Disclaimer : Castle is the property of ABC and the creation of Andrew W Marlowe. This story is just part of my active imagination.
The Holtzman Family Farm
Beckett nods to the Sheriff's Deputy as he waves her cruiser through the road block on the road leading to the barn on the Holtzman Farm. It was only yesterday that her husband, currently seated in the passenger seat next to her, had confronted and killed Dr Van Holtzman in the very same barn.
As she drives towards the barn and the large number of vehicles parked around it she muses on the events of the day before. She'd almost lost him again, the solid and reassuring man next to her, her husband, her Castle. She never wants to come so close to losing him ever again.
Beckett well recalls the feelings of helplessness and terror at being locked out of that barn as she could hear Castle struggling for his very life. All while separated from her by just a few planks of wood. Oh, no, that is never going to happen again if she has anything to do with it.
As the barn comes more into view she glances over at Castle and can see him staring at the approaching structure with glassy eyes as he obviously is doing his own remembering of the events of yesterday. Beckett takes one hand off the steering wheel and reaches over to give his arm a reassuring squeeze. Castle tears his gaze from the building and gives her a lopsided smile in gratitude for her support.
Taking her hand back she turns her attention back to the task of manoeuvring her Charger past the variety of official vehicles parked on the side of the road as she looks for a parking spot closer to the barn. As she does so she continues to recall the events of the day before.
After waiting, apprehensively, following the repeated gunshots from her Glock inside the barn she had been hit with a wave of relief at the sight of Castle emerging from the barn relatively unharmed. As she'd leapt into his arms she'd seen both the physical and emotional toll the encounter with the serial killer had on him. She shudders still at the thought of the cut she'd seen on his neck. Evidence of how close he'd come to becoming Holtzman's latest victim. Then there was the haunted look in his eyes which, even today, still hasn't left him.
After a hug, which neither of them wanted to end, she had taken her gun from his hand and asked him to wait outside while she checked on Holtzman. He'd opened his mouth to protest but at a look from her had just nodded and stood his ground as she cautiously stepped into the barn. There, immediately in front of the open door, she found the lifeless body of Holtzman. The dead eyes staring up at her and the growing pool of blood under the body told her everything that she needed to know. That Castle had killed his demon. Just to be sure, she crouched down and felt for a pulse anyway and upon not finding one let out a sigh of relief.
Not wanting to disturb the scene and waste any more thoughts on the thing that was a man in front of her Beckett had gotten back up then and backed out of the barn. She returned to her husband who she found just where she left him, looking at the ground dejectedly. She'd then led him by the arm away from the scene of his battle and back to his car. He'd followed her meekly and unprotestingly and that alone told her that he was truly feeling the aftermath of having just taken a life. Even if that life was of an absolute monster it was because Castle was feeling so proved that he wasn't the same as the man he was just forced to kill.
She'd sat him down in the open passenger door of the Buick, retrieved the first aid kit from the trunk and then proceeded to tend to the wound on Castle's neck. She had just finished her ministrations when the first responder to her text for help had arrived in the form of a cruiser, red and blue lights flashing, siren wailing and holding a couple of local Sheriff's Deputies. They had been soon followed by a couple of State Police cruisers, likewise flashing and screaming their arrival. In one of the State Police vehicles there had been Trooper Collins. Leaving Castle in the car she met with the newly arrived Deputies and Troopers and informed them of what had happened.
That, while investigating a lead in the murder of Emma Malloy, Castle had found evidence indicating that the owner of the barn, Dr Van Holtzman, was responsible for the kidnapping and murder of numerous women. That, just as he'd found the evidence he'd been confronted and attacked by Holtzman and, in the process of defending himself, he had shot the doctor dead.
At that point Trooper Collins had taken charge of the scene and directed her colleagues to secure the barn. She'd then requested the Deputies to go back down the road to set up a road block to prevent the press or general public approaching the area. She'd then made several calls on her radio requesting more Troopers, CSU teams and an ME.
Leaving Trooper Collins to her work, Beckett had returned to Castle's car and found him just as she left him. Sitting half in and half out of the open front passenger door of his car looking dazed and unhappy. She'd crouched down in front of him, gripped both his hands in hers and looked into his distressed eyes trying to give him strength and comfort.
She barely registered the growing number of official vehicles or their occupants as they streamed in over the next hour. Her focus was on the man in front of her and on their silent communication as she endeavoured to ease his pain.
Later Trooper Collins joined them and asked for their statements. While it wasn't procedure she silently thanked the woman as she took both of their statements together, not asking either of them to remove themselves from the other's sides as they went over what happened. She'd especially gripped Castle's hand tightly as he described his desperate struggle for survival.
