White Collar: An unofficial novel - part 11

No goodbyes

Neal stared at the text message. Lawrence was ready. Some part of him wanted to erase that message. He had never felt like this before. A place and the people there had never meant that much to him that it was hard leaving.

But leave, he had to.

The friendship with Peter was gone, and he could go to prison for stealing the art that could give him and Mozzie a safe life somewhere in the world.

He cleaned his brushes.

Mozzie walked in as a pot brimming with excitement.

"So, I'm getting everything in place at the warehouse. The plane is fueled and ready." He rubbed his hands as if he could not wait to take off. "You know Jones is outside, right?"

"Yeah. Once I get Lawrence and his money to the docks, I can slip him again."

Mozzie chuckled.

"By the time Lawrence is being hauled downtown, we'll be sipping champagne at cruising altitude. So, when's 'go' time?"

Neal sighed and put the brushes away.

"Lawrence's text came in two minutes ago."

Moz stared at him, baffled.

"Why didn't you tell me? This is it!"

Was it? Neal was not convinced.

"We take our time. We do it right."

"Look, you know, everything good must one day come to an end," Mozzie returned, not getting his hesitation at all. "Just think, we're never gonna see anything in this apartment again. Except you," he added, going for the wine bottle on the table. "You can come with me." Neal packed his brushes and returned them to the secret compartment where he had hidden Sara's package, and everybody had known of since then. "Hey. What are you doing? This is our final curtain call, our big au revoir."

Neal knew Moz was right, but he did not want to leave. He knew he had to, but that did not mean he wanted to.

"I should say something to June."

His friend stopped him.

"Hey. You know the rules. No goodbyes." Moz was right about that too. Both their faces were solemn. "Yeah. I'm gonna miss her, too. I'm... gonna miss all of it." It felt better knowing they were two in this. In all of it. Neal gazed at his friend. His best friend. He was not alone and not abandoned. He smiled.

"Come on."

"I'll see you downstairs."

"Okay."

Neal walked to a small painting beside his bed and opened it like a door. Behind it was a cupboard, big enough for a bag he had kept ready for any quick departure.

He grabbed the coat that was part of Gary's outfit and walked to the door.

He stopped and looked around. No matter where he ended up, he would never find a place like this.

Then he remembered something he had to leave, too. His FBI consultant ID. His biggest treasure before the sub. It had a name on it he also had to leave behind.

He left it on the table.

"Goodbye, Caffrey."

Peter's phone rang. It was the kid.

"Time to make contact?" he asked when he took the call. Jones had already called him and told him that Neal was on the move.

"I'm on my way to the fencing club to meet him now."