Miracle at the 12th Precinct
Chapter 6
PUT ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER
Disclaimer: The gang's in no way mine, but I love them like they were.
Doctor Sawyer greeted Detectives Esposito and Ryan with a warm handshake as they entered his office at the hospital. Compared to both detectives, he was quite tall, in his late forties, with slightly graying hair. The doctor hung up his white lab coat and then took a seat behind his big mahogany desk. He seemed like an amiable fellow judging from the friendly greeting.
"So I understand you're here to talk about Kris." The doc said, the smile spreading easily across his face. He looked as though he'd just been told a good joke, and both detectives wondered what was so funny.
"You mean Henry Jenkins." Esposito corrected.
"Oh, yes, sorry, of course…Mr. Jenkins." Dr. Sawyer chuckled, shaking his head at himself. "Forgive me, but I just left him. He's adamant I call him Kris. He's really quite something, huh?"
"We haven't actually met him yet." Ryan answered, fidgeting slightly in his seat. "We're planning on stopping by to see him after this meeting."
"Ah, well then, you're in for a real treat." The doc grinned.
"So I've heard." Ryan muttered to himself, before rephrasing, albeit with some hesitancy. "Um, why do you say that Doctor?"
"Well, because Kris, I mean Mr. Jenkins, insists he's Santa Claus; the real deal. It's quite fascinating actually, and as you might imagine, not something one comes across every day. He's highly entertaining. I almost called my wife. Thought about asking her to bring the kids down to meet him."
Esposito's eyebrows rose to his hairline and Ryan's mouth hung open. They both stared at the doctor in disbelief, trying to determine whether he was serious or not.
"You'd bring your own children in to meet one of your psych patients?" Esposito asked carefully, wondering when the doc's last check-up was.
"Oh, Kris isn't psychotic, nor is he a danger to himself or anyone else, Detectives. In fact, he's a real gentleman, very...old school. You'll see when you meet him. He has the most marvelous outlook on life!" Dr. Sawyer caught their blank stares, and felt the need to explain further. "I have to confess, in my line of work I'm called upon to examine a lot of unusual people, from all walks of life, many of them hardened criminals; it can be rather unpleasant, but this…" He trailed off, smiling, leaning back in his chair. "Well, this was the most fun I've had in ages."
"So you're telling us you believe it's okay that he goes on believing he's Santa Claus?" Esposito asked, raising his eyebrows. What a character.
Both detectives openly stared at Dr. Sawyer as they awaited his response.
"No, Detectives, of course not…," he said, trying to laugh it off, his eyes darting across the room. "That would be absurd." He continued, pausing a moment to consider his words carefully before clearing his throat and rephrasing calmly. "What I'm saying is, there's no cause for alarm, and given the circumstances Mr. Jenkins' behavior is perfectly understandable."
"Doctor could this be some sort of post traumatic stress disorder?" Esposito asked.
"Yes… yes, that is exactly what I've concluded." Dr. Sawyer replied, happy for an intelligent response.
"PTSD." Ryan repeated aloud, as he wrote it down in his notepad. "That's your official call after the psych evaluation you gave him earlier this morning?" For the sake of professionalism, Ryan tried to stifle his grin, when in fact he was thrilled; at long last, he had an official doctor-certified, logical explanation he could share with Castle.
"You mean the standard testing he underwent this morning?" The doctor said. "Oh, he passed that with flying colors, then we talked for awhile and I gave him a physical exam. Gentlemen, it's my opinion that while yes, he does imagine himself to be a fictional character, I believe it's only a temporary set-back. All of his other faculties appear to be in place, and he exhibits a clear understanding of right and wrong. He does suffer from some slight depression over the loss of a dear friend, but that's perfectly natural considering what he's been through."
"What can you tell us about his memory loss?" Esposito asked. "Do you think it will come back?"
"His memory issues are most likely compliments of the knock to the head he received, but I've reviewed his head CT's and they all came back normal. He's been through a very traumatic experience, so this type of memory loss is not highly unusual. My opinion is his fixation on Santa Claus and the short-term memory loss he's experiencing are both temporary and will most likely subside on their own over time once he comes to terms with the loss of his friend. I also believe after he's fully healed from the injuries he sustained in the explosion, he'll be able to function on his own in society again. So, if you're asking if I deem him sane, then the answer is yes. He's no crazier than you or I, Detectives."