Just as they'd finished with Collins a familiar red Charger had pulled up and the welcome sight of Esposito and Ryan leaping out of their car had greeted her. However the relief she'd felt at the sight of her partners was immediately tempered by the looks of caution on their faces as they approached. The reason for their expressions soon became evident at the sight of Captain Gates exiting from the rear of the boy's cruiser with an oft seen stern look in her face.
While she had gotten the day off to be with her husband the boys had been on duty, at the precinct, when she'd sent her urgent text to them. Ever since their time with the tiger Gates has strictly enforced her edict that everyone leave some indication of where they are if they leave the precinct while on duty. Even if they were just going around the corner for lunch or a coffee. So, when the boys had rushed to head out the door in answer to her call for help no one else had been around for them to tell about their movements so they'd been forced to tell the Captain.
To protect a still shaken Castle she'd stepped forward to greet both the boys and her Captain and inform them all of what had transpired. For a brief moment she'd considered making up some story to explain Castle breaking into the barn but at that point of the story she'd felt Castle's reassuring hand on her back as he silently communicated to her that it was all right to tell the truth. The boys had looked and expressed their relief that both she and Castle were OK and also looked a little chagrined that they hadn't believed Castle's now obviously true assertions regarding Holtzman. Gates, on the other hand, had narrowed her eyes at Castle, over Beckett's shoulder, at the mention of him entering the barn but had not commented further before leaving the group to consult with Trooper Collins, no doubt to get the full story.
Once Gates had done that she'd returned to the group and told her and Castle to go home while asking the boys to stay with her to help her liaise with the State Police as they ran the investigation. The Captain had even added at the end that Beckett take the next day off as well to be with her husband. Grateful for that and that her superior hadn't pressed the issue or seemed to want to interview Castle directly she'd ushered him into his car and had driven him home.
It had been night by the time they returned to the loft and while Martha had been out Alexis had been home, studying at the dining table, as she led Castle in. At once the redhead had seen that there was something wrong with her father but after a look and a shake of a head from Beckett she'd obviously tamped down her questions and sufficed herself with giving him a bone crushing hug. The young woman had then gathered her things and retreated upstairs to her room giving her own look to Beckett that said that she expected to be told what had happened later.
The rest of the night was then spent in their bedroom where she comforted her husband as he continued to struggle with the fact of having killed another person with his own hand and up close. The disquiet he was feeling at that was also exacerbated by the fact that the man he just killed was also the same man that had haunted his dreams since childhood. While you'd think having killed his own personal bogey man would help that was far from the case.
The shakes had come to him in the middle of the night and she'd just held him offering her own presence as reassurance. Neither of them slept much or well that night as she also endeavoured to deal with her own feelings of anguish at almost losing him again and at seeing her usually joyful and playful husband suffering so.
The next morning they'd slept in to make up for the lack of actual sleep they had the night before so it was almost lunch time before they emerged to reluctantly to face the day. If it wasn't for the protests that both of their stomachs were making she's sure they would have stayed ensconced under the sheets and in each other's arms.
There they had found both Martha and Alexis waiting for them and a virtual feast laid out on the dining table for them. Both women had ushered the couple to take their seats and proceeded to wait on them, despite the protests from the both of them.
Alexis had then told them that they didn't need to say anything if they didn't want to because apparently what had happened was all over the news. Not that Alexis had sought it out but she'd received a number of texts and tweets from her friends that morning about it and so she'd investigated. It was while she had been watching a cable news report on the incident at the Holtzman Farm that Martha had joined her and together they had discovered why the couple hadn't surfaced from their bedroom that morning.
It was while they were in the middle of their repast and Castle giving an edited version of the event to his mother and daughter that Beckett's cell phone had rung. Excusing herself she'd answered the call that she could see was from Captain Gates. Her Captain had told her that, unsurprisingly in the case of an obvious serial killer, the FBI had taken over the investigation and that the Agent in Charge wanted to see her and Castle. That was why she was now parking her car next to a coroner's van a few yards from the front of the barn that she had faintly hoped that she or Castle would never see again.
As she killed the engine she sighed, looked over at Castle and asked softly, "Are you sure you want to do this? We can ask them to come to us. Run through our statements back at home. There's no need for you to be here."
Castle gives his own sigh as he looks out at the numerous people in blue windbreakers with a variety of initials displayed on their backs showing their affiliations that are milling around the scene with purpose.
"No, but I have to. I have to be here because even with Holtzman dead there are still so many questions I need answered," he tells her, looking over at her so that she can see his sincerity.
