Emergence
Chapter 54
Brett looked up in surprise, from the table in an interview room at the offices of the U.S. Attorney's office. "Kitty, what are you doing here?"
"Sorry Brett, it's not Kitty, it's Kate, Kate Beckett. And I work here."
The table vibrated as Brett pounded it with his fist. "Damn! You played me! I knew you looked familiar. You're the bitch that hack writer based his books on. Bet you go to bed with him."
"He's not a hack; he's a best-selling author. And considering that he's my fiancé, if I do go to bed with him, it will be the highlight of my night. But unmasking scum like you comes in a pretty good second. I investigated you. That's my job. If you hadn't been trying to take advantage of unfortunate dupes who were just trying to keep their heads above water, I would have had nothing to investigate. But you weren't selling security, Brett. You were selling disaster. You've been ruining your victims for a long time. You deserve to be put away. Who knows? You may find your soulmate in prison in some buff guy who loves to lift weights and show off his tattoos."
Brett grimaced and crossed his arms across his chest. "No one is putting me behind bars. I want a lawyer."
"You're going to need one."
When Ruby Moorhead met Castle at the loft, he immediately recognized Farley's eyes shining from her face. He invited her to sit at the table, where she regarded the pictures of colorful forest glens, he'd laid out, along with his list of the other elements he deemed essential to fulfill Kate's vision for their dream wedding. "I usually do this with the bride, but you're very well-prepared Mr. Castle."
"Unfortunately, this is not my first rodeo, Ms, Moorhead," Castle admitted. "And Kate, my fiancée, is heroically employed saving vulnerable citizens from ruin, but she's told me what she needs to make her perfect day. So, you and I will be making that miraculous event occur. And you can call me Rick."
"And call me Ruby." She surveyed the colorful images. "Looks like Kate wants an Autumn wedding. Are we talking next Fall, Rick?"
Castle nodded. "Next September or October, whenever we can snag a spot where the color is in its full glory."
Ruby nodded. "Mm. We're probably talking Upstate, or maybe even New England. If you want it outside, it could be cold. You never can tell with the weather these days. You'll need a rain contingency, too. But we can take care of that with portable heaters and a tent, or an inflatable building."
"Definitely a tent," Castle decided. "Kate wants magical, and somehow I don't think the sound of a blower motor would suit her imaginings."
"The crystal in Ruby's eyes twinkled. No, I don't suppose it would. So, magical, dreamlike. The music would have to fit in with that theme. So, would the clothes for the wedding party. How about the reception?"
Castle stroked his chin. "Kate never mentioned that part. We just talked about the wedding. But I don't think she'd want to break the mood."
"You should check with her about it as soon as you can," Ruby advised. "But for now, we'll say a continuation of fall colors for table linens and decorations. Unless we stage it in the tent, you'd want a rustic locale, maybe a lodge constructed of native timber."
"But no animal heads up on the walls," Castle cautioned. "Kate hates those." He glanced over at the cold fireplace he'd planned to light later. "But an old-fashioned stone hearth would be in the spirit of things. And candles. Kate loves candles. Or maybe a path lit by those candles in paper bags. What do you call those?"
"Luminaries. I'd have to check on fire conditions and regulations for something like that, but if luminaries are on the prohibited list, some lovely lanterns can create a similar effect. Or we could string fairy lights. There are solar and battery powered ones that come in harvest colors."
"Fairy lights," Castle repeated. "Ruby, I like how you think!"
Ruby cleared her throat. "Rick while we're brainstorming here, I need to have some idea of your budget. What you've been describing won't come cheap."
"Not a problem. Whatever it takes to make Kate happy."
"Rick, you just made my job, a lot easier."
Bart McDonald, attorney at law, faced a sullen Brett Paulsey. He'd double checked that any microphones had been turned off, and there were no cameras, but in the end, it wouldn't matter if he and his client were overheard. The U.S. Attorney had her case. There was nothing Paulsey could say that would make that any worse. But Elizabeth Weston's assistant had made it very clear that there was something Paulsey could do to make his future more bearable. That would be to flip on whoever was in on the scam with him. There was no way Brett would be let off the hook entirely. There were too many counts against him, and Weston's people were finding more with every hour that passed. The best deal Bart could hope to make, would be for a recommendation for a reduced sentence in a lower security facility. But at least that was something. He'd be covering Paulsey's ass in more ways than one. He squared his subtly padded shoulders. "Mr. Paulsey, this is your situation."
To prepare for her testimony, Kate was documenting every detail of her time at Reach Out Enterprises. She heard the sound of footsteps and looked up to see Elizabeth Weston. "You did it, Kate. Not only is Brett Paulsey out of business, but he also gave us his partners and all their operations. Some of the records we've seized cover their illegal enterprises outside of New York. You did a great job! I guess Kitty Houghton can retire now."
Kate pushed her hair behind her ear. "I think I'll keep her on the reserve list. I might need her again sometime. But right now she's got an aunt that needs some attention."
Weston's eyebrows rose.
"Never mind," Kate said. "Just some silly stuff between Castle and me."
"Tell Mr. Castle we're grateful for his help. You put in a lot of hours on this case. You've earned at least a couple of days of comp time if you want them."
"I do have some personal business I'd like to get into."
Kate paged through the Beckett-Castle wedding binder Ruby Moorhead had put together. Everything was there; potential venues, color schemes, musical choices, and sample invitations. There was also a checklist for her to pick her favorite options in every category. "This is amazing, Babe."
"Much as I'd love to take the credit, I cannot. The glory all belongs to wedding planner extraordinaire, Ruby Moorhead. It was inevitable that the granddaughter of the only person who regularly defeats me at chess would be a master or should I say, mistress, at laying out a nuptial battle plan. And I thought as long as you're taking a short pause in your own war - on crime - we could take a little tour of Ruby's top picks for woodland wonders. Alexis is going to be out of town at a math competition, so the timing would be perfect. What would you say to imagining yourself as a wood nymph?'
"If I'm going to be a wood nymph, what would you be?"
Castle blew a riff on an invisible pipe. "Why a faun of course – but without the Nijinsky leaps or the goat smell. We can gambol through the leafy glades together, seeking the perfect setting for our eternal joining."
Kate leaned in for a kiss. "Castle, you're on."
