Guardian Angel
Chapter 22
Castle presses his forearm against his eyes and thinks about making another pot of coffee. If he drinks anymore, he'll probably slosh his way over to the Golden Bowl, but he's managed to filter the names of the men in the picture. Eliminating anyone who wouldn't have been in New York in the timeframe to make the hit on Johanna Beckett and the others leaves Rick with only two members of the group, Clint Freeborn and Dick Coonan. Somehow he can't see the Clint Freeborn who issues dire warnings about the dangers of giant hogweed, committing cold-blooded murder. Freeborn also showed no recognition of Kate or any suspicion about being asked how listening devices work. That leaves Dick Coonan.
At first glance, Coonan would hardly be a likely candidate. He bills himself as a philanthropist, building schools in Afghanistan. He even has a website full of impressive pictures of the facilities he erected for needy villagers. But funny thing, when Castle checked the images from last time Google Earth took shots of Afghanistan, most of the buildings weren't there. The documentation Coonan legally had to put out for his foundation was pretty sketchy too. It wouldn't be the first time public and private faces didn't match. Rick checks the time on his computer screen. Alexis will be up any minute. As soon as he gets his morning goodbye peck on the cheek, he'll take everything he found to Kate. He has no idea what their next move should be — in the investigation, anyway. He hopes that she does."
Kate looks through the stack of documents Castle brought to her suite. Castle, do you really think it's Coonan? Why would a hitman maintain a cover like that?"
"He could travel all over the world without raising red flags," Rick suggests. "Coonan might be doing other chores for whoever is holding his leash, or he might just get off on pulling a con. Psychopaths often appear charismatic and helpful. Ted Bundy's victims thought he was terrific — until he killed them."
Johanna gazes over Kate's shoulder. "I recognize him. And I recognize the name, too, Kate. He offered to contribute to my campaign to clean up the drugs in Washington Heights, but I wasn't taking any money. He was very charming in a smarmy kind of way."
"He probably was trying to get close to you," Kate mutters.
"What?" Castle asks.
"Nothing. I mean, I was just wondering if he tried to hang around my mother to stalk her without seeming to like he bugged my apartment."
Castle's stomach jumps into his throat. "You aren't going to try to let him get close to you, are you?"
"No!" Johanna screams.
"No," Kate echoes more calmly. "I'm not. I don't have a death wish, Castle."
"Sometimes you could have fooled me," Castle murmurs.
"No, really, Rick. I have a better idea. Turn about is fair play. He tried to bug me. Why don't we bug him? According to your documents, he has an office downtown. From what Clint Freeborn explained, that bug we ordered could pick up sound through a wall. We don't even have to go inside. The Survival Barn should sell it to us now that we've had Freeborn's class. We find a place outside the office to plant it and wait for Coonan to incriminate himself."
"Kate, evidence obtained using a bug without a warrant wouldn't be admissible, would it?"
"No," Kate admits, "but we can use what we pick up to catch him in the act of something."
"Something like trying to kill you?"
"Maybe. But if he does try, we'll know he's coming and be able to spring a trap. I know I can get Ryan and Esposito to help, maybe even get Montgomery on board if," she bats her eyelashes, "someone sends in an anonymous tip."
"Kate, no," Johanna pleads. "I hate this."
"Kate, there's got to be a way besides setting yourself up as a target, Rick insists."
"I'm not setting myself up, Castle. He's probably already after me, and he'll keep coming no matter what I do. As beautiful as this golden cage is, I can't stay here forever. I'm going to get Coonan, find out who his boss is, and put an end to this. Are you going to help me or not?"
"I might as well. It's not as if I could stop you."
Chain grins from behind the cash register. "Back already? Want to prepare for another year?"
"I would," Rick confides conspiratorially, but our shelter has all the supplies it can hold. Kate thinks she saw the neighbors watching us again."
"Clint Freeborn said that I learned what I need to know, and I want my bug," Kate proclaims.
Chain reaches under the counter. "I just happen to have it right here. That will be $180."
Rick digs in the pocket of a pair of well-worn jeans. "Whatever makes my woman happy."
In the glow of a nearby streetlight, Castle checks out the landscaping around a tidy brick building and points to a spot behind a large yew bush. "This should be perfect, Kate. It's the outside wall of his office, and the bug won't be visible from any angle. That batteries are good for 24 hours, more if he doesn't talk much. We can come back and change them if we need to."
"Yeah, looks good," Kate agrees. "But I hope we won't need to come back."
Castle fingers the bug. "Freeborn said to set the thing to broadcast in microbursts to avoid detection, and when I checked with Izzy, he agreed, so we're all set. All we have to do is attach it and get out of here before someone sees us."
"I'll do it," Kate declares, crawling behind the bush. "Just hand it to me."
"Here you go, Kate. One Super-Spy deluxe, primed and ready to go."
"Got it."
Rick reaches out to help her up. "I hope Coonan will be feeling talkative."
"Yeah, me too," Kate agrees.
"Just get out of here before someone sees you." Johanna urges.
Ecstasy paints Kate's features as she tastes her first bite of prime rib. "You were right, Castle. This is incredible."
"A perfect piece of meat, exquisitely cooked with the burn of horseradish for interest. What could be better?"
"Getting Dick Coonan to confess to murder and flip on the guy who hired him. But for now, the steak is wonderful. But the baked potato is enormous. I think I'll stick with the spinach salad. Hot bacon dressing is evil but irresistible."
"For me, anything bacon is irresistible. Kind of like anything, Beckett."
Kate clears her throat. "Um, what is the wine you ordered?"
"Château Pontet-Canet. Do you like it?"
Kate settles back in her chair, closing her eyes. "Yeah. It makes me feel all — I don't know, relaxed, warm."
"Kate Beckett relaxed. That's something I never thought I see. Maybe I should buy a case."
"Not a bad idea," Johanna comments.
Kate's eyes flick open, a mélange of brown and green. "It could be the wine, but after all this time, I feel like I'm finally getting somewhere, you know. Coonan isn't just some shadowy figure lurking out of reach. He's real, and real people have vulnerabilities. We'll find his, and expose what's been dirtying up this city for more than a decade. Then we'll sweep it the hell out."
Rick pulls his notebook out of his pocket.
"What are you doing?"
"I want to put down what you just said. It's the perfect attitude for Nikki Heat — and Kate Beckett."
"Castle, I don't think…"
An alert sounds simultaneously from Kate and Castle's phones. Castle drops his pen. "Dick, or someone, must have returned to Coonan's office. The game is on, Kate."
