The Blue Court Diamond 3
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Chapter 3: Family Appearances
“El?” Peter called out as soon as he opened the door.
“In here, honey,” Elizabeth called from the dining room.
“You wouldn’t believe the day that I’ve had,” Peter said with a huffed laugh. “All of this nonsense about your being a con woman and Neal being sent off on missions.”
“Sounds like a tough day,” Elizabeth said, giving Peter a hug and a kiss.
“I mean, look at this,” Peter said as he tossed the file onto the table. “Absolute nonsense.”
Elizabeth started to browse the file. “You’re right, dear, this is absolute nonsense. Charlie Stevens freely gave me those jewels to try to seduce me. Of course, we were married at the time, so I refused him anyway, but you should have seen the lengths he went to get me.”
“What?” Peter demanded. The overwhelming urge to go attack Charlie Stevens almost made him miss the fact that his wife admitted to being involved in the things in the file.
“The agents who put this file together really do not have their information straight, though,” El said, shaking her head. “I mean, they didn’t put in the most important fact.”
“The most important fact?” Peter asked.
“I’m retired, dear,” Elizabeth answered. She flipped the file closed and turned to Neal. “Did you manage to get the Blue Court Diamond okay?”
“You know about it already?” Neal asked.
“I don’t think anyone doesn’t know of it,” Elizabeth answered. “How long do you think it’ll be before the Kid gets here? I made cookies.”
“Your husband finds out that you’re a con artist and you’ve made cookies?” a voice from the kitchen asked. Peter stared as a dark haired woman stepped into the dining room. “Hello, Peter.”
“Sophie? Did I miss a memo, or something?” Peter turned to his wife. “I thought that your sister was coming next month.”
“I called her right after we hung up,” Elizabeth replied.
“And I came as soon as I could, though, I do admit that I didn’t expect you to have just arrived,” Sophie said, “and in the company of the renowned art thief, Neal Caffrey.”
“You’re a bit out of the loop, aren’t you?” Neal commented.
“People get wary when you start to work for a white knight,” Sophie answered, “but, I’m working on that.”
“Tell me about it,” Neal said as he rolled his eyes. “And to make it worse, Peter’s always trying to get to know my sources.”
“If Mozzie would quit hanging around, helping you get into trouble,” Peter started.
“It’s just your curious nature,” Neal interrupted, “I know that. Though, you know that people are going to comment on the fact that you didn’t know that your wife was a con artist.”
“To be fair, he did suspect me at one point, although I was, in fact, innocent for that crime,” Elizabeth broke in.
Peter’s phone rang before anyone could say anything else. He flipped it open to answer it, “Burke.”
“You know that case I gave you this morning?” Hughes asked, speaking quickly. “Forget it. I’ve got something much more important for you to do.”
“What? What do you mean, forget it?” Peter asked.
“This is so much more important than your wife being a con woman. It’s not like she’ll just disappear on you, besides, I’m sure that if you can find Neal Caffrey, you can find Elizabeth,” Hughes answered.
“What do you want me to do instead?” Peter asked, not wanting to argue the logic in that and wondering what exactly was the important assignment was.
“You need to go to that law enforcement conference that starts tomorrow. We’re going to be displaying the Blue Court Diamond there on Wednesday and you need to set up security,” Hughes said before hanging up.
“Great, we’re all going to be made fools of,” Peter groaned. He turned to his wife. “Well, you’re off the hook for now, but I will find you if you run.”
“I should hope so,” Sophie said. “You have no idea the things they said about you and Caffrey.”
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Neal made his escape from the Burke house soon after the phone call, managing to get away without any more questions about The Blue Court Diamond and without Peter remembering that Neal still needed a replacement anklet. He headed back to his apartment at June’s house.
He didn’t see June or her granddaughter on his way up, but he still knew that someone was in his apartment as he could hear the faint rummaging around. He opened the door and called out, “Mozzie?”
