Chapter 15
The Confrontation
The plan didn't change with more discussion. On Monday, at about 4:30 Beckett and Castle would visit the branch of the bank where Lilly had worked. They would make their entrance and talk with Smith the branch manager. In the days that followed, they hoped someone would act out of fear or paranoia and lead them to the answers they needed.
Since they remained stalled on the Embassy end, pressure was their only option. They began to clean-up desks and wrap up the week. Each them wanted to be more hopeful, they'd wait and see.
XX
As they entered Grand Central and approached the subway platform Castle bumped into Beckett, accidentally and with the cover, grabbed her butt. She spun and glared at him. His eyes danced as he laughed at her.
Once on the train he leaned in, "Detective I am so sorry about bumping into you back there. I have no idea how my hand landed on your..."
She slowly turned and looked him in the eye, "Do I have to hurt you?"
"Castle, I'm a cop, you can't be grabbin my butt!"
He looked guilty, as best he could, "Detective, this is not your office...I've been restraining myself for...for literally hours." His teeth gritted.
The train jumped and she fell towards him, at the same time he put out his arm to catch her. He felt her hand land on his crotch.
She let out a laugh, he yelped but holding her tight hissed into her ear,"I'm going to rip your clothes off."
"Excuse me Katie, is this man, manhandling you."
"You bet I am Orletha !" Now Castle smiled and laughed as she came to stand by them.
"Well, my o my do you two look happy tonight!" She smiled at her fellow travelers and friends.
"Orletha, it is so good to see you." Beckett reached for her and embrace the small thin woman.
"How are doing?"
"Katie I'm doing good! And it looks like you two are all healed up from your last adventure."
"I'm just fine, Ricky here is at about 90%." He glared at Beckett and pulled her towards him again.
"Beckett, not a stitch...I'm talking buck naked 30 seconds after we hit the door."
She pushed him away, "I'm doing my best to help his recovery Orletha, but he's a very bad patient."
"Well dear, he looks like putty in your hands to me." Orletha and Beckett both laughed.
"Putty...really, putty?" He shook his head from side to side.
"Orletha how could you encourage her like that? Do you know what I have to put up with?"
"Ain't love great Ricky?" Orletha smiled.
Castle's smile instantly faded and his tone turned earnest, "Orletha, greater than I ever dreamed."
Orletha was momentarily stunned by his response. Immediately a tear erupted and ran down her weathered cheek. She put her arms around both of them and pulled them together. She was silent for few moments.
Then softly, so only they could hear, "I am so happy for you two...just so happy."
XX
After saying good-bye to Orletha they made their way back to his apartment. Every block or so he'd grab her butt or accidentally collide with her breasts. She'd swat him each time and giggle at his attempts.
"Mr. Castle are you feeling lonely tonight, awfully touchy-feely aren't we?" She jumped away from him, knowing he'd start groping her just for spite.
"A man has needs Detective, a man has needs."
She saw the look in his eye and started running away, he hooped and they were both off running down the street.
XX
Beckett arrived at the front door first, she put in the key and swung it open. She tired to lock him out, but he was too close behind her. He reached around the half closed door and grabbed her arm. While still holding on to her, despite the resistance and laugher, he closed the front door and pushed her against it.
She was still laughing when he pulled her blouse out of her slacks and ran his hand up to her bra, simultaneously burying his face in her neck. Her arms snaked around his neck and she pulled herself tight against him.
They both froze as Alexis cleared her throat, "Again?"
Castle straightened up and gingerly pulled his hand out from beneath Beckett's blouse. He turned to face his daughter.
She had her hands on her hips, "I'm not bailing you two out! You have to stop this, you really are gonna get arrested."
With a straight face Beckett said, "You should've of seen him of the train."
Beckett began laughing and Alexis joined in. Castle just smiled.
XX
Saturday morning was poached eggs, and Canadian bacon on muffins. Castle made his 'secret cheese sauce' which he covered everything with, he called it his 'poor man's eggs Benedict.'
They sat and sipped coffee and chatted with Alexis while she nursed a cup of tea.
As usual Alexis had a couple errands she needed to run, they decided to lay-low for awhile. Beckett had a book she wanted to finish and Castle did some work on his Conservatory pond watercolor painting.
Around 11 or so he made a fresh pot of coffee and sat a cup on the coffee table in front of her. She reached for his hand as he turned to walk away, she kissed it gently.
"Castle, come sit by me."
