Well, my muse has dwelt here on Of Law and Angels, so I got started on this chapter so soon after the first one! I've got a beta now! Say hello to ccluvshorses101! Yay! Please remember to R&R I love hearing from y'all! Now, to the story.
Chapter Two: The Gentleman
Arriving at FBI Headquarters, Neal once again thanked his luck. The view from here was much better than one from a prison cell, and the food was better, too. Plus working here, with Peter was sort of gratifying. Even if none of those criminals happen to be nearly as good as I am. He thought wryly. Was, he corrected himself. I'm a good guy now. I think. Entering the elevator with Peter, Neal began to inquire more about the case
"So, let me get this straight. This guy breaks into the Metropolitan, steals a Dalí, and escapes without tripping an alarm?" Neal hated to admit it, but he was impressed. It really was quite a feat.
"That sounds about right. We should have the video by now; we had to get a warrant earlier, for privacy reasons." Peter shook his head, but his eyes were gleaming. After months of monotonous cases, he was finally getting a good one.
Getting off on their floor, the duo headed for the conference room, where Diana was waiting alongside Jones. Diana was sporting her usual no-nonsense look, while Jones was much more cheerful by comparison. Smiling, Neal gave a small wave. Jones waved back, and Diana rolled her eyes.
Reaching the conference room, they exchanged greetings and then turned to the large flat screen TV, showing what appeared to be a blotchy, dark scene. Pressing play, they weren't able to see a thing.
"This," said Diana "is the original footage. The museum sent the film straight to the lab techs, who gave us this one." Diana held up a CD.
"Why is it so dark?" asked Peter. "Doesn't the museum keep the dim lights on at night?"
"The museum reported a lighting failure." replied Jones. "It seemed innocent enough; none of the alarms were affected-"
"-So museum security didn't report the problem, figuring they could get it fixed in the morning." Neal shook his head in admiration. "This guy is smart. He knew that the museum wouldn't report a simple lighting failure-"
"-But also thought that it would disable the cameras." Peter finished. "Well, that's a good break for us; he probably didn't even wear a mask."
"A cocky thief is a caught thief." Neal said sagely.
"Yeah, Caffrey," snorted Diana, "you would know."
"Well," said Peter, placing the lab's CD in the player, "let's see just how smart this guy really is."
The video had been enhanced wonderfully by the lab team. While still quite blurry, the room was now visible, as was its eventual intruder.
"Is he wearing what I think he's wearing?" asked Diana incredulously.
"There's no way he actually got through those lasers in that getup." Jones watched incredulously as their impeccably dressed thief did just that, and ended with a tiny bow.
"Cocky fellow, isn't he?" Diana shook her head.
They all watched as the thief entered the restoration vault, tipping the classic hat to the security camera in passing. Finding the piece almost immediately, the thief carefully placed the masterpiece in a tiny, dark cylindrical container and strapped it to the dark jacket, where it blended perfectly.
With a flourish, the thief then placed a rose in the painting's place on the restoration table. With an elaborate bow to the camera, the thief exited the vault, cartwheeled through the lasers once more, and exited view, once more, giving a flashy bow for the now uneasy onlookers.
"No one," said Peter "is that good."
"I'm afraid so, Boss." sighed Diana. "Not once is there a clear enough frame to get a good view of this guy's face, and CSRU says no fingerprints or DNA were left at the scene. The only things the thief left behind were the aerosol residue and the rose."
"Anything remarkable about the residue?" Peter was grasping at any clue he could, while watching them quickly evaporate right in front of him. His eagerness at this case was beginning to evolve into frustration.
"Nothing." Jones shook his head, and there went another clue, up in smoke. "Sold in every car repair shop from here to California, and the label was completely removed. We don't even know when it was purchased."
"And the rose? With all the bowing. There has to be an angle there. There has to be." Peter was getting a little desperate; he was still under close surveillance from the island incident, and this was going to be a high-profile case.
"Other than the fact it's fresh, there's nothing. It could have been purchased recently," Diana sighed, exasperated, "or, it could have been frozen. Lab is still looking at it."
"What about all that bowing, and the guy's getup?" That part still puzzled Peter.
"Yes, he was quite the gentleman, wasn't he, with the rose, the suit, and the bowing?" Neal remarked.
"So, the question is: why was this 'gentleman' in a suit for a heist? It makes no sense…unless he came from a party or social event nearby." That was the only logical explanation. Yet again, thieves were rarely completely logical, in Peter's experience.
Diana rushed over to her laptop. "There was a dressy charity event a block away. Invite only."
Peter's face broke back into the big grin it had sported earlier. "The best kind. Who's the coordinator?"
"Tonia Schultz."
"Wait, Diana," Neal stopped the other two's mental victory dance. "What kind of charity event is it?"
"Laws of love, why Caffrey? Something wrong?" Neal had sunk back into his chair.
"We're either about to find this guy in record time-"
"Or?" asked Peter apprehensively.
"Or, more likely, it's another dead end. Laws of Love is a bachelor's auction for the projects; they try to keep them from going lawless." Neal shook his head. "Well, at least we can check those suspects out easily enough; last night only had 12 Bachelors, and the invite list is female-only."
"Well," Peter announced, rising once again, "let's go catch The Gentleman."
A/N: Ooh, mysterious! You like? You don't? Please R&R!