Chapter 57

The last thing Castle expected to find when he entered the living room the next morning, was his dear Mother looking over old articles in one of her many scrap books. He fell back onto the couch beside her, releasing a sigh. Both in their PJ's they inspected a photograph of Martha taken about the time he was a baby. He thought about coffee, about how much time he had before he needed to leave for the Precinct.

"What's up with the stroll down memory lane?"

Martha smiled, proudly shared, "I called my agent and told him to pass on the play. I said, Martha Rodgers does not die in the first act, and she never dies offstage."

Castle smiled with amusement, "Feel better?"

"No. I feel rotten and old. I feel like I'm dying offstage. I was always the ingénue. The lead. The star. I liked it that way. It's a powerful thing, kiddo. To be young, beautiful, talented. No woman wants to give it up."

Castle browsed his mother's face with fondness and reached to her hand he took a gentle hold of, "You are still beautiful, and you are still talented. And you didn't give up your youth. You traded it for wisdom."

"Wisdom." She laughed, "Wisdom." She took a black and white photograph of her young self from Castle and held it up beside her head. "Give me that."

They laughed. Castle's phone rang which he swiped to accept the call.

"Rina? Hey, are we still on for that date tonight? Alright. You remember where I live? I'll see you then." He hung up and saw his mother's look. "What?"

"Alexis told me all about it. That girl is too young for you. Or I should say, you are too old for her."

"It is not what you think," Castle said.

Martha gave him a quizzical look, "Oh."

"And unemployed divas who live in glass houses, rent-free, should not throw stones," he added.

"Point taken."

Rick got up to get ready to go into the Precinct. As he walked he sent a text to his girlfriend, checking in for the morning. By the time he was as the bedroom door he knew Kate was at the Precinct, on to something, wanted a coffee, a claw bear and to see him. Apparently, her priorities were in that order.

"Great," he muttered, "I come in after a claw bear."

He wrote he would be there in about 45 minutes.

Castle met Beckett at her desk with two large coffees and two bear claws. She was concentrating on the monitor, her brown furrowed.

Castle asked, as he put down the coffees, "What's the good word?

"Sunshine Electronics." Beckett answered.

Castle said, "That's two words." He sat down on his chair.

"Nope, that's where Jenna McBoyd bought her new cell phone."

Castle said, "What?"

Beckett bounced a little on her seat, which surprised him, "So, I was talking to her husband last night, and on a hunch I asked him about her cell phone. He said it wouldn't accommodate a recording app. So, I checked into her credit card receipts. She bought a new cell phone the day she died. And it had GPS in it, which she had the foresight to switch on."

"You found it?"

Beckett smiled, "In a dumpster on West 81st. Uniforms are bringing it in now."

Rick smiled and leaned in checking there was no one around within hearing distance, "Do you know how cute you look when you've caught a lead? You would be so cute with glasses."

"Black frames?" She whispered with a natural smile. She picked up the brown paper bag and peered inside.

"I could see you in them, yes."

"I've always wanted glasses. Make me look smart." The blurted out.

He chuckled, wondering whether Kate had forgotten where she was. "You are smart. But glasses would make you look bloody hot."

She giggled quietly. In her peripheral vision, she caught sight of Ryan and Esposito returning from the breakroom. The laugh sobered, "So Castle, why aren't you home writing?"

"Coz I'm here."

"Detective Beckett?" A uniformed officer appeared holding a plastic bag that contained a phone.

Kate and Castle looked up at the young woman. "You have the phone?"

"Yes M'am."

"Thank you." Kate took it as she stood up. "We need to run it to the lab first."

Xxxx

An hour or so later, Kate sat with Castle in the viewing room, watching their suspect, Travis McBoyd. Both were wiser and clear with their decision. They had heard the recording on the phone. Beckett was in deep thought, agitated by the recording they had heard. Rick was angry, but he'd learned with Kate to hold it in so as not to make her reactions worse, to cloud her judgement.

She barely blinked as she stared through the glass, thinking. Rick leaned in and quietly inquired, "Are you okay?"

Kate swallowed, nodded the once, then murmured, "At Wyatt's apartment, the fight happened just like Wyatt said it did."

