The Story Of Caffrey

Chapter One - Tricked you

"Neal?" Peter sounds annoyed "are you even listening?" He lifts both his hands up in the air before letting them fall back down with a deep sigh. "Neal you've been acting strange ever since the art gallery, is everything okay?"

"Huh? Oh Yeah I'm fine, just alot on my mind. You were saying Peter?"

"Neal what happened in that gallery? Who is Al?"

"Nothing happend Peter, just forget about it"

"Neal?"

"Drop it Peter!" I didn't mean to shout at him, but he just won't let it go.

"Who is Al, Neal?"

"No one!"

"Neal!"

"Boss, we have news on Mr Hyrem" Diana interupts and I've never been more grateful in my life.

"This isn't over" Peter gives me a stern look before walking off.

I watch him leave before picking up my phone and calling Mozzie

'Neal, what's wrong?'

"I need your help, Moz"

'Of course, what do you need?'

"I need you to keep Peter bussy"

'Distract the suit?'

"Yes, he's pushing things he shouldn't and I need him to stay away"

'Neal, what's going on?'

"Not you too, Moz! I need this to go away"

'No secrets Neal..'

"I.. Moz I can't" I can feel the tears building up again so I hang up before they can fall. Taking a deep breath I walk after Peter and Diana into the office.

"He was spotted near the café down the street from the Age Of Art gallery twenty minutes ago" Diana fills everyone in on the news and the second I enter, Peters eyes are on me.

"Neal are you up for another meeting?"

"Yeah, lets go get him" I know I'm trying way too hard to keep my voice even and based on the look Peter sends me he noticed as well.

Twenty minutes later and I'm standing infront of the Age Of Art gallery once again. I hesitate to walk in, something that Peter notice as he calls me out on it.

'What's going on Neal?'

"Nothing, just gathering my thoughts"

'We can't afford to loose him again Neal, focus'

With a deep breath I open the door and step in.

The paintings are still the same, something I'm both pleased and heartbroken about.

I stop infront of the painting that caught my attention the last time I was here. It's a painting of an old house standing alone by the trees. You can clearly see that no one lives there anymore yet there's something special about it, almost like the house holds so much more than just a home... it holds memories.

"Danny?" Her voice is full of worry but I won't fall for it this time. She pulls this trick every time. "Danny where are you?" however when I hear the crack in her voice I can't help but think that maybe this time she actually is scared.

"Al!" I call out to her as I make my way towards her. I'm running as fast as my legs will let me. "Al, I'm here"  when I finally reach her she lets out a joyful laugh

"Tricked you Danny"

"That's cheating!"

Her puppydogeyes lands on me and she even masters a pout "forgive me?"

She know's I'm helpless when she pulls this on me. There's no way I can deny her anything when she looks at me that way "always"

And I always did forgive her, no matter what.

"Ah, I remember you" a voice brings me back from my memories, "you a fan of the artist?" Mr Hyrem continues and I turn to look at him, a smile plastered on my face.

"Of course, these are amazing"

'Neal, do not loose him again!' Peters voice fills my ear and I have to force myself to not roll my eyes, one screw-up, one! and the man won't let me hear the end of it...

"You interested in buying?" Mr Hyrem smiles and I can practically see the dollarsigns forming in his eyes.

I'm just about to reply when an idea fills my mind the second my eyes lands back on the painting. "Yes" is what comes out instead of the original 'no, I'm looking for something a bit more exclusive' like Peter had instructed me to say.

And cue the lesson in one.. two... th....

'Neal, what the hell are you up to now?!' Peters voice is full of anger but I ignore him.

Instead I send a text letting Mozzie know that I will be needing cash, alot of it and fast.

I point at the painting of the two children and the old house "This one, I want this one!"

'Neal!' Peter warns but I ignore it.

"Of course, I'll let one of the girls know and we'll have it ready for you by the end of the day, sir" Mr Hyrem smile widens.

It's out of my radie so I'll have to get Mozzie to get it for me but I doubt he'll object. "Perfect" I shake his hand and am just about to leave when Peters voice reminds me why I'm here in the first place.

'Neal, the forgeries!'

I wait until he's done instructing one of the girls about my buy before calling out. "Mr Hyrem?" He turns back towards me with a quizzical expression "I'm actually looking for something else aswell, something a bit more exclusive"

He lets out a big smile and I see the dollarsign in his eyes again "of course, sir, I have just the painting for you" he leads me down the corridor and through a locked door "precausions" he smiles apologetically before leading me down a set of stairs.

"A basement, hardly seems like the place for something exclusive?" I point out, more than anything for Peters sake, he'll need to know where we are to be able to make the arrest.

"It's only because we haven't had the opportunity to showcase it yet, it just arrived here" he lies, I know it's a lie from the way his eyes falls towards his left and the quickly shifts back to me before ending up just below from where my eyes is. That and the way he tries so hard not to visibly fidget infront of me. "It's a real tressure, one of a kind and made in the late 1500's" he tries to sell in the painting, holding it up for me to see.

I have to keep myself from scoffing, who the hell does he think I am?

"It'll go for four million, easy" he brags and this time I can't hold it in.

"Yeah?" He smiles widely "four million for a forgery?" Instantly his smile drops.

"W-what?"

'Neal..'

"This colour right here" I show him "wasn't invented until the late 1700's, neither were this, this actually came around the late 1900's. Not to mention that the paint isn't even dry yet, something I find quite impossible for a painting made in the 1500, wouldn't you agree?"

By now all colour has drained from his face and he just stares at me, panic visible in his eyes.

"And, I saw the others, I would say around seven of them, on my way down here."

Before Mr Hyrem can get a word out, Peter, Jones and Diana comes stormning in to the basement, cuffing him.

"Mr Hyrem, you are under arrest for forgery" Peter instructs and I zone out, wandering up the stairs to get a last glance at the paintings hanging up there, a last glance of my memories with her.