Moment in Time Part 3

Chapter 19

The Nose

Part 3

Mia stares at Rick through the tiny window in her door. "Mr. Castle, what are you doing here?"

"I came to ask for your help and to help you."

"I already told you and Captain Beckett everything I could about the man in the elevator. So I can't help you anymore," Mia protests. "And I can't see how you could possibly help me."

"We have a suspect, but we need your talented olfactory system to tell us if he's the right one. And I can help you because you're lonely and isolated. I'm offering you a way back into the world."

Mia snorts. "What could you know about loneliness? You're a best-selling author crazy for his hot wife."

"I wasn't always a best-selling author, and it took me three tries to find Kate. My mother is an actress. When I was little, she dragged me around the country to wherever she could get a gig. If I hung with anyone, it was a stagehand or an understudy. And when I got older, when she could afford it, she shipped me off to a string of boarding schools. And even when I was with her, my presence was eclipsed by the luminosity of Martha Rodgers."

Mia's mouth drops open. "Wait! You're Martha Rodgers' son?"

"I have both the honor and the curse."

"Damn straight; you have the honor!" Mia retorts. "Your mother is miraculous. I saw her on stage once. It was the only time…. Look. Here's the deal. I'll smell your suspect. But I'm not getting anywhere near the Reek Brothers. And after I tell you whether you got the right guy, you take me to meet Martha Rodgers. And I don't just want an autograph. I want time to talk to her."

"Easy enough. I believe Mother is taking advantage of the acoustics in my loft to pursue vocal exercises this afternoon. You can meet with her undisturbed. So, shall we go?"

"Do you have your Ferrari? I'm not getting into any police vehicles."

"Which is just as well because Kate won't let me drive one," Rick confesses. "Ms. Lazlo, your 731 horsepower carriage awaits. And if I'm to be your coachman, you might as well call me Rick."

Walking behind a line of suspects, Mia takes a wincing sniff of each one. "He's not here."

"Are you sure?" Kate presses.

"Of course, I'm sure. None of them use the same brand of deodorant or toothpaste. And two of them had pizza in the last hour. One had a Caesar salad. Ugh! So unless that's what you feed your suspects, I'm out of here."

Kate nods at Rick. "Take her wherever she wants to go."

"Can I go now?" Liam Hollister demands as the cops forming the rest of the lineup file away.

"As soon as I have CSU check the shirt you were wearing at the crime scene. If it comes up clean, you may be out of here by tonight. But don't leave town, Mr. Hollister," Kate warns.

"I'm a transporter. How can I do my job if I don't leave town?"

"Consider it a staycation. At least you'll still have a job – which you won't, if I charge you with leaving the scene of a crime."

"Yeah, sure," Liam grumbles as L.T. leads him back to holding.

"Martha Rodgers! It really is you!" Mia exclaims as Rick ushers her into the loft.

"Mother," Rick explains. "This is Mia Lazlo. I texted you about her."

"You texted me? Oh, dear! I turned off my phone to do 'The Hum.' I must not have turned it on again. So, Mia, what brings you to Richard's cavern?"

"I wanted to… I mean, Rick said I could meet you. But I never really believed it."

Martha smiles indulgently. "I'm always glad to meet a fan."

"I'm more than a fan, Ms. Rodgers."

"Martha, please."

"Wow! You changed my life, Martha. When I was in high school, I saw you in Pippin. I don't go to theaters. I have a condition." Rick silently points to his nose and gestures as Mia continues. "The smell of artificial butter makes me sick. And the odor of all the people sitting that close together is a hundred times worse. Mostly, I was allowed to sit by myself in school. But I was writing a paper about Charlemagne legends, and a witch of a teacher made me go see it. So I got a ticket for previews where there wasn't much of an audience."

Martha sighs. "Yes, that was a dinner theater in New Jersey. The roof leaked when it rained. People only showed up to get the twofer roast beef special. When they served meatloaf, the tables were almost empty.

"The meatloaf stank of outdated ketchup," Mia recalled. "And the air was full of mold spores from the roof. It was awful. But you were the light in the room. You glowed. And for a little while, you made me feel like I could survive in the world."

Martha throws her arms around Mia. "Oh, Darling! That's what the theater is all about, giving people hope. I'm glad that I could be part of that for you."

A knock on the door interrupts the women's embrace. "Did you order food, Mother?"

"No. Maybe it's one of your gadgets."

"Perhaps. I was expecting…." As Rick pulls the door open a crack, a masked gunman forces his way in. "Where's the painting?"

"What painting?" Rick asks. "If it's something on my walls, take your pick. But it would be nice if you left the purple one alone. It's my wife's favorite."

"Not your crap!" the intruder spits out. "The Van Gogh! Your wife is the police captain. She must know where it is. You write about everything she does. So she must have told you."

"If she knows, I promise you she didn't tell me," Rick responds. "But just don't shoot anybody. I'll call her and ask her."

The gunman moves in on Rick. "Do you think I'm stupid? I watch TV. If I let you say whatever you want, you'll use a code that will bring half the police force here. I'd never get out alive. So, put your cell on speaker and say exactly what I tell you to say, or neither you nor these ladies will live through it." The invader moves closer to Castle and waves at Martha and Mia. "Get over here where I can cover you. As they inch in, he turns back to Rick. "Take your phone out of your pocket very slowly."

"Sure," Rick agrees, suddenly throwing a roundhouse punch at the gunman. He feels his elbow hit something as his target goes down unconscious. Grinning, he whirls toward the suddenly freed hostages. "Did you see that?"

Mia screams as her hands go to her nose. "You broke it!"

Rick gazes at the blood dripping from Mia's nostrils. "Oh, no!"

"Richard, now you really need to call for help," Martha declares. "I'll get Mia some ice."

As an EMT is tending to Mia, Kate charges in the door of the loft. She cradles Rick's face in her palms. "Babe, are you all right?"

He squeezes her hand. "I'm fine."

"I'm the one with the broken nose," Mia interrupts.

"The hospital can take an x-ray," the medic consoles her. "But I don't think it's broken."

"You'll have the best nose doctor in New York, Darling," Martha asserts, "and Richard will pay for it."