Beckett Behind Bars
CHAPTER EIGHT
All standard disclaimers apply
Kate and Val came back from their shower and were dressed and breakfasting on a waffle, and in Kate's case, a cup of terrible coffee. Had Castle really spoiled her so much that she could barely drink any coffee that he hadn't personally prepared for her?
"Well I'll get to find out how to set up the dining room today?" Kate grinned at Val.
Val shrugged. "It's no big deal. Even Marsha is able to handle it… with supervision."
They both laughed. "But first, when we get the bell for free time, we've got some deliveries to make."
Kate nodded. "Do you want me to leave first, so you can get your product out of hiding?"
Val gave Kate a somewhat sad smile. "It's not that I don't trust you."
Kate shook her head. "Yes it is, and that's okay. You've only known me less than two days. It only makes sense that you have to be careful." Kate shot her a smile. "Truthfully, I'm surprised you've trusted me as far as you have already."
Val smirked. "Well you are my henchwoman."
Kate smiled. "That I am."
It was Val who nodded this time. "Just a couple this time, should be easy." She stared at her feet for a couple of minutes while Kate watched her as she munched on what was left of her waffle.
Val looked up, and Kate swore she could see a single tear sneaking out the corner of one eye.
"Look Kat, I like you. And I do trust you. It's just I got shoved into this set up with no warning, and no real support until you showed up. But I still have to hold onto my one advantage."
Val stood up and paced the cell. "I was scared, and I didn't know what to expect. I saw a lawyer the second day I was here. He was sent by Kristoff, and he laid out what Kris expected from me." She paused and wiped away another rouge tear. "Then Hellicson filled me in on the process. And warned me not to ever contact her unless it was a dire emergency. She had an image to uphold and couldn't be seen fraternizing with the inmates."
She stopped and stared at her reflection in the cloudy mirror above the sink.
She turned. "I'm only twenty six years old and I'm in prison because I fell in love with a criminal."
She went back to pacing. "I'm no angel, by any means. I had to do things that I'm not proud of to get by. I lived in flophouses, and walked the streets selling myself to make ends meet."
Val came back and sat on her bed. "Then I met Kris. He was big and strong, and very handsome. And for some unknown reason, he chose me." She allowed herself a slight smile. "I thought I had it made. Things had never been better for me."
She clasped her hands in front of her. "He was very attentive at first. He was busy, but he made time for me. But like all things that seem too good to be true. It was. His attention began to be directed more toward the business. I understood that, but he'd always been able to make time for me before."
Val frowned. "Then suddenly there was this restored increase in interest. We went to shows, and to dinner in nice restaurants. We made love again. I was flying high again. So when he asked me to do a favor for him, there was never a doubt that I wouldn't do it."
Kate could see Val's hurt etched on her face. "I'm guessing that's when he asked you to mule some drugs for him?"
She nodded. "Up until that time, I was never really involved in the drugs, and the moment that he had shown interest in me I walked away from my other life. I thought he was in love with me."
She wiped another tear from her eye. "But I found out the harsh truth when the cops picked me up carrying his drugs. I never told the cops anything. I pretended not to understand English very well and acted the dumb blonde to the hilt."
Val sighed at the memory. "I held my water, and didn't try to make it easy on myself. I protected him. After being in here a short time, and after the lawyer, Hellicson took me aside and filled me in on what I was expected to do. She had been working on the inside getting the whole operation set up. All that had been needed was someone like me."
Kate shook her head. "Do you think that he purposely set you up to be the inside person?"
Val grimaced. "That's what I was beginning to think. That is until you showed up. Once I knew that he had sent you in to help me, and to protect me. I knew that he actually did care. It was just going to take a little time until things could be worked out for us to be together again."
Kate felt her stomach do a somersault. She wanted to grab Val and tell her no. Kristoff hadn't sent her in to help her out. She had been left to fend for herself and run the prison drug pipeline with the supervision of the sister.
Kate had to fight back tears for how badly Val had been used by someone she loved and thought loved her.
Her confessions sent Kate's thoughts whirling like a tornado. How did this information help Kate with her undercover task? Could she somehow convince Val that Kristoff really was a jerk, and she should turn on him now?
Would Kate be able to use that betrayal to get Val to help her out? Would the warden allow Kate to bring Val out with her?
Also, Lt. Hellicson was a big problem to overcome. Being second in command meant that she would be privy to anything that would normally happen in the prison. The slip of paper with the 'trust no one' scribbled on it made much more sense now. The warden must know, or at least suspect Hellicson in some way.
