Very Castle Celebrations
Chapter 21
As far as Castle can tell, Susan Frank is exactly who she says she is. She had a number of former addresses in New York City before retiring to Florida. She's also listed as a major booster of an organization that supports Israeli folk dancers. She's married to Mike Frank, a banker, also retired. They have both children and grandkids scattered around the country - and if they can afford Hamilton tickets, probably a nice little nest egg.
Castle's agreed to a meeting at Cortese, a small and relatively new restaurant in the theater district. The Franks are already there when he and Kate arrive after having left Jackson in the care of his older sister. Castle recognizes the fangirl glow on Susan's face, as well as the indulgent but amused look on Mike's countenance. He's seen them hundreds of times at cons and signings. He and Kate shake hands with both Franks before seating themselves at the table.
Their server, Rinaldo, explains that the restaurant has no printed menus because the chef prepares specialties every day according to what is superior and fresh at the market. As Rinaldo rattles the dishes off without a stumble, Castle is impressed. Both couples settle on an eggplant dish with Parmesan cheese and fire roasted tomatoes before Castle asks about Havah.
Susan is eager to tell her tale. She and Havah were both Betarot, members of a revisionist Zionist group, but they were most enthusiastic about the dancing. They tended to pair up with the boys who could dance as well. Havah fell for Gidon, an excellent dancer. Unfortunately, he was a member of the Shomrim, also a Zionist group but with an opposing ideology. Havah's father was Betar as well, as was his father who had joined the movement in Poland. She knew he'd oppose her relationship with Gidon, so she kept it under wraps. Worse, a couple of the boys in their Betar group found out about it and didn't like it at all. The girls who were part of the Shomrim would not have wanted a Betari girl going after one of their boys either. Susan thinks that in the melee, someone might have taken the opportunity to take a cheap shot a Havah and her death was an accidental result.
Castle leans across the table. "So let me get this straight. You think Havah died because of some kind of Romeo and Juliet scenario?"
Susan nods her confirmation.
Kate jumps in. "Do you remember who was closest to Havah when she went down?"
Susan scrubs her hand over her face. "It was almost 50 years ago, but sometimes I remember events from my teens better than I remember what I had for breakfast this morning." She closes her eyes as if picturing the scene. "It was Beth, Beth Kallen, a member of our group. She was the most enthusiastic Zionist. Most of us drifted away from the movement after we graduated from high school. But she went to Israel and spent a couple of years in the army. She was into Krav Maga even before that. If she had hit Havah, she could have put her on the ground."
Kate chews her bottom lip. "So this Beth Kallen is in Israel?"
Susan shakes her head. "I don't think so. Her parents were both psychiatrists. I believe that after her stint in the service she was planning on going to college and medical school then joining their practice here in New York after her residency. They had offices uptown. They might still be there. Beth has younger brothers. I never met them but she said they were planning to go into the family business too."
"A family of shrinks named Kallen shouldn't be too hard to find," Castle declares.
Castle spreads grape jelly on his breakfast toast and promptly drops it on the floor, jelly side down. He picks it up and begins to sponge up the sticky mess. "You know, I think I need therapy."
"Castle, I tried to tell you that the first time I had you in interrogation." Kate teases.
Castle decides that it's his turn to roll his eyes. "No really, Kate. I was considering seeking help for writers' block."
She sticks out her tongue and vibrates her lips in a Bronx cheer. "Writer's block? Castle, you were writing until 2 this morning. I had to practically pry you away from your computer."
Castle wiggles his eyebrows as he remembers. "That's because Nikki and Rook had to, you know, finish. But Kate, I didn't write a word for the nine months before you flashed your badge at my book party. I can describe the agony of the situation. I relive it in my nightmares. I checked out the headshrinkers, Kallen. It seems that Beth still is in practice with her brothers and she specializes in occupational difficulties of one sort or another. I could tell her about a story I'm trying to write that bears an eerie resemblance to Havah's death and watch for her reaction. I can complain that it's hack. Romeo and Juliet tales are a dime a dozen. They're a staple of romance novels, and there are about four of them on Lifetime and Hallmark Channel every week."
Kate covers the grin Castle can see is tugging at her mouth. "I'm not even going to ask how you know that. It does sound like a plan, Babe. But keep your phone connection open, so I can hear the session. And grab some pictures of Beth's office if you can. I might pick up something that you miss."
Castle is more than prepared to agree. "Roger that."
Castle had seen pictures of Beth Kallen online, but they were just headshots. She is shorter than he thought she'd be, with white-streaked gray hair and dark-rimmed glasses. She doesn't ask him to lie on a couch, but he didn't expect her to. With a mother like Martha Rodgers, he's consulted a few therapists over the years and hadn't met one who had asked him to lie down, yet. Still, she seems entirely conventional, asking him about his early life and any traumatic experiences that might have affected his present situation. Inventing a personal trauma will be even better than proposing a plotline. He can just construct a story close enough to Havah's death to trigger a reaction from Beth - if she actually was involved. He updates his fictional happeing to the club scene, but it is close enough. A woman ends up dead, after being knocked to the ground. His phone is in his shirt pocket, which should allow the sound to penetrate through the light cotton fabric. He'd managed to take a quick video sweep while he was waiting for Beth to join him for their session. That should make Kate happy.
Beth has assumed the passive look that Castle is sure therapists must practice in a mirror, but he can see her foot begin to swing; a sign of self-comforting every poker player knows. Her hand is also gripping the hem of her cardigan. If she didn't do it, she knows who did. He's sure of it. But as Kate has so often pointed out, having a suspect and having proof are far from the same thing. Getting justice for Havah Greenspan may take way more resources than he has available. Fortunately, Kate will have access to them when she returns to work after the Fourth of July holiday. For better or for worse that won't be much longer.
