Chipping Through the Ice
Chapter 12
"How do these look?" Lanie asks, slipping on a pair of sunglasses.
Kate regards her friend's face. "That depends on whether you want to try out for a part in a reboot of Miami Vice."
Lanie sticks the glasses back on the rack in a Canal Street vendor's stall. "You're right. I don't even know what I'm looking for down here. Usually, I love hunting for bargains, but today, I can't get into it."
"You want to go somewhere and talk?" Kate suggests. "I know you don't do coffee, much to my husband's horror, but there's a juice bar a block over. No bear claws, but they have some pretty decent organic muffins."
"Sounds OK," Lanie agrees, shifting her tote bag on her shoulder.
With Callie quietly nursing under the cover of a front carrier, Kate sips an orange and pineapple juice mix, while Lanie holds a blend of orange and carrot juices and nibbles on a slice of zucchini bread. "Let me guess; it's about Esposito. You never told me how things went on your date at the magic show."
"The magic show was great, and he asked me out again. We went to La Maison Nouvelle."
Kate whistles. "That sounds more in the range of Rick's bank account than Javi's."
"Probably. The place is a throwback. The menu they gave me didn't have any prices, but Javi started pulling at his tie when he saw his. When I ordered, I went as simple as I could. Honestly, Kate, when I suggested something French, I thought he'd take me to Jacques, that little place down the block from Remy's that sells the soups, salads, and cheese plates. I would have been fine with that. But he went all out."
"And that bothers you?"
"Well yeah. I mean, I don't want him spending all his money on me when I haven't decided yet if I really…"
"Want to be serious with him?" Kate fills in.
"Right. Girlfriend, I'm not sure I want to be serious with anyone - at least not until I believe I can be with someone the way you are with Rick."
"It did take me two years to get there."
"That's because you're an idiot. Everyone could see the sparks between you two from your first case together. You knew they were there, too; you just weren't willing to admit it."
Kate slams her juice container on the table, "I was all wrapped up in my mother's death. You knew that."
"So did Rick. He was willing to wait for you to get your head straight, and you let him. You knew he'd be there because he wasn't really interested in anyone but you. Damn, girl! The man was willing to die for you. He still is. And I'll bet you'd be willing to do the same for him. I just don't know if I could ever feel that way about Javi, or he could feel that way about me."
Kate picks up her drink again. "So, what are you going to do?"
Lanie shrugs. "Play it by ear, I guess - and not ask for any more French food. Until I get this figured out, I think we'll stick with pizza and burritos."
Kate steals a morsel from Lanie's snack. "Then, I should probably warn you that Espo's favorite topping is double jalapeños."
Lanie's eyes turn heavenward. Great!"
Not many people are around Out of the Cold on a Saturday morning. Montgomery said something about going fishing but told Lisa she was welcome to come in and get herself acquainted with the computer system. She's getting acquainted all right, using the subscription services to find everything she can on Roy Montgomery and the Perry Watson case.
OOTC has access to all the public records, including court transcripts. Lisa scans painstakingly through Montgomery's testimony. She wishes there was video so she could see the lies on his face. Obviously, the jury couldn't. But none of the facts seem out of place. Her father's defense attorney questioned everything along the chain of custody but wasn't able to expose any flaws.
Montgomery's answers were straightforward and to the point, highlighting the facts without any other implication of Perry's guilt. That makes no sense to Lisa. If Montgomery were trying to move up by getting her father convicted, she would have thought he'd have been more emphatic about it. She convinces herself that doesn't matter. Perry Watson could not have been guilty. That means Montgomery planted the evidence - somehow. He was just being meticulous about what he said.
Maybe she can go at it from another angle. Her father had to have an alibi. If she can find it, she'll have proof that Montgomery was lying. After all these years, it won't be easy to retrace her father's steps, but with the resources of OOTC, she'll find a way to do it.
Custos is restless, which to Rick, seems unusual for the guardian of the Beckett-Castle household. He is totally devoted to watching over Callie. Perhaps it's her absence. Stuck trying to craft an unwieldy paragraph, Rick decides that a long walk would be good for both him and the dog.
Jackson Hunt moves the last of the few personal things he owns into the apartment across the street from Rick's loft. He'd been using the unoccupied space as an informal observation post, but now he's rented it outright. At least he'll be close to his family. He has a feeling that the dog knows something is going on. The canine jumped up against the windows facing Hunt's new residence several times that morning. Well, good for him. The shepherd is on his game. That's reassuring to Jackson.
Hunt stretches his muscles. It's not as easy hauling stuff as it used to be. It's not as easy doing much of anything. Theoretically, he's way past the age of retirement from the Company, but in his line of work, you never are really out until you're six feet under. Even if he can't be stricken from the rolls, it's nice to catch a break from the action. Activities are going on in countries that most Americans don't even know exist, but at this time, nothing that requires his particular brand of attention.
Jackson uses his scope to get a good view into the Beckett-Castle loft. Richard is holding a leash. He must be getting ready to take the four-footed member of the clan for a walk. If they're going to the park, Hunt may be able to beat them there. It will give him a chance to observe his son from afar. It won't be the same as being able to talk to Richard, and he wishes the baby would be going along, but it will be better than nothing.
As usual, the kids in the park are drawn by the enormous furry dog, whose owner assures their parents that he is safe to pet. Custos is as ever patient, even as little fingers tug on his ears. Rick's eyes wander from the scene to the tall white-haired man watching from a bench fifty yards away. God, is that his father? From that distance, he can't be sure, but if the old man was nearby, that could account for Custos' behavior. Despite the children's adoration, every so often, Custos glances in the man's direction. If he is his mother's one-night paramour, Castle is determined to talk to him.