Chapter 11

Castle and Beckett were two spoons. Holding her, Rick marveled that after their educational session the night before he still wanted more, but it seemed that with Kate he always wanted more. He pressed a kiss to the sensitive spot on her neck and she stirred, rubbing back against him. The intensity of his need grew. He couldn't stop and he didn't want to. He turned her around to face him, tasting her lips, her chin, her jaw, and her neck. Eyes still closed, Kate took her taste of him, first one lip, then the other, down his chin and lower. He pulled her closer, leaving no air between their bodies to cool the heat. Sheets and blankets were pushed to the floor as they touched each other everywhere, unable to get close enough, until they joined as one. Still it wasn't enough. They were climbing a mountain, pulling each other to the summit. Finally the desperation exploded into shards and they lay quietly entwined.

As usual, the alarm intruded. Time was critical today because of their their appointment with Pick and Meacham on Rikers Island. The showers were short and functional and the dressing swift.

Alexis and Pi had again left the loft in the early hours. Unimpeded in the kitchen, Castle loaded up traveling mugs. Beckett and Castle took a cab to the 12th to pick up Beckett's official vehicle and headed to Rikers Island.

Larry Pick was late, not arriving until 11:00. "We could have had a really nice breakfast, or even brunch," Castle whined.

"I thought we did," Beckett teased.

Castle gave her a crooked smile, "that was delicious, but I meant food."

"We'll make up for it later, Castle, my treat," Beckett told him.

"OK," he agreed,"but I get to pick the restaurant."

When Pick finally arrived, they met again with Meacham using a visiting room, as he was no longer in the infirmary.

"Mr. Meacham," Beckett said,"tell us about Karen Coman.

"Who?" Meacham asked, feigning innocence.

"Your ex-wife's lover, the one you paid Colm Feeney to find out about for you," Beckett reminded him.

"She's dead." Meacham said.

"We know that, Mr. Meacham. The question is, how did she get that way?"

Meacham looked at Pick, who nodded.

"I don't know," Meacham told Beckett. But I do know that I told Lacy that she could expect to pay big. The next thing I know, I hear Karen's dead."

"Did Lacy tell her father?" Castle asked.

"Probably, she ran to him about everything, whiny little bitch. She was a real Daddy's girl. He cleaned up all her messes."

"So how did you make out in the divorce?" Beckett asked.

Meacham snorted. "I got nothin'! I always get nothin'! That's why Cobert could use me the way he did."

"Yeah," Castle intoned,"you're a real victim."

"This," Beckett told Meacham, "is your chance to get Cobert back. You help us and he'll go away for ever."

Meacham looked at Pick again. Pick said "Do it!"

"Cobert has a fixer," Meacham explained. "His name is Riley Miller. They go way back to when they were in high school together. Miller was a jock, but he went after some girl who wasn't interested. Things got rough. The girl reported it, but Cobert swore that Miller was with him the whole time. Since then, whenever Cobert didn't want to get his hands dirty, he called Miller. When it looked like I rolled on Cobert, I was pretty sure that he'd send Miller after me."

"Miller won't be able to go after anyone again," Mr. Meacham. You can count on it," Beckett told him. "I'll let the counselor here," she said indicating Pick, "know if we need anything else." Beckett rose and Castle followed her out.

As soon as they returned to the car, Beckett called Esposito. "I want you and Ryan to get me everything you can get on a Riley Miller. He's been working for Roger Cobert. He may have killed Karen Coman."

"You've got it, boss," Esposito responded.

"All right, Castle," Beckett said, "while they're working on Miller, you can have your lunch."

Castle nuzzled her neck. "You really are good at bossing men around," he told her.

Beckett slid into the driver's seat. "Coming Castle?" she asked.

Castle hastily took shotgun. His choice of restaurant was barbecue, the kind that came with piles of napkins. He looked down at Beckett as they were leaving. "I don't think you got it all." he put a finger to the corner of her mouth, picked up a drop of sauce and put it in his own mouth.