"Doctor, has he discussed with you anything that might help us with our case?" Esposito asked. "Did he mention seeing someone, or hearing anything that could help us find whoever is responsible for last night's explosion?"
The doctor stiffened, and then clasped his hands together. "I'm sure I don't have to remind the NYPD about the rules of doctor-patient confidentiality, and really I would like to help, but unfortunately, whatever Kris told me in confidence you will have to hear directly from him. I can assure you however, my only concern during the time I spent with Kris was for my patient's health."
Esposito's eyes narrowed and he worked to keep his temper in check. "How would you rate his physical health, Dr. Sawyer?" Ryan quickly interjected, in an attempt to keep the interview on track.
Esposito studied the doc's diplomas on the wall and his jaw clenched. He couldn't help but frown. Should have known...Ivy League.
Dr. Sawyer followed Esposito's line of vision. "I assure you, Detective; I graduated at the top of my class at Columbia." He said, wryly. Then he paused, taking a moment to study Esposito much like one would a lab rat. "I'm sensing you're experiencing some trust issues, Detective. We could talk about them." He said, genuinely concerned. He ran a finger over his open appointment book. "As it so happens, I had an hour open up for later this afternoon if you'd like to come back." He smiled.
Ryan snorted and Esposito shot him a dirty look before turning back to Dr. Sawyer. "No. I'm all good Doc, thanks. How about we focus on Henry Jenkins for the time being?"
Dr. Sawyer rubbed his chin slowly, and then nodded, before continuing. "Physically, Kris' injuries from the explosion are mostly superficial. The abrasions on his head, legs and arms are healing nicely, although he did suffer a minor sprained right ankle, which didn't require any setting. He's able to walk on his own however it will be with the assistance of a cane for the next few weeks. Age is always a factor in the recovery process, not that he would admit to what his actual age really was," he chuckled. "But I'd venture to guess he's in his mid to late seventies. He'll need plenty of rest and I recommend you have him keep his leg elevated tonight and whenever possible."
"So, he's free to be released from the hospital?" Ryan asked, jerking his head back. Surprised, he turned to Esposito, who with raised eyebrows stared back at him in silent communication. Neither had been expecting Jenkins to be released into their custody so quickly. They'd have to call this in to Beckett, see what she wanted them to do.
"Technically, yes," Dr. Sawyer replied. "Although I'd prefer to keep him overnight for one more day as a precaution, and then officially release him tomorrow morning. That being said, I'd like to see him back here again in about a week or so for a follow-up physical and to re-assess his mental status. If we don't see any improvements we'll need to schedule some physical therapy and counseling sessions. Everything's all here in my report." He said, handing it to Ryan.
"Once he's released from the hospital it would be best if he stayed with someone until he's able to fully manage on his own again." The detectives glanced at each other, their foreheads wrinkling. Agent Shaw hadn't said a safe-house was set up yet. The doctor noted their silence.
"Does he have somewhere to go? A relative, perhaps?" The doctor asked, awaiting confirmation.
"Unfortunately, there's nothing left of his apartment and as of yet, we're not able to locate his next of kin." Ryan explained. "We're working on it."
Dr. Sawyer's brows wrinkled as he looked from Esposito to Ryan. "Look…I suppose the hospital could make an exception, keep him here an extra day or so, or I'd be happy to have someone contact Social Services on his behalf, but seeing as there are still guards posted outside his door I naturally assumed he would continue to be under your protection. Perhaps there's someone you know, willing to let Kris stay with them for a short while, to look after him?"
Neither detective was about to reveal to a civilian exactly how Jenkins would continue to be part of their investigation, but Ryan could see the doctor was concerned for his patient's welfare. It was only a moment before it hit him, and then he grinned widely at Esposito with a knowing look. A second later his partner grinned back.
"Don't worry Doc." Ryan said, smiling confidently. "That won't be necessary. We can pretty much guarantee you, we know the perfect man for the job. Mr. Jenkins will be well taken care of."