He expected to see his paranoid friend, but instead he got glomped by a blonde woman. “Neal! Where is it?”
“Parker, delightful to see you,” Neal managed to choke out.
“Where is it?” Parker asked, checking all of his pockets; subtly and unsubtly.
“It’s not on me,” Neal answered, stepping away from his old teammate. He grinned when he spotted Eliot. “Nice to see you, Eliot.”
“What about me?” Parker demanded.
“You’re not getting the diamond just yet,” Neal replied. “Other than that, it’s good to see you.”
“Where is it? Cause I’ve looked all over this place and you don’t have it on you in any obvious place,” Parker said.
“I’m not telling you where it is, but it’s in a safe place,” Neal answered.
“Your short friend doesn’t have it, does he?” Eliot asked, only faintly curious. “Because, it won’t last long that way.”
“Mozzie doesn’t have the diamond,” Neal said. “Now, can I get you guys something?”
“Do we have to rescue you?” Parker asked.
“What?” Neal asked, slightly startled by the question.
“The agent, what does he have on you? Are you his slave or something?” Parker asked.
“No, nothing like that,” Neal said, holding his hands up and giving her an odd look. “Peter’s just my way to freedom.”
“And I bet you’re tormenting him in the process,” Eliot said.
“Peter’s a great guy and I have great fun playing around with him,” Neal answered.
“That isn’t the bad sort of playing around, is it? Because Sophie gave me a talk recently,” Parker asked, giving Neal a suspicious look.
Neal choked and then burst into laughter, picturing the look on Peter’s face if he ever heard the accusation. “Nothing like that, Parker. It’s like you and your new boss. Speaking of new bosses, I think one of your coworkers is in town. Sophie Devereaux is currently at Peter’s house.”
“Do we have to rescue Sophie?” Parker asked, looking worried.
“Don’t worry, El is there and she won’t let Peter hurt her sister,” Neal replied.
“I still can’t believe that Sophie has a sister.” Eliot shook his head.
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Chapter 4
Chapter 3: Family Appearances
“El?” Peter called out as soon as he opened the door.
“In here, honey,” Elizabeth called from the dining room.
“You wouldn’t believe the day that I’ve had,” Peter said with a huffed laugh. “All of this nonsense about your being a con woman and Neal being sent off on missions.”
“Sounds like a tough day,” Elizabeth said, giving Peter a hug and a kiss.
“I mean, look at this,” Peter said as he tossed the file onto the table. “Absolute nonsense.”
Elizabeth started to browse the file. “You’re right, dear, this is absolute nonsense. Charlie Stevens freely gave me those jewels to try to seduce me. Of course, we were married at the time, so I refused him anyway, but you should have seen the lengths he went to get me.”
“What?” Peter demanded. The overwhelming urge to go attack Charlie Stevens almost made him miss the fact that his wife admitted to being involved in the things in the file.
“The agents who put this file together really do not have their information straight, though,” El said, shaking her head. “I mean, they didn’t put in the most important fact.”
“The most important fact?” Peter asked.
“I’m retired, dear,” Elizabeth answered. She flipped the file closed and turned to Neal. “Did you manage to get the Blue Court Diamond okay?”
“You know about it already?” Neal asked.
“I don’t think anyone doesn’t know of it,” Elizabeth answered. “How long do you think it’ll be before the Kid gets here? I made cookies.”
“Your husband finds out that you’re a con artist and you’ve made cookies?” a voice from the kitchen asked. Peter stared as a dark haired woman stepped into the dining room. “Hello, Peter.”
“Sophie? Did I miss a memo, or something?” Peter turned to his wife. “I thought that your sister was coming next month.”
“I called her right after we hung up,” Elizabeth replied.
“And I came as soon as I could, though, I do admit that I didn’t expect you to have just arrived,” Sophie said, “and in the company of the renowned art thief, Neal Caffrey.”
“You’re a bit out of the loop, aren’t you?” Neal commented.
