CH68
Kate was sitting at her desk trying to find Shawn's mother. Not at work the last two days. Not at home and the neighbors had not seen her car for a couple of days.
If they had Shawn did they have her too? Her cell phone was off; no one was using her credit cards in the last three days. They had a bolo out on her car, but so far nothing.
They had arranged for her sister to come in after lunch today. Maybe she could shine some light on her.
Shawn was just too broken at the moment to talk with to find out what happened. All he wanted was his dog Sparky. Yea, Alexis was getting a dog alright. Kate made a silent prayer her's would be like Shawn's.
"Beckett we got a fresh one." Espo tells her.
"Grab Ryan and let's go." Kate tells him.
It was a rundown row house residential area. There were four marked cars already here.
"Hey Lanie, what have we got?" Kate walks up to the back end of a garbage truck and an overturned trash can. It was one of those units that grabbed the can on the side, lifted it up, dumped it and set it back down. Then gunned it down to the next one. Over and over again.
"Hi Kate, you should probably sit this one out honey." Lanie tells her.
"I'm a big girl Lanie there isn't much I haven't seen. So stop babying me." And Kate steps up and lifts the sheet, and sucks in a breath and stops breathing.
It was a girl, thin as a rail. So thin you could see her rib cage and count the ribs. Her face was sunken in. Especially around the eyes. Her clothes were even less than rags.
"What happened?" Kate croaks out.
"The trash truck rolled up and screwed up lifting the can and dumped it all on the street. The driver got out and found her in with the trash, and called the police.
She's a little dehydrated; I don't think she's eaten in weeks. Her hair is infested with lice. There are sores and probably internal parasites." Lanie tells her. "You really should let Espo and Ryan handle this one honey. Please?"
Kate bends down and pushes a hair off her sunken face with her gloved hands.
My daddy drank all day and mommy did drugs. They never wanted to play or give kisses and hugs. I'm 6 years old and I've never been to school. What did I do for my parents to be fools? I'll watch TV and sit there on the couch while my mom fell asleep and my daddy went out. I hate feeling unwanted and sad. I'm all nasty and dirty, they don't give me baths. I'm filthy from my head to my toes. It's been a year and I'm still wearing the same clothes. When they argue I hold my ears and squint my eyes. Oh lord, why did you give me this life? I'm living in this wide world of hatred and neglect. My mommy wouldn't feed me, 'cause she always forgets. Water, water, water is all I drink, they only buy things for them, and I sit and wonder do they ever think about me. So many tears that I've cried when mommy got high. All the love he would bring, if daddy didn't drink. I want that love so bad that it makes me want to hurl. I know I'll never be daddy's little girl. Tonight things got a lot worse. With every slap and every curse. This was a sight that I never thought I'd see. This time they took it out on me. This was the last night for me and my neglected life.
Kate stands with tears in her eyes that started rolling down her face and a determination. She steps over to Espo. "That the parents?" Kate asks motioning to the two standing between uniforms with their hands cuffed behind their backs.
"Yea, you should listen to Lanie, Beckett." Espo adds his voice.
Kate strides right over to the mother and pulls out her weapon and shoves it under her chin. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't pull the trigger. Just one." Kate tells her with menace in her voice.
"Beckett, we got this one." Espo tells her standing behind her. "Beckett let us handle it."
Ryan steps up and puts his hand on top of hers and slowly pushes her weapon down. "Let us take care of this one Beckett. Espo and I can handle it." Ryan keeps pushing her hand down.
Kate turns her head to look in his eyes thru her eyes filled with tears, and gives a slight nod of her head.
Putting her weapon away she starts walking back and is intercepted by Lanie. "Is your baby in school?"
Kate just nods her head.
"Then go there and hug her and kiss her. You don't need to be here honey." As Lanie pushes her towards her car.
Espo and Ryan step up to Lanie as they all watch Kate drive away. "She going to be ok?" Espo asks.
"Our old Kate Beckett has been replaced with a new Kate Beckett. The new one is still just as kick ass, but this one is in love. And has a baby the same age as this one now. The old Beckett would have been sad over this, but the new one is a mother now. And this case just hits a little too close to home.
I think a few hugs and kisses with Alexis and the new Beckett will be just fine." Lanie tells them.
"You think she would have done it?" Ryan asks.
"So long as we have her back we don't ever need to know bro." Espo tells him.
It took Kate a little time to get to Alexis's school since the site was so far away.
Stepping into the office she goes straight for Lisa's office. "Officer Beckett isn't it?" Lisa recognizes her when Kate enters.
"What can I do for you officer?" Lisa asks.
"Please call me Kate. And it's Kate Castle now." Kate updates her memory.
"Congratulations. Rick is a caring father. Can I help you with something?"
"I was wondering if I could use your office for a short visit with Alexis?" Kate is doing what she can to hold it together.
"Of course, let me have someone go get her." And Lisa leaves.
A few minutes later Kate could hear her coming so she knelled down on the floor and waited for her.
"MOM!" As Alexis runs into Kate's outstretched arms and Kate's tears started immediately. And Lisa closed the door to give them some privacy.
And Kate squeezed Alexis for all she was worth, and didn't let go of her for several minutes.
When Kate finally relaxed her strangle hold on her Alexis finally had a chance to look at her. "Are you alright mom? Why are you crying?" Alexis was worried now. Something was wrong.
