The next morning after some great wake up sex Rick leaves the bedroom. It is the night of the Dinner Party. Henry and Abe are coming over…Henry is bringing a plus one which has Rick intrigued. Rick is in the kitchen readying breakfast.
Alexis comes bounding down stairs.
"Good Morning Dad…" She says. "Have you heard any Irish Shanty's lately?"
"Alexis not so loud…So you heard that huh…?" Rick says pouring coffee in his cup.
"Yeah Dad I'm glad I was up studying when you got poured in the loft. I doubt the people in Brooklyn liked your off key singing though." Alexis quipped.
"Alexis I was not that bad…Was I?" Rick asks as he starts to plate up breakfast.
Alexis stares at him as well as his wife does. Rick recoils.
At this minute Kate refreshed from the shower appears as so does Martha entering the loft.
Kate kisses her husband the graciously accepts the coffee mug and the plate in front of her.
Martha gets her calming tea out. Rick barely acknowledges the older woman. She just waves to the assembled group.
"Mother, before you go…Are you going to attend tonight's dinner party?" Rick asks.
"Oh Richard is it that tonight? I'm so sorry I will be engaged somewhere else." Martha says with a small smile.
"That is ok I am just trying to determine portion sizes. I believe we should have braised beef wellington or maybe the lamb?" Rick asks the assembled.
"Dad either are wonderful…Unfortunately, I have a study group…I know I'm supposed to be on vacation but Finals are in two weeks…I can not let the other's down. Besides, tomorrow is shopping for Thanksgivings. I can not possible study at that time." Alexis says.
"Oh so you are out then?" Rick asks.
"Maybe Rick you could hold a portion back for either Alexis or Martha?" Kate asks.
"Yeah Kate, you have all sorts of wonderful ideas." Rick says as they kiss.
"Kid in room…! I have to go… Byyeee…!" Alexis says bolting from the room then out of the loft.
Rick looks at Kate a bit bemused.
"Look Rick as much as I love staying in this position. The precinct will not run itself. I will see you later?" Kate says kissing him one last time as she exits with her morning coffee at the ready.
"Yes Kate much later…I am going to do some writing." Rick says kissing her one last time.
\\\\\
Espo is first in the precinct. He notices the other married pair was late. He gets to thinking about Henry the actor Rick believes is dirty. Espo secretly took the man's fingerprints. He has shipped them off to a friend to check in several federal data bases. He is hoping that his friend might have something later for him.
Espo busily makes coffee then sits quietly as he reviews the people involved in this bizarre murder. Espo looks at the picture of Lance DeLorca on the Murder board. This poor guy gets cancer, cures it…gets reunited with his Son…Then gets cancer again. Espo reads over Henry's very thorough ME report. Polonium 210…Never large amounts leaks into the blood stream. Henry surmises it is the cause of the cancer first appearing…Then allowing it to reappear. The age of the pellet is about 30 years old.
Espo eyes the cause of death. It is the fight. Bone cancer is well advanced. The bones would shatter on impact. This guy is unbelievably brave…He must have known that this would be his last fight. Espo looks up as he spots Sully and Ryan sulking in late.
"You know guys this shift starts at 8?" Espo asks.
"Yeah Bro I know it is Sarah Grace is fussy this morning I'm so sorry I am late…So anything happening?" Ryan asks.
"Well the ME report has come in…It looks like anyone of the thugs could be the killer or all of them. You should take a look." Espo says.
Sully shuffles toward his seat hoping Espo would not spot him.
"Hold it right there Sully… I know why Ryan is late but why are you?" Espo asks the slovenly detective.
"Well Boss I tripped getting dressed and I had to be checked out at the hospital. Here is my doctor's note." Sully says limping.
"You twisted your ankle?" Espo says as he read the note.
"Yeah, I tripped over the cat…I'm on light duty for at least 3 days." Sully says apologetically.
"Ok Sully you are desk bound…I will inform the Captain." Espo says as Kate enters the bullpen then sets up her office.
Espo watches then as soon as she is settled he rises then knocks on her door.
"Enter Espo what do you have for me?" Kate asks.
"Well Captain…Sully has a sprained ankle…He is desked for 3 days. I'll need someone to run with Ryan…Would it be possible for Hastings?" He asks.
"Yeah, I'll get Hastings assigned to your team…Is there anything else?" Kate asks.
"Well…Where is Castle?" Espo asks.
"Rick is writing today…of course it maybe an excuse to deal with the hang over. He and his idols sure tied one on last night…I could not get him to quit singing at the top of his lungs." Kate complains.
"Ah trouble in paradise…" Espo quips.
"Ok Espo enough…Is there anything else?" Kate asks.
"Well I don't believe that story the club owner says. Rick and I interviewed him and something is off. I took his fingerprints and having a friend run them. It might be nothing or something…I will be in touch, Captain" Espo says.
Kate waves Espo off. She busily calls the watch commander then orders Hastings upstairs.
\\\\\
As soon as the loft is clear Rick gets out the package. The rest of the team has appeared.
"Ok I transcribed the chip you guys got to hear this." Rick says as he plays the recording.
