Disclaimer: Castle and its characters are not mine but ABC's.
The Farmer's Tavern – Downtown Otisville
Kate springs from her cruiser with a single purpose in mind, not taking any notice of whether or not Kent is following her. They had been on their way back from interviewing Sheriff Hogan and Sherrie Roggenkamp when they'd received a disturbing call from Esposito. He'd told them that there had been some trouble at the bar where Castle and Ryan had gone to pick up Jimmy Southwick. The bar owner had called 911 for some Sheriff's Deputies and an ambulance to attend due to a disturbance at his business.
Esposito said that he'd tried calling Ryan on his cell but it had gone to voicemail so he and Kaminski were on their way to the bar with a couple of Deputies. The fact the man asked for an ambulance had Kate immediately change their destination from the Sheriff's station to the bar. Kate and Kent hadn't been far away at the time of the call so rather than trying to call Castle she flipped on the LED strobes and the siren and put her foot down. So it is that less than ten minutes later she has stopped her car next to the ambulance in front of the average looking bar and is hurrying towards its entrance.
This always happens, she thinks, the minute one of them is out of sight of the other they get into trouble. She's really starting to rethink the idea of anyone but her being her husband's work partner.
Just as she pushes her way into the dimly lit bar she almost runs into four men, one of them she recognises as Jimmy Southwick, being led out in cuffs by a couple of Deputies, Kaminski and Ryan. Kate steps to one side and puts her hands on her hips as studies each of the prisoners as they pass her. She is very interested to notice that each of the admittedly large, young and fit looking men are sporting injuries of some degree. Bruises, black eyes and cuts that look to have received some first aid. As the last one, Southwick, passes her being pushed out by Ryan the detective she sees is looking a bit dishevelled with his normally dapper appearance marred by a ripped sleave on his jacket, crooked tie, mussed hair and the beginning of a bruise on one cheek of his face.
When the detective in question passes her he gives her an apologetic shrug of his shoulders and indicates with his head towards the back of the bar. Looking where he indicates she sees the concerning sight of Castle sitting in a booth with a paramedic standing over him tending to some injury on his head. With ever increasing apprehension she stalks over towards where her husband is, passing Esposito as he interviews the bar owner as she does so.
Over her shoulder she tells the trailing Kent, "Give Esposito a hand taking statements, Kent." She then continues on not waiting for any acknowledgment from the Detective Sergeant.
As she approaches where Castle is being tended to she hears the paramedic say, "Ok, Detective, just keep that ice pack on the back of your head and that should help with the pain and swelling. Now, I think you should come down to the hospital with us so that they can run some tests to make sure you haven't suffered a concussion."
"Uh, no thanks. I'm fine. It's just a small bump on my head. There's no need for me to go to the hospital," she hears with relief the steady voice of Castle counter just as she steps up next to the paramedic.
"I think you should do as the man says, Castle," says Kate as she looks down at him her gaze roaming over his body looking for whatever damage he has sustained. Like Ryan he is looking a bit mussed up. The collar of the maroon button down he is wearing has been stretched. His brown hair, that isn't covered by the ice pack he is holding to the back of his head, is sticking up in all directions and there is small cut above one eyebrow covered with a butterfly bandage.
A small smile graces his lips at the sight of her but a pleading look comes across his eyes as he almost whines in response, "But, Kate, as I told this young man here, I'm fine. It's just a couple minor bumps and scrapes that have already been ably treated by him. There's no need for me to go to the hospital."
"Can you give us a minute?" she asks of the young paramedic over her shoulder. The blond haired man nods his acceptance, gathers up his bag of equipment and medical supplies and gives the couple some space.
Once the paramedic has walked away Kate uncrosses her arms, steps up to Castle and reaches up to raise the ice pack from the back of his head so that she can look at his injury for herself. After she has seen the red bump that is noticeable through his thick hair, but is thankful that the skin isn't broken, she pushes his hand with the ice pack back into place. She then takes his face in both hands and turns his head from side to side inspecting the cut above his eye and looking for any further damage.
"What happened, Babe?" she asks him tenderly now that they are alone.
He can obviously read her concern because he gives her a wry grin as he tells her in a reassuring tone, "Ryan and I had it under control. We'd arrested Jimmy because he took a swing at Ryan and I had convinced two of his buddies not to interfere when, unbeknownst to us, one of his friends returned from the restroom. He decided to introduce my head to an empty beer bottle and, you know what, I really did see stars for a moment. Anyway, that gave the two guys I was covering the excuse to try and jump Ryan to release Jimmy. They got a few hits in on the both of us before we were able to get the upper hand. By the time Espo, Kaminski and the deputies arrived it was all over."
