Chapter 34

Castle strolled into the Blue Parrot and removed his hat. He was greeted by one of the approaching waiters.

"I'd like some coffee, extra strong and no sugar." Castle announced.

"Certainly, Monsieur Rick." The waiter replied with a bow of the head.

Castle looked about until he spotted the proprietor of the Blue Parrot sitting at a table in a secluded corner of the cafe. He was dressed in customary white suit and red fez atop his head, looking for all the world like a sultan surveying his realm. Sabalini broke into a welcoming smile as Castle approached.

"Good day to you, Rick." Sabalini said as he waved Castle to the empty chair.

"From the smile on your face, I gather you got my note?" Castle replied as he sat down setting his hat aside.

"I was most surprised to have received your missive." Sabalini chuckled. "At first I thought it was you having a lend of me."

"No joke, Sabalini." Castle assured him.

"Indeed." The fat man nodded.

The waiter arrived with Castle's order. He set the cup on the table in front of Castle and then withdrew. Castle reached for the cup and took a sip of the coffee. He winced as the hot liquid burned his tongue. He did not mind the pain. The sharp pain seemed to focus his mind.

"I am a little astonished to learn that you are leaving Casablanca, Rick."

"Circumstances have changed all of a sudden that require me leaving."

Sabalini leaned forward in his chair and flashed a conspiratorial smile at Castle.

"Would it have anything to do with a certain young lady who called on you last night?"

Castle almost rolled his eyes at the question but managed to school his face to show nothing. He focused his attention on the coffee cup, taking another sip. There was very little that went on in Casablanca that Sabalini did not know about. Castle had learned that when he had first come to Casablanca.

"It might." Castle conceded after a moment.

Sabalini let out a laugh and nodded his head in understanding. He reached for his own cup and brought it up to his mouth and took a drink. He returned the cup to its saucer and then looked over to Castle.

"Are you quite sure you want to sell Cafe Americain for the price you nominated?"

"It's what you've offered me in the past." Castle said and shrugged his shoulders. Both men knew that the cafe was worth far more than what Castle was selling it for.

"Very well." Sabalini said. He smiled. "Shall we draw up the papers, or is our handshake good enough?"

"It's certainly not good enough." Castle retorted. "But since I'm in a hurry it will have to do."

Sabalini nodded his head soberly. Castle saw a gleam in the other man's eyes.

Castle turned his attention back to his coffee and took another big sip from the cup. He felt a little twinge of sadness at having to sell the cafe. He felt quite proud at having built it up into the number one night spot in all of Casablanca and especially after he had won the place in a poker game. Well it would certainly make for a great story. Perhaps he might include it in one of his books in the future he mused.

"Ah, to be getting out of Casablanca and go to America." Sabalini said with a sigh. "You're a lucky man, Rick."

"Perhaps."

"I hope this young lady is worth it."

"Yes, she is." Castle said firmly.

Sabalini nodded his head as he watched Castle finish his coffee and set the empty cup in its saucer.

"By the way," Castle said turning his attention to the rotund man sitting opposite. "my agreement with Lanie has always been that she gets twenty-five percent of the profits. That still goes."

"I happen to know that she gets ten percent." Sabalini laughed. "However, she is worth twenty-five."

"That is assuming she wants to stay on." Castle added, almost as an afterthought.

"You have yet to tell her?" Sabalini was a little surprised.

Castle shook his head. "That's my next stop."

"I would love to be a fly on the wall for that meeting." Sabalini chuckled.

Castle smiled in return. Right now he had no idea how Lanie would react to the news that he had just sold the cafe and was leaving. He would soon find out. He reached for his hat and rose to his feet. Sabalini slowly hauled himself out his chair.

"And Abdul, Brian, Avery and Charlie they stay with the place, or the deal is off." Castle announced.

"Of course they stay. Rick's would not be Rick's without them." Sabalini assured him.

Castle nodded his head. He put on his hat.

"So long, then."

"Good-bye Rick."

Sabalini extended a hand towards Castle. Castle shook the hand sealing the deal.

Castle turned and started for the door. He had gone only a couple of paces before he stopped, remembering something else and turned to look back at the new owner of Cafe Americain.

"Don't forget you owe Rick's a hundred cartons of American cigarettes."

