Chapter III

She made it to Monday without a drink. Even though she woke up with another nightmare on Sunday night.

Maybe she didn't get much sleep, in spite of Burke's pills, and maybe it took two more painful runs through Central Park, but she did it.

Surely that counted for something.

She wasn't an alcoholic. End of story.

Instead, she was on the 24, heading towards Sag Harbor, close to the northernmost tip of Long Island. While the southern half of the island was pure suburbia, this part wasn't. This was where the one percent escaped the summer humidity of Manhattan so they could breathe in the unpolluted ocean air from their palatial seaside residences.

Unless Castle's stalker was a millionaire too, she'd have a hard time not sticking out like a sore thumb here. The homes in this area were secluded and private and it would be hard to lurk around inconspicuously. In fact, Beckett doubted that Castle would be threatened by anything more than the occasional summer storm out here in the Hamptons.

She turned off the main road onto a smaller, tree-lined side one and drove a couple of miles, carefully keeping an eye on the numbers of the mailboxes to her left. Most of the homes were so far beyond their street-side mailboxes that she could barely see them.

When she did finally pull up to Richard Castle's house, the first thing Kate noticed was that there were two other cars in the driveway. It made her wonder whether he had other visitors, especially since he was supposed to be here alone with his daughter. Was supposed to be laying low.

She stepped out of the car and took a moment to let the grandeur of the house sink in. The tapered cedar shingle exterior that was so common along the Northeast coast and that changed colour beautifully over time and made the homes look historic rather than weathered. She liked the white window frames too, because they brightened the house. It was the kind of charming, old-money summer cottage she'd seen in Hallmark movies as a kid. The kind that made her wish she had some rich friends who owned one.

She stepped up to the door and rang the bell and when no one answered she rang it a second time, expected a domestic worker to open the door.

Instead the door was flung open and it was Alexis Castle who stood on the other side.

"Oh, hi," the teenager said with a smile. "Are you with the catering company? Dad said you weren't coming 'til around two o'clock."

"Catering company?"

Alexis's smile widened and, like it did in the pictures that Kate had seen, it made her whole face light up. "For the party tonight."

Party? This was news to her. The Cyber Crimes guys hadn't mentioned anything about a party. I sure as hell hope you vetted the guests, Richard Castle.

"I, no…I'm Detective Beckett from the 12th precinct in New York. I believe your Dad's expecting me."

"Oh…" Alexis's surprise was obvious. "You're the detective. Of course, I'll get Dad. Please. Come in."

"Thanks." Beckett stepped inside and watched Alexis jaunt down the entrance hallway in her bare feet as she called for her father.

The teenager hadn't asked for her badge or ID. So here she was, a stranger standing in Richard Castle's weekend home with a loaded gun in her holster. The guy's girlfriend had been poisoned and his own life threatened and he still hadn't instilled the slightest sense of caution or security in his daughter?

She heard Alexis giggling and then Richard Castle appeared in the hallway, in jeans and t-shirt and, to his credit, looking considerably more fit than he did in any of the recent photos she'd seen.

He seemed as surprised to see her as Alexis.

"You're the detective from the 12th precinct?"

"I am."

"You're uh, you're not what I was expecting," his very blue eyes met hers and they lingered long enough that she was terrified that he'd recognized her. That he remembered her being in that line-up and getting that Derrick Storm book signed.

Don't be ridiculous, she chided herself. He signs thousands of books. There's no way. I don't even look like I did in my rookie days anymore.

"Were you expecting someone else?"

He smiled, the same practised smile he used at book signings. He was obviously trying to charm her and it had the opposite effect. Made her want to roll her eyes.

"I guess when I heard that they're sending me a bodyguard, I pictured someone who looks like a bouncer and you…" He paused, maybe because he suddenly realized how ridiculous this was sounding. Some wordsmith he was. "You don't. Not…that there's anything wrong with that."

It made her cringe and that put a stop to it.

