Notes: At the end of this chapter is background information for those new to the Caffrey Conversation series.
Chapter 1: Edinburgh Calling
Winston-Winslow. Friday, May 18, 2007.
Neal placed the framed diploma on the hook and stepped back to check the alignment.
"Soon you'll need more space for that bragging wall," Peter commented, stepping into his office.
"And they're all legit! Hard to believe, isn't it?"
His latest addition was the diploma for the Master in Philosophy degree he'd obtained from Columbia University the preceding day. The degree was conferred on doctoral candidates who'd finished all their work for their doctorate except the dissertation. Earlier in the month, he'd passed his orals. The diploma was now displayed next to the diplomas in visual arts and art history he'd received last year.
"Not for me," Peter denied stoutly. "I've witnessed all the effort you've put into the program. Got a question for you, though. At the reception yesterday, El and I chatted with some of the other candidates. We got the impression this was the first master's diploma they'd received."
"That's because all the other PhD candidates entered the program right after receiving their undergraduate degrees. I'd initially enrolled for a standalone master's. My advisor recommended me for the doctorate after I'd already started. There's also the small matter that I don't have a bachelor's degree. That first master's took care of the issue."
"You also earned bonus points by going for a dual master's," Peter pointed out. "In two years, we'll have to get used to calling you Doctor Caffrey."
"Or maybe just Doctor Neal?" He paused to laugh. "On second thought, let's just leave it at Neal. I don't want to be confused with Doctor Phil." Their banter made that moment seem close at hand, but preparing the dissertation would be a monumental task most likely taking two years. Sherkov had signed off on the topic. Neal was writing up a new approach to teaching art history based on his master workshops. He'd dubbed it "Through the Artist's Eye."
"Have you made any celebration plans?" Peter asked.
"How does an all-expenses-paid trip to Scotland sound? John Hobhouse called this morning. The Scottish National Gallery discovered a pinprick forgery. This time the targeted artist is Renoir. The painting is called A Woman Nursing a Child."
This made the ninth known pinprick forgery. The other forgeries had been located in museums in Paris, Madrid, and Vienna. A master forger with the alias of Leonardo had copied masterworks for decades. He worked with several thieves including Klaus Mansfeld to replace them with his forgeries. The copies were marked with tiny designs in pinpricks that were linked to the client who commissioned the theft. The operation was apparently run as an investment club where the clients—mainly mobsters—could at the time of their choosing extort money from museums by notifying them of the theft and then securing a ransom to return the painting. The ransom demand could be higher than the price of the painting on the dark market but still less than what the insurer would have to pay.
The case was the top priority of the Interpol art crimes task force. Neal was working with John and Marcel Jauffret, the French member of the task force to track down the individual running the club, a man known as the Phoenix.
"What's the design of the pinprick?" Peter asked.
"It doesn't look like the others. John said it resembles a kite." He looked at Peter hopefully. "Does any constellation come to mind?"
"Several, actually," Peter admitted ruefully.
"John's sending me a photo of the design. That could help narrow the field." The other patterns had all been traced to constellations with bird names, a possible link to the person running the investment club. All that was known about him was that he was a man and his code name was Phoenix.
"Does the National Gallery have many famous paintings?" Peter asked.
"They have a Raphael. The original of The Skating Minister that's hanging in the pub is also there."
"Have you ever visited Edinburgh?"
"Once." He smiled at Peter's questioning look. "I didn't steal anything. I did check out the museums though. The National Museum in Edinburgh has a fine collection of antique jewels. Sara would enjoy it."
The museum was also the home to the McNally Solitaire, the ring he'd planned to steal for Kate and replace with a forgery. Should he tell Sara? Would she think it was a sign of his progress that the ring he made for her wasn't linked to a museum piece? But why bring up a reminder of his past?
"Neal? I lost you."
He dismissed the thoughts. "I'm still here. A few ghosts drifted by."
Peter raised a brow. "Heist related?"
Neal nodded. "A plan that was never carried out I'm happy to report." He mentally shook himself before Peter probed further. "Mobsters have been connected to several of the pinprick forgeries. This could be one more."
"Is Klaus familiar with any buyers of stolen art in Scotland?" Peter asked.
"I don't know. I contacted Marcel and he'll ask Klaus. Of course, there's no guarantee that the original is still in Scotland. The Scottish National Gallery is an odd choice for a pinprick forgery unless the painting has a special significance."
"I'm not following you."
"The Renoir is valuable but not on the scale of the other forgeries. Perhaps the client had a fondness for the painting because of a family connection."
