Here be Dragons!
Chapter 28
A dead councilman that his wife wanted dead because he was cheating on her. A campaign manager only too willing to do it because if the word go out his own career was over.
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Their Next Case
"You could just leave it like this," Rick suggested. "Sam's dead, the captain's happy, those kids look pretty happy."
"That's the difference between a novel and the real world, Castle. A cop doesn't get to decide how the story ends." Kate got out of the car to drag the grandfather into the station for questioning. She hated it because Castle was right; it was going to ruin this family and the kids.
In the end the grandfather lawyered up and Kate finally told Castle how her mother died and her father became an alcoholic.
"The watch is for the life I saved and the ring is for the life I lost." She hadn't felt this vulnerable in a log time in front of any man. Castle now knew more than any boyfriend she had ever had.
"Two days off, you're coming to the Hamptons again. It may be cold there now and not beach material but you are coming," Rick informed her.
"Castle." Kate really didn't feel like it. She was unhappy and wanted to stay that way.
"I'll bring Alexis down here to tell you if I have to," he threatened. "And we both know when your next two days are off. So start packing." Rick wasn't interested in no for an answer. He left her at the precinct and headed for home to inform his daughter and maybe his mother would actually come this time though he doubted it. His mother preferred warm weather instead of this cold weather.
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Kate packed for two days much like last time though this time she wasn't bringing a bikini. It was far too cold outside to be wearing a bikini even if the pool was heated. She would end up a popsicle going either to or more likely from the pool since she would be soaking wet.
She was just about to reach for her cell phone to tell Castle not to come when there was a knock at her door. A quick peek told her that it was Alexis on the other side.
She could just tell Castle she wasn't coming. Telling that to Alexis, however, wasn't going to happen. "He's playing dirty," she grumbled. Still she opened the door and let in a smiling Alexis.
"I hope you packed warm this time. And bring a coat." Alexis didn't see her with one.
Once downstairs they stopped on the sidewalk. Kate was about to ask where Castle was. "Dad couldn't double park this time. He'll be back," Alexis said cheerily.
Sure enough after a few minutes out in the cold Castle parked next to them. Kate threw her bag in the trunk and raced for the passenger seat. She glanced at the back seat. "Where's Martha?" Kate really was expecting to see her.
"Grams only likes the house in the Hamptons in the summer months," Alexis explained.
"Mother isn't into winter activities unless it involves chasing a man or drinking," Rick said.
"Dad!" Alexis took exception to his description since it didn't paint his mother in a good light.
"We're going to have to go grocery shopping this time and wait for the house to warm up. I couldn't get anyone to open it up," Rick warned her.
"I'm sure I'll survive," Kate remarked as she snuggled into the heated seat and let Castle drive his own car.
"So why a Mercedes?" Kate questioned since Castle looked more like a Ferrari type person. Even if no Ferrari was going to seat three or even four people.
"Safety, it's diesel so it gets good mileage, prestige, and I can afford it," Rick answered.
"Not vain are we, Castle?" Kate teased.
"Contrary to what you might be thinking I didn't grow up rich. Mother took any and every acting job she could find to keep both of us fed and warm. Ever had your very own cockroach race?" Rick asked her.
"Can't say that I have." Kate was now learning something else about Castle.
"I grew up backstage of every theater Mother ever worked in. Mostly it convinced me that I didn't want to be an actor. Or a stage hand, or a set designer, or an architect. Engineer, maybe, since most of them got pretty cold backstage during winter. Someone needs to design a better A/C system for backstage.
"Then Mother finally found a good job and started to make money, until her evil, conniving, despicable husband... Then the play ended and now she's here." Rick made it short and simple.
"And Grams is wanted here. Right, Dad? Right, Dad!?" Alexis glared at him.
Rick looked in the mirror and saw the look Alexis was giving him. "Right, right up until she lands another good acting job and moves out." Alexis crossed her arms across her chest and her look shot fire at him. Kate grinned at those two. She didn't even notice that somehow she wasn't as depressed as she'd been.
