Chapter Nine: Revenge
By
UCSBdad
Disclaimer: See the Castle below? I own none of it. Rating: M Time: Before 47 Seconds.
Kate felt better when she arrived at the precinct the next morning. She found Ryan and Esposito waiting at her desk.
"We have good news and bad news." Espo said.
Kate sighed. "Haven't we done this before?"
Espo shrugged. "Turns out the program our perp used to wipe the hard drive was a cheap, economy model. CSU had no trouble recovering the data on the hard drive."
"I can't wait for the bad news."
Espo turned the screen of his computer around so Kate could see what was on it. Kate saw a photo of a young woman. "Any idea who she is?"
"Elizabeth Mardikian. Age 20, a student at Hudson University. Pre-med major. We got her address off of the computer. She lives on campus."
"Any connection to Castle?" Kate couldn't imagine this young woman kidnapping Castle.
Ryan smiled. "No. But her parents have an extensive police record."
Kate smiled wolfishly. "Damn. This may be our break at last."
"Probably not." Ryan said, still smiling. "Her parents were first arrested at a demonstration against the War in Vietnam when they were in high school. Since then, they've been demonstrating for or against just about everything that there is to demonstrate for or against, and getting arrested for it. They're both professors at Hudson. He's in sociology, she's in English literature."
Espo took over. "And I talked to some of the officers involved in the demonstrations. They described the Mardikians as non-violent, peaceful and friendly. Dave Kraft, over at the Three Deuce said that the last time he arrested them, he showed them pictures of his new baby daughter in the back patrol car as he took them in."
"Shit." Was all Kate could say.
"We're checking to see if anyone connected with the Mardikians could have a grudge against Castle. We should be ready to go interview them after lunch. I'm still curious as to how Elizabeth's computer ended up where it did. Maybe they can tell us something." Espo finished.
"In the meantime, you have someone waiting for you in the break room." Ryan's smile widened.
"Who?" Anyone waiting for me in the break room couldn't be a suspect. Oh, please god, not Meredith! I couldn't stand having that bitch here.
Ryan's reply relieved her mind. "Paula Haas, Castle's agent. Apparently she'd been going over every one of the letters to Castle that were threatening. Apparently she didn't know that was our job."
Kate nodded. "On the other hand, she knows Castle. She might have picked up something we'd have missed."
Kate took a look into the break room before she went in. Paula was somewhat older than Kate, but still very attractive, shorter than Kate, but more curvaceous. She was dressed in a business suit that was tighter than you would normally have seen, and it showed more cleavage and leg.
Kate walked in. "Ms. Haas. Thank you for coming in."
Paula stood up and held out her hand. "Please, call me Paula."
She took the proffered hand. "Okay, if you'll call me Kate. Would you like some coffee?"
Paula nodded and Kate brewed two cups.
"Now, how can I help you?"
"I hope I can help you, Kate. I've been going over all of the letters that Rick's gotten over the last year that contain threats of some sort. We don't keep that kind of mail for over a year. Actually, except for some letters that Rick particularly likes, we don't keep anything over a year. Sorry."
"Please, Paula. Don't apologize. You've done more than we would have expected. But, what do you have?"
"I wrote down the names and whatever other identifying information the letters had. I've divided them into categories."
"Categories?' Kate asked. What kind of categories could you have in threatening letters?
"The first category are the grammar Nazis. You'd be surprised how worked up someone can get if you split an infinitive or dangle a participle."
"That's not even a misdemeanor in New York." Kate managed a smile.
"Next are the nit pickers. The first name is a guy who wrote two pages of single spaced typewritten complaints about a scene set in Beirut. He was especially upset that Castle had indicated that you could see the Mediterranean from the main bar in the Phoenecia Hotel. It seems you can't see it. The rest are in a similar vein."
"People really care about that?" Kate asked.
"Passionately." Paula said. "It takes all kinds."
"Next are the politically correct. People who feel that Derek Storm or Nikki Heat promote male chauvinism, or glorify violence, or promote the interests of the "pig fascist capitalist elitist CIA." To quote one unhappy reader."
"Next are the nut cases. People who claim Rick is part of a vast conspiracy to turn this country over to gay, vegetarian, rap musicians and lead us to our doom. Or other bizarre things."
