as vague as possible. "Secrets can be as valuable as ancient Egyptian treasures."
A smile quirked her lips. "Did you loot a tomb?"
"In a manner of speaking. Corrupt politicians pay handsomely to keep their secrets buried."
When Neal began working at Winston-Winslow, he and Henry discussed how to modify the standard con Neal had been running. No longer could he claim that he was being forced to work at the FBI. But last summer they'd exposed the corrupt politician who'd had his hooks into Neal's father since Neal was three years old. Few knew the precise details of what had occurred. Neal could claim that he'd bargained his freedom in exchange for not going public with the sordid details.
Raquel was an Egyptologist by training, but she found trading in antique jewelry much more lucrative. She supplemented her income by fencing artifacts. She should appreciate Neal's negotiating skills.
"Handsomely indeed," she said with an appreciative nod. "You used to live in a loft apartment. Now, if my sources are correct, you're remodeling an entire floor of one of the last privately-owned Manhattan mansions." She cocked an eyebrow as if challenging him to deny it. But he wasn't about to.
"My old quarters were a bit cramped," Neal said calmly, not expressing any surprise or curiosity about her source. He was sure he already knew. Earlier in the year, Alex had demonstrated that she kept close tabs on him. She occasionally used Raquel's fencing services.
"One thing puzzles me, though," Raquel said.
"Only one?"
She smiled. "For the moment. That insurance recovery agent you're dating—Sara Ellis. You're marrying her?"
"Is that why you picked this location to meet?" Their wedding would be held a week from now at the Morgan Library. "Would you like an invitation?"
She hesitated only for a moment. "Does Sara know about us?"
"Yes, not that you and I were ever an item."
"But we could have been," she said in a sensual murmur.
That boat sailed long ago. "I value our friendship too highly," he said diplomatically. She could make of that what she wished.
She propped her chin on her upraised hand and stared into his eyes. "Amis-amants could be entertaining."
"It would be, but Sara is the only amie-amant in my life." Henry and Sara had agreed with his tactic to stick to the truth as closely as possible. Alex realized that Neal was in love with Sara when they conned Wilkes. She'd likely kept Raquel informed about Sara. "Did you come to New York just to ask for a wedding invitation? Delighted as I am to see you, you could have called. Or do you have another reason for being in New York?"
She nodded, brushing her long hair behind her shoulder. "First, though, I'd appreciate a clarification. You work for your cousin now, I believe?"
"Not precisely. I work with him when it suits me."
"Ah, yes. You're still pursuing your doctorate."
"Plus the occasional extracurricular activity," he added with a wink. "Is that why you contacted me?"
She gave a sly smile as she reached for a biscotti. "Have I piqued your interest?"
"Always," he said gallantly.
"I find myself in an unusual situation. I'm seeking help not for myself but for a friend—a mutual acquaintance."
"Alex?"
She nodded, her flirtatious mask dissolving into a serious expression. "She's in trouble, Neal."
"Then you better tell me about it." Neal felt a foreboding that illegal acts were in his future. Would he be particularly grateful he no longer worked at the Bureau?
"Alex is attempting to recover a family heirloom, an amber music box to be precise."
"What is your involvement in the effort?"
"I used my contacts to help her track it down. I also offered to sell it for her." Raquel shrugged. "Alex isn't particularly sentimental about the piece."
"That sounds like Alex." Music boxes weren't generally valuable. For Raquel to be working with her, this one must be exceptional. "Amber . . . would this music box happen to be part of the lost Amber Room?"
"That's the rumor."
The Amber Room was one of the fabulous treasures lost during World War II. It had been located in the Catherine Palace near Saint Petersburg before it was hauled away in 1941 by the Nazis.
"If I'm going to assist, I'll need all the details," he said.
"I expected you would. Alex's grandfather was German. He was a member of the unit assigned to transport the Amber Room to Konigsberg. Apparently, he was as light-fingered as Alex since he helped himself to a memento."