Beckett nods in understanding and together they get out of the car and start walking towards the largest concentration of windbreakers. They approach the nearest one that has FBI on his back and Beckett holds up her badge and opens her mouth to introduce herself but before she can a voice from behind them stops her.
"Kate Beckett and Richard Castle, what a mess you've left me with."
They turn and see the source of the voice is a middle aged woman with dark, faintly red, shoulder length hair and dressed in a navy blue pants suit covered with her own FBI windbreaker approaching them with a sardonic smile on her face.
"Jordan Shaw! They called you in on this?" asks a surprised Beckett.
As the profiler stops in front of the couple she crosses her arms in front of her chest as she replies, "Yes, well I'm between cases at the moment and the director thought that, given our past working relationship, on top of the magnitude of this case that I would best suited to be the one to deal with it."
"Well, I'm glad it's you, Jordan. It's good to see a familiar face," says a still subdued but now relieved Castle.
"Congratulations, by the way," offers Jordan, indicating to the rings on the couple's fingers. "It's good to see you both realised what was obvious to everyone even while you were both denying it." She then turns to Beckett directly and with contrition adds, "And I'm sorry, Kate, that I was too busy last year when you reached out about Castle's disappearance. I was tied up with a bad serial in Dallas that I'd been hunting for a month when you called otherwise I would have offered some more substantial help."
Beckett glances at Castle before waving away Jordan's apology, "No problem. That tech you put me in touch with at the BAU helped me as much as she could but I had so little to go on at the time there wasn't much she could do. It all worked out in the end. He found his way back to me anyway."
"So seriously, Tyson, Nieman and now this Holtzman guy. Are you guys trying to make me and the whole BAU redundant by finding all the serial killers?" asks Jordan sarcastically.
Beckett sees that Castle isn't going to answer as his attention seems to have been diverted as he is looking past Jordan at what the many FBI agents and crime scene specialists are doing beyond her, so she responds with a shrug of her shoulders, "Believe you me, Jordan. We'd both be more than happy if we never have to deal with another serial killer ever again."
Jordan nods in understanding and her scrutiny falls on Castle as he continues to look at the activity around the barn with curiosity and apprehension. Jordan looks back at Beckett and quirks an eyebrow at her with a silent question about Castle and his current state of mind. No doubt the profiler knows about Castle's confrontation with Holtzman even if she doesn't yet know the full history between the men. Beckett nods her head to indicate that he is OK and that Jordan will get the full story soon enough.
"How many, Jordan?" asks Castle sombrely as he looks at a group of CSU techs that are placing small red flags in the ground beyond the barn.
Jordan sighs, cocks her head indicating for the pair to follow and then turns and leads them towards the side of the barn where the techs are busy. She then tells them the gruesome truth, "Well, the cadaver dogs went nuts when we brought them in. They were getting far too many hits. We used ground penetrating radar and, so far, we've identified forty-two bodies buried in the field near this barn but from the number of pictures in that album you found we think there are more out there. Unfortunately it looks like Holtzman is going to go down as one of the worst serial killers in our history," she pauses as they round the side of the barn and they are all greeted to what seems to be a sea of red flags in the ground in front of them.
To Becket she is reminded of pictures of the fields of red poppies in the fields of France marking the sites of those World War One battlefields. Not only by the sight but by the implication at what each small piece of red plastic represents, a soul whose life was stolen by another.
Jordan gives Castle a reassuring look as she adds, "You did the world a favour taking this guy out, Castle."
As Castle's eyes roam over the multitude of red flags he takes a breath before answering with melancholy, "Yeah, I just wish I'd found him sooner. Then maybe there wouldn't be so many."
"Hey, babe, don't even think that. No one but you even knew that Holtzman existed. If it wasn't for you he would have continued to kill innocent women and no one would have been any the wiser. Jordan is right. You did everyone a favour and saved lives when you shot Holtzman," chimes in Beckett, continuing in her mission from the night before. Comforting and supporting her husband.
"And I know that next time you are in DC there are quite a few members of the BAU, a certain Doctor Who loving doctor in particular, that want you to visit Quantico so they can pick your brain about how you found him," offers Jordan, trying to get Castle out of his introspection by stroking his ego.
Castle gives them both a small smile at their efforts before turning his back on the markers in the ground to look at the FBI profiler directly as he asks, "So, Jordan, what do you need from Kate and I?"
Jordan leads the couple away from the burial site and towards a large white marquee that has several collapsible tables and chairs set up beneath it. The tables are covered with laptops and other equipment.
"I've read the statements you both gave to the first responders. I just want you to go through what happened again and what exactly led you here and to Holtzman in the first place?" queries Jordan as she leads them to a spare desk and set of chairs, indicating for them both to sit.
