Slaying the Beast
Chapter 17
Kate stalks restlessly around her apartment. She could be doing some research, even without the resources at Castle's loft, but she can't sit still long enough to get anything done. Her interview with Justin Flake is on the horizon, but that's not what's destroying her concentration. She'd rather be at the loft, and not just for investigative purposes. When she's not with Castle, even when they're not trying to puzzle out a case, it's like she has a piece missing.
She's had partners who were important to her before - especially Mike Royce. And she'd believed, at least for a while that she'd fallen in love with him. But when he was gone, she didn't feel a gnawing emptiness. Sure, there were a couple of times she wanted to phone him, but not enough to make the calls. She might have missed Will a little when he transferred to Boston, but she'd never seriously considered following him.
She's only been away from Castle for a couple of hours, and yet she's tempted to jump on a subway train or hell, just run to Broome Street. It's stupid. She is a strong, self-sufficient woman. She has been for a very long time. She's liked it that way. She's not at all sure she likes it now. She'll get through the night. She can take a hot bath and have a glass of red wine. She might even take Naked Heat into the tub with her. No, that could make things worse. She'll take a book by Patterson or Connelly. Other than skillfully creating their mysteries, neither of them holds any attraction for her.
Castle is determined to get some writing in, not so much to appease Gina as to fill the hole left by Kate's absence. When the characters won't come, he resorts to his favorite fallback, people watching. Often, he'll do it at a café or an airport, if he happens to be traveling, but the loft offers opportunities as well. The apartments in the building across the way are filled with interesting characters. Apparently, most of the time they don't feel that they're doing anything that merits drawing their blinds or closing their curtains. He can look in on their activities through his binoculars or the zoom on his camera.
Light is emanating from several windows. The writing team is as usual, in front of their computer screen, squabbling about something. Ooh, they're handcuffed to each other. He's willing to bet there's a story there, but not the kind he's trying to write at the moment. Another neighbor is watching sports on television with a platter of wings on his lap and a beer on the table next to him. Nothing new about that. About the only thing that changes is the snack and the sports season. The space above the level of Castle's loft had been unoccupied for a couple of months, but it has a new tenant. He isn't close enough to the window to make out much about him except height and most likely gender - although these days Castle is not always sure about that. Between what is disguised by clothing and Park Avenue's best plastic surgeons anything is possible. Still, that sort of muscle mass would rarely be seen on a woman - except one preparing for a weightlifting or mixed martial arts competition. Castle watches for a few minutes to see if he can discern anything else, before retreating to his office. The newcomer offers nothing more to see. The sports addict might make a useful victim, especially if his fed up mate decides to add a deadly seasoning to the sauce on the wings. Castle can play with that for a while and see if anything exciting pops.
Kate is questioning Justin Flake in the lounge. She would be more at home using the box, but at least theoretically, Flake merits a certain amount of professional consideration. That will in no way stop her from recording the proceedings. Both N.Y. and federal law permit one party consent, and she's a party. Castle is too, and he certainly has no objection. There's a microphone taped under the table and an almost invisible fiber optic camera aimed at them from the wall. If Flake lets something slip, he will be unable to deny it.
Kate is determined to make it look as if she's just interested in dismantling anything that's left of Vulcan Simmons' organization. She practically gushes that given Flake's former position in Narcotics and his present job, he's uniquely qualified to advise her. His relief is palpable when Kate convinces him that's all she wants. To Castle, her act is impressive if a bit nauseating, especially when she asks Flake where he went to school to develop his crime-solving acumen.
Kate pours on the flattery when he mentions Michigan State University, pointing out that not only did one of her professors at Stanford attend the vaunted institution but such accomplished figures as Senator Collinwood and rising star William Bracken did as well. Castle adds his admiration for the politicians to further prime the pump. When Flake admits that he and Bracken were fraternity brothers, Kate inwardly rejoices that she has him on the hook.
Confessing her curiosity about whether Bracken's interest in crime continued after he served as D.A., she asks if Flake stayed in touch with the senator over the years. Flake's shoulders square and his chest expands as he confides that they have been in very close contact, with Bracken expressing curiosity both in Flake's work in Narcotics and his duties at 1PP. he smugly adds that Bracken was particularly interested in whatever Flake could tell him about Simmons arrest and subsequent demise.
Kate swiftly relates what he brags to her excuse for the meeting, encouraging Flake to go on with everything he knows about Simmons' operation. It isn't that much. In fact, Kate's been able to gather more information herself, through some of Ryan's contacts, but she continues in her dewy-eyed admiration until Flake offers her his regrets that he has to leave to attend a meeting with the Deputy Chief. Flake exchanges warm handshakes with both Kate and Castle before he departs.
Kate breaks into giggles the moment the elevator doors close behind Flake. "Omigod, Castle. The man isn't a mole; he's just a hopeless ass-kisser."
Castle's grin extends to the laugh lines radiating from the corners of his eyes. "Or what those in the spy game would refer to as a useful idiot. Kate, that was beautiful! I'd thought you'd be grilling him over red-hot coals, but you made him the frog who gets boiled in hot water before he has the sense to jump out. Only what do you do with what you have now?"
"Castle, all calls within the N.Y.P.D. get logged, one way or another. It used to be on paper; now the records are digitized. We can check what was going down around the time Flake had his brown-nosing conversations with his old pal Bracken. I'm willing to bet that we can connect them with major movements of drugs or money. Our handle on the ties between Bracken and criminal operations in New York is getting bigger. When we get more evidence, we should be able to yank on it and pull him in."
Castle urges Kate into the now empty elevator and jabs the button to close the doors before taking her in his arms. I would love to have a hand on it when that happens."
Kate snuggles into his chest. "You will, Castle, I promise."
"Kate, you have a free hour now, don't you?"
"Mmm."
"Alexis is at school. Mother is at the theater. Let's go to my loft."
When the doors open again, Kate hurries to get her coat.