Once In A Lifetime
by Castlefan6
Author's Note: This is totally AU. This is the continuation of Secrets Revealed, which should be read first. THIS IS BY REQUEST AND IS DEDICATED TO MY FRIEND SWORDWRITER. IT WILL NOT BE A CASKETT ENDING, BUT JORICK, Jordan, and Rick.
NOTE: The Dates have been adjusted to make this story possible.
Taking a Literary License to fill in the blanks.
I don't own Castle; I only use the characters for amusement, except the ones I create.
THIS WILL NOT BE A CASKETT ENDING
Also, we take liberties with Canon's timeline and use events to make this more believable fiction. Thanks.
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READ MY PROFILE BEFORE SENDING A PRIVATE MESSAGE
Chapter 3
Police Commissioner Office
Same Time Frame
Bob Weldon was meeting with his Police Commissioner, Frank Boyle, in one hour and knew this would be a watershed moment for his administration. He could easily blame earlier administrations for the corruption, BUT now it was his neck to make the proper personnel changes to fill key slots. He liked Frank, but his one weakness was that he tended to gravitate toward friends and acquaintances for key positions, which is not always a winning strategy.
Boyle had Jackson Hunt's report out and was reviewing the section of those lost to arrest from the NYPD: Nineteen, including three from Internal Affairs and four from each of the following precincts: 12th, 17th, 54th, and 117th. These are the preliminary numbers. We expect the number to go higher once the deal-making starts between the lawyers and crooks.
He had to name new Captains for each of the precincts as his first order of business. He had replaced two at a time, but never four, and it was four KEY precincts that made matters worse. The opening at the 117th was going to be challenging. Rick had barely gotten his feet wet as Cold Case Czar when he had to step in to take over the Jansen case. If he hadn't, Beckett would still be pursuing the wrong man as the sniper.
He had conducted some preliminary talks with people he respected and trusted throughout the NYPD and thought of a possible solution to the four open Captain positions. Rick still had almost two full years left on his contract with the city, so as a reward to an individual who didn't complain and was his go-to person during the sniper case, Javier Esposito's name was entered as his suggestion into the spreadsheet for new Captains.
It made sense once he analyzed it. Esposito was a good cop who had endured sporadic leadership at best. Roy's hidden agenda to protect his family didn't help Beckett's team gain the respect they deserved, especially during the last few years, although his reviews of Beckett remained unremarkably favorable.
Rick would be there to mentor Javier, and it would buy him time—two years or at least longer than he had now—to evaluate his performance and either replace or retrain the young man. If the NYPD were audited later this year, it would also help the Diversity and Inclusion Act.
Boyle thought, well, if I'm going for that, let's go all the way. The only thing Weldon could say was no, and frankly, losing nineteen cops to a corruption sting would put any leadership in peril. Roz Karpowski was going to take over the 12th; that was a given. The only other person qualified, at least on paper, was Kate Beckett, and he knew that he would get two no votes if he attempted to leapfrog Roz in the promotion cycle.
So, he had covered the 117th and 12th precincts, leaving the 54th and 17th, which would require captains sooner rather than later. His eligible candidates were slim, fewer than he had ever had to work with in his over twenty years on the force. He knew that the 54th had a Good Ole Boy reputation, and there were still three civil lawsuits in process against Tom Demming.
He had heard the chatter that he was about to lose over 50% of his female patrol officers unless something was done to address the problem that had been glossed over for years. He knew Anne Hastings had left the 12th because of the partiality shown, and she was a no-nonsense, won't back down kind of cop. Rick Castle respected her enough to make her his lead detective the day he took over, so that was the only recommendation he needed. Anne would be promoted to Captain and assume command of the 54th, using Rick and or Roz to mentor her if necessary.
Now, what the hell was he going to do about the 17th? He searched through files for anyone who came close to the requirements and had almost given up until he saw a name on the Captain's exam that was coming up in three weeks. Lieutenant Gary Royce, yes, the brother of the disgraced former NYPD Training Officer, had been quietly trying to rebuild the family reputation for the last ten years.
He entered the Academy at the age of 35—well, actually 34—but he allowed himself a whole year to pass the exams and learn what he needed to know to be a cop. He excelled at everything he did, almost like he was trying to show his brother that you didn't need to take shortcuts.
Boyle did some investigation and found that Captain John Barnes had been one of the dirty cops but had not been in command of the precinct for well over a year. Lieutenant Royce had managed the precinct and never complained. This was almost as easy a choice as Roz over Beckett for the 12th. He just hoped the Mayor and Rick would agree. He would soon find out; the meeting with the two was in just one hour.
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One Hour Later
Leadership Meeting, Emergency Session.
Boyle's Office
Bob Weldon had met Rick for breakfast to chat, one-on-one, about what to expect from Boyle. He knew his friend would walk away from the whole mess if Boyle tried his power play. As things stood this minute, Boyle had less actual power than Rick did, and both men knew it.
Rick would be a key witness, along with Jordan Shaw, in the upcoming trials of Bracken and others included in the intel Roy had provided before he disappeared from this world. All knew Roy was a dead man if they ever got wind of his location and new identity.
