DISCLAIMERS: No, I don't own 'Castle.'
SUMMARY: A familiar face returns to the Twelfth to assist in the investigation.
A/N #1: Keep in mind that in real life, background checks can take a significant amount of time. I used to work as a contractor for the Air Force. My background check for my security clearance took months. And if there's shady stuff in your background, it can take a lot longer, as a former co-worker found out.
A/N#2: Thank you many times over to Jo and Angie, but especially to Kelly, who reminded me that Vikram had used forged documents to get his job with the AG, something that was brought up in 'XY,' but was never mentioned again.
A/N #3: This chapter will contain spoilers from 8x19 'Dead Again.'
FORGETTING
CHAPTER 14: A Familiar Face Returns
"Where's Beckett?" Ryan asked when Castle stepped off of the elevator the next morning.
"She had an appointment. She'll be here soon. Has Capt. Gates . . . excuse me, Chief Gates arrived yet?"
"She called and is on her way. Tory requested permission to attend the strategy meeting this morning. She said that she might have something."
"Did she say what?" Castle asked.
"No, just some stuff that she found."
"She's not the only one with something to report," Esposito came out of the breakroom. "Hopefully this will be a productive meeting. How's Beckett?"
"She's good," Castle grinned. "She's really, really good."
"Bro, are we even talking about the same thing? Cause if you're talking about your sex life, I really don't want to know," Espo shuddered.
***CCC***
"Kate, you said that you remember everything. By that, do you mean everything that's happened over the past seven years?" Dr. Carver Burke studied his patient. There was something about her this morning. She seemed more free than she'd appeared in quite some time.
"Well, not exactly everything, but I remember the most important thing of all."
"The first time that you were intimate with Rick?" Burke guessed as Kate nodded.
"I needed to feel that connection to Castle. I felt like I couldn't move on until I felt it."
"Even though you could've created new memories with him."
"It wouldn't have been the same."
"How is it going with the investigation?"
"It's moving along at a snail's pace," she complained. "I'd forgot how tedious police work can be at times."
"But you are making progress?"
"Yes. Hopefully having my former captain helping us can move it along. She has access to resources that we don't."
"So, you don't feel as if you're being pushed aside by her return?"
"She's not pushing me aside. I'm still the captain. It's still my precinct. I'm not going to turn down the help. Right now, I'll take all of the help I can get. I have to shut this down before someone else gets hurt."
"You don't worry about your safety or that of Castle and your team?"
"I worry about our safety constantly. Where are you going with this, Dr. Burke?"
"I'm just reminded of the last time you got so deeply immersed in a case."
"This is different."
"How is it different, Kate? Lives could still be hanging in the balance."
"Are you saying that I should just let it go?"
"No. I'm just saying that you need to carefully consider the consequences."
***CCC***
Kate walked through the front doors of the precinct at the same time as her former captain, Victoria Gates. "Sir," Kate smiled, walking to the elevator and pressing the button. "Thank you for coming in to help us with this."
"I wish that I'd been apprised of the LokSat situation earlier, Captain. But, I'm glad that I'm able to help."
When they stepped off of the elevator, Castle magically appeared with a cup of coffee for Kate in his hand. She smiled her thanks before they all stepped into a conference room, joined by Tory. "While I'm sure that everybody is in a huge hurry to welcome me back to the fold, let's get brought up to speed on what we have so far on LokSat. Capt. Beckett, can you introduce me to the characters that we're aware of, so far?" Deputy Chief Gates came straight to the point.
"Yes, sir," Kate walked up to the white board that had already been set up in the conference room. "I was taken on the morning of the 11th of November by an unknown assailant. However, we do believe that he was assisted by our former analyst, Vikram Singh, who is now deceased. I was held in a mystery location by this man," she pointed to a sketched rendition of Flynn, "who I only knew as Flynn, no first name. It's likely an alias. Twenty-nine days into my captivity, I was brought back into the city by this man, Henry Jenkins."
"Mr. Castle, isn't Henry Jenkins the man who was involved in your disappearance last year?"
"Yes, sir."
"Does the FBI feel that your disappearance and Capt. Beckett's abduction are related?"
"They didn't at the time that Kate disappeared, but that's now the way that they're leaning."
"Go on, Captain."
"When Agent Sorensen and Det. Esposito were questioning Vikram Singh, an attorney by the name of Caleb Brown came in and stopped all interrogations. He took Singh from the precinct and we never saw or talked to him again. Caleb Brown was the former attorney of record for Vulcan Simmons."