"Did he know what happened to the rest of the room?"
Raquel shook her head. "He was dispatched to the Western Front shortly afterward. He assumed that the room was destroyed during the bombing of Konigsberg in 1945."
Neal gestured to the waiter to bring them two more espressos. "How did Alex lose possession of the music box?"
"She never had it. The box was stolen from her grandfather in the early 1950s by a Polish crime boss. His name was Milos Buzek. He'd been a Nazi collaborator during the war. He heard about the Amber Room and wanted to steal it. He tracked down Alex's grandfather in Germany, snatched the music box, and tortured the man to find the location of the room. The grandfather didn't survive. Alex's grandmother escaped with her daughter—Alex's mother."
"So, Alex has been hunting Milos Buzek?"
Raquel nodded, keeping quiet while the waiter replaced their coffee cups.
Neal could easily believe that Alex wanted to retrieve what she considered to be family property, but this time he didn't have any sympathy for her. She didn't have any sentimental attachment to the artifact. The music box was a looted treasure that should be returned to the Russians, not sold to the highest bidder.
"Alex tracked Buzek in Poland without success. She then contacted me. Milos is no longer alive but his son lives in New York. Daniel Buzek is the leader of the Lorimer Crew. Are you familiar with them?"
"The Polish-American crime syndicate? I've heard about them but I haven't dealt with them."
"Daniel Buzek is a collector," Raquel said, giving a slight pause before categorizing him.
Neal nodded understandingly. "And a client?" Artworks, antiques, and gems were commonly used by organized crime for money laundering and collateral. Since Raquel specialized in antiquities and jewelry, she'd undoubtedly cultivated relationships with many mobsters.
She shrugged. "For several years."
"Did Alex break into his home?"
Raquel winced in acknowledgment. "She had the misfortune of being caught. Daniel was going to kill her, but Alex convinced him that she knows the location of the Amber Room."
Neal rolled his eyes. He could predict where this was heading.
Raquel smiled winsomely at him. "You see, the music box is locked, and Daniel hasn't been able to open it. Alex told him that the code to find the Amber Room is inside and that you have the key. She also explained that if the genuine key isn't used, the box will self-destruct."
"And he believed her?" Neal asked skeptically.
Raquel raised her espresso cup to her lips. "Alex can be very persuasive. She convinced Daniel to allow her to contact you through me."
"What does he think our relationship is?"
She hesitated. "If I told you he believes we're lovers, intriguing as the thought is, we wouldn't have as much leverage. Daniel assumes that thieves supply me with many of my goods. As far as he is concerned, you're simply one of many."
"And he doesn't suspect you fingered him to Alex?"
Raquel shook her head. "I don't believe so. I've never seen the music box, and Alex wouldn't be so foolish as to tell him I helped her. He expects that I'll demand payment from Alex for acting as an intermediary and from you as well." Her expression grew serious. "I like Alex. She's not just a business associate but a friend. If we don't help her, I don't know who can."
#
"What do you want to do?" Henry asked.
Neal appreciated that Henry didn't immediately slam him for discussing options for what could easily develop into an illegal operation.
Now that Neal was essentially a free agent, he didn't need to obtain permission from anyone. But whatever he decided would have ramifications for him and Sara as well as Henry. Then there was his work on the Interpol art crimes task force. At the moment, he was consulting with officials in the Netherlands on a plan to reinforce museum security. How would this extracurricular activity impact them? He also had a fast-approaching wedding to consider. But he'd always been a multi-tasker.
"I called Sara and she agrees the con has potential"—Neal smiled and thumped the small hand drum in Win-Win's Zen huddle room—"as long as she's part of it."
Henry grabbed the other drum and gave it a slap. "The same goes for me. Some might view this as a gift to confirm your new status. Did Raquel buy your explanation of why you were permitted to leave the FBI?"
"She appeared to. You and I have discussed how we could play off my decidedly gray reputation. By maintaining it, I'm better equipped to do undercover work both for you and Interpol."
