Chapter 13:

"You loved your wife very much, didn't you?" said Kate inside the interrogation room.

"Of course I did!" answered Fred Saxon.

"It hurt a lot when she died. It made you lose your faith."

"That doesn't mean I'm a murderer," said Saxon.

"No," agreed Kate. "It doesn't. But Reverend Douglas wouldn't leave you alone, would he? He was concerned about you."

"I told him to leave me be," said Saxon.

"But he wouldn't listen to you," said Kate. "He just kept stopping by, reminding you of all that you lost, telling you to hope and to have faith in the very same Being who took everything from you. Tell me, Fred, how did that make you feel?" One could tell just by looking at Saxon that he was becoming undone. "You couldn't punish god," Kate continued, pushing deeper. "But you could punish His messenger."

"I wanted him to feel the pain that I felt," Saxon sobbed pitifully. "I wanted him to feel his heart broken like I did." Then Saxon broke down completely, covering his hands to his face his shame and anguish.

Kate and Mal looked on, but with no pity for a man who could kill so cruelly.

Kate sent for an officer to process their killer, and then went back to sit at her desk, slumping into her chair. Mal pulled up a chair next to her.

"So, Castle," she sighed. "Does this have the makings of a novel?"

"Maybe if he was a serial killer," Mal thought out loud. "Ooh... and he ate the hearts after he cut them out of his victims."

Kate gave him a look. "I'm glad this wasn't a story, then."

Mal nodded in agreement. "So, I guess-"

But his words were cut off at the sound of an uproar down the corridor. "Get back!" they heard a voice cry out, followed by a gunshot.

"That was Saxon's voice!" said Kate, suddenly jumping from her chair and reaching for her gun. "Stay here," she told Mal, and began carefully making her way toward the commotion.

When Kate turned the corner, she saw a very agitated Fred Saxon holding a gun to a civilian's head. His arm was wrapped around the woman's body, pinning her down into him. The other officers stood several feet back, but ultimately had him surrounded. His only security lay in his hostage.

When he noticed Beckett, he faced her and said, "I can't go to prison; I'd never survive there."

"You're surrounded, Saxon," said Kate. "It's a lost cause."

"But I've got collateral," said Saxon, indicating his hostage.

"The detective's right," added in Captain Roy Montgomery. "These situations never end well for the perpetrator. Put your gun down now and let the lady go."

"No," said Saxon.

"It'll be all right, miss," Roy said to give some ease to the hostage.

"I don't suppose I could get that in writing," the hostage said.

"Inara?" said Mal in shock, from several feet behind Kate. "What in the ruttin' hell are you doing here?"

"You mean besides being held hostage by a shiong-mung duh kwong-run?" Inara said.

"Oh, juh jen sh guh kwai luh duh jean jan..."

"Good to see you, too," said Inara, rolling her eyes.

"Castle...?" said Kate, turning to him.

"Shut up!" cried Saxon. "All of you! Or she dies!"

Mal, without even a second thought, grabbed Kate's gun from her hand and quickly shot Saxon in his shoulder, causing Saxon to release his grip on both Inara and his weapon and to double over in pain. Several officers rushed at him to put him into custody.

"Castle!" shouted Roy, angrily. "You had no authority to handle that weapon."

"I don't recall seeing Castle fire any weapon," said Kate enigmatically. "Are you sure that's what you saw Roy?"

Roy paused for a moment in thought. "No," he said slowly. "I don't think I did, after all. My eyes must have been playing tricks on me." He then turned and disappeared into his office. Kate went to join Mal and the woman who had been the hostage.

"So I take it you're here to convince me also," Mal said to Inara. "I've made a life for myself. Not resorting to smuggling or petty thieving. I have friends, and I have family, and people who would care if I were gone just as much as you have, maybe more so."

"You're right," said Inara.

"Huh?" said Mal.

"You've got the right to a decent life," she told him.

"Is this... some kind of lure," Mal asked, confused.

"I went by your home first," said Inara. "Alexis is beautiful."

"Smart, too," said Mal.

"No thanks to you, I'm sure."

"Hey," said Mal. When Kate joined them, Mal quickly changed the subject. "Inara," he said. "I'd like to to meet Detective Kate Beckett. Beckett, this is Inara Serra; she's an old acquaintance."

Both women eyed each other carefully.

"Pleased to meet you," said Inara.

"Likewise," said Kate.

And for the first time in a very long time, Mal turned his head heavenward to ask for guidance.