THE QUEEN OF HEARTS

CHAPTER SEVEN

They spent the next two hours bustling around the precinct. Kate touched base with her boys when they brought their suspect in. She watched from observation as they interrogated him. It was obvious as sin that he was guilty, but they couldn't get a confession. In the end they had to release him. But they had a focus for the case.

This guy was a recidivist criminal. That meant that he kept on making mistakes and if they kept an eye on him, he'd screw up and they would be there to scoop him up.

Rick spent time ordering groceries to be sent to the loft for the dinner. He began planning the sides he was going to prepare. He asked Kate if she wanted to make anything, but her mind was all over the place. She'd never be able to calm herself enough to make something. She was worried that her agitation would be obvious to Maddie. But then, Maddie should expect that knowing that she was in the middle of an investigation.

That led Kate into thoughts about her old friend. She hadn't seen her but a handful of times before seeing her on that case where her chief chef had been murdered, and that had been the first time in years.

As usual, after the case was solved they had both made empty promises to keep in touch. They hadn't. In fact she hadn't seen or talked to Maddie in all that time since. But Maddie shouldn't feel slighted in any way. Kate hadn't kept up with anyone in all that time. Outside of work, the only so-called friends she had made were Castle and Josh. And Castle had actually started out as a work friend, and Josh was a rebound from…Castle actually.

But she'd still had her handy excuse for not having 'time' for friends. She was still absorbed in her mother's murder. Her life had revolved around her job and working on bringing her mother's killer to justice.

And that wasn't exactly true, either. They had found the man who killed her mother years ago. But he was a hired assassin. She needed to get the guy who ordered her death.

It had been a long and dangerous road. One that cost her mentor, and first captain his life, and nearly hers a few times as well. But she lived through it and that man, Senator William Bracken, was now rotting in prison where he belonged.

It took Richard Castle to give her a life back. She had wasted a lot of time playing stupid games with Castle, but if she was honest with herself, she knew he would be the one long ago. She just had to get over her fear of who he had been portrayed to be all those years ago.

Now she was married and her happiness of being with him was occasionally dampened by her fears that one day he'd wake up and see how unworthy of him she was and leave her. She just wasn't that special, but then why did he keep insisting that she was extraordinary?

Her musings were interrupted by her extraordinary man tapping her on the shoulder. "Earth to Kate, come in Kate."

She smiled at him and put her arm on his. "We should go check with Roz one more time. See if she has any more information yet." Kate frowned. "I really want to see that CSU report."

Castle nodded. "Yeah, and we have to get going soon if we're going to be ready for Maddie when she comes over."

They took off for Karpowski's desk. Castle gave Kate a quick pinch in the butt. She startled in surprise but only gave him a shake of her head.

They reached Roz's desk in no time, but Roz wasn't there. They began a careful search of the woman detective's desk.

After a frustrating several minutes of fruitless searching, suddenly Kate found a peach. It was the CSU report from Josh's apartment. She nudged Rick and they quickly scanned the one page report.

Their focus both hit the same sentence at the same time. If you had been watching them read you would have sworn their eyes tracked exactly the same words on the paper at the same time.

Kate looked at Rick with a brow raised exactly at the same time he looked at her with a raised brow.

"Isn't that interesting?" Neither knew who said it first. Most likely they said it in unison.

Castle took the sheet out of Kate's hand and set it back down on Karpowski's desk. "We've got to get home, we have a lot of planning and cooking to do before seven thirty.

Kate bit her lip and nodded. "Yes we do."

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Kate and Rick were whirling around the kitchen like a crazed hockey team with quick changes of direction and the occasional hip check into the boards, or as the case may be, countertops and sink rims.

"Okay, the au gratin potatoes are finished, we just have to put them in the warmer along with the asparagus and cauliflower mix."

Kate nodded to her partner. "The chocolate swirled in mint ice cream has been put in dishes and placed in the freezer." She twirled like a ballerina and pointed to the dining room. "The table had been set, and the wine has been chosen."

