CH27
They had a lot of foot prints to work with. There looked to be 3 sets of tracks. They also had a lot of car tire prints too. To damn many actually.
Even with what she saw thru Jill, Kate didn't have a name for their vic. Just a first name of someone else, Samuel. Samuel who? And Chinese food. Problem was New York was filled with Chinese food places. Still Kate did have a memory of what the place looked like, just not a name.
Kate already had Espo and Ryan looking at child protective services. They had given her quite the face when she told them, but they did it without question. Prints might give them an ID and then they would be off and running.
It was late in the day when prints came in and got them an ID and an address. It also was going to send them back to protective services again. This time with a name.
Kate was the last to leave when she turned off her computer and got her weapon out of the drawer and went down to her car to go home.
Standing in front of the F-117 Blackhawk again she inserted her key and went inside. Re-locking the door after she was in. For once the place was dark and no one greeted her.
Kate felt more alone than she had ever been. She slumped her shoulders and turned on the lights and put her weapon away in its hidey hole. Then entered the kitchen where she found a note.
Meeting at school with Alexis and her teacher. Dinner in warmer. Rick.
Kate smiled wide and opened the warmer drawer and found dinner waiting for her as promised. Kate got out a bottle of wine first then changed her mind. Didn't want to drink alone. So she poured out a glass of milk and pulled her dinner out and turned the warmer off.
Sitting at the breakfast table eating alone. She was about half way done eating when the tears started.
She was alone in Castle's house. He had cooked for her, again. He gave her breakfast, coffee and kissed her every morning and sent her on her way. His daughter had fallen in love with her and she was in love with Alexis.
She had had two dates with Castle and both had ended in mind blowing sex the likes of which she had never experienced before. And he had taken her to Nassau on a whim, in a private jet no less, and it had been amazing.
And tomorrow was her last day of the 5 days. What was she going to do then?
Kate managed to finish eating dinner but it had been a slow struggle. Kate picked up her plate and glass, rinsed them and put them in the dishwasher. Then went into the living room to see what was on TV while she waited for them to come home.
Home! There was that word again.
However as she reached the sofa there was a big box all wrapped up sitting on it. Looking at it she found it was addressed to her.
A little shaky she ripped the wrapping paper off and found what looked like a dress box under all that paper. A little scared and excited at the same time Kate opened it and found still more paper. Pulling the flap of paper open, Kate's hand flew to her mouth and she gasped.
Inside was a dress. It was THE dress. The one she had fallen in love with in Nassau but had been far too expensive for her.
New tears were falling fast as she lifted the dress up out of the box and held it in front of her to admire.
Yup it was that dress. She brought it in close to her and hugged it. "Castle!" Then she placed the dress up against herself wishing she had a mirror.
It was at this moment that the front door opened and she could see Alexis and Castle enter.
"KATE!" Alexis yelled out and ran for her. Kate had just enough time to toss the dress on the back of the sofa before Alexis crashed into her and hugged her.
Kate hugged her back. "Hi sweetie how was school?"
"Her teacher says she is doing great and is impressed with her reading skills." Castle answers for her. "I see you found your present."
Kate lets go of Alexis and steps over to Castle. "It's gorgeous Castle. You shouldn't have. It cost far too much." And hugs him anyway.
"I'm glad you like. Go try it on. Let's see if it looks as good on you as it does off?" Castle suggests.
Kate wipes away a few tears and grabs the dress and runs down the hallway for Alexis's room to change. Stripping down to her panties Kate puts on the dress, makes a couple of alterations and walks back for the living room.
Once back in the living room Kate stops and looks at Castle. "You're beautiful mom." Alexis tells her.
"You are gorgeous Kate! That dress is stunning on you." Castle tells her. As Kate twirls so they can see front and back. "WOW!" Is all Castle can say next.
Kate stops her twirl and stands there as new tears fall. "Thank you Castle." Kate slaps her hands over her mouth. She hasn't felt like this since before her mom died. She's been told she's pretty and now she feels pretty.
Castle steps up to her and takes her hands from her mouth and holds them in his next to his chest. "You are a truly beautiful woman Kate Beckett." Castle tells her still holding onto her hands. "We need to find someplace to take you so you can show off that new dress. Someplace warm with a cool breeze."
Alexis steps up. "You are pretty Kate."
Kate takes her hands back and kneels down to Alexis's level and holds out her arms.
Alexis wastes no time in stepping into them and hug Kate too. "I love you." Alexis talks into her ear.
"I love you too sweetie." Kate responds into her ear.
All this makes Castle's heart do cartwheels. "When do you have a couple of days off?" Castle asks.
"Day after tomorrow is my first day and then the day after that." Kate tells him wondering what he is thinking.
"Good, that'll give you tomorrow after work to pack some more clothes to bring over here before we fly somewhere you can put that dress to good use." Castle tells her.
More clothes? Kate is wondering. But my 5 days are up tomorrow. What is Castle thinking?
"You have someplace in mind Castle?" Still with Alexis in her arms.
Grand Turk Inn
Turks and Caicos
"REALLY?" Kate is shocked.
"Of course really. After you get off work tomorrow you can go to your place, pack up a suitcase for 3 or 4 days and Alexis and I will meet you there. Then drive out to the airport and catch our plane. We can be there by morning."
Kate doesn't have Castle in her arms or she would hug him and kiss him. However she does have Alexis in her arms so she hugs and kisses her instead. Getting a hug and a kiss in return.
Kate and Alexis went down to her bedroom for the night and Kate slipped off the dress and hung it up. Then put away all the clothes she had hurriedly taken off earlier. She was going to need to do laundry soon. Kate was running out of clean clothes to wear. Changing into sleep clothes she slid into bed with Alexis and wrapped her arms around her little girl, and kissed her and told her she loved her.
