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Office of the Police Commissioner
NYPD Headquarters
1 Police Plaza Path,
New York, NY 10038
"If you do this, I'll the laughingstock of the department," Gates complains.
"He isn't a punishment," The Commissioner replies.
"He's not a prize," she rolls her eyes.
"Do you know how many of your peers are even now begging to have him on their team?" he asks, "He's not just a skilled investigator.
In our profession, most cops push for short range tactical thinking meant to make rapid results and arrests, Rick's a brilliant strategist."
"You make him sound like another Jack Maple," Gates rolls her eyes.
"Not a bad comparison but I tend to go with Nicola Tesla."
"Tesla?" she says confused.
"You are you familiar with Nicola Tesla?"
"Yes Sir."
"Someone," the PC explains, "Once asked Tesla the difference between his methodology and Edison's. Tesla used the example of looking for a needle in a haystack.
"Tesla said Edison would feverishly examine each straw until he found the needle. Tesla, however, would use theory and calculation and save himself ninety percent of the labor."
"That's fascinating sir, but it doesn't apply to police work.
"Has Beckett ever told you about that first day they worked together?" the PC asks.
"No," she replies.
"At the time, like you, she saw Rick's presence as heresy. So, to prove a point, he dared her to let him profile her, tell her story as it were.
"He picked her apart and was spot-on. He nailed where she grew up, education level, and that she joined the force to solve the yet unsolved murder of a loved one."
"Cute trick," Gates scoffs, "A carnival huckster do the same."
"Be that as may," the PC continues, "Let's see you do it."
Gates was about to counter.
"The reason Rick was involved had to do with hisbooks," The PC continues, "Beckett and others thought it was a serial imitating murders from Rick's novels.
"Rick was brought in to help go over his fan mail. We arrested a 21-year-old autistic young man who knew the victims.
"Sounds like a solid case, "Gates replies.
"Except Rick determined the staged murder scenes were false," The PC replies, "There were glaring inconsistencies. We just waved it off as acceptable errors, close enough.
"Rick figured someone like the accused was incapable of allowing even the tiniest mistake. Rick figured out that it wasn't a serial. His copy of the crime scenes would have to be perfect or not at all.
"Now I remember," Gates responds, "This was the Tisdale case. Brother murdered his little sister to inherit all of dad's money."
"Harrison Tisdale bookended his sister's murder with to more," the PC recounts, "Trying to frame his sister's friend. We almost put away an innocent mentally challenged kid.
"You see, Kate acted like Edison, dragging though the letters. Rick acted like Tesla, using theory and calculation to see the true answer."
"It sounds like guesswork," Gates replies," Most of Mr. Castle's theories are guess work."
"The best police work is to work the evidence in an organized and steady manner."
"What happens when evidence lies?" The PC asks.
"What?"
"You used evidence designed to frame the mayor for murder," he replies.
"I didn't frame him," she counters, "I had nothing to do with that!"
"We followed the evidence, by the book," Gates replies.
"This was the mayor!" the PC bellows, "Not some meth head! "w
"Mr. Castle could hardly be objective, protecting his friend and rabbi," Gates counters.
"And what about you, Victoria?" he asks, "What about your objectivity. Getting rid of the mayor and gets rid of Rick. That must've occurred to you."
"Is that what the mayor thinks," Gates replies scared, "He's never said anything."
"Rick convinced him not to say or do anything," the PC replies, "Rick's been rebuilding Bobby's political future. Revenge on you would be counterproductive.
"Of course, there was the incident a year later where Jerry Tyson framed Rick. You seemed to have learn nothing from the mayor's case."
"Again, we only followed the evidence," Gates replies.
"That's what's supposed to happen in frame," the PC counters, "You followed false evidence until you go off the cliff like a cartoon.
"It turned into a Harrison Ford movie; he escaped your custody to look for the real killer which he found by himself."
"The mayor doesn't want a Police Force that can be fooled by bright shiny objects and neither do I."
"You see Rick has a talent for seeing through a "Maskirovka" The PC explains.
"Maskirovka?" Gates scrunches her face.
"It's a word I picked up in Brighton," he explains, "From our Russian friends. Literally translated, it means disguise or masquerade.
"It's also the Russian doctrine of military deception. Since 1904, they've built an entire science consisting of concealment, disguise, decoys, disinformation, distraction, etc.
"The Russian mob, many of whose members are ex-military, adapted the terms and techniques to mask their activities.
All the cases I mentioned show his ability to see through deceptions. It's also why you should never play poker with him. Beckett is the only one he lets win."
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Study,
Rick Castle's Loft
427 Broome Street
Manhattan, New York, New York, 10013
Alexis reenters wearing her Fencing safety gear and holding a rapier.