"Castle if you're going to take my food, I need some of yours." She had started to lick an imaginary drop from his chin when he combed his fingers into the hair at the back of her head and drew her mouth to his. The kiss was interrupted by a cough behind them. They were blocking the door to the restaurant. Beckett sighed. "We better go, Castle." Castle scrubbed his hands over his lips and followed her to the car.

Esposito and Ryan had a thick file on Riley Miller. He had been a suspect in two rapes and multiple beatings, but either there were no witnesses or they recanted their testimony. "This is one scary dude," Esposito said.

"Do we have an address on him?" Beckett asked

Ryan walked up. "Nothing recent from the DMV, but we have one from his credit card company."

"We don't have enough for an arrest," Beckett said. "But we can sweat him a little. Go pick him up."

While they waited for Ryan and Esposito to come back, Beckett and Castle updated the murder board and reviewed Roger Cobert's financials looking for links to Riley Miller. They found some transactions on a pocket account that looked promising, but they would require a lot more work to confirm.

Ryan and Esposito brought in Miller, and Esposito sat him down in the box. Beckett headed for the door of the box and Castle started to follow. Beckett put a hand on his arm. "I think I'll do this with Espo," she said. "This guy thinks he's tough and Javi's good for the intimidation factor. Besides, we're going to have to let him go and there's no reason why he needs to remember your face. You can watch from observation."

"I don't want him remembering you face either," Castle protested.

"Rick," she told him. "I'm a cop. I have a gun - two actually. I'll be fine."

"Mr. Miller," Beckett began."We'd like to talk to you about Karen Coman."

"Never heard of her," Miller replied.

"Do you know Roger Cobert?" Beckett continued.

"Sure," Miller answered, "we went to school together."

"How about his daughter Lacy?"

"We've met a couple of times. What of it?" Miller asked innocently.

"Karen Coman was Lacy's lover. She's dead" Beckett told him.

"Well I'm sorry to hear that, Detective, but what's that got to do with me?" Miller responded.

"You killed her."

Miller laughed. "Nicely done, Detective. But if you had any evidence of that, I'd be in cuffs, so I think I'll just be leaving now. It's been fun."

Miller got up and walked out of interrogation. As soon as he was gone, Beckett told Esposito, "Put a team on him, I want to know where he goes and who he talks to, especially Roger Cobert."

"On it!" Esposito responded.

Castle came in the interrogation room to join Beckett. "Smug bastard," she said slapping her file on the table.

"Why shouldn't he be?" Castle asked. "He thinks he can get away with murder."

Becket smiled. "Yeah, so he thinks."

Castle and Beckett spent more time going through Cobert's records looking for connections to Miller. They returned to the loft at about seven o'clock. Alexis and Pi were in their usual spot on the couch. Martha had left a note that she was at an actor's soiree. "What have have two been doing all day?" Castle asked.

"Dad," Alexis told him, eyes sparkling, "we found a place for Pi to live."

Putting his hands around Alexis's waist, Castle picked her up and gave her a sound kiss on the forehead. Pi stood up and Castle hugged him, patting his back. "We're all going to Le Cirque to celebrate!" Castle announced.

"Dad, fruitarian," Alexis said, pointing at Pi.

"We'll get him a fruit salad," Castle replied. "Let's go."

Castle and Beckett returned to the loft from Le Cirque replete and happy. They had shared a Chateaubriand, feeding each other small bites off their forks. Alexis had turned away, apparently feeling an ewww factor, but Castle didn't care. He was getting his house back and all was right with the world. He picked Beckett up, carried her over the threshold of the bedroom and laid her on the bed. Lifting her a little, Castle sat against the headboard with Beckett's head in his lap, twining his fingers in her hair. "You know, he said, "in a couple of days Alexis will be in the dorms and Pi will be in an apartment. Now if we could just get Alexis to find Mother a place..."

"It's been a great night, Castle," Beckett told him. "Don't get too greedy."

"Where some things are concerned," Castle told her, lifting her up to meet his lips, "I'll never have enough."