"I shall remember to pay it..." Sabalini said and then broke into a hearty laugh, "...to myself."

XXX

Castle came to a halt in front of Lanie's door. He stifled a yawn that threatened and scrubbed a hand over his face. He definitely needed to get some rest, he reminded himself, otherwise he might keel over later tonight, and he certainly did not want that to happen. He raised his fist and let it hover near the door for a moment.

All of a sudden he found himself concerned about how Lanie would react to the news he was about to tell her. He had known her for a good many years off an on and knew that she could be volatile, sometimes to the point of being scary. He had a feeling she would not be too thrilled with the news.

Well what's done is done, he thought. He let out sigh and rapped his knuckles on the front door.

A minute later the door swung open and Castle was greeted by the sight of Lanie wrapped in a dressing gown, and a surprised look on her face.

"Castle."

"Lanie, can I come in?"

Silently Lanie took a step back and opened the door wider allowing Castle to enter her apartment. She closed the door and walked past Castle, making her way into the kitchen. Castle followed her.

"Have you had any sleep?" Lanie asked as she started to make some coffee.

"Not really, no." Castle replied. He slumped down on one of the chairs at the kitchen table. "I've been kind of busy."

"Oh?" Lanie turned around to look at Castle and found him looking at her

"You're man decided to break into the cafe and arrest Davidson."

Lanie's eyes widened in surprise at that piece of news. Esposito had not told her why he had to leave her bed except that he had to go to work. So he had raided the cafe to arrest Davidson.

"Well, don't blame him." Lanie defended as she turned back to the coffee. "He was ordered to."

"Yeah, I know. I'm not blaming him."

Lanie brought over two mugs to the table and handed one to Castle before she took a seat at the table. Castle looked down at his coffee for a moment. He had consumed quite a bit of coffee so far today and could feel his stomach start to rebel at the thought of more of it, not to mention his bladder. He stared down at the dark liquid.

"So what are you doing here, Castle?" Lanie inquired. She knew that this was not a social visit. Castle had hardly ever paid her a social visit considering they saw each other every night at the club. That he had something on his mind was plain to see on his face.

Castle looked up from his coffee, almost looking startled by her question.

"I've sold the cafe." He announced in a quiet voice.

"What the hell do you mean, you've sold the cafe?" Lanie demanded, her face clouding.

"I sold it to Sabalini."

"You what!" She yelled.

Yep, he was right, she was not taking the news all that well, Castle thought to himself.

"I sold it to Sabalini." He repeated.

"When?"

"About a half an hour ago."

"What the hell did you do that for!" Lanie shouted. "Have you lost your cotton pickin' mind?"

"No."

"Why?"

"I'm leaving Casablanca."

Lanie's mouth dropped open too shocked to speak. It took her several minutes to regain her composure. Castle turned his attention to the coffee. Even though he had his fill of coffee for one day he lifted the mug and brought it to his lips and took a sip. He nodded his head in appreciation. Lanie always made good coffee. He returned the mug back to the table and stared down at it.

"When are you leaving?" Lanie asked finally.

"Tonight."

Lanie stared at Castle. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"It's because of Kate, isn't it?"

"Not only because of her." Castle said defensively.

Lanie snorted derisively. "Don't give me that, Castle."

"Things have changed." Castle said lifting his gaze to look across the table. "You know I was never going to stay in Casablanca forever, Lanie."

Lanie nodded her head in understanding. She knew why he had come to Casablanca. He had come here primarily to forget the woman who had broken his heart. She had born witness to him trying to forget Kate and at times it was hard watching him as he slowly got on with life. Then Kate walked back into his life.

"So you're running away." Lanie accused. "Kate makes an appearance, so you drop everything and up and leave?"

"No."

"No?"

Castle shook his head. Lanie stared at him in disbelief. She watched him as he took another sip of his coffee before setting the mug aside. Castle focused his gaze on Lanie and allowed a small smile play at the corners of his lips.

"Kate is coming with me."

Lanie let out a shocked gasp.

"She's what?" Lanie shrieked. That was something she did not see coming.

"We're leaving together." Castle informed her, his smile growing a little.

"This...this... is all very sudden." Lanie stammered.

Castle nodded his head.

"Kate came by the cafe last night and we had a long talk."

