For the People Chapter 39

Rick bounds out of the kitchen to meet Kate at the door. "So, Shapiro pulled it off?"

"He did," she confirms as he helps her out of the heavy coat that barely covers her belly. "The Lozanos' dumping ground was in New Jersey. So Shapiro had to do some horse trading with the AG there to extradite the Lozanos who attacked our decoy, back to New York. I don't know what he offered, but he got what he wanted."

"And Pulco's been moved out of Rikers?"

"Uh-huh. Shapiro needed a sealed order from a judge for that, but he got it. For now, I don't even know where Pulco is. If I need him for the Mertree trial, I'll find out. But otherwise, the fewer people who know the better."

"And what about Denny Liebowitz?"

"He's in custody. I couldn't be there when he was picked up, but I saw some of the bodycam footage. The first thing he said was he wanted to make a deal. He offered to flip on the Lozanos. I don't know if Shapiro will take him up on it."

"A lying scum whose only priority is his own ass. One wouldn't think he'd make the most reliable witness," Rick offers.

"On a scale of one to ten, about a minus five." Kate sinks into a nearby chair. "I don't want to track slush all over the place. Can you get my boots off?"

"That would be my great pleasure. Do you want your fuzzy slippers or the warrior princess moccasins?"

"Fuzzies. I finished going through the last of the transcripts today. That's enough warrior anything."

"As you wish. Rick scurries away before returning with the requested footwear. He crouches in front of Kate. Cold gray liquid coats his fingers as he frees her feet from bondage. "If that slush freezes, it's going to be slippery as hell out there, and I don't want you doing a Scarlet O'Hara. I should probably take you to work tomorrow. We could go straight from the underground garage, and I could make sure you get where you're going safely. And I could pick you up and take you home. Or maybe you should think about starting your leave. You've got enough evidence against Mertree now that Kari Lautner should be able to handle the trial no problem."

"If nothing unexpected comes up, she probably could. But she'd have no second chair to do last-minute research or coordinate with the cops for her. And I can still do fine in court. If I do a decent job with vetting the jury, being pregnant might even work to my advantage. The women would be sympathetic and the men protective. And Doctor Goodman said I could keep working as long as I don't feel sick or get overtired."

"I believe she added that you should monitor your blood pressure," Rick reminds his wife.

"Yeah, that too. But I've got one of those wrist thingies. I won't mind if you play chauffeur. It will give us some extra time together. But I'm going to keep working until I have to stop."

"That's what I expected you to say," Rick confesses. "But as your faithful spouse, I had to ask."

Bracketing his face with her hands, Kate pulls Rick's lips to hers. "I know you did. So, faithful spouse, what's for dinner?"

Rick runs his fingers through his bountiful hair. "Hmm, I was working on my book, and then after you called, I really wasn't thinking much about cooking. But I suppose I could scare something up." The door buzzes as Rick walks toward the kitchen at less than his usual speed. "I'll get that."

Tantalizing aromas rise from a collection of insulated bags in an Asian delivery girl's arms. "Mr. Castle? I'm from the Dragon's Garden. This is the special seven-course meal you ordered."

Rick waves her to the table. "You can put it there. I'll take it from here." He holds out a $100 bill. "For excellent and timely service. Thank you."

The delivery girl grins. "Thank you, Mr. Castle. Have a great night."

Rick ushers her back to the door. "I intend to."

Kate rolls her eyes. "Scare something up, huh? That does smell wonderful."

"How does the baby feel about it?"

"She's dancing a jig."

"Hmm, maybe I should have ordered from Clancy's Pub."

Kate opens a bag and inhales. "I think she'll be fine with Chinese."


Increasingly hesitant to be any distance from his cell phone, Rick has it on the desk next to him as he finishes up the last paragraph in the chapter he's working on. Still, he's startled when it signals an incoming call. It isn't Kate's ringtone, and a quick ID check shows it isn't Kate. It's a K. Lautner. "Kate's second chair," he murmurs, accepting the call. "Richard Castle."

"Oh, Mr. Castle. I'm in the ladies' room at the courthouse with Ms. Beckett. She thinks her water broke."

"Did you call 911?" Rick asks.

"There's a paramedic here at the courthouse. She says if Ms. Beckett isn't having contractions yet, she should just go to the hospital. I would take her, but she just finished closing and rebuttal, and someone should stay and hear the judge's instructions to the jury before he sends them to deliberate."

Kate exits from a stall and grabs Kari's phone. "Rick, I don't want to ask the judge to slow anything down at this point. I built good momentum with my rebuttal, and I don't want to lose it. The judge called a short recess, but I'm sending Lautner back in for when court reconvenes. So get your ass down here and get me. Third-floor ladies' room."

"Got it."


Jim Beckett exits the elevator on the maternity floor and runs toward Rick. "How's Katie doing?"

"The nurses are giving her an exam and prepping her before they put her into a room. She's not in labor yet. The nurse said it will probably happen naturally within the next few hours. Kate's close to her due date. So if contractions don't start, Dr. Goodman may want to induce, to prevent infection. She'll be getting regular reports on how Kate's progressing. It's like Kate and the baby had some kind of a deal. Kate managed to get through everything she had to say in court before our daughter decided to kick her way out."

Jim's grim features soften. "I'm betting Katie looked a little smug about that."

"More than a little. But if the baby's anything like Alexis was, it will be the last occasion that her demands will have the slightest association with convenience."

Jim nods knowingly. "As a baby, Katie was pretty stubborn about having what she wanted when she wanted it too.

Rick waves toward a couple of chairs. "It could be a long while before anything happens. We might as well get comfortable. And I haven't wanted to take time to find out yet, but one of the aides told me the coffee from the cart in the lobby is at least palatable. Maybe after Kate gets settled I'll find out. Do you need to call your office or anything? You've probably got time."

Jim takes a seat on the edge of a chair. "No, I think I'll just wait until we hear how Katie's exam went."

"Yeah," Rick agrees, "I think I'll do that too."