Moment in Time Part 3

Chapter 27

The Last Seduction

Part 3

Grinning, Rick scrolls through his Twitter feed. "We're exploding! By the time I get to Lindsey Trent's office, she'll be waiting by an open door."

"Right now, I'm more interested in what we can do behind closed doors," Kate purrs.

"I'm all for that," Rick agrees. "But I should probably wash the remnants of our battle off my face first."

Kate drapes herself across his lap. "Never mind. I'll do it."

"As long as you don't curl up and go to sleep after my impromptu bath."

The tip of Kate's tongue circles Rick's mouth. "Not a chance."

Springing from his chair, he carries her to their bed. "Top or bottom?"

"You know me."

"Yes, I do. At work or play, Kate Beckett always wants to be on top. And I'm a secure enough man not to mind." Rick eases down to the coverlet, and Kate straddles his hips. He reaches up to cup her breasts, the eager points thrusting against his palms. His eyebrows dance. "The ladies are in the mood. We should have public displays of antipathy more often."

Unfastening his belt buckle, Kate artfully releases Rick's growing arousal. "The girls aren't the only ones coming to attention."

Rick draws her lips to his. "Then let the festivities commence."

Inside a van parked near the law offices of Lindsey Trent, Kate surveys Rick appraisingly. "You know, I like you in glasses. They bring out the blue in your eyes."

"Nice to know. But how's my transmission?"

Esposito holds up an iPad. "If Lindsey Trent comes in as clearly as Beckett does, we've got it made."

Rick winks. "She may be as clear, but she won't be as beautiful."

"You two must have had an interesting night," Esposito observes.

Remembrance lights Rick's face. "You have no idea. But that just made me more ready to roll." He checks his watch. "My appointment is in ten minutes. Time to drive up in the Ferrari of a disgruntled husband."

Lindsey Trent greets Rick in the reception area. "Mr. Castle, it's good to meet you."

"It was kind of you to make time for me on such short notice," Rick responds.

"Sometimes, these things take on a sudden urgency. And I always like to be available in my clients' hour of need. So, please, follow me to my office." Rick keeps his eyes on Lindsey to give Kate and the boys the best view. Lindsey waves him to a leather upholstered chair facing her desk. "Please make yourself comfortable. Now, I have a few details about your case from your phone call, but let's start with how long you and your wife have been married."

"It was a year yesterday. And for about the first ten months, things couldn't have been better," Rick confides. "We were working together solving crimes as we had for years. And I continued to adapt our adventures for my books. Then she got promoted to captain and decided she didn't want to have me around the precinct anymore. After that, she didn't want me on the street with her anymore either. I barely saw her. And when I tried to arrange some private time, she was always coming up with excuses."

"Do you think she's having an affair?" Lindsey asks.

Rick shakes his head vociferously. "That I could understand. I wouldn't like it, but I could understand it. But now, nothing seems to matter to her except her work and climbing the ladder at the NYPD. I think she's already looking toward becoming Deputy Chief. I believe she's climbed on the shoulders of her fame as my muse, and now she doesn't need me anymore. And last night, she moved into the guest room."

Lindsey hisses through her teeth. "Oh, that's rough! But are you sure you really want a divorce? I could refer you to an excellent marriage counselor."

"That's a strange thing for a divorce lawyer to propose," Castle observes.

"Not really. Often, people come to me when they're going through a tough time and don't know what else to do. I have more than enough business, Mr. Castle. I'd rather not start proceedings only to have my clients change their minds. So, I'll ask you again. Do you really want a divorce?"

Rick's eyes briefly stray to a logbook on a nearby credenza. He coughs and forces tears to his eyes. "What I really want is to have my wife back. I want things the way they were." He coughs again. "I'm sorry, can I get a little water?"

"Of course." Lindsey reaches for a carafe on the credenza and pours Rick a glass. "Here you are."

Hands shaking, Rick takes the tumbler, slopping water on Lindsey's desk. "I'm so sorry!"

"It's all right," Lindsey responds, calling for her assistant.

Rick is pretty sure the lawyer won't get an answer, with Alexis carefully timing a visit pushing the office mail cart.

"She's not there," Lindsey decides. "I'm going to run to the ladies' room for some paper towels. I'll be right back."

As soon as Lindsey is out of the office, Rick dives for the logbook. He rapidly turns pages in front of his camera eyewear, barely replacing the book before Lindsey returns. He swipes at the moisture on his cheeks. "You know, I think I would like the name of that marriage counselor. I was just so hurt after Kate moved out of our room. But I believe she's worth another shot."

Lindsey pulls a card from a holder on her desk. "Here you are. Best of luck, Mr. Castle, and I'll be here if you need me."

"I appreciate that, Ms. Trent. If the counseling doesn't work out, I'll let you know."

Lindsey smiles at Castle's retreating back. He'll be coming through her door again, even more desperate for her services than he is now. Her pet psychologist will make sure of it.

Rick studies the captures from his video of the logbook. "I recognize some of these names. These husbands dumped some pretty famous ladies – famous on social media, anyway. Three, Nancy Underwood, Annika Smythe, and Claire Stevens, hang out together. They all lost millions in their divorces. So any one of them could have had a motive to kill Scott McCoy."

"But which one of them slept with him?" Kate wonders.

Ryan hurries up, holding a file. "Vikram's been going through McCoy's financials. He found another apartment, probably a love nest, where Scott could take the ladies to document their misdeeds. The pictures may still be there."

"Then let's go, partner," Esposito responds.

"Do you need your friendly buffer?" Rick asks.

"You'd better go with them, Babe," Kate advises. "I have a ton of work to catch up on, but you can give me all the love nest details later."

Rick's eyebrows ripple. "That will be my pleasure."

The apartment manager lets the detectives and Castle in and tells them to lock up when they're finished. Rick looks around at the richly paneled walls. "Kind of seventies, but very much designed for seduction."

"Yeah, especially if the women have a few miles on them," Esposito remarks. "But where's the camera?"

"It would have to have a clean line of sight to the bed," Ryan figures.

Rick points to a painting on the wall. "Which whatever is behind that, would. Let's have a look."

He runs his fingers over layers of liberally applied color. "And there it is, a carefully concealed fiber-optic camera leading back to a recorder in the wall. Gentlemen, Scott McCoy isn't the only one who's scored."