Coming Out or Going In
by Castlefan6
Authors Note: From a fan prompt (Castle was lent out to Robbery temporarily to work cold cases while Demming is on suspension. Lead Detective Joy Park, a woman with a big secret causes friction between our couple. COMPLETELY AU, Some Scenes and events used to enhance the story,
I don't own Castle; I use the characters for amusement purposes only, except the ones I create.
Also, we take MANY liberties with the timeline from Canon and use events from other Canon episodes to make this a more believable fiction, thanks.
Chapter 7
Outside Gene Simmons Home
Los Angeles
Two Hours Later
/_/
Rick looked at Joy, who was just as flabbergasted as he that first, the address was correct, and secondly, that when they buzzed to get into the security gates, a male voice actually answered with the correct code. As they got out of the car, Rick waited and Joy came around to his side, and together they walked up the walk and through an open gate to see Gene Simmons working in his small garden.
"Hi, you must be Detective Park, and I know you're Rick Castle, you've had as many, or maybe more women throwing their underwear at you as I did. Ah, the good old days. How can I help you two?" Gene Simmons asked.
"Mr. Simmons, I'm Detective Joy Park, NYPD, Robbery Division, this as you correctly identified is Rick Castle, my partner. I know when we spoke on the phone you confirmed that Mike Royce has worked for you as your head of security for the last 7 years. Can you tell us where we might find him?" Joy asked keeping it as professional as she could. She was a huge fan of KISS and Gene Simmons, so it was all she could do to control herself.
"Sure, he's around the house, he stays in my pool house. What good would security be if he wasn't on-premise?" he laughed,
"I understand that Mr. Simmons," Rick said,
"Oh, please both of you call me Gene, are you friends of Mike or is this visit for something else?" He asked
"We really can't say Mr. eh, Gene, we just need to talk to him face to face." Joy replied.
"Sure, just walk around back here, knock loud, sometimes he partakes a bit too much at night and has trouble waking up," Gene said and motioned for them to proceed,
"That's weird," Rick said under his breath,
"What's weird Rick?" Joy asked hoping he had forgotten,
"Oh, come on, you know darn well what I'm talking about the Halloween party where you and I both dressed up like him, and you convinced Cathy, I was you, she was a great kisser by the way" Rick dodged a fist, as he laughed,
"Hey, you thought you were going to fool me, but Cathy was mad at you," Rick laughed,
"Yeah she was until she kissed you, then she told me not to get jealous but she wanted another helping of that without the makeup," Joy said, half-smiling, half tearing up,
"Well, it was a great laugh, and look, we still have that memory, she's still right here" Rick pointed to his heart,
"How do you always know what to say at exactly the right moment?" Joy grinned this time as she knocked hard on Royce's door.
A few minutes and a few repeats of Joy pounding the door a very disheveled looking Mike Royce finally opened the door,
"What the hell time is it, and who do you think you are pounding on my door like that, I had a late-night," Royce said, still trying to wake up,
"Sorry about your late-night, Mr. Royce, I'm Detective Joy Park, NYPD, and this is my partner Richard Castle, we'd like to ask you a few questions concerning a case we're working and you being a retired cop, am sure you will give us your full cooperation." Joy said in a sarcastic tone,
"Castle? What the hell are you doing here? Where's Beckett?" Royce asked suddenly coming to life.
"Hi, Royce, good to see you again, Beckett's fine, I guess, I don't work with her in homicide anymore, I'm working robbery with Detective Park now," Rick said, in a casual tone,
"Since when? I mean you and the kid, you had something special what the hell happened? I mean when I worked with you guys on that murder case, well till Montgomery yanked it and gave it to the big-boobed detective, you two seemed close." Royce offered,
"The big boobed detective solved the murder, her name is Roz Karpowski, if you have forgotten, and she cut you a break, so I wouldn't say anything bad about Roz," Rick replied a little harsh,
"Hey, no sense getting all squirrelly about it, I mean I know Beckett, and she trusted you more than anyone she had in a long time, what happened?" Mike pushed,
"Nothing happened, we only worked together Mike, you were the one that went out to lunch with her and neither of you came back the rest of the day, I know catching up with old times, I'm sure. I'm haven't worked with her for weeks, Joy, eh, Detective Park is my partner now, and we need to ask you some questions.
"Mike, Joy didn't fuck up like Beckett, she notified LAPD, and you can answer the questions here, OR at the Central Bureau, I think it'll be more comfortable here but your choice, so what's it going to be?" Rick pushed back.
"Come on in, give me a few minutes to get some clothes on, there's water and coffee if you know how to make it, make yourself at home. I'll be back in a few minutes," he walked away to the back of the house.
"What are you thinking Rick? I know something is brewing up there" Joy said,
"Well, he knows me, I didn't think he would remember I only met him once during the murder investigation, it was the day after he and Beckett didn't come back from lunch that Roy gave the case to Roz, he was pissed off that Kate would mingle with a potential suspect or possible witness.
