Rick stares at his daughter. He is wondering why she is turning white as a ghost and he can't come up with anything. Her next utterance makes him turn towards the area that she is pointing at and then it becomes clear to him.
"Ah, dad…"
He turns to look in the direction of her pointing index finger and what he sees makes him freeze like a deer in headlights.
It was his long lost college roommate - the one who skipped out on paying rent years ago. He disappeared one night after leaving to get pizza for the room and never returned. He looked the roommate in the eyes and asked,
"Where is the pizza, damn you?"
Just then Rick snapped out of his daydream, just in time to see the final appearance of the woman who invaded his loft earlier this morning. He didn't know why he thought of that memory from so long ago but he had associated her with his long lost roommate. Yeah not a great time for him.
Kate finished materializing and took a look at both of the people staring at her. She had meant to do what she did just to prove that she was who she said she was. The writer's young daughter stood there with her arm raised and finger still pointed at her and her mouth gapingly open uttering absolutely nothing. The writer on the other hand had become what she thought was defensive. His face was beet red and he was not looking very happy. It's now or never she thought.
"Who are you?!" Rick demanded.
Kate decided that it was no longer a good idea to bend the truth with the writer anymore. She would tell him exactly what he wanted to know and why she was here.
"Rick Castle, writer of eighteen New York Times bestselling books. Age 36. Son of Martha Rogers and father to Alexis Castle. Currently, you are writing in the mystery crime genre. Although you have taken a stab at historical fantasy books as well. Your obsession for writing these mystery books came from a deep seeded fear of seeing someone that was killed in Hollander's Woods, New York when you were younger. I've read most of your work and it's all substandard. I bet you haven't heard that before have you?" Kate asked.
Rick was flabbergasted. Nobody had spoken to him about his livelihood like that before… ever.
Should I let her get away with this? He thought?
Before he could say anything she continued:
"That's what I thought, you think that you are Black Pawn's golden boy. Nothing can affect your talent, well except for your current blockage that is. Perhaps you should spend more time doing finger painting and less time 'writing" maybe that's your new calling!" Kate said as she walked around the room ending up right in front of him.
Alexis, who was listing to every word this woman said, watched as her father stood there without saying a word in his defense.
Kate was going to try to use the technique that her mother told her about. She projected her voice and mind into Alexis' thoughts. At first, it was complete clutter. Then it got worse. Alexis' thoughts were all over the page. But after being in her head for a minute or two she could tell that Alexis would defend her father to the bitter end. She decided to talk to her subconsciously.
"Alexis, I am not trying to belittle your dad. I am using what some people call tough love. I don't care how this makes you feel toward me. You may hate my guts, but I love you, and I am doing this because I love you."
Alexis simply stood there. She heard the voice but when she looked at Kate she was still looking at her dad. Only after she started to move towards them did Kate look at her and show her an impish grin.
"Kate, do you love him?" Alexis asked.
At first, Kate thought that she was hearing things, but as she slowly turned to look at Alexis she knew by the questioning look on the young woman's face that she could talk to her as she just did.
"Alexis, right now we have more important things that need to be dealt with. Just let me get your dad a little mad at me first because I think that this will get him writing again."
"You have some death wish, don't you! Dad will get so upset that he'll regress into being closed up again if you continue. But go ahead and let's see what happens with your plan.'
As Kate turns and looks back at Rick, she can see that maybe insulting him was not the best path to choose.
"Who in the hell do you think you are?" Rick demanded.
"I'm the person who's going to save your career, I'm a muse," Kate said resolutely.
As she let the words come out of her mouth she knew she might have overstepped a little.
Rick couldn't believe what he was hearing. This person was so flippant with her assumption that she could help him. And a muse? Really? So he does what he always does, he goes on the defensive.
The second she saw the look on his face his daughter knew that his wrath was going to rain down on Kate. So she decides to intercede.
Before Rick can let any of his thoughts known to the woman standing in front of him his daughter speaks first.
"Dad she says that she is a muse but I'm still skeptical. Maybe you should let her tell you what she has to say."
"Alexis are you serious? Do you realize that she just made me feel lower than dirt? No one does that to me and gets away with it."
"Either way Dad I'd like to hear what she can tell us. We have a lot to take care of in a little bit of time. She might have some thoughts that could help you get past your blockage. We also have to go to court tomorrow in case you forgot, that is." Alexis reminded him.
