Recollection Rick

Chapter 32

The furious attack of Rick's chef's knife on salad ingredients echoes through the loft as Kate arrives. Aside from the massacre of innocent vegetables, the set of his body screams stress. "What's the crisis, Babe?"

Rick's knife clatters to the board. "Alexis moved Dana into our guest room!"

Kate struggles to squelch a giggle. "It could be worse. She could have moved him into her room."

"I can see those little green speckles you get in your eyes when you're amused. It's not funny, Kate! He'll barely have to walk three feet to her door. Alexis is only seventeen. Who knows what could happen?"

Kate hooks her hands behind Rick's neck. "I think everyone knows what could happen. The important question is, what's likely to happen. Alexis has a great head on her shoulders. So does Dana. But more to the point, she loves you and doesn't want to disappoint you. And the last thing Dana needs right now is any complications in his life. So I think you need to take a breath before your head explodes."

"You're right," Rick concedes. "And I've just murdered two cucumbers."

Kate rises on her toes for a quick kiss. "We can use the remains for tzatziki."

"I suppose so," Rick considers, surveying the wreckage. "But given the fraternity-related root of our troubles, making a Greek sauce won't make me feel much better." A buzz alerts him to a call on his cell. "Bart Wygard," he notes, checking the I.D. "Wow! That's Dana's father, the P.I. I told you about." Rick activates the speaker. "Richard Castle."

"Yes, Mr. Castle, I was hoping to reach you," a mild voice replies. "I got a text from my son, Dana, concerning his new living arrangements. I thought we should talk."

"We should definitely do that," Rick agrees. "Do you know the café where Kenmare merges into Delancey?"

"I do," Bart acknowledges. "Forty-five minutes?"

"Sounds good."

"You want me to go with you?" Kate asks. "I can be finished feeding Lily in time. We could leave her with Alexis or take her with us."

"Yes, I want you with me. I almost always do. Also, you might keep me from socking him, and he probably hits harder than I do. But with Alexis distracted like this, I'm not about to leave Lily with her," Rick decides.

"All right. Oh, wait! What did you mean almost always?" Kate demands.

"There are some places that are sacrosanct." Rick reddens. "And those little cakes they put in the bottoms of urinals don't always work."

Kate rolls her eyes. "I suppose I can accept that. I'll get Lily filled up and ready to go."


If a casting director were looking for someone to play a P.I., she'd be unlikely to call on Bart Wygard. Far from jumping off a screen, he'd be the one person in a crowd least likely to be noticed – unless you looked very hard. He's neither fat nor thin, tall, nor short, dark nor light. His face isn't handsome but not off-putting either. His clothes are seasonal but off the rack and not a high-priced one. His coat also disguises well-muscled biceps and a tight core. While a passerby wouldn't give him a second look, Rick picks him out immediately as someone a lot more dangerous than he appears.

Wygard raises a hand, subtly beckoning Rick and Kate to his table. "Mr. Castle and the amazing Kate Beckett, the closer of homicide cases no one else can solve. Nice to meet you both. And It's always good to have a baby to draw attention. People won't be listening to adult conversation. I'll get right to it. Mr. Castle, Detective Beckett, I've never had my son willingly spend this much time with a girl, or anyone else for that matter. According to him, Alexis is quite the up-and-comer in forensics."

"As is your son," Castle notes. "Alexis has great admiration for all his accomplishments."

"Mm-hmm, admiration. Do you think they're sleeping together?" Wygard queries.

Coughs erupt from Rick's throat. "You get right to the point, don't you, Wygard?"

"It saves time. But perhaps," Wygard considers, "I asked the wrong person. Detective Beckett, absent the haze of protective fatherhood, do you think Alexis and Dana are sharing a bed?"

"No, I don't," Kate responds. "From what I've observed, the signals aren't there – yet. But that doesn't mean they won't be."

"Which begs the question, should my son be staying with you? Is being that close to each other too much of a temptation for the kids?" Wygard wonders.

Kate joggles Lily before passing her to Rick. He's less likely to lunge from his seat while holding the baby. "What I think is that if anything, our presence, particularly Rick's, will be an inhibiting influence. And if the situation changes, we'll be in a position to pick up on it. Rick's around most of the day, and we're both around at night. They aren't going to have much privacy."

"And with Lily in the house, they won't have a lot of quiet time together either," Rick adds, dabbing a paper napkin at the shoulder of his jacket where Lily's left her mark.

"And it's only for a couple of weeks, right?" Kate continues. "Alexis said Dana would be winning a prize, the Lee Award, so he'll be able to afford an apartment."

"I'm sure Dana wasn't as positive about that as Alexis was. The Lee award attracts some stiff competition. Dana has a good chance, probably better than good. But it's no slam dunk. Having been in proximity to what was going down on the Hudson campus, even though he wasn't involved, won't help him any. But Dr. Lee is a fair man who always considers every aspect of a situation. That's why he's been so prominent in his field for so long. We'll just have to wait and see if Dana comes out on top. But until then, will you be keeping an eye on both of them?" Wygard queries.

"Both eyes. And I've considered hidden cameras," Rick confesses.

"If you ever want your daughter to talk to you again, no cameras," Kate warns. "Look, Mr. Wygard, the situation isn't ideal, but it could be a lot worse for Dana and Alexis if he were still living at a fraternity. You can practically smell the pheromones in those houses. Rick and I can hang in for a while and see how hot things are getting between them."

"And if necessary, the Castle drawbridges will go up," Rick proclaims.

"Da-uh!" Lily babbles.

Rick grins. "Clearly, the family agrees."


Almost hypnotized by the flashing images, Fallon stares at the parade of faces as the facial recognition algorithm runs. He could easily get up and leave. The program will send a signal to his phone if it finds a match. Still, he stays where he is. All of them, every combination of eyes, nose, and mouth, could be a threat to his country, his city, his life. And there are so many.

For Kate Beckett, it's easy. She catches one murderer, and maybe a conspirator or two, and her case is over, done. She can sleep, knowing her loved ones and her city are safer. But for Fallon, it's never over. Terrorist groups are like hydras. You cut off one head, and two others grow. But he's going to keep fighting. Except for striking back at the monster, there's nothing left he can do.