Playing Hard to Get
Chapter 17
He didn't need hotels, he just needed destinations and for her to decide on some. So he created a list of places that could be reached and still leave time and let her decide where she wanted to go while in Paris.
So far, he had Reims, Brussels, Disneyland Paris. Maybe Disneyland was more his idea, but it could be reached by rail and then back to the hotel. The island of Monte Saint-Michel, London, Strasbourg, Luxembourg, Rotterdam, Geneva, Lyon, and Amsterdam.
Disneyland Paris was really only a one-day trip, and the other day could be spent in Paris.
Since he didn't know what she liked, he made his own list and put locations at the top that he liked. So: Disneyland, London, Brussels, Strasbourg, Amsterdam, Geneva, Rotterdam, Luxembourg, Lyon, Monte Saint-Michel, Reims. In that order.
Ten days of time and two days for each meant she could choose at most four or maybe five places to visit. Satisfied with his list, he went into the Precinct the next day.
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"Where have you been?" Kate demanded. He had been gone all day yesterday and hadn't answered any of her texts since they had a case.
Instead of answering her, he put a piece of paper on her desk. "What's this?" Kate picked it up and saw what it was. It told her that he really wanted to help her plan and get her to go on a vacation.
"I haven't even asked Captain Montgomery for the time off yet," Kate told him.
"That's okay. The real question is when. If you want it to be warm, it needs to be soon. But if you want it to be Christmas, it will be colder. Just think Christmas in Brussels or even Geneva," Rick offered.
"You do know Santa doesn't exist, right?" Kate asked him.
"WHAT!? Not listening." Rick put his hands over his ears. "La-la-la-la. Not listening," he said again.
Kate groaned softly. He was going all child on her again. "Why would you say such a thing? Of course, Santa exists," Rick insisted as he uncovered his ears.
"I was three, and we didn't have a chimney," Kate told him.
"That so doesn't make sense. As if not having a chimney would ever stop Santa," he scoffed. "We need to have a talk about your beliefs. I suppose you don't believe in the Tooth Fairy or Easter Bunny?" Rick sighed and watched her shake her head. "Leprechauns? Baby New Year?" Rick watched her continue to shake her head. "I don't know if I want to take you to lunch for our next date." Rick crossed his arms across his chest and pouted.
"Get over it, Castle. You're a big boy, I'm sure you'll survive. So where are you taking me for lunch?" It better be simple because she wasn't dressed for any place fancy.
"Say please," Rick told her.
"Say…" He had turned himself into a child again. "Really, Castle? Are we going to do this every time you want to take me somewhere?" Kate glared at him, but he just sat there and pouted some more. If anything, it was getting worse.
She knew she was going to regret this, she just knew it. "Please?"
"That's better. You know the burger place just down the street?" Rick queried.
"Of course. I've even been there a few times. They have strawberry shakes that are to die for. Their burgers are more hit and miss, though. Sometimes juicy and sometimes dry as a bone. Turns your mouth into a desert," Kate told him. "But I accept your offer." She could do with a shake and some fries to dip into it.
"So what's our case? You can take your list with you and look it over. If you tell me where then I can plan hotels. And if you give me some dates, I can do even better. Christmas maybe?" Rick tried again.
"You don't give up easily, do you?" Kate asked him.
Rick finally smiled at her. "I learned from the best."
"Well, I know it can't be Alexis, so I'll guess Martha." Though Kate didn't think it was her either.
"Very funny." He meant her, not his family. "Where's Lilly?" She wasn't in her bed.
"Captain Montgomery has her. I'm starting to wonder who likes who the most." Kate smiled, she wasn't sure. It was either Roy or Lilly or maybe even both. She wasn't worried that Lilly liked her the best. Lilly was her puppy, and they both knew it.
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Just as planned, Kate and Rick were seated in a booth at the burger place just down the street. They weren't even alone. There were uniformed officers on site getting a fast burger before going back out on patrol.
