The Marlowe Prep Murder
Chapter 27
"Are you still going to the 12th this morning?" Rick inquires. "You're going to have a hell of a lot of crime-busting duty putting your ass on the line with Vonda tonight."
"I set things up with your father, and I'd go crazy sitting around here and waiting all day," Kate explains. "Anyway, it's part of my job to go over Ryan and Esposito's reports, and it's been a while since I had a chance to do it. You haven't finished the chapters you need to send to Black Pawn, have you?"
"No," Castle admits.
"Then, with me out of here and Alexis at her program, you should be able to get your writing done. Then you won't have it hanging over your head when we go to meet Vonda."
"You have a point," Rick concedes. "Early supper together?"
Kate reaches for her purse. "That would be great."
Jack checks the perimeter of the property Richard and Kate will be touring. It won't be hard to put men in position on the roofs of several tall buildings in the area. They can sight through their scopes, and he can use IR to pin down the locations of Rick, Kate, and Vonda if they can't make visual contact.
The director was unexpectedly delighted at the prospect of de-fanging the Cardano family. Interrupting the investments of the Russian oligarchs in U.S. properties will tie a few knots in the puppet master's strings. As the invisible Russian invasion into the U.S. economy is growing in influence, Jack's boss wants to throw up as many obstacles as possible, without attracting too much attention. Using Vonda to take down the Old Man will be a big step on the path toward that end.
Vonda's invitation to the happy couple came pretty fast. She could just be using tonight's visit to draw them deeper into her web and kill them at her leisure. But Jack isn't willing to take that chance with the good of his family or his country. Fortunately, in this instance, the interests of both are the same.
Johanna doesn't materialize, but she isn't far from Katie. As far as she can tell, the 12th Precinct holds no threats to her daughter, but her stubborn offspring will be striding into the thick of it all too soon. Johanna has no idea what protection her presence will offer. She can't physically interact with anything, but she can keep watch and hope that The Father allows that to be enough.
The aura of evil surrounding Vonda Covici is terrifying. As a living human, Johanna might have sensed it, but now she can actually see it as a dark cloud. And while Katie and Rick were with Vonda at the diner, the blackness deepened and became more menacing. Johanna dreads the treachery she may see tonight, but whatever it is, she prays she'll be the guardian Kate needs.
"Chicken soup?" Kate queries, gazing at the simple meal Rick set out on the table.
"And biscuits with jello for dessert. I was thinking about some comfort that jumpy tummies could accept without revolting. Personally, I couldn't choke down anything more substantial. I was thinking you might be feeling the same way. But if you're not, I made a chili-cheese flameout Alexis can have when she returns from her daily foray into forensics. There's more than enough for both of you, even considering my daughter's teenage capacity to inhale food."
Kate presses a hand to her abdomen. "No, I think you were on the right track for us. We can't afford nervous stomachs or anything else that might distract us or slow us down. And I love jello. It's one of the few things Dad's always been better at making than Mom was. He has the patience to be exacting in his measurements and allow enough setting time. When Mom was working, we'd enjoy it together."
Johanna considers materializing to share Katie's memory but decides to remain unseen. Jim's joy in simple things was one of the things that she loved about him. As much as her existence on a different plane will allow, she still does. It's wonderful that Katie does too.
With a satisfied smile, Vonda twists the dials on a lockbox to retrieve the keys to the estate. Earlier, she scanned them and 3-D printed copies, but going through the standard real estate agent moves is all part of her show. It will be an outstanding one.
She'll point out all the fascinating nooks and crannies in the main structure, as well as highlight the generous closet space, top-of-the-line appliances, and exotic wood floors. Too exotic, actually. New York winters are too dry for the wood, and without constant humidification, they'd begun to crack. But she can gloss over that and the ill-advised skylight that will no doubt leak before long.
Of course, none of those unfortunate details matter, anyway. Castle and Beckett won't live long enough to move into this or any other house. Everything she needs to make this their last night on earth is ready to go.
"Before it gets dark, you really must see the grounds," Vonda gushes. "But I promised to check in with another client. While I make my call, you should go out the back door and explore the deck. It's a perfect place to entertain or just relax. And take a good look at the gazebo. It is custom-designed with exquisite workmanship." She waves Rick and Kate toward a rear exit. "Please, go ahead. I'll catch up."
As soon as Rick and Kate are out the door, Vonda uses her phone and two miniaturized cameras she planted, to surveil them. Castle's stomping on the deck to test how solid it is. Typical male. She silently urges the newlyweds toward the gazebo, pulling a remote control from her purse. They mount the steps hand in hand. As they reach the center, Vonda flicks a switch, and the panel slides back, dumping them into the hot tub below. "No!" Johanna cries as flicking the switch again, Vonda blocks the pair's escape.
"If this is Vonda's way to kill us, she's falling down on the job," Rick smirks. "We have a breathing space, and the flooring above us isn't airtight. It shouldn't be tough for Jack to get us out."
"That's if he knows we're here," Kate notes. "With the trees around this part of the yard, we wouldn't have been easy to spot back here. And the water is about body temperature; we won't stand out on IR."
Rick feels in his pocket for his cell. "Our phones are waterproof. They should be putting out signals he can use to locate us. But it will take some time. Unlike the military version, standard phone-type GPS is only good to a radius of about 50 feet or so. That won't be exact enough to pinpoint us in here."
Despite being soaked, Kate begins to sweat. "Do you feel the water getting warmer?"
"I do. Oh, God, Kate! Vonda means us to be like frogs in the pot," Castle realizes. "She wants to cook us gradually and give us no chance to jump out. We need to get out of here while we still can. Otherwise, she can dine on us, boiled, with fava beans and a nice Chianti."
Kate strains upward, unsuccessfully trying to reach the planks closing them in. "Then I hope you have a story to help us find a way out because I don't have a clue to one."
The outline of her form shimmering through the water, Johanna comes into view. "I pray that I have a way."