50. Chapter 50

Chapter 50

"I think you know why I'm calling, Mr. Castle." Smith stated, when Castle answered his phone.

"It's you. Thank God. This call is important to both of us."

"Most likely, the break-in at the Montgomery house was a cleanup job…making sure that Roy had nothing else incriminating in his files. As long as Detective Beckett drops her investigation, we still hold all the cards."

Knowing there wasn't much time before Smith would hang up on him, Castle spoke urgently. "You don't know everything that's happened, do you? Beckett was sick yesterday and went home early, and she's going to stay here and play sick until after whatever happens is over. She couldn't very well stop the investigation without causing suspicion, so she's removed herself from it. That's the best we could do. But... Call me right back. Please believe that you're going to want this information as much as I do." Castle gave Smith the number for the burner phone he had taken out for Beckett, ended the first call, and answered the second phone when it rang a minute later.

"Mr. Smith, that wasn't just a cleanup job. Costas, the guy who broke in, was hired by the man who shot Beckett, and then he was killed. There's DNA proof that the hitman, who calls himself Cole Maddox, was responsible for both shootings. Maddox was found after we left this afternoon, and he was killed when he tried to shoot his way out to escape. He had your picture in his pocket. You've helped us. We'll do whatever we can to help you. We all know there's the possibility that he had already contacted whoever he works for and identified you."

There was silence at the other end of the line, then a coldly determined voice. "I did this for Roy. I owed him, but I don't owe you or Detective Beckett. What I will do is send you these files. Do with them what you want. What I won't do is continue negotiating with this man and wait for him to send someone to kill me. My only choice is to disappear before someone else is hired to replace Maddox."

"Wait. Let me tell you where to send the files. If they come here, they might be intercepted. This guy seems to have eyes and ears everywhere."

"That's because he does," Smith answered. "I'll send them wherever you want, but I'll be gone before morning."

Thinking desperately, Castle told him, "Send them to Gina Cowell at Black Pawn Publishing, and use the return address um…"

"Make it quick, Mr. Castle. I don't have much time."

"Roger Clark….return address should be from Roger Clark…street address...whatever.

"I'll leave it for a courier to deliver tomorrow morning."

"Thank you, Mr. Smith," Kate said quietly. "For everything you've done."

"Is there anything we can do to help you?" Castle asked.

"I've worked with intelligence and high level security long enough to know how to disappear, Mr. Castle. I won't need your help. Be careful, Detective. Plan your responses prudently. This man would do anything to hold on to what he has. You should know that by now. Good luck." The connection clicked off and they knew that was their last call from Mr. Smith.

Castle then dropped the phone on a towel on the bathroom floor and stomped on it several times to smash it. "I don't know if that was necessary or not, but at least we'll know not to use that one again. And stomping something made me feel much better," he grumbled.

Kate's hands were shaking slightly as she put them to her face. She started pacing, nervous energy surrounding her like an aura. Stopping at the end of the bed after two passes, she said with a barely contained appearance of wonder, worry, and anticipation, "He's sending us the files." She paced in the other direction and turned back to face him. "Do you realize what this means, Castle?"

"I do," he answered gently, trying to stay as calm as possible while she obviously wasn't. For him, her intense reaction to the knowledge that something she had wanted for so long was about to be revealed to her was both inspiring and frightening.

"We're going to know who killed my mother."

She paced back toward the other end of the bed, stood before him for a moment, and then threw her arms around his neck. "Rick, I'm finally going to know who had my mother killed."

"And I'll know who had my wife shot," Castle added holding her close. "I need that for myself. But, before I bring the files home, we're going to talk about how to handle what you do about it, understand? You're going to want to storm his building, guns blazing; but you can't do that. I'm not going to lose you to this. We're going to be smart, remember?"

"Smart." She nodded, as if in agreement, but when she pulled back to look at him, he could almost see the reflection of a large rabbit hole in her gaze.

Pulling her close again, he said, "I can see it in your eyes, Kate. Step back far enough to be safe. He cupped the back of her head with his hand and pulled it to his shoulder as he pleaded, "For me. Be careful. Please."

"For you, I'll do my best. Just be there to hold on to me if I start to fall."

She squeezed her arms tightly around him, clinging to him; and he returned her embrace, holding her just as tightly.

"Always, Sweetheart. Always."

xxxxx

Arriving at the reception desk at Black Pawn early the following morning, Castle announced himself with, "Good morning, Dawn. I need to see Gina."

"She has someone due in about ten minutes, Mr. Castle."

"I won't need more than a couple of minutes. Just tell her I'm on my way, please. I'll be brief, but it's important."

"I'll tell her."

"Thanks." When dealing with the less influential employees at the publishing house, Castle didn't usually take advantage of his position as Black Pawn's golden boy. Those lower level employees were pushed around enough by the likes of his ex-wife, and he didn't like leaving them in difficult positions with the bosses; but for the matter at hand, he was making an exception. He strode at full height and full importance toward Gina's office, looking every inch the heavy hitter he was at Black Pawn. What he was doing was too important to impede in favor of the better manners he would usually use.

