Chapter 54
"Rick, are you sure you should be doing this?"
Johanna cast a worried look towards Castle who was sitting beside her in the back seat of the town car. Castle was looking a little pale. He had been rather quiet since they had left the loft, not his usual talkative self. Castle slowly turned to look at his worried mother-in-law.
"Yeah." Castle nodded.
Johanna raised a questioning eyebrow. He looked a little too pale for her liking and he had taken a long time to get dressed. She was sure he should not be out and about in his condition.
"I'm fine. I took a pill before we left the loft." Castle informed her. "It should kick in any time soon."
"Maybe I should come up with you?" Johanna suggested.
"Don't worry."
"I can't help it, it's part of the job description."
Castle smiled at that remark. He understood Johanna's concerns. If it was Alexis or Kate he would have been freaking out.
The car pulled up at the curb. Johanna got out of the car and opened the door for Castle. The author struggle to get out. Johanna reached out to help him. Castle accepted the helping hand with a curt nod of his head.
"Are you really sure you're alright, Rick?" Johanna repeated, her concern for him deepening.
"Yeah, I'll be fine." Castle insisted.
"Maybe I should come up with you?"
"What are you, my mother?" Castle remarked with a note of irritation.
"No, I'm much worse." Johanna retorted eyeing him carefully. "I'm your mother-in-law."
Johanna had been against Castle leaving the loft. She had tried to make him reconsider but he stubbornly would not hear of it. The thought of calling Kate and telling her what her husband was doing did cross her mind but decided against it. A decision she was starting to regret.
Castle looked at Johanna. His pained expression softened his pursed his lips curved upwards a little. His hand curled around his injured ribs.
"Please Johanna, don't make me laugh, it hurts too much."
Johanna allowed a small smile to disguise her concern for her injured son-in-law. The smile quickly faded as she arched her eyebrow at him.
"And there's the famous Beckett look that has made men shake in their boots." Castle quipped.
Johanna shook her hand but let out a long sigh in resignation. Her son-in-law was almost as stubborn as her daughter when he set his mind to it. There was no way she was going to dissuade him from what he wanted to do.
"I'll be fine on my own, really." Castle assured her. "I'm not going to be here for too long and then I'll go straight home."
"Okay, but call me if you if you need anything." Johanna said pointedly.
"I will, promise."
"Just take it easy, okay?" Johanna said.
"I will."
"Because I don't fancy having to provide an explanation to Kate why I let you out of the loft and left you alone."
Castle grinned as he leaned over and planted a kiss on her cheek.
"It'll be our little secret, Johanna."
Johanna got back into the back of the car. He was about to close the door when Johanna held out his briefcase.
"I think you're going to need this, Rick."
"Thanks." Castle said as he took the briefcase.
Castle closed the door and stepped away from the car. He watched as the driver slowly pulled into the traffic and drove away. He turned and slowly made his way into the building that housed the offices of his agent.
As he crossed the lobby to the bank of elevators he caught sight of several people staring at him having recognised him. He regretted not having brought his sunglasses with him. Usually he welcomed the attention and adulation but not today.
What he had done at the cemetery, throwing himself in front of his wife to stop a bullet aimed at her, had become front page news and the lead story on the local TV news shows. He had been inundated with requests for interviews. All had been politely declined leaving it to Paula to issue a statement.
Castle did not want to be side tracked by fans coming up to him wanting an autograph or wanting to know how he was or wanting to talk about the shooting. He was silently grateful the elevator arrived quickly and he got in along with a handful of other people. He took a position at the back of the car.
As the elevator rose steadily upwards a couple of young women who were standing at the front turned around to look at him. Castle offered them a charming smile the one he used when he met his fans at book signings. The two women looked at each other shared a giggle and then turned around.
The elevator arrived at its first destination and the two young women stepped out. They waved to Castle as they walked away. He smiled and returned the wave. The doors closed and the elevator resumed its upward journey.
Castle got off the elevator at the twentieth floor. He turned to his right and started walking along the corridor. With each step he took he could feel his ribs throbbing with pain. He could also feel small beads of sweat breaking out across his forehead. He stopped to catch his breath and ran the back of his hand across his forehead. He could do this he silently reminded himself.
A few minutes later he started walking again. He entered the reception area and the girl behind the front desk rose to her feet and broke into a big welcoming smile.
"Good afternoon, Mr Castle."
"Hi Michelle, how are you?"
