Chapter 4

Spreadsheets

On Wednesday morning Castle received a call from Beckett, the bank had produced based on their most recent subpoena, the new batch of records were at the precinct.

"I hope this is what we're looking for, I really need a lead." Her voice was all business and distant.

"I can drop by after 4:30, if that works for you?"

"Castle, you're the one lending the hand, whenever you can do it, is the right time for me." Her tone was warmer now.

"I'll see you around 4:45 Detective."

After hanging up the phone he thought back over the week-end. When he returned from walking Beckett part way home on Saturday evening Alexis was sitting on the sofa. She was obviously waiting for him, he barely got in the door and she launched into what was on her mind. First she told him how much fun she'd had during the shopping spree with him and Beckett.

"I like her Dad, she makes me laugh. She makes you laugh too, and that makes me happy."

He was surprised by the comment, "What do you mean? I laugh all the time with you."

"Not like you do around her. It's different, you laugh but you seem so at ease, like you've been friends, forever."

But what she said next knocked him over, "Dad, I want someone like her for you. I don't want you to be alone, just worrying about me."

After a pause she continued, "There's more than that Dad, I want it for you."

He crossed the room and hugged Alexis, "Where did that come from? I'm good pumpkin and as happy as I could be with our life."

He turned his thoughts to Sunday how it had been a strange day for him. For the first time in many years he'd felt lonely. He felt like something was missing, it made him melancholy. He didn't know what to think of it.

As he hung up the phone with the Detective, he was surprised at how excited he was to hear her voice. He started replaying Saturdays many funny conversation and just smiled to himself. He turned to see his assistant Monica standing just outside his office.

"Hey Castle, what's the big smile for?" She was now leaning against the door jamb, smirking. "The hot cop call?"

"Don't you have some work to do?"

"Ah ha, it was her!" She turned and walked away, giggling.

XX

He had asked for account records Lilly had been working on for the last six months before her murder, it amounted to hundreds of pages.

His suspicion was that while looking at the records she'd stumbled onto the discrepancies, maybe the monthly charges were off. But she was leaving notes and saved them with the account numbers. The problem was they were some code. So what did, "re?/?" mean?

He spoke to the screen and Beckett, "As time progressed it looks like her sleuthing skills improved."

Beckett sat across from him, working on other things, but watching him out of the corner of her eye, hoping for a "Eureka!" But it didn't come.

As she studied the accountant, as he studied the records, she felt the strange stirring in her stomach. She didn't know what it was. She repressed the urge to smile as she thought about the "wonderful Saturday, " and was immediately embarrassed for naming the day. But it had been wonderful. He had a great daughter and they'd had a crazy fun day.

Saturday night Josh had come in late. They'd spent Sunday lounging around, watching a football game and then ordering Chinese food.

As she brushed her teeth before bed she found herself wishing for more. She felt she'd had a good day with Josh, but was betrayed by the unspoken wish, that she'd spent the day with the Castle's.

She felt a strange loneliness even with her boyfriend sleep against her back.

Castle was speaking, " Something is strange in these records, she's making more notes."

"What do you mean?" Beckett appeared confused by his observation and what it might mean.

"Well, people don't normally change how they do repetitive tasks. Like, you get home, you toss your keys and purse on a table. The point is, the everyday routines of our lives don't normally change."

"But in these records, there are changes, a shift to greater efficiency and detail."

"Castle whats that have to do with her being murdered?"

"I haven't the foggiest, yet." Still focusing on the screen.

He stopped and turned his attention to her, "You start-up your computer each day the same way, right?"

After holding out his hand towards her, Beckett laid out her routine.

"Have you changed it lately?"

"Never?"

"Is it the only way?"

"I doubt it! It's just how I do it."

"That's my point."

"So why did our murdered teller change how she did things?"

His eyebrows furrowed like he'd just thought of something, "Did you run a check on her, things she did at work and away from work? You know."

"Castle, I'm a cop, I ran all sorts of checks on her. It's my job."

With his eyes still on the screen, he casually asked, "Did you run a check on me?"

They both looked up, his blue eyes staring intently into hers. "What do you think Castle?"

He continued to stare, without blinking, but said nothing.

She told herself she was not going to be stared down by him, but still felt she'd violated an unspoken trust, which she hadn't and averted her eyes.

She responded slowly, "Do you know how many people have sat in that chair?" Pointing to where he sat, behind her desk, at her work station, "besides me?"

"No, how many?" He expression remained blank.

