Very Castle Celebrations

Chapter 29

Visions of bare running feet are still vivid in his mind when Castle opens his eyes. Somehow the images had become entwined with Kate's companion costume. Were his dreams trying to tell him that the woman's feet were bare because she was the earthly version of someone's companion? The theory is intriguing. Considering the almost successful news blackout, if she were a paid consort, it would have had to be for someone highly placed.

The vice president would hardly have been the only vaunted leader in town. The city serves as a meeting place for leaders in the arts, business and financial markets. Lower Manhattan is a Mecca for all three. Very few, however, would have the juice to influence reporting of news. That would take both money and power - most likely a lot of both. But no one can buy everyone. The identity of the barefoot brunette won't be a secret much longer.

There are too many questions swirling in his brain to allow Castle to fall back asleep. He can make breakfast and allow Kate to enjoy her foray into dreamland, at least until Jackson demands her services.

There aren't any more useful details about the mysterious shoeless body, but Castle isn't surprised. The cops are giving their standard excuse about needing to notify the next of kin, but Castle doesn't buy it. He can understand withholding the woman's identity, but not everything else. If there is scuttlebutt, he can pick it up when he shows up at the precinct as Mr. Chocolate. He'll have Jackson with him, which will impel most of the female occupants of the bullpen and some of the male ones, especially Ryan, to gather around. Even Gates has a soft spot for the baby - beneath all the iron. Between that and spending some time in the men's room and at the coffee pot, if there's anything to hear, it should reach his ears.


He and Kate leave the house at the same time, bolstered by eggs scrambled with leftover cold cuts. She's not quite as curious as Castle is - yet - but she'll be alert for any rumors floating around City Hall. Kate takes a cab, but Castle decides to walk, with Jackson in his backpack. The baby is almost too big now for the carrier - and too busy. He likes playing with Castle's hair, not as much as with Kate's, but he still gets his little fingers into it. Lately, Castle has had his stylist cut it short in back to avoid complications.

The morning is chilly, but not bad for Nov. 1. Jackson, bundled into a plush Superboy sleeper, is warm against Castle's back. Even the blasé New Yorkers who pass by on the sidewalk can't help smiling at the ebullient baby. Things are much the same at the precinct where Jackson is greeted even more enthusiastically than Castle's huge shopping bag full of chocolate. There isn't any sign of Captain Gates.

After the cooing crowd has dispersed, Ryan pulls Castle aside to offer his own news that Jenny is pregnant. So far, the only other person at the 12th who knows is Esposito, but Ryan is anxious to enlist Castle's help in preparation for impending fatherhood.

Castle gives him his No. 1 piece of advice, to get as much sleep now, while he can, then slowly works the conversation around to what was invading his dreams the night before. Ryan beckons Castle into the privacy of the interrogation room and makes sure the microphone is turned off. "Listen, Castle, Beckett is going to hear this if she hasn't already, and the press will probably get wind of it any second. The body that was found on the motorcade route yesterday was a confidential informant. Our vice guys had used her, but recently she'd been working for the Southern District; you know they do all the investigations into banks and Wall Street. Anyway, word was that she was sleeping with someone who was laundering money which was being used to finance political campaigns and that some of the money might have been funneled to the vice president."

Castle's eyebrows rise. "Our pious politician who has video of him kneeling and praying for the salvation of our country, all over the web?"

Ryan's lips curl in disgust. "Maybe that wasn't the only reason he uses kneepads. But you know what's going to happen when the story breaks. The city is going to be even more of a media circus than it already is, while DC is going to be doing everything it can to shut press coverage down."

Castle nods. "Yeah, I believe the vice president and the governor are old friends. They might even be feeding at the same trough. Pressure on the N.Y.P.D. to steer the press away from the investigation is going to come down like a ton of reclaimed brownstone."

Ryan puts his hand on Castle's shoulder. "That's why I'm telling you. The department may be hamstrung in investigating any of the governor's buddies, but you're a civilian; so is Beckett. And I know you've got connections. The two of you may be able to dig into things that could get cops barred from promotion, demoted or worse."

Castle shakes his head. "I can't believe that Gates would put up with that kind of interference. She's political, but she's about as honest as they come."

Ryan nods. "I guess no one told you. Her husband is sick. She's on leave. That's why she isn't here. The lieutenant from Robbery is filling in, and you know what a toady he is. He's been trying to earn points with 1PP for years, and he's not about to do anything that might piss off anyone up the line. Castle, if we're going to break this thing open, we need you."

Jackson echoes "ooh." The baby is being exposed to the evil underbelly of life way too soon, and Castle doesn't like it, but he can't let Ryan - or the rest of his friends on the force - down. He's already been looking into the case anyway, just to scratch his own itch. He agrees to help any way he can.


After his time relatively still astride Castle's back, Jackson is in perpetual motion. Castle knows better than to take his eyes off his son, which doesn't leave him many opportunities for crime-busting. He gets a few minutes to scan through his alerts while he has Jackson in his high chair with bits of dry cereal on his tray. More of the finger food will end up on the floor than in Jackson's tummy, but the loft has a central vacuum system. Cleaning up will be one of Castle's more manageable tasks.

There isn't much more information except that in one image of the barefoot body, he can just make out a logo on a metal door not far from where the body was found. He recognizes it as belonging to an investment firm - one so upscale that he barely qualified to consult with an adviser about availing himself of their services. He hadn't been impressed with their portfolio, which consisted of companies that in the name of progress and profits, were committing some of the most horrendous crimes against the environment. Given what Ryan told him, he doesn't view the involvement of this particular firm as a coincidence. In any case, it's a place to start.