Finding Her Hero

Chapter 4

Mellie was feeling like crap. She was tired and nauseous. Worse, she couldn't lift a weight she had easily pressed days before. She missed Sheila, but her body missed something else even more. She knew where to get it in New York. There were several suppliers in the city who'd fallen all over themselves to sell it to her. But she didn't know about New Jersey, and she wasn't sure who'd be safe to ask.

She regarded the other occupants of the gym. They were working hard, but most of them could have used more muscle mass. If they were getting the right boost, they'd have it. Her gaze shifted to a man at the heavy bag. The bulge of his biceps and the look in his eyes told her that he knew where to get what she needed. She'd just have to consider her approach.


Kyle smoothed the fabric of his Brooks Brother's suit. "So nice to see you again, Detective. Oh, and hello, Mr. Castle. What can I do for you?"

Kate handed him several action shots of Melody Mayfair in battle that Castle had captured from the web. Is this Sheila Rattinger's girlfriend?"

Kyle stared at the photographs. "Whoa! When she was here, she was wearing a lot more clothes. But yeah, that's her." He scanned the legend on one of the photos. 'Mel the Pelter,' huh? It fits. Did she kill Sheila?"

"Right now, Mr. Vettmer, all I know is that she was the last one to be seen with Sheila," Kate responded. "That means I need to talk to her. But thank you for confirming her identity."

"Sure, Detective. Anything else I can do, let me know."

"She'll be sure to do that," Castle interjected.

Castle awkwardly shut the car door as he settled into the passenger seat of Kate's unit. "He's still trying to hit on you."

"Castle, I don't understand why it bothers you so much. He's a potential witness in a case. Even if I were interested, I couldn't do anything about it. Any evidence I got from him would be suspect."

"It just annoys me when men do that to you, that's all," Castle claimed. "You are a professional doing your job. It's disrespectful and demeaning."

"Seems to me when I first brought you in for questioning, you didn't think so, Castle. If I recall, you offered to let me spank you."

Castle blew embarrassed air through his lips. "You're right. Mea culpa. But I'd like to think I've evolved since then. I mean, I hope you think so."

A smile tugged at the corners of Kate's mouth. "You have your more mature moments."

"Then tell me, you like Melody Mayfair for this one, don't you?"

"Of course, I do Castle, but that's a long way from proving anything. Now that we know for sure that it was her at the Templar building, we can check the traffic cams for her car around the time of the killing. We'll pull her financials and put a watch on her bank account and credit cards. And you can finish scrubbing the security footage you were looking at yesterday, too."

"Ooh, I was hoping you'd forget about that."

"Castle, I never forget the important stuff."


Rick plopped onto the couch in the loft. His hand ached and scanning video for someone who wasn't there was not his idea of fun. At least Kate had better luck. Melody Mayfair's car had been caught pulling away from the murder scene. She'd withdrawn the maximum amount of cash she could from a location near her apartment, and her credit card had been used at a gym and a motel in Newark. Now it was just a matter of getting through the jurisdictional morass to get the New Jersey State Troopers to locate her and pick her up. Until then, he and Kate would just have to wait.

Kate filled two glasses with red wine and offered one to Castle. He gazed into the astringent liquid. "Thanks, I can use that."

Kate regarded the darkening shadows under his eyes. "You look beat, Castle. Hey, I've had a broken bone or two myself. It can be pretty draining, especially in the first few days. You should get some rest. Alexis is shut up in her room studying for an exam. Martha's at the theater. We could both call it an early night, start fresh in the morning."

"You may be right," Castle acknowledged, downing his wine. Placing his glass on the coffee table, he pushed himself up from the sofa cushions. "Good night, Kate."

Kate ran her fingertips over the plaster of his cast. "Good night, Rick."


She-Hulk stomped her way onto a roof, her muscles expanding at every step. Her green face was contorted in anger as she plunged the knife that appeared in her grasp into the chest of the woman in front of her. But it wasn't Sheila Rattinger. The figure was taller, with brown hair and startling hazel eyes. It was Kate, oh God, it was Kate, whose blood geysered from the gaping hole between her breasts. She-Hulk picked her up, lifted her over her head and bounded toward the roof's edge. "No!" Castle yelled, sitting upright, with pain shooting up his arm as he'd unconsciously used his broken hand to support himself. "Beckett, No!"

Kate came running into the room, with Alexis and Martha right behind her. She flicked on the light. "Castle!"

"Dad, are you all right?"

"Richard?"

Castle struggle to emerge from a haze of pain and confusion. "Um, yeah, ladies, fine. Just a bad dream. Sorry, I woke you. Nothing to worry about."

Martha gazed at him doubtfully. "Richard, are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure, Mother. You should go back to bed."

Martha's eyes narrowed. "Well, if you're sure."

Martha ushered Alexis out, and Kate turned to follow.

"Kate," Castle whispered, his voice rasping. "Can you stay a minute?"

Kate sat on the side of the bed. "What's going on, Castle?"

"My dream was about the case, Kate. The case - and you. It was you who was about to be thrown off a roof - by a monster."

Kate smoothed the collar of his pajamas. "Castle no one is going to throw me off a roof. And there are no monsters, except for human ones."

Castle reached for her hand. "That's exactly the kind I'm afraid of. And I don't mean Mel the Pelter. Sheila's murder just triggered the dream. Kate, whoever sent Lockwood after Raglan is still out there. He doesn't know that Raglan didn't have a chance to tell you much, or that McAllister didn't give him up either. He could come after you, Kate. Lockwood may be in prison, but his boss could send someone else. After all, Lockwood is a successor to Coonan."

Kate curled her fingers around his. "I know, Castle. That's why I'm going to visit Lockwood every week, while prison wears him down. Sooner or later he's going to give up something."

"Kate, are you sure that's a good idea? A move like that may just push McAllister's dragon, whoever he is, to come after you."

"I don't think so, Castle. If I'm leaning on Lockwood, his boss will know that Raglan and McAllister didn't spill anything. It could lull him into complacency. Then when I do finally have something, I can go after him."

Castle caressed Kate's hand with his thumb. "Just be careful, Kate. I'm not in a condition to jump another assassin for you, yet."

"Don't worry, Castle. You won't have to."

A/N Guest, I made up the name of the restaurant. It is descriptive of the menu, and I wish it existed. 😊