CH23

To Kate it was just like the days before. She got up showered and got dressed. She did Alexis's make-up again for school since today was Monday.

Going out to the kitchen finding Castle waiting for her with a plate of breakfast. Then met her at the front door with a coffee to-go mug. This time however he kissed her a lot longer and a lot harder, and Kate had kissed him back just as hard.

Kate had floated down the hall to the elevators and down to her car for the drive into work sipping her coffee that had become her new favorite. It was soooo much better than the monkey piss at the precinct. She needed to remind herself to try and find more or it. How hard could it be?

Rick had dropped Alexis off at school. The first of three architects was scheduled to show up just before noon tomorrow to talk about expanding by adding Martha's apartment to his own. A deal was a deal.

He was sitting at his desk writing when Jack interrupted him.

"We are getting a reaction to the eminent domain papers that were filed a few days ago." Jack tells him.

Rick stops typing. "Oh and what monkey fell from the tree?" Rick asks curious.

"The present State Senator for New Jersey and the present State Senator for Massachusetts as well as the anticipated present State Senator for New York." Jack tells him.

"So a little bigger and deeper than anticipated. We are going to need to get into their residences if we are to gain any more information like what we are looking for." Rick tells him.

"Let's start with the one in New Jersey." Rick asks.

"Home town is NYC, he still owns a home here. Born January 1, 1954. Got his B.A. at St. Peter;s College 1976. Attended Law School, J.D. 1079 at Rutgers. He is Catholic. He is on the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, Finance and Foreign Relations Committees. He is married however no known children are listed." Jack tells him.

"And the one in Massachusetts?" Rick asks.

"Home town is Oklahoma City, OK. Born June 22, 1949. Graduated from the University of Houston in 1970. She moved to New Jersey where she attended Rutgers School of Law-Newark J.D. and graduated in 1976. She has two children. Was divorced and then re-married. She is on the Banking, Health, Education, Labor, Pensions and Aging Committees." Jack finishes.

"Rutgers?" Hhhmmm. "Jack call the operator for me." Rick tells him.

"Dialing."

"Operator." A voice responds.

Rick gives his code name and code number.

"Name and code confirmed. How may I help you?"

"I need everything on the three sitting senators for New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts. Specifically their time attending Rutgers School of Law."

"You can expect a response within 24 hours at the second location using the third option." And the call ends.

"24 hours. That put it after lunch tomorrow. The architect should be done and gone by then. Not sure I have the patience for this one." Rick talks to himself. Then goes back to typing.

Kate floated over to her desk and turned on her computer and put her weapon in her drawer.

Looking at her computer Kate finds that the FBI wasn't sharing much. Big surprise there. Lanie was only half way done with the burnt bodies that had been found. What she was reading was grizzly in nature. It didn't take much imagination to know that they all had been burned alive. Kate forced down the memory of Angela hearing one of them scream.

The FBI had everyone else they found out there. Nothing on Frankenstein's monster. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad one. What could take that many rounds and still be standing. If Ryan hadn't emptied his magazine into its head Kate might have lost hers.

Kate bolted upright and ran downstairs to see if Lanie was in yet. What was this they thing that had taken off Ray's head. Did she have a lead as to who killed Jill's previous owner? Maybe she could do something for Jill after all.

Kate entered the morgue and found Lanie already in and working. "Lanie, the FBI got you working overtime?" Kate asks her as she enters.

Lanie jumps at her voice. "Oh girlfriend, don't do that again."

"Sorry. I wanted to talk with you about a case a couple of years ago when I was a rookie. I think it was the first case for both of us." Kate tells her.

Lanie thinks for a minute. "The guy with the missing head that had been cut off." Lanie guesses.

"That's the one. I wanted to see if Frankenstein's monster and his sword might have had something to do with it." Kate tells her hoping.

"The FBI has all of that data, but since you are only interested in the sword they may let me have it. I can tell you what they tell me." Lanie offers.

"Thanks Lanie." And Kate turns to leave.

"How was your day off? I'm told Montgomery practically threatened you if you didn't take it." Lanie doesn't let her off the hook that easily.

"It was fine." And Kate turns to leave again.