"Why'd Jimmy take a swing at Ryan?" she asks.
"It was the beer in Jimmy that tried to punch Ryan but I also think that there is just a bit of his father's bullying nature in young Mr Southwick. After that his friends decided it might be a good idea to try and get their own hits in on some cops. I had to introduce them to the business end of my Asp to show them the error of their ways as did Ryan with his fists," Castle winces a little as the movement of his head has the ice pack moving over obviously now tender spot at the back of his head.
Kate looks into his eyes and says quietly, "I'm glad you're ok."
She then takes one hand from where it is cupping his cheek and flicks his ear to which he yells an indignant, "Hey!"
"And that's for arguing with the paramedic about getting checked for a concussion," she tells him seriously. In a tone that will book no argument she continues, "You are going to go to the hospital and get that thick head of yours examined even if I have to drive you there myself. Have I made myself clear, buster?"
Sheepishly he ducks his gaze as he replies, "Yes, ma'am."
Kate immediately rubs her hand soothingly over the ear she just attacked and returns to her tender tone, "Next time watch your six, Castle. You and Ryan could have been seriously hurt and I don't think I could handle it if that happened."
"Same thing for me whenever you go into a dangerous situation, Kate. Why do you think I refused to stay in the car for all those years," he tells her in understanding and sympathy.
She gives an amused huff at that as she teases, "And here's me thinking that you just couldn't stand being left out of the action."
"No," Castle shakes his head seriously. "Even before I got my star I was your partner, Kate. I had to have your back because I couldn't stand the thought of something bad happening to you. And you know with my imagination the bad things I could come up with would make this little bar brawl look like a sewing circle in comparison."
"Yeah, I know and you always had my back and always will just as I have yours," she tells him just as seriously. "But because I have your back and speaking as your partner, Captain and wife I insist you come with me to get your head examined."
Castle nods in acceptance but then gives her a cheeky look as he says, "Yes, Kate. Though I could pull a Sheldon and say my mother already had me tested and I'm fine."
"You need your head examined for trauma, Doctor Cooper. I already know you're crazy," she banters back.
"Ohh, you wound me, Kate. Even more so than those Neanderthals did," he responds dramatically.
"Come on, Castle. Come with me to the hospital otherwise I'll reconsider the 'special' treatment of your injuries I was going to give you at the motel tonight," she tells him with just a hint of sauciness.
She is amused to see Castle almost leap from his seat at that but that is soon replaced with the reappearance of her concern as he winces and holds his free arm across his ribs.
"Took a couple of shots to the ribs," he tells her in response to her worried look.
"Which is yet another reason why you are coming with me to the hospital," she reiterates firmly.
"Ok. Just as long as I get your tender care tonight," he responds with a typical suggestive eyebrow wiggle.
Kate moves to his side, grips his free arm and rises on her toes so that she can whisper straight into his ear, "Oh, I think I can promise that you'll receive the full benefit of my healing hands tonight, Castle."
Interrogation Room, Otisville Sheriff Station – next morning
Kevin Ryan follows his Captain into the interrogation room to join the waiting Jimmy Southwick. As arresting officer it is his right to interrogate Jimmy but he knew, after what happened at the bar yesterday, that there was no way Beckett would be stopped from putting the screws to their suspect.
She'd sent them all to their motel rooms after she returned from the hospital where Castle had been checked out after being hit on the head during their brief scuffle while pulling in Jimmy. He checked out OK apparently but that didn't seem to lessen the angry look that Beckett was giving the man seated at the table as she walked towards him.
He has to admit that one of the slight misgivings he had about Castle becoming an Auxiliary Detective was that as a result the writer would become even more exposed to possible harm. As both Castle's friend and Beckett's friend and subordinate he felt a responsibility to make sure nothing happened to the author. Now that they are married and after seeing how shattered she was when Castle disappeared last year, even before that, he dreads something happening to Castle on the job for all their sakes. Despite Castle's proven ability to look after himself both he and Javi had made a pact to try and ensure that they have Castle's back in the field. For both him and for Beckett.
It was therefore with shock that he'd watched as Castle had been struck on the back of the head with that beer bottle by that buddy of Jimmy's that had come out of nowhere. Then with relief he'd seen that while Castle had been dazed for a moment he'd kept his feet and been able to use his recently acquired baton training to help Ryan subdue Jimmy's drunk and violent friends.
