Moment in Time Part 3

Chapter 62

GDS

Part 6

"I don't see how our suspects are narrowed down," Seegar insists. "Anyone in the cast or crew of 'Slasher Girls' could have picked up those knives. At least a hundred extras must have worked on that film."

"You've seen it?" Rick queries.

Seegar coughs. "I found a clip on YouTube."

Rick quirks an eyebrow. "I see. By the way, who's the propmaster?"

"An old-timer, Mitchell Gainesworth, why?"

"His alibi makes him one person I can cross off my list."

Seegar rolls his eyes. "Well, if you come up with anything useful, Castle, call me. And don't bother with another anonymous tip. I'll know it's you."

Rick watches the door close behind Seegar before grinning at Kate. "I think we've caught a break. I know Mitch Gainesworth. He and Mother were, um, close when she was making Queen of the Yukon. They kept each other warm."

"Did they shoot the movie in Canada?" Kate asks.

"No, on a soundstage with a snow-making machine. But they still huddled together for warmth. Reminds me of what we did when – never mind. The thing is, Gainesworth took me under his wing, so to speak. He loved to talk about props and his responsibility for their safety. He always kept guns locked up. But he also would have limited the access to anything that could hurt someone."

"Like a knife."

"Exactly. Unless a cast member had to use a weapon in a scene, chances are, they wouldn't get near it. And you know what? I have a yen to see an old friend and introduce him to my beautiful and brilliant wife." Rick offers Kate his arm. "Shall we go?"

Mitch grabs Castle in a bear hug. "Little Ricky! You've done pretty good for yourself, kid." Gainesworth's eyes shift to Kate. "More than pretty good. I heard you'd been trying to solve Phil Harris' murder. Shame about that. He was a nice guy, really interested in the props I handle for Austin Elektra's movies. I let him see everything as long as I was with him. But I'm not sure he knew what he was looking for. I'm guessing you do, but I can't tell you much more about those knives than I told the police."

"Do you mind if Kate and I have a look at the Austin Elektra props anyway?" Rick asks.

"I'll have to let you into the warehouse. The studio keeps it locked. And I'll need to stay with you. But hell!" Mitch checks his watch. "I've got time. Let's go!"

Rick and Kate browse the shelves of props and accompanying scripts. However, nothing jumps out at Rick until he spots some effulgent praise printed with huge letters in the margins of a stabbing scene. He picks up the sheaf of paper and stares at it. "That writing looks so familiar! Oh, Kate! I know where I've seen it before. Except the notes were anything but flattering." Rick turns to Mitch. "You said you lock this place up. Who besides you has a key?"

"The security chief and Trevor Nigel. Nigel has access to everything on the lot. He can walk into any shoot at any time and scribble all over the scripts like the one you were looking at. I understand it's a condition of his contract."

"Yeah," Rick nods. "I'm sure it is."

"I couldn't sleep last night!" Lanie complains, stomping to Ryan's desk. "I kept having nightmares that I was in bed with Ronald MacDonald."

"What's so bad about that?" Ryan asks. "Willard Scott played him, and he's a great guy. He said happy birthday to my grandmother. And I love big Macs - when Jenny lets me near them. But anyway, I spoke to Tyler's ex. He doesn't have a clown fetish."

Lanie blows out a long sigh.

"However," Ryan continues, "she did mention that he might have a bit of a bad habit."

"What kind of a bad habit?"

"The kind that requires rubber sheets."

"He's a bedwetter?"

Ryan nods regretfully.

Lanie storms toward the elevator, muttering.

"Yo!" Esposito yells. "Beckett and Castle just called. The prop guy remembered something he didn't tell the LA cops. Two prop knives went missing on the last day of the shoot. Beckett got Seegar to pull the drive-on logs for the studio. She wants us to see if any of the names connect to the New York murders. And hey, Bro, what did you tell Lanie?"

"That Tyler makes night-time wee-wee."

"Good one!"

"Check this out," Esposito urges, plopping a file on Ryan's desk. "I found a connection between the studio drive-ins and Pat Crews. Crews was a film-writing teacher at the New School. One of his early students, Jordan Keegan, is a successful screenwriter. He lives in New York but happened to be on the Zenith lot in LA the day the murder weapons went missing."

Ryan's chair squeals against the floor as he pushes away from his desk. "Let's go pick his ass up."

"Jordan Keegan, we need to talk," Esposito announces, displaying his badge on a set at Chelsea Piers.

"Yeah, about what?"

"Well," Ryan replies, "your name came up in connection with a homicide." He holds up a picture of the murder weapon. "This is a prop from a movie you wrote, "Slasher Girls."

Keegan's lower jaw juts. "So?"

"So, did you happen to keep one as a souvenir?"

"Or perhaps two, one for yourself, one for your partner in Los Angeles?" Ryan suggests. "Or maybe your partner gave one to you."

"What are you guys talking about?" Keegan demands.

"We're talking about Pat Crews, your old writing teacher," Ryan returns.

"He was killed with a knife that was shaped exactly like that one," Esposito adds.

Suddenly, Jordan bolts. He tips over chairs and scenery into the cops' way as he runs for a trailer and locks the door. "You've got nowhere to go, Keegan," Ryan shouts. "And we can wait all day. We'll even get overtime."

"We could make this go faster," Esposito suggests. "Cut the connections for his power and water."

"Yeah," Ryan agrees. "I like it."

"I won't hold. I'm Trevor Nigel," the executive declares into his phone as Seegar enters the office, followed by Rick and Kate.

"Good to know," Seegar comments, "because I'm here to arrest Trevor Nigel for murder."

"That's ridiculous," Nigel protests.

"Is it?" Rick taunts. "I recognized your writing on the script for Slasher Girls. You and Jordan Keegan are great pals, partners in slime – or at least you were. When the police in New York put him in cuffs, he gave you up. And then this nice Los Angeles police detective found the knife you used to kill Phil Harris, along with an interesting, if gruesome, collection of body parts. The discovery wouldn't have made a bad scene for one of Zenith's straight-to-DVD movies. Only you'll never get to produce it."

Rising at the table's head at the GDS mansion, Mason Wood clears his throat. "In the contest between Kendall Frost and Richard Castle, Richard Castle was the clear winner. He uncovered the killer of Phillip Harris. Therefore, I'm extending our invitation to him to join the GDS."

"That's very kind," Rick acknowledges. "Still, Kendall did play a substantial role in the investigation. But I believe I had superior resources."

"Mr. Castle, finding and utilizing appropriate resources is a major part of detective work," Wood asserts. "You should understand that better than most."

"I do," Castle agrees. "But I believe that at some point, Kendall should be given another shot."

"If we have another opening, we may consider it," Mason concedes. "But now we have a tradition of welcoming new members with single malt scotch."

Rick shakes his head. "Much as I enjoy tradition and single malt scotch, another of the greatest detectives in the world is waiting for me. And with the case tied up, we need to return to New York. However, I am looking forward to availing myself of all the GDS has to offer."

Wood nods his comprehension. "Yes, Mr. Castle, I'm sure you are."

"Do you think being part of the GDS is really going to help you?" Kate asks after she and Rick depart the GDS's limo to their hotel.

"I'm not sure," Rick confides. "But while I was in the meeting room, some of the pictures on the wall triggered more memories. Either the GDS has some connection to what happened to me, or it was on their radar. And I may have the tools now to find out."

Kate grasps his hand. "I hope so, Babe. I hope so."