Alex came in to the precinct the next day to see Kate starring at the murder board.
The boys came up and Esposito said, " According to the night watch she came in at 4 this morning."
"Yeah she had us come in at 6 too", Ryan added, " Plus she has had about 9 espressos this morning."
Alex sidled up to Kate and said " I read on the internet this wonderful thing called sleep! You should try it. When I said you were extraordinary. I did not mean for you to go all beautiful mind on me."
Kate just said,"Shhhhh" then waved her hand at Alex all the while not taking her eyes off the board.
Kate talking out loud said," Someone knew of our investigation before we started. That only leaves the staff and the fiancee. The fiancee alibied out. So that leaves the staff." Kate turned toward the boys and said, "Go over all the staff records again and get physical references pictures and such."
Kate and Alex went to the Dr. Office and asked Mario to answer a few more questions.
Kate got a phone call it was Esposito.
"It was Maggie Dowd the scrub nurse. We have confirmed the woman who was the scrub nurse at the office was not who she claimed she was. The name is valid for a nurse in Seattle. However when they sent the picture of the real person it was not anywhere close the woman we spoke to in the office!"
Kate asked the staff, "Where is Maggie?"
The head nurse said," She did not come in today."
Alex noticing the affiliation of the Dr. to the hospital asked "Is this hospital correct?"
The head Nurse nodded. It was the same as the hospital where the witness is kept. Maggie could get access to the witness.
Kate called the boys to meet them at the hospital. She told them Maggie is the killer and has access to the witness. Kate gave orders to set a trap for Maggie to catch her in the act of attempting to kill the witness.
Maggie grabbed a chart for Jimmy the Rat Morin. She showed her access badge to the security at the door. Security checked the list and let her pass.
Maggie said, "Jimmy, you are a hard man to catch. It took me weeks to find out you have changed your face.
Jimmy lying on the hospital bed with an oxygen mask on looked at Maggie groggily. He was barely aware of her presence.
Maggie showed him the bottle containing the poison which will cause him to die when injected in his IV.
Maggie said,"This injection is not as fun as a plastic bag but it does the trick."
Maggie took out the syringe and filled it with the deadly fluid, She then found the access point for the IV and injected him saying "I have a message from Junior. He says go to hell. Jimmy began to become agitated and thrashed around in the bed then was still as the monitor flatlined. Maggie then smiled.
Kate standing outside the door appeared when Maggie opened the door. Maggie closed the door but was met with FBI agents appearing from behind the curtain.
Kate said, Hi, you are under arrest for the murder of Dr. Joshua Leeds and the attempted murder of Jimmy Morin."
Alex walked in behind Kate.
Maggie said," You are too late!"
Alex wanting to add a bit of theater to this arrest said, "Oh No!", then quickly moved to the prone body on the bed. Grabbing the IV he said," Oh don't worry it is not attached to anything!" While showing the unattached iv tube in his hand. " It is like we knew you were coming."
"Attempted murder of a federal witness what does that go for these days?", Kate asked Maggie.
The FBI agent replied, "25 to life"
Kate escorted her detainee to the precinct for interrogation. Once there Kate had flipped her to turn states evidence. Kate handed her off to the FBI agent waiting.
Kate then informed the Captain of the new developments.
Kate lastly said," You know I do not want to admit this but we could not have done it with out Castle."
Alex enter his loft. Dr. Death as Alex called the pathologist was waiting for him.
Alex warmly greeted the Doctor and ushered him into his study. Carefully closing the door to prevent any unwarranted eavesdropping from his meddlesome Mother. Alex offered the man a seat then sat across from him.
The man began to speak. "I have found something in these pictures which the other ME obviously missed. I found there is only one kill wound the others were too shallow to cause much damage. The kill thrust was with a Kbar knife favored by special forces. Alex studied the outline of the handle coming in contact with the skin creating a special bruising. None of the other wounds have this bruising."
Alex thought I have seen that bruising before. Where, Where, I have it in the Hills of Afghanistan the warriors of the Dragon brigade. They used that same kill method to suspected Taliban chiefs. Why would it be used for a contract murder in New York. Broken out of his musing Alex then heard the most damming part of all.
"There were 3 other people who were misdiagnosed as a random Gang violence. They too had the same bruising. They were killed on the same day as your victim. I have all the information in my report!"
Alex blood ran cold. There is someone using CIA assets for wetwork on people inside the USA Ten years ago. I wonder if they are still active? The Old Man needs to be informed immediately. Kate is the next target for this! No wonder the Old Man chose me to do this job! It has gotten much more dangerous than I ever thought!
