46. Chapter 46

Chapter 46

They had barely entered the precinct and switched on their computers when, after a couple of weeks of mundane cases, the team was sent to a crime scene where the body of a young woman had been found in a car. They put aside their present case, which was at a standstill, and concentrated on the facts of the new one. When it came to light that it was a city car, one checked out to a member of the mayor's staff, it was the beginning of a battle of wills between Castle and Beckett. Evidence was stacking up against the mayor, but Castle didn't believe it. He had known the man too long to think he was capable of murder. As they stood in the bullpen after another piece of information came in, the argument started again…although it was quiet enough to keep it to themselves.

"Beckett, I've known the man for twelve years. You've met him. He's been in our home. You can't think he's a killer."

"That's my impression, too, and I want to believe it; but this is my job, Castle. I can't ignore the evidence."

"All I'm asking is that you don't do anything public with it unless there's no choice."

"I can do that, but I have to handle it carefully. I'm your wife; and considering your longstanding friendship with the mayor, I'm surprised Gates hasn't already taken me off the case. Politics being what they are, people who want him out of office will be coming out of the woodwork; and for all we know, Gates may be one of them. If I'm going to stay on this case where we can find something that might help him, I have to show her that I can also be objective about the things that may look bad for him."

"Okay. I guess I can see that," Castle conceded, but it was with a sense of frustration.

xxxxx

After they were home that night, Smith called. "Once again, Mr. Castle, it seems we need to talk."

Alexis was left out of the family conversation that followed the call, but the couple did share it with Martha. If they needed to depend on Martha to be ready to help with Alexis in a pinch, she needed to understand the possible problems.

Martha was shocked. "Then the death of this young woman is somehow connected to the death of Katherine's mother?"

"It has to be," Kate answered. "And to the sniper who shot me. Otherwise, why would he call?"

"What did he say?"

"He said there were greater forces at play." Castle told her. "That more was at stake than we realized.

"He gave us a number to contact him if we need help. He said we would know when it was time." Kate added.

"I don't like this," Martha said quietly, looking worried.

"We don't, either," Kate agreed.

"But, at least for the moment, it seems to be working in our favor," Castle observed, wrapping his arm around Kate's shoulders protectively.

"I don't want to lose any of my children," Martha said firmly. Taking Kate's hand she pointedly emphasized, "Not any of them. Darling, I know you'd throw yourself in front of a bullet for any of us. This one," she said, pointing to her son, "has already shown us he would, too. Please be careful…both of you. Try not to let it come to that again." She stood and took a deep breath. I'm going to finish that wine we had for dinner."

"I'm sorry you have to deal with all this, Martha. I've brought so much…"

"Stop that right now, young lady. None of this is your fault. You're as much a victim of this man as any of the other families he's hurt. You didn't enter this family knowing that you were going to encounter the kind of trouble he's caused, and we don't blame you for it. Use this truce as long as you can, and then do what you have to to take that psychopath out of his ivory tower and lock him up like the filthy beast he is. And the longer you can make the perp walk last in front of the cameras, the better." She walked into the kitchen and got a glass and the rest of the wine left from their meal and announced, "I'm going to go to bed and read for a while. If either of you wants wine, you'll need to open a new bottle. I'm taking this one with me." Then she picked up a glass and went upstairs.

"I think she likes you," Castle observed.

"I don't think she likes He-who-we-can't-yet-name, though."

Castle shook his head. "Nope. Don't think so."

"Can we not talk about this anymore tonight? It won't change anything if we do, and right now it's more than…"

"If we can sleep, maybe it will make more sense in the morning. New bottle of wine?" he asked, and she nodded. "Run us a bath so we can enjoy it while we soak in nice warm water?"

She breathed out a relieved sigh. "Best offer I've had all week. We're gonna have bubbles, too."

"I'll have to smell all girly again?" he mock complained as he went to the kitchen to open a new bottle of wine and get them glasses.

"Hey, you share a bath with a girl, you take your chances," she teased. "Besides, you've even admitted it's relaxing, and right now, we could definitely use some relaxing. Meet you there," she said, smiling at him over her shoulder.

xxxxx

In very little time, Castle and Beckett realized that Mayor Weldon was being investigated for embezzlement of funds from a charity he had established, and Lanie's examination produced another clue that pointed to the mayor's involvement in their victim's death. At that point, Castle decided it was time to call Smith.

