Magic: Chapter 1
A/N: Set Season 4, just after Linchpin. No more summary than that - I hope you follow me down the rabbit hole.
DISCLAIMER: None of these characters are mine, but they are memorable. Thank you Mr. Marlowe.
February 22, 2012 at the Old Haunt
Rick and Kate sit in the 'assigned' booth toward the back of the Old Haunt. Kevin and Javi are there also along with a few other detectives and patrol officers. Lanie is in the women's restroom for about the third time tonight. He's closed the old pub, with a sign hanging outside that simply says "Private Party Tonight … Join us Tomorrow." They are celebrating tonight.
The case is over, and to say that a real catastrophe has been averted is no exaggeration. This one is right out of an espionage novel that even Richard Castle could not write.
For her part – Kate didn't like Sophia Turner, and it had little to do with her turning out to be a traitor. It went far more personal than that.
Sophia gave her a glimpse of a real woman - not some bimbo - with real intellect and real beauty who could have a relationship with Richard Castle. A woman, drop dead gorgeous, with depth, and wit, and charm and a brain. The bimbos? She abhors them. The intelligent ones? No, those she fears.
Her secret fear is not just that Castle will find out about her lie, which grows older, spreading deeper roots with every passing day, but he will find one of these intelligent ones.
For his part – Sophia is a reminder to Richard Castle that boy, he sure can pick em! Meredith, Gina, Sophia – all gorgeous women, all very intelligent, and all very ruthless in their own way – and he never sees it coming until it is too late. He glances over at Kate who sits next to him – her eyes a bit glassier due to the celebratory drinks tonight, her speech a little slurred.
Is he kidding himself again? Is he missing it again? Is Kate Beckett just another in the long line of beautiful, intelligent and highly selfish and ultimately ruthless women that he falls for again and again, never seeing the truth until it is far too late?
He takes a long swallow of the sweet spiced rum and coke in front of him, and slams the glass down probably just a little too loudly, drawing a look from her. A glance at his watch, and he decides the night is done. It's just after midnight, and the days have been long.
It is his club after all and even though in reality, the night is still young, he knows when enough is enough for everyone, and they've hit that wall. He gives a silent signal to their waiter. Minutes later, Russ, his head bartender is now shouting above the den that it's closing time. The music dies down, the lights turn up, as Castle and his friends gather their belongings.
They walk out into the cold February air, and this late at night the air is cold and biting. Everyone has had a lot to drink. Kate is holding on a little closer, a little tighter than usual. He tries not to enjoy this too much, but he fails miserably. He loves the smell of her hair as it nestles close to his nostrils. He loves the electric touch of her fingers as they bite into his arm.
A street magician is set up just outside the bar, offering his wares to the few people still passing by. It strikes Castle that it is very late – just after midnight now, and even though he's closed the Old Haunt early, it's still late for this guy to be out, isn't it?
Then he notices – the 'he' is actually a 'she'. Her face is painted white, much like a street mime – with heavy black eyeliner – yet she speaks easily enough.
"A card for you, sir – surely you have time for one card this evening?"
It's late, but he's in somewhat of a good mood. So he takes a card.
The magician turns to Kate now, offering a card to her.
"A card for the lady? Just one card?"
Beckett reaches for the card and as she grabs one, the young woman suddenly reshuffles the entire deck with impressive speed. For Kate, the cold air is waking her up, slapping the slur off of her quickly.
Esposito is hailing a cab for he and Lanie, while Kevin Ryan stands next to Castle, looking over his shoulder at the scene unfolding before him.
After shuffling, the magician smiles coyly, her back to her audience while she looks back over her shoulder.
"The writer takes the 'Father' card, and the detective takes the 'Murder' card."
Both Castle and Beckett sober up immediately, the effects of the hours of alcohol falling away off them like rain.
They've been through enough to know there are no coincidences – and anything that looks like a coincidence usually isn't good.
"How did you know I'm a writer?" he asks, reaching out to the young woman. "And how do you know Detective Beckett? Who are you?"
The magician spins away from his grasp, laughing. She suddenly hurls the remaining deck of cards into the air, and immediately an explosion of light and smoke blinds her audience as they stand along the curbside. When the smoke finally dissipates and their eyes readjust, it is Ryan – bending over and examining the cards still floating to the ground – who speaks first.
"Castle. Rick, you need to see this"
Rick bends over and notices the playing cards strung out across the sidewalk, alongside the curb and just a few feet into the street. Kate notices him visibly pale, and her attention is immediately drawn to one of the cards.
Alexis.
Each card has a picture of Alexis Castle. The same smiling picture of Castle's teenage daughter adorns each playing card.
And each card has a question printed under her picture.
"It's after 10pm . . . do you know where your child is?"
His heart skips as he fumbles with his phone, desperately trying to get it out of his coat pocket. His fingers don't seem to be working properly.
Kate – for her part – is now fully sober, in full cop mode, squatting next to Ryan, holding one of the cards in now trembling hands.
Finally, he extracts his phone from his inner coat pocket, and finds Alexis' picture and hits the button to dial.
One ring.
Two rings.
"Please, God, let her be there – let her be all right."
Three rings.
"Dad?"
His heart sinks, as he can hear the fear in her voice. No, it is something beyond fear. It's terror. And it breaks him, as he falls to his knees on the pavement.
"Pumpkin! Pumpkin where are you?"
The call disconnects.
That's when she notices it. A box – a gift-wrapped box, wrapped in bright metallic red wrapping paper, topped with a stringy white bow. She picks it up, and – sure enough - his name is on the gift card attached.
He sees her with the box, and struggles to get it unwrapped and open, before Ryan takes it from his trembling hands, and unwraps it for him.
The groan – it is a half cry, a half whimper – that escapes from Castle's lips is one that Kate and Ryan and Esposito nearby will never forget. His hands fumble with the long strands of red hair that fill the small box, with a small envelope. He opens the envelope to reveal a driver's license card.
Alexis.
His screams echo throughout the street, as his friends stand paralyzed, unable to move to comfort him.
Beckett's phone rings – she barely hears it over Castle's screams. She doesn't recognize the number but instinct tells her it is related. Of course it is . . .
"Beckett" she answers, only a hint of nerves showing through.
"Ah . . . Nikki. It is so nice to hear from you again."