Chapter 14
The news of Matthew Keller's death took Neal by surprise. The young man did not see anyone else who could commit those heists. He simply had no other lead to follow. For the first time since the French police came to arrest him at his place, he thought that he might very well end up back behind bars, and for crimes he was innocent of. Disarray showed on his face.
"We're back where we started." He said.
"Not exactly." Mozzie replied with a mysterious smile. "I knew that our plans required a lot of recon. I also supposed that you wanted to stay hidden, so that you would need an accomplice. After Copenhagen and Amsterdam, I flew to Zurich right away. I wanted to know with whom you replaced me. And if you worked alone, I would find you."
"And?"
"My surveillance paid off. I spotted a lovely young lady acting suspiciously. I tried to follow her to get to you, but the Giacometti was gone before I could approach her."
"I don't see how that helps us." Peter was impatient.
Mozzie shot him an exasperated look.
"Hypermnesia, Suit. I never forget a face."
The little man had just finished talking when Neal rushed upstairs. He came back a couple of minutes later with a sketchbook and a pencil. Under his old accomplice's directions, the mysterious young lady's face became alive on paper. They finally had a lead to follow.
"You'll have to bring that to the precinct without me, Neal. I have to go get Elisabeth and your namesake at the airport."
"Elisabeth is on her way to Paris?" Mozzie was surprised.
"My name appeared in Interpol files. We fear that the Panthers know that I'm alive and seek revenge."
"One more reason to stay as far away from the police as possible! You're alone for that part."
Neal sighed and stood up. He needed a good explanation for his disappearance at the Louvre and the sudden appearance of the culprit sketch.
"Bring El here, Peter. There is way enough room for the three of you. Mozzie? How can we reach you?"
His friend gave him a burner phone.
"I won't be far, mon frère."
WC*WC*WC
Neal went to the precinct alone. He knocked on Julie's office door before entering. The Captain shot him a glower.
"Where have you been? We were seconds away from issuing a wanted notice."
"I'm sorry," he replied with his most charming smile. "I spotted a young lady acting suspiciously and I tried to follow her quietly. I lost her outside the museum."
"You should have come back here right away to work with a sketch artist."
Neal showed his own drawing to the Captain.
"I'm a better at drawing than describing."
"It's… amazing. You're a very talented man. Any idea of who it might be?"
Neal was about to say no when an idea struck him.
"I'm not sure. I thought a lot about who could commit those thefts. There are not many contenders. A lot time ago, I mixed with a man who could fit the description. His name was Matthew Keller."
"Was?"
"I just found out that he died in New York two years ago. He never liked working alone. He very well could have imagined those heists and shared the idea with someone. Someone who decided to go on with the plan."
Julie thought about that explanation for a minute. She felt that the man in front of her did not tell him everything, but his idea was worth a shot.
"I'll see with Interpol. Agent Berrigan will certainly be able to help us."
Neal thanked her and went back to his place. He had to meet an old friend and a little boy.
WC*WC*WC
Neal was sitting in the living room and he was very nervous. It was quite unusual for him to feel this way, but he did not know how Elisabeth would react upon seeing him. His relationship with the young woman had not always been perfect. He lied to Peter for her. More than once, she used him to protect her husband, not worrying about the consequences for the con man. If he understood and still considered her a friend, he had no idea whether the news of him being alive had been a happy one for her. She probably feared for her family safety now that Neal was back in their life.
He heard a car stop in front of the mansion. Peter and Elisabeth's voices got through to him, along with the one of a tired little boy. After a couple of minutes, the door opened on the Burkes. The agent stayed behind, his son in his arms. He let his wife and their lost friend meet each other again. She walked up to Neal and hugged him.
"I'm so happy." She breathed. "I felt so responsible. I asked you to protect Peter and I thought you'd done so at the price of your life. I blamed myself, you have no idea."
Neal felt at ease. Whatever Elisabeth might have felt at the time, she was ready to welcome him back at her side. She stepped aside and waved her husband to come closer with their child in his arms.
"Neal, I'd like to introduce you to Neal." She smiled. Then she turned towards her son. "Neal, honey, this is your godfather."
The little boy was exhausted from the long journey. He held a teddy bear close to his cheek and was staring at Neal with a questioning look.
"Hello, Neal. I'm glad to finally meet you." The con man said. "It's a very pretty teddy bear that you have here. What's his name?"
The toddler seemed to ponder for a while. Under his parent's gaze, he finally answered with a very small voice: "Mozart."
He looked so tired that his mom and dad put him to bed for a nap. While he was asleep, Neal told Elisabeth the story of the last two years of his life. He also brought his two friends up to date with the last development in the case. The next days were going to be crucial.