Moment in Time Part 3

Chapter 22

The Cool Boys

Part 2

"Are you getting anything, Sherlock?" Slaughter queries as Rick studies his cellphone screen.

"No, um, yes! Just coming through now. He said it would be ready for pick up in 20 minutes." Rick points down the street. "That will give us time to get coffee at the Java hut."

"I don't drink coffee," Slaughter claims. "It gets me too keyed up. I like herb tea."

As Rick's eyes widen, his nose crinkles. "Fine, Java Hut has that too. You could tell me one of your cartel stories while we wait."

"And lose your in with Beckett's boys? Not a chance, Sherlock. You get the stories when we tie up the case."

"They just went for coffee. We're wasting our time watching them," Ryan asserts to his partner.

Esposito snorts. "Just going for coffee after scoping out a pawn shop? No way. And when Castle pulls out his phone, he's up to something. They'll be back, and we'll find out what they're after."

Rick is almost to the bottom of his latte when his cell dings an alert. "My package is waiting. How are you doing with your tea?"

"This stuff always makes me pee," Slaughter complains. "I'll go take a leak, and we can see Trucco."

"Not a bad idea," Rick agrees. "Beckett taught me that when you're on a stakeout, you go when you can because you never know when you'll get another chance."

"She's smart for someone so hot."

"Don't go getting any ideas, Slaughter. Besides," Rick continues, raising his fist, "if you tried to hit on her, she'd have you down before I could even move in with the fat man."

"Which makes her even more impressive. But how she fell for a weenie like you, I have no idea."

Rick pushes open the door to the restroom. "My intelligence, my charm, and," he adds as they start their business, "I have other impressive attributes."

Slaughter makes a show of covering his eyes."Sh*t!"

Rick smiles as he approaches the cage in the pawnshop. "I'm Richard 040169. You have something for me?"

As Trucco passes Rick a small package through a door in the mesh, Slaughter grabs his arm. "I need to talk to you – about Victor Lee."

"I don't know a Victor Lee," Trucco claims.

Slaughter tightens his grip. "I know he was coming to see you. Try again."

"He said he had the chip stolen from the Booth building. But he never showed up."

"What else did he say?" Slaughter demands.

"Just something about the chip being a demonstration that he could pull off a lot more. But like I said, he never showed."

Slaughter pulls Trucco hard against the cage. "Let's take him somewhere and hang him out a window until he remembers everything."

Esposito charges through the door with Ryan grudgingly at his heels. "Hold it, Slaughter! Let go of that guy."

"Which is it?" Slaughter asks. "Hold it or let go?"

"Let the f****ing go!" Esposito responds.

Ryan spots the package in Rick's hands. "What have you got, Castle?"

"Just a new cell phone I ordered. Mr. Trucco here specializes in quick delivery."

"Yeah, right," Esposito smirks, grabbing the parcel. "Ryan, take a picture of this before I open it up."

Ryan's eyes dart to Castle, who smiles and nods.

As soon as Ryan captures the image, Esposito tears at the package. "It's a cellphone, a frigging cellphone."

Castle shrugs. "Told you."

"So what's a cellphone got to do with Victor Lee?" Esposito demands.

"Absolutely nothing. And I can show you my transaction buying it if you like," Rick offers. "I took a screen capture."

Ryan stares in confusion. "So what's Slaughter doing here?"

"Just having a little talk with Mr. Trucco," Slaughter replies. "We have some mutual acquaintances. But since you two have a murderer to catch. Sherlock and I should be going."

"We're not done with you, Slaughter," Esposito warns.

"Well, I'm done with you," Slaughter retorts. "Come on, Sherlock. We have a chip to find."

"If Trucco doesn't have the chip, where can we look?" Castle asks as he and Slaughter return to the car.

"If Victor never brought it to Trucco, then there're only two people who could know where it is, the killer or the kid. But we need to get lost, fast. My prints might be on that knife."

"If you didn't kill Victor, why would your prints be on the knife?"

"Because he was my best CI. I gave it to him as a present."

"You didn't consider a gift card?"

"Nah! I wanted to make the gift personal."

"Well, considering that he died with it in his throat, I'd call that very personal. But Esposito and Ryan are pretty good at finding people, even without Beckett. We can't go to my office, my loft, or wherever the hell you live."

"Never mind, Sherlock. I know a place."

Slaughter reaches in and enters an alarm code before ushering Castle into an apartment. Opera-themed art covers the walls, and high-end furniture graces an expensive rug. Rick looks around. This can't be your place, but if you know the alarm code, it must belong to a friend."

"My ex-wife, Maddy. She's in Europe, and I was keeping an eye on the place for her."

Rick's mouth gapes. "Maddy as in Madeleine Cordet, the mezzo-soprano at the New York City Opera?"

"Yeah, that's her."

Rick surveys the framed posters showing Madeleine's roles. "How did you two meet?"

"In college. We had the same major."

Rick's jaw drops even lower. "Don't tell me you studied opera."

"Musical theater. I played Riff in 'West Side Story.'"

"The leader of the Jets who wants to rumble. That figures. I take it Madeleine played Anita?"

"Got it in one."

"So what happened?" Rick asks. "Why did you split up?"

"Because her career took off and mine didn't. And I was too selfish to support her. So when she became a star, I became a cop. But we still get along. I use her kitchen when I want to make something special."

"Oh, you cook too? I can help," Rick offers.

"No way, Sherlock. I don't need you messing with my creations. I should cook now. I always think better when I'm stirring something up."

"That figures too."

"Hey Sherlock, taste this," Slaughter calls, holding up a chunk of meat in a wooden spoon.

"You first," Castle demurs as a screen on the kitchen iPad lights up.

"Detective Slaughter," A teenage voice calls. "It's Victor's friend Louis."

Slaughter stares at the image. "How the hell did you find me here?"

"I hacked your life," Louis explains impatiently. "I knew you wouldn't go to your place with those two cops on your tail. So I looked up your marriage and divorce records. I saw Madeleine Cordet was on tour, but her alarm system was deactivated. It had to be you. Slaughter, Victor told me to go to you if I was in trouble, and I…." The screen freezes.

Slaughter taps on it, but nothing comes back. "Whoever killed Victor must have got him, Sherlock. But he didn't say where he is."

"Maybe he didn't have to," Castle suggests. "Look at the wall." Rick uses his fingers to enlarge an extermination certificate. That's the address of the building."

Slaughter gazes longingly at his newly-made of Stroganoff. "Let's go, Sherlock."