"I'll be right there."
He returned to the easel and fussed for a few minutes, she felt him sit beside her. Without looking she leaned against him.
"I've been thinking about what I'm going to do."
She put down her book and turned to face him.
"Any ideas?"
As you know I had a lot of unused vacation pay from Anderson & Webb, I also have a my profit sharing dispersement saved. I think between the two I have enough to take the time to study and hopefully pass the CPA testing.
"That sounds like a great idea How long do you think it will take?"
"Not sure but I'm OK for four to six months. After that it would be tight. I hope I could do it in half that time."
"Castle..." He turned to look at her, the tone in her voice sagged under some unseen weight.
"What? Why the long face?" He'd been talking about plans and suddenly she was deflated.
"I never wanted you to lose your job, never wanted you to have to pick me..."
He interrupted her with a laugh. She looked up at him confusion clouding her eyes.
"Kate, I'm not laughing at your concern over my job. I'm laughing about it's minimal importance to me, after..." He paused and stood, walking to the small desk behind them.
He sat by her again, "I have something I've been working on, it's for you..."
"What kind of something?" She looked at him and tilted her head.
"Something that I hope explains...well the difference between, for example my job and you." He could see the confusion was still present.
"Don't laugh, but I wrote a poem about you."
"Castle," she scooted closer and put her arms around his neck rubbing her nose against his. "No one's ever written a poem about me. Why'd you do that?"
"Poems help me work out the kinks between my head and heart."
"They help me put myself in order. Sounds a little weird doesn't it?"
She laid her head on his chest as they stood in the kitchen. "You can be weird anytime you want. So do I get to see it?"
"It's not done, but I will let you see it, I want you to not worry about my job thing...I want you to know where my heart is."
He handed her a single page of paper from his printer.
"There no title?"
"I have a few, but I'm not sure yet."
He sat quietly next to her as she read.
Even on my mother's knee,
the seeds were planted deep in me.
A small inkling, a sad regret,
the missing one I had not met.
And when at school, upon a swing,
as just a child, I looked for thee.
Something deep, more than a dream,
we'd stitch our hearts, and be set free.
Searching each and every day,
with laugher then, about my play.
I always felt, and always knew,
I had not laid, my eyes on you.
And when I found the only one,
she knew as well, the search was done.
A friend for days, a friend for years,
now side by side, without a fear.
No child's place, in this new world,
such wondrous bliss, o' none should miss,
arresting love, deep-longing needs,
for things that each, had never dreamed.
"Rick...I don't know what to say." She burrowed into his side, he held her tight.
"Nothing works...you don't have to say anything."
"Kate, you don't even have to like it." For the first time, he seemed uncomfortable, like he was imposing on her.
She sat back against the sofa, "I love that you would do this for me." She held the page in her hand, and then clutched it to her chest.
She huffed, "What can I say to that..." and then was silent for a few beats. He waited.
"That you've spent your life searching for me...and found me..."
Silent again, he watched her focus on the wall, "What if I had missed you?"
"You didn't Kate, we're together, we're safe."
"I just wanted you to know how much I love you. I thought the words might explain it better than I could, otherwise..."
"I want you to know how happy I am with you Kate, and ..."
"And my job is nothing compared to you."
They sat quietly on the sofa, curled around each other. Alexis has returned and walked through and just smiled.
Kate spoke, her voice thick, "Alexis...do you know I love him?"
"I had no idea," then she laughed, "Hey, would you guys like some Earl Grey?"
Kate untangled herself from Castle, "Let me help you," and followed Alexis into the into the kitchen. One started the water, the other pulled cups and tea bags. Castle smiled as the two chatted.
XX
Kate rolled over in bed, the light was filling the room. Castle had already gotten up. She could smell bacon cooking. She rolled over onto his pillow and could smell his cologne. She flopped her arms out and smiled at the ceiling.
Castle walked quietly into the room a few minutes later. He had a cup of coffee which he placed on the night stand beside her. She rolled over and looked at him.
"Hey, how'd you sleep you beautiful thing?" He bent and kissed her forehead.
"I slept...the best ever". She started to smile but it morphed into a yawn, she put her hand over he mouth and laughed. "Maybe I'm not done sleeping."
He knelt by the bed side, ran his hands under the covers and across her stomach. "You are nice and warm Detective, and likely delicious."
"Castle don't start something you can't finish." She wagged at finger at him.
"Who says I can't finish?"
