Chapter 5
"I could get used this." Kate said and smiled at herself in the mirror. It was not the first time she had said that and she had a feeling it would not be the last. She shook her head at the thought.
The last twenty four hours had been a whirlwind. After leaving the precinct Castle had dropped her off home to pack, promising to pick her up at 9.30 in the morning. She had a minor panic attack when she considered what she was going to pack for the trip.
Lanie arrived in the nick of time looking and sounding even more excited than Kate did about the trip. Together they sorted through Kate's wardrobe. A number of tee shirts went into the suitcase plus a couple of pairs of jeans and pants, as well as a pants suit and shirts. Also into the suitcase went the mandatory little black dress. At Lanie's insistence and against Kate's better judgement, also into the suitcase went that blue number, the one she had worn at the Nikki Heat book launch.
With the packing done Kate had a major panic attack when she couldn't find her passport. She almost tore up the apartment in search of the errant passport. Now that she had agreed to go on the trip with Castle the last thing she wanted to do was to disappoint him by not going because she couldn't find her damned passport.
Lanie came to the rescue again finding the document in Kate's bedroom. Kate almost wept with relief when her friend handed it over. Lanie stayed long enough to have a glass of wine with her. The Medical Examiner hugged her friend tightly and exhorted her to have a very good time because if she didn't there would be trouble when Kate got back. Kate solemnly promised her she would.
Kate finished her glass of wine. Before turning in she tried calling her dad. She wanted to let him know that she would be going overseas on holiday but only got his his machine. She left him a message promising to call back later.
She tried to sleep but it proved elusive. She tossed and turned for most of the night. She had put it down to the excitement of the coming trip.
Promptly at 9.30 there was a knock on her front door. Standing there was Castle with a tray of coffee in one hand and a bear claw in the other and a big beaming smile on his face. She could have kissed him there and then when she laid eyes on the coffee. Despite everything he still maintained the morning ritual. She was grateful for that.
A couple of hours later they were on a plane hurtling across the lower forty-eight at thirty thousand feet heading for Los Angeles. On board the plane the public Castle came to the surface when the flight attendants and many of the passengers recognised him. He turned on the charm as he chatted with his adoring fans and signing his autograph on whatever was shoved under his nose. They gushed with excitement when Castle introduced her to his fans. He made it a point of including her. She still found it a little uncomfortable being addressed as Nikki Heat but it was not as bad as when the first book had been published.
Now she was on another plane two hours out of Los Angeles flying through the night towards Australia.
Kate checked her appearance in the mirror one final time and emerged from the toilet. She still
could not believe the size of the plane. She had always thought the Jumbo Jet big but it paled when she laid eyes on the Airbus A-380 It was to put it simply, huge. Everything about it was impressive. What impressed her the most was inside the cabin it was so quiet. She and Castle were seated in Business class. It could have easily have passed for First Class.
Reaching her seat Kate saw that Castle's seat was empty. No sooner had they boarded this Qantas Super Jumbo her partner had been recognised and once airborne the fans approached him.
These business class passengers were a little more restrained but no less excited to meet the famous author. Once again Castle had turned on the charm and was more than happy to sign autographs while maintaining a steady stream witty repartee. It never ceased to amaze her how he could keep this up all the time in public. She felt exhausted just watching him in action.
There were moments where she wanted to tell his fans to go bugger off. She had been reading the book that Esposito had given her on the plane. She didn't though. She merely smiled politely.
Looking about the Business Class area there was no sign of Castle. She heard laughter coming from the Business Class Lounge. She had located him. She sauntered forward heading for the lounge.
Castle was seated on a red leather couch surrounded by a bevy of women. Kate paused in the doorway and folded her arms across her chest. She watched the scene for some moments sizing it up. There would have been a time such a scene would make her feel jealous. She had known him long enough to know that the smile on his face was forced. He was being polite to his adoring fans but he did not want to be there or he didn't want them there.
Kate fixed a stern look on her face.
"Castle!" She snapped.
"Ah Detective Beckett there you are." He called out. It did not escape Kate's attention how he had emphasised her title. She smiled to herself.
The women who had surrounded Castle looked in Kate's direction. She gave them the kind of look that could send a chill down the spines of even the toughest criminals. Kate would have called this rescuing Castle but she knew Lanie would have called it, marking her territory. Either way Castle's adoring female fans got the message and quickly melted away.
Kate walked over and sat down on the couch beside him.
"Thank God." Castle sighed with relief. "Thank you for coming to my rescue."
"No problem."
She graced him with a smile, feeling pleased with herself.