The owners didn't mind. For one, having all these armed police in the place meant no one would be stupid enough to try and rob them.
Rick had gotten Kate to bring the list with her, and after placing their orders, Kate picked it up to read it again. "Is there a reason why Disneyland is first on the list?"
Rick defended his choice. "It's Disney. How could you not want to go to Disneyland?"
"It sounds more like a place you want to go to than me, but it's on the list. I know where London is. Brussels is the home of NATO, I think. Strasbourg sounds German. Amsterdam sounds nice. Geneva is Switzerland, so that might be nice too. Save for Lyon, which is France, the others are more of a mystery for me, I'm sorry to say." Kate laid her list down.
"Ten days divided by two says five possibilities. Except I want to spend time in Paris, so maybe just four or even three." Kate needed to think.
"Disney is just outside Paris, and you won't need another hotel for that. For the others, you'll need a hotel to stay in along with a train pass. Just show the pass, hop on a train, and go. Simple," Rick explained.
"Pushing Disney still?" Kate questioned him.
Rick shrugged. "So shoot me. On second thought, please don't shoot me." He watched her smile wide at that.
"Well," Kate picked up her list since she did need to make a few choices. "London is a yes. I don't see Venice on this list," she pointed out.
Rick shook his head. "It's ten hours by train one way. Too far. Two hours by plane, but then you need transportation, go through Security, and get there early. That makes the trip almost as long. Sorry." He knew he had said something about going there.
"That's okay." Kate went back to looking at the list. "Let's see, London, Brussels, Amsterdam, and…and… What's Mount Saint-Michel?" Kate could honestly say she didn't know anything about it.
"Normandy, France. It's an island that's a walled city with an ancient abbey at the top. It's a UNESCO World Heritage site," Rick explained. "That's about it. It looks nice, but it might not be what you're looking for,"
"Oh. Well, Geneva then. So, London, Geneva, Brussels, and Amsterdam, please. Show me the hotels, and I'll figure out when to go. Then I can fill out a form and give it to Montgomery." Rick was interrupted when their food arrived. He hummed after just one bite. "Juicy!" He smiled while chewing.
"Not bad." Kate liked hers and proceeded to dip her fries into her strawberry shake.
"How can you do that?" Rick didn't get it.
"Don't knock it till you try it, Castle," Kate said.
Rick shuddered. "I don't think that works with a chocolate shake."
"Your loss." Kate kept eating and smiling at Rick.
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"No changes?" Rick inquired. "Still London, Amsterdam, Brussels, and Geneva?"
"Yup, sounds good." Kate was satisfied.
"May I suggest Christmas in Amsterdam? They have a light show starting in late November," Rick offered. "I did some research, not that I've ever been there."
Kate shrugged. "I don't mind being cold if it's worth it. Christmas in Amsterdam is fine, Castle. Time to get back to my case. Are you staying or going home?"
"Home. I have more planning to do. You can tell me all about it after you solve it," Rick told her.
"Okay, knock yourself out." Kate took her leave of him and went back to her desk. She had a murder to solve.
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"Richard?" Martha walked in, and she found him at the dining room table with stuff all around him. Usually, he preferred to work in his study, so this was different.
Rick acknowledged her but kept working. "Mother."
"What are you doing?" Martha stepped up behind him to look for herself.
"Planning Kate's ten days of vacation," Rick told her while trying to decide between two hotels.
"Richard, didn't you learn about surprising Katherine the last time?" She didn't want to see Katherine that angry ever again. Her son was playing with fire once more.
"Kate has already approved of going on a vacation. She even selected where she wanted to go. Fly to Paris and stay there as her base. Then train trips to Amsterdam, Brussels, London, and Geneva. All I'm doing now is trying to find hotels. I'll try and find things to do in each city later.
"She chose Christmas in Amsterdam," Rick said.
"Haven't you been to Amsterdam?" Martha questioned him. "I know you've been to London."