"One!" was all she said. But Castle noticed a blush tinting her cheeks.

Deciding to let it go,"OK, I have an idea, maybe she was taking courses, did you check that out?"

"I don't think we looked at that possibility, we'd have no reason to do so."

He continued to intently study the records along with Lilly's notes.

Again she watched as he clicked the down key and scanned more lines. But he jumped when Beckett stood and said, " Oh crap!"

"What? Damn you Beckett, you scared me."

She started to laugh as she looked around the precinct, there was no one there but them, where'd everyone go. "Castle it's 8:45 and you need to get home to Alexis? "

"You gotta go, like, now." Her tone was of concern.

"There's tons more to check and Alexis is working on the dance, remember?"

"She's on the committee, the dance is this Saturday night and they're really busy getting everything ready. She wont' be home until ten or so." Still looking at records on the screen.

"But, I have idea." He pulled away from his review and looked up at her.

"Grab you're coat Beckett, let's go. I'll come back tomorrow, after work, but only if you come with me now."

"What you afraid to ride the train alone?" She smirked at him.

He wrote down the page he was working on and stood, "I thought you'd like to hear my theory on these records. But if you're not interested..."

She swung and missed, laughing as she did so, "Give me minute. You act like such a brat at times."

XX

They talked about his ideas, what he thought he might have found. But it was early, he needed to check many more entries and do comparisons. He felt something was amiss and Lilly had figured it out.

She listened to him talk about his idea, but was slipping back and forth between work and their weekend together. She mused on the fun time they'd had shopping for Alexis.

"Are you smirking at my idea Beckett?"

His comment pulled her back. "No! Not at all"

"Then what's so amusing Detective?

First she glared at him for the Detective thing, but then started to laugh and covered her mouth. "I was thinking about getting run out of the store on Saturday, because you were misbehaving."

"Me? It was you and that brat kid of mine."

"Whoa, you just called Alexis a brat?" Feigning a horrified look.

"She's only a brat around a bad influence."

"Castle, you're not a bad influence on your daughter." She laughed at her own joke.

"Funny, funny! It was you I referring to Detective."

She laughed louder, "You are so full of it...just brimming over your are!"

"Ah, cute Detective, a little Yoda talk for me?"

They both laughed.

"Castle, Saturday was the best day I've had in a very long time."

" It's my daughter, she's wonderful isn't she?"

"Yeah, she is." Beckett looked out the window as she grinned ear-to-ear.

XX

On Thursday they did more of the same. Castle poured over records while Beckett did some of her own paper work or hovered around, impatiently waiting for a verdict on what he'd found.

At about 8:30 he packed it in and headed for home. Beckett stayed, saying she had some more paperwork she needed to button up.

Friday after work, Castle dove in again. But didn't get any definitive answers. Just more notes. He thought to himself that he had to figure out her code.

"Beckett did you guys find out anything about training, or computer classes that she might have taken?"

"No, Ryan had an appointment with HR today, but the person we need was out for the second day in a row. Sick kid or something."

"I think I'm onto something, but like I said last night, the proof will be in a broader search. were probably gonna need more records." He stopped what he was doing and turned to her, "It means another subpoena, right?"

"Yeah, We'll have to show the judge the basis for an expanded search." He was surprised, she didn't seem discouraged by the need for more records. She simply said it was part of the process.

"OK, this is my idea, with some things added in from what I've found tonight."

She'd moved the chair from the side of the desk and was now sitting beside him.

"Beckett, you're in my space." He said to annoy her.

Her chair was a standard wheeled office chair, but Castle was sitting in it. She was using a chair with fixed arms from the end of her desk. She'd pulled it around to sit by him.

After his little out burst, she grabbed the chair he was sitting in, pulled him away from her desk and spun him to face her.

"No Castle! You're in my space, my chair and you're hogging my work station."

"Huh, is the Detective a little cranky tonight?" He smiled at so quickly getting her goat.

"No, the Detective is not cranky, she's just hungry. I skipped lunch, and it's after 8."

Now trying not to laugh out loud, Castle suggested, "Why don't you ask her if she would like to go grab something to eat, before we head for home."

"She can't, she has more paper work to do."

"Really, on Friday night! Ask her if she wants to know the theory I'm cooking up?"

"Castle stop talking about me third person, it's too weird and I'm to tired."

"Let's go eat Beckett."

XX

It was late enough for Remy's to have quieted down. They made their way to a booth. She ordered a cheeseburger, with onions, fries and a milkshake.

