Chapter 10
Roy Montgomery was feeling tired after a long hard day at the precinct. There had been meetings that took up most of the day or so it seemed to him as well keeping up to speed on several important investigations that his people were conducting. There had barely been time to get lunch, a half eaten sandwich and gallons of coffee was the best he could manage.
Not that Montgomery was complaining too much about that. He had always worked hard. He had always worked long hours. When he had been a detective he had set out to have one of the best clearance rates in all of the department. He had once made the vow to himself that he was going to be the best cop he could be. Having been made lieutenant had only made him work even harder and he expected the people who worked under him to the same up to a point of course. He knew when to push his people and when to ease off. His people respected him and produced their best for him.
He was proud of the fact that his people had very high clearance rates.
Yet Roy Montgomery was not a man to sit on his laurels now that he wore a lieutenant's shield. Just recently he had passed the Captains' exams. Only the other day he had heard a whisper on the grape vine that a captain's slot would soon be opening up. Montgomery wanted that job to be sure but he had to bide his time. He knew how the game was played. There were others who were equally qualified and hungered for the same slot.
After a long tiring day Montgomery had wanted nothing more than to go home to his wife and children. That was not going to happen. The telephone call he had received around five thirty in the afternoon had made sure of that.
Montgomery pushed open the front door and entered the bar. It was a bar he had not visited in several months possibly even longer but one he was very familiar with. This had been a regular watering hole for many years back in the days when he had been in uniform and later on when he was making his way as a detective. Quickly looking about he noticed that nothing much had changed since he was last in here. The decorations were much the same as he remembered. The numerous photographs on the cork board on the wall behind the bar had not been removed and if anything had been added to. Amongst that vast collection was a picture of himself. There was the usual collection of bar regulars, off duty cops mostly and one or two locals who preferred the safety of drinking at a cop bar. Even the barman was the same. Montgomery gave the man a friendly wave as he continued through the bar.
Montgomery's destination was the far end of the bar where two familiar faces were perched on bar stools nursing their drinks. There had been a time he considered these two men as friends. When he had been a rookie fresh out of the police academy they had taken him under their wing and shown him the ropes out there on the streets. They had shown him how to be a good patrol cop. He had been grateful to both men. The knowledge they had imparted had been invaluable. It had made him a better cop. Until they decided to take the law into their own hands.
Patrolling the streets day after day, and night after night, Montgomery had seen these wise guys getting away with all sorts of crimes or if they got caught they would be back on the streets in next to no time. They seemed untouchable. They had enough juice to buy off people in power, people who could look after them if they got in trouble. Montgomery could not remember who had proposed the idea to kidnap these wise guys. Many had been the times they would sit at this bar or another bitching about these guys getting away with murder practically. Something had to be done about them. They had to be shown that they did not rule the streets. It was agreed, the three of them would do it. Whatever reticence Montgomery harboured about doing this there would be no backing out of it once they had all agreed to do it.
It was not as if they were going to kill the guy they kidnapped. No, that was something Roy Montgomery drew the line at, besides it would have drawn down too much heat. They would kidnap and rough up the guy, give him a taste of his own medicine and then ransom him and then release him. No one was more surprised than Montgomery when the family of the first guy they kidnapped quickly paid up the very large sum that had been set for his release. They called it bail money. They laughed about that. Whatever it was called the wise guy's family paid up.
Montgomery nor the other two had ever seen so much money. Back in those days Montgomery had not long been married and with a kid on the way. The mortgage on the house he had bought out in the suburbs was beginning to kill him on his paltry cop's salary. His share of the bail money had been a godsend.
Then other wise guys were soon removed from New York City streets and held incarceration until the bail money was paid. Roy Montgomery had enough money to pay off his mortgage and put away money for his kids' college funds.
For a while it was noticed that the activities of The Families had lessened. Many well known wise guys decided to lay low or head out of town until whatever was happening out on the streets blew over.
Then the little arrangement the three colleagues had going was discovered by a powerful and ambitious man. He had walked into this very bar and walked up to them. He had sat down between them uninvited and proceeded to reveal their activities with the wise guys. Rather than expose it he demanded the largest cut of the bail money. Reluctantly all three men agreed. The kidnapping activities continued until that night in the alley behind the Sons of Palermo Club.
It had been Montgomery's gun that had shot the FBI agent. In the struggle that had ensued as they had tried to kidnap Joe Pulgatti, Armen had stepped in. Montgomery had pulled out his gun. Armen had tried to take it away. The next moment the gun went off.
