California Dreaming

Chapter 2

As Rick and Kate watch, the incoming cop tackles the runner to the ground in front of them and cuffs him. Kate observes as he radios in his arrest. "Very professional, Officer uh," she checks his nametag, "Nolan." Kate extends her hand. "Detective Kate Beckett, N.Y.P.D." She inclines her head at Rick. "And this is my husband."

"Richard Castle," John fills in. "My ex-wife read a few of your books. She showed me your picture on the jacket and said she thought that I looked a little like you when I was younger. At the time, I didn't see it, but in person, I guess there's a resemblance."

"Black Pawn uses an old picture for the book jackets," Rick admits.

Nolan stares at him. "But what I can't figure out is how we both have scars in the same place on our foreheads."

Rick fingers the slight puffiness. "I was eight and vainly trying to play baseball. A nine-year-old enthusiast hit me with a bat. You?"

"Trying to build a playhouse at a friend's house out of odds and ends of lumber. It came down on both of us, but I was the one who needed stitches."

"Maybe we have a common unlucky ancestor," Rick suggests. "When my older daughter Alexis was taking art history, she discovered a painting by Nicholas Poussin called 'Inspiration of the Poet.' Whoever modeled for Apollo looked a bit like us. A little chubbier, perhaps, but with similar facial structure. My daughter informed me that Poussin was into French baroque but painted mainly in Rome. So the model could have been French or Italian. According to my mother, her ancestry is Irish, mostly carnies and show folk, but I have no idea about my father. He left before I was born."

"Excuse me," the prisoner on the pavement interrupts. "Officer, if you're going to take me in, could you do it already? It's f*****g hot down here."

Nolan pulls the prisoner to his feet and keeps hold of him while handing Rick and Kate his cards. "Look, I may need statements from you if any questions come up about this arrest. Feel free to check me out at Mid-Wilshire Division, but I'll need to know how to reach you."

In tandem, Rick and Kate survey the purse snatcher, who appears to be taking in the situation. Rick pulls the pad he uses to jot down sudden inspirations out of his shirt pocket. He jots down the information Nolan requested on a small sheet of paper and hands it to him. "Always glad to help a potential relative – and I love pursuing mysteries."

Nolan grins. "According to my sergeant, I like pursuing them too – way too much. I may be in touch. Don't get too hot, and have a great day."

As Nolan ushers his collar away, Kate turns to Rick. "After that, you think the walk of fame will be a little anticlimactic?"

"Communing with Captain Kirk?" Rick questions. "Never. But we could use something icy."

Lily gazes up at her father's suggestion. "I-cream?" she asks hopefully.

Pulling out his phone. Rick smiles down at the toddler. "An excellent idea. Let's ask Siri for the nearest source of frozen confections."

After a round of enthusiastic applause at their karaoke performance, Lucy and Jackson return to the table where Nolan is slowly sipping his beer. "You could join us up there," Lucy suggests. "I've heard you sing, John. You're not bad."

"But you two are great," John protests. "Besides, I don't know any of the songs anymore. And I was thinking about my accidental meeting with Richard Castle this morning. He really did look like, as you guys say, a brother from another mother – but not anything like my real half-brother. I guess that makes sense. I looked up Castle's mother, Martha Rodgers. She has red hair like my mom. And they both have a dramatic bent. Martha just makes better use of hers.

"I've seen Richard Castle on Kimmel a couple of times," Jackson recalls. "He sounded a little like you, too."

"Maybe you could do one of those genealogical searches," Lucy suggests. "You know, spit in the tube."

Nolan scrubs his palm down his stubble-roughened face. "Castle and I both had fathers who walked out on us. And my half-brother is a car thief. I'm not sure I want to track down any more of my relations."

"You should think about it," Lucy presses, "for medical reasons, if nothing else. Henry…"

"You're talking about his tetralogy of Fallot," Nolan acknowledges. "The doctors said genes could play a part in that, but something Sarah might have been exposed to while she was pregnant also could have contributed. They couldn't be sure. But you have a point. If something like that is passed down in the family, Henry should know about it. So should Abigail.

"The purse snatcher I arrested today was asking for a lawyer. I think he's going to claim there was something wrong with the arrest. I should get official statements from Castle and especially from his wife. As a detective, she probably took note of every detail. Along with my body cam footage, that should stand up to anything the suspect says."

"And while you're talking to them, you can find out more about why you and Castle look alike," Lucy declares.

"Maybe I can." Nolan agrees.

"Lily's asleep," Kate announces, closing the door to an adjoining room behind her. "I turned on the portable monitor. If she wakes up, we'll hear it."

"While you were in with her, I got a call from my doppelganger, Officer Nolan," Rick reports. "He wants to get our statements."

"Tonight?" Kate questions.

"Tomorrow morning. We can talk to him before I have to meet with the writers at the movie studio. So," Rick wiggles his eyebrows, "we have a sleeping child behind a closed door, a bottle of well-chilled Champagne, and the entire evening to ourselves. Whatever will we do?"

"Kate wraps her arms around his waist. "I'm sure we'll think of something."

"Want me to open the wine?" Rick offers.

"Maybe later," Kate suggests, "if we need something to cool us down a bit."

Rick pulls her tight against his growing heat. "As long as it isn't our passions that cool."

As their lips meet, Rick scoops Kate up and carries her to the bed. She reaches up to grab his belt and pull him down with her. "I don't think we'll have to worry about that."

Jack's temporary quarters are far from luxurious, but they're sufficient. He has a bed, a small refrigerator, and a microwave oven. The sink, toilet, and shower in the small bathroom all work, and he has enough hot water. Fortunately, the air conditioning also functions. He also has a clear line of sight to a building a quarter-mile away. His satellite signal is good. So he's managed to exchange several messages with Azra, making the spartan furnishings seem more welcoming. After a quick trip to a nearby market, he has everything he needs to hunker down until he can scope out his target.

As an extra bonus, Jack's determined that Richard, Kate, and Lily are staying nearby in much more opulent digs. Once Jack works out his target's schedule, he'll know when he can look in on the family. But that may not be for a few days. He hopes they aren't gone by then. But he can't imagine Richard bringing Lily to California without giving her a chance to experience all the attractions. He wishes he could watch. Maybe if the stars align just right, he'll get to share in some of his granddaughter's excitement. He can only hope.

A/N The painting I mentioned is real. Google an image and look for yourself. Thanks to Artifex Prime for telling me about it.