Chapter 2: Reload, Start

June's mansion. Wednesday, November 8, 2006

"Weren't you due to arrive tomorrow?" June asked, greeting Sara at the entrance to the mansion.

"I wrapped up the case earlier than I expected," Sara explained. "I was able to catch an earlier plane at the last minute. I've also put my team on notice. The next plane I'm on will be for our honeymoon!"

She'd texted Neal from the airport. He was meeting with art students at Columbia and wouldn't be home for another hour. That would give her enough time to unpack and carry out a little snooping. During the flight, she'd jotted down a few ideas for tomorrow's meeting about Alex, but this was a rare opportunity to pump June.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather stay in one of the bedrooms on the second floor?" June asked. With a twinkle in her eyes, she added, "We could make Neal sleep among the construction chaos in the loft. It would heighten his eagerness for the wedding."

Sara laughed. "Then we'd just be sneaking back and forth between bedrooms all week! I wouldn't want to risk him tripping over a piece of equipment and breaking a leg. It could ruin our plans for the honeymoon."

She left her bag in the entry and went into the living room with June. "I assume Neal's told you where we're going."

June smiled. "Yes, he has, but I didn't think you knew. Have you guessed it?"

"I haven't had a chance," she lamented. "When we played the game last time, I very thoughtfully provided clues to lead Neal to the solution. Since I've been in San Francisco the past two weeks, he hasn't had the chance to return the favor. You'd be helping him out by dropping a few hints." Her eyes wandered to the wet bar. She knew June liked a nightcap before retiring for the evening. "Would you like a sherry, or cognac perhaps?"

June gave her a knowing look. "Something to loosen my tongue?"

"Would it work?" Sara asked hopefully.

"Not this time, but if you make me a Manhattan, I'll give you a couple of clues."

"Two Manhattans coming up!" June knew Sara loved to mix drinks. She hoped someday she could be an undercover bartender. She was already planning her costume.

When they were seated with their drinks, Sara waited with bated breath.

June took a sip and nodded her approval. "Clue Number One is that the location has personal significance."

Sara groaned. "That's the clue I gave Neal for the first game. With all the traveling he's done, that could be virtually anywhere. Did he say if it was personally significant to him or me?"

"To you both as I recall. The second clue is more of an admonition. Keep your schedule clear on Sunday afternoon."

Sara mulled over that non-clue. It had crossed her mind that Neal invented the tale about Raquel and Alex as part of the game. It seemed overly complicated even for him, but given that Henry was likely also involved, it became more plausible.

"Neal didn't happen to mention Alex or Raquel to you?" she asked.

"In what connection?" June asked innocently. She turned her head. "I think I hear the front door. You better make another drink. Perhaps you'll have better luck with Neal."

About what? The honeymoon or Alex and Raquel? She knew if she asked Neal, he'd tell her where they were going, but that would take away the fun of the game. She was counting on him to give her enough time to prepare a suitable wardrobe. Nothing—not even the Amber Room—would interfere with their wedding.

#

Henry had done his due diligence. Several wines from Mozzie's list were on the bar in the kitchen. Both white and red wine glasses were set out. Given that the meeting was taking place at ten o'clock in the morning, snacks weren't really necessary. But he'd set out a plate of chocolate biscotti to have with amaretto coffee. Then there were the board games. Neal had told him Mozzie was fond of Candy Land and Monopoly, so he'd gotten both.

The outstanding issue from his viewpoint was who was in charge of this planning session. He already knew Mozzie preferred to serve as advisor, a Machiavellian presence in the shadows. By rights, Henry should claim the leadership role for himself. After all, Sara and Neal worked for him. And although he didn't consider himself a boss in the traditional sense, he signed the paychecks.

Henry strode over to the plate-glass wall overlooking the terrace. From his penthouse loft, he could see the panorama of lower Manhattan extending to the Brooklyn Bridge. Could he be the Gordon Taylor of New York City? A heady thought. Not that he'd become a criminal, of course. Although as a shadow self, it had possibilities. Neal had been running a long con for years. One could say Henry's had started last year with the U-boat con.

Back then, Peter was in charge of the crew. It seemed odd for him to be excluded this time, but it was for the best. Alex was a known fugitive. She'd escaped arrest during the takedown of Ryan Wilkes nine months ago. For Peter to be involved in her rescue would place him in a treacherous position.

Henry hadn't discussed it with Neal, but he was confident Neal wouldn't want to turn Alex in. The only stolen property she'd taken with her when she fled arrest was a forgery he'd made.

The doorbell rang, signaling it was time to welcome his crew.

