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Neal was cursing Carl Rittenhouse right now for putting him at risk of developing lung cancer. Apparently, the suspected thief-turned-murderer favored a certain cigar bar down in SoHo, and that’s where he had set the initial meet. Of course, Peter and his two faithful colleagues were sitting in the surveillance van out on the street prepared to listen to every word in a discussion between Rittenhouse and Neal, who was posing as a middleman for the sale of a collection of Vermeer masterpieces stolen from a slain tycoon’s penthouse on Park Avenue.
While Neal was waiting and taking the occasional puff of an expensive King of Denmark cigar, he decided maybe he would suggest that the Feds ought to remove a manhole cover in the street from time to time to make an idling metro utility van at least look plausible. But that was a discussion for another day. Right now, Neal needed to get in character and play the part of a type of savior for Rittenhouse. The jerk thought he could move the stolen goods himself, but those paintings became radioactive when a homicide was attached to their provenance. Neal had put out the word on the street that he had a buyer eager for Vermeers lined up on another continent. That’s when Rittenhouse had popped his head up like a prairie dog and set the time and place for the initial meeting and negotiations.
Thankfully, Neal’s mark was punctual, so the exposure to carcinogens was minimalized as Neal placed his expensive cancer stick in an ashtray and confronted a weasel-like individual, who, unfortunately, wasn’t alone. He was accompanied by a companion who turned out to be a bogey from the past.
“Well, color me surprised, Neal,” Matthew Keller smirked. “How’s it hanging, Buddy? I gotta say, my own Johnson’s been feeling a bit lonely since Junior and the twins left the scene so abruptly years ago. I think if you’d stayed for a few sessions of couples counseling, it would have fixed us right up.”
That blunt statement made all the listeners in the scenario sit up and take notice. Jones had raised his eyebrows to his hairline, and Diana had cut a discrete look in Peter’s direction to find her boss’s mouth hanging open in apparent shock. In the cigar bar, Rittenhouse also looked spooked and ready to bolt.
“Hey, Keller, you called this guy, ‘Neal,’ but he told me his name was Nick! What’s going on here?”
“Relax, Carl,” Keller simpered. “Guys like us have lots of different aliases we use. Neal’s an old acquaintance, and he’s solid, although in this instance, I’d call him a competitor.”
“Is that why you’re here, Matthew?” Neal asked curiously without missing a beat. “Is this going to be a bidding war to see which one of us gets the Vermeer paintings to hustle on the open market?”
“Ya got it in one, but then you always were pretty smart,” Keller sneered. “I told my new little buddy that I can get him fifty cents on the dollar from an eager buyer in Denmark, and my commission is a mere 20%.”
“That’s a pie in the sky promise, and you know it,” Neal remarked coolly. “Every one of those paintings is on Interpol’s list, so a more realistic profit is approximately 20% of their value. Rittenhouse, you’re lucky I have an underground buyer in Cape Town who’s willing to cough up two mil in Krugerrands for the lot. And just to be competitive, I’ll lower my commission to 10%.”
“Each one of those works is touted to be worth at least a million, and I have seven of them,” a scowling Carl Rittenhouse sputtered.
“That was before you decided to add first degree murder to the equation,” Neal said patiently. “Maybe it would be wise to cut your losses at this point, and also lose this other dude that I wouldn’t trust with my valuables. In my experience, he’s not always a man of his word.”
Keller was rolling his eyes “Neal, you can stop with the character bashing. That’s so beneath you. As a matter of fact, I’m willing to bow out of the competition gracefully. I can’t compete with South African gold coins.”
Neal hid his surprise at Keller’s easy capitulation and suspected the slippery criminal had just visualized another agenda. Neal had noted the slight widening of Keller’s eyes when he heard the word ‘Krugerrands.’ But that was something he could deal with later. Right now, he had to get Rittenhouse on board with an agreement so that later the FBI could nab him red-handed delivering the paintings to an international fence named Nick Halden.
~~~~~~~~~~
There were a few moments of silence in the van as three voyeurs watched Rittenhouse and his friend eventually leave the cigar bar. Clinton Jones was the first to speak up. “Well, who would have thought our suave and sophisticated ladies man likes a little variety in his love life?”
