CH9
Rick had driven Kate straight to work and had taken Alexis with him. Kate had thanked him for the fun of her two days off.
Rick had asked when her next day(s) off where so they could do it again. Kate had hesitated. She remembered the kiss and thought about why Castle had stopped. And she also remembered her time with Alexis including in her sleep.
"It's just a couple of days Kate. Were we that bad?" Rick asks trying to find something that will convince her.
"Please Kate, you are terrific." Alexis adds.
"I don't even know when my next days off are." Kate's mind is still trying to get out of it.
"You can call or we can call." Rick comments.
Seeing these two are not letting it go. "Fine I'll find out and give you a call." Kate relents.
"We'll give you a call and see if you approve of what we have planned." Rick tells her.
"Bye Kate." Alexis tells her with hope in her voice.
Rick drives off. "Where are we going dad?" Alexis asks since she knows the way home.
"I have an errand to run and thought you might like to come with." Rick tells her.
St. Mark's Bookstore
31 3rd Avenue, Lower East Side, (212) 260-7853
Rick let Alexis look on her own while keeping an eye on her at all times. His target location was next location. For him that meant the next book store down from the previous one as well as the next shelf over.
Pulling out one book after another and looking at it before putting it back. He pulled the next book and found what he was looking for. He quickly palmed the device and went over to where Alexis was looking.
"Find anything Pumpkin?" If she did he would of course buy it for her.
"I already have most of these dad." Alexis responds unhappily.
"How about some ice cream to ease the pain?" Rick asks her already knowing the answer.
And gets the enthusiastic head nod he was expecting.
Once home. "How about you go see if your grandmother wants lunch. I have some writing to do." Rick offers.
"Ok dad." And Alexis heads out the door and over to Grams while Rick goes into his office.
Once there. "Jack I need you to call the operator."
"Operator." A voice asks.
Rick gives his name and pass code. "ID and code confirmed, how may I help you?"
"I need an address swept clean of all bugs and cameras within the next 8 hours." Rick explains.
"Provide the address and arrangements will be made." Is the response.
Rick gives the address of Kate's apartment. "End of line." Rick ends the call.
Rick then pulls out the flash drive he got at the book store.
On it is information about three men. Cole Maddox, Dick Coonan, Hal Lockwood. He had their real names. Ranks in the military. Who they served with. Last known address and the last known burner phone contact number. Names of their parents and where they were located. How much money they made based off of their IRS taxes, which also gave a last known address.
Rick did a quick search of the addresses list on the IRS forms and came up empty. Not surprising.
Next he did a quick search of the addresses of their parents and came up clean and still at that location.
"Jack I need you to charter a plane for me. We are going to Blackwell, Oklahoma (BKN) tomorrow then onto the other two sites before returning home." Rick informs him.
"There is a Cessna Citation Bravo that is short runway capable with a pilot available provided you provide him with a night stay over and include money for food." Jack informs him.
"Excellent let's find a good place to stay." Rick agrees.
"Best Western Inn
Set-up near local sights, the 3-star Best Western Blackwell Inn comes with upscale amenities. Its location lies near the Oklahoma Museum, Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge and the Fun n Sun Water Park as well as the Blackwell Municipal Golf Course and Kaw Lake. Guests can enjoy an outdoor barbecue grill, an indoor swimming pool and complimentary amenities like wireless internet access, parking and local calls. The hotel also comes with a breakfast bar and laundry facilities. All rooms are equipped with work desks, flat-panel televisions with cable channels and kitchenettes with refrigerators and microwaves." Jack tells him.
"Three star really? Looks like we will be roughing it. Indoor pool you say?" Rick is not happy, but the pool lifts his spirits a little. …. "Fine book it for the two of us. Separate rooms of course."
Rick decided to go over to his Mother's apartment to break the news to them.
"Can't I go with you dad?" Alexis did not like the idea of being left behind.
"You have a Tae Kwon Do class tomorrow along with a swim class the day after pumpkin."
