396. Chapter 396

After The Lives of Others

Episode 5. 19

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: I can't fool you. I don't own Castle, no matter what it looks like. Rating: K Time: See above

B minus 7

Kate Beckett stared at the murder board. She stared long and hard at the murder board.

"Something wrong, Beckett?" Ryan asked.

Kate didn't reply for a second. "Does this one look too easy to you, Ryan?"

Both Ryan and Esposito joined her at the board, staring at it as well. Finally, Esposito spoke. "It looks easy because it is easy. Jerry Franz decided to kill his ex-wife after a bitter divorce. So he dug a pistol his granddad had brought back from WWII out of the back of his closet and headed over to her parents. Her father opens the door and Franz drops him with one to the head. He walks in and pumps two rounds into his ex, killing her instantly. Then he turns to her new boyfriend and pulls the trigger. Nothing happens. The pistol, which hadn't been cleaned since about 1945, jams. All of this is witnessed by seven people, all of whom know Jerry. He runs and is caught on the neighbor across the street's security cameras."

Kate nodded. "That's what bothers me. The old lady across the street has eight security cameras around her property? Tell me that's normal."

Ryan shrugged. "Okay, it's not normal. But everyone in the neighborhood says she's paranoid and has had the cameras for years. Franz's picture is with every uniform in the city. We'll catch him."

Kate kept staring at the board. "Maybe." She muttered.

B minus 6

"Do you have a minute, Lanie?" Kate asked,

"I always have a minute for you, sweetie." Lanie invited Kate to sit down. "Problems?"

Kate nodded.

"With a case?" Lanie's brow furrowed. She knew that there shouldn't be any problems with the open cases they had now.

Kate shook her head.

"Is it with Castle?"

"Yes."

"Oh, sweetie! What happened? Did you have a fight?" Lanie's eyes widened. "Did he cheat on you?"

"Lanie! Of course he didn't cheat on me! How could you think such a thing?"

"What is it then?"

Kate took a deep breath, looked at the floor, then took another deep breath. "My birthday is coming up."

Lanie frowned. "So?"

"After his birthday present last April, he told he he'd have to get me back. I'm worried I have some giant Castlesque surprise waiting for me on my birthday. Maybe a phony case?"

"You don't think that Castle would…" Lanie began. "Of course he would."

B minus 5

"Hi, dad." Kate said into her phone. "Do you have a minute?"

"I always have a minute for you, Katie. What do you need?"

"Do we still have all of those old photo albums? They used to be in the garage?"

"Sure. They're still there."

"Has Rick been by lately? Say, since last April?"

Jim wondered what was going on with his daughter. "Are you and Rick having problems?"

"No. But, you remember my birthday gift to him. He said he'd get me back. Aren't some of those photos of me kind of embarrassing?"

"You mean like the one of your bare butt taken when you were ten?" Jim laughed at the memory.

"Dad, I'll be over after work to look through the photos."

Kate spent two hours after work going through old photo albums and removing anything remotely embarrassing.

B minus 4

"Hi, Martha." Kate said, smiling.

"Katherine! You just missed Rick. He had to go to Black Pawn for another meeting. I honestly don't know what his publishers do besides hold meetings."

"Martha, I know. I wanted to talk to you. You remember my birthday present to Rick, don't you?"

Martha smiled and got a far-away look in her eyes. "Remember it? I could never forget it. It was priceless and I think it really enthused my actors. Why do you ask?"

"After the surprise party, he told me that he'd have to get me back. I know Rick. I'm sure if he is planning something for my birthday, it'll be epic, to use his words. I'm just afraid he'll go overboard."

Martha nodded. "Going overboard is his style. You remember the Valentine's Day fiasco, don't you?"

Kate shuddered at the memory. "I know Rick would never do anything to hurt me, or make me look ridiculous, at least not intentionally, but I'm getting worried. He told me yesterday that my birthday present was going to be a surprise."

"He hasn't said a word to me, Katherine." Martha smiled. "But I do know his computer password."

Kate shook her head. "Martha! We can't pry like that."

"It's for his own good, dear. He could go overboard and get in trouble. We're doing him a favor."

