Chapter 1: Old faces, new problems
East 23rd Street, near 2nd Avenue
New York, New York
"You have got to be joking!" Alexis finally said after shaking off the shock. The group moved towards her to form a protective ring around her. "The last I saw of anybody from that family, was at the trial, but even then the brother never showed up."
"True, but we still have to rule you out." Detective Henderson replied as he motioned the officers to hold up for a second. He then looked directly at Kate and Rick. "Because somehow last year you were miraculously rescued by French police after you were in Paris less than 3 days."
Everybody in the group knew the most of the real truth behind the rescue, but that didn't matter now. One of their family was being suspected, and a protective ring went up around that. Martha placed her hand on Alexis's shoulder as Kate took Rick's hand.
"Now, you will be riding in separate squad cars to your precinct." Detective Henderson said motioning again for the officers to come back over to the group. "Once there you will be questioned, as well as phone, emails, and bank records checked."
"We know the drill." Ryan said with everybody nodding their agreement. The group moved off to the seven awaiting squad cars. As soon as the last door closed, the cars took off towards the precinct.
"Thank you for your cooperation Captain." Detective Henderson said to Gates as he moved towards his car.
"Henderson." Captain Gates called to Detective Henderson who turned around. Gates walked over to him. "Mr. Castle may be eccentric, but he did what he did because he is a parent, and the rest of my team followed the law and procedure to the letter."
"What about Detective Beckett?" Detective Henderson asked placing his hands on his hips. He leaned in close. "She and Mr. Castle carried on a relationship and kept it secret from you until that bomb incident, and today they are engaged and still working together at the precinct despite the policy of that sort of relationship."
"That has been sanctioned by the commissioner himself, as long as they are professional." Gates answered crossing her arms. She shifted her weight and thought of the correct wording. "Has there been a little PDA at the precinct, yes, but generally at the end of shift, or when one of them is leaving, nothing wrong with that."
"Well let's find out what they know about our DB here then." Detective Henderson said again moving towards his car. Gates couldn't do anything further except follow suit as the CSU team and detectives on hand worked the scene.
The twenty minute car ride to the precinct seemed to drag on forever for the group, but finally they arrived, to which point they were escorted upstairs by the drivers. They felt the stares of everyone who was in the bullpen watching. Secrets are not kept long in a station, but they knew the story, and back the group a hundred percent. Yet somehow the group knew they were on their own until they were clear.
"Marty." Rick called to his lawyer who was waiting for them near the interrogation room. Marty walked over and shook the hands of Rick, giving a kiss to Martha, Alexis and Kate. "Sorry for getting you out of bed so early."
"Please, I have that condo on the upper west side because of you." Marty laughed then got serious a second later. "Rick what is going on here?"
"A family member of the lady who was the girlfriend of man of Alexis's kidnapping was killed this morning." Rick stated after getting a nod from the police officer escorting them. "Internal Affairs needs to question us, as well as look at all our records."
Everybody in the group nodded their agreement. Marty looked around. "I can get two more associates down here for Alexis and Martha, but for them, it's going to take some pull."
"It's all right Marty, the union provides lawyers." Kate said with a nod towards Ryan and Espozito who nodded their agreement as well. "I have been told they are on their way." Marty nodded and pulled out his phone to make the call to his office.
Soon as Kate had finished the statement, the elevator doors opened and in walked Detective Henderson and Captain Gates. Behind them was a couple more detectives from IAB, and the departmental lawyers. They walked over to the group where Detective Henderson saw Marty who had just finished up his phone call.
"Mr…." Detective Henderson started to say.
"Martin Fairchild of Fairchild, Anderson and Sanchez." Marty answered handing over his card to Detective Henderson who looked at the card. "I represent Mr. Castle here. I have a couple of our associates coming down to represent Ms. Rodgers, and Alexis here."
"Ahh, one of the biggest firms in the city. Very well we can wait for Ms. Rodgers and Ms. Castle's lawyers." Detective Henderson replied with a disgust in his voice. He turned to the rest of the group and zero in on one of them. "Detective Ryan, we'll start with you."
"Detective Henderson we need tim….." The union lawyers started to say but held off when Captain Gates held up her hand. The other IAB detectives went about to checking records, emails.
"The sooner the better." Ryan stated. He started towards Interrogation Room with his union lawyer and Detective Henderson in tow. As soon as they were room, Ryan and his lawyer sat down. "I'm going to make this short for you Henderson. I was at home with my wife taking care of our daughter while my wife got some sleep."