“Boss, did you have any inkling of Neal’s past with this guy?” Diana asked more tactfully.
Peter did look a bit blindsided by what he had just learned on the wire. “We only became aware of Neal when he was gadding all over Europe with a girlfriend. Kate Moreau seemed to be his only love interest back then, but maybe this Keller dude predated her. Now, let’s table this subject and not speak of it again until I can question our asset in private.”
And that took place when Peter made sure he drove Neal home that night. “So, this Keller fellow—obviously you know him,” Peter opened the sticky discussion.
“Yeah, I do,” Neal said blandly.
“Apparently, once upon a time, you knew him really well, maybe as in the biblical sense,” Peter wasn’t going for tactful.
The con man shrugged. “So, what if I did? That was then and this is now. The water’s already flowed under that bridge a long time ago. Don’t worry—whatever we once had isn’t going to compromise this operation.”
Now it was Peter doing the shrugging. “I guess I’m just a bit surprised. I never figured you had any inclinations in that area. I’m assuming this all happened before Kate.”
Neal heaved a put-upon sigh. “Look, Peter, not that it’s any of your business, but Keller and I were together in Europe for what amounted to a New York minute. We were both young and stupid and maybe a bit inquisitive. So, we experimented a little, but in the long run, it just didn’t work for either of us.”
“So, it was before Kate came on the scene?” Peter theorized.
“Um, not exactly. It may have been a threesome on occasion, but Kate decided she wasn’t a fan—claimed she didn’t like to share, so I ended it.”
“Wow, so I guess I should amend your rap sheet to say bisexual,” Peter was going for spiteful, and even he didn’t know why he was making such a big deal out of his CI’s past love life.
“Do you have sexual hang ups, Peter?” Neal asked innocently. “If so, then that can’t be healthy.”
“Nope, I’m not hung up on anything,” Peter claimed with a superior attitude. “I’m a solidly heterosexual man and quite secure in that knowledge. I’m in no need of experimentation to know who I am.”
“Well, I’m very happy for you,” Neal replied mockingly. “But I’m not up for any more discussion on ancient history, so unless you have questions pertaining to the present case, maybe it’s time for you to leave.”
“Yeah, well you had better keep me in the loop about Rittenhouse as well as your old boyfriend,” Peter dictated firmly before leaving the loft.
The distressing unfinished discussion continued in the Burke home when Peter shared this latest bombshell with Elizabeth.
“Why are you so shocked, Hon?” his wife asked with a nonchalant air. “Neal is a beautiful man, and he certainly would be attractive to either sex. Are you upset because he once acted on an impulse and chose to enjoy a liaison with another man?”
“Well, it’s just not exactly how I see him,” was Peter’s lame excuse.
“Get over yourself,” El chided. “It may have been just a fling, or maybe Neal thought it was love at the time. But didn’t he say that he had shut the door on this Keller person years ago? I don’t see where there’s any threat now. So, what’s the problem?”
“I guess I just never envisioned Neal as being so romantically flexible,” Peter continued to perseverate in a rather tedious fashion.
“Oh, Peter, don’t you know the heart wants what the heart wants, and sometimes there is no rhyme or reason why we’re attracted to someone?”
Peter didn’t answer, but his mind was in agreement. He’d never admit it to a living soul, but a conflicted man thought he was a little bit in love with his CI, maybe even in a carnal way, and no good could come of that!
~~~~~~~~~~
Neal was about to start painting after his handler left, but a knock on his door interrupted his intentions. He reckoned it was Peter back for a more protracted discussion about Keller because Peter did love to flog a dead horse. When Neal trotted over to the door with an antagonistic look on his face, he found it wasn’t Peter on his doorstep. Instead, it was a grinning Matthew Keller.
“I thought he’d never leave,” the odious man said as he pushed past Neal into the loft.
“Why are you here, Matthew?” Neal asked suspiciously as he stuck his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “You said you were bowing out of this Vermeer thing, so why make a pest of yourself?”
“Neal, is that any way to treat an old and dear friend? Your hospitality needs work.”
“We’re not friends anymore,” Neal answered shortly.
“I suppose that’s because you have new friends now,” Keller snickered. “Do you really think I don’t know about your present circumstances, like being a snitch for the FBI? You’ve really fallen far, Pal.”
