185. Chapter 185

Chapter 185

While she was at home or at the hospital, Kate checked in regularly with her two lieutenants at the twelfth; and they were all blessed with a lack of anything more abnormal than the average day at a police precinct.

The morning Jamie talked to Kate, Jo didn't smile again for Mommy; but by the end of the day, Castle caught another smile with his phone and sent it to Kate. Kate sent it to her iPad and showed it to Jamie. Then she sent Castle a picture of Jamie smiling at his sister's smile. In the next couple of days, Jo's treatment was reaping rewards, and Dr. Barrett was finally satisfied that she could safely go home. She was working her way back to her naturally enthusiastic self…a bit more subdued than usual, but a much happier little girl than when Castle took her to the hospital a few days before. When Castle brought her into the loft and stood her on the floor, Jamie dropped to his knees in front of her and gave her a big hug. There was, of course, a picture of that saved to Kate's phone.

"Is she better now?" Jamie asked his parents.

"She still has some medicine to take for a little while, but she's much, much better."

By that night, brother and sister were smiling and playing together the way they often did, both of them looking happy to be back together.

xxxxx

With the coldest part of the winter going on around them, the Castles made ample use of their gym, and the children made ample use of their play area within it. Jamie was growing out of the toddler slide and climbing space, and Jo was just growing into it; so he helped her figure it out. Kate and Castle decided Jamie deserved something more his age level, so they had Julian install a pit with a thick, wide safety foam trim in the floor next to the toddler play area and filled it with the large spongy foam chunks used for gymnastics classes. Then they had monkey bars and a climbing rope suspended from the ceiling above it. With his increasing height and extending reach, he could access them from the toddler area, but Jo wouldn't be able to reach them yet. Jo loved the slide and the little cabin at the top of the play space, and Jamie delighted in learning to climb the rope and touch the ceiling and in navigating the monkey bars and hanging upside down from them. Dropping into the safety pit was another source of entertainment.

Jamie's fifth birthday was coming up in about three weeks, so the parents were deciding what to do for their son's birthday. If they asked him, they knew he would probably say the zoo; but two of his four birthdays had been spent at the zoo in February, and they preferred another option. Castle revved up his computer and tracked down some places with indoor activities that would give excited children a place to run around and blow off a lot of energy. Places to climb and slide and bounce…giant, indoor playgrounds, two of which advertised party rooms as well. Over a few days, he took Jamie and Jo with him to inspect and kid test the three he had chosen. Castle found one of them clean, friendly, and efficient enough for his purposes, and he was able to make arrangements for the party. They stopped on the way home and bought invitations, and while Jo slept, he and Jamie made a list of guests. Kate said she would write the invitations that night and put them in the mail the next day. When she came home that afternoon, there was a lot of excitement about the places they played that afternoon. Jo was able to tell her "slide", and "bounce", and Jamie gave her an excited rundown of everything with Jo getting a word in now and then.

The Ryans, the Espositos, and the Castles, along with Amos and Julie from school, his friend, Billy, and their parents all descended on the birthday destination and took over the party room. Coats, mittens, and other accoutrements of a New York winter were left hanging on hooks or sitting on the floor below them before they all ventured out for fun.

"I've been past this place a lot. I had no idea all this was in here," Ryan said. "We might bring Sarah Grace just for fun. It might not be for a while, though. Jenny is due in less than a month. I can't wait to meet our son."

"If you want us to babysit one weekend to give Jenny a day to rest, just call," Kate offered.

"Thanks. She's exhausted. I know she'd appreciate that."

"Hey, Great party," Esposito said. "Gabe has things to do, and Maria has Ana finding things to do in the little kid room."

The parents talked while the children played; and after almost an hour of play time, the pizza, cake, and ice cream was served. Gifts were opened, and the parents all took their children home.

"Well, that was pretty painless," Castle said to Kate after the children were in bed. "Everybody met us there, happy, well entertained kids, parental conversation, the staff handled the party room, no cleanup. Just bag the birthday gifts and head home with worn out children and put them to bed."

