Papa Jack Chapter 70

"You think the boys have made any progress tracking down Eric Donnelly's killer?" Kate wonders as Richard drives her home.

"It could depend on how good they are at following the trail to Chef's Edge," Richard says. "That was the brand of the knives in Eric's kitchen and probably the murder weapon, and significant – unless the killer just grabbed what was available."

"But the knives would have been in the kitchen, right?" Kate asks.

"Unless Eric was studying them for a story. He was found on the floor near his computer. The killer could have used the chef's knife and put the block with the rest of the knives back in the kitchen, where anyone looking around would expect to see it."

"Did anyone check his computer for a story with knives in it?" Kate asks.

"Ryan checked. The memory had been completely wiped. He gave the computer to Tech, but according to Wong, the wipe was very professional. Everything had been overwritten with zeros three times, making it impossible to recover. The killer understands computers."

"And with both the suspects working on computers all day, that doesn't get the guys any closer to figuring out who did it," Kate realizes.

"After I left the bullpen to get ready to work on my book with you, I thought about the way Eric was stabbed. We were looking at it as either a crime of passion or revenge for a fiscal disaster. But what if it was both?" Richard muses.

"CSU will turn up any evidence that Donnelly was getting it on with someone," Kate says. "But for the revenge angle, they'd have to look into the records of the suspects' financial transactions. Unless something comes up on the DNA, they don't have enough for a warrant to do that – especially not at Melissa Jergen's brokerage, where there are trades for multiple clients. And the video showing Lorna Charles driving away from the park will make it harder to point the finger at her."

"You know," Richard says, pulling into a parking spot down the block from Kate's apartment, "the financial records may not be the only way to take a gander at what's been happening in the market. There are financial sites and boards where people post – particularly if they feel they've been skunked. Lots of comments about investing in various smaller companies get posted on Yahoo Financial. There are also other websites. My business manager keeps an eye on all of them for red flags. And I look in on the sites from time to time to check for scurrilous machinations I can attribute to my villains."

"Maybe you can show the boys where to dig," Kate suggests.

"I get the feeling that Esposito is beginning to feel like I'm just throwing out crazy theories," Richard says.

"Yeah, well, being a detective is his job," Kate points out. "And it goes against his special ops macho to have a writer suggest something he didn't consider."

"But Ryan will probably listen," Richard figures. "He's kind of into the financial stuff. I think he's trying to build a nest egg so he can spread his tailfeathers and present it to Jenny."

"You think Ryan wants to propose to his girlfriend?" Kate questions.

"He's got that look I've seen on some of my male friends before they took the plunge. But Ryan's got enough pride to want to do it with something besides a cop's schedule and salary to offer."

"If Jenny loves him, she'd marry him if he was flipping burgers," Kate says.

Richard leans across the gap between his car's front seats. "Beckett, is your tough detective exterior hiding a romantic soul?"

Reddening, Kate reaches for her door handle. "Um, Castle, I've got to get upstairs. I need to go to the bathroom, and I promised I'd call my father."

Richard watches as she retreats down the sidewalk. He'd swear that this is the first time he's ever seen Kate Beckett look totally embarrassed – and it's adorable.

Hey, Bro, the prelim from CSU is in," Esposito announces to Ryan. "They found DNA – female – but it doesn't match anything on record."

"How about prints?" Ryan asks.

"They found Melissa Jergen's. Hers are on file because of SEC regulations for background checks on brokers and their staff. But she already admits to having been at Eric's apartment before as a running buddy, so that doesn't prove anything. There are others, but unidentified. They could be Lorna's, but since she only trades for herself, no background check and no prints. So, we still don't have anything solid." Esposito glances toward Ryan's nearby desk. "What are you checking out?"

"Something Castle suggested. He called while you were in the john."

Esposito smirks. "Just what we need, more writer's theories."

"Castle didn't give me any theories. He just told me where to look for more information relating to the investigation. And so far, he was right. I've found a lot of postings from investors in companies selling stuff aimed at foodies. That includes knives. Some of them are complaining about counterfeiting. So far, I've seen Chef's Edge come up twice, and I've only been looking since Castle called. There's a lot to go through. You want to check out some of the sites he sent me?"

Esposito sighs. "OK, Man, but only until we can come up with something better."

With a smile on his craggy features, Jim Beckett gently lays his phone back in its cradle. He and Katie talked for almost an hour. It's been a long time since that happened. And Richard Castle's name came up in about every third sentence she spoke. Even as a teenager, Katie never talked that much about a guy. She reserved that deep a fascination for her motorcycle. There's definitely something brewing between Katie and Castle. Jim can hear it in her voice.

Jim could hardly have any doubts about Castle's interest in Katie, either – not after their time at the hospital together. Even when Katie was under Jim's watchful eyes, Castle was rarely far away. Castle was also the one who called in Dr. Lanie Parrish to make sure that everything that could be done for Katie was being done. The two of them checked in with each other every couple of hours. Jim had also heard Castle query Lanie about flying in some high-class medical consultant, but Lanie convinced the writer that it wouldn't improve Katie's care – just tick off the staff. Jim was very grateful that Castle had shared those conversations with him in the long hours when they could do nothing but wait and pray. The Serenity Prayer flowed through Jim's lips more than once.

All of that points to a relationship between Katie and Richard Castle as a positive thing. Still, as her father, Jim is determined to keep a watch on how it develops. Whatever happens, he'll be there for Katie.

Kate circles her small living area before plopping on the couch. The last time she can remember hearing her father sound that upbeat was before her mother was murdered. Kate can't deny that she's feeling pretty upbeat herself. Even while officially on leave from the NYPD, she's keeping her hand in and her mind sharp on a case. And then there's Castle and the Nikki Heat book or books. At first, she was uneasy about being a model for Nikki. But as she works with Castle while he develops characters and plotlines, she can't help being drawn in. She believes Nikki will be someone she can like. And she can't help liking – maybe a lot more than liking – Nikki's creator.