Chapter 55
Castle glanced at the floor indicator above the elevator doors and then turned his head to look at Mr Jones. The other man turned his head.
"What exactly are you doing here?" Castle asked.
"I'm here to take you to where you want to go." Mr Jones explained with a smile.
Castle frowned at Mr Jones' response.
"Did you really think I would allow you to travel on your own, especially in your current condition?" Mr Jones added, and motioned to Castle's ribs.
"I think I've managed so far."
"Indeed you have, Mr Castle, quite admirably." Mr Jones agreed. "Still I'm sure it would not hurt having a little assistance."
Castle thought about the offer and he knew immediately that Mr Jones was right.
"I guess you're right." Castle replied.
"Besides, if something did happen to you Mrs Castle would not be best pleased. And I'd rather not be blamed." Mr Jones added.
Castle regarded the other man with a puzzled look on his face.
"Kate doesn't know about you, Mr Jones."
"Mr Castle, your wife is a most remarkable and talented detective, I'd rather not run the risk. Nor face her wrath."
Castle was amused by Mr Jones attitude but did not press the matter. He was well aware how scary his wife could get when she put her mind to it. He had lost count the number of times he had seen tough, hardened criminals quake in their boots when they faced the wrath of Detective Kate Beckett. He too had been on the receiving end of her anger a few times. It was not something he wanted to face again if he could help it.
The elevator reached the ground floor. Once the doors slid open, Mr Jones motioned for Castle to go first. Mr Jones fell into step beside Castle as they made their way to the front entrance. Castle glanced in the direction of the reception desk and found there was no one manning it. Though finding it a little odd he did not give it much thought.
"I have the flight already booked, Mr Jones."
"Ah, yes." Mr Jones drawled.
Castle cast a quizzical look in the other man's direction.
"I took the liberty of speaking to your agent and cancelling your flight to London, Mr Castle." Mr Jones explained.
"You spoke to Paula?"
"Indeed, a most charming lady." Mr Jones nodded.
Castle's eyebrows shot up in surprise.
"Paula?"
"Yes, she was most understanding considering your condition."
"What did you tell her?" Castle narrowed his eyes at the other man.
"That you should not be flying in your current condition, and you were not fully aware of what you were asking of her."
"I see."
"I may have mentioned you might have over medicated on your pain pills, Mr Castle." Mr Jones added.
"Thanks a lot." Castle said sourly.
On reaching the front entrance Mr Jones reached over and took the briefcase from Castle's and motioned the author go first. Stepping out onto the sidewalk Castle spotted the car sitting at the curb right in front of the building. He slowly turned to look at Mr Jones.
"A two door Bentley Continental, huh?" he said.
Mr Jones smiled appreciatively as he gazed at the black coloured Bentley in front of him.
"Indeed, Mr Castle. It's got a V8 turbo charged fuel injected engine."
"I'm seriously beginning to think you're a speed demon, Mr Jones."
Mr Jones smiled even more as he turned to look at Castle. "A man has to have a hobby, Mr Castle."
Mr Jones stepped up to the car and opened up the passenger door. Castle got into the seat and took back the brief case from the other man.
"Now let us see what this baby can do, shall we?" Mr Jones said before he closed the door and quickly walked around the car and got in behind the wheel.
The car had barely travelled fifty yards down the street before Castle fell asleep.
XXX
The black coloured Bentley Continental pulled up out the front of the rectangular neoclassical building with the Doric columned portico and the statue of the Greek Goddess of wisdom above it. The car itself did not seem out of place amongst the upmarket sports cars and saloons that were parked close by.
Castle stiffled a yawn as he opened his eyes.
"Here we are, Mr Castle. The Athenaeum Club." Mr Jones announced.
Castle looked out the window and studied the famed London private gentlemens club for some moment. He turned suddenly to look at Mr Jones.
"How did you know I was coming here?" He demanded.
"I know." Mr Jones replied with a cryptic smile.
Castle knew better than to try and get any more information from the other man.