"The foundation is solid," Henry agreed. "For the U-boat con, we spread rumors that you and I were a pair of lone wolves, ready to go rogue whenever we saw a sufficiently enticing opportunity. When Adler was captured and the hoard of Nazi-looted paintings recovered, Mozzie dropped hints on the dark web that we kept a few of the paintings."
Neal nodded. "The original premise is still valid. I'm semi-retired from my former life as a forger and thief but can be induced to reactivate my skills."
"Many would look at your present lifestyle and assume you've already been helping yourself. That was a smart move to keep your connection to the Raphael painting a secret."
Thanks to his discovery of an unknown work by Raphael early last summer, Neal's finances were no longer problematic. Even though the auction hadn't yet been held, thanks to Mozzie's investment advice he could easily afford the remodeling going on at June's mansion. His former associates likely assumed he obtained the funds by continuing a second shadow existence as a thief.
"What's the outcome under the best-case scenario?" Henry asked.
"We rescue Alex, expose her abductor, and return the music box to the Russians," Neal said promptly. "Of the three, the last could prove to be the most difficult. I'd like to convince Alex to return it."
Henry gave a single brief nod. "Deal me in."
"It can't be an official Win-Win case," Neal warned. "I doubt you'll want anyone at Win-Win to know about it since there won't be a client."
"Not necessarily," Henry argued. "Alex is our client although that won't be known till after the fact. If we succeed in facilitating the return of the music box, our reputation in the insurance world will skyrocket."
Neal chuckled. "Whatever Win-Win pays you isn't enough, but don't expect Alex to fork over any fees."
Henry gave a smug thump to the drum. "I'm not, but I'm looking forward to meeting her at last." His expression grew serious. "Raquel is well-informed about your status. Who do you think her source is?"
"Primarily Alex, but Mozzie had also spread a few rumors—'casting them into the ether,' as he described it. Some of the rumors contradict each other. If you blow enough smoke, the uncertainty is sufficient to fit any scenario."
"Clever man. I should have him do the same for me."
"He already has. Sara too. She could be unaware of my shadow activities or she's complicit in them. Nothing is clear."
"What's your next step?"
Neal smiled. "Assemble our crew. Sara's coming back late tonight."
"We can meet tomorrow morning at my loft," Henry offered. "We have to assume you're being followed by Buzek's thugs. An offsite location will reinforce the impression that we're maintaining a shadow business."
"Thanks for hosting it. The remodeling chaos is steadily encroaching on my loft. How's your wine supply? You know Mozzie's refined taste."
Henry stared at him. "Even in the morning?"
Neal shrugged. "Time of day doesn't have much meaning to someone who mainly survives on catnaps."
Henry snorted acknowledgment. "I'm ready for him. When you started work at Win-Win, he sent me a list of acceptable wines to choose from. He knows my knowledge of vintages is in the cellar."
Neal grinned. "He hadn't told me. When I worked art cases for the Bureau, Mozzie did very well with finder's fees."
"And he'll be happy with our arrangement," Henry asserted. "Under the terms of our insurance company contracts, a generous bonus is paid for recoveries. He'll be entitled to a percentage of the proceeds if he works on a case. When you signed on, I'd hoped it would be a package deal. This will be our first chance to implement it."
"I'll give Mozzie a call so he can start snooping around," Neal promised.
"Eric will thank you for giving him another focus. Mozzie has been giving him fits with his demands for secret passages and cubbyholes in the mansion."
Henry's husband was the architect in charge of the remodeling project. Although Mozzie's suite on the second floor was small in comparison to the third-floor makeover, his requests provided more challenges than any other aspect of the project. The spiral staircase to the roof was already in place. The renovation of the tunnel leading from the basement to the Hudson River was still a matter of negotiation.
"Mozzie is currently between jobs," Neal explained. "At the moment, the mansion presents the only outlet for his creative energy."
