Chapter Fifty Five
Putting on her darkest sunglasses, Alexis smoothed her black dress, straightened her shoulders and walked outside. The FBI agents surrounding her barely managed to keep the overeager press and camera crews, who ran from where they were camped out just over the beach house property line, from knocking her down or trampling her. Mike watched from the doorway and had to physically restrain Keith from going outside and pushing his way to her side. Shaking his head he pointed to closed circuit TV feed. "Relax, it's all part of the show, let Alexis play her part."
When the barrage of questions shouted at her slowed down she began to speak. "I am asking for your help to reach out to the men that took my father. We have received no ransom demands. So on behalf of my grandmother and myself, I am prepared to pay $3 million dollars for the safe return of my father, Richard Castle. We are willing to negotiate for a higher ransom but we need proof that he is aliv…OK."
Before she could continue a reporter from the NY Herald pushed forward. "The FBI said Rick Castle may have been killed in the boat explosion. What aren't you telling us? What was on the boat that caused it to explode? Maybe this was just a drug deal gone bad? Did you come up with this kidnap story to save your father's less than squeaky clean reputation? Is that why you are offering such a huge ransom, knowing you'll never have to pay a cent of it for a dead man?"
"MY FATHER IS NOT DEAD! I don't care what the police or the FBI have said. I never asked them to come here and just take over everything. I don't want them here or need their help...AND THERE WERE NO DRUGS! I don't want you here either but no matter how many times we ask, you won't go away! I only want my father back; I don't care how much we have to pay…"
The FBI agents hustled Alexis back into the house, the press with microphones and the camera crews only a step or two behind. Alexis ran into Keith's arms as the agents slammed the front door in the reporters' faces. Agent Shaw motioned for another crew of agents to clear off the lawn of the press who continued to shout questions and knock on the door.
"Wonderful performance, Kiddo, Brava!" Martha stood in front of the TV monitor applauding.
Keith was confused when Alexis took off her sunglasses but she was not in tears as he thought. She turned to her grandmother and took a bow, smiling. "Thank you, coach."
"Should we have the FBI release their findings later today?" Mike asked as he turned to look at Agent Shaw.
"No, too soon, let them chew on that sound bite for a while. Keith, tonight pick one reporter and leak them our tape."
"Anyone but that asshole from the Herald!"
"ALEXIS!" If Martha was stunned and speechless at her crude language, Mike, Keith and the other FBI agents were flabbergasted. Only Jordan Shaw turned away, smiled and nodded at her strength and smarts. "...but why not him?"
"He implied Dad was dealing drugs. He is no angel, his police record proves that but since he met Kate..." She turned to look at Keith, "Use him and he will assume the tape is part of some conspiracy to hide the truth about last night. He will have someone go over it until he finds something. If they learn the tape is a hoax, then all this will be for nothing. Pick someone else, I mean it Keith, anyone BUT HIM." She punctuated the words by jabbing her index finger into his chest.
"I agree with you and thank you for your help, Alexis. By tomorrow afternoon you should be rid of most of the FBI and probably the majority of the press. You will have your beach, pool and privacy back for the rest of the summer. Mike is leaving a few men here for your protection." She turned to Martha. "I do need to ask you to stay here on the property at least for the time being and limit guests." The unspoken message of distrust for Martin came through loud and clear.
"I asked Mr. Beckett to come here...but he knows everything. He wouldn't do anything that might get Kate hurt."
Jordan was not pleased, every new person who knew anything about "the plan" represented a risk of saying the wrong thing to the wrong person or a part of the plan being overheard by the media...or that someone might decide to sell out Rick and Kate for a large payday. Since there was nothing she could do about Mr. Beckett now, she just nodded. "On a happier note, we have found some new leads and perhaps a way to find the man behind all of this...and since this is the last time we will have impose on your family and it's still so hot, I'm sending an agent to get sandwiches and salads."
