Leafing through the brochure, Neal found one of the items in the case — a more prized piece, of course — and slid his finger in to read more about it later. It bought him a little time to grapple with something that he'd already spent a good amount of time concerned over already.
"Birthday cards are a bit more difficult to send when you're in the wind," he added. He didn't mean it to sound meaningful, and purposefully worded it hypothetically, but Neal wouldn't deny to himself that more than half of his contingency plans prepped for a life on the run.
To relieve her the burden of this idea, he smiled his million dollar smile, smug in the knowledge that such things couldn't be held against him. "I haven't decided." It wasn't a lie. He had options — as many as he'd created for himself — but having walked a fine line between feeling useful and feeling used, it was hard for Caffrey not to want to lean towards what always came easier to him. "I want to be able to travel," he added, somewhat abruptly. It had been too long since he'd had his freedom and every day he thought he might go to sleep and wake to find his wanderlust gone, his desperation had doubled as if to remind him he'd never be able to have everything he wanted. "Maybe consulting," Neal said, inadvertently echoing Veronica's thought. "Or sales, if I really want to live the life of a criminal."
“At least you’ll be free.” Freeish, at least. Tied down to a job and all the trappings of adulthood could sometimes seem like a sentence, but almost anything had to be preferable to prison she guessed.
Speaking of prison, Veronica added, “But if you ever need a lawyer, I hope you’ll keep me in mind.” Law wasn’t exactly her passion (as she was beginning to accept), but like Neal, she strived to be the best at everything she did.
"As long as you can stand Moz being your co-counsel," he almost-joked. Whether Mozzie's credentials would hold up or not was always the million dollar question, and in this case, that was probably a pittance compared to the amount that would be required for Neal's bail.
He gestured back towards the entrance of the museum, wallet already in hand. "Come on, let's get a couple trinkets from the gift shop to remember this by." They wouldn't be obtaining anything of real value, of course, but it was fun to pick out a few mementos Caffrey could put on a shelf and cherish for how it reminded him of another place and time. "But first you've got to tell me: What's the Veronica Mars five year plan?" he asked. "You've already made some waves, but what's next?"
As a sudden afterthought, he added, "Full immunity if you want to admit that today starts your new life of crime."
Veronica laughed. If all one knew of a life of crime came from Neal, she could see the appeal. But she knew the truth - most criminals didn't end up in a beautiful studio on Riverside Drive, and his current circumstances really didn't speak to his years in prison or the fact he seemed bound and determined to return. And honestly, orange was not Veronica's color.
"It's pretty much the same as it's been for the last ten years: don't get murdered, don't get kidnapped." Mentally, she added, 'and don't get knocked up.' It wasn't like she couldn't envision children in her future, but she couldn't imagine having any with Piz. He was a kind, gentle man, and she enjoyed his company, but he wasn't part of the five-year plan either. Not that she'd gotten around to mentioning that to anyone, particularly Piz. She knew that she was selfishly holding him back, robbing him of a chance to find someone who'd really love him, but she wasn't ready to let go of the comfort of their companionship. That wasn't a conversation for the moment, however.
"I'm a simple girl with simple tastes." Veronica picked up a replica pocket watch that telescoped out into a camera, showing it to Neal. "See? All I really need is a camera and a suspect."
He took the the little gadget, turning it around in his fingers, inspecting it for quality. It wasn't the nicest thing on the market, he imagined, but from the look of it, it would still work with microfilm. He made a mental note to pick up a couple rolls for Veronica just to encourage her to use the pocket watch one day.
"Classic," he said, appreciatively, grinning at her. He kept the item in hand as he browsed for himself, but by the look of it, as he picked up the hide-away in the shape of a quarter, he'd already had an item in mind, maybe well before he'd walked in the door. With Neal, it was always the long, long game.
Checking out, charming the teller, putting them back out on the streets — it all went without a hitch, and as they were once more alone in each other's company, Caffrey offered over the gift. "I know it doesn't sound like it, but I really appreciate people like you and Peter, Vee," he said, trying out the nickname. It was undetermined if he liked it or not, but he let it stand for her reaction while he went on, "Good people are hard to find. And by good, I mean mostly incorruptible. Even in the FBI, that's hard to find." If nothing else, he could appreciate good work and good people; Neal had certainly met his share of corrupt on both sides of the fence, but since coming to work with the White Collar folks, he'd been taken by the good ethics they all seemed to maintain despite all odds.
Vee, huh? She was instantly reminded of Weevil. She didn't mind one way or the other, so long as he didn't call her Ronnie à la Dick/Rick Casablancas.
She accepted the gift with a grateful and simple, "Thanks," though in truth, she was a little embarrassed. She certainly hadn't expected him to purchase it - she knew what his government stipend was, after all, and considering her prestigious corporate law firm paid her very well to do essentially very little, she felt guilty taking anything from anybody. But a gift was about the thought, so she did her best to tamp down the flush of self-consciousness.
"That's sweet, Neal. I think you're giving me a little too much credit to put me in Peter's league, but it's nice of you to say." After all, she herself had committed quite a few misdemeanors in her indiscriminate youth (and was currently embroiled in at least one federal crime along with Mozzie & Neal), but she took his point. At the end of the day, she, like Peter, only wanted the truth outed and the bad guys apprehended.
"I have to say, though, this is the most fun I've had since... well, in a long time." She'd left Hearst to escape the endless loop of investigation, but she realized now how much she'd missed it. It was part of her, and she was good at it. She felt like she'd just awoken after a long (though extremely productive) nap.
They reached a subway entrance that would be an easy connection to her apartment, so she stopped. "So I'll see you tomorrow?"
Caffrey beamed and nodded. There were only so many days he felt he could get away with monopolizing Veronica's time, so he resisted the urge to entice her back to the White Collar offices. But Neal was glad to have the promise of another day with his unexpected cohort.
"I'll call if I think of anything that might help us tomorrow," he told her, leaning in for a half-hug-and-peck maneuver. "Or if Mozzie calls," Neal added as he fished his phone from his pocket. As expected, there was a text from Peter that simply read WHERE ARE YOU. "That's my signal," he said, shaking the phone at her. "Enjoy your freedom," Neal joked, backing away just in time to hear Veroncia's phone ringing. It was probably Peter asking her send their rogue CI back, so Caffrey tipped his head at her and disappeared into the crowd.
Day two was quite a different beast. The one hour class was brimming with students, all of which seemed thoroughly interested in the subject matter. By way of wandering eyes, there weren't as many as expected, and surprisingly enough, the wave of students trying to immediately sign up for tutoring wasn't nearly as strong as it might have otherwise been, either.
Neal, of course, made it look easy. He didn't make a habit of underestimate young minds, nor did he lead them to assumptions, so their responses read as genuine and open, and when he gave them a short block of time to write on their thoughts, he coul feel the eagerness.
"This isn't so bad," he said quietly to Veronica as he passed a few printouts her direction. Of course, those were most famously the kind of words that felt very much like the last a person might speak. "But six weeks of this isn't going to tell us much. Maybe you should get some copies," he hinted. At this time during class, most everyone would be otherwise indisposed. Veronica could accomplish a great number of things in the name of helping out Reynolds.
