Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.


October 23, 2015

For those who enjoy interacting outside fanfiction dot net, my facebook reader forum is now public and ready for your perusal. Just search "Bren Williams Reader Forum". You'll find the a closeup of the Sitting in a Tree, Backwards book cover, as well as Beckett's wedding dress. I'll be sharing the first chapter of my first original story there and more.

Acknowledgments: The story of Timmy Lauer's poisoning was loosely based on the true story of a minister in Chattanooga, Tennessee. I never met the man or asked permission to use his story so he remains unnamed. It's fictionalized anyway, so maybe it doesn't matter. My profound thanks to my good friend Lindsay, for whom a character is named. She generously provided me with legal advice as I built the details of the story.


SITTING IN A TREE, BACKWARDS

Bren Williams


Snag

CHAPTER TWELVE

"Reverend Lauer, I am Detective Kate Beckett, NYPD; this is Richard Castle. We'd like to ask you a few questions if you feel up to it."

The heavy-set, sandy-haired man propped up in the hospital bed nodded tiredly. "Of course. Anything I can do to help." His voice was weak and medical tubing crisscrossed his bedding like a spider web. An anxious looking woman in a rumpled T-shirt and jeans sat beside him, cradling his hand in both of hers. Castle recognized her as Reverend Lauer's wife.

"Sunday evening, you attended a meeting in Central Park with several gang leaders, including Victor Lomelli. Can you describe what happened?"

Lauer nodded. "I met them near the bridge in Central Park. My brother-in-law, Tyaun, was with me."

"Why was he there?"

"He is active in my ministry, knows it inside and out and… I didn't trust those sons of bitches one bit. I knew those bastards wanted me dead, and what they are capable of!"

Castle's mouth dropped open and even Kate blinked at his language. "Whoa, Reverend. That's pretty strong language for a minister," Castle observed.

Lauer made a face and waved his hand dismissively. "I don't go in for all that reverend-shit. Call me Timmy."

"Timmy, then. Do you have any idea why these men want you dead?"

"Yes, we were costing them money and members. The gangs keep their numbers up through fear and codependency. They convince them that they need each other for protection, safety in numbers, belonging, bullshit like that. But after they've been with us for a while they start to see a new way of living, they start to imagine a life without drugs and crime. They start wanting to take care of their families and help other people find a new way as well. These gangs weren't losing a member here or there. Over the two years that I've been ministering to the hard living folks here in the inner-city, one became three, three became nine because…" the reverend stopped to catch his breath before continuing, "…they don't just walk away without looking back. They return for their friends. They work on their friends. In six months I got 17 kids out of that life and each of those went back for his or her buddies. Those gang leaders were losing too many of their people and when the Lord gets His hooks into these kids, He don't let go." Lauer collapsed against his pillow breathing hard.

Castle was shocked to realize that a man who was so passionate a moment ago was still so weak. "Rever—Timmy, please don't strain yourself."

He nodded. "Water, I—"

Lauer's wife, anticipating his need, poured him a glass from the pitcher on his table. They waited in silence while he drank.

"Do you feel strong enough to continue, Timmy?" Beckett asked.

Again, he nodded but for the first time his wife spoke up.

"No, you aren't. Dectective Beckett, I appreciate what you're trying to do here but—"

"What I'm trying to do is to figure out who was behind your husband's poisoning, Mrs. Lauer. Those killers poisoned another man and will continue killing people like your husband so long as they are a threat to their crime organization."

"It's okay, Jai'nisia." Lauer whispered, squeezing her hand."

"Timmy—" she tried to argue but Castle cut her off.

"Why would you meet with the gang leaders at all? You knew they were hostile, that they wanted you dead. Why risk it? Why go to the meeting alone, unarmed and without protection?"

"I wasn't alone," Timmy answered, turning his blazing gray eyes on Castle. "And I'm not just talking about my brother, Tyaun. I have the power of the Holy Spirit and those guys know it. Why do you think they didn't shoot me on sight? They've tried before but somehow…. something always happens. They never seem to complete their mission."

He smiled then, leaning back, and panting after his soliloquy. "No, I wasn't alone."

There was a long silence while Castle and Beckett stared at Timmy who smiled up at Jae'nisia.

"They poisoned you," Beckett reminded him, astounded. "You almost died!"

"That they did." Timmy's smile widened. "They gave me more than enough to finish the job too. I know it, the doctors know it, and they know it. But I'm still here." Lauer looked from Beckett to Castle and back again. "Want to know why?"

"Mr. Lauer—" Beckett began.

"Save it. You know why I'm alive today?"

Castle shook his head as two creases appeared between Beckett's eyebrows.

Lauer's voice was barely over a whisper. "Because I am a child of God. I not only claim his promises, but I'm in. I'm all in! My life is all about reaching the hard-living folk on the inner-city streets and I hold nothing back for myself." He broke off, panting for breath but continued relentlessly. "You want to make something work? Put everything you've got in, hold nothing back. Commit your whole self to the cause."