"She knocked over the trophy, it shattered." Rick leaned against the frame, stared at his girlfriend's profile, her eyes straight ahead at the man who patiently waited for their attendance. In his peripheral vision, he could see Travis studied his nails. "She used the trophy as a defensive weapon and cut Wyatt."

Castle continued, "She kept the weapon and took off."

Beckett agreed with a glance to his fact, "She left the place alive."

"He didn't go after her," Rick continued.

"Her husband had followed her to Wyatt's."

"She screamed because of her husband."

Kate inhaled deeply. "Let's get him."

Castle looked into the interrogation room at the deceased's widower, "So, what's our plan?"

Beckett replied, "My aim is to make him confess."

"Arr, but I don't think he's gonna crack that easy, Kate. I mean, what if he figures out we only have a partial recording?" He paused, "That the memory on the phone ran out before the actually murder took place?"

Beckett thought about that, her lips pressed together, then she adamantly replied, "He won't, Castle."

"We, uh... We don't have any proof that he did it. I mean, what if he shuts down and doesn't talk?"

"He won't."

"He's not a stupid man, Kate. He might ask for a lawyer."

Beckett looked at Rick and smiled, softly as she replied, "He won't. Look, let me handle this. You can go in if you want, but don't speak."

"I just..."

"Don't speak," she repeated.

"Okay," he agreed, "Let's do it then." They stared at each other for several seconds before Kate stepped closer to him. Fingers touched the top button of his shirt and her eyes remained on his. Both aware they were alone and couldn't be seen they dropped their guard momentarily.

"I'll get it out of him, Castle. I will play the tape and stop it before it ends."

"Okay."

They left the viewing room and entered Interrogation where Travis McBoyd sat in wait.

There were several minutes of procedural conversation, of Detective Beckett setting up the scene. Once she was done, she placed the phone that had belonged to the late Jenna McBoyd and pressed play.

Jenna's voice angrily asked, "Why did you follow me?"

Travis replied, "Well, it seems like I had a good reason."

Travis sat up, his eyes wide. He held up his hands, "Okay, wait. She was recording me?"

Beckett ignored his question, "You followed her to Farrow's part Sunday night, and then to Monroe's apartment."

"You don't understand, Detective! She just... She'd been acting so strange lately. And then Sierra told me about this photographer."

Beckett asked, "You talked with Sierra about Wyatt Monroe?"

"She was worried about me and Jenna. That it wa.. was more than just business between them. Something was going on. Look, once this was in my head, I …. I couldn't stop thinking about it. Yeah, I followed her to the party. They were together. When she didn't go home and she went to his place instead, I knew."

"Okay, so then you waited."

He looked about the room, then leaned forward and continued, "She came out, her clothes were all messed up. Her lipstick was rubbed off."

"You called her a slut." Kate stated.

"I told her that she was my wife. My wife," he stressed. "And she... She just started crying. She... She said I didn't understand, that I was just like everybody else."

Beckett impatiently explained, "Travis, I can't help you unless you tell me the truth."

Castle who had remained silent as requested, said quite directly, "And then you slapped her hard enough to cut her cheek."

Travis sat up and leaned forward, elbows on the desk, "Look, I didn't mea..." He sat back, looking away, "Look, I just... I couldn't... I couldn't see straight. It's like I wasn't even myself anymore. I was so mad. I just... I didn't even know what I was doing."

"And so, you killed her," Beckett strongly suggested.

Travis panicked, "No! No. I didn't kill her. Teddy did."

Beckett's brow furrowed, but she entertained his suggestion, "Teddy Farrow?"

Frustration and anger flared within Travis, "Oh, man, it was always Teddy. It was Teddy this, Teddy that. Just like, whispering in her ear, you know. Telling her how to walk, how to talk, who to be. Just feeding her mind with lies. I'll tell you what, if anyone did it, it was him."

Beckett said, "It was you, Travis, in the plaza, not Teddy. Standing by the fountain, thinking about all the things you'd done for her. About how you moved to this city that you hated only to be treated like this. Now, she had something in her hands, something sharp. What was it? Travis, do you really want me to turn that tape on? Do you really want to listen to what you said and what you did?"

