Moment in Time Part 3

Chapter 102

Dead Again

Part 7

Ryan's voice comes breathily through the phone. "Castle, make sure no one except our people can get close to Alan Masters."

Rick surveys the tables tightly packed with diners. "Why? What did you find out?"

"We ID'd the owner of Bullseye Waste Management. He's a guy named Horatio Spate. His picture should be coming through to you now."

"Wow! He looks like the kind of guy who'd dump his problems in a landfill."

"No kidding," Ryan agrees. "According to the latest tips to Organized Crime, he's suspected of executing over a dozen people."

"How?" Castle queries.

"He wasn't particular. Some were the traditional GSW to the base of the skull followed by the two shots to the chest. But for one of them, he crushed the guy's car between two garbage trucks. And another one of them 'fell' into a frozen lake."

"No poisons or electrocutions?"

"Not that we know of, but the details are just coming in."

"He did show more creativity than the usual local hits."

"Right. There's a good chance he's our guy, Castle. Hey, do I hear laughing in the background? Is Alan with you, and where are you?"

"Uh, yeah. About that. Holy sh*t!"

"This is no time to f**k around Castle. What's going on?"

"We're at Botticelli's. Alan got up his nerve to ask Gwen Parker out."

"Gwen Parker? Isn't she from Zantium?"

"That's her. But that's not the worst of it. That guy Spate? He just walked up to their table."

"Castle, I'm sending in the guys from the unit outside."

"Good, and I'm going over there."

"Castle, wait!"

"Talk to you later, Ryan." Rick shoves his cell in his pocket before attempting to casually stroll to Alan's table. "Hi! Imagine meeting you here. May I join you?" He takes a seat before Gwen or Alan can get a word out. Spate arrives a second after Castle sits.

"Excuse me," Alan objects. "Gwen and I are on a date."

Spate points at Rick. "And who's this guy?"

"A friend who came to say hello and make sure everything's all right," Rick responds. "Who are you?"

Gwen gets up. "Excuse me. I need to go to the Ladies'."

"Alan," Rick explains as Gwen heads for the restrooms. "This guy is Horatio Spate. He owns Bullseye Waste Management. He's been dumping toxic waste from all over town. And you're the one who fired the traitor he had on the take to let him do it." Rick turns to the new arrival. "The cops are already in the building. And they know about you. You can't get away with trying to kill Inspector Masters again."

"I don't want to kill you," Horatio claims to Alan. "If I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead."

"Then what do you want?" Alan demands.

"An arrangement, one that would benefit both of us. I hear that someone tried to take you out twice. How long do you think Lady Luck is going to hold out?"

"Oh, let me guess," Castle interjects. "A man like you can offer protection."

Spate keeps his gaze on Alan. "More than offer it. I can guarantee it. All I ask is that you adopt a more laissez-faire interpretation of your inspection policies."

Alan lunges out of his chair. "This is the moral test every man of honor must face. If I live to make this city a safer place, then I will die to make this city a safer place. Horatio Spate, my answer is no!"

"Gun!" Rick warns as Horatio reaches under the table. He and Alan start to duck for cover.

Horatio rolls his eyes as he shows Rick and Alan a small tin. "Relax, boys. I'm not stupid enough to shoot someone in a room full of witnesses. It's ginkgo. I just started taking it. It's good for the memory. And believe me, I'll remember this conversation." He spots the two cops approaching the table. "I believe you're about to have more company. You have a nice night, Masters – while you can."

Spate moves off as the protection detail arrives. "Are you all right, Mr. Masters?" Officer Mullaney inquires.

"Honor and body still intact," Alan replies.

"We're good," Rick adds. "But we should get out of here."

"No. I want to wait for Gwen to come back," Alan argues.

"You mean the woman who left your table?" Officer Montoya asks. "She went out the side door."

Rick pats Alan on the arm. "Sorry, buddy. Let's go back to the loft."

Alan sighs. "Have you got any more scotch?"

"I just received a case."

Kate steps into the elevator to the loft just as the doors are closing on Rick and Alan. "I heard you two have been having an interesting evening. So you met up with Horatio Spate?"

Rick gets out his key as the elevator discharges them at the landing. "You should have seen him, Kate. He was a classic mobster like he stepped out of the pages of a graphic novel. Not one of mine, of course. My characters are more imaginative than that."

"You two should never have been out in public," Kate chides.

"Yeah, I know," Rick admits. "But we had the protective detail. And Alan's a man in love, Kate. If someone's about to take him out, I need to help him gather his rosebuds while he may – or something like that."

"Nothing like that," Kate replies. "I'm sorry, Alan, but Spate's seen you with Rick. I'm sending you to a real safe house until I can bring him in and get this all sorted out."

"What are you going to charge him with?" Rick asks. "He was careful. He didn't actually threaten Alan."

"But we can prove he bribed an inspector," Kate points out.

"And he attempted to corrupt me," Alan adds.

"We have enough to put him in the box," Kate declares. "And I'm looking forward to it."

Kate and Rick drop into chairs in the conference room, joining Ryan and Esposito. Kate slaps a folder in front of her. "So, where are we with tracking down Spate? And have any of Horatio's known associates bought TTX recently? If they have, it will help narrow down the suspect pool for Alan's would-be killer."

Ryan holds out several pieces of paper. "We've got copies of the list of buyers right here." He hands sheets to Kate and Rick.

Rick quickly scans the names. "Here! This one! Lucky Dragon Herbologists. Spate's pillbox had a dragon logo on it."

Ryan flips up the lid of a laptop for a quick search. "Yeah, I found it." He turns the computer toward Rick. "Is that it?"

"It is. But why would a herbalist be buying TTX?"

"Yeah, They're supposed to be into the whole natural thing," Esposito interjects, pulling the computer toward him. "I want to check something out." He starts typing. "Get this! The herbalists are a front for the White Lotus Chinese Triad."

"So, how does an international gang get cleared to possess TTX?" Ryan questions.

"Because," Kate explains, "Lucky Dragon is supposedly a legitimate business. And," she looks at Rick, "didn't your research say there are small doses of TTX used in Eastern medicine?"

"It did," Rick confirms. "But the triad wouldn't be making much money off that."

"No," Kate agrees. "They're selling something besides herbs, something that brings in big bucks."

"The Lucky Dragon's in Chinatown. Are you going to search it?" Rick asks.

Kate shakes her head. "We don't have enough for a warrant."

Rick's eyebrows dance. "Then I have an idea."