"I'm fine sweetie, I just really needed to see you." Kate tells her as she wipes some of the tears away.
"You're not hurt? Dad didn't do something again?" Alexis searches for a reason to the tears.
Kate chuckles a little. "No, Castle didn't do anything this time, and no I'm not hurt. It's just been a bad day at work and I needed some loving from my favorite little girl."
"Mom, I'm your only little girl." Alexis is confused.
"Ok silly." And Kate starts to tickle her.
"Laugh, laugh, laugh, MOM, laugh, laugh." Alexis starts squirming to get away from her fingers.
Kate stops and hugs her again. "I just needed a hug sweetie."
Giving her mom the hug she seemed to need. "I love you mom."
"I love you too sweetie. So very much." Kate doesn't want to let go of her but she does need to go back to work.
Kate waited for her heart beat to slow down before she let go of Alexis and got up. Opening the door she thanked Lisa for the time and handed Alexis over to her to take back to her class.
"Not a problem Mrs. Castle, I'm happy to help." Getting Kate's heart do a flip again hearing her named Mrs. Castle. It was still new to her. And it got her to start twisting her ring on her finger again.
Rick thanked the interior decorator for bringing everything that would finish their home.
After she and her huge truck were gone he went to the pool table and racked up a set of balls and started a little practicing. It was during his practice that a thought hit him, so he stopped and went in search of his laptop.
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Kate had made it back to her desk at the 12th and got to work trying to find Shawn's mother.
After interviewing her sister she was no closer. She was divorced not long after Shawn was born and his father now lived in Texas and was so far behind on his alimony and child support payments that it made Kate mad.
She was good at her job; no one at work had noticed any changes in her lately. Her parents were long since gone. She made good money for a single mom. It was a nice home and Shawn didn't seem to lack for anything.
The kitchen pantry was almost full. The same for the freezer. He clothes were tasteful but not designer label. She even had a decent shoe collection.
"Where the hell are you?" Kate asks the white board she has set up.
Still no car, car keys were gone, along with her cell phone and purse. It was a simple Honda civic, so it didn't have an on-star built-in.
Her financial records were due in late today or tomorrow morning. Maybe if she was a debit card freak it would give her a clue as to where she went and what she was purchasing.
Then the boys came in from their latest case. "Beckett, glad you're here. Lanie wanted to see you." Espo tells her then sits down.
"Thanks Espo." And Kate heads downstairs to see Lanie.
"Hey Lanie, you have something for me?" Kate asks as she enters.
"Hey girlfriend, how are you doing?" Lanie means after she last saw her.
"I'm fine Lanie, honest." Kate tells her.
"Did you give your baby some serous loving?" Lanie wonders.
"Yea, I think I squeezed the life out of her. I suppose I owe the boys." Kate stares down at the floor.
"We are all just trying to look out for you girl. This latest case is just one you shouldn't need to worry about.." Lanie tells her hoping she understands.
"I know Lanie and I appreciate it, I do. Just no child should have to look like that. I wouldn't even treat a dog that badly. She probably didn't even get to have dreams about what her life was going to be like." Kate tells her.
"I know honey; just let Ryan and Espo handle it. You don't have to solve all of them yourself. Let them help you." Lanie tries to reach her.
"Yea, I'm still trying to find Shawn's mother. She has simply vanished. Her son is kidnapped and she's missing. It just doesn't make sense." Kate tells her. "Security cameras. There aren't any showing her house but there are ones in the area. Maybe there is something there.
I gotta go Lanie." And Kate takes off.
"Yup the new Kate Beckett is fine." Lanie smiles.
Kate ordered up all the security footage in the area and surrounding areas and then went home.
She found Castle in the kitchen cooking. "Hi Castle, did everything show up?"
"Yup, let me walk you around and show them to you." And Castle turns the temp down on what he is cooking.
"Your gun safe at the front door is here. Just use your finger print to open it. …. There is the same one in the kitchen here. …. Your gun safe is in the garage. …. Mine is in my office. …. there is another one in this drawer here. …. There are two more out here in the patio. …. The exercise equipment has arrived. …. And the gaming tables have arrived.
I also ordered a play set to go in the backyard for Alexis and any other children we have together, and the generator I think will be a box that will go here." Castle tells her standing there proud of himself.
"You've done good Castle. I especially like the play set idea. You're a good father Castle." And Kate kisses him. "So what's for dinner today?"
Kittencal's Greek Moussaka2 medium eggplants
olive oil (as needed)
1 lb lean ground beef (or can use ground lamb)
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons fresh minced garlic (or to taste, I use lots!)
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano (or to taste)
1 teaspoon salt, divided (or to taste, I use seasoned salt)
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (or to taste)
CHEESE SAUCE
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt (I use seasoned salt)
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (or to taste)
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup half-and-half cream
1 egg
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (can use more)
"Greek today, I'm impressed Castle. You seem to have taken this food option to heart. You're going to make me fat Castle." Kate is impressed and teasing him.
"That is what the exercise room is for." Castle lifts his eyebrows a couple of times and then kisses her.
"Maybe I'll try it after dinner. It looks like good stuff Castle. I really like the free standing punching bag. All the ones I've seen hang from the ceiling. It'll be interesting to see how this one stacks up to it." Kate is interested. He had even gotten her a yoga mat. She was going to have to thank him personally tonight.