Chapter Nine
It's sounds like a live Charlie Brown cartoon in here. The annoying noise that teacher makes washes over him and comes out of two mouths he would rather not invest his hearing in. So, he desperately tries to tune them out, with his feet up on the table in the conference room, eyes searching the large glass windows that look over a part of New York City. Black Pawn Publishing is all a flutter with his new Derrick Storm novel, which is to hit the shelves tomorrow. And then he is off on a plane to sign books in a few states for god knows how long...
There is a change in pitch, one more excitable than the other and it jolts his nerves for a moment as he briefly looks over at Paula and Gina who are discussing a last minute booking in Boston. Rick had stopped listening around the time Paula mentioned some clubs in several states Richard Castle should make an appearance. Places in which, he's never heard of even in all his travels, and frankly doesn't want to be carted around half the country to sign countless copies for crazed fans who probably don't even like the books so much as obsess over him and his persona.
It's not even real. This person he's been made out to be. And it's times like these that, although he ends up having a blast, he still wishes there was someone else in his life who saw the real him. Other than his mother, who is often a pain in his ass, at least respects both sides of him, whether she approves of his gallivanting or not. She still loves him.
And Alexis... well she's still not old enough to understand, and he wants to keep that innocence in her life.. He hopes she never has to witness the fake realities of the world, even though he sugar coats everything he can for as long as possible. He just wants her to grow up being true to herself, even though he is a walking contradiction.
"We could also go up to Maine and maybe hit Florida after that." Paula's voice finally registers.
Rick's feet slide off the table with a loud thud.
"Ready to join us now, Ricky?" Paula asks snapping her gum with a wise ass look on her face. Gina sighs, head turning with her elbow up on the table and her face in her hands. She's clearly exasperated.
"Yeah, and can we stick to one area please? I don't want to fly Alexis all over the damn country." Rick replies leaning forward and pointing at a small map Paula has out on the table.
"I thought your mother was watching the kid?" The dark haired woman asks, hand on one hip that juts out to one side, challenge in her eyes.
Gina rolls hers.
"Yes, but with these...Deliverers on the loose, she might not be safe." He says in all honesty, concern etched in the corner of his eyes.
"Rick." Gina stands from the table, gathering up the map. "These sickos are after pregnant women. Not seven and a half year olds." She pushes her blonde hair over her shoulder and turns towards the door, more than ready to get the hell out of here.
"Who's to say they don't change it up, turn to trafficking kids?"
Paula laughs. "Save it for your books."
An empty box sits on her desk in front of a full murder board. The thought to be cold case now open again with same old dried up leads waiting for new evidence to make them more feasible. Her talk with her father earlier in the day has pretty much been forgotten as Kate stares up at the board from her chair, hand protectively on her stomach. Richard Castle and informing him of this baby inside her, is the last thing on her mind, although he keeps popping up every now and then the longer she stares at the faces of these victims.
Her mind drifts to how alone they must have felt. And how at least she has the boys, her captain, father and Lanie. But maybe... just maybe Richard Castle could be a part of this little family too...if she had the guts to tell him. Never in her wildest dreams had she ever thought she'd even speak to the man, let alone carry his child. A child which is being rather rambunctious
The baby has been more active the last few hours. She must be feeling Kate's uneasiness and hasn't let up her vicious kicking all afternoon, and now it's well into the evening.
Kate shakes her head, removing the image of her favorite author from her mind and letting her eyes scan the scattered amount of dry erase marker on the whiteboard. Her head is aching a little, and her body spinning from the amount of hours she's spent here. Kate has ignored every bit of help and coaxing from the boys to be brought home, only letting them feed her as they ran off to search for evidence while she's been otherwise stuck here. Her stack of paperwork has also been forgotten, now with a case to work on that needs more of her attention than anything else.
Along with her aching head, her back hurts today, from her exuberant baby and being stuck to this chair. Not to mention the embarrassing need to be helped out of it, to walk around or use the bathroom five times in half an hour by the boys, or Lanie.
