387. Chapter 387

After Death Gone Crazy

Episode 5.12

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: I'd have to be crazy to claim I own Castle. Rating: K+ Time: See above.

Kate Beckett looked at herself in the mirror. Not bad for a woman closer to forty than to thirty. She thought. Her cleavage was good, even if the push up bra was way too uncomfortable. I can't believe I used to wear one of these things all the time. The sea green dress she had on was tight enough for her to see that her abs were tight and her stomach flat. As usual, her best features were her legs and her ass. She stepped back to check herself in the full length mirror on the back of the bathroom door. She smiled to herself. Right. My legs and ass are as good as any twenty year old kid's out there. She then frowned slightly. Okay. Almost as good, damnit!

Satisfied with herself, she walked out into the bedroom where her husband was sitting on their bed.

"You don't have to do this, you know."

Kate rolled her eyes, as she had done the first hundred times Rick had said that. "OF course I have to do this. It's my job, Castle."

"I know." He grumped.

"Wish me luck? Give me a kiss for luck?"

"I'll give you a kiss for luck that you don't get groped by those creeps."

"Not for luck that I'll catch a murderer? And don't muss up my makeup. Or my hair,"

Still grumping, Rick have her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I hate this. Why can't I come with you? We're partners?"

"Because if you come with me, you'll hover over me all night. I'm trying to find out who killed James Woodford. I need to talk to the people who were there when he was killed. The male people who were there."

Rick and Kate walked into the living room, only to find Alexis there. Rick immediately saw that she was wearing a red dress that was way too short, way too tight and way too low cut. "Alexis! What is that?"

"Duh, Daddy. It's a dress."

"Where are you going, dressed like that?"

"To the College Guys Gone Nuts party."

"You're going with Kate?" He shrieked. "You're taking Alexis?" He said, turning to his wife.

"No, Daddy. One of my friends scored some tickets. It's the biggest thing in all of Manhattan tonight. So, we're going."

"You and your friend?" Castle wanted to have a few choice words with her friend.

"No, kiddo." Martha said, coming down the stairs. "Alexis and I are going."

Rick decided that Martha's dress was shorter than Alexis', tighter than Alexis' and more low cut than Alexis' dress.

"You…You…What do you….Really!" Castle said, sort of.

"I'll be back later." Kate said, kissing him. Martha and Alexis waved as they left.

Castle took a deep breath and thought about all of the possibilities. All of the bad possibilities. This will not stand!

Arriving at the party, Kate walked to the bar and looked around. All of the male dancers from College Guys Gone Nuts, with the exception of the late James Woodford, were there. Seth Parrino, the owner of College Guys Gone Nuts was very anxious to have the murder of one of his dancers cleared up. He had not only provided tickets to the party for a number of female detectives, he had hired some older fashion models so that the detectives wouldn't stand out from the crowds of college girls.

"And being on duty, we can't drink when the booze is free." A voice beside her muttered. Kate smiled and turned around to greet the other detective. Then she did a double take. Detective Nancy Salazar was dressed more provocatively than she was. She wore no bra and her already short skirt was slit up one side to the top of the hip. Kate wasn't sure if the other detective was wearing panties or not.

Salazar smiled. "I have a friend in Vice who's the same size as me. Came in handy tonight." Salazar looked Kate up and down. "Not that you need any help. You're already married to every woman's dream. Why you and not me, huh?" She said with a friendly smile.

Kate laughed. "Just lucky, I guess." More lucky than anyone but me knows.

Salazar pushed away from the bar. "Here come the dancers, out to mingle with the customers. I see one that is lookin' good!" Salazar swayed towards the young dancer.

Kate spent the next hour chatting with a number of dancers and several girls who had been at the party where the murder had occurred. She also kept a close eye on Alexis. However, the young redhead seemed to have things under control. To Kate's surprise Martha seemed to have attracted a small group of both male and female admirers. Curious, Kate drifted over. Martha was telling a story to her fans.

"So, I told him right then and there, "Bob, that beard may have worked in Jeremiah Johnson, but it does nothing for me." So he shaved it right off." Everyone laughed and Kate drifted off again.

The DJ started the College Guys Gone Nuts theme music and the dancers made a quick exit to get ready for the dance. The lights went out and the dancers came out on stage to do their dance. Kate looked them over and considered what she knew about them. Greg Sanders was strong enough to have broken a man's neck and supposedly had a temper. Jan Kruger was majoring in theater at Hudson University. To keep himself strong and limber as a dancer, he studied martial arts. George Moore had been described by several girls as a self -centered, entitled asshole who had been said to have been violent to women. Could he have tried something with a girl and gotten into a fight with Woodford?

Another detective came up from behind her. "Beckett, we have a possible suspect. A guy with a video camera who's been asking questions about the murder."

"Could be nothing. He might just be some blogger. Everyone has a camera these days and wants to go online with something violent or sexy." She said to Detective Ann Hastings.

"Yeah, but the battery's dead on his camera and he doesn't seem to notice."

Kate nodded. "Where is he?"

Hastings pointed. "At the far end of the bar."

Kate looked but couldn't see anyone in the dark. "Can't see anyone. We should go and look."

They were halfway there when Kate heard a yell, "NYPD. On your knees!" Followed by a scuffle at the bar. She and Hastings pushed through the crowd. Holding the suspect at gunpoint was a petite, blonde homicide detective from the 20th Precinct. "I got him. He was asking me about the killing and he let slip things that haven't been released to the public."

"I can explain." Said a very familiar voice.

"Castle?"

"Hi, honey." Castle said sheepishly. "I really can explain."

Kate hauled Rick to Parrino's office so that he could explain in private. "Well?" She said coldly.

"I just wanted to help." He smiled his most ingratiating smile.

"No. You wanted to keep an eye on me. Don't you trust me? Do you think I'm going to run off with some college kid?"

"No! Never! But I worry about you. You're chasing a killer, without me. Or Espo, or Ryan. You know I worry about you."

"And you don't think I can take care of myself? With a dozen or more female officers present?"

"Cops who can take care of themselves get killed anyway, and with a dozen officers right by them. It happens all over the country. I love you and I worry about you."

Kate sighed and put her arms around Rick. "And I love you, too. But I think we've all blown our cover tonight. Let's go home, lover. But, I think you'll have to put a great deal of effort into proving how much you love me, so I don't end up thinking you don't trust me."

"Just watch me." Rick said happily.

Walking out of Parrino's office they ran into Ann Hastings. "We can all go home. Salazar cracked the case."

"How?" Kate asked.

"She got to talking to some girl who was here when the murder happened. All of a sudden, she just breaks down crying. Told Salazar that her boyfriend did it. Woodford was flirting with her and her boyfriend lost it. Grabbed Woodford by the throat and slammed his head against a concrete wall. Broke his neck. Everyone is headed for the precinct to file their reports." Hastings looked at Castle. "I wouldn't go by the precinct tonight, Castle. After your little stunt tonight some people are really mad at you. You could have blown everyone's cover and ruined this operation."

"That's okay. I have some things to get ready at the loft for later tonight."

"What kind of things?" Kate asked.

"Things you'll love." He said, kissing her cheek, and walking off, whistling.