He and Beckett met Smith at a deserted parking garage where they asked a couple of questions, got less than specific answers that nevertheless confirmed their suspicions of a conspiracy, and were told to listen to the evidence…as the victim had.

Eventually, after deciphering the puzzle as to what to listen to, they were able to identify the voice of a mid-level member of the mayor's staff as someone who had aided in framing Bob Weldon. However, just as the young man had confessed his involvement and was about to tell Castle and Beckett who he was working for, a high-powered attorney made an unexpected entrance and didn't let him finish his statement. Another dead end. Another ambiguous connection to the man behind Johanna Beckett's murder. And more questions without answers.

A joint press conference with the mayor and the police chief was held the following morning. The Chief of Police made a public statement absolving Mayor Weldon of any wrongdoing and stating the particulars of the charges against the young man on his staff.

Mayor Weldon then made his own statement, ending with, "And, Chief, I don't know about you, but I am immensely proud of Captain Gates and her detectives at the twelfth precinct. They were willing to take on a sitting mayor when it appeared that he was guilty of a grievous crime. While I did not enjoy that aspect of the investigation, I have to applaud their willingness to follow the evidence wherever it led. I admit, though, that I might want to applaud a little louder for their tenacity in following the less obvious leads and proving that the initial evidence was wrong." Laughter rippled through the crowd at that remark, and he finished his statement with, "Regardless of the difficulties and inconvenience to my family, my office, my duties, and my peace of mind, I assure you that that they all continue to have my complete respect and support."

The press conference was played at the precinct, and everyone who could take the time listened to see how Mayor Weldon characterized the investigation. At the end of his statement, there was applause and palpable relief in the bullpen. It seemed that they were not only forgiven, but lauded as well. Then they all went back to work.

Castle treated the team to drinks at The Old Haunt that night, taking them to his private office and serving them there where he could offer them a comfortable sofa and armchairs. When everyone left, he kissed his wife, locked the door and found a new use for the sofa.

"Would you like to go somewhere this weekend?" he asked, reaching up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear as she lay stretched out on him. "You don't have to work."

"The Hamptons?"

"That would be nice, but we could go somewhere else if you want. We could fly to somewhere warm, or go somewhere to ski."

As they talked, they engaged in loving little kisses and soft touches, tracing each other's skin with their fingertips.

"We haven't ever been skiing together. That would be fun. Does Alexis like to ski? I don't think that subject has ever come up."

"She does, and I love that you immediately thought of her; but I was thinking of just the two of us. She finishes her last day of high school on Friday, and some of her friends are taking her out for burgers and a movie that day to say goodbye. And I'm sure I could talk Mother into a grandmother/granddaughter weekend, especially if I entice her with a nice spa package. She and Alexis have always enjoyed that."

"Mmmmm… A whole weekend of alone time."

"So?"

"When do we leave?"

"Right after work on Friday?"

"Okay."

"Shall I rent one of those chalets with a fireplace and a bearskin rug?" he asked with his signature eyebrow wiggle.

"Yeah. Let's go for the full ski trip experience."

"Will you let me spoil you?"

"You do that anyway. But, yes. It might bother me now and then, but I promise not to complain."

"Couples massage?"

"Only if a guy is working on you."

"And a woman is working on you," he countered. "I'd be jealous, too."

"Good." She kissed him, sighed and gave him a smile. "We should get dressed. We didn't tell anybody we wouldn't be home for dinner. And it's getting a little cool in here with no clothes."

"I'm nice and warm."

"That's because you have a human blanket."

"Best blanket ever," he answered, stroking her backside.

She sat up, straddling him to balance enough to stand. "Come on. The sooner we get home, the sooner you can get to the computer and arrange to have all weekend to stay naked if we want to."

He stood and took her in his arms, holding her lovingly, nothing more in his intentions. "This was nice. Spontaneous is nice."

"Yeah, it is."

