Finding the Fit Chapter 62

Kate barely beats her security team to her apartment. After quickly showering and putting on fresh clothes, she emerges from her building and knocks on the team's window. "I'm ready to go to the precinct now."

Her guardian cops, slightly abashed at being made so rapidly, usher her into their unit.

Rick decides to hail a cab, but also notes his security unit, which is trailing behind. What he doesn't notice is Hunt, in a nondescript Ford Taurus, hanging way back, but following, nonetheless.

Almost colliding at the door, Rick and Kate smile politely at each other and take the elevator up together. "Does this thing have a surveillance camera in it?" Castle asks.

By reflex, Kate quickly glances around. "Not that I'm aware of."

"Good." Rick leans in for a kiss, pulling back just before the doors open in sight of the bullpen. "To be continued," he murmurs as they exit together toward her desk.

Kate stows her purse in the bottom drawer and settles into her chair. Rick drops into his usual spot beside her. He leans his elbows on the desk, supporting his chin. So what's our next step?"

"I need to locate Hal Lockwood and bring him in under the radar."

"Couldn't we just take the boys and knock on the door to his last known address in New York?" Rick queries. "You know it came up on my background search, and it's burned into my brain."

"If he's been there a while, and assuming he's still there, the place could be an armory and probably has security cameras. We could be leading the guys right into a buzzsaw. I'm going to pull his DMV, which I should be able to get right away, and also the traffic cam footage from the surrounding area. We should be able to spot his movements and figure out where we can grab him with the least chance of getting our heads shot off."

"There's no warrant out on him, Beckett. What's going to be your justification for picking him up?"

"He's a suspect in the murder of Gerald Dulaney. For a cop killing, even an old one, we don't need any more than that."

Kate studies Lockwood's information from the Department of Motor Vehicles. The New York address listed on his driver's license matches the one Castle found on his background search. Great! According to the records, Lockwood is the registered owner of a vehicle, a Ford F-150. Unfortunately, that particular truck is the most common vehicle on U.S. roads. Still, that doesn't mean it's the most common one in Manhattan, where parking space is very much at a premium and gasoline to fill the big tank is far from cheap. Armed with the plate number, the comings and goings of Lockwood's truck shouldn't be that hard to spot. At least, Kate hopes not.

The enticing smell of hot popcorn drifts from the breakroom, over the bullpen, and into Tech as Rick approaches Kate at the big screen. "You get any of that into the keyboards, and you're going to pay to replace them, Castle," the usually mild-mannered Wong warns. "Having coffee in here is bad enough. Spills messed up three keyboards in the last six months."

Rick throws out his palm. "I understand your rigorous defense of your technical kingdom, oh Byte Master. I promise that no kernel shall approach your sacred keys. Still, Tenth Avenue traffic is hardly the stuff of which Oscar-winning films are made. A little popcorn can help prevent the onset of ennui."

Kate suddenly points at the screen. "No ennui, Castle. That's Lockwood's truck pulling into that warehouse. It's the fourth time the camera's caught him there."

"That's part of the old meatpacking district," Castle notes, "lots of buildings converted to serve other purposes. I wonder what scurrilous purpose that one serves."

"I don't know, Castle, but going and coming from there is predictable behavior for Lockwood. If we catch him arriving or leaving, we should be able to grab him without facing heavy weapons fire."

"So, when is he next scheduled to arrive or depart?"

"If he follows his usual pattern, he should be leaving around two-thirty this afternoon, before rush hour starts."

"Giving us ample time for lunch and bathroom breaks."

Kate's lips twitch a tease. "I thought you were going to fill up on popcorn."

Rick gazes down at his bowl. "Change of plans. Around now, Remy's should be cutting fresh potatoes for their fries. Orders to go?"

"Sounds good."

Kate watches the bay of the warehouse through a small scope. "It's almost two thirty. Lockwood should be pulling out any minute. The boys can block him in from the South, and we'll block him from the North."

"What if he jumps out and runs?" Castle asks.

"We chase him down. I think Esposito is looking forward to the opportunity."

"He does take great pride in his tackling skills," Rick offers. "But Ryan has that wiry muscle and speed you find on smaller guys sometimes. I've seen him bring down suspects a head taller and a hundred pounds heavier and snap the cuffs on them before they know what's happening."

"I know, but he usually lets Esposito have his fun when he can."

"Ah, the joys of partnership," Castle declares. "And speaking of…."

"That's Lockwood's truck coming out now!" Kate interrupts, thumbing a switch on her radio. "We're a go!"

Quickly pulling away from the curb, Kate positions her unit behind Lockwood's truck while Ryan and Esposito pull out and block the road ahead of him. Lockwood jumps out of his truck. "What the f*** are you sh*theads doing?"

Striding up to meet him, Ryan and Esposito raise their badges. "Harold Lockwood, we need to speak with you," Esposito announces.

Pivoting on the balls of his feet, Lockwood attempts to run the other way, only to face Kate Beckett with her firmly aimed Sig Sauer. "I wouldn't do that, Lockwood. We are going to have a talk, a nice long talk."

Lockwood stiffens. "I want a lawyer."

From behind Kate, Rick rolls his eyes. "Of course you do."

"You can call one from the precinct, Harold," Kate advises, "and those two detectives you were so anxious to run from will be very happy to get you there."

Through the glass of Observation, Rick's gaze rivets on Lockwood. "He looks too calm, Beckett. It's like he has a backup plan or something."

"He probably thinks that whatever lawyer Bracken has at hand for his people can get him out of here," Kate figures. "But we can hold him for 24 hours without a lawyer, and we have 72 hours before he has to be arraigned. That could worry Bracken a lot."

"You think Bracken will try to have Lockwood taken out before you can break him?"

"I think it's a real possibility. But Lockwood has to know it's a real possibility too. Assuming his lawyer actually shows up, if he doesn't get the assurances he needs, he could start to get nervous. He could start to get very nervous."

"And if the lawyer convinces him that Bracken can take care of him?" Rick presses.

"Then he'll be a sitting duck for whomever else Bracken decides to send."

"You're going to use him as bait for Cedric Marks?"

"Or whoever else might show up."

Rick rubs his hands together. "Two rats in the Beckett trap. I should make more popcorn."