"Just fine? What did you do Kate Beckett? Or do I need to have you strapped down until you tell me?" Lanie charges on.

Kate sighs heavily. "Castle took us to Nassau for the day." Kate barely whispers out.

"Nassau? As in the Bahamas Nassau? He bought tickets to fly to Nassau?" Lanie is shocked.

"He kind of chartered a jet to fly us there." Kate cringes.

"You packed up a swimsuit and flew out to Nassau for the day?" Lanie's mouth is still hanging open.

Kate shakes her head. "He bought me one after we got there and a necklace and earrings that went with it. …. It was so gorgeous Lanie." Kate's voice is so soft as she remembers that day.

"Have you slept with him yet?" Lanie doesn't waste time.

"WHAT? NO! I haven't slept with him." Though she has thought about it. Kate just wasn't telling Lanie that. Not in this lifetime.

"And why not? What are you waiting for? An engraved invitation?" Lanie wonders what is wrong with her. Is she on drugs?

"It's complicated." Kate tells her.

"Complicated my ass." Lanie doesn't believe a word.

"Just tell me what you find out Lanie." And Kate leaves this time.

Back upstairs she spends the day helping the FBI gather evidence. So far nothing about these people, if that was what they were, just didn't make sense. Kate was still trying to figure out how anyone or thing could take that many rounds and still be standing.

Kate couldn't take it anymore and went into the restroom and searched it first. "Jill did you scan that 'thing' with the big sword?"

"I scanned everyone who was there Kate." Is Jill's response.

"And?" Kate is dying here.

"The two that ran out the back of the house did not have any foreign contaminants in them. The pale almost yellow dwarf that exited the barn near the end also did not have any foreign contaminants in him.

The really big guy that you fired 28 rounds into also did have any foreign contaminants in him, however i was unable to determine what they were. There were however artificial in nature." Jill tells her.

"That's it? You can't tell me what that thing was?" Kate slumps her shoulders.

"I'm sorry Kate but I can't scan him for health or anything medical any more than I can scan you." Jill reminds her.

"Damn it! I really want to know what the guy was. The uniform that was with me put as many rounds in him as I did. What can still be standing with that many holes." Kate is beyond curious. He may be a lead as to who killed Ray, her previous owner.

"I'm afraid I don't have an answer for you Kate. There is information that one could possibly conclude that a person on PCP may absorb considerable damage and still function for a short time. However even that does not explain it properly." Jill tells her.

"Maybe the FBI will tell Lanie something. Something I can work with." And Kate exits the restroom and goes back to her desk.

Kate picks up her phone. "Beckett." Listens for a moment. "Espo, Ryan we got a body. You two are with me, let's go."

It was a little was outside of downtown. It was a beautiful house on the side of a cliff. It looked like it had an amazing view. There were units already here.

Kate stepped up to one of the uniforms who told her the body was down there. And he pointed over the cliff. Then pointed out a small trail that lead down to the bottom.

It took her and the guys a little while to walk it. Down at the bottom they found the ME on the scene. It wasn't Lanie this time. "What have we got?"

He looks up and then looks away and seems not likely to answer her question. "Male late 30's, ID says his name is Arthur Arrington. His address places him at the house at the top. His neck is broken, along with his back, one arm and probably some section of one of his legs. There are no other bruises or abrasions. If you asked me, which you didn't, I'd say he jumped."

Kate instantly didn't like him. "Why is he missing one of his shoes?" Kate asks him.

"You're the detective, you tell me." Is the response she gets.

Kate takes that back, she didn't like him. She was fast on track to hate him. Kate however bends down and works to remove his sock to see if his ankle was damaged. Maybe that had something to do with the missing shoe.

She fell. And so did silence. Ten long years had passed and not a word from him or her. He hadn't meant to. It was an accident. But it wasn't. She'd replaced him. Why would she do that? He loved her, gave her everything. And here he is, locked up in a lonely castle, having remained silent for all these years.

