One of Us – Chapter 10 – Building Theory
Previously They have their break through but there is still investigations and work to be done.
Disclaimer – even in my wildest dreams I don't own Castle or any of the characters. If I did, you'd see way more than primetime TV allows!
All the other legal stuff applies too.
12th Precinct, Thursday morning, 8.00 AM.
Beckett and Castle are a little late arriving at the precinct due to their morning routine getting side-tracked in the shower as their exhilarated mood from the previous evening carried over. As a result they were caught in rush hour traffic but it too failed to detract from their own private happy place. Once again they enter the Precinct hand-in-hand with coffees in their unconnected hands. And once again they attract attention, though few are brave enough to comment, from their colleagues.
Entering onto the homicide floor the attention escalated as Esposito and Ryan greet them with a chorus of "Look its Mom & Dad, holding hands and kissing". Trust those two to be brave/foolish enough to risk Beckett's wrath. However, instead of an angry rebuff, glare or even blushing, Beckett turns to the two male detectives and in her most level tone responds.
"I'm pretty sure you two were present when we announced we were moving into together." Then pausing for effect she continues "And I'm pretty sure that kids don't want to think about what Mom & Dad get up to after kissing, eh Boys?"
Ryan half-exclaims, stammering something unintelligible, and Esposito simply ducks his head. Beckett smirks as she moves off towards the secure conference room, as she passes Castle there are fist-bumps exchanged as she leans in to grab a quick kiss on the lips before separating for the day.
The makeshift homicide team has assembled round Ryan's and Esposito's desks. There is progress. The Department of Defense has processed the DNA sample they had sent in and Esposito has the results.
"No direct match. But they say it is a near match – full sibling match for a current serving member. However, as the DNA is not a direct match, the DoD will not release the information."
"This is a murder investigation, surely we can get that information?" questions Castle voicing what the team is surely all thinking. The petty bureaucracy and mindless rules of officialdom still amaze the Writer, who despite the years working alongside the civil servants of the NYPD, still occasionally hankers for his world of privilege where his name or a suitable gratuity usually resolves any problem. Of course he's not crass enough to raise it here fully aware that amongst these people, his friends, they value him for contribution and participation not his fame or wallet – although the free lunches no doubt help.
Esposito picks up the phone and calls the Department of Defense number and begins the bureaucratic process of going through channels to get the necessary information.
Two minutes later, and the person on the other end of the line is not cooperating with Esposito, and Gates simply walks up to Esposito and holds her hand out patiently.
"Good Morning, this Captain Victoria Gates of the NYPD's 12th Precinct. Can you please put your supervisor on immediately" This a command, not a question, nor a request.
The rest of the team grin, maybe having the Captain on the team has benefits. Not that any of them would ever mention it out loud and certainly not to Beckett.
Homicide 9.30 AM Thursday.
An hour later, they have the name of the serving soldier with the sibling match, James Flute – a full time Sergeant in the New York National Guard. This is enough to provide them with an ID for their victim.
Ryan pulls up the information.
"Meet Henry James Flute, aka Harry Trick, aka Mike Angeles."
Priors for B&E, mugging, dishonourable discharge from New York National Guard in 2009. Guess that's where the scrub tattoo is from. Brother is James Henry Flute, currently active as a full time NCO in the New York National Guard. He is currently deployed overseas and we are unable to contact him. The Army will handle the death notification.
"James Henry and Henry James. Their parents must have loved those names." Castle is reading over Ryan's shoulder and interjects again. "Oh look. Two known associates - Milos Jussic and Leroy Herron."
"Well that makes three. Just the right number for our robbery crew." Ryan continues. "Both have form for B&E, muggings." The team close in around Ryan's monitor as their interest and spirits rise. They're finally getting somewhere.
"If it/was them, then the question is, what were they doing in the buildings, and why only targeting the top floors?" asks Castle.
"I don't know" Says Gates "but let's get some uniforms to their last known addresses and see what shakes out. I'll organize that and I'm afraid Captain's duties call so I'll leave the rest of you to progress the investigation and I'll get back as soon as I can". A chorus of "Captain" acknowledges her.
As the Ryan and Esposito start on the more detailed research of the suspects' records, Castle has time to do some research of his own. As a property owner and investor he has access to real estate databases and other information and he has an idea he wants to pursue.
He hasn't mentioned it to the Boys and he misses having Beckett here to bounce and build theory with. Sighing, he pulls out an iPad from his bag, swipes his password, and launches the app. Logging into the website he starts to call up information on the properties and in particular any tenant changes in the last year.
After a few minutes her pulls a legal pad from Beckett's orderly stationary, and quickly starts making notes. If Esposito or Ryan were to look up they would have spotted Castle with a slightly smug smile on his face and he hummed whilst he searched for information and recorded information on the pad.