"I'll play the good cop, if you want to roll out the badass vibes you used to have, he's tough, street-tough, but he has a soft spot for women, so I think you can push him harder than me and get something," Rick said,
"That makes sense, he might think you were being jealous if you tried the badass role, I mean, well you know what I mean. Apparently, Kate gave off the vibes to everyone but you that she cared, so he sure picked up on it." Joy said, as she gently touched his arm, "Hey, it's all right, it's going to be fine, remember, we have a six-month plan" as she shot him that sexy smile, as he laughed,
Royce reappeared, dressed in jeans and a shirt that looked like he had pulled it out of the clothes hamper, and headed to the kitchen. He made coffee and handed Rick and Joy a bottle of water as they waved off the caffeine.
"So, Rick, Detective, how can I help you? I thought when they closed that bail bondsman's murder that would be my last connection to anything the 12th was working on." He said,
"Mike you remember that Roz took over the case after that long lunch date, and I had questions about the motive, I never bought for a minute that the wife got jealous. I checked it out and she was having her own affairs, so if it wasn't love that caused the urge to kill, that leaves the next popular motive, money.
"You were connected to the man convicted of pulling the trigger, don't look so surprised Mike, Beckett was willing to let loose ends drop but some of the rest of us weren't. You arrested his Dad when you were first on the force after a huge jewel heist was pulled off at Sterling Diamonds and Pearls. They never recovered that million dollars in jewels, Mike." Rick pushed,
"Word on the street was that he was connected to a cop, who got him a light sentence for part of the cut, too bad a rival gang killed him in a car bomb before he could pay off his debts, so you want to tell us what you know Mike? Remember, this isn't past the statute of limitations, two capital murders were committed, and can be tied to this crime, that leaves the limitations open, so talk"
"Hey, I had nothing to do with that murder, I was a cop for 24 years, I couldn't do that" Mike seemed rattled, just what Joy wanted,
"You may not have pulled the trigger, but I'm not the little recruit who fell in love with her TO. She looked the other way after one afternoon, she must have really fallen for you. You know a hell of a lot more than you've told, so speak up, or I swear, I will make it my life's mission to hang something on your ass, I know how the game is played, even by you good old boys"
"Hey, who the hell do you think you are accusing me of being a thief, and what Beckett and I did is no one's business, Marie was dead and she was single." Confirming to Rick that the two had been a lot closer than first believed,
"Mike, it's not a crime to have sex with your recruit, hell, I don't give a damn what you did, but don't try to play us for a fool, or you will go down. You have a chance now to come clean, tell us what you know, give us the map that disappeared from Beckett's file during your lunch date" Rick pushed,
Royce turned pale, then Rick continued, "You see that little lady over there if you read who broke the case of the syndicate's airport thefts in New Jersey, yep that little lady there took down a God Father, what chance do you, a washed-up alcoholic ex-cop stand? Talk Mike she isn't Beckett, and you aren't in a friendly environment anymore.
"First off Rick, I'm not an alcoholic, I use sleep aids because of night terrors, secondly I had nothing to do with that heist and had no knowledge of it when I was first on the force. I did get wind that the widow of the bail bondsman thought there was a map where the father of the guy she hired to ice her husband knew of." Royce was perspiring now,
"Mike, you know that makes you an accessory to murder if you get a pricky DA, don't you, so go ahead and tell us the rest of the story." Joy pushed,
"Hang on one second, I'll be right back" as he left the table and headed to his room, Joy pulled her weapon just in case he tried something but when he returned, he had a piece of paper and a manilla folder.
"You can put that away Detective; this is the information I had after we got word that the jewels may have been buried somewhere. He opened the paper to fold on the lines to reveal a map with the words "UNDER THE GUN" almost like the old MAD Magazines Rick had as a kid.
"The picture of the hit man's dad was with it, why we never could figure out why." As he pulled out a black and white picture of a gangster looking guy with an arm tattoo on his left arm. We tried to figure it out for a year, but no one could, so I had to get a job, so I relocated here with Gene. I bailed one of his kids out of a scrape so he hired me, even though I spend most of my time at the beach" Mike offered,
Rick looked at Joy, and she knew he was on to something, "Well Mike unfortunately as you know this is police property and should never have been removed from the precinct. I could charge you right now, but you know what, give us everything, and I mean everything you have on this and I'll let it slide. If I find out you held out, believe me, I'll have your ass extradited to New York in a heartbeat, are we clear?" Joy leaned into his face, Rick could tell it made him uncomfortable,
"Clear, and that's all I have. Do you think I would still be babysitting Hollywood brats if I had hit the mother lode?" he asked,
"Well, we'll be on our way and Mike, don't let your name get brought up anywhere else in this, or I will send your ass to jail." Joy said as she started for the door,
"Goodbye Mike, take care of yourself," Rick said, as he started for the door,
"Castle" Royce called out; Rick paused then turned around.