"Storing up for the winter Detective?" He teased. She frowned.

"Shut-up and order," she shot back.

"I'll have the same." He said politely to the waitress.

"OK, Castle spill. What do you think's happening?

"We're about to pig out." He was delighting in teasing her. She had mellowed a lot since their first meeting, the shopping spree and throughout their evenings pouring over records.

"Castle..."

"Like I always thought, someone is making excess charges and hiding it in the monthly service fees."

"How much are we taking about?" She leaned forward ready for the big news.

"I don't know, but it's a small number, probably less than a penny." And then he waited, actually cringing at her anticipated response.

"What?" She almost shouted. "This is about a penny?"

She couldn't stop, "Castle, are you crazy?"

He smiled, she frowned back, "Can I make observation?" He asked quietly, refusing to answer her question.

"Yes." But clearly still annoyed.

"The vein on your side of your head bulges and your nostrils flare when you get mad." He smiled at her, proud of himself for his observation.

"You haven't seen me made yet." She growled.

"Ah, I think I have."

"You better have more than penny as a theory or I'm going to get fired."

"Be calm," raising his hands to motion her down.

Before she could speak the waitress arrived with the food. They were both starving and dove in. Neither said a word for nearly five minutes.

"These burgers have always been to die for." Castle said as he took his last bite.

"Did you even taste that Castle? What was it, six bites?" She grinned with sauce running off her chin.

"Yeah I tasted it! And by the way, you've got food's running down your face." Now he laughed.

He started to dabble at his fries, but didn't seem real interested.

"Back to the less than a penny theory."

"In 2006 Chase acquired the Bank of New York, it picked up 700,000 new customers in four states." As he talked Beckett attacked her fries.

"Beckett do the math. With Chase as an example and considering just their acquisition of the new accounts, 700k times one cent equals $7,000 a month."

She dropped her French fry, "With a large number of accounts, it would add up, fast?"

"I don't know how many accounts the branch she worked at had, but if its

it's even a fraction, one tenth, think about the revenue someone could generate over a year or two. " He just shook his head.

"It can't look like a bank robbery. It has to be subtle, under the radar." He took another fry as he talked.

"Stealing money would be hard to hide, and that's where I'm stuck."

"What do mean?" She asked as she finished her last fry.

"There has to be a smoke screen to hide what has happened, to keep the snoops off track." He paused and ate a fry, "From what I can see there are monthly corrections."

"You mean an account was refunded a penny?" She reached for one of his fries, she'd been working on them for the past few minutes.

"That's what it looks like, but that's only part of the story."

"You see..." but he was interrupted by her cell. She held up her hand.

"Beckett," she listened for a second, "Yeah Josh, I can meet you in thirty minutes or so." Another pause, "I'll come to the hospital." She listened again, "Probably just a drink, I'm just not that hungry."

Castle tapped his finger on the table softly, she looked over at him, he mouthed, "Yeah think?" She waved him off and glared.

"No, it was nothing! I'll see you soon."

As she ended the call Castle said, " You realize you ate your fries and mine?"

"I was hungry!" She sucked on the straw in her strawberry shake, but all the fluid was gone.

"You're probably not that thirsty either?

She glared again, "Wise guy."

They paid the bill and made their way out to the street.

"Castle, you didn't finish your theory."

Not tonight Beckett, I need to get home, and you have a date."

"It's not a date, it's just a drink." She stopped and tugged on his sleeve, turning him to face her. She didn't speak immediately, looking first at the ground and then at him.

"Castle I have a question, ah ..."

"Spit it out Beckett, or you'll be late."

"Well, tomorrow night is the dance. You know for Alexis, right?"

"Yep, tomorrow nights the night. She's getting real excited."

He shook his head, "Was this a fast week or what?"

"Castle..." she paused.

"Beckett speak! The dance will be over if you don't start talking, what is it?"

"Would you mind... if I dropped by to see her with her date, you know all dressed up and ready to go?" Castle thought the tough cop was looking slightly embarrassed.

"Well, it's funny you ask. This morning she said she wish you could see them before they go."

Beckett broke into a big smile and smacked his shoulder with fist.

He just smiled, "So the answer is, of course. Why don't you come over around 7 tomorrow night."

"I can hardly wait!" and she headed off down the street.

After about ten steps, she spun and stopped, calling to him, "Hey Castle! Thanks for dinner." He waved an acknowledgment over his shoulder.