Confession Chapter 70
"Katie, if it will help send that bastard into the worst hell this country can provide, you say whatever you want," Jim Beckett urges.
"Dad, are you sure?" Kate asks.
"Damn sure." Jim Beckett raises his mug of spicy hot cider. "To justice."
"To justice," Kate and Castle echo as Alexis comes barreling down the stairs.
"I finished my last paper," the teen announces breathlessly, reaching for a shimmering star-shaped cookie. "When are we going to start decorating the tree?"
"Now, if everyone is in agreement," Castle declares. "Jim, will you be joining us?"
A grin lights the lawyer's face. "Wouldn't miss it."
Even with Christmas only two days away, the atmosphere in the courtroom is somber. Castle sits in the front row, listening to witness after witness detail how the murders Bracken instigated destroyed their hopes, dreams, and futures. There would be a book in all of that, but it would be the most depressing volume imaginable. No federal executions had taken place since 2003, so Castle doesn't expect the death penalty to be imposed on Bracken – much as he might deserve it. And Castle's not sure what would be worse, being shut up in a cage, able to command no one, or being removed from the realm of the living entirely. Perhaps for a creature like Bracken, it would be the former. And if Satan does have a domain, Bracken will end up there either way.
The woman on the stand, the widow of one of Bracken's victims, swipes at her cheeks with an already dampened tissue as she finishes her testimony. A bailiff extends a supportive hand to help her from her chair. Kate enters the courtroom through the doors at the rear. She and Castle lock eyes as she proceeds down the aisle. "Finish it!" he mouths. Determination in her eyes, she strides forward.
"When Detective Raglan told my father and me that my mother had been murdered, our lives were changed forever," Kate testifies. "My mother was a tireless fighter for justice. She stood up for those who had no one else to take their sides. She truly believed that she could make the world a better place. My father pursued the cause in his own way, but he believed it as well. So did I. Then, because of William Bracken, my mother bled out alone in an alley. There was no one to stand up for her. Bracken made sure of that. He had Raglan chalk her murder up to random violence. Her file would be buried in a cold case archive, her killer free to kill again – and again. For my father and me, the loss, without a crumb of justice or even closure, was unbearable. Bracken was unreachable, insulated by thick barricades of money and power. It has taken almost twelve years to breach those barricades, to find the justice so long denied. But now, that justice must finally be delivered. For my family, for everyone who has suffered a loss at Bracken's hands, he must pay for his crimes. He must pay for them to the greatest extent the law will allow."
As Kate leaves the witness stand, Castle extends his hand. With her fingers tightly grasping his, Kate takes a seat beside him.
"Counsels, will you be presenting any more witnesses?" the judge inquires. She nods at matching responses of "No, Your Honor."
"Normally, after a sentencing hearing, I need to take some time to consider what I've heard and weigh it against the crimes of which the defendant has been convicted, In this case, however," the judge announces, "the scales of justice are so strongly tilted, that I find no further weighing necessary. Given the scope of Mr. Bracken's crimes, it is realistically impossible for any sentence I can pronounce to adequately address them. However, the court will avail itself of the maximum response the law currently allows. Mr. Bracken will serve 80 consecutive life sentences at the Metropolitan Correction Center with the highest level of security it can provide." The gavel smacks loudly against the bench. "The defendant is remanded."
Castle points to the only unoccupied table at a coffee shop near the courthouse. Kate drops silently into a seat opposite him. He reaches for her hand. "Are you all right?"
Kate gazes numbly around the room. "I guess I should be. I've been waiting for this day ever since my mother was murdered. But it doesn't feel real yet. I'm afraid if I close my eyes I'll wake up and find out the trial was all a dream and Bracken is in Washington, leading the pack to be the next nominee for president."
"Believe me, you're awake, but do you want me to pinch you?" Castle offers.
A corner of Kate's mouth twitches. "I don't think that will be necessary."
"Then how about an espresso, double strength? You can't sleep through that."
"Make it triple strength and you're on. And I smell cinnamon. Maybe they have a bun or something."
"A cinnamon bun, I'll check. I shall return."
Kate watches Castle work his way through the closely spaced tables to the counter. The crowd, the smell of coffee, and the waft of pumpkin spice that's been around for months all seem so normal. But she doesn't feel normal. The goal that's driven her for over 11 years is behind her. And she's not sure what's ahead. Castle returns with espressos and two fat cinnamon buns. "That was fast."
"I slipped the barista a tip. I figured you needed caffeine and sugar ASAP. And I can use them myself. Gates gave you the whole day off, didn't she?"
Kate takes a cautious sip of her espresso. "Uh-huh. Why?"
"After our brains are sufficiently stimulated, I was wondering if there's anything special you'd like to do."
"Castle, honestly, I'm not thinking past drinking my coffee."
"All right then, let me offer an idea. How about a little Christmas window shopping? We can gaze through the glass and make fun of merchandise whose appeal will fade by New Year's. Or maybe we can go uptown a bit and stare at the bright baubles."
"Castle, your scalp is moving. Alexis tipped me off that it always does that when you're up to something. What's on your mind?"
Castle sighs. "The overly-talkative teen strikes again. All right. There is something I want you to see and it is a little bit uptown."
"How far uptown?"
"About five and a half miles."
"You want to go to the Diamond District?"
"That is where the brightest baubles are, Beckett."
Kate puts down her coffee. "Castle I don't know what you're thinking, but I'm not sure I'm up to it."
"Then how about a walk?" he inquires, propping his elbows on the table. "A nice gentle stroll to give you a chance to get your thoughts together. Then we can do whatever you want."
"All right," Kate agrees. "Castle, if you had something special on your mind, I'm sorry. Right now I don't have any thoughts to get straight."
"Hey, I get it. You achieved what's been your singular goal for a hell of a long time. I know how I felt when I finally got a publisher. It doesn't compare to what you've accomplished, but for a while, it was hard to think about anything else. Take your time, Kate. I'll follow your lead."
Kate leans across the table for a gentle kiss. "You really can be sweet sometimes, you know that?"
Castle licks his lips. "Mmm, you too. Cinnamon bun."