Chapter Two
24 hours previously...
"This stunt could have cost us the case, Caffrey!" Peter's voice was angry, and he made no attempt to conceal it. Neal could practically feel the anger radiating from his partner as he glared at him across the top of the Taurus. He was Neal when they were getting along; He was Caffrey when Peter was pissed. And Peter was pissed.
"Cases aren't everything," Neal glared back, trying to match Peter's anger. "Some things are more important. Like people."
"Not to you," Peter snapped. "Solving cases is what keeps you out of the orange jumpsuit. You need to remember that." He got into the car and slammed the door.
"Its hard to forget since you bring it up every other week," Neal said as he slid into the passenger side seat. When Peter didn't respond to his sarcastic remark, and Neal sighed defeatedly.
He didn't like to fight with Peter; didn't like to hear anger or disappointment in the agent's voice. The feelings it caused in him were hard to explain. In his life, through his various enterprises and activities, he had made a lot of people angry at him; had disappointed more than he could number. It didn't usually bother him. Except when it was Peter. He told himself that there was a simple reason for that; upsetting and disappointing Peter Burke could land him in prison. The man could make one call and have him back in Sing Sing before nightfall. That reason for his feelings was easier to accept than the deeper ones Neal suspected were at play. Peter being mad at him didn't scare him; it hurt him.
"It all worked out fine," Neal said, forcing a positive tone into his voice. "You got Bellington and the painting."
"That was luck," Peter said flatly. "You would have blown weeks of work to let Alex walk out of there today."
Neal bit back his retort that it was skill, and not luck, which had lead to the successful take down of Bellington. He was already in enough trouble. Peter was right about Alex and the case, but it hadn't come to that. He had saved Alex and the operation too. Skill, not luck, he thought to himself.
For Peter he shrugged, "She was not a part of your case."
When a still clearly perturbed Peter didn't answer, Neal tried to explain.
"I didn't know she was involved, Peter." His voice was seeking understanding, but he did not get any from the man behind the wheel.
"Yeah, at first maybe," Peter seemed to be speaking through clenched teeth, "But when you realized that she was you didn't tell me." His voice was cold and accusing.
That was what really bothered Peter, Neal knew. Keeping things from Peter, although sometimes necessary, was never received well once the truth came out. Reasons and excuses made little difference; This was no exception.
"You didn't need her to make the case," he said again "but thanks to her we have a meet with the buyer tomorrow, and after that," Neal looked expectantly at Peter, "Case Solved."
Peter knew Neal was trying to make peace; he could hear it in his voice. But he was still angry and offered him no quarter. He met Neal's hopeful look with a dark one of his own, letting anger drip from his words.
"It had better be, " he warned. "You do what I tell you to do, nothing more and nothing less. You go off on your own again, and we are done." Orange jumpsuit; Back to prison. Threat delivered; he turned back to the road. Neal sank into silence and didn't try for conversation again.