Chapter 12
"Well Kate we have come to the part of our story where the redoubtable and fair Detective Kate Beckett and the ruggedly handsome Richard the Minstrel set about trying to find the evidence that proves that Harrison of Tisdale is the murderer."
"...The fair Kate was more than a little impressed to find that the Minstrel had no trouble keeping up with her. She prided herself on being one of the best riders at the police house, yet the Minstrel had no trouble keeping pace with her. There were moments on their return journey where the fair Kate would take a sudden turn and duck into a small side street fully expecting the Minstrel to follow only to find when casting a looking over her shoulder the Minstrel was nowhere to be seen. And when returning to the right street there he would be flying out of another side street to glide up alongside with a cocky smile painted upon his face. In the end the fair Kate gave up trying and concentrated on reaching the police house.
Not long after that the fair Detective Beckett was seated at her desk in the squad room. Seated in a chair beside her desk and looking as if he belonged there was Richard the Minstrel. Upon her return the fair Detective Beckett had encountered Detective Ryan and issued to him an order to contact the stage coach company and obtain from them the dates on which Harrison of Tisdale had travelled with them out of the country. Detective Ryan saw the fires of determination blazing in her eyes, gave a nod of his head and headed out of the squad room to obtain the information.
Richard the Minstrel was playing with a quill he had picked up from the fair Detective Beckett's desk. He was twirling it around with his fingers.
"It pains me greatly to know that you find yourself unable to confess that I was right." The Minstrel said, casting a look to the fair Detective. The fair Detective Beckett rolled her eyes at him.
"There is nothing to confess. He fooled you." The fair Detective replied. She looked over to Esposito who was at his desk. "The Minstrel here, bought the alibi that Harrison was selling."
"Really?" Esposito said with some amusement.
"Really." Said the fair Kate.
"I'll have you know that I had a momentary bout of self doubt tis all." The Minstrel intoned, a pained look upon his face.
With an amused look upon her face the fair Detective Beckett reached across and patted the Minstrel on his arm. "It is all right, Minstrel, as I said before, you are merely a writer and not a professionally trained investigator."
"Gloating ill becomes you, my dear detective." The Minstrel said making a face at her.
The fair Detective Beckett continued to smile smugly at the Minstrel as she sat back in her chair. She was going to enjoy her small victory over him and no jibe or face making from the man was going to spoil it for her.
Detective Ryan chose that precise moment to return from his sojourn to the stage coach company. He held in his hand his notebook as he approach the fair Detective Beckett's desk.
"Ah the formidable Detective Ryan returns anon." Richard the Minstrel remarked upon seeing Ryan's arrival. "Pray tell Detective Ryan what morsel of knowledge from your travels do you wish to impart to us?"
A puzzled look appeared on Detective Ryan's face upon hearing the Minstrel's greeting.
"What have you got, Ryan?" The fair Detective Beckett said, relieving the man of his puzzlement.
Detective Ryan nodded his head. He opened his note book and rifled through the pages until he found the page he was looking for.
"The coach company confirms that Tisdale purchased three roundtrip fares. The dates coincide with the three murders." Detective Ryan informed them.
"So according to the coach company Tisdale was out of the country." Esposito said.
"A moment." Richard the Minstrel said as bewilderment flickered across his face. "Now, I am not right?"
The fair Detective Beckett smiled at the Minstrel's confusion for a moment before she spoke.
"What this means, Minstrel is that the stamps in Tisdale's passport were forged."
The Minstrel nodded his head and smiled his thanks to the fair Detective Beckett.
Esposito rose from his seat and reached for his jacket.
"I shall go to the Border Control office and have them check their logs." He announced.
"A moment my dear detectives." the Minstrel called out. Three pairs of eyes turned their attention to him. "Tis not how he would have done it."
"Oh?" The Fair Detective Beckett said. She rested her chin in her hand as she looked at the Minstrel. "Pray tell us, Richard, what manner would Tisdale have used?"
The Minstrel cast a look in the fair Detective Beckett's direction. He liked the sound of his name as she had spoken it. He could not help but smile at her. Her emerald eyes flickered with a mixture of amusement and curiosity. He knew he could easily drown in those eyes, and there was a part of him that wanted to. But remembering where he was, he enlightened the waiting detectives.
"A second passport."
"And how would he obtain one of those?" The fair Detective Beckett asked.
"With his money?" The Minstrel waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "Believe you me, on the black market it would be a mere trifling exercise."
The Minstrel watched with some amusement as he observed the fair Kate's brow furrow a little as she thought on what he had just presented. Truly it was an adorable sight to behold.
