926. Chapter 926

After Dead Red

Episode 8.11

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: I do not own Castle in at least seven countries. Rating: K Time: See above

Author's note: This is a sequel to chapters 533, 570, 614, 690 and 795, detailing the adventures of Officer Kate Beckett, one of the NYPD's first policewomen in the 1920s.

Sergeant Roy Montgomery, head of the homicide squad for the 12th Precinct called his officers into his small office. The first in were Detectives Ryan and Esposito, followed by Officer Kate Beckett and finally there was Rick Castle. Castle was Beckett's husband, but had no official position with the NYPD. However, Montgomery had found Rick to be an excellent detective and he was the friend of New York Mayor Jimmy Walker, known as Beau James for his colorful and sometimes illegal lifestyle.

"This time, people, we have a murder to stop." Montgomery announced.

"Wow!" Castle said. "We know who the victim is before he's killed? How did you manage that? And can I put it in my next book?" Castle was writing a series of novels about the exploits of a NYPD detective named Nikki Heat, although the NYPD had steadfastly refused to even consider promoting a woman to be a detective. Both Montgomery, through his police friends, and Castle through the mayor had tried to get Beckett promoted, but to no avail.

"Sure. The would-be killer sent the New York Ledger a nice letter telling them who he was going to kill. And the Ledger was kind enough to put the threat on their front page." Montgomery ended sarcastically.

"Okay, "Said Ryan, "Who's the vic?"

"Iron Head" Schlemming."

"Who?" Castle asked.

"Iron Head" Schlemming is a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. They'll be in town for a four game series against the Yankees. Apparently some of the folks in Boston have gotten angry about how Harry Frazee sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees in 1919 so he'd have the cash to produce No, No, Nanette on Broadway. "

"That's absurd." Beckett spoke up. "The sale wasn't completed until 1920 and No, No, Nanette, didn't premier on Broadway for another five years."

"She's right." Castle said." My mother was in that play."

"Whatever!" Montgomery said. "This "Iron Head" Schlemming has been shooting his mouth off all over the country, wherever he plays, that the Yankees robbed the Sox when they got Ruth. Apparently some Yankees fan got mad and sent the letter to the Ledger."

Castle shook his head. "Aren't we over reacting? I mean people yell "Kill the umpire" all the time at ball games and no one takes it seriously."

"Jacob Ruppert, the owner of the Yankees takes it seriously. He called your pal, Mayor Walker, and said he takes any threat to a baseball player seriously, as does Mr. Quinn, the owner of the Red Sox. Apparently a number of local sports stars were asked about the murder threat and felt they might be in danger as well. Again, the damned newspapers put it all on the front pages."

"So what do we do?" Espo asked.

"You four are going to sit on this Schlemming until he's out of New York. He's coming in on the train today with the rest of the Red Sox. Pick him up, take him to his hotel and keep him there whenever he's not playing."

The four went off to the train station to meet Schlemming. They found that almost every reporter in New York was there, anxious to take a photo of Schlemming and get a quote from him.

Castle and Esposito elbowed their way through the crowd with Espo showing his badge to all of the angry reporters he shoved out of the way. Finally they got to Schlemming.

"Mr. Schlemming, I'm Detective Esposito, NYPD. We're here to protect you from the death threats.'

Schlemming laughed. "No way. I don't need police protection from some gutless New Yorker. If anyone tries to get tough with me, I'll pop him one." He made a fist and held it up for everyone to photograph.

"Mr. Schlemming you should come with us." Kate said.

Schlemmings eyes lit up when he saw Kate. "And who are you?"

"I'm Officer Kate Beckett, NYPD and I'm sure…."

"…We'll get along just fine, Honey." Schlemming tried to slide his arm around Kate, but she slipped away."

"Oh, playing hard to get, are you?" Schlemming moved towards her, but found Rick in his way.

"She's my wife."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Schlemming looked at the reporters and then laughed. "Okay, folks. I'm going off with New York's finest."

They pushed their way through the crowd, which was decidedly unfriendly to Schlemming, got the patrol car and went to the team hotel.

Schlemming looked around his room as the police checked it out. "So, sweetie, are you going to babysit me personally?"

Kate blushed and glared at Schlemming. "No, I'm not. Detectives will stay with you the whole night while my husband and I stay in the room next door. We'll have room service bring us meals. "

Ryan nodded. "You'll be here, except when you're playing from now until you leave New York."

Schlemming laughed. "Like hell. This is New York, New York. The Big Apple. I'm going out tonight."

"No way!" Esposito said, angrily.

"Am I under arrest?" Schlemming demanded.

"No, but there's some guy out there…"

"So if I'm not under arrest, you can't stop me from going any place I want."

"I think that's a good idea. We should go to the 300 Club." Castle said.

"What?" Ryan, Esposito and Kate said at once.

"Castle! We're cops." Esposito said. "We can't go to a nightclub where booze is sold. Prohibition, remember?" Espo said, glaring at Castle.

"It's a perfect place to go. "Texas" Guinan's 300 Club has been raided by the police, but they never made anything stick. She's smart. And all of New York's rich and powerful drink there. Nobody who'd write a death threat to a paper can get in there, I'm sure. Guinan's bouncers wouldn't let some low life like that in. And, I'm not a cop, so I can go."

"Yeah! Me and Ricky here, we'll paint the town red." Schlemming was enthusiastic.

"Aren't there a lot of scantily clad dancers at the 300 Hundred Club?' Kate said, glaring at Rick.

"There used to be, but I don't know about now. You know I never look at another woman but you."

Kate handed Esposito her badge. "I'm not a cop either tonight."

Kate went home and changed into something more suitable and picked Rick and Schlemming up in their brand new 1927 Pearce-Arrow touring car. She drove them to the 300 Club where they found the blonde "Texas" Guinan greeting customers with her usual "Hello, suckers." But when she saw Rick, she came over. "How are you doing, Ricky? I heard you got married. If this is her, you did really good for yourself. Better than you deserve, Ricky." She winked at Kate. "Try to keep him in line, honey. I think if you do, he's worth it.

"Scuse me." Schlemming interrupted, "You got a pay phone? I gotta make a call."

When Schlemming came back, they got a table. Kate drank soda water and kept a hand on Rick when any woman came near them. Schlemming drank heavily and made a pass at everything female that came his way.

Finally they left the club in the early AM and started walking to their car. Kate saw a shadow coming to them out of the corner of her eye and reacted, kicking the assailant hard enough to dislocate his kneecap, then she grabbed the club he had and tossed him to the ground.

The next morning Montgomery called them into his office. "You'll never guess who was behind the attack on "Iron Head" Schlemming."

"Who?" Kate asked.

"It was Schlemming himself. He was unhappy in Boston. They're in last place in the American League, almost fifty games behind the Yanks. Schlemming figured if he was "injured" in an attack, he could claim his nerves were damaged and he couldn't pitch. Then the Red Sox would let him out of his contract and then he'd make a miraculous recovery and get a better contract with another team. But he was dumb, he wrote the whole plot down to the guy he hired to fake an attack on him and the guy kept the letter."

"What'll happen to Schlemming?" Rick asked.

"The DA is still working out what they'll charge him with, but the Red Sox are looking to trade him to the worst minor league club they can find. I hear there's a particularly bad team in Canada, up in the North West Territories, somewhere around the Arctic Circle."

"I'm sure that they can do worse than that." Kate said.

When they went home that night, Rick suggested that they might want to go to a Broadway play to celebrate.

"Oh, I have a play in mind at home for you. It's called, Yes, Yes, Rick."