Two month later Neal entered the visitor's room of the Supermax. Calmly he took the earpiece from its bracket. Keller grinned triumphantly from the other side of the glass. "I knew you couldn't resist."

"Don't flatter yourself. I could easily do without seeing you again. And I know that you know nothing about Kate, despite your message which suggested otherwise. You told me so yourself."

"I might have lied back then."

"Or you lie now. Your word isn't worth shit either way."

"If you didn't believe me, why did you come nevertheless?"

Neal paused for a moment to sort out the right words in his mind.

"Call it idle curiosity. I've never seen this room from this perspective."

"Nice view?"

"At least a better one."

Keller sighed. Then, obviously making a decision, he leaned forward and asked: "How did you do it? I mean, I got how you managed to hide all those messages in your work. I really cursed when my lawyer informed me about all that evidence against me. But how did you know where I held you? How did you know when to put the origami in my pocket? You couldn't know that I would get arrested that day."

Neal smiled. "Your arrogance was a big help, like always."

"I don't understand.…"

"The nice little dinner you served me. It was your dinner of doom; it gave me everything I needed."

"Yes, you got the lemon that way, but I was careful to hide all signs from the takeout service."

"But you couldn't hide the meal itself. The Giselle always prepares the meal in a specific manner. For example, two half lemon slices on the sole, in a trademark position relative to each other. Your steak was characteristic, too."

Keller snorted. "I should have known. And the origami?"

"Lucky guess. Peter knows that I'm especially fond of this particular Matisse in the Met. I'd hoped that he had set up a sting."

Keller snorted. "So he knows the habits of his pet convict, does he?"

Those words, designed to hurt Neal, brought a smile on his face. "Yes, I guess he does. If that's everything …."

"I heard they didn't count the time spent in captivity for your sentences."

"No, they didn't. But Peter says that he's trying to arrange a hearing with a parole board when my three years are over."

"Look at that. The great Neal Caffrey, tamed by a Fed. How far the mighty have fallen!"

"I'm not the one who'll spend the next decade behind bars. Unlike you, I can walk out of here anytime."

Demonstratively, Neal put the earpiece back in its place and left his chair. Waving mockingly good-bye to Keller, he left the room. At the door he turned around to a seething Keller one last time and mouthed a single word to him.

"Checkmate!"

A/N: So, that was it. Last chapter, last opportunity to thank my beta mam711, who really deserves all the praise possible, because she didn't just proofread, she also shared a lot of suggestions and helped to iron out some bumps along the way. I'll now take a break from writing for the White Collar Fandome, at least until the second half of the season is through. (Naturally I'll not stop posting the parts of ConText until christmas, but those are already written). I would be really happy if you now that you read the whole story drop me a line - what did you like, what not, where can I do better next time, what is you favourite part, did I do good concerning the characters, this kind of things. I hope you had as much fun as I with this story.