The clock over the coffee room struck8pm and still no signs of Esposito and Ryan. Beckett paced the bullpen, glance at the elevator, memorize the murder board, but still she impatiently waited. Then waited so more.
She missed Castle, having excused himself to host the writers poker night at theloft. All the big guns were there, Connolly, Cannell, Lehane, Patterson. She could still hear his jokes as to why Stephen King got excluded. But she couldn'thave
him cancel even though he offered multiple times. But the void he left was so big.
9pm two dejected detectives landed onthe 4th floor. Their mission failed, Amy Kemp was in the wind. A search of her apartment came up empty, no evidence, no clues and no Amy. It didn't appear she'd been there recently. CSUcame in to do a thorough
sweep but disappointment did not begin to describe Javi and Ryan. They especially loathed facing Beckett with no suspect.
"Yo Beckett, she a ghost!" Javi explained entering the bullpen
Swearing under her breath, she refocuses and rattles off a to-do list. "Get surveillance footage from all airports, including Stewart and Teterboro. Add the parking lots and structures. You know, add Manhattan Penn Station, GrandCentral and Newark
Penn to the groups. And for the hell of it, Port Atrocity also."
An exasperated look appeared on both faces "Don't give me that!" She retorted "get the ball rolling then call it a night. I'll get an APB and BOLO issued. Then reach out to TSA and the Feds"
Espo and Ryan worked quickly and got things in motionattempting to gather the impressive amount of data they requested. Then they knocked off for the night leaving Beckett who likely would be still there at midnight.
They all assemble the next morning, a Saturday, exactly one week until Ryan's nuptials. The data mining was tedious and slow so Beckett got Gates to approve overtime for the tech's to take over. Her results were no better. The DA didnot have anything
ongoing against KPW, The firm on the wrong end of the hostile takeover.
The only decent part of her day was Castle bringing her morning latte and then lunch. They ate together and he stayed for a couplehours before excusing himself.
"Sorry Beckett, got to get ready for the mayor's fundraiser, the one I asked you to come to?"
"Well, have a good time"
All dead ends. Espo summoned up the courage to approach Beckett. "Umm , ahhh, well…"
"Come on, spit it out Javi"
"Mind if we leave, Ryan's batchelor party is tonight"
"Oh yea, sure,sure, get out of here… See ya Monday!"
Monday morning, the case seems to be getting colder. The team, sans Castle, gatherin the coffee room. Already there are Hastings, on temporary assignment to homicide and Velasquez giggling over the morning edition of the Post. Thereon
page six is the ruggedly handsome writer with a blonde bombshell on his arm from Saturday's party. Kate tries to ignore them as she aimlessly flips through the current issue of EW while waIting her turn at the espresso machine. Andthere it is
in full color and glory , Richard Castle and a well known actress in a semi-compromising position. Hermouth fell open.
"Good morning comrades!" Castle bellowed as he approached handing Beckett her favorite coffee.
The others acknowledge him, with Velasquez leaving the Post open to page6 next to Beckett. Espo wanders over and sees the picture. He smilesthen reaching into his shoulder bag, he extracts another Mead spiral notebook and tosses it at Castle.
"Judging from today's news, you may need this to finish the list of your number" Javi evilly chuckles. "Are these additions to the great Castle number?"
Castle is ata loss and does not even reply prompting Beckett to push the publications over to where Castle was sitting. "Oh,oh I can explain" he cries out. They all turn to hear him out, even Hastings and Velasquez re-enterinstead of eavesdropping.
"The page six woman, well we met at a book signing. We reconnected and well, i didn't believe her when she said she tattooed my signature on her boobs. She hadto prove it to me!"
Javi hooted and hollered, Ryan blushed, the female detectives licked their lips. Kate just smiled since she knew better and believed his story about Paula setting him up to enhance the playboy image.
A moment later, The conversation revolved around the upcoming wedding. "So Castle, I seeyou are bringing a plus one?" Ryan asks innocently
"Whoa… Thought we all agreed to go solo and really party?" Espo says obviously hurt.