Soon after that all three men went their separate ways. Their days of incarcerating wise guys for ransom were over. To continue it would have brought down too much heat. It was all they could do to cover their tracks after the killing. Thankfully Pulgatti had proven to be a good scape goat.
Roy could not get out of uniform fast enough. Within a year he was a Detective grade 3 and starting to climb up the ranks.
xxx
Montgomery did not want to be here, he did not want to meet the two men sitting at the bar but he knew that he could not avoid them for ever. It had been Raglan who had called and suggested they meet up for a couple of drinks after work. Montgomery reluctantly agreed to meet up at their old watering hole.
"Well if it isn't Lieutenant Montgomery." Detective John Raglan said, breaking into a smile.
"We taught the kid well, don't you think, John?" Detective Dave McCallister added.
Raglan smiled and nodded his head in agreement.
"Detectives." Montgomery said in commanding voice, as he looked from Raglan to McCallister. Suddenly his stern gaze broke into a smile, a smile that did not reach up to his eyes.
The three men shook hands. Montgomery noticed that both detectives had aged considerably since the last time they had seen each other. Raglan's hairline had receded a little bit more and his craggy face was covered in stubble. There were more lines on McCallister's face and his hair was more greyer than ever before. Both men were not long off from retiring. The sooner they did the sooner the NYPD would be better off, Montgomery thought to himself.
The barman came over with Montgomery's drink of choice. Montgomery nodded his thanks as he reached for the glass.
"You notice John, that ever since he got his Lieutenant's badge it's whisky for him?" McCallister remarked as he reached for his beer.
"Yeah, beer's too good for the brass, Dave." Raglan replied.
Montgomery smirked but said nothing. When he had been a rookie he had been on the receiving end of their jokes and even now nothing had changed.
McCallister picked up his bottle of beer and rose from his stool motioning for the others to follow him. He walked over to an empty booth. Raglan collected his own beer and followed with Montgomery right behind him swirling the ice in his glass.
"I hear you're slotted for the captain's desk at the 12th." Raglan said once they had sat down in the booth.
"Nothing's set in concrete but things are looking hopeful." Montgomery replied.
"Well, Jefferson will be retiring in the not too distant future be sure of that." McCallister said confidently.
"Well, it doesn't mean I'm a shoo in for the job." Montgomery pointed out.
Both Raglan and McCallister smiled knowingly. Montgomery understood those smiles but did not comment on them. Instead he turned his attention to his whisky. He took a sip of the alcohol pausing a moment to savour the fiery liquid. He set the glass down on the table.
"At the moment I'm busy looking after the homicide teams at the 18th Precinct." Montgomery informed them.
"How's that going?" Raglan inquired.
"Pretty good."
"How long have you been there, now?"
"Two years."
"Time to be moving on, I reckon." McCallister put in.
Montgomery took another sip of his whisky and then sat back in his seat. He looked from Raglan to McCallister.
"So why our meeting?" Montgomery asked.
"Can't old friends who haven't seen each other in months meet up for a drink?" Raglan said chuckling humourlessly.
Montgomery shrugged his shoulders in response but did not speak. He concentrated on his glass.
"The boss seems to have a hard on for this civil rights lawyer." McCallister announced, breaking the silence and getting down to business.
Montgomery raised a questioning eyebrow. The lieutenant hated the term 'the boss' being used for the man who could ruin all their lives. In his own mind he called the man, 'puppet master' because he was the one who pulled the strings and Montgomery and the other two danced about to the commands.
"She was Pulgatti's lawyer."
"Beckett, Johanna Beckett?" Montgomery said.
"That's her." McCallister nodded.
"Last I heard, she had dropped the case."
Montgomery had heard that Pulgatti had gotten himself a lawyer and bringing on a case of a wrongful arrest and conviction. The news had made Montgomery a little nervous. He consoled himself with the belief that his part in Pulgatti's arrest for the Armen murder was well hidden. He had made sure of that. That night in the alley he as well as McCallister and Raglan had been wearing balaclavas, nothing could be traced back to them. The gun that had killed Armen was untraceable. All the same he was nervous. It was not with little relief that he had heard on the grapevine that Beckett had dropped the case.
"Yeah, she may have dropped the case but the boss wants to know all about her." Raglan said.
"What do you mean?"
