Shared Obsession Chapter 73
"Castle, whoever kidnapped Angela knows the extent of the Candelas' finances," Sorenson points out. "How would a birth mother find that out?"
"Pretty easily," Castle returns. "While the system is overflowing with older children needing homes, newborns are scarce. They're even more scarce if you want to match the ethnicity of the parents. You've seen Angela's picture, she looks like she could be the Candelas' natural child. Her birthmother could have been able to pick and choose the characteristics of the adoptive parents, and financial information would be a pretty basic screen."
"Castle has a point, Will," Kate considers. "And what little evidence we have so far points to a female. I'll ask the Candelas if they know who the birth mother is. My team can pick her up and bring her to the 12th."
Fidgeting in her seat, Lucia Gomez's eyes flick around Interrogation before her gaze returns to Kate. "I was a junior in high school. What was I going to do with a baby?"
Sorenson fixes her with a stare. "It's been two years, Ms. Gomez. Two years is still a long time to think about a decision you made when you were sixteen."
Visibly confused, Lucia appeals to Kate. "What am I doing here? What's this about?"
"We're talking about the baby and you regretting your decision," Kate explains.
"My decision? I don't regret my decision," Lucia protests.
Sorenson leans in. "Then why did you try to find her?"
Lucia shakes her head. "Try to find her? I didn't try to find her. I don't know what you're talking about."
Kate holds up a document. "This is a petition you filed with the adoption agency a couple of months ago." She puts the paper in front of Lucia. "It's a form requesting the identity of Angela's adoptive parents."
Sorenson taps on a scrawl at the bottom of the page. "A signed form."
"That's not my signature," Lucia claims. She takes out her wallet and extracts her driver's license, "Here, see for yourself."
Kate studies the signature and hands the license to Sorenson. "It doesn't match."
"Do you know who would masquerade as you to send in the form?" Beckett asks.
"Why? What is all this about?" Lucia demands. "Is Angela all right? Did something happen to her?"
Kate pushes ahead. "Did anyone in your family object to the adoption?"
"No," Lucia insists. "My mom even helped me with it."
"How about the father?" Kate presses.
"Juan? He was in Iraq when I had Angela. But we talked about it. He was cool."
"Are you sure about that?" Kate questions.
Lucia looks away, pressing her hand to her mouth.
"Is he still in Iraq?" Sorenson asks.
Lucia shakes her head. "No, he got back a couple of months ago."
"The hair CSU found was female," Kate points out, as the door to the box closes behind her and Sorenson.
"The father could have had a female accomplice," Sorenson returns. "Or that hair could have been in the apartment before Angela was taken."
"The Candelas have a cleaning service. They were on Theresa's list of people who could access the apartment," Kate reminds him, "and they came the day before Angela was taken. The dirt and the hair CSU found were fresh."
"It could still be from an accomplice," Sorenson insists. "We need to find that father."
"So, you don't think Castle's idea about family was so off the mark anymore," Kate observes.
Sorenson's shoulders stiffen. "I think your pal might have gotten lucky."
In a tenth-floor parking garage, a young man works intently to bring up the shine on a 1969 Mustang convertible. "Juan Restrepo?" Beckett asks holding up her badge. "I'm with the NYPD, and we'd like to ask you some ques…."
Juan suddenly takes off running.
Sorenson pulls his gun. "Freeze! Hands up!"
Juan continues to flee down a ramp, almost running straight into Esposito, who takes him down.
Ryan turns to a nearby Castle. "They always run."
In a corner of the garage, Castle looks on from a distance as Kate interrogates the suspect. Sorenson hangs back nearby.
"I didn't do anything wrong!" Juan protests.
"Then why did you run?" Kate throws back.
"Look, in my neighborhood, when you see a cop, that's what you do," Juan insists.
Castle turns to Sorenson. "What? No good cop bad fed?'
"The guy did two tours in the Gulf. If I go over there, it's a pissing match." Sorenson asserts. "But Kate, she's got a way of sneaking up on people."
"If by that, you mean she's good at her job, that may be one of the few things you're right about. Captain Montgomery told me she may be the best he's ever seen when it comes to getting the truth out of a suspect. Watching her is like seeing an artist at work."
"And you're taking lots of notes for your next book?"
"I've taken down some details, but after a while, it was like taking notes on the Mona Lisa. I can appreciate the brushstrokes, but the whole is greater than the sum of the parts."
"And how much do you know about Kate's parts?" Sorenson probes.
"This isn't a middle school playground, Sorenson. You're trying to goad me into saying something you can twist to tell Beckett I was bragging behind her back. If you want to know about Beckett, you're going to have to ask Beckett."
"Guys, come have a look," Ryan invites, pulling on a pair of latex gloves. "We're going to check out Juan's car." He points to where Esposito is approaching a beat-up Corolla. Esposito dons identical gloves, and the two men begin picking through a pile of soiled fast food wrappers in the passenger seat. "Can you believe this?" Ryan complains.
Esposito shakes his head. "The man details cars for a living. You'd think he would take more pride in his ride."
Sorenson pulls on a better class of hand coverings and inspects the trunk. "No sign of anything he'd need for a kid in here. That stuff could be with his accomplice."
"If it is, Kate will get it out of him," Castle declares as the two men return to observe the questioning.
"I was eighteen when Lucia got pregnant," Juan tells Kate. "Six months in, I got deployed. I never even got a chance to see her."
"But you signed the adoption papers," Kate points out.
Juan stares into the distance as if viewing some remembered scene. "You know, when you're over there, you see so many kids. I-I just needed to know the baby was OK. So I filled out the form and put Lucia's name instead."
"You got an address?" Kate asks.
"Sure, but you can check. The baby, her name is Angela, right? Angela's never been there. I wish she was. Then at least I'd know she's safe. But you'll get her back, won't you?"
"I'll do my best," Kate promises.
Sorenson smirks at Rick. "Looks like your little pod theory's a bust, Castle."
"You don't have to be so damn smug about it, Sorenson," Rick retorts, "Angela's out there, and if she's still alive, her time may be running out."
Sorenson's cell phone blares an alert. "What? I'll be right there." He signals to Kate. "The Candelas just got another call about the ransom."
Theresa Candela looks on intently as a bank guard unloads stacks of bills onto her dining table.
FBI tech Crawford inspects the cash. "They asked for packets of $100 bills with random serial numbers and warned against bait money, dye packets, and trackers."
"Sounds like they know your playbook," Castle comments.
"They were detailed, right down to the make, model, and color of the backpack," Crawford adds.
"How about the drop instructions?" Beckett asks.
"We wait for their call," Crawford replies.
"All right. Let's get the money set and ready to go," Sorenson orders.
"Isn't there anything else you can do?" Alfred pleads.
Castle can feel something still trying to shake loose from the back of his mind. He just wishes he could figure out what it is.