"Would you mind waiting?" Castle asked. "I wont be too long."
"I shall be here, Mr Castle, I have nowhere else to be." Mr Jones said.
"Thanks."
Castle grabbed his brief case that had been sitting in his lap and slowly and carefully stepped out of the car. He winced at the lancing pain in his ribs, a sharp reminder that he should have been back in New York at home in the loft recuperating.
He once more regarded the exterior of the building from the gold coloured statue of Athena to the bas relief frieze that was an exact copy of that which encircled the Parthenon in Athens. He lowered his gaze and then crossed the footpath. He climbed the steps slowly and then under the portico. He tried hard not to grimace. His ribs were hurting from the exertion and as much as he wanted to take a deep breath in an effort to control the pain he was forced to take short rapid breaths because it hurt less.
As he shuffled towards the front entrance the suit-coated doorman bowed his head slightly in greeting and opened the door for Castle.
"Good morning, sir."
"Good morning." Castle replied, smiling at the doorman as he passed by.
Castle found himself standing in the large lobby with the ornate staircase directly in front of him. Doric columns lined either side of the staircase. The landing halfway up the staircase had a pedestal on which stood another statue of the goddess Athena. Large oil portraits of past presidents of this venerable old club hung on the walls.
It had been some years since Castle had last been here but to his eyes as he slowly took in his surrounds nothing had changed. He was standing in the lobby where giants of science like Charles Darwin, of literature like Dickens, Kipling and Joseph Conrad, and politics like Disraeli and Winston Churchill had once strode.
The last time he had been here was some years ago doing some research in the Athenaeum's extensive library for one of his Derrick Storm novels. The place exuded history. It hung heavily in the air. It was one of the reasons he loved the place.
"Mr Castle?"
Castle slowly turned around and immediately smiled on seeing the grey haired old man approaching him.
"Cyril, Cyril Grimshaw." Castle said. "Just the man I was hoping to see."
Cyril Grimshaw was the head porter of the Athenaeum Club. A former paratrooper and decorated veteran of the Falklands War. He had survived the fighting on those islands in the South Atlantic only to suffer a training accident a year later that forced him out of the army. Cyril had been a porter at the club since he had left the army, having gotten the job through offices of his commanding officer who was a member of the club. Though he walked with a slight limp, Cyril carried himself like he was still a non commissioned officer, his back ramrod straight, his uniform spotless and neat, and his black shoes spit polished.
Castle had learned of Cyril's story by the second day of his research visit to the club.
Castle extended his hand and shook Cyril's offered hand. The man had a firm handshake.
"What a most unexpected and pleasant surprise, Mr Castle." Cyril replied. "Are you here to do more research? I wasn't told..."
"No, I'm here to see you, Cyril."
"Me?" The smile on the older man's slipped as he was unable to hide his surprise.
"Yes, is there somewhere private we can go?"
"Certainly, Mr Castle. My office will do."
Cyril turned and crossed the lobby. Castle followed the man.
"I must must tell you, Mr Castle I for one am very happy to see you up and about." Cyril said, casting a glance in Castle's direction.
"No more than me, Cyril, believe me." Castle said in a low voice.
"Nasty business that, a shooting at a funeral." Cyril shook his head.
"Yeah." Castle said grimly.
"Good job you did too, if I may say, Mr Castle." Cyril said. "Don't know too many men who'd do what you did, sir."
Castle turned his head to look at the other man and found him wearing a smile on his face. It was the look in Cyril's eyes that caught Castle's attention. It took him a moment to comprehend the look. It was respect. Castle nodded his acknowledgment.
The office was small but cosy and just the way Castle remembered it. There was a bookcse along one wall filled with leather bound volumes most of them old first editions. He knew that Cyril had read all of the books because the older man was a voracious reader. The other walls were covered in portrait paintings of past members of Athenaeum. One wall was reserved for photos of Cyril in his army days as well as a couple of citations. There was a four draw wooden filing cabinet sitting in the corner of the office. One thing Castle did notice that was new, Cyril had bowed to the march of modernity and had a laptop sitting on his desk.
