White Collar: An unofficial novel - part 9

Dinnerware

Peter drove Neal to 4268 Fifth Avenue where Diana was already waiting inside. Peter joined Diana and Neal walked into the main hall, dressed as Larsen would dress.

Soon Bilal arrived with two goons and a big crate.

"Larssen?" Bilal asked

"Not quite. Guess you were expecting someone else."

"Shoot this man," he told the goons. Only to see the muzzle of Diana's gun.

"Hey again," she said. Bilal raised his hands. Diana got the goons out of the way. "Over there. Go!"

"Told you you shouldn't bet the chalk," Peter said. "Let's see what's so important to Larssen's boss." The kid came to his aid to get the lid open.

"Cuff yourselves together on the banister," Diana said to the other two and then cuffed Bilal.

The crate was full of filling material. Neal dug around and picked up a plate wrapped in bubble-plastic.

"Dinnerware?" Peter could not believe what he saw. Diana and Bilal joined them.

"It's china..." Neal said, examining the plate. "From the '30s or '40s." He lifted on more filling material. "This looks like the contents of someone's house."

"What's so valuable about this stuff?" Diana asked their prisoner.

"I don't know. I never look in the crates."

"Definitely the '40s," the kid said, showing them the swastika on the bottom of the plate.

Peter sighed. This made things a lot more complicated. The china itself was a long shot it would free him. It would probably just cause him more trouble if he brought this up as it were.

"We need to catch Larssen," Neal said. "Red-handed."

Peter nodded.

"Call Larssen," he told Bilal. "Tell him that Peter Burke doesn't leave you alone. Tell him he needs to get his crate now."

The Nigerian prince stared at them.

"Will you do it, yes or no?" Diana demanded.

"I haven't done anything illegal!" Bilal claimed.

"Are you sure about that?" Peter asked. "Because I can spend a lot of time digging. Or let you go if you make that call and make Larsen get here."

"You'll let me go?"

"I'll let you go."

"You like Larsen?" the kid asked.

"No, not in particular, no." Bilal saw the con-man's little smile and shrug, like 'then what does it matter?'. "Alright, I'll call him. I'll tell him what you want."

Diana unlocked the cuffs and he get hold of his cellphone.

"Put it on speaker," Peter said and the prince dialed. He did as told and Larssen picked up at the other end.

"The FBI won't leave me alone," Bilal told him. "They're looking for your crate, and they're closing in."

"And where is the crate now?"

"I got it to a safehouse before they could find it. I'm giving you half an hour to move it, or I'm delivering it to the FBI myself and cutting a deal."

"Calm down. Don't do anything stupid."

Peter gestured at himself and Bilal gave him a short nod.

"This agent Burke won't leave me alone!"

"Peter Burke? Are you sure?"