Yet, Ryan still dreads the day that he may have to tell Beckett that Castle has been seriously hurt or even, heaven forbid, killed while on the job. Just as he's had the same dread about telling Castle something similar about Beckett or Lanie about Javi and as he has no doubt that Beckett and Javi have the same fears about telling Jenny something similar about him.
Here he is taking his seat next to Beckett and he looks over at the thin young man before sidling a glance at the woman next to him. Now he has to try and keep another pact that he and Javi had made, to try, and they mean try, to control Beckett with a suspect after Castle has been hurt.
He again remembers from the time Castle disappeared what happened with the suspect at that junk yard both before and after. The fury in Beckett at the seeming loss of Castle had allowed her to take down a guy that was at least three times her weight with a tackle that any NFL player would be proud of. So much so Javi even joked later that they should try and get Beckett to play in the NYPD flag football league and do a whole 'Blind Side' thing to motivate her to tackle the opposition. That wasn't going to work, of course, because besides tackling not being allowed the last thing they want is for Beckett to cripple everyone on the opposing team.
But the real reason he is eyeing Beckett carefully is what she tried to do with that same suspect back at the 12th. The 'pressure' she tried putting on the guy came close to something that would get her in serious trouble, maybe even lose her her job and she had wanted to do even more if Javi hadn't stopped her. He and Javi can understand of course. Each of them have had thoughts about what they would do to a suspect that had hurt someone close to them. Hell, they would probably have to lock him up to stop him going at someone if they hurt Jenny or Sarah Grace.
So he is going to 'try' and keep Beckett from doing something that will jeopardize her brand new command and her career as a whole because Castle and himself had been hurt. Because he has no doubt that Beckett also feels responsible for everyone under her command and is mad if one of them gets hurt just maybe as mad if it is Castle. At least Jimmy here had been cuffed during the whole altercation at the bar so he wasn't directly involved but he could still be held responsible as he started it by trying to take a swing at him.
"So, Jimmy, like starting bar fights do you?" asks Beckett sarcastically.
"What can I say? I thought two pretty boys could do with some mussing up," counters Jimmy just as sarcastically with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Yeah, well that attitude is going to ensure you some time in county lock up," Ryan tells him pleased as he is one of the 'pretty boys' that Jimmy decided needed mussing up.
"Not to mention that you can probably kiss your nice little security guard gig up at WayTech goodbye," adds Beckett turning up the pressure on the smug young man in front of them.
It are those words of him losing his job that seem to break Jimmy Southwick's smugness as the slight grin on his face drops and he doesn't give them a comeback in return.
"Then again, you got that nice little bonus of ten grand recently so you're probably not too worried about that, are you, Jimmy?" asks Ryan pointedly slapping a copy of his bank statement down onto the table in front of him.
Ryan is pleased to see Jimmy's eyes go wide at the mention of his recent windfall and the evidence of it that is in black and white in front of him.
"That's none of your business. You have no right to look into my bank account," responds Jimmy angrily starting to show again the temper that he showed at the bar that resulted in him being where he is sitting now.
"This is a murder investigation, Jimmy," counters Beckett quickly to slap him back down. "We'll look at anyone that we decide is relevant to this investigation. Don't worry, we got a warrant and even if we didn't that amount was reported to the IRS by your bank so you were going to have to explain it anyway. So why don't you tell us where you got the ten grand from and for what?"
"Was it from your bosses at WayTech to 'take care' of Arty Roggenkamp? Is that why you aren't worried about your job? Because you've done some valuable work for them so you're sure they won't cut you loose after this," proposes Ryan quickly.
Jimmy rocks back in his seat and his anger has evaporated to be replaced by nervousness, "I didn't kill old man Roggenkamp. I won that money playing on-line fantasy football."
"Oh, really Jimmy. You must be good. What was the site and when did you win?" presses Ryan with the disbelief plain in his voice.
Jimmy, still obviously nervous, shrugs his shoulders as he almost mumbles, "I don't remember."
"You don't remember!" exclaims Beckett in just as much disbelief that Ryan is feeling. "Come on, Jimmy. Surely you can remember the name of the site and the game that won you a whole ten thousand dollars?"
"Yeah, well I don't," replies Jimmy who despite his nervousness must be deciding to be stubborn.
Ryan shares a disbelieving glance with Beckett before they turn back to their suspect. Ryan is relieved that Beckett seems to be keeping her calm towards Jimmy. It looks like to him that she is just going to try to nail Jimmy for the murder and not attempt to take more physical revenge on him for his part in Castle and him being roughed up.
