White Collar: An unofficial novel - part 10

Plate

Neal did not like leaving June's nice dinner like that, but he rushed upstairs to his apartment with Peter on his heels. He hoped Elizabeth would soothe it all with June.

"Where's Ford heading?" Peter asked as they barged inside.

"I don't know." That was not why he got up there.

"Nor do I," echoed a familiar voice.

"You're late, Moz!" Neal barked as he hurried through the other door down the corridor. He had a pile of books in the walk-in closet. Books that he figured Peter slept better if he did not know he had as bedtime stories.

Though they were no secrets per se and nothing he would ever lie about. And know he needed one of them. He grabbed a book about American currency and returned to the room where he found Peter and Moz talking. Moz dressed up for a party with a wine bottle and all. Neal almost felt bad for not inviting him.

"How did Ford know about the plate?" Peter asked the second he returned.

"Well, he's probably known for years," Neal said and opened the book on the chapter about the hundred-dollar bill.

"I'm curious," Moz said. "The plate in question?"

"Flexographic, for the hundred from 1991.

"Smart," Mozzie nodded.

"Yeah. Unlike newer bank notes, they'd have fewer security features."

"No watermarking of Franklin, no micro-printing." Mozzie actually grinned.

"No optically variable ink, much easier to duplicate, and it's still legal currency."

"What's old becomes new again."

"All right," Peter interrupted. "Since we can't find Ford, let's figure out what else he needs to make these bills."

Neal jammed his hands in his pockets.

"I'll need to borrow some reading materials."

"Fine," Peter said. "From where?"

"The U.S. treasury." Neal saw Moz suppress a giggle.

Peter sighed.

"I should have guessed. You want to see the real plate, right?"

"I wouldn't mind."

"Why?"

He could not say 'because I always wanted to hold the original plate in my hands.' But he had to tell Peter the truth. Just not the whole truth.

"To confirm that it is the kind of hundreds I think it is, and to confirm that Ford's plate is good enough." Peter glared at him with that suspicious look. "I'm not going to steal it, Peter."

"Alright, I'll arrange for it to be at our office tomorrow. Now we'd better go down to June, and I and El say goodbye."

They walked downstairs, Mozzie last. Neal could tell June was sad, though she put on a stoic facade. She brightened when she saw Moz and when Peter and Elizabeth left Neal left them alone.

The next morning three men in black suits delivered the real hundred dollar plate from 1991 to him in a briefcase.

He held it in his hands and sank down in his chair by his desk.

It was beautiful.

"I'm not comfortable with this." Peter's voice. He looked up and found his handler on the other side.

"Really? You're not comfortable?" Neal asked. "I've got the 'Men in Black' bobsled team breathing down my neck."

Peter put his hands on Neal's desk and leaned down to him.