He sits now, unmoving, uncaring and with no emotion, numbed by the pain he once felt.
He has no desire to move, or at least none that I have observed. I think it's time we changed that…

He wakes, goes to shave but he's struck, shocked by a sudden wave of emotion. Back he goes, ten, twenty, thirty years. Running along the sand, his hand in hers, laughing. He hadn't heard laughter in so long. But it was brief, fleeting, gone in an instant. His heart was racing as he fled the room, trying to find the darkest room in the castle where he could just think. Poor man. My poor, poor Arthur. Why is this happening to him? Because it must, if he is ever to learn.

On this goes, morning after morning, the same fleeting memory, the laughter, the sand, the sun. Until today. Today there were words.

"C'mon, Emily!" Running, linked hands. This was just like the others, only it went on. He tripped; she fell on top of him. He pulled her into his embrace and whispered,
"I love you."
"I know."
A flower placed into her hair. A flower white as snow.
"We could do it," he said, "elope, run away, and live by the beach forever"
"You know I don't want to disobey my father."
"I know but we could. I'll always be waiting."
And that was it. Over. All in a matter of seconds.

More and more of the memory was revealed to him as time went on. He began to look forward to them and I was starting to enjoy the small smile that spread across his face. But that wasn't to last much longer. I would make sure of that.

A new memory this time. A darker one. The night of their honeymoon. Her father had disowned her, for she had gone against him, married the 'wrong man.' Tears streamed down her cheeks as they pulled up to the gates of the castle.
"Cheer up! This'll be fun!"
"I'll never speak to him again."
"I'll… I'll make it up to you. Anything you want and it's yours."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I guess so"
"Can you get me my father back?"
"Well no, but-"
"That was rhetorical"
She didn't speak to him all week.

But she did warm up to me, he thought, my Emily loved me. And I did, deep down but I could never forgive him. Not after all that he's done to me. The smile ceased, and he went back to his usual emptiness, no emotions, and no feelings. Locking himself in his room, coming out only for the occasional meal. I felt bad. But he had it coming, coming quicker than he could ever imagine, the scars resurfacing, the wounds reopening. He was living the nightmare.

Him. He arrived late, one night, with a bunch of flowers. No, not Arthur, a stranger.
"Good evening, sir"
"Hello?"
"I have a gift for your wife, a thanks really."
"Erm, OK?"
"Could you give them to her? Oh and tell her they are from Eric."
"Of course, sorry, I'm not used to visitors this late. Would you like to…" He trailed off, indicating to the hallway.
"Oh, no. Thank you. I'm in a bit of a hurry."
"Oh, well then, goodnight."
Suspicious. He always found that man strange. But he should have guessed from my disappearances, from his appearances and from the exchanges made right in front of him. Yet Arthur, my sweet, sweet Arthur, remained oblivious.

This man haunted his daily flashbacks for the next few weeks. He would appear in his living room, making sandwiches, playing hide and seek with Arthur's nephew in the back garden. He could understand his motives now, but back then he'd assumed he was just a relative of mine that I'd not mentioned. But the final memory to resurface would be the last and the most painful of them all.
"How could you?"
"Arthur, calm down, just listen! I never meant to I-"
"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME!?"
The wind was strong, his words taken from his mouth suddenly. The cliff upon which they were standing was the same one where he had met her for the first time. Emily was backing towards the edge in a bid to get away from him. How convenient.
"Arthur please listen to me! I didn't want to hurt you! My father, he told me he'd accept me as his daughter again if I-"
"I don't care. I loved you, wasn't that enough?" his voice grew dangerous. "You're going to pay for this."
He stepped forward, she stepped back. She began to flail as she reached the edge of the cliff. She reached out for him. He didn't help her.
"Good Bye, Emily"
His face strewn with tears he resurfaced from his memory of that horrible day. I think he's learnt his lesson. For as I observe him now he whispers to me
"I'm coming for you, Emily, I'm coming home."
He tears now from the house, racing to the place where I died.
"I'm so sorry Emily. I'll see you soon."
With that, he closes his eyes and jumps.

I fell. And so did the silence. Ten long years had passed and not a word from either of us. My murder a thing of the past for now the castle is devoid of life. He stands beside me now, watching as the police and the medics rush to his aid. But he is long gone, his regrets laid to rest.