"Yeah. That was a good idea, Writer-Man. Our munchkins went right to sleep."

"Soooo… On a scale of one to ten, how tired are you?" Castle asked playfully.

"Not that tired," Kate answered in kind.

"I like that answer," he said, bending his knees, grabbing her legs, and throwing her over his shoulder, both of them laughing all the way to the bedroom."

xxxxx

One night, early spring night, Rick and Kate had an unexpected evening to themselves and opted for dinner out. They had already been seated at one of their favorite, low key restaurants. It was perfect for them, good food, good service, nice enough to feel special without attracting the we-want-to-be-seen-on-page-six crowd, with the accompanying photographers. As they were checking their menus, Kate looked up and saw Captain and Mrs. Dohrman being escorted to a table close by. She mentioned it to Castle, and they waved. The Dohrmans stopped to say hello, and Castle asked, "Is this a special occasion or just a nice dinner?"

"Just dinner. We don't do this as often as we used to," Captain Dohrman answered. Castle looked at Kate, one of their quick, silent eye conversations took place, and she said, "Same for us. Would you like to join us? There's room for four."

"Would that be all right, Michael?" Mrs. Dohrman asked the server.

"That would be fine." Out of habit, he said, "I'll bring extra chairs."

"Just one," the captain answered, patting the arm of his wheelchair mischievously. "I brought my own."

As Kate moved her chair next to Castle, Michael brought an extra chair and seated Mrs. Dohrman, and the captain moved his wheelchair into place at the table. Michael was the Castles' server as well, so he left extra menus with a promise to be back in a few minutes; and the four of them decided on their orders and talked as they waited for Michael's return.

"Is it rude to ask what your chair will do?" Castle asked. "I injured my knee skiing a few years ago, and in researching a chair to use at home, I had to restrain myself from getting one with all the bells and whistles."

"This one mostly gets me from point A to point B. But the one I take to work," he explained enthusiastically, "will take me wherever I need to go…up steps, over rubble. I can roll out of the van a la Ironside, and go where I need to. It's nice for an occasional outdoor trip, too. We don't do that too often, but it gets me over the rocks and tree roots. I can see it being useful now and then with the grandchildren."

"The one he uses at work will do just about anything but the laundry and the cooking. He still makes me do that," his wife said, and the Castles laughed.

"You can come by one day, and I'll demonstrate it for you," Dohrman answered. "I may not get around as well as I used to on my own, but I do still love using good gadgets. Once I realized my mind wasn't going to leave me along with my ability to move around, I started looking for good coping mechanisms. I can still run a precinct well. Don't tell your wife, but I learned a couple of things from what she did while she was there," he said with a teasing smile in Kate's direction.

"Mutual learning experience," she admitted with the same sort of smile.

The two couples talked about their children. The Dohrmans asked about Jo and talked about the first time they met Jamie, and the Castles asked about the Dohrmans' two grandchildren, one was an almost brand new addition to the family. Their dinner was served, and they lingered over it enjoying their time together.

After mentioning summer plans, Captain Dohrman suggested they coordinate their family plans and put together a schedule for covering each other for the rest of the year while they were thinking about it. Everybody's phones came out to consult schedules, and Castle's ever present notebook made an appearance as the only old school writing tool among them. Full weeks of vacation times were planned for the summer and the holidays with several weekends thrown in here and there. There was a feeling of victory in the air.

"Well for the schedule alone, I'm glad we ran into you; but aside from that, I've really enjoyed the visit," Mrs. Dohrman told the Castles.

"We have, too, Castle agreed. We should do this again sometime…but actually plan it next time."

"We'd enjoy that," Captain Dohrman answered.

When the checks were settled and the two couples were leaving, Castle said, "Goodnight, Mrs. Dohrman. It's been a pleasure."

"Renee. Just call me Renee."

"Then I'm Rick."

