Chapter 7

Betty's eyes flitted around the room. "Before I take you to the next stop on the tour, you have to promise me that if you use it in a story you'll have it coming off of a supply room, photo studio, heck even a sub-basement. Anything but the Closet or executive office."

Intrigued, Castle said, "You have my word."

He followed her to the far wall of the Closet which was lined with shelves upon shelves of shoes. Some of the heels were as sharp as knife points. Hmm, he thought as the image came to him, a body stabbed by a stiletto shoe.

Betty checked one more time that the coast was clear then went to the middle of the wall, stepped on the bottom shelf and reached up to the hook on the left. When she pulled down on the hook, the middle unit moved inward to reveal a hidden passage.

She motioned for him to follow her, and they slipped behind the shelving unit then descended a short staircase. The room reminded him of the attic of a bordello. The clutter included antique lamps, statues and an ornate mirror. The far end of the room was dominated by a mural of several Andy Warhol-styled portraits of the longest serving editor-in-chief in Mode history looking down at the large four-post bed complete with drapes and animal print covers.

"Is this?"

Betty nodded.

Castle whistled. "I thought Fey Sommers' Love Dungeon was a myth."

"I think Daniel and his mom still believe it is just a myth."

"Don't worry. When I use it, I promise I won't put in anything that could lead them here," he said giving her a smile before turning his attention back to the room. He noticed the large red safe against one wall, and a scene sprung instantly in his mind. A person clad in black approached the safe having just killed the victim who is lying bloody on the bed. Castle spotted a mannequin wearing a leather hood. "Hmph. Never would have thought Bradford Meade would have been into that."

"The most radical I could imagine him in was island casual," Betty said.

Castle looked at the bed again. "I always wondered why Daniel's mom never divorced him knowing that he had had a 20-year affair."

"I believe it was because they were soul mates, and she'd rather be miserable with him than miserable without him," Betty sighed with wistful sadness. "When he had the heart attack while marrying Wilhelmina, Mrs. Meade was about to go to Italy having escaped prison for murdering Fey. She couldn't leave before making sure that Daniel and Alexis were taken care of in the will and ultimately risked going back to jail in order to see him one last time. She told me that they reconciled just before he died."

Castle smiled. "Back in boarding school, Daniel and I used to compare moms. You know, which was crazier?"

"So who won?"

"It always seemed to come out in a tie. They were both a special kind of crazy."

ooOoo

Author notes: The Ugly Betty episodes referenced in this chapter are 1.19 "Punch Out", 1.22 "A Tree Grows in Guadalajara" and 2.8 "I See Me, I.C.U.".