714. Chapter 714

After Murder Is Forever

Episode 6.08

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: I'm working on a secret process to manufacture perfect, artificial Castles. Which I will also not own. Rating: K Time: See above.

"Here. Catch." Castle called to Kate.

"Castle!" She cried, quickly catching the diamond necklace before it hit the carpeted floor of the loft. "This is a fifteen million dollar diamond necklace. Don't fool with it."

Castle walked over and put his arms around her. "I don't want to fool with a lot of hardened carbon. I want to fool around with you." He ran his hand along her cheek.

She pushed his hand away, but smiled at him. "Don't muss my makeup. I want this to be perfect. I need to look the part."

"How could Captain Mrs. Kate Beckett-Castle not look the part? We're going to the gala on behalf of my all time favorite charity, the Johanna Beckett Scholarship Fund. The elite of the city will be there, begging to donate money to such a worthy cause."

"We're also going to be working. Frank Barnes has been hired to steal the Schaeffer diamond necklace which is why I'm wearing it instead of the real owner, Elisa Monroe." Kate suddenly thought of something. "Can you see my gun in the thigh holster?"

"In a floor length dress? Who'd be able to see…?"

"Castle?" She said with a certain glint in her eye.

"I can't see it."

"Suppose I move, or dance. There's an orchestra, right?"

Castle nodded and looked seriously at her. "Move around. Do a few dance steps."

Kate did as he asked.

He frowned again. "Dance again, and this time lift up your skirt like you're trying not to step on it."

Kate danced, holding her skirt up.'

"Higher." Castle said.

She held the skirt higher.

"Higher than that."

"Castle, if I hold it any higher you'll be able to see my…" Then she understood. "Castle! Don't do that!"

"I can faithfully report that if I can see your panties, I can also see your thigh holster."

"Everyone will be looking at the Schaeffer diamond anyway."

"Not any man who still has a pulse. The Schaeffer's just a diamond with an odd history. You're…remarkable."

"And odd history? What's the odd history? A curse?"

Rick shook his head. "Many diamonds have a curse attached. The Koh-i-noor diamond, the Hope diamond and the Black Orlov diamond are all supposedly have curses that come with ownership. But the Schaeffer diamond is different. The first owner, Wilbur Schaeffer bought it in 1902 to give to his fiancé, a society beauty named Daisy Caldwell. On freezing New York night Daisy complained that it was making her cold when they went to the heater. So, Schaeffer put it in a steel case he had in his overcoat, but put the case back in his tuxedo. Leaving the theater, he was shot by an anarchist. The bullet was stopped by the case. Otherwise Wilber would have been toast."

"So he was lucky. So?" Kate said.

"The diamond was bought by a man named Karl Frieidrichs, a Wall Street investor, in August 1929. For some reason, he decided to get out of all of his very speculative stocks, pay off his loans and put his money into gold and cash. In October 1929, the Wall Street crash happened leading to the Great Depression on the 1930s. But who had loads of cash and gold when other people had just worthless stocks? Our boy Karl."

"So he was lucky, too?"

"In early 1945 a man named Mike Woll bought the Schaeffer diamond. A lot of people thought that when World War Two ended, the US would go back into the depression of the 1930s. Woll figured the opposite. He bought stock in companies that built housing tracts, cars, consumer goods and put a lot of cash into a new thing called television. He made out like a bandit."

"Okay, Castle. I get it."

"Wait! There's more. In 1972 super lawyer John Bellingham came home with his wife, who was wearing the necklace, to find two thieves in their home. The thieves grabbed the necklace and began arguing over how they'd split the profits. They got to arguing, and then they got into a gun fight. One thief was killed and the other went to Attica prison. He was in Attica for a week when he was shanked "by accident" in a brawl between two white prison gangs."

"So, if the legend holds true, Barnes will grab the necklace and a chandelier will fall on him?" Kate said, smiling.

"See? You don't even need to take your Glock."

"I'll keep it on me anyway."

From Page Six, The New York Ledger.…

"Mrs. Kate Castle, an NYPD captain and famous as the inspiration for the Nikki Heat books written by her husband, Richard Castle, was radiant in a stunning blue Oscar de la Renta gown. But more stunning still was the priceless Schaeffer diamond worn by Mrs. Castle. Although I'm sure every man there felt as I did, that Mrs. Castle was far more beautiful that any cold stones could ever be.

Also attending the gala for the Johanna Beckett Scholarship Fund was Mrs. Eunice Tilden, who wore an exciting…

Kate spent the night trying to look in every direction at once and making sure that Espo, Ryan and the rest of the undercover police were also looking everywhere.

"A glass of champagne, ma'am?"

Kate turned to Espo who was dressed as waiter and holding a tray with drinks on it. "Espo, I'm on duty. I can't drink." She muttered while smiling.

"I thought you'd be thirsty, so the champagne is actually sparkling cider. Non alcoholic."

Kate took a sip. "Thanks. How are things going?"

Espo smiled. "Ann Hastings is being hit on by a very persistent guy and since she can't tell him she's married and a cop, she can't get rid of him. But, since she's moving all over to try to get away from the guy, it's all working out."

Finally, the night ended without incident and Kate was able to turn the necklace over to its owners who put it back in their safety deposit box.

"That was complete waste of time." She said grumpily, standing in front of the hotel where the charity event had been staged. "All of that effort and worry for nothing. Barnes never showed."

"Actually, it looks like the legend of the Schaeffer diamond is alive and well." Ryan said as he and Espo walked up to her and Rick.

"What?" Kate asked at once.

"There was a guy hit by a bus crossing the street to the hotel. The responding paramedics found the guy was carrying and AK 47 assault rifle and a couple of hundred rounds of ammo and a dozen or so hand grenades. They called the cops at once. He's been ID'ed as Frank Barnes. He's got two broken legs, among other things, but he'll be fit to stand trial soon enough."

Espo shook his head slowly. "If he'd gotten inside with that arsenal, even with all the cops there, it would have been a massacre, even if we had managed to stop him."

"So, the Schaeffer diamond protected everyone as it always does." Castle said, getting a very mild glare from his wife.

She reached out and took his hand. "Come on, Castle. I feel like doing some more dancing at home."