"Do you have any new leads on Phoenix?" Peter asked.
Neal shook his head. "Mozzie continues to think Rolf is the most likely suspect, but that would mean he currently has a stand-in replacing him."
"Like Marta Kolar?"
Neal nodded. The whereabouts of Rolf's assistant were still unknown. "The Austrian who referenced Phoenix supposedly was on the phone with him and used masculine pronouns in discussing him, but Marta could have had her voice altered. Have you had any success with the money trail?"
"Not yet," Peter admitted. "Jones is leading the effort. Since the investment club members purchased the originals over a decade ago, I'm not holding out much hope of finding anything."
Diana's office at Winston-Winslow. The same day.
"Do you see the pattern?" Diana asked Sara hopefully.
"I think so," Sara said slowly. "In each case, only a few pieces were snatched and each contained a spectacular gemstone—either a sapphire, ruby, emerald, or a colored diamond."
Diana nodded. "Plus, all the thefts were at jewelry boutiques at high-end hotels. They took place exclusively in Europe. They were always conducted at night and no one was injured." She shrugged. "And just our luck, no evidence has ever been found."
Diana had spent the past month performing a detailed analysis of high-end thefts. The results were startling. A much higher percentage than Sara would have predicted were of large gemstones, meaning they were difficult to fence. If they were cut up, they'd lose much of their value. But if they were sold in their original condition, the odds of them being recognized were high.
"The question I ask myself is if I'm being influenced too much by the pinprick forgeries Neal's investigating," Diana said ruefully. "Am I seeing parallels that are figments of my imagination?"
"I don't think so. Gemstones have long been a favorite way to launder money."
"Unlike the art forgeries, the original gems aren't being replaced by counterfeits," Diana said. "Still, it will take a long time for the thieves to make a profit. They'll need to wait till interest has faded or people have forgotten about the initial crimes."
"Do you have any suggestions on how to tackle the problem? Given that you're talking about sparklies, you might as well go ahead and add me to your team. You won't be able to keep me away."
Neal stuck his head into the doorframe. "I was passing by and heard sparklies mentioned. If you're planning a heist, include me too!"
"Come on in, Caffrey," Diana said, exchanging smiles with him.
"You're inviting me into the cephalopod shrine? I'm honored!"
Diana's years of writing Arkham Files fanfiction had awakened a love for tentacled sea creatures. Her office contained large photos of octopuses, an octopus desk lamp, and an octopus phone holder. Bookends, pen holders, paperweights—all had tentacles waving at her. Diana was no longer writing Arkham Files stories, but the octopuses lived on. Sara loved visiting her office. It had inspired her to add seahorse accessories to her office.
Neal promptly dropped into a chair and picked up one of the octopus fidget toys lining Diana's desk. "What kind of jewels are we talking about?"
"The spectacular variety that would set a mobster's heart on fire for money laundering," Sara said. "They could also appeal to a collector. Rather than investing in the stock market or real estate, they picked gemstones instead."
Diana provided a history of the thefts. "With no evidence to go on, I expect we'll need to run a sting," she concluded.
"What are you considering?" Neal asked.
"My favorite idea is something I filched from you. I'd like to set myself and Sara up as a team of rival thieves. If we can make a name for ourselves, the thieves might decide to recruit us."
"You'll need to establish your reputation," Neal cautioned. "Mozzie could help with that. You'll have to make yourselves so desirable they won't be able to resist you." He winked at Sara. "Strictly in terms of your sticky fingers, of course."
"Is the dark web the best place to advertise our expertise?" Sara asked.
"That and the Jewel Box. It's a specialized darknet on the deep web. Obtaining access is a challenge, but Mozzie may be able to operate on your behalf."
"We'll need to build up our profiles and what we specialize in," Sara said, her thoughts already leaping to famous gemstones and how they could be incorporated into the sting.
"Have you picked out a name for your crew?" Neal asked.
Diana absently squeezed the starfish beanbag by her laptop. "How about the Red Diamonds? I've read they're the most expensive gemstone in the world. That seems appropriate."
Diana didn't know about the Black Diamonds, the name Henry had given to their pirate crew for the amber music box con. Was this a theme in the making? For a girl who loved sparklies, she couldn't be happier about the suggestion. It was also giving her ideas about their crew specializing in colored diamonds. Neal had been living a long con for years. Could she and Diana manage something similar on a smaller scale?
"You realize a vulnerability in your plan," Neal said.
"What's that?" Diana asked.