"We'll call this in to our boss," Esposito told the doctor. "Let you know if she wants him to stay the night and be discharged in the morning." Meeting concluded, they rose and shook hands with Dr. Sawyer before departing.
Ryan and Esposito left the doctor's office and walked through the corridors to Henry Jenkins' room. They were both quiet for a bit, reflecting on the doctor's prognosis of their witness.
"So, what's your take on what the Doc said about Jenkins?" Ryan finally asked.
"I think the Doc's got a few screws loose, is what I think dude. Been hanging around his patients too long." Esposito replied. "I may not have gone to an Ivy League school, and I'm no doctor, but it doesn't sound like Jenkins is right in the head to me, yet."
Ryan nodded back, but prayed for Jenkins' sake, Esposito was dead wrong and the doctor knew exactly what he was doing.
Two FBI agents were posted outside Jenkins' door as expected, the hallway was quiet, and everything looked to be under control. The guards had been notified the detectives would be stopping by, so they were in no way alarmed by their presence, however the boys still had to identify themselves and show their badges before being granted access to Jenkins' room. Esposito asked the agents for a brief update on their monitoring of Jenkins and was told there had been no disturbances.
Ryan stared at the closed door while his partner spoke to the guards. The promise he'd made earlier to Castle repeated loudly on a loop in his head, accompanied by some rather disturbing visions of dancing sugarplums. He tried unsuccessfully to shake them off, but mixed emotions weighed heavy on his mind. Taking a deep breath he ran his hand through his hair, unsure which should worry him more; the likelihood one of his best friends was certifiable, or the possibility he was about to come face to face with the real, live Santa Claus.
"Yo. You coming?" Esposito asked, instantly ending his partner's musing. Ryan snapped to attention, and then straightened his tie. Esposito wondered, not for the first time that day, what the hell was up with his somewhat distracted partner.
"Yeah. Let's do this." Ryan replied, with authority.
Esposito nodded back slowly. Whatever Ryan had on his mind, he'd hear about in due time, so he'd let it go for now. Esposito turned and entered the room, with Ryan following closely on his heels. The door closed behind them.
Esposito stopped dead in his tracks, and raised his right hand to halt their movement, causing Ryan to nearly collide with him. Esposito moved off to the side.
"Woah." Ryan muttered, once he realized why his partner had stiffened. No Jenkins. The bed was empty; the blanket lay prone on the floor. Adrenaline shot through their bodies, and they instinctively drew their guns. Esposito silently motioned for Ryan to check the bathroom on the left, while he moved to the right side of the room to check behind the dressing curtain. Ryan slowly turned the handle, opening the bathroom door with his left hand, gun poised in his other. He flung the door open and stepped inside. Nothing. The room was empty.
"Clear." He shouted to Esposito. Ryan stepped back into the main room, swinging the bathroom door shut and began looking around for clues. Esposito was already on the phone, dialing out for back-up.
"What the hell?" Esposito, mad as hell, yelled to Ryan. "Tell those two idiots out there our guy's in the wind!"
Ryan turned to do just that when the bathroom door re-opened and out wobbled a little old man in a nightgown, using a cane. Startled, they both quickly raised their weapons, pointing them directly at the intruder. Ryan's mouth hung open. He'd checked the small room. Nobody was in there! What the hell was going on?
Upon seeing who he could only assume was Jenkins, Esposito promptly lowered his weapon and told dispatch it was a false alarm, before disconnecting his cell phone call. Ryan slowly put away his weapon, but continued to stare incredulously at the old man.
"Oh, I have visitors! Marvelous, simply marvelous!" The older man said, gleefully as he hobbled his way back towards the bed. "Hello, Gentlemen. Do pardon my appearance," He said, referring to his nightgown. "But nature called, you know."
Esposito glared at Ryan. "I thought you said no one was in there Ryan!"
Ryan immediately went on the defensive. "There wasn't!" He snapped back.
As they continued to argue, Kris stood by and felt simply terrible. He certainly hadn't meant to be the cause of any conflict between friends. This was entirely his fault, and he vowed then and there to make things right. If only he'd been faster. His wife would be quick to admonish him for always boasting of his speed and accuracy. The truth was he did much better with chimneys. Hospital vents were rather cumbersome, and he wasn't getting any younger.
