Coming Out or Going In
by Castlefan6
Authors Note: From a fan prompt (Castle was lent out to Robbery temporarily to work cold cases while Demming is on suspension. Lead Detective Joy Park, a woman with a big secret causes friction between our couple. COMPLETELY AU, Some Scenes and events used to enhance the story,
I don't own Castle; I use the characters for amusement purposes only, except the ones I create.
Also, we take MANY liberties with the timeline from Canon and use events from other Canon episodes to make this a more believable fiction, thanks.
Chapter 10
Riverside Cemetery
New York City
4 Days Later
/_/
Rick had called in some of his experts, he knew a guy, Joy laughed every time he said it, remembering a younger Ricky, who indeed made connections all over campus. This crew met her and Rick at the cemetery, and once they located the original grave with the GUNN headstone, they followed Rick's interpretation of the pictures, over four rows, and up two graves, and the little arrow meant to look behind the headstone if he was correct in his theory.
"So, what are these guys doing here Rick?" Joy asked as she carried two shovels to the gravesite.
"Well, as much as I love to see you in action, I would rather see the imaging from the sonar that my friend has bought before we work up a sweat digging for nothing" Rick smiled
"I agree, but I have another idea of how we can work up a sweat, I mean is it wrong to tell you what and when I want something" Joy blushed,
"Hell no, I started thinking you would think I was a sex pervert, but knowing you are enjoying it as much as I am, it's exactly what we need to do, communicate, what you want and when. Even when you feel like being left alone, I promise I won't take that personally, I know there are times you as a woman think about just anything and everything but sex, and it's OK, just tell me" he smiled,
She leaned in and kissed his cheek, "Stay just as you are, please, now we have to get this case solved so we can get to phase 2 of our lives." Phase two was the code name they came up with their plans for relocation to California.
"Agreed," as he smiled "Greg, we're ready for you guys to do the scoping of our target area, so what's the plan?" he shouted out to a man in a work uniform standing off to the side.
"Be right there Rick, just checking the calibrations on some of the equipment." He replied,
Less than ten minutes later, the scans had revealed that something unusual had been placed approximately four feet below the ground using the back of the headstone to center whatever was buried below.
"This is Detective Joy Park, get me a team of CSI, Photo Lab reps, and block off the entrance to Riverside Cemetery Section J until I personally clear it, no exceptions." Joy barked into her phone, showing a side of her personality that Rick seldom saw, a no-nonsense, kick-ass cop, much like Beckett.
"They'll be here in about 40 minutes Rick, your friends shouldn't be here, so"
"Already told them to clear out Joy, they will be gone in a minute or two," just as their vehicle fired up, Greg waved as they pulled out of the cemetery. They had marked the exact outline of whatever was below the ground with little white stakes, making the job of digging much easier.
Joy walked around to the front of the headstone, and stopped in her tracks, "Rick, you may want to see this," she called out
"What is it Joy, are you OK?" he replied with a panic in his voice as he approached her, afraid she had stumbled into something and gotten injured.
"I'm fine, but we never looked at the front of this stone, check it out." She replied,
Rick looked and his mouth flew open, "Son of a Bitch, you have to be kidding me"
The headstone was a marker for a child's grave, but the name was so obvious it was a wonder that the people who had searched for years had gone by it. It read, Jewel Heist and the dates of birth was the day of the robbery, the day of death was three months later, just before the law caught up with the robbers on unrelated cases and sent to prison.
"Do you really think this could be it, Rick, I mean it's so obvious, well NOW" Joy smiled as she looked up to her partner,
"That's what makes it such a smart move, I bet if you trace the ownership of this plot it will come back to the hitman's dad, proving he bought it, not to bury his child, but his loot, knowing he was just about to run out of luck with the police. He probably thought he would serve his time, come out and retrieve what only he knew was here, but because of his greed was killed by some of his co-conspirators. " Rick smiled
"Well, we'll find out soon" just as the crews from NYPD pulled up to the gravesite.
