Kate Beckett, Investigator Chapter 17

The baby kicks in rhythm to Kate's exclamation of, "Got you!"

Castle hurries to her side, Kate's latte sloshing over his hand. "Are you all right?"

"Better than all right!" she declares, grinning at the screen.

Grabbing tissues from the desk, Rick dries off his hand and the latte and puts it on the desk. He slides into his chair beside Kate. "JacNel LLC. Wow! I'd give Nellis a D minus for creativity, and that's generous. This is great, Kate. JacNel owns property in the Berkshires as well as a car. Mmm, a Lexus – luxurious but not overly flashy. It would blend right in with the neighborhood. That's why you didn't spot any tolls for him going back up to the mountains. You wouldn't have been looking for that vehicle. Nellis may not be creative, but he is smart. Credit cards?"

"Not there yet." She points to the mug Castle placed on the desk. "Is that for me?"

"Three pumps, as requested."

Kate takes a sip before her fingers return to the keyboard. "Credit and accounts for JacNel. Here we go. Two bank accounts. Payment for the property and the car was drawn on one of them. The other one looks like it's for personal expenses. There's a card attached."

Castle watches as Kate scrolls through the entries and pokes his finger at the screen. "Will you look at that? Membership in the Elemental Revival Spa. That has to be for none other than your clean-pore-obsessed quarry. Any halfway decent process server should be able to lay a subpoena on Nellis either at the cabin or the spa. And I'm betting your Dad has one that's more than halfway decent."

"Yeah. He does. And I should call him."

"Then why isn't your phone in your hand?"

"I'd really love to go after Nellis myself."

"Kate, you can't! You know what Dr. Scott said about stress and physical exertion. What raises the blood pressure more than the thrill of the chase? And you've already got the agony of the feet."

"You're mixing your metaphors, Babe."

"A clear indication of my distress at the mere thought of a risk to you and our daughter. But, I do have a notion as to how you can be in on the action – sort of."

"Castle, what are you talking about?"

"We bug the process server. He or she…."

"She."

"She can put in all the legwork, waiting around, and overdosing on caffeine. Then, when she has Nellis in her sights, she can activate a small but powerful camera and beam out the final delivery to your eager eyes. And as a bonus, the video could serve as proof for the court that Nellis was indeed properly served."

Kate slowly nods. "That could work." She grabs her phone from a large patch pocket on her maternity shirt. "I'll call Dad and see what he says."

Maribel Bilson has been a process server for over ten years, and she's good at it. At five-foot-three, 140 lbs., with brown hair, brown eyes, and plain black-framed glasses, she attracts little attention. If anything, most people rarely note her presence at all. She just blends into the background until it's time to go to work.

Jim Beckett is far from the only lawyer she's worked for. Usually, her contact with her employers is minimal. She picks up the necessary paperwork, delivers it as instructed, and gets her fee credited to her account. But she likes Beckett. When she spotted the baseball signed by both Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle on his desk, she realized they were kindred spirits. And when his daughter Kate came to join him, well, she was OK too. So Maribel isn't about to balk about wearing a little camera. It's actually not a bad idea to shut up all the jerk-offs who claim they never got subpoenas. She wouldn't mind wearing one all the time.

Maribel's not crazy about the three-hour drive upstate. She prefers staying in the city where she can get to most places she wants to go by subway, and she is only one obscure face in the crowd. Still, although she's never been to the Berkshires, she hears it's pretty up there. Her Honda Civic attracts little attention but is dependable as all get out. And she will be billing by the hour, so what the heck! The trip could turn out to be fun.

Feeling pretty pleased with himself, Jacques Nellis crosses the parking lot at the Elemental Revival Spa toward his comfortable sedan. His massage was stimulating, and his steam was just what he needed to open every pore in his body. His fingers grasp the handle of the little embossed shopping bag holding his new supply of DDYR, as his aesthetician affectionately called it. On the way back to his cabin, he can stop for a good meal. Grilled salmon might be nice if it's fresh. He was smart enough to plan his life after Nesgadol perfectly, and that life is excellent.

Kate stares at the loft's big screen as it receives the feed from Maribel Bilson's tiny video camera as Maribel moves out of concealment between two parked cars and toward Nellis. Maribel crosses Nellis' path just before he reaches his Lexus and blocks his way. "Jacques Nellis?"

"I'm afraid you've mistaken me for someone else," Nellis claims.

"The car you are about to unlock is registered to JacNel LLC, of which Jacques Nellis is the only principal," Maribel replies. She holds up her phone, showing a Nesgadol company photo of Nellis. And this sure looks like you."

"Fine, it looks like me. But I really have to get out of here now," Nellis says. "I have an urgent appointment."

"Yes, you do, Mr. Nellis," Maribel agrees, pulling an envelope from a deep pocket of her coat and slapping it into Nellis' hand. "You have been served. Have a nice day."

Kate raises her fist into the air. "All right, Maribel!" Shakily, she sinks back on the couch.

"What's wrong?" Castle demands.

"Just a little dizzy." She waves a dismissive hand. "It's probably nothing."

"Nothing, my ass!" Castle exclaims. "That's one of the symptoms on Dr. Scott's list. You should call him right now. And if you don't, I will."

"I'll call him," Kate agrees.

"This is ridiculous. I feel fine," Kate protests as Castle pulls a chair up next to her hospital bed.

"When Dr. Scott said to check your pressure immediately, Mr. Monitor nearly blew a fuse. No one who took it here looked all too happy either, Kate. And you were admitted before I could even finish signing all the forms. These days, that means somebody's very worried – besides me. And Maribel got her man. You both did. The job is done, Kate. It's time to concentrate on yourself. Dr. Scott should be here any minute. Just try to relax until he arrives."

"I'll try if you will," Kate challenges her husband.

"All right," Castle agrees, reaching for her hand. "We'll do it together."

Pacing the faultless plank floor of his cabin, Nellis stares at the document in his hand. He can just ignore it. People ignore subpoenas every day. At most, they usually get a fine if they get even that. He's not being charged with any crime. He's just wanted for a deposition. And he can always take the Fifth. The problem is that despite all his careful planning, he's been found. He could disappear again. But it will take time, and more than that, it will take money. Unfortunately, a lot of his funds are tied up in the cabin. Why not? It's perfect, and he expected to spend years here. But now, that's out of the question. Too many things will come to light – things that are crimes. He needs to get away again, preferably out of the country. And he'll have to start working on his escape now.