"Have you questioned Mr. Brown?"
"We talked to him after Vikram's remains were positively identified. He led us to a man named Mason Wood."
"Why don't you have a photograph of Mr. Wood?"
"We went to his home and we spoke to a man who went by that name," Espo spoke up. "Tory could probably explain what happened better than I can, sir."
"I ran a check on the name Mason Wood, but there is no match to the man that Detectives Ryan and Esposito spoke to. I then ran a check on the address, but it doesn't belong to anyone by the name of Mason Wood. The house is owned by a shell corporation that was run by Future Forward," Tory stepped up, taking her turn at the board.
"The Super Pac that Beckett discovered two years ago?"
"Yes, sir. But this morning I discovered more, sir. Back when Vikram and Capt. Beckett were on the run, it was discovered that Vikram had forged his papers to get the job with the Attorney General's office. Of course, with Vikram in the employ of the NYPD, this matter was never again looked into. Mason Wood told Ryan and Esposito that there was a woman who helped Vikram get through school. I did some digging and I think I've located the woman." Tory walked over and tacked a new photo to the white board. The picture was of a woman in her 50's with short reddish hair. "Her name is Rita O'Hara. According to what I've discovered so far, she is a former operative for the CIA. I ran facial recognition against the surveillance photo of the woman leaving the Castle's loft following Det. Beckett's disappearance and I got an 87 percent match. Rita is the woman who went into the Castle's loft to get some of Capt. Beckett's clothing."
"Wait!" Kate walked up to the board, scrutinizing the picture of the mystery woman.
"Kate, what's wrong?" Castle asked. "Have you seen her before? Was she in the house with you and Flynn?"
"I'm not sure, but I have met her before," she turned to the group. "I think she helped me and Vikram when we were on the run from one of the assassin squads."
"Beckett, are you sure?" Espo asked.
"I'm positive. I didn't want to trust her, but then she told me . . . she told me—"
"She told you what, Captain?" Gates urged her on.
"Castle, she told me that she was your stepmother."
"Whoa!" Ryan interjected. "How can she be Castle's stepmother when he doesn't know who his father is. Or, do you?" He looked straight at Castle.
"Guys, it's a very long story," Castle sighed, leaning forward in his chair.
"Well, we all have plenty of time on our hands, Mr. Castle. Please enlighten us," Deputy Chief Gates fixed her famous 'no nonsense' glare on Castle.
"It all started when Alexis was kidnapped and taken to Paris," Castle then told all of them the tale about meeting Jackson Hunt or whatever his real name was and then later running into him again while he was using a different name.
"And you haven't had any contact with him since that afternoon in the library?" Gates asked once Castle filled them in on everything that he knew regarding Jackson Hunt/Anderson Cross.
"No, sir. I don't even have a way of contacting him. He just seems to pop up when I least expect it."
"We might not have a way of contacting him, but I do have a way of contacting Rita," Kate removed her wallet from her purse and opened it, removing a business card. "She told me before we parted ways that if I ever needed her, to call this number and tell them that I needed my curtains cleaned." She handed the card to Gates.
"Well, call and ask for her curtain cleaning services," Gates returned the card to Kate.
"Yes, sir."
"Beckett, you said that she rescued you and Vikram," Esposito stated as Kate nodded. "Do you remember where she took you?"
"Yes. It was a house in Westchester."
"Do you remember where it was?" Esposito pressed her.
"It was dark and I was freaked out by our encounter with a lot of men with very big guns, so no, Espo, I don't remember the exact street address."
"I'll see if Ms. O'Hara owns any property in Westchester," Tory offered.
"Ms. Ellis, also check to see if there are any other properties owned by Future Forward," Gates ordered.
"Yes, sir."
"Kate, do you think she'll agree to a meet?" Castle asked.
"If she thinks I don't suspect anything, she will. Failing to show up will only make her look suspicious."
"Make the call, Captain."
"Yes, sir."
Kate placed the phone call and then retreated to the breakroom to make herself another cup of coffee. She was stirring her coffee when Castle walked in. "Are you okay?"
"She told me that she hadn't seen your father in nine months," she looked at him. "She told me that relationships are a liability."
"Please tell me that you don't believe that."
"No, I don't. I love you and I couldn't have done one third of the stuff I've done without you. Has Hayley had any luck with the prison's video surveillance?"