"So DeLorca you are on to me after all these years" Henry Allen is heard to say.
"Yeah Alfonso…Yes I know you are Cuban Intelligence…I want you to release my son…Here is the 220 K to buy out his contract. I do not want him to be sullied by person like you." DeLorca says.
DeLorca…" Henry says as the snapping of a briefcase is heard along with a movement of bundles of money.
"Alfonso the amount agreed upon is all there. I expect you to hold up your part of the deal. Remember I know about the Congo!" DeLorca warns.
"Lance the Congo that is over 30 years ago…Nobody cares that some doctors went missing…It is ancient history…Get over it…It is just the cost of war. The Cold War ended…Cuba is going to get normalized relations with the US. Face it nothing you are able do will upset that…Now our business is concluded…Get out." Henry Allen says.
After DeLorca leaves there is a bit of lag before Henry Allen is back on the phone.
"You need to do this tonight…The shipment is coming in at dock 13. There has been police sniffing about…Do the reversal…I expect payment tomorrow." Henry says.
A bit later in the recording another phone call is heard.
"So you have recruited the crew? Good…Do it at the theater…Ok call me when it is over…" Henry Allen says.
Rick looks wide eyed at the assembled group.
"So he ordered Lance's death?" Brock manages to speak.
"It sure sounds like it." Rick responds. Look Guys…I appreciate your help…I thought you might like to know what your help was doing…I'll handle this."
The rest of the group agrees then departs the loft. There is a maintenance man watching the group exit. Once they were all gone he slips unnoticed into the loft.
Rick sees him then motions to him to follow him back to the secret room.
Once inside Rick Dad reveals himself.
"So DeLorca has the goods on Alfonso Reyes" He asks.
"Dad, have you bugged my apt?" Rick asks.
"Not really but next time you should sweep your guests." He says.
"What is this part about the Congo Dad? Were you there?" Rick asks.
"I was…I was a good operative…Those doctors would have saved the world…Too bad Lance and I was late. The doctors were exterminated by the rebel commander named Alfonso Reyes. It was the Cold War. Their discovery could not afford to get out. So the clinic was razed and all the doctors were killed. DeLorca and his Boss along with I and my team entered the area afterward. It was a messy massacre real War Crimes stuff." Rick's dad says.
"What is this about Cuba getting normalized relations?" Rick asks.
"Well if this information slips out that a Member of Cuban Intelligence participated in a war crime massacre of unarmed doctors and covered it up…How do you think that normalization will go?" Rick's dad asks.
"So that is the reason for this tasks force…I was in the Congo…Dad…I must have been there at Lance's invitation…Now I know why I was drugged…Politics!" Rick says.
Rick's Dad looks at his son with such understanding eyes.
"Son, you can never let them even think you know anything…This normalization process will happen. Anyone mentioning anything to derail it will be killed. That includes family members too. Lance should be a warning…Give me the original chip…I will make sure NYPD gets this murderer." Rick Dad says.
"What about this disease released on the subway is that part of this too?" Rick asks.
"Yes…It is part of the problem those dead doctors were working upon before they were massacred. This is also lays at the feet of the Cubans. Rick you knowing this makes you even a bigger target. However, I think I know a way to get them off you…" Rick's dad says as he disappears again down the stairs.
Rick collects himself then exits the room. He spends some time writing about Rook and Nikki. Soon it is time to get dinner started.
\\\\\
Espo gets a call back from his friend.
"Yeah I got it…Great thanks Bro I owe you one…" Espo says.
Espo gets up then walks up to the Captain's door. The Feds have arrived again.
Espo looks at Sully.
"They just arrived a few minutes after you were on the phone." Sully says with a shrug.
Espo acknowledge the shrug then knocks at the door.
"Come in Detective…" Kate says.
Espo enters then greets the other feds.
"Look Espo we have the owner of the club confessing to ordering the murder of Lance DeLorca. Bring him in discretely…He is armed and dangerous. If he resists then do whatever you need to do to keep your men safe." Kate says.
Espo nods to the feds then exits. The feds work on a plan to catch the supplier of both the virus and drugs,
\\\\\
Espo takes Ryan and Hastings along with ESU. They storm the building. They recover the 220 grand Lance paid…They had pictures of the participants involved in that fight courtesy of Tori. They arrest the group by their pictures. They all were in the attack that killed DeLorca. There is no Alfonso Reyes. Over all they were successful. They drag all the scumbags back to the precinct for processing.
Meanwhile, another raid is successfully being done by the taskforce. Reyes is running away. The feds notice but stand down. They got the viruses and the drugs. Reyes gets about fifty feet when he trips then impales himself on a piece of rebar sticking out of the wharf. Reyes is dead.
However, a bullet wound is the reason for the trip in the first place. Reyes could not be allowed to talk. It would endanger Rick and his family. That would not be acceptable. So Rick's Dad took the shot perfectly. The thrust of the rebar obliterated the gun shot wound. Rick's Dad pulls the Union Longshoreman cap over his eyes as he blends into the assembled crowds of longshoremen sporting the same hat.