Moment in Time Part 3

Chapter 21

The Cool Boys

Part 1

"Dad," Alexis whispers from behind the double doors in Rick's office, "A guy named Slaughter's out there. He says he's an old friend."

"Some old friend!" Rick exclaims. "He almost got me killed about six times. But if I tell him to go away, he won't. He'll probably gut-punch me like he did the last time I saw him."

"I noticed him around the M.E.'s office," Alexis recalls. "He tried to hit on almost every woman there. He was leering at me too."

"Yeah, I gave him my very physical opinion about that. My knuckles were sore for a week."

"Just now, he said I grew up nice, but he didn't try anything."

"He better not have. I'll just go tell him we're swamped with cases. Are we swamped with cases? With Kate out of town at the captains' seminar, I was hoping for something to do."

"Only a couple of skip traces and helping Hayley get through the paperwork about the stolen painting. "

"Well, at least I can tell him we have work." Rick clears his throat before looking into the outer office. He relaxes as Slaughter is nowhere in sight and backs toward the inner room.

Slaughter pops out from behind the door. "Hi, Sherlock! Long time."

"Not long enough, Slaughter. What do you want?"

"Hey, I need that crazy writer's mind of yours. I'm working on the big Booth caper, but it's not my kind of case."

"No one to beat up or shove in the back of a garbage truck? And anyway, I thought you were in Gangs. So why are you working a robbery?"

"Not enough shootouts. I was getting bored."

"And you're expecting shootouts in Robbery?" Rick queries.

"If I get lucky. But I need to find the billionaire's microchip first. It's a great mystery, Sherlock. Everyone in the city wants in. You're lucky I came to you."

"Sorry, Slaughter, Richard Castle Investigations has other cases. So you'll have to make someone else lucky."

"Are you sure? You always need material for your books, right? And I've got some great stories I can share if you'll work with me."

"What kind of stories?"

"Stories of cartel teams that hit secure servers."

Temptation tickles the back of Castle's neck. He'd been working on having Storm trace down a cartel.

"I've even got a lead from one of my CI's," Slaughter adds.

"All right," Rick agrees, "but you better not be leading me into getting my face punched in again."

Slaughter claps Rick on the shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll be the one who does the punching."

Rick shakes his head. "That's what I'm worried about."

"We've got a murder, Bro," Esposito announces to Ryan. "Guy named Victor Lee. The neighbors reported a commotion. Uniforms found the vic with a ten-inch blade in him."

Rick and Slaughter almost collide with Ryan and Esposito at the door to Victor Lee's apartment. "Castle, what are you doing here?" Ryan asks. "I thought you weren't going to be on NYPD cases until Beckett comes back."

"I wanted a change of pace," Rick explains. "I'm helping Slaughter on a robbery. But since when do you guys come out on a theft?"

"When there's a body," Esposito explains. "And while Beckett's gone, I'm in charge."

"Pass the sergeants exam, and all of a sudden, he's in charge," Ryan mutters under his breath.

Esposito glares at his partner before questioning the intruding cop. "Slaughter, what do you know about the victim?"

"Victor was one of my sources. So I just came to shake the tree and see what would fall out."

"Looks like someone shook it ahead of you," Ryan observes.

"You should let me in. I knew the guy. I might pick up on something," Slaughter suggests. "And Sherlock, here, is the creative one. He's always spotting the weird clues."

"I'll give you that much about Castle," Esposito accepts. "Just don't go trampling any evidence."

"We will proceed with the utmost care," Rick assures him. "And speaking of creative, Ryan, are you still writing that blog, 'The Ryan Report?'"

"I am, Castle. What about it?"

"The word is you need to earn a little extra cash. So why not get paid for what you're doing anyway? I could help you monetize your blog. Actually, Alexis and Hayley could do that, but I can give it my stamp of approval. Castle followers would love to hear from the real Raley."

"How much money can I make from a blog?"

"Depends on who likes you and how much. From what Alexis tells me, some bloggers make from a few hundred to a couple of thousand dollars a month. For the big boys, it's seven figures."

"Wow! That could be great! So you'll ask Alexis and Hayley to do that for me?"

"If you keep your partner from kicking me off crime scenes while Beckett's gone."

Ryan shakes his head. "That's a tall order, Castle. But I'll work on it."

"Hey!" Lanie calls from beside the body. "Someone beat this guy pretty hard."

"Before sticking a knife in him?" Esposito asks.

"No. These bruises are older. I'd say last night sometime."

Rick grabs Slaughter's arm and drags him out the door. "Did you beat him up?"

"He was holding out on me. So I tuned him up a little. But I didn't kill him. I needed information, and dead snitches aren't real good at giving it."

"And you've been holding out on me." Castle accuses. "What did you want Victor to tell you?"

"Where the kid is."

"What kid?"

"Some genius named Louis. He invented a gadget that opens any electronic lock. That's how Victor pulled off lifting the chip from Booth tower."

And why would a genius kid help a low-life like Victor pull a job like that?"

Slaughter wraps an arm around Castle's shoulders. "Everyone loves pets. Like you were mine on our last case. Victor found Louis in some kind of program for juvenile delinquents. He was a mentor. Can you believe it? A thief as a mentor. And Louis followed him around like a puppy."

Castle sees a flash of motion from the corner of his eye. "Looks like the puppy stayed close to its twisted master."

"Hey!" Esposito shouts, taking off after the teen. Louis holds a scanner up to the keypad at the entrance of an adjoining building. The door clangs shut behind him. "Damn!"

"Now what?" Rick asks Slaughter. "Got any more surprises up your sleeve?"

"Sherlock, I've got muscle up my sleeve. But one thing did slip out when I was talking to Victor last night. He was supposed to meet with Trucco."

"Who's Trucco?"

"A high-end fence for electronic doodads. He's probably the only one in the city that could handle the toy Victor stole."

"And do you happen to know where Trucco hangs out?" Rick inquires.

Slaughter's chest strains against his shirt. "I know where everyone hangs out. Stick with me, Sherlock. You may learn a few things."

Esposito turns to Ryan. "Those two have something. We should follow them. I'm driving."

"Sure, of course, you are," Ryan mutters.

"This is Trucco's place?" Rick questions pointing at a shabby pawnshop with beat-up guitars in the window.

"Maybe you're not as smart as I thought you were, Sherlock. You think fences advertise their merchandise?"

Rick pulls his phone out of his pocket. "How else would they sell it? Oh, here we are. Chip-sets Unlimited. It specializes in same-day pickup. And the phone matches the emergency number on the door of this pawn palace. Your pal's offering a cell phone that isn't even on the market yet. From what I've read, the only ones available were stolen from the staff of the company that developed it. I think I'll order it and see what happens."

Slaughter punches Rick's arm. "I knew you'd be good for something, Sherlock."