Caffrey Conversation

Prologue & Chapter 1

Prologue

Burke Residence, Brooklyn, NY. September 2003. (Six years before the White Collar pilot episode aired)

"James Bonds?" Elizabeth read the words over her husband's shoulder as she handed him a beer and sat beside him on their living room sofa. "That's quite a name. Does he live up to it?"

Peter Burke muted the baseball game and turned to the first page in the FBI case file he'd been reading. He handed her a black-and-white photo of a dark-haired man in a suit. "We picked the name because he's a bond forger. At the time we didn't know his real name, or what he looked like."

"But obviously that's changed," Elizabeth said. "Is this a recent photo?"

"About four months old. Why?"

"Well, he just looks awfully young to have such a thick file." She returned the photo to the file and then paged through it, reaching a bond certificate. "You've brought this home before."

"Yeah, about a year ago, when we got word of forged bond certificates being cashed. The bonds were supposedly forgery-proof. He popped up on our radar again a few months ago, with a series of cons, frauds, thefts, and forgeries."

"A renaissance criminal."

"He'd probably enjoy being called that," Peter said. "He seems to have a fondness for renaissance art. At least, that's what I'm gathering from the latest Interpol reports. He's been in Europe recently."

"If he's outside of your jurisdiction, why are you studying his file?"

"He'll be back. Neal Caffrey – we're pretty sure that's his real name – treats New York as his home base."

"Then you'll catch him," Elizabeth said matter-of-factly. When Peter sighed in response, she closed the case file and tossed it on the coffee table. "All right, clearly something about Neal Caffrey is getting to you. What is it?"

"This guy's smart. He's suspected of an impressive number of crimes but doesn't leave much in the way of evidence. It's not just a matter of catching him, El. We have to gather enough evidence to convict him. He's so charming that a jury will love him, making it vital to have overwhelming, irrefutable evidence. Even then, he'll probably get a light sentence. And you're right, he's young. He'll get out again soon and be back to his old tricks in no time."

She took him by surprise with her follow-up question. "How do you know he's charming?"

"I've spoken to him, twice now. First was outside a bank; I had no idea who he was at the time, just thought he was a random citizen curious to meet an FBI agent. Then about a month ago he called my cell phone while I was on a stakeout. It should have been annoying. Hell, it is annoying, but for the wrong reasons. It seems like such a waste. With his intelligence, his talents, all of that potential... Why is he wasting his life on crime and eventual prison time?"

"Why don't you ask him? You know, the next time he calls. Have a conversation; find out what's motivating him."

"And what, reform him?"

"Well, not in a single phone call, no. But try to find out what it would take to convince him to change his ways. Offer him an alternative. You could use his talents, right?"

Peter put his beer down on a side table. "You think I could convince this Caffrey kid to give up the international highlife to be a CI? You think I could convince the FBI to trust him if he agreed to work with us?"

"Start small. Plant the idea that someone seriously believes he can be something other than a criminal. Maybe, someday, it will make a difference."