White Collar: An unofficial novel - part 8

In custody

Peter drove back to the office in silence with an equally silent Fowler in the passenger's seat. When they got up to the twenty-first floor there was no sign of Diana or Jones. They were probably checking the kid into custody.

They sat down in Peter's office.

"Will you press charges against Neal?" he asked Fowler.

"He held me at gun-point, Burke. If you hadn't burst inside he would've killed me."

"I understand," Peter nodded. "You're within every right to press charges."

"But?"

"Neal Caffrey is the brightest man I've ever worked with. He is a real asset for the Bureau. I don't want to see him wasted in prison."

Peter wanted to add that the kid had had his loved one blown up right before his eyes but Fowler knew that. And even if it was an explanation to Neal's behavior it was not an excuse. He watched Fowler.

The man looked out through the window.

"I understand why you want to work with him," he said, turning his eyes to Peter. "But, the story will not end with me, Burke. Caffrey will be safer in prison."

"He is a prison inmate, Fowler. If the situation demands it, that's where he will return. It's just an hour's drive from here. But I hope you can leave that decision to me. And to Neal."

Fowler's eyes wandered back to the view outside the window.

"I guess I owe Caffrey."

"You'll not press charges?"

"No."

"Thank you."

Diana and Jones exited the elevator and walked through the glass doors into the White Collar office.

"Excuse me," he said and walked down to meet them.

"Neal?" he asked.

"Locked up downstairs," Diana answered. "The official reason is that he tampered with his anklet."

"Good," Peter nodded, and then come to think of something. "Did he wear the anklet?" Diana shook her head. Damn. So he had had a way to get out of it without sounding the alarm.

"Okay, I'll go down and talk to him. You keep an eye on Fowler. When I get back, you get to Neal's apartment and find the anklet."

"Will you take Caffrey back to prison?" Jones asked.

"I've not decided yet."

"Fowler?"

"Will not press charges," he answered Jones.

"Guess we'll have Caffrey back soon then." Peter looked at the young agent and wondered about the irony in the tone.

"Any problem with that, Jones?"

"Caffrey is valuable for our team. All I'm saying is, that one of the reasons he got the deal was because he was non-violent. If you pull a gun at someone, threatening to kill him, you can't go under that label any longer."

"And if I think it was a one-time issue?" Peter asked.

"As I said, Caffrey is a valuable member of our team. If he can continue to be that, it's fine with me."

"Good. I'll go and talk to him."

Diana brought him out of the room and downstairs. She was a pro. She took it slowly so he did not lose his balance. Even in his chaotic state of mind, he noted that. In prison, he had earned the privilege to be cuffed front instead, as Peter always did since his first questioning. Now he was cuffed on his back again.