Chapter 4
Castle opened the front door to find Dr Lanie Parish filling the doorway. The petite medical examiner graced the author with a smile. She had her medical bag with her.
"Doctor Parish." Castle said returning her smile. He did not need to ask what she was doing here.
"Hey Castle."
Castle stepped aside to allow Lanie entrance into the loft.
"How's our girl doing?"
"Pretty good."
Castle motioned in the direction of his office.
"I was just about to make some sandwiches for lunch, would you like some?" Castle offered.
"That would be great, thanks."
"Anything in particular, you'd like?"
"Why don't you surprise me?"
Castle grinned and nodded his head as he head for he kitchen to fix lunch leaving Lanie to pay a visit to the patient sitting in Castle's office.
XXX
Castle arrived in the office carrying a tray with a plate heaped full of sandwiches. He found Kate and Lanie sitting on the couch. He had taken his time making lunch to allow the two friends time to talk. It did not escape his notice that the moment he entered his office Kate and Lanie stopped talking. He also saw that Kate had a small smile on her face.
"Castle you have enough food to feed any army." Lanie observed.
"You did say, surprise you." Castle replied as he set the tray on the small coffee table in front of the couch.
Katie looked across to her friend and rolled her eyes. Lanie grinned back at her. Castle dashed out of the office only return a moment later with another tray with three glasses and a jug of orange juice.
After placing the second tray on the coffee table Castle took his place on the floor beside Kate. He motioned to the women to start eating. Lanie reached over and picked up a plate and selected several sandwiches placing them on the plate. As she settled back on the couch she held the plate out to Kate. Kate knew better than to decline the offered food so she picked up one of the sanwiches.
"Castle was about to resume the story he has been telling." Kate said before she bit into the sandwich.
Lanie's face lit up. She had remembered listening to him when he had been telling that other story to Kate back in the hospital.
Castle smiled and waited as the women started on their sandwiches before he got ready to resume his story. He was pleased to see Kate attack her sandwich eagerly.
"...We now return to our story to find that it is the morning after the day before. The fair Detective Beckett was all ready in the squad room standing before the Wall of Death. The squad room was all but empty as the early morning sun came filtering through the windows. An orderly or two moved about the squad room sweeping the floor and emptying out bins of refuse from beside each desk, making ready the room for when most of the investigators arrived to begin another day of sleuthing and crime fighting. The orderlies were especially circumspect around the fair Detective Beckett, they knew full well that she was one of the few investigators who would arrive early and depart late when working a case. They did not wish to disturb her concentration.
The fair detective was studying the Wall of Death with an intensity. All ready she had affixed upon it more information from the reports that she had found on her desk awaiting her arrival. So far there had been few clues to follow up, no leads in which to chase down and that was something which she did not like. She continued to gaze upon the wall seeking out that clue which may lead her to the solving of the case.
The fair detective did not need to be informed that this case was important. It always was when one of their own was dispatched in such a heinous manner. She also knew that there would be eyes from upon high watching her and her team to see what they would do.
Richard the Minstrel made his appearance in the squad room. On this morning his arrival was made without the usual theatrical flourish. There were a couple of reasons that his entrance was more sedate. One was that it was still early in the morning and the squad room was empty of an audience so a dramatic entrance would be indeed wasted. And the other reason, he was assisting on a case, and theatrics would not be appreciated by the woman standing before the Wall of Death.
An amused countenance settled upon his face as he espied the fair Detective Beckett in a familiar pose. One hand was draped across her chest with her other hand propping up her chin. He did not need to see her face to know that her delightful eyes would be darting here and there across the Wall of Death studying the information that it contained.
The Minstrel approached the fair detective quietly wanting not to disturb her concentration yet as he neared her, the fair Detective Beckett silently turned to look at him.
"Good morrow, my dear detective, how does thee fare this day?" The Minstrel said in a jovial tone of voice as he held out the fair detective's morning coffee.
The fair Detective Beckett answered not the Minstrel's question but favoured him with a small smile of greeting and of thanks as she took from him the offered cup. Her fingers lingered a moment and maybe more upon his before drawing the cup from his grasp. The Minstrel could not help but smile. This too, he had noticed in recent times, had become a part of their morning coffee ritual, the lingering of fingers before the cup was exchanged.
