Having a husband that you are separated from is not easy. Especially when you are totally, madly, completely in love with him and she has absolutely no doubt about his feelings for her. Their love for one another goes way beyond the physical connection they share. As much as they both love the intimate times together, the non-intimate moments are every bit as important to them
She cannot help but let her mind return to the night they spend together in that sleazy motel making that intimate connection and just how good it felt to actually go to sleep next to her husband but she is also craving some quiet private time with him. Somewhere they can just talk and cuddle. It has been too long since they were able to accomplish that
Pulling her mind and heart back to the tasks at hand she breaks herself out of her dream world
Captain Beckett is sitting at her desk with the current schedule of open cases on her computer screen along with the current assignments. She has to keep the work load balanced with all her teams of detectives, but at the same time juggling her personal investigation going quietly and making sure she keeps her marriage going strong too
She looks over the assignment sheet and decides to call Ryan and Esposito in for an update on their cases
She walks out her door and looks for the pair. They are not at their desks but she can see them in the break room at the coffee machine that her husband brought in so many years before. She silently walks up to the door and that is when he begins to overhear the discussion taking place over a fresh cup of cappuccino
The voice of the strong willed Hispanic detective comes over first loud and strong "That guy is a dog. I cannot believe that he is going out getting his jollies in back alleys with hookers while leaving Beckett all alone"
"Listen Javi. I agree that what he seems to be dong is wrong, but you know he was dumped by her. I mean after all these years of him chasing her and wanting to just be with her and watching out for her, protecting her and she just drops him like yesterday's Ledger…and from what I hear, no reason was given…"
"Where did you hear that?"
"Some of the uniforms heard her on the telephone talking to someone saying that she felt really bad walking out like she did. It sounded like she had not explained herself"
"Kevin, you only heard a part of a call and you automatically think it is her doing? Maybe she caught him with another woman or looking at internet porn and figured she must not be enough for him and he is after more…"
Beckett decides it is time to shut down this conversation. Using her best 'boss' voice "Guys! I need to see you two in my office" she turns and briskly walks back into her private domain
Once inside she points to the entry "Close the door" and the two men comply
"I need updates on the Watkins and Taylor cases" she picks up the files and opens them on her desk and prepares to make notes
Kevin reaches into his coat pocket and retrieves his note pad and begins reporting on the status of the cases. Once he finishes his dissertation Esposito fills in a few gaps in the stories. It appears both cases are near closing.
"Good" she says "I have another murder that just came in so I am assigning it to you two" she hands the call sheet to Ryan "Lanie is already on her way there. Let's see if you can dig into this a deeply as you seem to want to dig into things that you need to leave alone" not letting these two get away thinking she is not on to them
After handing the paper to Kevin, she points to the door indicating for them to leave "Close the door on your way out"
She returns her attention to the other paperwork on her desk. Once she hears the door latch clock closed, she reaches into her pocket and takes out the burner phone
To keep prying eyes from knowing who is in her call list she has given code names to the contacts. He code for her husband is 'Chase'. She thinks this is appropriate since he spent four years in the 'Chase' going after her before she let him have her heart.
She types a short message to him 'Boys are getting too close. I am pushing them away as best as I can'
A minute later 'K'
She erases the messages to make sure no one will ever see what is being sent. She places the phone back into her jacket pocket and returns her attention to her work knowing that the investigation into LockStat is happening in the background
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Richard Castle just closed the text from his wife and erasing any proof of its existence from his burner phone when the desk phone rings. Caller id just says 'Cavern'. The code name he gave his chief operative who offices at the travel agency as his cover
"Yes" Castle answers without further indication of who he is. The voice on the other end of the phone speaks in simple codes
"Action still open" meaning the information from Beckett is solid but he has no additional answers
"Retreat is progress" meaning he has arranged a get away for Kate and Rick
"72 Hours till closing" He has set up three days for them
"Product Shipped" Meaning the details are on their way to Rick's drop box
Castle hangs up the phone and walks out to the reception area of his PI business. "Wanda, I am going to lunch" he tells the older lady that he hired to be his first contact person for clients
She looks up thru her bifocal glasses "Yes Mr. Castle. Have a good lunch" and drops her head back down to the file on the desk that she seems so focused on at the moment
Outside the building, Castle turns his head both directions up and down the street looking like he is trying to decide exactly where he wants to go for lunch. He finally turns to the Pizza shop in the next block.