Veronica nodded, taking the stack of papers and leaving the room. As Neal suspected, the corridors were empty, so she took the long way to the copier. Her circuitous route led to the third floor where the interior corridor led out onto an open-air courtyard, the sort of ridiculously impractical architectural feature only a posh private school would bother maintaining.
As she drew closer, she heard a woman’s voice. It sounded like a one-sided phone conversation carrying into the courtyard below. Veronica slowed, pretending to look around to gain her bearings, turning in a half circle until she could hear better.
“Tomorrow, yes,” came the strident tone. “If you aren’t there, the deal’s off.”
It was thin, but it might be something, though Veronica thought whoever was dressing people down over the phone would have been a little more discreet if there was an actual crime afoot. She was turning back when she heard a phone ring from the same location. Unless it was a ringtone, it certainly sounded like an actual desk phone ring.
“Professor Samuels.” She could be mistaken, but to Veronica’s ears, it sounded like the same voice, though more professional. “No, sir, I’m not dealing with Rogers any longer. He screwed us - you. He screwed you.”
Well, now that was something. Veronica edged closer to the courtyard balcony, but she couldn’t see anything except the reflection of the garden below in polished windows. Figuring that meant she could be seen, Veronica retreated, heading back to the classroom just in time for the bell. As soon as the last of the students filed out, Veronica told Neal of her journey.
Back at the FBI headquarters, the conference room was abuzz with activity. Neal, who had arrived with Veronica, spent his time waiting for Peter to finish assessing the information, unhelpfully tossing around his rubberband ball. Jones was at a laptop, clicking away at the keyboard, taking notes while Diana gave him a rundown of her research. As far as he was concerned, Caffrey's input wasn't needed just yet, and since he took some small amount of exception at not being the point man, all he could do to make it known was do nothing at all.
"Look alive," Peter said to the room as he walked in, but he clearly meant Neal. Taking his place at the front of the room, Burke held his case file in hand as he waited for everyone to settle. "We think we've got our first lead," he revealed with a thin smile. He didn't want to get overly excited, but any lead was better than no lead.
Diana looked uncertain as they all stared at Peter. "Are you going to share with the class, boss?" She was only on her lunch break and would need to get back soon.
Burke was ready to burst, clearly more excited than anyone should have any right to be. "We're looking at two people," he said, separating the file in hand to reveal it was actually two gathered together. "And I think you'll all recognize this guy," the agent added, a pointed look being spared in Neal's direction as he showed off the photo.
"Rogers, really?" Caffrey huffed, feining surprise. Perhaps Veronica had shared, or maybe Peter's was as clever as always. Either way, Neal wasn't concerned to think the FBI might be catching up to their own investigation. "Are you sure?"
Peter pursed his lips and looked between Veronica and Neal. Something about this didn't feel right, but he let it go, and instead responded rather ominously, "Oh, positive. He's in town, now we just need to find him and bring him in for questioning."
Neal raised his eyebrows and muttered, "Good luck with that." Rogers was almost as slippery as he was.
Veronica steadied her gaze on Peter, keeping her expression neutral and interested. She didn’t know what Neal had shared, but so soon after she’d first heard Rogers’ name, it didn’t feel like a coincidence to hear Peter use it. She decided she’d be more diligent about checking herself for listening devices.
Jones nodded to Peter. “And the other file?”
“We looked at some of Rogers past associates, and there is someone who fits the bill in this case.” He advanced the screen to display a grainy shot of dark-haired woman wearing sunglasses and waiting to cross a street. The photo caught her mostly in profile. “Antoinette Sheridan.”
Diana piped up, sounding excited. “Oh, I know this one – 1997, Belize, apprehended for forging a Brunelleschi.”
Peter pointed his pen at her. “Exactly. This is a case the Academy still uses because she got off on a technicality. But if she’s involved in this, we might be able to lock her up for good.”
Veronica studied the image, jotting down the name in her notes. “How old is that picture?” she asked.
Burke glanced down to his notes. “Traffic cam at Houston and Clinton, May, 2004.” He looked up at her approvingly. “So we don’t know what she looks like, and while Sheridan is her birth name, she could be going by any alias.” He shrugged, grinning crookedly. “We’ve done more with less.”
Veronica had a good feeling Sheridan was now going by the name Samuels and was also their fake professor, but until she had more details, she was keeping that between Neal and her. She was also pretty confident Peter was wrong – they weren’t looking at two suspects, but three. Whoever called Samuels on her office phone (assuming Veronica was right about the second call) had to be in the school somewhere because the desk lines were an old inter-office system. They’d learned during orientation that the handsets had been upgraded, but the wiring had not, so outside calls all needed to be made via mobile, from the main offices, or from the emergency phones located on every floor.
Peter excused the assembled, and Veronica and Neal were once more left to their own devices.
Neal popped up, immediately, not the least bit deterred. He had plenty of work to do — things Peter had piled on his desk because he wasn't able to participate heavily in other field work — but as far as he was concerned, that stuff could wait. It could always wait. He was halfway down the stairs when he heard Peter's call. As he came to stop, Caffrey made a face at Veronica (and the greater room, really — anyone but Peter) that suggested he knew he was caught. He then proceeded to have a short and sassy exchange with Peter about his ankle monitor on his way back that consisted of Neal professing his innocent in forgetting that electronic tether, and Burke not believing him, but letting him go anyway.
When he returned to Mars, he was slightly heavier with gaudy and garish ankle jewelry, but not gloomy over it at all as he hooked arms with Veronica and made way for the elevators.
Outside, and despite everything, he felt freer. While he'd given up his close contact with Veronica in the elevator, he was lingering close to her as they finally found themselves outside the very sensitive ears of the Bureau.
"That was wild," he said, laughing lightly. "I figured Peter would be on our tails, but he's putting this together quicker than I thought." It wasn't far to the subway station, so he stopped at a street vendor, gesturing for a cup of coffee.
"Do me a favor," he began as he fished into his inside pocket for his wallet. He produced cash and a business card-sized piece of paper, but instead of offering it out, he returned his wallet to his pocket and received his coffee. It looked like a random locksmith's business card. "There's a number on this card," Neal said, and cryptically and carefully poured the coffee along one edge. Shaking off the excess, he added, "Wait two hours for that to develop and text Mozzie at that number about what happened today," and offered it over. "Burner if you've got it, just to be safe." He paid and tipped the vendor, carrying to rest of the coffee because he didn't want to throw the rest out in front of the guy.
Within two hours, Veronica had obtained a prepaid mobile from a bodega. She took it back to her apartment, feeling exhilarated by the clandestine nature of carrying something so intrinsically linked with Neal and Mozzie’s world and already planning the best spot to hide it. If Piz found that she had a crappy flip phone, he’d start asking questions, and she didn’t want to drag him into anything if she could prevent it.
Once the card revealed the number like magic, Veronica sent a text to Mozzie.
Newly arrived CA gal seeking knowledgeable NYer for good conversation
Within a few minutes in which she tried (and failed) to busy herself and not stare at the burner phone, she received a response.
Bethesda terrace 16:21 NYer will bring refreshments
It was already quarter to four, so she quickly changed into something that would help her blend in with the midday Central Park tourist crowd, complete with her Nikon D3500 on a strap over her shoulder, and hustled back to the subway.
That evening, Mozzie popped by with a chicken vindaloo for June and was already enjoying a glass of Beaujolais on Neal’s terrace by the time he turned up.
