Fashion Undertow

Chapter 3: Butterfly Shot

By the time Neal returned to the mansion, it was late in the evening. That never used to bother him, but now that Sara lived with him, he regretted the hours away from home. She was understanding. She'd known he'd be working at Columbia and had taken the opportunity to dine out with friends, but it was an unsatisfactory situation.

If he quit the FBI, he'd have time for Columbia during the day, leaving most of his evenings free. The agents would understand, especially since there wouldn't be art crimes to investigate. They'd probably be relieved. No longer would they be subjected to his complaints about mortgage fraud.

But when Neal walked into the bullpen the following morning, the realization that his time at the Bureau could be coming to an end hit him with a thud. The feeling made him appreciate how much he'd changed. In his former life, he never stayed in one place long enough to put down roots. Now the taproot that was White Collar was tugging at him. What would work be like in a different environment? This was the only full-time job he'd ever had. His job at Win-Win would be part-time, and he'd have the freedom to structure his schedule as he wished. Would the lack of structure bother him? He already knew he'd miss his soon-to-be-former team members. He'd no longer see Peter daily.

When Neal sat down at his desk, he caught a glimpse of Peter through the glass wall of Hughes's office. Both Diana and Jones were working undercover. The bullpen seemed empty without them.

He strolled by Diana's desk on his way to fetch the first mug of swill of the day. If he started to get nostalgic over the Bureau's subgrade coffee, it would be a sign he'd truly entered the pathetic zone. Luckily Sara had provided a remedy for the odd mood he was in. Thanks to her, he had a riddle to solve. The clue he found in June's study this morning was a puzzler.

Neal suspected Sara had also enlisted Diana's help. Could he find anything on her desk? He scrutinized the assortment of objects. Since she was no longer writing Arkham Files stories at work, she'd taken the starfish beanbag and octopus mug home. Neal didn't remember seeing the paperweight before. He picked up the metal figurine. It looked like a falcon. Could it be a Maltese Falcon?

When Peter got out of his meeting, Neal jogged upstairs to discuss the clues. Peter was the puzzle master. He'd enjoy this brain teaser.

"You got a minute?" Neal asked, poking his head through the door.

Peter smiled. "Let me guess. This is about the challenge, right?" At Neal's nod, he added, "You better close the door. This case has need-to-know restrictions."

Neal pulled the side chair close to the desk and explained the results of his brainstorming with Mozzie the previous evening. "Based on our discussion, the most promising periods appear to be the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Baroque, the Regency, and the 1940s." Neal exhaled. "And that's just for starters. I'm sure I could add other historical periods that are significant to us."

Peter pursed his lips "Like the late nineteenth century? If this were El's challenge, we'd have to include Renoir."

Neal snapped his fingers. "Of course, Degas! His painting of Harlequin and Columbine was key to the U-boat con." Neal pulled out his notepad and added him to the list. "Did you have any luck with El?"

"I'm not sure," Peter admitted. "While she was cooking dinner, I checked her laptop. It was closed, but there was a list of names on a sheet of paper tucked inside the lid. I reexamined the computer when she was taking her shower, and the list had disappeared. The question I'm asking myself is if it was deliberately planted for me to find?"

"But even so, it could contain a clue. What was on the list?"

Peter reached inside a drawer and pulled out a sheet of paper. "Several locations, all of which are suitable for a wedding. You can keep this. I have a copy."