"What John means," McCallister continued, "the boss wants to know everything about the woman. And I mean everything. Where she was born, what schools she went to, who her friends are, who her colleagues are, who her acquaintances are. Everything."
"And he wants me to do it?" Montgomery asked, looking alarmed.
"Relax, Roy." Raglan chuckled, amused at Montgomery's reaction. "Dave is working on that."
"So what do you want from me?" Montgomery looked at each man in turn.
"There may be occasions where we might need to access certain information, certain databases." Raglan informed him.
"And that's where you come in, Roy." McCallister said with a grin. "You being a Lieutenant and all. You have access to information and databases that we might not. No one would raise questions if you were to access it."
"Okay." Montgomery said slowly. "What do you need?"
"Nothing at the moment." McCallister said, smiling. "But if we need your help..."
McCallister let the sentence trail off. Montgomery understood the meaning. It was something he could do, Montgomery thought to himself. He was not exactly happy about it but he could live with that. With any luck he would not be called upon to get them information. Still he was wary.
"Yeah, okay." Montgomery said, finally.
Both Raglan and McCallister smiled with relief. Raglan reached for his beer and drained the bottle. McCallister did the same with his. He rose from the booth and walked up to the bar to get another round of drinks.
"So what has he got you doing, John?" Montgomery inquired, curious to know what new task he had been set.
"He wants me to track down some letters the lawyer posted."
Montgomery's eyebrows shot up in surprise.
"Yeah I know." Raglan laughed. "I have my friend in the postal service doing the actual leg work."
"It must be costing you?"
"Tell me about it." Raglan said making a face.
"Well I hope he compensates you."
"He'd better."
"Found anything yet?"
Raglan laughed at that question. "Does looking for a needle in a haystack ring any bells, Roy?"
Montgomery smiled and nodded his head.
McCallister returned to the booth with a fresh round of drinks and passed them out before sitting down.
"So how are the wife and kids, Roy?" McCallister inquired.
"Yeah, they're good, Dave."
"Pleased to hear it."
XXX
"Where are you taking me, Mr Jones?" Castle inquired. His fingers were massaging the remnants of the headache that he had.
He was not happy to leave Kate and the children back at the loft. Though he knew that when he returned, barely a minute would have elapsed, he still did not like the idea of leaving them. It was only now that Castle had taken an interest of their surrounds. He had noticed that they had left Manhattan.
"I think you might be in need of a libation, Mr Castle." Mr Jones replied.
"A libation?" Castle's eyebrows rose up.
"A drink."
"I know what it means."
"Indeed you do." Mr Jones said smoothly.
"And why are you taking me to Brooklyn?"
"All will be revealed soon, Mr Castle." Mr Jones said cryptically.
Castle forgot the fading headache as he turned to look at Mr Jones.
"Another one of my tasks?" Castle ventured.
Mr Jones continued to keep his eyes on the road but he nodded his head. The car slowed down and pulled up in front of a bar. Castle wanted to ask how Mr Jones always seemed to manage to find parking spots but fearing the response he might get from the other man might bring back the headache, he chose not to voice the question. He put it down to one of the tricks of his trade and left it at that. He studied the façade of the bar. There were a couple of signs advertising beers that could be found within. He turned to look at Mr Jones.
"Why here, Mr Jones?"
"Because of him." Mr Jones said, pointing through the wind shield.
Castle drew his eyes in the direction of the bar. His mouth suddenly dropped open in surprise when he saw a younger looking Roy Montgomery approach the bar, push open the front door and walk in. He continued to stare at the door that had closed.
In the time line from which he had come Montgomery was still captain at the 12th Precinct but Castle could still remember that night from another time, in the aircraft hanger with Montgomery's body laying on the ground in a pool of blood. He remembered the sight of Kate kneeling beside the body crying uncontrollably at Montgomery's betrayal and sacrifice. And he could still remember the events that had followed soon after his death and all the nightmares that came with it. Though the memories were fading, he still could remember. You don't forget those kinds of things easily.
"He is meeting with his friends, Detectives McCallister and Raglan." Mr Jones said, interrupting Castle's thoughts.
Castle turned to look at Mr Jones. "Do you know why they're meeting?"
"Perhaps they want to talk about old times?" Mr Jones ventured with a small grin on his lips.
"I think not." Castle mused aloud. He turned to look back at the bar. "I wouldn't be here if it was a simple get together to talk about the good old days."
"Very good, Mr Castle." Mr Jones smiled.
"So what am I doing here, really?"