"That's not going to wash with the IRS, Jimmy, and it's not going to wash with us. So I think you should really try to remember where that money came from because all it does is make you look suspicious," suggests Ryan.
"How about you tell us where you were between 8pm and 10pm then night before last and try and alleviate that suspicion?" asks Beckett.
Jimmy pauses for a moment before answering with seeming confidence, "I was at home with my folks."
"And you were there the whole time? Didn't go out at all for a quick drive over to the Roggenkamp's old barn by any chance?" Ryan asks him.
Jimmy shakes his head vigorously in denial, "No, had dinner and watched TV with my Mom and Dad until I went to bed."
There is a pause as they seemingly take in Jimmy's story. Then Beckett places another sheet of paper in front of Jimmy, "This is a copy of your cell phone records. Don't worry we got a warrant for this too. I've highlighted some calls from an unregistered number to your phone over the last two weeks. Who were you speaking to?"
"No one, they were wrong numbers. Some idiot got my number mixed up with a friend of theirs and they keep ringing me because they're too dumb to change the number in the contacts," supplies Jimmy.
"But a couple of these calls are for over five minutes. Those are pretty long for wrong numbers?" counters Beckett pointing at a couple of the highlighted calls on the paper.
Jimmy takes a moment to look at the calls Beckett is indicating before clearing his throat to reply, "Yeah, well that might have been the times I yelled at the guy to stop calling me."
"Really, that's the story you're going with," Beckett gives him incredulously.
"Yep!" responds Jimmy but Ryan can tell he is nervous at giving such an unconvincing answer.
"You know Jimmy, one of my team tried calling that number but it's out of service now so, conveniently for you, there is no way to deny or confirm your story. For now," Beckett tells him.
Time for the next piece to try and get Jimmy to admit something, thinks Ryan, as he asks, "Jimmy, I understand from your supervisor that you are allowed the use of a WayTech vehicle," Ryan pauses as he looks at his notebook. "A GM SUV registration Kilo Foxtrot Yankee 572, to get to and from work. Is that correct?"
Jimmy nods as he replies, "Yes, that's right."
"And you drove that SUV home on the night of Arty Roggenkamp's murder? In fact I saw it parked in your family's barn when I spoke to your mom and dad yesterday so you must have," adds Beckett.
"Uh, yes that's right," replies Jimmy again obviously not sure where they are going with this.
"In fact that same SUV was parked outside the bar waiting for you to drive home. Though if that was your intention after the number of drinks you had then we might have to add an attempted DUI to your charges," supplies Beckett with a glare at the young man. Ryan has to stifle a grin because he knows Beckett is just playing with Jimmy because there is no way they could make such a charge stick.
"I hadn't had that much to drink," protests Jimmy.
"That aside Jimmy. Have you ever driven that SUV onto the Roggenkamp farm? Near the old barn where Mr Roggenkamp's body was found, perhaps?" asks Ryan getting back to what they really want to talk about.
"No….no I haven't," responds Jimmy carefully.
"Hmm that's interesting, because CSU have identified tyre tracks near that barn that come from a couple of GM SUVs just like yours. It isn't from any of the Roggenkamp's vehicles, they have Fords. So if you're so sure you haven't driven near that barn you won't mind if we have your truck brought in so that CSU can check you tyres with the tracks recorded at the crime scene. Due to wear tyre tracks are like fingerprints, no two are alike, so we should easily be able to tell if your SUV was one of those that was at the Roggenkamp's barn," Ryan tells him seriously.
Jimmy's eyes go wide again and Ryan can tell that the young man doesn't play poker or if he does he has a terrible poker face.
Beckett pounces on the expression quickly, "What's the matter, Jimmy. Just remembered you did drive near the barn in question after all?"
Jimmy shakes his head vigorously in denial, "No…I didn't….but I may have loaned the truck to someone."
"Who?" Ryan fires at him.
"I….I can't say," responds Jimmy nervously.
"Was it one of your parents? Your father perhaps? We know about the old family feud. Did your dad ask to borrow your truck last night so that he could drive over to the Roggenkamp's to get even for all they've done wrong to your family?" proposes Beckett.
"No! It wasn't my dad," denies Jimmy vehemently.
"So who was it, Jimmy?" pushes Ryan forcefully.
There is a long pause with Jimmy's head bowed as he studies the top of the table in front of him, avoiding the eyes of those across from him.
