More Than a Bluff

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Neal felt hurt that June had confided in Peter and not her fellow thief. He couldn't image what had brought the two together, but he was going to find out. He was disappointed when Mozzie didn't plant a few bugs when he was clearing June's house last. Mozzie insisted that his reputation demanded that he give his clients the privacy for which they pay.

Neal did know that both El and June were checking their finances and June was looking at real estate. June was also investigating a frightening number of charities that assisted runaway children. It took a bit of meditative painting to realize that April had been planning to run away, for whatever reason. She was the beginning of the collusion between June and the Burkes. Neal had poked and prodded June, Peter and then El, but all of them were stubbornly quiet as to why they were suddenly friends. Neal would have gone straight to April, but the girl had transferred to a boarding school upstate.

When Neal was investigating whether or not he could call up April for answers, he realized that the school specialized in teaching runaway children. Dr. Xavier –the founder of the school- was a professor that had written a detailed paper on needed elements for a place of reconciliation, specifically for parents and their runaway child. June had been studying the paper and comparing it with the building blueprints that were on the market.

June had finally picked a building and put in a bid and now Xavier's paper was covered in notes. El had written all of her requirements for using the kitchen to cook for her catering. For the restaurant –no it looked to be more of a tea house- she had left ideas for food and June had written Neal's name by the art pieces suggested for decoration. Peter had added a note stressing the fact that Neal was supposed to reproduce the famous art works and not steal them. Neal chuckled at the sight of the familiar handwriting and read how Xavier hoped that the art works would be conversational starters and how all of the students were familiar with the pieces and would be able show off their education with them.

So April had tried to run away, but Peter, June and El had stopped it and then shipped April off to a school where she could get a prime education plus therapy among students of similar persuasions. But why had she run away? And why wouldn't anyone tell Neal what happened?

June had gone to Peter, which probably meant something better combated legally. There had to be paperwork somewhere. Peter was meticulous about his paperwork, even about his personal jobs. Neal would have to get into Peter's safe, unnoticed.

Peter did have paperwork in his house safe but they were all on how to make arrests for petty theft Igo away/I. He had a couple of police files on Xavier's students. Every one of them had stolen food. Neal could see how a softie like Peter would want to help starving kids have a chance as adult without a police record.

Petty theft. April had been involved in a couple of cons. Had she executed one of her own in preparation for running away? Had she needed cash and didn't think she could have asked her grandmother? Peter would be the optimal person for returning… whatever in exchange for April's clean record.

But still, the question remained: What could April have possibly done to believe that running away was the answer? And where did Peter hide that paperwork?

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