White Collar: An unofficial novel - part 11

Satchmo

On top of Neal's table, covered with blueprints and any kind of information they had found about the planetarium and the book-in-a-box, stood a model of their target.

Mozzie walked back and forth.

"We just need to flip a few pages of a book," he said. "That sounds simple enough. Seems completely possible. Yet if I'm reading this correctly," he gestured to the paperwork, "it's completely impossible."

Neal stared at the screen of his laptop but not at their common treasure but at Savannah. They were down to three hours now.

"This is a centuries-old book written to a man's dead twin brother," he said. "Donated by an equally eccentric, recently deceased modern-day Howard Hughes as part of a posthumous treasure hunt. There's nothing simple about this one."

He rose, in need of a good idea.

"How about a cannonball?" Moz asked.

"No. That's too many people. This place is nearly empty during the day. They only have two employees."

"We could do the lazy Susan."

"I like what you're thinking, but I don't want the sprinkler system running, not when we might have to expose the manuscript."

"This uses an eagle-one alarm system," Mozzie said, looking at one of the papers.

"So does the rest of the planetarium." Neal frowned. It felt like they had something worthwhile.

"That means there's a single access code for every keypad in the whole place. Blind man's bluff. That could work."

It sure could. He smiled.

"We're gonna need a dog." And they both knew where to find it.

"How're you gonna get there in time?"

"Cab." He grabbed his jacket.

"But—"

"I'm working. That means Peter's on the watch. He knows, and he can always call me."

They were down the stairs and out on the sidewalk. Neal waved for a cab.

"Shouldn't you call the Suit? Just to make sure?"

"I'll not go back to prison for taking a cab, Moz."

The car stopped by the sidewalk. Neal opened the door and got in.

"You know how many germs there are on those seats?"

So that was what this was all about. Neal stared at his friend.

"Moz... Savannah, remember?"

Mozzie took a deep breath and sat down beside him. Neal gave the driver the address.

"We'll pick up a dog," he told him. "Will that be okay with you?"

"I've got a dog seatbelt in the trunk," the driver grinned. "He can even sit in the front seat."

They stopped by Peter's house and rang the doorbell. He heard the sounds of movements and the door open.

"Mozzie. Neal." Elizabeth stepped aside as they walked in without being asked. She smiled a bit awkwardly. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Is Satchmo free this afternoon?" Neal asked.

"Does Peter know about this?"

"Not yet, but feel free to call him. It's for saving a kidnapped girl."

She frowned. She brought out her phone and called.

"Hey, hon, Neal, and Mozzie are here and want to borrow Satchmo... For saving a kidnapped girl... Okay. I'll tell them that, bye, hon." Elizabeth looked at them. "You can take him, but Peter tells you to keep him and yourself out of trouble. He has no time to come and clear things up."