"Lastly, there are people who are just very coldly angry at Rick for some reason. The other groups don't sound like they could abduct newborn kitten, but these people are well spoken, educated and probably psychotic. I have all the files at my office. If you need to look at them, just let me know." Paula handed the list to Kate.
"Paula, thank you for doing all of this. We'll check these people out. You've been a help." Kate started to get up, but Paula stopped her.
"Kate, there are two more things. First, I need to apologize to you."
Kate was mystified. "Why would you need to apologize to me?"
"I was furious with Rick when he killed off Derek Storm. When he started shadowing you and started the Nikki Heat books, I wasn't happy. I thought he was just chasing you and ignoring his writing. I was wrong. The Nikki Heat books are the best he's ever written. I said a lot of nasty things about you and I'd like to apologize for every word I said."
Paula looked at Kate seriously. "And you've been good for him. He's a much better person now that he's been with you. I hope you two stay together. I know he wants to."
"I do, too. But we have to get him back."
"The second thing is his ex-wife, Gina."
"Gina? Certainly you don't think she's involved in his kidnapping, do you?"
Paula shook her head. "No, but I've been after her to give me some threatening letters she has at Black Pawn. I know that she has them, and she's been putting me off. I've told her that she should send them to you, but you're not…"
"Gina's favorite person." Kate finished. "But I should go see her."
"Yeah. I'd like to go with you, if that's okay. I know Gina. I can push her buttons where you can't. And I can threaten her where you can't."
Now I have Rick's agent as a partner? This is odd.
Esposito stuck his head into the break room. "Beckett? We just got a call from campus security over at Hudson U. All three Mardikians are there and they're willing to talk to us. Do you want to go now?"
Kate turned to Paula. "Can we do this later? See Gina, I mean? Maybe this afternoon?"
"Sure" Paula handed Kate her business card. "Call me. Any time."
When Paula had left, Espo looked at Kate. "Gina? His ex-wife? You don't think that she has anything to do with this, do you?"
Kate shook her head. "No! But I think that Gina may be a poor loser. She may be withholding evidence out of spite. Paula has offered to go with me when I see her. Apparently she thinks she can be of help. And, Paula may know where some of the bodies are buried, so to speak." Kate shuddered slightly. Where did that come from? I can't think like that. I just can't. There are no bodies buried. Not Castle's anyway. I will get him back and we will live happily ever after.
The three detectives met in Professor George Mardikian's office at Hudson University. Kate was reminded of the offices of some of her professors at Stanford. It was filled with books, student's papers and framed diplomas. Mardikian was everyone's image of a college professor. Rumpled, precise, fussy even, and very polite. His wife looked more like someone's grandmother, grey haired and friendly. Their daughter was the only one who looked worried. She shifted in her chair constantly and fidgeted with her hands.
"Thank you for meeting with us." Kate said when they were seated.
"Am I in some kind of trouble?" Elizabeth blurted out.
"I don't think so." Kate said, maintaining a friendly tone. "A laptop of yours was used to send the police two pictures. My partner has been kidnapped and is being tortured." She turned on the laptop and showed the Mardikians the two photos of Rick.
All three were clearly shocked.
"That's my old laptop." Elizabeth said quickly. She reached into a backpack at her feet and pulled out a new laptop. "See?"
"What happened to the old one?" Ryan asked.
"I donated it to the New York City school district. About eight months ago. I swear! I don't know anything about that." She pointed to the pictures.
"Do any of you know a Richard Castle?" Esposito asked.
George Mardikian nodded. "Yes! Castle. He's the professor at Rutgers who wrote that awful review of your paper on the post imperial novel, isn't he, dear?"
Mrs. Mardikian shook her head slowly, "No dearest. That was Professor Kessel." She turned to Kate. "I'm afraid we don't know many policemen, dear. Except for that very nice Officer Kraft. Oh, do you know how his little girl is doing? Why, she must be walking by now."
"Mr. Castle is a novelist, but he's embedded with my homicide team." Kate replied. "And I'm sure Officer Kraft's daughter is fine."
"Castle?" Mrs. Mardikian frowned and stared at the ceiling. "A novelist, you say? I don't recall any…What has he written?"
"Derek Storm novels. The Nikki Heat novels. He writes mystery novels." Kate said, sure they were getting nowhere.
"Mystery novels? I did read a lot of Sjowall and Wahloo, they're Swedes you know, when I was much younger. That was in the early 70s, but no, nothing recently. A policeman who writes mysteries. He must be very busy."