“California and I had a nice lunch today,” he announced, handing over a large envelope. “And then we met an old friend for coffee.”
The friend, Neal would find once he opened the envelope, was Arthur Rogers (aka Mark Bridges, aka Sylvester Mancuso, aka Edward Anthony, etc.), and by “coffee”, Mozz had meant surveillance. There were a few shots of Rogers entering and leaving a luxury apartment building on Sixth Avenue. The photographs were labeled with the time. He’d entered the building at 6:15 with nothing and left just six minutes later carrying an attaché.
Rifiling through the gathered intel, Neal took in the details quickly, skimming as he was apt to do. He'd dive in for more pertinent details later — things that might be meaningful — but to start, a high-level view was more than enough.
"This is good work," he said. No surprise there; between the two of them, he couldn't think of a safer and more productive team to do their groundwork. If he weren't so heavily monitored, Neal would most certainly have gone with them. Instead, he at least got to live in the knowledge that he surrounded himself with the best of the best. For Neal, little was more important than that.
"So, now we need to get close to Rogers." That was the logical next step. If they followed the guy, got themselves a good amount of information on his habits and otherwise, they'd have all they needed; unfortunately, that required a lot more time than any of them had, Neal was certain of it.
Mozzie grinned and raised his glass. "I've already got you covered," he said. "Take a look at the addendum."
Neal raised an eyebrow, flipped to the last page, and grinned, too. "Moz, I could kiss you. This is going to work perfectly."
Early the next morning, Neal waited for Veronica outside Planet Fitness. It was just on the egde of his radius, thankfully, and a public venue, so he imagined he wouldn't get too many questions. Still, he was dressed down, well-hidden under a baseball cap. He wasn't so concerned about being seen as being seen with Mars. Their daytime law enforcement was messing with their nighttime crime, but none of it would be any good to anyone if they blew their cover.
"Hey, glad you could make it," he said, immediately spotting her. "It's early, I know; I'm sorry," he added, immediately holding up his hands to show he surrendered to how crappy this was. "I know I didn't give a lot of details, either, but bear with me..." He clearly was about to bring forth an unpopular recommendation.
Leaning out of direct view of the door, Caffrey made sure to hide his face as Rogers passed through the door behind them. He glanced only when he knew the guy was gone, then looked back to Veronica. "Moz gave me a tracking dot. We can get into his locker to put it in his bag, but I'd feel safer if we could keep him occupied. He's awfully lonely these days," he said, pointedly, "And I think he could use a friend. Or, a good-looking interested party, if you get my meaning." Neal held up his hand in the usual rock-paper-scissors way. It was probably easier to lose in this case.
Veronica laid her hand over his, effectively stopping the game. "Please, allow me." Even if she wasn't his type, the man knew Neal, so a distraction attempt from him would lead to confrontation and there was a chance the whole thing would be blown.
She stepped inside the gym, unzipping her jacket to ensure she'd be extra eye-catching in her slim-fitting workout gear. Then she put herself into Roger's line of site, dropping down to one knee and carefully retying her shoelace until she was sure he saw her. From there, it was almost too easy. Clearly, she was his type. Fabulous.
For the next five minutes, she chatted him up, feigning interest in his high opinion of himself with the expertise of someone used to meeting Hollywood actors. She could tell he was aiming to be charming like a Clooney, but there was an oiliness about him that read as sleazy like a Slater, so she was relieved when she caught sight of Neal subtly signalling for her to follow him back outside. She extended the conversation for another thirty seconds to give him a lead, then excused herself, claiming that she had a spin class on the upper floor and that she'd love to meet him at the juice bar afterward. Too bad for Rogers, Veronica's flirtatious alter ego was a flake.
She caught up to Neal just down the block, buying coffee from a vendor. She accepted a paper cup from him and tapped it against his. "To our success, I hope."
His grin was as easy as ever as they tipped their cups together. He probably didn't need the coffee; the buzz he was feeling by even this small success was better than any cup of coffee. Still, he took a sip and then said, "We'll know soon enough." The tiny bug was nearly undetectable to the naked eye and Caffrey had done and admirable job of tucking it somewhere that wasn't obvious.
As they walked, he explained. "The tracking data's active, but the audio's set to record only when there's ambient sound. We'll get about eight hours on the battery that way, so we're still going to need to get lucky, but I think we're heading in the right direction."
The data, which was set to upload to a secure severe as the device's last command, could hold all the information they needed in unraveling this whole scenario well ahead of the FBI. It meant, if they were fortunate, they'd know their step. Already it felt like the chase was picking up pace. "How'd it go with Rogers? He's always been a real bro." It was obviously not a compliment.
"I feel like I need a second shower, so I guess that means it went well?" She shrugged and gave him a half smile, indicating that she was completely unscathed. It was an unfortunate fact of undercover work that using her looks was the often the quickest means to an end, and she didn't doubt Neal knew the feeling.
"How do you even know him? Is there, like, a crime convention, or is it a secret us non-criminals can't know of?" Veronica was teasing him, clearly herself giddy from their mini-con. But she was truly curious to know if Neal's circle of crime pals was really so wide and varied, or if Rogers was only known by reputation. Nothing Neal said at this late-stage could change her opinion of him, but she was enjoying learning his unique story in small chunks. It was a new thing to meet a con man who wasn't actively running a con on her or someone she knew. Though considering what she did know of him, she had wondered more than once if she wasn't just allowing herself to be taken in.
For a time, Neal's only job had been to arrange himself strategically nearest the criminal elite. He knew a fairly large swath of individuals that he wouldn't want to cop to even now, but Rogers hadn't been someone Caffrey found himself all that interested in.
"We met once or twice," he revealed, nonplussed more than troubled. It had been a long time ago, and only in passing, but a very young and arrogant Nick Harden had certainly made enough of an impression to stick with the guy, Neal was certain of that. Had they met again in the gym, it would have certainly provided the necessary distraction, although it likely would have meant they would have needed to move on Rogers and the rest almost immediately (as well as involve Burke, who would no doubt have more than a few displeased words about the whole ordeal).
"I was in Wales for... reasons. Rogers was up-and-coming, we were both in it for the same thing. In the end, I bowed out, but not before putting a significant roadblock between Rogers and his goal." Neal shrugged. He wasn't beyond being a little spiteful under the right circumstances. "You spend enough time doing this, the faces all start looking familiar. Even when they're changing behind your back." If anyone could understand how quickly a person could change things up, or disappear, or both, it would be Veronica.
He sipped his coffee as he waited for the light to change. "Mozzie's going to watch in case he bolts. We'll have to go about our business today, but by dinnertime, we should know a bit more about how deep into this Rogers has gotten himself."
"Or if he's now acting on his own," she added. "Samuels or whoever she is said they were cutting him out." Regardless of his involvement, she was hopeful Rogers would lead them to whoever was really pulling the strings and how it connected with Kane Software.
"I'm going to have to change before class," she reminded him, hefting her bag on her shoulder for emphasis. "Can we stop at your place?" They were already pretty close, and it beat having to change in a bathroom, even the nicely appointed ones at Dalton.
A few hours later, Veronica and Neal walked out of the 89th Street building together after another class just as it began to drizzle. She spotted a middle-aged woman struggling to light a cigarette in the stiff breeze. Veronica had already done a little recon before class, and she recognized the woman as having come from a lower-floor office in the same direction she'd heard the conversation from the day before.
