Confession Chapter 57

"Beckett, assuming that we locate Dirk Greenway, what are you going to do?" Castle wonders. "We can't just shove him in the back seat and take him back to the city."

"No, we can't," Kate agrees. "I'll start by questioning Greenway as one of the many people with businesses screwed over by the Springsplits bankruptcy. Then I'll see how he reacts. And I need to find out if he has an alibi for Blumenfeld's time of death. We never got a view of the driver of the van. Someone else could have dumped the body. He may be able to tell us who. But if I do decide I should arrest him, I'll get a warrant and support from the locals."

"Mmm, given how vital tourism is to the economy up there, the last thing they'll want is a murderer hanging out by the lake. Is that why you wanted us to bring go bags, in case we had to stick around while you recruit the local constabulary?"

"Uh-huh. Martha will be keeping an eye on Alexis, won't she?"

"I don't know who will be keeping an eye on whom, but if we aren't back tonight, Alexis won't be by herself. I wasn't aware that you fret over my arrangements for my daughter."

"She's a teenage girl, Castle. And I remember what I was like at that age."

"And what were you like at that age?"

"Curious – about everything."

"Beckett, exactly how old were you when you, um…."

"Lost my virginity?"

"And here I was expecting a euphemism. I should have known better. Still, how old?"

"Sixteen. Almost exactly, actually. Instead of having a sweet sixteen party, I wanted to go with a bunch of my Science Fiction Club friends to a con at the Edison. We were all going to dress up as Nebula Nine characters and march in the costume parade. So we got one room together where we could change and kick back. After the parade, I went up there to change out of my Lieutenant Chloe outfit and Brian Hotchkiss who was playing Captain Max was there too. My costume was cut really tight. I asked him to help me with the zipper and – one thing led to another."

"Lt. Chloe and Captain Max. I would have thought it of him, but Chloe? I mean she was so…."

"Virginal? Uh-huh. We weren't prepared for sex either. I wasn't on the pill. He didn't have any condoms."

"So you had to let fortune guide your journey."

"Yeah, I had some very bad days until I could do a test. Brian was nervous too. But he said he was prepared to do whatever it would take to help me."

"Like a good captain."

"But he didn't want to have to. Everything turned out OK, but it could easily have gone the other way. I never thought I could be that stupid, but …."

"Teenage hormones took over. I get it. So you're worried that the normally sensible Alexis Castle might stumble into a situation she's not prepared to handle. Welcome to the club. I've been worried about that ever since she hit puberty. I mean we had the talk long before that. As far as the biological aspects of the sex thing go, she knew more than I did. But still…. However, on the upside, there isn't much Mother hasn't done. So if there's anyone to act as advisor and confidante, she's better prepared than most – even me."

"Castle, I can be there for Alexis if she needs someone closer to her generation." Kate offers.

Reaching over the console for Kate's hand, he presses a kiss into her palm and folds her fingers over it. "Thank you."

Castle points to a grouping of small cabins along the far shore of Skaneateles Lake. Greenway must be in one of those. The address Throgmorton gave us is 8-B Lake's Edge Lane. My map app puts it at one and a half miles from here. So what do we do? Walk up to the door and knock?"

"Unless we see Greenway outside, that's as good a plan as any."

Kate pulls onto a gravel patch in front of one of the cabins. An aging Subaru Outback is already parked there.

"No van," Castle notes.

"We couldn't get that lucky," Kate figures. "But Dirk Greenway has a Subaru registered in his own name. He's here."

Kate double-checks her weapons before striding up to the entrance. Her knuckles rap loudly against the solid wood door. "I hear steps inside," Castle says before the door creaks open.

Dirk stares at Kate's badge. "What do you want?"

"Mr. Greenway?" Kate asks with a smile.

"Yes."

"I'm Detective Kate Beckett. This is Mr. Castle. We're investigating the death of Oscar Blumenfeld."

"That sonofabitch bankruptcy lawyer! If he's dead, he should rot in hell."

"You had a problem with Mr. Blumenfeld?" Kate inquires.

"Yeah, I had a problem with him. I was supposed to get money out of Springsplits that would have helped with the hazardous waste costs and fines I got stuck with on account of them. But Blumenfeld jiggered everything around so almost no one got anything – except for him. He got paid all right."

"That must have really pissed you off," Castle says.

"Damn right, it pissed me off. My shop was doing fine. I was going to retire and turn running it over to my son-in-law, Lyle, to help him provide for my daughter Melody. Then Springsplits comes along and everything turns to sh*t. And because of Blumenfeld, I couldn't do a damn thing about it. My shop's going under. After a lifetime of hard work, I'll have nothing. Our family is screwed. So how did that bastard Blumenfeld die, anyway?"

"He was murdered," Kate states matter-of-factly. "And a van registered to your business was seen in the vicinity of the body. What can you tell me about that?"

"The van? Lyle and I use it to pick up supplies for the shop – special paint orders, fillers, that kind of thing. But we've hardly needed it lately. I was thinking of selling it. When I left to come up here, it was parked at the shop."

"Who besides you would use it?" Kate asks.

"Lyle. Sometimes Melody, when she wants to buy in bulk at a club store. Every little bit of savings helps these days."

"And when was the last time you drove it, Mr. Greenway?" Castle inquires.

"Must have been a month or so ago. Like I said, I was thinking of selling it."

"And when was the last time you saw Oscar Blumenfeld?" Kate queries.

"A few weeks ago. He wouldn't take my calls so I went to his office. I wanted him to see my face when I told him what he'd done to me and all the others. But the sonofabitch just shrugged and told me there was nothing he could do."

"And when did you come up here, Mr. Greenway?" Kate asks.

"Five days ago. That's when my access to the cabin opened up. I'd already paid for it, I figured I might as well use it."

"Can anyone back that up?" Kate probes.

"I used a credit card to pay some of my tolls. There should be a record. Hey, I might have wanted to kill Blumenfeld, but I didn't do it. Whoever did deserves a medal."

Kate starts backing away from the cabin door. "Whoever killed him will get what's coming to them."