White Collar - as an unofficial novel - part 6

Lie for a Living

Neal walked from the politician meeting to the office of the Bureau. He felt pleased with himself. With a bit of luck and they would find a connection between the escort service he had gained information about and Jennings that would be more than just morally questionable.

"So how did it go?" Peter asked when he walked into the office.

"Good. There is a connection to the Aphrodite escort service. I made Reggie arrange with Diana to meet with the owner."

"Diana?"

"It seemed plausible. They already knew she wasn't Mrs. Burke." He dropped the photos Reggie's man had taken in front of Peter. His handler took the pile.

"You told them Diana was a hooker?"

"Mm-hmm," Neal confirmed. Peter glanced at the photos and then up at him. "Captain Shattuck sure cleans up nice." He was not angry with Peter, but he was hurt. And this was not one of those moments when he wanted to hide it. Not of Peter had deliberately lied to him.

"The stakeout was canceled," Peter defended himself when he saw his look. "Diana came over to work. Why am I explaining myself to you? Not everything's a conspiracy, Neal."

"I hope that's true," Neal snapped back, not believing for a second that Peter told him the truth. Not when he used the word 'conspiracy' unasked for. "I've never lied to you."

"Oh, come on, Neal," Peter objected. "You lie for a liv-."

"Not to you," he interrupted. "I may have let you draw certain conclusions that weren't correct, but never an actual lie."

He smiled when he saw Peter getting embarrassed. Yes, he knew Peter could not say the same. The honorable federal agent did lie from time to time, while his pet convict did not. That was irony.

Peter stared at the photos the kid dropped at his desk.

"You told them Diana was a hooker?!" That meant that some people thought that he and Diana... and that he would pay for...

"Mm-hmm," It was something in Neal's tone of that confirmation that made Peter look up. The kid was still standing and he was watching him with a stern eye. "Captain Shattuck sure cleans up nice."

Oh, yes, he had said he could not go out with Neal for a drink because...

"The stakeout was canceled! Diana came over to work." Did the damn kid smile? They both knew it was not that kind of work. "Why am I explaining myself to you? Not everything is a conspiracy, Neal."

"I hope that's true." Neal's voice was sharp as the edge of a knife. Well, it was true, Peter thought. He was not conspiring, he was protecting Neal. Then Neal said with clarity: "I've never lied to you."

Peter glanced up, surprised at the hidden accusation.

"Oh, come on, Neal," Peter protested. "You lie for a living."

"Not to you," the kid shot back. "I may have let you draw certain conclusions that weren't correct, but never an actual lie."

Peter felt his cheeks getting hot. He knew it was true. Neal did not lie to him. And a convicted criminal and world-class con-man had just caught him lying in return to that honesty. It would have been so much easier if the kid pulled one or two white lies from time to time. Neal did not say a word. He watched the office through the glass wall.

Peter wondered if it was time to tell Neal about the meeting with their mystery man, to be more open to him. He decided against it.

"All right, so, one of Jennings' guys was standing in my backyard taking these?" he said, returning to the case at hand. So very covenant that he had pulled the shades just after.