The Children's Corner

Chapter 24

Ryan plops into the chair beside Esposito's desk. "I can't understand it, Bro. The cams near the warehouse during the kill zone caught plenty of smaller trucks but no semis. So how did the killer get that much weed out of there?"

"Damned if I know," Esposito admits, drumming his fingers in front of his keyboard. "But something stinks about Elise Truman."

"Besides what she was smoking?"

"More than that. She's got a sealed Juvie file."

"So do you," Ryan reminds his partner. "But you turned out all right. Or at least Bambi thinks so. What else?"

"Truman was a person of interest in several robberies. But there was never enough evidence to pick her up. And she's changed jobs a lot, but she's always worked somewhere that rents vehicles."

"Not exactly the usual childhood dream, but maybe her parents bought her dolls instead of Tonka trucks, and she's fulfilling a fantasy," Ryan suggests.

Esposito snorts. "Except that she filed stolen vehicle reports on cars and trucks used in robberies. But since they were reported stolen before any crime took place, no one could hang anything on her."

"I don't suppose she filed one on a stolen semi?" Ryan inquires.

"No. There was one on a fleet of stolen vans a year ago. But as far as the records show, they weren't used in any robberies. Still, they were never recovered either."

"They could have gone to a chop shop. Then, once any V.I.N.s were filed off the parts, they would have been untraceable. Still," Ryan considers, "given that she as much as lied to us in her interview, she could be involved in Seegar's murder. But I can't figure out how."

"Me either," Esposito confesses.

Ryan pops out of his chair. "We should call Castle and Beckett. He always comes up with a story to fit the strange stuff. And you know how she loves the weird ones."

"Yeah, we might as well. Sully's canvass is coming up empty, and we haven't got anything else."

Rick leans toward the speaker on Kate's phone. "Hmm. A warehouse full of cannabis disappears without a truck big enough to haul it. You think the girlfriend might be involved. And you believe she also had something to do with a bunch of disappearing vans. And Ryan, you saw smaller trucks. Well, gentlemen, the answer is clear."

"As mud!" Esposito retorts.

"Yeah, what are you talking about, Castle?" Ryan queries.

"I've had friends with multiple cars move cross country. They would make the trip in one car and drive the others into the back of a moving van with the rest of their stuff. You saw smaller trucks, maybe vans, on the video, right Ryan?"

"Right, mostly vans."

"So, the girlfriend mastermind had little trucks drive into a big truck, maybe more than one. Then they hit the road to a state where they can fence the contraband for big bucks. You need to widen your search to follow the shuttlecraft to their mothership or ships, as the case may be. And once you catch a plate or two, you put out a BOLO. Easy."

"But if you track down the weed, you still need to connect it to Elise Truman," Kate inserts. "That will take more than stolen vehicle reports. I wonder how she recruited her drivers and whether she killed Seegar or had one of them do it. Either way, the best chance to nail her would be to flip someone down the chain. I want to be in on that."

"Yeah, well first," Esposito returns, "we'll have to find someone to flip."

"But Truman claimed that she and Seegar could have been overheard at the Butler Buffet," Ryan recalls. "We need to check that out too."

"I've been there. Don't go near the shrimp," Rick cautions.

"Not to worry," Ryan assures him.

As she hears Dana's key in the door, Alexis looks up from her laptop. "How did it go?"

Dana yanks at his tie. "OK, I think. Lorne wasn't at the meeting. As a forensic pathologist, he's not involved in hiring. So I guess he just got the ball rolling. But the chief tech, Camille Wong, was there. We've never met before, but I've read some of her papers. And the general manager, Silas Mulaney, was there too. He picked up the check. It was Mongolian barbecue."

"Sounds good, but did he make you an offer or just interview you?"

"Camille said she thought I'd be a good fit, but Mulaney said he'd need to get back to me in a couple of days about an offer. He has to talk to the C.F.O. or something."

Alexis nods. "Dad's always saying everything has to go past beancounters. Still, a couple of days is great compared to all the stuff I have to go through to work for Osnitz. And he and everyone at C.S.U. know me already."

"Good thing we'll have something else to concentrate on until I hear back. Especially you will. Doesn't your performance as Cleante start tomorrow night?" Dana inquires.

"It does. The play will run for five nights, and we'll do Thursday and Saturday matinees. After that, I'll have everything I need to graduate."

Dana pulls up a chair beside his wife. "Even without working toward an adoption, we're looking at some big changes."

Alexis lays her head against his shoulder. "I know. But we've both been students or at least been on campus most of our lives. It's time to leave the chrysalis."

He nuzzles her hair. "You're going to be an amazing butterfly."

"I hope so."

"The boys are both blessedly in baby dreamland. You don't have to do that," Rick advises as Kate paces the floor.

"I was hoping Ryan would call with an update on the Evan Seegar murder."

Rick's encircling arms interrupt Kate's nervous motion. "You really are champing at the bit to get back in harness, aren't you?"

"I am," Kate admits. "But I can't see going back until Cindy passes the baton to Julia. Until then, we'll be waiting for someone who doesn't have to worry about going to class, planning a wedding, or having her own baby. And with Julia here, you and I will have less of a juggling act."

"One that I haven't minded much, at least not since we got a handle on Jake's problems with noise. But Julia can't give out with your unique blend. I know you managed to pump for Lily while you were working, but the twins need twice as much. Will you be able to handle that?"

"I think so, especially if I go back to job sharing with Sully. He hasn't said anything, but I get the feeling that Esposito gives him a harder time than I did."

"Esposito gets off on having someone besides Ryan to boss around. And Ryan doesn't really take it. Espo's on a power trip. You're just a natural leader."

Kate snuggles into Rick's body. "That's not what you said when we first started working together. I believe your assessment was that I'm very good at bossing men around."

"You are," Rick confirms, tucking her head under his chin. "That's one of the things that makes you a natural leader. That, and recognizing true creative talent."

"And whose creative talent would that be?"

"If you don't know by now," Rick replies, scooping Kate off her feet, "I believe the situation calls for a demonstration."

Kate settles against his chest. "I've always believed in hands-on instruction."