Caffrey Flashback

Chapter 14: Executive Decision

Graham laid his silverware on the table, too fascinated to eat. "What's this business?"

"They're a professional networking and career counseling firm called Highbury Professional Connections. We have reason to believe that they drug new members and then ask for information that could be used for blackmail. We also believe that they are recruiting members of Adler's old team, and drugging them to get information about Adler and Adler's second-in-charge, a man going by the name of Gil Goddard."

"You don't think that's his real name?" Henry asked.

"No. Goddard doesn't exist. And his background is so sketchy that I'm certain Adler was aware the man was using an alias. And he wasn't the only one with a false identity at Adler's company." Peter looked at Neal.

Neal raised his wine glass in a mocking salute. "Adler knew me as Nick Halden."

"We think someone at Highbury learned that Adler is the real owner of Enscombe, and he or she wants to find Adler – or more likely Adler's money – ahead of the FBI. That's why they're interested in Adler's former team. They've been trying to recruit Nick Halden for a few months now, and last week we had Neal respond to their overtures. They're expecting him at Enscombe on Thursday. Since we're talking about a waterfront estate, surveillance from the municipal van we use in Manhattan isn't a viable option. That's where the sailboat comes in. We'll have agents and equipment on board to record everything that goes on when Nick Halden goes to Enscombe. We'll also have personnel on the ground at the neighboring bed and breakfast who can be at the estate in a matter of minutes if Neal needs help. We thought everything was falling into place, but this morning we hit a speed bump. Jones, tell them what you learned." Letting his agent take over the story, Peter finally dug into his meal.

With an apologetic glance toward Neal, Jones said, "A few nights ago I was worried about Caffrey and asked George to keep an eye on him. Turns out that one of the founders of Highbury was also keeping an eye on him. Guy by the name of Isaac Dixon approached George after Neal left. Emphasis on Neal, because he wasn't going by Nick Halden at the bar. Dixon said he wanted to hire Neal to work at his club and asked George if he knew how to contact him."

"I met Dixon when I went to Highbury as Halden last week," Neal said. "He didn't say anything about recognizing me."

"Yeah, and it gets more ominous," Jones said. "Dixon convinced George to try out Highbury's services. Last night George went to Enscombe. This morning he had a mark on his arm that indicated he'd been given a shot of something, and he had a big gap in his memory about what happened. We have to assume he was drugged and that he told them that Neal works for the FBI. We also have to assume that they know Nick Halden and Neal Caffrey are the same person."

"Has Highbury rescinded their invitation to Nick?" Neal asked.

"No," Jones said. "They still want to hear anything you can tell them about Adler. Knowing you have access to the FBI's files should be an incentive in their eyes. Means you might be able to tell them even more. The thing is, they don't know that we've figured that out. We lucked out with George's mild allergic reaction to the shot. Otherwise we'd still be in the dark."

Elbows on the table, Neal leaned forward. "I can use that."

Across the table from Neal, Henry said, "There is no way you're doing this."

"It's perfect," Neal said.

"It's too dangerous," his cousin argued.

"You'd do it."

"It's ridiculous."

"You know you'd do it," Neal repeated.

"I'm not letting you –" Henry started.

"You can't stop me," Neal interrupted. "It's my decision. Isn't that right, Peter?"

"No," answered Hughes. "It's my decision. Both of you shut up and eat before I kick you out of this meeting. You're annoying the grownups. Peter, what are the options?"

Aware that he very much wanted to take Henry's side, Peter tried to distance himself from his feelings. "The first option is that we could try to find someone else to get into Enscombe as a Highbury client. That would work to get evidence of the blackmail scheme, but we couldn't do it in time to search Adler's safe. Any evidence there would probably be lost to us. The second option is that we could try questioning Dixon about Adler, but right now we have more speculation than evidence, and we could risk Adler learning what we know while getting nothing to show for it. Or as the third option, we could send Neal in as we had planned, letting Dixon think that he's a step ahead of us. We have an inside man starting as a bartender there tomorrow, and now George Knightley is a member who can come and go at will. Between them, they could help Neal slip away long enough to get into Adler's safe. We can take the contents of the safe as evidence, and abandon the blackmail investigation, getting Neal out before anyone tries to drug him."

"What?" Neal sounded startled. "No, you have to let them drug me, and record the questions they ask about Adler. When you have that evidence, they'll trade what they know about Adler in return for leniency on the blackmail charges."

"No!" Henry said.

"Neal, I really don't think that's a good idea," Peter added.

"They aren't going to hurt me," Neal pointed out. "They want me alive and well to answer their questions. In fact, they're fools if they don't try to set up a repeat performance. They'll want to plant a suggestion that I go through the FBI files for any additional details they need, and will ask me to come back later to go through it all again."

"And what happens when you're under the influence of the drug and you tell them that you know what they have planned, and that the FBI is listening in?" Henry demanded.

Neal rolled his eyes, "Well obviously before I go to Enscombe I research the drug's effects, and when I'm there I convince them I'm under its influence before it really hits me. I answer their questions while I'm still in control. Then, when the drug actually starts to affect me, I make it look like I'm having a bad reaction. Maybe make it appear to be an overdose. They panic and stop questioning me long enough for the agents at the B&B to arrive and make an arrest."

"I don't like it," Henry said. "There are too many things that could go wrong."

"I can do it," Neal insisted.

"Enough," said Hughes before they could launch into a repeat of their earlier exchange. "Peter, do you think Neal can pull off the option he's suggesting?"

At the New Year's Eve operation, Peter heard Neal convince a doctor he was having an asthma attack. And Henry's own mother called Neal Henry during the open house this weekend. Based on these experiences and on the many impressive cons for which Neal had been granted immunity, Peter had to say, "He has a genius for this kind of thing. If anyone can pull this off, it's Neal."

"I want those agents you're stationing at the B&B to be on the estate before anyone tries to drug Caffrey," Hughes said to Peter. "Response time has to be under a minute, or we pull the plug on this." Then he turned to Neal. "Last week you said the Bureau isn't taking advantage of your full potential. Here's your chance. Don't squander it on an attempt to show off. The minute you need help or things go out of your control, you let Peter know. Peter calls the shots. Got it?"

"Got it," Neal confirmed. He didn't look smug, but he was an expert con artist.

Meanwhile, Henry looked as concerned as Peter felt. And Graham leaned over toward his grandson to say, "You are never going to try something like this, understood?"

It made Peter slightly jealous. He might feel like Neal's father, but he was precluded from acting like a dad here. Tonight he was an FBI team leader and had to stay in that role, even to the point of recommending something he dreaded. If he couldn't be objective as a boss where Neal was concerned, Hughes wouldn't let Neal work for him anymore. There wasn't another team lead in the New York offices who would appreciate Neal's potential. Peter couldn't stand to see him tossed out of the FBI, likely returning to a life of crime to support himself. And Peter couldn't stand the thought of Hughes turning this op over to another lead agent. If Neal was going to try something this risky, Peter was going to be there every step of the way to make sure the kid had all the help and backup he could get.

A/N: Graham Winslow's hotel suite is inspired by the hotel room Peter had in the episode Company Man.