Enjoy.

Chapter 112

It was quite cold the following morning when Beckett and her team arrived at the conference centre where Vong's management had said Johnny Vong and his team were preparing for an event. Beckett wore a purple and black woollen trench coat that once belonged to her mother's. It had been stored in Castle wardrobe for a while and was perfect for the weather.

The team entered the building and found Johnny Vong on the stage rehearsing his speech to a bunch of chairs and a tower of wine glasses. His Asian accent was strong through the PA system and it echoed into the empty conference room.

"I don't care if you a bus boy. I don't care if you wear the green apron and serve fancy coffee to a jerk talking on his blue tooth. I was like you once. Then I discovered the one secret that changed my whole life. Who out there is ready?"

Hands deep in the coat pockets, Beckett stood, watched and observed Vong roll off his speech, barely impressed by his selling antics.

Castle seemed to not be listening and was move focussed on the room as he said, "Place reminds me of my second wedding."

"Remind me not to do this for ours then." Kate replied, then looked at Castle and smiled at his surprised expression. It really did amuse her when she managed to surprise him with statements that closely related commitment. He seemed to hold the belief she carried a phobia about it.

"Ah ha, yeah." Vong had noticed the detectives and seemed to lose track of his practice speech, "Who is ready to close escrow on a new life? Come on." He went to run but Esposito stepped out of the shadows.

Esposito said, "Don't even think about taking them off. If you do, I will pepper spray you."

Beckett quicky approached Vong, pulled her NYPD badge out as she said, "Mr Vong. I'm Detective Kate Beckett with the NYPD. We would like to ask you a few questions."

"Sure, sure sure." He smiled, tried to act calm but Beckett could see he was on the verge of breaking into a sweat.

She said, "We believe one of your employees has been smuggling heroin into the country using your supply chain."

He seemed surprised, "Smuggling? What?"

Castle crisply replied, "Smack."

Beckett said, "Would you mind if we looked in your-"

Vong took off at a run. Instant and swift Ryan leapt out and collided into Vong. They tumbled into the table of glasses that shattered everywhere.

Castle watched the action from Beckett's shoulder, impulsively laughed, "Oh Beckett, this is going in a story, for sure. Absolutely."

Beckett looked from the boys who were handling Vong in a careful manner to avoid glass injuries to Castle. "Yep, this one is right up your alley," she replied.

Esposito hauled Vong to his feet then gave a hand to Ryan who was quite embarrassed.

"This is great," Castle declared as he turned about with Beckett. "There's a really good diner around the corner from her Beckett. Their coffee, is to die for. I'll buy you one."

"That's one of the things I'm really fond of about you, Castle. You can always find me a good coffee."

"Thank you. They also have the best muffins. You know the raspberry and white chocolate."

"Yes."

Castle pulled upon the entrance doorway for Beckett who continued on outside ahead of him. "Well, these ones are really, and I know you despise this word-"

"Then don't say it."

"Sorry, have to. Moist. They are huge and they are moist."

"Well, you put me off right there, Buddy." Kate replied as she stopped to oversee the boys escort Vong to the NYPD shop.

He laughed as he watched the boys.

"They'll process him when they get him to the Precinct. Let's find that diner." Beckett said and followed Castle who commenced to walk the pavement.

*. *. * *

Almost an hour later they were back at the 12th Precinct topped up with fresh coffee and muffin, both as good as Castle had guaranteed. Beckett had been forced to concede the muffin was one of the best she'd eaten particularly as it was full of raspberry pieces.

Ryan advised Beckett that Vong had been through processing and was handcuffed and waiting in the interrogation room to be interviewed. He collected Esposito so they could go for a break. Ready with a good plan of what they wanted to ask, Beckett and Castle entered the box and sat opposite Vong. He appeared relatively calm when

Lack of patience in Beckett for Vong came through in her tone as she said, "Heroin trafficking, that's good for a ten-year prison bid, right Castle?" She wanted to spook him right from the get go.

"Right." Castle nodded.

"Though I don't blame you for running." She synthesised.

"This is all a big mistake," Vong said. "I never do drugs. Drugs are for losers, I'm a business man. I try to help people achieve their goals."

Castle said, "So long as their goals are to blow three hundred bucks on your bogus real estate system."

"No. Listen I offer you thirty-day money-back guarantee. If they don't start building wealth by then I refund all their money, no questions asked. Would I make that offer if this was some kind of scam?"

"Look," Beckett said, "Here's the deal. I'm not a dope cop, I'm a homicide detective, so usually I don't even bother with your type of operation, but my problem and yours is the fact that you had Jack Coonan killed in order to hide your heroin smuggling."

"Wait." Vong looked surprised. "Jack Coonan is dead?"

Castle was also surprised. "Whoa, careful there, Johnny, your accent's starting to fade a little."

