Shared Obsession Chapter 159
As the band plays his signature intro, Bobby Mann takes center stage. "Did you hear? Our favorite golfer is in the news again. Missed a charity tournament over the weekend. Really unfortunate, the world's top golfer had to pull out. In fact, it's the first time he had to pull out of anything in five years." Half-hearted laughter sounds from the audience. Bobby throws a look at his sidekick, seated beside Bobby's traditional hosting desk. "What do you think, Hank? Should I take a mulligan?"
"No, play through Bobby," Hank urges, "play through."
"I will, my friend," Bobby declares. He turns back to the audience. "We have a great show for you tonight."
In the scant space available, Castle paces backstage. A perky young woman approaches him. "Mr. Castle. Hi, I'm Kayla. Please follow me."
"And, my favorite writer, Richard Castle's joining us," Bobby continues to the audience.
Kayla gestures toward a makeup chair. "Here you go, Mr. Castle. Deb, the makeup artist will take care of you from here."
Castle smiles graciously. "Thank you, Kayla."
"And you're up right after Ms. Munroe," Kayla adds.
A pretty actress in the chair next to Castle nods a bright welcome. "It's Ellie."
"Rick," Castle says.
"Can I just say, wow, I can't believe I'm meeting you now," Ellie gushes.
Castle's heard the same words hundreds of times at book signings, but Ellie appears even more enthusiastic than most of his fans. "Really?" he asks.
"Well, you're like my favorite author ever," Ellie goes on. "I mean I've read Heat Wave at least three times."
"Can I tell you, I've seen every movie you've ever been in?" Castle leaves out that he saw them on the comedy show where the robots and puppets heckle films and throw popcorn at the screen.
Ellie looks abashed. "Not Viper Mountain I hope."
"Yes," Castle replies. "You were the best thing in that movie." He silently adds, "Not tough," to himself. "After the snake ate you, the whole movie fell apart." His thoughts continue, "but unfortunately ran for another hour."
Bobby Mann stands from behind his desk. "Folks, please help me in welcoming Richard Castle."
Castle approaches Bobby to slightly more than polite applause.
"There he is," Alexis says, her hand leaving her popcorn bowl to point at the screen.
"He looks pretty good, but I think the makeup artist could have blended better," Martha assesses.
Bobby stands to shake Castle's hand. "Welcome."
"Thank you," Castle responds, taking the seat nearest the desk.
"First of all," Bobby continues, "congratulations on Heat Wave – New York Times bestseller."
Castle grins. "Thank you. And you know what? I really enjoyed writing it."
"Well, the paperback comes out, uh," Bobby glances down at a card on his desk, "July 27th, right?"
"July 27, right," Castle confirms.
Bobby continues consulting his card. "And it's being made into a movie."
"And I have a new one in the works," Castle adds.
"Still working with actual homicide detectives of the NYPD for your research?" Bobby inquires.
"Wouldn't do it any other way," Castle replies.
Ellie Monroe shifts toward Castle from a seat on the couch reserved for guests from past segments. She bats her eyelashes. "I didn't know you worked with law enforcement. It's kind of my weak spot."
"Well if you like, I know a very single detective I can introduce you to," Castle offers.
From his seat next to Esposito in front of the latter's big-screen TV, Ryan punches his partner in the arm. "There you go, Bro. Castle's giving you a chance at a big step up from your usual strippers."
The corners of Ellie's still-smiling mouth tighten. "That's very sweet, Rick."
"That was smooth, even for Dad," Alexis comments. "Not that he'd be interested in any woman except Beckett."
"I doubt a D-movie starlet trying to get her hooks into a rich author is going to settle for a detective," Martha opines. "And every actress in town is trying to get an audition for the part of Nikki Heat."
"Ellie Monroe doesn't look or sound anything like Kate," Alexis observes.
"I've never known something like that to stop a hungry actor before," Martha replies. "And we never quit trying."
"And that's our show for tonight," Bobby Mann announces. "Stay tuned for Late Talk With Mickey Reed. I'm Bobby Mann. Remember folks, the boys'll be back on duty tomorrow night." His mic no longer live, Bobby leans in to whisper to Castle, "They want me dead."
"What?" Castle asks.
"I'm serious," Bobby goes on, still keeping his voice low. "You work with cops, ri…?"
Bobby's producer, Janine Marks, hurries onto the stage. "That was a great show, guys. Sorry about segment three. Next time we'll put the Emu in a diaper."
Bobby makes a gesture to Castle as if talking on the phone, before turning to Janine. "Good, good."
As sunlight pours into the loft, Alexis shoves thick books into a backpack. Castle regards the now weighty receptacle. "You're going orienteering, not librarying. You sure you want to take that many books?"
"Overambitious for a five-day trip?" Alexis wonders.
"You're gonna be responsible for your own pack," Castle points out. "I think you're supposed to be more Sacagawea than a scholarly reader. Besides, look at all those pages. The trees might want revenge."
"Richard," Martha calls gravely, quickly crossing the great room.
"What's wrong?" Castle queries.
"Bobby Mann is dead."
"What happened?" Castle questions.
"They're saying he had a heart attack."
Mann's whispered words to him echo in Castle's mind. "I don't believe it!"
Guilty anger edges Castle's voice as he stands in front of Kate's desk. "Beckett, like I told you when I came home from Mann's show, someone wanted him dead."
"You said that he believed that someone wanted him dead," Kate says. "And I checked. Mann hadn't reported any death threats. Neither had the show. There was nothing to investigate."
"But he's dead, Kate. That can't be a coincidence," Castle protests.
"Of a heart attack," Kate reminds him.
"There are poisons that look like heart attacks if you're not testing for them," Castle argues. "I have a whole shelf in my library about stuff like that."
"I know, I've seen it."
"Did Lanie do the autopsy?"
"No, but she sent it to me. OK, a guy was walking his dog and saw Mann collapse on the sidewalk alone. He had a history of heart disease. There were no puncture wounds, no bruising, and the tox screen came back negative. There's no foul play, Castle."
"Some of the exotic poisons I mentioned won't show up on a standard tox screen. And heart disease can be helped along. Can we at least have Lanie take a closer look, see if there was anything about Bobby's death that would raise her suspicions, even a little?"
Kate shrugs. "If it will make you feel better."
"Consider it aloe for the soul."
Lanie's head begins its familiar bobbing on her neck. "You know how many strings I had to pull to reopen this case, Castle?"
"If I'm wrong, I'll reimburse the city," Castle promises.
"To hell with the city!" the ME declares. "It's me you're gonna owe. I take spa certificates, jewelry, and cash."
"Duly noted." Castle points to a tray holding an assortment of items. "What's that?"
"The contents of Bobby Mann's pockets when he was brought in. I'm gonna go check on the labs." As Lanie leaves the room, Castle stares down at the tray.
"What are you looking at?" Beckett asks.
"Maybe there's a clue to his death in what he carried around. Cell phone, money clip, he stuck a piece of gum in a scrap of paper before he put it in his pocket. That was fastidious, which should say something about him."
"That he got in trouble in school for sticking gum under his seat?"
"Maybe, but he's been out of school a hell of a long time. And there's part of a word on the paper, '-tory.' And ooh, it's his idea book. This is a joke from his monologue. 'Charity Golf. First time he's pulled out in years.' These are his thoughts almost up until he died. There's got to be something here."
"If his jokes weren't scoring any better than that, maybe that's what gave him a heart attack," Kate suggests.
"Whoa! He was worried about something. His signoff for the last 20 years? He has thoughts in here about changing it."
Lanie returns with a printout. "Kate, it's not conclusive, but Castle could be on to something."