Rick smiled. "And the other warming oven is ready for Maddie's salmon entrée, which if I remember that other time I actually got to eat at her restaurant her presentation was superb."

Kate smirked at him. "You forget, she doesn't do the cooking at the restaurant you know."

Castle smirked back. "You forget, many of the items featured on her menu are her original creations."

Kate shrugged with a smile. She was just getting ready to kiss Rick senseless for the third time since they'd gotten home when there was a knock on the door.

She glanced at him. "Have you ever thought of getting a door bell?"

Rick shook his head as he move toward the door. "Hate 'em."

He opened the door with a flourish. "Welcome Ms. Queller to Casa Castle-Beckett."

Kate was startled as that was the first time she'd ever heard Rick call the loft that.

Maddie handed Rick a large covered silver dish. "Why thank you, Mr. Castle. That needs to be in a warmer for another twenty minutes to allow the cream sauce to fully infiltrate the fish." Maddie grinned. "I hope you're hungry. I brought five pounds."

"Yes!" Rick pumped his fist. "What?" Kate was dumbfounded.

Maddie giggled. "Leftovers are the best part of any large meal."

Kate took Maddie's coat and hung it up, then led Maddie to the couch.
"This is a beautiful place Rick." Her head swivels as she takes in the expansive plan. "How long have you lived here?"

Kate had taken a chair opposite Maddie and Rick took the end of the couch where he could easily get up and down to act as the de facto waiter.

"Seems like forever. I bought this with my first big advance check. I've been here ever since. Alexis was just a chubby little toddler."

Maddie chuckled. "I take it she's not here tonight?"

Rick smiled and shook his head. "No, she opted to live on campus. She's at Columbia."

"Nice. Not your run of the mill college."

Kate chuckled. "You should have seen the panic daddy here went through when she was talking to schools such as Stanford and Oxford."

The conversation stayed on innocuous topics for several minutes until Maddie finally broke the obvious tension. "Look, I know that Kate is dying to ask me questions about Brent Edwards. I don't know much about this murder case she's been working on, but after Rick's call asking about Brent I'm assuming he's somehow a person of interest not that I have any idea how? He'd been dead for two years."

She glanced at her watch. "Why don't we enjoy our meal first, then you can ask me all the questions I probably won't be able to answer."

Kate smiled. "Thank you, Maddie." Rick jumped up and clapped his hands together.

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The meal was phenomenal. Every one wasn't shy and they all stuffed themselves. Even so, there was going to be plenty leftovers for Kate and Rick's lunches later in the week.

By unspoken agreement they all moved back to their spots in the living room. Rick brought the wine bottle with and assumed the job of filling glasses as they would go empty.

Maddie took a lengthy drink of her wine. Then looked up directly at Kate. "So, ask your question, Kate."

Kate had her hands folded in front of her. "Why?"

Maddie chuckled low in her throat. "Why?' She shrugged. "Why not?"

Kate glared at the blonde on their couch. "Why not? Because he was 'my' boyfriend at the time. Because we'd been going together almost the entire senior year. Because I loved him."

At Kate's final proclamation Maddie did laugh. "Kate, you didn't have a clue as to what love was. You loved being the center of attention dating the football captain. You liked how he made you feel when he made love to you. But he knew you were using him."

"I was not!" Kate was hot. "He was my first real crush. We were great together."

Maddie shook her head. "Kate, when had you decided to go to Stanford?"

Kate was confused by the question. "I sent my application for an early entry in January."

Maddie nodded. "And you were a shoe-in to get in too."

Kate held out her hands out in confusion. "So?"

Maddie rolled her eyes. "Kate, Brent had no chance of going to a school like Stanford? He'd be lucky to get a football scholarship to a division three school."

"So, I was supposed to forgo my dreams because Brent wasn't a good student?"