"The bacon does, it smells like it might be burning."
"Oh crap!", he jumped up and ran out of the room.
Twenty minutes later they sat together at the kitchen table. She had on his robe. She had her feet pulled up to her chest and was balanced on the edge of her chair.
"This is so good Castle." Syrup running down her chin.
"For you Detective, anything," as he dabbed the syrup with a napkin.
She smiled and wiped her chin again, "Good, how about another pancake."
"You bet!" He returned to the range and carefully ladled on another batch.
"A couple for me too Dad." Alexis said as she walked into the kitchen.
"Pumpkin what brings you out so early on a Saturday morning?"
"Food. It just smelled wonderful. I don't think I had enough for dinner."
XX
If someone had told him a week ago he'd be sitting in on an interview with a person of interest, he would of laughed, after all he was in the accounting business, not law enforcement.
Beckett changed everything. She turned his world upside down, and stole his heart. Which ultimately led to him getting fired, which was fine with him, and then convinced him he could help beyond just crunching numbers.
She wanted him along for the interview. Before his firing he would never have had the time but now she felt he could be fresh eyes on the bank manager and help crank down the pressure the banker might otherwise feel. A civilian could make the interview less threatening. The goal was to push the banker, if he was the perp and make him move on his plan. They'd be ready to follow.
Unfortunately, nothing would work out as planned.
Jack Smith was and an unassuming 45 year-old white male. His suit was tired. The collar on his standard blue wash and wear shirt a bit wrinkled after being left in the dryer to long. He welcomed Beckett and Castle into his office. Beckett got no vibe. He seemed mostly bored.
"Mr. Smith, I'm Detective Beckett with the NY PD Homicide division, this is Richard Castle. He's a consultant on the case of Lilly Francine, Mr. Castle is a forensic accountant."
Castle smiled to himself as Kate when through the introduction, she was such a smooth liar. She never missed a beat on the phony introduction of the "forensic accountant," aka "fired bookkeeper." He'd discuss her embellishment later.
"It's been more than a year since, Lilly's death. I thought you guys had closed the case or just given up." She didn't care for the jab.
"It is true that it's been a year, but we've never stopped working on the case." Beckett wanted him to believe their were deeper into the discovery than they actually were.
She switched gears, " How long have you been the manager of this branch?"
"Nine years."
"What has your employee turnover been like during that time?"
"Nothing unusual for our business. People think they want to be in the financial industry, but for some, once they're inside they find it just doesn't fit and decide to move on."
Beckett continued through the list of standard questions. She presented part of their theory. The subpoenas had not been served or executed on the branch but had gone to the larger IT department at the central headquarters of the bank. She believed Mr. Smith had no idea what they'd been looking at over the last month.
She told him she believed Lilly had stumbled onto an accounting error, some anomaly in the bank records. With this information out, Beckett saw Smith shift his attention to Castle. She hoped the manager was making the connection between their discoveries and Castle. Smith was taking the bait.
He sat and looked at the attractive Detective and the handsome accountant next to her. There was a connection between these two that he couldn't quite make out. His source for all-things-at-the-bank through the IT department had moved on, so he had no idea what sort of snooping the cops had been up to. Still he felt his plan was so well hidden and modified often enough that they'd never link anything to him. The Detective was still talking.
"We suspect Lilly discovered accounts that didn't match the banks normal guide lines. Or simply didn't align with normal bank profile. We're not sure what, but something caught her eye."
"What kind of accounts?"
"As you know, when you open an account the law requires a social security number."
"That's true, it's a State and Federal requirement."
"This would have been part of what Lilly did, correct?" Beckett feigned forgetfulness.
"Yeah, it's was one of her jobs to open new accounts."
"Did she ever come to you with concerns over an account, say the information she was given, or something she reviewed that concerned her?"
"No, that wouldn't happen, she would go to Eric Morris, since he was her direct supervisor."
"Did Morris ever relay concerns from Lilly up the chain to you?"
He shifted away, as though he was thinking or maybe considering his answer,
"Morris and I talked about accounts, delinquencies, garnishments, customer complaints, things like that. But I don't recall any thing specific that Lilly might have brought to him."
"Since this is banking business, do you monitor your employees financially?"
"How do you mean?"
"If a bank employee, is overdrawn, or late on their payments, isn't that a problem for management?"
"We'll if they have accounts with us they cannot be overdrawn. Everyone knows this, and except for errors, and in very limited circumstances it just doesn't happen, or their terminated."