The boy's bickering came to a standstill, and they both turned from each other to scrutinize Kris carefully.
"I just checked that room, and you…you, were most definitely NOT in there!" Ryan accused, pointing to him. Kris put on his most innocent face - the same one that had gotten him out of many a jam with the misses. Clear blue eyes met twinkling blue ones, and Ryan felt his heart-rate slow, despite his previous distress.
Kris held out his hand for Ryan to shake, and smiled. "So nice to meet you. I'm Kris Kringle."
Although still wary, Ryan accepted his handshake. "Detective Kevin Ryan, NYPD." Then he motioned to Esposito, who'd stopped mid-way to answer his ringing phone. "This is my partner, Detective Esposito. We're working in conjunction with the FBI, investigating last night's bombing of your apartment building."
"Yo." Esposito said, nodding from across the room.
"Yo." Kris replied, delighted, nodding to Esposito with a smile. Esposito's brows wrinkled, but he shook it off and went back to his call.
"We'd like to ask you a few more questions." Ryan told him calmly, immediately feeling remorseful for yelling at the older man; he seemed like a really nice person. Thank God, Jenny wasn't here. If she was, she would have handed him his ass on a silver platter for scaring a nice old man like that. What had he been thinking?
"Of course." Kris replied. "I'd be happy to help."
"I'm sorry if we scared you before." Ryan apologized.
"No worries, young man." Kris replied. "You and your friend were only doing your job. It's perfectly understandable."
"Still, that's no excuse." Ryan told him, staring down at his shoes.
"Nonsense. All is forgiven, son." Kris said, leaning up against the bed, then attempting to hop up on to it, unfortunately, with little success. Ryan jumped to his aid.
"Here, let me help you." He said, helping Kris into bed.
"You were always such a polite, even-tempered young man, Kevin..." Kris said looking up at him and smiling. "Even with all those sisters." He added with awe. "It tickles me, no end, to see you still have such wonderful manners."
At first Ryan's eyes widened, but then he found himself agreeing and blushing. "I know, right!" He said, as he adjusted Kris' blanket. Wouldn't want him to catch cold, what with the big day coming up. "Um, Santa?" He whispered, conspiratorially to Kris, his back turned away from Esposito to ensure they wouldn't be overheard. "Can I ask a favor?"
"Why, certainly Kevin." Kris replied.
"Can you please remember to mention that to my wife when you meet her?" Ryan asked, still blushing and with a closed-lipped smile, revealing he'd been pleased by the compliment. Kris readily agreed and Kevin beamed at him. He could hardly wait another minute to get back to the precinct to share the news with Castle. Holy crap! Santa Claus said I have nice manners!
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Jordan, Kate, and Castle made their way through the crowds at Macy's, stopping to check out the Santa Claus display where Kris, Timmy, and Tommy had worked. Castle studied the replacement Santa, immediately declaring Kris' replacement not up to par. The man's beard was obviously fake, and his eyes didn't twinkle like Kris' did. The cheap red suit he donned was mediocre at best, and clearly padded around the belly. There were no rosy cheeks or mischievous smile. This charlatan was no Kris Kringle, of that he was certain. Jordan appeared unaffected by Castle's ramblings, while Kate on the other hand, looked like she wanted to smack him for embarrassing her in front of the FBI agent.
Regardless, the line to sit on the imposter's lap was a mile long as children and parents waited impatiently for their turn on upon the stage. Parents whined, children cried, and Castle really couldn't blame any of them. For in his eyes they were each being cheated, and therefore should be outraged. Since they had a few minutes to kill before their meeting with the Human Resources manager, Jordan suggested they watch for awhile to get a feel for where Kris, Tim, and Tommy had worked together. All in all, they counted seven people manning the busy station.
"We should question the workers." Jordan said quietly to Kate, who nodded back. "They probably know our guys." Kate pulled out a pad and took some notes as they continued to scope out the area.