"No, Kate. That's what I'm trying to say. You and Brent had no future. On the other hand I was crazy about him and I offered him the companionship you would soon be taking away from him."

Kate was fuming. "That was supposed to be our big send off before the summer. My going to Stanford was not set in stone yet. Your little tryst that night showed me his true colors."

Maddie shook her head. "Is that what you think? Truth is, I was the one who convinced him to lay with me. I knew you were going to blow him off after the summer, if you even got that far. I thought, why not put myself in that slot." Maddie had tears in her eyes. "Kate I was in love with Brent. I was all through school, but you had his heart so I just sat and waited. I knew that he would never be good enough for you. For 'her honor' Justice Beckett."

Kate wouldn't let go of her anger. "So, if you were so in love with him, why did you leave him to go to that big deal cooking school in France? How is that any different than what I did?"

Maddie laughed sadly. "Because he didn't want me. He never got over you. He ran off and joined the navy. I stayed in touch, but he did a few tours before winding up at the Point Barrow weather station. Even during all that time he was up there, all the time I would correspond with him, he always asked about you."

"I don't understand." Kate shook her head violently.

Maddie rolled her eyes. "Neither did I. After I graduated from what he always called food school, I offered to bring him home and find him a good job with me."

Kate frowned. "And he refused?"

Maddie nodded. "Yeah, he wouldn't come back to New York as long as you were here. He said it would be too hard for him to be in the same city without being with you."

Kate just shook her head slowly. "From what you are telling me, Brent was nuts. He never broke away from his high school world where he was king of the hill."

"Maybe," Maddie wiped another tear away. "I still loved him, but I never got through to him. When I found out he had died. I nearly had a break down."

"So he is dead?"

Maddie gave Kate a strange look. "Of course he's dead. You fall through the ice in freezing water in heavy cold weather gear when nobody is close enough to help… you die!" Maddie dropped her head for a few deep breaths then looked back up at Kate. "If I hadn't already had Q3 to dedicate my life to, I might not have made it through it."

Rick jumped up. "Why don't I make us all some coffee. I think we need to damp the emotions down a bit."

Maddie jumped up and put her hand on Rick's arm. "No, let me make it, Rick. I need to do something to allow me time to calm down again." She walked over to the kitchen and started messing with Rick espresso machine.

Maddie had to hold onto her recent performance to not let on how excited she was. Everything was going to plan. All she had to do was slip some chloral hydrate into Kate's coffee cup. She will then, in effect, turn her cup of coffee into what used to be called a 'Mickey'. In a few minutes she would be unconscious for hours. She was sure the sugar free vanilla flavoring that Kate always liked would cover any odd taste the knock out drugs might have.

After Kate would appear to fall asleep, then she could say her good bye to Rick and after he gets her coat, she can get her gun out and shoot him dead. The suppressor she thought to bring along this time will give her plenty of time before Kate wakes up and finds her hubbie dead. No nosy neighbors to call the police right away.

Maddie was having only the mildest of regrets over what she planned to do. She had always liked Rick. He'd been good to her during that case she'd been involved in five years ago. Also, he was really cute.

But she steeled her heart. This was for Brent. The final punishment for Kate Beckett to endure for ruining the life of a man she loved above all others. The five of hearts had to die. Only then would Kate's punishment be complete. The Queen of Hearts would spend the rest of her life in pain.

Maddie looked over her shoulder. "Rick, where do you keep that sugar free vanilla flavoring for Kate's coffee. She used to love that back in school too." She laughed. "Imagine a high schooler already hooked on caffeine."

Rick rushed over and pulled down the bottle that she had asked for.

With Maddie's back to them, Rick gave Kate a bit of a nod, she answered with the same.

Only moments later, Maddie was bringing the three coffees back to the 'coffee' table in front of the couch. She handed one of the cups directly to Kate and set the other two on the table.

"I wanted to make sure you got the right cup of coffee, Kate." Kate smiled her thanks.

