Shared Obsession Chapter 104

The sound of a heavy truck pulling up outside penetrates the loft's master bedroom. "What is that?" Kate murmurs drowsily.

Castle bounds out of bed. "Our tree! Our tree is here!"

"At this time of morning?" Kate groans.

"They always try to deliver early to keep from blocking too much traffic," Castle explains, quickly pulling on a pair of jeans over his boxers. "In all the complications surrounding J, I almost forgot." He buttons a flannel shirt over the t-shirt he wore to bed. "I'm going to go down and supervise. Getting something that big up here is always a delicate operation and I don't want to put it all on Eduardo." He hurriedly dons socks and shoes. "I'll be back."

Kate watches as Castle runs for the door like a six-year-old waking up on his birthday. Was this what Castle was like before Celia's death? Kate has no way of knowing. But she knows who would. Maybe a talk with Martha is overdue. But with the older woman's new affair, that may be easier said than done.

Alexis pounds down the stairs from the mezzanine as Kate wraps herself in a robe. "Is the tree here?" Her face isn't glowing as brightly as her father's was, but it's a close second.

"Uh-huh," Kate replies. "Your Dad already went downstairs. It will probably take some time to unload, but it should be up here in a little while."

"Hot chocolate!" Alexis exclaims. "We always have hot chocolate when the tree comes. Oh, do you think J would want some too?"

Kate shrugs. "I have no idea, and he may not know either."

"I'll make a big pot," Alexis decides. "You're taller than I am. Can you get down the marshmallows? Dad started putting them on the top shelf when I was little and he still does."

"Of course," Kate agrees. "And if we're all going to be up now, I'd better get dressed."

In a pair of Castle's sweats, J sleepily pads down the stairs as the great room's occupants scrutinize the tree. Alexis squints. "It isn't quite straight."

"You probably need a shim under the stand," J offers. "And do you have hooks in the wall for anchor lines? Fishing line is strongest and usually doesn't show."

Castle's eyebrows rise. "I usually put the hooks in where I need them and fill the holes afterward. And a have a reel of fishing line for the purpose. But how did you know? Are you starting to remember things?"

"Not really. It just seemed like another automatic response, like about the popcorn."

"Maybe you work in engineering or something," Kate suggests.

"Maybe I do," J considers. "When Doctor Holloway tested me, he said I ceilinged out on math. He thought my profession might be connected to that somehow. And I'd like to pay you back for the hospitality. Can I help you with the shim and the lines?"

"Absolutely!" Castle declares.

"Do you like hot chocolate?" Alexis asks.

J smiles at the teen. "I think I do."

"You have a great daughter, Castle," J says as Kate drives the three of them to the 12th. "She's very kind. But then I guess she takes after her father."

"In both good and not-so-good ways," Castle agrees. "After school, she'll be bringing a crew of high schoolers to trim the tree at the precinct. I've arranged to have the decorations sent in. Hopefully, it will lift the mood around the place."

"Having a chief suspect who's out of the reach of American justice is always depressing," Kate says. "But at least we can work on filling in some of the holes in the story of how you were involved with Victor Fink."

"I still don't remember him," J confides morosely."

"It hasn't been that long," Castle cheerleads. "Maybe it will come. And that picture the NYPD PR guy put out to the media could help."

"As long as it doesn't bring too many crazies out of the woodwork," Kate mutters.

"While we're waiting for calls to come in, we could see if you have any talent for art," Castle suggests.

"How?" J asks.

"You could try to draw me. Alexis did it a couple of times when she was taking an art class. We both concluded she was better off with music. But you never know until you try."

"Might as well," J replies, as Kate pulls into a space in the 12th's lot. "It's better than just waiting around."

In the conference room, J holds up a sketch of Castle that might have been crafted by a proud third grader. "Maybe you should try music," Castle suggests.

With Ryan a step behind, a woman bursts in the door. "Oh, that's him!" She brushes Kate's restraining hand from her arm. "No, no! That's him! Oh, thank God!"

Castle takes in the stunned look on J's face. "I think we're about to find out who you are."

"J, do you recognize her?" Kate asks.

"It's him! It's him!" the woman continues to insist as Kate stands between her and J.

"I don't recognize her," J replies, "but then I don't recognize myself in the mirror."

Kate warily steps aside. "Go ahead."

The woman rushes into the room. "Joel! Oh, my God!" Clamping her arms around his neck, she presses kisses to his mouth.

J pulls back. "Who are you?"

"Tory Westchester, your wife," the woman insists. "I was so scared I'd lost you. Is it true, Sweetie, that you don't remember anything?"

"He's suffering from amnesia," Beckett says.

Tory swipes at her cheeks. "I knew something was wrong. I just knew it!"

"J, are you crying?" Castle asks.

"I think I am," J responds.

Tory starts kissing J again.

"Do you feel a connection?" Castle inquires.

"I feel something. It's actually pretty overwhelming," J reports.

Tory presses against him. "Of course, it is, Baby. I love you so much. We'll get through this. Whatever it takes."

"Um, Mrs. Westchester, how long have the two of you been married?" Kate asks.

Tory holds up her hand, displaying a wedding ring. "Two years this past October."

"And you said his name is Joel?" Kate continues.

"Joel Westchester. Oh, Honey, look at you. You do remember." Tory starts to kiss J again, but he pulls away coughing and gasping.

"Are you OK, J?" Castle inquires. "Where's your inhaler?" J pulls it out of his pocket and uses it as if by rote. "You must be allergic to something." Castle picks several hairs off the shoulder of Tory's coat. "Mrs. Westchester, do you have cats?"

"Eight." Tory reaches for J who backs away. "We love big families, don't we, Sweetie?"

"J is allergic to cats," Castle surmises.

"You're not really married to him, are you Tory?" Kate queries.

"I could be!" Tory retorts. "I so could be. So why the hell shouldn't I be?"

Castle watches as LT leads Tory away. "Looks like another case for Dr. Holloway."

"Tory Manchester has been in and out of mental institutions for more than ten years with every personality disorder in the book," a red-faced Ryan recounts. "I shouldn't have let her through. Sorry."

"It's not like we haven't bumped up against the confidentiality of medical records before," Kate reminds him. "It sure didn't speed up the Cosway/Anderson murder case.

"Damn pain in the ass," Esposito opines.

"Unless they're your records," Castle inserts. "Would you want everyone to know that…?"

"She appeared the loving wife, Ryan," Beckett interrupts. "No way you could have pegged her for the cat lady."

"Good thing J had his inhaler," Castle says. "Too bad none of the other stuff in his pockets was useful. Still…."

"Beckett," Montgomery announces, "Your attaché, Harun, is on his way up. He agreed to talk."

Harun steps out of the elevator accompanied by a large man with even larger shoulders.

"He just showed up voluntarily?" Ryan asks.

"He wants to stay in control," Castle guesses.

"This could be our only shot," Kate whispers. "Let's make sure he gets a good look at our friend J."

"Inadvertent, of course," Esposito adds.

"If Harun thinks that he killed J, then his reaction should tell us everything we need to know," Kate figures. "Let's go!"