The Other Path Chapter 89

Rick holds up the front page of The Ledger. "Kate! You've got to see this."

Kate looks up from her strawberry pancakes. "What's the big story, Babe?'

"Senator Hitchcock (Hitman Hitch) Fleming implicated in a Chinese misinformation campaign against New York D.A. Lymon Cyrus. A completely false series of tweets accusing Cyrus of insider trading was launched from China. The tweets originated from TruthCo, an arm of the Open Sesame Corporation. Ma Lee, a shipping magnate and large investor in Open Sesame, is Fleming's father-in-law. Lee has made large capital investments in the state represented by Hitchcock. An individual in the position to know claims the Justice Department will be opening an investigation into Chinese donations to Hitchcock's campaigns. These donations, if confirmed, would be illegal under campaign finance laws. Chris Cooney, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics, issued a statement indicating that his committee will also be investigating the charges against Senator Hitchcock." Rick lays down the paper. "Wow! The sh*t is really hitting the fan for old Hitman Hitch. He must have had a reason for going after Cyrus. Do you think he got his jollies in the purple house? I doubt Cyrus would need video to determine that. Hitch has a fairly, um, unique appearance. Any of the girls mention Hurtle the Turtle?"

Kate spears a strawberry. "No, they didn't. And they did comment on some of the weirder things about Borstein's clientele. Chloe told me about this one hotshot lawyer who claimed that having Brix make them give him massages was legal because he kept his underwear on. And she said he didn't even wear the expensive kind, just the ones with the singing fruit. Maybe just as well for him, because he shot off in them."

"Eww! But if the senator wasn't a client, he must have had another reason for going to bat for Bornstein. Everything I've found on him points to a bigger player with his hand up Hitch's back. But I haven't been able to figure out who it is. The puppeteer must have gotten his rocks off at the pleasure palace on Montauk Point. Then the Chinese attack on Cyrus and Hitch's involvement in the whole sorry affair would make sense. Do you know if Cyrus's team finished going through all the video yet?" Rick inquires.

"No. He's keeping the lid on tight. No one knows except those directly involved in handling the evidence."

"My burning curiosity aside, that's probably for the best. Still, the clients themselves will suspect that their posteriors were preserved for posterity. I wonder how many of them are planning trips to cooler climes, or have already taken off."

"Maybe not as many as you think. The rich and the powerful tend to think they can get away with anything. And unfortunately, they're often right."

"Not this time," Rick asserts. "I can feel it in my bones."


Gomer Richland considers whether to pack the suit he just had made. The damn thing cost him $20,000, but it will be too warm to wear at his vacation home in the Maldives. He hates having to leave the country when his investments – most of them – are doing so well. But that sonofabitch Cyrus is turning up the heat and that moron, Hitchcock, made things worse. Getting the Chinese involved! The asshole might as well have laid his neck on the block – if he had a neck. Well, Cyrus can't touch Gomer in the Maldives. No one from the U.S. can. He's got enough money in offshore accounts to keep him for however long he stays abroad. And he can get as many lighter-weight suits as he likes. The elites in Malé have excellent tailors. They offer many other luxuries as well. But he doubts he'll need them too long. With a 24-hour news cycle, scandals, especially sex scandals, are very short-lived. And Hitch is so discredited that even if he names Gomer, his word won't be worth sh*t.


Hitch picks up his burner to try calling Richland – again. This time, it doesn't go to voicemail, it tells him the number is no longer in service. Hitch has f***ed over enough people in his time to know when he's on the receiving end. He's on his own. And he knows if Cooney gets him before his committee, his goose is cooked. His own committee assignments will be pulled and he'll have nothing to hold over the heads of government flunkies. But he's still got his wife and her family. Trying to use his Chinese connections may have put him in hot water, but it can pull him out of it again. He just needs to go home. And if he rents a car for cash, he can make the trip under the radar. He can't help smiling to himself. Maybe his moonshining heritage is finally coming in handy.


Gates motions Kate into her office. "Detective Beckett, a word. Close the door. Take a seat. I understand you've been doing an excellent job at the academy. You ruffled a few feathers in Robbery and Vice. Still, you more than got the job done. But we both know we're a long way from getting all the 12th's cops turned around."

"Yes, Sir," Kate replies, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"I don't know when you're planning to take maternity leave or whether you intend to take unpaid leave to extend it. I suspect you don't have the financial constraints that would force many members of the department back into harness."

"If you're referring to my marriage to Castle, Sir, I've never regarded him as an ATM machine. While he's always been willing to more than support me, and of course our child, I prefer to earn my own income, as well as serve the city."

"Believe me, I understand that, Detective. But you will still be gone for some period of time. And family emergencies arise more often once children are involved. So, you'll need to pick someone you can train to step in for your special interrogation duties when you're not available. Did you have someone in mind?"

"Honestly, Sir, I haven't given it much thought."

"Then give it some, Kate, and sooner rather than later. Come back to me with your decision by the end of the week, or before then if possible. And tell Mr. Castle I like the new coffee blend he sent for the break room. I hope to have more of it. All right. That's it. You can get back to work, but think fast, Detective."

"Yes, Sir, I will."


Rick hands a plate of cut-up fruit across the counter as Kate perches on a stool. "So Gates wants you to pick your understudy?"

Kate jams her fork into a chunk of cantaloupe. "She didn't put it in those words, but that was the idea."

"It does make sense, Kate," Rick observes. "If you get someone trained now while you have time, you won't have to make any rush decisions later."

"I know that. And the truth is, Babe, I have a preference."

"So why all those frowny lines in your forehead?"

"Because I want Ryan. He's got the subtlety and the role-playing skills. And he knows how to keep a lid on his temper. Jenny should be delivering soon, so his paternity leave will be over long before I'd need him to step in. But Esposito is senior."

"So you're saying there would be hurt feelings."

"Yeah, and Espo wouldn't just resent me. He'd resent Ryan. We've seen those two pick at each other before and it wasn't pretty. I don't have the time to go through that again."

"So, do you have another choice?"

"I'm considering going outside homicide."

"That may not go over well with the boys either."

"But it would be better than putting them at each other's throats again."

"Good luck."

"I'll need it."