It took 2 days to get a tentative ID from the doctor's description of Neal's "friend". Jake Randell was a two-bit criminal who had suddenly come into money about 9 months ago. It took another week to find the man. Now he was sitting silently in the interrogation room glaring at the wall.
"We need him to talk" Peter watched the man's every move.
"We'll get him to talk boss" Diana lay her hand on his chest "but you need to leave it to Jones and I... you are emotionally compromised right now."
"I've been emotionally compromised for almost 9 months." He scowled "I just need to know what happened to him."
"We'll find the answers... we will" she shook her head "but you can't risk this guy walking because you lose your cool."
"Fine. You two go at him " he turned away "but if you don't get something from him soon, I'm coming in."
"Boss maybe you should go home... get some rest."
"I can't. I need to know."
"Have you been home at all the last few days?"
"No" he hung his head "When I go home Elle has questions about what I'm working on and why I'm so distracted... but if I tell her and we're ... wrong... or ... worse to late... It would be like ripping open a healing wound."
"Well, you need to sleep."
"I do sleep... I have a couch in my office."
"Right boss." she smiled softly "Go get some real food with your coffee and I'll let you know what we get.'
"I'll wait right here," he hooked a chair with his foot and sank into it, pointedly not watching as the younger agent sighed and walked out of the room. Peter sighed and dropped his head into his hands. He was exhausted but if Neal was in fact out there, he had clearly lost hope and that meant his time was likely rapidly running out. He should probably eat something...
Instead, he tuned into the interview happening in the next room. Jones started.
"Do you often kidnap people after faking their death?"
"I have no idea what you are-"
"Neal Caffrey... the coroner testified that he was alive when he left the morgue...with you. Where did you take him?"
"It was his idea he wanted-"
"He was unconscious and should have been in the hospital." Diana cut in "Where did you take him?"
"To this guy."
"What guy?'
"I don't know."
"How can you not know who you gave him to?"
"Look I didn't set it up, ok?" Randell "I was just supposed to drop the guy off and collect the money."
"You were supposed to drop of an injured man and collect how much money? How much were you getting paid?"
"The guy who set it up was going to give me 10%"
"What guy? Diana snapped.
"How much money?" Jones imposed.
"I don't really know who he was, but it was $3,000,000... Cash. Have you ever seen that much money? I couldn't afford to say no to 10% of that."
"$300,000 is a chunk of change... but you've been flashing a bit more than that."
"The guy who set it up never showed up at the meeting... I waited for a long time. Then I waited for him contact me for a week."
"You never heard from him?" Jones asked.
Peter felt his suspicion of who set the situation up solidify. Between the perfect wax figure of Neal and the cruel Machiavellian plan he had suspected Keller was involved. Now, he was sure. That monster would not be hurting anyone else at least.
"Never." Randell shook his head "So I figured the money was mine."
"Who did you drop him off with?" Diana demanded.
"I'm not sure..." Randell frowned "but he worked for the Martinelli family."
"How do you know that?'
"He had their sparrow rose tattoo... you know on his forearm... right about here." He tapped his arm.
"Would you recognize him if you saw him?"
"Yeah probably... I mean it's been a while but..."
"Good."
"You going to give me a deal?"
"That will be up to the DA. I mean kidnapping is a pretty big deal" Jones told him "But the more you help us the better it is for you."
"right" Randell shifted "I'll tell you what I know."
He paced the length of the small park. Back and forth he walked, trying to work up the nerve to approach the man enthusiastically running a three card Monty game near the street. Peter didn't notice that the tourists had disbursed.
"Here to arrest me suit?' the smaller man asked as he popped up beside him.
"No Haversham." he hesitated, uncertain how to approach the subject. "I've had some... information recently come to light and..."
"Does this have anything to do with evil government minions disturbing my friend's resting place." Peter wasn't really surprised.
"He wasn't there, Mozzie." He hurried forward as the smaller man stumbled.
"Wasn't there..." He stared at Peter with suddenly tearful eyes "What do you mean wasn't..."
"We buried a wax figure."
"Did we now?' the small man frowned "You think he DID fake his death after all? You know denial is one of the stage-"
"It's not denial." Peter sighed "I'm sure you heard chatter about the forgeries that have been popping up."
"I have..." Mozzie polished his glasses quickly, removing any trace of emotion from his face. "They are good... almost as good as... as his were."