"I just need to go upstairs to change." Keith watched Alexis all but run up the stairs. Martha, Agent Shaw and Mike were talking, so Keith walked casually to the kitchen and used the spiral stairs to the second floor. He walked to her door and listened for just a second. Hearing the soft sounds of crying, he opened the door to find her crumpled on the floor by the bed holding a mangled stuffed monkey. Seeing him, Alexis sat up and wiped away her tears. "I know my dad is OK but I miss him so much, if I could just talk to him by phone for a minute..."
Sitting beside her on the floor, he put his arm around her shoulders. "Your secret is safe with me." She looked up at him puzzled. "That you barely made it through your great performance down there just now. I was worried about you, so I really hope your Dad doesn't see your speech or any of the press coverage because he will try to contact you somehow. I know he would be very careful and he is very smart but so is the man that's after him and Kate."
"No, they are safe, far out to sea on his boat which has no TV and no phone but you are right; I hope he never sees any of these awful press stories." Thinking about all the hateful things that reporter said to her. "I am really glad this is almost over. Tomorrow the FBI will confirm "Rick Castle" died in a boat explosion and then the FBI and police will go away and find the man behind it. Once they have him in custody then he can come back home to me...when we spoke my Dad said he likes and trusts you. I'm really glad to have someone who I can talk to about all this, Thanks Keith."
He just held her closer and nodded. Keith knew tomorrow was really just the beginning of the charade with the end nowhere in sight. He held her until she stopped clutching at him, looking down he smiled seeing Alexis had gone to sleep. Lifting her onto the bed, he leaned down to kiss her forehead as she hugged the ugly stuffed monkey instead. He desperately wanted to hold her but she looked young, very young, and so innocent. Turning away, he quickly walked to the door and quietly closed it behind him.
He was startled to find Mike waiting just outside in the hallway. "Another few minutes and I was going to knock."
"She's done, right? No more parts to play. I don't think she can handle anything like that again, Mike."
"I'm more concerned about you right now. Is your head in the game? You have to make the reporters believe you stole the tape, stole evidence from the FBI so she won't keep hoping her father is still alive. If you can't do it, tell me now."
"I'll do it. Which reporter? I think a woman would buy my story better than a man."
Mike nodded and looked closely at Keith. "You doing this because you care for her or because it is part of your job?"
Keith walked away not answering. Mike opened the door to double check on Alexis and shook his head. "Thought so!"
He followed Keith downstairs; they reviewed each reporter's analysis of the ransom offer. Just as she said he would, the Herald reporter was spouting wild stories of drug deals gone bad and conspiracy theories. Agent Shaw and Mike agreed they should choose a woman reporter. Keith's gut told him to go with the new young reporter from TMZ. Before he did anything else he needed a shower and some clean clothes. He wanted to walk back to the Marshall's house but opening the door to the patio, the afternoon heat hit him like a blast furnace. "One of my agents will drive you. I want you to pack up all your things, Keith. You will be staying here with the family in this house until this is all over...Is there a problem with that?" Shaking his head, he closed the patio door. "Agent Drew can drop you off on the way to get food."
Keith waved his thanks at the agent who dropped him almost at the back door of the Marshall's place. Calling out to Ron as he entered, he wasn't surprised there was no answer. Knowing Ron, he was on the beach, at a barbeque or at some pool party already on the prowl for another rich man's daughter. He would need a new meal ticket since things hadn't worked out with Paige. That thought stopped him as he stripped for a shower, he was condemning Ron for something he had done in the past. Stepping into the shower, it felt good to wash away the sweat and grime from the last two days but the hypocrisy of his situation didn't rinse off quite so easily. Closing his eyes, he remembered the feeling of her in his arms earlier. Alexis said she trusted him, that her father also trusted him. Keith shut off the water and wrapped the towel around his waist. This time the job wasn't about money, two lives were at stake and Alexis needed his help. Most of his clothes were dirty, so he stuffed everything but his last clean outfit into a large backpack. Walking to the kitchen, he made a sandwich and left Ron a note that he was leaving and would see him back in New York in a few weeks. Just as the sun was setting he started to walk down the beach deciding on the best way to talk to the TMZ reporter alone.
A/N Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter done. I live in Boston and with so much tragedy happening all around me, its hard to concentrate to write fiction.