"That's an excellent idea, Mother. Thank you." Rick hadn't really thought about going with her. Now he was. "And yes, I have, but not during Christmas." This trip was going to be so cool!
"Please do not surprise her, Richard. I don't think she takes surprises well," Martha warned him, but since she was being ignored, she left him to it.
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London Hotel: Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park. Turret Suite
Amsterdam Hotel: De L'Europe, Deluxe Suite, one bedroom, river view
Brussels Hotel: Radisson Collection Grand Place. Premium Suite with Lounge Access
Geneva Hotel: Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues. Executive Suite
Paris Hotel: Le Bristol Paris. Deluxe Garden Room
Rick left out the prices since she and he could afford them easily. So why not make the trip memorable?
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Rick plopped down in his chair. "Hi!"
"What has you so chirpy?" Kate asked him. "Which is not appreciated this morning, by the way."
"Ooo, grumpy Kate Beckett. That's new." Rick hadn't seen it before.
"Well, my coffee maker here isn't working, and yours is spitting hot water at me. So I haven't had any coffee yet. And Lilly threw up on my bed sometime last night, and I only just got here because she delayed me." Kate really wasn't having a good morning.
"Where is Lilly anyway?" He didn't see her.
"Making the rounds. She's this Precinct's mascot, you know. Plus, she's learned who hands out treats for her. You know, if this keeps up, she'll be one chubby dog." Kate would have to start putting her foot down on all these treats soon.
Kate got back to the topic at hand. "So why are you so happy?"
"I was offered a three-book deal for a certain British Secret Agent." Rick was so excited he was about to burst.
"You mean James..." Kate stopped when Rick shushed her.
"NO! No, no, no! We do not mention his name. You might jinx it."
"Jinxes don't exist either, Castle. Just like Santa Claus, ghosts, demons, aliens…" Kate started a list, but Castle stopped her after a few.
Rick made the sign of a cross. "Stop, stop, stop. We really need to talk, Kate, about your misguided beliefs. I know what you need! Coffee." Rick jumped up. Even if she didn't know how to make coffee, he certainly did.
A few minutes later, he came back. "One cup of freshly made espresso. I even put a heart on the top for you." Rick pointed at it and set it on her desk.
"Thanks, Castle." She needed that this morning since her day wasn't going well. Then her phone rang. "Beckett." Kate listened. "Got it."
"Ooo, dead body!?" Rick was ready. He had missed the last one.
"You don't have to be so happy about it, Castle. Someone is dead." Kate still didn't see the appeal in a dead body.
"I need the research for my next Nikki Heat book, even if Heat Wave comes out in less than a week and a book launch party is Monday. You did get your invitation, right?" He had made damn sure that Kate got one.
"Yes, I got it." Kate had barely gotten to touch her coffee, so she was doing this with no caffeine this morning.
"Does this mean you're not accepting your certain British Agent book deal?" Kate asked and quietly prayed, hoping that he didn't accept it. If he did, he would move to London and be lost to her.
"I haven't yet decided. They haven't officially offered me anything. It's just looking really good," Rick told her excitedly.
"Oh." Kate got in her car, and Castle followed while she drove to the site.
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They were met by a uniform officer this time. "What have you got for us?"
"Caucasian female, early 30s, no purse or ID found on the body," he informed them. "City workers found her when they opened the manhole to check the line."
"Something tells me she didn't trip," Kate said, and she, Espo, and Ryan, who had just arrived, looked down into the open manhole.
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"Don't look at me like that, Sir. We must have hit over a dozen shops trying to match that candy wrapper, and he bought something in each and every shop." Kate couldn't believe Castle yet again. Just when he got all adult on her, he went all child.
Roy chuckled. "All of them?" Even Roy had trouble with that one.
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They had the candy and finally a name and address.
"Postcards from home." Kate didn't see much else. She lived alone and was very spartan.
"One's missing." Rick touched her spot and searched the floor. "If pictures actually are worth a thousand words, this one says not a fan." He showed it to her since the dead woman's face was so scratched that it was unrecognizable.