"She's steadily breaching their firewalls, but she said it could take a few more days. I'll try to light a fire under her."
"No, Castle. Don't push her. Burke brought up an interesting point this morning during my session."
"Which was?"
"That I'm putting all of you in extreme danger. You, your mother, Alexis, Hayley, the boys. I can't lose anybody else, Castle."
"If you want to let it go, Kate, just say the word."
"I think we're way beyond that point. I still want to break Caleb Brown. I think he's going to be the only one we can hopefully bring over to our side."
"Why? Because he's low level?" Castle asked as Kate nodded.
"Beckett?" Ryan stuck his head in the doorway. "I think your curtain cleaner is here."
Kate walked out of the breakroom with Castle trailing behind her. They both watched the tall redhead as she strolled toward them. "Capt. Beckett?" She held her hand out to Kate. "We meet again. And you must be Richard. Kate told me quite a lot about you. What can I help you with?"
"First, I'd like you to meet Deputy Chief Gates. She's come over from 1 Police Plaza to help us out for a few days. Let's go into another room. Castle, check and see how Tory is coming along," Kate turned to look at Castle.
"But, I thought that I—"
"Not this time, Castle," Kate told him.
"She's right, bro," Espo consoled him once the three women walked away. "This has to be by the book."
The three women entered an interrogation room and took seats; Rita on one side of the table with Kate and Chief Gates on the other. Kate opened a manila folder that she'd brought into the room with them and fanned some pictures out in front of Rita. "I don't have time to fool around here, Ms. O'Hara," Kate began. "Did you know Vikram Singh before you rescued us from that goon squad that night?"
"Yes," she sighed. "I was a benefactor of sorts to him."
"When did this start?" Gates asked.
"I met Mr. Singh for the first time approximately 15 years ago. He was trying to get into graduate school and he needed my help."
"What kind of help did you give him?" Now it was Kate's turn to ask questions.
"Financial. He was having difficulty obtaining student loans. I had helped other students in the past, so he was sent to me by one of his mentors."
"Mason Wood?" Kate asked.
"I don't remember the man's name. I'd only met him a couple of times. He told me that Vikram was extremely bright and was destined to do great things."
"When was the last time that you saw Vikram?" Kate asked.
"The night that I left the two of you in the Westchester house. Why? Am I a suspect?"
"No, not at all," Kate was quick to assure her. "We're just trying to track Vikram's whereabouts after Caleb Brown took him from our precinct. I have a few pictures to show you. Do you know these men?" Kate slid sketches of both Flynn and Jackson Hunt in front of Rita.
"No, I'm afraid that I don't. Is there anything else?"
"How did you know that Capt. Beckett and Mr. Singh were in trouble the night that you rescued them?" Gates asked.
"I'd been watching Capt. Beckett for some time. I followed her after she left Winterkill Correctional after visiting with the late Sen. Bracken."
"Why were you watching me?"
"You know why."
"Because of Jackson Hunt?"
"Exactly."
"It's all right, Ms. O'Hara. My team is well aware of who Jackson Hunt or whatever he's calling himself these days, is. My days of keeping secrets are over. Where did you say Jackson was these days?"
"I didn't. Is there anything else?"
"No, you're free to go," Gates said as Rita got up and quickly left the room, closing the door behind her. "Careful, Captain. We don't want to make an enemy out of her."
"She's lying about who she is. She's not married to Jackson Hunt."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because this is Jackson Hunt," Kate slid the sketch over to Chief Gates. "She didn't recognize him."
"Are you sure that she wasn't lying?"
"She was lying about not knowing Flynn. I watched her reaction to both pictures. She knows Flynn but she doesn't know Hunt."
"What's your next move?"
"I want to go and talk to Caleb Brown. He's the person with the most to lose in all of this. Maybe I can bring him over to our side to help us take down LokSat."
"Just be careful. Nothing is as it seems with these people."
"Ryan! Esposito!" Kate called as she re-entered the bullpen. "Go back and interview Mason Wood again. Ask him if he ever met Rita O'Hara. Also, ask him about the forged documents. Vikram had to have had somebody help him."
"You've got it, boss," Espo grabbed his jacket.
"Where's Castle?"
"I think he went to check on Tory," Ryan told her, grabbing his jacket and following his partner.
Kate went to the IT room where Tory was busily working a bank of computer screens. "Castle?"
"Hey," he turned and gave her a smile. "How is my stepmother?"
