Cons within Cons

In Nocturne in Black and Gold, the White Collar team devised the U-boat con to take down Adler and Azathoth. Lurking under the surface are at least five other cons, any one of which could potentially torpedo an already elaborate scam.

Warning for minor spoilers for the Caffrey Conversation series

The Braque con: Neal has been concealing his knowledge of Violin and Candlestick since The Mirror. As of Chapter 18, Henry and Mozzie are the only other ones who know that Neal stole the painting.

The Mata Hari con: Rolf and Klaus have embedded Bianka into Neal's art world at Columbia University in a ploy to control him. Mozzie extols the ability of women to be Mata Haris. No one suspects there's one occupying the art studio next to Neal.

The Matchmaker cons: These are the lighthearted cons. The matchmakers of the Arkham Round Table are attempting to create romantic sparks between New York Neal and Sara through romantic subplots for their fictional counterparts in the Arkham Files stories. Hidden inside their con is a sneaky second one—the secret conspiracy between Henry and El.

The Clueless con: To thwart the matchmakers, Neal and Sara created the Clueless con. But are they conning themselves as well as their friends? As they cautiously venture out of the friend zone, they adopt many of the strategies first invented for the Arkham Files characters. Neal and Sara are both saddled with issues from past misfires. Slipping into the world of their Arkham counterparts or their fake love interests, Matthew and Alicia, helps reduce the pressure. Sara suggested using the board game Clue as part of their strategy. Their avatars are Professor Plum and Miss Scarlet. They quickly adopt their characters' colors as their own.

Henry's strategy to persuade Neal to tell Peter about the Braque painting could also be considered a con. Are there any others left to reveal? Oh, maybe just a couple. I'll discuss Mozzie's cons in my next post.

Nocturne in Black and Gold on Archive of Our Own
Nocturne in Black and Gold on FanFiction