The Woman in the Yellow Dress

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: I own neither Castle nor a yellow dress. Rating: K Time: Early season five. Others know Kate and Rick are a couple, but not Gates.

Kate muttered something that sounded like she agreed with him.

"But, I'll tell you what. If you ever do decide to run away from home and live off the grid, I'll be right with you and I'll build you the finest off the grid, no murder news ever, house that has ever been built. But could we live on a tropical island someplace? Alaska is awfully cold in the winters."

Kate laughed.

"Agreed. Someplace other than central Alaska."

Before either of them could say another word, the timer on the microwave went off, announcing that dinner was ready.

When dinner was over and the dishes washed, Kate and Rick relaxed.

"What did you think of the nude of Daisy bell?"

Castle looked shocked.

"I didn't look at it. Really, why would I look at a painting of some long dead French singer when I've already seen Kate Beckett?"

"I'd like you to look at it."

"Really? Why?"

"I'd like you to look at the photos of all three paintings. You might see something that I, or any other cop, might miss."

"Well, if you absolutely insist that I look at dirty pictures..."

"I insist."

Castle found the paintings by Toulouse-Lautrec online, as well as the forgery that Hobbes had. They both examined the photos closely, but found nothing that would help the investigation.

That night when they'd gone to bed, Kate wondered if she might know more about the paintings than she had let on.

When they arrived at the precinct the next day, the first of the records of their suspects had arrived.

"We'll be getting reports from other jurisdictions and perhaps from the Feds, but we can start with these." Kate said, handing a report to each one of her team. Castle, the speed reader, was the first to finish.

"I had thought that Sarah Blum would be the perfect villain here. That has so much going for it. Nazis, looted paintings, a quest for revenge and retribution, international intrigue, the works. But Walter Wellington has real possibilities. He was given a full scholarship to Princeton when he was sixteen. After two years, he was a few months away from getting a bachelor's degree, double majoring in philosophy and mathematics. He dropped out telling Princeton that they weren't teaching him what he needed to know. He became a bum, a transient, a homeless person, wandering from place to place." Castle began going through the report, picking out instances. "Arrested in Burnt Cabins, Pennsylvania, drunk and disorderly. Defiance, Ohio, vagrancy. Hereford, Texas, trespassing and public urination. Olathe, Kansas, public indecency. Hays, Kansas, public intoxication. Tularosa, New Mexico, drunk and disorderly. Davis, California, intoxication, public indecency, and violating the city noise ordinance. And then he shows up in Manhattan a year and a half ago, throwing garbage at the Minions of Satan."

Kate smiled.

"Regrettably, Castle, we can't ask the DA to prosecute someone based on what a good story it would make if they were guilty."

He sighed dramatically.

"I'm a man ahead of my time."

"Don't worry, bro." Espo said. "Your time will come."

They were interrupted by a call from Captain Gates' office.

"Detective Beckett, Mr. Castle. My office, now."

As they walked towards her office, Castle hummed Handel's The Dead March under his breath until Kate shushed him.

"Close the door." Gates barked.

She looked up at the two of them and finally spoke.

"Detective Beckett, I'm afraid I'll have to take Detectives Ryan and Esposito away from you for another case."

Kate was surprised.

"Sir, the case we're on now is very sensitive and involves some very powerful people."

Gates waved her to silence.

"So does the new case. John di Falco was murdered this morning."

"Johnny "The Axe" di Falco?" Castle blurted out.

"The same, Mr. Castle. Three young Black men were seen running away from the scene, but we have very little other evidence. There hasn't been a gang war between the Five Families since the , with the rise of Black, Hispanic, Asian, Russian and other gangs, a war between the Five Families could turn into...Something no one wants."

"Couldn't Karpowski's team take the di Falco case, sir?"

Gates shook her head.

"They're working on the Jimenez and Grey murders which are starting to look like the work of a serial killer. I will ask for some help from One PP if we need it."

Kate thought that they needed help right now, but the chances of Gates ever admitting that her precinct needed help were nil.

Gates looked at Rick.

"Mr. Castle, I understand you're acquainted with Vincent Cardano?"

Rick nodded.

"We're neighbors in the Hamptons, and I have met him, but we're not close." He played down his relationship with Vinnie the Scar.

"None the less, the Chief of Detectives thinks it would be a good idea for you to have a talk with Mr. Cardano and see if he can tell us anything that might avert a gang war." Gates' tone of voice indicated that she thought the Chief of Detectives shouldn't be allowed to handle anything sharper than a marshmallow, for his own safety and that of anyone around him.

"Sir, since Junior Spolano and all of the top people in the Spolano family went to prison after Jimmy "The Rat" Moran and Carla Coldblood testified, Michael di Falco took over the Family. Vincent Cardano was retired. In fact, he was probably lucky not to get a cement overcoat as a retirement gift. I doubt that he knows anything about what's happening now."

"That may well be, Mr. Castle, but One PP has spoken. Please call Mr. Cardano and see if he'll talk to you."

Castle pulled out his phone, but was stopped by Gates.