"Tell him about the music box," Henry urged. "If he channels his creativity into the con, not only will we achieve success but I'll also have a much less stressed husband."
Neal nodded. He'd often used diversionary tactics with great success. "We'll need to stall for time. I'll alert Raquel to convey the message that I need a few days to retrieve the key."
"Do you have any idea what kind of condition Alex is in?"
"She slipped in some code words to alert Raquel she's safe, at least for the moment. I wouldn't want to try Buzek's patience though."
#
Peter smiled when he pulled out his cell phone and saw Neal's number on the display. The wedding was only nine days away. Henry was planning something special for the rehearsal party. Neal had probably devised a con to figure out what it was. After all, Sara had made a game for him to discover the venue and style of the wedding gown. Neal had plotted a challenge around the honeymoon location. Everyone was getting into the act.
Peter's next meeting was still thirty minutes away. He could play too. Neal and Henry often engaged in twin-speak where they finished each other's thoughts. Could he do the same?
Peter tapped the accept button and held the phone to his ear. "He hasn't said anything yet. What do you have in mind?"
He was answered by silence on Neal's part for a long moment. "Peter, are you meeting with someone? This isn't urgent. Give me a call when you're free."
Peter sighed and glared at the bust of Caesar that Neal had given him. Was that a mocking glint in those eyes? "No need to call back. I thought you were calling me about the rehearsal party."
"Did Henry reveal anything?" Neal asked eagerly.
Peter exhaled. "I just told you he hadn't. All I know is that we're supposed to be at Riffs a week from tomorrow. You realize he could just be messing with your head."
"Yeah, I thought of that. He thinks I expect him to surprise me. The surprise will be that there isn't one. The reason I called is work-related, specifically your work."
Peter frowned. Now that he was the section head of Organized Crime, he'd just as soon Neal wasn't interested in the subject. Still, Neal frequently investigated insurance cases for Win-Win. Local mobs didn't normally engage in thievery, but there were always exceptions to the rule.
"I'm investigating a recovery case," Neal went on. "Daniel Buzek could be involved."
"As a private citizen or the leader of the Lorimer Crew?" Already Peter didn't like the sound of it. The crime syndicate operated out of the heavily Polish neighborhood of Greenpoint in Brooklyn. They engaged primarily in gunrunning, drug trafficking, and armed robberies. They were also suspected of several murders. Buzek was tagged as a ruthless and implacable foe who probably had blood on his hands.
"I'm not sure at this point," Neal said. "I know you can't discuss any active investigation but could you let me know if you're in the middle of an op against him? I wouldn't want to step on any Bureau toes."
"And I don't want you getting caught in the crossfire." Or anywhere near the Lorimer Crew. "I don't suppose there's anything you can share about your case?"
"You remember the murder of the mobster Nico Conte a couple of years ago?"
"Yeah, Buzek was a suspect in the case, but the evidence wasn't sufficient to tie him or the gang to it."
"Sterling-Bosch had insured the wife's jewelry."
"As I recall, the jewelry disappeared at the time of the murder and has yet to be recovered," Peter said, growing thoughtful.
"We have a lead that may tie the jewelry to Buzek."
"Can you share any other details?"
"Sorry, client confidentiality."
"I thought that only applied to lawyers," Peter complained.
"I'll let you know if we find out anything the Bureau should be aware of. Win-Win has a strong partnership with the FBI. We wouldn't want to do anything to jeopardize it."
The vague generalities revealed nothing while giving the kid plenty of wiggle room. Neal used the word we so it was a team effort. Should Peter be reassured that Henry was probably also involved, or would they both get into trouble and expect Sara to rescue them? What was he thinking? Sara would be right there with them.
"You should know that Daniel Buzek is suspected of having close ties to City Hall," Peter warned. "Any evidence you obtain needs to be bulletproof."
Why had Neal really called? Had he included a hidden message for Peter to puzzle out? When the call ended, Peter turned to his computer. He suddenly had a burning desire to read everything the Bureau had on the Lorimer Crew.