Kate was thinking about how she might get word to the warden directly.
Kate patted Val's hand. "Early on, had you ever thought about going directly to the warden about what you were being forced to do?"
Her long blonde locks swung back and forth when she shook her head. "No, and I'm glad I didn't now. It would have shown my disloyalty to Kristoff, and I'd never have been able to see the warden anyway."
Kate frowned. "Why not?"
Val rolled her eyes at Kate's naivety. "Hellicson is number two here. Everything that touches the warden's desk goes through Hellicson first."
Kate suddenly got a sinking feeling in her stomach.
Just then the bell signaling the beginning of morning free time rang.
Val tapped Kate on the knee. "Hey, why don't you head out and I'll catch you before you make it outside."
Kate's mind was spinning too much to form words so she just nodded and got up from the chair and headed out to the walkway. She moved away from the cell as if on auto pilot. What was she going to do now?
Kate hadn't waited for Val to catch up after she left their cell. Kate knew where they were going, so she wasn't worried about that. Her mind kept going over and over what Valeria had told her. If she could be believed Val was as much a victim as were the suckers who bought the drugs from her. If she could be believed then Kate might not have a way out. And if Kate couldn't make contact with the warden when she needed to, neither could Val.
Kate stopped in at the little convenience store and looked at the shelf with the used paperbacks on it. Her eyes locked on a particularly tattered book that she'd missed the other day. It was a copy of Storm Fall, the final Derek Storm book. She bought it. She didn't even look at the price.
With her new, old book under her arm she took the hallway that led to the door to the outside.
They were fortunate that it looked to be another nice day. The sun was out and there wasn't much of a breeze.
She looked around and spied Valeria sitting over on the bench that they had used yesterday. And as was the case yesterday, there wasn't anyone else nearby.
Val gave her a weak smile when she came over and sat down near her on the bench. Kate didn't speak, but she made eye contact.
"So, are we okay?" Val asked. "Because I'm going to need my henchwoman to be willing to back me up."
Kate didn't smile back, but she nodded. "I'm here."
"Thanks."
They both leaned against the single board that acted as a backrest on the bench and let the sun warm their faces. Their peaceful reverie was soon interrupted by the approach of an older woman. She was alone and she walked by both Kate and Val, stopped, and then sat down next to Val.
The older woman clasped her hands in front of her and spoke to the air in front of her. "Do you have product?"
Val nodded. The woman opened one of her hands and she held one of the store receipts in her palm.
Val looked around until she located where each of the guards were. Their attention seemed to be directed toward an argument going on at the other end of the space. Even the guards who were supposed to be watching the area they were sitting in had turned to see what was going on.
Val slipped her hand in her pocket and pulled out a fairly large wad of folded toilet paper which she set down next to her on the bench. The woman who was sitting next to Val set her receipt on the bench next to the wad of toilet paper. Both women reached down and grabbed the item they hadn't brought and quickly stuffed it in their pockets.
The older woman leaned back with her eyes closed, letting the warm sun bathe her wrinkled skin. She sat there for a good ten minutes before she got up and without another word left them.
Kate cast a glance over toward Val. "That seemed like a large purchase."
Val shrugged. "By the end of the day, I'll be out again."
Kate chuckled. "People seeing you come from the post office again will think you're going to get fat with all those chocolates."
Val shook her head. "There's temporary shortage of my product."
"I don't understand." Kate shifted her body to face her cellmate. "I'd think the Kristoff would have plenty of coke to ship to you?"
Val placed her hands on her knees. "My product is special. The drug has to be put in those plastic capsules, then those capsules have to be inserted into the candy. The candy has to be packaged to look like a legitimate confectionery product. Then it's stored somewhere until purchases require me to receive the boxed product."
"So what's the hold up?" Kate was massaging her thighs. "Why don't they just package up a bunch for you if you have the orders?"
Val turned to her roomie and rolled her eyes. "Kristoff isn't one to spend money unnecessarily if he can come up with a cheaper method that increases his bottom line."
Kate shook her head. "I don't get it."
Val laughed. "It was costing him too much for the camouflage candy. So he found a small operation overseas that can do it for him for a lot less. Apparently this new supplier was slower than Kris expected and the new shipment isn't going to be in until Thursday of next week."
Val looked disgusted. "I'll be swimming in chocolates when that arrives but until then. I'm going to be dealing with a lot of unhappy people."
Kate couldn't believe it. Val, in her anger over the delay of the product that she was sent here to sell for that creep Kristoff, had inadvertently told Kate when the shipment that she came her to find out about was coming in.