"All right, now you can just stop all this ranting and raving," Jae'nisia broke in. "You're supposed to remain quiet and not get all excited. Detective…" she left her request unspoken but Beckett nodded understanding.

"We were just leaving. Thank you for your time, Rev—Timmy."

They were turning to leave when Timmy broke in again. "One more thing—"

"No, not one more thing!" Jae'nisia burst out.

"Reverend—Timmy, we'll have more questions for you later, when you are… stronger." Kate set a business card on Lauer's bed-table.

Castle reached for Beckett's elbow. "Let's go," he whispered.

She followed him toward the door.

"Detective?" Lauer rasped out.

Castle held the door open as they paused to hear what he had to say.

"Do you have any suspects? For Victor Lomelli's murder, I mean."

"Everyone at that meeting is a suspect, Timmy." Beckett eyed him curiously.

"Present company excluded, of course," Castle added.

Lauer looked as if he wanted to speak but Mrs. Lauer pushed a water cup into his hands, shushing and scolding him about his medication.

"We'll be in touch," Beckett finally added and they ducked out the door.

"That was interesting." Castle remarked as he and Beckett headed toward the elevator.

"Not your typical minister, huh?"

"No, I was expecting someone suave, polished and with a sonorous voice, not… Tom the Trucker with a death wish."

"Possibly you've watched too many televangelists."

"You're on to me." He punched the elevator down button.

Beckett's phone trilled. She glanced at the display and took the call.

"It's my grandmother's attorney," she muttered as she put the phone to her ear. "This is Kate Beckett."

They were on the elevator by then, along with several hospital volunteers. By their age and condition, Castle judged them to be retired former patients with enough intimate familiarity with the workings of the hospital to be helpful but healthy enough to pay it forward.

"Ms. Beckett, this is Lindsay Austin of Nelson, Lees and Willett. I'm returning your call from earlier today."

"Yes, were you able to pinpoint the exact terms of the marriage clause in Grandmother's will?"

"Certainly. First, please understand that when your grandmother modified her will, she never believed that your deadline, or her death, would come so soon."

"I understand that." Beckett frowned as the elevator doors slipped open on the ground floor.

Castle held the door while their fellow riders got off.

"Can you confirm what day I need to be married by?"

"Your Grandmother's will stipulates you must be married within 180 days of her death or the title of Kensington Manor passes to your cousin, Barnaby Holt."

Kate absently stepped off elevator and stopped in the middle of the hallway. "One-hundred-eighty days? Not six months?"

"Correct."

Kate pinched the bridge of her nose but made no move to leave the area. Castle, watching and listening intently, waited in silence.

"What does that mean? When are 180 days up?"

"One-hundred-eighty days will be up this Tuesday, January 25th."

Kate closed her eyes and did not respond.

"Ms. Beckett? Are you there?"

"Yes, yes. Thank you. I'll call if I have further questions." Kate clicked her phone off. "Castle?" she asked a moment later, her eyes still closed, mouth pinched and drawn. "Are you free Monday?"

"No big deal," Castle replied after Kate filled him in. "We'll have a quickie wedding at the courthouse on Monday or Tuesday, then our real wedding on Saturday."

"What?" Kate blinked at him.

"Couples do it all the time for all sorts of reasons."

"A wedding is a wedding, Castle, and I'm not having a fake wedding before, or after, the fact." She shook her head emphatically.

Castle stared at her in silence with a complicated look on his face.

"If we have to move the wedding up we'll move it up."

He finally smiled and pulled out his iPhone. "I'll skip over my profound relief that you don't want a fake wedding and get to the more pressing point… we have neither a wedding dress or a marriage license. City Hall does not offer weekend hours, at least not for marriage licenses, so we have about…" he checked his watch, "forty-five minutes to get down to the clerk's office. Otherwise, there will be no Monday wedding because of the 24 hour waiting period."

"Oh my God!" Beckett's eyes were huge. "What do we need?"

"Don't you know already?" Castle eyed her curiously.

She gave him an exasperated look. "How would I?"

He hesitated, "Didn't you and Josh get this far?" He raised one eyebrow.

"No, Castle. Josh and I were never actually engaged."

"Ah." He tried not to grin and failed. "Well, not to worry, your ID is all you need. You drive; I'll start our online application process."

She smiled and shook her head, giving him a sidelong glance as she fell in beside him. "You make it sound like buying a car."

"Well, the application process isn't much different, and they hold the same cardinal rule…" he leaned closer, "Try before you buy…."


Remember to find me on facebook for a closeup of Beckett's wedding dress: Bren Williams Reader Forum.

Next chapter is titled Loose Ends. How do you like the story so far?