Vong entirely dropped the Asian accent and became very American as he said, "Look I didn't come over on a boat. I've never even been to Laos. I'm from Danville, California."

Castle sat up with newfound interest and a smile that said this case was finally gaining some interest, "And this whole Johnny Vong thing?"

"No one wants to buy a real estate system from a Harvard MBA. But show them an idiot with a Rolls Royce and they'll knock down doors. So, I play Johnny Vong. People want crap so that's what I give them."

Castle shrugged, "Well that and heroin."

Beckett tried to keep the men on point and asked, "How exactly did you know Jack Coonan?"

"Look, whatever you think you know I promise you I didn't kill Coonan. You have to believe me."

Beckett said, "Do I? Nothing about you is real Mr Vong. Its very hard to believe anything that comes out of your mouth."

"No, I'm telling the truth. I needed money to take the program national. He needed a way to get product into the country. It was stupid but once you make a deal with the devil," Vong paused then stressed, "You belong to him."

"Who do you belong to?" Beckett pushed, "So who is it you're working for?"

Vong was terrified. "Can't say. He'll kill me." Vong's expression told them that was a high possibility.

Beckett leaned in aware she was losing Vong's confidence. "I can protect you."

He shook his head. "You can't, nobody can. You don't know what that man capable of. If you don't believe me, ask Jack Coonan."

Beckett said, "Look Mr Vong."

"No." Vong was very afraid. "Detective, I'll take my chances in prison. I'd rather lose ten years of my life than all of it."

Castle looked at Beckett, and she indicated it was time for them to leave the room. She closed her notebook as she said, "Give me five minutes and I'll place you in protection until we know more."

Beckett offered Vong safety at the Precinct mainly to protect him, in the event he decided to tell them who he was afraid of. The guy was clearly scared he was going to be murdered so they locked him up in a cell alone until they could either find a safe place for him to hide out for a few days or the Captain told them otherwise.

Frustrated with the lack of progress, Beckett sat at her desk working but took a moment to have a long drink from her water bottle. Castle was on his chair and he idly watched. Taking a break from typing notes she said, "Whoever he's working for scares the shit out of him a lot more than the idea of prison does."

"When he'd rather do prison time… so who is he working for?" Castle asked straight up. "And who is Coonan working for?"

"We need Vong to spill."

"Yeah, we do."

"And I'm assuming they work for the same individual, Castle."

"Yes. There has to be a way to get it out of him. Make him talk. Perhaps we could force him to watch Paris Hilton videos," Castle suggested.

Beckett smiled, "You want to be brought up on charges too? Make me put my cuffs on you, huh?" She quietly asked.

"Ooh, I bet you would like to."

She went to respond but a familiar voice called out.

"Beckett." It was Lanie who entered the bull pen and Beckett immediately turned about.

"What's Lanie doing here?" She asked Castle. "It's a rare event to have a visit from the ME at the Precinct."

"Yes, it is."

She stood up and at that moment noticed Lanie had company. There was a sudden disturbance in her gut and she nervously glanced at Castle their teasing gone. "Hey, Lanie, what are you doing here?"

Lanie stopped beside Castle who stood from his chair, "It's about the Coonan case. This is Dr Clark Murray. He's a forensic pathologist. I asked him to consult."

Beckett shook hands with Dr Murray. "I'm Detective Kate Beckett, this is Richard Castle the novelist."

"We've met." Castle said as he shook the doctor's hand. "Nice to see you again, Clark."

"Same. I hope your mother is well."

Rick nodded. "Keeping everyone on her toes as usual."

"Kate," Lanie said, "We need a room to debrief in private."

"Use the meeting room over here." She pointed in the general direction of the room then followed the group stepping in behind Castle. She had a sick feeling in her gut and sensed Castle was aware of something she wasn't. He had stepped out of the bullpen to take a call about 20 minutes earlier and it caused her to ask herself if it had been Lanie who had phoned him. Had she given Castle the heads up on something.

Dr Murray took over the meeting once everyone was seated around the table. He opened a file and produced a number of 8 x 10 inch post-mortem photographs of Jack Coonans whose murder they were currently investigating. He spread the photographs across the table so Castle and Beckett could clearly see them. "Note the rectangular bruising around these wounds." He pointed with a pen, "Here and here."

Beckett said, "Hmm mmm."

"They were caused by the hilt of the knife striking with force enough to compress the skin."

Beckett said, "And as a result the injuries penetrate deeper than the actual length of the blade."

Dr Murray nodded his agreement, "The killer also honed the blade so fine that it was brittle enough for bits to break if it strikes bone, which is why slivers of blade were found inside both of his victims. We now know that those slivers come from the same murder weapon."

Beckett sat up and glanced at Castle who had mirrored her movement. "Wait, two victims? How many people has he killed?"

Lanie answered cautiously, "Five that we know of Kate."