"Well Javi, I am still going single, we'll dance the night away". Beckett teased. Then she got a bit naughty, smirking sexily.
"So Rick, your plus one, tell us about her? Hope Javi doesn't have to buy another notebook!"
"Oh. Well, she's beautiful, she's intelligent, she's funny. The way she smiles at me sometimes just melts my heart." He waxes poetically.
"So she in the number or no?" Javi insisted but Castle took his coffee and went to his chair.
Beckett excused herself next to take a call. The intensity of her eyes spoke that they caught a break in the case. Scribbling some notes, she ended with a gracious salutation before hanging up. Just knowing Castle would be next to her,
she pushed her scrawl toward him to read.
Kate settled in her chair and pounded on her computer keyboard. Footage from JFK airport popped up.
"TSA got her on the flight manifest of Delta 777 into SFO. Here is the security footage from that timeframe. Wait, is that her?"
Castle nodded as they watched Amy get thru security. Beckett rewinds the footage three more times hoping to capture any sort of clue.
"Didn't you get the parking and egress footage too?" Castle's mind working overtime
"Yes, so we know what gate she entered, and what time, maybe we can see her enter the terminal and if she came by car service"
Kate brought up the outside footage and lo and behold, there was Amy getting out of a Lincoln town car. The driver was in full uniform, including chauffeur cap. He looked to be almost six foot marginally overweight with a small gut hanging over
his waistband. The hair on the back of his hair appeared brown with great flecks. Going back two minutes and focusing in the ramp to the Delta terminal revealed only one black car service vehicle. Zooming in, the snared the platenumber and service
name.
"Espo Ryan, go get me this man!" Beckett ordered relaxing back into her chair
Under the hot lights of the interrogation room, the driver fesses up to driving Amy to the airport. He details every movement from her call to drop off.
Kate signs herself and Castle out. They head to the Oaks on Park, a clandestine corporate condo building used for less than above board actions, where Amy got the car. The ride over is uncharacteristically quiet. Beckett is deep in thoughtand Castle
chooses discretion as the better part of valor. The park and exit the car. Hastings hands Beckett a white envelope.
Entering the swank apartment building, Beckett, flashing her badge, asks the security guard to bring her to apartment 7B. He refused which pissed off Beckett. She asked for manager who also initially denied her until that magic whiteenvelope with
a warrant appeared.
Both Castle and Beckett snap on their blue latex gloves as they peruse the premises. "So Castle do I know your plus one?"
"i bet you do" he retorted
Still a bit uncomfortable with the conversation "is she in the number?"
Castle let out a huge laugh and continued searching the suite.
Not satisfied, Beckett pushed on. "Ummmm Castle, those pictures in the paper and magazine…"
"Yea, what about them?"
"Are the like the ones you said Paula created for you before?"
Castle's eyes widened then zoomed in on something reflective on the couch.
"Beckett, what do you suppose we have here?" He questioned before tweezering it into an evidence bag.
"Hmmmmm a cuff link, the initials SH in script. Do we know anyone with that moniker?". A smile snuck across her face.
Kate finallytried once more " that story you told the boys was BS right?"
Castle gave her that devious smile of his before proceeding with the search.
They continued through the apartment, Kate biting her lower lip as to not repeat her personal question to Rick. Although camouflaged, they found the refrigerator hidden behind the same cabinet veneer as the overheads. Inside the contents piquedCastle's
interest.
"Didn't Lanie say Bailey was poisoned?"
"Yup Colchicine"
"And the method of delivery was something chocolate containing a great amount of protein?"
"Yes, Castle, where is this going?"
Castle reaches in and pulls out a Nutrasystem sixteen ounce shake bottle"
"Like this?"
Beckett speed dialed Espo. "Javi, round up Mr. Seth Harris for questioning"
Then hit the special number ordering a CSU sweep on the condo.