"Really, you were home all night?" Henderson replied with a look of distrust on his face. He then stared right at Ryan. "You didn't go out to get milk, or paper or dinner."
"We planned our meals in advance, and eat them when we get home." Ryan replied with disgust in his voice. "We were asleep by 9 at night. I woke up at one to feed our daughter."
"Detective, I'm pretty sure Detective Ryan's wife will confirm all this." The union lawyer announced trying to take the pressure off. He was trying to buy time for the detectives to call Ryan's wife.
"I'm sure she…." Henderson started to say, but the door opened and in walked another IAB detective walked in and whispered into Henderson ear. He nodded. "Detective Ryan, you are free to go. Your wife confirmed the story."
Ryan and his lawyer got up and walked out of the interrogation room. Henderson got up shortly after and looked out into the room. He saw Espazito and his lawyer sitting close to him. "Detective Espazito your next."
Espazito and his lawyer walked into the interrogation and quickly sat down at the interrogation table. Detective Henderson made his way to his seat and sat down across from Espazito. Espo looked Henderson over. "You are so scary."
"Really Detective Espazito trying to intimidate me?" Detective Henderson said looking down at his notes before looking over Espazito. "We pretty much knew Detective Ryan would be the one with a pretty solid alibi."
"Ryan is a good guy who loves his family, and would never endanger that." Espazito replied sitting up straight in his chair. He again looked over Henderson looking for an opening but didn't find one. "Let's just get this over with."
"Very well Detective." Detective Henderson said laying his hands on top of a pad and pen on the interrogation table. He looked at Espazito. "Tell me your story."
"What story? A friend of mine is back from Afghanistan, so we celebrated." Espazito replied with contempt in his voice. He saw the stare of his union rep from the corner of his eye. "Name is Paul Jefferson, and Lanie, I, Paul and some other friends of ours went to Charisma."
"That new club on 76th Street?" Detective Henderson asked getting a nod from Espazito. Henderson wrote down the names and slide the pad over to get phone numbers which Espazito wrote down. "So why were you with Dr. Parish?"
"She knows Paul from his wedding. She was my date." Espazito replied to the question. He shifted in his seat but still maintained eye contact. He wasn't going to back down to this bastard. "We have dated on and off for the past four years, but other than that nothing serious."
"We'll see about that." Henderson said looking down at his notes. After looking back up he stared over Espazito for a moment. "You are pretty close to Castle and his family. Maybe you followed the victim after returning home from your partying and took care of it for revenge."
"That's hearsay detective." The lawyer replied.
"Check the registrar at the Hotel Roosevelt on 23rd. I got a room after partying." Espazito replied taking the note pad again giving the room number. "I was there till this morning. I am pretty sure Dr. Parrish will vouch for me."
"Very well detective, I will." Detective Henderson stated as he wrote that down. Once he was finishing writing that down. He looked back up at Espazito. "You're dismissed Detective."
The other IA detective called in Lanie as Javier walked out the interrogation room. "If you are going to ask me where I was, I will tell you right now to save you the trouble. I was with Detective Espazito at the Hotel Roosevelt till we were called this morning."
"What about Mr. Castle and his family Doctor?" Detective Henderson asked.
"I love them to death, and I wanted to help them when Alexis was kidnapped." Lanie replied to the question and thought about the answer carefully and looked at the attorney assigned to her. "Yet I won't do anything to get revenge on the family that kidnapped Alexis. So check my financial and you'll see I am living within my means."
The two detectives looked at each other and nodded. "You're excused Dr. Parrish. Please send in Ms. Rodgers and her attorney."
Martha walked in with one of the associates that Marty talked about in tow. She sat down at the table.
"Ms. Rodgers thank you for coming in." Detective Henderson replied.
"Not like I have much of a choice detective. You have practically accused us of orchestrating a hit on a young man, whom I believe is married and expecting a baby."
The detectives from IA looked at each other in disbelief so Martha seized on the opportunity. "You should have your associates not talking so loud near us. One thing I learned from my daughter in law." She nodded to her lawyer next to her who handed over the information.
"What is this?" Detective Henderson asked as the other detective walked out to talk to the investigative team.
"My alibi and financial records. I was at a wrap party for my play until about 11, then came home. Oh if you think I would try and get revenge on the family, I won't go after the brother." Martha replied to the question, but felt the stare from the attorney. "Yes it was my granddaughter, but I had faith we could get her back."
"So Ms. Rodgers, you are looking for an apartment, so maybe you set a little of the money aside to take this man out?"