"The question is, how are you, Mr Castle?" Michelle replied.
"On the mend."
"So pleased to hear it."
"Thank you for the card and flowers, by the way."
Michelle was a little taken aback, surprised that he had remembered the card and flowers that she had sent him amongst all the others he must have received. She smiled back at him then motioned to the door that led into Paula's office.
"She's waiting for you, Mr Castle."
"Wish me luck." Castle grinned. It was the usual refrain he used before he entered his agent's office, part joke and part real.
Castle walked up to the door and rapped his knuckles on it. He opened the door without waiting to be bidden.
Entering the office he found Paula seated behind her desk with the phone stuck to her ear. From the sounds of it she was berating some publisher on behalf of a client of hers. Castle was always grateful that she was on his side because he would hate to be on the receiving end of one of Paula's tirades.
On seeing Castle enter the office the expression on Paula's face lightened and quickly rang off by telling whoever was on the other end of the line that she would them back. She slammed the phone back in its cradle and then leaned back in her chair, watching Castle carefully as he made his way to a chair and sat himself down and set the brief case down beside the chair.
"So, how are you with leaping tall buildings in a single bound, Superman?" Paula questioned in her sharp nasally tone of voice. "Because you're faster than a speeding bullet leaves a lot to be desired."
"Good to see you too, Paula." Castle replied.
"Don't make me get up and hit you, Rick."
"That's not a nice thing to say to someone recovering from a broken rib."
Paula waved away his remark with a flick of her hand. She focused a steady gaze on the author.
"Should you even be here, Rick?"
Castle caught note of the concern in her voice. He had been with her for long enough to know that behind the bluster and bravado and sharp business mind there beat the heart of a caring person. She just did not let it show too often.
"I needed to get out of the loft for a little while, okay?" Castle said.
"Kate know you're here?"'
"No, and you're not going to tell her."
Paula's carefully plucked eyebrows arched upwards a little at his response.
"If she asks, I will tell her."
Castle conceded that with a nod of his head.
Paula held his gaze for a couple of moments before she started speaking.
"Well, you're quite the hero, Ricky boy." She remarked. "You wouldn't believe the number of requests for interviews I've been fielding these past couple of days. All the national breakfast shows, The View...Ellen, not to mention all the local stations." Paula waved her hand to a large stack of message slips sitting at the end of her desk.
"No, no interviews." Castle said.
"This will be great publicity for your new book. I got most of the national dailies, and don't get me started on all the magazines that have been ringing...I mean you couldn't buy this kind of publicity."
"No."
"Black Pawn tells me that the pre-order sales have shot through the roof over the past three days." Paula informed him.
"Paula, no."
"But you're a hero." Paula insisted.
Castle shook his head. There might have been a time way back when he would have revelled in the status of being a hero and would have loved nothing more than to soak up all the publicity and adulation he would have received. He would have eagerly done the rounds of press and TV shows. But that was then. He did not consider himself a hero now. He had been in the right place at the right time. He also knew what was going to happen at the cemetery and had moved immediately when he had seen the flash of the telescope in the distance.
"So what do I tell the Mayor's Office?" Paula asked.
"What?"
"They called me yesterday, Bob wants to give you a medal, so does the police commissioner."
"No." Castle said firmly.
Paula was ready to argue with him but seeing the look on Castle's face she realised she would get nowhere with him.
"Okay, we'll get back to that later." Paula sighed letting the matter drop for now.
"Paula, I need to borrow an office for a little while as well as a computer and a fast scanner." Castle announced.
"Can I ask why you need them?"
"You can ask."
Paula was ready to repeat her question but closed her mouth just as quickly when she saw the look on Castle's face. It was the look that told her that she was not going to get anything out of him in the way of an explanation.
"Okay, I can arrange that."
"Thank you, Paula, I appreciate it."
Paula rose from her desk and crossed the office to the door. She opened the door and stepped out to the reception desk to speak with Michelle.
"The office will be ready in a few minutes, Rick." Paula announced when she returned.
Castle smiled his thanks to his agent.
Castle watched as the last pages of the last file were fed through the scanner. He pressed the send button. His eyes moved to the computer screen and saw the scanned document appear on the computer. He took a USB from his pocket and inserted it into a slot on the computer. He downloaded the files and a letter he had typed up from the folder on the computer, then emailed the folder to one of his email addresses. He removed the USB and returned it to his jacket pocket and deleted the files from the computer. The scanned files were returned to his brief case.