Joy gave her orders, very specific to all divisions, making sure no one deviated from what she wanted done, every step of the way being documented by film and still photos by the NYPD. Less than 30 minutes later, a small chest was lifted from the grave and handed to Joy. She didn't trust anyone to transport it to the precinct.
Two Hour Later
Representatives from Sterling Diamond and Pearls were on hand, as well as North East Casualty Insurance Company, the organization that had made a partial payment to the firm for the theft. Captain Montgomery, Commissioner Boyle, and Mr. Mayor were also in attendance as the cameras rolled, and snapped as the chest was opened to reveal a 20-year secret, it was the loot from the robbery.
When asked how they had solved the case, Joy deferred to Rick, who just said they acted on a tip from a source that proved to be the missing link. He didn't identify Royce in public, but since neither of them could collect the reward, Rick figured, Royce could use the money.
Hopefully, it would help keep him straight even though he had committed a crime of taking police reports, photos, and maps, at this point it would only cause more problems and bad press for NYPD and especially Kate Beckett, something Joy or he didn't want.
The case closure was a huge boost to the NYPD and the Mayor's re-election campaign, stating the NYPD wouldn't rest until they solved every case, no matter how long it took. It wasn't lost on the department two floors up that something big was happening below them. Roy had given orders, no one could come up, or leave the homicide floor until he released them, punishment could be termination.
"What do you think is going on down there Boss, I mean they say the mayor, commissioner, and a herd of the press are there?" Kevin asked Kate who although she was wondering the same thing replied,
"I thought Espo was the nosy one, you got your orders from the Captain, don't even think about going there, and tell Lanie to keep her gossip to herself the next time she calls you," Kate said,
Ryan's face turned two shades of red, proving Kate's guess was correct, it was the M.E. who was helping to spread the gossip. Kate had to admit she was itching to find out what the hell the big deal was that would draw the brass to the precinct, it had to be big.
She had just settled back into her routine when she heard the ding of the elevator, by now she had trained herself not to look, there had been nothing but disappointments in her life since he left, why would he be coming off the elevator now?
She noticed three figures walking down the aisle that was farthest away from her desk, what the hell? It was Roy, Rick, and Detective Park, what were they doing here and where were they going? Just as the thought had been processed, Rick passed by close enough for her nose to pick up on his cologne.
God Damn it, why did he have to wear that, she loved it and a ton of memories started to flood back until she saw LT take position outside Roy's office, Rick, Detective Park, and he entered. The door was locked, and the shades were lowered. What the hell was going on? She used to be privy to everything, Roy's right arm, she had been called, but no longer, everything changed with the Demming debacle.
XxX
Inside Roy's Office
"OK, Joy, you're new, and I know you are trying to keep everything by the book, SO, this conversation never took place, officially that is if you will be forthcoming with me," Roy said,
Joy looked at Rick, caught the wink in his eye, and began "Well Sir, we interviewed Mike Royce, I guess during the investigation that he was supposedly helping Detective Beckett with last year about the bail bondsman who was killed by his wife, well actually ordered by her to a hitman. He violated her trust and played upon the emotions of a young lady who revered him the same way she had when he was her TO and she thought he walked on water.
"He absconded with a map and some photos that were NYPD property"
"He WHAT?" Roy was pissed, "Did Beckett have any idea of what he had done?" He asked the anger clearly on his face.
"Sir, I'm going to defer to Rick on that, it wouldn't be fair for me to offer conjecture on my part, Rick was here"
"Roy, you know how infatuated Beckett was, and probably still is, to her, he has this God-like character, so I don't think she was aware, rather a victim of Mike's deceitful actions," Rick replied,
"So is that why you gave his name to the insurance company who is paying the reward?" Roy asked,
"No Roy, but if we had told the complete story, Royce would have been hurt, yes, perhaps still even subject to prosecution, but the biggest loser would have been the NYPD, and you since it happened on your watch.