Telling Jordan Shaw everything is exactly what the couple, Castle especially, do for the rest of the afternoon.
New York Times Editorial – two days later
"…..if the events from up state are not, in themselves, concerning enough then the fact that this Doctor Holtzman was able to ply his murderous trade undetected for so long is even more of a concern for this writer. We should, therefore, be grateful that NYPD consultant Richard Castle was able to bring this man to justice and that Mr Castle will soon becoming the first NYPD Auxiliary Detective. If Mr Castle is an indication of the calibre of investigators that will be Detectives in the Auxiliary Police then they are sure to be an asset to the NYPD and the citizens of New York…"
Auxiliary Deputy Chief McGill's Office, One Police Plaza – the same day
Deputy Chief Cathy McGill looks through the report on her desk and sighs in frustration. The taking down of Dr Van Holtzman by Richard Castle while ultimately a good thing it is leaving her and the department with one hell of a headache.
The fact that the man entered the Holtzman property without a warrant or probable cause means that she has an unpleasant task ahead of her. Kicking Richard Castle out of the very Auxiliary Detective's program that he instigated and helped to create.
McGill had been pleased when the writer had approached her about his Detectives idea. She'd seen it as a way of expanding the role and prestige of her department and by extension her own influence and status. A status she readily admits suffers from the impression of being the poor cousin in the NYPD family.
Now, just when they were about to reap the publicity benefits of famous mystery writer Richard Castle becoming the first Auxiliary Detective he has to go and throw it all away by going rouge while pursuing this Holtzman. Despite the doctor's obvious guilt she can't easily dismiss Castle's blatant disregard for the law and proper procedure in his decision to enter Holtzman's barn illegally.
She's going to have to call Victoria Gates at the 12th and tell her to inform Castle that he will not be graduating with his class of fellow NYPDA recruits. This could derail the whole Auxiliary Detectives program.
Before she can ponder anymore the phone on her desk rings and she picks up the handset, "McGill!" she declares down the line. "…..Yes, sir! I'll be right there!"
McGill replaces the handset and sighs again as she stands and heads out of her office. Considering what she has just been thinking about she knows what that phone call was all about. The call had been from Commissioner Hayward, summoning her to his office.
A few moments and an elevator ride later she is entering the office of the Commissioner and is slightly surprised at the number of people present in the man's office when she arrives. Besides the man himself, there is Chief of Detectives Chavez, Chief Barnes, District Attorney Jackson, State Attorney General Pierce and Inspector Morrison the head of the NYPD media relations department.
"Ah, Cathy, thanks for coming so promptly. Please take a seat," says Commissioner Hayward indicating to the sole remaining empty seat in front of his desk.
After McGill has taken her seat the Commissioner looks at her frankly and says, "So, as you might imagine, we are all here to discuss Richard Castle…"
"I don't know what there is to discuss, Commissioner, the man has yet again shown a clear disregard for the law and should not be allowed to become the first Auxiliary Detective. In fact, I am going to recommend to the Mayor that his sanction from working as a consultant with the NYPD be reinstated. This time permanently," interjects the long, curly, raven haired woman that is District Attorney Jackson.
"Oh, come on, Alison, just like before Castle brought a killer a justice. This time it was a killer that not even our much vaunted federal friends knew anything about. I think him finding this man and stopping his over thirty year old killing spree justifies some bending of the law," defends Chief of Detectives Chavez to the DA.
McGill smirks at Chavez's reference to the feds. Everyone knows that the Chief of D's and the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's New York field office don't have the best relationship. Their animosity mostly stems from the bureau's unapologetic assumption of NYPD cases at the slightest indication of the case coming under their jurisdiction. Often they are cases being investigated by Chavez's detectives and the high handed tactics of the FBI are seen with some resentment. She can well imagine the crowing that will take place on the part of Chavez when he next sees the SAC. Crowing over the fact that a mere NYPD consultant was able to track down a serial killer that had operated for over thirty years without the knowledge of the FBI's much lauded division of profilers.
"Well in my mind nothing justifies the breaking or even 'bending' of the law. Not if you expect me to successfully prosecute any criminal you arrest, Joe. That's not to mention the possible legal liability he's opened himself and the department up to. I've heard rumblings that Holtzman's family are thinking of suing Castle for wrongfully killing the doctor because he entered the property illegally," counters the DA.
"I must say that I also have reservations about the procedure the man followed in this case, Commissioner. Given your idea for a special unit with multi-jurisdictional implications and his and his wife's possible roles in said unit then I think that some of Mr Castle's actions during this case are a cause for concern," raises the tall, heavy set African American man that is State Attorney General Pierce.
