"Morning," Jones said walking into his office together with Diana. "Thought you could use a fresh cup." The agent placed a cup of coffee on his desk. While waiting for any news about Mozzie, Peter had returned to the office. He had slept a few hours in his chair.

"Thanks, Jones."

"DNA results came back on the blood from Satchmo," Diana said. "It wasn't Keller's." She handed him a file and he flipped it open.

"Leonard Grant." The photo was of someone unknown to him.

"Grant has a history of unpredictable violence," Jones said. "He has a long rap sheet, including kidnapping."

"Looks like the kind of guy Keller would love," Peter mumbled, unhappy by the thought of El captured by such a man.

"Exactly. We're looking into his former contacts now, tracing his financial history."

"Good," Peter said, trying to put enthusiasm into the answer, and he felt that he had failed. Jones left.

"Boss? Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Oh... exactly what you're doing. There isn't anyone I trust more to spearhead this than you and Jones."

"What about Caffrey? He has the treasure, doesn't he? That's what Keller's after, and you're working that angle."

She was smart. Always had been.

"The less you know, the better right now." That angle could only work if the Bureau wasn't involved. "Thanks, Diana."

"Okay."

Diana sent him a long glance when he walked into the office. One of those looks filled with blame.

"I thought you wanted to keep the FBI out of it," he said to Peter when he closed the door behind him.

"If you by 'it' means what Keller is after, I've kept them out of it. And intend to do so. Why?"

Neal shrugged.

"Diana sent me one of those 'you're a devil in shoes'-glances."

"She figured it out, but I've not confirmed she is right and that she should not go down that lane. Now, I want to be prepared if we can't find Mozzie. What if we tell Keller the truth?"

"He'll think we're stalling."

"And he'll take it out on Elizabeth." Peter did not enjoy that idea; that was clear.

"Maybe we should let the FBI know what Keller wants," Neal suggested

"They won't negotiate with kidnappers," Peter said. "And I want them focusing on finding El."

It all seemed hopeless. Until…

"Well, we don't have to worry about finding Mozzie," he told Peter, who turned and saw the man walking into the White Collar office.

"Let's get him up here now."

Peter rushed out of the office, and Neal made eye contact with Moz and gestured for him to be silent. His handler guided them into the conference room and closed the door behind them.

"For once, words fail me," Mozzie said. "They can't possibly convey how sorry I am. This was Keller's big move. I should have seen this coming." No, Neal thought. It's the things you see when they are already done.

"Do you have the treasure?" Peter asked.

"Yep."

"Good."

"Wait! Y-you can't give it to him," Mozzie objected.

"No, no. Once he has it, there's no reason—" Peter started, but Moz cut him off.

"Once he has it, there's no reason to keep her alive! He didn't even hesitate to kill Hale."

"He's right, okay?" Neal said. "But now we have the treasure as a bargaining chip."

"El's only chance, my only guarantee that she'll be safe, is if the FBI finds her." And how should they find her?

"We're running out of time, Peter."

"We need to buy more time!"

"Yeah," Moz agreed. "But Keller's smart enough to read a stall."

"Then the three of us have to be smarter than him," Peter said. "We've been playing by Keller's rules. Let's change the game."

Neal smiled.

"If you still want to keep the FBI out of this, shouldn't we go to my place?"

"Oh, the feds are not engaged in this?" Moz looked puzzled.

"They are, in finding El. They don't know what Keller wants," Peter said. "Let's go to your place, Neal. So we don't have to talk in puzzles."

"Thought you'd be sipping Mai Tais on a beach by now," Neal said, handing Mozzie a glass of water, as requested.

"After all that happened, I thought some introspection was in order. I decided to follow in the footsteps of Thoreau."

"Found yourself a nice pond and lived off the land?" Neal asked. "Admit it. It's a hard city to leave."

"She's a stubborn mistress," Moz admitted.

They glanced at Peter out on the patio, talking on the phone.

"Go through Grant's accounts," they overheard. "Look for anything that may be a safe house."

"This is my fault," Mozzie said.

"No, it's mine," Neal objected.

"I was the one who took the treasure in the first place."

"Keller kidnapped Elizabeth," Peter said, returning to them. "You didn't. Remember that."

"What'd the FBI say?"

"They have a lead, but they need more time."

"We can't stall the exchange," Neal said. "Peter, if we do, there's no telling what Keller would do to Elizabeth."

"Go through Grant's accounts," Peter told Jones over the phone. "Look for anything that may be a safe house."

"We have, Peter," Jones said. "We have found a lead, but it will take some time."

"You're doing a great job." Peter ended and returned to the two con men, fighting to take the blame for all of it.

"I was the one who took the treasure in the first place," Mozzie said. So Neal did not steal it after all. That was good to hear, but it was beside the point at the moment.

"Keller kidnapped Elizabeth," Peter pointed out. "You didn't. Remember that." He would not catch the little fish if the shark were still out there.

"What'd the FBI say?" the kid asked.

"They have a lead, but they need more time."

"We can't stall the exchange. Peter, if we do, there's no telling what Keller would do to Elizabeth."

Yeah, that was a problem. He looked at Mozzie. He had been straightforward before, admitting to having the treasure, so he hoped that could be continued.

"Where are you keeping the treasure?" he asked.

"It's in a secure facility I set up with some associates."

"What if we stalled Keller without appearing to stall him?"

"Well, it'd have to be something out of our control," the kid said. "Keller's not an easy one to con."

"Yeah, he'd have to think we were operating in good faith," Mozzie agreed and sighed heavily. "We're gonna have to show him the treasure."

If they showed it to him, it was still too much to leave with all at once…

"I have an idea," Peter told them. "We'll need a well-timed call to the police and a criminal we have no concrete ties to. Someone you wouldn't mind ratting out."

It was bold. And he thought this was something that could cause trouble but it just took two second before Mozzie grinned all over his face.

"I know just the rat."

"There is more than the treasure in this facility of yours, I guess?"

"Of course. Though, there's strict confidentiality—"

"My point is, we can get the cops over there without them seeing the treasure, right?"

"Sure. It is a place with locked containers."

"Make sure you get this rat of yours to do a break-in ten to twenty minutes after we arrived there with Keller."

"Alright," Mozzie nodded. "I make an information package, ask for assistance with short notice, needing his expertise. When he realizes I've not opened the package, he'll take his own guy and do the job himself."

Peter stared at him.

"I'm sure you know better than me if that works."

"Yeah, I do, Suit. Neal, could you give me a hand? I don't want him to see my handwriting all over it."

Peter watched the two of them make an envelope in fifteen minutes. He took note of the address, though he didn't think it would be an issue. Then Mozzie left. It was two hours until the deadline.

"Peter?" the kid said. "Don't take this the wrong way, but wouldn't it be better if the FBI thought I was at home?" Peter was lost in a thought for a second and didn't get what he was talking about. Neal pulled up the leg of his pants. The anklet. "I won't run, you know that."

"Yeah, I know that." Peter pulled out his keys, and Neal put his foot on a chair. He unlocked the anklet. "I know I've not been the best to tell you this, Neal, but I trust you in so many ways." He held the anklet looking at the young, talented man. "It's just that I'm…"

"A federal agent in charge of a convicted felon known to con people?"

"Yep." That pretty much summed it all up.

"I remember a young felon many years ago who wanted you to drive him to the detention center." Neal watched him, and Peter remembered. It was the first time he had arrested Neal Caffrey. "I've always known you're a great federal agent, Peter Burke. And it's your job not to trust people."