The fair detective turned her attention to the Wall. She brought the cup to her lips and from the cup took a long sip. Her eyes closed momentarily as she savoured the taste, welcoming it as a good friend. For the life of her she had no idea how the Minstrel managed to know how she would like her coffee each morning. Yet every morning he would present her with a cup of coffee prepared exactly the way she craved it. Some mornings she would hunger for her caffeinated beverage to be simply black, while other mornings she craved her beverage with a frothy milky addition. And there would be some mornings when she wanted something more elaborate. Lo and behold what she silently wished would be presented to her upon his arrival. It was one of the mysteries of life she would never fathom, she concluded. But grateful all the same.
The Minstrel perched himself against the fair detective's desk with little space between them. His gaze too was now upon the Wall of Death.
"How goes our case, my dear detective?" He inquired.
For a moment and maybe more the fair detective did not answer. Then she let out a sigh before she took another sip of her cup of coffee.
"At this moment in time we have nothing, no clue, nothing." The fair Detective Beckett said. "Your theory of an evil mage is looking good."
"Really?" The Minstrel was passing astonished to hear those words come from the fair detective's lips.
The fair Detective Beckett turned to look upon the still surprised looking Minstrel. Richard the Minstrel saw the amused glint in those emerald eyes that held his gaze. Slowly understanding banished his astonishment.
"Oh, I see." He said, a smile spreading across his face. "Jocularity from you my dear detective?"
The fair detective hid her smile behind her cup.
"Tis so easy to have sport with you, Minstrel." The fair detective remarked.
With a smile firmly in place upon his ruggedly handsome visage, the minstrel bowed his head gracefully.
"It pleases me, my dear detective to provide you with amusement."
Soon both the fair Detective Beckett and Richard the Minstrel were discussing the information that was contained upon the Wall of Death. They passed back and forth theories and ideas. And so intent were they in doing this they barely took notice that the squad room had filled up with investigators and orderlies.
"Did Sergeant Maloney have money problems?" Richard the Minstrel ventured.
The fair Detective Beckett shrugged her shoulders.
"Mayhap he might have owed someone a fair amount off coin and was not in a position to repay it when the creditor came a calling to collect?"
The fair detective's brow furrowed as she thought on the Minstrel's suggestion. She gave him a nod of her head before she turned and affixed her gaze upon the steadfast Detective Esposito, who was seated at his desk finishing up his report from his canvassing of the neighbourhood of the day before.
"Esposito, acquire Sergeant Maloney's financial records." The fair Detective Beckett said. "Also have words with members of his team."
"To see if he had problems with money?" Detective Esposito asked. He had heard the suggestion made by the Minstrel.
"Amongst other things." The fair detective responded.
The steadfast Detective Esposito rose to his feet ready to leave.
"And remind them in no uncertain terms that any stonewalling will ensure that they will have to answer questions from our colleagues in Internal Affairs." The fair detective added.
"It shall be done, boss." The steadfast Detective Esposito wore a stern looking visage upon his face as he marched out of the squad room.
With the steadfast Detective Esposito sent on his errand the fair detective and the Minstrel sat themselves at their allotted stations at the fair detective's desk. The Minstrel amused himself with picking up the report from the constabulary physician and perusing it.
It was not long before the steadfast Detective Ryan made his appearance in the squad room. He carried with him a file close to his chest as he marched over to the fair Detective Beckett's desk. The fair detective looked up from her work. The Minstrel set aside the report he was perusing.
"Pray tell what information did you glean from your informant?" The fair Detective Beckett inquired.
"It appears that the good sergeant was not pure as the driven snow." Detective Ryan announced.
"Oh do tell." The Minstrel said with no little excitement.
On a nod from the fair detective the steadfast Detective Ryan proceeded to speak further.
"The good sergeant had a piece on the side."
"Really?" The Minstrel said, his eyebrows rising skyward. "Curiouser and curiouser..."
"Minstrel pray contain your exuberance." The fair Detective Beckett chided, gently.
"Sergeant Maloney had been conducting a liaison with a lady of shady repute." The steadfast Detective Ryan informed them.
"For around half a year, mayhap longer." He added.
"And does this doxy have a name?"The fair detective asked.
Detective Ryan grinned at his audience as he opened the file that he had in his hand and he turned it around to present it to the fair detective for her inspection. The Minstrel overcome with a bout of curiosity rose from his chair and peered over the fair detective's shoulder. A smile lit upon his face as he read the name of the said doxy.