"So, what can I do for you, Mr Castle?" Cyril asked once the two were seated. Castle in the guest chair and Cyril behind his desk.
"I want you to look after this brief case for me." Castle said, indicating the brief case he had set beside his chair. He reached down and picked the case and placed it on the desk.
"Nothing illegal, I hope?" Cyril chuckled.
"Have no fear, Cyril." Castle assured the man.
"Very well, it will be my pleasure, Mr Castle."
Castle reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a note book and pen. He opened the notebook to a clean page and quickly wrote something down. When he was finished he tore out the page, folded the sheet of paper and then placed it on top of the briefcase.
"Tomorrow morning, I want you to call that man whose name is on that paper and tell him that I left the brief case for him, he is to come and pick it up immediately. When he arrives to pick up the case I want you check his credentials and then for further confirmation have him answer the question I've written down. Can you do that for me, Cyril?"
Cyril picked up the sheet of paper and unfolded it. He looked at what was written. His bushy eyebrows knitted together. He quickly folded the paper and looked across to Castle and nodded his head.
"I can do that for you, Mr Castle, rest assured."
"Thank you, I appreciate it, Cyril."
Castle slowly rose from the chair. He winced as he felt another jab of pain from his ribs.
"Are you sure you are alright, Mr Castle?" Cyril inquired with some concern.
"I'm getting there." Castle replied. "I just require a lot of rest."
Cyril nodded his head in understanding. He rose to his feet and escorted Castle to the door.
"I must thank you for the books you have sent the missus." Cyril said with a smile. "She loves them, let me tell you. In fact she says that your Nikki Heat is your best work ever, really loves it."
"I am pleased to hear that, thank you." Castle said. "Please pass on my best wishes to your wife."
"I will, Mr Castle, I will."
"Oh, and Cyril..."
"Yes, Mr Castle?"
"I was never here."
"I understand, Mr Castle." Cyril replied and touched his nose.
XXX
Special Agent Will Sorenson read over the report he had just finished typing. He had been typing up the report since the moment he had walked into the office at 7.30am. It was a report on the meeting he had with his conterparts at Scotland Yard from the day before. The meeting was about the rise of Romanian criminal gang activity and their involvement in credit card skimming.
Sorenson paused in his reading and cast a glance in the direction of the window. The sky had become overcast with the promise of rain hanging in the air. The weather forecasters had been promising a summer of sun and heat but so far the promises had proven to be empty. Sorenson had never experienced such a rainy summer. And where was the heat that everyone talked about?
After a few minutes of staring out the window Sorenson turned his attention back to his computer screen and to the report he was reading over. He needed to finish it quickly and send it on its way to his superiors at FBI Head Quarters in Washington DC. Whether it got read or not he did not know and really did not care too much. He still had other reports to write and on top of that he had a few liaison meetings with the Metropolitan Police and other police services around the country. There was even a gathering at Interpol Head Quarters in Pairs at the end of the week that he had been volunteered to attend by the Legal Attache.
For Sorenson that had been his life for some months now. He held the position of Deputy Legal Attache at the US Embassy in London, a post he had been in for the past seven months. Originally he had had been sent to the embassy in Copenhagen but had been there only a couple of months when he was suddenly transferred to London to fill the deputy's job when the incumbent had fallen ill and had to return to the States.
When he had joined the FBI Sorenson had never envisaged himself being a Legal Attache. It was a job that people who had the ambition to reach the highest ranks within The Bureau would do so they could add it to their resume as they climbed up the ladder of promotion.
However his attitude had changed when he had been transferred to DC after his stint in New York. He had been hoping for a posting at some field office out on the West Coast. He saw the job advertisement for Legal Attache in an internal newsletter and applied. He figured a stint as a legal attache was probably the fastest way to getting a Special Agent in Charge posting in one of the medium sized field offices in the mid west.
