White Collar: An unofficial novel - part 15

47th and Park

The day before, Peter had agreed to store their surveillance equipment at his home overnight. It was late, and they all wanted to go home. Jones had given him a lift and helped him carry the stuff inside.

Now, he was sitting and fiddling with things, wondering what he had been thinking. His car was still at the office.

"Honey, if you can pick him up after school, it would help a lot," the scanner buzzed.

"Car 14, can you please return to the station? Car 14, return to the station. Reporting a 10-50, Court and Degraw."

"Court and Degraw?" El asked, coming down the stairs. "That's right around the corner. What's a 10-50?"

"Noise complaint. This scanner picks up anything within a couple of blocks. Probably those hipsters with the band."

"Oh, hipsters. Are you gonna arrest them?"

No, it was not a federal issue, but something for the New York Police Department.

"Well, until they start skimming off album sales, they're out of my jurisdiction." He moved to turn the scanner off but then realized something. "Honey, you're working from home today. Oh, this surveillance equipment is from the Lebowski stakeout. I was gonna take it in, but the car's at the office."

"It's okay. Satch and I can live without a coffee table for a few hours."

"Yeah, and I guess the bureau can live without an IMSI GSM scanner for a few hours."

He put the scanner down.

"Oh, sexy tech talk, Inspector Gadget," his beloved wife said, moving closer.

"You like?"

"Yeah."

"Well, if I'm late tonight, I'm probably dealing with a wireless XD5 Intel motherboard thingy problem."

"Mm. Very hot." She gave him a kiss. "Have a good day."

"You too."

Peter left for a walk to the office.

He called Neal when he got closer to where his pet convict lived, but Neal was already at the office. It was hard to blame him for that. There were always things to do at the office for Neal, and he knew some agents gave him their own boring tasks just out of spite. Still, his young and ambitious protégé turned up at the office first thing in the morning. It made Peter happy.

As he walked in the morning sun he felt bored. He liked to walk because it cleared his mind and helped him problem-solve. Though, at the moment, he had nothing to solve. The previous weeks had been so standard that it made him stressed because he had too little on his hands.

When he got up to the office, he said his hellos to his colleagues, sat down by the desk, and hoped his internal email would tell him about something grand and new. No such thing.

Agent Westley knocked on his door frame.

"Yes?"

"Caffrey's case report, sir."

"Excuse me?"

"Neal Caffrey's case report, sir."

"Why did he send you?"

"He didn't." Westley dropped the report on his desk. "Anything else?"

"No..."

Peter watched the young agent leave. He picked up the report. Agent Westley had not impressed him as much as he had hoped, but he had not seen that conversation coming. It made no sense.