"I thought you loved all this adoration from your fans, Castle?"
"There was a time when I did or at least I thought I did but..."
"But not anymore." she said finishing the sentence for him.
Castle nodded his head.
"Don't get me wrong, Kate." He said. "I still like meeting my fans, talking to them but the over zealous adoration can be..."
"Tiresome?"
"Yeah."
A thought occurred to her. "So why this trip to Australia, then?"
"I go where my agent recommends I go." he said with a sigh. Then his face brightened. "Besides, I've never been to Australia. I thought it would be fun and you coming along makes it even more fun."
He smiled at her and wiggled his eyebrows. She rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"Excuse me, Mr Castle." A flight attendant said, smiling as she approached them. "Your meals are ready to be served."
"Thank you." Castle said with a smile.
Kate turned to look at Castle. She fixed him with a look that told him that she wasn't impressed.
"You ordered diner?"
"Yes."
"Without bothering to ask me?"
"Well you were otherwise engaged in the little girls' room."
"So?"
"Would you have preferred I come pounding on the toilet door to ask whether you wanted the chicken or the lamb?"
Your being silly, Kate told herself firmly. She shook her head. Castle's face softened a little and there were the beginnings of a smile at the corners of his mouth.
"I don't know about you, Kate but I have been surviving on the few crumbs you consented to give me of your bear claw. And I'm starving."
Kate came to the realisation that she hadn't eaten all day either. She too was starving. She let out a chuckle and then got to her feet. She held out her hand. Castle took it and she helped him up.
"You know Castle, you could have bought your own bear claw." She told him.
"I thought you would share yours." He retorted. "I didn't realise you were one of those little girls who wasn't taught how to share."
They walked slowly out of the lounge.
"Hey, I did share." Kate defended herself. "I gave you half."
"It was a quarter at best."
"I still shared."
"We're going to have to work on your concept of sharing."
Kate had to admit the four course meal she had just eaten was better than some meals she had in some restaurants. The Moroccan lamb was almost to die for. The dinner plates had been removed and she had reclined back her chair a little and watching an old movie with volume turned down on the flat screen in front of her. She had seen it at one of Castle's movie marathons.
She reached for her wine glass.
"Would you like some more wine?" Castle inquired, the wine bottle hovering above her glass.
"Yes please."
Castle refilled her glass half way up and poured the rest of the contents of the bottle into his own glass. Kate picked up her glass and took a big sip of the wine.
"This is not a bad drop." Castle remarked.
Kate murmured her agreement.
Castle had asked for a bottle of Chateauneuf Dupape, his favourite to go with their meal only to learn that they didn't have it in stock. Kate almost laughed at the look on his face. The pout on his face reminded her of a little boy who learned that he couldn't get what he wanted. The flight attendant had recommended a number of Australian wines. Castle being Castle threw caution to the win and asked the flight attendant to choose a wine. She had come back with a Shiraz from the Mclaren Vale in South Australia.
"Castle you still haven't told me the itinerary." Kate said after a few moments of silence.
"Yours or mine?"
Kate turned her head to look at him. He had opened his laptop and was booting it up.
"You have made up an itinerary for me?"
Castle slid his eyes in her direction and smirked.
"I didn't think you'd want to be following me around as I did the round of interviews and book signings."
"So it's all right for you to shadow me around but when the boot's on the other foot, it's not all right?"
"I see you have been studying that dictionary again." He chuckled.
"Castle!" She hissed.
"If it is your wish to shadow me, I would be delighted to have the pleasure of your company."
She rolled her eyes and reached for her wine glass. She took a big sip and set the glass down on the table. On an impulse she reached for the telephone in the console of her seat and started punching in a number.
"Who are you calling?" Castle inquired. "Don't tell me you're calling Lanie to tell her how much fun you're having?"
"No, it's not Lanie." Kate replied. "It's Dad."
Kate put the phone to her ear and waited for the call to go through. She saw Castle looking at her expectantly.
"I just want to let him know where I'm heading."
Castle nodded his head and then a small grin appeared on his face. "You just want to call him up to brag."
Kate shot him a glare but that made Castle grin even more.
She heard the phone ringing and then it went through to her father's answer machine. This time she didn't leave him a message. Her frown deepened as she put the phone away.
"Something wrong?" Castle asked, his face full of concern.
"I don't think so." Kate said quietly. Her eyebrows knitted together. "I can't reach Dad. I keep getting his answer machine."
"Maybe he's gone fishing?" Castle suggested.
Kate shook her head. "Usually he goes on a fishing trip after the holiday season, the first or second week of January but he lets me know before he goes."
