CBs

Chapter 10

"Dad, this isn't getting us anywhere," Alexis announced as she strode in from the outer office.

"You mean going through the employment records from the hospital?" Castle asked.

"Exactly. Even with Mr. Garrett and Hayley doing background on anyone who looks suspicious, we still haven't turned up a thing."

Castle stared questioningly at his daughter. "I take it you have another idea."

Alexis bobbed her head vigorously. "I want to work at the hospital. After my internship with Dr. Parrish and all my coursework I'm more than qualified. Dr. Parrish has already written me a recommendation and I have an interview this afternoon."

You don't think they'll be suspicious of my daughter?" Castle questioned. "The administration knows I'm working for the Nussbaums."

"I'll go in as Alexis Rodgers. That's the name my school records are under. I'm not going for a paid position, so they won't need my Social Security number. I'll just be a college intern. I can listen in the hall, buddy up to people in the cafeteria, and see who the staff thinks is slimy. I can do this Dad," she insisted. "I've been undercover before. Hell, you've been undercover, and your face is on television and in bookstore windows. Nobody knows me."

The pitch of Castle's voice rose with unease. "And if some evil Albanian discovers who you are and tries to slit your throat? You're not trained for undercover work."

"Not being trained has never stopped you," Alexis argued. "Besides, I've been working with Hayley. She's taught me a lot. If someone tries to slit my throat I know enough to get away and scream bloody murder."

Castle shook his head. "I don't like it."

Alexis stared at him defiantly. "You don't have to like it. I'm over twenty-one. I don't need your permission." She stomped her way back to her own desk. It was early in the day, but Castle poured himself two fingers of scotch, then returned to his computer, hoping to find a suspect before Alexis did.

With an uncharacteristic lack of gusto, Castle picked at a very late supper. "Babe," Kate counseled "you've got to stop obsessing. Alexis will be fine. She has a quick mind and she's very resourceful - like her father. It's not like she's trying to go undercover with the mob. She's just wants to work at a hospital. She hasn't got the job yet and even if she gets it, they'll probably just have her manning a desk or delivering specimens to the lab."

"The problem is, and I hate to admit it, that she's too much like me. She can't leave anything alone. She's going to keep asking questions until someone notices, and I won't be there to help her."

"Castle, you never know what's going to happen. I mean soldiers survive four tours in Iraq just to come back and die in car accidents. You can't control everything."

Castle smiled, shaking his head. "Spoken by New York's champion control freak. But you're right. That doesn't mean I have to like it."

With Kate sound asleep, Castle attempted to distract himself with late night television. He flipped through the infomercials and was doing the same to the women's channels when a movie caught his attention. It was the story of an immigrant family. The mother and father had both been trained overseas as doctors, but in order to practice in the United States would have had to take a battery of exams and complete a residency. Residencies were few and far between. The mother managed to obtain one, but the father couldn't. The mother worked grueling eighty hour weeks, while the father took what work he could get as a lab tech and cared for the children as best he could. Resentment grew between the father and the mother. Being a movie, it eventually all worked out, but Castle could see how in real life it wouldn't. Thinking of the case, Castle realized a doctor trained overseas might easily grow resentful and bitter at not being able to do his job. He might be just the sort of person the mob might seek out to do their deadly surgeries. Castle started looking at employees again, this time ignoring the financials or problems with drinking or gambling. He made a quick trip to Castle Investigations to retrieve the hard copy personnel records and settled back at his home desk to review them.

At five A.M. Castle danced into to the bedroom. Still dazed with sleep, Kate opened her eyes. "Castle what? Were you up all night?"

Castle leaned over the bed, framing her face between his large hands, and planted an enthusiastic kiss on her mouth. "Yes, but it was so worth it! Kate, I found our evil surgeon!"

Kate rubbed her eyes. "I'm sorry Castle, I'm still asleep. An evil surgeon?" A sudden shudder ran through Kate at the remembrance of the doctor who came so close to killing her. "Like Kelly Nieman?"

Castle gathered his wife's face to his chest. "Oh Kate, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring that back. No, I meant the person harvesting the organs. His name is Fran Bardici. The first time I saw the name I thought it was Italian, but it's not, it's Albanian. He's a surgeon but he isn't one here. He couldn't get a residency to make it through the certification process, so he works entering data in the hospital."

"That would be enough to make someone angry at the system," Kate mused. "And he'd be in a position to know exactly what was going on the hospital and even alter records."

"Exactly!" Castle exclaimed. "He's our guy, Kate, or at least enough of our guy to lead us to the others."

Kate threw her legs over the side of the bed. "Castle it's a great theory, but there's not one iota of proof. You're going to hate this, but if Bardici is your guy, the perfect person to keep an eye on him and get some proof, could be Alexis."

Castle's joy drained away like water from a shattered cup. He smacked his palm against the nightstand "Damn! That's just what I was doing all this research to prevent."

Kate reached out to take his stinging hand. "Look at it this way, Babe. Now she'll know exactly what to look for and whom to be careful of. And if it looks like he's catching on to her, she can protect herself and get out of there."

"You may be right," Castle conceded. "Still, if she does this, I'm going to make sure she makes regular check ins. If she's going to be an operative of Castle investigations, she's going to have to behave like one."

"I have a feeling she'll accept that, Castle, probably better than you would if you were going undercover. Now, I'm going to start some coffee. The bakery opens early. Why don't you get us some fresh croissant? The walk will help clear your head."

"Alright," Castle agreed grudgingly. "But Kate, when I get back I'm going to need bacon, lots of bacon, and not the turkey stuff either, the real artery clogging thing."

Smiling indulgently, Kate lightly brushed his lips with hers. "Babe, you've got it."