I was released from hospital a day later. I debated going back to talk to Castle, but decided there was no point.
The cab I called pulled up and to my surprise and concern it was one of Billy's guys driving.
"This isn't a coincidence is it?" I guessed.
"Get in." He ordered, and I obeyed, climbing in the backseat and texting my boss and coworkers an update that I was out of the hospital and headed home soon.
We drove to a surprisingly nice part of town, and he dropped me outside of a swanky-looking apartment building and gave me a unit number to head to.
I slipped in the security door behind a couple who were just leaving and took the elevator upstairs.
The door wasn't too far from the elevator, and I knocked on it slowly.
A woman opened it, and looked me over. "Can I help you?"
"Maybe, I was just dropped off here and told to come up to this apartment. I think I'm supposed to meet… someone here."
"Celeste." Billy came into view, looking relieved, and the woman moved aside a bit as Billy rushed to the door and pulled me into his arms. I hugged him back tightly, closing my eyes and letting the stress of everything that had happened wash away.
He pulled me inside and the woman shut the door.
"I'm Krista. Billy's psychiatrist." She introduced herself, looking sharply into my eyes.
"Celeste. Nice to meet you." I offered her my hand, and she gave it a quick shake.
"He didn't say he'd be inviting over… a friend." I was seeing just how forced her smile was, and faltered a little.
"In all fairness, I didn't know either. I was gonna just go home, I got picked up by one of his ex-military guys from the hospital."
"How bad was it?" Billy pushed some of my hair out of my face.
"Well I would've been a lot better if you hadn't built a DEATH TRAP. What the hell Billy?" I nudged him off a little.
"Some space?" He asked Krista, who left.
"First of all, you know where I live, you know my phone number, you could have warned me at any time that you had a giant death hallway in the basement." He tried to speak, but I cut him off, starting to rile up now. "Second, dammit Billy, you can't solve every problem you have with crime. I never questioned your mask fetish robbery gang, but murder is too far. You were going to kill Castle, weren't you?"
"I didn't mean for you -"
"I'm not done. Third, police questioned me about what happened, because apparently they found three dead hookers upstairs in front of Castle, and he sure as hell didn't kill them. I had to lie to the police for you, so now I'm an accessory. I could see jail if any of this ever gets to the cops, and I'm a stripper, I don't want to see what jail is like for me. Fourth, why were there dead hookers upstairs Billy? Did you kill them, to frame Castle in case he survived the hallway?"
"Celeste." He took my arms. "I never meant to involve you in this. I didn't think you were coming in."
"Great. That covers… half of two of my points?"
He sighed. "What do you want from me Celeste? I killed them. Shot them point blank in the head, before the fear even had time to set in and make them scream."
I took a slow step back from him, tears coming to my eyes. "Why?"
"I need Castle out of my way. He's not going to stop until he kills me."
"Maybe he's right to. I would, if I was him." He looked betrayed, but I just shook my head. "Don't. Let me guess, you picked hookers because they're disposable right? Not really people society cares about. Close enough to criminal. Where's the line between them and any of my coworkers? Or me?"
"I care about you."
"Not enough to warn me about the death trap, bringing me back to my first point! Billy, you can't defend this!"
"He's been arrested now. He's out of the way."
"Where the hell did this idea come from? You know what, I don't care. Just get the fuck out of my face. I'm going home. Don't you dare show up there again." I warned him, before throwing the door open, brushing tears out of my eyes before they could fall from my face.