"I wouldn't worry about it too much." Castle reached over and patted her hand.
Kate looked at his hand resting on hers. It never ceased to amaze her how a simple, gentle gesture from him could provide so much comfort. She lifted her eyes to look at Castle.
"Did he mention anything to you last Sunday?"
Castle shook his head. Last Sunday had been the scene of the Great Castle Christmas Gathering. Castle had invited Kate and her father. He also invited Esposito and Lanie, Ryan and Jenny as well as Captain Montgomery and his family to the loft to spend to spend Christmas with him and his family. And Castle refused to take no for an answer from any of them. So they all duly arrived at the loft on Christmas Day to be greeted at the door by Castle dressed as Santa. That had been only the start of the fun.
A warm smile came to Kate's face as she recalled the day. She would have been hard pressed to recall having spent a better Christmas. She felt Castle squeezing her hand drawing her out of her reveries.
"You were miles away."
"Sorry Castle. I was just thinking about something."
She saw the mischievous glint in his blue eyes. "Judging by the smile on your face, you were thinking about me, right?"
Kate was momentarily stunned, quickly she covered her surprise by shooting him one of her glares. He never failed to throw her off balance by almost always knowing what she was thinking or feeling. Not for the first time did she silently curse him.
The smile on Castle's face faded and was replied by a serious look.
"Kate, wherever your father is I'm sure he is having the time of his life. And seeing he's not here to tell you, I'll do it for him. Don't worry about him, he's fine."
Kate studied his face. There was no sign of levity or humour to be found, no hint of a joke. He had said it with such certainty she almost believed him. She wanted to believe him.
"Ok" Kate said finally. She came to realise that there was not much she could do about it where she was.
Castle gave her hand a final reassuring squeeze before releasing it and turning his attention to his laptop. His fingers tapped on the keyboard with machine gun-like speed. Kate finished her wine and handed the empty glass to a passing flight attendant. She then switched off of the flat screen and put it away.
"I've got a great idea for the next Nikki Heat novel." Castle announced pausing in his typing.
"Have you now?"
"Yeah."
"Go on." Kate prompted.
"I've all ready got the title." Castle said with growing excitement. "I think I'll call it Outback Heat or perhaps Desert Heat."
"Let me guess, it's set in Australia?"
"Yes."
"Uh-huh."
"Our savy and hauntingly beautiful New York Police Detective is on the trail of a very wealthy high society socialite who has killed her husband."
Kate smiled at the way he described Nikki Heat as 'our'.
"And the trail of the murderer leads Nikki all the way to Australia?" Kate asked.
"Yes."
In the blink of an eye Kate's smile faded as a thought popped into her head. She sat up straighter and fixed Castle with one of her steely glares.
"This is all a smokescreen." She accused.
"What?"
"I'm going to Australia with you under false pretences. There's no book tour."
Castle blanched under her accusation. A look of consternation rose up in his eyes.
"We're going to Australia for research on your next Nikki Heat novel." She pressed.
"What? No...Kate...no." Castle stammered. He paused long enough to take a calming breath. His eyes never left her. "There is a book tour, Kate."
"No there's not."
"Yes there is."
"I think you're up to something."
He smiled at her. "You've known me long enough to know I'm always up to something."
Kate shook her head and turned away from him. She heard him open his brief case and shuffle some papers. Finding what he was looking for he passed a sheet of paper across to her.
She snatched the sheet from his hand and looked at it. It was under his agent's letterhead and it listed the dates and times of the interviews Paula had lined up for Castle with the representatives of the Australian media. The anger that had suddenly welled up quickly dissipated. She handed the letter back to him.
"Ok, so there is a book tour." She conceded grudgingly.
The smiling confident look had returned to his face.
"I'm going to get some sleep." She announced.
Kate pressed the button on her console that reclined her seat converting it into a bed. She started to look for a blanket when one was draped over her. She looked over to see Castle tucking the blanket for her. Next he was holding out a pillow to her. She took it and placed it under her head.
"Good night Kate." He whispered.
"Night Rick."
Kate closed her eyes to the sound of Castle's fingers dancing across the keyboard of his laptop. It was a surprisingly soothing sound. In her head her mind replayed the moment when she had accused him of taking her to Australia under false pretences. That look on his face had been unmistakeable. She had interrogated too many suspects not to notice it. The wall of lies they had built up came crumbling down with one well directed but unexpected accusation. He's up to something, a tiny voice in her head echoed and she could not agree more. The question was, what was he up to? Before she could ponder on the question sleep claimed her.