"Look, maybe I'm not what you were expecting but rest assured, I'm qualified and armed. I've been on the force for eight years and I'm capable of doing the job I was assigned to do here."

You have no idea how overqualified I am for this Mickey Mouse assignment, she wanted to add.

"I'm sorry," he held out his hand and gripped hers, firm but not too firm. "That was a stupid thing to say. Of course you are. Nice to meet you, Detective Beckett. Welcome. Do you have any luggage I can take?"

"I have a duffel bag in the car. If you show me where I'll be staying, I'll get it myself."

"Come on in," he gestured and she followed him as he walked towards a staircase. He pointed to it. "If you go upstairs, you'll see that there are three bedrooms. The last one on the left is yours."

Beckett turned her attention to the staircase, still not convinced this was happening. She'd gone from lead homicide detective to a rich writer's live-in bodyguard. Assigned to a bedroom, like a twelve-year old. A twelve-year old who had an appointment for a breathalyzer test at 7 tonight at the local sheriff's office.

Part of her wished that a giant tsunami would hit right now and end it all.

She took a deep breath and turned back to Richard Castle. "Alexis mentioned you're having a party tonight. That there are caterers coming. This is news to me."

"It was a last-minute decision. Alexis's birthday was last week, and because of…" His handsome face was suddenly serious. "After what happened with Sherine, her birthday plans were put off. So when a few of her friends came down to the Hamptons yesterday we decided to have a party."

"Who exactly is coming to this party? Do you have a guest list?"

"Guest list?" She might as well have asked if he had two heads.

"Yeah, guest list. As in who exactly is coming."

"I know who's coming. They're Alexis's friends. Some of their parents. No more than twenty people."

"I'll need you to write down their names for me."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"What are you gonna do with that list?"

"Look them up and then check it off when they arrive."

"You're gonna vet the people I've invited to my daughter's birthday party?"

"That's right, Mr. Castle." Was he really this careless? "Your life has been threatened. A woman has been poisoned and I've come here to try and protect you. If you don't let me do my job, there's no point in me being here."

"I told Bob this wasn't necessary. Having someone watch us 24/7. It's not needed. We're safe out here."

He was right, she thought. It wasn't needed. It was useless window dressing, much like the Secret Service agents running alongside the Beast during presidential motorcades. She was here only because the mayor needed tangible evidence to prove that the NYPD was doing everything it could to keep one of his favourite donors safe.

"Are you asking me to leave?" Her eyes bore into his. Please say yes. Better yet, insist on it.

It didn't seem bother him. Her icy challenge. Instead, his expression was a mix of amusement and resignation.

"I'll make you a list, Detective Beckett."

She tried hard to hide her disappointment. "Thank you."

Later

Richard Castle had spent the last couple of hours getting things ready for this evening. Putting together Detective Beckett's list. Showing the caterers where to set up. Making sure the massive raspberry-chocolate mousse cake made it into the fridge without Alexis noticing.

Most of the celebrations would take place outside, in a tent set up in his spacious backyard. There was a grill getting stoked and a small buffet being prepared on a banquet table. The setting of the sun and the ocean breeze would take the sting out of the unbearable heat that had blanketed them all day.

Two of his gardeners had helped him set up a string of colourful patio lights and lanterns.

Magical, he thought, glancing out the window to look at the preparations from his bedroom. It would be even more beautiful once the sun went down.

He wanted to give Alexis this after all the insanity of the last two weeks. A reminder that she was a teenager who was supposed to celebrate her Sweet Sixteen. Not spend it in a hospital, worrying about her father's poisoned girlfriend.

The thought sent shivers up his arm.

Not that she was actually his girlfriend.

He'd gone on three dates with Sherine and hadn't even slept with her. Not because he hadn't wanted to, but she'd been under the weather after their second date and too drunk after their third.

That said, there hadn't been much of a shortage of women in his life who were eager to sleep with him. Not since his name started making regular appearances on the New York Times bestseller list. The newfound wealth that came with that clearly added to his sex appeal.