There was a young girl in a long, red, velvet dress wearing a white wig and old-fashioned spectacles portraying who they presumed to be Mrs. Claus, and a teenage boy and girl both dressed in green elf outfits, whose job it was to escort the kids onto the stage to meet Santa. Once on stage, the children would sit upon Santa's lap before they all posed for a photo op. There was a photographer present, along with his assistant, and lastly, a very tall girl dressed in a ridiculous oversized elf costume, probably explaining why she'd been delegated to working behind the register. His eyes widened, her mere size causing him to do a double-take. He noted her name tag. Holly...was at least 6' 4", the hat making her appear even taller, and he just couldn't stop himself from staring. He would never have guessed they even made elf costumes that big and briefly wondered where she shopped since an elf costume was one of the few left he didn't own. He continued to examine her costume and then watched as she processed a credit card payment from the next customer in line.
She must have sensed someone's eyes on her because she turned suddenly and glared, shooting death-rays in his direction from her big, brown elfin eyes. He turned, looking around in the hope someone else was the recipient of her fury, however there was no one else behind him. Their eyes met once again. The hair on his arms stood at attention; warning bells rang out. Elf-girl was more than a little intimidating, and he found himself cringing, yet strangely enough, unable to look away.
For an oversized-elf working with children, she was pretty damn scary. He attempted to give her one of his best smiles, but she was apparently unimpressed. This surprised him since he would never have expected to come across an elf in such a bad mood; especially during Christmastime. He tried not to dwell on it. Even so, he made a mental note to let Beckett and Jordan be the ones to question her later. Yes, while true, Beckett had established an aversion to elves earlier that morning, she also carried a gun. Holly's eyes narrowed and followed him as he moved to stand closer to Beckett, grabbing her elbow to get her attention. He forced himself to become immersed in her and Jordan's conversation, then anxiously asked Kate what time it was. After checking her watch, much to his relief, she said it was nearing the time of their appointment. Thankfully, they agreed it was time to go.
Amidst the chaos, Kate managed to hail down a roving store manager and after flashing her badge, was given directions on how to get to the corporate offices. The three made their way through the crowds, and then rode the elevator to the top floor administrative offices.
"We're here for a meeting with Mrs. Walker." Kate said, flashing her badge to the receptionist at the front desk. "We have an appointment."
The girl held up a finger to shush them for a moment while she continued helping the customer on the phone. She then pointed to the guest register. They signed in and then took a seat in the lobby while they waited for her to finish up.
Jordan and Kate discussed the case while Castle sat quietly, pretending to pay attention. Kate pulled out her notepad and looked over her entries.
"Stop pouting, Castle!" Kate said, noting his frown, although her eyes never left the page she'd been reviewing.
He crossed his arms over his chest, but said nothing. Finally he let out a heavy sigh.
"What's wrong?" Kate finally asked, looking up at him, and minutely shaking her head.
"Nothing." He replied, sounding more like a petulant child, rather than a full-grown man. She didn't buy it, and he watched as she narrowed her eyes at him. She was almost scarier than Elf-girl. Almost.
"Nothing, really…" He trailed off. Beckett stared at him in silence.
"It's just...well, can you believe that guy?" Castle said, disgusted.
"What guy?" She asked. She sincerely had no idea as to what he was talking about.
"Their Santa." He replied. She still wasn't getting it, so he tried again. "The guy in the red suit from before?" Same blank stare. She has no clue. Jordan, he could understand, but Kate? How does she not see this?
Her eyebrows squished together, forming that tiny little line across her forehead which he normally found adorable, but at the moment just aggravated him. Finally, he just blurted it out. "He was a disgrace I tell you! He looked nothing like Kris!" He said, exasperated and shaking his head. "Kris would be very disappointed."
Kate rolled her eyes. "Seriously, Castle? This again? You need to let it go. We get it -you don't approve of their choice of Santa, but I promise," She said, with a hand on his arm. "The children will survive." Oh, my God…I can't wait for this case to end. Boy, when the man decides to focus, he really gives it his all. Works in the bedroom. Here, not so much.
"Actually, I thought he was rather...festive." Jordan said, seriously, piping in.
He could feel his blood pressure rise and was about to reply, until he saw the corners of her mouth turn up, as did Kate's. Then Kate snorted. He decided to sit and mope. They were always messing with him, these two.
