Did you ever wonder how Neal Caffrey became an expert art forger and con artist at such a young age? Peter stewed over that question for a long time, but by the end of the canon series, there had only been a couple of brief references to Neal's life prior to his arrival in New York. We learned that Neal grew up in WITSEC and that he didn't graduate from high school. He once mentioned having hustled pool in St. Louis as a kid, and that's about it. In fact, the canon episodes reveal much more about Mozzie's childhood than Neal's. Luckily for me and readers of Caffrey Conversation, we're no longer in the dark. Penna has provided compelling accounts of those missing jigsaw pieces in her stories.
She's introduced us to Neal's relatives. She's provided glimpses into his life as a child and the abuse he suffered. In By the Book, Neal talked about his first forgeries and how an unscrupulous art teacher took advantage of him. In my stories, I've filled in a few extra details, explaining how Neal became interested in fencing and origami. I also sketched in his years overseas before he joined White Collar.
Those accounts have provided material we can continue to build on. The Shark of SoHo is one of many examples. In this story, Neal is able to use the lessons he learned as a teenager to help a struggling artist facing a similar crisis. The art of Georgia O'Keeffe is also featured in the story.
You may have noticed a similarity between the title and the canon episode "The Dentist of Detroit." That episode provided many details on Mozzie's early years. I've already drawn upon the accounts for Arkham Files in the story Time Crystals. The Dentist has yet to make an appearance in Caffrey Conversation. Has his time finally come?
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