Back at the precinct, Seth Harris had been stewing in interrogation room 1 for almost a half hour. His foul mood aside, his requests for his lawyer went unheeded with really pissed him off. But he never could have scorched the scathing verbalbeat
down Beckett gave him.
"Where's my lawyer?" Harris bellowed
"Guilty of something? Maybe the murder of Michael Bailey?"
"No..no way…"
"We found your cuff link at the Oaks. While you were waiting, we reviewed the surveillance tapes to see you were there on the night of his murder. Your prints are all over the place. "
"So I use it from time to time to relieve stress"
"With Amy Kemp?"
"Hmmmmmm, well if you must know , yes"
"Ok so do I book you for murder one or assessor to murder?"
"I didn't murder anyone. I just wanted to kill the takeover. Yea, I slept with Amy to try to get her to give me details so I could counter. She thought I was too old. So much for Viagra. So I sent Bailey to her. He
may have been a graphic artist by say, but by night he was a helluva computer hacker. I sent him to seduce her and raid her files"
"So you think she got wind of your master plan and offed him?" Beckett pressed even harder.
"Ask her, she'll be back for the board vote Thursday morning"
At that point Harris's lawyer showed up only to be greeted with "thanks for nothing?"
Armed and fully confident, Kate Beckett strode into the board meeting of KPW Mining Corporation. Looking around the rather large conference room table, Beckett made eye contact with each board member. Seth Harris finally had enough "Callmy lawyer,
you have no right in here"
Smirking delightfully, Kate replied "Oh but I do. I am here to make an arrest for the murder of Michael Bailey"
Holly Franklin buried her head as if Beckett could not see her and let out a huge sigh when she walked past her spot. Staring intently at Seth Harris, Beckett tapped on the shoulder of Amy Kemp, asking her to stand reciting the words "you havea
right to remain silent…"
Thursday night with the case all buttoned up, Lanie and Kate along with the bridesmaids decided Jenny needed a bachelorette party. And Beckett knew just the place.
Sitting front row with pitchers of margaritas onthe small tables, Jenny would be sent off to hen-Dom in style. The Package Store, jammed to capacity, rocked loudly for the opening acts. Jenny blushed a deep shade of Rose until the liquidcourage
took over. It was almost time for the headliner.
"How did you get us in here? The place is mobbed" Lanie wondered
"The star of the next act is a personal friend, remember that fake cop case?"
"And Ladies, the star of your evening, HANS VONN MANSHAFTT"
Meanwhile Castle gathered the boys for a few at the Old Haunt. They enjoyed their time, regalingeach other with stories until the Kate draggedthem all back for a nightcap.
Everyone gathered in the largest booth when Lanie, reached into her suitcase ofa handbag and donned her old English White Powdered Wig
"Ahem, Mr. Castle, you still need to provide Ms. Beckett with her answer. If you forgot, the question was, 'Castle, What is Your number"
Never quite knowing when to quit, Espo began riding Castle hard about the number.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are embarking on history. For the first time ever, the world will know exactly what Playboy Rick Castle's number is. The betting lines in Vegas are spinning wildly, not knowing what to anticipate. Yes ladiesand gentlemen,
the legend of Castle will be revealed tonight!"
Fidgeting around, mostly for show, Castle summonedJameson the barkeep over asking for his messenger bag. Reaching in, Castle extracted its contents. Out came the original Mead tossed right at Espo's head. He caught it and began leafingthrough
it,
"Marginally impressive!"
Castle pulled out a second and thistime nailed him on the side of the cheek.
"Holy s… This one full too?"
Delivering the trademark eyebrow and Castle dirty smile, a third Mead found its way out, deposited in front of the offending detective, rendering him speechless. Not done yet, Rick produced four classic "black books" to substantiate thespiral contents.
Everyone's jaws dropped. Well everyone's except Kate's. She knew his secret. All it took was a gentle nudge on her elbow to reassure her.
"Oh by the way, my plus one is NOT in there!"
