Flu

Chapter 66

Treading as silently as she can, Kate approaches the cabin. Warm air seeps from under the door, and smoke rises from the chimney. No sound from inside reaches her until a deep cough followed by a stream of obscenities. She remembers having similar feelings about the flu, but her empathy vanishes as autopsy photos of Bridget McCready fill her mind.

Kate signals for the other cops to move in. One of the uniforms hits the massive wood door with a battering ram, knocking it inward. With flexed knees and her gun in both hands, Kate crosses the threshold. Wrapped in a blanket, Frees lies on a hide in front of a dying fire. He turns, a chest-wrenching cough exploding from his mouth. Words wheeze through his lips. "Tell me you brought a God damned medic! F*****g Heitner!"


"I wonder if Frees is going to make a recovery," Rick ponders, as Kate pulls her unit away from the hospital where their prisoner is under guard. "When you looked like that, it scared the hell out of me, and it was touch and go for a while."

Kate's shoulders sag. "I'm sorry you had to go through that, and I hope he lives to face charges for everything he's done. The D.N.A. analyses C.S.U. is doing on his trophies will point to more victims. Hopefully, we can give their families some peace."

"What about Heitner?" Rick asks.

"As soon as I knew Frees was secure, I sent Ryan and Esposito to pick Heitner up. They've both had the flu now too, but I don't think they'll be showing him any sympathy. Asshole cops like Heitner give the whole department a bad name."

Rick checks his watch. "We should make it back in time for me to fix Carbonara. I'm hoping after her favorite pasta, Alexis will open up to me about working with C.S.U. over her Christmas break. Maybe I should bake a pan of triple chocolate brownies, too."

"Much as I love your brownies, Cannoli would go better with the Carbonara," Kate advises.

"They're not mutually exclusive. I'll bake," Rick decides, "and we can stop by the Italian deli for the cannoli on the way home."

"Sounds like a plan," Kate agrees.


If the Carbonara weren't enough of a clue, Alexis could recognize the expectant look on her father's face from a block away. She can't believe that Kate violated her confidence. Dad probably figured out she was hiding something on his own. Sooner or later, he usually does. She has to come clean anyway. Tomorrow is the deadline for giving Chief Osnitz an answer and turning in her paperwork, or she'll lose her shot.

After pasta, Rick lays plates of cannoli and brownies on the table while the aroma of fresh-brewed coffee wafts from the kitchen. "We have much to celebrate. Today's busts of Frees and Heitner will close enough cases to give Montgomery bragging rights for months – always good for precinct morale. And we've weeded out a bad cop from the department." He arches a brow at his daughter. "Anyone have any other uplifting news to impart?"

Martha raises her glass of red wine. "Darlings, I have an announcement. I received a call from my agent this afternoon. I've been cast in a challenging role, one that will call upon all the skills I've developed for my craft."

Rick forces a smile to cover his frustration as he turns to the diva. "That's marvelous, Mother. What's the role?"

"If you recall, I told you I auditioned for a new play. It revolves around a woman trying to relive her youth through her daughters but ends up feeling compelled to compete with them. The playwright, Heidi Golding, had originally envisioned herself in the part. However, with introspection – as well as prospective producers refusing to invest – she realized that writing is her most propitious domain. The character's extreme range of emotions will place huge demands on my artistry, but I've retained sensory and muscle memory from every event in my life. Delving deep into every moment I've experienced, I can inhabit Millicent Murgatroyd."

Rick fights the urge to laugh. "The character's name is Millicent Murgatroyd?"

Martha colors. "Well, yes, it is. Heidi Golding is a Snagglepuss fan and has always wanted to name a character Murgatroyd."

Kate covers her mouth, stifling a giggle.

"Millicent," Martha continues, "was Heidi's grandmother who was a bit – well, you can imagine. But an actor must overcome."

"I'm sure you're more than up to the task, Mother." Castle glances toward his daughter. "Does anyone else have something to share?"

Alexis swallows. "Dad," can I talk to you in your office?"

"Of course, Pumpkin."

Castle perches on the edge of his desk. "Now, what did you want to tell me, Sweetheart?"

The teen stares down at the hardwood floor. "I know how much you love Christmas. We've always loved it together, and I don't want to ruin it for you."

"Baby, even the Grinch couldn't ruin Christmas. Just spit it out," Rick urges. "We'll both feel better."

"Chief Osnitz wants me to work in the lab over my break. I need you to sign my permission slip tonight. Please, Dad, I really want to do this."

"Breathe," Rick counsels. "If I agree to this, will Chief Osnitz stop giving me dirty looks every time I walk into C.S.U.?"

"I don't know," Alexis admits. "It might help."

"Give me the form," Rick instructs, "and you can stand over me while I sign it."

Alexis plants a kiss on his cheek. "You're the best, Dad."

"Just don't blame me if the garlands aren't straight this year."


Rick settles into his seat in Kate's newly repaired unit with a blissful grin. "This is the most comfortable I've been in this car since I started riding with you. Ooh! Except for that time in the back seat. That was, mmm, worth at least a chapter in a Heat story."

"Don't you dare write about that!" Kate warns, "or a spring up your butt will be the least of your problems."

"Whoa, got it," Rick concedes. "No recounting of back seat adventures. So, how about my current presence in the front seat? Time to interview Heitner? You said he ended up in the hospital too."

"Just as a precaution against a lawsuit. We still don't know who that poor young woman he dumped in Allentown was. I'm going to get it out of him."

"Kate," Rick worries, "if he tells you, that would be tantamount to admitting to her murder. So far, the case against him is circumstantial. Even groggy from the flu, as a cop, he'd know better than to open his mouth."

"But if we claim that Frees mentioned him, he'll tell us anything he can to try to save what's left of his ass."

"Frees just cussed Heitner out. He didn't tell us what the jerk-off did."

"Heitner doesn't know that," Kate reminds her husband.

"Ah, Kate Beckett, queen of interrogation and the well-crafted deception. But doesn't it make you feel the least bit guilty to take advantage of the man in his moment of weakness and pain?"

"If I can get him to tell me the truth now, it will mean that woman's family will finally have closure. I won't feel guilty about that for one second."

Rick reaches across the console to take her hand and presses a kiss into her palm. "Katherine Houghton Beckett, you are extraordinary. If we weren't already married, I'd propose to you again. Break the bastard!"