Kate took a tiny sip, as if tasting the brew. She was able to taste the drugs in the coffee because the bottle of vanilla was a fake. It was just water not vanilla, so there was nothing to hide the taste. "Babe, this is really good vanilla you bought this time. It blends really well."

Rick nodded. "Good." He turned to Maddie. "So, I've been wanted to ask you about what it's like running a big successful restaurant like Q3."

The plan was for Rick to keep Maddie engaged while she pulled out several no doze tablets to act as an antidote to the 'Mikey' that Maddie had introduced into her coffee.

Rick being Rick was able to keep Maddie's attention on him while Kate crumbled up several tablets and let them dissolve in her cup. She feigned drinking it, but she knew that Maddie would keep checking to make sure she was drinking it.

Maddie finally looked directly at Kate. "How's that cup of coffee. Do I still have to touch? Does it taste like it should?"

Kate grinned back. "It's great, almost done." Kate a show of finishing off the whole cup full."

"Need another?" She offered.

Kate waved her hand in negation. "No, that's alright. Actually, I'm feeling kind of tired all of a sudden. I think today is finally catching up with me. I'm going to go in and lay down." Kate looked up at Rick. "Babe, would you be a dear and make sure Maddie gets home okay? I'm really beat, and I don't think I'm going to make it more than the ten feet to our bedroom." Kate half stumbled toward their bedroom and disappeared behind the door.

Rick smiled down at Maddie. "I can call for a car service to take you home if you came in a cab?"

Maddie waved him off. "No, I'm actually just parked down the street a half a block. I don't think there will be any muggers around your front door. And I'm sure that nice door man will watch out for me."

"Oh that he will. He likes watching out for beautiful women."

Her laugh was very well done. "Oh Rick, could I impose on you to keep the silver tray for another day. I don't feel like lugging it around tonight. You can just set it out at the front door tomorrow and I'll send someone around for it."

Rick placed a 'friendly' hand on her shoulder. "Not a problem at all. Would you like your coat?"

Maddie made to move toward the coat closet. "Don't bother yourself, I can get my own coat. Besides I'm going to leave you will all those dishes."

"No, I insist. What kind of host would I be? We invited you, remember?" As he was talking he went to the closet and pulled out her coat.

Just as Maddie was reaching for her coat she heard a voice behind her. She turned. Kate was standing in the living room end nearest Rick's office. She had her service revolver in her hand.

"Don't make any sudden moves, Maddie." Kate looked at Rick expectantly. He patted down the coat and smiled. With his hanky he pulled the gun out of the coat pocket and set it on the coffee table. Kate threw him back a set of handcuffs.

Maddie barely resisted as Rick placed the cuffs on her and sat her down on the far end of the couch. "How did you know?"

Kate moved over and stood in front of her. "Actually, we were lucky. I just happened to see the CSU report before we left for home. In it was the forensics report for Josh's apartment. Guess what they found? A long blonde hair, which CSU says came from a woman."

"That's your big piece of evidence? I'd say that's pretty thin. It could have come from any number of women that Josh might have entertained. And why would you think of me anyway?"

Kate stared at her. "I happen to know that Josh hasn't lived there very long and he had only just got home from an overseas tour with DWB. So I figured the chances of him having had a hook up there were small. And as to why you. Unfortunately, for you, there is a definite paucity of suspects for these crimes. Once I had the blonde hair you were the only one I could think of with any connections." Kate then pointed to her forehead. "And you have a band aid on your forehead. There was evidence of a scuffle at Josh's place."

Rick jumped in. "And given that we found this weapon in your coat pocket, we have enough cause to take you in for questioning."

Maddie glared at them. "That is my personal protection weapon. This is New York, a single woman has to be careful."

Kate shrugged. "Fine, once ballistics clears it from any of the crime scene shootings, I'm sure they'll give it back to you." Kate held up the coffee cup. "Oh, and I'm bringing this too. I wonder what they'll find."

Maddie had a look of defeat on her face. "How did you know?"