"I think it's your turn to charm someone," she said quietly, nodding discreetly in the direction of the woman she took for to so-called Professor Samuels. "I have a date in the meantime." She grinned and split off to join Mozzie where he loitered neutrally near the door of a deli. She imagined she'd be seeing Neal soon enough at his place.
((ooc: I just assumed Neal wouldn't deny Veronica changing at his place, so I just skipped over his chance to say no.))
It was several hours before Neal returned, although he'd been kind enough to warn the others with a quick text suggesting he'd be getting coffee with Samuels. He looked (and suitably felt) tired upon his return, his tie loosened, sleeves rolled, jacket draped over his arm.
"Nice of you to—" Mozzie started, his wine glass already lifted to toast Caffrey, but the words died on his lips and he shook his head. Neal didn't look all that pleased. "That bad?"
Neal tossed his jacket over the back of a chair and poured a little heavily from the open bottle on the table. He could see Veronica out on the terrace, her face gently illuminated on one side by the light of her cellphone. They waved through the threshold and he offered her a wan smile in response to her apologetic look.
"Neal." Moz was prompting him, a hand resting on his arm out of concern.
"That bad," he finally agreed, although he knew he was being dramatic. It had nearly been a waste of time, too, Caffrey thought, although he was reserving judgement until he could have a little time to digest the conversation he'd had with the woman. "She was vocal about how unhappy she was at the school, not to mention how terrible the kids are," he grumped with an eyeroll, obviously bothered.
Mozzie could understand why it bothered Neal. It bothered him, too, and he knew Mars hadn't appreciated how some of the staff were overly expectant of students already doing an exceptional job. He squeezed Neal's arm and let his hand fall away just as Veronica hung up the phone. "California and I were just finishing compiling the tracking data. The audio file should be ready in about ten minutes," he filled in, quickly changing the subject.
Neal's half-smile to Mozzie was grateful, but his attention was on Veronica. He gestured to her phone, asking, "You didn't have to cancel your dinner plans again, did you?"
“If you don’t make dinner plans, you don’t have to cancel.” Veronica joined them at the table and laid her phone face down. She’d just had to deal with Piz’s usual distant disapproval mixed with resignation and she didn’t want to talk about it. It wasn’t worth dissection, and she’d already gotten Mozzie’s unabashed opinion of her realstionship at any rate. No need to rehash it, not when they had work to do.
So Veronica pasted on a smile, knowing that she’d cheer up quickly once the three of them hit their stride. “There’s cold noodles in the fridge for you, if you want them,” she told Neal. Food was always a balm after a bad date, even if it had just been a sham.
Mozzie raised his glass, toasting no one in particular. “We’re just about there.”
He turned the screen toward Neal and Veronica. Rogers’ route took him from the Sixth Avenue apartment where they’d photographed him the day before, to Dalton, and then to a building in Chelsea that housed a hipster gin bar and a number of small law, medical, and corporate offices. Mozzie rattled off the names in the building’s directory for their benefit, pausing when he got to “...the Law Office of Dory and Boutin.” At that, he looked up at Neal. “A little too obvious. I don’t like the way this is smelling.”
As if being prompted, Neal lifted the cold noodles to his nose and took a sniff. They smelled fine, but Mozzie was right that the rest of this had a stink about it. Taking a seat, Caffrey poked at the noodles with chopsticks, looking between his two companions. "Someone's really trying to get our attention," he reasoned, then dove into his food. Cold or not, the food did seem to help Neal forget that recalcitrant woman he'd spent an hour placating, and returning to an apartment with such good company didn't hurt either.
Mozzie was already pulling up records, clacking away at the keys with one practiced hand while the other fed him his steady stream of wine. "Opened recently — about the time Rogers dropped off the radar," he noted meaningfully.
"Allegedly," Neal said after swallowing a mouthful of noodles. He was already feeling better by the bite.
"He's so suspicious," the other man teased in Veronica's direction. They all knew if Neal hadn't said it, Mozzie would have eventually. "But I tend to agree that Rogers isn't in as much distress about all of this Interpol business as we're being led to believe."
Caffrey sipped to clear his mouth and said, "Because Samuels is losing her mind instead." Something about that had Neal's gears turning. "I'll bet there's a connection we're not seeing. Something further back. She was way too irritated — not afraid, but irritated. An ex maybe?" He remembered Kate using the same tone of voice when Alex had stepped into the picture.
"How often does that happen?" Mozzie asked, knowing full well that none of them were innocent of getting a significant other involved in their worlds, no matter how well-meaning.
Veronica pushed her empty glass toward Mozzie for a refill as she pondered their quandary. He obliged, naturally, and Veronica took a fortifying sip.
"She seemed respectful of whoever she was on the phone with the second time, but she also wasn't afraid to tell him that she refused to work with Rogers." That indicated to Veronica that she was deferential to whoever pulled the strings, but not so much that she didn't at least call some of the shots. So there must have been a partnership, however unequal. If she added in the fact that she'd taken Neal up on his offer of coffee, other than noting that the woman wasn't blind, that also seemed to point to the fact she was currently unattached (or at least unafraid of hurting her significant other), so she probably wasn't romantically linked with the Man Behind the Mask.
So that led Veronica to the conclusion that perhaps Samuels and Rogers had been romantically linked at one point. That was certainly enough to explain her open hostility. But did it point to anything else?
A sudden thought struck her, and she opened the dossier Peter had made on Rogers, scanned through a few documents, and then pointed out a section to Neal and Mozzie.
"Look at this."
2003, Glasgow: Rogers and two unidentified partners (female, Caucasian mid-thirties and male, Black mid-forties) connected to heist of Young Woman in a Black and Green Bonnet (Cassatt, c. 1890) from Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum; piece recovered in Princeton, NJ, August 15, 2006 during sting on known fence, [REDACTED]
"And there's a photo." She flipped through the packet to a grainy CCTV image of Rogers and his accomplices. Samuels, aka Antoinette Sheridan, was younger, prettier, and mostly disguised by a scarf and dark glasses, but it was definitely her arm in arm with Rogers. The other man was captured in an almost perfect profile, but the image was so poor, he might as well have been a silhouette portrait.
Again, it was a thin lead, but it might be something. If they could find a mid-fiftyish Black man who'd recently been installed at Dalton, they might know their third suspect.
As he studied the image, Neal couldn't help but get the feeling they were right on the tail of this rabbit, like cunning foxes. It didn't engender the most pleasant mental image, which made him feel a bit disturbed, as if he believed in bad omens. Choosing not to share the feeling with Mozzie and Veronica, he slid away the photo and leaned back in his seat with his noodles.
"There are afternoon classes we've missed completely," he noted, gesturing with his chopsticks. "Three or four specialties."
Moz snorted. "Was woodworking on the list?"
"As a matter of fact, it was," he said, altogether impressed by the deduction until he remembered one small detail. Sitting forward again, he asked, "The frame?"
"Tools, access, time, motivation—" Mozzie was counting out the ways the theory worked.
As though he'd been waiting for a cue, Peter walked into the apartment unannounced. "Well, this looks like a fun party. Neal, how come you never invite me anymore?" Without waiting for a response, he crossed and squeezed his CI's shoulder (maybe a little more roughly than just a friendly hello). "Hello, Veronica. Moz."