"So, he provides the coke to this overseas candy maker who puts the cocaine in their candy and ships it back to Kristoff's company?" Kate shakes her head. "Isn't that a bit dangerous. The NYPD has him on their radar, so they would be watching for anyone trying to deliver some unusual shipments to Kristoff's company."
Val shakes her head. "That's not how it works. There's this place on 88th with a big sign out front. 'Yummies Candy Company' which is just a distribution warehouse. When the product comes to dock, it's loaded onto trucks which take the cases of loaded chocolates to that warehouse. From there, they can be shipped practically anywhere."
Val slapped her knees. "I wouldn't be surprised if Belmont wasn't the only receiver of those special chocolates. Our operation is still in its infancy, I don't have any way to move a shipload of these camouflaged boxes of chocolates. But I don't know where else he might be pushing this stuff, and I don't care." Val leaned back with her face toward the sun. "God I wanna get out of here."
Kate placed her hand on Val's knee. "Think about this Val. What you just told me would drown this facility. You'd need dozens of agents within the walls to be able to handle the volume that is apparently coming into port." Kate wanted to pace, but didn't want to catch the attention of the guards.
"There can only be one reason for what Kristoff is having you doing here. It's some kind of test. It's some sort of proof of concept. A way to bring drugs into places that before wouldn't be able to be breached."
Val looked over at Kate her brow furrowed with worry. "Just think about it. Even if he was only using this methodology to gain access to prisons." She shrugged her shoulders. "Just think how many prisons there are along the east coast states alone."
Kate just nodded.
She was now debating as to whether or not tell Valeria about who she was and how, with the warden's help, she might be able to get both of them out there. Once she told Val who she really was, and that Kristoff had nothing to do with sending her in 'to help' her, she might be willing to go along with Kate. But she knew she had to tread carefully.
Val had been in love with Kristoff, and thought he loved her. But then she began to doubt his feelings for her and was getting the feeling that she would be stuck pushing for him for years because he really didn't care.
Then Kate came along and had seized on the idea that Kristoff had sent her in to help Val out, and that had restored some of Val's feelings for Kristoff. Kate wasn't sure if she could pull it off. But she was definitely going to convince the warden to let her bring Valeria out with her. If the NYPD could convince her that her initial thoughts were true and Kristoff was just using her, she might be willing to testify against him. That could deliver a serious blow to Anitovich's whole operation.
But for now, they still had another customer to wait for.
Kate's mind was going to be spinning trying to think of the best way to handle this. And the first thing was, she had to get past Hellicson to get to Warden Winslow.
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Rick Castle was nervous. He had prided himself with his ability to mingle with people from all walks of life and that included those who didn't always agree with the laws of the land. He'd infiltrated, so to speak, more than one New York mob family in order to get the feel for that style of life.
Never allowing himself to project or allow any personal judgement on their way of life put him in the perfect situation to write those who broke the law with the same reality of those who enforced it.
He followed around the good guys for the sake of his writing, and he had followed around the bad guys too. And don't let anyone fool you by saying that those on the other side of the legal street didn't like getting the notoriety that being 'interviewed' by a best-selling author would give them.
But as Rick completed his third change of clothes, he didn't have any way to read Kristoff Anitovich from what little information there was out there on him.
He was a Russian immigrant who came over during a time when a lot of people from Russia made the difficult journey over to the new world. And like most of them, they wound up in the crowded slums of the larger east coast cities like New York. Also like many other immigrants, they tended to group up and make their new surroundings as close to what they were familiar with.
Castle settled on an unassuming, friendly look. He wore simple black cotton slacks, with a blue button down shirt with no tie. It was the same color that Kate told him looked good with his eyes. He kept the top two buttons undone too, just in case there was a cute secretary he could curry favor with.
Knowing Kristoff was a younger man, he decided to show up in the Ferrari. What better way to bond with a young man than with a fancy sports car.
He did a quick finger comb of his hair as he looked himself over in the mirror. He was ready.
It didn't take Castle long to get to the address that Marty had sent him. Anitovich's business, Kodiak Shipping, was located where one would expect. Close to the docks, not far from Little Odessa. As one would expect from New York businesses, it was a much older building that had been refurbished just enough to speak of newer management. It was like a new tie with an out of style sports coat.
Apparently the fellow manning the parking lot was forewarned about Castle's coming and was directed to a VIP parking area which was close to the main entrance.
Castle glanced up at the cloudless sky with relief since he had driven with the top down and didn't want to mess with putting the top back up.
