463. Chapter 463

After A Deadly Affair, Part One

Episode 3.01

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: I'd be playing a deadly game….No. Too easy. I don't own Castle. Rating: K Time: See above.

Author's note: This idea has been in my head for a while and I decided it fits as well as anyplace right here. I could have made it a stand alone story, but I didn't.

Watch him, Kate. He likes you.

He's all yours.

He cares for you, Kate. You may not see it, or want to see it, but he does.

You want to have little Castle babies.

The words ran through Kate's mind as she made her way through the bullpen. Outwardly calm, inside she was worried and nervous. What if all he wants is to be my partner here at the precinct? Or just another conquest? Or ex-wife number three? Kate stopped and shook her head slowly. I know Castle now. Oh, yes. He can still be a pain in the ass, and he can infuriate me sometimes, but he is not the empty headed playboy only interested in himself that I first thought he was. He's a good man. He's a man I can risk my heart with. And I may never get a chance like this again.

She walked into the office where Castle's going away party was being held. She stopped. The guest of honor was missing. "Where's Castle?"

Captain Montgomery shrugged and smiled. "Not here. And you call yourself a detective?"

Everyone, including Kate, laughed.

"He's only about a half an hour late. Could be trouble getting Alexis settled or maybe it's the Jersey Turnpike. You know what that's like." Ryan said. "Anyway, sit down and enjoy a cold one."

She did and the talk turned to Castle. She was absurdly proud that none of the stories were about Castle's ego, or childishness, but about cases he'd solved and dangers he'd shared with the team. Kate told them about how Castle had rushed into her burning apartment, minimizing the part where she tried to keep him from seeing her nude and emphasizing his courage. She did notice the way Lanie looked at her and knew she was wondering just what Castle had seen. Let her wonder. Kate thought.

Before anyone knew it, more than an hour had passed since the start of the party. Montgomery checked his watch, "We'll stop the party now, and resume it when Castle gets here."

"Why don't I call him and see what happened." Beckett spoke up. She did, but her call went straight to voicemail. The party broke up.

As the afternoon dragged on, Kate became more upset and angry at Castle. She had kept an eye on the elevator, expecting that the next one would bring Castle in, trailing some silly excuse or another. What the hell is the matter with him? Not coming to see his friends? Not coming to see me? Do I mean so little to him that he'd just walk out of my life without a backward glance? Was I that wrong about him?

Her thoughts were interrupted by someone standing at her desk. "It's Beckett, isn't it?" The voice wasn't friendly.

She looked up and saw Castle's ex-wife, Gina. "Yes. Detective Kate Beckett. May I help you?"

"Do you know where Rick Castle is?" Gina's mouth was set in a straight, angry line.

"No. He was supposed to come in this afternoon after he dropped his daughter off, but he never showed."

"Are you honestly telling me that you have no idea where he is?" Gina snapped.

Kate had no idea why this woman was angry with her. "I assume he's either on his way to his place in the Hamptons or is already there."

"He is not. He was supposed to pick me up and take me with him for the summer, but he didn't, and he hasn't called or anything. And you insist you have no idea where he is or what happened to him?"

"None." Kate was mystified by this conversation.

Gina looked around as if expecting to see Castle hiding behind a desk, then turned on her heel and walked out without another word.

"He invited his ex-wife to go to the Hamptons with him?" That was Esposito.

"Apparently." Kate said, not wanting to discuss this any further. He was taking another woman to his place? Of course, he thought I'd be with Tom this weekend. Why not invite someone else? Or had he invited Gina when he invited me? Maybe he really meant it when he said no funny stuff. He'd just take me up there, let me relax by myself, buy me a nice dinner that I couldn't otherwise afford and send me home. Just a nice little reward for helping him. Maybe that's all I mean to him.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got at Castle for blowing off his friends, her, and his ex-wife. It's just as well that I'm rid of that self-centered, immature little prick. I thought he liked me. I thought we were partners and friends. I thought we could be something more. He doesn't care about anything but himself and his damned book. I hope no one buys the next one. Naked Heat? What kind of a title is that? Our whole relationship has been nothing but a big, dirty joke to him. Good riddance.

Kate was just about to leave when her phone rang. "Beckett."