After 20 more minutes, he looks up and asks Ryan if he can request some files from Central Records. Ryan dials the number on his phone and passes the phone to Castle who makes his request and hands the phone back to Ryan so he can provide his badge number for authorization.
"Castle, what did I just request?"
"Coffee?" the Writer asks with a nifty redirection.
12th Precinct, 2:30 PM.
Gates has re-joined the team, and Ryan gives the update.
"Captain, units have checked the last known addresses for Flute, Jussic and Herron, and no-one has seen anyone of them since Sunday. However, phone traces put them in the vicinity of the apartments late on Sunday night. We may have to assume that they were with Flute when he was killed. They could be captive or have been injured or killed too."
Castle rises from the edge of the desk when he has been sitting. A number of faded evidence files are beside him, and he has one in his hands thumbing through the contents.
"Excuse me, Captain & Detectives". As they turn to look at him, Castle continues.
"I believe, I may identified the apartment the B&E team were trying to locate, and I may even know why they were so keen to locate it." The Boys perk up, waiting for another Rick Castle tale of mystery and deduction or potentially a complete wash out, either were equally entertaining, often the latter would be better but that was not something they would raise with the Captain present nor with so much at stake. Gates nods to the Writer.
"I researched all the tenancy leases for the two buildings in the last year trying to find any that lined up with the time the crime levels dropped. There were twenty-seven in all. "Only, four of those leases were for the top story of either of the two blocks. I also covered the surrounding blocks as a sample for elimination purposes. Of the four, only one fit the likely profile.
"Then using the lease agreement details, I deduced that the lease for Apartment 67 has been made with fake names on the rental agreements. The lease was started around the time the crime levels dropped off. The lease was in the name of Andrea di Cione. These is the real name of Verrocchio one of the most famous Florentine painters. Why this is of interest is related to a cold case – a theft, not a murder"
"On 17 November 17, 1969 art thieves stole seven paintings, including works by Cassatt, Monet, Pissarro and Rouault, from art dealer Stephen Hahn's Madison Avenue art gallery. The 1969 value was estimated value at $500,000. Who knows now. They have never been recovered and the police investigation never charged anyone. It was rare because it was reported – often art theft was not reported to keep insurance premiums down."
"Incidentally, Stephen Hahn had been discussing art theft with other art dealers as the theft was taking place at the Gallery. It was investigated as an inside job but nothing came of that line of inquiry."
Ryan jumps in. "What's the connection?"
"Ah, strange you ask." Castle's playing to the gallery, but the first signs of a frown on Gates' face is enough to get him moving right ahead". Milos Jussic's father was an employee of the building housing the gallery when the theft took place. He quit soon after. He was interviewed by the police but was ruled out despite circumstantial evidence pointing to him."
Gates obviously isn't a big fan of the slow reveal and the scowl on her face hurries the Writer along.
"Patic Jussic's family lived in Apartment 67 from 1967 until 1983. The father died in 1977 when Milos Patic was 2 years old. The father was killed by Dominic Delucca who as fate would have it was also an employee at the same building housing the Gallery until 2 months after the theft. Delucca was arrested, tried, convicted and sentenced to 35 years in 1978. He was released two months before the leases were taken out."
"When Delucca was asked why he killed Jussic he replied that 'Jussic was a thief and he did not share what was agreed' but he said nothing else. What was interesting about Delucca is that he is an immigrant from Italy and he came from Florence. Hence his use of a famous Florentine painter as an alias for the lease."
Gates lean in "So why lease apartment 67?"
"After leaving the gallery and until his death Jussic was the building handyman for the three apartment blocks. I think he may have hidden the pictures somewhere in the Apartment blocks and that is what Delucca is looking for."
"So how does tie in with the B&E gang?" Esposito asks.
"Turns out Jussic junior was keen to get revenge on Delucca according to Delucca's parole officer. However, it appears that Delucca had cultivated mob ties during his time inside according to the prison and his parole officer. So I reckon Jussic was run off or scared off the first time he tried. He has then recruited his friends and they attempted to track down Delucca again."
"They found him last Sunday?" queries Esposito.
"Could be. Worth investigating right?" Castle poses the question.
Gates looks at the Writer and nods. Now is time to take charge. "Right people, we don't need a warrant as we can work on the assumption that Jussic and Herron may be in imminent danger."
"Esposito place a priority request to ESU for an entry team". She waits whilst the male detective nods and reaches for the phone. "Get an ETA and tell them we'll meet on site."
Esposito dials ESU and sets the wheels in motion.
Author's Note – Real life intervened for a while. Happy Valentine's Day! Yes the art theft case is real - everything else related to the case is entirely my own invention and totally imaginary.
Update - couple of edits. 1) Add an explanation on how the brother would be notified of the victim's death (damn rookie mistake leaving it out in earlier version). 2) Corrected 2 references to the victim as James to Flute - his surname in line with the other suspects/potential victims.