Prior to coming to Europe Sorenson had been briefed that counter terrorism work would take up a fair bit of his time and it did but there was also a lot of time spent on the regular crime work. What his briefers neglected to tell him about were the countless meetings he would have to attend.
As much as he found it tedious typing up a report about Romanian crime gang activities there were times where longed for days when he was just an ordinary Special Agent chasing down run of the mill crooks who had no political or religious agendas just monetary self aggrandisement. He also missed the child kidnapping cases that he used to work on.
"Excuse me, Agent Sorenson?"
Will Sorenson shook off his thoughts and looked up from the computer to find one of the Personal Assistants standing in the doorway.
"Yes, Mary?"
"There is a Richard Castle here wishing to see you." Mary said hesitantly.
"Castle?"
Will's face creased into a frown at the name. Surely it could not be the same Richard Castle he had met several years ago, he thought to himself.
"The writer." Mary prompted, seeing the look on Sorenson's face.
"Yes, I know who he is."
"He's at reception right now. He didn't have an appointment, but he insisted on seeing you, I told him I would check with you." Mary added.
So, it was that Richard Castle, Sorenson mused to himself. Immediately he began to wonder what Castle was doing here in England and what did he want to see him about.
"Shall I tell him you're busy?" Mary suggested.
Sorenson glanced at his computer screen. He then looked at his watch and saw that it was nearly lunch time. He then looked to the computer screen again. He could do with a break from going over the report he had just finished that some pen pusher in Washington wanted yesterday. So Richard Castle was here to see him. Sorenson was suddenly very intrigued.
"Send him in, please Mary."
Mary nodded her head and disappeared. As he waited Sorenson quickly finished reading the report. Satisfied with it, he attached it to an email, addressed the email to to his superior back in Washington and then sent it off. After filing away his copy of the report Sorenson started to tap his fingers on the desk. What was Castle doing here, he wondered again.
"Agent Sorenson, Mr Richard Castle." Mary announced a few minutes later.
Sorenson looked to the door and there he was. Richard Castle. Sorenson rose to his feet and studied the other man. He looked like he had aged a little in the time he had last seen the man. The smile on the writer's face seemed genuine as he slowly approached.
Sorenson noticed that Castle looked a little pale and he was moving at the pace of a recovering invalid. Suddenly Sorenson remembered about the shooting at the cemetery during the funeral of Captain Montgomery about a week ago. He had seen the initial news report on the TV but did not think much of it, just another day in New York, he had figured until he heard the name of whose funeral it had been and who had been shot. That had caught his attention in an instant. The following day a BOLO alert sent out by Washington had landed on his desk. The description of the suspect was vague at best. All the same he had circulated it to local police forces here in Great Britain.
He had wanted to call Kate to find out if she was alright but because of one thing or another he had never gotten to it. He had to settle with reading some reports that Washington had sent out.
"It's the Writer Monkey." Sorenson declared with a smirk.
"Special Agent Sorenson." Castle replied, his smile deepening.
Sorenson came from around his desk and held out his hand. The two men shook hands before Sorenson waved Castle to a chair. Castle nodded his head in thanks and carefully sat down.
The FBI agent regarded the famous author for a moment still not quite believing that he had stepped in the way of a bullet.
"Can I get you anything, Mr Castle?" Mary asked solicitously.
Castle turned to look up at the personal assistant who had come to stand near his chair. He gave the woman a warm smile.
"I'm fine thank you, Mary."
Mary smiled and nodded her head. She also gave Sorenson a quick nod before she turned and left the office, closing the door on her way out.
"I heard about you taking a bullet." Sorenson said as he returned to his seat.
Castle nodded his head. "It's not as much fun as it is in the movies, let me tell you. All I can say is, thank God for bullet proof vests."
"Yeah."
Sorenson grinned and nodded his head in understanding. He had been fired at by suspects in the course of his job but he had not consciously put himself in the path of a bullet. Sometimes he had wondered if the occasion arose if he would be able to do it. He liked to think that he could and would but until it happened one just did not know.