Jordan and Kate continued to discuss the case as he sat back silently and stewed. Women. He'd never understand them. He chose to tune them out, content to listen to the receptionist, still on the phone. The man she was talking to was pretty angry. He could hear him yelling at her through the receiver. The girl was trying to reassure him Macy's would gladly call his bank to look into the erroneous charges that had appeared on his statement, but it didn't sound like he was listening to her. The yelling ceased eventually, but only because the caller appeared to have hung up on the poor girl. She shook her head, let out a sigh, then put her phone back down in the cradle. She then turned her attention to her guests.
"I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting." She apologized. "I'll go let Mrs. Walker know you're here." She was gone only for a moment before returning to escort them back to her boss' office.
Mrs. Walker, the head of Human Resources, rose to greet them. She was in her mid-thirties, a pretty woman, with red curly hair and bright blue eyes. She wore a cream tailored business suit with sensible shoes. Introductions were made and hands were shook. "Please, won't you sit down?" She said, with a delightful Irish brogue. They all took a seat. "I apologize for making you wait, but the phone's been ringing off the hook all day. Now, what can I do for you?"
"Mrs. Walker," Jordan started. "We're here as part of an ongoing investigation into the recent bombing of an apartment building. We're hoping you can answer a few questions regarding three of your employees; Henry Jenkins, Timothy Jones, and Tommy Frost."
"Apartment bombing? I'd heard about that on the news. Tell me that wasn't Kris' apartment building!" Mrs. Walker said, surprised. She took in their somber expressions. "Oh, no. Are they okay?"
"I'm sorry to inform you, but it was their apartment building, and Timothy Jones was killed in the explosion last night." Jordan said. They watched as her face paled.
"Killed?" Mrs. Walker whispered, clearly upset. "Timothy's dead? Oh, my goodness, this is terrible. Such a lovely man, with a heart of gold. And Kris…," She paused. "He must be absolutely devastated! I knew something bad had happened when they didn't show up for work today! Kris would never desert the children." Her comment got Castle's attention. She seemed to be a big fan of Kris', causing Castle to wonder what she knew about Kris, and if she too, was a believer. "Were Kris and Tommy injured? Are they going to be alright?" Their faces remained stoic.
Despite the fact they weren't being very forthcoming, Mrs. Walker simply had to ask what was on her mind. "Is Kris in some sort of trouble? Surely, you can't think he had something to do with this? Why Kris wouldn't hurt a fly."
"We're still investigating." Jordan explained. "Mr. Jenkins is recuperating from injuries he sustained at the time of the explosion, but that's all we're really at liberty to say at this time." Mrs. Walker nodded back in understanding.
"I notice you call Henry Jenkins, Kris, Mrs. Walker." Castle said. "Why is that?"
His question threw her off guard. She pressed her lips together. "Well it is his nickname, for obvious reasons." She said carefully, and with a forced smile. Castle studied her closely. "He simply insisted, and I really didn't see the harm. He's such a lovely man, and besides, many people have nicknames nowadays." She answered, offering a perfectly logical explanation, although she wouldn't look him in the eyes, turning instead to Jordan and Kate. "Oh, I'm so glad to hear Kris will be alright." She said, attempting to change the subject.
"Can you tell us the last time you saw Tommy Frost?" Kate asked.
She thought it over. "I believe it was the day before yesterday. He was working over at our Santa exhibit. Why? Is he missing?"
"Yes, actually, he is missing, but how did you know that?" Kate questioned.
"It's just that he often does that…disappears, I mean. There have been many times he didn't bother to show up for work. I would have fired him by now if it hadn't been for Kris talking me out of it, and I would honestly do anything for Kris." Castle decided he liked this woman, and also that she knew the truth about who Kris really was.
"If you do see Tommy, please notify us immediately." Beckett said, handing her a business card. "He's wanted for questioning and may possibly be in danger. If he does make contact with you I can be reached at that number." Jordan offered her the same, handing over her card as well.
"What can you tell us about Mr. Jenkins, I mean Kris?" Jordan asked, trying to put the woman at ease.