"Suit," Moz replied, sitting back with his glass.
"Great timing, Peter," said Veronica cheerily. She was used to dodging around that caught-in-the-act feeling thanks to Keith always being so hot on her heels during an investigation. The key was to flip it and make it seem like she was planning on handing over the evidence all along. In this case, she guessed Peter and his team weren't far behind anyway, so they were just saving a morning briefing. She passed Peter Rogers' dossier opened to the picture of him with Sheridan and the mystery man.
"Sheridan is posing as Victoria Samuels, professor of Art Theory." She smiled, pleased with herself to present this as if she, Neal, and Mozz hadn't already figured it out days before.
"We know," Peter said, looking at the photograph before handing it back. "Diana figured it out today, and we wanted to tell you at this afternoon's briefing." He looked pointedly at the pair of them.
Veronica, for her part, had the good sense to look abashed. "Sorry. I was waiting to hear what Neal found out before we wasted the FBI's time. And there was wine." To prove the point, she raised her glass to Mozzie, and they drank.
Peter turned his attention back to Neal. "And you took her for coffee to confirm your suspicions, huh?" Peter nodded, answering his own question. "Well, good work. That's our case, closed. We'll be arresting her first thing in the morning at the school."
"Wait - there's more!" Veronica knew further FBI involvement could potentially disrupt the investigation and its connection to Kane Software, but pulling out now could leave the mastermind on the table. Without the FBI's access, she and Neal would have no reason to continue snooping around. And besides, if Diana was given a target, she could suss out his identity quickly, the Feds could get credit for the collar, and she, Mozzie, and Neal would have at least another day or two to work through the rest of it. It was a win-win-win.
She held up the photograph, tapping the unknown figure. "We have reason to believe this guy's the third man, and he might be working for the school as well." She looked at Neal, trying to communicate with her eyes her need for him to stretch the truth in their favor without visibly doing anything Peter would notice. "Neal - tell him what you learned from your coffee date."
Peter, who had such a good nose for bullshit, didn't feel like he fully believed anything anyone in the room was going to tell him, but he folded his hands across his chest and regarded Caffrey expectantly, his tongue in his cheek as he nodded at the CI. "All right," he agreed, letting them all know he was placating them. "Neal, what did you learn on your coffee date?"
"Well, since you asked," Neal began, but the rest of it died there. He was fine with Peter's suspicions, but it ever more felt like that was always going to be the hallmark of any interaction they had unless Burke was directing the action or otherwise implicitly involved in it. True enough, Caffrey was going behind his friend's back, but what he was doing here with Veronica and Moz wasn't hindering the FBI's investigation, and the only reason Caffrey could imagine it was an issue was due to the fact that Peter felt cut out. He never seemed to want to acknowledge that occasionally that was for good reasons. "Sheridan's willing to make a deal."
Burke raised his eyes to the ceiling just missing the helpless exchange between Mozzie and Neal. "We've been over this—"
"I know, Peter. I can't make any deals, and I didn't, but we talked..." Caffrey had no problem coming up with an elegant lie that kept his and Veronica's cover and ensured their return. "I'm just a concerned coworker, remember?" That seemed to appease Peter a hair and he didn't look quite so interested in throttling all of them. "She admitted she was lost and desperate for money, that she'd gotten in over her head. I almost had her convinced to do the right thing." Neal's voice got low and he gave Burke the biggest eyes he could muster, like he always did when he needed to convince someone he was right. "She wants to see me tomorrow. She said she'd tell me everything, but she needed to take care of something at the school first."
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"Birthday cards are a bit more difficult to send when you're in the wind," he added. He didn't mean it to sound meaningful, and purposefully worded it hypothetically, but Neal wouldn't deny to himself that more than half of his contingency plans prepped for a life on the run.
To relieve her the burden of this idea, he smiled his million dollar smile, smug in the knowledge that such things couldn't be held against him. "I haven't decided." It wasn't a lie. He had options — as many as he'd created for himself — but having walked a fine line between feeling useful and feeling used, it was hard for Caffrey not to want to lean towards what always came easier to him. "I want to be able to travel," he added, somewhat abruptly. It had been too long since he'd had his freedom and every day he thought he might go to sleep and wake to find his wanderlust gone, his desperation had doubled as if to remind him he'd never be able to have everything he wanted. "Maybe consulting," Neal said, inadvertently echoing Veronica's thought. "Or sales, if I really want to live the life of a criminal."
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Speaking of prison, Veronica added, “But if you ever need a lawyer, I hope you’ll keep me in mind.” Law wasn’t exactly her passion (as she was beginning to accept), but like Neal, she strived to be the best at everything she did.
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He gestured back towards the entrance of the museum, wallet already in hand. "Come on, let's get a couple trinkets from the gift shop to remember this by." They wouldn't be obtaining anything of real value, of course, but it was fun to pick out a few mementos Caffrey could put on a shelf and cherish for how it reminded him of another place and time. "But first you've got to tell me: What's the Veronica Mars five year plan?" he asked. "You've already made some waves, but what's next?"
As a sudden afterthought, he added, "Full immunity if you want to admit that today starts your new life of crime."
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"It's pretty much the same as it's been for the last ten years: don't get murdered, don't get kidnapped." Mentally, she added, 'and don't get knocked up.' It wasn't like she couldn't envision children in her future, but she couldn't imagine having any with Piz. He was a kind, gentle man, and she enjoyed his company, but he wasn't part of the five-year plan either. Not that she'd gotten around to mentioning that to anyone, particularly Piz. She knew that she was selfishly holding him back, robbing him of a chance to find someone who'd really love him, but she wasn't ready to let go of the comfort of their companionship. That wasn't a conversation for the moment, however.
"I'm a simple girl with simple tastes." Veronica picked up a replica pocket watch that telescoped out into a camera, showing it to Neal. "See? All I really need is a camera and a suspect."
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"Classic," he said, appreciatively, grinning at her. He kept the item in hand as he browsed for himself, but by the look of it, as he picked up the hide-away in the shape of a quarter, he'd already had an item in mind, maybe well before he'd walked in the door. With Neal, it was always the long, long game.
Checking out, charming the teller, putting them back out on the streets — it all went without a hitch, and as they were once more alone in each other's company, Caffrey offered over the gift. "I know it doesn't sound like it, but I really appreciate people like you and Peter, Vee," he said, trying out the nickname. It was undetermined if he liked it or not, but he let it stand for her reaction while he went on, "Good people are hard to find. And by good, I mean mostly incorruptible. Even in the FBI, that's hard to find." If nothing else, he could appreciate good work and good people; Neal had certainly met his share of corrupt on both sides of the fence, but since coming to work with the White Collar folks, he'd been taken by the good ethics they all seemed to maintain despite all odds.
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She accepted the gift with a grateful and simple, "Thanks," though in truth, she was a little embarrassed. She certainly hadn't expected him to purchase it - she knew what his government stipend was, after all, and considering her prestigious corporate law firm paid her very well to do essentially very little, she felt guilty taking anything from anybody. But a gift was about the thought, so she did her best to tamp down the flush of self-consciousness.