"I need you to meet me in the basement," she scowls.
"Alexis!" Rick calls out as he enters the basement.
'Ready for La Verdadera Destreza the true skill and the true art," she asks.
She stands at the edge of a circular diagram drawn in chalk on the ground.
"Gérard Thibault d'Anvers' mysterious circle?" Rick questions, "You always loved that."
"Why not," Alexis grins," It's a highly logical, mathematical approach to swordplay, you used it to each me geometry."
Rick looks down and sees a complex series of intersecting lines and foot work positions.
"I thought I taught you to create a stepping guide, a simple pattern using nothing other than basic lines, to draw a simple proportional circle on the ground with to create. This the more complex approach."
"I like the precise geometric relationship between the opponents, stressing the importance of natural proportion.
"Besides," Alexis replies, "I thought you might need reminders. The geometric shorthand helps simply places locations by the nearest intersection in the diagram."
"Considering I taught you," Rick replies, "It's hard for me to forget."
"Putting on his gear, Rick starts opposite his daughter and the swordplay begins. They use the circle to find the proper length of swords, steps, and distance.
They also use it to locate where to step in relation to each other to produce the desired effects.
They spar for several either gaining advantage. He then moves quickly and slides the caged hilt of his rapier down her blade, locking her hilt taking it from her hand without barely touching her hand.
He removes his gear and towels off.
They go upstairs to shower and clean up.
"Don't forget the trophy," Rick calls to her, "I did win."
"Yeah, yeah," she responds.
Rick Castle sits at his laptop when Alexis walks in, her wet hair in a bun.
She places an object on his desk.
"Here's Tody!" she smiles at an anthropomorphic fox in Zorro mask and hat.
She presses Tody stomach and song starts which she sings along.
"Out of the night/When the full moon is bright/"
"Comes the horseman known as Zorro! /
"This bold renegade/Carves a "Z" with his blade/
"The "Z" that stands for "Zorro!"/
"Zorro! /The fox so cunning and free! /Zorro! /Who makes the sign of the "Z!".
"It's still a dumb name for Zorro," Rick rolls his eyes.
"Hey, you're the one who told me Zorro is Spanish for Fox. And a boy fox is called a Tod," she replies."
"It still sounds like you named him after a type of Irish Coffee," Rick states.
"Besides," Alexis counters, "You wanted to name him Cosmo.
"No, I wanted to name you Cosmo," Rick smirks.
"What is it with you and that name?" Alexis asks.
"Your mom had a near unlimited supply the night you were conceived, he replies."
"Eww," she responds, making a face."
"Why the sudden need to work the Spanish Circle?" Rick asks.
"I wanted to see which face you're showing?" Alexis asks.
"Are you saying, I'm two faced," Rick tries humor.
"Yes," she says flatly.
"When I was kidnapped," Alex recounts, "Beckett told me about how you tortured the wounded getaway driver. It's like how your father would've acted."
"So, you want me to show the face that's not like my dad?" Rick asks.
"That face is like Don Diego de la Vega," Alexis replies, "And the other face is like Zorro."
"They're the same fictional person," Rick chuckles.
"Yes and no," Alexis replies, "It's like you do the Don Diego persona most of the time but show Zorro when needed like when you beat up Hal Lockwood. You hide who really are until needed."
"You know me way too well," Rick rolls his eyes.
"Or Maybe," Alexis replies," You shouldn't have sat me through those DVD marathons of the 1957 Disney live action Zorro series?"
"It has it's uses," Rick responds.
He types on the keyboard and brings up a video file on the large screen.
"Remember this?" Rick states, "It's a certain redhead, just shy of turning one."
The baby Alexis on the screen uses her right index finger to fence with her dad's.
"You were so adorable," Rick smiles, "Your first fencing match."
"Be serious dad," she storms off.
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FBI Headquarters
J. Edgar Hoover Building
935 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C.
Kate was on a break from the interview, standing in the hallway. She was lost in thought, mulling a call to Rick or not.
"Excuse me, Kate Beckett?" she hears from a female voice with a Manchester accent.
Kate looks to see a stunning 5' 8" Afro-British woman.
"Special Agent Diana Barrigan," she says, "New York White Collar division."
They shake hands.
"Ricky talks about you," Diana says, "I agreed with you, Nikki Heat is a stripper name."
"How do you know Rick?" Kate asks. "Did he do research on you?"
Diana's familiarity with Rick sends up red flags for Kate.
"He consults with us occasionally," Diana replies, "He helps us build theory and strategy."
"This is news to me." Kate is not happy, "What does the FBI need with him."
"Rick is an auto-poly, which makes him very rare," Diana responds.
"Did you say Auto-Poly?" Kate asks confused, "I assume that's not a type of parrot."
