After the Fall
Chapter 2
Journal of James Beckett
Dearest Johanna,
Katie and Rick are in the same room now, and it seems to be good for both of them. Rick was joking about Katie putting an end to the second coming of Caleb Brown. That made no sense to me until the kids explained that Brown had faked his death, which was how he got the drop on them. There was a whole tale behind it of a separation. Katie walked out because she thought she was protecting Rick. Then they had a fake separation because they couldn't stand being apart. Finally, they let everyone know they were back together. They would have been laughing about Detective Esposito's reaction to being fooled, except that it hurt them both to laugh. Apparently, Esposito insisted that he'd known all along and was just supporting Katie in whatever her gambit was. Rick and Katie didn't buy it, and neither did Detective Ryan.
Katie is going to be out of action for a while, most likely a couple of months at least. That brings into question whether she will hold on to the captaincy of the 12th. From what I've been told, there are others in line to take it. Or it is possible that Victoria Gates, you remember that she was the previous captain, might return temporarily. Katie isn't even sure she wants to run a precinct anymore. There was too much paperwork, and as hard as she tried to get out in the field, she couldn't be there often enough. Our daughter has always bored easily. There are other possibilities. Police captains do more than head up precincts, but whatever she does, she will have to get well first, as will Rick.
Alexis says she wants to stay with them when they are released from the hospital, which makes sense. The woman from Rick's P.I. office that I mentioned before, Hayley Shipton, can take over in Alexis' and Rick's absence. Both Alexis and Rick have faith in her. There is apparently some history there that is all mixed up with the CIA story. The kids haven't filled me in on it yet. Kate seems to think some of it should be classified, but she's not sure what, so she is just going to let it lie. I wouldn't be surprised if some details of it eventually surface disguised in one of Rick's books. I have no doubt it would make a fascinating story.
I won't be returning to London. I canceled the rest of my seminars. I want to be in New York while Katie heals. It may be just as well. I could be picking up another class action suit. Victor Baron ran a scam. He offered a series of get-rich-quick real estate seminars and called it Baron University. Needless to say, no one except Baron was getting rich and a lot of hard-working people who couldn't afford it shelled out a lot of money for worthless promises. If I take the case, I'll be suing on their behalf. It will be a tough road. Baron, or at least his surrogates, are in court almost as often as a bailiff. He always files counter-suits, even if he rarely wins them. You know what that means - a lot of nuisance litigation. Where Baron is concerned it will also be very high profile and you know I've never been crazy about being in the spotlight. That was always more your domain. But I think your sense of fairness was contagious, and Baron's victims genuinely need recompense, so I'm inclined to take the bastard on.
I've managed to get myself and my things back to my apartment. I sleep and shower there and I'm spending enough time at the office to check in, but I'm still at the hospital most of the day. Katie has been steadily getting better, as has Rick, but there is still a chance of relapse, and she is still on intravenous antibiotics. They're both on some heavy pain medications too, which can make conversations with them interesting.
I saw a tall man with white hair look in on them for a minute or two. Katie told me that he was someone they had worked with on a case, but if I interpreted the situation right, there's a lot more to the story than that. He and Martha exchanged very strange looks. It's ironic, considering how garrulous Rick is, but I believe the Castle family has secrets about which I have no idea. Perhaps as time passes, that will change.
I think I'll be leaving the hospital again soon, Katie and Rick need a lot of rest and I don't want to keep them from getting it. I also want to attend a meeting. I found a good group in London, but it's been almost two weeks since I attended a session there and I haven't been to one at all since I returned to New York. There are some people I'm looking forward to catching up with, and I could really use a sit-down with my sponsor - my earthly one.
I've told you about him before, Harry B. He's a lawyer too, although before he became a friend of Bill, he almost got himself disbarred. He lost his wife - not the way I lost you - she's still alive. He just broke too many promises, and she was sure that if she stayed with him, he'd go right on breaking them. So, she left. He believes it was the right thing for her to do because it left him without anyone to cover or make excuses for him. He had to do what it took to get his life together. They have no children, so that wasn't an issue, but she has remarried, so a reconciliation is off the table. We talk shop and about coping with loneliness without diving back into a bottle. Of course, I have Katie, but Harry is volunteering at a half-way house and has people to care about who need him. Being needed makes all the difference. That's another reason I want to take on Victor Baron. I'll have to be on top of my game, which means staying sober.
We had a good meeting tonight. On the way there, I stopped at a coffee store Rick recommended and picked up his special blend to share with the others. The man has taste. I would suppose that's self-evident since he married Katie, but he really knows his way around a brew that's even good strong and black. I told Harry all about what happened with Katie and how much I wanted a drink on the plane. It was good to pour it out to someone who understood. We prayed together a little for Katie and Rick's recovery. He had some good news. He's seeing someone. She's not an addict, except of chocolate, but her father was an alcoholic and fought with everything he had to stay sober for her and her mother. She respects what Harry's accomplished and understands the struggle he still faces every day. It sounds like she'll be good for him. I'm going to grab some sleep now. In the morning I'll call the office and tell Tricia, my new paralegal, to proceed with putting the paperwork together to get the case against Baron rolling. I'm going to enjoy telling Katie about it. She has fully inherited your thirst for justice, and I know she'll love the thought of him having to pay for what he did. It will appeal to Rick, too.
Forever love,
J.B.