Shared Obsession Chapter 108
Applause echoes off the walls of the great room as Alexis, high on an extension ladder, places the star atop the tree. "Cookie time!" Castle proclaims as his daughter scampers back to earth.
Martha waves his pronouncement away. "Too many calories. Our costume mistress is out sick. I can't afford to strain any seams."
"Another youthenizing smoothie, Mother?" Castle asks, doing his best to suppress a wince.
"You should try it, Richard. You're not getting any younger you know," Martha reminds her son. "And how about you, Katherine? The right mix of nutrients could give you just the boost you need to fight crime on the streets – especially if you have to drag Richard along."
"She doesn't have to drag me, Mother," Castle protests.
"I'll try it, Martha," Kate interjects.
Martha sends her son a triumphant smile. "At least someone else around here wants to take care of herself."
As Castle and Alexis choose between brightly decorated confections, the blender whirs. Kate and Martha take their tumblers of viscous green liquid and find seats on one of the couches. Kate takes a cautious sip. The beverage reminds her of some of the imaginary alien drinks whipped up by her Nebula 9 club at Stanford. The color is off-putting. But if she closes her eyes, the stuff isn't that bad. And it's worth it for a chance to talk to Martha while Castle and Alexis put themselves into sugar shock. "So, Katherine, what's your next step with Richard?" Martha inquires.
"Martha, our next step is seeing Bracken finally go to trial."
"Yes, yes, I know about all of that. Richard's been obsessed with making someone pay for Celia's death since it happened. And he seems to believe you feel the same way about your mother's murder."
"I do. That's what brought Rick and me together."
"But is it enough to keep you together?" Martha questions. "You two obviously enjoy your physical relationship, and I'm all for that. But from what I observed, Richard had great sex with both his wives. It didn't compensate for, well, other matters."
"Martha, are you asking me if I love Rick?" Kate responds.
"I'm asking you what you think will happen after that monster is finally behind bars. I've been in shows that were based on the monster of the week. Everything revolves around a particular threat. Without it, there's no plot, nothing holding the characters together. I can see that Richard is besotted with you, more than I've ever seen him besotted with anyone. But is there enough between you for you to stay around when the monster is gone? I've seen my son's heart broken too many times. I don't want to see it again. So, Katherine, when the Bracken plotline ends, are you still going to be around for the next season?"
"This isn't how I expected a conversation with you to go," Kate admits. "Before I try to answer your question, there's something I've been wanting to ask you. Was Rick different before Celia was murdered?"
"Different in what way?"
"Well, before my mother was killed, I was, I'm not sure how to put it, lighter, I guess. I could lose myself playing a sci-fi character or just letting cool jazz wash over me. But after that, no matter what I did, even the things I loved, her death was always at the back of my mind. And lately, I've been seeing little bits of fun and playfulness poking through with Rick. So I've been wondering. Was that the Rick who was around before Celia died?"
"Fun and playfulness," Martha repeats. "That would be an understatement for what Richard was like growing up. He was a handful. Sometimes too much of one. He settled down quite a bit after Alexis was born and he realized Meredith would be practically worthless as a mother. And he and Alexis became playmates. Sometimes they still are. But Celia's death did cast a pall over him that never lifted. Maybe you're the one poking a few holes in it. Which brings me back to my question. When the monster is gone, will you still be around?"
"Martha, I honestly haven't thought that far ahead. I'm not sure that I can right now. But I've never known anyone like Castle – anyone who makes me feel the things he does. And that's not something I want to give up."
Martha sighs. "Then I guess that for now, that will have to do." She sniffs her green glop. "This is pretty awful, isn't it?"
"Yeah," Kate agrees, "it is."
Kate points to the Taglia painting lying on the conference table. "From what little the State Department was willing to say, I gather that someone had a word with the Bahrain government who informed Harun that he had no claim on this. So it's yours, Jeremy. It really is lovely."
"And your little smudge gives it extra character," Castle adds.
Jeremy nods. "And even if I can't remember, it still feels like a part of me."
The scratching of doggie nails against the floor precedes Lucy's entrance as she drags Emma into the room.
"Ready to rock, Jer?" Emma asks.
"Sure. Thanks for coming," Jeremy responds.
Emma looks down at the canine straining at her leash. "Do you remember Lucy?"
"No," Jeremy admits sadly.
"She certainly remembers you," Beckett notes.
Jeremy carefully picks up his painting. "Well, thank you, guys. You made getting arrested for murder really not so bad. Thanks."
Kate can feel heat rising in her face. "Mm-hmm."
"So what's next for you two?" Castle asks.
"We don't know," Emma admits. "I like him and he likes me. And right now, that's enough."
As she watches them leave, Kate flashes back to her conversation with Martha. Maybe, right now, what she and Castle have together is enough. But eventually, Jeremy and Emma will have to decide on a next step. And she and Castle will have to as well.
In her wedding gown and trailed by her mother and bridesmaids, Kyra Blaine raps loudly on a hotel room door. "Sophie, Sophie are you in there?"
"Kyra, the procession starts in 15 minutes," Sheila Blaine reminds her daughter. "If that girl ruins your wedding…."
"I'm not worried about the wedding, Mother," Kyra retorts. "I'm worried about Sophie."
"If I had as much Champagne as she did last night, I'd probably be late for February," bridesmaid Laurie Hill offers.
Kyra signals to a maid pushing her cart down the hall. "Hey, can you open this for me? It's an emergency." The maid inserts her pass card into the lock. "Thanks. Sophie? Sophie?" Kyra charges into the room.
Sheila follows. "The bed hasn't been slept in."
Kyra opens the door to the bathroom. "She's not in there."
"See if her dress is still in the closet," Sheila suggests.
Kyra opens the closet door and jumps back with a scream. A body hits the floor.
"You're sure you want to do this?" Alexis asks as she duct tapes her father into a chair.
"I have to," the writer insists. "I've worked myself into a corner writing the scene and I can't figure out how my character can get loose until I do it myself. So make sure it's nice and tight. My bad guy isn't sloppy enough to do a poor job, and I want it to be authentic."
"Why not just kill you?" Alexis asks.
"Hmm, good question," Castle considers. "I'll have to figure that out too. But first things first."
"Hurry taping up your father, Dear," Martha calls. "We don't want to be late."
"Wait! You two are going somewhere? What if I can't escape? What if I have to pee?"
"You said you wanted it to be authentic," Martha reminds him. "We won't be gone that long. And Beckett will be coming in an hour or two won't she?"
"If she doesn't get a case."
"Then you'd better figure out how to get loose or hope that death takes a holiday," Martha advises.
"Just what I need," Castle groans, "old movie references."
'Where's Castle?" Ryan asks as Kate surveys the crime scene.
"He said he was working out a scene in his book. He must really be into it," Kate assumes. "He didn't answer his phone. But I left him a voicemail. I'll catch him up when he gets here. Let's get to work."