"Kate and Jared?" Captain Dohrman asked tentatively.

"Fine with me," Kate answered.

"Good food, good conversation, and we can start planning the rest of the year with our families and know our backup is covered. Not bad for an accidental meeting," Castle commented as the valet service brought Captain Dohrman's van to the curb and lowered the lift for him. "I'll type up that schedule we planned, and send it to you," he promised. The captain expertly maneuvered his chair onto the van's lift as his wife went to the driver's side, and they said goodnight as the lift raised and the doors closed. As the van drove away, Castle said, "I like them."

"Me, too. I really expected that he would have retired by now. I think he's probably proven a lot of people wrong about him. While the two of you talked about gadgets and how loaded with bells and whistles those chairs can be, Renee was telling me about the turning point when he realized that he could still run a precinct well and decided he wouldn't be retiring as early as he had thought he might. She said what they call the Ironside chair and their van had been more of an expense than they could easily afford, but it made such a difference in his outlook that she's never regretted tightening the budget for a while to have them. They both know it will reach a point where his condition doesn't allow him to work anymore, but she says his worst fear is to lack a purpose for living, so he's giving it his best for as long as he can."

"They're an impressive couple."

By then, the valet service had brought their car, and the Castles went home to enjoy the fact that their oldest children had voluntarily taken their younger children for the night.

xxxxx

In the last week of March, the Ryan's had a son. Nicolas Javier Ryan...Nick. Javi was obviously pleased and honored at the choice, but he still gave Ryan a hard time about giving a little Irish kid a Spanish name. Ryan and Jenny assured him that as many Irish relatives as they had to back him up, their child would never suffer an identity crisis.

With Kate's vacation schedule planned for the rest of the year, they were able to plan with the rest of the family for beach trips and family holidays. One full week in July and another in August, Kate was able to spend time with her family at the beach house. In August, they had one of their big weekends …with the extended family, the cookout, everybody's children, the cannonball contest, etc.

Jo was almost two, and getting more adventurous as well as rapidly adding to her vocabulary. The word "No" was creeping into her responses more than it had for Jamie. He'd had his moments, but he was always a pretty easygoing little boy.

At the beginning of their family trip in August, it was just the four of them. The rest of the extended family would gradually drift in during the week. All four members of their family loved walking on the beach. Jo understood finding shells now, and they played the game they had played with Jamie, making clear tracks in the sand and having her identify who the footprints belonged to. They chased the waves back to the ocean as the water ebbed away and then let the waves chase them back up on the sand when it came back in. Now and then the parents could point out dolphins jumping out of the water or they would all stop and watch the sea birds. And Rick and Kate loved watching Jo's short little legs trying to keep up with her brother, and she did try.

In September, they spent the weekend before Jo's birthday at the beach and made good use of the pool. Both children loved the water, so everybody was happy there. Jo didn't want the floaty toys as often anymore. She liked moving in the water on her own, and her parents had to watch her constantly to keep her from jumping into the pool whether they were there or not. And the little wading pool area didn't interest her much anymore unless Ana was there, or Nick, Ryan's youngest. Sarah Grace was old enough for the big pool now. She and Jamie played together there a lot and were a big help in keeping extra eyes on Jo.

The Dohrmans' children, with the grandchildren, were home for Thanksgiving week, leaving Kate on call. She had to miss this year's tree farm trip, but Christmas week was vacation time for the Castles to enjoy uninterrupted. Jim and Meagan were out of town visiting Meagan's family, but everyone else gathered at the loft for the Christmas festivities, random parts of the extended family getting together for brief visits in the midst of the holiday madness.

xxxxx

On her first duty day of the new year, as Kate got her badge and gun out of the safe, she asked, "What happened to last year? It's already 2019. Jamie's last birthday doesn't seem all that long ago, but it's almost time for another one. And he's already four months into being a first grader. I feel like we must have missed something."