"So Tisdale departs the country on his own." The fair Detective Beckett mused allowed. "Comes back on the second passport, commits murder leaves the country and then returns on his own passport?"
Richard the Minstrel smiled as he nodded his head. "Perfect alibi, perfect murder."
"And almost impossible to prove." The fair Detective sighed.
"Unless you locate the second passport." The Minstrel pointed out.
"The man would be agitated after your meeting, I should not imagine." Detective Ryan suggested.
Resolve suddenly flooded across the fair Kate's face. She looked to Esposito who was still standing with jacket in hand.
"I want Tisdale put under observation, if he moves I want to know." The fair Detective Beckett ordered.
Detective Esposito gave a curt nod of his head and departed from the squad room. The fair Kate then turned her attention to Ryan.
"Let us excavate his financials and see what turns up."
"You shall have it, boss." Detective Ryan replied and moved away from her desk.
Richard the Minstrel scooted a little closer to the fair Detective's desk, an amused smile on his lips.
"Surely it must give you some measure of pleasure to be able to order men about, my dear detective?" He ventured.
The fair Detective Beckett cast a glance in the direction of the Minstrel. She quirked an eyebrow at him.
"I am their team leader, Minstrel. I am supposed to give them orders, give them tasks to carry out."
"Truly, not even a teeny bit?"
"It is my job."
"Not even a teeny, weeny bit, my dear detective?"
For a moment the fair Detective Beckett looked at the Minstrel with a pursed lipped smile.
"That is for me to know and for you to find out, Minstrel." the fair Detective said finally.
"I have every intention of doing so, my dear detective. Have you forgotten all ready the challenge you threw down at me?"
The fair Detective Beckett rolled her eyes but the smile remained on her face as she turned away from the Minstrel's smiling gaze. She reached for a message pad and started scribbling out a message.
"May I inquire what you are doing, my dear detective?"
"I am sending a message to Judge Markway." the fair Kate explained.
"Oh Markway, tell him from me, well met." The Minstrel excitedly.
The fair Detective Beckett paused in her writing of the message and glanced at the Minstrel.
"You know Judge Markway?"
"Indeed, we play cards from time to time." The Minstrel replied.
The fair Kate should have been surprised at this piece of news but she was not. She resumed writing the message.
"Pray tell why do you wish to see the judge, my dear detective?"
"I am going to present a search warrant for his signature."
"To search Tisdale's abode?"
"Yes."
The fair Detective Beckett finished her message, signed it and folded the sheet of paper. She called over a dispatch orderly and instructed him to deliver the letter to the judge. With that task completed the fair Kate then turned her attention to writing out the search warrant request.
While the fair Detective Beckett went about her task of filling out the search warrant Richard the Minstrel remained silent as he sat in his chair. He continued to twirl the quill in his hand but he was paying that action little notice. His attention was totally focused upon the fair detective as she did her work and verily he liked what he beheld.
"Must you sit there staring at me, Minstrel?" The fair Detective Beckett declared after some minutes had passed with the Minstrel's gaze fixed upon her.
"You are such a pleasant vision to behold, my dear detective."
The fair Detective Beckett felt her cheeks start to turn red at the compliment the Minstrel paid her.
"I'll ask you not to stare at me." She said carefully, not looking at him.
"But why, my dear detective? Do you find my gazing intimidating?"
"I find your gazing..." She paused as she searched for the right word, "...disconcerting."
"Surely not my dear detective. A vision of pulchritude such as yourself would be well used to the appreciative gazes of men I would imagine?"
The fair Detective Beckett's cheeks were burning, she found it passingly difficult to concentrate on the search warrant she was completing. He had called her beautiful and that had sent a flutter through her stomach not to mention almost incinerating her cheeks. Nervously she bit on her lower lip as she forced herself to complete the task before her. She was grateful that the Minstrel remained silent but she could feel his eyes upon her.
It was with no little relief that the fair Detective Beckett completed the search warrant. She gathered it up and placed it in her portfolio which she picked up and rose from her desk. Richard the Minstrel rose from his chair giving the fair detective a smile.
"Let us away Minstrel." The fair Detective Beckett announced as she strode out of the squad room. The Minstrel scurried hurriedly to catch up with her.
The fair Detective Beckett and Richard the Minstrel rode in a steady canter along the street on their way to pay a visit to Judge Markway. The fair detective wanted to remain silent but curiosity got the better of her.
"You know Minstrel, you promised me the tale." The fair Detective Beckett said.
"And what tale was that my dear detective?"
"The tale of how it came to be that you named your most famous literary creation after your horse."
"Oh that." The Minstrel replied in a dismissive tone.