Eventually he raises his head and says defiantly, "I'm not saying any more. I want a lawyer."
Ryan looks at Beckett and he sees triumph and frustration both in her expression and that mirrors his own feelings. Frustrated at Jimmy shutting the interview down for now with his demand for legal representation. However, the fact that he has asked for it at this stage and because of the lack of satisfactory answers he has given to their questions it is looking like Jimmy Southwick has something to do with their case. Perhaps a lot to do with it.
Sally's Diner – across the street from the Otisville Sheriff's station
Special Agent Alice Douglas walks into the diner and looks at the menu board behind the long counter. Seeing that they have what she wants she walks over to the counter to make her order. With the Captain and Detective Ryan interviewing Jimmy Southwick while Castle, Gibson and Esposito looked on she'd left Kaminski and Kent looking through bank and phone records and had left to go and get everyone some pastries to go with their morning coffees. Luckily for her that it looks like this diner also produces an assortment of pastries and muffins as well as the usual diner fare. She decided to do this herself as a way of trying to break the ice with her new team.
She realises that her introduction to the taskforce, Captain Beckett and Richard Castle in particular, has been less than ideal. That coupled with having to relay that unpopular message from DC yesterday has put her on the wrong foot with the rest of the team. She's also astute enough to acknowledge that her own attitude could be better. She's still holding some residual resentment at being chosen for this detail and she realises she's let that show though with a slightly condescending attitude when she met Castle particularly.
Douglas reaches the counter and gives the middle aged waitress her order. Sitting down on one of the stools there to wait she accepts the offer of coffee while she does so and returns to her thoughts.
She's here now. A part of this taskforce now so she's just got to make the best of it. It's no good for her career if she can't make this work. A regular part of an FBI agent's job is liaising with local LEOs and it won't look good if she can't get along with the members of a multi-jurisdictional taskforce like this. Not if she wants to realise her goal of working for the BAU someday.
It's just on paper, and she gives a little snort to herself at the pun, she wouldn't have thought working with Richard Castle and his notorious wife would be the type of LEOs that she would ever have to interact with. Oh, she now knows about the connection between the couple and SSA Shaw after their talk and some discreet questioning of her partner, Agent Avery. And as successful as the pair seem to be at dealing with killers, even serial killers, Douglas still can't quite see why Shaw insisted she join this taskforce.
The rest of the team seem competent enough, even the relatively inexperienced Gibson, but she's not sure what she could possibly learn from them that she couldn't learn working cases at the BAU. Douglas knows that she is a relatively new agent but she still thinks that her training and brief experience already with the bureau puts her ahead of your average member of law enforcement.
She sighs as she takes a sip of the black coffee the smiling waitress placed in front of her. Still she's got to make an effort to fit in otherwise Captain Beckett-Castle will request her transfer off the taskforce and that would be a black mark on her record she could ill afford if she wants to join the BAU.
"Are you Special Agent Douglas?" comes a voice suddenly from the man who has just taken the stool to her left, dragging her from her thoughts.
She looks over warily at the man dropping her right arm from the counter top to hang at her side so that she can get at her weapon quickly if needed. Nobody should know who she is, let alone that she is here so she is immediately suspicious of the black suited, mid-thirties man with close cropped black hair who has addressed her.
"Perhaps," she responds cautiously. "And you are?"
The man holds up an ID folder, "Simon Taylor, DOD. I understand your Deputy Director has already been in contact with you regarding WayTech Industries. He asked that you tell your taskforce leader to back off from investigating WayTech and yet apparently that at this moment a WayTech employee has just been arrested by your taskforce. Also, your taskforce is looking into WayTech's financial, phone and employee records. That can't happen, Agent. WayTech's work for our country can't be interrupted by some local murder investigation."
"Look, Mr Taylor, I passed the message onto the Captain and she ignored it. Frankly I don't want to get in the middle of this. If you object with the taskforce's interest in WayTech I suggest you take it up with Captain Beckett-Castle directly and good luck to you. You're going to need it," she ends under her breath.
"We at the DOD know about Captain Beckett-Castle and in particular her husband and we don't want him tweeting about our involvement with WayTech for all the world to see. We were hoping you could be a back channel for us so that we can keep track of the investigation and ensure that there are no misunderstandings or sensitive areas breeched," the man says smoothly to her.
Douglas feels distinctly uneasy at the man's proposal. Here she was just thinking of how she could better fit in with her new team and this guy comes along and asks her to spy on them. There's no way the team would trust her if she did that. Plus she doesn't like some Department of Defence spook telling her, an FBI agent, what to do. He must think she's really green to go along with that.
