A Fly in the Garden: Chapter 11
DISCLAIMER: None of these characters are mine, but they are memorable. Thank you, Mr. Marlowe.
Sunday, February 21, 2012 – 1:40 p.m. – At Richard Castle's Residence in Sausalito, California
"You actually bugged Sam?" Kate questions into her phone, making no attempt whatsoever to hide the surprise in her voice.
"He always finds it," Detective Jennifer Blackard replies, smiling at the other end. "It's almost a game now. I think he'd be disappointed if I didn't at least try."
"I'm impressed," Kate offers, while biting into an apple that Richard Castle has just tossed her way as he makes his way out of the kitchen.
"Don't be," Jennifer readily admits. "If I thought for even a moment Sam would react . . . poorly . . . I would never try it again. As it is, I'm glad he allowed me to listen in on the conversation."
"I would have told you everything you wanted to –"
"No, you wouldn't," Jennifer interrupts. "You would have inadvertently left things out. I hope you don't mind, but I just wanted to see your . . . your . . . I wanted to see Castle in action. To see how he thinks, how his mind works. You were right. From my vantage point, it was pretty cool to see. Okay, not see. Hear."
"His mind does work . . . differently," Kate chuckles, and her chuckle turns into a broad grin as the object of their conversation pops his head around the corner.
"Your ears are as big as your ego, Castle," she calls to him.
"And exactly which ego are you talking about?" he laughs, with a double wiggle of the eyebrows, causing a classic roll of the eyes from Kate.
"Anyway," she says, now ignoring Castle who has just as quickly popped out of the kitchen, refocusing her attention on the woman at the other end of the line. "What do you think about Castle's little hypothesis."
"I have to admit, a lot of it makes sense, Kate," Jennifer tells her, and Kate can hear her chewing something herself on the other end. "You know that most of the abductions have occurred on or near buses. But a couple of them occurred down at the wharf. Near the water."
"Very easy to get a woman on a boat from there," Kate agrees. "And even if they take the women on a bus, it is just as easy to take someone to a boat as it is to any building on land."
"That's how I see it, also," Jennifer concurs. "Angel Island, though – that's a good one. It's a state park now, administered by the state. Much of it is deserted in spots – it used to be used heavily by the Army, ranging from the American Civil War through World War II. It was also used as an immigration processing station for millions of incoming immigrants – primarily Asians – into the country back in the early to mid-1900's. Neither of those usages are in existence there today. Now it's mostly a tourist destination."
"And possible more," Kate offers heavily. "I can see how something like this could occur right under everyone's noses on an island that large."
"When you think about it – pretty much every abduction occurred either at night, or in the wee hours of the morning," Jennifer says, warming up to the idea more with each passing moment.
"Which means getting someone to one of the piers in the cover of darkness, and a short boat ride out to the island – also in the cover of darkness," Kate agrees.
"With no one the wiser. There's always activity down on the piers late at night," Jennifer says, nodding to herself.
"So, the question is – how do we get out there and take a look around?" Kate wonders aloud. Castle, of course, picks this moment to pop his head around the corner again.
"We play tourists," he says excitedly. "You've never been out there, and I've only been there once," he adds. "So we'd be playing the part honestly."
"You've been out there once before?" Kate asks, wondering what would have sent Castle out to a touristy state park in the middle of the bay.
"It was one of the locations I was considering for the Castles Complex," he admits. "Secluded, beautiful views, actually perfect for what I wanted. Until I considered the reality of the situation. How is an escaping woman going to get out there? Row a boat? And then there was the unlikelihood of purchasing land from the state of California in any timely manner."
"Earth to Beckett," Kate hears the voice in the phone call out to her.
"Sorry, Jen," Kate apologizes, immediately putting the phone on speaker so that Castle and Jennifer can hear one another.
"Might as well stay here, Rick," Kate smiles at him, receiving a soft pat on the rear as Castle passes by on the way to the refrigerator. "Rick suggests we play tourists," Kate repeats into the phone for Jennifer's benefit.
"By we, I mean Kate and I," Castle corrects. "You're a cop, Detective Blackard, and who knows who we are dealing with and whether they know you or not. Seeing a cop there might spook our party. But seeing Kate and I? We are just tourists, catching the sights."
"I don't like it," Jennifer begins, but then recalls who she is dealing with. Ex-Detective-turned-private-investigator Kate Beckett can more than take care of herself and likely anything they have to deal with on the island, short of military force.
"On second thought," Jennifer continues, reconsidering, "I know Kate can take care of herself, and after – what was it – four years of shadowing, I have to assume Mr. Castle, you have learned a thing or two yourself."
"Thank you for the very back-handed compliment, Detective," Castle states, while biting into an apple of his own now. "So, what's our play?" Castle questions.
"Jennifer, how soon can you be here?" Kate asks. "It would be nice to sit down together to map this out."
"Let's just say that I have been headed your way for most of your conversation with Sam," Jennifer replies with a laugh. "I should be there in less than five minutes."
"Wonderful," Kate responds, nodding to Castle. "We can sit together and review aerial overviews of the island . . . find out what we are up against, figure out where we think they are being held."
