Life Goes On 2
Chapter 25
After getting the twins and a reluctant Lily off to school in the morning, Castle perused Kate's collection of clothes. He was searching for the most comfortable things he could find for her to wear to hunker down in a hospital. Unfortunately, Kate usually dressed more for effect than comfort, to which her large collection of heels testified. He finally settled on her workout clothes, with an extra hoodie for warmth.
Considered stabilized, Jim Beckett had been moved from the ICU. Machines still bleeped, but he had shown no signs of rousing. Kate and Martha had both managed to catch a little sleep in chairs, while Alexis had taken up the vigil, but the younger woman had returned home to her toddler, so that her husband could take his shift in the CSU laboratory. After embracing her own husband, Kate gratefully took the clothes that he'd brought, and retreated to the bathroom to change.
Castle gathered Martha into a deep hug. "How are you doing, Mother?"
"I have been better, Richard," Martha confessed. "If there was just some sign, if he would just twitch a finger, it would be so much better, but there's been nothing. I have learned a great deal about baseball, however. I had no idea the game has been so wracked with scandal. I've always thought of it as boringly clean, like hot dogs and apple pie."
"Mother, hot dogs have insect parts and rat turds in them and apple pie is full of carbs and fats," Castle pointed out. "Nothing is clean if you look at it too hard. That's what's filled our family coffers."
"True, Richard, which is why the older I get, the more I hate closeups. But except for you, I've never been closer to anyone than I have to Jim." Martha's voice broke as emotion constricted her throat. "I just can't bear the thought of losing him."
Castle held her, tears soaking his jacket. "I know, Mother. But it's only been a day. The doctor said it might be much longer than that. He could wake up at any time. You just have to hang in there."
"Richard, have I told you I love you?"
Castle's mouth turned crookedly upward. "Not lately, but I think you've had other things on your mind."
Tony Colson sat in a booth at Pastorelli's Pasta House, with Marco Spillano, his capo. "Kate Beckett's been off the radar for a few days," Tony observed.
"Yeah, her father had a stroke. Our plant in her campaign office says she's been spending a lot of time at the hospital. We were thinking while the Kate's away..." He smiled at his own pun. "You know, we cook up some kind of a scandal," Marco continued.
Colson shook his head thoughtfully. "I don't know, given the situation, that could be seen as kicking her when she's down. It could stir up the sympathy vote. It might just be better to set up to get the whispers going when the old man is better."
"What kinda whispers did you have in mind?" Marco questioned.
"We use Kate's strength against her," Tony explained. "One of the things her campaign points to is the good work she has been doing with that foundation her husband set up. We could just turn the whole thing on it's head, make it look like charitable money given to the foundation is being used to fund her campaign."
Marco reached across the table to affectionately slap Tony's cheek. "The old noodle never stops working away, does it kid? Sure, we plant a couple of stories in the press. Put it out on Facebook and Twitter. Even if she proves it isn't true, her campaign will still be screwed. People just love a scandal, especially about some beautiful broad with a rich husband. I can get some people started on it. She'll never know what hit her." Marco enthusiastically stuck a forkful of linguine in his mouth. "This stuff is really good. I love it spicy!"
"Yes," Tony agreed. "A little spice in the right places is exactly what we need."
Castle absently picked up his buzzing cell phone as he pounded out the last sentence of a paragraph. "Rick, it's Dino Scarpelli."
Castle winced. The Don with whom he had made an unwilling blood oath had gotten him thrown out of Twelfth, years ago. With Kate's captaincy and subsequent involvement in politics, Castle had tried his best to avoid getting tied up again with the mob. With Kate's campaign going on, there could be few worse times to have that kind of an association. "Long time, Dino," he greeted the mobster reluctantly.
"Look Rick, I owe you, and I never forget a debt, so I'm makin' good now," Dino explained. "As you are probably aware, we keep tabs on the Spillano family. They had a serious setback some years back when Jimmy the rat lived up to his name and spilled his guts against them. I believe you and Kate played a part in that. Recently, they've been findin' new ambition, staking out territory in the Bronx. So they're lookin' to get their guys into the government up there, like that lawyer, Tony Colson, who's running against Kate now. Word is, they're tryin' to stir up trouble, smear your wife. So I'm givin' you a heads up so you can block their play."
"Dino, I appreciate it. Any idea what they're planning?" Castle asked.
"No, But I hear they have someone in Kate's campaign. You smoke out that rat, and you should be able to make 'em squeal."
"Then I'd best get onto trapping rodents. Thanks Dino."
"No thanks necessary, Rick. We're square now," Dino declared. "Best of luck to Kate, we don't need the Spillanos pickin' up any more territory."
When Castle called RCI, Esposito picked up the phone. "Yo man, how's Kate's Dad?"
"No change," Castle reported, "but Kate has another problem she doesn't even know about yet." Castle went on to explain about what he'd just heard from Dino Scarpelli."
"I'm with you, man," Esposito responded. "You need background on everyone involved in Kate's campaign."
"And I need it yesterday, Javi." Rick added. "Once the Spillanos start carrying out whatever their plan is, it may be too late."
Castle glanced at his watch. It was almost time for the van to arrive. Grabbing his coat and scarf from the front closet, he went out to his driveway to wait for his kids. "I want to see Grandpa," Lily insisted, before she was even through the front door. "I wrote a song for him, all about our family and how we love him. Kirk helped me with some of it. I can sing and play it for Grandpa on my little keyboard. Please Daddy."
Castle scooped up his daughter and pulled her tightly against his chest. "Sweetheart, I need to check with the hospital and see if they'll even allow that. Hospitals have a lot of rules. But if they will, I'll take you. If Grandpa can hear anything, he should be able to hear your song."
Working his way through the automated system and then the bureaucracy, Castle finally connected with a sympathetic administrator. He arranged to bring Lily to see Jim the next morning, while her brothers were at school. Then he called Lagi Latu to fill him in on why Lily would be absent from Latu's Trails. Lagi was already aware of how upset Lily was about her grandfather, and assured Castle he'd do whatever he could to support the girl's efforts to help.