Papa Jack Chapter 42
Impatient to get back to Kate Beckett and the investigation, Richard rapidly examines an online rendering of Loftview's floorplans. As far as he can tell, it matches everything Ms. Nekras told him and Martha Rodgers. Hurriedly, he calls the accountant keeping the books for the fundraiser and instructs him to messenger a check to Loftview. He also tries to call Ms. Nekras to inform her the check is coming but has to settle for leaving a voicemail. He can complete that task later – after he checks in with his favorite detective.
"Where's Beckett?" Richard asks Ryan upon instantly spying Kate's unoccupied desk.
Ryan points his thumb backward toward Tech. "Watching video on the big screen."
After trotting across the bullpen, Richard finds Kate staring intently at a Johnny Vong video. "If you're interested in investing in real estate, I know a broker who can steer you in the right direction," he offers, the corners of his eyes crinkling in amusement.
"It's Vong, not his pitch that interests me, Castle," Kate explains. "After you took off, Vong showed up at Coonan's building. He looked far from the happy pitchman in his videos and was carrying a small bag. I have no idea what was in it, but my surveillance team reported that he didn't have it when he left the building about five minutes later. He drove uptown to where his video studio is near Times Square. They haven't reported any movement since then."
"You run a make on him?" Richard asks.
"He doesn't have a rap sheet, but I did a background check. He's a total phony. He was born in California, not Vietnam. He isn't some poor schmuck who stumbled onto a get-rich-quick system. He's got an MBA from Harvard. He knew exactly how to invest and owns some very upscale property around the city."
"If he took the usual route to becoming a real estate mogul, why the video masquerade?" Richard wonders.
"I don't know," Kate admits.
"Did his family have the money to send him to Harvard, or was he a scholarship kid?"
"I don't know that either. The background info I found didn't say."
With a far-away expression Kate has learned to recognize, Richard gazes into the empty air in front of him. "A lot of Vietnamese refugees came to this country after Saigon fell. Many of them settled in California, worked hard, and started businesses. Some of their kids would be about Johnny Vong's age, but his parents probably wouldn't have had the money for tuition at a school like Harvard. So maybe he got a scholarship and/or worked his way through his bachelor's and master's. But Johnny wanted to be rich. He could see the money flowing into the coffers of the late-night hucksters and took the hint. He had heard his parents' accent all the time he was growing up. It was easy enough to imitate it and build his screen persona.
"Vong started raking in the bucks, but his insomniac customer base had its limits. Maybe the reason they couldn't sleep was that the price of real estate was rising. They knew, despite what the gleeful guy on TV said, that it would be out of their reach. As his video sales started petering out, Johnny realized that he needed another income stream, and the most lucrative one he could think of was drugs. He was already having his tapes made overseas where it was cheaper, and they would be the ideal vehicle to transport contraband. His new tightly wrapped and sealed plastic cases would be perfect to evade detection by drug-sniffing dogs. But he needs a drug connection.
"After the raid on Simmons, Coonan realizes that his supply chain is collapsing. He needs another way to ship his drugs into the country. Perhaps by chance, he and Vong use the same PR firm to advance their less-than-honest enterprises. Coonan realizes that Vong may have just the set-up he needs to bring drugs into the country without Bracken again. So he makes contact, and voila! Vong shows up at Coonan's office with a bag of sniff-proof packaging in hand. Still, after the very public drug crackdown, he's nervous. He leaves his bag with Coonan to check out and makes his exit as quickly as he can."
"That's a great story, Castle," Kate acknowledges, "but right now, that's all it is. For all we know, Vong was bringing Coonan a blueberry muffin."
"Coonan seems like more the Irish apple cake type to me," Richard considers, "but you do have a point. So what's the next step?"
"We have to keep an eye on Vong. If he's new to drug trafficking, he's bound to slip up somewhere, and we'll have him. I'll keep a watch on Coonan, too."
"Hoping for a twofer?" Richard asks.
"I'm hoping for whatever will tie Bracken to my mother's murder and expose the bastard who stabbed her."
"What about Cedric?" Richard queries. "Any ideas where to look for him?"
Kate shakes her head. "I've been so focused on Coonan and Vong I haven't even thought about Cedric."
"Esposito could have some ideas. He used to be special ops. He might know what would attract someone with Cedric's skills."
"How do you know Esposito used to be special ops?"
"He told me."
"When?"
"When he and I were in the breakroom. He warned me that he could snatch the last jelly doughnut out of the box before I could get near it. As far as I was concerned, he could have it anyway. Whenever I eat those things, I get powdered sugar all over my shirt. I'll take a cruller or glazed any day."
Kate covers her mouth as a giggle threatens to break through. "I'll stick with sprinkles, and we can talk to Esposito."
At Kate's request for advice, Esposito's chest strains against his tight polo shirt. "An ex special ops with a psych discharge and history as a merc," he contemplates. "And he likes to show off his skills?"
"Right," Richard confirms.
"Then, he'd probably work out at one of the gyms that feed the MMA matches. We learned to fight with no rules. This Cedric would want a venue with the same kind of challenge."
"Aren't fights like that illegal?' Richard asks.
"They are," Esposito acknowledges, "especially if gambling is involved. But the department has to find them to bust them, and the fighters know how to keep their mouths shut – another thing you learn in special ops."
"The gyms wouldn't be moving around," Kate realizes. "Which ones should we be checking out?"
"Stevers on Canal, Brown's on 165th, and Krieger's on 95th. But if you and Castle walk into any of them, you'll be spotted as a cop before you make it through the door. No one will talk to you. I can check them out and see if anyone knows Cedric."
"He might not be calling himself that," Richard cautions.
Esposito nods. "I figured that. But it's the technique, not the name, that the gym rats will notice. And if he's a show-off, like you said, they won't respect him for it. I can make the rounds tonight and let you know what I come up with."
"That would be great, Esposito. I really appreciate it," Kate says.
"No problem. But Castle, I want to see more jelly donuts in the boxes you bring in."
Richard offers his hand for the Latino detective to shake. "You find Cedric, and I'll bring in a dozen doughnuts brimming with jelly just for you."