"Richard, what do you mean waltzing in here like you own the place?" Gina demanded testily and dismissively, still looking at the papers in front of her. But when she looked up at him from her desk, he could see that demeanor change.

"No attitude this morning, Gina, please. This is important, and I don't want the instructions to be lost in ill-will between us."

"Fine. But make it quick. I have the owner coming in for a short meeting." She had capitulated to his demand with her normal bravado, but he could see that this time it was all bravado. He had shaken her confidence that she was in charge.

"I only need a minute." He paused before telling her tersely and firmly. "I've had a package sent to you. It's should arrive by courier sometime this morning, and the return address will say it's from Roger Clark. It's going to look a lot like a manuscript box, or maybe boxes, but it isn't; and you should not open it. You don't want anything to do with what's there. I couldn't have it delivered to the loft or the precinct, but I can't explain why; so, for once, don't ask questions or voice objections. Be as nonchalant about it as you can, but tell your assistant not to open it, to bring it straight to you when it arrives. Then call me, and I'll come and get it. I'm sorry about this; but I had to arrange for its delivery fast, and I couldn't think of anything else right then. I need you to just follow directions without discussion."

Castle knew Gina would recognize when he intended to be in charge and could see that she was taken aback by his unusually forceful approach...and she simply agreed.

"Thank you, Gina."

She nodded, and he left and went back home to be with Kate.

"Did she cooperate?" Kate asked.

"Yeah. I didn't give her much choice." He stroked her cheek with his fingertips and kissed her gently. "Before she calls, we need to take another look at how you're going to handle this. Having what you want is awfully close now."

"I know. I've been lecturing myself ever since you left, but I'm already feeling the need to pull my gun and shoot somebody. And I don't even know who to shoot yet."

"As long as it isn't me." He was trying to lighten the strain he knew his wife was feeling without pushing her too far. "You seem fine this morning. Are you still feeling okay? I know yesterday was rough."

"I'm good so far."

"But you're not going out to look for anybody to shoot today. Even if you're better, you're still playing sick, remember? You can't go back to work until we know who we're dealing with. I think you're still safe. Whoever he is, if he can't find Smith, he won't know what's happened to the files; and he won't take chances yet. And I've already called the security people to keep an eye on the loft.

"And, whoever he is, we'll know by the time we get to the precinct again; and we'll talk to Gates about finding help then," she said.

"And without shooting anyone," he admonished. After we get this guy, we want you on the right side of the jail cells so you can enjoy the victory. So, stay focused. Tell me what we do first," Castle insisted.

"First, you let me see the files…and probably let me growl and snarl and vent, and maybe cry…and then I'll depend on you to guard the rabbit hole so I can't get in," she answered.

He smiled at her, relieved that her emotions still allowed for the teasing twinkle in her eye, even though he knew all of what she said would probably happen. "And after that?"

"We pull me back together, go through all of it, and chose the best points to argue our case with whoever we're dealing with. Then we list the most damning ones, and I call him to set up another deal."

"And then?"

"We make enough copies that we can send them to several different places as insurance. And then we con him," she said with an evil smile. "We work against him while he thinks we still have a deal, the same way he sent Maddox behind our backs when we thought we still had a deal." And then with a hefty dose of dark and serious enthusiasm for the thought, she added, "And then we get help to squash him like a bug."

Castle chuckled. "So far you're holding it together pretty well. Although, I do admit to some concern for my safety when I walk through the door with those files. I'm giving serious thought to opening the front door and throwing them into the loft…you know, the same way I might throw raw meat to a tiger from just outside the cage door."

"Might not be a bad move, Castle," she answered with a smile. She ran her fingers through her hair then, looking serious again. "I'm trying hard, Rick, but I've needed to know for so long, and knowing I will sometime today… It's hard not to drag you back to Black Pawn and make you sit in the lobby until Gina calls you…"

"And knock down anybody in your path between the lobby and her office to get to that package when she does?"

"Yeah. That might be a little obvious, though, huh?"

"Yep. Might look a little suspicious."

"All this self-control you're seeing…it might only be on the surface."

"Could you possibly think I don't know that?"

"No. I know you do."

"But I appreciate all the effort. It's a good sign."

"Together…like you've been saying." She turned toward the kitchen, suddenly changing the subject. "Coffee? I made some just before you got home."

"Yeah, 'cause you need something to get you a little more hyped," he teased. "I'll get it."

"No. I will. I need something to do while we wait. This has already been the longest morning in history."

He sat down at the breakfast bar and said, "Okay, then, serving wench. Bring me coffee."

"Pushing your luck, there, Writer Man," she shot back as she filled the mugs and brought them to where he sat. She put the mug in front of him and kissed his forehead before sitting down beside him. "I love you," she said quietly and sincerely.

"I love you, too."

After that, they sat in comfortable silence and enjoyed their coffee and the knowledge that each of them would always be there for the other. During the next half hour, they talked sporadically, held hands, traced soothing patterns on arms with their fingertips, refilled coffee mugs, and generally tried to hold on to their sanity until Gina called.