The smile on Mr Jones face vanished and he merely gave a shrug of his shoulders in answer to the question Castle posed.
"That helps a lot." Castle said unhappily.
"I have no doubt that something will come to you, Mr Castle."
"Thanks for that vote of confidence, Mr Jones."
Castle reached for the door to get out. Mr Jones reached over and placed a restraining hand on Castle's arm. Castle shot Mr Jones a quizzical look.
"Not just yet, Mr Castle." Mr Jones said gently.
Castle settled back in his seat and waited. For how long he had no idea but he was sure Mr Jones would tell him when the time was right to go into the bar.
xxx
Castle glanced at his watch and saw that fifteen minutes had passed since Roy Montgomery had walked into the bar. He looked over to the bar.
"Mr Jones." Castle said, suddenly breaking the long silence that hung in the car.
"Yes, Mr Castle?"
"Why is it you people only populate western popular science fiction?" Castle inquired.
It was a question that he had started pondering ever since he had met Mr Jones. Seeing they had nothing better to do than wait Castle decided to throw it out there and see what kind of response he would get. It was better than sitting in silence.
"How are you so sure that we don't populate non English fiction, Mr Castle?" Mr Jones replied, a whimsical note in his voice. "Or for that matter non Western cultures?"
Castle laughed as he turned to look at Mr Jones. "I have to tell you I haven't read anything about time travellers in Metebele Land or Patagonia, or Samarkand for that matter."
"Are you sure Mr Castle?" Mr Jones gave the author an indulgent smile.
"Yeah."
Mr Jones' smile deepened.
"I can assure you that we just don't work in the Western World." Mr Jones said. "We can be found in all places in all times."
Castle shot Mr Jones a disbelieving look.
"I cite as an example, the Indigenous people of the Australian outback." Mr Jones continued. "They have Wondjina, ghostly apparitions or spirits who look like spacemen. Paintings of Wondjina can be found in caves and rock walls and they do look like spacemen. Why would the Aborigines of Australia start painting such things?"
"Okay, okay." Castle sighed, raising his hands in surrender. He was already regretting having brought up the subject.
Castle turned to look at the bar and saw the front door open. He saw Raglan and McCallister emerge and start walking away in the opposite direction and disappeared into the night. Castle reached for the door handle.
"Now, Mr Jones?" He asked.
"Now would be fine, Mr Castle." Mr Jones agreed.
xxx
Castle walked into the bar and surveyed it. It did not take him long to spot Montgomery sitting by himself at the farthest booth. The man was holding his glass between his hands on the table, a troubled look creasing his face.
"What will you have, pal?" The barman asked.
"Whisky, no ice." Castle replied as he turned to look at the barman. He added a small smile of thanks.
Castle leaned against the counter and glanced in Montgomery's direction. He had no idea what he was doing here. Mr Jones had not been exactly forthcoming in what the task he was to do but here he was and he had something to do. He was sure something would crop up.
Sensing he was being watched, Montgomery looked up from his drink to find Castle watching him. The author turned away before the man became suspicious. Castle gave a nod of thanks to the barman for bringing him his drink. He dug into his trouser pocket and pulled out a ten dollar note. He placed it on the counter.
He picked up the glass and took a small sip of the whisky. He had no idea how he was going to play this but the time had arrived for him to walk on stage. Slowly he moved away from the counter and made his way to Montgomery's booth.
An easy going, friendly smile rose to his face as he reached the booth and found Montgomery regarding him with some suspicion.
"Roy? Roy Montgomery, isn't it?" Castle said in a friendly tone.
Montgomery continued to regard him carefully.
"Richard Castle. We met at Bob Wheldon's fund raiser last month." Castle said holding out his hand to Montgomery. Castle could only wonder where the hell that came from but he was glad it did and would run with it.
The suspicion eased on Montgomery's face as he reached up and shook the offered hand. Castle could tell that Montgomery had no idea whose hand he was shaking but was doing it out of politeness. Castle was familiar with that kind of thing. There had been so many times where people had come up to him at some party or charity benefit or even book signings, introducing themselves and acting like long lost friends but Castle had no idea who the hell those people were. Out of politeness he went along with it until he could excuse himself and move on.
"Yes, of course, Mr Castle."
"Oh, please call me, Rick." Castle breezed. "May I join you?"
"I was just about to leave, and head off home."
"Oh, how are Evelyn and the kids?" Castle sat down without invitation.
