Skating on Thin Ice

Chapter 4: Ghosts from the Past

Winston-Winslow. Tuesday, January 16, 2007.

Neal took the overnight flight from Paris. When he arrived in New York, according to local time it was only two hours later and he would have a full night to catch up on sleep. The clock was now ticking to free Lisa before the deadline.

He'd texted Peter and Henry from Paris, and by the time he met them in his office at Win-Win, they'd already made the arrangements.

"I've obtained permission for the three of us to meet with Klaus," Peter said. "The fact that Klaus assisted the Bureau when you were abducted helped smooth the way."

"Driving is the fastest way to get to Baltimore," Henry said. "We'll take a company car. We can meet with Klaus in the early afternoon."

"I appreciate both of you making the time to go with me." Neal hesitated over how much to add. "When it comes to Klaus, I'm not exactly objective."

"I'm glad you recognize it," Peter said. "Henry and I discussed it yesterday. When he and I met with Klaus last summer, I relied on Henry for assessing his sincerity. He'll perform the same role today."

Neal turned to Henry. "Don't just watch him. Keep a close eye on me too. If I start to act out of character, I want to know about it."

"Are you worried that you could still be affected by Penfold's mind-control techniques?" Henry asked.

"No, but I've gone through the gamut of emotions with Klaus—from something akin to hero worship to anger and dismay. I'd like to think all those past experiences make me better equipped to understand him, but I could be fooling myself."

"The fact you admit it lessens the risk," Henry said. "But don't worry. That's also something Peter and I went over. We'll keep an eye out."

"How likely is it that Klaus stole the Mona Lisa?" Peter asked.

Neal turned to look at his drawing of Raphael's Head of a Muse. "If he did, it was before I was a member of his crew. When I worked for him, we planned many heists that were never executed. I remember once suggesting we go for Lisa. He claimed it was too obvious a target and we should choose something else. I thought it seemed a little out of character at the time. Now I wonder if he already knew the painting had been switched."

"How much does Marcel know about your association with Klaus?" Henry asked.

"John is the only member of the art crimes task force who's aware that I was a member of his crew. Marcel's seen my Interpol file. He's also familiar with my skill in forgery. He realizes I was suspected of many crimes." Neal stopped to wink at Peter. "Some I didn't commit. For others, they didn't have enough evidence to arrest me. Marcel appreciates that I have insider knowledge of the Leopard. Wisely, he doesn't dig into how I obtained that knowledge."

"Marcel is also aware that Neal was targeted by the Mansfelds," Peter added. "He knew they attempted to frame him for the theft of The Astronomer from the Louvre in the summer of 2005."

Henry gave a single nod. "You should keep in mind that the fact Neal is hiding certain aspects of his ability and incidents from his past gives Klaus leverage. Depending on how this evolves, at some point, he may need to be told how much Neal is still concealing."

Peter exhaled slowly. "In other words, those gray areas may become even more muddled."

"Our best policy will be to keep Klaus guessing," Neal said. "We're on a fact-finding mission. If he wants to go fishing, he'll be disappointed."

"Agreed," Henry said. "Do we have anything to offer in exchange besides the addition of positive remarks on his record sheet?"

"Marcel and I discussed possible carrots," Neal said. "Here's one I could arrange. I spoke with Laura Jemison, the head of the Bureau's art crimes unit in D.C. She'd already discussed Klaus's new trial with the Justice Department. They're concerned that his case is so strong that he'll get off with a slap on the wrist. Laura is aware of the painting's theft. She's offered to arrange for Klaus to be transferred to the Otisville Correctional Facility if he agrees to provide material assistance to us. Otisville is about an hour from Manhattan and will be much more convenient."