"She was holding this broken glass. Told me to stay away."

"And so, you took it from her." Beckett suggested.

Travis shrugged, "It just happened."

"What happened, Travis?"

"I... I stabbed her. I stabbed her in the back. She was... She was trying to leave me. I loved her so much. I just... I couldn't let her leave me."

Kate softly said, "She wasn't gonna leave you, Travis." She rewound the recording on the phone, "Listen." She played it.

They heard Wyatt say, 'What the hell! You're recording me?'

Jenna screeched, 'Give it back, Wyatt. I- I didn't know what else to do! I- I want the job, Wyatt, but I love my husband. I can't do this to him. I won't! You're hurting me.' She sobbed. 'I just want to go home! I want to go home!'

Beckett said, "Home. She was trying to go home to you."

Traumatized, Travis put his head in his hands.

Kate stood. "Please remain seated. I'll have someone come into to process you." She walked out of the room with Rick behind her. He closed the door.

She said to Uniformed Officer at the door, "Please read him his rights and let him make his call."

Minutes later, Castle sat on his chair. He said to Beckett, "That was a risky bluff, threatening to play a recording we didn't even have."

"It didn't seem like a risk to me. He loved his wife very much. He wouldn't want to relive her death."

"Well, what about Sierra? What about Wyatt Monroe? They just go free? That doesn't sound like justice."

"Well, I spoke with Teddy Farrow this morning. Now that he understands what those two did to Jenna, he's gonna launch a very different kind of campaign. He's gonna get them blackballed in the industry. No one will hire them again." Beckett replied.

Castle said, "Ah, you mean poetic justice. Well, as a writer, I guess I can live with that."

Beckett said, "I wish I could feel that way. I wish I could feel a sense of victory." She paused, looked over his face, settled on his bright blue eyes, "So, what would Nikki Heat do after a bad day?"

Castle contemplated, "She'd go home, pour a stiff drink, run a hot bath, read a good book."

"Too bad I don't have a good book to read."

"Mmm. I'd let you have Heat Wave, but my publisher doesn't want any copies leaking out."

"Why'd you let that Cosmo reporter read it, then?"

"Well, that's for publicity purposes, Beckett. You know, you want the press to have a little taste of..." His eyes suddenly widened, "Wait, whoa." He sat up, "Is... is that why you've been so upset?" He turned in his seat to face her better, "Because I let her read it before you?"

Beckett gave him a quirky look, "Well, I am the inspiration. I should be reading it before a reporter does."

"Why didn't you just say so?"

"Why didn't you just give it to me?"

"Why didn't you ask?"

Beckett frowned, "Why didn't it occur to you?"

Castle stopped. Thought. He shrugged. He can't think of a reason. "You'll have it by tomorrow."

Beckett smiled, "Good."

"Good." He leaned over and whispered, "If my memory serves me correctly, and it does, you did read a draft, sitting upon my lap at the holiday house."

A sheepish grin appeared, "Draft. Not the final, a first copy of the book."

"Oh. I see. I shall remember that for next time."

"Next time?"

"It's my job Kate. I write books." He cutely bit his bottom lip then asked, "And I will never forget you sitting on my lap that day." He saw her blush, a timid smile appear. "Will I see you later? I'd sure like to."

"Mm. Your place?"

He nodded as he stood up straight.

Castle left Kate at her desk smiling. After he was gone, she woke up her computer in order to finish up some paperwork.

Xxxxx

A favourite time of Rick's day was cooking with his daughter. He had taught her to cook, to clean and to care for herself, and now spending time reaping the rewards of his efforts was a privilege.

"I've put in enough pasta to feed Kate, Honey."

"She's staying tonight?"

"Depends on when she finishes at the Precinct." He put his hand on Alexis' shoulder as he inspected the pasta. Alexis transferred the pasta from the strainer into a casserole dish. Her father grabbed the saucepan of sauce and poured it over the pasta.

"Smells delicious, Dad."

"Yep. Just a while in the oven and dinner will be served." He passed her the cheese that she sprinkled over the top.

As Rick carried the dish to the oven, the front door opened and Martha entered.

"Good evening, my dears." Martha called.

Alexis smiled and rushed around the counter to greet her "Hey, there."

