White Collar: An unofficial novel - part 9

Fractal design

Hughes came up to Peter, hands deep in the pockets of his coat, and that almost invisible smile that you had to know about to see.

"Guess what we found on the spot where we were told you harassed one of Sara Ellis's clients."

"Larsen?"

"With latex fingerprints on his fingers, as by chance."

"Mine?"

"Too early to tell, but your friend His Royal Highness Prince Bilal says that Larsen put them on to frame you."

Peter smiled at this. He was confident he would get his badge back after this. Hughes' smile was gone though.

"I know why you did it, Peter. And you're one of my best agents."

"But?"

"I think you know what the 'but' is, Peter. And don't tell me it doesn't matter because it was all legal."

"I was framed," Peter said, feeling like a schoolboy. Hughes nodded.

"Just don't make a habit of doing it Caffrey's way."

Peter nodded in agreement and Hughes left. The crate was transported out from the building by FBI agents. Sara Ellis joined him.

"Hi, nice riding back there, cowboy."

"Thank you, ma'am," Peter replied lifting an imaginary hat.

"Yes, sir. Any idea why Larssen was so intent on shipping Nazi dinnerware?"

"Not really. No. Larssen's not talking, but it's clearly important to whoever he's working for."

"Where was it going?"

"Argentina. Which isn't exactly in the FBI's jurisdiction." The story would probably become an unsolved mystery and Peter haded those.

"It's in mine," Sara said beside him. He blinked and gazed at her. "Sterling Bosch has a few clients in South America, and I have vacation days coming up."

"Are you offering to go to Argentina?" His mind raced. He was thinking about what Hughes had told him. And about Mozzie almost getting killed. "Could be dangerous."

"Could be fun," she grinned. "Tell Junior I'll send him a postcard."

"'Junior'?"

She was already gone. She probably meant Neal, but... what was going on between those two?

Neal felt as proud as he would have been if it was his big brother coming on horseback with the villain in cuffs.

"You got him," Diana laughed beside him.

"Nice riding, Butch," Neal said.

"Thanks, Sundance."

Peter returned the horse to its owner. Neal saw Peter opening and closing his hand. So it had been an old-fashioned fistfight.

"Larssen's got a hard face."

"Oh, it felt good, though, didn't it?" Diana said with a vicious grin.

"Hell, yes, it did."

Neal knew it was hopeless but it was now or never.

"Before you get your badge back, there is a seven-man con that I have been meaning to—"

"No," his handler said at once, raising his hand stopping all further explanation. "The Burke Seven is hereby disbanded."

Of course, he would say that, but now Peter had had a taste of things that made life fun and not just bearable.

"We made a good team," he said to his friend and senior agent. The man just sighed. "Oh, come on. Admit it, you enjoyed yourself."