Chapter 5:

Although they were mostly unfazed by the blackout, there was one barely audible gasp of surprise. This stood to reason as it wasn't storming and there hadn't been rolling blackouts to speak of.

Peter moved gingerly towards the balcony, "It looks like it's at least the whole block. There's no street lights on that I can see."

"There were blackouts in Cairo after the discovery of King Tut's tomb too. This is no coincidence."

"I'm sure we can find a reasonable explanation, Moz," Sara said, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Let me hear this again when everyone else that's seen those statues comes down with a mysterious fever."

"Moz, it's not that mysterious," Neal said.

"So you've been to a doctor that can prove that?" Mozzie asked.

"Well, no. But I'd expect you to be the last person to suggest that."

Sara and Peter exchanged glances, not sure what to do with their friends.

"Neal, is there a flashlight or a candle somewhere in here?" Sara asked.

"Third drawer down on the left," Neal answered, fruitlessly gesturing towards the cabinets in the now pitch black room.

"That doesn't really help," Peter said as he felt his way across the room and began pulling drawers open again.

"Too bad you didn't find a flashlight when you went through every one of those drawers earlier," Neal laughed.

As Peter began swearing under his breath, seemingly indicating he had hit his elbow against one of the cabinets, a light unexpectedly appeared on the table.
"Is that the same lantern you brought me when we were looking through archives?" Sara asked.

"Perhaps," Mozzie answered.

"And you just happened to have it here?"

"You never know when you're going to be asked to look for things during a blackout. Be it gems or aged documents."

"And you couldn't have told me you had that all along?" Peter asked, coming back over to the table, making a show of rubbing his elbow, but also holding a flashlight.

"Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness," Mozzie said sagely.

"It's a lantern," Peter stated. Mozzie looked at him in a way that suggested what he had said made perfect sense and promptly turned his attention to Neal who was already studying the stones, despite the dim lighting.

"They're good," Neal said hesitantly.

"But?" Peter prompted.

"They don't have traces of marble on them," Mozzie said, "which is what you're using as bait for the unsuspecting. Am I right?"

"Can that be fixed?"

"Easily, actually. It doesn't need to be actual marble since, presumably, they're going to be in a glass case where most won't be able to look too closely. Moz, do you still have those plaster molds?"

"Yes. Suit, if you trust me with the stones, I can have them looking like they were ripped right off the statue by morning."

"As long as they weren't..." Peter said.

" 'It is more shameful to distrust our friends than to be deceived by them'," Mozzie said, then after a pause added, "Confucius."

"I don't think Peter believes that," Neal commented.

"Being friends with conmen makes distrust and deception a very fine line," Peter said with a sigh. He looked as though he had more to say on the subject, but as he looked at Neal, who was resting his head on the table again, decided not to and changed the subject, "Sara, Sterling Bosch has insured works at themuseum, hasn't it?"

"Usually works that are on loan to the museum," Sara answered.

"Would it be possible for you to run an audit on pieces in the Egyptian collection? Say tomorrow?"

"I believe that could be arranged," Sara replied. "But what are you going to do?"

"You need an expert on Egyptian artifacts," Neal suggested, looking hopefully up at Peter.

"Neal, you are half asleep at a table while talking about art forgery at seven in the evening; you're not going anywhere."

"Fair enough," Neal said resignedly. "Perhaps someone could pose as the owner of the gems."

"I think I could do that," Peter said with an air of certainty.

"Only if someone else chooses your suit..." Neal said.

Ignoring Neal, Peter asked, "Sara, do you want to meet me at the museum before the stones are put on display? You can look through the Egyptian display, and I can watch the special exhibit to see if our thief is interested in coming back for the evidence that one of the statues is real."

"Who would come back for a cursed statue?" Mozzie asked.

"Someone who didn't think it was cursed," Peter replied shortly, then added seriously, "And wants to fence or more likely forge the genuine article."

"How are you and Sara going to be able to tell if someone intends to come back for the stones?"

"Sara and I spend half our time with you two," Peter said, gesturing at him and Neal. "Do you think we haven't learned anything?"

" But Mozzie clearly doesn't trust us with this or anything else," Sara said with a sharp glance at Mozzie.

"An armadillo should not tell a turtle he is too hard shelled," Mozzie replied, and since he had realized Sara wasn't really upset about the museum, added, "You are putting up as many if not more walls about where you live as I am about where I live. And you know it."

Sara looked as though she wanted to argue the point, but instead she began to storm out of the apartment, stopping in the doorway momentarily as she realized there was no light in the hallway. Mozzie picked up the lantern as well as the stones and followed her, "Sara, wait. I'll walk you out."

Neal and Peter listened momentarily as the two of them continued to argue as they made their way out of the building, then Neal turned to Peter,"You should probably go too."

Peter turned on the flashlight and looked over at Neal. He had the blanket pulled around him fully again, but he appeared to be shivering beneath it.

"Neal, where's your coat?" Peter asked.

"Huh?" Neal looked up at Peter, confused.

"It's the middle of winter, and you don't know when the power is going to come back on. There's no heat on in here, and you're shivering. On top of which, June is out of town. I'm not letting you stay here. You can stay in the guest bedroom at my house," Peter explained, then asked again, "Where's your coat?"

"I can take care of myself," Neal replied, coughing between words.

"Never said you couldn't," Peter said. Then added, "Perhaps you could help me pick a suit out in the morning and make sure Mozzie brings those precious gems back to me."

"Fine. I'll get my coat," Neal said as he got up, and he walked towards the couch in the back corner as Peter shined the flashlight in the same general direction. The two of them then collected a few more things of Neal's, and then headed out the door.