Poison Pen

Chapter 34

Within inches of the bed, Kate drops Rick's hand and turns to face him. Rising on her toes, her mouth captures his. As if adrift from gravity, they tumble together, to be cushioned by mattress and comforter. "I missed you," Kate whispers, reaching for the buttons on his shirt.

"I missed you too," Castle confesses. "I found some tantalizing bits about the Dragon, but you weren't next to me to hear about them or build on them. It was like I lost my warp drive."

"Castle, are you comparing me to a wormhole?"

"As a path to the places and experiences heretofore unimaginable."

"Then shouldn't we be pulling out of space dock to continue our explorations?"

Castle pulls her top over her head and unclasps her bra, freeing breasts already anxious for first contact. "By all means, let's engage."

As the strength slowly returns to her limbs, Kate snuggles against the warmth of Castle's bare skin. "Somewhere in the spaceflight metaphors, did you tell me that you found information on the Dragon?"

Sighing, Rick wraps his arms around her slim form. "I believe I mentioned it. As you might guess, I didn't discover any straight-up news articles, but there was a lot of speculation based on rumors and anonymous tips. The story seems to go that about 20 years ago, a New York City official with a lot of juice was making sure that criminals who played ball with him got a free pass. Eventually, he took control of many criminal operations, including numbers, prostitution, and particularly drugs. The word was that he was the power behind a major distributor named Vulcan Simmons, who worked out of Washington Heights."

"Washington Heights! That's the area my mother and Diane Cavanaugh tried to clean up. That would support the theory that the Dragon sent Rathborne and Lockwood after them."

"But there was never any hard evidence, Kate. Charges against Simmons' street dealers were dropped on technicalities. No one could ever hold Simmons himself for more than an hour or two. Witnesses disappeared or worse.

"As the years passed, the theory was that the Dragon moved up to a higher position than he had held in the city, but was still pulling strings. It would seem that he still is."

"Any theories as to who he might be?" Kate asks.

"There were quite a few; the mayor, the head of the City Council, and later the Public Advocate. One of the prime candidates at the time your mother was killed was the D.A., William Bracken, but no one dug into him much because he maintained a close relationship with the police commissioner. He was also pals with the sitting governor. Eventually, he became a congressman and then a senator."

"Right, I've seen his name on my junk mail. He's running for reelection."

"And if he's funded by drug money, he'd have a huge war chest. It would be impossible for anyone to seriously challenge him," Castle points out.

Kate kicks away the bedclothes and springs to her feet. "Unless we nail Bracken for decades of crime."

"That's a hell of a big 'if,' Kate. As I said, there was no hard evidence."

"We need to collar Lockwood. If he connects that ledger to Bracken, we'll have evidence, a ton of … Was that the door?"

Castle hurriedly swings his legs over the side of the bed as bootie heels click against the hardwood floor of the great room. "That's Alexis. The tournament must have ended early." He hurriedly dons his discarded clothes, and finger combs his hair. "I'll go greet my wandering child while you finish getting dressed. Then we can review what I found about the Dragon and Bracken. I'm not going to lie to my daughter, but I'm not going to mention that we were doing anything together except research either."

"If she's her father's daughter," Kate murmurs, "you won't have to."

Castle brushes a speck of lint from his suit jacket and straightens his tie before walking through the door of The Wading Pool. His tie bar is transmitting an image to Kate, who's parked in the lot at the end of the block. The com hidden deep in his ear can send and receive audio that Kate can record. With the limited power of a tiny battery, the device doesn't have much range, but it doesn't need it. That Kate is close by is a little inhibiting, but also comforting.

Rick takes a seat on a high stool at the bar and studies what the other patrons are drinking, a mix of trendy India pale ales and hard liquor. He decides that whiskey will better suit his character but orders some chile con queso and chips to soak up some of the alcohol. The split-screen above the bar displays a football game and market closings. Castle isn't fascinated with either, but keeping his eyes in that direction enables him to observe the Wading Pool's other occupants in the mirror behind bottles of overpriced alcoholic beverages."

A woman slides onto the stool next to Rick and smiles. "Who's winning?"

"Apple, but Alibaba is gaining."

Rick prefers Kate's giggle to his new companion's studied laughter. "I meant the football game, not the stock quotes."

"I have no idea," Castle, confesses. "I'm not fascinated by bread and circuses; I prefer my victories on a more worldwide scale."

"A man who goes for the big score. I like that. I've never enjoyed short yardage gains. I'm Nanette."

"Richard, and I believe we share a similar philosophy, Nanette. May I buy you a drink?"

"Laphroaig, 10-year cask single malt," Nanette replies, matching what Rick ordered for himself.

Castle signals to the bartender. "We do have much in common."

"So, Richard," Nanette inquires, taking a sip of her whiskey, "what type of big scores do you make?"

"I specialize in mergers and acquisitions, striking when a company is down and capitalizing successfully on its most promising assets. I'm in town for a few months to close a deal."

"In town from where? You sound like a native."

"I grew up here," Castle confides truthfully. "But I've been to much of the world. I try to keep my residency fluid to take full advantage of globalization. Do you like to travel?"

"I like travelers," Nanette replies, leaning into Castle's space. "You have an energy about you that I find very stimulating. I could show you what I mean. I have a place not far from here, or if you're staying at Corporate Suites, we could go there."

"You seem familiar with the accommodations in the area," Castle remarks.

"As I said, I enjoy travelers, and they enjoy me."

"Get a price, Castle." Kate's voice sounds in Rick's ear.

"How much is that enjoyment worth, Nanette?"

"About the same as a week's stay in the top suite."

"Pretty stiff."

Nanette palms the area below Castle's belt. "It could be getting there."

"I'm sure it could," Castle agrees. "But I do have discerning tastes. I need to know what services you offer à la carte."

Nanette rubs her thigh against Rick's. "Let's get out of here, and I'll give you a recitation of my extensive menu."

Rick slides off his stool and offers Nanette his hand. "I'm sure you have a very talented tongue. I'm looking forward to hearing the full list."

Green flashing in her eyes, Kate forces a smile. Castle's managed to coax enough of a solicitation out of Nanette to give them the leverage they need to question her about Lockwood. With any luck, he's another of the traveler-loving hooker's clients.