Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold

Chapter Nine

After Detective Ryan left the precinct, detectives Beckett and Esposito, as well as Castle took a seat at their desks to keep working, knowing that they would be doing so through the night. Kate asked Lanie to rush the results from the tests she was running on their suspect in hope that they'd be able to clear Ryan of any wrongdoing as soon as possible. Shortly after nine o'clock that night, Kort once again began to cause trouble as he angrily walked into the precinct to confront the detectives, right away demanding to know who the detective was that shot and killed his son.

"I understand that you refused to give out the coward's name in front of the reporters, but I am only one man, seeking justice for my boy," Donovan stated haughtily. "I have every right to look that murderer in his eyes as I confront him."

"As we've said before, Kort, we will not be giving out the detective's name under any circumstances, especially not to someone threatening, like you," Esposito replied as he moved to stand in front of the newcomer.

Kate stepped in between them as she responded, "Javier… Okay, Mr. Kort, if you wish to have a seat and talk, then we can talk. Otherwise…"

Donovan continued glaring at Esposito as he interrupted, "Fine, let's talk. Detective, Javier was it?"

"That's Esposito," Javier answered in frustration.

"Esposito, you seem pretty protective of the detective in question here," Kort replied smugly. "He wouldn't happen to be your partner, would he?"

Ryan's partner moved in once again in anger as Castle responded, "Listen, we've already explained for the last time…"

Beckett cut him off as she said, "Please, Mr. Kort. Come with me to our conference room and I promise to tell you everything I can."

"Very well," the man answered. "Lead the way, Detective Beckett."

"First of all, I want to apologize again for your loss," Kate spoke up again after she, Castle, and Donovan took a seat in one of the precinct's conference rooms. "I promise you, we are doing everything we can to find out the truth as to what happened tonight, as well as what started all of this."

Kort replied, "I know what happened tonight, detective. Your boy, whoever he is, killed my son and now you two and your friend out there are trying to protect him. I do not wish to harm him. I just want to hear from him why he did what he did and to hear him apologize to me personally. Don't I deserve that?"

Castle responded, "I wish there was something we could do for you, to help ease the pain of the loss of your son, but we also have a duty to the detective you believe is to blame for all of this. You may not wish him harm, but there are others out there, who might and we cannot take that risk."

"Your son was high on what we believe was crystal meth, causing him to act out of his mind," Beckett continued calmly. "He managed to overpower another detective and the one that shot your son did all he could to save them both. He shot your son in the left shoulder, but unfortunately, he fell back through a hole in the floor behind him. He had no choice, but if your son was not involved in the deaths of our two victims, then I promise you, we will bring the real people responsible to justice. Those are the real people that killed your son."

"Then, I hope you get them, Detective Beckett," Donovan answered as he received and read a text on his cell phone, then quickly stood up and walked toward the door, causing Beckett and Castle to become suspicious of his sudden actions.

Castle stood up behind the man as he asked, "Is there something wrong, Mr. Kort?"

As he exited the room and headed toward the elevator, Kort replied, "No, Mr. Castle. I am just anxious to begin the funeral preparations and realized that I still need to make a few calls. Surely, you understand."

"Of course," Kate responded. "Good night and I promise to let you know when we come up with a new lead. Call us if you need anything."

"I will, thank you," Donovan answered and then finally left as Kate, Rick, and Javier, who had joined them again, watched him get into the elevator.

Esposito noticed the look on his friends' faces as he turned to them and asked, "What was that all about? Is everything okay?"

Castle replied, "That was strange. Things seemed to be going fine, well kind of, until he suddenly received a text and then took off like a jack rabbit. Something's up."

"Did he finally stop trying to figure out who shot his son?" Javier asked again, not caring about anything, but making sure that his partner was going to be all right.

"It appeared that way at first, but it seemed that as soon as he got that text… I think he's up to something," Castle responded.

Beckett added, "I think you're right."

Rick asked in surprise, "You do?"

"Yes, Castle, I do," she answered. "Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do about that now. Let's go talk with Lanie. Hopefully, she'll have something for us."

"It just so happens that I do," Lanie replied as she walked into the main room. "I got the kid's tox report back. You guys were definitely right about the meth being what caused him to act all jumpy and out of his mind, which means…"

Kate interrupted, "Which means that there was nothing more Kevin could have done."

Lanie nodded and responded, "It's not enough to clear him one hundred percent, but it's a start. I'll continue working on the autopsy and hopefully we'll be able to prove all of his and Javi's story."

"I just hope that it happens before whatever's coming, comes," Kate said glumly.

"What do you mean?" Rick asked in confusion.

The lead detective answered, "It's the way I felt as soon as Kort got up and left. Something bad is going to happen, but I have no idea what. Javi, I suggest you go over and check on Ryan. Make sure that he's all right."

Esposito asked fearfully, "You think Kort just figured out Ryan was the one who shot his son?"

Kate nodded and that was all Esposito needed before he took off, then Kate turned back to Castle, who asked, "What about us? Aren't we going after him?"

"Yeah, I think we better," she replied. "Let's go."