Alexis Rodgers
Chapter 17
Rick heard the door open and in walked Beckett. "Beckett?" Seeing her was a shock.
Kate leaned up against the far wall. No opening was wide enough for him to barely even stick a finger through it. Still she wasn't going to give him even that.
"I happen to love Alexis dearly, Castle. That day I heard all those gun shots over her phone when she saved that woman ripped my heart out and scared me to death. I risked everything to get to her so I could hold her close and know that she was all right and safe. The fear that I had lost her was palpable and scary.
"There's nothing that I wouldn't do for her. Nothing. You're her father so I put up with you. I yelled all those things because I meant them. Now look where you are. You sent yourself here, Castle. You let Gina and Paula send you to this point in your life."
Kate watched as Castle leaned up against the wall and wiped away his tears. He'd liked being Richard Castle. All those women in line wanting his autograph. All those beautiful women who wanted in his bedroom. Yes, he'd had a number but it was a lot higher than anyone would ever guess. He was also pretty sure he was good at sex.
"She doesn't even want to talk to me, does she?" He meant Alexis and Kate heard that loud and clear.
"Alexis gave you a choice, didn't she? Stay with Gina and Paula and remain a playboy or dump them and sign with someone else. A company that will force you to change your life. Be who you were before you became Richard Castle the playboy who made it on page 6 and various tabloids for all the wrong reasons.
"But you didn't, did you? You let the playboy life take control of you. Tell me something, Castle. Are these the only three kids that you have that you don't know about yet?" Kate asked him.
"I don't know. I really don't know." He truly had no idea. Rick felt the tears running down his cheeks. For all he knew there were more out there that he hadn't been told about. He loved Alexis and through her he loved kids. It was just that he couldn't marry all three like he'd done with Meredith.
"I thought you loved Alexis." Kate tried to light a fire under him.
"I do love Alexis! Never doubt that. She might have been an accident but just how many kids are actually planned? I wanted her before she was even born. I've done everything I can for her." Rick fought back and wiped away his tears.
"But when she grows up and tries to tell you that she doesn't like it when you sign women's chests, you don't listen. Instead of listening to your own daughter, you listen to Gina and Paula. Does the money really mean that much to you?
"Why did you divorce Gina, Castle? Yet you still let her run your life. Alexis tells me you two have a deal. Always tell the truth and never lie. No matter how much it hurts.
"Alexis and I have our own deal. We talk. We don't keep things to ourselves. We open up and talk. And trust me, it's a lot harder than it sounds for me. But I do it because I love her.
"Think about it, Castle. You aren't going anywhere until the doctor or nurse gets here." Kate left him and let him stew in his own juices.
"How's he doing?" Alexis hated doing this but she needed to shock her father into a change or he might never change. He'd be forever in the clutches of Gina and Paula.
"Crying, actually. Part of me is enjoying this. The other half of me is in pain because he's your father and this is hurting you. This better be a good idea." Kate wanted to wrap her arms around her but they were in her precinct so she couldn't. At least not yet.
"Thank you, Henry." Alexis was grateful to him for this.
"Please tell me how it works out. Just remember Gina works at Black Pawn, she doesn't own it. So if you want to go down that road, just let me know." Henry took his leave and went to his office. He still had work to do. Hopefully they would all be willing and ready to put Gina in her place and when that day came he was going to be ready.
"Now comes the challenge. How long do we let Castle stew in there all alone? Keeping in mind if we get a case and need holding for a real criminal this just came to an end." There were limits to what Kate could get away with.
Alexis was getting tired of beating up on her dad. She loved him and this hurt more than she thought it would. She had to keep telling herself that it was for his own good. That she was doing this because she loved him.
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Kate watched Alexis pick up the contract and walk to the holding cells. It was her turn to talk to her dad.
"What's really going on?" Ann had everyone around her. These four had witnessed what had transpired in the interrogation room, but that didn't tell them the whole story.
"Alexis wants to change her father. Get him out of the tabloids and off of page 6. To do that we're using the shock treatment. Maybe it will work and maybe it won't. Guess we'll just have to wait and see," Kate responded.
Ann kept asking questions. "And you are involved because..."
"When Alexis is ready you'll find out and not before. Don't you people have work to do?" This was a precinct, after all. Kate watched them break up and she waited for Alexis to come back out.
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Kate was wondering if she was ever going to come back out. She didn't have the key so Castle couldn't get out and she couldn't get in. But that didn't mean she wouldn't break down and confess this was all fake.
Kate finally saw Alexis come back out. "I need a pen and keys. Dad's going to sign." Alexis was so happy she was ready to burst.
Kate got her a pen and went inside with her to unlock his cell. Alexis turned her back so he could sign followed by the two them hugging and telling each other just how much they loved the other.
