Slaying the Beast
Chapter 37
The tedium is beginning to get to Castle as Kate questions one employee of the zoning department after another, trying to figure out who called Peter Whitestone. Neither one of them is looking so much for honest answers as they are for clues in body language. The problem is that almost everyone that Kate quizzes seems nervous, with one tell or another that they might be giving less than straight answers.
The next candidate is Ellie Spencer, not strictly speaking a member of the department staff, but rather a temp pulled in to cover for the director's assistant who's in rehab after suffering a broken hip when she was thrown to the floor by the sudden stop of a subway train.
Ellie seems even more nervous than the others but is not showing any of the classic signs of lying. Unlike any of the staff members who've previously come into the small room that Kate appropriated as a makeshift box, Ellie double-checked that the door closed tightly behind her and she couldn't hear anything through it.
The jumpy woman leans forward in her seat across from Kate and Castle, speaking in a whisper. "If you're looking for the person who called Peter Whitestone before he died, it was me. From the day I was assigned to fill in here, I felt that something wasn't right, but I couldn't pin it down.
"My dad was a contractor until he got stiffed by a developer so many times that he was driven out of business. I know how zoning is supposed to work. And I know what goes on in city offices too. I've worked in a lot of them. This one is different, wary.
"Sometimes people will stop talking when I come into the room, and someone is always intercepting paperwork before I get it. Some of the reports look like they've been changed and then copied to cover it up. And one of the managers, Spaulding Madison, showed up with a Giraldi briefcase. I noticed because I wanted to get one for my husband when he earned a promotion, but I would have had to save up for a year. It's not something a city employee could generally afford.
"And a lot of the new permits have been going to just a few real estate companies. I checked, and there is no reason that should be happening. Those firms have the worst violations. If anything, they should be the last to receive permits. I'm pretty sure that at least Mr. Madison is on the take and that there might be others in it with him. So I called Peter Whitestone. He told me that he already suspected corruption here and had been gathering evidence. He said I should just keep my head down and my eyes open and he'd have everything he needed to prove his case put together soon. And then he was dead. Could someone from here have had anything to do with his death?"
Kate chews her lip. "We don't know. It's possible, and if someone here did find out that Whitestone was closing in, whoever did kill him, might come after you as well. Can you get reassigned or take off a few days? We can put security on you, but if we do that here, you'll be exposed."
"I was going to take some vacation anyway and go see my sister for a couple of weeks. She lives in South Carolina, and it's beautiful there this time of year."
Kate nods. "That should be perfect. We can alert the locals to look out for you." Kate hands her a card. "Email me with the details of your trip, and we'll stay in touch."
"Wow, Kate," Castle wonders as she makes the drive back to the precinct. "Do you really think the killer might go after Ellie?"
Kate takes a turn more sharply than necessary. "Probably not, but I don't want to take the chance, Castle. We still don't know who the killer is. So far, we just have pieces of the picture. We don't have a connection between the zoning department and Bradley Stuart. When we talked to Madison, he wasn't very forthcoming. That leaves us with a lot more digging to do. Are you up for that?"
"Kate, this is me. Putting together puzzles is as much a mystery writer's forte as it is a detective's. I would begin by looking at who Spaulding Madison's friends are."
"Babe, that's exactly what I was planning to do.
"I can start now," Castle suggests, pulling out his phone. "Just about every executive and especially wannabe big shots have Linked In pages - and there's always a network. Hmm," Castle mutters as Kate is pulling into a parking space at the precinct. "A lot of Madison's buddies are business contacts, as I would expect, but he has one from The Rainbow Door and another one from The Golden Walnuts."
"Aren't those gay clubs?"
"Specifically for members of the gay community looking to accelerate their careers. I know a couple of up and coming writers, good ones, who are patrons. Perhaps Bradley Stuart chose one of those venues to try to achieve his own upward trajectory."
"It shouldn't be hard to find out. I want to check in with the captain; then we can take another field trip."
"So someone in the zoning department is dirty," Montgomery repeats after Kate's update.
"Quite possibly more than one someone," Castle adds.
Montgomery shakes his head. "Sometimes I think there's enough dirt in this city to build a mountain, but at least Weldon is trying to do something about it."
"Looks like Peter Whitestone died trying to do something about it too," Castle notes grimly.
"Yeah. Well, good work so far you two. Beckett, looks like you and Castle have an excuse to go club hopping - although I suspect you won't exactly blend in."
Castle runs his hand through his perfectly styled hair and turns to Kate. "You've accused me of metrosexuality a time or two. I guess we'll see if a rhyme is good enough to gather some intelligence. And you could put on your leathers. I've been dying to see you in them anyway."
"All right, Castle. I doubt that it will make much difference, but if it fulfills your fantasy, we can stop by my old place, and I'll pick them up."
Castle grins. "Yes please."
Spaulding Madison isn't sure what to do. As far as he can tell, the police have nothing. The questions the detective asked him got her nowhere. There's nothing to link him to Brad. They called and texted on prepaid phones that are the bottom of the East River. And if Brad had spilled something, the cops would have done a lot more than ask Spaulding a few questions. He just needs to sit tight - or better still, do something to keep his mind off the cops. The crowd at the Golden Walnuts has been going downhill, but the Rainbow Door is still his kind of a place. They even have a new DJ who plays just the right mix of music. The appetizers are excellent too, and perfect for sharing. A night at the club is just what he needs. He picks up his Giraldi. He doesn't have much in it, only his comb, hair product, and his flask, but it always seems to make a good impression.