"So how are you feeling?"
"Getting better." Castle informed him. "A broken rib definitely hurts like a bitch."
"I hear you." Sorenson agreed, nodding his head.
In his college days Sorenson had broken a rib in basketball training mishap.
"So, how's the case going?" Sorenson inquired.
"Still looking for the guy that shot me."
"What are the prospects?"
"With Kate on his trail he'd better stay under the rock he crawled under if knows what's good for him." Castle stated.
Sorenson laughed at Castle's remark. At the mention of Kate's name a wistful smile settled on Sorenson's face. He had been surprised to have received an invitation from Kate to her wedding. He doubted if he had been the one marrying her he would not have been too happy at her inviting an ex-boyfriend. Thankfully for him the question of whether to attend the wedding or not had been made for him when he had been posted to Los Angeles on an anti terrorist case.
"So you got the girl, eh?" Sorenson grinned.
"Yeah, yeah I did." Castle nodded his head, smiling happily.
"Congratulations."
Castle nodded his head again.
"I really mean it."
"Thank you."
Sorenson leaned back in his chair and studied the author for a moment.
"So what brings you here, Castle?" Sorenson suddenly asked. "I don't think it was merely a courtesy call."
"It's not." Castle replied. The smile faded from his face as he looked over to the FBI agent.
Sorenson nodded his head in understanding. He leaned forward in his chair, folded his hands on his desk and waited for the author to speak.
"Tomorrow morning you will receive a call from the head porter at The Atheneum, a Mr Cyril Grimshaw." Castle said slowly. "He will be calling to let you know that there is a brief case waiting for you to come and pick up."
Sorenson raised a surprised eyebrow at the other man.
"The brief case contains files." Castle explained. "Important files. Files that can bring down a criminal."
"Why haven't you passed it the authorities Stateside?" Sorenson asked.
"Because this criminal is a very powerful politician. A senator no less, with presidential ambitions."
Sorenson's eyebrows rose in surprise at what Castle had just told him. He looked at the author trying to gauge if Castle was pulling his leg or not. He could not tell one way or the other.
"I can see you're a little skeptical, Sorenson." Castle observed. "I don't blame you but I assure you this is not a joke. I wouldn't have come all the way over here in my condition just to play a joke on one of Kate's old boyfriends."
Sorenson nodded his head.
"Then why didn't you just bring it with you today, Castle?" Sorenson asked.
"I didn't want to take the risk, I have to assume that I am being watched. So I wanted my visit to look like a friendly courtesy call." Castle explained.
"This is beginning to sound like something out of one of your books, Castle."
"I know, and I'm sorry about that but I have to take precautions." Castle said. "I got shot after all."
Sorenson regarded Castle for a moment and then allowed a small humourless smile to reach his lips.
"And this information, what do you want me to do with it?"
"I want you to read the files." Castle informed him. "After you've read them you can decide what to do."
"Why me, Castle?"
"The reason I rose from my sick bed and came here is because there are few people I can trust with this matter. And you wouldn't be doing it for me, Sorenson. You would be doing it for Kate."
"Okay." Sorenson drawled.
"This man hired a professional hitmen to kill Kate and her mother at the funeral of Captain Roy Montgomery, how evil and despicable is that? That Kate is alive is because I stopped the bullet that was meant for her. I would do it again but I would prefer not to. I don't have the investigative resources of the Federal Government to bring this guy to Justice, you do Sorenson."
"I see." Sorenson said slowly, still not ready to commit to anything.
"No you don't Sorenson, at least not right now. All I ask is that you read the files and then decide what you have to do."
Sorenson looked at the author.
"Okay." He said finally.
Castle could not hide the sense of relief that wept through him. He had taken a gamble coming to see Sorenson and then getting him to agree to look over the files. He was certain that once Sorenson had read the files he would take action.
Slowly Castle pushed himself out of the chair, trying not to let the pain he was feeling show on his face. Sorenson also rose to his feet. Castle held out his hand to the other man. Sorenson took his hand and shook it.