"Indeed that."
"There is not much to tell, my dear detective."
"Truly, Minstrel that I do not believe." The fair Detective Beckett said.
Richard the Minstrel gave the fair detective a look of being so put upon. She held his his gaze waiting for him to tell his tale until he relented with a bow of his head.
"I speak truly when I say there is not much to it, my dear detective." Richard the Minstrel said. "I needed to find a heroic name for my literary creation, and all the good ones had been taken all ready, you know Sir Lancelot, Sir Galahad, Sir Percival, Sir Ivanhoe."
"I can see that would be a problem." The fair Detective Beckett agreed. "But why after your horse?"
"It was better than the alternative, Sir Fluffy." The Minstrel said with a straight face.
"Sir Fluffy?" The fair detective looked puzzled.
"Sir Fluffy, the family cat."
The fair Detective Beckett looked at the Minstrel and suddenly burst out into laughter.
"Sir Fluffy, really?"
"Well it was better than the other choice I had. Sir Butterball."
"Sir Butterball?"
The Minstrel nodded his head.
"And pray, who is Sir Butterball?" The fair Kate ventured, amusement dancing in her emerald eyes.
"My daughter's pet rabbit."
The fair Kate shot the Minstrel a look. She tried ever so hard not to laugh again, truly she did but alas, she failed miserably. She could not help the laughter that sprung from within her. She could not stop. Richard the Minstrel smiled as he watched her laughing at him. Truly he enjoyed the sound of her laughter. Truly it was music to his ears.
"And there you have it my dear detective, in a fit of desperation I took the name of my horse for my valiant knight." Richard the Minstrel said after the fair detective's laughter had died down. "You and two other people know the truth of where Sir Derrick of Storm got his name."
"Rest easy, Minstrel, your secret is safe with me." The fair Detective Beckett assured him.
The Minstrel gave a grateful nod of his head.
"Doubtless no one would believe me were I to tell this tale." She added with a grin.
Richard the Minstrel made a face at her and earned another round of laughter from the fair detective.
The municipal court house was a hive of activity, lawyers and their clients mingled with witnesses waiting anxiously to be call to the stand in some trial or another, prosecutors discussed points of evidence they were to present in the cases they were appearing in. Judges and their clerks hurried for their court rooms, armed guards slowly patrolled keeping a keen eye for any signs of disturbance.
The fair Detective Beckett, Richard the Minstrel and his honour Judge Markway were coming down the stairs. The Minstrel and the judge were engaged in conversation like a pair of long lost friends.
"I can not believe they have closed the entire floor." The Minstrel declared.
"They are completely renovating the entire floor." Judge Markway replied.
"Truly those card tables were beyond compare, and those leather armchairs were something else. When are they going to reopen it?"
The fair Detective Beckett having had to listen as the two men discussed one of their favourite clubs could control her impatience no longer once they had reached the lobby of the court house.
"Judge forgive me for breaking up this rather exciting moment between yourselves but I have an exigent situation here." the fair detective said.
"Very well, detective." The judge said as he came to a stop.
"We need a search warrant." The Minstrel announced. He caught the dark look the fair Detective Beckett shot him. "Detective Beckett needs a search warrant."
"For the home and office of Harrison of Tisdale." the fair Detective Beckett added.
Judge Markway looked at the fair Detective Beckett carefully.
"Harrison of Tisdale?" Judge Markway said. "As in Lord Jonathan of Tisdale's son?"
"The one and the same, sir."
"He vilely murdered his sister, killed two more people to cover up the crime." The Minstrel explained.
Judge Markway looked at the Minstrel and then at the fair detective.
"Murder? The Tisdales? You had best be long and straight on this one, Detective." The judge warned.
"Lord Jonathan of Tisdale is terminally ill, sir." The fair Detective Beckett said.
"What? But I just saw him at a benefit recently." Judge Markway muttered.
"I hope you took a sketch." The Minstrel quipped.
"With the sister dead, the son will inherit all of it." The fair Detective Beckett said.
A dispatch orderly came up to the fair detective and passed to her a missive. The fair Detective Beckett excused herself to read the message that had just come to her.
"There is also a twisted emotional angle to all of this." The Minstrel informed his friend the judge. "I'll tire you not with all the details suffice to say it involves family and vengeance. Very Shakespearean."
The fair Detective Beckett returned looking grim.
"Harrison of Tisdale has left his place of work." The fair detective announced.
"Doubtless he is going home to destroy the evidence." The Minstrel said excitedly.
"And you are certain you can tie him to the other victims, Detective?"
"Yes sir, through a patient of his sister's that he was trying to frame."