Alexis looks saddened. She really wants to go with her dad but she wants to go to her classes too.
"Maybe you can convince your grandmother to go with you. Or call Kate after I'm gone to see if she will go with you." Rick offers up.
Now he has her attention. "You think she would?" Alexis asks hopefully.
"All you have to do is call and ask. Just remember she has a job and may not have time." Rick tries to not get her hopes up to high.
"Not to worry dear, if she can't get time off work I'll be happy to go with you." Martha tells her.
"Thanks Grams. Do you think I could call and ask her now?" Alexis can't wait.
"It's your phone pumpkin, do you have her number?" Rick asks.
"She put it into my phone for me. Where is my phone? …. It's on the charger in my room." And Alexis heads out of Martha's apartment and over to theirs.
"That child is really taken with her Richard." Martha comments after she is gone.
"I noticed, I just hope this doesn't turn out to break her heart." Rick responds back.
"Do you not like Katherine dear? She seems quite nice and doesn't seem to be after you just to get your money, like some of the woman you have dated. And she is paying a lot of attention to Alexis."
"Mother?" Rick is exasperated with her. "We've only seen each other for two whole days. Let's take this simple shall we?" Rick asks of her.
"Simple is for people who take life slowly and we both know that is not you." Martha counters.
"That may be but Kate likes to be in control I'm thinking. So dating needs to seem like it's her idea or at least not being forced on her." Rick advises.
"I'm sure you'll think of something son. Try not to lose this one. Alexis seems to be quite taken by her." Martha asks of him.
"I need to get ready for my trip and find out what Alexis has accomplished." Rick gets up to leave.
Finding Alexis in her room lounging on her bed. "What did she say pumpkin?"
"She has to work. She doesn't have another day off for almost a week." Alexis tells him dejected.
"She does have a job and have to work pumpkin. Come on you want to help me pack?" Rick offers.
Alexis doesn't really feel like doing anything but her dad is leaving in the morning so she wants to spend as much time with him as she can.
Come morning Rick leaves after kissing his daughter while she slept.
After landing in Oklahoma Rick rents a car and heads to the hotel to check-in before going out.
Rick soon drives to the address he has for Cole Maddox's parents. Beth and Hector Simmons, they only had one child who was killed in Afghanistan 6 months into his first deployment. Or so they were told.
"Jack time for a disguise, let's see what you've got." Rick tells him.
Rick steps up and enters the business on the first floor and starts wondering around window shopping the part hardware store part restaurant to get a feel for the place.
"Hi I'm looking for a Hector and Beth Simmons." Rick asks the young kid behind the counter.
"They are out back I'll see if they are available." And goes thru a door.
An older man soon returns. "I'm Mr. Simmons may I help you?"
"Hopefully, I'm Cpt. Johnathan Dupree. I'm with Naval intelligence out of Norfolk, VA. I would like to talk to you and your wife about your son." Rick tells them.
"My son died in Afghanistan. I don't see where there is much to talk about." He counters.
"That is actually part of what I would like to talk with you and your wife about." Rick tells him.
"I don't see what there is to talk about but my wife is out back in the garden. If you want to talk we can talk out there." Simmons offers.
"Please, lead the way." Rick is happy.
Once out back. "Dear this guy is from Naval Intelligence, he wants to talk about Richard."
"Mrs. Simmons, It's a pleasure. Is there somewhere we can sit?" Rick shakes her hand.
There is a small outside table near and outdoor BBQ that they sit at.
"I'm told that you were informed that your son was killed due to friendly fire." Rick starts.
"It was a very sad day. These two guys in uniforms came to our house; one of them was a priest." Beth tells him.
"Yes I read the report; I've also interviewed his then commanding officer." Rick lies, since all he did was read the interview with him. "I wanted to show you a few pictures and see if you can ID any of the men in them for me." Rick hopes they can help.
"We'll see what we can do to help." Hector tells him.
Rick places a number of pictures on the table that show Hal Lockwood and Dick Coonan in different locations. Some are close-ups and some are from father away.