"Let's go and talk to Caleb Brown again," she ignored his question regarding Rita as she waited for him to follow her to the elevator. "She's not your stepmother, Castle," she said after they got into the elevator. "I showed her that sketch of Jackson Hunt that we had when Alexis was taken. She didn't recognize him. She did, however, recognize my captor, Flynn."
"Are you sure?" He asked as she shot him a look. "Okay, you're sure. But is she CIA?"
"I think so. That's probably how she knows of your father."
***CCC***
"Again, Captain?" Caleb Brown sat back in his office chair with a look of annoyance on his face. "I've told you everything that I know about Vikram Singh."
"No, you haven't. Caleb, I can help you, but you have to work with me here. Tell me about LokSat."
"Capt. Beckett, believe me when I tell you that you don't want to continue investigating LokSat."
"Caleb, I don't get it. You served in the Peace Corps. You worked for the EPA. You brought legal action against corrupt corporations."
"What's your point, Kate?" He asked, using her first name just like she'd just used his.
"What happened? You used to make a difference? Why did you sell out?"
"Look, my client was forced to work for a man that he couldn't fight. And take my word for it. Neither can you."
"Let's help each other out here. We can bring down LokSat. I'm giving you a second chance to make a difference."
"Captain, Mr. Castle, do yourselves a favor. Close the Vikram Singh homicide. He was obviously dirty. The world is a better place without him. If you keep investigating this, sooner or later, someone that you do care about is going to die. One of my associates already warned you about this, Beckett. Relationships are a liability. Do you remember those words? I'm asking you to please heed my warning."
"How do you know Rita O'Hara?" Kate asked. When Caleb sat there stone faced, she offered him one more chance to help them out. "You need to heed my warning. You have until eight o'clock tomorrow night. I'll be waiting for you at the Twelfth Precinct."
"And then what?"
"I'll expose you. And then we'll both be looking over our shoulders, waiting for LokSat to tie up loose ends. Because once they find that your cover is blown and I'm onto you, then you're gonna be just as dead as I am."
"Seven minutes, Kate. Seven minutes. That's how long the brain continues to function after the body dies, and as all the synapses slowly stop firing off. That's when they say our lives flash before our eyes. Now, when your seven minutes come, I sincerely hope that you do not flash to this moment, when you had a chance to live, and you chose not to. Now, I've said everything that I'm going to say. Do not come to me again without a warrant or a subpoena. Have a nice afternoon."
"Did he just threaten us?" Castle asked when they made their way to her car.
"Not us. Me. But, he's also scared and slowly running out of options. I'll see if we can get a subpoena, but I'm not going to hold my breath on that happening. Castle," she turned to him. "Maybe you should take your mother and Martha and go to the Hamptons."
"No," he shook his head.
"Castle—"
"Kate, no. I'll ask my mother and Alexis to go, but I'm not leaving you. Not until we put LokSat away."
Kate got in the car and started it. She was about to pull away when her phone rang. She hit the Bluetooth button and put it on speaker before answering. "Beckett!"
"Beckett, it's me!" Esposito's voice came over the phone. "You need to meet us at Mason Wood's address."
"We're on our way!" Kate turned on the gumball and siren before pulling away from the curb.
"Please don't tell me he's dead, too," Castle groused.
When they arrived at the address, ESU was on the scene, but the coroner's wagon was nowhere to be found. "What's going on?" Kate got out of the car.
"Wood's gone," Ryan reported. "The house is cleaned out. There's no furniture, no nothing. It's as if no one has ever lived here."
"Let's go inside," Kate led the way into the house, stopping short when she looked around the living room. "This is where they were holding me."
"Kate, are you sure?" Castle asked her.
"Yeah, I'm sure. The house phone was on a table over there," she pointed, "and here's the alarm panel." She walked through the house as her team followed her. "Here's the door with the keycard lock," she pointed to the locked door. "We need to get upstairs."
"It's a metal door. ESU is going to have to blow it," Espo told her.
"Then, get them to blow it," Kate's eyes were blazing.
ESU was able to blow the door opened 20 minutes later and once the smoke cleared, Kate, the boys and Castle made their way up the stairs to a room that was as bare as the entire downstairs except for a box on a countertop. Slipping on a pair of evidence gloves, Kate carefully removed the lid and found several flash drives inside of the box. "Let's get these back to Tory at the precinct."
***CCC***
"It's going to take me days to go through all of these. Maybe longer," Tory sighed as she examined the box of flash drives the team had brought back from Mason Wood's home. "Sir, I could really use some extra eyes here," she appealed to Deputy Chief Gates.