"Miss Kitty Canary." He intoned, amused.
The fair Detective Beckett was assailed by his manly fragrance that sent a flutter through her stomach. As much as she appreciated the understated scent of sandalwood that enveloped her, she had work to do. She slowly turned her head a little so that she could look upon the Minstrel. She fixed him with a look that wiped the amused countenance from his face and had him returning to his seat quick smart. She gave a curt nod of her head before turning her attention to the file that she held in her hands.
The file of Miss Kitty Canary made for interesting reading, the fair detective observed. The said lady had a string of convictions for misdemeanours and other crimes that one could describe as long as your arm. They were mainly for solicitation and such related crimes. What the fair detective found of great interest was there were no charges or convictions in the past six months. Curiouser and curiouser as the Minstrel would vocalise, the fair detective mused silently to herself.
"And where do we find Miss Kitty?" The fair Detective Beckett inquired aloud of Detective Ryan.
The fair detective handed over the file into the Minstrel's eager hands and accepted the sheet of paper on which the steadfast Detective Ryan had scribbled the location where the lady in question could be located. The fair Detective Beckett perused the address and nodded her thanks to Detective Ryan.
"Come Minstrel, let us away."The fair Detective Beckett commanded as she rose to her feet.
"A field journey?" Richard the Minstrel said excitedly. He jumped to his feet and returned to the file to Detective Ryan. "Lead on, my dear detective."
As the fair Detective Beckett strode purposefully from the squad room, with the Minstrel bouncing about at her heel doing a very good impression of an excitable puppy, she could not help but feel that he seemed too overly excited about this impending visit.
The journey to the warehouse district took a little longer than it normally would. The road the fair Detective Beckett had chosen for their journey was the quickest and most direct route usually. However the fair Detective Beckett and her companion Richard the Minstrel had come upon an intersection where a major traffic accident had occurred. Two speeding wagons had collied in the middle of the intersection sending produce and cargo, not to mention bullocks and oxen in all directions thus blocking the road for many an hour. The fair Detective Beckett had paused in their ride to ensure that everyone was all right. A pair of uniformed constables were all ready on the scene and dealing with the aftermath of the collision. Upon seeing that the matter was well in hand the fair detective wheeled her mount about and set off in an other direction. The Minstrel close at her heels as was his want.
The fair Detective Beckett and Richard the Minstrel now found themselves in the cobblestone courtyard before a dilapidated two story red brick building. The building had once been used as a warehouse for a market gardener but he had gone out of business and the warehouse had fallen into some disuse. That was not case now as the tethered horses around the courtyard and carriages attested.
The fair detective dismounted and tethered her horse to the nearest hitching post. The Minstrel did the same and hurriedly ran to catch up with her as she approached the door where a burly looking man stood guard. The Minstrel espied the sign above the doorway, and it brought forth a smile grin upon his face. 'Kitty Canary's Burlesque Review'.
The door guardian shifted his muscled bulk to stand in front of the door. He held up a hand.
"Members only." He growled.
The fair Detective Beckett stopped. It was not the kind of welcome she had envisaged, though she had not expected for the man to bow and scrape as he opened the door for her. She glanced over to the Minstrel and saw the look of amusement dancing in his cerulean eyes. The fair detective turned her attention upon the door guardian.
"I'm sorry miss, sir, this is a members only establishment."
The fair detective nodded her head but made no move to turn and depart from this scene. Suddenly in her left hand she held her shield. She held it out to the door guardian, barely inches from his eyes so that the man was left in no uncertain terms.
"All area access pass." The fair Detective Beckett intoned in a voice that brooked no discussion. "Stand aside."
The burly door guardian was no intellectual giant. Until he had gotten this job standing before this door, he had spent most of his life earning a living in the fighting pits using his fists and having his head and body used a punching bag. All the same there was still some brain matter undamaged remaining in his cranium to let him know that it would not be healthy to tangle with this member of the constabulary. A smile appeared on his rounded and scarred face, revealing several missing teeth.
"Welcome my lady, welcome to Kitty Canary's Burlesque Review." He announced in a more solicitous tone of voice.
The door guardian bowed his head as he stepped aide. He pushed open the door to allow the fair Detective Beckett and Richard the Minstrel entrance.