"I have a few employees who are garnished for child support or a tax lien, but otherwise, we have a pretty tight ship."
"How about exotic trips, visiting foreign countries, anyone in that category?"
"Not than I'm aware of, or that I recall."
"I'm sorry Detective, I don't seem to be much help."
"It's just been too long. Lilly was good employee, she was on-time and appeared to like her job."
"Sir, maybe you can still help. We suspect that someone in the bank may have killed Lilly because she discovered something like the errors I mentioned before. She would have figured out they weren't errors but a scheme to steal from the bank." Beckett watched for a response, but again there was no hint of concern on the managers part.
"What kind of scheme?"
"Since the investigation is continuing I can make only limited comments." She was now moving into the shake & bake pitch, she'd see if anything she tossed at him would stick, set him in motion. "Our suspicion is money was being transferred to dummy accounts with phony SSA numbers."
"The money would then be withdrawn by a wire transfer request from a non-US bank."
"Really, that sounds like a TV script."
"Well there is some script similarities. We're working with the State Department who has worked with... well another country, to gain access to at least two off- shore accounts."
"We're waiting on the release of the account information. Normally it would be inaccessible, but the State Department says with murder, the host government will unseal the accounts. Once done we think we'll have Lilly's murderer, or at least the master mind behind it all." Beckett noticed a tightening of the managers eyes and he looked back and forth between her and Castle.
She thought to herself, we might have got this thing moving, at last. Just then Smith's cell phone rang on his desk. He raised his hands and said "Sorry, I'll put it in my desk."
XX
Beckett stood by the ambulance door, he was strapped to the gurney, she could see his shirt, where it wasn't covered by the blanket, soaked in blood. She was fighting back the tears. She could not break down in front of the men and certainly not in front of the Captain.
This had gone so wrong, how could it have happened? Why didn't she think it through?
Esposito and Ryan stood fifty feet away talking to the uniforms who had cordoned off the bank. Her head spun with a strange vertigo which had overtaken her. She wanted to vomit, she held the door to the ambulance in a death grip. Police and ambulance lights added to the eeriness of the now dark street. The lights bounced off the windows of the adjacent buildings, challenging her frail sense of balance.
She mulled over again the how of the events. She stared over the flood of lights looking but not really seeing. She felt something bump her elbow, it startled her and turned to see Ryan, his face an expression of sympathy. She started to speak but felt another waive of emotions. His hand moved towards her, she looked down to see a handkerchief. "You should wipe the tears on your left cheek, the Captain just arrived."
Instinctively she put her hand to her face. She reddened as she found the moisture from tears she thought she'd repressed. "Thanks Ryan, that wouldn't look to good."
"Have they said anything, is he going to be OK?"
"I...I hope so." Another pause, another assault of emotion. She took a deep breath but her voice was thick, "There's blood everywhere. I hope it looks worse than it really is."
"Detective Beckett," she stiffened at the bark of Roy Montgomery coming from behind her.
She spun to face her Captain, "Yes sir." He came to a stop uncomfortably close to her.
"What the hell happen here Detective?"
"Sir, our plan was..."
"Beckett, I don't care about the plan. Tell me how I have an injured civilian, lying in an ambulance, with three detectives standing around with their hands...their hands in their pockets and, the press swarming like bees." He stepped even closure and waited for her answer.
"Castle and I met with the manager. We wanted to see if we could spook him, or someone in the bank, a bit. Esposito and Ryan were staked out side."
"Nothing happened during the interview until the end. I had just told him about the State Department getting access to the sealed accounts."
He interpreted, "Did that happen?"
"No, I was just pushing, trying to plant some fear."
"That doesn't explain how we ended-up in this mess, Detective."
"Just as I ended my pitch and Smith's cell phone rings. He says he'll put it in his desk, he opened the door and the next I see is a 45 pointed at us...well me."
"Did he shoot Castle? How does he end up in that ambulance?"
"I glanced at Castle and he scared me. He looks as calm as can be, but it felt like he's thinking of something."
"Then Smith's cell phone rings again and he glances down at the drawer. He's still holding the gun up at me. In that instant, I see a blur on my right and Castle is diving across the desk, arms extended toward Smith."
"In the moment of contact, the gun discharges. The office is glass and it sounds like an explosion, like a bomb went off. Castle and Smith have disappeared behind the desk. When he was hit by Castle, Smith dropped the gun. As I round the desk I gave it a kick."