"Detective why don't you call the Post entertainment section, and check with the door man of the building where Ms. Rodgers family lives." The associate told the detective. "I am pretty sure they will confirm Ms. Rodgers story."
The detectives nodded and called in Alexis into the room. "Ms. Castle, where were you last night and early this morning?"
"My client has agreed to let me get you that information." The attorney representing Alexis stated to the detectives. He handed over the location information on Alexis phone and financial records.
"So according to this you were at school till midnight, arrived home about 12:30 and stayed there till you arrived at the crime scene this morning?"
"Yes that is right. Call my friend Katie, she's the one that drove me home."
The detectives dismissed Alexis as they passed the information to the team outside going through the information that was being check. Kate and her police union attorney walked into the interrogation room.
"Detective Beckett. So two years ago when you were dating Mr. Castle, his daughter was kidnapped and you lead the effort to find her?" Detective Henderson asked Kate.
"Of course, it occurred within the confines of our precinct." Kate replied with a straight face.
"You failed to notify your superior that you were in a relationship with Mr…"
"Detective, that has already been establish that it was well known, and kept under wraps, and even had the commissioner..." The attorney started to object to the question.
"Let me rephrase the question, how come you did not excuse yourself from the case? Detective Henderson asked.
"Despite my relationship with my husband and step-daughter at the time, I was able to remain objective throughout the case, and get the conviction of the girlfriend.
"And yet your husband who was your boyfriend at the time goes to Paris for four days and recovers his daughter."
"With the help of French authorities' detective." The lawyer said writing this down.
"He did anything a normal parent would do to get his daughter back safely." Kate stated leaning back in the chair. She stared up Henderson. "As far as my whereabouts, we were at home all night, and my financial information is with your detectives."
"One more question detective?" Detective Henderson said leaning forward in the chair. "Did you marry Castle for his money?"
Kate was lucky she didn't jump over the table and strike Henderson. She stood up and walked out of interrogation. Rick followed behind Kate, but stopped for a moment to give her a hug and quick kiss before heading into interrogation with Marty.
"Mr. Castle, how are you doing today?" Detective Henderson ask sitting down to face Rick. "I'm going to save us all some time, because I figured you already handed over your alibi, records, and cell phones to my associates outside."
"Also the security camera footage from the building as well." Rick replied to the statement. He saw the looks on the faces. "It is nice that the company CEO is a friend of mine and I learned a few things from my wife and my time here."
"So Mr. Castle, despite the calls for you to remove yourself from your daughter's case, you went rouge to find her?" Detective Henderson asked leaning forward in his chair.
"I helped the French authorities locate my daughter yes, but within accordance to US and French laws." Rick replied half telling the truth. Since his time here, he was able to pick up on a few things. "You want to confirm that, talk to Martin Sanger at the US embassy in Paris."
"There was rumors that you torture for information on you daughters whereabouts while a suspect was in custody." Detective Henderson said sizing up Rick looking for an opening. "While your wife, who was your girlfriend at the time, was with you."
"She actually was there with me when I asked the gentlemen for information but everything was on the up and up. Rick said not giving Henderson an inch. He felt Marty's hand on his arm. "So where is this leading to detective?"
"We think you wanted to send a message to the girl in prison?" Detective Henderson asked Rick.
"Yeah, you guys definitely need to rethink your strategy, because the only message I sent that girl, was this." Rick said nodding to Marty who handed over a packet. "That is a treatment program for her addiction I got her into. Placed a call to a friend of mine who took it on for me."
Henderson looked over the packet, who then handed it over to his partner. He looked at Rick. "Very well Mr. Castle we have nothing further."
Rick got up and walked out of the interrogation room as another detective walked in and whispered something into Henderson's ear. Rick stood near the group.
"What did he ask you?" Kate asked snaking her arm through Ricks.
"The apartment and trip to France." Rick said in a low whisper. The group shook their heads, knowing the plan was to try and divide them.
Henderson came out a moment later from the interrogation room. "We still have some things to check out, but for now you are free to go."
As the group started to leave with their escorts, the elevator dinged and a familiar faced walked off it towards and the group was stunned. It was Doctor Josh Davidson who was walking towards the interrogation room. Kate grabbed the nearest uniform to them.
"Johnson, why is he here?" Kate asked the officer.
"Detective, he was the other driver of the vehicle at the scene."
The group was ushered aboard the elevator by the escorts and they saw Josh shake hands and walked into interrogation.