"They're good, thank you."
Castle noticed that Montgomery's glass was empty.
"You must let me buy you a drink, Roy."
"No. Thank you, but I have to get going."
"C'mon Roy. Just one drink, please? I insist."
Montgomery thought about the offer for a moment before he let out a sigh and consented with a small nod of his head.
Castle beamed back before he turned in the direction of the counter.
"Bar keep, a drink for my friend, here, please." He called out. The barman nodded his head.
xxx
Castle took a sip of his drink and looked at Montgomery to find him staring down at his untouched drink, a deep thoughtful look on etched on his face. His shoulders were hunch.
"You look like a man who's got the burdens of the world on his shoulders." Castle remarked.
Montgomery looked up and let out a low mirthless chuckle.
"Some times it feels that way." Montgomery said.
"Sometimes a burden can be eased if you talk to some one." Castle suggested easily.
"You can't help, Rick."
"Oh, I think I can."
Montgomery shook his head.
"I bet you I can guess what's on your mind?" Castle offered.
Montgomery looked at Castle with narrowed eyes. He did not say anything. Castle did not care he just plunged on.
"You're wondering why you ever got involved with Raglan and McCallister in the first place." Castle announced. He glanced at Montgomery. "Am I getting warm, Roy?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." Montgomery said automatically.
The lieutenant was instantly on his guard. The man sitting beside him could be working for IA and could wearing a wire, ready to entrap him. He cast his eyes about the bar trying to spot any non regular patron. He did not find any but he did not relax.
"You're thinking about a certain murder that happened in a certain alley behind a certain establishment by the name of the Sons Of Palermo Club." Castle continued.
Montgomery turned his gaze back to Castle and glared angrily at him but remained silent.
"I know all about your involvement in that FBI agent's murder, your involvement and that of Raglan and McCallister. The two men whom your were having a few drinks with just now."
"I think this meeting is over." Montgomery snapped.
He started to rise to his feet. Castle reached out and grabbed Montgomery by the wrist and pulled him back down. Montgomery was ready to fight him off. Castle tightened his grip.
"I am a friend, Roy." Castle said in a low firm voice.
Montgomery snorted derisively in response to Castle's words. The author continued.
"I know you got into something way above your head and it still haunts you. It remains a millstone around your neck, something that you hate. And I know you hate having to do the string puller's bidding."
Montgomery's moustache twitched. Castle thought he had managed to get through to the other man.
"Despite what you did in the past you've become a good cop, Roy. And you will be a good captain. In time your precinct's clearance rate will be the envy of other precincts."
Castle saw Montgomery's hard look soften a little. He also saw that Montgomery had not caught the future tense he had used. He released Montgomery's wrist.
"What do you want?" Montgomery demanded.
"I don't want anything."
Montgomery eyed Castle carefully.
"I assure you I don't want anything." Castle insisted. "I'm just here to remind you that sometimes the sins from our past which we hoped were deeply buried can come back to bite us on the ass. It's the soldiers, like yourself Roy, who go down but the guys pulling the strings, giving the orders, get away scott free."
Montgomery snorted.
"And I don't think that's fair, do you, Roy?"
Montgomery looked down at his whisky. He picked up the glass and took a big sip from it.
"What are you suggesting?" Montgomery asked.
"I think it's time you got yourself an insurance policy." Castle said.
"An insurance policy?" Montgomery shot the other man a quizzical look.
Castle nodded his head. He reached for his own drink and took a slug.
"What kind of insurance policy?" Montgomery asked.
"Only you know that, Roy." Castle replied. "But I would imagine you have access to all the documents that incriminates the one who pulls the strings, don't you?"
After a moment's thought Montgomery nodded his head.
"There you go. You never know when you might need an insurance policy but it pays to have one handy, just in case."
Castle checked his watch and suddenly became a little more animated.
"Oh would you look at the time." Castle said. "I'd better get going or the wife will kill me."
Castle picked up his glass and drained his whisky in one gulp. He rose to his feet.
"It's good to see you again, Roy." The two men shook hands.
Castle quickly left the bar feeling pleased with himself for having placed a seed of an idea in Montgomery's head. What Montgomery did with it was up to the man himself, just like the information he had given to Johanna Beckett in that alley in Washington Heights. He practically jumped into the front seat of the car.
"Things went well, Mr Castle?" Mr Jones inquired as he started up the car.
"Only time will tell, Mr Jones." Castle sighed.
XXXXX