"I don't think that's proper procedure or ethical so there's no way I'm going to let you use me to be your mole in the taskforce and there is no way you can order me to do so," Douglas tells him firmly.
Taylor looks at her surprised before narrowing his eyes and looking at her with far less charm than he was a moment ago, "You could do your career a lot of good if you cooperated with us, Agent Douglas."
"That's Special Agent Douglas to you Mr Taylor and I'd be careful what you say otherwise I might have to arrest you for trying to bring undue influence upon a federal agent and for obstructing a murder investigation," she counters coolly back at him.
Despite her outwardly calm demeanour her heart is racing at being in such a situation. As career oriented as she is she still knows loyalty and proper ethics and what this man is proposing is so far outside her own personal tenants regarding those values that she has no hesitation in turning him down. She knows that sometimes a career in the FBI has these political minefields come up from time to time but she's not about to throw away her position on the taskforce by betraying it at this man's say so. If she got an order to do so form her superiors in DC she might consider it and it would have to be in the interests of justice before she would do so.
As if reading her thoughts Taylor counters, "I could just contact your Deputy Director and have him order you to cooperate with us."
"And I could contact a friend at the New York Ledger and tell him about federal interference in a multi-state taskforce's investigation," comes the cheerful voice of Richard Castle from behind them.
Both Douglas and Taylor swivel on their stools to see the grinning author come Auxiliary Detective standing there. The man is almost bouncing on his feet at having come across this situation and, after what she assumes was a good night's sleep, he looks no worse for wear after his fight while bringing in Jimmy Southwick.
Douglas looks over at Taylor and sees an angry look cover his face as he responds indignantly, "You are mistaken, Mister Castle, I was just offering some advice to Special Agent Douglas here. There was no mention of interference."
"Funny, because that's exactly what I thought you were doing when you asked her to be your eyes and ears in our investigation. Perhaps you'd like to come across to the Sheriff's Station and discuss this with my wife more directly. I'm sure she'll give you as much cooperation as you deserve," Castle suggests with faux politeness.
Taylor rises from his seat and looks angrily between them before responding with his own fake pleasantness, "Perhaps later, Mister Castle. For now I have some urgent matters of national security to deal with elsewhere so if you'll excuse me. But rest assured you will be hearing for us."
With that the man strides quickly out of the diner and Castle gets in the final words as he passes, "Looking forward to it."
Castle then sits in the stool that Taylor just vacated and looks pleasantly at Douglas, "Well done turning that guy down, Douglas."
"Uh…thanks, Castle," she replies still a little surprised at the man's sudden appearance. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, don't worry I wasn't following you. At least I wasn't following you to eavesdrop on your very interesting conversation with our man in black there. No, Jimmy Southwick's asked for a lawyer so we're waiting for them to show up. I heard you'd come here to get everyone something to eat so I thought I'd give you a hand. Suppling food to hungry detectives is sort of my thing," he tells her with a conspiring aside at the end.
"I wasn't going to spy on the taskforce for him," she asserts to him earnestly. If he doesn't believe her he'll tell his wife and she'll be sent back to DC with her tail between her legs. All for trying to do the right thing.
"Oh, I believe you, Douglas. I heard enough of the conversation to know that you didn't like the man's suggestion one bit," he pauses as he looks at her appraisingly. "I now see what Jordan sees in you. I think you might just fit in with us after all."
Douglas is again surprised, this time that Jordan Shaw had spoken positively to Castle and, she can also assume, the Captain about her. Before she can respond to this several large brown paper bags are placed on the counter between her and Castle.
"There's your order, hun," says the waitress.
Before she move Castle has taken a look at the docket pinned to top of one of the bags, pulled out his wallet and passed over more than enough bills to pay for everything saying, "Keep the change."
She opens her mouth to protest but he stops her by passing her a couple of the bags to carry and saying, "Don't worry about paying, Douglas. This is on me. Besides, what's the use of having a wealthy, world famous author on you team if you can't let them spring for some delicious pastries and pie from time to time."
She follows him as he picks up the rest of the bags and proceeds to walk out of the diner.
As they step onto the street he says to her, "When we back I'll let you tell Kate about your meeting. Then I think I'll try a couple of my own contacts in our nation's capital. To try and see if I can find out what's so special about WayTech that has people in the federal government so concerned about us looking into them."
A/N: So we've arrested someone and the federal plot thickens. At least Douglas has shown a good side. Still a way to go yet.
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