"I thought it was a win, win, I know Royce will keep his mouth shut once he gets the reward money, and it's better for the public to keep the trust in cops. You've worked hard to instill that and one instance like this shouldn't be the headline." Rick said as he watched Roy's facial expression go from anger to appreciation,
"Well, I hate to admit it, but as you say it's not worth the black eye the department would get, Royce would probably get probation, and he has to live with what he has done. I am going to inform Beckett, she needs to get her head out of her ass when it comes to certain men, her judgment isn't worth a damn." Roy was still pissed, but now it was directed somewhere else.
"Well, that's up to you Roy, but there's something else Joy and I need to talk to you about," Rick said slowly, and by the look on his face, Roy knew it wasn't going to be good news.
"OK, which one wants to speak for the both of you?" Roy asked
"Well, Sir, Rick and I are leaving the department, I'm joining his firm at RCE, heading up the west coast division of his Private Investigations sir. There's no set date, but we have a two-month time limit for you to plan for the loss, and formulate a plan. I know I just got here, so you can replace me easily, but well, Rick you want to tell him the rest?" she looked over at Rick.
"Wait, the west coast operations, I thought you are based here in New York Rick?"
"I am Roy, but I'm moving my entire operation to California to be close to Alexis, she starts at Stanford in a few months. Joy is joining me, and well, I hate to kick you when you're down, but I'm making an offer to Kevin Ryan that I know he will accept.
"He's the one I trust to head up the New York operations, and well, he and Jenny have some financial problems with the fertility doctors and the crappy insurance you folks have. Rick watches as Roy rubs his hands through his face and over his bald head, it would have been his hair, but he had lost it several years before,
"Like I said Roy, I know you are down a man until Esposito comes back so we'll work with you on the timing if that helps," Rick said as comforting as he can,
Roy opened his desk took the bottle out and poured a generous amount into a cup of coffee, stone cold by now, and drank it down before he replied.
"Esposito is no longer with the NYPD, he's due in tomorrow to finalize things, he's moving to Dunedin Florida, he applied for hundreds of forces, and Boyle lied through his teeth to get them to take him, he got a bite, so he's gone. Beckett is due with her selection this afternoon, so instead of one, I guess I need to interview two candidates or some other arrangement.
"God, Fucking retirement is looking good now, I might just say fuck it, leave this mess to Beckett and let her work her way out of it. Thanks for letting me know, and for being flexible, with the start date Rick, I appreciate it. I need to talk to Evelyn, and hell, I may take you up on that summer home sooner than you think." Roy said,
"Anytime Roy, you know you're welcome, hell it sits empty and if you ever get out to Beverly Hills we have plenty of room,"
"That's putting it mildly Roy, he bought a Mansion, 24 freaking bathrooms, a complete Gym, pool, mountain view, and now he wants to add a bowling alley in the basement" Joy laughed but now she was standing closer and her hand had found his, their fingers intertwined.
"So, I see things are working out well for you both, I'm happy for you, I really am. Take it easy on him Joy, he's been through a lot with us, well one of us, and well, just take care of him. I'm leaving for the day, I need to talk to Evelyn before the girls get home from school, Rick, I'm calling Bryan, your financial planner if you don't mind. If I can swing it, two months allows me time to get the hell out Dodge and let the younger ones run with the ball, it's not fun anymore." He said sadly,
"Of course, Roy, can you do me a favor and call Ryan in, I don't want Beckett to hear any of the details, and if you'll allow us to use the small conference room behind you, I'd like to make him the offer, now that we've talked," Rick asked,
Roy strode over to the door, opened it, stuck his head out, and barked "Ryan, my office now" catching both Kevin and Kate completely off guard. Kevin looked like he was going to lose his lunch thinking of all the bad things that could happen to him as he stood and made his way to Roy's office.