After three hours of interesting, but fruitless searching, Kate and Martha closed the laptop and Kate left.

B minus 3

"Thanks for meeting me, Alexis."

Alexis smiled at her soon to be step mother. "Always glad to see you, Kate. What is it? Is it about Dad? You asked me not to tell him about this meeting."

"You helped with your dad's last birthday present."

Alexis smiled. "I haven't had so much fun in years. Are you planning another one? That'd be great, because he'd never suspect you'd do it twice in a row. I have some great ideas…"

Kate shook her head, quieting the young redhead. "My birthday is almost here. And after his birthday surprise, he said he'd get me back. Now, I know your dad would never do anything mean or spiteful, but he has a tendency to…overdue things."

"Over do things? Kate, he has a tendency to massively over do things. Are you worried he'll do something that'll get you in trouble?"

"I'm more worried he'll do something that'll get him in trouble. It's not like he doesn't attract trouble."

Alexis thought. "I know he's planning a surprise, and he's been on his phone a lot in his office, but he's really been secretive. I have no idea what he's got planned. But, tell you what? If I find out anything and it sounds foolish, I'll let you know. Otherwise, my lips are sealed."

"That's all I need." Kate said, relieved. "I just don't want anything to happen to your dad."

B minus 2

Castle had gone to the men's room, leaving his phone in his jacket over the back of his chair. Kate nodded to her two accomplices. Ryan went to the men's room with a mental list of questions that Kate knew Castle would love to answer and would answer in great detail. Esposito took his position in the hallway so he could warn Beckett when Castle was returning.

Kate grabbed his phone and started scrolling through the recent calls. Kate gulped. Half of the calls in the last week were to numbers that didn't have a name associated with the number. Castle had told her that a lot of the "guys" he knew didn't want it to be known that they talked to a famous writer. However, she did find one number that was familiar to her. She wrote that number down for later.

She then started looking up his internet searches. Again, she was amazed at how many there were and how many different topics they covered. Almost like he's making a whole lot of internet searches to cover the ones he's really interested in. She thought.

She had gone back two weeks in his internet searches when Espo spoke. "Beckett, I have something in those financials you might want." That being the secret code for "Here comes Castle," she put the phone back in his jacket pocket.

B minus 1

The next afternoon, when Castle had left to avoid boring police paper work, Kate called her old friend, Madison Queller whose number Rick had called. "Maddie! It's Kate Beckett. Could we talk?"

Regrettably, Maddie denied getting a call from Rick, but did tell Kate that the number was one given out to valued clients who might want something special. It might have been answered by one of the staff of her restaurant, who hadn't mentioned it to her.

After hanging up, Kate thought. Something special? Like an exploding birthday cake? Mentos and Coke? A stripper jumping out of a cake? A male or female stripper? Will it be in the precinct? Will Gates see it? Oh my god!

Kate's Birthday

"Get up, sleepyhead." Rick whispered in her ear. "We're burning daylight."

Kate looked at the alarm clock. "It's seven o'clock. It's my birthday and my day off. I want to sleep in."

"It's your birthday and you have three days off. I made a little deal with Captain Gates. We're headed for Boston for a long weekend. First a tour of historic Boston, then dinner at Minh's the best Asian sea food place in all the world, which you have been dying to go to. Then we're off to Cape Cod and the best bed and breakfast in New England and many, many surprises for the birthday girl." He kissed her softly. "I love you. Get ready, I've packed your suitcase. The limo will be here in an hour."

Just to be sure, Kate checked her suitcase and found no itching powder, fake vomit or any other hint that a truly Castlesque fate was about to befall her.

B plus 3

Kate stretched on the luxurious bed in the bed and breakfast. There was no doubt about it. This had been her best birthday ever.

"Did you have a good birthday?" Rick asked.

"The best. I love you, Castle."

"I love you too."

"I have something to confess." Kate said shyly.

"You do?"

"I was worried you were going to try to get back at mefor your birthday present. I was wrong. I'm sorry for doubting you."

"Kate, I'd never do something like that on your birthday. And do you know what the best part of this was?"

"No."

"Now I know that you personally selected your most embarrassing family photos and hid them in the bookcase in your apartment."

"CASTLE!"