"Remember Dad, you do anything even remotely playboy-like and they will sue you," Alexis reminded him.
"I know, now I just need to figure out what to write. Something inspirational to help me." Rick had started with Kate because he saw a story. He hadn't actually finished it and given that Kate had thrown him out he wasn't sure how he was going to finish it.
"Don't look at me, Castle. I'm doing this for Alexis, not you. …I'll see you when you get home." Kate so wanted to kiss her but couldn't just yet. They didn't even have a plan for when that could happen.
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Kate was happy to see Alexis finally come home and she had dinner waiting for her if she was hungry. "How is he taking it?" It was far too early to tell Castle that he was being played. They feared he would just fight back and do even worse things.
"Dad actually called Henry and had him draft a notice that he was severing all association with Black Pawn and that if they ever used his name again they, meaning Dad, then Henry would sue them.
"As for the new publishing company they're very happy. I went over the list of things Dad can't do or they'll dump him and sue him. …You know, I never knew how much lawyers are involved in life. I'll sue you, they'll sue me, jeez." Alexis rolled her eyes just like Kate had unwittingly taught her.
"I'll remind Dad that you said that." Kate smiled since both her parents and even she was going to be a lawyer at one time.
"Speaking of Dad… You've met mine so when do I get to meet yours? Or does he not know about me yet?" Alexis wasn't upset if he didn't. They were still trying to hide their relationship.
"No, he doesn't know. But I can call right after dinner and discuss a date to have him over for dinner. I'll even let you cook," Kate teased her.
"Oh swell. Remind me again why I love you?" Alexis teased her right back.
Alexis still had to do her homework and Kate helped her with her next class. "When is your next day off?"
"Day after tomorrow. Why?" What did Kate have planned now?
"You wanted me to teach you hand-to-hand and the precinct has a workout room of a sort on the top floor. I can try and find a way to take some extra time off and teach you or at least get you started," Kate offered since Alexis had expressed an interest.
"Yes, please." She still had to make sure she finished top of her class. Maybe even break a few records.
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Kate was looking forward to today. They were letting her choose who was going to replace her as Homicide Detective since with her as Captain they were down one Detective in Homicide. They were also down one in Robbery she needed to fill. But her choice for Homicide was coming in for an interview.
Every time her phone rang she pounced on it. This was finally the time. "I'll be right down." She was going to greet her and bring her up to her office. Kate got up and hustled to the elevator.
"Eva Gaëlle Green." She held out her hand and Kate shook it. "Katherine Houghton Beckett. Please follow me." Kate led her to the elevator. "Did you have any trouble finding the place?" Kate knew she wasn't from here. She might not even have a place to stay yet.
"A little. This city is different. Parts of it look really nice but different. I guess I'll get used to it." Kate heard her accent. It wasn't very pronounced but it wasn't hard to tell that she was French just as Kate had read.
"Fourth floor is Homicide. Javier Esposito and Kevin Ryan are the two primary homicide detectives at the moment." Kate pointed them out.
Eva saw both and she saw Javi looking at her like she was walking toward him naked. She was used to it so she ignored the look. Now Kevin had a different kind of smile. She decided she already liked him.
"Please sit." Kate took the chair next to her after closing her door to get at least a little privacy.
"I read your résumé but tell me about you in your words." Kate leaned back in her chair.
"Born and raised in Lyon. I attended the American University of Paris. It's English speaking so my English is actually quite good even if I can't escape my accent.
"One of my best friends was murdered. Isabelle. We did everything together. I should have been there that night but I wasn't. I went through all the 'What ifs' until I ran out of them.
"Up until then I had plans on being either an actress or a model. Her death got me into the French Police Academy. First in my class, first female to make Homicide Detective as fast as I did.
"Then my parents were burglarized and they moved to Montreal. I decided to go with them. It was just that I didn't want a job there so I came to New York City and applied. You're my first. I have one tomorrow and another the day after," Eva informed her.
Kate could understand the actress or model idea. She was beautiful. It was her blue eyes that held much of her attention. Her hair was brown and a bit darker than her own yet longer than hers. Kate couldn't help but compare herself to Eva physically.
Kate knew she was 5'-6" tall, so shorter than she was. Her beauty was evident and her chest size was maybe a cup size larger than hers at best. She wasn't ashamed of them and wasn't hiding them either.
"My father is Swedish though he was raised in the States and is a citizen, while my mother is French and is Jewish. I consider myself a secular Jew who never attended synagogue as a girl and feels like a citizen of the world." Eva shared more about herself.
Kate was liking her more and more for this job.
"This is the 12th so you know what you might be getting yourself into. A few months ago our Captain Montgomery suddenly announced that he was retiring. They replaced him with a woman named Victoria Gates. She came from Internal Affairs.