Kate shook her head. "I didn't, but after reading the report I had to find out. So the invite to dinner changed from a search for more information about Brent to a trap for a possible suspect. If you were the killer you'd jump at a chance to finish the job you gave to yourself. If you weren't I'd apologize."

Kate paced in front of her. "I wasn't sure how you were going to do it, but I knew you had to get me out of the way without killing me. I mean how could you punish me the way you were if I was dead. I watched you very carefully while we ate and I never ate anything that you hadn't already tried. So I figured it would have to be in a beverage. So I made sure I was prepared for that. The wine would taste too easily, so the coffee was the most logical choice."

Rick joined in again. "I will sometimes binge write. If I'm in the zone I don't want to stop for anything, not even sleep. It just so happens that I have a generous supply of good old No Doze on hand for just those occasions."

Maddie shook her head. "Just shut up and take me in. If I have to listen to any more of your smugness I'll vomit."

Kate frowned. "Just one more question. Brent died two years ago, why wait so long to enact your vengeance?"

Maddie shrugged her shoulders. "Grief takes time. I was in a bad place that first year. If I didn't have the restaurant as a distraction I might have just gone crazy."

Kate couldn't help but think 'might have gone crazy?'."

"Then I began to think of what I could do to honor the memory of the man you so cruelly tossed aside." Maddie shrugged again. "Vengeance takes time. Just take me in so I don't have to look at your face any more."

Kate walked over and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her to her feet. "Your wish is my command. Madison Queller, you are under arrest for the murders of William Sorenson, Thomas Demming and the attempted murder of Joshua Davidson." And Kate dutifully read Maddie her rights.

EPILOGUE

Kate and Rick arrived back at the precinct after spending the morning at the hospital. Josh had been brought out of his healing coma yesterday and Kate wanted to talk to him as soon as he was able to talk to her.

The 'last supper' as Rick kept calling it, had occurred four days ago. Maddie was still in custody since the gun Rick found in her coat was a ballistic match for all three victims. All they needed was some way to put her at one of those murder sites and it would be over.

Ever since Maddie had been brought in she basically shut down. She moved when someone pushed her, she refused to speak to anyone. She wouldn't answer questions or respond to anyone. She just stared off into space with that strange gleam in her eyes.

Kate had found her address book when they searched her apartment and had called the attorney in the book in her behalf. They also found letters. Letters that had been from Brent in an obvious response to ones she must have sent to him.

The letters proved what Maddie had told Kate. Brent still held a torch for Kate. For every word he directed at Maddie, he had three memories or wishes about Kate. It was no wonder that Maddie had snapped given how much she had loved him.

After finding those letters and reading them, Kate had to go home where she cried in the arms of her loving husband. Rick had to talk her down from the heights of misery and blame she was heaping on herself. For every 'if I had only…' he was there with a hug and a 'you couldn't have known' or 'it wasn't your fault'.

She had cried herself to sleep in his arms two consecutive nights, but on that second morning, Katie Beckett was moved behind her and Detective Kate Beckett-Castle came to the forefront. It was time to get justice for her former friends and lovers.

Kate scrubbed her hands through her hair. The conversation with Josh had been anything but pleasant. To be fair, he was looking forward to a long arduous recovery and he knew it. After what she went through during her recovery, she wouldn't wish that on her worst enemy. So she understood.

Unfortunately she had a job to do, and the sooner she would be able to do it, the sooner all of them could begin to heal. Josh spent most of his time talking to her cussing out 'that stupid bitch'. He also railed about how his injuries might never heal enough for him to be able to go back to being one of the finest surgeons in the country. Even though all of his doctors, including Dr. Kovacs, assured him that there was no indication of any permanent damage.

It took her a while, but she finally got Josh to identify a picture of Maddie as the woman who broke into his apartment, and shot him. Just in case he wouldn't be able to testify at the trial due to his injuries, Kate had set up depositions of three hospital employees as they witnessed Josh claiming that the woman in the picture she showed him was the woman that attacked and shot him. They also had a DNA match from the hair found at his apartment.