"No," Diana laughs, "It's word we made up, combination of two words. Autodidact and polymath. An Autodidact can master a topic on his own, without structured training.
"A Polymath can master multiple subjects. The two combined is classically termed Renaissance Man."
"I know the term," Kate's responds, "Just never thought to apply it Castle."
"Haven't you noticed how quickly he masters subjects?" Diana asks.
"Normally, I find it annoying." Kate responds.
"He said that about you," Diana replies.
"You don't find it annoying?" Kate asks.
"It's all relative. I've only met two, Rick and Neil Caffrey. Neil is much more annoying."
"Neil Caffrey? Forger, thief, conman?" Kate states, "That Neil Caffrey?"
"Yeah, they go way back." Diana replies.
"Of course, they do," Kate rolls here eyes."
"I know, he's like Hula-Hula," Diana replies.
"Who?" Kate asks.
"He was a character on the Plastic Man cartoon show," Diana explains, "Wherever the heroes landed, one of Hula-Hula's many friends would turn up to help".
"If you already have an auto-poly, why do you need Rick?" Kate asks.
"Yes, Neil is better at somethings," Diana replies, "He's on parole to us. Like in that DiCaprio's movie. But the lack of an ankle monitor makes Rick more flexible."
"Alright, how closely do you work with Rick," Kate can't take much more.
"Do you think I'm after Rick?" Diana asks.
"Well, are you?" Kate asks directly.
"I'm a lesbian, Kate," Diana says, and Kate looks relieved, "However. Ricky saved my life multiple times. One time he almost died clearing me of false charges.
"Any other man wouldn't interest me. But some people on either side feel the need to experiment and Rick is my desired experiment."
Kate's, jaw drops.
"I can't believe what you gave up for this job, Diana points out," He's wealthy, hansom, loyal, heroic, devoted, and honorable
"Not to mention Alexis would be an awesome a stepdaughter. I can imagine going past experimentation, just fair warning.
"I didn't give up anything," Kate snaps back, "I Pursued a career opportunity. He should have understood."
"If you say so," Diana replies, "How did you think this would end. And I'm not the only girl you have to worry about."
"Gee thanks," Kate responds, "Diana, why didn't he mention any of this."
"Jordan Saw told me about when she worked with you," Diana replies, "Jordan said you became jealous when she and Rick collaborated in building theory.
"You guys weren't a couple yet, but the idea of someone else working a case with him drove you nuts. Have you ever heard of the film Captain's Paradise?"
"An Alec Guinness movie I think," Kate answers.
"Guinness is a ferry boat captain with a wife in Gibraltar and one in Morocco. In Rick's case, he's got two work wives, you at NYPD and me at FBI."
"He wanted to make you the one and only, even quitting his work with the FBI, but you mucked up everything."
"It's not my fault."
"Yeah, right," Diana responds. "Hang on to that? Anyway, I got to run."
Diana takes off smirking so Kate can see.
"I'll kill him." Kate mumbles.
"Kill who?" someone asks, walking up?"
"Hey Jordan," Kate says unenthusiastically, "Just thinking of Castle. I thought you worked out of Chicago?"
"I'm giving some seminars," Jordan replies. "Then the same at the BAU in Quantico. How's the interview process so far?"
"Rough and unexpected, "Kate answers but decides not to talk about Diana."
"How so?"
"They asked a lot of questions about Castle," Kate replies.
"It's only understandable," Jordan says, "He's famous and well connected."
"That's not it and you know it," Kate glares, "Someone told them about Rick and me."
"Really, Kate, you think your glare works on me?" Jordan shakes head.
"What did you tell them?" Kate asks.
"I told them about the Scott Dunn case," Jordan replies," And given Rick's input at White Collar, they couldn't understand how Captain Gates could paint him as the comedy relief.
"Not to mention, I said that Captain Gates has been falsely giving you all the credit for what you accomplished jointly.
"What?" Kate responds.
"The Police Commissioner himself verified this," Jordan replies.
Jordan leaves.
"I'll kill him," Kate says furiously, "I'm stealing his credit? He's not even a real cop."
She dials his number.
"Kate, "Rick answers before she can say anything, "I love you, I want to marry you, and have kids with you someday.
"But right now, Alexis is mad at me, seems she like she angry at both of us. I can't deal with you.
"Why is she mad at me?" Kate asks.
"Seriously, you have got to me the worst detective in history," he gets angry "You're the third mother to abandon her for a career choice.
"Come on, she's an adult," Kate responds.
"She's nineteen," he replies, "The same age you were when the loss of your mother sent you into near madness. And if you think rejection isn't the same, you're even more dense than I thought."
Detective Beckett," a voice calls to her, "We're ready to resume." Kate hangs up.