He walked confidently through the main door and addressed the cute girl at the front lobby desk.
"Mr. Richard Castle to see Mr. Anitovich. I believe he is expecting me?"
The young lady ran her finger over a log book in front of her.
"Oh yes, Mr. Castle, he is expecting you. I'll have Serge escort you." Rick turned to see a large, well-built fellow wearing a brown sport coat with the Kodiak bear emblem of the company embroidered on his chest pocket step up next to him.
"Right this way, sir."
Castle followed the 'bear' of a man to an elevator which required a key to unlock it before use. They stepped in and were taken to what Rick assumed was the top floor.
It only took a couple of minutes before they were standing in a large open area with three busy secretaries hard at work at their stations, and an older, more intimidating, woman sitting at a larger desk a few feet in front of a large oak door.
She got up and knocked at the door. Castle could hear a voice answering in a language he didn't recognize, but assumed was Russian. She turned and smiled at Castle.
"He will see you now." Serge sat down in an overstuffed lounge chair while the woman nodded toward Rick and opened the door.
As Rick entered what was obviously Anitovich's office, he was greeted by a large man in his late thirties coming out from behind a large all wooden desk.
He came over and clasped Rick's hand and shook it vigorously. "Mr. Castle it is so excellent to be able to meet you." He indicated that Rick should sit in one of the comfortable guest chairs and Anitovich took the other. "When Mr. Kingman called and said you wanted to speak with me about background for possible Russian immigrant characters in an upcoming book, I was thrilled."
Rick smiled. "I'm happy to hear that."
Anitovich started to sit, but then quickly jumped up and rushed over to a shelf behind his desk. He reached up and pulled down a worn hard cover book, which without the paper cover jacket, Rick couldn't read the title.
Anitovich came over handed the book to Castle. "I would be very grateful if you signed this for me."
Castle took the book and was able to see that it was a first printing of Heat Wave.
Rick smiled. "Wow, a first printing. This must be pretty special to you."
"Oh it is." He gave Rick a conspiratorial look. "I know you don't come out and say it in the book, but it is clear to see that Nikki has Russian ancestry. She is the perfect example of a beautiful, and tough Russian girl."
Castle just kept smiling as he signed, 'To Kristoff, from one lover of strong capable women to another, Richard Castle'.
"Thank you very much." Anitovich took the book, closed it, and put it back on the shelf without even checking the autograph.
As he came back to the chairs, Castle thought it was time he directed the conversation. "Mr. Anitovich, the reason I'm here…"
"Mr. Kingman said you wished to 'interview' me about Russian immigrants? And please, call me Kristoff, or just Kris."
Castle smiled and nodded. "Okay, and please call me Rick." Castle took a good look at the man who united most of the Russian gangs and turned them into a Russian mob. He was about Rick's height, carried a few more pounds but, to Rick's chagrin Kristoff had it distributed a bit better. His sandy brown hair was a little longer than would be considered stylish, and he wore a beard which actually made him look older than Rick knew he was.
Castle guessed that women would find him attractive, in a rugged sort of way.
"So Rick, tell me what you wish to know."
Castle leaned back in the chair and tried to exude an aura of confidence and friendliness. "Well, I did a little research on you before I came over. A writer is only as good as his research. People can tell when you are just making stuff up and when you are giving them the real deal."
Kristoff nodded in agreement.
"If what I read was true, you didn't exactly have it easy growing up in some of the rougher parts of Leningrad."
"No, that's true Rick, but not really any different than anywhere else when you grow up without a mother and father. It was just me and my older sister doing what we could to get by. It was luck that got us on that boat that came to America. Even though we had to scratch like animals at first just to stay alive. We held firm in our belief that we could do better, that we could be better."
Rick leaned over with his elbows on his knees. "Yes, and you were an inspiring story for all your people. But we both know, that in a city like New York for every success story like yours, there are many more that become marginalized and wind up embracing the wrong side of the law."
Kristoff shrugged. "It is sad, but that is true in every big city is it not?"
Rick spread his hands as in agreement. "Yes, but even you, who have done so much for himself and for your people, have to admit that there is a significant Russian gangs' presence currently in our city."
Kristoff nodded. "As there is of Hispanic gangs, and Italian gangs, and Asian gangs. It's a big city with more people than jobs. What are you trying to say to me Rick?"
Rick knew he was getting to the point where he hoped to be able to get Anitovich to spill some of his secrets as actions in a time of misspent youth.