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"I'll turn on the house. You two can go shopping for groceries. Call me if there's something you want to check and see if we already have." Alexis took the keys from Rick, unlocked the front door and closed it behind her, then turned up the heat and flipped on some of the lights.
Meanwhile Rick drove to the closest market to get groceries. "So what are we eating?" Kate was willing to help search for goodies. Rick gave her a list off the top of his head. "We're going to need small red potatoes, fresh green beans, fresh broccoli, bell peppers, and smoked sausage for one meal. Salmon and asparagus for another. Chicken breasts, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, one red onion, and Monterey Jack cheese. I think we have everything else already."
"I'll get the meat then." Kate went looking for the meat department after picking up a carrying basket.
Kate had already purchased her part and was waiting for Castle who was getting all the vegetables.
Rick caught up to her. "Give me the receipt and I'll reimburse you."
"Not a chance, Castle. You may be rich but I'm not poor. If you're going to feed me we need to get going." Kate smiled at him and went out in the cold to get in the car.
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"Still feels a little cool," Kate noticed as she put her food in the refrigerator.
"It's a big house," Alexis commented, putting the produce away. Rick was busy stripping the beds and putting the sheets in the wash.
"You have any idea what your dad is planning with all this stuff?" She knew how to cook but couldn't figure it out.
"Well the sausage and vegetables sounds like a sheet pan meal. Salmon and asparagus are probably grilling. Lunch might be simple sandwiches, hence the bread and meats and… frozen french fries. Really, Dad?" Alexis put the bag in the freezer anyway instead of the trash.
"Do we have ketchup?" Kate liked fries from time to time. She saw the look Alexis was giving her. "What? I like French fries. Have you tried dipping them into your strawberry shake before? You don't know what you're missing."
"You and Dad are a lost cause. I suppose you like greasy, artery-hardening cheeseburgers, too?" Alexis challenged her.
"As a matter of fact I do. Just not every day. You should try one on occasion. People don't live on salads alone," Kate mentioned.
"You are what you eat," Alexis declared.
"So you're a salad, are you? You eat pizza and ice cream," Kate contended.
"Pizza won't harden my arteries and with enough ice cream my brain will freeze," Alexis argued. "Have you tried Dad's favorite ice cream? You really should one time. It'll make you a believer."
"I like ice cream," Kate answered mildly.
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Rick entered the room. "Ladies, I have bad news."
"Dad, we just got here." Alexis was thinking he wanted or needed to go back to the city already.
Rick used his finger to beckon them to follow him and walked over to the French doors that led out onto the backyard.
"I don't see much." Kate saw grass that was still green somehow, the beach beyond, and that was about that.
"Uh-oh." Alexis saw something. She raced to the TV and grabbed the remote. It took some switching of channels until she found the one she wanted. "Hurricane Irene," Alexis said as the adults joined her.
Kate couldn't remember the last time she had been anywhere close to a hurricane. "How much trouble are we in?"
"Almost none, actually. That's why this house is on the bay and not the Atlantic Ocean. I did research once and it scared me enough that I would never buy a house on the coast," Rick assured her.
"We might have a problem with downed trees and storm surge. There are bridges between here and the city," Alexis warned.
"Should we leave now then?" Kate queried since if she got stuck out here it would mean she would miss a day or more of work.
"And get trapped in the car between a down tree and a ruined bridge? I'll pass." Rick didn't care much for her idea. "The good news is that we have an emergency generator and a fireplace."
"And food for two days," Alexis reminded him.
"I am not eating those so forget it!" Rick shook his finger at Alexis.
"Then Kate and I can eat them and you can starve to death," Alexis huffed.
"At least I won't be spending days in the bathroom worshiping the porcelain god," Rick argued since he was sure those things would give him food poisoning.
"What are we talking about here?" Kate was certain she was being left in the dark.
