Chapter 5
Neal Caffrey paced furiously in his apartment. He wasn't sure what to do with all his nervous energy. He continually reviewed all that had transpired during the day.
The chance meeting with Edward White had undermined his confidence in himself and his own perceptions of the few people he allowed into his inner circle of friends. At first, while reading the document White had cruelly handed him, he felt enraged. Was it possible that Peter Burke, the only man he really trusted, would have betrayed him so callously? Was it true what Mozzie was always trying to get him to admit that his trust and confidence in his federal handler was misplaced and possibly dangerous? You could never trust a "suit", according to his small, paranoid friend. It will come back to eventually destroy you. Mozzie had warned him, "Feds will steal your soul, Neal."
Of course, Mozzie really didn't know Peter Burke that well yet. Neal had only been with the White Collar unit for several months now. What first was only a ploy to escape prison and locate Kate had developed into a solid partnership of mutual respect, intellect and success. It was truly amazing that Neal's custody release had produced an assignment with Peter's unit that showcased Neal's skills to a "T". Together, he and Peter had collaborated on and achieved favorable outcomes with numerous high profile cases. Even the run-of-the-mill assignments were wrapped up in record time. It had amused him to no end that other agents were astonished and jealous of their accomplishments.
Neal had never admitted to anyone but Kate how he had enjoyed his encounters with the nemesis agent even before his arrest and imprisonment. Burke had intrigued him like no other. Peter Burke was the 'Boy Scout' Neal had always secretly envied. Loyal, honest, brilliant, tenacious to a fault, were the words he would use for his handler but never express out loud. Burke's solid record of service and devotion to friends and family made his life productive. Neal Caffrey was always willing to observe this interaction with curiosity and awe. How different would his life have been if Peter had been active in it much sooner? It was an intriguing question.
After meeting with White, Neal began to have suspicions of the document he had perused. He knew White's expertise in forgery. The man was talented and devious. What was he planning? Why did he want to undermine Neal's confidence in his handler? Was this the beginning of an elaborate con by White to identify the accomplice who, in the past, betrayed him to Burke?
Neal spent the rest of the afternoon investigating and analyzing classified FBI documents. Peter's quick acquiescence to his request for access had surprised and pleased the young man. It had been the only glimmer of honesty in the entire, lousy day. Since he had been unable to compare the document White had shown him with actual agency files, Neal was still unsure of the authenticity. It was possible that White's friends in high places had used actual files and substituted names. Peter's signature on the form had appeared legit. Neal would do additional research in the morning.
The ex con had not confided in his associate. He hadn't found the mettle to confront Peter about the alleged document. It would expose in Neal a vulnerability that he was not willing to reveal at this point in time. Neal had always found it much safer to identify and handle problems by himself. Self preservation was the key to long life. At least that is what Kate and Mozzie preached and Neal practiced. It made for a lonely life at times.
Neal knew Peter was concerned and suspicious of his demeanor this afternoon. He was well aware of the agent's anxiety over all things Caffrey-related. He was sure Peter, himself, had decided to check into his own previous past dealings with Edward White. In fact, Neal was somewhat surprised that Burke had not shown up at Neal's apartment tonight blustering, "Dammit Neal, tell me what's going on!"
As Neal threw himself down on the sofa his cell phone rang. The caller ID identified Elizabeth Burke. She wanted to know if Peter was at June's with him. Peter had not returned home from the office and was unavailable for phone calls. More alarmingly, he had not checked in with Jones or Cruz and had neglected to pick up some highly desirable hockey tickets! Elizabeth was becoming frightened.
Neal tried to reassure her with some humor and told her he would do some checking for her. As he got off the phone he suspected instantly that Peter had not only performed some paperwork investigation on White but had decided upon a physical encounter. Neal decided to contact White. The older man had given him a private number to call.
"Oh Peter. Have you done something stupid like you are always telling me not to do?"