Nocturne in Black and Gold

Chapter 14: Damage Assessment

Neal appeared quite willing for Peter to question him about the nightmarish virtual reality he'd been subjected to. Although he didn't dispute that his memories were fake, he was steadfast in his conviction that Klaus was alive.

Under the circumstances, Peter decided to go along with the pretense. "Did Klaus explain how he faked his death?" he asked.

"Last summer he had a plastic surgeon operate on a member of his crew. The man was already the same height and approximate weight. The surgeon turned him into a perfect double. Klaus planned to use him in his heists. The double would allow the Leopard to be at two places at once. It also gave him the option of having his twin play the role of Klaus Mansfeld, investment advisor, while he committed a heist." Neal hesitated for a moment. "That body I saw on the ground outside the museum—I can close my eyes and still see his face. I was certain it was Klaus."

"We all did. There was never any question that the man who plunged to his death was Klaus Mansfeld. His fingerprints weren't on file, so we couldn't compare them, but no one thought it was necessary. I suppose it was conceivable that it was someone else."

Had Rolf fabricated the story or had his brother been working with him to manipulate them for months? Was Klaus in Los Angeles now? For the first time, Peter allowed himself to consider the possibility. On the surface, it seemed illogical that Klaus would have wanted to explain to Neal how he'd done it. But, based on what Weller had learned about the procedure, Neal wasn't supposed to remember. Peter forced himself to hold off on any further speculation and prompted Neal to continue.

"Klaus told me that when I forged the Vermeer painting for him at his townhouse he realized how conflicted I was about the job. In thinking back, I can understand that. I was treading a thin line between trying to encourage Klaus to change course and acting as a loyal member of his crew. He called me out a few times for not sounding like I used to." He lowered his voice. "You were aware of the issues. I'd hoped he'd turn back before it was too late."

Peter moved his chair even closer to the bed so he could hear. Neal's voice was barely audible as he reviewed the painful memories. "You told us how cautious Klaus was. He may not have trusted you, no matter what you said. He knew you worked for the FBI. It must have been a concern that you were playing him. When did he pull the switch?"

"In the museum. He had his double hide in another storeroom of the Met. When the team moved in to arrest us, Klaus retreated to the storeroom. He switched places with his double and remained concealed in the closet."

"Did Klaus also order him not to surrender?"

"I asked him about that and Klaus claimed he honestly believed the man could escape. He regretted his death bitterly."

"He would say that," Peter pointed out.

"Yeah, I know. Klaus took responsibility for the financial security of the man's family. That much does sound like the Klaus I knew. When Marta and Jacek's little boy was injured, he handled all the arrangements for them to return to Prague."

"Did he give you the double's name?"

"No, but maybe it will be on one of those files from the plastic surgeon that Aidan is trying to decrypt. Klaus waited till the next morning when the museum was full of visitors to make his getaway. He's been hiding out in Europe ever since."

"It does sound plausible even if Klaus only existed in virtual reality," Peter admitted.

"Klaus is alive." Neal locked his eyes onto him as if willing him to believe. "I understand six months haven't gone by. I realize I don't have a beard. There's no back wound. But I'm also certain only Klaus could have supplied the programmer with the wealth of details used on me. No one else could have recreated his mannerisms and speech so perfectly. If Klaus isn't alive, then we'd have to believe he just happened to give Rolf an incredibly detailed dossier on me as if he knew what was going to happen. And I find that unacceptable. Klaus and I discussed at length the day we met. He saw me sketching at a museum in Parma and stopped to chat. Afterward he invited me to lunch."