Recollection Rick

Chapter 9

As Kate scowls at the stuffed mandrill, Lily starts to bawl. "See what you did!" Rick accuses. "You scared her with your frowny face."

"Are you sure it wasn't the face on that thing?" Kate argues. "I don't think I've ever seen a mug that ugly, and that's counting all the times I've had to stare at line-ups."

"Think of it like a bulldog," Rick suggests. "It's so ugly that it's beautiful. Lily hasn't wanted to be more than an inch away from that monkey since I bought it. It makes her happy. And who knows? It might even scare off potential kidnappers or something. Besides, Alexis had Monkey Bunky. Come to think of it, she still does. Girls need their primates, and stuffed ones, even hideous ones, are safer than the other kinds they might want to cuddle."

"You may have a point," Kate acknowledges, smoothing silken locks from Lily's reddening face. "Your monkey's OK, Baby."

Lily's sobs fade, and Kate turns back to Rick. "Does that creature have a name?"

"Not yet, but I did some research into mandrills. The males are bigger and have more flash, so absent of any anatomical correctness, we can assume it's a guy monkey."

"Ga-mo-ee," Lily mimics.

Rick gazes at his younger daughter. "Gamoee? His name is Gamoee?"

"Ga-mo-ee," Lily repeats.

"I guess he's Gamoee," Rick concludes, as Lily's feet wave their approval. "Now that we've got that settled, what clues have you brilliantly uncovered on the Berringer case?"

Kate sinks to the couch. "I don't know how brilliant. I turned over a USB drive Peter Fisher gave me to one of the department's forensic accountants. It's supposed to have a record of every transaction Berringer made while he was at Peaceful End. And Peter gave me a new name, Sandra Bucholzer, possibly Berringer's accomplice. Apparently, Bucholzer is an alias, but I sent the Sullivan County sheriff an email to see if his people ever uncovered her real identity."

"You've got to give it to whatever-her-real-name-is. Bucholzer is a lot more original than Smith or Jones. Anything else?"

"Just that money isn't the only problem the Fishers have. Peter's wife was severely injured in an auto accident. She can't walk. I think it happened while Berringer was working for Peaceful End."

"Do you think Berringer had anything to do with it?" Rick asks.

"Wow! That didn't even occur to me. But if he did, on top of everything else he did to the Fisher family, that would make for one hell of a motive to kill him. When I go into the precinct tomorrow, I'll request a copy of the accident report. Ooh, what do I smell baking in the oven?"

"Lasagna. Lily thought we might have to soften you up."

Kate arches her brows. "Lily thought that?"

"Let's say she agreed with my conclusion. Also, Alexis is bringing a friend home for dinner – not Paige, a new one, Dana. She told me in no uncertain terms that if I screwed up, there would be consequences. The last time she threatened something like that, she put parental controls on my computer. I was barred from some of my favorite sites."

"Considering what some of your favorite sites are, it's probably just as well. But your lasagna should go over fine. You want me to make the salad?" Kate offers.

"That would be great. I'm going to do garlic bread. And," Rick adds, "Lily and I stopped by the Italian Deli for cannoli for dessert."

Kate's tongue rounds her lips. "I think your web access should be safe."

Rick tries his best not to stare at Alexis' new friend. She hadn't mentioned that Dana is of the male persuasion, apparently encountered on the campus of Hudson U. That's all a father needs, a high school daughter with a college boyfriend. They are actually the same since Alexis is now a senior and Dana skipped a grade, a couple of grades, actually. He's a college sophomore. Still, Rick isn't sure that age is the issue. The independence experienced while attending college can change everything. For better or worse, Dana will be taking on a lot more of his own decisions. The implications of that are making it hard for Rick's stomach to accept much lasagna, and he's not even sure he'll be able to look at a cannoli. "So, Dana, what are your plans when you graduate?"

The boy breaks off a chunk of garlic bread. "Not a lot different from Alexis' plans. I want to work in a crime lab or at least pursue forensics. Actually, with all her work at C.S.U. and for Professor Gilly, Alexis is ahead of me on that goal. She'll have a place waiting for her. I'll have to fight for one."

"He won't have to fight very hard," Alexis interjects. "Dana's got a straight four-point, and he's already working on an honor's project. Dr. Osnitz would be lucky to have him, but so would any of the private labs around the city. And he's in Professor Gilly's class now. We may end up collaborating when I'm at Hudson. Isn't that great?"

Rick pastes a grin on his face. "Wonderful. You all keep enjoying. I'm going to get the machine started for cappuccinos."

Dana forks up a medley of meat and cheese. "That sounds terrific, Mr. Castle."

Kate presses herself against Rick's shoulder as he stares at the ceiling of their bedroom. "Babe, Dana isn't a Sith lord. He's a nice kid. And Alexis is at the age, a little past it, really, to fall hard. At least she picked someone who seems to have his head on straight. When I think about a couple of the boys I dated my senior year in high school…" Kate shivers.

"You're not making me feel better," Rick gripes. "I thought Alexis would be Sherlock Holmes, maybe with some version of a faithful Doctor Watson, not a boyfriend."

"Even Holmes had a crush on Irene Adler." Kate reminds him. "And he needed a doctor around. He was a cocaine addict. Alexis has the best part of Holmes, crime-solving skills and music, without the baggage. She's a great kid and probably smarter than either one of us was at that age. Stop driving yourself crazy and try to get some sleep."

Rick draws Kate against his side. "Easier said than done. At least Lily is too young to date, but the time goes incredibly fast."

Kate kisses the bare skin of his chest. "If her tastes run to Gamoee, I don't think you'll have anything to worry about for a while."

Settling behind her desk in the bullpen, with a fresh can of root beer, Kate opens Lucille Fisher's accident report. The first thing she notices is that Lucille wasn't driving a car registered to her, but to the Peaceful End funeral home. She supposes that for a family-owned business, that wouldn't be unusual.

Apparently, the official log for the car indicated that it was taken in for a regular maintenance check, including the brakes, by Roger Berringer. But the brakes failed. To avoid hitting a group of children crossing the street near a school, Lucille swerved and hit a concrete wall. The whole front end of the car was stoved in. According to the shop where the maintenance was supposed to have been performed, Roger skipped the appointment. Rick's intuition could have been right again. If Peter Fisher held Roger Berringer responsible for putting Lucille in a wheelchair, his anger could drive him to murder. But what about the letter from Indiana? And does the woman claiming to be Sandra Bucholzer come into the story? First things first. Kate needs to talk to the cop who investigated Lucille's accident.