Nocturne in Black and Gold

Chapter 30: Under Construction

El's return home was a godsend. Peter badly needed a break. He'd expected Neal was hiding a theft, but the extent of his deception was much more sweeping than he'd imagined. He was trying his damnedest not to lash out. It was exactly as he'd predicted—Neal had concealed the act to protect him—but God, it hurt.

All those months, Neal kept his knowledge of the Braque a secret. The initial concealment was somewhat understandable, but not once he learned about Adler's interest in the painting. Damn it, the team was working on the case, trying to figure out its relation to Adler. Neal sat in on those meetings—all the while knowing where the painting was.

Peter had sensed something was wrong when Henry brought up the Braque at Friday's meeting. For just a moment, he'd wondered if Neal was connected to the painting, but he dismissed the idea. How could Neal have withheld vital information for so long?

What was Henry's intent? Was he trying to help Neal confess or was he trying to defuse the issue? Had he worked on the scheme together with Neal? Did they think that once Adler had the forgery, the heat would be off Neal? During Henry's explanation of the con, Peter had checked Neal several times to assess his reaction. Guess this proved his con artist skills were once more fully operational.

He knew Neal was troubled by something in Paris. He'd assumed it was Rolf or Fiona—not this. Neal had been living a lie for the past six months. He may not have overtly lied to Peter, but his concealment of the truth amounted to virtually the same thing.

Peter closed the study door behind him and took several deep breaths. He didn't want to drag El into it too. Walking into the hallway, he slapped a welcoming smile on his face. "Hi, hon, how'd your meeting go?"

Her smile vanished when she caught one glimpse of him. "What happened?"

So much for his con artist skills. "Neal happened," he admitted, trying to keep his tone neutral.

She gasped in dismay. "Is he all right?"

Peter didn't answer that loaded question. "He's in the study. I'm sorry but I can't go into specifics."

She put her arms around him and wrapped him in a tight embrace. "Are you okay?"

He leaned down to kiss her. "I will be. We're in the midst of something we need to work out. Do you mind if I go back?"

"Of course not. Do you need another beer first?"

"How did you know?"

"Beer kiss," she murmured with a shrug.

"You're a saint. Please." He hesitated a moment. He wasn't being fair. If he wasn't careful, he'd make the situation even worse. "And I'm sure Neal would like to see you."

He returned to the study and opened the door. Neal was still sitting on the edge of the chair like he'd been for the past hour when he wasn't trying to pace. He had his cell phone out and was texting someone. When Peter walked in, he stared at him as if he expected to be thrown in irons. From Neal's expression, it was clear there wasn't much Peter could do that would make him feel more miserable than he was already. Satchmo whined when he saw Peter, making him wonder whose side he was on.

Peter nodded to his phone. "Is that Mozzie? Are you telling him to scram while he can?"

Neal flushed. Damn. He'd intended it to be a joke.

"It was Henry. He'd sent me several texts. I told him I was at your place and had confessed. Would you like to read the messages?" He held up his phone.

"Put that down. I'm sorry how that came out. I wasn't serious." Maybe just a little. "I'm getting a beer. You could probably use a refill, too, unless you'd like to continue drinking air wine." He glanced pointedly at Neal's glass and was relieved that this time Neal got the joke. "Come join us. I'm declaring a timeout and El would like to see you."