"As I've said. I do a lot of research for my books, and I believe in you I have a chance to see both sides of the Russian immigrant's experience. I'm good at reading between the lines when I read stories in print, or articles about people. Especially people. And when I researched you before coming here today, I knew that you were someone who had to live, and survive both sides of that fence as you struggled to make something of yourself. But also to make you someone that others who, are presently going through those same troubles, can look up to with hope."
Kristoff shook his head slowly. "Do not canonize me Mr. Castle. I will admit that I have seen, and lived the ugly, the bad, and the good, but what do you want me to tell you?"
Castle brought a small note book out from his pants pocket and a pen. He had a grin on his face.
"If I'm going to be able to show all sides of the struggles the Russian immigrants had to go through, and how they either succeeded and prospered, or failed and lost their way. I need to hear about all of it."
Kristoff leaned back, looked up at the ceiling and closed his eyes.
Castle had managed to keep Kristoff talking for nearly an hour, and he was jotting notes down like there was no tomorrow. It had worked actually much better than he had hoped it would. You get people talking about themselves and their experiences they tend to open up more than they might have originally intended.
Rick got Kristoff talking about one of his favorite topics, himself. But his filters slipped from time to time and Castle was able to hear some tidbits that if he were more aware of what he was saying, Kristoff wouldn't have said them.
When Rick noticed the lead secretary stick her head into the office and let Kristoff know she was leaving, he decided he had enough and that he should get out of there before the Russian realized how much he'd actually revealed.
Rick stood up, and that led Kristoff to do the same. They shook hands as Rick moved toward the door.
"I can't thank you enough for this conversation. You've really helped me to be able to represent what the Russian immigrant had to go through. It will really help with the authenticity of the story."
"Not a problem, Rick. I enjoyed our talk." He leaned back and touched a button on his desk. "I'll have Serge escort you out since it's after hours."
Rick smiled. "Thanks, I appreciate that."
Serge soon walked through the door and greeted Castle. "This way Mr. Castle."
The two men walked out of Kristoff's office and headed toward the elevators. Just before they reached the elevator Serge's phone rang. He stopped and held up his hand. Rick stopped.
"Excuse me." Serge tapped his phone. "Serge, I think that our visitor might have gotten a little more information than I'm comfortable with. I believe to get back to his home he'll have to take the High Ridge Road. I would like very much for him not to make it. Do you understand?"
"Yes sir, understood." (A/N: as before, the italics represent Russian speech)
Rick looked up at Serge. "Any problems?"
Serge shook his head. "No, just the wife calling to remind me to pick up a few things on the way home."
Castle chuckled. "Well you'd better not forget. A happy wife is a happy life."
Serge just nodded as they took the elevator to the first floor and Serge saw him through the front door and to his car parked in the VIP lot. He made a note of the model and color, then went back inside. He needed to get to his car and moving before Castle had too much of a head start.
It was good for Serge that Castle was driving literally a huge sign that said 'Here I am".
Castle was making good speed on his way home. The Ferrari was tuned and purring like a kitten. It helped that the road he was on was sparsely traveled. It was an in between time. Most folks were home from work but not yet going out on the town yet.
Castle just couldn't get the itch in the back of his mind out of his head regarding Serge. Security guys were always kind of strange, but something about that phone call was troubling. It wasn't' a big deal he was speaking Russian while was talking to his wife. Maybe they preferred to speak their native language when not in mixed company.
Then it hit him. He was talking to his wife about picking up groceries. He wasn't wearing a wedding ring!
Suddenly a large Range Rover was coming up very fast behind him. Rick tried to step on the gas, but the curviness of the road didn't allow him to gain much speed, nor did the closeness of the SUV. He was worried because there wasn't anything between him and a hundred foot drop toward the ocean except a single twisted strand safety fence.
Then he felt a severe jolt generated by the SUV hitting his little sports car in the back, which Rick was pretty sure had done some real damage.
Then the Range Rover managed to get along side of him and with one more severe collision pushed his Ferrari into and over that single wire fence. The car slid down the steep embankment until the front end hit some rocks with caused it to flip completely over. And Rick had been driving it with the top down.
Serge stopped and peeked out over the cliff side. He saw the little sports car smash with great force onto the rocks that formed the breakwater. The broken little Ferrari came to rest half in and half out of the water.
Serge watched the car being pounded by the surf for a couple of minutes. He saw no one moving out from under the car. If anything, before long the surf would shift and pull anything under the car out to sea, never to be seen again.
A/N: Looks like someone's auto insurance is going up.
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