White Collar: An unofficial novel - part 8

Breaking codes

Diana knocked on his open office door with a file in her hand.

"Yeah."

She came in and closed the door behind her.

"You were right," she said. "We got a hit."

"Fowler's insurance settlement?" Peter asked.

"Deposited yesterday. A portion was withdrawn within forty minutes.

"ATM?"

"On 32nd street," Diana answered. "I did a radius check, pulled traffic cams near the area. Got these." She gave him the folder and Peter opened it and saw a photo of Garrett Fowler.

"Hello, Garrett."

"Yep. I'm heading out to take a look."

She glanced up at her from his place behind the desk.

"Diana, last time Fowler—"

"Tried to shoot me?" she interrupted. "Yeah, I'm not gonna give him another chance." She gave him a stern smile and left.

Neal had seen his home quickly transform into a scene from "A Beautiful Mind" with notes all over the walls in irregular patterns. And in the middle was Mozzie listening to the little tune over and over.

He was home just to change clothes for his night in the van. But the reason he chanced was of course for the meeting before. When he took the exactly right tie from his wardrobe and went to the mirror, Mozzie gave up on the little keyboard and hammered both hands down and down again.

"Easy, Amadeus!"

"Additive code, Morse, Baudot, set theory, logarithmic, and geographic... every kind of cipher," his friend complained. "Unless, um... 'Glarvendkkgll'... means something to you, then it's still just noise."

Neal finished tying his tie. It was not like Moz not to be able to crack the code but sometimes was always the first.

"Is there anyone who can help you with this?"

"There's one guy. He works at an antique store in the west 30s."

"Codebreaker?"

"Code maker," Mozzie corrected. "Has a rep for hiding codes in gadgets."

"Government job?" Neal asked

"Yes. Just... not our government."

Neal felt he was an open-minded fellow who did not judge others, but he did admit to loving his country.

"And you trust him?"

"Well, I trust him enough to play him a partial piece of it and not tell him where it came from."

A partial piece might not be enough to break the code. Neal was not over with joy to tie a third part to the project.

"Maybe Alex will have our answers."

"Oh, sure. Perhaps she decoded it already using a stolen silver tea set. How are you gonna talk to Alex, anyway?"

"The FBI's staking out a penthouse. She always does rooftop recon one block away."

"Oh. Tell her I said 'ciao.'"

"Will do."

Diana got inside the van and glanced around.

"Where's Caffrey?"

"On his way," Peter said. She gestured with a file. "Fowler?"

"He was staying in short-term housing a block from that ATM. The clerk ID'd him off the pictures. He's going by the name Aaron Burgis. He left two days ago."