"Castle is on top of Smith. He looked like he was dead, not moving at all..." she wanted to scream...but could do this, she had to tell this, "He outweighs Smith by 50 or 75 pounds and he's pinned him to the floor. Ryan and Esposito arrive and pull the two apart. Castle is unconscious and bleeding excessively from the head."
"Where'd all the blood come from? Was Castle hit when the gun discharged?" Montgomery's eyes bore into hers.
"No, I don't think so. I couldn't find a bullet hole, I thought he'd been shot him in the side of the head. But... it looks more like a long gash from his left eye down to his ear. It looks like his head hit the open drawer." She felt herself slipping again, her throat thickening. More than anything she wanted to be in that ambulance, she just needed to be beside him. She looked over her shoulder to see the medics working away. Montgomery followed her eyes.
"Beckett, why would he do that? Why would he leap across the desk at a man with a gun? What got into him?"
"I don't know sir." She turned again to the ambulance and thought, except that he loves me.
Montgomery was not stupid, he knew there was more to the Beckett–Castle connection. It was clear her attention was not on the crime scene. He'd have Esposito and Ryan do the clean-up and move Smith to the 12th.
"OK I need you to accompany Castle to the hospital. Ryan and Esposito can take Smith in for booking."
"Yes sir." She immediately turned to leave.
"Beckett, does Castle have family that needs to be contacted?"
"He has a teenage daughter and his mother live here in the City."
"Do you think you can find a number and contact them? They need to know he's down...he's been hurt."
"I will, sir." She looked at the ground, she couldn't tell the Captain Alexis' number was in her phone contacts.
"Call me from the hospital and let me know how he's doing. I need updates, frequently."
XX
"I understand." She needed this conversation to end, she needed to get to Castle.
"Beckett, before we do any interrogating, we need to get together as a team. We have a little time and with the brandishing a weapon at you and discharging a firearm he's not going anywhere."
"Once I have the status on Castle I'll call and return to the station."
"Stay with him until his family arrives." The Captain turned and headed to her partners, barking orders as he went.
She rode in the ambulance, she stared at Castle, his eye was covered but the skin it was already showing the bruising. The cut had been cleaned but the area around it was still caked with blood. She held his hand and repeated to him, "Please Castle. Please, be OK."
As soon as the ambulance backed up to the ER doors she hopped out to call Alexis. She wanted to wait, wanted to have good news for his daughter, but that may be hours or, she didn't know, so she called.
"Hello," the voice was happy, Kate found herself sinking. She'd made much worse calls, numerous times. She handled it professionally, with what she felt was honest empathy, but this call was so hard.
"Alexis this is Kate," She pushed the phone away as a sobbing sound escaped.
"Hi Detective, how are you?" Concern reflected in her question.
"Alexis...I need to tell you, there's been an accident..." But before she could finish she was interrupted.
"Are you OK? Is Dad with you?" Her voice now sounding panicky.
"Alexis, it's your Dad who was injured." Beckett waited for a moment to let that sink in, and to steady herself.
"What do you mean? How was he hurt? How did it happen? Is he OK? Are you with him?" The questions flowed one on top of the other.
"Alexis, we just got to the hospital, can you get a ride to Manhattan Central Emergency?"
" I can, but...but can I talk to him?"
"Alexis they're working on his cut right now. Just come as soon as you can."
"I'm leaving now. Tell him I love him." The phone went dead. She leaned against the wall and wondered what if, what if he didn't survive, what if instead of a cut, it was a bullet. How could she live with that? How would she ever tell Alexis she'd lost her Dad because he was protecting, a cop.
She entered the hospital ER area and was led to where they were working on him. She could only see through the edges of the privacy curtain. Her phone rang and she stepped away.
"Beckett," she answered trying to keep her voice low.
"It's Espo, how 's our bookkeeper?"
"I don't know, he's still out and they're working on him. I have no idea what's going on."
She paused for a second, "I just called his daughter. I don't look forward to her arrival. This whole thing sucks Espo. I had no idea it could go so quickly off track."
"Yeah, I'm with you. I don't get why this guy freaked. Why not just slip away. You don't pull a gun on the police. It's just stupid."
Kate heard someone call her name, a nurse walked towards her, "Are you Detective Beckett?"
"Yes I am."
"The patient is coming around, he's calling for you."
"Espo, he's awake," she was excited now, "Gotta go, I'll call soon."