"They are Neal's work."
"So, you DO think he conned us." The small man shook his head "Are you going after him? I won't help you shackl-"
"I don't think it was his plan."
"What do you mean?"
"The evidence we've found suggests..." he glanced around and tried to hide the shutter "It suggests that Keller set it up... he planned to sell him to the Martinelli family for $3,000,000."
"The Martinelli..." his voice trailed off in horror "You think he's a prisoner of... do you have any idea how sadistic Adrian Martinelli can be?"
"I've heard stories..."
"And you think they've had him for..." Mozzie went so pale Peter thought he might collapse "It's been months!"
"I know."
"Do you have any proof he's even still alive?"
"As long as the forgeries keep coming, I have hope."
"YOU HAVE TO FIND HIM RIGHT NOW!"
"I'm trying..." Peter sighed "we've hit a bit of a dead end. The guy who delivered him to them ID'ed the man he handed Neal over to... he's one of Adrian's personal muscle but after that... there are no leads it's like Neal just vanished."
"I could put out some feelers and see if anyone has anything on where Martinelli might keep a long-term prisoner..."
"Find what you can... you're right we need to find him soon...He's" Peter broke off. It wouldn't serve any purpose to tell the little guy about the heartbreaking messages in the paintings. "He's alone..."
Organized crime had given them everything they had on the Martinelli family. there were a lot of allegeds and far too few proven. Adrian Martinelli was 56 years old, and he had come to head the family in his mid 20's when he allegedly knifed his own brother. He was well known in criminal circles for his cruel streak... allegedly he liked to take out his enemies personally... and slowly. Badly disfigured bodies had a way of turning up when someone crossed him. The cases with his MO dated back forty years. And as far as they could tell this sociopathic monster had held Neal for more than 9 months.
Peter tried to reassure himself that Martinelli needed Neal in reasonably good health for the forgeries but that only helped so much... there were thousands of ways to destroy a man that didn't damage their hands or their eyes.
Mozzie's contacts had come through with rumors about odd construction deliveries to Martinelli's home in the weeks leading up to Keller shooting Neal and a fairly steady stream of disturbing medical supplies in the months since.
They couldn't get a warrant to search the massive villa overlooking the Hudson until they picked up Adian's personal bodyguard... Randell positively IDed the man as part of his deal that would let him off with five years. The guard, Vince Harper had been reluctant to talk but he wasn't the brightest and he eventually slipped... accidentally admitting to exchanging money for an unconscious "skinny dark haired" man 2 days after Neal's "death." He said he took the man to "the boss" and left him in Adrian's office. That was the last time he'd seen him Vince claimed. Armed with that accidental confession and a warrant clenched in his hand Peter waited for all clear to enter Marinelli's private home.
The take down ended anti climatically... the crime boss went quietly because he was confident, he would be home by the end of the day. Peter stopped the agent's leading him away.
"Where is he?" he held up Neal's photo "You paid $3,000,000 for him and I know you've gotten your money's worth... where is he?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about." he tilted his head mockingly "but it would be a real shame for him to get lost in the shuffle... anything might happen to him." The man winked at him as he was led away.
They searched the house and ground's thoroughly... every closet and every shed without a trace of the prisoner. Despair settled over the army of agents. No one wanted to say it, but their chance was running out.
Peter silently went through Martinelli's personal study for the third time... he hadn't spotted anything suspicious yet but, but his gut kept bringing him back here. So, he looked closer and closer... running his hand over the globe on the table, the small bust on the bookshelf, the antique bookends... something pressed under his finger and narrow section of the shelf popped out. The doorway was less than 18 in wide but motioning Jones and Diana to follow he slipped through.
Inside was a narrow space, maybe five by eight containing a computer, a control board, a single door and squirrely looking young man. The man scrambled to his feet at the sight of their guns, raising his hands reflexively. Jones grabbed him and pulled him away from the system. Diana stepped closer to the screen as the suspect was walked from the small room.
"Boss." her soft voice got his attention in a heartbeat and Peter hurried to her side. the screen was in infrared, but the heat signature showed a red human shaped form huddled on a very blue background. "You think it's Caffrey?"
"it's someone who needs to be found."
"Right." she nodded grimly "here's hoping it's our someone." Peter frantically agreed.
"I'm going to check through the door."
"Right behind you." he heard her calling in what they'd found as he unlocked the door with a key he spotted on the wall.