Uneasy parallels surfaced. When Neal had been suspected of stealing Marie Antoinette's diamond earrings, he'd acted outside the Bureau to clear his name. He'd held Peter at arm's length and only dropped the occasional hint. Was this a case of déjà vu or was Peter guilty of overreach? Peter had over forty agents reporting to him. They were the ones he should focus on. Not one reckless ex-consultant.
Still, why couldn't Neal have called about his wedding? He was supposed to be the one experiencing jitters, not Peter.
#
When Mozzie heard about Neal's meeting with Raquel, he insisted Neal meet with him in his secret bunker. Mozzie had built the secure facility in the basement of the Aloha Emporium. The store's owner, Billy Feng, was tolerant of Mozzie's quirks since they were business partners in the organic honey business.
Mozzie had introduced Neal to Billy and his daughter Maggie shortly after Neal moved to New York. Billy was a role model of how a retired cat burglar could lead a successful life. Neal should introduce Alex to him. Perhaps he could help her as well.
Sara's plane wasn't due to arrive till late in the evening, so there was no need to hurry home. Neal picked up a bowl of poke in the emporium's cafe before heading for the basement.
"Why the secrecy?" Neal asked after being buzzed into the underground facility. "Have you discovered something about the music box?"
"Yes and no." Mozzie retrieved a large folder from his desk. "Your timing was fortuitous. I've already amassed extensive resources on the Amber Room."
"That trip you made to Saint Petersburg in August . . . was it because of the Amber Room?"
Mozzie nodded complacently and patted his desk. "In this secure repository, I've assembled data on many of the world's most valuable lost treasures. Our success in uncovering the cache of Nazi-looted art has been a guidepost for my future endeavors. I have complete freedom and the means to pursue whichever lost artifact catches my attention. The Amber Room is only one of many enticing targets."
"You came within a hair's breadth of acquiring the Tudor Crown," Neal said, eager to encourage him. "You could rightfully claim you'd solved that mystery." He and Sara were hoping that Mozzie would steer clear of illegal activities while still maintaining his underworld connections.
Mozzie sighed regretfully. "That turned out to be a warm-up act for my future endeavors. With the files I've gathered, assembling the con to rescue Alex is something I'll look forward to, but I want you to remain alert to another possibility."
"Which is?"
"That Alex may be pulling a con of her own. For instance, that code she supposedly invented to buy time. What if it really exists? Another possibility is that Alex knows Buzek has information on the Amber Room's location. She deliberately let herself be captured so we would find it for her."
Neal exhaled. "That's quite a stretch."
"You know how devious Alex is. Doesn't that sound like something she'd pull?"
Mozzie could be right. Alex had a good heart but her moral compass was more than a little defective. She could double-cross anyone by inventing an excuse to justify her actions. He was certain Alex hadn't revealed everything she knew to Raquel, and Raquel could have easily withheld information too.
Notes: Thanks for reading! In Full Circle, Penna provided a Caffrey Conversation solution to Neal's father James. In Set in Amber, I'll do the same for the amber music box. Neal doesn't seem concerned about staging a con a few days before his wedding. Will Sara feel the same way? The answer's coming in Chapter 2.
Neal's prior meeting with Raquel was in A Witch in Venice. Before that, they met at the Morgan in The Mirror.
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, Neal entered Columbia University's graduate program in art as a part-time student. In October 2006, he left the FBI and began working at Henry's company, Winston-Winslow.
Main non-canon characters:
Henry Winslow: Neal's half-brother
Klaus Mansfeld: master art thief. Formerly married to Chantal.
Travis Miller: electronics expert
Neal's friends from Columbia University: Richard, Aidan, and Keiko. Richard's husband is Travis. Aidan and Keiko are now married.
Janet: Mozzie's girlfriend, a costume designer
Blog: Penna Nomen & Silbrith Conversation
Visuals and Music: The Set in Amber board on the Caffrey Conversation Pinterest website
