Slaying the Beast
Chapter 23
Kate stretches luxuriantly. It's almost nine a.m., but she won't be called in until everything is set up to question Lockwood. As soon as the boys had him booked, they escorted him to a safe house created by the District Attorney's office. Given the chance that Lockwood will be able to connect the dots between what happened at Rikers and the man who ordered it, no one is taking any chances with putting him there, at least until his statement has been made and recorded. Assuming that the D.A. gets what he wants, Lockwood will still be under 24/7 surveillance in the segregated population until he can give testimony in court.
Kate is anxious to participate in Lockwood's interrogation, but not so eager that she's willing to get out of bed just yet. She can feel the heat radiating from Castle's bare skin beside her. He's sleeping peacefully now, but even after they made love, he tossed through much of the night. She doesn't know what made him more nervous, having Lockwood try to kill them or meeting her father. She suspects it might be the latter.
She had some interesting dreams herself, involving a wedding dress. Her parents' wedding picture is still prominently displayed in her father's apartment, so she has a very clear mental picture of the gown her mother wore. She had no idea the image was so firmly ingrained in her mind until it insisted on dancing through her nighttime imaginings. Castle was there too, but not in a tuxedo. He was dressed a little like Han Solo, or maybe the space cowboy he likes so much. Martha was the Red Queen from Wonderland, and Alexis looked a little like Ariel but without the tail. Her father looked like himself except that he was wearing a sword with his suit. It was all bizarre, but somehow it seemed to make sense at the time.
She can hear Castle's heart beating, slow and steady as she snuggles into his chest. It speeds up slightly as he stirs beneath her, his long lashes lifting to reveal the grayish blue of his eyes. He wraps his arms around her and kisses her bed-mussed hair. "Good morning."
Kate pulls herself up enough to lightly kiss his lips. "Good morning yourself."
Castle runs his hands over the softness of her shoulders. "Quite a night."
"You mean Lockwood, my father showing up, or what happened after he left?"
"All of it. If I wrote a night like that my readers would never believe it. That much drama would have to take at least a couple of chapters. On the other hand," he continues, stroking the stubble on his chin, "it could make a great TV script. TV writers jam a lot into 42 minutes. But if I did, your father would probably come after me with a shotgun."
"Knowing my Dad, it would be a Louisville Slugger, but you have a point." Her fingertips take a walk beneath the covers. "You do have - a point."
"Um, yeah. Kate, after everything that's happened, I figure we should gather our rosebuds while we may."
"Castle, I have more interesting buds than roses."
He kisses the tip of one of her breasts. "You do at that."
Hot and moist, their lips collide as their bodies press for deeper contact. Kate's hips take on a life of their own, grinding and thrusting. Castle slips his hand between them, the most demanding bud of all growing and hardening in response to his touch. Kate reaches for him, urging him into the emptiness longing to be filled.
His large hands cup the firm globes of her buttocks, and she grabs his in return as he plunges more deeply into her greedy depths. Their breath comes in gasps, air struggling to fill their lungs before being forced to depart again by the intensity of their joining. The aging floor beneath the bed is creaking in time with the whine of the bedsprings as they thrash among the bedclothes, sheets and blankets kicked aside. The blaze rises like the desert sun, sweeping away all other sensation and holding them in its thrall until blown back by the force of their climax. Sleep again captures them in its grasp, until the emptiness of their stomachs wrests them free.
Castle surveys the contents of Kate's refrigerator, finding them unfortunately unchanged. "Kate, we really need to get you some decent groceries, but for now, how would you feel about a trip to Remy's, or any eatery with speedy service?"
"Remy's is fine, Castle. They do have those burgers. I think I could go for double - maybe a triple."
Castle hides his grin in the crook of his elbow. "I'm not surprised."
Lynn activates her phone to record her meeting, just before the maître d' at Emile's looks her up and down. She can almost hear him murmur prêt-à-porter under his breath. But hell, she's proud that she shops off the rack. What jury or witness would trust a public official who looked like she just returned from Fashion Week? Her host is more impressed when she asks for Senator Bracken's table. "Bien sûr, the senator is expecting you."
Lynn returns a dry merci, as the maître d' leads the way to where William Bracken is waiting. It looks like he's already well into his scotch. Flashing his practiced politician's smile, he rises as she approaches and stands until she is seated. Wow! If he's showing her that kind of respect, he is desperate. Well, he should be. Most of the mortar has been knocked from between the bricks of his wall, and it should be collapsing soon - very, very soon."
It's four o'clock in the afternoon when the questioning of Lockwood finally starts. Adam Briggs himself is at the table, along with Kate and the Chief of Detectives. As a civilian, Castle has permission to be in the next room watching the video feed, but that was the best he could get. Briggs' face is impassive, but there are sparks of anticipation in his eyes.
The D.A. is about to bring down a big fish, the biggest fish of his career. He can feel it. If he wanted it to, this case could lead him right to the governor's mansion, but that's not his goal. He has no wish to be any more of a politician than he already is. He just wants to put away the bad guys, and there's no one worse than a man who has spent his life betraying the public trust.
Bracken's lunch with Lynn was enlightening. The senator waited until he was almost through with the first course to bring up the events of the night before. He was trying to pretend that he'd just been intrigued by a local newscast, but Lynn tagged his inquiry as much more than that. And Briggs could hear the rasp in the Senator's voice, when the more he pushed, the more Lynn claimed ignorance. She really was outstanding. He's always wondered why she never moved on from being an A.D.A., but then sometimes he wonders why he didn't stay one himself. The even taller stacks of paper associated with his job could suck the life out of anyone. She obviously enjoys her work and more power to her if she's happy where she is. Most of the lawyers who come through his office aren't nearly so wise or insightful.
Lockwood is staring across the table defiantly, but Briggs can see cracks forming in his demeanor. The man is scared. He's started to realize that no amount of political pull from his master will free him from the shackles that clink with his every move. That's good, very good. Now they can get down to business.