Judge Markway let out a long sigh. He produced a quill from within the black robe he wore and took the search warrant the fair Detective Beckett held out to him. Richard the Minstrel turned his back allowing the Judge to use him in order to affix his signature to the search warrant.
"It is days like these I long to be back in Equity division." Judge Markway intoned as he finished signing the warrant and handing it back to the fair detective.
"Thank you sir." The fair Detective Beckett said. She turned and marched for the nearest exit.
Richard the Minstrel started moving to follow the fair detective but he mimed to Judge Markway the shuffling and dealing of cards intimating they should get together soon for a game. With a nod from the judge the Minstrel smiled and quickly ran to catch up with the fair detective..."
Castle released Kate's hand and quickly to his feet. He felt a sudden and urgent need to relieve himself. Martha gave him a questioning look.
"I need to go to the toilet." He explained, trying not to look guilty. "It's all the coffee I've been drinking."
Martha nodded her head and watched her son leave the room rapidly. She let out a sigh.
"You're worried about him, aren't you?" Detective Kevin observed.
"It's a mother's role in life, dear." Martha said with a thin smile. "But I don't think he's had much sleep since he's been here."
"That's not good." Esposito said.
"No, it's not." Martha agreed. She let out another sigh. She tried to conceal her concerns for her son but found it difficult. "But he wont listen to anyone."
"He's going to crash big time." Esposito remarked, recalling his days in the Special Forces where lack of sleep was par for the course. He had seen many strong men crash completely after going days without sleep.
"Still, he seems to come alive when he's telling Beckett the story." Ryan pointed out.
"Will you look at the smile on Beckett's face, Bro." Esposito said. "Only Castle can make her smile like that."
"Always has." The Irishman added, grinning. Esposito returned the grin and nodded his head.
Martha asked the two detectives about the investigation into Beckett's shooting and was informed that both Esposito and Ryan were not a part of the investigation team as they were too close. Martha could tell that both men were deeply unhappy about that. They talked for a few more minutes until Martha checked her watch and suddenly frowned. She realised that Castle had been away for a while.
"Richard seems to be gone for a long time." She said.
"Maybe he fell asleep on the can?" Ryan quipped. Esposito gave his partner a glare chastising him for the remark he had made. "Sorry Martha."
"It's quite all right, dear." Martha smiled.
"Maybe we should go and see what's happened to him?" Ryan suggested.
"I would appreciate it."
Both detectives cast a look to the bed to their leader who lay there and saw the smile that remained on her face. Both men were heartened to see that their leader was looking a lot better since the last time they had visited. They turned and headed out of the room to find where Castle had gotten to.
Detectives Ryan and Esposito burst into the men's room on hearing the commotion coming from within to find Doctor Josh Davidson pinned up against the wall by an enraged Castle. The writer had his left hand clamped around the doctor's throat and squeezing it while he was winding up his fist.
"Castle, stand down." Esposito barked.
Castle heard the order but he made no move to obey. His fist was poised to be unleashed but he made no move. He continued to stare angrily at the doctor while every fibre of his being screamed at him to hit the doctor. Yet he still hesitated.
Esposito and Ryan looked at each other before they moved to break up the fight. Esposito managed to pull Castle off the doctor.
"I want that man arrested and charged." Josh shouted hoarsely, anger blazing in his eyes. He rubbed his bruised neck. He started to move towards the restrained Castle.
"Go ahead, Josh give me your best shot." Castle called out. Esposito was surprised by the strength in the writer as he struggled to keep him away from the doctor. "You've been itching to take a shot at me, well now's your chance man. Go ahead, take your best shot." Castle stuck out his chin in invitation to Josh to take a swing.
Josh took a step towards Castle but Ryan intercepted him with an arm across his chest and pushed him back against the wall hard. He looked to his partner.
"Get him outta here."
"Come on Castle." Esposito said as he dragged Castle out of the men's room. Castle did not resist but he continued to glare angrily at the doctor.
"I want him charged with assault." Josh demanded, once Castle and Esposito had left.
"You don't want to be doing that, dude." Ryan said.
"Oh I get it, he's a friend of yours and you lot stick together."
"It's not that man." Ryan replied as he dropped his arm and stepped back. "I don't think your girlfriend would appreciate finding out that her boyfriend had her partner charged with assault. Wouldn't go down too well, let me tell you."
"I don't care." Josh said angrily. "I want the man charged!"
Ryan looked at the doctor in disbelief and shook his head. He turned and walked over to the mirrors over the wash basins and inspected his reflection.
"I gotta tell you I'm surprised to see you still standing." Ryan said with a smirk.
"What?"