"That's how it happens sometimes," Castle answered, grabbing her by the waist as she came closer to his desk chair. "You think you're in control, and all of a sudden it's a year later. But, on the bright side," he added, pulling her close to him, "we're also a year closer to when you're at least mostly retired. There's a little more freedom lurking out there not too far down the road." There was a quiet moment and he asked hesitantly, "Do you still intend to cut way back on your work time?" The look on his face was hopeful but a little concerned as he waited for an answer.

"I made a promise, didn't I?" she asked, stroking his face with her hand. "Of course, I intend to keep it. Keep trusting me, Rick. I don't intend to make promises and then disappoint you. And this time you'll get to travel with a wife who isn't pregnant." After a well timed pause, she added, "However, we'll be travelling with two children instead of one. The second one was much easier to keep up with when I was still pregnant with her."

"They'll both be a little older by then, though. It should be easier."

"Well, right now, I'm still on active duty, so I'd better get myself to work. I love you." She gave him a long, soft kiss and a loving smile, sighed, and went to work.

xxxxx

The early part of the year moved along smoothly, then, one day in late March, Victoria Gates called Kate to see if she was available for lunch. They chose a time and place and ordered before Kate asked. "Why do I have the feeling this is more than lunch?"

"Because I didn't manage to hide it better?" Gates responded with a rueful little smile.

"What are you hiding, Victoria?"

"You may be called for another rescue mission. Nothing definite. I just didn't want to blindside you and throw you to the wolves. I've turned in several reports, but I haven't made a recommendation yet."

"A recommendation for what?"

"I'm responsible for supervision of the precincts in the Manhattan borough. When I started this job, I made a point of visiting each precinct assigned to me; and at that point I saw no major problems. But we have a captain who's due to retire this fall. After my initial visit, I began to notice numbers sliding in the wrong direction at that precinct. I went and spoke to the captain about it a couple of times, and things would improve briefly, but then there was a gradual decline that hasn't stopped. It's like he de facto retired about a year ago and has more or less left the precinct to run itself for most of that time. There had been a gradual decline in solve rates for a while, but recently there's been a bigger decline in conviction rates after the cases reach the courts. You and I both know that means sloppy police work. When I saw the declines begin to deepen, I went to visit and toured the precinct to observe. I know the man used to be a good captain, but it seems he's barely doing the job now. I understand his wife passed away early last year. I don't know if that has any bearing or not, but the precinct badly needs a competent captain in charge…and I plan to recommend you. You pulled together that mess Bronson left behind at the fifty-first, and it didn't take you too long…"

"But I had already established a rapport with a number of people there, and…"

"I know it isn't the same situation; but you still have the same skill set, as well as a lot more experience at this point. It won't be easy. When people have been left to their own devices for a considerable amount of time, they're going to resent anybody who tries to corral them back into doing things by the book; but I think you're what the job is going to require. Somebody else could go in and take charge, but you know how to walk a line between building morale and being tough enough not to allow sloppy work. It's a gift, Kate, and we may need you to use it for us again. I know the chief and deputy chief both have complete faith in you."

"And when would this gift need to be delivered?"

"His retirement is set for the end of October, but if we can offer him retirement a couple of months early, it would be of benefit to the precinct. As late as the end of October…as early as the end of July…possibly June. As I said, there have been reports showing an obvious downward trend; but I haven't delivered the big one yet, the one after the recent onsite observation...nor have I mentioned the recommendation, or your name, but I plan to do that tomorrow." She paused a moment and admitted, "I honestly don't know what will come of it when I do."

"Well, I appreciate the heads up. I can't say I'll look forward to it, but I'll go if that's where I'm needed. If it happens, would you let me know as soon as possible? I'd like to spend time with my family at the beach house this summer, and I have the feeling the job you're describing wouldn't allow much down time, let alone out of town time. Castle has been looking forward to my time with the family increasing, so I'd like to give them whatever I can before I'm tied to the city for an indeterminate amount of time."

"I almost feel I should apologize for having such faith in you."