It was precisely the kind of consolation and ego boost that he'd needed after his first marriage had fallen apart.

Sometimes, he missed the thrill of the chase. The challenge of having to work at winning over a woman that he wanted and to earn that place by her side.

But he didn't miss it that much that he'd ever turn down the offer of first date sex. Or sometimes even, no-date sex. He enjoyed it way too much for that kind of chivalrous resistance.

But now, all that was likely to change.

Having a psycho stalker threatening to kill anyone he went out with was definitely going to put a damper on his dating life.

Rick thought back to the night that he'd spent at the hospital, terrified that Sherine might not make it. It didn't matter that she wasn't his girlfriend, and likely never would be. He still made sure that she got the best medical care in the city and that he was there when she woke up. He'd also arranged to have her parents fly in from Kansas City to be with her.

He moved away from the window as goosebumps lined his arms at the memory.

He didn't know where Sherine was now. He only knew that she'd left the hospital in New York City without so much as a goodbye to him.

Rick didn't really blame her. Although she hadn't minded at the time, being photographed having dinner with him had nearly ended her life. Needless to say, he felt responsible.

He needed to take a shower and change before the guests arrived, but there was something else he wanted to do first.

Sitting down at his desk, he turned on his laptop. Waited for it to spring to life before starting his search. A simple Google search for now.

Detective Kate Beckett. NYPD.

He knew that he'd seen her before and it had bothered him all afternoon that he couldn't remember where. Normally his memory was close to flawless.

Especially when it came to women who were as striking as she was.

His eyes widened in surprise when he saw the initial results of his search pop up on his screen.

"Dad, what are you doing?" He hadn't heard Alexis come into the room and now her arms were draped over him as she stared into the computer screen from behind him. "Are you already spying on Detective Beckett?"

Then her grip on him tightened and she obviously had the same reaction he did.

"Oh my God…" he heard her say. "She's the cop who got shot at that captain's funeral a few months ago."

"Looks like." That's where he'd seen her. Not in person, but on the news. There had been multiple stories on the sniper shooting at the police funeral and the detective who'd nearly lost her life. Except that the photo that he remembered seeing on the news must have been an older one, of Detective Beckett in a full-dress NYPD uniform, wearing a cap with her hair pulled back. It's why he'd had such a hard time recognizing her.

"Dad, that's terrible."

"I thought I'd seen her before. Now I know where."

"Wow." Alexis moved into his line of vision and her usually bubbly and smiling face was sombre and pensive. Empathy always came naturally for her and that huge heart of hers. "You think she's okay now?"

"She looks okay, don't you think?"

"I guess. Are you gonna tell her?"

"Tell her what?"

"That you know."

"Don't think I'll bring it up over the passed hors d'oeuvres tonight, but if it comes up, I won't pretend that I have no idea. Not sure she'll want to talk about it."

"I probably wouldn't," Alexis agreed. She cocked her head to get a better look at the article and the accompanying photo. "She's pretty, don't you think?"

That's an understatement. "I hadn't noticed."

"Yeah, right. She's kinda bossy too. I like that," Alexis decided. "She's gonna have to be with you."

"Hey…" Castle pushed his chair back. "Don't you have to get ready for a party?"

"So do you, Dad. You're all sweaty and gross."

"Thanks."

She'd released her hold on him and was already standing inside the doorframe by the time he turned around. "Dad…"

"What?"

"Thanks for tonight. For letting me have everyone over, after everything that happened."

"Don't sweat it," he turned to her with a grin. "Leave that to me."

"Ugh." Alexis groaned. "That was bad. Don't talk to my friends tonight, okay?"

"No promises," he mumbled, after she'd already sprinted halfway up the stairs. "It's not a party without Dad Jokes."

He closed the laptop and got up. He really did need that shower, but later tonight he'd resume his online search because Kate Beckett had ignited his curiosity.

Why did a sniper shoot her?

Did they catch him?

Was she no longer a homicide cop?

Is that why she was here?

There was definitely a story there and he was going to find out what it was.