Kate and Alex were looking at the cheap knock off goods which were scattered in colorful stall all along the wide boulevard. Kate was looking for the address of the store which Jamal worked.
Alex was looking everywhere looking for any hidden danger but not watching where he was going trip over the curb on the edge of the street. Alex twisted himself like the expert gymnast he was and did a complete flip and for a bit of panache an axial included. As he landed on his feet he was expecting applause but all he saw was the video cameras which just witnessed his prowess. Kate oblivious to what took place behind her had located the store.
The boys had just arrived with the signed search warrant. Using bolt cutters the lock was made short work. The place was trashed. Alex noticed everyone of the same handbag was slashed the same way as the second victims. Alex while looking around noticed the symbol on the floor. He knew that symbol quite well he remembered seeing it in the room where the professor was staying in Haiti. It was the symbol of death. The death Mark was nothing but pure terror in the mind of a practitioner of Vudon.
The owner of this store was marked for death.
Alex was heading across the street to confiscate the camera's and the video of his feat too. When he noticed it had a direct view of the store across the street, Going back to Kate and the boys where he got Kate's attention.
Alex thought Kate can be a bit single minded at times. Hmmm, that reminds me of the Old Man he too was very single minded. However, Alex banished that thought immediately however, there was a nagging doubt one he really could not dismiss. In his line of work, doubts were the difference between living or dying. One never discounted doubts!
"Er Beckett?" Alex stammered.
"What is is Castle?", Kate said in a very tire and angry tone, The search of the store was a bust.
Alex pointed across the street to the electronic store,
"They might be able to have the answers you need over there."
Kate following Alex's lead marched across to the electronic store.
Alex was showing off and said, "I am really ruggedly handsome" as he look at himself in the monitor hooked to the camera pointed directly at the store across the street.
Kate rolled her eyes and marched into the store and found the store owner.
The owner was extremely cooperative but was unable to comply with Kate's request.
The owner said he had sold that camera yesterday. However, he could provide a picture of the man who purchased it.
Armed with this knowledge they returned to the precinct. Charles Onny had been detained at JFK and was now in the interrogation room.
Kate took the lead asked, "where were you going?"
Charles replied, "I was going to visit my sick mother in Nigeria.
Alex said, "It must be nice to go visit your mother something Jamal would never be able to do"
Kate pulled out the crime scene photos of both victims and laid them on the table before Charles.
Kate said, "We can tie you to both murders."
Charles answered, "I have not killed anyone."
Kate responded , "Why were you looking for Jamal? What is in the purse? What were you smuggling Mr Onney?" You scare a lot of people Mr Onney Illegals, Immigrants but who scares you? As she placed down the picture of the man in the electronic store.
Charles said," I do not know this man."
Alex said, " He knows you and has marked you for death."
Charles licked his lips and desperation was gleaming in his eyes. He then said, " I need protection can you give it do me?"
Kate said, "I can not give you protection unless you tell me from what."
Charles resignatively said, " His name is Mokuto Bura. The butcher of Benin. He was a child soldier very bad. He deals in women, drugs, smuggling, any thing which can earn him money. He is your murderer."
Kate leaving the interrogation room caught up the rest of the team on what she learned. Charles Onney was a counterfeiter and dealt in documents for the immigrants in the community. The bags were the way the documents were distributed. However, Jamal who worked in the front of the store did not know of the scam going on. So when the bags were all sold in the front he would retrieve the bags from the back of the store. Bags containing the forged documents to bring Bura brother from Nigeria to the USA to avoid being killed for drug trafficking.
Kate organized a raid on the whereabouts of this killer.
Kate asked Alex , " Castle, what is in the bag?"
Alex replied, "A Vest with the word Writer in block letters across it" Alex thought it is not that bad of protection either.
Kate said, " No you need to stay in the car."
Alex reply, " I did that and you remember what happened?"
Alex watch the group enter the abandoned building so he grabbed his vest to skulk along behind them only to have it ruined by him failing to turn off his cell phone.
The Phone announced his position with a DAD DAD DAD ring tone in Alexis's voice.
Alex cursing himself for making such a rookie mistake said to the assembled group, "I will take this outside"
Alex taking the call it was Meredith. Alex was confused why Meredith was using Alexis's phone to call him. While Alex was distracted, Bura drove by. Alex noted everything about this vehicle and the plate number. However, He had to be a flustered writer not the great super spy. So when the group came out when they heard him yelling he pretended to not remember anything.
Kate was visibly upset. While searching the location the camera was found.
Looking over the footage back at the precinct Alex noticed there were several transaction which were unaccounted . The last one was a woman with a yoga mat visible.
Kate asked Esposito who was manning the video console to zoom in on her hand. The hand was holding a cup from the java loft.
Alex using quick key strokes had the answer in a few minute. There was only one yoga studio nearby which could possibly be the one which this woman would have been previously to the purchase.
Taking a picture from the video Kate and Alex were in the yoga studio. The Yoga clerk recognized the person in the picture.
Kate said, "we need the name and address of this person."
The clerk offered that this was the second request from the police for this information.
