Flu

Chapter 48

Rick begins to pace the floor of the small space. "I need to get in touch with my father. If my theory is on the mark, we'll have to figure out how to close the case somehow. And if it's out in the ether somewhere, we'll need to look for another suspect."

"How are you going to do that?" Kate asks.

"I saw some signs that he might have been in the Hamptons when we were there. I didn't say anything, because I wasn't sure. But if he's out there watching, I can send up a flare, or at least a few postings on social media."

"And what will you do if he tells you he killed Hanson?" Kate asks.

"I don't know," Rick confesses. "What will you do if you hear it?"

"Probably arrest him. But we both know that if he's working for the company, he'll be cut loose after a mysterious phone call, and we'll hear some cover story from the brass."

"And if he wasn't working for the company?" Rick asks.

Kate shakes her head. "Then he'd have to be pretty stupid to confess, wouldn't he? And your dad's not stupid."

"Except for the part about leaving Mother flat to bring me up by herself."

"Babe, if you want to put out something for your dad to see, I'm not going to try to stop you, but it looks like the hero worship you had five minutes ago didn't last long enough get you through whatever happens."

Rick pulls out his phone. "But, learning the truth might."

Jack runs a finger over his alerts. Most of them are mentions of Russian assets he's keeping an eye on. The oligarchs are always pulling fools attracted to money and power into their nets. Sometimes they're useful idiots that have a connection or two the Russians can exploit. Most of the time, it seems like the trollers are just having a good laugh.

Well, they're not laughing now. Hanson's out of the picture, and the company intercepted the last shipment meant for him. They also constructed a cover for the termination. They'll be blaming it on another asset, one who went rogue and had to be taken out. It's been a while since Jack heard about a takedown as quick and neat as his hit on Hanson, but talent can pop up anytime. When it does, the company often tries to recruit it. That can make for some strange bedfellows. Sometimes they don't work out. A company-developed drug administered at a friendly meeting and… A message flashes on top of his screen. "Little-seen family always welcome to the Halloween party at Pumpkin Castle. Incognito in costume welcome. Nine p.m."

"Not subtle, are you Richard?" Jack mutters. Maybe Richard did pick up on something about Terry Hanson's death. It won't matter. Any minute, the misdirection the company provided will click in, and Detective Beckett will have her murderer. Maybe Jack will go to Richard's party. If he shows up in costume, cameras won't matter, and he can talk to his son without anyone being the wiser.

The M.E.'s office appears as the ID of Kate's desk landline. She pushes the speaker button as Perlmutter begins to give forth. "Detective Beckett, I just got a report on some blood I found in Hanson's wound. I don't know why it wasn't on CODIS before, computer glitch probably. It belonged to a previous victim of the killer. It must have been transferred from the knife. The thing is, we know who the killer was. There was already a warrant out on him. And I know where he is, too." Perlmutter pauses for effect.

"Where, Perlmutter?" Kate demands.

"In a drawer in my morgue. He died of a heart attack, by my estimate, not long after he killed Terry Hanson. And I got a report from the CDC too. They found nothing novel in Hanson's blood or tissues. Apparently, he had contact with a lot of customers, and his immune system was very effective at fighting off whatever they passed on."

"How about the injection marks?" Kate asks.

"His doctor came forward and said he was giving him vitamin B-12 shots. Case closed, Detective. Any story Castle came up with was, as usual, pure fiction. I'll be emailing you my final report."

Kate looks up at Rick as she ends the call. "I guess that's it."

Castle snorts. "It's BS, Kate, and you know it as well as I do. That's just the kind of cover the company would rig. They probably messed with CODIS and the court records and found some poor guy who died of a heart attack – or made one– to dump on Perlmutter. They phonied up the report from the CDC too. The whole affair is tied up in a neat bow, and the citizens of the city will never know how close they came to another epidemic."

"So, you still think your father killed Terry Hanson?"

"More than I did before. Too many loose ends tucked in and too many coincidences. Real murder cases are messy. No one knows that better than you do."

"So, if your father shows up at the party, are you going to ask him?"

Closing his eyes, Rick blows out a stream of air. "I'm not holding my breath that he will, and I don't know what good it will do, but yeah, I'm going to ask."

For a moment, Jack considers dressing up like James Bond, just for the fun of it. During the times he's hung around embassies, he put on a tuxedo once or twice. He looked pretty good in it if the attention from the bored diplomats' wives was any indication. But the area around the Pumpkin Castle abounds with cameras, and no doubt the attendees will be snapping pictures of Richard and his guests, and posting them online. Jack needs to cover his face, or better still his whole head. He finally settles Darth Vader, a father who, for most of his son's life, abandoned him for the dark side. It makes grim sense. Also, the costume store has a Sith Lord outfit that will fit.

Castle gazes open-mouthed at the sleek lines of Kate's skin-tight leathers. "I've pictured you as a biker chick ever since you told me about earning your Harley, but you're exceeding all my expectations. We don't really have to go to the party. If we stay here, you could show me how you ride."

"I doubt I'd even get in the saddle. We'd have to answer the door every 2 seconds to give out candy," Kate assumes. "Alexis told me that Casa de Castle has a reputation for giving out full-sized bars and that you bought them by the case."

"Still do," Rick admits. "I pick the ones I like the best so I can binge on the leftovers. I parked this year's booty with Eduardo. We'll leave a note for trick or treaters to see the doorman with the password, 'Chanel.'"

"I don't get it."

"Coco Chanel. Chocolate. It's a pun, sort of."

"Not one of your better ones." Kate opines. "You're off your game. Obsessing about your father?"

"I guess. If he does show up, I don't have a clue what I'll say. What do you think of 'Hi, Dad, stab anyone to death this week?'"

"You'd be getting right to the point." Kate pushes back her sleeve to check her watch. "It's about time to go. Is Alexis coming with us?"

"She's going with Holly. They're planning to play a Halloweenish trio with Mark. Alexis could be another complication if my dad shows up."

"One step at a time, Babe," Kate counsels. "Be the welcoming proprietor, or as welcoming as you can be, dressed as a smart-ass space cowboy, and we'll see how things shake out."