White Collar - as an unofficial novel - part 6

To con a con man

Peter unlocked the anklet and Neal took this foot down. This time it had been Neal asking about it, and in his eyes, Peter could see that little hint of excitement. He handed him an eagle pen. Even with that little twinkle in the kid's eyes, he trusted the con man to come back.

"As you said yourself yesterday, Veronica is probably not alone on this. Check the whole class, stir around." He saw Neal's face. "Do what you do best."

"And no shenanigans."

"I don't have to tell you all don'ts, do I?" Peter asked.

"I'll go in there, see how they react to having their idol in the room."

"Oh, please!"

"Technological virtuoso, remember. And it took you six years to catch me."

"Three."

"Six. Obviously. It's in writing, Peter," Neal beamed. "Maybe they only counted the second arrest?"

"It took three years," Peter insisted and felt like a stubborn five-year-old.

"Let's see what history remember, Peter, that's what's count." Peter bit his tongue not to tell about the Bureau's archives proving three years.

Neal walked into the lecture hall together with the other students and sat down in the back of the room to keep a good view of the people present. Professor Oswald entered the podium and started his lecture. Neal listened with interest.

"The Koechert diamond pearls was stolen by Gerald Blanchard in 1998," he said showing an image of the 27 diamond-and-pearl hair ornament that belonged to the consort of Francis Joseph I of Austria, Elisabeth of Bavaria. Neal took out his eagle pen and pressed the record button. "It took them a full two weeks to realize that the jewel was missing because Blanchard replaced it with a pretty darn good costume replica." Bought in the souvenir shop, Neal smiled. "He circumvented the alarms at the Viennese castle by parachuting onto the roof, if you can believe it or not. Some people have called this the perfect crime."

"I wouldn't say he was perfect," Neal stated loud and clear. "And Blanchard overshot his landing. He slipped on the tiles but saved himself by grabbing a railing on the castle's roof. So I'd say he loses marks for style."

The initially angry glare from Professor Oswald had now turned to recognition.

"Excuse me, I believe we have a celebrity in our midst," he said and Neal was flattered. "This is Mr. Neal Caffrey. To what do we owe the honor, sir?" He was dying to have Peter listen to this.

"I understand you study the best criminals," he answered with all charm turned on as he told the students in the room: "I share that interest."

"Wow," was all the awestruck professor could manage.

"You..." Neal pointed, "you seem like a very capable teacher."

"Oh, please. You know, you would be a far better t... hey, why don't you... could you come up here and answer some ques... class, wouldn't you love to have Neal Caffrey up here, teaching?"

The class applauded.

"Really?" This was not quite what he had expected but irresistible.

"Come on," Oswald insisted and Neal rose and joined the professor. "We would love to have some of your expertise." They shook hands. "Pleasure to have you."

"Pleasure to be here."

"Please..." the processor gestured to the rostrum.

"All right, well, we'll stick to the hypotheticals and anything covered by the statute of limitations," he said, smiling and listen to the sweet music of their laugh. "Who's first?" Almost everyone in the class raised their hands. "Oh, wow." Neal noted an exchange of looks between the professor now seated on the front row and a student, not raising his hand. "All right. How about you?" he said pointing at a young woman in the midst of the class.