558. Chapter 558

After The Greater Good

Episode 6.19

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: Tis a far, far better thing I do, not owning Castle, than I have ever done before. Rating: K Time: See above

They had agreed on one drink together, but after so many years of estrangement, they had a second. Finally, Elizabeth asked a question that had been bothering her for several days. "So, what happened to the by-the-book sister I used to know?"

Gates looked at her sister quizzically. "Do we have another sister that Mom and Dad forgot to mention? I think I just proved that I don't bend the rules. Did I miss something?"

Elizabeth smiled at her sister. "I don't know how you could. He stands about six foot, two or three, blue eyes, killer smile? Ring any bells?"

"You mean Mr. Castle?"

Elizabeth nodded. "I'd heard rumors that you had some writer hanging around, but I heard he was with Detective Beckett as well, so I just figured he was gathering some background for his books and making out with his fiancé when you weren't looking. I did hear someone say he acted as Beckett's partner, going with her on cases, interrogating witnesses and suspects, but I knew that Victoria Gates would never allow that to happen in her precinct." Elizabeth smiled at her sister. "So, what happened? Tell, Vickie."

Victoria Gates took a deep breath. "When I first took over the precinct from Roy Montgomery, I noticed this one detective and I was very impressed at how hard he worked. You know that there aren't many people who arrive earlier than I do, or leave later. But this man was almost always there when I got to the precinct and was usually still there when I left. I looked through the personnel files for homicide, but he wasn't there. I thought he might be assigned to another unit, so I checked all of the precinct's personnel records. Still no record of him. I thought he might be on some sort of special assignment from One PP, or even some state or federal agency, so I asked one of the homicide detectives who he was. It turned out he was Richard Castle, the novelist, and he was investigating Detective Beckett's shooting."

Elizabeth nodded. "I heard about that. She was shot at Roy Montgomery's funeral?"

Gates nodded. "I could just imagine what some defense attorney would do if we caught the shooter and it was revealed that our investigation wasn't led by a trained detective, but by some fiction writer. I told Mr. Castle at once that he had no place in my precinct. And I called in the two detectives that had been working with him and read them the riot act. I told them that Roy Montgomery may have allowed that kind of shenanigans but that I definitely would not. They didn't like hearing that, but I didn't care."

"So how did Castle end up back in your precinct?"

"When Detective Beckett came back after her medical leave, Castle showed up with her. I was about to have him thrown in holding when I got a phone call from the Mayor. He informed me in no uncertain terms that he had given Mr. Castle permission to be at the Twelfth and that Mr. Castle had every right to be there and do anything he cared to."

Elizabeth laughed. "I would have loved to have seen your face when you took that call." Then she became more serious. "But the Victoria Gates I remember wouldn't have let a politician tell her how to run her precinct."

Gates nodded. "I guess I did learn to play the game a little bit working in IA. I no longer run headfirst at stone walls. I try to go around them. I thought that time was on my side. Sooner or later Castle would screw something up so badly that even the Mayor couldn't protect him. All I had to do was wait."

"It seems like you're still waiting. Castle is a part of you homicide team for all intents and purposes."

"Mr. Castle has a fanciful imagination. I would even call it odd. Bizarre even. But he does put pieces of the puzzle together very well. Finding the story he calls it. We had a murder that occurred during the theft of a valuable piece of art. I was happy to be able to work with an insurance investigator who was everything that Mr. Castle was not. Dedicated, competent, knowledgeable and respectful. But Mr. Castle found the stolen art work and that told us who the killer was."

"You must have been surprised."

Gates nodded. "Anyone can make a lucky guess, or so I thought. But Mister Castle kept coming up with little insights that helped with solving murders. He was taken hostage in a bank robbery and still managed to get important information out to Detective Beckett. He came up with an important insight into a sniper case we had." Gates smiled at something. "It also became clear that Mr. Castle and Detective Beckett were not just partners on the job."

"Wouldn't that be a problem? Coworkers dating?" Elizabeth asked.

"I did ask about that, unofficially, of course. An NYPD lawyer I know said that no matter how much time Mr. Castle spent at the precinct and no matter what he did, technically he was just a civilian helping out law enforcement. He didn't see how we could keep him from dating Beckett or punish either one of them for it."

"It sound like you have a soft spot for the two of them."

Gates thought about that for a second. "I suppose I do, but Mr. Castle is still capable of aggravating me. Do you remember my collection of Gemini dolls?"

"Of course."

"He broke two of them in as many minutes."

Elizabeth giggled. "I'm surprised you didn't shoot him."

"Oh, I thought about it." Gates sighed. "I don't particularly care for Mr. Castle personally, but he is an asset to the precinct and to Detective Beckett. I just hope that getting married doesn't cause her to change her career plans." And there's something odd about Beckett. The lengths she went to not to involve anyone in her hunt for that sniper that shot her. And her resigning right after that, which she rescinded soon after. And the death of Marks, or whoever he was, when Beckett, Castle and Esposito just "happened" to be in the neighborhood. And the police protection for the mysterious and now dead Mr. Smith and…"

She was interrupted by her sister. "Look at the time, Vickie. I really have to be going. It was great talking to you again. We need to keep in touch. Promise?"

"Promise."