White Collar: An unofficial novel - part 11

Searching for Alex

"Any chance Alex and Adler are working together?" Diana asked him as she crossed the busy conference room.

"No," Neal shook his head. "She would never work with him." She knew what kind of person Adler was. Neither was she prone to cooperate with anyone in the first place.

"We can't make any definitive statement about their relationship at this point," Peter said. He was so wrong there, Neal knew, but it was no point in debating. "We find Alex Hunter, we find Vincent Adler. Diana?"

"I ran her aliases by Interpol."

"Checking the local fences?" Jones asked.

"Neal?"

"Already on it." He rose and left. He called Mozzie on the way down in the elevator.

"Of course. I started my research directly after Adler's call," Moz replied. "Not everyone has promised to do it the Suit's way."

"What did you find?"

"No phones." And Mozzie ended the call. Neal sighed and pocketed his phone. He left the building and walked towards his home. He was not surprised when his odd friend turned up beside him.

"All right, did you find anything on Alex?"

"She's moved around a lot. According to Hale, she was in town two weeks ago, trying to pawn off some more silver," Mozzie said. "Through Teddy Eames."

"What's she doing mixed up with Eames?" Neal frowned. "He's a small-time grifter."

"Yeah, one trying to move up in the world."

"Alex is known for her altruism," he said with a huge portion of irony.

"Oh, look, are you really trying to understand Alex at this late date?"

"I've never understood her."

"Oh, really?" Mozzie seemed genuinely surprised. "I thought your relationship made perfect sense. Mutual respect, convenience..."

"Convenience?"

"Correct me if I'm wrong."

Mozzie was more right than he really liked to hear.

"I want to talk to Eames."

"You can want as much as you like. He's not likely talking to you."

"Why not?"

"Oh, come on!" Mozzie said, "everyone knows you're working for the feds, Neal."

"I need to keep working on my other reputation." Everything had a backside. He wanted to be the best con man ever. But people's memory faded quickly.

"No need. You're not likely being knocked out from the schools' textbooks because you work with the feds."

"It's not my reputation among law students that worries me."

"Well, whatever you do, I prefer to have you outside of prison," Mozzie said. "And in your situation, you're more likely to end up there than you used to be."

"Thank you for your concern."

They split, and Neal walked in the direction of Peter's home, stopping by a few fences and other contacts on the way, checking if they heard anything. One confirmed what Mozzie had told him already.

He called Peter and asked if he could come by. As he walked towards his handler's home along the route he was allowed to take, Peter stopped in his car and picked him up.

They sat quietly.

"I guess Elizabeth is not home," Neal said after a while.

"No, why?"