CBs

Chapter 17

Kate's phone blared an alarm into the sunlit room, giving the Castles just enough time to shower and dress before returning to the precinct. Castle turned to her sleepily as she pressed the shut-off. "Feels like it's only been five minutes."

"I know Babe, but I need to be there when the A.D.A. sits down with Burgess. You could stay here and catch more sleep if you want to."

"Not a chance in hell," Castle replied."This is my case twice over, as part of your team and as a P.I. for the Nussbaums. I'm not missing anything."

"And I wouldn't really want you to. Can you start coffee while I jump in the shower?" Kate proposed.

Castle sat on the edge of the bed, still wearing his clothes from the night before. "Double strength. We're going to need it."

Fordham Burgess was led from the holding cell where he had been conferring with his lawyer, Carter Briggs. His bloodshot eyes showed he'd had even less sleep than the Castles and he displayed none of the arrogance that had been his hallmark. A.D. A. Toni Gonzales waited in interrogation with Kate while Castle watched with Ryan and Esposito through the one way mirror. "Mr. Briggs," Toni began, "I am given to understand that your client has information regarding the actions of the Albanian mob in connection with illegal trafficking in human organs and specifically relating to a suspect now identified only as Kreu."

"That is correct," Briggs confirmed, "but we need assurances of a deal. Since an organ removal never actually took place, my client serves no jail time."

Toni's eyes hardened. "Mr. Briggs, the only reason an organ removal never took place is that Captain Beckett's team prevented it. And our office must also be assured that your client has not successfully participated in previous efforts. However, if that proves to be the case, and your client's information proves to to be sufficient to indict the person known as Kreu and expose his operations, we have a deal."

Briggs looked at Burgess, who nodded. Kate leaned forward. "First question, what is the true identity of Kreu?"

Burgess clasped and unclasped his hands nervously. "You need a little background. For some time, I have been a physician to Rita Carcani, Kreu's mother."

"Wait a minute," Beckett interrupted. "There is no record of Rita Carcani being anyone's mother."

"There is no record that she gave birth," Burgess corrected, "because she didn't. Her illness made it impossible for her to safely carry a child. She used a surrogate. The man you know as Kreu is Davud Demachi, the son of Rita Carcani and Edi Demachi."

"Hey," Castle told Ryan and Esposito as they heard Burgess' story, "I heard about Edi Demachi when I was talking to Sal Cardano to research a book. The families hated him because he was constantly trying to invade their territory. He was pretty successful at it too. He had drug operations and gambling. He also had gangs who committed robberies, something the Cardanos really didn't like because it attracted too much police presence. Supposedly about ten years ago Edi disappeared from the scene. That must have been when Davud took over."

"Castle," Esposito chided, "we're trying to listen here." Castle continued watching silently.

"How did you get involved with Demachi's organ trafficking operation?" Kate asked Burgess.

"I haven't been involved long," Burgess asserted. "As I told you, I'd been Rita Carcani's physician for some time. I performed a transplant on her. I was called to her home recently. I was told the surgeon the organization had been employing was out of the picture and promised a steady income to excise organs. An ex-con surgeon doesn't have many viable prospects."

Kate glared at him. "If you're trying to garner our sympathy for having your opportunities cut short for trying to rape a nurse, Fordham, you're wasting your breath. Who exactly made the offer to employ you to steal organs?"

"Davud Demachi. He described the operation, told me about the clinic and his connection with Debora Halil. He arranged the whole thing."

Kate shoved a legal pad and a pen across the table. "Fine, now write every detail of everything you had to do with Davud Demachi down."

"Wow!" Castle exclaimed. "We don't even need Debora's testimony do we?"

Ryan shook his head. "We do. Burgess is an accessory. The testimony of one accessory isn't enough to take someone down. You need two. The captain and Ms. Gonzalez still have work to do."

"In that case," Castle responded, "I'm going to order some pizzas."

"Don't forget the double jalapenos, Bro," Esposito reminded him.

Castle's preference ran to a different form of heat, but that would have to wait until later. He nodded his acknowledgment.

Debora Halil rubbed her yellowed fingers together wishing for a cigarette. Her attorney, Julia Boggs, had not been encouraging. Debora's involvement with the death of a twelve year old girl was the sort of thing that made juries want to throw a defendant into the deepest hole. The last thing Debora needed was a trial. Julia had a reputation for sealing deals. Debora hoped it was well deserved.

Fed and caffeinated, Kate felt ready for round two. She still had garlic on her breath from the pizzas Castle had delivered to the precinct, but couldn't have cared less if Debora Halil was offended. Kate actually looked forward to making the woman's experience as unpleasant as possible. She did manage to sit far enough away from Toni to avoid breathing in the face of the A.D.A..

"Ms. Halil," Toni began, "I'm sure Ms. Boggs has informed you, but I want to be clear. If any of your information proves to be less than either truthful or complete, any deal will be null and void. As you seem to have no wish to throw yourself on the mercy of the court, be advised that you are throwing yourself on mine and I don't tolerate being screwed with. Do you understand?"

Forcing the words through a fear constricted throat, Debora replied that she did.

"How long have you been in contact with Davud Demachi?" Kate inquired.

"Debora thought for a moment. "I can't tell you exactly. I met him when he accompanied his mother to the hospital for treatment. We actually went outside at the same time to catch a smoke. He could tell I was upset and asked me what my problem was. I explained that I had just gone through a divorce and my deadbeat ex-husband had taken everything and completely screwed up my credit. I was about to be thrown out of my apartment. He offered a way out. I didn't know anyone was going to die."

"You mean you didn't want to know," Toni accused. "How many organs did you broker?"

"I didn't keep count, but at least one every couple of weeks. I had no control over how donors were pre-screened, but I made sure the blood typing and tissue testing was done. The organs went to different hospitals. We probably saved quite a few lives," Debora pleaded.

"Unless you count the donors who died and Carrie Nussbaum," Kate retorted.

"Miss Boggs, we'll need your client to provide any records that exist of payments and conversations between herself and Davud Dimachi," Toni demanded.

"Then we have a deal?" Julia pressed.

"If and only if everything Ms. Halil provides and has told us here checks out," Toni declared.

"In the meantime," Kate added, "I don't think Ms, Halil will have any more worries about making rent on an apartment."

Kate lay on the couch in the loft with her head pillowed against Castle's chest. The light from the fireplace reflected from the wine glass she twisted in her hands. "Castle, you know what bothers me the most about this whole case?"

Castle tucked her head comfortingly beneath his chin. "What?"

"Everyone was trying to make a play for sympathy. Burgess, Halil, they acted as if their own troubles justified what they did. No one took responsibility for anything."

Castle kissed her temple. "Then there are some people who take too much responsibility for everything. It can be an ugly dirty world Kate, but every day you work to clean up a corner of it. No one can do more than that."

Kate sank deeper into the warmth of his body. "Castle, I just know that I have to try."

Castle wrapped his arms around her more tightly. "One of the many reasons I love you."