"Please do not call some known gangster from my office, Mr. Castle." She snapped.

"I'll go outside to call." Rick said, quickly retreating.

He came back to Kate's desk in ten minutes.

"It looks like Vinnie was expecting a call. He wants to meet us tonight at Arturo's Trattoria in Brooklyn at seven. Is that okay with you?"

"Fine. And we have some luck. I got a call from Officer Ann Hastings. Wellington hangs out in her area. She's pretty sure she can locate him for us. We should head out now."

But, when they met up with Officer Hastings, she had bad news.

"I'm sorry, Detective Beckett, but Wellington scored enough money for a couple of bottles of cheap, fortified wine. Even if we found him, by now he's too drunk to make any sense."

Kate checked her watch.

"Okay, we can go back to the precinct for an hour and do some work."

Castle shook his head.

"Go back to the precinct? You have to get ready to meet Vinnie."

"Castle, the meeting isn't until seven. We have plenty of time."

"Kate, we're going to what is probably a mob hangout. You cannot go in looking like a cop. You have to dress for the occasion."

She thought about it. Castle was probably right. They really didn't know where Vinnie stood since Michael di Falco had taken over the Spolano family. Being seen with a cop could get Vinnie killed. She agreed to go back to the loft.

She showered and did her makeup and hair and put on a nice green dress that came a few inches above her knees and showed just enough cleavage. Then Castle put something down beside her.

"Here you go. You can wear these tonight."

"Castle, you know I can't wear those in public. If anyone sees me with that much diamond jewelry, they'll think I'm either a corrupt cop, or dating some millionaire author."

"You'll want to fit in. And if anyone asks, you can say that you borrowed these from Martha. Please, Beckett? You needed some fun and glamour in your life for so long and I've been trying so hard to give you the life you deserve."

"You know I'm not with you because you're rich, right?"

"And that makes me love you even more. Now, let me put these on you."

Kate allowed Rick to put on her diamond earrings, a diamond necklace, a diamond bracelet, a diamond ring, and a diamond ankle bracelet.

"There! You look perfect, and gorgeous."

"Thank you." She said, and kissed him.

When they arrived at Arturo's, Kate thought it didn't look much like a mob hangout. The clientele looked like the usual run of upscale New Yorkers. There were, however, a lot of them. There was a line out the door to get in and the place appeared to be packed. Never the less, Castle approached a harassed looking maitre d'.

"I'm sorry, sir." He said without looking up. "We're full up for the next week. The line is for seats at the bar, if you'd care to wait for five hours."

"I'm supposed to meet a friend here. A Mr. Vincent Cardano."

The maitre d' looked up at once.

"Mr. Castle and Ms. Beckett?"

Rick nodded.

"I'm so very sorry, sir. This way please."

They were led through the dining room, through a curtain, then up a flight of stairs. The man stopped at a door, and knocked.

"Mr. Cardano, your guests are here."

"Well, don't keep them waiting, send them in." Vinnie roared.

The room was opulent and was obviously designed for parties larger than the three of them. There was thick plush carpet on the floor, the walls had wainscoting paneling, as well as very ornate blue and gold wallpaper. Several large landscape paintings hung on the wall. Castle had to wonder how many gangland meetings had been held here.

"Rick, Kate." Vinnie said with a smile. "Please, come. Sit down. This is Constance, our waitress for tonight."

The two sat down and Vinnie smiled at them.

"So good to see you both, and you, Kate, are more gorgeous than ever." He then stage whispered to Rick. "If you let this one get away, you're a fool."

"I'm no fool, Vinnie." He replied with a smile.

Kate was mildly shocked. This was the first time that Rick had ever indicated he would not let her get away. Not that she wanted away.

"This is the best Italian restaurant in all of New York. Connie, will you tell my guests where the owner was born?"

Connie giggled.

"Mr. Nung was born in Hue, Vietnam and came to the US as an infant."

"And who is the head chef and where is he from?"

"Mr. Herrera is from Jalisco State in Mexico and almost all of the kitchen staff if from Mexico or from Central America,"

Vinnie laughed.

"Ain't that America, Rick? Italian kids don't want to go to work in a kitchen and do all the hard, hot work you need for a restaurant. They want to go to college and work on Wall Street. So, along come a bunch of immigrants, straight off the boat, and they jump at the chance. And, by God," Vinnie crossed himself, "they made this the finest Italian restaurant in New York. In New York? It's the finest in the US."

"Remember, Vinnie, Mr. Nung says his younger brother's restaurant in North Beach in San Francisco, is better than this." Connie said,

"I'll believe that when I see it." Vinnie snorted. "But enough small talk. Would you allow me to order for you? And Kate, I have selected a wonderful red wine for you."

"Vinnie, technically, I'm on duty, so I can't..."

"Of course you can. Kate, you cannot eat with an Italian and not drink wine. It is not possible."

Kate laughed and agreed with him.

Both Rick and Kate agreed that their meal was the very best Italian food they had ever had.

They were finishing their cannoli and coffee when Vinnie spoke.

TBC