"Suppose you're recruited. Do you have the expertise to do what you claim?"
Diana made a face. "Couldn't we fake it?"
Neal shook his head. "You can't count on it. Anytime you're recruited into a new crew, you can expect to be given a test to prove yourself."
"Neal's right," Sara said, feeling distinctly deflated. "It's what makes his cons so successful. He can easily prove his expertise."
Diana nodded gloomily. "We'd have a difficult time delivering." She fell silent for a moment. "But he wouldn't." She turned to him. "Any chance you could train us?"
Neal arched an eyebrow. "Jewel thief boot camp? You really you'll need a crash course in gemology in addition to mastering the skills."
"I realize that. Could you make a list of what proficiencies we'll need?"
"Sure. If nothing else, they'll be useful for undercover work."
"Thanks," Diana said. "You'll have plenty of time to prepare. I'm leaving for Europe next week. I've done all I can from here. I want to visit the recent locations. This will also give me a chance to touch base with our European partners."
Sara was looking forward to that boot camp. She agreed the Red Diamonds would need to be tabled for the moment, but that wouldn't keep her from sketching out possibilities.
"Have there been any thefts in Scotland?" Neal asked.
"Yes, as a matter of fact," Diana said. "A jewelry store was hit three years ago. The crime matches the profile and could have been carried out by the same gang."
"Sara might like to handle that one for you," Neal suggested. "I'm going to Scotland next week. I hope to persuade her to come along."
Diana laughed. "Should I worry about the Loch Ness monster? You're a magnet for bizarre events."
Neal smiled. "I wouldn't be concerned about her. Nessie could be a member of our crew."
#
Peter headed for Jones's office after his discussion with Neal. Once Jones had moved into his new role at Win-Win, they quickly returned to the comfortable working relationship that had characterized their time at White Collar.
For his office decor, Jones had opted for a video game theme. Framed posters of Silent Hunter, Alone in the Dark, and World of Warcraft were prominently displayed next to a framed box of his Navy medals.
Typically, Jones eschewed the billiard table in the lounge in favor of the video gaming area in the pub, a themed room at Win-Win. Peter had spotted him on more than one evening staying late to play with Anna Hsu, the technical lead. Neal told him the two were dating, although Peter wasn't sure if the term was accurate. Did an evening of gaming count as a date? What did it mean that Jones now had a Guild Wars poster on his wall identical to the one hanging in Anna's office? Jones also had a framed picture of himself and Anna in the Klingon costumes they'd worn at a recent sci-fi convention. Next to it was the Nero aureus coin Neal had given him during a gaming convention sting two years ago.
What mattered to Peter was that Jones had never seemed happier at work. Like Peter, he was enjoying the expanded opportunities of fieldwork in their specialty. Henry had landed a case with Gensel Pharmaceuticals. The company suspected one of their employees was siphoning off funds. Peter and Jones had worked undercover to identify him before damage was done to the company's reputation.
As Henry predicted, news of their success with Gensel quickly spread through the corporate management grapevine. Peter's team was now investigating an investment firm and a retail corporation. But neither one was on this morning's agenda. Instead, it was a hold-over from their White Collar days. Although the Mansfelds weren't an official case, Klaus and Rolf continued to be persons of interest.
Henry approved of Klaus's transfer to a French work-release program, but he was also wary. He and Peter were monitoring his actions. Neal wasn't a party to their discussions. Henry had argued that in a sense Neal had already signed off on the arrangement since he'd asked Peter and Henry to ensure that he wasn't being blindsided by Klaus once more. Henry reasoned that if Neal was kept informed, his subconscious might direct him to act differently.
Once Jones joined Win-Win, he became a member of their team. Marcel was aware of their surveillance and sent them biweekly updates on Klaus's performance. Jones and Peter's Bureau background gave the French an extra measure of comfort about a potentially dangerous leopard working with the very institutions he used to steal from.
They usually met in Jones's office. Its location meant that Neal was less likely to observe them. Not that it was an issue. They could have easily explained they were meeting on one of the finance cases and that would be the truth. They always included updates as part of the briefing. Neal prided himself on never lying to Peter, and he felt the same way.
"The reports from Marcel have all been positive," Henry said when he joined them in Jones's office. "Klaus has been consulting with museums to upgrade their security protocol. He's also helping them secure off-site storage facilities, which as you remember were a prime vulnerability during the final year Klaus worked as a thief."
"Neal's consulting with Klaus and Marcel on a new pinprick forgery," Peter said. "He also talks frequently with Chantal. The fact that Klaus continues to live at her apartment is a good sign."
