Italics are Castle again.
"Good morning." Alex said. He walked casually down the brick stone pavement, but Kevin wouldn't have it. The retriever yanked at his leash, pulling Alex to go faster. "Easy Kevin. You act like you haven't seen her in forever."
"You must be Alex." Kate said. She smiled as he took a seat next to her. His eyes glanced at his father's window to make sure he was looking. He was.
"Did you forget me already?" Alex asked. He tied Kevin's leash to the bench chair, giving him just the right amount of freedom. Kate began to pet the dog as he kissed her knee.
"No, just keeping you on your toes." Kate said. Alex took a hard look at the elderly woman. "Truth?" Alex nodded for her to give it up. "I wrote it down on a post it." They shared a laugh. Kevin took that time to cozy up next to Kate and fall asleep.
"He really is a sweetheart." Kate said. She gave the retriever a quick pet.
"He's not usually this friendly. He's a cop dog." Alex said. He reclined back, relaxing as much as he could. There was a cool breeze and almost, not a care in the world.
"A cop dog? Like a drug hound?" Kate asked. She wanted to know more about him. Maybe it would solve the mystery as to why she knew the dog's name.
"No. Raised by a cop, trained by a cop, named after a cop." Alex said, remembering the old stories his dad used to tell. "My mom, she was a police detective."
"Who was he named after?" Kate asked. Surely it wasn't his mother, unless, Kevin somehow became gender neutral.
"My godfather. His name was Kevin Ryan. He umm… died during a police raid." Alex said. He looked to his father, remembering the accounts of that day.
Christmas morning is supposed to be joyous and life fulfilling, but in the year 2025 our lives changed forever. The day started off perfectly fine. It snowed outside while I, along with Alexis cooked breakfast and Kate helped Johanna put her gloves on. Alex, impatient as ever, stood under the Christmas tree shaking his presents, hoping he could hear what it was. After breakfast, we gathered in a circle like we did every year. Kate always had something planned, something to keep the kids, and me on our toes. I remember one year she had us scavenging throughout the entire home looking for our presents. Another year we played laser tag to see who would open their present first. Kate won of course. But this year we were interrupted.
It all started with a knock. Javi and Lanie were already over when Jenny arrived. She was alone, tears riding down her face. Slowly she began to explain what had happened. As a favor to a friend from Narcotics, he took part in a drug raid that morning. They never expected to find Enrique 'The Diablo' to be there. An arms dealer was different from the cartel. They had bigger guns, and they weren't afraid to shoot. 4 police officers dead while 7 were injured. At 9:12, Kevin Ryan was pronounced dead while his friend Detective Cavanaugh had to deliver the news to his wife.
"You have my condolences." Kate said. She felt a strange pull inside, but she shrugged it off. They were silent for a while, feeling the leftover tension in the air.
I remember that night. We had put the children to sleep along with their new dog, and I could see it in her eyes. She couldn't hold it any longer. She let a tear drop and after that they wouldn't stop falling. I remember pulling her into my lap as we sat on the floor and hearing the anguish in her cries. She began to pound on my chest as I held her tight, thinking I might lose her. It was all I could do to keep her sane. Her cries were raw, angry at the injustice of the world, and I remember just holding her because I knew nothing I could say would make her feel better. I just needed to be there for her and I was.
I think we spent the entire night like that. The next morning, her eyes were swollen but she had finally stopped. We would make it through. I knew we would because we still had each other.
"Is that who you visit?" Kate asked. She needed to break the silence. Alex looked confused. "Your mom… Is that why you come here?"
"No, my dad… He's actually right there." Alex said, pointing him out. Kate found Castle's eyes, and he looked almost surprised. There she was, finally looking back at him. Though he had to look away. Now it was Alex's turn to be surprised when he caught a glimpse of Lanie Parish as his father's curtain was drawn close.
"Where's your mom?" Kate asked, drawing his attention back to her.
"She died… when I was nine." Alex said. He decided this was more important. This woman was the first domino. All the events happening now were because he found her. "Well actually, she was murdered."
"Oh my go… I'm sorry for your loss." Kate said. She felt bad. Every other person she brought up was dead. Surely, she thought, this boy's life wasn't normal.
"It's okay. It was a long time ago." Alex said. It seemed like he was reliving a lot of memories today. He choked up a little thinking about his mom.
"If you don't mind me asking…" Kate said. She was a little weary to ask, but she took the dive anyway. "Did you find who killed her?"
"My dad did actually." Alex replied.
"Your father was a cop too?" Kate asked. She was very curious about him, but mostly so she could solve her own little mystery. She had written it down the day before on a post it. 'Alex visit tmrw. Bringing his dog, Kevin. I know the dog.'
"No he… it's a long story." Alex said, struggling to put his knowledge into sentences. A gift with words was something he didn't inherit from his father.
"I have time." Kate said. She took a hard look at him as his eyes searched hers. "And it's not like I'll remember it tomorrow." He smiled.
"Okay so first you have to understand that my father was a famous mystery writer, fresh off the premier of his last Derrick Storm novel, Storm Fall. He'd been recently having writer's block when he officially met my mother. Now my mom was a homicide detective, one of the best in the business, and she had brought my father in for questioning during a copy cat murder investigation, where some psychopath murdered people like how my father did in his books." Alex said. He was kind of excited to tell the story. It was the stories his father and mother used to tell him before bed each night, about how they used to partner up to fight crime. They were his own personal superheroes. "My father somehow convinced my mom's boss into letting him consult on the investigation." There was a sparkle in his eyes as he recounted the tale of his parents and Kate took notice. "In that time, my mom became an inspiration to my father, and he began to write again. My father then made a deal with the police, which allowed him to shadow my mother on her murder cases for research on his next book."
"Right 'research.'" Kate said. She used a quotation hand gesture for emphasis.
"Exactly." Alex said. He laughed, remembering his mom used to say the same thing when his dad told the story.
"Does he know?" Lanie asked. She sat as his bedside, stunning as usual. The woman aged like fine wine.
"I don't think either of them know." Castle said followed by a cough. His voice was a little scratchy.
"See! That's what happens when you don't talk to your children." Lanie said. Honestly, he deserved that one.
"What do you think?" Castle asked.
"I think you should tell them. What's the harm?" Lanie said. She made a point.
"You were always the voice of reason." Castle said. But then he took a deep look at his drawn curtain. "But what if I lose them. What if they hate me for it? I don't know if I can…"
"You're already losing them." Lanie interrupted. "You don't talk to them, because you're afraid you'll blurt it right out, but it's pushing them away. It's why they don't visit."
"What's your excuse?" Castle said. They both laughed a little.
"I'm old. And I'm too damn old to be lecturing you, and you're too damn old to be acting stupid." Lanie said. She reclined back into her chair. "Just tell them. Even if they hate you, you'll still have… Kevin."
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