"But you won't?" Kate asked with a small smile.

"Does greater good count as an argument?"

"Has the exchange program that took some of us to the fifty-first continued? Is that something that could be resurrected if it were needed?"

"That's a possibility. I might even be able to revise my recommendation and suggest using it."

At that point, their meal arrived.

"Lunch is on me today," Gates insisted. "Do you think you can still enjoy it?"

"It's shrimp. I'll cope," Kate answered with a little smirk.

"Note to self," Victoria answered. "Future reference…serve Kate shrimp with difficult news."

Then the women moved on to discussing families, odds and ends of other topics, and Castle's new books.

xxxxx

When Kate arrived at home after work, Castle looked up from where he had started dinner and saw the signs of something troubling her. He put down the chef's knife, dried his hands, and went to her, asking "What's wrong?"

As she stepped out of her shoes, she said, "It still amazes me sometimes that you can do that based on my just walking into the room." She fell into his outstretched arms, wrapped hers around his middle, and laid her head against his shoulder to absorb the warmth and comfort the man she loved was offering.

"Want to talk about it?"

"Victoria took me to lunch today."

"I take it there's more to that story."

"Yeah, there is. It was a heads up lunch. She's going to recommend that I be transferred to a precinct that's been gradually going downhill for a about a year. She went back for an onsite visit, and sensed a bigger problem than she had expected. From what she said, it sounds like it used to be a good precinct, but the captain there is scheduled to retire at the end of September, and he apparently has already retired as far as the way he's handling the precinct. She said his wife died early last year. She doesn't know if that has any bearing on the situation or not."

"It could. If I lost you, it would certainly change my perspective. The entire way I'd see the rest of my life would be affected. If he and his wife had some kind of retirement plans, things they would do together, his whole future changed. Looking forward to retirement wouldn't be the same. Who does he share it with? It doesn't excuse letting a whole precinct go to pot, but it might explain how it happened."

"I guess so." She related the rest of the pertinent lunch conversation, and ended with," She isn't turning in her report or her recommendations until tomorrow. "She wanted to talk to me first. So, the gist of it is that I'm not sure if it's going to happen or not."

"But it sounds like a probably?"

"If things are sliding as fast as she seems to think…yeah. They'll have to do something, whether it involves me or not."

"When we talked about another five years on the force full time, isn't this part of what we talked about? Passing along Roy's legacy, making a difference by training young officers and detectives to rise through the ranks with the right training and the right mindset?"

"That isn't fair. I'm thinking of how much time it's going to take away from spending with you and our family, and you're throwing my own words back at me to remind me of my goals."

Castle's easy laugh rumbled pleasantly against her chest as he laughed at her response.

Leaning back to look at him, she said, "But you're right. I imagine there would be resentment and some difficult moments at first, but maybe I could do some good." After a big sigh, she said, "If that's what happens, it's going to keep me away from the beach most of this summer.

"That's the Beckett I know and love. I'm not excited about missing time with you this summer, either, but you can probably manage a few weekends. Maybe a week or two again if they don't work out an early retirement. Let's not worry about it yet."

At that moment, two children sort of exploded from Castle's study. Jo was in the lead, clutching a Star Wars action figure, running as fast as her little legs would allow, and laughing. Jamie was closing in fast and saying, "Give that back! I was playing with that one!"

"Ready to hone your negotiating skills?" Castle asked.

"Yeah. At least I love this little troublemaker." She left Castle's arms, took over her role as Mommy and insisted Jo return the toy and apologize. After that was accomplished, there was a tearful time out before peaceful playtime resumed between her children.

"If you can deal with a two year old without anyone having a complete meltdown, those grownups don't stand a chance."

Kate wrapped her arms around her husband again and gave him a solid kiss. "Thanks for the pep talk."

"Want to help me finish dinner for the Munchkins?"

"Sure. I'll change clothes and be right back. How will I hone my negotiating skills if they're too weak from hunger to argue with each other?"