Papa Jack Chapter 103

After a self-satisfied stroll from Holding, Richard drops into his chair next to Kate's desk as she fires up her computer. "Anything new?"

"Yes! The report just came in on the evidence recovered from Connor Davis' apartment. They found a vial with the arsenic that actually killed Connie Bellweather. They also found his prints on the door of The Victorious Va-J-J. That's more than enough for the DA to charge him. If his lawyer has any sense, he'll advise him to take a plea instead of going through a trial he's guaranteed to lose. It was a non-violent crime, so he might be able to make a deal to avoid maximum security."

"How about Lifestream water?" Richard wonders. "What if the company foists bottles full of arsenic on an unsuspecting public?"

"According to the lab, the bottles we found in Connie's apartment were under the FDA limit, which would make them legal. But I wouldn't bet on a company whose CFO gets arrested for murder making many sales. Lifestream's probably going to tank."

"Still, making sure that the results of the investigation make the forums and message boards for athletes and a post or two on social media wouldn't be a bad idea," Richard considers.

"Not until the case becomes public record," Kate warns. "The city doesn't need a lawsuit, and neither do you."

"Duly noted. And something else to note. My father invited me to dinner with him and Martha Rodgers in," Richard consults his watch, "about two hours from now. He implied that they have some kind of announcement and suggested I bring you along."

"Why would he do that?" Kate wonders.

Richard shrugs. "I don't know, but I do know that Dad has never done anything without a reason. I doubt he's starting now. So, do you want to come? He'll have a table at It's a Fine Fillet. As city restaurants go, it's pretty quiet."

"After putting up with Kyle all the way from Virginia, I could use some quiet," Kate says.

Richard pulls out his cell phone. "I'll let him know."

Already seated beside Martha, Jack rises as the maître D' leads Kate and Richard to his table. "Glad you could make it, both of you. Detective Beckett, I know you've been playing a large part in Richard's life ever since the incident at Madison Square Garden."

"And he's been playing a large part in mine," Kate says as Jack pulls out her chair for her.

Martha clears her throat. "I've wanted to meet you too, Katherine. Richard talked about you a lot while he and I were working on the fundraiser together."

"The fundraiser. Is that how you met Mr. Hunt?" Kate inquires.

"Um, no," Martha replies. "Jack and I, um, knew each other many years ago, but the fundraiser did bring us together again."

"So, Dad, Kate and I are here. What's the big announcement?" Richard asks, taking his own seat.

"I think we should have some wine first," Martha interjects. "Jack?"

Jack scans the wine list. "Everyone OK with a Cabernet?"

At nods from around the table, Jack quickly orders a bottle of Duckhorn Napa. "I understand that congratulations are in order for you, Detective Beckett," he says as the server goes to fill Jack's request. "Three cases successfully closed?"

"It's Kate, please. And I couldn't have done it without Castle, uh, Richard," she insists.

"The men in the Hunt family do make their presence felt," Martha says.

The server reappears with a bottle of red wine, uncorks it, and pours out a small amount for Jack to judge. At Jack's approval, he fills all the glasses at the table. "Are you ready to order your meal now?" he asks, pulling a pad out of his pocket.

"I believe that would be an excellent idea," Martha offers, gazing down at her menu. "I'll have the lime-juice-marinated grilled chicken breast fillet with asparagus and rice pilaf."

The server makes a note, continuing around the table, with Kate also ordering chicken and the two men choosing fillet mignons.

"All right, Dad, we've got our wine, and we've ordered our entrées. So what's the big announcement?" Richard demands.

"Martha and I are getting married," Jack says, the softness of his tone belying the shock value of his statement.

As Richard stares at his father, Kate jumps in. "Congratulations." She raises her glass, poking an elbow in Richard's ribs.

Richard hurriedly picks up his goblet. "A toast to the happy couple."

"Castle, was I missing something?" Kate asks as he drives her to her apartment.

Richard's hands tighten on the wheel. "What do you mean?"

"After your dad and Martha announced they were getting married, there was an undercurrent. It was like the three of you knew something, but I was out of the loop. Do your father and Martha have some kind of weird history?"

"Something like that. As Martha said, she and my dad knew each other a long time ago."

"A long time, like since about 1968?" Kate queries.

Richard swallows. "Why are you asking about 1968?"

"Because you were born in April of 1969, and it usually takes nine months to have a baby. Castle, you have brown hair but blue eyes. That doesn't happen very often. Your father has brown hair and brown eyes, but Martha's eyes are blue. And she also has a tiny mark on her cheek where it looks like she might have had a mole removed. You have a mole in exactly the same place. Are you going to tell me that's a coincidence?"

Richard shakes his head. "I'm not going to tell you that. I tell a lot of stories, Beckett, but whatever happened between my father and Martha Rodgers isn't mine to tell. If or when they are ready to talk about it, they will. Maybe after the wedding."

"The wedding is in two days," Kate points out. "They invited both of us. I got the feeling we're the only ones they invited."

"In which case," Richard says, "you may not have long to wait. And in the meantime, I need to put some kind of celebration together."

"They both said they want to keep the wedding under the radar," Kate reminds him.

"I wasn't planning anything that would end up on Page Six, just a nice lunch, Champagne, and a cake. We could do it at my loft, away from prying eyes. Didn't Montgomery give you the next couple of days off as comp time for tracking down Drummond?"

"Yeah, he did."

"So, what else were you planning to do?"

"I wanted to talk to my father about, you know, what we talked about in Virginia."

"Right, of course. Have you figured out when?"

"He wants to meet me for breakfast early tomorrow. He needs to be in court for the next few days, going after the manufacturer of high chairs that collapsed when the babies sitting in them got too active."

"Indeed, a worthy cause. And while you're gone will be a good time for me to get some writing in. If you're looking beyond the bounds of the NYPD, maybe Nikki will, too. You want to get together later in the morning to compare notes?"

"Sounds good, Castle, but how about getting together tonight?"

"That sounds even better."