Kate knew that she was up. She had to say something or show him something that would convince him that she could get him writing again. Two sets of blue eyes were instantly upon her waiting patiently.
"Rick, the reason I think you are blocked is that you cannot find something or some situation new to write about. You have the imagination to do so, it's just that there seems to be a net thrown over it so to speak. I'm hoping I can give you what you need to move forward."
Rick now has doubts about how she can do what she claims she can do so he lets her speak her thoughts.
"Okay, I'm listening to what you're proposing so let's hear it," Rick said.
"You can accomplish anything if you put your mind to it. I have total faith in your abilities."
It was that voice once again that he heard in his head. He looked to Alexis and she looked at him questioningly. He turned his gaze back upon Kate and could see the start of a smile on her face.
"That was you all this time? You're in my head?"
"Yes Rick that was me. I was trying to get you to see that you weren't alone in your fight to start writing again."
"Well, let's hear what you have."
Alexis moved closer to the pair and made the motion to her dad and Kate to sit down in the living room. Once they were more comfortable she went to the kitchen to get them each a cold bottle of water. While she was doing that Kate looked around the loft to see just exactly what being rich was like. She didn't have these things on Mount Olympus. Actually she kind of loved the accents that were around the loft. It made it feel like it was a very welcoming place to live.
Alexis gave each of them a water bottle as well as one for herself. She sat down on the loveseat directly across from Kate.
"Rick while I know that you can't think of anything to write, I need to know if you want to stay in the genre that you're writing from. I personally think that contrary to what I said before you are a very talented and respected writer. I do have a way to get you to write but I need to know if you want to keep writing crime mystery novels."
"I would very much love to keep writing murder mystery novels. So if you can figure out a way to get me back into writing once again I will appreciate whatever you can do."
"Here's what I propose. I will leave you for one day. In that time I will scour the city and come to you with three ideas that you should be able to capitalize on with my help. We will work on it night and day until you have at least a rough outline and the first chapter written for submission."
You're forgetting one thing Kate, tomorrow at 9 a.m. I have to be in court to fight a breach-of-contract lawsuit that was filed against me by my publisher."
"I know all about that. And just to show that I am serious about what I plan on doing I will break off my search and meet you in court to support you."
Alexis stared back at Kate. Never had she known a stranger such as her to voluntarily donate her support and request nothing in return.
Without looking at Alexis, Kate speaks to her through her connection.
"Alexis, I promise I'll be there I just have one thing I want to accomplish today. And maybe if I'm lucky I will be able to have everything wrapped up with a bow for your father before we get to court tomorrow morning. Please trust me."
Alexis is still trying to get used to hearing voices in her head. Now she knows what her father must be feeling when Kate does this to him because she connected all the dots and can imagine what he must have been hearing that day. She nods her head to Kate so very slightly not to give it away to her dad that she can hear her.
"Okay, Rick it looks like I have my work cut out for me so what I propose to do is leave you to get ready for your court date and I will show up tomorrow morning at court to lend my support."
"This is not good Alexis! She said that she'd be here and it's almost time to start." Rick says as he paced back and forth in front of the courtroom doors dressed in his dark blue Armani suit.
"Dad, she said she was going to be here and you have to learn to have a little faith. I know she will be here. She wouldn't have said it if she didn't mean it."
Just then Barry Leventhal walks up and sees Rick. He can tell that something is very very wrong and doesn't know what it could be. He is sure that he can get the case resolved by simply asking for a two-month extension giving both sides a chance to cool down, but the look on Rick's face is something far worse than what he's facing inside the courtroom.
"Good morning Rick, Alexis," Barry says as he stands in front of his client.
"Good morning Barry," Rick says.
Barry takes in his friend and knows something is wrong. They have a little bit of time before court so he will try and find out what it is now.
"Rick I've known you too long to know when something's not right. Out with it what's wrong?" His attorney asks.
Rick just stands there not knowing what to tell his longtime friend and attorney. If he does tell him that he's waiting for a muse to show up he'll have him committed and then he won't have to worry about writing another book… ever!
"Barry it's nothing. I was just counting on some support from someone that didn't show up. Nothing to worry about, I guess this was not important enough for her to be here." Rick says sadly.
"I'm sorry Rick. But it's time we entered the courtroom." Barry says as he looks at his watch.
Both men pull open the doors that lead to the courtroom and enter.
TBC
A/N: Sunday updates at 0700 will no longer be possible for me. I will however post when I have a completed chapter but there aren't that many left. The story is just about finished.