Couples
Chapter 84
Montgomery pushes back from his desk and palms his eyes. "You want to put a tail on Dimmer?"
"I can do the tailing, Sir, or at least most of it," Kate volunteers. "I might need some help from Ryan and Esposito. But if I can find out about his habits and who he's seeing, maybe I'll have someone who can tell me who he killed."
"You still don't know that he killed anyone. And it seems to me that your bodega guy…"
"Sanchez," Kate fills in.
"Right, Sanchez, told you no one died," Montgomery points out.
"He was just trying to paint the neighborhood as a friendly place," Kate argues. "Stores like that can always use more customers."
"Maybe. But if not, just how much time and how many resources should I allow you to waste on a so-far non-existent murder?" Montgomery demands.
"Sir, can you at least give me a few days?"
Montgomery shakes his head. "I'm probably going to regret this, but I'll give you 48 hours. And if you have someone to watch Lily, have Castle ride with you. Maybe he'll spot one of those crazy clues he comes up with."
"Yes, Sir. I'll call him right now," Kate promises.
Rick grins into his phone. "Montgomery wants me on a stakeout with you? Excellent! It will be just like old times. And it will work out perfectly. Meryl finished her current assignment, and she can use the extra toddler-herding cash until she picks up another one. When do we start?"
"Montgomery is going to arrange for Dimmer to be assigned to the 4-12 shift. So we can watch him while he's off duty during the day," Kate explains. "We'll start tomorrow morning."
"And get home in time for dinner with Lily," Rick adds. "But we have a thing coming up with Lanie and Lorne to work on stuff for their wedding, don't we?"
"Yeah, we do," Kate recalls, "this weekend. But we don't uncover something rock solid, the captain will pull the plug by then anyway. Let's spend a couple of days in the car and see what we find out."
"Absolutely," Rick agrees. "I'll take care of the snacks."
With Rick in the passenger seat of her unit, Kate studies the building where Dimmer recently took up residence. The exterior could use some work. "It's no wonder he's upset that his wife threw him out. This neighborhood is a few steps down from his old one," Kate notes.
"Divorces are expensive. That's a fact," Rick declares. "But from what you've told me, he might still be getting his jollies in his old stomping grounds."
Kate drums her fingers on the steering wheel. "We may find out. I think he's coming out now."
Rick's eyebrows jump. "The games afoot!"
"And we're going to be on foot. He's heading for the subway. We'll have to be careful to stay back, or he'll spot us."
"I do know some spycraft, Kate," Rick reminds his wife. "With a good idea where he's going, we can let a pretty sizable crowd get between us. It won't matter."
"As long as we can figure out what train he takes," Kate worries.
"From this stop, he only has two choices, the express and the local. They'd be on the same track. We just have to pick the right direction. That gives us a 50/50 chance," Rick figures. "And my money is on uptown to see old –or new– friends."
Kate moves slowly away from her unit, with Rick close behind. "We'll find out."
On her break, Lanie scans through the wedding template she and Lorne filled in, and notes which tasks they've managed to check off. She'll be wearing her mother's wedding dress, which will be coming with Melinda and Walter Parish on the plane from Louisiana. She and Melinda are almost the same size, and Melinda promised to do any last-minute tucks necessary. And Lanie already has killer white sandals that will match. She'll tell Kate she can wear whatever she likes. Even after Lily, Kate looks good in anything. And Rick already owns a tuxedo. Probably more than one. For his own tuxedo, Lorne went back to the store and tailor that took care of his business suit. Also, even if he's toasting by Skype, Benjie Seymour promised to deck himself out as appropriately as he can. Israel has more than a few decent tailors.
Like Alexis and Dana, Lanie and Lorne will be marrying on the grounds of Rick's Hamptons home – or inside it if it rains. She chose a different outdoor spot than Alexis did, one with a built-in archway, which the florist Rick recommended can surround with flowering potted plants. They could also be used indoors. And the guests can take them home with them, so nothing will be wasted. The chaplain from the hospital where Lanie did her residence will be officiating.
That still leaves nailing down the final arrangements for food, music, and transportation. And Rick and Kate have been hinting at bachelor and bachelorette parties. Neither Lanie nor Lorne are sure they want one. The wedding will be enough. They can hash all of that out Saturday night. Or at least Lanie hopes so."
"The CC train is coming in," Rick notes from as far down the platform as he and Kate can stand from Dimmer and still see if he gets on or not. "It has a lot of stops."
"It's also usually pretty empty," Kate notes. "If he takes it, we'll have to be careful he doesn't recognize us. I hope he waits for the express."
"No such luck," Rick guesses. "He's moving toward the edge of the platform. We could always stay in the next car and neck. At least he wouldn't see our faces."
"And we might not see him get off." Kate points out, as they board the train.
"In that case," Rick replies, pulling a mirror out of his pocket, "if we have to turn away, this should help."
Kate points at an insignia on the rim. "Junior Detectives' Club?"
"One of my most prized possessions, acquired when I was eight years old. Mother, however, in a moment of maternal protectiveness, was afraid that I would break it. She took it away and hid it in one of her jewelry boxes. She came upon it recently when preparing for a trip down the red carpet with Craig and returned it to me."
"She thinks you're old enough not to break it now?" Kate inquires.
"No, she realized that it's plastic. But in any case, it is back in my possession and ready to be put to use. Low tech, I admit, but it can do the job. I even cleaned it."
Kate giggles. "OK, Junior Detective Castle, try to keep Dimmer in view."
"If he's going where I think he's going, we've got a few stops to go. Are you sure you don't want to make out?"
"Not on duty, Babe. It's unprofessional. But," Kate adds, bumping against Rick's side, "I'll take a rain check."
"I'll hold you to that," Rick declares.
Tom chuckles to himself. He's feeling pretty good. Detective Beckett thinks someone was murdered. The famous 12th Precinct case-closer who accused him of falling down on the job is heading for a pretty big fall herself. She doesn't have the slightest idea what really happened. Sooner or later, she'll have to give up trying to find out, and Captain Montgomery will probably bust a gut over the wasted effort. Tom will enjoy seeing what happens when someone tries to mess with his private arrangements. He'll enjoy it very much.