With those tasks completed Castle picked up the telephone and quickly punched out a number.
"Hey, its Rick Castle." He announced when his call was answered. "I'm good...on the mend...Yeah, it was a close call, thank God for the vest, right?...Listen, I need a favour...I need you to find me the current location of a certain FBI agent for me."
Castle told the person on the other end of the line the name of the FBI agent.
"No, I've lost contact with them and I just want to catch up with them, that's all." Castle explained. "Thanks, call me as soon as you can."
Castle rang off and then dialled another number. The call was answered on the fourth ring.
"Hey Ghost Rider, it's Castle." Castle announced. "I'm calling in a favour, man. I'm sending you a USB. There's a cover letter with specific instructions. Yeah, it's important...I wouldn't be sending it to you if it wasn't. The letter will explain everything. Thanks man. I'll send it to your dead letter drop. Text me when everything is in place, okay? Right, thanks man."
Castle set the phone down. He was about to get up when his cell phone started ringing. He fished the phone out of his pocket and checked the caller ID.
"Hey, that was quick." Castle said when he answered the call. "So what's the location?"
Castle's eyes shot upwards.
"London? Really?...Oh, okay...thanks for that, I owe you man."
Castle rang off and return the phone to his pocket. He sat at the desk mulling over the information he had just received and what he could do.
Five minutes later Castle emerged from the office with his briefcase. He walked over to the reception desk. He pulled out the USB.
"Michelle, could you have this couriered straight away for me?" Castle asked.
"Certainly, Mr Castle." Michelle replied as she took the USB from Castle. "Where is it going?"
Castle scribbled the address on a scrap piece of paper and passed it to Michelle. Michelle looked at the address.
"Consider it done, Mr Castle."
"Thank you, Michelle."
Castle returned to Paula's office. The agent looked up from her work.
"You finished, Ricky?" she asked.
"Just one more thing, Paula." Castle replied.
"Okay." Paula said carefully.
"I need you to book me a same day round trip to London for tomorrow night." Castle informed her.
"What the..?"
XXX
Jim Beckett unlocked the front door of the apartment. On entering he picked up the sounds of classic rock wafting through the apartment. He commenced to frown but then his face morphed into a thin smile when he recognised the song and where it was coming from. He set his briefcase beside the hallway table and then closed the front door. He then turned and made his way towards the office where the music was coming from.
Jim pushed open the half closed door to find his wife sitting at the desk. Johanna was marking papers from one of her classes. He was surprised to find her home at this hour of the afternoon. He thought she would still have been at the loft looking after Castle.
As he gazed at his wife the smile on Jim's face deepened a little more. Johanna was humming along to the song coming out of the radio too engrossed in her work to notice him standing in the doorway.
"You're back early." Jim remarked.
Johanna jumped in her chair, startled by the sound of his voice.
"Jim." Johanna muttered as she leaned behind her to switch off the radio. "I didn't see you there. I was busy marking these papers." Johanna waved her hand over the papers in front of her.
"I noticed." Jim grinned. "You're really enjoying teaching, huh?"
"Yeah, I am." Johanna nodded.
"Why aren't you babysitting, Rick?" Jim asked. "He didn't send you away by any chance?"
"Nooo." Johanna said, dragging out the word. "He didn't send me away."
Johanna had not been happy leaving Castle out the front of his agent's building. On the ride home she had silently chided herself for having let him go on his own when it was obvious to her that he was in no condition to be out and about on his own. Yet she chose to trust him at his word that he would not be too long at his agent and she trusted Paula Haas to look after him. It was only when she got a text from Castle informing her that he had gotten home safely did she ease her concerns.
"So why are you home and not at the loft?" Jim pressed.
"I was no longer needed." Johanna shrugged.
Jim accepted the explanation with a small nod of his head.
"Anyway, what are you doing home so early, Jim?"
"Have you forgotten I promised to make dinner tonight?"
The look on Johanna's face told him that she had indeed forgotten that he was making dinner tonight.
"I came home early to make a start." Jim added. He could have needled her about having forgotten about dinner but he had a good day at work and he was feeling a little generous.
"You haven't told me what you're making." Johanna said.
"You'll find out at dinner time."
"Okay, be like that, see if I care." Johanna retorted with a feigned pout.
"How is Rick, anyway?" Jim asked.
"On the mend."
"That's good to hear." Jim nodded.
