F.B.I.
Chapter 4
Kate couldn't take it. She curled up and started to cry. Kate didn't know what she had until she lost it, and she had lost him.
Then, a baby started crying. Great. It was just what she needed – something to remember Alexis all the way home. Alexis. She thought she knew that cry. It sounded like Alexis. So she looked around and behind her. She saw Rick sitting there. He waved at her.
"Did you set this up?" Kate crawled over the seat. "Did you?" She kissed him like her life depended on it. "You do something like this again, and I swear I'll break both of your arms," Kate told him, kissing him again.
Suddenly, she felt different. It was warm. How was it warm? She stopped kissing. She looked around and wasn't on a plane any longer. She was in front of a house. She saw Alexis was there with them, still crying.
"Where are we, Castle?"
"Capri."
"Italy!" Kate was shocked, but she shouldn't be. She knew he could jump anywhere.
"Yes." He held out his hand. "Phone, give me your phone," Rick asked her. Kate handed it over without thinking about it.
She watched as he removed the batteries and kept the phone. "Let's go inside." Rick helped her stand up. Then he bent to pick up Alexis, pulled out his keys, and went inside. "Have a look around while I take care of Alexis."
Dazed, Kate watched him walk away. It all happened so fast. But she walked around without really looking at anything.
She found Castle in the kitchen. "I'll do that. Feed Alexis, I mean."
ɸ Ξ [|]ʘ[|] Ξ ɸ
Kate was sitting there feeding Alexis. "What changed your mind about me?"
"Alexis did. She stopped feeding if it wasn't you. I'm still angry at you for searching my place, Kate."
"I didn't have anything to do with that. Two members of my team did that. It cost them their jobs, if it means anything. I had them fired for it. I swear it's the truth."
"Say I believe you. Why were you crying?" Rick waited for her to say something.
"Because… BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!" Kate shouted. "Because I love you," she told him softly.
"I love you, too, Kate. Don't look at me like that. I am capable of loving you. And I'm sorry I yelled at you. I shouldn't have done that. But you searched my place without a warrant. They didn't find anything, did they?"
She shook her head. "No, no, they didn't."
"Because there was nothing to find. I told you that!" Rick bellowed.
"I know you did, and I'm sorry, so sorry. You were our only lead. Now we have nothing. We have no idea who did it or how. Your jumping ability was my best shot. But you didn't know about the GPS in the frame. Or the GPS attached to the inner frame. Or the isotope sewn into the painting's edge.
"So I've got nothing, and I swear I had nothing to do with that."
"Wow, you must want that painting. What's it worth?" Rick was curious.
"Thirty-four million."
"Seriously? And what would I do with it if I had it? Look at the thing? Where's the fun in that?" Rick asked her. "I could never sell something that hot. I mean, seriously."
"People have stolen things for a lot less," Kate told him. "You'd be surprised at why they steal."
"I suppose I would at that. But I write murder mysteries, remember?"
"I remember, but you haven't written anything since I've been with you," Kate reminded him.
"Alexis keeps me busy. That's one of the things my editor and I talked about. She didn't like that I even had Alexis, or that my daughter was the reason I wasn't writing presently."
Kate thought about it, then asked, "Tell me about her, please."
"Gina…" Rick sighed. "Gina is all business. I don't think she has a sensitive bone in her body."
"Enough to steal a painting and blame it on you?" Kate asked him. She stopped talking when Alexis stopped sucking and lifted her to burp her.
Rick stared at her. "You're serious?"
"Just answer the question, Rick, please."
"If I was going to write it, I suppose she could. She has access to all kinds of books and knowledge of so many things. She could foil the museum video and the security system. She would know about the GPS units. But – and this is a big but – how does she pin it on me? How would she know I would put my Chinese meal in the trash? The same trash that holds the frame."
Kate sighed. "She wouldn't. Not unless she planned ahead. Say she offered the Chinese place money to give you a bad batch, knowing you would throw it out."
"I'll buy that. But how would Gina know I'd take a bite right then and there? I could've waited until I got home."
"Maybe because you said something in your interview? Mentioned that you were hungry, so she took a chance." Kate was grasping at straws.
"I don't remember, though it's possible. But Gina, an art thief?" Rick shook his head. "I just don't see it."
"Perhaps she hired someone to do it. All she had to do was get the Chinese place to give you a bad batch," Kate said as she laid Alexis on her lap and began playing with her tootsies.
"Alright, would she know someone who could steal it?" Rick asked her.
Kate shrugged. "That's a good question. One I can't answer from here."
"But we just got here," Rick complained.
"Sorry. It's a nice place, but we need to go back," Kate told him.
"Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, 969 square feet of space. Complete with a pool. You should see the gardens, Kate."
"I'm sure it's nice, but we've got to go back, Rick. Please."
"FBI," Rick told her. "Fine, I'll take you back. But then I'm coming back here."
"That's fine. How do I contact you, though? I want to see you. I love you," Kate told him with tears in her eyes.
"I'll jump in and out from time to time, checking on you, seeing how you are doing," Rick told her.
"You better do it a lot because I love you. Bend down here." Kate kissed him when he did. "Besides, I have a secret weapon to be sure you do." Kate looked at Alexis, who was smiling at her.
"Oh, boy." Rick knew he was in trouble. Kate had stolen his daughter.
ɸ Ξ [|]ʘ[|] Ξ ɸ
They made love to each other, and then Rick, with Alexis, jumped back to his place. "Where are you staying?" Rick inquired.
Kate told him without thinking about it. "Holiday Inn Express, room 212."
Rick thought for a heartbeat. "That's in Chelsea."
"Yes, why?"
"No reason. Good luck." Rick kissed her and jumped back to Capri. Then he was back again. "Forgot to give you the keys." Rick handed them over, kissed her again, and jumped.
"Time to start working," Kate told herself, leaving to join what was left of her team since she was down two men.
ɸ Ξ [|]ʘ[|] Ξ ɸ
Kate was in her room when she heard a knock on her door. And a baby crying. She smiled wide and answered the door.
"Alexis took the bottle, but now she won't," Rick said in frustration.
"Give her to me." Kate held out her arms and had a crying Alexis in them. She moved to sit on the bed against the headboard, took the bottle from Rick, and fed Alexis.
"My own daughter," Rick complained.
Kate just smiled back at him. "After threatening the owner, I did find out that he did indeed spike your meal. Gina paid him."
"Wow! I was sure she wasn't behind it, that it was just my imagination about what happened. I guess I was wrong. What now?"
"Now we keep building a case against her," Kate replied. "I've asked for her phone calls and bank records. There has to be a money trail, and I need to find it."
"Interesting. I still don't understand why, though. Why would Gina do that to me? What is she hoping to achieve?" Rick wondered.
"I'll be sure to ask when I charge her. But based on what you told me about her, I doubt she'll tell me. I'll have to build an ironclad case against her before I arrest her."
"And she's done. Did you bring a cloth diaper?" Kate asked him. She took it, put it over her shoulder, lifted Alexis, and patted her back until she got a burp. Then Kate laid her on her legs, played with her, and talked to her.
Kate looked over at him. "What do we do after I solve this case?"
"What do you mean?" Rick asked, not understanding her.
"I mean, what happens to us? I'm based in DC, Rick. You don't happen to own a home there, do you?"
"No, I don't. I own one in Hawaii, Capri, Bermuda, Paris, and London. Though the last two are flats, not homes, per se," Rick replied.
"Hmm." Kate continued to play with Alexis.
"What are you thinking, Kate?"
"I don't know yet, but something." Kate had no idea what, but there had to be something. She loved him and didn't want to lose him.
ɸ Ξ [|]ʘ[|] Ξ ɸ
They made love to each other, and Kate didn't get much sleep, given that Alexis woke them up roughly every two hours. But Rick jumped back to Capri eventually, where he spent most of his time outdoors. He missed having Kate around to help him with her.
Kate got to work on Gina's phone records, her bank account, where she was, and when, all without her knowledge.
Then Rick jumped into her hotel room with crying Alexis. Kate took her, fed her, and played with her. After that, she made love to Rick and helped him care for Alexis all night.
Kate was getting a taste of what Rick did all day until she showed up. She didn't get much sleep, but that was fine. She lay there next to Castle, both naked and giving each other soft kisses.
"Rick, will you tell me about your parents?"
"Let's see. Mother is Martha Rodgers, an actress on Broadway. She says it's not acting unless you have a live audience. You get one chance to get it right, not having someone call CUT and telling them to do it again. She'll take any job, no matter how small it is. She's presently on tour with a show. Last I knew, she was in Kansas City. As for my dad, he's in the CIA."
Kate had a hard time believing him. "CIA! Really?"
Rick nodded. "He solves problems the States get themselves into. Yes, that means he kills people. I'm not making this up, I promise. He spends most of his time in third-world countries. He comes home every once in a while. He's not a dad in the conventional sense, but he's my father.
"I remember this one time when he showed up, shot in the shoulder. It was a through and through, but it was still tender. Mother smothered him until she drove him away again. They didn't fight, not really. But she did drive my father away a little early.
