Chapter 6

The next day it was almost lunchtime before RJ arrived back at the loft. Kate had hoped that he would be there earlier so that they could get on with the interview because they were all heading out for a family meal that evening, not only Kate and Rick but also RJ and Beth together with their respective partners and Alexis and husband, Marco, along with their two children, twelve year old Ami and Tommy, nine, who were planning to meet them at the restaurant.

"Have you eaten?" Kate asked as soon as RJ walked through the door, "I can make you an omelette, if you like. I've only just finished making your dad some brunch so there's already plenty of bacon and toast."

"Thanks, mom, but its okay. We ate earlier and, knowing where we're headed tonight, I'll probably not need to eat again for a week!"

The restaurant had a reputation for great food and very healthy portions and was by far their favourite place to eat in the city, except for Remy's, of course, which still held a very special place in Kate's heart for all the meals she and Rick had shared there before they were ever even an official couple.

"Is dad doing his re-writes again today?" RJ asked, stealing a piece of bacon in spite of his claim to have already eaten.

"Yeah, he's just in the shower at the moment but he'll be working all day again so we'll have some peace and quiet which is probably just as well because I rather think he may be the main topic of discussion today. Would I be right?"

Yesterday they had covered most of the major events of Kate's life story, in particular her early days, early career and the details of her mother's murder and all the related consequences but they had barely mentioned the other side to her life, that of celebrity wife and Kate knew for certain that if Castle was within earshot for that part of the story, it would take far too much time to complete the interview because he simply would not be able to resist constant comment.

RJ just laughed. He knew exactly what his dad was like.

"Let's get on with it then." he said.

"So, Captain Beckett, if I could take you back to your career? You became the youngest woman to make detective, did you go straight to work in homicide?"

No, I spent a couple of years in Vice, which I have to say was not the best experience I've ever had, far too much seedy, undercover work for my taste but it had to be done and it was all part of the learning process. Once I transferred to homicide, though, that was where I found my niche. I began to get a reputation for liking the 'weird' ones but that was mainly because they were the cases that needed more effort, more thought. I suppose they were simply more of a challenge and that's what I thrived on the most, still do, come to that. Those type of cases even became known as 'Beckett flavoured' around the 12th Precinct.

"I believe you preferred to work without a partner at that stage?"

Yes, it wasn't particularly normal but I led my team which by then consisted of Javier Esposito and Kevin Ryan without a partner of my own until a certain writer found his way into my life.

"We'll move on to your relationship with Richard Castle in a few moments but could you tell me how your career progressed after that?"

By all means. I worked as a detective for just over twenty years, most of that time in homicide. The powers that be had offered me a promotion to Captain a few times but that would have meant leaving the 12th and as I'd spent my whole career there, I had no desire to leave simply to move up the ladder. That place is like my second home and the people who work there, well they're like family to me. Then, ten years ago, Captain Victoria Gates retired, they offered me the captaincy at the 12th and I accepted. The time was right to leave the frontline, as it were, and take the desk job. It was a very tough ask to follow in the footsteps, not only of Captain Gates who had proved herself to be a wonderful leader and became a very firm friend over the years we knew each other after an admittedly rocky start, but also those of Roy Montgomery, her predecessor. I can't say that I've always found it as rewarding as being a detective; paperwork, management and dealing with the political side of the job was never really my thing, but I have been pleasantly surprised by just how much I've enjoyed the added responsibility. But, just as the time was right for me to finally accept the promotion, now the time is right for me to retire.

"So, apart from your career in the NYPD, you also became a well-known person in your private life when you first of all became the inspiration for Nikki Heat, the book and film character, and then, later, married her creator, Richard Castle. How did that all come about?"

Kate grinned at her son,

"I'm not too sure how much of that story is suitable for me to tell our offspring!"

"Just keep it PG and we'll be fine," he replied with a laugh.

When I was a teenager, my mom loved to read. She said it served as a distraction from the difficult cases she had to deal with on a regular basis through her work and the books of Richard Castle were by far her favourites. I used to scoff at them, though. At the time, I was into Russian literature, Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky and Pushkin and just couldn't accept that anyone who considered themselves remotely intelligent could possibly read the likes of Richard Castle but mom would just smile in that knowing way of hers and tell me that I would understand in time, the value of having an escape valve.