"Alexis talked me into buying them and having them shipped out here. I think they're still out in the garage somewhere. …Being eaten by rats." Rick glared at his daughter.
"I knew a day like this would come eventually so I talked Dad into buying a box of MREs. He's convinced himself that they'll give him food poisoning or worse. Something about Zombies," Alexis teased.
Rick fought back. "And if we eat those things I'm going to be proven right, too."
"Brains!" Rick reached out toward Alexis. "The smarter you are the tastier the brains. … Brains!" He got Alexis to squeal and hide behind Kate. "No gun," Rick reminded her. "Brains!" He was enjoying this. Then suddenly Kate grabbed him and flipped him so that he landed on his back on the floor in a loud thud and an "Ooof!"
Alexis had her hands over her mouth and broke up laughing.
"Does this mean we can't eat your brains, Castle?" Kate smiled wide at him since she was suggesting he was stupid and didn't have enough brains to eat.
"Ha, ha." Rick held his back while he got up. "It's just a stupid little hurricane. …I'm going to go make sandwiches for lunch." He grimaced. "Just as soon as my back is straight."
"You have so got to teach me that!" Alexis told Kate as Rick walked gingerly away with his hand on his back.
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Since going outside was now mostly out and so was grilling Alexis talked them into a board game.
"Exploding Kittens?" Kate had never heard of such a game.
"No actual kittens get exploded. The game's actually really simple. When it's your turn you draw a card unless you draw an exploding kitten. When you do you're out. Think Russian roulette. You can play a defuse card that will defuse the kitten from exploding and knocking you out of the game. There are also things like laser pointers, kitten yoga, and catnip sandwiches that can all delay your kitten from exploding. Or you can play various cards to skip your turn, attack other players that allow you to take a card at random from their hand, peek at the deck so you know what comes next, reshuffle the deck so no one knows where anything is, or secretly relocate an exploding kitten back into the deck. Usually right back on top!" Alexis glared at Rick for that one. He just smiled back at her.
The game only used cards. Players got dealt a number of cards then worked out who went first. Drawing a card contained a risk. Like drawing an exploding kitten.
Kate learned fast that these two were impossible to read as to what was in their hands or what card they drew. Playing poker with them just might be fun.
Kate did, however, learn that Alexis loved to attack and steal cards from Castle. Stealing cards made sense since it meant a player had fewer cards to play with.
Then Kate drew the game's very first exploding kitten card. Of course she played her defuse kitten card and a card that allowed her to insert the card secretly into the deck. She put it right on top.
Alexis played one of her now many cards that allowed her to skip this turn.
Rick only had two cards thanks to Alexis stealing his cards and drew Kate's exploding kitten. He couldn't do anything about it so his exploding kitten knocked him out of the game.
Problem was Alexis had more cards than Kate did and she just couldn't stop an exploding kitten from ending her game.
"She cheats," Rick whispered and Alexis threw her cards in his face. They ended up hitting mostly his chest which had Kate laughing.
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Dinner was over and Alexis had excused herself to go to bed. The house was still a bit cool so Rick had talked Kate into sitting on the floor under a blanket in front of the fireplace.
"Your house is too big," Kate declared.
"Well, to be honest I didn't buy this house with the intent of moving out here from the city. It's supposed to be a not winter house," Rick asserted.
"Not winter?" Kate questioned the author Richard Castle with his choice of words.
"Yes, Detective, not winter," Rick responded.
Just as Kate was sure Castle was about to put an arm around her and draw her in closer the lights went out, plunging them into darkness save for the fireplace.
Rick immediately proclaimed his innocence. "I didn't do that!"
"I suppose now we're going to freeze to death in this big house," Kate asked dryly.
Rick gave her a look. "And in 15 seconds the emergency generator will come on."
Kate sat there and waited and looked at the lights that used to be on.
"Dad, the power's out!" Alexis announced as she came down the stairs and found them cuddled close together. "Sorry." Alexis stopped and couldn't decide if she should go back to her bedroom or not.