They found themselves in a darkened lobby bare of any articles of furniture or any decoration. Illumination was provided by several torches secured high on the walls. Directly in front of them a short distance away was a pair of double doors from which emanated music and the usual hubbub of a gathered crowd.
"'All areas access pass, stand aside.' I shall be including that in my book, my dear detective, be sure of that." The Minstrel said with a chuckle.
The fair Detective Beckett deigned to cast a look in the direction of the amused Minstrel. She rolled her eyes and shook her head in comment to his remark.
They moved through lobby towards a double door where music was coming from. The Minstrel moved ahead of her to reach the doors first and pushed one open to allow the fair detective through. He followed her and came to a halt as his wide eyes took in the scene that unfolded before him. His mouth dropped open as he stared this way and that, trying to take everything in.
The fair Detective Beckett and Richard the Minstrel found themselves in a wide expanse of a room that was decorated in a way that harked back to the days of the Roman Empire. The colours red, purple and gold predominated. Serving girls dressed in almost diaphanous and scandalously short dresses flittered about carrying trays of wine cups delivering them to waiting patrons who reclined on couches. Performers glided about juggling numerous balls or other items to patrons' amusement. All around the room were raised platforms and upon the platforms there were young ladies who danced to the music that was being played by a gaggle of troubadours. As the ladies danced they would remove articles of clothing every now and then much to the delight of those patrons watching. A large raised stage ran from the back of the room to end in the middle of the room but there were no performers on the main stage. And though it was early in the day there were more than a few patrons in the establishment.
"This place! It's like the circus but only with alcohol...lots of alcohol." The Minstrel exclaimed. "How is it I have never been here before?"
The fair detective cast an amused look in the Minstrel's direction. "If you think this is wild, you should see some of the clubs I have visited." The fair Detective Beckett replied.
"Oh do tell, my dear detective, I'm all ears." The Minstrel moved closer to the fair detective ever eager to hear from her lips tales of previous escapades.
Alas the fair Detective Beckett smiled at the Minstrel and remained tight lipped. There was a time and place for such tales but this was not the time nor the place for such tale telling. The fair detective espied the location of the bar and proceeded towards it. The Minstrel followed.
Upon reaching the bar, the barman, a tall and athletic man, dressed in a rustic coloured tunic that came to a halt at his well muscled thighs and whose face was covered in makeup, his eyes lined with kohl, moved from where he stood and greeted them with a beaming smile.
"Well met my lady, good sir." He said cheerfully. " What shall I get for you?"
The fair detective held up her shield for the barman to see. The smile upon his face faltered a little on seeing a representative from the constabulary was standing before him. The barman nodded his head.
"I would see the proprietor of this establishment." The fair Detective Beckett commanded.
The fair Detective Beckett and Richard the Minstrel were seated upon a couch in a room that served as an office. It was a small room with a desk at one end that was covered in sheaves of papers, invoices and statements that an establishment such this would accumulate on a day to day basis. On the walls of the room were murals depicting scenes from the days of the Roman Empire. On one wall burly looking gladiators did battle with each other in the middle of an arena. On another wall there was a dinner scene in some imperial palace with guests reclining on couches being served by slave girls. And all around there little statues of Roman gods and goddesses.
The Minstrel took in the entire room. The décor he found more than a little ostentatious for his taste but he refrained from putting to voice his judgement.
The door to the room opened and a tall blonde haired woman swept in. She was dressed in a robe of scarlet silk and she moved with the grace of a dancer. Her face was heavily made up with kohl lining her eyes emphasising the blue of her her eyes. Her lips were coated in a shade of red that matched the colour of her robe and her cheeks were dusted in red rouge. Her unadorned blonde hair cascaded past her shoulders.
The Minstrel could not help but smile as the woman approached, even without the heavy layer of makeup he deduced that she was an attractive woman.
"You wished to see me, detectives?" Kitty Canary announced as she reached where the fair detective and the Minstrel were seated.
"Yes." The fair Detective Beckett replied, bothering not to correct the woman.
"How may I be of assistance?" Kitty inquired as she took her seat in a chair opposite the couch.
"Do you know Patrick Maloney?"
The smile on Kitty's face faded and her face crumbled, tears threatened to appear but she held them back.
