Chapter 16
"You want to do WHAT?"
If the French police did not know about Neal's scheme yet, Peter was far from thrilled, and that was an understatement.
"Do you realize that this is utter madness? That there are at least a thousand ways that your plan could go south?"
"Peter…"
"And that if… No, not if, WHEN, your plan goes south, you'll end up in jail?"
"That's exactly why we have to share it with the French police." Neal tried to justify.
Peter rolled his eyes. They were alone in Julie's office. The Captain gathered her men to get the job organized until Sunday, the first free admittance day at the Louvre for six months, and likely the moment their thief would strike. Neal took that time to explain his idea to his partner. Without much success so far.
"Think about it. That girl wants me to go down for those thefts. She did her best to link me to them. She knows I faked my own death. She must believe that I don't have any support from the authorities. If I steal that piece before she does, she'll want to get it back."
It sounded logical, but Peter was not ready to take so many risks.
"You would have to steal it without warning the Louvre security. The guards have guns, Neal. What if you're not fast enough? What if one of them chooses to shoot you to protect a piece of art?"
"It won't happen. I'm the best, remember!"
"You were the best. Before I caught you. Twice. Three times if we count Cape Verde. And you haven't stolen anything in months. You're rusty."
It was Neal's turn to roll his eyes. He knew he was still talented enough for the job. And deep inside, he really wanted to do it. To prove to that kid that he was better than her, and better than Keller. It was certainly childish, but after two years living an orderly life, he needed the action. He made his last argument.
"What if she does not strike? Not Sunday and not any other day? The French police would not chase a ghost when it has the perfect culprit right under its nose. If I don't do this, and that girl does not fall in my trap, I'm going back to jail. It is as simple as that."
The plea left Peter speechless. He was certain that his friend was innocent, because in the course of years, he had learned to see past appearances when it came to Neal. He did not realize the cops that he was working with in Paris might not see things as he did. They saw a felon who fled his past, not a man who tried to protect his friends.
"We just have to convince our new friends to help you steal a painting in the Louvre without anyone being the wiser."
Given the agent's reaction, it would not be that easy.
WC*WC*WC
When Captain Lescaut came back in her office, she found the two Americans waiting patiently for her. She sat down behind her desk and watched them closely for a while.
"The Louvre will stay under protection until Sunday." She said. "We will try and spot the suspect. If she shows up, of course."
Neal took that sentence for an opening. He glanced at his partner and spoke.
"We have a way to make sure that she will strike on Sunday, but it might be risky."
Julie looked suspicious. She could feel that the FBI agent was tensed and not entirely convinced by his friend's plan, even if he did not express his doubt, maybe for linguistic reasons.
"I'm all ears." She simply said.
"We have reasons to believe that Miss Snell tries to pin her crimes on me. She certainly seems to want to catch my attention. She's been very careful so far and we don't think she'll ever make mistakes, unless we force her to."
"And how do you intend to do that? You want to get ahead of her, maybe?"
Julie made that statement as a jest, but the man in front of her just shrugged and smiled. She was dumbstruck.
"You want me to let you burgle the Louvre and not do anything about it? That is your plan? You're insane."
"My point, exactly." Peter grumbled.
Neal glared at him. When he spoke again, it was slowly and with carefully chosen words.
"That woman stole art for millions of Euros. She wanted the police to investigate me and she succeeded. I'm afraid that she might disappear into thin air before striking the Louvre if we don't give her a good reason to steal that one piece."
"We don't even know for sure whether that woman exists or not." Julie retorted. "She could very well be an invention of yours to fool us."
"Exactly. That is why I want to act. The only way that I have to prove my innocence is to bring you the real thief."
The Captain pondered. The argument made sense, but one thing was still unclear.
"Why not just pretend to steal a piece? We could work together with the museum staff and leak to the press that a painting was stolen."
"A lot of people would have to know what we are up to." Neal explained. "For a con to work, the lie must be known only by a very few people. As Benjamin Franklin said Three can keep a secret, if two of them are dead."
"So, you want to pretend that this painting was truly stolen."
"Not exactly. I want to steal it. It is the only way to make sure that the museum statement will sound real and that the police reaction will look credible. Credible enough for our thief to come after me instead of the Louvre."
"And you plan on striking on Sunday?"
"Nope, but for the plan to work, I can't tell you anything more."
Julie scanned the young man's face for a long time. If he decided to run with the painting, and if anyone heard that she knew about his scheme, her career would be over. She might very well end up in jail with the criminals she'd sent there over the course of years.
"OK, I'm in." She heard herself saying. "But no one from my team will know about it. If it goes south, I'll be the only one in trouble."