In which Rick wrestles with his demons and we meet a charter member of Castle's league of extraordinary women.
Tampa Wednesday October 5 2016
Gradually the tremors faded, and he shook himself free of the memories and ancient terrors. He deliberately avoided the rear-view mirror. He knew what he would see. That haunted shell of a man that showed up periodically, despite his best effort.
What was he thinking?" He barely met the woman and she didn't seem all that excited about it. He didn't feel anything except annoyance. Did he?
It was her eyes, hazel, deep as infinity, pulling at his soul with the irresistible gravity of a black hole. Eyes that had haunted his dreams for as long as he could remember. Wait just a dang minute, when did he even notice the color of her eyes? He couldn't remember, but he would bet his last shred of sanity that they were indeed hazel.
"Rick, get a grip," he snarled at himself. "Just drive."
Ten minutes later, he parked the Ferrari in his space at the Orion Institute and walked up to the private entrance, where he pressed his right eye to the retina scanner. The cyber sentry considered for half a second and then the door slid silently open. He entered a small anteroom furnished only with an elevator door, which opened as he approached. As he entered the elevator, the silence was broken by a sultry contralto, "Good morning, Dr. Castle."
"Good morning, April," he answered, exchanging pleasantries with a computer as if it were entirely normal. "Third floor, please."
"Of course, sir. "The door slid closed and the elevator rose smoothly.
The door opened and Rick strolled out. "Thank you, April"
"My pleasure, sir. Have a nice day."
Rick had planned to go directly to Vienna's office, but following his little moment in the car, he thought a little recovery time might help him settle his nerves. So, instead of turning right to Vienna's office, he turned left and entered his own.
His assistant looked up from her terminal as he entered, meeting his lopsided grin with a smile, which faded marginally as she took in his strained appearance.
"I'm fine, Kathy," he preempted her assault. The diminutive Hispanic woman's loyalty and efficiency were only exceeded by her capacity for fussing over him. "Give me ten minutes to freshen up and ask Vienna if she'll join me.'
"Miss Vienna is already in your office," she pointed through the glass, and he could see the top of a dark head above the back of the wing chair Vienna favored whenever she came to his office. Oh, well. Nothing for it but to face the music.
###
Dr. Vienna Wong Takayoshi met her friend's look as he flopped boneless into the other wing chair. "You look like you've been dragged through a sinkhole," she said. "I thought the FBI was on our side." She could see Rick grinding his teeth as she butchered another of his homespun similes…but she refused to use any of her own, claiming that they lost something in translation.
It's knothole, Vienna, dragged through a knothole. "The meeting with the Bureau went fine," he said, "but I kind of had a little flashback after I left. I had to pull off and park for a while."
Her heart twinged a little for him. "Kyra or Bandar Deylam?" she asked gently.
"Both," he whispered. "It was a woman, Special Agent Kate Beckett. She got to me. She made me think of Kyra, and that made me think about …Well, you know."
Vienna was amazed, and even a little shocked. She'd known Rick Castle for almost fifteen years, during which time she had gone from grad student to research collaborator, to business partner, to de facto COO of the Institute, while at the same time becoming a close and trusted friend. If any woman since Kyra had gotten through Rick's defenses she would know; and it had not happened.
"Want to talk about it?" she prompted.
"It was her eyes. It's spooky, like I've seen them before, and they've been lost, and I finally found them again, and I …I don't know Vienna. Most of the time she acted as if she couldn't stand the sight of me. What the heck is wrong with me? I've been with lots of women since Kyra died."
"Lots," Vienna agreed.
He frowned at her "Thanks, old friend, but the point is women were throwing themselves at me and I felt nothing beyond the moment. Then I spend maybe twenty minutes with this woman, who acts like she wants to spit in my face, and I have to pull off the road to keep from having an accident; I can't get her out of my brain."
"Talk to her," Vienna suggested.
"Ironically, I don't have much choice; she's my designated contact at the Bureau."
"That could be awkward. Think you can handle it?
"I think I have to try."
"Okay, what else do you know about this woman? Could you actually have met her at some point in time?"
"I think I have to assume I did, but I can't for the life of me figure when or where."
Rick peered through the glass wall and caught Kathy's eye. He motioned her in and said, "Kathy, see what you can find out about Special Agent Katherine Beckett, currently assigned to the local FBI office."
Rick and Vienna went on to their normal daily discussion of the business of the Institute. An hour later, Kathy returned with a short stack of printouts. She discreetly cleared her throat to get their attention. Rick pointed to the settee across from them, and she seated herself.
"Okay, mad wizard cyber ninja grandmother," Rick teased, "what do you have?"
"Special Agent Katherine Gavilan Beckett, thirty-five years old, has been with the FBI for ten years. She entered the FBI Academy right out of law school. Yale, graduated top of her class. Before that, she took an undergraduate degree in comparative literature at Stanford, again top of her class.
"Nothing interesting in her financials," Kathy continued, "other than she's a saver more than a spender. No known hobbies, no known romantic interests, known associates include Special Agent Hayley Shipton, also of the local FBI office."
"Gavilan!" Rick suddenly blurted.
"What?" Vienna and Kathy asked together.
"Gavilan. Her middle name is Gavilan."
"So?"
"It's a Spanish word… Kathy?"
"It's the name of a small hawk." Kathy supplied
"Sparrow Hawk." He jumped up and began to pace. "Don't you see, it's her. Kate
Beckett is the Sparrow Hawk."
Vienna's eyes went wide in recognition. "The serial rapist case. She took him down."
"Without back-up." Rick added.
"Your kind of Girl." Vienna teased.
"Yeah…I mean No. I just think it's extraordinary."