Come morning they shared a shower and Kate lifted Alexis up to apply her make-up for school then dressed and headed for the kitchen.
Not surprisingly finding Castle there waiting for her with a plate of breakfast, another coffee to-go mug, a hug and a long tongue filled kiss. Then he goosed her out the front door. "CASTLE?" She scolded him. Castle simply grinned back and watched her sail down the hallway for the elevators.
Kate wore her smile all the way to her desk. Where her mood soured a little.
The FBI was still here. However her smile returned when she remembered that Lanie should have that sword by now.
"Hey Lanie." Kate calls out as she enters. It looked like Lanie was finally done with all 13 victims.
"Hey Kate, still smiling I see." Lanie can't resist.
Kate just grins wider. "Anything on that sword?" Kate is dying to know.
"Yes actually. That thing is a real antique. It even has a history to it.
The Wallace Sword is an antique claymore purported to have belonged to William Wallace (1272–1305), a Scottish knight who led a resistance to the English occupation of Scotland during the Wars of Scottish Independence. It is said to have been used by William Wallace at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297 and the Battle of Falkirk (1298).
The shaft of the sword measures 4 feet 4 inches (132 cm) in length and 5 feet 6 inches (168 cm) including the hilt. The breadth of the blade varies from 2.25 inches (5.7 cm) at the guard to 0.75 inches (1.9 cm) before the point. The sword weighs 6.0 pounds (2.7 kg).
It was reported stolen from a museum some years ago. They never found the sword or caught the guy who stole it. But I did have Espo look into something for me. Give you one guess who was on the security tapes of who did steal it." Lanie challenges Kate.
"NO?!" Kate can't believe it if she is correct.
Lanie nods her head. "Yup none other than your Frankensein's monster. The one you filled full of holes." Lanie tells her. "The FBI came and took it back soon as they caught wind of it. But I did get a lot of nice DNA off of it before they did. I'm only just starting to work my way thru what I found this morning."
"Lanie I could kiss you." And Kate moves closer to her friend.
Lanie however holds up her hands to ward Kate off. "Save the kissing for Castle and his little girl. I'll let you know if any of this is a match for that guy from our first case together."
"Thanks Lanie, I owe you." Kate turns and starts to leave.
"Oh and Kate, it you lose him I'll disown you. You hear me." As Lanie shakes her finger at her.
Kate just smiles thankful that was all her friend had to say on the matter. Her ears were still burning from the last time.
Kate sent Ryan and Espo to child services again this time armed with a name while Kate went to Mirnada's residence.
Her residence turned out to be a simple one bedroom apartment. Kind of minimalist but nice. Kitchen, dirty dishes in the sink, a few posters of nice warm places, only a twin bed, a lot clothes but nice. Not a lot of shoes, most of them were flats. Bras, panties, sweats, spare bed sheets.
No pictures though. No family of any kind. No car keys of course, she had driven it to her death in a manner of speaking. Brand new Mercedes huh. Need to look into that.
But where was the paperwork from her work? She couldn't find any case files anywhere. Kate pulled out her phone and arranged for CSU to come out and take this place apart. If they weren't here maybe they were in her car? So she put out a bolo for her car.
Castle was home typing to keep Gina off his back. If it wasn't for the fact she was so good at her job he would want to shoot her. She was one cold fish. She was definitely one of those high brow snobby kind of people. She definitely would not be having fun at some place like Walt Disney World for example.
WDW was one place he wanted to take Alexis while she was still young but old enough to ride most of the rides. But he had heard about the crowds. Waiting in line for 4 hours for one ride sounded more line pain then fun.
However there was 2 weeks after Thanksgiving and before Christmas when the place was slow. And yet all of the Christmas decorations would be out. He had already booked a large suite at the Grand Floridian during that time. He was going to surprise Alexis.
The next Architect showed up and showed him his plan. She seemed more like an interior decorator than an architect. She seemed to skip over the flow of the place and spent more time on what it would look like. Naturally everything he had now had to go.
Rick thanked her and put her stuff in the trash as soon as she was gone. Maybe Kate knew someone. He was striking out big time.
Rick and Alexis packed their bags and started driving for Kate's apartment. "Dad what are we going to eat?" Alexis asked just as her stomach made it's presence known.
"How about Pizza for all of us. We can eat at Kate's place while we wait for her to pack." Rick offers.
Getting a nod from Alexis and a big smile. "Do you know what kind of Pizza she likes?" Rick asks her.
"She like Hawaiian just like me." Alexis is only to happy to tell him. "Dad, can we have Kate live with us?" Asking softly.
"She has been living with us." Rick reminds her.
"I know, but I mean for longer." Scared of the answer. "And how to you suggest we manage that?" Rick asks thinking she had a plan.
However seeing her shrug her shoulders showed him that she didn't. That left Rick two days to think of something.
Arriving at Kate's they went upstairs and knocked. Kate answered happy to see them and looked to be in a rush. "Hi I only just got here I haven't had time to even start to pack." Kate tells them walking away leaving the door open.
Stepping in and closing and locking the door. "We brought food and your dress." Rick tells her. Placing the pizza on the counter and opening it. Kate immediately takes a slice and walks for her bedroom.
Castle had gotten them the same private jet and pilot as last time. They had to make a stop since it didn't have the range but the love seat folded out into a small bed and one of the seats folded down so everyone had someplace to lie down and take a short nap.
The Grand Turk Inn only has 5 suites to the entire hotel. Castle had gotten them Flamingo.
Second floor suite, sleeps up to four people. Queen bed in bedroom and queen sleeper sofa in living room, full kitchen and private bath. French doors open to second floor sundeck.
It was like living in a modest but stylish beach house on the second floor.