“People get wary when you start to work for a white knight,” Sophie answered, “but, I’m working on that.”
“Tell me about it,” Neal said as he rolled his eyes. “And to make it worse, Peter’s always trying to get to know my sources.”
“If Mozzie would quit hanging around, helping you get into trouble,” Peter started.
“It’s just your curious nature,” Neal interrupted, “I know that. Though, you know that people are going to comment on the fact that you didn’t know that your wife was a con artist.”
“To be fair, he did suspect me at one point, although I was, in fact, innocent for that crime,” Elizabeth broke in.
Peter’s phone rang before anyone could say anything else. He flipped it open to answer it, “Burke.”
“You know that case I gave you this morning?” Hughes asked, speaking quickly. “Forget it. I’ve got something much more important for you to do.”
“What? What do you mean, forget it?” Peter asked.
“This is so much more important than your wife being a con woman. It’s not like she’ll just disappear on you, besides, I’m sure that if you can find Neal Caffrey, you can find Elizabeth,” Hughes answered.
“What do you want me to do instead?” Peter asked, not wanting to argue the logic in that and wondering what exactly was the important assignment was.
“You need to go to that law enforcement conference that starts tomorrow. We’re going to be displaying the Blue Court Diamond there on Wednesday and you need to set up security,” Hughes said before hanging up.
“Great, we’re all going to be made fools of,” Peter groaned. He turned to his wife. “Well, you’re off the hook for now, but I will find you if you run.”
“I should hope so,” Sophie said. “You have no idea the things they said about you and Caffrey.”
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Neal made his escape from the Burke house soon after the phone call, managing to get away without any more questions about The Blue Court Diamond and without Peter remembering that Neal still needed a replacement anklet. He headed back to his apartment at June’s house.
He didn’t see June or her granddaughter on his way up, but he still knew that someone was in his apartment as he could hear the faint rummaging around. He opened the door and called out, “Mozzie?”
He expected to see his paranoid friend, but instead he got glomped by a blonde woman. “Neal! Where is it?”
“Parker, delightful to see you,” Neal managed to choke out.
“Where is it?” Parker asked, checking all of his pockets; subtly and unsubtly.
“It’s not on me,” Neal answered, stepping away from his old teammate. He grinned when he spotted Eliot. “Nice to see you, Eliot.”
“What about me?” Parker demanded.
“You’re not getting the diamond just yet,” Neal replied. “Other than that, it’s good to see you.”
“Where is it? Cause I’ve looked all over this place and you don’t have it on you in any obvious place,” Parker said.
“I’m not telling you where it is, but it’s in a safe place,” Neal answered.
“Your short friend doesn’t have it, does he?” Eliot asked, only faintly curious. “Because, it won’t last long that way.”
“Mozzie doesn’t have the diamond,” Neal said. “Now, can I get you guys something?”
“Do we have to rescue you?” Parker asked.
“What?” Neal asked, slightly startled by the question.
“The agent, what does he have on you? Are you his slave or something?” Parker asked.
“No, nothing like that,” Neal said, holding his hands up and giving her an odd look. “Peter’s just my way to freedom.”
“And I bet you’re tormenting him in the process,” Eliot said.
“Peter’s a great guy and I have great fun playing around with him,” Neal answered.
“That isn’t the bad sort of playing around, is it? Because Sophie gave me a talk recently,” Parker asked, giving Neal a suspicious look.
Neal choked and then burst into laughter, picturing the look on Peter’s face if he ever heard the accusation. “Nothing like that, Parker. It’s like you and your new boss. Speaking of new bosses, I think one of your coworkers is in town. Sophie Devereaux is currently at Peter’s house.”
“Do we have to rescue Sophie?” Parker asked, looking worried.
“Don’t worry, El is there and she won’t let Peter hurt her sister,” Neal replied.
“I still can’t believe that Sophie has a sister.” Eliot shook his head.
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Chapter 4