Kate found out exactly where Elizabeth had gone to donate her old laptop and thanked the Mardikians for their help. As soon as they were out of the building, she called the school district office to try to track down what had happened to the donated computer. Two hours of playing phone tag with different departments finally brought them to a warehouse in Brooklyn and Amos Fast. Fast was a middle aged man in a cheap suit with a bad attitude and bad breath.
"I don't see how I can help you, detectives. Look at this place. Will you just look at it?"
Through the open door of his office, the detectives could see boxes full of text books, old desks stacked one atop the other, office supplies, and all the impedimenta of a gigantic school district.
Kate tried to be polite. "Was this laptop donated to you?" She held out the laptop.
Fast shrugged. "Lemme see it." He said resignedly, but copying down the serial number. He turned around and started working on an old computer behind him. He fooled with it for almost a half an hour as Kate fumed. Finally he turned around. "Yup. Got it. Donated by an Elizabeth Mardikian eight months ago. According to the records, it's in Bin 58 in Section 22, all the way in the back of the warehouse, left hand side."
"It's obviously right here." Kate said, trying not to lose her temper.
Fast looked at it and nodded. "Yup. Right there."
"Can you explain that, sir?" Ryan asked, politely, seeing how aggravated Kate was getting.
"Sure. Someone took it."
"Someone just took it out of here?" Ryan said with a smile.
"We've had budget cuts for the last couple of years, Detective. This is a school district, so they lay off teachers last. I lost my last security guard a year ago. That's the same time we turned off the security cameras. Nobody to look at the tapes, no money to pay the electrical for them. I only got half the people I should have working here. So, people can just walk in and take stuff. Not my fault. Nothing I can do about it."
"Did you report the theft?" Kate asked through gritted teeth.
"Nope. First I knew about it was when you walked in with the laptop just now. How could I report it if I didn't know about it? How could I, I ask you? Sometimes we catch people in here stealing stuff, but I only got so many people. Had some girl, teenager, in here last week. Grabbed a laptop and walked out with it. Jimmy yelled at her and ran after her. She pulled a damned knife on him. How can I stop things like that? It ain't possible, I tell you."
"Do you mind if we interview your people?" Kate asked, feeling it would do no good, but feeling she had to try. I'm getting nowhere and he's being tortured. I don't know how much more of this I can take. Worse, I don't know how much more of this he can take.
The three detectives interviewed eight warehouse workers all of whom were equally sure that nothing was their fault and that there was nothing they could have done. None of them had any idea who might have stolen the laptop.
When the three got back to the precinct, Kate found Paula Haas waiting for her with a grim look on her face.
"Paula, why are you back? Did you find something?"
"All I found is someone who needs a kick in the ass." Noting Ryan and Esposito's smile, she added. "Not that I would assault someone. That'd be a crime right? If I was going to commit a crime, I'd have to make sure you people weren't around. Or looking the other way at least."
"Can you just tell me what happened?" Kate asked sympathetically.
"I called Gina. You know, to give her one last chance." Paula looked at the three and blushed. "She told me…to go forth and multiply, by myself. Although not in those exact words."
Kate nodded. "Paula, I think we should have a late lunch and then the four of us can go see Ms. Cowell. Have you ever eaten at a cop place? It's Remy's. You'll like it, I'm sure. And it's on us."
After lunch, the four of them drove to the offices of Black Pawn. Kate stopped in front of the receptionist. "We're here to see Ms. Cowell."
The receptionist smiled professionally. "Do you have an appointment?"
"No. I have a badge." Kate and the two detectives showed their badges and walked past the receptionist, who got on the office intercom to warn Gina.
"What do you want?" Gina snarled as the four came into her office.
Kate decided to be as polite as she could. She wouldn't put Castle in any more danger by losing her temper. "We understand that you have some evidence that might be relevant to the kidnapping of Richard Castle. I'd think with one of your most profitable authors missing, you'd be more interested in helping the police."
"We have lots of good authors here at Black Pawn. Richard Castle is nothing special." She said with a cold smile.
"You didn't always think that way, did you, Gina?" Paula spoke up.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
"What you should be doing. Helping the police and looking after the interests of my client. You have letters that might tell us who kidnapped Rick. Are you going to hand them over?"