This question brought the smile back to Mrs. Walker's face. "Well, I can tell you he's the best Santa we've ever had. So very... authentic, and he really loves children. I personally couldn't have asked for a better replacement."
"Replacement?" Castle asked, his interest peaked.
"Yes. I met Kris this past Thanksgiving at the parade. We'd discovered our Santa was shall we say…indisposed," They looked confused and she pretended to take a swig from an imaginary bottle of beer. When they caught on, she continued. "Kris was there. He offered to help us out last minute, and saved us from a complete and utter disaster. After that, it was a no-brainer to hire him on. It was his idea to bring Timmy and Tommy in as part of his team. I really couldn't say no. Kris can be very persuasive. It was to be a seasonal job ending on Christmas Eve."
"And when was the last time you saw Mr. Jenkins, I mean Kris?" Beckett asked.
"Yesterday, as he was leaving work. It was around 5:00pm."
"Can you show us their personnel files? We'd like to see what information you have on record for them." Jordan said.
"Also, we'll need a list of all the other employees they worked with." Kate added.
"Certainly. It will only take a moment to get their personnel files, and then I'll see about getting you a full list of those they worked with." She picked up the phone, and asked her assistant to retrieve the information.
"Mrs. Walker, have you noticed anything unusual going on between Kris, Timmy, and Tommy lately?" Castle asked.
"Nothing immediately comes to mind, no." she said. "Except maybe that Kris was constantly at his wit's end with Tommy skipping work as he pleased, otherwise they appeared to get along famously and seemed as though they were enjoying their jobs. When they were up on that stage they were practically rock stars; the children simply adored them. My bosses instructed me to do whatever I had to in order to keep them part of our Macy's family. They've mentioned, rather emphatically I might add, that sales have increased dramatically since Kris came aboard. They're not going to be pleased when I tell them what's transpired."
Jordan pulled out some pictures and placed them in front of Mrs. Walker. They were of Drago and Edmundo Mangosa, Bernie Balboa, and Vinny Costa. "Do you recognize any of these men?" She asked.
Mrs. Walker carefully looked the photos over, taking pause at one in particular. She looked up at them, worry spread across her face. "Yes, actually I do." She said pointing to the photo of Bernie Balboa. "This man. I've seen him before. A few weeks ago. I remember him because we had to have security escort him out. He and Tommy were having a heated argument and there were parents and children present on line waiting to see Kris. He went quietly after security got involved thankfully. That was the last I saw of him."
"Do you know what they were arguing about?" Castle asked.
"No. I'm sorry, I don't. I reached the stage once the altercation had already ended, but I did see Tommy's face. He was terrified. You may want to ask his co-workers. Maybe they can tell you what was said."
"We stopped by the exhibit when we arrived." Castle said, before letting out a heavy sigh, tilting his head down and frowning. "Wow." He muttered.
Her mouth hung open at his audacity. "I'll have you know, I had to scramble to find their replacements this morning." She sputtered. Castle shook his head, but said nothing. "It was the best I could do with no notice." She defended. "It's not as easy as you'd think to find someone to fill in."
"Husband?" Castle asked.
"Brother-in-law." She replied before she could stop herself. "He owed me a favor. I'm thinking of firing him. We've been fielding complaints from disappointed parents all day. Word's gotten out about how wonderful Kris was with the children." Now he felt bad for bringing it up. It was possible she hated the situation more than Castle. "He'd be so disappointed. Any idea when he'll be able to return to work?"
They shook their heads, and Mrs. Walker sighed.
Castle turned to Beckett and Jordan tossing them a smug look that said "See, told you so".
Kate's cell phone rang and Castle jumped to attention. "Beckett." He assumed it was the boys checking in. When she wouldn't let him listen in, he rose and started pacing. He'd wanted to call Ryan himself, but his phone battery had just died.
"I'll just go see about those files." Mrs. Walker said, excusing herself, to give the detectives privacy on their call. Jordan and Kate thanked her as she left the room.
It was Esposito calling to update Beckett on Jenkins, who'd been cleared for release from the hospital. He said it was up to Kate and Jordan if they wanted him discharged today or tomorrow morning. Beckett quickly updated Jordan and Castle, and then Jordan immediately pulled out her own cell phone to contact her team. Castle paced back and forth while they spoke.
