Here be Dragons!
Chapter 36
Kate had found out that she was right. Rick had hugged her and kissed her for finding a venue in the library. Then she had told him the cost and his reply had been, "So?" That had gotten Kate to smile and kiss him.
Now she, Alexis, and Martha had the car and were in the only store Alexis could find online that had wedding dresses. However, none of them found anything so it was strike one. "We need to be back in the city," Alexis said. "Invitations are first. Any ideas for food and a cake? We may need to skip taste-testing."
"Actually I do." Kate had an idea but feared this might be too big for her. She took her cell phone out and scrolled until she had the name and number and pressed send.
Madison saw who was calling. "Becks! How are you doing? You ready for another drink so we can talk?"
"Hey, Mads, I was calling because I need a caterer and a wedding cake." Kate suddenly pulled the phone away from her ear when Madison screamed.
"When, where, and how many? Please tell me this is Castle," Madison begged her.
"Yes, it's Castle," Kate admitted.
"I knew it, I knew it! I'm so happy for you and it's about time." Madison was thrilled for her friend that she had found again.
"November 1st, New York Public Library and maybe as many as 450 but we won't know for a few weeks yet," Kate held her breath until Madison talked to her again.
"Hang on." Madison disappeared on her for a minute. "We are now closed that day. Do you trust me or do you want to come in and go over all the food?" she inquired.
"I only have two months and I trust you." Then Kate asked her hesitantly, "You're sure you can do this?"
"Are you kidding? Not cater my best friend's wedding? For a few I'd do it for free. For 450 you're paying me. Give me a day and I can give you a cost," Madison promised.
"We don't care about the cost!" Alexis yelled.
"Who was that?" Madison queried.
"My future stepdaughter." Kate smiled wide and almost dropped the phone when Alexis hugged her.
"Instant family. Who are you and what have you done with Kate Beckett?" Madison teased her and got Kate to laugh. "So if cost isn't an issue we'll get started on what we can make to feed 450 people. …Did you really say the Public Library?" Madison was still wrapping her head around that one.
"It's a little dark for my taste but the ceiling is this massive glass and iron dome. The doors open at midnight, I think, so you'll have all day." Kate told her.
"Midnight on November 1st. That will give us all day to make the food and get it transported. Is there a bar? Buying enough drinks for 450 people is going to add to the cost," Madison warned her.
That had Kate looking at Alexis and Martha who were nodding their heads. "Yes, if you have a bartender."
"I'll handle it. I'm going to need a lot of vans." Madison was already planning and making notes. "Do I get to be a bridesmaid?" Madison asked her.
"DUH! Of course, Mads," Kate responded.
"This is going to be so much fun! Just make sure there's a Maid of Honor who plans the party. Wait. …I have to go, Becks. Come see me when you get a chance and I'm still really happy for you." Madison hung up on her.
"Guess that takes care of the caterer and the cake," Kate commented. "Lunch or go home?" Kate inquired and watched Alexis take out her cell phone.
"Hi, Dad. We just got a caterer and a cake. Can you handle the music? Just make sure it's appropriate." She knew her dad, he might think of something silly.
"I can handle that. I've already got a florist. I had to trust them on just what flowers. They're also going to make Kate's bouquet. How goes the dress shopping?" Rick knew just what they were doing without asking.
"Nothing, we need to go back to the city and you still can't see it until the wedding," Alexis reminded him.
"Awww," Rick pouted.
"We're staying for lunch, see you later, Dad." Alexis hung up on him. "We can hide your dress in Grams' room. Dad never goes in there."
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Their three days was a mix of trying to go back to having fun and living their lives, making love to each other for hours each day, and trying to make plans for the wedding using the computer and phones since time was short.
Before they even ordered invitations they needed a list of people to invite. Kate didn't know how they did it since the initial list that was mostly people Rick knew was over 600. Kate kept her list while Rick was forced to whittle his list down until they reached 450. Of course not all of them would make it but at least after two days they had a list.
During those same two days they chose sites to register at and began selecting items at various costs to add to their registry.
"Do we really need one of those, Castle?" Kate had questioned more often than she had liked. In the end they were done. They didn't have 450 items on their list so guests were just going to have to select what they wanted to.
Alexis was looking at her computer and the list that a site was giving her. "We need to design out of town wedding gift baskets."
"Easy, I sign a lot of books and hand them out to everyone that shows up. I'll get Gina to deliver them to the loft." Rick took out his cell phone and made a call.
"We need a limo for you two. Make that two limos since Dad can't see you until the wedding. So where do we send you to get ready?" Alexis was checking items off the list she had.
"Castle can have the loft and I can use my dad's place," Kate said.
"I need an address. Write it down and hand it to Grams," Alexis told her.