“Sometimes when you’re between a rock and a hard place, you do what you have to do,” Neal shrugged.
“Yeah, I guess prison wasn’t very much fun. But really, Neal, selling your soul to the devil? That’s a bit extreme. You’re a clever dude, so why aren’t you gone by now, and don’t go whining about some tracking anklet. That’s child’s play for you.”
“You really are plugged into my life, Matthew. Why am I so interesting to you?”
“Oh, c’mon, Buddy, we have a history, so of course, I keep up,” Keller grinned. “I know the what, but I don’t know the why—as in why are you still allowing yourself to abide a leash and a master?”
“That’s really none of your business, so why don’t you walk through that door and close it behind you!” Neal said harshly.
“Not quite yet, at least not until I solve the mystery of why you’re wasting the best years of your life playing lackey to the Feds,” Keller insisted.
A silent Neal scowled and crossed his arms over his chest, but it didn’t deter his nemesis from browbeating him with questions. “You always have a reason for everything you do, Buddy. What’s your motivation to stay here even after Kate’s been dead for over a year? Let me take a wild guess. I happen to know your weak spot, Neal. You don’t feel complete without a love interest, so perhaps you’ve moved on and found somebody else to fill the void in your bed. Am I getting warm?”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Matthew,” Neal snarled. “My plan is to tolerate the leash for the original length of my sentence until I’m truly free. Then I don’t have to continually look over my shoulder because I’m a wanted man. Doing my time on the outside is a whole lot better than doing it on the inside. Better coffee for starters and a bigger, softer bed.”
“Somehow I don’t think it’s that simple,” a doubting man murmured as he eyed Neal closely. “I’m putting my money on some pretty FBI agent who’s caught your eye.”
Neal only snorted in disdain, making Keller all the more inquisitive and annoying. “Okay, then how about some big hunk of a male FBI agent? Your handler, perhaps? Although I think he’s a little long in the tooth for your tastes. But then maybe he does appeal to you because I happen to know you like playing the subservient role. So, is it Peter Burke who’s cracking the whip and applying the cuffs in the sack to keep you satisfied and happy?”
“Leave, Matthew!” was Neal’s answer as he pointed his finger toward the door.
Keller held up his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay—don’t be so touchy. I did come here for another reason besides playing guessing games about your love life.”
“Well, then let me guess,” Neal smirked. “It’s the gold Krugerrands.”
“See, our minds are in sync, so you’re still the clever Caffrey you once were, and we could make a good team. I’m assuming the FBI will be scrounging up the gold coins for this operation because Rittenhouse will want to see them before he ever agrees to take you to where he has that stash of Vermeer paintings. I’m also going to assume that you’re not coming to the meet with that tracking anklet on, so the Feds will have to be close by and already in place. Then they’ll tail you and Rittenhouse to his hidey hole where they’ll come storming in to arrest him and snag the art. Does that about cover all the pertinent details?”
“This is your fantasy, so you tell me,” Neal shrugged.
Keller grinned. “Well how about a hypothetical alternate scenario? How about you set off unfettered with that clown, Rittenhouse, but somewhere along the journey, you grab the coins and do your Houdini act. I happen to know there’s a subway entrance one block from that cigar bar, so hop on a train and get off at the first stop on the line and I’ll be waiting in our getaway vehicle.”
“You’re putting a lot of faith in the concept that I’ll play along,” Neal said slowly. “What if I just keep going past that first stop and leave you waiting empty handed?”
“That’s not who you are, Neal. Your word is your bond, so you’d never lie to me or pull a fast double cross, not with our history. Look, Buddy, like I said before, we once were good together and we can resurrect that old magic on the job as well as between the sheets.”
“Maybe I’m no longer the man you think I am,” a con man taunted.
“C’mon, Buddy, a leopard doesn’t change its spots. And if you really don’t want to give us a go again, we can always divide the coins and go our separate ways,” Keller said with a grin.
Neal stared long and hard at his former lover. “Let me think about it, Matthew.”
“Well, don’t think too long, Neal,” Keller warned before finally turning to leave the loft.