"Thank you, Will, I appreciate it." Castle said.
"I'll let you know after I've read the files."
"No, don't let me know." Castle said. "This is the first and last time we discuss the matter. If you decide to take action I will know eventually."
Sorenson frowned a little more at this cloak and dagger stuff.
"If you are asked, how the files came into your possession, you can honestly say that you received a call from the porter at The Athenaeum." Castle added. "I was never here, Will."
"Plausible deniability." Sorenson remarked.
"Something like that."
"Okay."
Castle glanced at his watch.
"I have to go." Castle announced. "Thank you for your time, Agent Sorenson."
"Give my regards to Kate."
"I will."
The two men shook hands and then Castle left the office.
XXX
Castle stood out the front of Grosvenor House waiting for Mr Jones to appear. For security reasons Mr Jones was not allowed to be sitting in a car out the front entrance of the embassy building so he would have drive off. Castle figured that Mr Jones was probably on his way back to pick him up.
As he waited Castle heard his phone chime with the arrival of a message. He reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out his phone. Calling up the message he found himself looking at a flaming skeleton sitting astride a motorcycle. A still from the Nicholas Cage movie. It was the message he had been waiting for. He opened up the list of contacts and began to scroll through it until he found the number he was looking for. It had not been all that difficult to obtain the number. His guy on Capital Hill was able to provide it to him.
He was about to hit the number when he spotted the black Bentley Continental pull up. He got into the passenger seat and closed the door.
"Shall we head home, Mr Castle?" Mr Jones inquired.
"I just need to make this phone call first." Castle replied.
Mr Jones nodded his head and quickly pulled away from the curb.
Castle glanced at the phone in his hand. He dialled the number he called up and put the phone to his ear and listened to it ringing.
"Hello?"
"Senator Bracken?" Castle said.
Mr Jones cast a raised eyebrow in Castle's direction before he turned his attention back to the road.
"Yes, who is this?"
"This is Richard Castle."
There was silence on the other end of the line for several moments.
"What can I do for you, Mr Castle?" The Senator asked finally.
"I think it's about time that we met and had a little talk."
"I'm afraid that might not be possible, Mr Castle."
"It would be in your best interests that we meet, Senator. You know, to see for yourself the failure of your plans."
"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about Mr Castle."
"You know damn well what I'm talking about."
"Is that so?"
"Yes Senator it is." Castle said firmly. "Ten o'clock Wednesday at Cuppa Joes on Canal Street near West Broadway."
"I'm afraid I wont be in New York on Wednesday."
"That wasn't a request, Senator be there 10 o'clock Wednesday morning. Needless to say, you are to come alone."
Castle killed the call before Senator Bracken had a chance to respond. He allowed a small satisfied smile to reach his face as he pocketed his phone. He looked over to Mr Jones. Mr Jones took his eyes off the road for a moment. He gave an approving nod of his head.
"That was the easy part." Castle sighed.
"I'm sure things will work themselves out, Mr Castle."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Mr Jones."
Mr Jones nodded his head. "Home, Mr Castle?"
"Yes please." Castle replied as he leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.
XXX
Sorenson closed the file after having finished reading it and stared off into space for some minutes. He had read it in the cab coming back from the Athenaeum club and then he had read it two more times here in his office as well as going through the other documents that were in the brief case. He knew explosive information when he read it and the stuff in front of him was dynamite.
Slowly he reached for his phone and punched a single number.
"Mary, book me on the first available flight to DC today." He ordered once the call was answered.
Sorenson rang off and then dialled another number and waited for the call to be answered.
"Assistant Director Morris, please, Special Agent Will Sorenson Deputy Legal Attaché London." Sorenson informed the person on the other end of the line when they answered his call. "Please inform the Assistant Director that it's very urgent that I speak to him immediately." Will added.
XXXXX
Your thoughts on this chapter, Dear Reader would be gratefully accepted.
Con