"He came home right after Alexis was born. That was the day he told me to be on my guard. That if they found out he had a granddaughter, she would be used to get to him," Rick told her.
"Do either of them know you can jump?" Kate asked, curious.
"Dad does. I'm not so sure about Mother, but possibly. My dad and his warning got me to purchase places all over the planet where I could. I don't have one in Asia yet," Rick told her.
"What about your parents?" Rick asked her.
"Mom and Dad are both lawyers. Mom helps people that can't afford help, while Dad helps corporations. I thought about following in their footsteps, but I joined the FBI instead. And I'm happy with me decision. I haven't shot anyone yet, but I'm ready if I have to."
Rick kissed her. "Badass Kate."
"Rick, I need you to fuck me. I know we've made love, but I really need for you to fuck me." Kate soon found herself on her hands and knees, being fucked.
ɸ Ξ [|]ʘ[|] Ξ ɸ
Kate went to work the next day, still down two men. Kate went through her phone records – both her cell phone and her work phone – and her financials. She even had her cell phone pinged and followed her wherever she went.
She went to her hotel room with take-out food. She was starting to miss Castle's home cooking. He fed her something different than take-out.
She was just cleaning up when suddenly Castle jumped into her room with a wailing baby. "HELP!"
"Hand her over." Kate accepted her, the bottle, and the bib. "I don't know what your problem is. She lets me feed her," Kate teased.
"She did all day, then she up and decided to stop. It must be a female thing," Rick told her. "So what did you learn?"
"A lot, actually. I'm getting closer to her. I still don't know who she hired to steal the painting. She called a burner phone, but that phone is off right now. My team will call me the second it's back on.
She began talking to Alexis. "You're such a cutie, you know." Kate set the bottle aside even though she didn't finish it, burped her, then laid her on her legs and played with her.
"I love you."
"Are you talking to me or to Alexis?" Rick inquired.
"Both." Kate accepted a kiss from him.
Kate put a sleeping Alexis in the spare bed surrounded by all the pillows, then she and Rick made love to each other. Rick left her, allowing her to get some sleep, even if it wasn't much.
ɸ Ξ [|]ʘ[|] Ξ ɸ
Kate was running on fumes from a lack of sleep, when Rick showed up the next night with a crying Alexis. But Kate took her, fed her, and played with her.
"I'm really tired. Do you mind if we don't make love, and you go home with Alexis?"
"Sure, but now you know how I feel." Rick took Alexis and jumped back to Capri.
"Rick, I'm sorry. Please come back," Kate pleaded, but since he wasn't there, he didn't hear her. "I'm sorry…"
She got some sleep, but not nearly enough. Her mind was on her sending him away when she shouldn't have.
ɸ Ξ [|]ʘ[|] Ξ ɸ
Kate could hear Alexis crying before she even opened her door. The second she did, the crying became even louder. She dropped her bag, took Alexis and the bottle, and sat down in a chair.
"Castle, Rick, I'm sorry about last night. I was just tired and wasn't thinking. Please say you'll forgive me?"
"Water under the bridge, Kate. But you owe me dinner and a movie."
"Like a date? Deal! But what about Alexis?"
Rick shrugged. "So the date gets delayed a few months until we can get a sitter. But you still owe me."
Kate motioned for him to come closer and when he was close enough, she kissed him. "I love you, both of you."
"I love you, too, Kate."
ɸ Ξ [|]ʘ[|] Ξ ɸ
After Alexis was put in bed surrounded by pillows, they made love to each other. It wasn't three times a day like they were used to, but allowances had to be met.
Rick left early, allowing Kate to get some sleep. He was used to not getting much sleep so it was business as usual for him.
Kate caught a break and that person used his burner phone long enough for them to triangulate their location. It turned out he was a she; a woman had stolen the painting. She quickly ratted out Gina for a lighter sentence. She was going to prison, but Gina was going to prison for a far longer time.
Kate and her team went to Gina's office. "Stay off of the phones," Kate warned the receptionist and one of her team watched her.
"Gina Cowell, you're under arrest for Grand Theft." Kate put on the cuffs.
"How?" was all Gina would say.
"Your bank account became $500,000 lighter, and we caught your girl. She told us everything. This is a search warrant for your office and your apartment. I'm betting we'll find the painting in one of those two locations, probably hidden under of a painting of dogs playing poker or something. Let's go." Kate guided her out of her office.
Now all she needed to do was tell Castle and work out what they would do together. She didn't want to lose either of them. She loved them. Her apartment in DC was just a little single bedroom unit. Rick could live and write from anywhere. And he was going to need a new editor.
