Slaying the Beast
Chapter 36
"Castle, just before I got the call about Peter Whitestone, you said you were thinking something," Kate recalls. "What was on your mind?
"I was wondering if we might have a double celebration, for your ascendancy and Montgomery's retirement. We could put all the food in the break room and have the party right here in the bullpen. A few streamers and balloons would spruce the place up a bit. I could order a cake, or maybe two cakes, enough for everyone at the precinct to get a piece. Ooh, I could rent a karaoke machine too. Espo's been determined to redeem himself ever since his debacle at the Christmas party."
"Sounds like fun Castle - except I'm not too sure about the karaoke part. Karpowski was visiting her folks in Cleveland during the holidays, but I've heard her sing when she takes a shower after a workout. Her voice bounces off the tile. It's a wonder it doesn't crack."
Castle winces. "That bad, huh? OK, no karaoke. I can get a sax player, maybe a trio. Roy's as much of a jazz fan as you are. The revelers can enjoy the music without being tempted to sing along."
"Sounds good, Babe." Kate turns to the screen of her computer as an email alert sounds. "The report is in from Tech. They sent a list of the calls Whitestone made and copies of his files. It's a lot to go through. And I need to dig up whatever I can on Lister, too."
"Tell you what, I know the city official crowd pretty well from hanging out with Weldon. I can go through the stuff from Tech if you want to look into Lister. Then we can compare notes over lunch. There's a new place that just opened up - Evil Deliveries. The menu is everything the hosts on the lifestyle talk shows warn you against like fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, and big fluffy biscuits. They even make old-fashioned malted milkshakes."
Kate rounds her lips with the tip of her tongue. "Strawberry?"
"Vanilla, chocolate and your favorite scarlet fruit - the full Neapolitan array."
"Sold, Babe. Can you arrange for the food to arrive around one o'clock?"
"Consider it done."
Castle re-examines the list of calls on Peter Whitestone's phone. Predictably, there are some to Brad and several city departments. He is surprised to find a call to Tony Lister, the day before Peter was murdered. It lasted about 20 minutes, much too long for what he'd expect of a discussion with an angry ex.
Several of the calls coordinate with the contents of files from Whitestone's computer, including a lengthy incoming one, from the zoning department. It originates from the main number, preventing Castle from identifying a particular caller or an extension. He's sure Kate will want to check it out. He's spreading out the newly delivered food on the conference table in a way least likely to make a mess of his paperwork when Kate comes into the room. "Any luck with Lister?"
"Not much. He doesn't have a rap sheet. There are no restraining orders against him either, not what I'd expect from what Bradley Stuart told us about the harassment Peter was receiving. You'd think some previous victim would have been scared enough to go to court. Lister's had the same job for five years as the healthcare administrator for several group homes. Other than the usual bureaucratic glitches, there have been no complaints about him that I could find. The picture doesn't fit with what Stuart said."
"Present mates have been known to diss their predecessors, Kate."
"Castle, I've never said a word against Gina, except to pass on her threats about staking you to an anthill. And I found Meredith - helpful."
"Helpful in giving you a way to torture me, you mean. And I haven't forgotten your promise about never calling me 'Kitten.' No, I was talking about how Gina used to put down Meredith's work. Alexis' mother may be flighty and self-absorbed, but she is a competent actress - despite how Mother may complain about her lack of respect for the craft. She elevated one of the sitcoms she was in to at least make it watchable. Meredith probably kept it running for an extra season. And she did some decent work in an indie film too. I think that Gina put her down to try to make her own position seem more secure. Obviously, it didn't work, but Stuart may have been pursuing a similar strategy. What you told me about Lister jibes with what I found in Whitestone's phone records. I don't think the two of them were on bad terms at all."
Kate begins to back away from the table. "We really should go see Lister."
Castle holds out a piece of crisp chicken and uses his other hand to waft the savory scent toward Kate. "Can it wait half an hour?"
Kate pulls the tempting meat from his grasp and sinks her teeth into it. "Absolutely."
Tony Lister rises from behind a desk piled with documents to extend his hand to Kate and Castle. "To be honest, I've expected a visit from the police ever since I heard about Peter's death. I may have been one of the last people to talk to him."
"What did you talk about?" Kate asks.
"Some general catching up, and he said he had uncovered something big at work, but he couldn't tell me any details, yet. He wanted to get together for coffee soon, to talk more."
"So the two of you were friendly?" Castle inquires.
"We were," Tony confirms. "We used to be - together. We drifted apart, but we still cared about each other. We just wanted different things. I wanted a family. I know of many kids who are virtually unadoptable because of the severity of their disabilities. I want to become a father to one of them someday. Peter couldn't see himself being part of that. He was way too immersed in his work. And there were a lot of little things we couldn't agree on, like the way we take our coffee. I like it spiced and slightly sweet. He drank his black and strong enough to take the paint off a car. At least Brad could help him with that. He used to make Peter a big thermos of the stuff to take to work in the morning. Peter said he wouldn't have been able to get going without it." Moisture glints in Tony's eyes. "I guess he'll never need that kind of a boost again." A tear forms on one of Tony's lashes.
Kate pulls one of her cards out of her pocket and hands it to the increasingly distraught man. "Mr. Lister, I'm very sorry for your loss. If you think of anything, anything at all that you believe might be helpful, give me a call, day or night."
Tony just nods as Kate and Castle leave his office. Castle waits until the elevator doors close before the words explode from his mouth. "Kate, Bradley Stuart had to be the one who doped Whitestone's coffee. He has to be our murderer!"
Kate shakes her head. "It looks that way, Castle, but what would be his motive? We have a lot more to investigate before we can jump to any conclusions. If Whitestone was about to close in on someone, we need to know who it was. We have a lot of work ahead of us, and we'll probably be needing more than a little coffee ourselves."
"Fine, but no thermoses. I'll make it fresh."