Shattered Lies

Chapter 22

"What's that for?" Castle asks as Alexis throws her arms around his neck.

Alexis pecks his cheek. "Just for being my Dad. And for the scarf that you brought me from Little Russia. Paige thought it was cool."

Castle raises an eyebrow. "I believe the idea was that it was supposed to be warm, but I appreciate the adulation." He glances at the cutting board on the counter. "Have you two ladies been cooking up something?"

Alexis smiles. "It's just a quiche - but it's your favorite, with Canadian bacon instead of ham."

"Clever those Canadians," Castle quips, his smile almost reaching his eyes. "If you're cooking, the least I can do is set the table. Castle pulls colorful stoneware plates out of a cupboard and lays them on even more brightly hued placemats. "This is going to look like Mother did it," he mutters to himself, "but I can at least try to be festive." He lays out the flatware and sparkling glass tumblers.

Rick could really use a glass of wine - or three - or better yet a double scotch, but he doesn't like the message that indulgence would send to his daughter.

The quiche will be in the oven for a while. He'll have some time to talk to Kate - behind the closed door of his office. She's going to want to know what's going on in his head. He wishes he could tell her. He doesn't even get a chance to try. Eduardo, the doorman, buzzes with a message that a delivery has just arrived for Castle by courier, and he's asking if Castle can come down to the lobby to get it. "Yeah, sure, why not?"

Eduardo hands Castle a small padded envelope. Aside from the name and address, it's unmarked. "Who brought this?"

Eduardo shrugs. "Yo no se. Not UPS or FedEx. Tall dude, white hair. Said it was a special delivery."

Castle slips Eduardo a ten dollar bill. "Thanks."

The pull tab breaks as Castle tries to zip his parcel open on the elevator back to the loft. He rolls his eyes, "Of course," then pulls out the pocket knife he bought before taking Alex on their last camping trip and slit the mailer open.

A copy of Casino Royale. It's been one of his favorite books since a stranger handed him a copy at the library when he was ten years old. He examines the dust jacket before flipping the volume open to the title page. It's exactly the same edition. He tries to dredge up an image of the man he met that day. He can remember tall - towering to a ten-year-old - but probably only a couple of inches taller than Castle is now. His eyes and hair were brown, but the hair would probably be gray or white now.

Could that have been his father in the stacks all those years ago, and in the lobby now? Mother had taken Rick's younger self to the library. She would have recognized Castle's father, but she had gone in search of a payphone to call her agent before the man showed up.

And why Casino Royale? The character of James Bond is handsome and charismatic, but also an unhesitating killer when he feels it's warranted. That's what an "OO" is about. So if that was his father, was he sending his boy a message about his life? Did he just try again with the ostensibly grown-up version? If he did, it would explain a hell of a lot, but it doesn't make Castle feel more sanguine about his potential heritage.

The wrenching questions still remain, but he's not going to get any answers. He pastes his best semblance of a smile back on his face — no reason to ruin the evening for Alexis or Kate.

Kate climbs into bed next to Rick. He's wearing a T-shirt and shorts, and she can see the tension in his body, as he props his head on his forearm. "You're not feeling any better, are you?"

He doesn't move, his gaze on the city lights reflecting from the ceiling. "Kate, I've been trying to wrap my mind around the whole father thing ever since you told me what CSU found, and I'm not getting anywhere."

"Castle, your father's been a mystery for your entire life. But at least you know he's alive and watching out for you - for us. That has to be worth something."

He rolls to face her. "You're right. It's just that I'd made peace with not having a father around. I could imagine him as anything - doctor, lawyer, Indian chief, inventor of whipped cream in a can. But now I can only see him as a man with a gun; a man who has no wish to be identified or be part of the life of this family."

"Castle, he must have a reason. And if it weren't for him, you might not be here to question his motives. I might not either. I'm going to accept what he did as a gift - to both of us. You're like him in a way, you know. You saved my life. If that's the legacy he's given you, you should accept it. I wish there could have been someone like him to watch over my mother."

Castle caresses her cheekbone with his fingertips. "You know, you're pretty smart - for a cop."

Grabbing her pillow from behind her, Kate swings it at Rick's head. "Smart for a cop, huh?"

He raises his arms to fend off the assault. "And perceptive, gorgeous, and the sexiest woman I've ever known."

Kate drops the pillow, leaning in for a kiss. "I guess I can accept that."

Castle eases the strap of her teddy off her shoulder to sample the skin beneath. "And you taste better than Canadian bacon."

Kate cups the back of his head. "You probably should have stopped with sexiest."

Castle threads his fingers into the silk of Kate's hair. "Shutting up, now."

She brings her lips to his. "Smartest thing you've said all night."

"Any idea how long you'll be gone?" Rita asks.

Jackson shakes his head. "You know how it is. A mission takes as long as a mission takes. And I'll be incommunicado for most of it, but the company will be keeping tabs on me. You should be able to pick up the chatter about what's going down."

"And what about Richard?"

"What about him? It was enough of a risk just dropping off that book. I can't have anything else to do with him right now."

"Right now? Does that mean you're leaving the chance open for some time in the future?"

"Rita, you know as well as I do, there may not be any future. Missions can go south at any time. That's as true of yours as it is of mine. I'll get through this one - if I can. What happens after that, no one knows."

"You'll get through it, Jackson. You always find a way."

"Right now I'm just interested in getting through the night."

"With that, I can help."

Jackson scoops her up in arms that have lost little strength over the years. "Richard and his family won't be the only thing worth coming back to."