"Sir, you wanted to see me," he said timidly,
"Yes, well actually Rick does, he's waiting for you in the conference room behind me, and Kevin, don't be a damn fool, hear him out," Roy said as he patted the young cop on his shoulder,
"Hey Rick, what's up, what's with the secrecy, you know you could talk to me out in the bullpen anytime right?"
"Yeah, I know Kev, but you see when I make an offer to a prospective Director of one of my companies, I do it in private. Take a look at the packet in front of you, talk to Jenny, and let me know if you're interested. Roy knows what's going on, but you'll have to be the one to tell Beckett if you decide to accept the offer" Rick said softly,
Kevin's eyes skimmed the top sheet, the offer letter, and he coughed when he got to the salary, almost twice what he made last year with all of the overtime. He glanced at the medical, everything was paid for 100%, no deductible, no limits, no specialties or referrals required.
He was in shock but managed to turn to the next page, an offer to progressively buy into the organization by using his annual 20% bonus to buy shares rather than receive cash, up to a maximum of 30% of the firm. The estimated value today was approximately 13 million dollars for the investigation portion of RCE, the next pages were Greek to Kevin, with projections of financial growth, but his eyes traveled back to the base salary.
"You may want to use my Financial Planner to meet with you and Jenny to go over the last part Kev, but it's Monday through Friday, no weekends. I understand that you have some medical bills, they are taken care of, regardless if you accept the offer or not. Talk it over with the wife, and let me know, say in a couple of days. "Rick smiled,
"Rick, how did you know about the fertility doctor and the bills, I mean I'm not ashamed of it, but are you sure you want me to run your company?" Kevin asked,
"No not my company Kevin, our company, and you are one half of the management, Joy will be with me on the West Coast as we move all of RCE to Beverly Hills except for your offices if you accept the offer" Rick smiled,
Kevin almost broke down into tears, "Rick, I'll talk to Jenny but I will bet you she will want to hug your neck, and thank you, these two jobs are killing me and I keep getting further behind with every visit."
"As I said, please keep it quiet to you talk to Jenny and we have a signed deal, then you can tell who you please, deal?" Rick stuck his hand out,
"Deal, Rick, thank you, you'll hear from me, and I promise you, I'll make you proud, I swear," Kevin said choked with emotion,
"I know Kevin, not a doubt in my mind. We're going to get out of here, so please I know Beckett has Jedi mind tricks, please keep this between us for now" Rick said,
"What is Private about PI if you can't keep your mouth shut" he laughed, "you got it, boss"
XxX
Kevin returned to his desk, his lips were sealed, even when Beckett began her probing questions,
"So, are you in trouble Kevin, do you need me to speak to the Captain,
"That's nice Kate, but no, and I really can't discuss anything that was said, so please?" he replied, with a sad tone to his voice,
"What the hell does that mean, I mean"
"It means to ask the Captain what was said if you really want to know, look I appreciate the offer to stand up for me, but I can't talk about what happened, accept that, and please don't ask" Kevin was much firmer than he had ever been, something was up she thought.
As this was happening, she caught the fragrance again and saw his head over the file cabinets, then the ding of the elevator, and he and Joy laughing about something as the elevator doors closed. She made it through the rest of the day, still wondering what the hell was going on. Even when she gave the Captain her three choices, he just said, he was leaving for the day, they would talk tomorrow.
She walked up the stairs to her apartment with her to go meal from the bodega, with her mail balancing on top and tossed her keys and phone on the counter. Once she placed the food down, she secured her gun, checked the double lock on the door, and noticed her message light was flashing on her landline. That was unusual, everyone called her cell, probably a telemarketer she thought as she punched in her message code. When she heard the voice, she almost fainted,
"Hey Kid, it's me, Royce, sorry to take so long, but look, well I need to talk to you, call me please" as he rattled off his phone number.
She was almost in a state of shock, she hadn't heard that voice, since,
TBC