Beckett took a deep breath, "So this implies we are looking at a serial killer." She met Castle's worried gaze. He seemed to have figured out something she hadn't seen as yet. She scanned the photos again, and again.

"Well, yes and no," Lanie replied, "We believe we're dealing with a professional. Someone with extensive military training."

"A contract killer?" The detective asked.

"I reconstructed Coonan's wounds to generate a 3D model of the blade used." Dr Murray explained. "It was a special operations group knife, the kind favoured by special forces in Gulf War One. The person killed with a single blow, using these other wounds to camouflage the skill with which the initial stroke was delivered. The very same method, and the very same weapon, the same killer employed ten years ago."

Beckett stiffened, saw Castle's expression change and Lanie appeared nervous. "Lanie?"

"I'm so sorry, Kate."

Dr Murray didn't hesitate as he said, "Detective Beckett, there is no doubt in my mind that Jack Coonan was killed by the same man who murdered your mother."

Beckett flared as she stood up, kicking back the chair in her swiftness, "I am the investigator on record on this case. You had no right to withhold evidence from me!"

"Well, what did you expect?" Lanie shot back at Beckett, "The last time Castle tried to talk to you about your mother's murder you were friggin' pissed off."

Castle glared at Lanie, trying to tell her that was the wrong approach to take.

Beckett pleaded, "Please, Lanie."

Dr Parish continued, "I noticed the wound similarity, Kate and so I reached out to Dr Murray. I held off from telling you until I knew the evidence was rock solid. We came to you the second we were sure." She said with an urgency that told the room she knew she'd lost Beckett. Castle sat back in his seat with the realisation Beckett was about the spiral out of control.

Kate stepped backwards aiming to leave the conference room.

Captain Montgomery observed from outside the conference room and when he saw his best detective rush from the room, he called out with a deep demanding voice, "Beckett. Can I have a word with you?"

It stopped Beckett in her tracks, and there was a fleeting moment she thought about disobeying him, but she recognised his tone. As she turned about, he pointed his right hand to the doorway of his office.

Beckett entered Montgomery's office ahead of him and he pushed the door closed shutting out the rest of the Precinct who were now all drawn to the detective. He went to his desk, pulled open a drawer and offered a silver cannister to Beckett. "Poor man's pain killer."

Beckett who remained on her feet, contemplated the offering, bit her lip then reached out and took the cannister. He encouraged her to take a mouthful. She did. It burned her throat and caused her to cough a bit. The second mouthful was smooth.

Montgomery talked. "I know your mother's murder was the reason you became a cop."

Kate frowned.

"And I know how you almost lost yourself trying to solve her case the first time you tried. I figured sooner or later when you were ready, you'd want to take another run at it. I just never expected her killer to come around and sucker punch you like this."

Kate's shoulders dropped. "You knew?"

"Lanie called ahead, asked if she could break the news here where you have the support of your team."

"Oh." She was on the edge of crying, and barely managed to keep it together.

"Kate, listen to me. You're the finest homicide detective I've ever trained, bar none and I want you to stay on this one if you're up to it. Can you handle this?"

Beckett looked through the window. The doctors had packed up their file and left the Precinct. Castle patiently waited by her desk seated on his old chair. She contemplated another mouthful, but gave the cannister back to the Captain as she said, "I'm sorry sir, I can't."

For several seconds she stood grounded to the floor, her mind deliberating what should be her next move. It was a flight or fight situation, and she didn't think she had the strength to continue on with the case even with Castle at her side.

"I'm sorry, Roy. I need some air." She fled the office, rushed past Castle and was gone from the bull pen, taking the stairs.

Castle had stepped towards her as she rushed past him. He went to grab her, but saw Montgomery wave at him, refraining him from doing so. He called after her as she took off, "Beckett. Kate."

For a while Castle sat with Montgomery in his office, both of them of the belief Beckett would return any minute. After 20 minutes had passed Rick checked the time yet again, looked at the Captain and pressed his fingers to his left temple.

"She's not coming back is she."

"I don't believe she is." Roy answered. "Do you know where she'd go?"

Rick sighed, "Umm. Yeah. Her place or to see her father." He sat up. "Oh shit. I should call her father. He knows how sensitive she gets about her mother." Castle fumbled with his phone.

"You sure?"

"I'm concerned about her wellbeing, Roy. She gets raw a hurt when it's about her mother's murder." Castle stared at his phone completely unsure, then lowered it and looked to Montgomery. "Maybe I should just give her some space. Let her cool down, process the news."

"I agree. We need to have her back here too, support her," the Captain stated.

"I will call her soon," Castle said as he stood off the chair, "But right now I need to read over the MEs' report they brought Beckett."

TBC

Lastly, I hope everyone is well and safe. There are readers from Ukraine who read these FF stories and right now with everything going on the stories would seem very insignificant. I am not a person of religion, but your country and your civilians are constantly in my thoughts. I wish every hour for you to be the conqueror and that justice will prevail.