The Con Man
Chapter Ten: The Message
'When is Aunt Andi getting up?', say's Jakole to her Uncle Mozzie as they exit the apartment heading back out to where everyone is. 'She'll be up when she's ready.', say's Mozzie to the little girl. But what the little girl doesn't know is that she's already awake, has been since they first came in 5mins ago. She smiles to herself & opens her eyes. 'Neal.', she say's out loud & soon her husband is at her side. 'Good morning.', he say's to her, she stares into his beautiful blue eye's &wonder's how she was ever so lucky to land a dream like him. 'Good morning.', she say's back to him. He lower's himself & she reaches up to grab his head in her hands & he presses his lips up against her's. Pulling back Andi sits up & reaches for him again pulling him into her arms, 'Last night was amazing.', she whispers in his ear. Whispering back to her he say's, 'That's just the beginning.' 'Aunt Andi! Uncle Neal!', they hear all of a sudden, they turn around to see the little girl come running towards them. Neal scoops her up just before she flies onto the bed. 'Your finally up.', say's Jakole with a smile on her face. 'Good morning baby girl, how did you sleep last night?', she asks reaching for the little girl. 'Great, Uncle Mozzie read me a bed time story. Are you hungry?', she adds. 'Starving.', say's Andi. 'Let's leave Aunt Andi to get ready okay Jakole?', say's Neal reaching for the little girl. 'Okay.', she say's grabbing for his neck.
Going into the bathroom Andi splashes water on her face. She stares at the reflection in the mirror & for the first time in months she's happy. No more running, no more hiding, just finally living the life she's always wanted with the man she's always wanted. She opens the door & enters the apartment, she hears the voices of her loved ones & again smiles. 'Jacob, slow down. Andi hasn't eaten yet.', she hears her sister say & she chuckles just before stepping out onto the patio. 'Good morning everyone.', she say's. 'Morning, there's a few more pancakes left.', say's Trina putting a plate together for her sister. 'Thanks, but he's fine, if he's hungry let him eat.' 'No because June has already made fifty pancakes, he needs to stop. Jacob!', say's Trina to her husband. 'What? Andi said it was okay.' 'I don't care, stop. Here Andi.', say's Trina handing the finished plate to her sister. 'Thanks.', she say's taking it from her hand. Neal stands up to make room for his wife at the table. 'Your fine hun, you don't have to move.', say's Andi to him. 'No that's okay I already ate.', say's Neal. She sits down & begins to eat her breakfast. After the table had been cleared & Andi was ready they all sat in Andi &Neal's apartment talking. 'What's everyone doing today?', asked Andi. 'Neal said we'd go and talk to Peter about me doing a ride along.', say's Jacob first. 'Sounds like fun.', say's Andi. 'Yeah I thought me, you, Jakole, and Mozzie would go see what Elizabeth is up to and maybe go out for a day of shopping.', say's Trina. 'What about you honey?', asks Andi looking over at Neal. 'Oh, I have to work. I thought I'd be able to drop Jacob off but while you were getting ready Peter called and said I had to work today, sorry.', he say's. 'That's okay.', she say's squeezing his hand.
'Now Jacob, you gotta watch how you speak in here. It was okay for you to talk like that last night with Peter because we where at the reception but.' 'I know, I know, Trina already gave me this talk, twice. I know how to act okay, be cool.', say's Jacob cutting him off. 'Okay.', say's Neal as they enter the 21st floor. 'Hey Jones.', say's Neal as they walk closer. 'Caffrey, Hey Jacob, how's it going?' 'Pretty good. Going to talk to Peter.' 'He's in his office.', say's Jones. 'Thanks.', say's Jacob as they head up the stairs. 'Good morning Neal, hi Jacob.', say's Peter as they enter his office. 'Morning.' 'So you here about the ride along?', asks Peter looking at Jacob. 'Yep.', he say's. 'Okay, well I've got you all set up to run with FDNY.The chief will be here soon.', say's Peter. 'Awesome, thanks!', say's Jacob. 'Not a problem.', replies Peter.
