Chapter 146: Police Station

Neal found Castle's concern amusing, as Castle worried that meeting Alex would cause Neal trouble with Kate. Neal didn't understand why Castle had such a strange thought. This was a common misconception from Castle's previous life under the influence of Chinese culture, where meeting an ex-girlfriend or boyfriend was seen differently. In America, meeting an ex wasn't a big deal, and there was no concept akin to "瓜田李下" (a Chinese idiom meaning avoiding suspicion).

When Neal asked Castle, with a puzzled look and tone, why seeing Alex would make Kate upset, Castle realized that people's thinking here was different from where he used to live. Here, no one cared about meeting an ex or feared rekindling old feelings. Chuckling to himself, Castle explained he was just worried Kate might overthink it, which led Neal and Moz to mock Castle's peculiar concern.

After their discussion, the three parted ways. Neal and Moz set out to contact the elusive Alex, intending to have an open conversation with her. They needed to inform her that Vincent was searching for the music box, making her a potential target. Using this as a reason, they hoped to bring Alex into their temporary alliance against Vincent.

Castle, meanwhile, said his goodbyes to Neal and Moz. With nothing urgent on his agenda, he decided to spend time with Beckett, building rapport and passing the time. The manuscript for the first Nikki Heat book was already submitted to the publisher, and with no new writing plans, Castle had nowhere else to go. His daughter was soon heading to an orienteering summer camp, and his mother was contemplating moving in with her new boyfriend. Going home would only be annoying.

Halfway to the police station, Castle decided to detour to get coffee for himself and Beckett, as the precinct's coffee tasted terrible, like battery acid mixed with monkey urine. Then, a thought struck him—why not buy a high-end coffee machine for the precinct? This way, he could enjoy good coffee and earn favor points at the station. Why hadn't he thought of this before? With another windfall imminent, the cost of a high-end coffee machine was negligible.

Without hesitation, Castle called a department store to order the latest model coffee machine and had it delivered to the NYPD's 12th precinct. After placing the order, he leisurely drove to the precinct.

Upon arrival, he waited a short while for the delivery truck from Macy's to bring the coffee machine. With the delivery guy following him, Castle strutted into the 12th precinct's bullpen, flamboyantly greeting Esposito, who was eyeing the large box curiously. Castle then directed the delivery guy to the officers' break room to set up the new machine.

Seeing Castle bring something into the break room, Beckett was on the verge of going mad. The damn nuisance hadn't been around for days, making her feel strangely out of sorts. Now, he was back and causing a ruckus again. Beckett stormed into the break room to see what Castle was up to.

As she entered, she saw Castle, Esposito, and Ryan standing by the old coffee machine, eagerly watching the delivery guy assemble the new one. Beckett, exasperated, addressed Castle, who was making faces at her, "Castle, this is a police station, not your home. You can't just do whatever you want here! Do you understand?"

Castle, immune to Beckett's occasional tsundere attitude, grinned, "The old coffee machine made coffee that tasted like battery acid mixed with monkey urine. I don't know how you guys drank it. Maybe you used it to torture uncooperative suspects? I just wanted to donate a better coffee machine so you could enjoy decent coffee. Is that wrong?"

"No, thank you for your support and donation, Mr. Castle..."

Before Beckett could scold Castle further, Captain Montgomery's voice interrupted from behind. He had seen Castle bring a large box into the break room and came to investigate. Hearing Castle's "donation" declaration, Montgomery was delighted.

A new coffee machine would mean better coffee for everyone. With no budget for such luxuries, Montgomery saw Castle as a godsend. He wouldn't miss the chance to keep Castle, their benefactor, happy.

With her boss's approval, Beckett couldn't continue reprimanding Castle. She shot him a glare and left the break room.

Montgomery warmly approached Castle, "Mr. Castle, I heard your first book based on Beckett has been submitted?"

Esposito and Ryan, who were about to slip away when the captain arrived, stopped in their tracks, intrigued by Montgomery's question. They moved closer to Castle, eager to hear his response.

Castle, who had always liked the righteous Captain Montgomery, showed uncharacteristic respect. "Yes, Captain, I've submitted the manuscript to the publisher. The first batch of prints should be out by the end of the month. I'll make sure you get a few signed copies. How does that sound?"

Montgomery could sense Castle's genuine respect and, though he didn't know why Castle held him in such high regard, he appreciated it. Pleased, Montgomery accepted Castle's offer and returned to his office.

With Montgomery gone, Esposito and Ryan eagerly approached Castle, "Castle, don't forget to sign our copies too. And put our names on the dedication page!"

Castle was equally cordial with them. Whether it was because they were Beckett's best team or because he wanted their goodwill to help with Beckett, Castle's charm ensured a happy outcome.

Beckett could only fume in the bullpen, watching the trio goofing off in the break room. She wanted to say something but knew most of the precinct was thrilled with Castle's gesture. Criticizing him now would alienate her from the majority. Reluctantly, she watched Castle blend seamlessly with her colleagues.

"Beep beep beep..."

The phone rang, interrupting Beckett's solitary frustration.

"This is Beckett... Yes... Where?... Okay, I'm on my way!"

The call was from the 911 dispatch center, informing Beckett of a homicide in her jurisdiction and urging her to head to the scene.

Relieved to have something to do, Beckett stood up energetically, "Esposito, Ryan, we have a case. Gear up, we're heading out!"

Hearing Beckett's call, Esposito and Ryan, who had been goofing off with Castle, knew their behavior had annoyed their boss. They quickly responded and rushed out of the break room.

Castle, excited by the prospect of a new case, followed closely behind, "Where's the crime scene? Are we heading out now?"

Beckett, now accustomed to Castle's presence and appreciating his unique perspective in solving cases, nodded, "Yes, the crime scene is in Manhattan. Let's go."

___________________

Read Ahead

P@treon.com/Mutter