"That's sweet, Neal. I think you're giving me a little too much credit to put me in Peter's league, but it's nice of you to say." After all, she herself had committed quite a few misdemeanors in her indiscriminate youth (and was currently embroiled in at least one federal crime along with Mozzie & Neal), but she took his point. At the end of the day, she, like Peter, only wanted the truth outed and the bad guys apprehended.
"I have to say, though, this is the most fun I've had since... well, in a long time." She'd left Hearst to escape the endless loop of investigation, but she realized now how much she'd missed it. It was part of her, and she was good at it. She felt like she'd just awoken after a long (though extremely productive) nap.
They reached a subway entrance that would be an easy connection to her apartment, so she stopped. "So I'll see you tomorrow?"
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"I'll call if I think of anything that might help us tomorrow," he told her, leaning in for a half-hug-and-peck maneuver. "Or if Mozzie calls," Neal added as he fished his phone from his pocket. As expected, there was a text from Peter that simply read WHERE ARE YOU. "That's my signal," he said, shaking the phone at her. "Enjoy your freedom," Neal joked, backing away just in time to hear Veroncia's phone ringing. It was probably Peter asking her send their rogue CI back, so Caffrey tipped his head at her and disappeared into the crowd.
Day two was quite a different beast. The one hour class was brimming with students, all of which seemed thoroughly interested in the subject matter. By way of wandering eyes, there weren't as many as expected, and surprisingly enough, the wave of students trying to immediately sign up for tutoring wasn't nearly as strong as it might have otherwise been, either.
Neal, of course, made it look easy. He didn't make a habit of underestimate young minds, nor did he lead them to assumptions, so their responses read as genuine and open, and when he gave them a short block of time to write on their thoughts, he coul feel the eagerness.
"This isn't so bad," he said quietly to Veronica as he passed a few printouts her direction. Of course, those were most famously the kind of words that felt very much like the last a person might speak. "But six weeks of this isn't going to tell us much. Maybe you should get some copies," he hinted. At this time during class, most everyone would be otherwise indisposed. Veronica could accomplish a great number of things in the name of helping out Reynolds.
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As she drew closer, she heard a woman’s voice. It sounded like a one-sided phone conversation carrying into the courtyard below. Veronica slowed, pretending to look around to gain her bearings, turning in a half circle until she could hear better.
“Tomorrow, yes,” came the strident tone. “If you aren’t there, the deal’s off.”
It was thin, but it might be something, though Veronica thought whoever was dressing people down over the phone would have been a little more discreet if there was an actual crime afoot. She was turning back when she heard a phone ring from the same location. Unless it was a ringtone, it certainly sounded like an actual desk phone ring.
“Professor Samuels.” She could be mistaken, but to Veronica’s ears, it sounded like the same voice, though more professional. “No, sir, I’m not dealing with Rogers any longer. He screwed us - you. He screwed you.”
Well, now that was something. Veronica edged closer to the courtyard balcony, but she couldn’t see anything except the reflection of the garden below in polished windows. Figuring that meant she could be seen, Veronica retreated, heading back to the classroom just in time for the bell. As soon as the last of the students filed out, Veronica told Neal of her journey.
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"Look alive," Peter said to the room as he walked in, but he clearly meant Neal. Taking his place at the front of the room, Burke held his case file in hand as he waited for everyone to settle. "We think we've got our first lead," he revealed with a thin smile. He didn't want to get overly excited, but any lead was better than no lead.
Diana looked uncertain as they all stared at Peter. "Are you going to share with the class, boss?" She was only on her lunch break and would need to get back soon.
Burke was ready to burst, clearly more excited than anyone should have any right to be. "We're looking at two people," he said, separating the file in hand to reveal it was actually two gathered together. "And I think you'll all recognize this guy," the agent added, a pointed look being spared in Neal's direction as he showed off the photo.
"Rogers, really?" Caffrey huffed, feining surprise. Perhaps Veronica had shared, or maybe Peter's was as clever as always. Either way, Neal wasn't concerned to think the FBI might be catching up to their own investigation. "Are you sure?"
Peter pursed his lips and looked between Veronica and Neal. Something about this didn't feel right, but he let it go, and instead responded rather ominously, "Oh, positive. He's in town, now we just need to find him and bring him in for questioning."
Neal raised his eyebrows and muttered, "Good luck with that." Rogers was almost as slippery as he was.
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Jones nodded to Peter. “And the other file?”
“We looked at some of Rogers past associates, and there is someone who fits the bill in this case.” He advanced the screen to display a grainy shot of dark-haired woman wearing sunglasses and waiting to cross a street. The photo caught her mostly in profile. “Antoinette Sheridan.”
Diana piped up, sounding excited. “Oh, I know this one – 1997, Belize, apprehended for forging a Brunelleschi.”
Peter pointed his pen at her. “Exactly. This is a case the Academy still uses because she got off on a technicality. But if she’s involved in this, we might be able to lock her up for good.”
Veronica studied the image, jotting down the name in her notes. “How old is that picture?” she asked.
Burke glanced down to his notes. “Traffic cam at Houston and Clinton, May, 2004.” He looked up at her approvingly. “So we don’t know what she looks like, and while Sheridan is her birth name, she could be going by any alias.” He shrugged, grinning crookedly. “We’ve done more with less.”
Veronica had a good feeling Sheridan was now going by the name Samuels and was also their fake professor, but until she had more details, she was keeping that between Neal and her. She was also pretty confident Peter was wrong – they weren’t looking at two suspects, but three. Whoever called Samuels on her office phone (assuming Veronica was right about the second call) had to be in the school somewhere because the desk lines were an old inter-office system. They’d learned during orientation that the handsets had been upgraded, but the wiring had not, so outside calls all needed to be made via mobile, from the main offices, or from the emergency phones located on every floor.
Peter excused the assembled, and Veronica and Neal were once more left to their own devices.
“Walk a girl to the subway, teach?”
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When he returned to Mars, he was slightly heavier with gaudy and garish ankle jewelry, but not gloomy over it at all as he hooked arms with Veronica and made way for the elevators.
Outside, and despite everything, he felt freer. While he'd given up his close contact with Veronica in the elevator, he was lingering close to her as they finally found themselves outside the very sensitive ears of the Bureau.
"That was wild," he said, laughing lightly. "I figured Peter would be on our tails, but he's putting this together quicker than I thought." It wasn't far to the subway station, so he stopped at a street vendor, gesturing for a cup of coffee.
"Do me a favor," he began as he fished into his inside pocket for his wallet. He produced cash and a business card-sized piece of paper, but instead of offering it out, he returned his wallet to his pocket and received his coffee. It looked like a random locksmith's business card. "There's a number on this card," Neal said, and cryptically and carefully poured the coffee along one edge. Shaking off the excess, he added, "Wait two hours for that to develop and text Mozzie at that number about what happened today," and offered it over. "Burner if you've got it, just to be safe." He paid and tipped the vendor, carrying to rest of the coffee because he didn't want to throw the rest out in front of the guy.
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Once the card revealed the number like magic, Veronica sent a text to Mozzie.
Newly arrived CA gal seeking knowledgeable NYer for good conversation
Within a few minutes in which she tried (and failed) to busy herself and not stare at the burner phone, she received a response.
Bethesda terrace 16:21 NYer will bring refreshments
It was already quarter to four, so she quickly changed into something that would help her blend in with the midday Central Park tourist crowd, complete with her Nikon D3500 on a strap over her shoulder, and hustled back to the subway.
