Unexpected Appearance Chapter 15

Looking out at the press of 12th Precinct cops gathered in the bullpen, Montgomery addresses the somber assembly. "Due to the nature of this case, let me remind you not to discuss it with anyone, not even family. They'll be in even more danger if word leaks out and causes a panic. Now, I'm going to turn your briefing over to Agent Fallon from Homeland Security."

Fallon nods. "Thank you, Captain. All right, folks, here's what we know. Amir Alhabi built a bomb in storage unit C412."

"We don't know that," Rick mutters to Kate. "We assume it. What we know is that a bomb was built there, and for some reason, even after being robbed and tortured, Alhabi had the key to the unit in his pocket."

"Quiet, Castle," Kate whispers. "Fallon's already acting like he wants to bounce you. Don't give him an excuse."

"It's a dirty bomb." Fallon continues, glaring at Rick, "designed to disperse highly radioactive cobalt 60. That bomb is missing."

"Called Jenny to tell her I'd be late," Ryan whispers to Esposito. "Tried to get her to go visit her mom."

"I tried the same thing with Lanie," Esposito confides. "Didn't work. She hates having anyone suggest what she should do, and she hates talking to her mom even worse. She keeps getting the "Why don't I have grandbabies speech?"

"I hear that," Ryan agrees.

"Interview facility employees," Fallon goes on. "Check surveillance video. You know the drill. You find the person who moved the bomb, and we'll find where it is. Let's get on it."

As the meeting breaks up, Fallon strides over to where Rick is standing with Kate. "Mr. Castle, you've put in a lot of work on this case, and I'm sure the people of New York would be grateful. But I can't have civilians on the front lines."

"I've been on the front lines more than anyone here except for Detective Beckett," Castle reminds him. "It's a little late to worry about it now. And I want to help."

"You don't actually even work here," Fallon reminds him. "It's for your own protection."

"As I said, it's a little late for that," Castle returns. "And my insights as a 'civilian' have led to answers no cop around her came up with. Montgomery can verify that."

"Captain Montgomery has told me that you've been of use around here from time to time," Fallon admits, "but I'm still not willing to risk a civilian presence."

"Especially if I'm the civilian," Castle returns, pulling his notebook and a pen from his pocket. "But I'll tell you what. Call this number. You don't have to identify yourself. If you have any decent position at all with the DHS, your voiceprint will automatically be identified. Ask if I have standing to work on, um, delicate matters."

Fallon stares at the slip of paper Rick hands him. "This isn't one of your spy novels, Castle. You'd better not be wasting my time."

"You're wasting enough of it yourself, Fallon," Rick retorts. "Call the number."

"Excuse me," Fallon says, retreating to his temporary office space.

"Castle, what was that all about? Did you give him a number for your CIA liaison?" Kate asks.

"I gave him a number he needs to call, Beckett. I have a feeling that I've accessed information that he hasn't. Because he hasn't, he's making unwarranted assumptions about this case at a moment when it couldn't be more dangerous."

"Castle, what haven't you been telling me?" Kate demands.

"Beckett, I've made connections over the years and still have them, maybe more than I realized. I've told you what I could tell you, just like everyone here probably did or is doing to try and safeguard their loved ones. Hopefully, Fallon will hear what he needs to hear."

His dark eyes looking even darker, Fallon returns to the bullpen. "Castle, I don't know who you know or why, but you're still on the case. Just try to stay out of the way of real police work. Detective Beckett, Alhabi's wife is on her way up here. You've already formed a relationship with her. How did she seem to you?"

"Like a woman who lost her husband and is worried about a sick daughter but confused. She trusted Amir and thought he was being honest with her, but he apparently lied about his interactions with Fariq Yusef, about the cameras in his cab, and the sudden appearance of $10,000. She doesn't know what to think."

"Unless she is a convincing liar and is in on the whole thing," Fallon counters. "I'm about to find out, but I want you with me. If she thinks she fooled you, it will lower her guard. And if you believe I've gone over the line, you can reel me back in."

"Beckett's done thousands of interrogations," Castle says. "She doesn't fool easily."

"I am going to find out," Fallon repeats. He stares through the window into Interrogation One. "That's a nice touch."

"What?" Kate inquires.

"The baby. Let's go."

Kate takes the chair next to Fallon, opposite Nazihah Alhabi, who cradles Mollica in her arms. "Nazihah, this is Agent Fallon."

Nazihah leans forward expectantly. "Do you have news about Amir's case?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," Fallon says.

At loose ends, Rick takes his accustomed seat at Kate's desk. Seeing Amir's financial statement, he grabs it and highlights the $10,000 before taking the few steps to Ryan's desk. "The $10,000 wired into Alhabi's account can be traced, can't it?"

"It can," Ryan confirms. "Pull up the track fund database on Beckett's computer. Enter the routing and account numbers."

"Finally!" Ryan exclaims when an alert comes up on his own computer. "The footage of the last 48 hours from the camera outside storage unit C412 just finished downloading. With luck, we'll see who picked up the bomb."

Rick stares at the screen on Kate's desk. "Hmm."

"What?" Ryan asks.

"The money that was wired to Amir came from a bank in Dearborn, Michigan, from the account of a James Smith. Then, four minutes later, it was transferred to another James Smith account at the Southern Bank of Texas."

"The deposits are daisy-chained to make them harder to trace," Ryan says.

"Not by anyone with much skill, if I can trace them," Rick remarks. "I'd expect terrorists to have more refined methods, especially since the amount of $10,000 would trigger an immediate alert to the IRS. It's almost as if someone wanted the deposit to be traced."

Esposito shakes his head. "Come on, Castle. You're not suggesting someone tried to make Alhabi look guilty. You and Beckett almost got fried in his storage unit."

"A storage unit to which the key was left behind, despite someone torturing him for information and then killing him. And why the hell would a guilty man install cameras in his cab? A guilty man would avoid being recorded. I think whoever killed Alhabi is behind the bomb and planted the key to make Alhabi the patsy."

"Castle, why would a terrorist do that?" Esposito questions. "They want everyone to know who's responsible. That's the point."

"Exactly," Rick agrees. "The more we find out about this, the less it looks like a terrorist operation."

"Except for the dirty bomb," Ryan reminds him. "And whoever has it might be on the video footage. I'm going to set it up on the big screen in Tech."

"Good," Rick says, "because I'm betting that Fallon is wasting precious time by leaning on Nazihah."