Castle visually assessed his mother's persona, her gait, which was light, "You look in brighter spirits. What's changed since this morning?"

"The play that I passed on," she began, "The producers came back with a better offer. I was just at the Dorchester signing my contracts."

"So, you got the lead?"

"Well, no, Richard, but I still play the crazy granny."

"But you... You don't die?" Alexis asked.

"No, still die."

Castle glanced at Alexis then asked, "Alright, so what's the better offer?"

"They have rewritten the script so that I die onstage. My death closes act one. It's better than the lead, really. Granny's the bravura role."

Castle said, "In art, as in life."

Martha said, "Aw."

Alexis gave her grandmother a hug, "I'm so proud of you."

"Aw. Thank you. Thank you, my baby."

There was a knock on the door. They all looked in the direction of the entrance.

Martha asked, "Are we expecting company?

Castle checked the time, "Uh, that's Rina."

Distastefully Martha commented, "Oh, of course. Your date."

"Not my date." He pointed at Alexis, who ran joyously to the entrance. She opened the door and upon seeing each other, the girls giggled and squealed at each other then hugged as long lost friends.

"Hi!" Alexis greeted, "So good to see you."

"Hey! Same. Ready for a High School Musical marathon?"

"I'm so ready." She pushed the door closed.

The girls rushed to the bottom of the stairs.

Castle called with a wave, "Hey, Rina."

"Hi, Mr. Castle."

He checked an incoming text message which caused him to smile.

"Come on." Alexis said to Rina as she commenced to climb the stairs.

Castle said as they watched the girls retreat to Alexis' bedroom, "Color me shocked, but apparently, the modeling world isn't all sexy clothes and fun parties. It occurred to me that if Jenna McBoyd had someone looking out for her a little bit, she might still be alive today. So, if Rina needs a friend, she knows she's got one." He retrieved a bottle of wine from the bar fridge, unscrew.

Martha smiled, accepted the wine her son offered her, "Oh, my son, the big softy. And don't worry, I know you have an image to protect. Your secret's safe with me."

"No need to protect an image of what I'm not. I have what I want, Mother," he stated, his tone full of adoration.

Another knock on the door sounded. "That one will be for me," Rick declared a smile spreading.

"Arr, yes, would that be your lady friend?"

The writer grinned, and pointed towards his front door, "The one who loves my body so much she sometimes giggles helplessly like a teenage girl."

"She adores you, Richard. Go answer the door for her."

"Yes, on my way. She's just come off duty." He shot across the living room to the front door that he opened as keenly as his daughter had. She was there, in casual clothes, her hair tied back and no make-up, an overnight bag on her shoulder. He reached out and took it from her, "Come in."

He stood aside to let her in.

"Babe," she whispered as she passed him, the large hazel eyes not leaving his body. He grunted a response and watched her ass walk towards the kitchen. She smelt delicious. Her hair was washed and wavy. The women greeted with a hug. Rick took the overnight bag to his bedroom.

When he returned to the kitchen, Kate was inspecting the meal that Rick had cooking in the oven. She was famished. His mother had disappeared. He poured two glasses of wine and passed her one. With the drink in his hand he migrated to the couch. He kept a vigil on her noting she picked at a few pieces of vegetables left on the bench. Given a few minutes, with the wine in her hand, she sauntered over to him.

Kate smiled as she approached, "How comfortable you look on the couch, Castle."

He had his nose in a magazine and barely looked up as she approached but he raised his hand to accept her. "C'mere, Honey."

She curled up beside him, his arm over her shoulders, and scanned the page he was reading. "A men's magazine? Different for you."

"I do like to browse them. This one caught my attention." He rested his free hand on her upper arm.

"Mm." She leaned in, studying the picture, "The guy in the picture is wearing a suit that looks a little dated, Rick." She looked at his forearm and stroked her hand up it.

"Must be coming in." He looked down at her hand caressing his arm. It felt good, sensual.

"I don't know whether I'm more hungry for food or you," she whispered and kissed his shoulder beneath the sleeve of his t-shirt.

"You're gonna enjoy dinner." Rick murmured pressed his lips to the side of her head, then turned the page of the magazine. "You love my pasta."