Kate was leaning back in her chair when Captain Gates called her and Castle into her office.

"How can I help you, captain?" Kate asked as she sat in one of the chairs. Rick chose to remain standing next to her.

"I've just gotten out of a conference call with the commissioner, and his counterpart in the DCPD. After much debate, it was decided that since the first murder took place in Washington D.C. that all the following incidents were going to be considered related to that case and Ms. Queller will be tried on all counts in the District of Columbia."

Rick interrupted. "Doesn't a murder and an attempted murder trump a single murder?"

Gates just shook her head. "Apparently being first is more important here. It seems that case law is murky in a situation like this."

Kate sighed. "Personally I don't care, I just want it to be over."

Gates nodded. "I guessed that with Ms. Queller being a former friend, and the victims were once close to you, that you wouldn't want to be the liaison from the 12th to go down to DC for the trial prep."

Kate shook her head vigorously. "No, I wouldn't. It's going to be tough enough to just be a witness on the stand. Besides, Karpowski was actually the detective of record for our case, she should be the one to go down to DC."

"That was my thought on the matter also." Gates nodded.

Kate shot Rick a sly look. "Also, Roz has already conferred several times with the Detective in charge from DC."

Gates grabbed a sheet from her notes. "Oh yes, I have it here. A Detective Charles Connors."

"Chuck." Kate smirks.

"What?"

"He prefers to be called 'Chuck'."

Gates raised her brow. "Seriously?"

Kate just laughed as Rick guided her out of Gates' office.

"So, do you think we might lose Roz if Gates let her play down in DC for too long?" Rick asked as they took their seats at Kate's desk.

Kate shook her head. "Naw, I think it will be an excellent chance for Roz to go down there have a little fun while working with Chuck, but then she'll get it out of her system. She'll be able to come back to work relaxed and refreshed."

Rick smirked. "Or tired and worn out."

Kate shot him a look. "Roz?"

Castle feigned deep thought. "No, you're right. She'll be as exuberant as always when she comes back."

Castle stands and holds his hands out to Kate. "Let's go home."

"Sounds good to me." She slips her hands in his and allows him to pull her up. Hand in hand they make their way to the elevator.

FIN.

AN: Thanks to all who came along for the ride.

For those who thought that five relationships for Kate was too few, I took my cue from Canon. Brent was supposed to be Kate's big first love. The only thing we ever heard about Kate's college days was Rogan O'Leary and from what was said about him was he was 'fun' but a real loser and Kate didn't stay with him more than a couple weeks. I'm sure that Kate had dates, and probably enjoyed a few overnight sexual gratification one night stands, but once her mother was murdered she became more focused and I imagine while she was a cadet there was no time for anything in a relationship. Once she had become a detective she hooked up with Will and that was her second real relationship. Demming barely qualifies, but he did last four episodes and how he figured in with Kate and Rick, he is given the number three spot. Season 3 was Josh on the rebound. He lasted the entire season 3 but for as few mentions he got during that season, he wasn't around all that much. But enough for number 4. Season 4 was nobody and by the end of season 4 it was Rick. And Rick from that point forward. Inspector Hunt wasn't anything. It was only a response to Jacinda and doesn't qualify as a 'relationship'. And the one I continue to think is the funniest is Vaughn. You have Kate stuck in a situation where she is forced to be where she doesn't want to be being stalked by a sexual predator who takes advantage of her discomfort and confusion. Not a relationship, nor even a 'thought' there. Rick and Kate had their ups and downs going forward from that point but there was never another 'man' in her life. So I stand by my hearts, 5.

I also had a companion idea of using Rick's past three major ladies before Kate: Kyra, Meredith, and Gina. I just thought Kate's X's would be more fun.

Thanks Again.

Readers are always Appreciated, Review if you wish