Very Castle Celebrations

Chapter 11

The name of the chemical found in the church wasn't mentioned on the news, but Kate says Lanie managed to pry it out of CSU. Thionyl chloride never came up when Castle was taking AP Chemistry. If it had, he might have used it in a story. It's a lachrymator; like tear gas, it makes you cry. It's toxic and corrosive, but according to what Lanie told Kate, the amount released in the church was not enough to cause any permanent damage. Thank God! If anything had happened to Kate or Jackson, Castle would dismember the perpetrator of the evil stunt piece by piece, starting with anything between the legs.

He scans through the Wikipedia article. The obnoxious stuff is not uncommon. It's used in many industrial processes and in the production of pharmaceuticals. It wouldn't be hard for some asshole to get his hands on it. The question is why would anyone want to release a noxious agent during an Easter service in a church. The cops are looking into it, and the Department of Homeland security is too, just in case the chemical was used by a terrorist - if a pretty ineffective one. One theory the talking heads on cable news have trotted out is that the incident might have been a practice run for a lethal attack.

Castle doesn't buy that. Why would a terrorist tip everyone off? There had to be another reason.

If the stories by Dan Brown and numerous other mystery writers are anything to go by, churches are full of intrigues. Like anyone else, the clergy has enemies. Sometimes they even deserve them. He considers revenge by an abused congregant, perhaps one who'd been molested as a child. That makes little sense. Why go after a church full of innocent people?

Castle mentally runs through a list of other motives. It seems unlikely anyone would make all the occupants of the sanctuary cry for love. Jealousy? It's possible but doesn't really fit with what happened. The next one, to cover up another crime, makes more sense. Could some lesser infamy have been committed during the distraction, one that was either undiscovered or unreported? The idea is tantalizing, but uncovering such a plot, if there was one, could be complicated. This is a job for the super theory building skills of Castle and Beckett! No doubt Kate would correct that to "Beckett and Castle."


Kate chews on her bottom lip. "To cover up a crime. What crime, Castle? It couldn't be an obvious one, or we would know about it already. And it would've had to be quick, so the bastard could get his ass out of the church before the cops showed up."

Castle isn't sure about the rapid escape part. The fire department had tried to make sure that everyone was out of the building, but no one really went over the place thoroughly until the hazmat crew arrived. Someone could have concealed himself, especially if he had an air supply. Churches can be full of nooks and crannies. Castle studied that type of architecture as research for one of his plot lines.

Kate nods. "If someone stole something, something small, he could have hidden with it then slipped away later - or just left during the confusion before the cops and the fire department arrived."

Castle is beginning to picture the scene. Someone snatches a tiny but precious religious artifact. No. the theft would be noticed. Cash is out too. If that went missing, it would be reported as well. It would have to be something personal; something secret or shameful. The thief would have to have some sort of history with someone at the church. Perhaps he and Kate can uncover a relationship like that if they can figure out some way to weasel their way into the inner workings of the house of worship.

Kate's eyes narrow. "Castle we're about to have a fight."

Castle swallows. "What did I do?" Wait, why is Kate grinning?

"Whatever it was Castle, we are in desperate need of counseling. We should call the church and arrange for some."

Castle agrees that they have a deep need to make that call, but at the moment he can think of something much better to do after a marital battle. Jackson is sound asleep with at least another hour left on the time he usually naps. They really should indulge in some makeup sex.

Cheeks flushing, Kate takes off for the bedroom at a run, teasing him to catch her. He encircles her with his arms just in time for them to flop down on the duvet together. When the satiny bed-covering slides, almost dumping them on the floor, Kate giggles and pulls Castle the rest of the way down. The wood is hard beneath his back, but he doesn't care. His partner is soft in all the right places. She straddles him, bra unclasped and blouse gaping open. Two of those luscious locations are right before his hungry eyes. He doesn't know whether to touch or taste first and settles on both kinds of adoration.

She grinds against his burgeoning hardness, before reaching down to set him free. The friction of her strong fingers stroking up and down his shaft drives him to the brink of desperation before she takes him in. Her head falls back in abandoned glory as she rides. As his lips quest for every inch of her flesh that they can reach, she moans, pressing harder against him with every thrust. "Castle!"

His fingers find their target, compact, but infused with explosive power. It becomes even firmer under his touch. She arches above him. "Castle, I need…"

He knows. They shift, oblivious to the unyielding surface beneath them. His lips provide the intimate impetus for her to reach the summit as the dance of her tongue plunges him over the cliff. They are falling together, even as they lie breathless.

As the room is righting itself, Jackson loudly and clearly lets it be known that he considers nap time over. As Kate gets to her feet, Castle matches her wry smile. She shrugs. "At least he let us finish. We haven't always been that lucky."

Castle pushes himself up on his elbows. "And for that gift, I truly give thanks. Speaking of being prayerful, while you give Jackson his fill of Kate Beckett's private label, I'll look for info on the personnel at the church. We need to figure out whom to approach with our plea for marital succor."

Kate wishes him luck as she heads for the nursery.


Castle sinks into his desk chair, hoping that the church website has profiles of the staff. The short blurb on the newest of the faithful servants, Robert Stimpson, indicates that he holds master's degrees in both counseling and divinity. That would make him a natural as the brave soul who would try to save their marriage. Castle makes an appointment with Stimpson for himself and Kate, through Laura Fenholtz, the church secretary. Somehow between now and tomorrow afternoon he and Kate need to cook up something convincing to explain why their union is on the rocks. He has plenty of material to work with. Between his marriage to Meredith and his marriage Gina, there were enough boulders to fill up the Grand Canyon. He and Kate just need to pick a few of the weightiest ones. He just hopes he's inherited enough of his mother's acting talent to make his masquerade convincing.