Neal, Sara, and Mozzie arrived together. In the flurry of greetings, Henry's dog Splash raced from one to the other. She didn't know what a con was but she wanted in.

Eric had cleared away his architectural drawings so they could use the full expanse of the dining room table for scheming. Mozzie smiled at the board games lined up at one end. "A worthy start, but this is a new crew. We'll probably need a new game." He patted his canvas tote. "I also brought options. We mustn't be hasty in making a decision. Based on our initial discussion, I'll determine the correct game."

Neal winked at Sara. "I like the vibe already. High stakes, high reward."

"Henry, what name have you chosen for our crew?" Sara asked.

He demurred. "That's not for me to decide."

"Yes, it is," she countered. "You're our leader. To you belongs the glory."

"You sure you want me to be the leader?" Henry asked even as he relished the thought.

"Of course, we do," Neal said. "Any misfires we'll blame on you."

"And we also expect you to keep us out of jail," Sara said. "I have a wedding to attend."

Henry rolled his eyes. "So now I'm responsible for any wedding disasters too?"

"There won't be any," Neal declared. "Not with you in charge. I hereby declare Winslow's Four in session."

"That's a placeholder name," Henry said, not thrilled with the sound of it. "Besides, using a number is too limiting. Our numbers may grow or shrink depending on the caper." He already knew of two additional crew members.

Neal cocked an eyebrow. "You're the leader. You come up with something better."

Sneaky, kiddo. You gave me that placeholder name as a challenge. Henry began riffling through options in his mind.

Mozzie went to the bar and uncorked an overly expensive Cabernet. "Inspiration will come at the appropriate time. After our inaugural toast, we'll get to work."

Personally, Henry would rather toast with beer. He could already tell that although the others might call him the leader, they wouldn't necessarily take directions, especially Mozzie.

After they'd clinked glasses, Henry took a seat at the head of the table. "In a nutshell, our challenge is to rescue Alex and secure the music box."

"While ensuring that the box is returned to the Russians," Neal added.

"Does anyone have updates before we get started?" Henry asked.

Neal nodded. "I called Peter."

"Why involve a suit in this?" Mozzie complained immediately. "He's not a member of our crew."

"Not knowingly," Neal agreed. "But eventually he may play a key role. I needed to establish a baseline."

Mozzie's expression cleared. "You're thinking of Marie Antoinette's diamond earrings."

Neal nodded. "At some point, we'll need to involve Bureau agents."

Sara was looking at them curiously. Neal probably hadn't divulged all the details of that con to her. They could have an interesting conversation later on.

"I also wanted to verify that the Bureau isn't currently running an op on Buzek," Neal explained. "And they're not."

It was a smart move to put Buzek on Peter's radar but now it was time for Henry to seize center stage.

"The con we'll use is already established," he announced. "All we need to do is dust off the U-boat."

Sara frowned. "Adler was tricked into believing you'd discovered a U-boat, but Buzek wouldn't fall for it."

"We're not using the U-boat, just our crew," Henry explained. "Thanks to Mozzie's rumor mill, Neal and I acquired the reputation of being loose cannons and thrill-seekers. That's never changed."

Neal nodded, a smile forming. "Instead, we expanded our operations. Last fall, Peter was added to the crew as Steinar Wolff. We duped Rolf into believing we'd held back a few of the paintings from the Nazi cache for ourselves. We could maintain that deception."

"And I have plenty of additional material to work with," Mozzie said, rubbing his hands together. "Neal and Sara's lifestyle for one."

"As for me, playing fast and loose with ethics is in my blood," Henry said. "Some feel Win-Win will never go public because it operates the same way."

Neal gave him a sharp look at that remark but didn't comment. He knew Henry was still bitter about his father. Taking advantage of Robert's criminal activities was another way of coming to terms with it, even though his mom would argue for healthier methods.

"Where do I fit in?" Sara asked.

"What would you like your role to be?" Neal countered.

She rested her chin on her propped-up hand. "My fiancé has awakened my inner pirate. I too long for adventure, and when my job doesn't provide it, I look elsewhere. If the cause excites me, I don't let legal technicalities stand in the way."

Neal gazed into her eyes. "Could I persuade you to go along in this instance?"

She gave him a sultry look, causing steam to rise from their coffee cups. "And have a chance to learn more about Raquel and Alex? You couldn't keep me away."

Henry kept his snort to himself. Neal knew Sara was a firecracker. If he was okay with her working with Raquel, Henry wouldn't stand in the way.

Mozzie cleared his throat. "Before the two of you need to hose yourselves off, let us continue. Henry, you said you wanted to build off the U-boat con. What specifically do you propose?" He reached into his tote and pulled out a board game.

