Raquel LaRoque

In writing The Mirror, I drew inspiration from the White Collar season three episode "On the Fence" which also featured Ancient Egyptian artifacts. A key character in that episode was Raquel LaRoque, played by Eliza Dushku, and I've included her in my story as well.

In the canon episode, Raquel was an Egyptologist who was fencing a stolen scarab for Matthew Keller. Very little is known about her past. Neal had heard of her but hadn't met her. In our series, Raquel's backstory has been expanded. Although she grew up in the States, she's lived abroad for the past several years and has made Venice her home base. She's even acquired a slight Italian accent. Raquel has a doctorate in Egyptology but has found marketing reproductions of ancient jewelry to be much more lucrative. She also has an extensive collection of Egyptian artifacts of dubious provenance.

Raquel reminds me of an Oriental cat—sleek and sophisticated. She's a flirt who can purr on your lap one minute and slash you with her claws the next. In his interactions with her, Neal calls upon a personality that he hasn't used very often in Caffrey Conversation: the debonair European playboy. It's a role he excels at, both in the TV show and in our series.

The TV series disclosed in its flashback episode "Forging Bonds" that Neal acquired a veneer of sophistication through his association with Vincent Adler, but it made only passing reference to his experiences in Europe. In our series, we're filling in some of those gaps. Neal had two mentors in Europe: Matthew Keller and Klaus Mansfeld, with Klaus playing by far the larger role. Mansfeld was an expert both in art and the art of the heist. He schooled Neal in art forgery and counterfeiting while his wife Chantal taught him the art of safecracking. Raquel, who was a friend and business associate of Mansfeld's, also played a role in Neal's training. Neal found her captivating, and it's no wonder he's eager to renew his acquaintance with her.

I chose the Morgan Library for the setting of their reunion in New York. The library with its Italian Renaissance architecture and appointments is well suited for someone of Raquel's sophistication. It has an extensive manuscript collection that includes some Egyptian papyrus manuscripts.

Both Neal and Raquel appreciate Egyptian love poetry. It's exotic and sensually romantic, lending itself well to their flirtation. In Chapter 6 of The Mirror, they quote from a poem that was found on a papyrus fragment. It's been called "The Flower Song" because of its first line. You can find it and other examples of Egyptian love poetry on Love-Poetry-of-the-World.com.

The Morgan Library and Museum website
More about the Morgan Library

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