However, all of their attention was now on Rick who was yelling into his phone. "YES, I'M GETTING MARRIED, GINA. I DON'T CARE IF YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!" Rick hung up on her and literally threw his phone, not caring if it broke.
"Dad?" Alexis wasn't used to seeing him this angry.
"She's not sending the books. She doesn't even want me to get married. Says I'll ruin her playboy image she's cultivated for me to generate book sales with women of a certain age group. We can take her name off the guest list." Rick paced at first then headed for the back door and went outside.
Kate got up to go with him. "It'll be okay, Rick." She wrapped her arms around him from behind and pressed her head into his back.
"She's my editor. She is Black Pawn. She has the books. What the hell is her problem?" Rick was still yelling.
"Can we just buy the books?" Kate tried to calm him down. "There are lots of book stores in the city."
"That's not the point! She's refusing to let me even get married at all," Rick fumed.
"Can she do that?" Kate queried.
"I don't know. We have a contract but I don't remember anything in it about handing over my life to her. We need to get back into the city and talk to my lawyer. Everything else can wait. I don't get this!" Rick went back to yelling.
"Dad?" Alexis showed up in front of him and held out her cell phone since his was broken.
Rick took the phone from her. "Castle."
"I understand you have a problem," Henry said.
"Henry?" Rick was a little shocked and looked at Alexis who had a look of Please don't be angry on her face.
"Talk to him, babe." Kate patted him and went with Alexis back inside.
"Is Gina always like this?" Kate had never met her and knew almost nothing about her.
"I hate speaking ill of anyone, however, Gina's always been hard on Dad. He says she's good at her job and his books do sell and the lines at his book signings are long. But she's always after him for something. She's the only person I know that can make Dad angry in an instant.
"Well except maybe for Mom. They fight a lot." Alexis proceeded to tell her a story. "I remember this one time. I was in grade school and Mom just suddenly showed up at school and took me out of class. She got hold of my passport somehow and flew us to Paris for lunch. Without telling my dad.
When we got home he sent me to my room, but it was loud enough that I could hear them. Dad was really mad."
Kate had a concerned look on her face. "I was told that your mother signed her rights to you away at the divorce."
"She did and Dad could've had her arrested, or so I worked out for myself much later, but he didn't. Mom only ever showed up once after that. They fought then, too. I still love her. I mean she's my mother, but if I never saw her again I wouldn't be upset." Alexis didn't feel very good about that. "Please don't tell Dad. He doesn't know I can hear them fighting."
Kate hugged her. "He won't hear about it from me." Kate then thought of something. "After we are married is it possible for me to adopt you?" She heard Alexis suck in a deep breath and looked at her. She saw tears starting then she was being crushed by Alexis.
"What's going on?" Martha was back from wherever she went.
"Kate wants to adopt me after she marries Dad." Alexis was positively glowing. She let go of Kate and rushed to hug her grandmother.
Martha always did love being hugged by her granddaughter. "Of course she does. Katherine loves you." Martha thought it was obvious.
Then Rick came back inside. "Henry's getting us our books. He's going over Gina's head and having them delivered to the loft." He stopped and looked at the three woman in his life. "Did I miss something?"
Alexis squealed, ran to her dad and hugged him. "Kate wants to adopt me after you get married."
Kate put on her best I did. Please don't be upset look she had.
Rick used Alexis's phone again. "Henry, I've got one more thing for you to work on." Rick saw broad smiles from all three women in his life.
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"Are you really not inviting your editor?" Kate questioned him.
"You think I should put guards at the door to keep her out?" Rick asked her. "If she shows up she's likely to make a scene."
"No, of course not," Kate said. "If she shows up and becomes a problem we'll call the police. Would Black Pawn really want that kind of press?"
"No, they wouldn't," Rick commented. "Could you start dinner? I have a call to make using my brand new fancy phone." He had an idea to counter Gina.
"Don't forget to download the security system or you're going to be locked out," Kate warned him.
Kate was looking in the refrigerator trying to decide what to make for dinner. The first word she overheard Castle say was the name Henry.
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Rick almost threw up after drinking what his mother had just made right in front of him. "Are you trying to kill me before the wedding?"
"It's everything you need for a healthier and longer life." Martha sipped hers.
Rick made a face. "What's the sense of living longer if you have to drink that?"
"Morning!" Alexis slid in next to her dad.
"Morning, pumpkin. Hey, why aren't you in school?" She shouldn't even be here at this hour.
"It's faculty development day," Alexis replied which meant there was no school today.
"What are we making?" Kate joined them and just as Martha was about to tell her about her drink, Kate's phone rang. "Hold that thought, Martha. …Beckett."
"Perfect, guess what's playing tonight. Forbidden Planet!" Rick was excited.
"Let's go, Castle, we have a body." Kate went to the front door and picked up her stuff.
"Movie, tonight." Rick pointed at his daughter as he hurried to catch up.