"I'll go find out what's gone wrong." Rick left the comfort of the nice warm blanket and Kate and the cold floor to find out why his expensive generator wasn't working.
Meanwhile Alexis took her father's place and snuggled up close to Kate, making sure to share the blanket. "For warmth," Alexis explained. "Um, why are we on the floor where it's cold?"
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The lights were still off. Rick came back in to find his furniture rearranged. Alexis and Kate were sitting side by side wrapped up in a blanket directly in front of the gas fireplace on a sofa this time.
It gave Rick an idea. He went and got a down comforter and joined them on the sofa with Alexis in the middle.
"No lights?" Kate inquired since he was back and the lights were still off.
Rick frowned and shook his head. "It won't start and I don't know why."
Alexis liked right where she was: in the middle with Kate on one side and her dad on the other. Alexis knew her dad would do this even without asking him. However, it felt great to have Kate on the other side. She knew her mother would never do it.
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Sunday morning they woke to find that the lights were still out and now the house was really cold. Rick found an unhappy Alexis and Kate in the kitchen trying to figure out how Kate was going to get hot coffee with no electricity.
"We could make hot water using the grill," Alexis offered.
"Except that the coffeemaker uses electricity," Kate stated and shivered.
"Now what, Dad?" Alexis spotted him as he got close.
"There's no hot water," Rick announced. He'd used a wash cloth using really cold water to wash with, sort of.
"Tell us something we don't know," Alexis fired back. "We can still make hot chocolate using the grill to get hot water."
"Why isn't there hot water in the tank? It can't have cooled off that fast." Kate was still on no hot shower.
"Tankless water heaters. More economical," Rick explained. "And yes, they're gas-fired, but the recirculation pump is electric. No pump, no hot water. It's a safety measure for the water heaters."
Alexis had really hoped for another late night ride on a Dragon last night but she was already too cold to care. Besides, being hugged between these two had been great.
"My cell phone still works and they say the power may not be restored until tomorrow," Rick grouched.
"We know, Dad, we called them already. So what do we do?" They couldn't cook unless it was outdoors. The real question was if any bridges between here and the city were closed.
"We can go into town to see if they have power or we can go home early. OR, we could go home. Just not actually go home. I'm thinking maybe a picnic at the Ford Foundation Atrium," Rick suggested.
"I'm in!" Alexis was ready and looked at Kate.
"Isn't that an office building?" Kate didn't see how that was any place special for a picnic.
"It has an atrium filled with plants and a pond. It's open to the public," Alexis explained since she and her dad had been there once.
However an office building for a picnic didn't sound like fun to Kate. "I'll pass, thanks." Alexis looked at her dad. He needed to come up with a different plan to rescue this mess.
"Chinatown. You two like Dragons, that's the place to go. Puppets, masks, and more. Not to mention food. We can fill Kate's bedroom with Dragons," Rick teased her.
"I'd rather fill Alexis's bedroom with Dragons," Kate replied. "But I like Chinatown." She approved of this plan. If they could reach it.
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Two and a half hours later in a nice warm car Rick was parking the car in a parking garage so they could go shopping.
They found a lot of cheap dragon stuff or tiny little dragon items but nothing worth buying. Kate, though, was going home with something that Castle had bought for her. Mostly because Alexis wouldn't let her leave without it.
It was a Cheongsam Oriental Evening Dress. Mostly white, it had embroidered sleeves that just reached her elbow. It was long but had a slit up her right thigh to show off her long legs. It had a high collar that was held closed with a button and a loop. The chest flap was held closed just above her right breast. It was silky soft since it was made of satin.
Kate had no idea just when she was ever going to get to wear it, but maybe that wasn't the point. But at least she had talked them out of the pink dress just like it.
At least at $80 it wasn't overly expensive. And gave her a reason to buy a new pair of heels since she didn't have any silver heels that would go with it. That and a new clutch.