A heart to hold
Chapter 11

NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

Gina and Margie enter the library.

"The last place no one saw him, why would this one be any different?" she tells Margie. Gina didn't think this one was going to be any different. She had only been in here once when she was married to Castle. They came to meet another author, she had forgotten how big this place really was. My son can be hiding in here or not at all.

"Look, Gina, we've only been to one other place," Margie tells her but didn't tell her that she was getting worn out from looking. I just hope that we find some leads so and that we can get a hold of Castle. It's his son, he should be out there looking for him. Wait I wonder if I have his number.

"Margie, my son is missing, he probably scared and hungry."

"Or maybe..."

"Don't say it."

"I was going to say sitting in his bedroom. My point he's a smart kid, he will be okay." Gina sighs, he does have Castle's DNA in him maybe that out-side-the-box thinking got passed to him. Ricky, why did you? What am I going to tell his father, that I lost our son somewhere in New York City, cause I was too busy on a date? He will think I am even more horrible. Both ladies were about to leave when Margie spots a maintenance man down the hall. She snatches the picture from Gina who had been showing it around of her son.

"Where are you going?"

"Asking that guy," Margie yells trying to catch the man before he gets away. Out of breath she finally catches up to him.

"Excuse me, sir." She calls at him. There was no response of any kind, so she touches him on the shoulder. The man turns around taking out his earpiece. "Sorry, I get bored. What can I do for you?"

"Hopefully help me find someone," Margie shows the man the picture, "Have you see this little boy in here."

He takes the photo and looks at it.

"Oh, yeah," he points at the picture, "He was here earlier. I got him a candy bar."

"He was," Gina finally made her way up to the man she was in no means to run in the library.

"Yeah, he couldn't reach the machine so I pushed in the numbers for him. Then I gave him his candy bar. I do it all the time with the kids here."

"Are you sure it was him,"

"When was this." both ask their questions at the same time.

"I say a couple of hours ago, and he was a little dirty but that was him and he was carrying a teddy bear by the arm just like that one in the photo."

"Did he tell you where he was going?"

"No, but we had commotion downstairs a little later."

"What kind of commotion?" Gina asks quickly.

"Some yelling sounded like cops to me."

"Okay, thanks," The man walks off.

"Does that mean?"

"Just cause cops were here not necessarily she knows what Gina was thinking cause she was thinking the same thing. "this building is huge he might be scared hearing that and is in hiding."

"But it's been hours. you don't think?"

"Why don't we get them to page him."

"What?"

"I do it for my grandkids all the time, they get so embarrassed." Gina didn't care if it did or not.

"Come, I'll get them to do it for Ricky."

The intercom comes to life, if there is a Ricky in the building please meet your mother at the front desk," a pause for about a minute. I repeat if there is a Ricky in the building please meet your mother at the front desk,"

"Thanks,"

"That's the best I can do ma'am. Now it's just a waiting game. are you sure he's in here."

"I don't know he was going this way. that's what he told me anyway."

Margie pulls her away from the desk some. "Did you tell his dad yet?" Gina shook her head, "You better soon."

"I don't..."

"Cause he will soon find out."

"What? where?" Gina glances around thinking that Castle was in the library with them. but she doesn't see him in there. She lets out a sigh of relieve.

"No, I mean," she points to a newscast member who is coming up to them."

"Oh crap somehow they got wind of it, we got to go." Both ladies didn't stand around waiting on the press to get a hold of this story. "I don't what Castle to find out about his son like that."

"Then we better go tell him."

"I have to find out where he is." Gina hesitates for a moment then dials Castle's number. She let it ring and ring. Richard this is Gina, um we need to talk. call me back. As soon as you get this.

TISDALE'S OFFICE

"Did Alison ever mention having enemies or being threatened?" Beckett asks Jonathan Tisdale the father of the victim.

"People loved her. All she wanted was to make the world a better place." He answers, then sighs. "I told all of this to the other detective." Beckett knew that he was tired of answering questions. She could read his body langue.

"I know, sir, I am sorry we're just following up."

"Did Alison know anybody who could have profited from her death?" Castle blurts out his question. Beckett gives him a how dare you glare.

"Mr Castle, I may be rich, but my daughter was not. She abhorred money. What little she had, she gave to charity."

"Thank you, sir."