"I'll see what I can do, Ms. Ellis, but as you well know, the money isn't there to bring anybody in."
"Castle, what about Hayley and Alexis?" Kate suggested.
"Let me get this straight, Captain," Gates sighed, crossing her arms across her chest. "You want to bring in untrained civilians to assist a trained NYPD professional?"
"Sir, Hayley Shipton has considerable IT experience and Alexis has also proven that she's quite efficient when it comes to looking at evidence," Castle defended his daughter and his partner.
"This is true, Captain . . . uh, Chief," Espo and Ryan echoed Castle's sentiments.
"They're already working other angles of the case, sir," Kate added.
"Fine," Gates sighed. "Mr. Castle, call them and get them here."
Kate went into her office, leaving Castle to make the phone call to Hayley and Alexis. Gates followed, closing the door behind her. "Sir, Tory needs the help. I know it's unorthodox, but I've seen what Hayley can do. She's former MI-6. She doesn't always play by the rules, but she's tenacious. And you know how smart Alexis is. And you won't have to ask the city for funds to pay them."
"Well, for your sake, I hope that you and Mr. Castle are right. You're the captain now, so I'm trusting your judgment."
"Thank you, sir."
Kate went to find Castle. She located him in the breakroom, his hands visibly shaking while he made two cappuccinos, one for Kate and another for himself. "Hey, you want me to handle that? You seem a little on edge."
"On edge? Why would I possibly be on edge? Because LokSat's henchmen know we're onto him and assassins could come through the door at any second. I mean, why aren't you on edge?"
"Well, Caleb is a lot of things, but he's not suicidal, and working with us is his only recourse."
"He threatened your life."
"Because he was scared. Trust me, Castle. I turned him. I'm positive he's coming in today."
"Oh, yeah. I think he's coming, too. Well, either him or one of LokSat's hit squads."
"Rick, it'll be okay. Now, did you talk to Hayley?" She changed the subject, hoping to calm him down.
"Yeah. They're on their way. Which is good. We can all be together when LokSat's quick strike assassin squad comes for us."
"Castle, stop," she urged him.
"Kate, I watched you die once," his blue eyes were shining with tears. "That was awful. I don't want to see you die a second time."
"I won't," she whispered. "Nobody is going to die. Caleb will be here and he will work with us."
"Guys," Ryan stuck his head in the door. "Hayley and Alexis are here."
Kate and Castle met the two women and showed them to the computer room where Tory was still sorting through the flash drives. "Tory, you already know my daughter Alexis. This is my P.I. associate, Hayley Shipton. Hayley, this is Tory Ellis."
"Thank you for the assist, ladies," Tory greeted them. "There are 60 flash drives. I don't know how large any of the drives are. I was thinking that maybe we could take 20 each. Make sure we scrub them for viruses and then we'll look at each file, one by one. I don't know how long this is going to take."
"It'll take as long as it takes," Hayley said, Alexis nodding in agreement. "I say that we should get started. Rick, would you be so kind as to make all of us coffees. I have a feeling we're going to need them."
"Oh, and also a couple of pizzas," Tory added.
"Pizza and coffee. Right," Castle drawled. "Alexis, is there anything that you would like."
"Nope," Alexis took her share of the drives and settled in front of one of the computers before sticking earbuds in her ears. "I'm good. But, thank you, dad."
"Beckett," Espo entered the room. "ESU finished scrubbing the house. There were no fingerprints anywhere."
"None?"
"The place was pristine. That is a direct quote from ESU. It was as if no one had ever lived there. They didn't even find prints on the third floor."
"Were there prints found on the drives?" Hayley asked.
"No. They were checked first, as well as the box they were found in. Nothing."
"He knew that we were coming for him," Kate said.
"I want to put a protective detail on all of you," Gates said.
"It won't do any good. If he wants to get to us, he'll find a way," Kate looked at her.
"It's getting late," Gates glanced at her watch. "Are you ladies going to be okay?"
"We'll be fine," Tory assured her. "I'll contact either Capt. Beckett or you if we find anything."
"All right."
***CCC***
Kate and Castle went to dinner before returning home to the loft. Rick noticed Kate checking her watch when they entered the lobby, walking part Eduardo toward the elevator. "What's wrong?" He asked, pressing the button for their floor.
