Shattered Lies

Chapter 47

"Persky," Montgomery considers, stroking the stubble forming on his cheek. "Never knew him personally. He was a few years ahead of me in the academy, and I didn't work that much with the 44th. But from what I heard, he was a slacker, just putting in his time to get out. Probably left after 20. Might be in Florida or somewhere else in the deep South. He had that kind of an attitude - if you get my drift."

Kate nods. "I get the picture. Castle and I were thinking the same thing after looking at Jada Bergeron's file. Persky did the minimum at best."

"If he is drawing a pension, it shouldn't be that hard to track him down," Montgomery muses. "The N.Y.P.D. may lose a file, but the department keeps a very careful eye on where the money goes. There's someone in accounting who owes me a favor. I can give him a call in the morning."

"I'd appreciate it, Sir."

"I appreciate your offer, and I know Evelyn will."

Castle rubs his hands together. "Now that we have that settled, how about another round of beers - or perhaps given the occasion we can enjoy my fifty-year-old single malt."

"I'm not about to say no to that," Montgomery declares.

At the 12th, Montgomery touches Kate on the shoulder and inclines his head toward his office. Castle follows her in, and the captain closes the door. "I got a line on Persky. He's in Mississippi, in a little town called Abbeville."

Castle punches an inquiry into his phone. "Little is right; population around 400. Not much more than a post office and a field station for the University of Mississippi. It's on the water, Sardis Lake. He could go fishing."

"We're the ones who are going to have to go fishing - for information," Kate remarks.

"We could fly down this weekend," Castle suggests. "In a town that small it shouldn't be that hard to bump into the man, especially if we work at it. Mother is doing a cleansing between roles thing, so she'll be home with Alexis - although I don't know who'll be keeping an eye on whom. I'll have my travel agent book us into the nicest hotel she can find within ten miles. Hmm, we need an excuse for being there. How about checking out scientists who understand the ecology of wetlands for investigating crimes committed near water? We could be deciding whether to use the Field Station as a resource for Out of the Cold. Stuff goes on there during weekends."

"You know, Castle, that's really not a bad idea," Montgomery put in. "People do commit homicides near water, thinking they can dump the bodies, and any evidence will be gone before anyone finds them."

Castle unconsciously finger combs his hair. "Yeah. Pity Persky didn't move to Louisiana or Florida. Then we could inquire about alligators consuming unfortunate murder victims in the Bayou or the Everglades, but a lake is cool too."

Castle spreads out a blanket on the rough surface of the Out of the Cold roof, and Kate sets up a battery-powered lantern. She starts laying out salads and cold cuts from an insulated bag. "You were right about the view, Castle."

"And the taller buildings beside and behind this one serve as good windbreaks," Castle points out, working a corkscrew into the top of a bottle of red wine. If we don't go with the inflatable building, the caterers shouldn't have to weigh things down too much." He points to a spot near the edge facing the park. "We can have the ceremony right there, with our guests either standing or being able to watch from tables. Then we can put the dance floor off to the side. That will leave a clear path for the servers and anyone needing to get to the elevator or stairs to avail themselves of the facilities below. The third-floor restrooms may be enough, but we should double check. If they drink enough champagne, our revelers might need the ones on the second floor as well. And I figure you can use the first-floor conference room as a bride's room and I can use one of the offices as a groom's space."

Kate caresses his cheek. "You really have thought our wedding plans out a lot, haven't you?"

Rick covers her hand with his own. "You're the bride. The final word is yours, but I think it will be a great wedding - the best one ever, since I'm marrying you."

Kate presses her lips to his. "If all this food wasn't making me so hungry, I might tackle you on this blanket right now."

Castle waves his hand in a semi-circle around them. "We would be putting on a show for anyone working late in the offices overlooking us. Once your other appetites are satisfied, however, I did have a rather sizeable sofa with a foldout bed delivered to the lounge, for any of our dedicated lab workers with analyses that would have to run through the night."

Kate throws two salad containers and a packet of sliced roast beef back in the bag. "Forget the food. We can eat later."

Castle props himself up on one elbow, running his hand over the cover of the couch's foldable mattress. "This thing is not half bad. But I'll have to remember to get a pad and some sheets for it - and some pillows."

Kate stretches, arching her back. "It felt wonderful to me." Her stomach rumbles.

Castle palms her abdomen. "Ah, one hunger satisfied, at least for the moment, and another emerges. Back to our picnic? I'll give you the first shot at making a sandwich."

"Deal."

"We have a hotel," Castle says, spreading avocado mayonnaise on bread baked half and half with rye and pumpernickel.

"Kate looks up from a forkful of mustardy potato salad. "What? We just…"

"I meant for our trip to Abbeville, except that the hotel is in Oxford - Mississippi not England - about nine miles away. Oxford also has some lovely eateries, but as far as I can tell, the sole restaurant in Abbeville is a steak house. I figure that might be our best place to meet up with Persky."

Kate reaches for her sandwich. "Let's hope he isn't a home cook. When does our flight take off?"

"Six a.m. Saturday morning. We fly into Tupelo and rent a car from there. I figure with any luck; we'll be in Oxford by late afternoon, in time to check in before grabbing a steak dinner in Abbeville."

"But what do we do if we don't make contact with Persky?"

Castle snakes his fork over to Kate's salad container. "What we always do - improvise."

"That's not much of a plan, Babe."

"I know. But together we always seem to manage to come up with something, don't we?"

"I guess. But speaking of coming up with things, what was that unmarked container you threw into the bag for dessert?" Kate queries.

"Why don't you open it and find out?"

"Cookies?"

Castle snorts. "Not just cookies, Kate. Double-stuffed Oreos dipped in dark chocolate: a triple sin or a triple pleasure, depending on how you value gustatory enjoyment."

Kate closes her eyes as she savors a bite. "Babe, what do you say we give that couch downstairs one more workout - as soon as I finish this?"