Flu

Chapter 42

"Running another check on Levinson?" Kate asks as Rick swipes through the entries on his phone.

He squirms, trying to get comfortable despite a spring that's migrated too close to the surface of the passenger seat. "Kate, I think you need a new unit, or at least a reupholstery job. That little crescent you're so fond of is going to be obscured by an ugly bruise. But no, I wasn't running another check on Sammy. There's nothing about him that merits much online note. I found a review that says West Hartford has the best blintzes in the greater metropolitan area."

Kate rolls her eyes. "Of course, you were reading about food, but I would think the kosher restaurants in New York would give West Hartford some tough competition."

"You would think," Castle agrees. "But as long as we're going to be there anyway, there's no reason not to check out the cuisine. Mark wants to add lunchier items to the menu at Pumpkin Castle. I was thinking about Pumpkin blintzes, and if there's anywhere to check them out, it should be West Hartford."

"What don't people make with pumpkin?" Kate wonders. "Pizza?"

"Nope, creative pumpkin chefs make that too. According to Mark, it's one heartier option he's considering for the menu. But I think that that New Yorkers used to folding in the point of a slice to keep the oil from dripping down their chins could view the pumpkin version as a challenge to tradition. The blintzes, however, wouldn't clash with a cherished custom. I really want to give them a taste."

"We'll talk to Sammy Levinson and see where we go from there."

"Even if he doesn't turn out to be a viable suspect, maybe his store will have a stadium cushion. My derriere could use some loving care."

"We can take care of that later too."

Sammy Levinson wears a ballcap with the store logo and a forced smile pasted on a pocked face. He checks Kate's I.D. "What does a Big Apple detective want with me?"

"Mr. Levinson, you may be aware that since the guilty verdict against James Pierson was thrown out, the murder of Lisa Wernick is still unsolved. I'm investigating it to find the real killer."

A raspberry blasts from Sammy's lips. "The f*****g bitch is in hell. Why should it matter anymore who put her there?"

Kate shoves her badge back in the pocket of her blazer. "It matters to the State and City of New York. There's no statute of limitations on murder."

"And it matters to the sister who misses her," Castle adds.

Sammy shakes his head. "I can't understand how anyone could miss her, and I can't help you. If I knew who killed her, I'd buy him a beer. But I don't."

Kate eyes Sammy's bulging biceps. "It looks like you still keep in shape, Mr. Levinson. One of your fellow alumni at Hudson told me that you were quite the strong man, who could have easily swung the murder weapon. The records show that your grade in Professor Wernick's class sabotaged your chances of an athletic career. You had both means and motive."

"Listen, Detective, I have a sister too. She reads murder mysteries, even the ones written by your shadow, here. She's forever going on about the big three elements of nailing a suspect, the two you mentioned, plus opportunity. I never had number three. I was kicked off my team, but I was on the road to support them anyway. The weekend Wernick was killed, I was at an away game in Ohio. Support is what I do for my sport and all the athletes in West Hartford. Members of the team could tell you I was there for them. So if you're looking for a killer, you'll have to look someplace else."

"I assure you, we'll be doublechecking with your team members, Mr. Levinson," Kate responds.

"And while we're checking things out, could you tell me if the pumpkin blintzes at Aruchah are worth sampling? Castle inquires.

Levinson snorts. "My niece and her girlfriends like them."

Besides the muscles, did you take a good look at Levinson?" Rick asks as he joins Kate in the car.

"What do you mean, Babe?"

"He has severe acne scarring on his face, and it looked like he was using that cap to cover a bald spot. There was no hair peeking out from the opening in the back. Also, he doesn't wear a wedding ring. The only women he mentioned were his sister and his niece."

"Maybe he's gay," Kate suggests. "Some bodybuilders are."

"Possibly, but usually gay men look at me the way straight men look at you. He didn't. I think I have another explanation. And it would also cover why he was so anxious to travel with the team."

"Don't keep me in suspense," Kate urges.

"The zits, pattern baldness, the hostility, all symptoms of steroid use," Rick explains. "Steroids also shrink the family jewels, not generally conducive to marital bliss. And I'm betting that he wasn't just a user; he supplied the team. That's why he would have gone with them, even after he was dropped."

"OK, so he's a drug user and maybe a pusher, but what does that have to do with killing Lisa Wernick? If his alibi holds up, he couldn't have done it."

"I don't know yet," Castle admits, "but I think it's all connected somehow. We need to check out the other possibilities on James Pierson's list. And I still want to try those blintzes, right after we pick up a pillow someplace. I wasn't about to buy anything from Steroid Sammy."

Castle points to a grinning jack o' lantern throw pillow in a bin at a big box store. "That's perfect, just the right size and appropriate to the season. It'll make me feel a little guilty, though, sitting on him and devouring blintzes stuffed with his brethren."

Kate's palm cups his bemoaning butt. "I think you'll get over it. Let's check out and get to Aruchah for your blintzes. If we're going to question any other suspects, we'll have to move it, and we've got to drive back to the city."

"As soon as we're back in the car, I'll start finding addresses," Rick offers. "Maybe we can catch one or two candidates on the way back to home base."

"We got lucky," Rick announces as Kate pulls into the parking lot at Aruchah. "One of the guys on Pierson's list lives in New Haven, near the 95, and it looks like he works in a business park right off the highway. We can probably grab our interview right there."

"Who is it?" Kate asks as they approach the door of the restaurant.

"A guy named Robert Calis. He's listed as owner and CEO of Sporty Brand, an importer of athletic equipment. He's another one who stayed in the field, more or less. But the address is a suite. It could be one of those executive office deals set up to front one-person companies. A few guys who worked out of operations like that chased after mother, and not for her acting prowess. When they realized that her long history on stage and screen wasn't reflected in her bank account, they abandoned the pursuit, although one of them tried making me the target instead."

"I take it that you didn't invest."

"In a man who toyed with my mother's affections, certainly not. I wrote him into a book as a shady character to help my readers spot his pitch. I imagine that didn't do his business any good. And I bought Mother an Alexis-approved faux leopard coat for comfort."

"I've seen it. Your daughter has a good eye for fashion."

"An inheritance from Meredith, but I," Rick leans in for a kiss, "have superior taste in muses."