Another Chance
Chapter 61
Lanie pushes herself up in the rumpled bed and sighs. "That was some dance, Javi."
"My new steps in the Argentine tango?"
"Uh huh, those too. You have some smooth moves you've never had before."
"Smooth as that Taylor character?"
"Javi, there's nothing between Mr. Taylor and me. The teachers at Smirnov have to get permission from the management just to take their jackets off. They don't have things with their students. They don't need anyone making claims to the media or the cops. Besides, I think he's got something going with the teacher he dances with in competition. I saw them practicing, and when she ran at him for a lift, he had to really trust that she wouldn't accidentally stick a knee in the you know where. Those two are in sync like God created them to be partners. I think they might have danced ballet together too."
Esposito's eyes flash. "Lanie, you mean I spent all that time learning all those steps for nothing?'
Lanie slides down to stick her head under the sheet. "Not for nothing Javi. You will definitely get your reward."
Kate steps out of the tiny bathroom rubbing her wet hair with a towel. "I never thought I'd say this, but I think I'm glad we'll be back in New York, especially since the boys said that the N.Y.P.D. is going to be backing the FBI up on the takedown. Would you have ever pegged the sous chef as the leader of the abduction ring?"
Castle shrugs. "I don't know. The way his eyes lit up when he was slicing roast beef at the buffet, you could clearly see some aggression lurking beneath the surface. And he was chintzy too. He made the beef so thin you could see through it. The cruise line could do with hiring someone else for the job, while they're busy replacing all his lackeys in larceny."
"The cops are going to wait until all the passengers are off the ship since we have to disembark before the crew does. Then they'll go after the members of the gang. It would be great to be around to watch the fun if Aletha can put up with staying that long, I mean after we've gone through customs and everything."
"She did help us start the ball rolling. Maybe we'll get lucky. And it's not like we can get too close. It's a good thing we brought binoculars to look at the wildlife in the sea. They might come in handy."
"They might," Kate agrees. She glances around the cabin. "As soon as we finish breakfast, we'll have to pack everything up, so we can get out of here. Don't we have to go clear our account before we're allowed to leave the ship?"
"We do. They'll make sure they get every penny before releasing us back into the outside world. And they'll send us off in shifts. I think we'll be near the beginning though. The more expensive the cabin, the closer you are to the front of the line, and this trip sucked a fair amount of juice out of the old credit card." He pulls her against him with a sudden jerk. "But worth every dime - for all our adventures, crime related and the even more tantalizing ones."
Kate gooses his butt. "We better get going, then."
"What did Judge Markway say?" Micah queries Alexis.
"He was a little surprised to hear from me. We know each other from when Dad allowed me to sit in on his poker games, but we never had that much chance to talk, except about how obnoxious Dad gets when he wins a big pot on a bluff. But the judge said he'd be happy to perform the ceremony in his chambers. There will be room for the people we want as guests, and he told me that we can have any vows we want. The thing that makes it legal is when he signs the license. He just wants a chance to get back a Dad for his last win. I told him the ship gets in today and I can talk Dad into coming if we host a game."
Micah shuffles his feet and stares at the floor. "I don't know how to play. My parents are big into bridge, and I can sit in on that. It's all figuring points and counting cards, which I'm pretty proficient at. But I never learned about poker."
"My dad taught me, and I'm pretty good. I even beat him sometimes. I can teach you. You'll be great."
Special Agent in charge, Charles Richfield, regards the passengers descending the gangplank. The operation is going more slowly than he expected. Detective Katherine Beckett-Castle - that's a mouthful - let him know that she, her husband, and their baby daughter were back on dry land almost three hours ago, but it doesn't seem even close to time for the crew to depart yet. He ordered some pizzas for his agents and the N.Y.P.D. to eat while they're waiting. That makes viewing the waves of pampered passengers more bearable.
He's thought about taking his family on a cruise. With what he knows now about the Fun Festival line, he's veering more toward Disney, but that will take a considerable bite out of his bank account, and he's not ready for that yet. In another year maybe. He knows his younger daughter, Tina, would love it. She has shirts, shoes, a blanket, - everything Minnie Mouse. But his older daughter, Page, is at the stage when she thinks she's 20 years more mature than she is. She could very well decide she's too old to appreciate the characters she grew up loving. When he actually has the money together, he'll just have to decide what to do.
Kate is waving at him from a distance. She told him that she and her husband were going to take their daughter home, but they'd try to leave the baby with family and return. Normally, he'd prefer not to have curious observers around, but they were the ones who broke the case, with a considerable assist from Island Police Captain Clancy Bulrush. Letting them watch the arrests is a reasonable courtesy, and the vaunted Jordan Shaw gave them her full endorsement.
The parade of vacationers seems to be ending. He radios his people to pay attention. The crew members they need to arrest could be leaving the ship at any time, and they want to grab them with as little muss and fuss as possible.
With any luck, Charles will be home in time to tuck his girls in tonight - Tina, anyway. Page will probably be glued to her phone.
This is it! A group of men and women in crisp white uniforms looks ready to brave the streets of New York. He sends out an at ready code and takes another look at the faces that are already burned into his memory. He glances back at Kate, who's looking through binoculars. She lowers them and nods. This is going to be the operation that will look great in his jacket and can help him move up another pay grade. These collars will be for all the marbles.
Kate scans the faces of the crew making their way down to the pier. She squeezes Rick's hand, impatient for her suspects to put their feet on New York ground. On the sea or dry land, she'll always feel like a cop.