The phone finally rang, and Gina told Castle that a package from Roger Clark was waiting for him. He went to pick it up, and Kate made a beeline to the door as soon as she heard the key turn when he came back.

"Did you look? Do you know who it is?" she asked eagerly.

"No. Partly because I didn't want to have it out in the light of day in public. But mostly because you've worked so hard to find out, I thought you should have the honor of opening it…finding out first." He handed her the messenger bag he'd carried it in and watched as she quickly dug into it for the package. "Just don't keep me in suspense too long."

She held the package to her chest like the treasured object it was to her and said, "Refill our coffee and come back and sit with me. We're doing this together, remember?"

While Castle filled mugs from the fresh pot of coffee she had brewed while he was gone, Kate opened the package to find a stack of police files and several pages handwritten in Montgomery's familiar scrawl.

Castle put the mugs in front of them as his wife opened the folders, scanning each of them until she found the name she was looking for.

"William Bracken," she said with an unnervingly quiet kind of venom.

"He was on our list; but Kate, he's a long-term senator."

"Right. A long-term senator on the Senate Intelligence Committee. Rick, that's how he could figure out who to target to help him. That's how he knows who's in financial trouble, whose family members are in trouble with the law and need someone to give them a free pass… He probably has contacts in all the intelligence agencies to find out whatever he wants…contacts with the government contractors who hire ex-military for mercenaries. He'd be able to find out which ones have the same lack of conscious he does and hire them for his dirty work. He's using the resources of the government to kill his own constituents to keep himself in office." Then she launched into a rant that was a bit shorter and much more efficiently focused than Castle had expected…and rather colorful in places.

"I know you want to do this yourself; but Sweetheart, we'd be tackling a sitting senator. I think any thought of doing this without federal help just left the building."

"Yeah. I got that."

"Okay, the growling and snarling and venting has happened. So now I'm guarding the rabbit hole. Let's start with Roy's notes and then work our way through the files to see what's here. Then we can talk about it while we make copies until Alexis gets home."

"Do we tell Martha?" she asked.

"Let's get our own heads wrapped around it first. Then we'll decide."

They spent the rest of the afternoon first looking through the pages to see what was there, and then going through them and taking notes on what points would put the most fear into the senator. Then they started scanning the documents and printing copies of them, not getting too far before Alexis came home.

Kate went out and put on a good show of perfectly normal behavior and carried on a conversation about their daughter's day…while Castle stored everything away behind the safe.

Beckett called in sick again the following day. Both of the Castles, feeling the need to get the work done as fast as possible, worked together to finish the scanning and printing. Then they put together a script of sorts for her to use when she would surprise the senator with a phone call. They organized packets of copies of all the files; and as they packaged the files using Castle's stash of manuscript boxes, they discussed who to send them to. In the event that anything happened to either of them, they wanted to send the files where they would do the greatest amount of damage to Senator Bracken. Then their conversation turned to who would be trustworthy enough in that same circumstance to follow their instructions to unwrap the outer cover and mail the pre-addressed inner package without looking at its contents. They stored the packages on the hidden shelves behind the safe to be addressed after they made those decisions; and then they stretched out on the bed, exhausted from all the activity and emotional stress. Kate curled into her husband's arms and said, "I think this is where the crying part starts." And they held each other until they both fell asleep.

xxxxx

Back at work for the first time since she went home sick two days earlier, Kate was settling herself at her desk when the captain walked out of her office.

"Good to see you back, Detective. We need to talk. Walk with me. Heavy workload today."

"Yes, Sir."

They walked toward the supply closet on the opposite side of the precinct and spoke quietly as they moved through the areas where there was no one to hear them.

"Why do we need to talk?"

"I can't explain here, Captain. We have information in our possession that… I think the term explosive would be an accurate way to describe it, but we don't know who to trust. We hate to involve you, but we were hoping that your time in IA might have given you some insights that could help."

For appearances, Gates got several items from the supply closet to take back to her office as she told Beckett, "Roy knew I had passed the Captain's exam, and he asked me to consider the opening here. He said he needed to retire and that he'd requested me as his replacement. He also told me that there would be a situation that involved you…that you don't trust easily and that you'd come to me when you decided you could trust me. He didn't explain a lot, but he did tell me it was big and that it would be dangerous…and that I was going to be disappointed in him. After that lead-in, curiosity alone would have had me look into serving at the twelfth. But Roy was also a friend, and it sounded important to him."

Kate looked shocked, but seemed to recover quickly as they turned back toward the bullpen. "There's an Italian restaurant about three blocks from where we live. If I give you the address, could you, and your husband if you'd want to include him, 'accidentally' meet us for dinner tonight? Our treat, to thank you for at least listening. Castle knows the owner, and he'll see that our table will seat four."

"I'd prefer to leave my husband out of this as much as possible, but I'll bring a colleague from IA...someone we can trust."

"I appreciate this, Captain."

"I haven't made any promises yet."

Kate nodded to indicate her understanding as they walked back.