"Internal Affairs here is a division of a law enforcement agency that investigates incidents and possible suspicions of law-breaking and professional misconduct attributed to officers on the force. It is thus a mechanism of limited self-governance, 'a police force policing itself.'
"Most police officers hate them. They see Internal Affairs as hating all cops. Gates immediately began insulting everyone in the precinct. Not just about their job but them personally as a person.
"Our closure rate on all cases, not just homicides, sank to very last in the city. People just up and quit. Most, I think, moved to another city to get away from her. Others submitted transfer requests. However, here all requests go through the captain first. Naturally she rejected all of them. So they sent them directly to 1PP, the main office of the Police Commissioner and others.
"They finally caught on and reassigned her elsewhere. I was given the job temporarily until they could find a replacement and not a repeat of Gates. Then they offered me the job if I passed the Captain's exam. I did and so here I am." Kate waved her hand at her office.
"I need someone to replace me as senior Homicide Detective. You have the experience, even if it is in a different country, the seniority even, if again, it was in a different country. And you're more than intelligent enough.
"We are still in the cellar when it comes to our closure rate, though we're getting better and instead of people wanting out I'm getting transfer requests to get in.
"I'm trying to follow what Captain Montgomery taught me. I let people bend the rules so long as they don't outright break them. Especially if they don't have a good reason. So far everyone's happy.
"This job can be tough enough without me making their lives even worse. Oh and we're having a pot luck lunch next week. Everyone brings something. Hopefully it will be enough to feed everyone. The office will supply paper plates, plastic eating utensils, disposable cups, and paper towels.
"Coffee is free though I advise against drinking it. I'm still not sure if it's the machine itself, the coffee that the service provides, or the water. Soon as I figure out that I have the budget for it we're getting a new one. As for the coffee grounds, I don't think I have the authority to change that. But there is a coffee shop just down the street. I allow people to duck out and get what they want so long as they don't misuse it." Kate couldn't think of much else to tell her.
"The others will not be upset that I come in and take over?" She was French. Well dual citizenship technically but mostly French.
"Javi and Kevin? Perhaps at first. But neither of them have even tried to take the Sergeant's exam so you would have seniority over them. If they want seniority then they can take the Sergeant's exam.
"Anything else you want to tell me?" Kate queried, not that she needed much else. She definitely wanted her for this job.
"I guess people would be surprised to find out that I am a bit of a homebody. I do not like clubbing or going to wild parties. I love to come home and relax by the fire with a glass of wine and a good book. Boring, huh?" Her life just wasn't exciting and other people tended to find her boring. It made finding the right boyfriend a bit of a challenge.
"Not at all. Until I became involved with someone, I went home, filled the tub with hot water and various bath powders, poured a glass of wine, and read a book. Things are a bit different now." Kate actually meant a lot different.
"The offer." Kate got up and around to her desk and searched for it and handed it to her. "Benefits and other items for you to read. Your starting pay is exactly what mine was before I took this job.
"I've heard housing is expensive in Paris. It's not exactly cheap in New York City, either," Kate warned her.
"So I have learned. I will probably end up with a roommate or two." Eva understood that before coming here.
"Roommate." Kate started writing something down. "She doesn't have a second bedroom but maybe the two of you can find one and split the cost. Her name is Lanie Parish and she is my very best friend. She is also an ME that works with our precinct. She likes to involve herself in other people's lives. Mainly mine, but she means well and she has a good heart.
"This is her contact information. Just give me a chance to warn her that you might be calling. Then you can decide for yourself. Oh, and Lanie isn't like either of us. She loves clubbing and she loves men. All men, especially if they're good-looking hunks. Don't be surprised if she tries to set you up on a blind date.
"My last one she set me up with was a firefighter. Mr. July, if I remember correctly. He was a hunk all right. However we hadn't even gotten drinks yet and he wanted to know if we were having sex later." Kate had hated that date and told Lanie absolutely no more.
"Ouch!" Eva cringed at the thought.
"Like I said, she means well. Just tell her to back off and she will, eventually." Kate grinned since getting Lanie to do that took effort on your part. "Go talk to the others then come back. You can have my old desk. We'll have you settled in in no time." Kate handed over Lanie's contact information.
"The men still outnumber the women here but not by as much as you might think," Kate added and walked Eva to the elevator.
Kate went back to her desk but was intercepted. "Someone new?" Ann asked her just as Javi showed up since he'd seen a new beauty walking through.
"Perhaps. My replacement, maybe. And be nice. I find out you tried to get her into your bed and I'll have you checking parking meters for a month." Kate wagged her finger at Javi since she knew him.
"Who me?" Javi pointed at himself. "Dinner first. I'm a gentleman."
"That's not what Lanie said." Kate hid her smile, retreated to her office, and listened to Ann and Kevin tease him. Working here was actually starting to be less of a pain now.