He kissed her gently before he sighed and turned to pick up their clothes. Then they dressed, cleared any evidence of what they'd been up to, and went home.

xxxxx

After dinner, Alexis was in her room studying for her last exams; so Castle and Beckett took everything they needed for scanning into the study and set it up where it wasn't too obvious from the door.

With the new answerless questions that came up during the mayor's case, both of them felt the need to organize the leads and evidence related to Kate's shooting and her mother's murder sooner rather than later. They had no reason to believe they would have new information any time soon, but being ready to add or analyze anything new in relation to their current data would certainly be a plus. To that end, they had been saving the stick drive Ryan and Esposito had given them until last. And now they also had a few cryptic comments from Smith and several new, unanswered questions to mull over.

They expected to complete the scanning of the material the team gathered right before Captain Montgomery's death by the time Alexis was ready for bed. The following week they would start organizing tonight's additions and the contents of the stick drive into Castle's murder board set-up.

They had been working since shortly after dinner. While Beckett scanned documents into the new computer, Castle researched several ski resorts, showed what he found to his wife, and they chose one that had a chalet that almost exactly fit Kate's imaginary one. Castle and Alexis had been there before and were happy in standard rooms at the lodge, so he checked on the ski conditions for the weekend and then booked it. After that, as they worked, they talked about their last case.

Beckett seemed to be considering something as she waited for their next document to scan. "Smith said there were larger forces at work," she stated. "I think it's safe to assume he meant whoever we're looking for is involved. And apparently he's even bigger than we thought. What in the world are we up against?"

"I don't know, but Bob mentioned something similar. The embezzlement investigation started right after he decided to look into running for governor, and the murder investigation followed close on its heels. He's given up on running for governor…let alone president later."

"Why? He's been a terrific mayor."

"He said there are people who control what goes on…political groups, I guess…that he wouldn't play ball, so they took him out of the game. Smith even said Bob wasn't wrong about the conspiracy. You think this guy is part of that?"

"It makes sense. If he's a politician, especially if he's an important one, he could have access to a lot of people he could pay, or coerce, into getting him any kind of information on anybody. That would explain the guard who got Lockwood back into general population." She paused long enough to check on one of the documents being scanned. "So, based on what Montgomery said, if he's a politician, he would probably be someone who got his start in New York City a little before my mom was killed. That could give us a place to start."

"Smith also said something about my getting kicked out of the precinct if the mayor were out of office…asked who would keep you from getting into the case again. And then he said something about a well-placed pawn sometimes being more powerful than a king. But who's the pawn? Why can't the man just give us a straight answer? And who the hell is he? He seems to know a lot more than that early stuff we think is in Roy's files. And the way that SUV came into the parking garage and had him out of there that fast. That practically screams Men in Black. But he wanted to help us clear Bob, so he must be on the right side."

"And who hired that lawyer, Bill Moss, was it? The one who waltzed in and stopped our suspect from giving us a name? I'm sure we can track down his firm. I just wish we could get a list of their clients…see if anybody's name stands out."

"Yeah, right. Does the term 'snowball in Hades" ring any bells?"

"I know," she sighed.

Castle was jotting down their list of questions as they talked, and when Beckett finished scanning the last document, he took the laptop from her and typed their questions into a new document. Then they both leaned back in their chairs and began to unwind, just sitting in silence for a couple of minutes.

"I hope the chalet looks just like the picture," Kate said suggestively. "I already have plans for that rug."

"I have some ideas, too. Want to tell me about yours...you know, just so I'll be prepared?"

She leaned in and whispered some very naughty things in his ear, and he answered, "I think that rug is going to be my favorite place in the entire resort."

Just as he was about to whisper his plans in her ear, they heard Alexis coming down the stairs. "To be continued," he promised and they left the study for the kitchen before Alexis came to meet them there. "Are you ready to ace those last two exams?" he asked.

"The one tomorrow, I think so," she said as she took out the juice and a glass. "The one on Friday is the toughest one, but I'll have tonight to work on it."

"Want some hot cocoa? I'll make you some," Kate offered before the juice was in the glass.

"No, thanks. I think I'll just have this and go to bed."

"Are you still sure about leaving school early?" her father asked.