McGill sees the Commissioner study the Attorney General's words for a moment before he turns to Chief Barnes and asks, "What about you Frank? What do you think?"
"I'm with Joe on this one. I think Castle has done a hell of a lot more good by putting down Holtzman than any harm he's done from breaking into that man's hideout. I don't think this should stop him from becoming an Auxiliary Detective. In fact I'd suggest we accelerate the process, after he undertakes refreshers of the legal courses that are part of his training, of course," responds Chief Barnes giving a nod in conciliation to the DA with his suggestion at the end.
"The press and the public would seem to agree with the Chief and the Chief of Detectives, sir," interjects the middle aged and tanned man that is Inspector Morrison. "You all read the Times' editorial this morning. The Post and the Ledger are the same and the Ledger even suggested as the Chief has that Castle should be given his star straight away. The TV news shows love him and this story. From CNN to Fox News they are all saying that it proves that Castle is the right person to become the first Auxiliary Detective. A poll run by the local ABC affiliate had seventy-three percent of those surveyed supporting Castle's actions and their confidence in him becoming an Auxiliary Detective as a result of his uncovering of Holtzman. I've hardly ever seen before such positive press for an NYPD employee since 9/11. Even though he technically isn't one the public perception is that he is part of the department and his actions have reflected well on the NYPD as a result."
"We can't let the press or the public influence our decision in this matter," counters the DA.
The Commissioner leans forward at this as he enters the discussion, "Yet is was because of possible negative reactions in the press and from the public during that mob case that caused you to have Castle banished from the 12th precinct before last Christmas, Alison. You can't have it both ways. Either we take the press and public's thoughts into account on this or we don't. What about you Cathy? Do you still want Castle as the first Auxiliary Detective?" he asks turning to her.
McGill pauses to consider her response. She can read the room and the only one really pushing for Castle to be kicked out is the DA. She's even seen the State Attorney General pull back at the mention of the media and public's reaction to Castle's actions. If she's honest with herself she doesn't want to get rid of the man and actually wants him to become the first Auxiliary Detective. She had thought that the properly ethical course of action after Castle's illegal entry to Holtzman's property was to expel him from the Auxiliary Detective program. In reality she's now thinking that in light of the man's increased positive public profile that him becoming the first Auxiliary Detective can be nothing but a good thing. Not to mention that this whole case has demonstrated how much of an accomplished detective the man is.
"Sir, I think that, as Chief Barnes suggested, if Mr Castle successfully undertakes thorough repeats of all the law and procedural courses that are part of his training then he should be allowed to proceed and to graduate. I would say that this case will have the benefit of raising the profile and reputation of Auxiliary Detectives higher than we ever hoped," she commits finally.
There is a long pause after McGill's words and she watches the Commissioner's face as he obviously considers the arguments of those in front of him. On a purely democratic level then the majority in the room are for keeping Castle but he obviously can't just dismiss the legal concerns raised by the DA out of hand.
"Thank you all for your input. As it is her department I defer to Deputy Chief McGill's opinion in this matter. Richard Castle will, after appropriate re-education upon the law and how it applies to proper procedure for the gathering of evidence and arrest of suspects, be allowed to graduate as the first Auxiliary Detective. Indeed the sooner the better if we are to make the most of the positive press at the moment. That is all. Thank you all again for your time," pronounces Commissioner Hayward finishing with a nod of dismissal to those in the room.
As everyone rises from their seats and make their way out of the Commissioner's office he has one final word for McGill, "Cathy, I suggest you tell Vicky Gates to put a sufficient fear of god into Castle before letting him know that we're not getting rid of him. Just to encourage him not to do something like this again."
McGill thinks of the tough, no nonsense Captain of the 12th and responds wryly, "Oh, I think that goes without saying when talking about Captain Gates, sir."
A/N : So we have a cameo from a favourite guest character in this chapter. Jordan Shaw may appear again in this story so look out. Also excuse the slight Criminal Minds references. That is as far as it goes. No characters from that show will appear in this story.
Next SPOILER ALERT...if you've read the TV Line article with one of the new show runners you will see some spoilers for Season 8. Most of interest is that Beckett will be Captain of the 12th but will still see her investigating murders more actively than Gates. While I'll be interested in seeing how the writers do it I think that some suspension of belief might be required. That direction of canon, while slightly in line with the direction of my story, isn't quite the same and will not change my thoughts on Beckett's future as I've laid out in my story.
Thank you again to everyone reading and responding to my story. I really appreciate it.