"Thank God for Google," Castle smiles, then grows more serious. "An alternate opinion – and I am thinking out loud here," he continues. "In talking with Sam, recall how I said I would start with the customers who are moving away from our man who runs the prostitution ring being impacted by the new business?"
"Yes," both women respond simultaneously, Kate nodding her head.
"We should still start there," Castle continues. "Just because we think we have the location, the way to ensure we know what we are walking into is to somehow find one of these clients, and follow the crumbs, so to speak. It won't be a murder board, thank God, but we can start storyboarding in the den."
"By the way," Blackard interrupts, "Eddie – from Sam's story – Eddie is real. That's actually his name."
"No way," Castle replies, with an eyebrow raise the San Francisco detective cannot see.
"Eddie Baker," Jennifer continues. "I was surprised that Sam gave his name away. That doesn't bode well for Eddie," she muses out loud. "I suspect I will have to remind Sam of the no-violence promise he made to me."
"Why would Sam have something for Eddie?" Kate wonders aloud.
"Prostitution," Jennifer says simply. He detests it. Passionately. As he has told me – many times – every one of those girls is someone's daughter, and some of them are mothers."
"Strange to see him draw lines like that," Castle says softly.
"Not so strange, Castle," Kate reminds him. "Think of our time back in New York. The Westies. No drugs. That was Finn's rule. His line. No one could cross it."
"And prostitution is Sam's line. He's not fond of drugs, don't get me wrong. And he is a dangerous, dangerous man to make an enemy of," Jennifer adds. "But prostitution is a definite no-no for anyone in his family. Anyway, back to topic – Castle may be right. Finding out who these departing clients are could be helpful."
"Not the easiest thing, I'm sure," Castle continues. "If we are talking about the kind of money I suspect we are, then we aren't dealing with Joe Blow down the street who works the docks and spends money sitting in right field at AT&T Park. We're dealing with big money."
"That means executives, businessmen," Kate tells the group. "Powerful people."
"Councilmen, city officials," Jennifer adds.
"Forget city councilmen," Castle offers. "Think state officials. Think chiefs of police. Think district attorneys, firm partners."
"Which answers the question as to why no one in high places has been talking or offering much in the way of complaints," Jennifer adds. "This isn't something that certain powerful people want to see solved."
"We aren't just talking about a golden goose for whoever is running this racket," Kate agrees. "We are talking about the golden eggs that some powerful people are sampling from. We are getting ready to ruffle some dangerous feathers with this."
"So how do we do this?" Castle asks again. "It's not like we can just walk in and go look at . . . what did you say his name was?"
"Eddie. Eddie Baker," Jennifer replies.
"Right," Castle says with a nod. It's not like we can just walk in and take a look at Eddie's ledger, and see who his clients are."
"And I can guarantee you that these clients aren't exactly driving cars in North Beach and rolling down their windows for pickups," Jennifer chuckles.
"So Eddie has a spot, a place where his top clients go," Kate says. "Standard stuff, saw it in Manhattan."
"And now that spot has been replaced – possibly – with an island getaway," Castle adds.
"By the way, I'm pulling up right now, kiddos," Jennifer says quickly. She can't see the reaction she has caused on Castle's face. Kate, however, doesn't miss it.
"Thinking of Martha?" she asks Castle, placing her hand on his shoulder, knowing the impact Jennifer Blackard's innocent use of the term that Martha has made her staple can have on Castle.
"Yeah," he says, then quickly dismissing the thought. "When we finish this case, and when I know that things are good and stable at the complex, we should take a trip back east. It would be good to see Mother. And Esposito and Ryan," he adds with a smile.
"Yeah, that would be nice," Kate agrees. "And maybe you'd get to see your old Ferrari and beach house," she adds. "You know, I never did get to see your old Hampton house."
"Not even after I left? Kevin never invited you out to visit?" Castle asks, the disappointment showing on his face, as he walks to the door. Jennifer should be parking by now.
"Oh he invited," Kate corrects him. "He and Jenny asked me out countless times. I just . . . well, you had left, and it was your old house and all I could think of was I might never see you again, and we both know how plans imploded a couple of summers ago. I just didn't want to visit – it would not have been the same."
Richard Castle simply nods his head sadly as he opens the door. Kate is quickly by his side, placing her hand in his.
"That was then, Rick," she reminds him. "I didn't get to visit your Hamptons home. But you have opened this home to me, and I live here now."
"This is your home now," he smiles. "We need to do something about that, by the way – you know, to make this more official," he tells her, his eyes almost sparkling with ideas.
"Am I interrupting anything here?" Jennifer asks the couple as she walks up the driveway.
"Nothing that we won't be revisiting," Castle tells her, squeezing Kate's hand and giving her a sideways glance.
"I look forward to that conversation, Mr. Castle," Kate whispers in his ear as she moves forward, taking Jennifer into a quick hug and ushers her into the house.
A block down the road, a dark-skinned passenger inside a black BMW sits, a toothpick dangling out of his mouth, watching the front door to Castle's house close. He glances up and down the street, then leans back into his seat behind darkened windows.