264. Chapter 264

After Disciple

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: I may be a disciple of Marlowe's, but I do not own Castle. Rating: K Time: See above

As We'll Meet Again filled the loft, Castle stepped forward and put his arms around Kate, pulling her close.

"Okay. Maybe it isn't 3XK, maybe he really is dead. But Dr. Kelly Nieman is alive and she's sending us a message. We haven't seen the last of her."

"I know." She whispered.

"So from now on we be very careful. If we see anything out of the ordinary, anything at all, we let everyone know."

"People will think we're being foolish."

"I don't care. What I don't want is to look down onto one of Lanie's tables and see someone who looks like you. Foolish I can do. That, I can't."

"I mean we'll be crying wolf a lot. People will start to ignore us. They'll think we're overreacting."

Castle nodded. "Okay. So we keep Ryan and Esposito and Lanie in the loop no matter what. They aren't ever going to think we're overreacting."

"We should keep Ellis in the loop as well. She knows us and trusts us and she's very useful."

Castle stroked her hair. "We'll talk to her tomorrow and let her know what we think and what we're doing. We should tell Gates that we think that Nieman was involved, but we'll tell her that we won't embarrass the department about 3XK unless we have solid evidence." Castle kissed the top of her head. "And one more thing. I'm not letting you out of my sight unless I absolutely have to."

"Agreed."

New Orleans, LA

"Sindy, I can really improve you enormously. You're a very attractive woman. I can make you stunningly gorgeous. Perfect in fact. Hip, sophisticated." She pointed to a photo of a young woman on her desk. "Like her."

Sindy wrinkled her nose at the photo. "Some skinny, flat chested chick?" She shook her head. "She has a nice ass, though."

"Will you think about it, Sindy?"

"Doctor Hollis, there's nothing to talk about." Sindy grabbed her B cup boobs and shook them. "If I'm going to make any money stripping, I need me a pair of D cups. Thanks, but no thanks."

"As you wish, Sindy." She said with a smile. You're probably too stupid to make anyone believe you're her anyway, you stupid slut. She thought.

Kevin Ryan kissed his wife's cheek, then leaned over and stroked her rounded tummy. "How do you feel, Jenny?"

Jenny smiled. "I am fine, Kev. I'm fine. I've told you a hundred times that I'm fine. If I have any trouble at all with the pregnancy, I promise I will let you know. Okay?"

Kevin looked at his feet, then looked into Jenny's eyes. "There's something else. I told you about Javi and Lanie. The two people who were killed who looked just like them?"

Jenny looked serious. "Yes, Kev. What is it?"

"We're worried. It could be 3XK, even though we mostly think he's dead. But he has a groupie. Some sick plastic surgeon who did the work on Pam Hodges, the one who looked like Lanie and dated Daniel Santos, the vic who looked like Javi. She left a message on a flash drive for us. Castle and Beckett played it. It was a song, We'll Meet Again.

"Kev! Do you think that…?"

"I think we should be very careful. If anything ever seems odd to you, call me. Call me at once. Okay?"

"Kev, you're frightening me."

"I'm frightened, too."

Seattle, WA

"Eric, repairing your broken nose and doing a little work on it is just the beginning of what I can do for you. You're tall, muscular, have great blue eyes, and a really great guy. But your face has real potential. Let me help you realize that potential. With just a little help from me, you could look like…" The woman known as Doctor Renee Hill grabbed a photograph of a man, seemingly at random. "You could look like him."

Eric leaned across the table and looked at the man. He admitted the man was good looking and well built. He was also well dressed and exuded an air of wealth and contentment. He thought about it, then shook his head. "No thanks. My girlfriend likes the way I look and it suits me as well. Besides, I need the money to buy a new pick-up truck."

The doctor smiled coldly. "Suit yourself."

Lanie Parish sat on a metal morgue table and tried to keep from crying. "Javi, I just can't get it out of my head. That woman made a copy of me to get Tyson's records and then gave Pam to that lunatic so he could kill her. Who can just throw away a human life like that? How can someone do that?"

Javi shrugged. He had no good answer for that, even after years as a cop. "We see people who do that every day. The why? There's a different answer for every killer we find. Mostly they want something: Money, power, control, sex, an ego boost. That doctor is no different. Maybe she wants to be the next 3XK, maybe he really is alive and she's helping him. Castle thinks that's it. I don't know. I do know we'll find the bitch and make sure she never does this again."

"I'm afraid, every day, Javi. Someone was at that party at the club. He or she knocked me out, then took me home and examined me. Examined me like a doctor would. I feel like I can't trust anyone. Where were my friends? Why did they let a perfect stranger take me away? Why didn't they do something? Why?"

"I should take you home, chica. You need to rest."

She nodded and began to gather her things.

"Do you want me to stay with you? Just to be there?"

She shook her head. "I just can't, Javi. I just can't."

Boston, MA

"The burn mark scar on the side of your face isn't that difficult to repair and your company's insurance will pay for it, Patrick. There's a lot more than can be done. Let me show you."

Patrick O'Sullivan grinned back at the attractive doctor. Red hair, blue eyes, but not Irish if I'm any judge and I am. He thought. But she has a nice body and a great rack, so she could be fun. Maybe she's had enough of the stiff and proper Bostonians and wants a stiff and improper Southie? "Tell me more, doctor. Tell me more."

Kate rolled up against him in their bed. "I don't ever want to see that face looking up at me from one of Lanie's tables."

"I'm not Tyson's type, remember? As long as I can remember to not dye my hair blond, I'll be okay." He smiled at her. "How do you think I'd look as a blond?"

"Like a blond Rick Castle. But you're perfect as you are."

"You don't think I just have potential?"

Her hand moved towards the waistband of his boxers. "I'll show you what you have potential for."

As she rolled on top of him they both thought the same thing. I will never allow anything to happen to you.

The whole floor was dark, except for one light on in one office. "Yes, this is Captain Victoria Gates, NYPD, 12th Precinct. I want to talk to you about Jerry Tyson, 3XK." There was a pause. "Yes, I know. But we never did find the body and we may have something of a disciple of his working here in New York." Another pause. "Yes. I know it's late. It's late here, too." Pause. "I absolutely will call you back tomorrow. "

She hung up the phone and dialed another number.