Lanie raised an eyebrow and fixed Castle with a look.

"In between other things." Castle confessed, trying not to blush under Lanie's knowing gaze.

"Uh-huh."

"And before Davidson and Esposito gate crashed my place."

"I see."

Lanie reached for her coffee just to do something as she tried to process the news Castle had told her. Secretly she was pleased for him. Despite his drawn and haggard look Lanie had seen a sparkle in Castle's eyes that she had not seen since before they had been forced to leave Paris. Castle was happy.

"And what about Davidson?" Lanie asked breaking the silence. She put down her mug and looked at Castle. "You know Davidson, Kate's fiance?"

"Former fiance." Castle corrected.

"Well, what about him?"

"He's leaving tonight." Castle informed her.

Lanie's eyebrows shot up with surprise.

"They'll kill him if he stays here." Castle added in explanation.

"You helping him escape?"

"I might be."

Castle did not want to give her any details. It was a case of the less she knew the better for safety's sake. He silently conveyed those thoughts across the table with a look. Lanie understood with a nod of her head and did not pursue that line of questioning.

"And what about me, Castle?"

"You'll stay on at the cafe, the same deal remains." Castle informed her. "That is if you still want to,"

"That fat man just wants to get into my panties." Lanie said, shuddering at the thought.

"I wouldn't have thought they would fit him." Castle quipped.

Lanie grinned and could not stop the chuckle that escaped from her lips. All the same she was not sure she wanted to remain at the cafe now that it had been sold. Rick's was Rick's because of Castle. She came to the realisation that she had a lot of thinking to do about her future.

Castle pushed back in his chair and rose to his feet signalling the end of his visit. He picked up his hat. Lanie shook off her thoughts, rising to her feet and escorted him to the door.

Standing in the doorway a thoughtful look settled on Lanie's face.

"You know Castle, I've known you for a long time." Lanie said. "And there have been only two times when I have seen you happy, I mean truly happy."

Castle shot Lanie a questioning look.

"The first is when you're writing."

Lanie had seen him on a couple of occasions when he was so wrapped in writing that everything else around him was forgotten. The place could be falling down around his ears but he would be oblivious to it as his fingers danced rapidly over the typewriter keys as he produced another chapter of his latest book.

"And the other?" Castle asked.

"Was when you were with Kate."

Castle smiled and nodded his head.

"She makes me happy, Lanie."

Lanie nodded her head and allowed a small smile to reach her lips. "I hope you know what you're doing Castle."

"Yeah, I do, Lanie. I do know what I'm doing."

XXX

At around the same time Castle was breaking the news to Lanie about his leaving Castle, Sergeant Esposito was unlocking the front door of his apartment. Walking through the door he was assailed with a wonderful aroma emanating from the direction of the kitchen.

Esposito shook his head as he closed the door and then made his way into the kitchen. He found Kevin Ryan wearing a kitchen apron. Ryan turned around and broke into a smile on seeing Esposito.

"I made lunch for you." Ryan announced.

"What is it with you and making food for me?" Esposito grouched.

"It's the least I can do for you having to put me up." Ryan replied with a shrug of his shoulders.

Esposito found himself shaking his head. He had only come by his apartment to let Ryan know that his stay at casa Esposito was coming to an end and to start packing his bags. Now that he was standing in his kitchen he could feel his stomach rumbling, reminding him that he had not eaten lunch yet.

At Ryan's direction Esposito sat himself down at the table. Ryan placed a plate in front of the police sergeant. Esposito nodded his thanks before he looked down at the plate before him. The Irishman had made him chicken and couscous, a dish he was particularly partial to. Ryan removed his apron then sat down at the table with his own plate. Ryan noticed Esposito had not started on the meal.

"Well dig in before it gets cold." Ryan urged.

"You're leaving tonight, Kevin." Esposito announced suddenly.

A look of surprise swept across the Irishman's face.

"You're not pulling my leg, boyo?" Ryan ventured cautiously

"No." Esposito shook his head. "So have your bags packed and ready when I come by tonight to pick you up."

"Will I have time to make you diner?"

Esposito made a face when when he looked at Ryan.

"Will you stop thinking about making me food, man?" Esposito said in an exasperated tone of voice.

XXXXX

Apologies for the delay in posting this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it.

Con