"I'm sure. I have two interviews lined up for internships on Tuesday and Wednesday next week. Starting something new…it's exciting. And I'm looking forward to Friday night with my friends and the spa weekend with Grams. She said you're going on a ski trip while we're gone. I'm glad you're doing that. You deserve to have a getaway all to yourselves now and then."

"I'm really proud of you, you know."

"Yeah, I know." She gave Castle a hug and he kissed the top of her head.

"For what it's worth, I am, too." Kate told her.

"It's worth a lot, Kate." Alexis gave her a hug, too. "And I'm proud of both of you. The press conference was on the news tonight, and I'm so glad you were able to clear Mr. Weldon's name. I knew he hadn't done anything they said he had. And he made the NYPD look really good." She finished her juice, yawned, and said, "See you in the morning."

"There's nothing going on tomorrow unless a call comes in," Kate said as they went back to the study and started gathering up the things they had been working on. "Do you want to stay home and try to get some writing done?"

Castle stacked some papers on top of the printer and picked them up to return them to storage. "I might stay home and spend some time organizing what we scanned tonight. All I need to do that is to take out the laptop. And I need to get my ski gear from the storage room downstairs. Do you have skis? I don't remember seeing any when we were moving your things here."

"I have all the clothes, but I always rented the rest…didn't use it often enough to warrant the expense," she said after opening the storage space for him.

"You said I could spoil you this weekend," he answered, depositing what he brought on the shelves. "We'll buy you your own when we get there."

"Castle, you…"

He stopped her by putting one finger over her lips. "Nope. Can't do that. You also said you wouldn't complain," he stated smugly.

She stopped talking and backhanded his chest. "I didn't say I wouldn't hit you," she teased.

He held his chest, dramatically pretending to be in pain, then he laughed and closed everything up, exiting the closet behind her. "Where are your ski clothes?"

"Same place as your skis."

"And where do I look for them?"

"In the corner with all the ski gear…in a box labelled 'ski clothes'," she answered over her shoulder with a smug look of her own.

"Well, aren't you Little Miss Organized?" She laughed when he swatted her backside. "Why don't I stay and get some things done here tomorrow. I'll have everything we need to take with us up here before you get home, and we can pack tomorrow night. You can call me if anything new comes up."

"Okay."

Draping an arm around her shoulder, he pulled her close and said softly, "Now about that rug." He started whispering, and her first response was a giggle, shortly followed by an "Ooooooo" not long before she grabbed each side of his shirt collar and dragged him to her for a kiss that demanded his full attention.

She seemed to be having trouble forming her words. "Shower. You coming?"

xxxxx

The next couple of days at work went quickly, and they ignored their scanning project in favor of relaxing while the opportunity presented itself.

The weekend went by too fast. They left town on Friday after work and took full advantage of the ski slopes, the lodge's amenities, the chalet, the rug, and the bed. And when they returned, they were wishing they'd had another couple of days in their own little bubble.

Alexis had her interviews and started working two days a week at each of them. One was at a law firm, and the other at a non-profit that supported the arts…two vastly different experiences.

Castle's banker had given Martha his card as they left the bank after the explosion. He told her anybody who could think as clearly as she and her son did in a crisis deserved the chance to prove she could handle a business, and he arranged the loan at the best interest rate he could. They had a few dinners together after that, but nothing more came of it. Excellent company but no chemistry was what Martha told her family. The contractors she chose were doing a fine job renovating the part of the building she would be using for her school, and there was plenty of room left for expansion once it was successful enough to be paying its own bills. She refused to use the words "if" and "successful" in the same sentence. To those close to them, it was easy to see where Castle got his sense of optimism in the face of whatever assailed them.

Castle and Beckett sorted through the parts of Smith's rune like comments and their assorted unanswered questions and isolated the pieces that might provide leads. They continued to do quiet, subtle research into the few things they considered as possibilities; and they planned to tell the boys what they were doing soon, probably about Smith, too. If things hit the fan, they would need to be in the loop. And, except for once, when there was the brief but fruitless possibility of a new lead, Beckett was admirably avoiding rabbit holes.

In general, life had been quiet for most of the past month, and everyone was enjoying the peace that came with it.