"I'll go, Castle." Kate clued him in. "I like Forbidden Planet."
"Yes, movie, popcorn, Milk Duds, licorice sticks, overpriced sodas." Rick was so ready.
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"Why are there news vans outside?" Rick was delayed while getting Kate her much need coffee since she hadn't had any at home.
"Because of the case our murder is involved with," Kate informed him. "The Addison case."
"Addison!" Okay, now Rick was interested.
"One of the jurors dropped dead while the lawyer was going through closing arguments," Kate told him. "Lanie's thinking he was poisoned."
"He was poisoned all right," Lanie declared as they stepped through the door. "Cyanide," she revealed. "There were no puncture marks so it was ingested."
"Rather odd way to kill someone." Kate couldn't remember another one like it.
"Brownish stains around his mouth suggest he may have had coffee," Lanie said.
"Aren't jurors supposed to be held away from the public?" Rick inquired.
"He arrived at 8:37 and died at 9:15. It would have taken 15 minutes after ingestion for him to die," Lanie added.
"That means he was poisoned at the courthouse," Kate deduced.
"And who benefits from a dead juror?" Rick queried since they both knew.
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"Otis Williams. This guy's a real dirt bag." Ryan handed over his folder on the guy.
Except he was with his attorney and denied everything for him and walked away.
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"You got us down here, Lanie." Kate and Castle were back.
"The cyanide wasn't in the coffee," Lanie said. "It was in a time release capsule. He has a prescription for a different drug that's time release. Only in this case the capsule contents were exchanged with cyanide. He would have ingested the pill at home."
"So he might not have even been killed because of the case he was a juror for. So who wanted him dead?" Kate suddenly had a new direction to go which wasn't helpful.
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"I did it," she confessed.
"You killed him?" Rick asked in surprise. This case was far too easy.
"NO! I didn't kill him. I did worse. I let him pay me to get him on this jury." She was so going to be fired.
"All I did was put him in the pool. He got through jury selection on his own," she explained.
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"Joe has a phone so why did he purchase a burner phone and use his credit card to do it?" Ryan wondered.
"You two get on it. …What are you doing, Castle?" She hated to think that he was playing Angry Birds yet again. She thought he was past that by now.
"This is a picture of our murder for Addison with her still in the trunk. This is an app that provides magnification. Care to guess who I found?" Rick queried. That had Kate getting up to join him and Espo stopping from leaving.
Rick scanned it across the photo and landed on Joe.
"He was at the crime scene and paid his way onto the jury." Kate loved this new lead.
"There are three reasons." Rick ran down his list. "One, they're dead. Two, they just happened to be in the immediate area and three, he's the killer that couldn't resist the compulsion to return to the scene of the crime."
"He's our victim and our killer." Kate couldn't believe it.
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"I found that burner phone." Ryan joined them. "He used it to make 14 calls. All of them to the District Attorney's office."
Ryan had just added a new twist. "Looks like the DA was out of order." Rick's joke fell flat.
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"You called in the DA's personal assistant without informing me?" Roy questioned both of them.
"Sir…" Kate was going to defend her actions however Roy interrupted her.
"Smart move. Did you see what he did here? He could have phoned it in. Instead he shows up in person." Roy loved it and it was the best lead they had.
"He's hiding something," Rick commented.
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"We don't think you killed, either, but we need to know precisely everything. Anything you can tell us might find us a killer," Kate told him with his lawyer present. He began explaining until Kate told him to stop. "You're sure?"
"Yeah, I'm sure." He had stolen the car after all but he hadn't killed anyone.
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"The car 's still in impound and the seat buttons hadn't been checked," Kate said to Castle.
"There were two set of prints on the seat buttons. The seat up button was Otis but the seat back button…" Kate handed over the file. "See for yourself."
Rick opened it and read. "YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" It wasn't what he was expecting.
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"I'm sorry about your friend, sir," Kate told Roy.
"He made a mistake and it was a big one. I'll call the DA and ask… Well, whoever's appointed the acting DA. Still nice work you two. I'll see you tomorrow." Roy picked up his case and walked out.
What had happened to his friend had already happened to him. He just wasn't sure how to get out from under it.
"You ready for our movie, Castle?" Kate was looking forward to it.
"How's the list coming?" Was there something he could help with?
"Alexis, Martha, and I are going dress shopping tomorrow if I get my paperwork done fast enough." Kate thought of something. "We still need a photographer."
"I'll find one tomorrow," Rick promised. "Invitations?"
"Selected and being printed. That will take about a week. Then we have to mail them after we add our registry locations card.
We need a wedding license, Castle." They couldn't get married without one.
"I know where to go and have my copy of my divorce papers. We can go the day after you find a dress," Rick suggested.
"We still have so much to do, Castle." She was starting to really feel the stress of doing this in two months.