The Children's Corner

Chapter 38

"Did you find out when the sergeant's exam is?" Rick asks as Kate wanders into his office.

"No one seems to know. You'd think after not having one in years that there would be a plan in place. But the department hasn't released an official announcement. As far as I can tell, there isn't even a rumor. L.T. hasn't heard one, and he hears everything."

"Maybe we can go at it another way," Rick offers.

"How?"

"You're asking around at the bottom of the pyramid. Maybe you need to go to the top."

"You mean Captain Montgomery? If he knew, he'd tell me."

"No, I mean the police commissioner – or his boss. You know that Bob Weldon got himself elected again this year – with a bit of a fundraising boost from yours truly. How about an executive poker night with Weldon, the Commissioner, and the Chief? Julia can watch our little darlings, and I can even bring out my good scotch. If a test is in the offing, we should be able to get one of that crew to spill the beans."

"That's not a bad idea," Kate considers. "We haven't had a game in quite a while, and I don't want my skills to go to pot."

"Nothing about you is going to pot," Rick assures her. "You are as ecstatically distracting as ever. But, at the moment, I'm right in the middle of crafting Cary's distraction, well, obsession, really. He's into a spaceship hopper with a comic series and an animated show."

Kate rolls her eyes. "I can't imagine how you dreamed that up. But does it belong in a serious book?"

"Good question. I think it might work because it exposes an essential facet of Cary's personality. What could be more revealing than a character a protagonist identifies with?"

"You tell me, Mr. Castle-Storm-Rook. But if you can make it work, the result might even attract the reading-resistant crowd."

Rick hunches over his computer. "That alone is a reason to try. And don't fret. I'll still get the game set up. If there is a path to sergeanthood, your feet will be upon it."

Alexis scowls as she examines the readout from the gc-mass spec she's running. Isoprene. As the product of cracking limonene, it's not surprising, but it's not good news. Aside from being an irritant, safety data suggests it should be handled as a carcinogen. And it's not the first potential cancer-causing agent she's found. So far, the concentrations are low, but exposure could be cumulative, and the various suspect chemicals could even be synergistic.

It's not her job to do a deep exploration of the relevant literature. She has to keep pumping out the analyses. Still, that doesn't mean she can't run a search on her own time. Her readout says 17:58. Technically, her shift ends in two minutes. It will take longer than that to wind up what she's doing. But she'll be past crush time on the subway, and with her dad's gift, she and Dana won't have to worry about dinner. That's assuming her husband is home for dinner.

Some of the neighborhood residents near the fire got together to hire a consultant to determine what happened. So Dana's on the case too. Since he's supposed to form an opinion independent of the city, he and Alexis can't discuss their findings. But she can tell that he's very concerned. And he ought to be.

Rick puts out a bowl of his famous dip and freshly fried tortilla chips. The food will temper the effects of the alcohol he's using to loosen up his fellow players. Still, hopefully, one of them will come across with the information Kate needs.

Bob Weldon is the first guest to arrive, catching Rick in a manly hug. "I haven't seen you at the meetings of the Weldon faithful, not even the library fundraiser."

"I twisted as many arms as I could from afar," Rick insists. "But the twins have kept Kate and me pretty close to home. Still, we have extra help now, so we'll both be able to get out more. Kate's looking forward to getting back in the saddle. And her faithful Sancho Panza will trail along behind her when he can."

The doorbell buzzes again, and Rick admits both Commissioner Zeke Hartag and Chief Wilson Dunlop. "We were in a meeting," Dunlop explains. "So we shared a cab."

Rick silently ticks off a victory. If they came by cab, they can leave the same way, and he won't feel guilty using potent potables to loosen their tongues. Tuning up the brightness of her smile, Kate waves the guests to the poker table. "Can I get anyone a libation before we start?" Rick inquires.

"Whatever, just make it a double," Dunlop requests.

"Same here," Hartag agrees, turning to Weldon. "Hell of a lot of pressure right now to get everything settled about that fire."

"Was it arson? Do you have a suspect?" Kate jumps in.

"According to the F.D.N.Y., the fire was so hot that it destroyed any evidence there might have been of accelerants," Dunlop reports. "But with the flammable chemicals already on-site, an arsonist wouldn't have needed one."

"How about a timing device?" Rick wonders.

Dunlop shrugs. "The inspector found bits and pieces of electronics. But they could have been part of standard equipment. So far, we have nothing to either suspect arson or rule it out."

"But that's not the main problem," Weldon interjects. "The local residents are concerned about whether it's still safe to live there. Unfortunately, we have no money in the budget to begin relocating people. And if we start anyway, the comptroller's office will scream bloody murder to the council."

Rick stares across the table. "But if it isn't safe, you have to move the people out of there regardless – don't you? There may be lives at stake."

"How about federal funding?" Kate asks. "Can't you get F.E.M.A. involved?"

"The governor would have to request it," Weldon replies. "And we're not getting any action from Albany."

Rick's fingers wrap tightly around the still boxed deck. "So, what are you going to do?"

Weldon shakes his head. "Wait for the lab to finish its work. After that, I have no damned idea." He takes a hefty swallow of his scotch. "So, Castle, are you going to deal the cards or not?"

Rick breaks the seal on the pack. "Yeah, of course. Let's get this game going. And to veer from an unpleasant subject, maybe someone can think of some positive developments in the N.Y.P.D. Forward-looking perhaps?"

"Subtle," Kate mutters under her breath.

Hartag picks up his hand. "We're considering opening up the sergeant's exam again. Some of our more senior ones are looking at retirement, and we can pay fresh ones less."

"Very practical," Rick comments as Hartag takes another swig of his drink. "and when are you looking at discovering the most promising candidates?"

"Probably September," Dunlop inserts. "Then we'll have a lineup to replace the retirees leaving at the end of the year." He grabs a chip and scoops up a healthy portion of Rick's prized recipe before turning to Kate. "You wouldn't be interested, would you? You have the most impressive bona fides."

Kate shrugs, arranging her lips in a casual smile. "I might. I'd have to think about it."

"Well, don't think too long," Dunlop cautions. "The slots will fill up quickly."

"Don't worry," Kate assures him. "Thinking fast is my specialty."