"Mr Tisdale, Fortune magazine estimated your net worth at nearly 100 million dollars. Is that true?" Castle continues to ask more what she considers useless questions to a man who just lost his daughter, which was getting on Beckett's nerves.

"I don't check day to day."

"But it's in the ballpark?" Castle is walking around looking at all of the pictures this guy has in his office.

"I've been lucky, yes."

"Appreciate your time." Beckett takes Castle's sleeve pulling him towards the door. He was getting on her last nerve.

"What happens to all that money if something happens to you?"

"Castle." Beckett gives him another daring look.

"Half of my estate goes to my charitable foundation and the rest to my children." a pause the man touches his hair, "I mean, my son."

"Thank you. That's all." Castle leaves the building and Beckett follows.

outside Tisdale's building on the street

"What was that all about in there?" Beckett yells at Castle.

"Tisdale, He's dying." Castle goes up the Sabrett stand.

"What?"

"Want a hot dog? I want a hot dog. What do you take on your..." Beckett grabs Castle's nose "Ow. Ow. Apples, apples, apples." he hollers at her. She lets go of him. And he rubs his nose. Ow, she hurts.

"What makes you think he's dying?"

"See those pictures in his office?" Beckett thinks for a second.

"Yeah so, I have those in my office." Castle shakes his finger at her like she's a bad girl.

"You have pictures of this guy in your office,"

"That's not what I meant," he laughs, "I meant that I have some on my desk." he was hoping that one of those picture one day might be of him or he would have one of her on his, after all, she was starting to become his muse.

"He's much thinner now. Like sick thin, not work out thin."

"Castle, his daughter was just murdered."

"And the way he kept touching his hair like he's self-conscious."

"He was wearing a piece?" She didn't even notice that detail. Maybe he is good to have around, na. Castle gets a hot dog from the Sabrett stand they are standing by and takes a bite. He continues to tell Beckett his theory.

"It's a good one, but it's new to him. Chemo's relatively recent. And he was wearing makeup."

"He's trying to look healthier than he is," she responds, following his train of thought.

"Doesn't want his shareholders to know?" Castle adds.

"So he's got cancer, that doesn't mean that he's terminal." Castle takes another bite of his hot dog.

"But it's a much better story if he is. You interview the brother?"

"No there was never a reason to."

"If he's next in line."

Beckett sighs, now they had a reason to find another suspect.

"Want a bite?" She glances at him. "Come on you know you want to." He lefts it in her face, "Just smell."

Oh, Castle, don't do that It smells so good. But I can't. She swallows, Castle knows from that action that he had her.

"Fine," she gives in and takes a bite.

"See I'm not a bad guy,"

"I never said that you were." He smiles at her and finishes off the hot dog. Beckett shakes her head as she passes him. Beckett was about to step off the curb towards her car when out of nowhere an SUV comes zooming by towards her. Castle grabs her around the waist pulling her into him, just as the SUV went by. Both of them go tumbling backwards onto the sidewalk. She lands on top of him. She could hear him moaning under her.

"You okay, Beckett," Castle asks her not caring about himself.

"Yeah, you." Beckett gets to her feet and then helps him up.

"I think so." He pats himself down. "Nothing missing." a pause, "What was with that?"

"Traffic in New York."

"No," Castle shakes his head, "I think it's cause we are getting to close to the truth."

"Truth? The truth about what?" she gives him a quizzical look.

"Who the murder is."

"You don't think?" she questions him, thinking he might have a point.

"Not the first times it happened."

"Castle,"

"Well, it true. I have read..."

"No not about that." Castle gives her a confused look. She lost me. Then it dongs on him that she was talking about what just happened between them. I do it again in a heartbeat. He smirks hopefully I'll get to be your hero in shiny armour. I am just waiting on the word.

"Oh," He smiles like he does that every day, saves someone's life. Like it was a no big deal and he would do it again. "You welcome," he twists he head some when she just stands there. There was look that he hadn't seen.

"Ut oh, something's wrong isn't there."

"Yeah," his smile turns to a partial frown. He thought he did something wrong. He swallows waiting to find out what but she surprises him once more. "My car."

"What? What are you talking about?" He glances where she is looking and sure enough. Her car was partially crushed. "At least we weren't in it." He jokes with an another one of his famous grins.

"Castle," she shouts.

"Sorry. I..." he sighs lowering his head. "I..." He wants to tell her that he was nervous to have these whoever it was trying to kill his newest muse.

TBC...