Lanie ventured up here with her findings two hours ago, since Kate going to the morgue was out of the question. And other than her nagging to get the hell up and go find Richard Castle, the bothersome ME had not much else to say.
So far she has confirmed that the victim has the same MO as the previous ones... only, as Kate looks away from the victim, this woman's baby was removed from her by brutal force. A sticky note lays over the gruesome image of a woman bled to death in the park, abdomen cut open strategically, baby removed, and mother left to die..
Another homeless woman, victimized by her rank. Taken from the world because they were thought not to matter or be missed. Even though Kate never knew these poor women, she misses them. Just like she feels the loss of every victim for which she finds justice. And although no one is looking for them...Kate will find the solace these lost souls deserve.
But again, the only people connected to these victims, Father Julian, Dr. Peirce McHale, and his nurse have all checked out.
"Hey." Kate looks over to see Ryan round a corner, a folder in his hand and a look of less apprehension from when they started on his kind face.
"Please tell me you've got something." She asks, wiping a hand tiredly over her face and rubbing her belly, cringing at a sharp kick.
Ryan's eyebrows rise in concern, his soft blues watching as her face returns to normal and she lets out a breath. "We just might!" There is a small pause as Kate moves uneasily in her chair. "You doing okay, want me to take you home?"
"Umm." She adjusts again. "Tell me what you've found first."
He looks at her sternly, head inclined and giving her the eyes.
"Promise."
His eyes drop to the folder as he opens it. "Okay, well CSU found a pair of tire treads near the location of the body... on further analysis they were able to find out the make and model of the car they belong to."
Kate's eyes grow wide in excitement as she tries to get out of her chair. "What is it?" She braces a hand on the desk, and starts to rise.
Ryan rushes over to help her get up, dropping the evidence on her desk, "A 1990 Dodge Grand Caravan." He hoists her out of the chair, one arm under her armpit with hers slung over his shoulder. "Too late to run down anything further, so lets get you home."
A 1990 Dodge Grand Caravan pulls up to a curb. A lone figure gets out, the door screeching in protest, echoing amongst the trees of the quiet park. The figure looks around before walking to a nearby picnic table, eyes scanning the area.
"Warm night." Another figure says, stepping around a large oak tree.
"It is." The other agrees with a nod of their head, looking up into the sky, scarce of stars and moon, the city lights corrupting the brilliant glow of the universe.
"It's taken care of." The second says, their large footsteps heard over the New York traffic close by. New Yorkers who never sleep.
The first looks over, the seconds face pale in the lamplight. "Get a good price?" The first asks stepping up onto the bench of the picnic table and sitting on the top.
The second joins them, a tall frame looming over the other as they pull out an envelope and hand it to their partner before sitting down by their feet. "Quite the rich family, paid more then the little thing was worth in my opinion, but who am I to complain?" The tall one says with a wheezy laugh.
The first opens the envelope, their small fingers sifting through the money, mouth moving silently as they count. "Oh I don't know. I thought he was rather cute." They say sweetly, voice softening and their eyes wrinkling as if they were talking to the tiny baby boy they just sold and not a bundle of cash.
"If you say so." The second shrugs, looking off into the night. "This the next drop off?" They ask after a few moments.
The figure stands. "Yes." They say, putting the envelope of money into their pocket, "right off amongst that group of trees maybe." They point, "and you'll have to do it on your own again, I can't raise suspicion, what with the cops stopping in again after the last one."
The second groans. "I can't keep doing this by myself." They complain.
"Get over it." The first replies scolding before walking back to the van. "Bring me home, and then keep the van for a while, I'll take a cab to work tomorrow." They say throwing their partner the keys and walking around to the passengers side.
A jingling whizzes through the air before they are muffled by the seconds large hand catching them. They pull open the driver's side door, "have your eye on anyone new?" They ask sliding in and slamming the door.
"Yes." The first replies looking out the window. "I believe I do."