Once he enters the pizza emporium ha waits his turn to place an order. When it is his turn he selects an individual basil with sausage and extra cheese. After finishing the order, the clerk asks for his name.
"Rook, Jamison Rook" Rick responds.
The clerk enters the name in the computer and totals the order. Castle pays for the meal and goes over to a vacant high top table and waits for his food to arrive
While he waits for the pie to be prepared, he pulls out his phone and plays a game to kill time. Ten minutes later a pizza is brought to the table by a lovely lady. "Can I serve your first slice?" she asks holding a pie spatula
"I can do it, but thanks anyway" Rick mile to the server. She hands the serving item to him and walks away. Once she has left the area, Castle takes the first piece of pie and places it on his plate. .Beneath the pizza is an envelope wrapped in plastic protecting it from the food
Castle takes it and removes the contents from the plastic bag and places it into his coat pocket.
Rick finished the meal, drops a tip on the table and stands to leave. As he passes the counter the order taker looks at him "How was everything"
"Everything is perfect. Thank you" Castle responds and he exits the café
/\/\/\/\/\/\/
At her desk, Captain Beckett feels the phone in her pocket vibrate. She looks up and sees that there is no audience to observe her actions. She pulls the phone out and sees that the message is from 'Chase' sent to 'legs'
Ryan considers the name for her to be appropriate
'Trip on schedule. I will have something special just for you. See you Friday'
Just as she types the message back 'K so ready!' her desk phone rings. She pushes send then drops the burner phone on her desk and picks up the desk handset
"Captain Beckett" she listens intently "Really?" she obviously is concerned about the call coming in "Give me the address" she starts writing on a note pad on the desk, sliding her burner phone out of her way "Got it. I am on my way. No I am coming myself"
She hangs up on the call and opens her desk drawer, takes out her service weapon. Placing it on her hip she marches to her door. Once out in the bull pen she realizes only one detective is even on the floor. Quickly looking around Beckett call out "Karpowski, Grab LT and come with me. There is a report of an active shooter on Lex near Fist National"
The three officers get on the elevator and head out to the crime scene
It is only about ten minutes later the elevator opens and detectives Esposito and Ryan step off with a handcuffed suspect in between them. Esposito speaks to his partner "Go tell the boss we got the guy and I will start processing him"
"Cool" Ryan replies as he turns toward Captain Beckett's office. When he arrives at her desk he does not see her inside but he does notice a cell phone he does not recognize. He knows it is not department issue
Not sure who it belongs to, he opens the lid and looks first at the contact list. There is only the one name 'Chase'
He then looks for any text messages then discovers only the last one. The one that Beckett forgot to delete before she got called out. The message about the upcoming weekend trip for Friday
He decides to not tell Javi about the message. Esposito is always defending Kate and Kevin is positive that he will come up with some excuse for the message and the trip she is planning with this Chase guy.
Ryan carefully closes the phone and places it back on the desk where he found it.
Kevin Ryan returns to his desk and a few minutes later Esposito returns from the holding cells. "Was the captain here?"
Ryan looks at Beckett's office "No…no she is not here. One of the other uniforms said
That Beckett grabbed Karposwky and LT and ran out of here"
About that moment the elevator bell rings and Beckett and the other two officers are
walking slowly back onto the floor. They can overhear Beckett "The next time dispatch
needs to verify that there is a movie shoot happening before calling out the Calvary over
shots fired calls"
As everyone returns to their workstations Beckett walks over to her two team leaders
"Back so soon?"
"Yeah boss" Esposito answers "We arrested the suspect on scene. He was waiting in his
car outside. He says it was an accident"
"An accident?"
"It was an accident he stabbed his roommate 52 times"
She just shakes her head then walks back into her office. She closes the door, walks
around the desk and places her Glock into the drawer.
This is when she realizes that she left the burner phone on her desk. She picks it up then
looks out around the floor to see if anyone notices what she is doing. Thinking she is
safe, she drops it into her pocket then returns to her work
Out in the bullpen Kevin Ryan has paid particular attention to the actions of his captain
and he begins to think 'She IS having an affair'
I know this story began very dark and it is becoming lighter chapter by chapter.
I just can't help myself