Chapter 3
"What would my radius be?"
"Two miles."
"Make it four and we might have something to talk about," she bargained. "Also, I think I'd like to have his old place if you could arrange that. He had something of mine that was going to answer some questions I never got an answer to."
"I'll draw up the papers and see you tomorrow," Peter answered. He left and she started tossing the ball again.
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Peter returned with the paperwork for Lexus to sign. He waited patiently while she read through each and every paragraph ad signed where it was necessary.
While she read the document, she slid a note across the table. She glanced up toward Peter to see his expression when he read her question.
"Mozzie and I identified his body, Lexus. So, yes. I do believe he's gone," Peter said, answering the note.
"Mozz always said that when Neal planned something, there was a way out. He didn't even say 'goodbye' to me. What kind of person does that to someone unless that someone never meant anything to them?" She couldn't help the lone tear that trickled down to her chin.
Peter didn't have an answer. He just knew he was right. She had meant something to Neal, but he didn't know why he was right until Lexus was arrested. And that was during Neal's first four years as a consultant.
"I'll have to speak with some contacts," Lexus said as she signed the papers. "See if I can dig up what you couldn't on your case."
"We'll be checking your contacts like we did with Neal," Peter assured.
"Oh, there won't be any need for that. My contacts are my older brothers. They work for the government and were assigned to your team the moment I signed my name. I'm not allowed to say what agency they work for since, technically, I'm not even supposed to know. They passed background checks that would take you years to figure out."
Saying that, added to the fact that she had siblings who weren't in her file, did nothing but confuse Peter. He turned and left the visitor's area which allowed Lexus to approach her guard and say...
"I need you to call a twin, whichever one answers first. Tell them they're consulting for the FBI as of ten minutes ago. The prison records need to be updated. Peter can't know that I haven't been here for five years."
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Lexus stood outside the prison walls. She acted like it was the first time in six years.
"Let me see it," Peter said like he did with Neal all those years ago. He couldn't believe he was putting himself through this again. There wasn't a need for him to say that with Lexus wearing shorts, but the words had come out so she played along and modeled the ankle monitor while Peter faced palmed his forehead. He gestured for her to get in the car. As the car started moving, Peter couldn't stop himself from asking...
"How did you stay off the grid for so long? You didn't exist until almost five months after I took Neal's case."
"I'm sorry, Peter. It's classified. Not even the government contacts I vaguely mentioned are allowed to know that," Lexus answered.
She said 'classified' Peter thought. Who is this woman and why has she only existed for ten years?
They were silent for the rest of the car ride so Lexus read the case file. Neal's name was attached to it via post-it note.
"How was Neal connected to this case? You've got a dead body in downtown Manhattan, he doesn't own any form of art, and I'm not seeing anything that would connect him to this man," she pointed out.
"He was a P.I. investigating Neal before his first arrest. His case files are at his office waiting for a warrant."
"And this is why you needed me out of prison?"
"Aside from myself and Mozzie, no one knows Neal better than you."
"Yeah, well. He walked out on me because I wouldn't leave him until he answered a question. Fast forward to six years ago and I wake up to you arresting me, remember."
"What was the question?"
"I wanted to know who my biological mother was. Vincent never wanted me to know for whatever reason, and Neal was the only other person who knew the answer. It's what got him the job and not the ten other people who applied for the same position in Adler's company. Later, I learned that Mozzie was teaching him details about the company that would impress Adler, but he chose to use my trick. The people who worked there were too easy to manipulate, including Neal."
Peter couldn't believe that Neal was that easy after having worked with him. He knew the man in question and it seemed more like Neal was the one doing the manipulation.
"He wanted the job, so I gave him the best way to get it. I gave him codes he was supposed to be cracking. If he did manage to crack them, he would have tried to help me get out of there sooner, but he never did. And he did exactly what he was supposed to do. Fail. Neal was good at cracking codes, but not that good."
Peter pulled the car into the office parking structure. In Peter's assigned parking space was an Audi Spider. No one was parked beside it, making Peter take the empty space. It made for an amusingly annoying elevator ride to the twenty-first floor.
The two walked off the elevator and through the glass doors into the White Collar offices. Peter was still complaining about the parking space as they walked past the desk that was Neal's. There was a framed picture of him on top. Around the photo were things that Neal would like; expensive wines, recipes for meals from fancy restaurants. His ties hung from the side as did new ones. Most were professional, but there were a few in there as a joke.
"Your desk will be right next to Neal's," Peter said as they headed to his office. Just as the past Neal's neighboring desk, two men came out through Peter's door.
"Agent Burke," one man said, beginning the introductions. "I'm Shawn-"
"And I'm Matt," interrupted the other man.
"We've been assigned to work a joint op with you," Shawn continued. Lexus could tell he was irritated that Matt had interrupted him.
And now Peter's on to us she thought. She watched as Shawn left with Peter to have a more mature and private meeting. As soon as their backs were turned, Lexus made a quick glance around the room before slapping Matt's stomach.
"Op? Really, Matt? Op?"
"You should be hitting Shawn. He's the one who said it," Matt defended.
"Well he's not here for me to hit right now."
"He's probably in there telling Peter that we're CIA, alright. Since we aren't technically supposed to be operating on US soil, having a joint op is what we came up with. And your cases are waiting for you to work them."
"I can't work my Company cases while I'm attached to a tracking anklet, Matt. And the FBI doesn't have the computer clearance I need to work on them," Lexus whispered. "Peter can't know about me. I was his biggest arrest after Neal. He can't know That 'Lexus Adler' is an alias. Not yet."
"What do you need?"
"I need a twenty-eight year old bio on her. On the way here, Peter asked why I didn't seem to exist until ten years ago. I'd do it myself but, again, I need a computer with a higher clearance and the FBI doesn't have that."
Matt nodded and went to work with his smartphone, making notes to extend the bio.
"Thanks big bro," she said as Peter came out and gave both of them the look and pointed.
"That's what the super twins are here for," Matt answered.
Lexus laughed before saying, "You're the only ones who ever call you that. Everyone else just thinks you're insane."