In the Driver's Seat

Chapter 8

Winston-Winslow offices, Baltimore, MD. December 23, 2003. Tuesday afternoon.

Henry Winslow checked Win-Win's file on Neal Caffrey and noticed it had been updated today. Opening the file, Henry filtered for the latest updates: change of employment status, listing the FBI as Neal's employer and Peter Burke as his boss, and a change of address. There was even a link to the background check Henry had run on Agent Burke back in October.

He clicked on the audit trail, to confirm the new information was entered by Robert Winslow. It had only been a matter of time before Robert learned about Neal's new job and move, but there was something off about it happening this fast.

Could Robert have an informant in the FBI? Win-Win and the Feds didn't particularly get along, but maybe Robert was willing to make an exception in order to get dirt on Neal. It might be worth trying to get inside the Bureau himself, to see what was going on, and to confirm they were treating Neal fairly.

Neal's father had been a corrupt cop, and when James was caught, his wife and son went into WITSEC. From all accounts, it had been a miserable life for Neal.

Henry's father was corrupt, too, but Robert hadn't been caught and he made sure no one would believe it if Henry told the truth. Another miserable situation.

But Henry had a plan. Multiple plans, of course. Helping Neal and stopping Robert were at the top of the list, and those plans were somewhat intertwined.

First, though, he had a promise to keep. It was time to give his mom a ride to the airport. He left the office and headed over to her townhouse.

#

"Do you think this rain will turn into sleet?" Noelle asked as she pulled on her seatbelt.

"Not supposed to," Henry said. "The weather shouldn't affect your flight."

"Darn."

Henry glanced at her. "You want to stay in Baltimore and spend the holidays with the Winslows?"

"No, thanks." Noelle liked her in-laws, but not enough to endure Christmas with her ex-husband.

Henry would spend Christmas Eve with his Winslow grandparents, and catch a redeye flight the next morning to join his mother for Christmas with her side of the family. His maternal grandparents were awesome, and he'd never heard his mother express dread about spending the holidays with them. "Missing David?" he asked. This would be the first Christmas since Noelle's brother had died.

"That's part of it." She turned off the radio, which had been playing Christmas carols.

That was a shock. She loved music, and Henry had fully expected that they would spend most of the drive singing along to tunes they'd enjoyed since he was a child.

"Meredith called today," Noelle announced.

Meredith Caffrey Bennett — or Deirdre Brooks as she was known now — wasn't supposed to contact people from her pre-WITSEC life, but every year around Christmas she called Noelle to wish her a happy birthday.

In theory these should be happy calls, but in Henry's experience they usually made his mother sad. Instead of two old friends catching up, it seemed to him that the calls were more about Meredith seeking advice from someone who had both a PhD in psychology and a thorough knowledge of Meredith's pre-WITSEC life.

But Noelle didn't sound sad today. She had a determined air.

"What did she say?" Henry asked.

"The Marshals told her they've located Neal."