'This is nice.', say's Elizabeth as they sit down to lunch in Central Park. 'Thanks for coming along.', say's Trina. 'Of course, business is kind of slow right now, besides, I couldn't pass up the chance to spend the day with you all.' They watch as Mozzie & Jakole play tag from a safe distance. 'When are you going back?', asks Elizabeth. 'Thursday.', say's Trina. 'Only three day's?', say's Elizabeth in shock. 'Yeah, couldn't get that much more time off.', say's Trina. 'Here we go.', say's Andi returning to the picnic area. 'Thanks.', say's Trina as she takes a bottle of water from the pile that Andi has just brought. 'Jakole!', she yells. 'Yes Mommy!' 'Come here, it's time to eat!' 'But Mom!' 'No! You and Uncle Mozzie can play after lunch!' 'Alright!', say's Jakole and they run towards them. After they were done eating Mozzie & Jakole went back to playing their game. 'Where to next?', asks Andi. 'We should probably head back to the apartment, Jakole needs a nap.', say's Trina. 'Really?', asks Andi. 'Yeah, we've hit a lot of places, let's save some, we still have two day's left.', she say's. 'Alright.', say's Andi.
That night after everyone was asleep & Andi & Neal lay in bed they heard a knock at the door. 'Wonder who that could be?', asks Neal getting up. Opening the door he found it odd that it was June. 'Hi June, everything okay?' 'Yes, fine dear, this was just left for you at the front door.', she say's handing the envelope to him. 'Who gave this to you?' 'No one, I opened the door and there it was.', she say's. 'Okay, thank you, good night June.', say's Neal. 'Good night.', she say's backing out of the door way as Neal closes the door. He goes into his bedroom where Andi is reading a book. 'What's that?', asks Andi seeing the envelope in Neal's hand from the corner of her eye. 'Not sure.', he say's opening it. He takes the piece of paper out & begins to read. Than he looks over at Andi. She set's her book down & takes the piece of paper from his hand & read's,
Neal,
You think you've won, you think you have this picture perfect life, but you don't! She's nothing but trouble to you & we both know it. Stop trying to pretend that you can be something that we both know you never will be & that's the picture perfect husband. I know you, I know the real you, she doesn't. You've chosen to take her side, so be it. But I swear to you, this won't be the last you hear from me.
Alex
Just than Neal's phone rang & he picked it up. 'Peter.', he say's into the receiver. 'Okay, thanks, bye.', he say's. 'Neal, why didn't you tell him about the letter?', asks Andi. He doesn't respond at first but than after a few minutes he takes a deep breath & goes, 'She's escaped.'
Going into the bathroom Andi splashes water on her face. She stares at the reflection in the mirror & for the first time in months she's happy. No more running, no more hiding, just finally living the life she's always wanted with the man she's always wanted. She opens the door & enters the apartment, she hears the voices of her loved ones & again smiles. 'Jacob, slow down. Andi hasn't eaten yet.', she hears her sister say & she chuckles just before stepping out onto the patio. 'Good morning everyone.', she say's. 'Morning, there's a few more pancakes left.', say's Trina putting a plate together for her sister. 'Thanks, but he's fine, if he's hungry let him eat.' 'No because June has already made fifty pancakes, he needs to stop. Jacob!', say's Trina to her husband. 'What? Andi said it was okay.' 'I don't care, stop. Here Andi.', say's Trina handing the finished plate to her sister. 'Thanks.', she say's taking it from her hand. Neal stands up to make room for his wife at the table. 'Your fine hun, you don't have to move.', say's Andi to him. 'No that's okay I already ate.', say's Neal. She sits down & begins to eat her breakfast. After the table had been cleared & Andi was ready they all sat in Andi &Neal's apartment talking. 'What's everyone doing today?', asked Andi. 'Neal said we'd go and talk to Peter about me doing a ride along.', say's Jacob first. 'Sounds like fun.', say's Andi. 'Yeah I thought me, you, Jakole, and Mozzie would go see what Elizabeth is up to and maybe go out for a day of shopping.', say's Trina. 'What about you honey?', asks Andi looking over at Neal. 'Oh, I have to work. I thought I'd be able to drop Jacob off but while you were getting ready Peter called and said I had to work today, sorry.', he say's. 'That's okay.', she say's squeezing his hand.