"Do me a favor, tell Kate I said hi, I was supposed to call but I never did" Mike said,
"Sorry Mike, I don't see her, so you'll have to catch up on your own, call her, you still walk on water to her," Rick said sarcastically as he closed the door,
Once they were in the car and a full three blocks away Joy finally asked,
"OK Rick, what did you pick up, tell me you have a solution to this case," Joy said,
"It's a hunch, or it was until Mike furnished the picture, remember he said they found the grave GUNN in Riverside Cemetery, dug it up to come up empty. Well, that map was the first part of the clues, the final clue is in the picture" he said as he drove,
Joy began to search the photo for clues but wasn't having any luck,
"Rick, I'm not following, I mean I've looked at this picture till I can almost draw it from memory, what is the clue?" Joy asked, a bit perplexed
"We'll be at the hotel in a few minutes, I'll explain my theory, I may be wrong, but I don't think so, hold tight, it's easier if I show you" he smiled and gunned the Mercedes convertible they were enjoying while in Los Angeles.
Joy grabbed her scarf to hold her hair from flying all over as Rick hit fourth gear, and laughed. A few minutes later they pulled into the Valet parking, one opening and holding her door as she made her way around to Rick.
"I should kick your ass, you know how hard it is to get knots out of my hair, and that wind would have made it an all-night chore. Come on, let's grab lunch, and then you can explain your theory to me." She laughed as she hooked his arm.
Two hours later after a lot of laughs, and some serious conversation, Joy was getting Rick to open up more about Kate, what was the hold up now with the two of them. He had been hurt deeply when she chose the Robbery Detective Demming over him, but to add vinegar to an open wound, Royce showed up.
He had been questioned by Karpowski's team and while he was there, decided to catch up with Beckett, who seemed to forget anyone else was alive at the sight of him. He was rugged, a typical cop, polite but not too open in offering information. It didn't take long until Kate and he left for lunch, the one they never returned from. Rick was hurt, not because of the other men, but because she had led him to believe there could be something just days before both instances occurred.
He confessed to Joy that he had invited Kate to the Hamptons, to discuss what if anything they could be, and how the lie, the God Damn lie, that would forever burn in his soul and stop anything from going forward. The lie wasn't needed, all she had to say was she had other plans, it would have stopped him from making a fool of himself, well a bigger fool than he already had done. He left the precinct with Gina, but dropped her off at her boyfriend's home a few blocks from the beach house, spending the summer alone writing, thinking, and trying to forget.
"Well I don't think you were able to accomplish that, so let's just take a break from the hurtful past, I'm not saying she had a reason, or am I excusing her behavior, but Rick you have to call her out on it specifically, make her explain. Even a half-ass excuse is better than what you are thinking, now let me hear your theory about the map and the picture, I'm still not seeing the connection." Joy said as she kissed his cheek gently after he took her hand to assist her from her chair.
They walked arm in arm to the elevator, then stepped on and Rick used his key fob to access the penthouse floor, and then stepped off and strode to the suite.
"Joy, thanks you're right, I do need to make her explain, not that I expect anything now, hell I'll be lucky to get the truth, but at least I'll have offered her the chance to voice her side, thanks" he leaned down and kissed her, not on the cheek, but a soft brush on the lips.
"Rick, we have a deal six months, I promise you, I'm not going to change, and well I hope by then all the hurt will be gone." She handed Rick a beer from the mini-fridge as they laid out the materials from Royce on the table.
"OK, tell me what you see Joy? Look at the tattoo, not the man," Rick coaxed,
"Well it's a bunch of numbers, but what does it mean, I mean it could be anything." Joy said,
"Remember when Royce said they dug up the grave marked with GUNN, I knew the map wouldn't give the final destination, it would be too easy for others to poach it, and I wouldn't write the story that way. See the numbers they co-ordinate to be 4 rows over, 2 graves up and the little indicator at the end means to reverse, the arrow in the half circle, you see?" Rick said all excited,
"Do you think this is it, Rick, I mean why would he tattoo numbers and that squiggly mark, what's the significance of that?" Joy asked,
"Well, where would you hide the last clue to the location where you and your partners, who by the way are all dead now, hid the loot worth over a million dollars twenty years ago? On your body you would never lose it, or would anyone suspect they were looking at anything more than a prison tattoo."
"Well, I guess we'll know when we get back, I'm not ready to leave yet, I mean, I really missed these fun times with you, and, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that," Joy said sadly,
"I'm not ready yet either, let's enjoy the next two days and go back as was scheduled, OK? I mean we could take a ride in the mountains, no since being couped up with me in the room." Rick said blushing,
"Why are you blushing Rick, are you remembering the picnic we all went on and you and I had too much to drink? That was before Cathy and I were together, and I still remember that make-out session, God, I almost fucked you then, what kind of lesbian am I?" She laughed,
"You remembered?" Rick looked shocked,
"Sure, I do, and Cathy knew about us when we got together, one of the reasons she really loved you. All you cared about was me being happy, I would love a ride in the mountains Rick, but I don't mind spending time alone with you in this suite either, your choice. I will warn you; you try to put knots in my hair, and I'll put a few knots on your head," she kissed him gently and laughed.
"Mountains it is," Rick said as he hugged her,
TBC