Neal broke into a laugh when he saw the lid. "Peter Pan?"

"What else?" Mozzie said, nodding with satisfaction. "For this group of pirates, there can be no other. This is a vintage 1989 version."

"I kept the Jolly Roger flag we used for the con," Sara said. "Next time I'll bring it along."

Henry understood Mozzie's strategy and fully endorsed it. Thinking in terms of a pirate crew during the con kept everyone loose and creative. Henry foresaw pirate accessories—tankards for ale, Jolly Roger mugs for the coffee drinkers. Perhaps a ship's lantern to light during strategy sessions? Should he equip a pirates' huddle room at Win-Win?

What better way to continue the adventures of the Black Diamond? That had been the name they'd used for their boat when they sailed the waters off Cape May. The name would serve equally well for a pirate crew. He was their captain now as then, and he was about to deliver.

"For this second adventure of the Black Diamonds," Henry started.

"—That's the name of our crew?" Sara exclaimed, interrupting. "It's perfect!"

Mozzie moved a treasure chest onto the gameboard. "I'll start working on my requirements for a black diamond ring."

"That topic is tabled for later," Henry said firmly, seizing control of the ship before it sailed into uncharted waters. "The U-boat con supposedly ended with the discovery of the looted paintings in the French cave. But who's to say Neal didn't find something else? Like, for instance, the key to a music box? The key was an unusual shape. He didn't know what it belonged to but decided to hold onto it." Henry turned to Neal. "Did you know anything about Alex's grandfather?"

"No, but when Alex asked to see me last February, she could have mentioned she was looking for the music box. I could have described the key I found in hopes she knew what it was. She didn't reveal anything but hoped to steal it from me. She never got the chance. That scenario would fit with her character and what she told Buzek."

Mozzie gently stroked his upper lip. "Neal found something else in that cave." He thought for a moment. "A small box concealed behind a crate. In it, was a sheet of onionskin paper with curious marks."

"A treasure map!" Sara said, her eyes sparkling.

Henry grinned. "No pirate crew should be without one."

Neal pretended to hold something in his hands. "Inside the music box is a map of a region in Europe where the Amber Room could plausibly be hidden. The onionskin paper is meant to be placed on top. Together the two reveal where the treasure is."

"Then the booby-trap inside the music box wouldn't need to be elaborate," Mozzie noted. "A simple combustible spark could cause the map to be incinerated."

"The plot is believable," Sara said. "It would probably fit with whatever Alex told them. But how can we design an appropriate key? Does anyone have a drawing or a photo of the music box?"

"I do," Mozzie said unexpectedly. He retrieved a thick folder from his tote. "A few months ago, I embarked on a quest to research the world's most spectacular lost treasures. The Amber Room is one of them. Last August when I visited Saint Petersburg, I met with a friend of a friend who's an associate in the Russian Archives. They have numerous drawings and photographs of the room. One of them includes a music box."

He produced a blown-up view of a grainy photo showing a highly ornamented box roughly the size of a book.

Neal peered at the photo. "I don't see a keyhole."

"There isn't one at the standard location on the side of the lid," Mozzie said. "Instead, the description in the archives explains that a small gilt cherub mounted on the top is the key." He crossed his arms on the table and leaned forward. "This is the most relevant—indeed, key—part. A note indicated in 1939 that the cherub was broken. The repair work had not taken place by the time the Nazis invaded Saint Petersburg. Based on these photos and the description, we should be able to fabricate a reasonable-looking facsimile."

Henry was already plotting the way forward. They'd need to case Buzek's home in advance and make an offer of exchange. They could even show Buzek the onionskin grid as proof. Then somehow they'd need to swap the onionskin for Alex and liberate the music box. And, oh yes, make sure nothing interfered with Neal and Sara's wedding. The intricacy of the moving parts reminded Henry of an old-fashioned watch. He'd kept that watch of his ancestor Seth Winslow. From what he'd heard, Seth was a skilled mechanist. Henry preferred the mechanics of the mind, but the watch was a good metaphor for both of them.

More than ever, Henry appreciated the pressure Peter dealt with on a routine basis. Henry maintained a light mood at the planning session. He'd keep his concerns to himself. One thing he'd learned from watching Neal and Peter interact was that as soon as Neal thought Peter was stewing about something, he reacted by keeping Peter out of the loop. Henry was determined not to fall into the same trap. He was grateful Neal had immediately told him about his meeting with Raquel. If Neal had still been working at White Collar, would Peter have been left in the dark?

