White Collar: An unofficial novel - part 11

Manifest

Josh found a large candlestick to use when Neal got a text that said that Savanna was safe. The young man raised the candlestick to break through the pillar wall when Neal saw Jones and a team of agents sneaking up from behind.

"FBI! Don't move." Jones yelled, aiming his gun. Neal moved in between Josh and Gelles to get him out of the way. "Brett Gelles, you're under arrest."

"Hey, I told you," Gelles said, unimpressed. "You can take me anytime you want. You won't risk anything happening to Savannah."

Neal took his phone and opened the feed, and showed Gelles what had happened in the room where he left the girl.

"That's right. We won't."

"Come here," he heard Peter say, and Gelles' pose sank. One of the agents cuffed the man.

"She's okay," Neal said and handed the phone to James.

"Your daddy's watching," Peter said. "You want to say hi to him?"

"Hi, daddy!"

James was so relieved, and Josh watched over his shoulder, hugging his brother.

"We'll see you in a bit," Peter said.

Neal watched as they led Gelles away. They looked at each other. Neal felt no pity for the man. He was just glad that he did not face a lifetime in prison.

"Daddy, daddy!" Savannah said and rushed into James' arms. He could not stop kissing his daughter, and Josh had not before looked so happy in his brother's presence. It was moments like that that made the job worth it.

The kid walked up to him.

"You found Savannah."

"You found the last clue," Peter said.

"Guess we both did our part."

Peter found himself enjoying the moment in more than one way. Their old partnership was back, it seemed. He had thought of Neal as a valued team member and not some unpredictable convict.

"You find out what's inside the wall?" Peter asked.

"No. Jones barged in before we could open it up."

"Aren't you just a little curious?" Peter asked, and they exchanged a look.

They waited until the happy reunion had settled, and the father and uncle had thanked them a hundred times. Then the brothers themselves remembered what they had been doing. They went for two proper sledgehammers and broke one side each while Neal, Peter, and Savanna watched.

Inside was a metal box. From James' reaction, it seemed heavy.

Peter and Neal helped to clear the table.

James opened the box. On top of a row of thick books inside was the actual will.

"The real book," Neal noted, sending Peter a gleeful glance.

"It's Brahe's entire collection of manuscripts," James said, inspecting them.

"And the real will," Josh said.

"Okay," Peter sighed and smiled at the same time. "Now you can say you told me so. "

"Ah, it's okay, you know. I'll save it for another time."

Peter felt how much he had missed all this, the banter, the fun. He had never been so glad to be wrong in his whole life that Neal had not stolen the art. The idea that it even could have happened seemed remote for a second. Then he reminded himself that he was still unsure about the kid's innocence.