Set in Amber

Chapter 7: Fresh Starts

Alex glared at Neal. "What kind of scam are you running, Caffrey?"

Smart woman, she'd insisted on speaking with Neal rather than a lawyer. Jones had arranged for him to talk with her in an interrogation room.

Once Bureau agents stormed into the warehouse, Alex had been the professional Neal hoped to see. She'd supported his explanation, playing her part to the hilt. She was an injured victim, not an escaped fugitive. Henry told Jones and Diana that Win-Win had been investigating a stolen jewelry case for Sterling-Bosch when they happened upon the kidnapping. The agents undoubtedly knew that there was much more to the story, but they'd held their tongues. Buzek was arrested, and Alex provided directions to where she'd been held captive for a week.

Organized Crime was in charge of scouring Buzek's penthouse for evidence. They found the door to the safe conveniently ajar. Mozzie had snuck into the penthouse shortly after Buzek left to retrieve the open-sesame device Travis had lent them.

"I was doing my best to help a friend," Neal insisted. "When you realized the music box was looted by your grandfather from the Amber Room, you wanted to make amends." Supposedly the room wasn't bugged, but Neal didn't want to take a chance on anything coming back to bite him. And once he got Alex calmed down, he knew she'd fall in line. "You have documents proving your family had the box in their possession. You have the testimony of your grandmother about who stole the box. When you finally found Buzek, you knew he wouldn't listen to reason, and you used the only method available to you. When Buzek caught you, you very cleverly invented a way to let me know."

"That worked out well," she acknowledged, her anger starting to dissipate.

"Winston-Winslow was already investigating Buzek in connection with a stolen jewelry case. We devised a sting to rescue you and expose Buzek. When the State Department notifies the Russians of your generosity, your file will be the beneficiary. I bet a good lawyer will be able to negotiate a clean slate for you."

"Do you know of one?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Mozzie does, and he's offered to extend his expert legal advice on your behalf. Technically, you're still a fugitive. But since Sterling-Bosch recovered the jewels from the first case, and you assisted in the recovery of Conte's jewelry, Sara believes Sterling-Bosch will be amenable to dropping charges."

"A clean slate." She considered a moment. "I'll be a free woman?"

Neal nodded. "This is a chance for you to make a fresh start. Raquel mentioned she was interested in opening more boutiques. I told her you're an ideal candidate to manage a shop in say Athens or Nice, and she plans to speak to you about it. You should give it serious consideration. Trust me, going legit has many advantages."

Raquel continued to believe Neal occasionally did a job on the side, just like she had off-the-books transactions. Alex could do the same with the option of easing out of the life. She'd be a fool to reject the opportunity, and Alex was no fool.

"I'll think about it. But you know I refuse to be tied down," she warned.

"Some would point out that your past had caused you to be trapped in amber," Neal pointed out mildly. "Not a situation I would want any friend to be in. Jones assured me, that if you agree to testify against Buzek, they'll offer you protection, maybe even a new identity if you want it."

Alex couldn't be that sentimental about the music box. After all, she'd planned to have Raquel sell it. This was a sweet deal, and she knew it.

"Does the deal include an invitation to your wedding?"

Neal looked at her, startled. "Do you want to come?"

"I haven't decided, but I want to meet Sara."

"That can be arranged." He hesitated for a moment. "Sara is glad you weren't injured during the abduction. She heard about how witnesses saw you trying to escape from Buzek's car when you were being driven from his penthouse this morning. The man who forced you back into the SUV was a brute. Your frantic screams made quite an impression on everyone."