#

The Black Diamonds dispersed in different directions afterward. Sara and Henry would research Daniel Buzek at the Win-Win office. Their task was to devise a way to case his Brooklyn penthouse. They were counting on help from Mozzie's contacts. The Lorimer Crew had been a fixture in the city for decades. The underground would be very familiar with them.

At the top of Neal's list was recreating the key. Thanks to Mozzie's photo, he could match the style. The music box had been made by the House of Fabergé in the 1870s. Gold boxes were a luxury item and much in demand. A few others had ornamental keys similar to what was used on the music box.

The style was Russian Baroque, the same as the ornamentation of the Amber Room. He'd cover the cherub in gold leaf, a technique he'd learned from Klaus. During Neal's years in Europe, the elaborate ornamentation on wall panels was a fertile area for study. A carved cherub or flower could swivel to conceal a keyhole. Klaus had joked about a chateau in the Loire Valley he longed to buy and how he'd incorporate similar features to unlock secret rooms for looted treasure.

Now Klaus was sitting in a prison cell in the Chesapeake Detention Facility in Baltimore, and Neal was the one building his dream house. Thanks to Mozzie, it too would be filled with secret hiding places. Neal wished he could tell Klaus about their plans for the music box. If the box was recovered and returned to the Russians, he might be able to discuss it with him.

Klaus continued to be a model prisoner. He was giving classes in art appreciation and foreign languages to his fellow inmates. He also taught piano. Since the discovery that Klaus had been subjected to psychological manipulation, even Peter viewed him in a more favorable light. Klaus's legal team was working on an appeal now that the crimes of his brother Rolf and Dr. Penfold had been brought to light.

Neal's former mentor was serving time for the theft of Raphael's Saint George and the Dragon in D.C. It was the only theft for which there was sufficient proof connecting him to the crime. It had taken place in 2004 when Penfold's notes revealed extensive psychological manipulation was taking place. Klaus's legal team was top-notch. Neal considered it likely his sentence would be significantly reduced if not dismissed, but it wouldn't happen in time for the wedding.

And yes, he'd like Klaus to be present, along with his ex-wife Chantal, and André—Neal's fencing instructor and co-thief. At one time, they'd been among his closest friends. Chantal and André still were. Neal had invited Chantal and André to the wedding, offering to pay their way, but they weren't able to clear the time in their schedules. Perhaps it was for the best. Under the circumstances, he wouldn't have been able to spend much time with them.

When Neal arrived home with the supplies, his chateau in the clouds was in its usual state of chaos. The only floor which wasn't being remodeled was the ground floor. Even the basement was scheduled for a makeover. Formerly its only finished rooms were the media room, workout room, and laundry. Now the central area surrounding the entrance to the abandoned tunnel was being renovated. Mozzie had designs to restore the tunnel as well. But June balked at the idea, and under the arrangement they'd made, she had veto power over any renovation project.

Half of the second floor was a beehive of activity around Mozzie's suite. As for the top floor, Neal's original loft was the only space that hadn't been torn up. Work would start on it once he and Sara left for their honeymoon. Although he and Sara continued to sleep there, the rest of the space was already being used as the studio it would eventually become. A much larger worktable dominated the living area. Eric had been using it as his project table, but for a few days, Neal was reclaiming ownership. He had a Fabergé cherub to make.

#

Mozzie held up the small wooden figure to the light and nodded slowly. "The detail work is elegant."

"Does it look like it belongs on a Fabergé music box?" Neal asked, anxious for his pronouncement. If Mozzie gave it his seal of approval, he knew it would pass any scrutiny.

"Yes, and in the Amber Room as well. You've done well, mon frère."

Neal exhaled. The carving had taken a day. He'd gild it on Saturday. "I have you to thank for it. If you hadn't acquired the photograph, this wouldn't have been possible."

Mozzie smiled complacently. "The map is coming together nicely." He paused when the din of the jackhammer made speech impossible. Neal had been using earplugs while he carved to muffle the noise. "I decided on Poland. Hitler built a complex of tunnels in the years 1943 through 1945. Many believe a train carrying gold and possibly also the Amber Room was buried in one of those tunnels."

"I've heard the rumors," Neal said. "It's a plausible tale."

"And that's all we need. Buzek's greed will make him an easy mark. Have Sara and Henry decided on a strategy for casing his penthouse?"

"Yes, Sara wants to work with Raquel on the project."

Mozzie gave him an inquisitive look. "How do you feel about that?"

"Ask me after we meet with Raquel Saturday morning."


Notes: The first adventure of the Black Diamonds was in Harlequin's Shadow. In the next chapter, Henry's crew acquires additional members plus one stowaway.