That evening, Mozzie popped by with a chicken vindaloo for June and was already enjoying a glass of Beaujolais on Neal’s terrace by the time he turned up.
“California and I had a nice lunch today,” he announced, handing over a large envelope. “And then we met an old friend for coffee.”
The friend, Neal would find once he opened the envelope, was Arthur Rogers (aka Mark Bridges, aka Sylvester Mancuso, aka Edward Anthony, etc.), and by “coffee”, Mozz had meant surveillance. There were a few shots of Rogers entering and leaving a luxury apartment building on Sixth Avenue. The photographs were labeled with the time. He’d entered the building at 6:15 with nothing and left just six minutes later carrying an attaché.
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"This is good work," he said. No surprise there; between the two of them, he couldn't think of a safer and more productive team to do their groundwork. If he weren't so heavily monitored, Neal would most certainly have gone with them. Instead, he at least got to live in the knowledge that he surrounded himself with the best of the best. For Neal, little was more important than that.
"So, now we need to get close to Rogers." That was the logical next step. If they followed the guy, got themselves a good amount of information on his habits and otherwise, they'd have all they needed; unfortunately, that required a lot more time than any of them had, Neal was certain of it.
Mozzie grinned and raised his glass. "I've already got you covered," he said. "Take a look at the addendum."
Neal raised an eyebrow, flipped to the last page, and grinned, too. "Moz, I could kiss you. This is going to work perfectly."
Early the next morning, Neal waited for Veronica outside Planet Fitness. It was just on the egde of his radius, thankfully, and a public venue, so he imagined he wouldn't get too many questions. Still, he was dressed down, well-hidden under a baseball cap. He wasn't so concerned about being seen as being seen with Mars. Their daytime law enforcement was messing with their nighttime crime, but none of it would be any good to anyone if they blew their cover.
"Hey, glad you could make it," he said, immediately spotting her. "It's early, I know; I'm sorry," he added, immediately holding up his hands to show he surrendered to how crappy this was. "I know I didn't give a lot of details, either, but bear with me..." He clearly was about to bring forth an unpopular recommendation.
Leaning out of direct view of the door, Caffrey made sure to hide his face as Rogers passed through the door behind them. He glanced only when he knew the guy was gone, then looked back to Veronica. "Moz gave me a tracking dot. We can get into his locker to put it in his bag, but I'd feel safer if we could keep him occupied. He's awfully lonely these days," he said, pointedly, "And I think he could use a friend. Or, a good-looking interested party, if you get my meaning." Neal held up his hand in the usual rock-paper-scissors way. It was probably easier to lose in this case.
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She stepped inside the gym, unzipping her jacket to ensure she'd be extra eye-catching in her slim-fitting workout gear. Then she put herself into Roger's line of site, dropping down to one knee and carefully retying her shoelace until she was sure he saw her. From there, it was almost too easy. Clearly, she was his type. Fabulous.
For the next five minutes, she chatted him up, feigning interest in his high opinion of himself with the expertise of someone used to meeting Hollywood actors. She could tell he was aiming to be charming like a Clooney, but there was an oiliness about him that read as sleazy like a Slater, so she was relieved when she caught sight of Neal subtly signalling for her to follow him back outside. She extended the conversation for another thirty seconds to give him a lead, then excused herself, claiming that she had a spin class on the upper floor and that she'd love to meet him at the juice bar afterward. Too bad for Rogers, Veronica's flirtatious alter ego was a flake.
She caught up to Neal just down the block, buying coffee from a vendor. She accepted a paper cup from him and tapped it against his. "To our success, I hope."
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As they walked, he explained. "The tracking data's active, but the audio's set to record only when there's ambient sound. We'll get about eight hours on the battery that way, so we're still going to need to get lucky, but I think we're heading in the right direction."
The data, which was set to upload to a secure severe as the device's last command, could hold all the information they needed in unraveling this whole scenario well ahead of the FBI. It meant, if they were fortunate, they'd know their step. Already it felt like the chase was picking up pace. "How'd it go with Rogers? He's always been a real bro." It was obviously not a compliment.
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"How do you even know him? Is there, like, a crime convention, or is it a secret us non-criminals can't know of?" Veronica was teasing him, clearly herself giddy from their mini-con. But she was truly curious to know if Neal's circle of crime pals was really so wide and varied, or if Rogers was only known by reputation. Nothing Neal said at this late-stage could change her opinion of him, but she was enjoying learning his unique story in small chunks. It was a new thing to meet a con man who wasn't actively running a con on her or someone she knew. Though considering what she did know of him, she had wondered more than once if she wasn't just allowing herself to be taken in.
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"We met once or twice," he revealed, nonplussed more than troubled. It had been a long time ago, and only in passing, but a very young and arrogant Nick Harden had certainly made enough of an impression to stick with the guy, Neal was certain of that. Had they met again in the gym, it would have certainly provided the necessary distraction, although it likely would have meant they would have needed to move on Rogers and the rest almost immediately (as well as involve Burke, who would no doubt have more than a few displeased words about the whole ordeal).
"I was in Wales for... reasons. Rogers was up-and-coming, we were both in it for the same thing. In the end, I bowed out, but not before putting a significant roadblock between Rogers and his goal." Neal shrugged. He wasn't beyond being a little spiteful under the right circumstances. "You spend enough time doing this, the faces all start looking familiar. Even when they're changing behind your back." If anyone could understand how quickly a person could change things up, or disappear, or both, it would be Veronica.
He sipped his coffee as he waited for the light to change. "Mozzie's going to watch in case he bolts. We'll have to go about our business today, but by dinnertime, we should know a bit more about how deep into this Rogers has gotten himself."
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"I'm going to have to change before class," she reminded him, hefting her bag on her shoulder for emphasis. "Can we stop at your place?" They were already pretty close, and it beat having to change in a bathroom, even the nicely appointed ones at Dalton.
A few hours later, Veronica and Neal walked out of the 89th Street building together after another class just as it began to drizzle. She spotted a middle-aged woman struggling to light a cigarette in the stiff breeze. Veronica had already done a little recon before class, and she recognized the woman as having come from a lower-floor office in the same direction she'd heard the conversation from the day before.
"I think it's your turn to charm someone," she said quietly, nodding discreetly in the direction of the woman she took for to so-called Professor Samuels. "I have a date in the meantime." She grinned and split off to join Mozzie where he loitered neutrally near the door of a deli. She imagined she'd be seeing Neal soon enough at his place.
((ooc: I just assumed Neal wouldn't deny Veronica changing at his place, so I just skipped over his chance to say no.))
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"Nice of you to—" Mozzie started, his wine glass already lifted to toast Caffrey, but the words died on his lips and he shook his head. Neal didn't look all that pleased. "That bad?"
Neal tossed his jacket over the back of a chair and poured a little heavily from the open bottle on the table. He could see Veronica out on the terrace, her face gently illuminated on one side by the light of her cellphone. They waved through the threshold and he offered her a wan smile in response to her apologetic look.
"Neal." Moz was prompting him, a hand resting on his arm out of concern.