'Now Jacob, you gotta watch how you speak in here. It was okay for you to talk like that last night with Peter because we where at the reception but.' 'I know, I know, Trina already gave me this talk, twice. I know how to act okay, be cool.', say's Jacob cutting him off. 'Okay.', say's Neal as they enter the 21st floor. 'Hey Jones.', say's Neal as they walk closer. 'Caffrey, Hey Jacob, how's it going?' 'Pretty good. Going to talk to Peter.' 'He's in his office.', say's Jones. 'Thanks.', say's Jacob as they head up the stairs. 'Good morning Neal, hi Jacob.', say's Peter as they enter his office. 'Morning.' 'So you here about the ride along?', asks Peter looking at Jacob. 'Yep.', he say's. 'Okay, well I've got you all set up to run with FDNY.The chief will be here soon.', say's Peter. 'Awesome, thanks!', say's Jacob. 'Not a problem.', replies Peter.
'This is nice.', say's Elizabeth as they sit down to lunch in Central Park. 'Thanks for coming along.', say's Trina. 'Of course, business is kind of slow right now, besides, I couldn't pass up the chance to spend the day with you all.' They watch as Mozzie & Jakole play tag from a safe distance. 'When are you going back?', asks Elizabeth. 'Thursday.', say's Trina. 'Only three day's?', say's Elizabeth in shock. 'Yeah, couldn't get that much more time off.', say's Trina. 'Here we go.', say's Andi returning to the picnic area. 'Thanks.', say's Trina as she takes a bottle of water from the pile that Andi has just brought. 'Jakole!', she yells. 'Yes Mommy!' 'Come here, it's time to eat!' 'But Mom!' 'No! You and Uncle Mozzie can play after lunch!' 'Alright!', say's Jakole and they run towards them. After they were done eating Mozzie & Jakole went back to playing their game. 'Where to next?', asks Andi. 'We should probably head back to the apartment, Jakole needs a nap.', say's Trina. 'Really?', asks Andi. 'Yeah, we've hit a lot of places, let's save some, we still have two day's left.', she say's. 'Alright.', say's Andi.
That night after everyone was asleep & Andi & Neal lay in bed they heard a knock at the door. 'Wonder who that could be?', asks Neal getting up. Opening the door he found it odd that it was June. 'Hi June, everything okay?' 'Yes, fine dear, this was just left for you at the front door.', she say's handing the envelope to him. 'Who gave this to you?' 'No one, I opened the door and there it was.', she say's. 'Okay, thank you, good night June.', say's Neal. 'Good night.', she say's backing out of the door way as Neal closes the door. He goes into his bedroom where Andi is reading a book. 'What's that?', asks Andi seeing the envelope in Neal's hand from the corner of her eye. 'Not sure.', he say's opening it. He takes the piece of paper out & begins to read. Than he looks over at Andi. She set's her book down & takes the piece of paper from his hand & read's,
Neal,
You think you've won, you think you have this picture perfect life, but you don't! She's nothing but trouble to you & we both know it. Stop trying to pretend that you can be something that we both know you never will be & that's the picture perfect husband. I know you, I know the real you, she doesn't. You've chosen to take her side, so be it. But I swear to you, this won't be the last you hear from me.
Alex
Just than Neal's phone rang & he picked it up. 'Peter.', he say's into the receiver. 'Okay, thanks, bye.', he say's. 'Neal, why didn't you tell him about the letter?', asks Andi. He doesn't respond at first but than after a few minutes he takes a deep breath & goes, 'She's escaped.'