"Mm. Yum." She reached to the coffee table and placed her wine beside Rick's glass. She snuggled in against him.

He cleared his throat to gain her attention.

Rick felt Kate leaned harder against him when she noticed that on the right page there was a picture of a woman who modelled lingerie. Kate instantly recognized the image and gasped. "That's me."

"Huh?"

"Castle." She squeaked and pointed. She sat up. "Castle?" She repeated.

"Mm?" He smiled as she pointed at the magazine. Her jaw had dropped open.

Her hand clutched his wrist, "Oh my God! How did you find that… that magazine?" She stammered.

He laughed at her sheer shock.

"Told you I was good at research." He grinned. "This was taken about eight years ago. You were maybe scraping 22 years of age." He admired the picture. She had long dark hair and a killer body. "You were smoking fucking hot."

Kate attempted to snatch the magazine but he held it out of her reach.

"Where did you find it?"

"I did my research, Baby."

"Where?" She demanded, "Castle?" She was up on her knees, climbed his body until fingers and thumb had a tight grip on the spine of the magazine.

"Beckett." He laughed.

"Give it up." She ordered.

Rick wrapped his spare arm around her body, conscious she risked falling backwards in her clumsiness. He let go of the magazine as she tugged at it but put both hands on her, more than happy she was literally in his safe custody.

She instantly sunk her body across his lap facing him. "I can't believe you found this." She opened the magazine to the page her image was on and looked between him and the picture. "How did you find it? Like, I was so young!"

"You were." He studied the picture magazine, her body on his lap, in his hands. She had fuller cheeks, more of a baby face, and her body was incredibly toned in the photo. "Took me a while but I dug up a few things."

She laughed. "A few things?"

"Mmm… Firstly, your Dad, he's so proud of the work you did and do."

"You went to my Dad?" She sobered, "You all went to my Dad."

"We, me and the boys, had a hunch you really did modelling, that you weren't jerking our chains, so we investigated." He smoothed his fingers up her spine, aware if he touched her as he did, the tension built up from the day would fade off.

"That's how they came up with the picture in the tennis dress."

Rick nodded, grinning. "Your Dad. He was dying to see your reaction." He tilted the magazine, "I hunted the vintage places, put in some serious hours, gave up and summoned the courage to call your Dad."

"He helped."

"He sure did."

"It was just a phase, to pay my way through college."

He shook his head in objection, watched her eyes widen, felt her left hand grip his shoulder. "You love it." He stated, "When we were at the Teddy Farrow event your eyes were glistening and as large as saucers."

"No-"

"Don't bother denying it, Beckett. I saw you caught up in the atmosphere. You were in your element, like my mother walking into a theatre."

"Castle." She gushed, as she put the magazine down on the couch beside them. Both arms rested on his shoulders. "I cannot believe you did that." She bit her bottom lip, tilted her head to the side, gazing into his eyes.

"Was hard work."

"Mmm." She stroked his head, "You know the truck at the end of my bed?"

"Very well. Yes." He chuckled, "Great memories."

"Yes. Well, Ricky, inside the box I have printed modelling stuff." She pressed her lips together, refraining a giggle that wanted to burst out of her when she saw his expression, his frown.

"Really? Jesus."

She nodded, holding back a smile that was trying to burst from her.

His head slumped back in exasperation. "I never thought of looking in there. Fuck."

"I bet."

"Everywhere but there," he groaned, staring at the ceiling, "Damn it. So much time spent researching and it was right under my nose."

"Well, your feet." She giggled, finding it all very funny because she knew he would have spent hours hunting for stuff.

"That's right, you think it's hilarious."

"If you saw inside the box you would too."

"Let me guess." He raised his head, to look at her, "Its full of stuff?"

She laughed, "Yes."

"Your Father has a collection."

She nodded, "Ricky." She whispered. "So many layers of that onion huh?"

He smiled, "Yes. Speaking of food, I can smell dinner." He patted her backside. "Let's go eat."

"Yes, I'm starving." She stood off him.

"Same. Alexis has Rina with her."

Kate sobered, "Does she know about us?"

"We sit and eat at the table, you dropped by. Simple."

"Okay."