Now What? Chapter 5
Kate tosses her phone on her desk in disgust. "The cab company backs up Mandy Bronson's story about going to see Peter Connelly."
"That doesn't mean she actually convinced him to let her stay on the show," Rick points out. "Under certain, um, conditions, men will say anything."
"Are you speaking from experience, Castle?"
"Beckett, I do have two ex-wives, both of whom jealously guarded their interests. Gina especially, when she had her own ideas about what Derrick Storm should be doing. So yes. We need to check with Peter Donnelly."
"I'd planned on it anyway. But if Mandy was telling us the truth, then we need to find someone else with a motive to kill Sarah. The boys already went back to Gemstar to go through everything in her office. Hopefully, they'll turn up something."
"Hey, Bro, look at this!" Esposito says, pointing to a calendar entry in Sarah Butler's computer. "Almost all the other appointments are marked as entered by Reese Harmon, but this and the other 'Ms' like it are tagged as entered by Sarah herself."
"And if she just marked the 'M,' she probably didn't want Reese to know what they were," Ryan figures. "Maybe Vince wasn't the only one having an affair. That would explain why Reese wouldn't know about the meetings. We have the times, and pickup was probably here at the studio. The cab company should be able to tell us the drop-off point."
"Some hotel or love nest," Esposito speculates, pulling out his phone. "Shouldn't take much to find out."
"Mr. Connelly," Kate calls as she and Rick approach a set at Gemstar. "I need to talk to you."
A flush creeps up Peter Connelly's neck to his face. "I don't know anything that could help you find Sarah's murderer."
"But you may know something that could help us eliminate a suspect," Kate counters. "Did you see Mandy Bronson the night of the murder?"
Peter's flush deepens. "I was on set until we wrapped. Of course, I saw her."
"After you wrapped," Rick inserts.
"Yeah, Mandy showed up at my apartment that night. She was wearing a fur coat."
"Something special about a fur coat?" Kate queries.
"Other than the possibility of getting picketed by animal rights activists," Rick interjects.
Connelly's face radiates heat. "She was wearing just a fur coat. I nearly had a heart attack when she let it slip open. Years of fantasizing, and there she was standing right in front of me."
"And what did she want?" Kate asks.
"She was all fired up about Sarah wanting to write her off the show. I had to listen to her summarizing every Soap Opera Digest article praising her performance. Just to shut her up, I told her I'd talk to Sarah."
"Only now, you don't have to," Rick points out as Reese walks by.
"Reese, grab your laptop," Peter orders, taking advantage of the distraction.
The assistant's face lights up. "Really?'
"We're a writer down, so it's all hands on deck," Peter explains. "Time to show me what you've got."
"Sounds like you're pretty desperate," Rick says as Reese bounds away.
"Mr. Castle, you publish what, maybe one book a year?" Peter inquires.
"Actually, I've revived Derrick Storm, so along with Nikki Heat, two, plus graphic novels.
"Still, that's less than a thousand pages put together over 365 days," Peter points out. "Here, we put out 250 shows a year with about 50 pages each. Without Sarah, we're in a serious hole. Sarah told me that Reese wrote some script about horses that she actually liked. That's why she put her in the fellowship program. So yeah, I'll take extra help where I can find it – unless you want to jump in."
The buzz of Kate's phone interrupts the interplay. "Yeah, that's OK. Text me the address. Thanks, Esposito."
Rick raises a brow. "Something?"
Kate nods. "I'll tell you on the way."
"So," Rick summarizes, "Ryan and Esposito found that Sarah was having secret meetings and thought she might be having an affair of her own. But she was going to a coffee shop on 7th?"
"Right," Kate confirms, "probably to meet someone with a name starting with 'M.'"
Rick settles back in his seat. "Mmm, this should be interesting."
Lauren Goldberg puts a steaming mug in front of a customer at the counter. "Here you go."
He inhales appreciatively. "Thanks."
"Can I help you?" Lauren asks as Kate approaches.
"I hope so," Kate responds, pulling out a photograph of Sarah Cutler. "Do you recognize this woman?"
Lauren wipes a coffee ring off the counter. "Yeah, why?'
Kate points to the partially concealed badge on the waistband of her slacks. "I'm Detective Kate Beckett." She nods toward Rick. "This is Mr. Castle. We're investigating Sarah Cutler's murder."
Tears welling in her eyes, Lauren slumps over the counter. "She can't be dead! She just can't be!"
"Hey, you should sit down," Rick says.
Lauren drops heavily into a chair at a nearby table, and Kate and Rick sit across from her. She grabs a paper napkin from a dispenser and dabs at her eyes.
"I'm so sorry," Kate says. "Did you know Sarah well, Ms…?"
"Goldberg, Lauren Goldberg," the weeping woman fills in. "Actually, I didn't know her at all."
"You seem very upset over the death of someone you didn't know," Rick observes.
"I'm upset because she promised to read my screenplay and, if she liked it, show it to an agent. I thought I'd finally be able to stop pouring coffee. With her gone, I could be stuck here for life!"
"Who did she meet here?" Kate asks.
Lauren lets out a fresh round of sobs. "What does it matter? She's dead. I've lost my chance."
At a look from Kate, Castle leans forward and takes Lauren's hand. "Look, I've got a really great agent. You wouldn't believe the contract she got me for … never mind. But here's the thing. I'll make a deal with you. Tell us everything you know about Sarah Cutler's visits here, and I'll read your screenplay. If I like it, I'll give it to my agent."
Lauren drops her soggy napkin. "Really?"
"Really," Rick confirms at another look from Kate. "Promise."
Lauren points to a table in a back corner. "She met with a man, and they sat over there."
"Do you remember what he looked like?" Kate asks.
Lauren inclines her head toward a man who entered the coffee shop just behind Rick and Kate. "Like him, exactly like him."
Johnny Dimes taps Lauren on the shoulder. "Hey, are you working? I need a double espresso."
"Go ahead, Ms. Goldberg," Kate urges.
"What about my script?" Lauren asks Rick.
He pats her hand and whispers. "I'll come back and get it when we're done."
"Double espresso coming right up," Lauren announces and trots back to the counter.
Johnny Dimes settles at the back corner table to wait for his coffee. Rick and Kate slip into chairs surrounding him. "Do I know you?" Johnny asks.
"We're friends of Sarah Cutler," Kate claims.
"Yeah, did you bring my money?" Johnny demands.
Kate pulls back her blazer to uncover her badge. "Tell me why a murdered writer owes you money, and don't leave anything out."
"Better hurry up," Rick advises. "She hasn't had her coffee yet either and can get very cranky."
"I'm a PI," Johnny explains. "Sarah hired me to check out a fraud."
Rick exchanges glances with Kate. "And motive rears its little head."