Try as he might Jim could not forget that scene at the cemetery. He remembered seeing Castle making a dive for Kate and wondering what the hell he was doing. The answer came a split second later when pandemonium broke out. And later when he had learned what his son-in-law had done. Even now he still could not believe what Castle had done, throwing himself in front of a bullet.
"I might go over and pay him a visit tomorrow." Jim said quietly.
Johanna smiled at her husband. "I'm sure he'd like that." Johanna agreed.
Jim heard the front door open. He turned and saw Kate walk through the door.
"Katie's here." Jim informed his wife. "Hey, Katie."
Kate offered her father a small wan smile as she approached him.
"Hi, Dad."
"What's the matter?" Jim asked, a little concerned. Kate shook her head.
"I just need to speak to Mom." Kate replied. "Alone."
Jim knew when not to push his daughter, especially when she had a serious expression on her face.
"I'm making dinner tonight, you're welcome to stay." He suggested.
"Thanks Dad but I can't stay." Kate said. "I have to get home soon. I've got a big baby waiting for me."
Jim smiled and nodded his head in understanding. He stepped aside to allow Kate to enter the office.
"I'll leave you to it, ladies." Jim said as he departed.
Kate closed the door of the office and crossed the room and sat down with a sigh. She looked across the desk to her mother.
"You look exhausted, Katie." Johanna observed.
Kate nodded her head. She combed back the hair from her face.
"It's been one of those kind of days." Kate informed her mother. ""We got a new captain at the precinct."
"Oh..."
Kate held up her hand as if to warn her mother not to ask questions about the new captain.
"So how was Castle, did he behave himself?" Kate asked, changing the subject.
"He was the perfect gentleman." Johanna replied with a grin.
"He must have been on his best behaviour."
"He was if he knew what was good for him."
Kate smiled at that. She knew that her mother was more than capable of keeping her man-child in line if the need arose.
"So what brings you here, Katie?"
Kate did not respond immediately. The smile faded from her face as she unslung her purse from her shoulder, placing it in her lap. She reached into it and pulled out a copy of the CSU file that Ryan had shown her. She passed the file over to her mother.
"What's this?" Johanna asked as she took the file.
"Open it and see."
Johanna opened the file and saw the sketch of the scene at the grave site. She saw two marked lines on the sketch. One line intersected the podium where Kate had been standing, and the second line intersected where Johanna had been sitting. Her eyes widened with alarm as she studied the sketch. She looked up from the file.
"It appears that I wasn't the only target of the snipers." Kate stated. "The second sniper had you in his sights."
Johanna glanced down at the file again.
Kate studied her mother carefully noting her reaction just like she would with a suspect in the interrogation room at the 12th Precinct. She hated the thought of treating her mother like a suspect but she was determined to get to the bottom of this. She was determined to get the man her mother was protecting.
"The deal you made with that murderer seems to have been cancelled." Kate said drily.
Johanna looked up sharply and met her daughter's steady gaze.
"I need his name, Mom."
Johanna shook her head.
"Mom, I didn't come here to have a fight with you. My back hurts and my feet hurt and all I want to do is go home to my husband. I've had a crappy day at work, okay? I've got a new captain, and we've gotten nowhere with the second sniper. We've ended up charging him with some pissant firearms charges that will see him out on the streets in next to no time. The very same sniper who had you in his sights, I might add."
"I can't..."
"Do I have to remind you that my husband was shot trying to protect me from a sniper that was sent by the same man you made a deal with. A deal he has decided to renege."
Once more Johanna shook her head.
"I want his name." Kate pressed.
"I can't give you the name." Johanna said quietly.
"I want his name." Kate said, her anger rising.
"No."
Tired though she was Kate rose to her feet and moved up to the desk and looked down at her mother.
"Was he a client of yours?" Kate asked.
"No."
"Then attorney client privilege doesn't come into it, if that's what you're hiding behind." Kate pointed out.
Johanna slowly set the file down on her desk. She looked up and saw the determined expression on her face. She refused to be intimidated by her daughter. She took a breath giving herself a moment before she spoke.
"I know you, Kate. I give you his name, you'll go straight after him." Johanna said.
Kate shook her head. "I wont."
"I know you will."
"I wont because I'm no longer in charge of the case." Kate announced, the anger ebbing from her.
"What?"
"You heard."
"But why?"
"Long story." Kate said dismissively. "Give me his name."