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"Was married?" Rick questioned the manager of the hotel where she used to work.
"Two years ago. She was divorced," he answered.
"Maybe he came back for an encore performance," Rick suggested.
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"Okay, guys. Let's put ourselves in her shoes. She was recently unemployed and not from this country. How much trouble can she get herself into to get herself killed?" Kate asked all four of them.
Ryan spoke up. "Drugs and prostitution both come to mind, but Perlmutter didn't find any of that."
"Let's hit the building again. Talk to everyone we missed the first time." Kate got up and everyone followed her.
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Espo came out with what the artist had created from her description. "What do you think, Castle? Look like anyone we know?" Kate was all smiles.
"Paging Dr. Talbot, who conveniently failed to mention that he knew where she lived and that he had a fight with her." Rick was now smiling as well.
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"You clean up very nicely, Detective." Roy liked how Beckett looked at Castle's book launch party. "Castle's going to be happy to see you. Have you read the dedication?" He thought it was maybe a bit much, but it fit her.
"No, Sir." Her copy didn't have a dedication inside it.
To the Extraordinary KB and all my friends at the 12th
Rick spotted Kate dressed in a gorgeous designer dress. "Hi."
"Hi. The dedication that's…that's, wow, thank you!" Kate said and blushed a little.
"I meant it. You are extraordinary even if you don't see it. But I do have something for you." Rick pulled out a piece of paper for her to read.
She saw the list. "Hotels."
"London is in Hyde Park, perfect spot. Amsterdam is right on a canal, so, amazing views. The others are mostly city centers, and you can get around easily," Rick told her.
"Thank you, Castle. I'll look them up and let you know," Kate said and smiled at him. "I put in a vacation request. Captain Montgomery hasn't approved it yet, so don't go making any reservations."
"Not until you tell me to. I promise." Rick held out his pinky. "Do you need another pinky promise?"
"I think I'll pass on this one. So did you get the book deal?" Kate was curious.
"I'm told I did, but I haven't read it yet, so I don't know what it says. I know I like the idea, but Nikki Heat has so much more to say, and I'm conflicted."
"Then do what's right for you, Castle," Kate urged him. "Don't let me stop you.
"You don't want me to write more Nikki Heat books?" Rick was a little hurt.
"Don't put words in my mouth. Go sign your books, and if you sign anyone's chest, I swear I will make you hurt." Kate poked him with her finger and then left him.
"Don't… Oh, shit." He knew one woman was walking somewhere in this building, with his signature on her chest. He was dead. He knew she was going to kill him.
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"Thank you, Castle. I might never have been able to solve this case without you. I… Good luck with your new book." She didn't want to stand in his way. He would be a huge success, and she was just a cop.
"Kate, I…" He didn't know just what to say. He wanted the deal, but he didn't want to leave her.
Then both of their phones rang at the same time.
"Three books for how much? For that, I would do six books," Rick almost shouted.
"Three books, Sir! Are you sure!?" That was money Castle couldn't turn down, wouldn't want to turn down.
They were both off their phones. "Three books!?" Kate gaped at Rick.
"It's worth millions, Kate. Do I say no? I told her I would call her back."
"You… I mean, is this what you want?" She meant continue to work with her. She wanted to give them a chance, but she still didn't dare to tell him. "What about your Special Agent who can't be named?" Writing those books would make him even more famous.
"Can I stay?" Rick asked her quietly.
"Just grow up a little," Kate asked, hoping he would do it finally, but not trusting him. "I can't handle too much more of the child Castle."
"I can do that," Rick told her quickly and saw the look on her face. "I CAN!" Rick insisted.
"You better, Castle," Kate warned him.
"I can!" he told her again. "I promise, Kate."
"Promise harder," Kate told him and answered her phone. They already had another dead body. "Are you coming or what?" That had Rick jogging to catch up to her. "You still need to promise harder, Castle."