Esposito told Beckett Jenkins passed his psych evaluation, the psychiatrist deemed him sane, pending a re-examination in a week or so, and that his memory was expected to return in due time, or by Esposito's estimation, possibly never. They were labeling it PTSD. He informed her the doc suggested keeping Jenkins one more night as a precaution due to his age, and then Esposito shared the doctor's instructions regarding Jenkins' sprained ankle. It was clear Jenkins would need some monitoring if they were to move him to another location. Never once, did Esposito bring up the earlier false alarm in Jenkins' hospital room, where they'd thought they'd lost their witness.
"We're still working on setting up the safe-house." Jordan told them, before returning to her call. "We may want to keep Jenkins overnight at the hospital." Beckett nodded, in understanding, although she was still on with Esposito.
"Hang on, Beckett." Esposito said, obviously distracted. It sounded like he and Ryan were arguing over who should speak to her.
Ryan came on the line, after having yanked the cell phone away from his partner. "Oh my God, Castle! You were right!" He hollered into the phone, causing Kate to jump and then move it away from her ear.
"Ryan?" She asked, followed by dead silence, followed by what may or may not have been Ryan slapping Esposito. She really couldn't be sure.
"Oh, hey Beckett, sorry. I thought you were Castle." Ryan said, a moment later, now considerably calmer. "Can you please put him on for a minute?"
Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. She turned to Castle, then handed him the phone. "It's for you." She said, shaking her head.
Castle had been waiting for this call, dying to know what Kevin thought after meeting Kris. "I'm just going to take this….," He looked around aimlessly. "…over there," he stammered, walking a few feet away, safe from what he thought would be prying ears. It wasn't far enough. Beckett could hear Ryan's excitable high-pitched voice even from across the room, and judging from the stupid smile written on her crazy boyfriend's face, she could fathom a guess as to what was being discussed. She rolled her eyes at him and sighed. Apparently, now she'd have not one, but two Santa fanatics to deal with. Fantastic.
While Jordan continued on the phone to her people, Kate listened to Castle and Ryan's conversation, annoyed, yet somewhat amused, by the half she could make out.
"I know right!...Yes!...Dead battery…Great!... Ah, huh…Okay…Really?...Absolutely!...Yes...Okay, we'll meet you back at the precinct in about an hour…Got it…Check." He tried to tamper down his enthusiasm, he really did, but only because he knew Kate was eavesdropping. He wasn't really worried about what Jordan thought. She usually just ignored him. Beckett, however, he hoped to sleep with again. She was watching him, her eyes narrowed, so he quickly said good-bye to Ryan, and then hung up. Still smiling, he walked up to Beckett and casually handed back her phone. "Thanks." Then he sat back down quietly.
Jordan approached Beckett at the same time, finally finished with her call. "We're working on putting together a safe-house. I've got a team on it now, but we'll have to keep Jenkins in the hospital a little longer." She told them. Castle eyed them both carefully, and then grinned. He had a much better idea. "Ladies, once again, I'm the answer to all of your problems."
They let him ramble on for about ten minutes as to the virtues of Kris staying at the loft. Next came the debate.
"No, Castle." Beckett said for the tenth time while they waited for Mrs. Walker to return.
"It could work Kate." Jordan finally said. "He's got a high security building. There would be undercover agents posted everywhere. It's not the worst idea he's ever had."
"Thanks, Jordan. I think." He replied, to her under-handed compliment. He'd take what he could get.
The door opened and Mrs. Walker returned to sit at her desk. There were no files in her hand and her forehead was wrinkling. She clasped her hands together, and they waited for her to speak. She cleared her throat.
"The list of those they worked with is being compiled for you now, and you'll have it before you leave, however…I'm really not sure how to tell you this, or how it happened," She stuttered, "But it's been brought to my attention there may have been some sort of clerical error. The files you requested for Kris, Timmy, and Tommy… well, they seem to have gone missing."
A/N: I hope you liked this installment. Next up…just where did that snake of an elf, Tommy run off to? And what are the bad guys up to? Thanks for patiently waiting for this chapter and for reading. I would kill for a review if you have a minute! Karen