"We know these two." Hector tells him. "They were part of his unit. They were killed in the same engagement."
"That was what I read in the report. However I took these pictures just two days ago myself." Rick tells them and is actually not lying.
"That's not possible, you must be mistaken." Beth tells him.
"I'm afraid I'm not. I also took these pictures on the same day." And Rick pulls out the pictures he took of Cole Maddox at the same time. Some showing all three of them together.
Beth sucks in a breath at the first picture and looks at the others with a totally lost look. Hector however is mad.
"What are you trying to do? Our son is dead." Hector is mad.
"I'm aware this comes as a shock. Believe me it came as a shock to me to. I took all of these pictures not more than two days ago." Rick tries to get them to believe.
"I don't understand! They told us he was dead and here you are telling us he isn't." Hector sounds more shocked than mad but he is still mad. Just not sure who he is mad at.
"Unfortunately I do." Rick tells him.
They both stop looking at the pictures and stare at Rick.
"His new name is Cole Maddox. The others are now Hal Lockwood and Dick Coonan." Rick starts with.
"Cole Maddox? Cole Maddox." Beth tries out the name not looking like she likes it.
"Where is he? What's he doing? Why did they lie to us?" Beth asks who is the one getting mad now.
"Where? He is in New York City. I even have his address as of a couple of days ago. As to why you were lied to? I only have a theory about that." Rick tells her trying to soften the upcoming blow.
"New York City? What is he doing in New York City?" Hector is confused.
"He and Hal and Dick were immediately hired by a new company that they work for." Rick tells them breaking it slowly.
"Hal and Dick? And this company are in New York?" Beth asks him.
"Yes ma'am, It seems their skills are just what this company needed." Rick inches in a little farther.
"And what does my son do now?" Hector asks.
"He solves problems for people who hire the company he works for." Rick explains skirting around telling them up front.
"So he is helping people solve problems, sounds nice. But why the name change? Why didn't he talk to us about it? I don't understand?" Hector asks.
"Well if you were someone who hired the company he works for had a secret that no one could know anything about, what would you do to keep that secret?" Rick asks them.
"Why would I need to hire a company to keep a secret?" Hector asks lost.
"Well some people refuse to get their hands dirty trying to keep their secrets. Or just too plain lazy or don't have what it takes to keep his secrets." Rick beats around the bush some more.
"I don't understand Mr. Dupree, what are you not telling us?" Beth asks recognizing he isn't telling them much.
"People with money or have high ambitions may have secrets that could damage their ability to keep their money or complete their ambitions. People who learn these secrets need to be prevented from telling the secret(s) they know." Rick answers.
"Our son wasn't very good in business; I don't see what he could do to help them keep secrets?" Hector isn't catching on.
"Perhaps, however the Military did teach him one method that could be utilized to make sure people didn't tell anyone the secrets they learn about." Rick tells them with a pained face.
Beth however has caught on. "No, he wouldn't. Our Richard is a good boy, he wouldn't." Beth has tears starting. Hector however is still lost.
"Honey?" Hector asks her.
"You know what they do in the Military dear." Beth tells him.
"They protect and serve our country. They go to other counties and fight to, …." Then Hector's face changes. "You're trying to tell me that my son is now a hired killer?" Hector is shocked and now mad.
"My son is no murderer and neither is our Military! I think you should leave." Hector really is mad.
Rick pulls out a piece of paper and starts writing. "If you want to see your son or talk to someone else besides me, since I'm pretty sure you don't, call this number and ask for this person. I'm also going to include his address should you decide to go to the city and want to talk.
I don't know if your son is doing what he is doing because he thinks he has no choice or if he knows what he is doing and doesn't care. Or maybe he does care just not enough.
I'm sure you don't believe me but I am sorry I had to give you the bad news. Hopefully the son you know and love is still out there, just don't get your hopes up. The big city has a way of changing people.
Good luck Mr. and Mrs. Dupree." Rick tells them sadly and leaves for the hotel to fly out tomorrow for the next city.