As usual, she was right. A few days after her death, I was just sitting on her bed, trying to feel somehow closer to her, when I spotted the latest Castle book on her bedside table. She was part way through it, a postcard marking her place. I picked it up and started to read, taking up where she'd left off, wanting to finish it for her, thinking how wrong it was that she would never know the ending; but it wasn't long before I went back to the beginning. I wanted to know the whole story. I sat there for hours and finished it in one sitting. From that day, I was hooked. Every new book that came out, there I was right at the front of the queue. I learned, just as my mom had, the hope, the encouragement you could get from books where good always triumphed and the bad guys were always caught and suitably punished, where justice prevailed.

A few years later, I met Castle for the first time. I actually went to a book signing, stood in line for, oh it must have been two or three hours. Looking around that line, I realised that I was not a standard Richard Castle fan and I got the distinct impression that it was quite unlikely that many of the women in that line could even read a book, although that was probably a highly unfair generalisation. By the time I got to the front of the line and it was finally my turn, my powers of speech deserted me as I looked into piercing blue eyes. I did eventually manage to tell him my name but that was it and in no time at all he had signed my book and was moving on to the next person. The moment was gone.

It was many years before I finally confessed to him about that first meeting and I know it still gnaws at him that he can't remember me but God knows how many book signings he's done over the years, realistically, there was no way on earth that he could remember one person from the many thousands but it still doesn't stop him from trying.

Then there was the case which would completely change the course of my life. I guess I should be forever grateful that Harrison Tisdale chose to murder his sister and try to throw us off by staging that and two other murders to look as though they were committed by a deranged fan of Castle's books. I recognised the scenes for what they were immediately and decided that we needed to talk to the author. I caught up with him at the launch party for his latest book and, well, let's just say, my first impressions were not that great as he offered to sign my chest. No, to be fair, he didn't actually say that; he actually turned, pen poised, and asked me where I wanted it, but the implication was certainly perfectly clear.

Our first interview back at the precinct did not go well and as far as I was concerned the guy was simply an arrogant jerk; an extremely good-looking arrogant jerk, admittedly and he seemed quite taken with me if the level of his flirting was anything to go by. Somehow he managed to wheedle his way into my investigation but I had to admit that, in spite of having to arrest him at one point for felony theft and obstruction of justice, he did help us to solve the case. At the end of it he had the audacity to ask me to dinner to 'debrief'. Maybe I was tempted just for a moment to accept but I turned him down saying that I really did not want to be one of his conquests. He was gracious and didn't push, just said that it was a pity because it could have been great and I had to tease him just a little by whispering in his ear that he had no idea and then turning and sauntering away with rather more swaying of the hips than I would usually employ at a crime scene! He obviously took my words to heart though, something I came to realise over time that he did a lot, because four years later, when we finally got together, he said that I'd been right, he really did have no idea.

I thought that would be the end of our association but I was sadly mistaken, or at least that was how I felt at the time. He had killed off his leading character Derek Storm and was struggling to come up with a new idea but apparently working with me had sparked his creative juices. However, in order to research his new character he wanted to shadow me for a while. He contacted his buddy, the mayor, who contacted Roy Montgomery, my boss and everyone agreed that it would be excellent publicity for the NYPD, everyone except me, that is, I thought it was a lousy idea. How wrong I was! So began a partnership that would last at work for six years, with a couple of hiatuses along the way but has lasted for twenty eight years in all so far and, God willing, will continue for many more to come.

"Wow, did Kate Beckett just admit that she was wrong?" a voice interrupted.

Kate looked up to see Castle leaning against the kitchen counter. She had been so engrossed in the past that she had not heard him emerge from the study.

"Just how long have you been listening, Castle?" she asked in a tone that he may once have considered threatening but now realised was just an act.

"Long enough to know that you wanted me all along and there was I thinking my charms had failed miserably," he teased.

"Dream on, Castle, I said I considered it for a moment so I'd get you off my back, not because your supposed charms had me falling at your feet."

"So I'd get you on your back, was that?"

Well she'd really let herself in for that one, hadn't she?

"Get back to work, Castle, so we can carry on and get finished so we can actually go out tonight, okay?"

Castle put on his best puppy dog expression and whined,

"But I was enjoying listening to you saying how much you've always loved me!"

"Castle -," Kate's voice was beginning to get that exasperated tone which he knew meant that he was on the verge of going too far.

"Okay, I'm going. Have fun talking about me!" and with that, he returned to the study.