"That bad," he finally agreed, although he knew he was being dramatic. It had nearly been a waste of time, too, Caffrey thought, although he was reserving judgement until he could have a little time to digest the conversation he'd had with the woman. "She was vocal about how unhappy she was at the school, not to mention how terrible the kids are," he grumped with an eyeroll, obviously bothered.
Mozzie could understand why it bothered Neal. It bothered him, too, and he knew Mars hadn't appreciated how some of the staff were overly expectant of students already doing an exceptional job. He squeezed Neal's arm and let his hand fall away just as Veronica hung up the phone. "California and I were just finishing compiling the tracking data. The audio file should be ready in about ten minutes," he filled in, quickly changing the subject.
Neal's half-smile to Mozzie was grateful, but his attention was on Veronica. He gestured to her phone, asking, "You didn't have to cancel your dinner plans again, did you?"
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So Veronica pasted on a smile, knowing that she’d cheer up quickly once the three of them hit their stride. “There’s cold noodles in the fridge for you, if you want them,” she told Neal. Food was always a balm after a bad date, even if it had just been a sham.
Mozzie raised his glass, toasting no one in particular. “We’re just about there.”
He turned the screen toward Neal and Veronica. Rogers’ route took him from the Sixth Avenue apartment where they’d photographed him the day before, to Dalton, and then to a building in Chelsea that housed a hipster gin bar and a number of small law, medical, and corporate offices. Mozzie rattled off the names in the building’s directory for their benefit, pausing when he got to “...the Law Office of Dory and Boutin.” At that, he looked up at Neal. “A little too obvious. I don’t like the way this is smelling.”
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Mozzie was already pulling up records, clacking away at the keys with one practiced hand while the other fed him his steady stream of wine. "Opened recently — about the time Rogers dropped off the radar," he noted meaningfully.
"Allegedly," Neal said after swallowing a mouthful of noodles. He was already feeling better by the bite.
"He's so suspicious," the other man teased in Veronica's direction. They all knew if Neal hadn't said it, Mozzie would have eventually. "But I tend to agree that Rogers isn't in as much distress about all of this Interpol business as we're being led to believe."
Caffrey sipped to clear his mouth and said, "Because Samuels is losing her mind instead." Something about that had Neal's gears turning. "I'll bet there's a connection we're not seeing. Something further back. She was way too irritated — not afraid, but irritated. An ex maybe?" He remembered Kate using the same tone of voice when Alex had stepped into the picture.
"How often does that happen?" Mozzie asked, knowing full well that none of them were innocent of getting a significant other involved in their worlds, no matter how well-meaning.
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"She seemed respectful of whoever she was on the phone with the second time, but she also wasn't afraid to tell him that she refused to work with Rogers." That indicated to Veronica that she was deferential to whoever pulled the strings, but not so much that she didn't at least call some of the shots. So there must have been a partnership, however unequal. If she added in the fact that she'd taken Neal up on his offer of coffee, other than noting that the woman wasn't blind, that also seemed to point to the fact she was currently unattached (or at least unafraid of hurting her significant other), so she probably wasn't romantically linked with the Man Behind the Mask.
So that led Veronica to the conclusion that perhaps Samuels and Rogers had been romantically linked at one point. That was certainly enough to explain her open hostility. But did it point to anything else?
A sudden thought struck her, and she opened the dossier Peter had made on Rogers, scanned through a few documents, and then pointed out a section to Neal and Mozzie.
"Look at this."
"And there's a photo." She flipped through the packet to a grainy CCTV image of Rogers and his accomplices. Samuels, aka Antoinette Sheridan, was younger, prettier, and mostly disguised by a scarf and dark glasses, but it was definitely her arm in arm with Rogers. The other man was captured in an almost perfect profile, but the image was so poor, he might as well have been a silhouette portrait.
Again, it was a thin lead, but it might be something. If they could find a mid-fiftyish Black man who'd recently been installed at Dalton, they might know their third suspect.
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"There are afternoon classes we've missed completely," he noted, gesturing with his chopsticks. "Three or four specialties."
Moz snorted. "Was woodworking on the list?"
"As a matter of fact, it was," he said, altogether impressed by the deduction until he remembered one small detail. Sitting forward again, he asked, "The frame?"
"Tools, access, time, motivation—" Mozzie was counting out the ways the theory worked.
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"Suit," Moz replied, sitting back with his glass.
"Great timing, Peter," said Veronica cheerily. She was used to dodging around that caught-in-the-act feeling thanks to Keith always being so hot on her heels during an investigation. The key was to flip it and make it seem like she was planning on handing over the evidence all along. In this case, she guessed Peter and his team weren't far behind anyway, so they were just saving a morning briefing. She passed Peter Rogers' dossier opened to the picture of him with Sheridan and the mystery man.
"Sheridan is posing as Victoria Samuels, professor of Art Theory." She smiled, pleased with herself to present this as if she, Neal, and Mozz hadn't already figured it out days before.
"We know," Peter said, looking at the photograph before handing it back. "Diana figured it out today, and we wanted to tell you at this afternoon's briefing." He looked pointedly at the pair of them.
Veronica, for her part, had the good sense to look abashed. "Sorry. I was waiting to hear what Neal found out before we wasted the FBI's time. And there was wine." To prove the point, she raised her glass to Mozzie, and they drank.
Peter turned his attention back to Neal. "And you took her for coffee to confirm your suspicions, huh?" Peter nodded, answering his own question. "Well, good work. That's our case, closed. We'll be arresting her first thing in the morning at the school."
"Wait - there's more!" Veronica knew further FBI involvement could potentially disrupt the investigation and its connection to Kane Software, but pulling out now could leave the mastermind on the table. Without the FBI's access, she and Neal would have no reason to continue snooping around. And besides, if Diana was given a target, she could suss out his identity quickly, the Feds could get credit for the collar, and she, Mozzie, and Neal would have at least another day or two to work through the rest of it. It was a win-win-win.
She held up the photograph, tapping the unknown figure. "We have reason to believe this guy's the third man, and he might be working for the school as well." She looked at Neal, trying to communicate with her eyes her need for him to stretch the truth in their favor without visibly doing anything Peter would notice. "Neal - tell him what you learned from your coffee date."
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"Well, since you asked," Neal began, but the rest of it died there. He was fine with Peter's suspicions, but it ever more felt like that was always going to be the hallmark of any interaction they had unless Burke was directing the action or otherwise implicitly involved in it. True enough, Caffrey was going behind his friend's back, but what he was doing here with Veronica and Moz wasn't hindering the FBI's investigation, and the only reason Caffrey could imagine it was an issue was due to the fact that Peter felt cut out. He never seemed to want to acknowledge that occasionally that was for good reasons. "Sheridan's willing to make a deal."
Burke raised his eyes to the ceiling just missing the helpless exchange between Mozzie and Neal. "We've been over this—"
"I know, Peter. I can't make any deals, and I didn't, but we talked..." Caffrey had no problem coming up with an elegant lie that kept his and Veronica's cover and ensured their return. "I'm just a concerned coworker, remember?" That seemed to appease Peter a hair and he didn't look quite so interested in throttling all of them. "She admitted she was lost and desperate for money, that she'd gotten in over her head. I almost had her convinced to do the right thing." Neal's voice got low and he gave Burke the biggest eyes he could muster, like he always did when he needed to convince someone he was right. "She wants to see me tomorrow. She said she'd tell me everything, but she needed to take care of something at the school first."
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