"Actually I'm surprised to find you still conscious and standing."
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm saying you're one lucky dude." Ryan saw the confused look on the Josh's face through the mirror. "Picking a fight with Castle, that was either very brave or very stupid. Either way you're one lucky dude."
"Castle?" Josh said derisively.
"Yeah, Castle." Ryan adjusted his tie slowly. "Dude let me tell you. I've seen Castle give a guy a bloody nose with the back of his head while the guy was holding a gun on him. And I've seen Castle take on a highly trained and armed assassin and beat the shit out of the guy with his bare hands. Word to the wise, dude. You don't want to be messing with Castle. Hell, I don't want to mess with him and I'm a New York Police detective and I carry a gun."
Josh snorted derisively.
"Hey believe me or don't believe me I really don't care but I have seen what I've seen, and I'm just giving you some friendly advice, okay? Going up against Castle is not a very wise move on your, part dude."
Ryan checked his tie one final time and then turned away from the mirror to look at the doctor.
"Be seeing you doctor."
"Aren't you going to charge him with assault?" Josh demanded. "I said I want him charged!"
"And what, cop hell from your pissed girlfriend? No way dude." Ryan said grinning. "Besides, what assault? I didn't see nothing and I know my partner saw nothing either. Your word against Castle's. Just be thankful you're still conscious and functioning, chalk it down to experience and move on. Like I said, be seeing you doctor."
Ryan shot a grin at Josh as he departed from the men's room.
Having removed a still agitated Castle from the bathroom Esposito decided not to escort him back to Beckett's room just yet. Instead he took him down to the hospital cafeteria to calm down. He sat him down at a table and ordered him not to move from his chair. Esposito returned with a tray bearing two cups of coffee and a plate of sandwiches. He sat down and passed over a coffee then placed the plate of sandwiches in front of Castle.
"Eat." Esposito said.
"I'm not hungry." Castle said in a low voice.
"When was the last time you ate, Bro?"
Castle could only shrug his shoulders in response. He could not remember when he had last eaten.
"Eat." Esposito said in a commanding voice.
Castle glared across the table to the detective but he was met with an equally powerful glare in return. Castle reached for a sandwich and took a bite from it.
"You should have let me hit him." Castle said as he chewed.
"What? And catch all manner of hell from Beckett?" Esposito exclaimed. "No way bro."
"You should have let me hit him." Castle repeated.
"Consider it as I was saving your sorry ass from Beckett's wrath."
Castle was about to take another bite of the sandwich when he paused and looked over to Esposito. He thought over what Esposito had said. Slowly a smile came to his face and he nodded his head. If Beckett learned that he and Josh had come to blows she would have been very upset with him.
"Thanks, Javier." He said after a moment.
"Anytime, bro."
As they sat at the table Espsito managed to find out what had gone down in the men's room. Castle had emerged from a cubicle only to find Josh there. Words were exchanged, one thing led to another until the two detectives found Josh pinned up against the wall and his throat being squeezed. While Castle had been relating what had happened Esposito received a text message. Castle looked over anxiously and was almost ready to jump from his seat.
"Relax Castle, it's only Ryan wanting to know where we are." Esposito explained. He sent a return message.
"Sandwich finished." Castle announced.
"Now drink your coffee." Esposito nodded to Castle's untouched coffee.
"I can take it with us."
"Have it here."
Castle reached for the coffee and took a sip from it.
"If there was something up with Beckett I would tell you, bro." Esposito added.
The two men talked about the investigation with Esposito relating to the writer all that he knew that had been discovered with the bottom line being that the shooter had not been found yet.
Castle rushed into the room and took up his seat.
"Richard are you all right?" Martha inquired.
Castle turned to look at his mother and found her smiling at him. There was no trace of the concern that he had seen on her face earlier. Ryan as well seemed to be grinning a little more. It did not escape his notice that Ryan and Esposito exchanged a secret look but which made Esposito break out in a grin. Normally he would have questioned this but his brain was not functioning all that well from lack of sleep so he did not think much of it.
"Never better, mother." Castle declared smiling.
"I'm relieved to hear it, darling."
He turned to look at Kate and saw the smile on her face. If he was not mistaken it seemed to him that it was bigger than it had been before. All the same it brought a smile to his own face. He reached over and retrieved her hand and once again stroked the back of her hand. Her hand felt a little warmer than it had been previously.
"Well Kate, we have reached the part of the story where the redoubtable and most fair Detective Kate Beckett and the ruggedly handsome Richard the Minstrel finally confront the real murderer of Alison of Tisdale..."
Dear reader as always your thoughts would be greatly be appreciated by the minstrel.
Con