Gina smiled nastily. "The operative word there is "might". This is a business and I can't spend all day looking for documents you think might be here, and might be of use. If you want a particular document, get a search warrant. Your search warrant will have to identify the documents you're looking for. If you think you're going to get a search warrant for a fishing expedition, I don't think you understand the law. I've been talking to our lawyers, though, so I do."
Kate was nearly at her breaking point. "Ms. Cowell, I don't think you know…"
"I know a slut with a badge, when I see one." She snapped.
Paula laughed. "Now we're getting someplace. Gina had Rick and lost him. Then she had him again and lost him again. She didn't even make it into one of his novels. That must really grind on you."
Gina stared at Paula with hatred in her eyes. "And I know a Brooklyn slut when I see one. I hope your little fling with him was worth the chapter you got. At least I got more than one night. That's all he could manage with you."
"At least we parted friends, Gina." Paula smiled evilly. "There was a most interesting story going around about the time you were with Rick in the Hamptons. What was it…?"
"Don't you dare!" Gina screamed. "I'll sue you for slander!"
Paula laughed. "I heard it from Nancy Brooks, so all I'm doing is repeating what she told me. If you want to sue the most powerful literary lawyer in New York, be my guest."
Gina's mouth moved, but nothing came out.
Paula went on. "They were sleeping together in the Hamptons. Rick was mumbling in his sleep. She reached over and found he had an erection. Naturally, she stroked him. And he said a name. Would you care to guess whose name it was? I'll give you a hint. It wasn't Gina."
Gina lost her temper. "It was Kate! The bastard was calling out for his little slut cop while he was in bed with me."
Kate was getting very tired of Gina, but she had to try to get through to her. "Ms. Cowell, Castle and I have never slept together. We aren't…"
"Get out!" Gina yelled. "I've told you what you need to get any documents from me. Now get out of here and come back with a search warrant or I'll sue you for harassment."
"That'll go in the press release." Paula said happily. "Gina Cowell, of Black Pawn publishing, has refused to assist the police in their inquiries into the kidnapping of famed author Richard Castle, who police say is being tortured by his abductors. Could her failed marriage to Castle and a failed reconciliation be behind her decision?"
"You wouldn't dare!"
"Of course I'd dare. I know lawyers too. Lawyers who can interpret the slander and libel laws. I don't imagine the CEO of Black Pawn will be too happy with that little press release. Nor will the board of directors, or the stockholders. I imagine Castle's fans will be upset. And how about those other authors of Black Pawn's? They'll wonder about how much they really mean to their publisher. I think I'm really going to enjoy this." Paula turned to Kate. "Don't you think daily updates are in order from here on in?"
Kate nodded. "And special bulletins if needed."
Gina grabbed her coat. "Jennifer!" She yelled. "Give these people the letters to Castle that we have. I'm going home. And have my office fumigated by tomorrow morning." She stomped out of her office and out of the door.
"Ms. Haas?" Jennifer called. "I have the letters right here. There are three banker's boxes of them. Ms. Cowell told me not to sort them, but you may find the ones with red check marks on them are the threatening ones. The rest are fan letters. I have no idea how those check marks got there. I'd certainly never disobey my boss."
"Of course not." Paula said. "And if you ever need a job, come see me. I can use someone like you." Paula handed her a business card.
Jennifer smiled. "Can I call you tomorrow?"
"Absolutley."
Once back at the precinct, the three detectives began to go through the files from Black Pawn. Once through the threats, they began on the other fan mail, just to be sure.
Kate looked at her watch. It was late. She should go home. Then she noticed an odd expression on Ryan's face. He seemed interested in a letter. "Ryan? Did you find something?"
He quickly put the letter down. "No. Nothing. Nothing at all."
Kate stood up and walked to his desk. "Well, let me see it."
Ryan put his hands over the letter. "Beckett! It's from a woman. She's telling Castle what she wants to do to him. And she sent photos."
Kate pushed Ryan's hands aside and looked at the photos and read part of the letter. "Ryan, once we work through these, shred those. And then burn them. And crush the ashes. Castle does not need to see that."
"And she's nowhere near as attractive as you are." Ryan said quickly.
Kate went back to her desk and took out her cell phone to call Martha to let her know she was on her way. Before she could, the phone rang. She checked the screen, but there was no caller ID.
"Beckett."
She heard nothing, then heavy breathing then, "Beckett?"
"Castle?"