"Kate..."
"Mom, give me his name and I'll pass it on to the lead detective."
Johanna was surprised to hear that Kate had been taken off the case. She could see that Kate was definitely not happy about that. Kate placed her hands on the desk and leaned a little closer to her mother.
"The longer you withhold his name, the greater the danger is for both you and me, mom." Kate said in a low voice. "They will come at us again we both know that. What if it's our family who are hurt, or worse? What if it's Dad, or Martha, or Alexis or Castle? Is that what you really want, Mom?"
Johanna closed her eyes momentarily and slowly shook her head. No, that is definitely not what she wanted. She had seen what her silence had brought about. She had seen with her own eyes the evidence that the man had reneged on the deal they had struck all those years ago. Deep in her heart Johanna also knew that the man would send others to come after her. That was the reason she had given Castle the man's name, well, she had confirmed the name he had given. Now she was debating with herself about whether she should give Kate the man's name.
Kate studied her mother and saw that her words were having an affect. She pressed the advantage.
"Give me his name, Mom, please." Kate said gently.
"You have to promise me, Kate, that you will not go after him yourself. You will give it to the lead detective."
"I promise."
Johanna shook her head.
"That's not good enough."
"Mom?"
Johanna lifted her right hand with the little finger extended.
"Pinky promise." Johanna stated.
Kate rolled her eyes.
"I'm not five years old, Mom." Kate scoffed.
"No, you're not." Johanna agreed. "But that's the deal."
Kate rolled her eyes again and shook her head. Only her mother would come up with this. The sacred pinky promise. Kate could not remember the last time they had done a pinky shake but what she did remember was that it was a sacred and solemn pact between them, and neither of them had ever broken that promise after they shook pinkies.
Not quite believing she was doing it, Kate extended her little finger towards her mother. With their little fingers entwined, they shook hands.
"Happy now?" Kate asked, trying not to pout.
Johanna nodded her head slowly, unable to hide the little grin on her face.
"What's his name?" Kate demanded.
The little grin vanished from Johanna's face as she let out a long sigh. She straightened up in her chair and looked up at her daughter.
"His name is Bracken, William H Bracken."
The name rang a bell for Kate. She frowned a little as she tried to remember where she had heard that name before.
"The Senator?" Kate asked suddenly.
Johanna nodded her head.
"Shit!"
"Yeah." Johanna agreed.
XXXX
Castle was standing by the kitchen counter watching his mother and daughter preparing dinner. He had offered to help but they had banished him from the kitchen thus he was forced to watch them from the other side of the counter. He was still dressed in the clothes he had been wearing when he had gone to see his agent.
Martha had been the first to arrive home and had found him asleep on the couch where he had crashed on his return to the loft. His mother had questioned him as to why he was dressed and he had come up with a hurried explanation, telling her that he had felt like getting dressed up a little being tired of sitting around in pyjamas and a t-shirt. That explanation received a sceptically raised eyebrow but Martha chose to not to press the matter. Nor did she question when he told her that Johanna had to leave early.
"Are you sure I can't help you with anything?" Castle asked. "I could make the salad?"
"We've got it Dad." Alexis told him. "You should be resting."
"I could set out the dinning table." Castle offered, ignoring his daughter.
"I got it, Dad."
"Richard, why don't you go and lie down until dinner is ready?" Martha suggested. "Katherine should be home soon."
"I know what I can do." Castle replied. "I can get the wine."
The two red heads exchanged a wearied look but did not say anything. Suddenly everyone's attention was drawn to the ringing doorbell.
"There's something you can do, Richard. Answer the doorbell." Martha said.
"I got it." Castle said with a grin.
He slowly made his way to the front door. He opened the door and was startled at who was standing there.
"Mr Jones."
"Good evening Mr Castle." Mr Jones replied. "I see you are dressed, good."
"What are you doing here?" Castle demanded.
"Come, Mr Castle, we must away." Mr Jones replied. "Don't forget your briefcase." Mr Jones pointed to the briefcase sitting by the side table.
Castle watched as Mr Jones turned and headed down the hallway. He stepped back and reached for his briefcase.
"Mother, I'm just popping out for five minutes." Castle called out.
"Richard, where are you going?" Martha demanded.
"Ten minutes, tops." Castle waved to his astonished mother and daughter and set off after Mr Jones.
XXXXX
Your thoughts would be appreciated greatly, Dear Reader.
Con