Alex stiffened Bura must have been here first.
Kate and Alex rushed to the location given by the clerk.
Kate banged on the door," NYPD open up!"
Alex looked at her and asked," Could I get to kick it down?" Alex smirked because he knew he could do it very easily.
Kate looking at Alex said, " Not yet Kitten!"
The door opened and a visibly shaken Diana opened the door.
Alex barged passed the woman and asked, "Where is the bag?"
Kate finding the bag tore open the side to reveal the passport that Bura was looking for. Kate then opened her phone and called for backup.
Alex looking at the open door grabbed Kate and threw her on the floor as Bura opened up.
Alex dragged Kate behind the kitchen island.
Kate returned fire,
Bura then said " Give me the passport"
Kate responded with," Put Down Your Weapon Now!
Alex looked around to see what sort of weapon he could use to distract the shooter. Alex spied the wine cooler and the sparking wine in the bottle. Alex formulated an idea.
First Alex needed to know where the shooter was so he placed his cell phone and took a picture of him. Lowering the cell phone he showed Kate the picture where he was located.
Alex explained,"Kate you need to shoot while I distracts with the popping of the cork."
Kate executed the maneuver expertly.
Bura was down. The shooting had stopped.
Alex in the mood for celebrating took a swig from the opened bottle!
Kate said, "You did well in there Castle, you probably saved my life."
Alex smirked he was going to have fun with this one he thought.
Alex said," You owe me! So you have to do anything I want!"
Kate looked slightly uneasy and slightly turned on too thought what is this?
Alex continued, "You know exactly what I want!"
Alex slid his mouth to her ear and said,"Never, ever call me Kitten!"
Back at the loft, Alex was working on he post mission briefing he was going to send the that anonymous website. Alex was disturbed by his daughter,
Alexis asked,"Is it possibly to love someone but could not stand to live with them?"
Alex asked, " Are you talking about your mother?"
Alexis sheepishly said "Yes, she drives me crazy."
Alex chuckled and held his daughter in a hug and responded, " That is what mothers do"
Alex then heard Richard from the front room and ventured out continuing to hold Alexis close to see Meredith all bundled up and acting excited. Martha was there too looking very uncomfortable.
Meredith said, " Alexis sweety, my agent called today, there is a part for me in a small indy film. The down side I have postpone my move from LA. The producer needs me there tomorrow. I do hope you understand.
Alexis smiled weakly at her mother while her father had a arm around her and pulled her in close to his side.
Meredith leaned in close and whispered ,"Thanks" to Alex. "Next time top ten? Perhaps you could showoff your riding skills again?" Alex swallowed.
Alex remembered exactly what she meant. Hand Standing on the back of the Police Horse at full gallop in Central Park while drunk and naked! Plus the triple axial dismount when the police man caught the horse. Meredith was there for that event.
The Old Man was furious about that stunt. Alex remembered that assignment after that. The Old Man had a peculiar sense of humor. Me being the head zookeeper walking around a monkey cage looking for the special capsule that a particular monkey ate by mistake. That was not pleasant. Looking though monkey poo and of course getting to wear it too since the monkeys loved to have a new target. Martha wondered why I was taking so many showers that week! Thinking about stunts I need to get that video from the electronic store before anyone realizes what I did. I shudder to think what nasty surprise the Old Man would have for me it that ever got leaked out.
Alex then closed the door and looked satisfied.
Martha sensing an opening asked, "Richard, what did you do?"
Alexis chimed in, " Ok Dad spill it we know you had something to do with my mother's change of heart."
Alex looked sheepish and said," My business manager called and brought to my attention a small independent film company looking for capital. He said it was a great opportunity. So I followed his advice and had a video conference with the producer and I mentioned that my ex wife would be perfect for the role they were shooting. I gave them the idea that is all. The producers ran with it."
Both women in his life beamed at him with Joy.
Later an associate of Alex got the video from the electronic store and handed it off to Alex. Sam and Alex looked over the video
Sam said," it is worth the risk lets electronically remove your image and put a Clown suit on him!"
"Yes, It is worth the risk! And it would be funny too!" Alex chortled.
So the video was edited and sent anonymously to Yoou tube site. Plus it was emailed to Ryan since he loved these sorts of funny videos,
A couple of days later at the precinct. Everyone was crowded around Ryan's computer screen! Laughing, Kate wondering what had gotten into the boys and other detectives Plus Castle. She Had to see what they were laughing at.
Kate eyes widen when she saw herself walking confidently passed the camera followed by a guy in a clown suit! The Guy was doing all sorts of antics behind her back. As she walked on obvious to events happening behind her. Then she saw her standing in front of the door ordering the padlock to be snapped. The guy in the Clown suit now had tripped over his big feet and did a flip in mid air and landed on his feet! Then the clip ended. This clip was nearing the 30 million hit mark! Everyone clapped and razzed Kate of her exceptional investigative skills and one mindedness!
The Old Man was alerted to the video of a person he was interested in. He paused his busy day to watch that video. Having watched the video of his granddaughter his heart was melting then he saw the clown! He knew that walk! Alex! He had done it again!