Neal waited patiently to hear Keller’s retreating footsteps on the stairs. Then he used the security video feed to make sure his late-night visitor had left the house and was now on the street. Satisfied that he was really alone, Neal pulled out his phone from his pocket and turned off the recording button. Then he placed a call to Peter and invited him back for a return appearance in the loft.
~~~~~~~~~~
“We can’t arrest Keller, Neal, because he prefaced everything he said as being hypothetical,” Peter informed his CI after he listened to the damning recording.
Peter was actually surprised that Neal had shared the taped conversation with him considering the nature of the personal stuff it revealed that had nothing to do with a possible heist being piggybacked onto an original heist. However, when Keller had alluded to Peter being romantically connected to his CI so he could control his little felon, it made Peter cringe because it enabled his own fantasy to become all too vivid. Peter knew he had to get a grip on the wanton thoughts stirring up his errant libido.
Neal seemed oblivious and was prattling on. “I know Keller, Peter, and if I don’t agree to go along with him, he’ll try something on his own.”
Peter was shaking his head. “Regardless of your old flame being a wildcard, this op has to go forward as originally planned. We want Rittenhouse, first and foremost, because he killed a man to steal those paintings. To my knowledge, we’ve got nothing on this Keller person. Anything you care to tell me about past crimes would be considered hearsay and wouldn’t be prosecutable in a court of law. Also, you’d be implicating yourself since I’m assuming these were crimes you committed together.”
“Okay, I get it, but I thought you should be aware that there’s a possible subplot that could compromise this upcoming operation,” Neal answered slowly.
“And that begs the question—why did you clue me in on this?” Peter asked. “Why aren’t you interested in taking part in Keller’s plan?”
“It’s like I told Matthew, I want to serve out my time with you and then be totally free and not a wanted criminal.”
“Is that really the whole reason?” Peter asked softly, hoping his expression didn’t tell the embarrassing tale of his desire.
But Neal was a very perceptive person and could read deep below the surface subterfuge. “Do you want me to say that I stay because of you, Peter? That would be a hypothetical answer, of course.”
“I want you to tell me the truth, Neal,” Peter replied although he really wasn’t sure he wanted to hear that answer.
Neal saw the conflicted indecision on his handler’s face, so he chose to only be forthcoming up to a point. “Peter, you’re a happily married man, so let’s leave it at that. During my criminal career, I may have stolen a lot of things, but I’d never steal from someone I like, and I do like your wife, Buddy.”
Peter began to bluster to cover his discomfort. Denial seemed the way to go to defuse the emotionally charged situation. “I don’t think we’re on the same page or even reading the same book, Neal!”
“If you say so,” a savvy unrepentant felon replied quite innocently.
Peter was suddenly ashamed of his own over-the-top reaction. He had to say something to mitigate his vehement response, even if it was an untruth. “Look, Neal, I like you, just not in that way.”
Neal smiled at his handler, and it looked genuine. "Sure, I get it, and you won’t get any pressure from me. I just prefer to have things like that above board is all.”
“Good,” Peter practically barked out.
“Yeah, good,” Neal said in a silky voice.
~~~~~~~~~~
“I think Neal was propositioning me tonight in a roundabout way, even though he didn’t actually say the words,” Peter confessed to El later that evening. “But that’s classic Neal—innuendo to the max, but you can’t really pin him down.”
“How are you going to play it since there’s an operation underway to capture another criminal?” El asked the obvious question while trying to sidestep a knottier one.
Peter was staunchly adamant with his answer. “The op goes forward as planned and we take down a known thief and killer. If this Matthew Keller is as evil as Neal says, his day will come when he commits another crime here on our turf.”
“It’s as simple as that?” Elizabeth asked with noticeable doubt in her voice.
“Maybe with Neal, it’s never simple,” Peter admitted dolefully.
El produced a little smile. “Now I think we’re on the same page, Hon. So, maybe after you’re done doing your thing as an FBI agent, you should revisit your issues with Neal. It appears that the two of you have some business that needs to be addressed, hypothetically, of course,” a very wise woman said with a look that Peter couldn’t seem to interpret.
“El?” Peter said uneasily.
“Peter?” his wife replied right back.
It was at that point when a bewildered man found himself firmly wedged between a rock and a hard place!