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Larry's Diner
Two Hours Before
Rick was in the booth they usually shared for breakfast meetings when he saw his friend walk in and head directly in his direction.
"Well, look who finally decided to crawl out of bed, or did Marcy kick your sorry butt out?" Rick asked with a laugh,
"We'll see whose butt gets kicked out of bed after the newly coupled period wears off, Jordan is no pushover, she wasn't in college, and she sure as hell isn't now," Weldon said as the two men exchanged Bro Hugs.
"Well, officially, she and I are on vacation from Hunt for nine more days, but I knew Boyle can't wait that long to fill the key openings, and I sure as hell don't trust his decision-making process as of late," Rick said,
"Well, Hunt doesn't pay your salary, the city of New York."
"Pays me a whole dollar, one dollar, twenty nickels or ten dimes for my yearly salary, so don't go there. You know why we have to keep Hunt on our good side? Over 60% of our cold cases have some tie, either directly or indirectly, to cases he can help break wide open.
"He is willing to work with us, so don't even think about pulling that power play shit on him, and let Boyle know, he is to stay quiet. When it comes to Hunt, Jordan and I will negotiate the details with him, then run it by you, IF we feel we need to or use NYPD resources. Are we clear on that, Bob?
Weldon looked at his friend and knew it was time to back down, "We're clear, Rick. Just do me a favor and let me handle Frank. You know he's a bit of a hothead, and he says things without thinking sometimes." Bob said
"Another reason I want him to keep his mouth shut is that he never should have put in that position. I don't care how much you respected his father and his family's service. Frank is a fuck up, plain and simple. I'll be surprised if he is even prepared for this meeting." Rick said,
"He may surprise you, Rick. I mean, he knows there's a ton of heat on the NYPD now, with Roy in WITSEC and nineteen officers looking for lawyers and deals they can make. It all happened on his watch, even though it started years before; it came to light on his tour." Weldon said, trying to convince himself and his friend.
"We'll see Bob. It's time to see what he's done to earn his salary so far. Are you ready?" Rick asked Weldon.
"Right behind you, since I know you already took care of the check," he said, putting down a twenty-dollar bill as a tip to the server for a breakfast costing less than the gratuity.
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Boyles Office
One Hour Later
Boyle was expecting both Rick and Weldon, so the coffee was freshly brewed, and he had doughnuts and bagels on the back table in case they wanted to eat. He wasn't sure if they were stopping for breakfast before or not but he had learned that hungry people get pissed off much easier than those with full stomachs.
"Rick, Bob, good to see you," He greeted them as they knocked on his open office door, waving them in.
"I wouldn't say the arrest of almost twenty key NYPD personnel is a good reason to see you Frank, you know it's my ass on the line now. Sure, I can blame the last administration, for a while, but I have to show positive results or my political career is over." Weldon said, setting the mood for the meeting with Frank Boyle.
"I didn't mean it was a good occasion, Bob, just that it was good that we could get together so quickly to get the damage under control. I'm quite aware that not only your ass in on the line, but also that if the wolves start to scream too loudly, I will be the one to get fired to buy you some time." Boyle said, suddenly growing a pair of gahoonas as he spoke to Weldon.
"You're right about that part, Boyle, you aren't liked or respected by the field, and it's getting back to those who bankroll your boss's political campaigns, so perhaps an attitude adjustment on your part would help as well," Rick said, staring the man down. He hadn't liked him since he caught him and his daughter, Erin, making out in the tool shed and threatened to shoot him if he ever came around again decades earlier.
Weldon, sensing the tension between the two, took charge. "This meeting is to resolve some critical issues, Rick. I know you haven't liked Frank since he chased you away from Erin, but forget about that for now, for me. My political ass is showing like it's been projected on a teleprompter at Times Square. We need action, and we need it fast to quiet the critics." He was forceful a few times in his life,
"OK, Bob, so Frank, have you come up with any plan at all, or are you waiting for us to do that for you? Sorry, Bob, but I wanted him to know everyone knows his golf handicap is more important than the forces." Rick said, as his final dig, expecting nothing, he was surprised by the next move.
Boyle had anticipated both anger and scorn from Rick, they still had not buried the hatchet from the days he dated Erin. He lowered the projection screen and dimmed the lights with a remote control. On the screen, they saw the initial report from Hunt,
NYPD: Nineteen, including three from Internal Affairs and four from each of the following precincts: 12th, 17th, 54th, and 117th. These are the preliminary numbers. We expect the number to go higher once the deal-making starts between the lawyers and crooks.
"I'm not so concerned with IA (Internal Affairs); had they been doing half of their job, none of this would have happened. That department is going to be taken apart and reassembled from the top down. Captain Santos has already submitted his resignation after I asked for it.
"Lieutenant Kardon has already assumed temporary command until we find a permanent replacement. He or she will help select the leadership of that division, since they will be held to a much higher standard than in the past.
Boyle flipped the slide, as Weldon commented. "Well, you are off to a good start. I don't have any objections to Kardon; you may want to encourage him to take the Captain's exam. This could be a trial run for both sides, for us to see how he does, and for him to decide if this is what he wants." Weldon said, as Rick nodded in agreement.