Alex thanked the doctor and ushered him to the door promising him a special gift which he should receive shortly.
Martha was standing in the kitchen looking at her son.
"So Dr. Death found something huh?"
Yes he did her mother's murder was a professional hit not a random gang violence as the ME reported"
"You have to tell her!"
"She said If I dug up anything we were through! I can not in good conscience not allow her some closure. She thinks she was randomly killed but the truth..."
"The truth is you need to tell her Or I will!"
Alex pondered the problem. His snoopy Mother has found out what he has been doing. Now it complicates so much. She will tell her so I must tell her first. Kate is in so much danger. Me not by her side the kill shot could ring out at any moment. Let's hope whoever did this is not aware of someone else now knowing the truth.
Kate left the precinct on her way home she stopped by the hospital to talk to her old friend now recovering.
Alex called the precinct and found out where she was. Alex went to the hospital with trepidation. Finding the correct room for the FBI agent Alex knocked at the door.
Sorenson seeing Alex said, " The Writer Monkey, what is he still doing here?"
Kate looked up and saw the concern on Alex's face. Her face was one of irritation having Alex see her eating a doughnut with her old boy friend.
Sorenson said," Haven't you finished your book yet?"
Alex replied," last chapter... do you have sec ? "Alex looking directly at Kate.
"Yeah", responded Kate as she moved to exit the room.
"Why don't you go. You know he likes you."
"You will have to forgive him he is heavily medicated." Kate said as she left the room.
Alex guided Kate to some chairs and sat down beside her.
Kate said," You look awful serious are you ok?
Alex dreading telling Kate started.
"It is about your Mother... "
Alex left a stunned Kate at the hospital and made his way to the little shop where he was to meet Max.
Alex opened the door to the shop and pressed the hidden button under the counter to alert max he is on his way a secret door opened which lead to a staircase. Climbing the stair case Alex was aware of the smell of Italian cooking wafting through the spacious upstair's living area. Alex called out for Max. Max appeared looking like he is still cooking.
"Alex have a seat I will be with you in a moment."
Alex flopped down on the beige couch moving a few newspapers out of the way. For someone as High Tech as Max he still preferred reading the newspapers. In Cyrillic no doubt. Yep, I was right Alex thought.
Max joined his old friend and brought out a bottle of whiskey and set two glasses in front of them and poured two stiff fingers in each glass, He handed one to Alex, " You look terrible! What happen your dog die?" Alex taking a stiff sip waiting for the burn to coat his throat.
"No I found out some disturbing news. The protect detail I been assigned has become a lot more than I realized at the time."
Max nodded and said" Why?"
Alex continued," I have found out more information pertaining to the death of my protectee mother. It was not a random as one would like to believe."
Max taken back said," what makes you believe that?"
"Do you remember back in '94 in the hills of Afghanistan?"
"Yeah", Max remembers almost as well as Himself Alex thought.
"Do you remember that tribal chieftain who was protecting Bin Laden?"
"Do you remember the team which took that guy out?"
"Yeah" Max looked at his friend and asked "Why are you asking these things this is all in the past!"
"The team who killed this guy also killed my protectee mother Plus three other people ten years ago!"
"Somebody was authorizing wetwork with CIA assets in the USA!"
"Who could have that kind of pull?"
Max looked at his friend and slowly replied,"A few the President, Vice president and NSA chief. If it was authorized. However, I feel this was a rogue setup. Someone lower down the food chain was doing it on the sly.
"Someone in our chain?"
"Possibly"
"Someone who knows about me?"
"Doubtful, not too many Knows that the Great Richard Freaking Castle is actually Alex Rodgers USA top secret spy!"
Max laughed out loud because he knew it was so funny! Alex also knew Max area's could not be bugged in any way nor could this conversation be electronically monitored. Max was just that good.
"So what am I to do? I wonder if the Old Man knows? Of course he knows otherwise why would I be here babysitting!"
Max said, "I will be keeping your back safe like I have done for the longest time!" The agency will only be contacting you through me anyway. Or the anonymous website which I monitor and maintain."
"Your team is still in place and I doubt they care much about this development. Go home and say hello to your gorgeous daughter for me. She is looking more and more like Meredith with each year passing!"
Max knew Meredith. He was present for that central park escapade with the police horse.
"Aren't you glad you are no longer married to that nut job!"
Alex smirked," You do know that crazy people give you the best Sex Ever! However, she is still Alexis's mother."
Alex still brooding left the watch shop and headed home to the loft wondering what sort of crazy antics his mother has in store for him when he got there. Alex could not shake the feeling of foreboding.