"I heard tell that poor Patrick was killed." Kitty said in a quiet voice. "Who would do such an evil thing?"
"How well did you know Sergeant Maloney?" The fair detective asked, ignoring the other woman's question.
"Well enough."
"In the biblical sense?" The Minstrel ventured.
Kitty slid her eyes in the Minstrel's direction. She allowed a small smile to appear on her painted lips. She nodded her head.
"Patrick and I were in a relationship that involved considerable coupling."
For many minutes and maybe more Kitty Canary answered the questions posed to her by the fair Detective Beckett. The tale she told was one of numerous and secret liaisons, they had first met years ago when Sergeant Maloney was a young investigator and newly transferred to the vice squad and he had arrested her for indecent exposure following one her exotic dance performances at some club. She told that over the years their paths had crossed in one way or another, sometimes he would arrest her and other times he would turn a blind eye. It was only about six months back that their relationship had moved to another level. The Minstrel had to bite down upon his tongue to stop himself voicing the remark if the relationship had reached a horizontal level.
Kitty could provide not any information as to anyone who might want to harm the sergeant, and no he had never made mention of any threats to his life.
The fair Detective Beckett wound up the interview. She rose to her feet thanking Kitty for her time. Richard the Minstrel also got to his feet. He looked to Kitty.
"Pray tell Miss Kitty, did Sergeant Maloney ever ask that you give up your life as you know it, to go away with him?"
The fair Detective Beckett cast the Minstrel a curious look but the Minstrel fixed his gaze upon the woman still seated on the chair. Kitty smiled up at the Minstrel.
"If I had a silver dollar for every time a man begged me to run a away with them, or heard them promise to leave their wives in order to marry me I would have retired a very, very rich woman long ago."
"And did the good sergeant speak of leaving his wife?"
Kitty nodded her head.
"When did he speak of that?" The fair Detective Beckett questioned.
"T'wood have been a week ago mayhap a little longer." Kitty replied with a heavy sigh. "He told of not loving her any more, that he could not stand her and wanted to leave the marriage."
"Did you believe him?"
"He said it in all seriousness, detective but..." Kitty shrugged her shoulders as if to say that she had heard those words all before.
"Thank you for your time."
The fair Detective Beckett and Richard the Minstrel departed from the room and their way back to the main room of the club. The fair detective was making her way for the exit but had gone only a few steps when she came to realise that her partner was not alongside her. The Minstrel's attention was focused on a dancer gyrating upon a raised platform. He had a silly look upon his face as he watched the dancer. The fair detective shook her head before marching over to where the Minstrel was standing.
"Let us away Minstrel."The fair detective said.
The Minstrel did not hear the words the fair detective spoke, his attention still focused on the dancer. The fair detective reached out and tweaked the Minstrel's ear. The Minstrel all of a sudden gave the fair Detective Beckett his immediate and undivided attention.
"Work first, play later, Minstrel." The fair detective informed him.
"Apples...apples..." The Minstrel squeaked, his head at an awkward angle as the fair detective had yet to release her hold on his ear.
Richard the Minstrel had to suffer the indignity of being led from Miss Kitty Canary's Review by the fair Detective Beckett with her hand firmly attached to his ear. It would not have been so bad but he suffered the further indignity of having laughter directed at him from those patrons who witnessed his undignified departure, and from the sounds of it nearly everyone saw him depart..."
"Speaking of departing..." Lanie announced suddenly, her eyes checking her watch. "I have to get going or I'll be late for work. The petite medical examiner leaned over and kissed Kate on the cheek. She rose from the couch.
"Do you really have to go so soon?" Castle said. He had gotten to his feet.
"Yeah I have to."
"You could call in sick?" He suggested.
"As much fun as it would be to sit and listen to more of your story, I do have to go."
Lanie looked down at Kate and gave her a smile.
"I'll come around tomorrow, and change your bandages, okay?"
Kate smiled and nodded her head. "Thanks for dropping by, Lanie."
Castle escorted the doctor to the front door. Lanie cast a glance in the direction of the office from which had come from before turning her attention to Castle.
"Keep doing what you're doing Castle."
"I will." Castle smiled.
"See you tomorrow, Writer Boy."
Castle poked his head out the door.
"That's Writer Man, doctor, Writer Man."
Lanie's laughter followed her into the elevator.
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