The following slide was titled 12th Precinct Actions and read.
Former Captain: Montgomery
Status: WITSEC
Candidates: Kate Beckett, Roz Karpowski
Recommended Candidate: Roz Karpowski: Beckett has had two suspensions in the last ninety days, and disqualification automatically
New Captain:
The last line on the slide was left empty, awaiting input from Weldon and Rick.
"Why is the New Captain line empty, Frank? It's your show to run. I agree with you that your options are limited, and Beckett is not even close to having the maturity to run the precinct." Rick said,
"I agree with Rick, Frank. Roz Karpowski has an excellent record, knows the staff, and can help calm the turmoil this has caused," Weldon said.
"OK, so we are all in agreement, Roz will be named Captain of the 12th precinct. This might cause some hurt feelings from Beckett, but with Roy's departure, we're learning more about some of the advantages he provided his "PET," according to many still there." Frank said,
"We can't and we won't assume, or make concessions to any cop who disagrees with the management decisions we make here today. Those days of favoritism are over, and I don't give a damn who we lose to implement this." Weldon said,
He advanced the slide to the next one, titled "17th Precinct Actions," and followed the same format as the previous slide, with information for the 12th precinct. The suggested candidate for Captain was a surprise, but as Frank spoke, it made sense.
The name of Lieutenant Gary Royce was to replace the disgraced Captain John Barnes once Boyle relayed the interview information. Royce had actually been the man running the precinct in the background as Barnes conducted his illegal bidding for Bracken's group.
"I'm going to fill in Royce's name as our selected candidate if there are no questions or objections," Boyle said.
"Just a question, Frank, is he any relation to the late Mike Royce?" Rick asked.
"He's his little brother, and after looking up to Mike for so long, he took it hard when he fell from grace. He was actually a Chemist when he applied to the Academy, with only one year remaining before the age limit. If he had waited another few months, he would have been rejected because of age." Boyle replied, paused, then added,
"Not that you care, but Beckett doesn't even know that Mike had a brother, some family dispute, or something, that's why he wasn't notified of Mike's funeral arrangements. He was on a business trip to several European countries when it happened.
"So, she hasn't heard of him because he's a cop who doesn't seek the limelight, or his actions never warranted awards or public recognition? What's the whole story Frank, save the bullshit." Rick fired back,
"You worked with Beckett for almost three years. You should know that answer. When was the last time you heard Beckett reach out to anyone outside of her circle at the 12th? Rick was silent, Boyle waited a few moments, then said, "Yeah, I thought so.
"She has a reputation, well, and she had one that she could get away with breaking the rules because she was Roy's favorite. We know more now, but none of the other cops in the city want anything to do with her. I doubt she knows that Lieutenant Royce even exists, since he's not in her circle." Boyle said.
"You raise a fair point, Frank, thanks for the clarification," Rick said as the next slide was projected.
They looked to see the similar layout of the previous slides, 54th Precinct Actions. This time, the name for the new Captain was filled in. It appeared that Frank had made his choice and was ready to discuss, argue, or do whatever it took to get this completed.
New Captain: Anne Hastings
Below this selection, he made some notes to justify his choice.
Anne Hastings had left the 12th because of the partiality shown, and she was a no-nonsense, won't-back-down kind of cop. Cold Case Czar named her Lead Detective on the first day of command.
"Gentlemen, I think the reason is apparent since we are in danger of losing over 50% of our female patrol force, thanks to Tom Demming and the ongoing lawsuits. Anne would demonstrate that we see the problem. The Good Ole Boy network will no longer be tolerated. I pity anyone stupid enough to take on Anne Hastings; she is a bulldog.
"She should be promoted to Captain and assume command of the 54th, using Rick and/or Roz to mentor her if necessary. The only downside of this move is that it will leave the 117th short a lead detective." Boyle said,
"Well, I appreciate the concern, Frank, but we do have some young talent over there that, with a bit of help, can step into that role. By the way, I know you're also going to steal Javier Esposito from my squad, but I won't stand in the way of anyone's advancement. Before you think the worst, I didn't hear it from Javi; he's been tight-lipped. You might want to talk to your old friend, Detective Brumm, the one you asked about Javi. He talks more than he works." Rick said, as Frank advanced the last slide
Sure enough, there it was projected on the screen.
117th Precinct Actions.
New Captain: Javier Esposito
"Well, at least you left him with me. I know Javi will do a good job; he didn't get the right mentorship at the 12th, and it was not Beckett's fault. Roy was the architect of the line he was feeding her to keep his skirts clean." Rick said, letting Boyle breathe, if Rick had fought the promotions, he really had no backup plan.
"Frank, take care of the paperwork today. I'll let you and Rick notify those who are being promoted tomorrow, at the latest. I already had your Administrative Assistant cancel your tee time at the club, so I expect to see those changes in a few hours. " Weldon said, as the look on Boyles' face cringed, then turned beet red. He knew a new sheriff was in town, pushing Weldon to make him accountable.
TBC