American TV Writer

Even though Neil was his best friend, Mozzie found it difficult to overlook his scummy behavior. After all, Alex was also his friend. However, Mozzie was too smart to get involved in the complicated romantic entanglements between them. Alex wasn't unaware of Neil's relationship with Kate. She knew how Neil, even while in prison, went to extreme lengths—like breaking out of jail—just to find Kate after she decided to break up with him and disappeared. But as soon as Kate went to the West Coast and Alex showed up, Neil, with his loose morals, couldn't wait to jump into bed with Alex.

Neil's habit of using his good looks to seduce women left Mozzie, a short, bald man who wore glasses, deeply resentful. So when it came to Neil's romantic escapades, Mozzie simply chose to turn a blind eye.

As for Mozzie's warning, Neil Caffrey, who had spent the past few years dodging FBI agent Peter Burke all over the world, had plenty of strategies in place. Alex, on the other hand, needed more thorough instructions. Fortunately, Castle had thoughtfully prepared a getaway fund for both of them, with each receiving a ton of gold. This left both Neil and Alex feeling grateful and relieved. After all, having money in hand while on the run is always a comforting thought, isn't it?

Once Mozzie finished saying what needed to be said and took his leave, Neil and Alex simultaneously started packing their belongings. Neil even went downstairs to inform June, the woman who had rented him the attic in her mansion for a low price, that he would be leaving New York for a while. When June learned that Neil had finally received a special pardon from the Justice Department and was now a free man, she was genuinely happy for him. June, who owned a mansion in the heart of Manhattan, had been quite a character in her younger days, and her late husband had been involved in organized crime. This was why she had taken a liking to Neil, who reminded her of her late husband, and had rented the attic to him at the ridiculously low rate of $700 a month.

After assuring June that he would return soon and receiving her promise to keep the attic available for him, Neil said goodbye to the kind-hearted woman and went upstairs to bid farewell to Alex, who had already packed her things and planned to leave New York that night. Neil, however, wasn't in such a rush. Since the FBI was likely watching his every move, he decided that the best time to make his move would be the next day, under the pretense of flying to the West Coast to reunite with Kate. After all, now that he was free, going to see his girlfriend was perfectly reasonable, right?

Unfortunately, the dashing Neil Caffrey had no idea that life can be unpredictable, and surprises can always come sooner than expected...

The next morning, New York City was graced with a rare sunny day in the middle of winter. Neil awoke in a great mood, relishing his first day of freedom. Without the cursed tracking anklet, he no longer felt like a caged animal confined to a two-mile radius centered around Times Square. Finally, he was a free man.

While lying in bed, savoring the moment, Neil was surprised to receive a call from Peter Burke, his former FBI handler. Peter informed him that a package addressed to Neil had arrived at the FBI's New York office, and that Neil needed to pick it up himself. Since yesterday, Peter had been busy after Vincent was taken out by an unknown sniper at the warehouse, followed by an anonymous tip-off that led the FBI to discover Vincent had been hiding in Congressman Gavin's Long Island estate. Given how swamped Peter had been with these events, the package could only be collected by Neil himself at the FBI's office.

Neil didn't think much of Peter's request. After all, Peter had managed to clear Neil of suspicion even when he was a prime suspect. Now, with Vincent's demise and Castle leading the FBI toward a bigger target, there was no reason for Peter to lure him into a trap. So, Peter was likely telling the truth about the package. Since Neil had already packed his bags and planned to fly to the West Coast in the afternoon, he figured he might as well swing by the FBI office to say his goodbyes. After all, he had worked there for quite some time, and though Castle's machinations had played a significant role in securing his freedom, Neil had also deceived the FBI. It seemed only fitting to make a brief visit.

Arriving at the FBI office in New York, Neil collected his package but didn't see Peter, nor his two assistants, Jones and Diana. They were all busy investigating the connection between Vincent and Congressman Gavin. The entire FBI, along with the Justice Department, was outraged by Vincent's assassination right in front of them. Misled by Castle, they were now convinced that the missing submarine treasure might have been taken by the audacious congressman who dared to collaborate with a federal fugitive. This led to everyone in Peter's white-collar crime unit being fully occupied with the case, leaving no one available to organize a farewell for their former consultant, Neil Caffrey.

Feeling slightly embarrassed, Neil left the office with his package, a place he had both loved and hated. Despite being a conman, Neil had grown to enjoy the experience of working alongside the FBI, finding it surprisingly rewarding to transition from a mouse to a cat, chasing down other mice. Shaking his head to dismiss such absurd thoughts, Neil took one last look at the office before walking away without looking back.

Standing on the street by Times Square, Neil was curious about who had sent him the package. The return address indicated it was from Rhode Island. Upon opening it, he discovered that it contained a box of very old videotapes.

The sight of the tapes piqued Neil's interest, given that such tapes were now practically extinct. With nothing better to do, Neil decided to call Mozzie, who might be the only person able to quickly find a VCR to play them.

Mozzie, who was busy packing up his small hideout in Brooklyn, was intrigued when he heard about the strange package Neil had received. With Neil no longer restricted by the tracking anklet, Mozzie didn't have to trek all the way to Manhattan this time. He suggested that Neil bring the tapes over to his place, where he would prepare the necessary equipment.

Neil, still standing on the street by Times Square, eagerly agreed. He had been feeling cooped up, and even though he had been out of prison for a while, the FBI had kept him confined within a two-mile radius of Manhattan. It had been years since he'd last seen the Brooklyn Bridge, and now he felt a strong urge to visit it.

Neither of them knew that the videotapes concerning Neil Caffrey's origins would bring anything but joy. Instead, they would reveal a heavy truth, one that would directly derail Neil's plans to leave New York, reunite with Kate on the West Coast, and then head to the Bahamas. Moreover, it would drag Castle, who was blissfully unaware of the situation, into the chaos.

Unbeknownst to all this, Castle was currently lounging in the precinct's lobby, shooting the breeze with Esposito. After a night of passion with his beloved long-legged lady, Castle had arrived at the precinct with her this morning. Beckett had initially wanted to enter separately, but Castle had simply asked, "Does anyone in the precinct not already know about us?" She couldn't argue with that. Castle's reputation had grown to the point where some were calling him the "Commissioner's spouse," and trying to hide their relationship was becoming pointless.

Besides, Beckett was now the precinct's boss, and with Castle officially tasked by the NYPD Commissioner to boost the department's public image, there was no need to worry about the so-called office romance. Having resolved these thoughts, Beckett allowed Castle to follow her into the precinct.

But once inside, Beckett had little time to relax. As the precinct's captain, she had a mountain of paperwork to deal with, leaving Castle to be entertained by her subordinates until she could join him later.

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