Another Chance
Chapter 12
Every muscle in Castle's body is loose, so loose that he's not sure he can get out of bed. Kate, however, has become considerably tighter since the night's amusements and amazements. She's sitting stick straight with consternation painting her face.
Castle pushes himself up on his elbows. "Plan not coming to you?"
"I just don't know how we can pull it off, Babe. When Marnie is working at Suds and Spin, Larkin will still be up in the apartment. If Merri is there, I can't think of a way to get to her."
"Would it help to have more information? We could get the plans for the building from the city. They're available to the public. Maybe there's some vulnerability we can exploit. Derrick Storm was always using something like that - you remember the dumbwaiter shaft. It was a clue to solving one of our more puzzling, if creepy, cases."
"Castle, you're not Derrick Storm, and we're not trying to rob a smuggler's pet shop. Unfortunately, I don't have a better idea. I think the records office opens at nine. Let's be standing on the doorstep."
Castle reaches for his watch, which had barely made it to the nightstand when his clothes had flown off 10 hours earlier. "7 o'clock. That gives us a little time to relax and caffeinate.
Kate swings her legs over the side of the bed. "Castle, I'm not going to relax until we figure out how to get Marnie back. But you're right about the caffeine. The more, the better. I'll go start the coffee."
"I'll do it. You already see the glass as half empty. At least your latte should be overflowing with goodness."
The hint of a smile greens her eyes. "Use the vanilla syrup with the sugar in it."
Castle winks at her. "Copy that."
Castle surveys the layout for Suds and Spin and the apartments above it. There are a back door and a rear stairway, neither of which will help if Larkin is in the flat watching Merri. He and Kate could wait for Marnie and her Lark to make their next shopping trip, but with the extensive list they fulfilled the night before, that could be days – possibly deadly days for Merri.
One thing looks promising – the airshaft which is the less than breathtaking view from the apartment. He and Kate would be spotted trying to scale it and peek in a window - even if he had any skill at climbing walls. An electronic spy, however, would be another matter.
While researching his last chapter, he'd both marveled over and been slightly intimidated by the miniaturization offered to the military. Drones that fit in the palm of a hand are equipped with facial recognition and contain shaped charges that can blow the brains out of an enemy with accuracy equaling or surpassing that of the most talented sniper. Fortunately, the little monsters are not yet available to civilians.
Somewhat larger and more benign types are used for commercial purposes, including checking thousands of miles of inaccessible pipelines for leaks. He can buy a consumer model for about a hundred bucks at the electronics store. He'd like to go a bit more upscale than that, with a camera-equipped drone that can fly up the air shaft and grab a look inside Marnie's apartment. It should go mostly unnoticed especially if its telltale buzz is covered by street noise or if Larkin is playing music or watching TV. If Larkin does see it, he'll probably figure some kid is playing with a model airplane. In any case, the cost of a drone could never equal the worth of Merri's life.
Castle has an idea of where to look for what he needs. There is a dealer on Canal Street that supplies investigators, licensed or otherwise. Upon being handed a suitably healthy fistful of bills, he asks no questions. Castle discovered him by accident when seeking out one of his cooler toys and used him as inspiration for a character. Carrying sufficient cash for the transaction Castle has in mind may require a stop at the bank or at least a high limit ATM, but he should still be able to complete his acquisition before lunch.
Kate stares down at Castle's new gadget. "Babe are you sure this is going to work?"
"Honestly, no. And if you have a better idea, I'm still all ears. There are many ways I can amuse myself with this, or just gift it to the boys at the 12th."
Kate sighs and shakes her head. "Until we have some real evidence, I can't think of anything better to do. Just be careful. If Larkin appears on your screen - even glancing in the direction of the drone - get that thing the hell out of there."
"Understood. I figure I'll fly this baby up at rush hour. Marnie will still be at her post in the laundromat, and the roar of traffic will be at a maximum. One diesel engine or a faulty muffler could cover the sound of 20 drones. We've got time for lunch before commencing our spy operation."
"Just nothing from the falafel stand. You remember what happened last time."
Castle presses a hand to his abdomen. "Falafel is definitely off the menu."
Alexis gazes around her dorm room. She hasn't spent much time there, and she notices a few cobwebs on two of her posters and a tiny trail of pellets indicating that a mouse has been exploring her domain. After lavishing affection on Ashley's rat, she's not afraid of mice, but she owes it to her neighbors to let maintenance know about the invasion. Other than that, pretty much all she has to do is dust.
Pi is still in the city. He won't be leaving for a few weeks, but they have agreed that it will be easier for both of them not to see each other again. She can still visualize the hurt that was emblazoned on his face. She hated to do that to him, even if she did offer a plausible reason. They both knew that if she had really been in love with him, she would have waited. Just like if Ashley had really been in love with her, he would have made the time to stay connected.
Over the years she'd had her doubts about love, first because her parents' marriage didn't work out and after that when seeing her father's relationship with Gina go south twice. And then there was the parade of men through Gram's life, including the second husband who stole all her money.
After Ashley and Max, she was really beginning to wonder whether having a boyfriend was worth it, but Pi seemed different. She still has no doubts that he is, but not the kind of different that she wants. Maybe she doesn't have a soulmate, or she'll have to wait 20 years to find one like Dad did. That's a discouraging thought. She needs something else to occupy her mind. She's finished her current assignments, and she doesn't have any more classes until tomorrow morning. Maybe an afternoon at the Angelika will do the trick. Classic movies, buttered popcorn and giant boxes of candy are hardly a panacea, but they're the best thing she can think of right now.