"Caleb's deadline has come and gone. His secretary said that he left the office after we left and didn't leave word on where he was going. He's gone off-grid."
"He's running. He's too scared to face LokSat, and too scared to work with us."
"Which means we just lost our only lead," she sighed dejectedly, feeling Castle slip an arm around her and hold her protectively close to his side.
"So, what do we do?"
"I don't know. Maybe you're right," she took his hand as they stepped off of the elevator and began walking toward the loft. "Maybe it's time for a change. I hear Paris is nice this time of year." She smiled at him as he smiled back.
"So long as I'm with you, I'll go anywhere."
Walking into the darkened apartment, Kate had that cop's sense that something wasn't right. She pulled her gun as Castle flipped on the living room light. Sitting in an armchair nearby was the last person either of them expected to see, especially in their home. Castle noticed that not only was their houseguest sitting in his favorite chair, but he was also imbibing in his most expensive bottle of Scotch. "Don't shoot me. I might spill my Scotch," Caleb Brown stood up, approaching both of them slowly.
"I think you mean my Scotch. And my most expensive Scotch."
"It's worth it." He poured another glass before setting the bottle down.
"You have a change of heart, Caleb?" Kate asked.
"You know, every morning we wake up and we choose who we want to be. I wake up and I ask myself, 'Why are you choosing this?' Because you're right, Kate. I was a good guy once."
"And you still can be. Who is LokSat?"
"I don't know."
"Oh, come on! You work for him!" Castle reminded him.
"Yes. But I started out working for his partner."
"Senator William Bracken?" Kate guessed as Caleb nodded. "So, what? LokSat inherited you?"
"It was more like drafted. After Bracken's murder, I received this on my doorstep with a note." He pulled out a cell phone. "And I quote, 'Mr. Brown, you now work for me. This cell phone is enabled with GPS and will only function at the northernmost end of Astor Park. Be there every third Monday of the month at 8 a.m. To receive your orders.' Kate, it's yours," he handed her the phone. "And hopefully you can trace LokSat's next call."
"No. They're gonna know I'm not you."
"We don't have a conversation. The phone rings, I answer. An electronically modified voice gives me instructions. It lasts no more than 60 seconds, so have your best people ready."
After handing Kate the device, Caleb walks toward the door. "Where are you going?" Castle asks him when he reached for the doorknob.
"Um . . . I'm gonna go to the same places I always go . . . work, home. I'm going to act as if nothing has changed."
"Yeah, it has. And we can protect you," Kate argued.
"All I want from you is your promise that you'll see this through. And remember who I chose to be today because nobody else will. That's a damn fine Scotch, Rick." And with that, he was gone.
"This is it," Castle turned to Kate the second the door closed behind Caleb. "It's our one chance at LokSat."
"Yeah," Kate nodded, hefting the cell phone in her hand. "And when the time comes, we're gonna make it count. In the meantime, we need to have the loft swept again. I still don't completely trust Caleb. There's a possibility that we're being set up."
"I'm on it."
Gates came over once the loft had been swept for bugs. Castle and Kate were both assured that the apartment was clean, earning huge sighs of relief. Gates, however, wasn't quite as relieved. "Let me get this straight. You walked into your apartment and one of our suspects was just sitting here. How did he get past your doorman?" She directed the question to Castle.
"He didn't enter through the front. We believe that he took the same route that Rita O'Hara did when she took Kate's clothes. I'm still not sure how he got into the loft. When Kate and I got home, I had to use my key to unlock the door."
"Beckett, do you trust him?"
"Right now, I don't think we have a choice but to trust him. I do know that he's scared. When I informed him of Vikram's murder, I could see that it shook him. I think he fears that he'll be next."
"Just be very careful, Kate. We've all seen that nothing is as it appears where this case is concerned."
"Thank you, sir."
***CCC***
"It's done. Beckett has the phone."
"Good work, Mr. Brown. I'll call you if I have further instructions."
Caleb Brown hung up and took a huge swallow of his Scotch, not nearly as good as the glass he'd enjoyed at Castle's, but satisfying none the less. The ball was now out of his court and he knew with certainty that Capt. Kate Beckett and novelist Richard Castle were as good as dead. Handing that cell phone over to her had signed her death warrant. And probably his, as well.
A/N #4: Normally I don't rely quite so heavily on spoilers as I did in this chapter. But it was the only way that I could make the scenes between Caleb and Kate work and still make some kind of sense. Plus, I liked the scene where Caleb talked about the 'seven minutes.'
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