"Has Klaus reached out to his parents?" Jones asked.
Peter nodded. "According to Chantal, not only to them but to his younger brother Egon—the one he used to not get along with. They're mending fences. The parents and Egon have all visited. Klaus asked Marcel to allow him and Chantal to travel to Germany in June when his parents will celebrate their wedding anniversary. If this is a con, Klaus is a master."
Henry nodded thoughtfully. "I checked on Rolf's status. He's still in solitary. The only outside communication he has is with his lawyers. Rolf's even been checked to ensure that he's not emitting an electronic signal. Mozzie suggested he could have had a device implanted in his brain that was capable of transmitting his thoughts, but Travis insists they'd be able to detect it."
"Rolf could have initially set up the pinprick investment club back in the '90s," Jones said. "We know very little about his criminal activities back then. Klaus claims his first thefts were in 1995. He admitted that Rolf gave him the nudge. He told Marcel he was unaware of any crimes Rolf committed. But he must have already been involved in illegal activities because he had quite a list of clients when he first encouraged Klaus to become a thief."
"We've tried to trace Rolf's finances and activities in the '80s and '90s," Peter said. "But there's precious little to go on."
"Keep at it," Henry urged. "Let me know if you need additional resources. The code designations used for the pinprick forgeries, the focus on art, the contacts with mobsters—these are all techniques used by Ydrus as well. Is that because Rolf was guiding their actions too?"
"He also must have had at least one safe house during the years before he joined Ydrus," Jones said. "Somewhere we'll find a trail."
Jones's skillset made him ideal for the assignment. The determination he'd shown to unmask the Dutchman and expose Adler's U-boat connection would be needed for Rolf. Unless Klaus was acting in tandem on a pre-arranged con, Rolf would be livid that he no longer controlled his brother's behavior. He also probably blamed the team at White Collar for having broken his hold. Peter knew that was Henry's concern as well.
"Here's something else to research," Henry said. "What was Rolf's original motive for his criminal behavior? We've tended to focus on why he was interested in Neal—and understandably so. But we know Rolf encouraged Klaus to be a thief in 1995. Why was that?"
"Did you question Klaus about it?" Peter asked.
"I asked him before he was transferred to Paris. Klaus seemed startled by the question. He told me he'd assumed Rolf was primarily doing it for the intellectual challenge." Henry paused for a moment. "In many cases, Rolf provided the buyers for Klaus's stolen artworks. How did he become so knowledgeable? We know he worked with Ydrus but the records we found in their Hungarian headquarters only go back to 2002." Henry shrugged. "The cases would all be cold now, but I still feel they're worth pursuing."
"Mozzie is convinced that Rolf either originated or assumed the role of Phoenix from someone else," Jones said. "The use of constellations and the sophistication of the investment club match his profile."
Henry smiled. "And when is Mozzie wrong?"
Notes: The McNally Solitaire was also featured in one of my early stories, The Queen's Jewels. I wrote about the ring both in canon and in Caffrey Conversation for the blog in my "Scotch on the Rocks" post.
Background on the Caffrey Conversation AU for new readers: The series was created by Penna Nomen and begins with her story Caffrey Conversation. Our blog has a list and short summaries for all the stories. The primary initial difference from canon is that Neal was never sent to prison and the characters are several years younger. Peter recruited Neal in 2003 when he was 24. In the fall of 2004, he entered Columbia University's graduate program in art as a part-time student. In October 2006, he left the FBI and began working at Henry's company, Winston-Winslow. He and Sara were married the next month. At the beginning of January 2007, Peter moved into his new role at Winston-Winslow. In February 2007, Diana Berrigan and Clinton Jones left the FBI to work at Winston-Winslow.
Main non-canon characters:
Henry Winslow: Neal's half-brother. His husband is Eric Vasquez.
Travis Miller: tech and electronics expert.
Neal's friends from Columbia University: Richard Carlisle, Aidan Phillips, and Keiko Nakahara. Richard's husband is Travis. Aidan and Keiko are now married.
Janet Dodson: Mozzie's girlfriend and soulmate
Klaus Mansfeld: master art thief. Formerly married to Chantal.
John Hobhouse: leader of the Interpol art crimes task force, headquartered in London.
Marcel Jauffret: the French representative of the art crimes task force.
Blog: Penna Nomen & Silbrith Conversation
Visuals and Music: The Scotch on the Rocks board on the Caffrey Conversation Pinterest website