"Detective Beckett, this is Martha Rodgers. Is Richard there with you?"

Kate frowned. Couldn't Castle even be bothered to tell his mother where he was? "No, he hasn't been here since this morning before he took Alexis to Princeton. I assume he's at his place in the Hamptons by now."

"I don't see how." Martha sounded upset. "Both the cars are here, the suitcases he packed are both here and his laptop is here. He'd never go to the Hamptons without it. It has all that he's written of the book, and all of his notes and…everything. I called Alexis to see if he had to go back there for some reason, but she hasn't seen him since he dropped her off. I've called his cell phone and the landline in the Hamptons and they both go to voicemail. I'm worried about him."

Kate suddenly felt guilty. Dammit! What was I thinking? I know Castle. I know how devoted he is to his family and to his friends. And to me. "Martha, can you tell me when you last saw him?" She picked up a pen and paper to write everything down.

"Richard came back about twelve thirty. He told me about Princeton and Alexis and did a few things in his office. I'm not too sure what he did. I wasn't paying attention. He left a bit before one. Oh! And he said he was going to stop and get a coffee for you."

Kate felt a sharp stab of remorse. He was going to get me a cup of coffee. Even when he thought I was going to be with Tom, he was thinking of me. "Martha, is there anywhere he might have gone besides the Hamptons? Anyone he might have seen? Did he say anything that might explain why he didn't get here?"

"He was supposed to take Gina, his publisher to the Hamptons. But she's called here several times, and hasn't seen him. She's quite angry at Richard and…" Martha stopped.

"And what, Martha?"

"Oh, it's not important, dear."

"Please. Castle is probably just fine, but we have to assume the worst. Anything may be important. What were you going to say?"

Martha waited for a few seconds. "Gina thinks that Richard is either with you or that you know exactly where he is. She's actually quite angry at both of you."

"She was in here earlier and seemed to be angry with me. I assured her I have no idea where Castle is, but it looks like she didn't believe me." Kate thanked Martha, told her that she'd try to find him and said she'd get back to Martha. Then she hung up.

"Something wrong with Castle?" Ryan asked. Esposito turned and looked over his partner's shoulder.

"Martha says he left the loft headed for here at about one. Both his cars are there, as are his suitcases and his laptop with all of the Nikki Heat material on it. He's not with Alexis and he's probably not in the Hamptons, at least he's not answering his phone there. Something may have happened to him. He was going to get coffee for me, so he shouldn't have been too far from the precinct." She nodded to Ryan. "Check all of the precincts and see if they have anything on Castle. You might even check holding and make sure he didn't manage to get picked up and has been there the whole time while someone screwed up the paperwork. Espo and I will call hospital emergency rooms."

Several hours of phone calls were fruitless. There was no record of Castle anywhere.

"Do we have a body drop that I didn't hear about?" Montgomery said, coming out of his office.

Kate spoke up at once. "Castle left his loft at one and was headed here. His mother says his cars, suitcase and laptop are at the loft, so he didn't go to the Hamptons. I'm afraid something has happened to him."

Montgomery nodded seriously. "This is a homicide team, Beckett. It isn't your call to take on a missing person case." Kate opened her mouth to argue, but Montgomery kept speaking. "That's my call. One way or another, Castle is one of ours. I'm ordering you to find Castle. Any complaints from One PP will be on me."

"Thank you, sir." Kate said with relief.

"Get to work."

Another hour of phone calls was to no avail. Kate hung up the phone after talking to the last emergency room on her list. "Nothing. " She checked her watch. "We'll get some sleep and start fresh tomorrow. See you then."

On a normal case, Kate might have just phoned the next kin, but she couldn't do that to Martha. She drove to Castle's loft. Once inside, she found herself sharing the elevator with a pizza delivery man. The smell of the pizza reminded her that she hadn't eaten since breakfast. Both Kate and the delivery man found themselves at Castle's door.

"Katherine. I didn't expect to see you tonight. Oh, come on in, dear, while I pay this nice young man."

Once seated at the kitchen island, Martha offered to share the pizza, but then added, "Oh, I forgot. You'll be going out tonight. I'm sorry. You really didn't have to put anything off to come see me."

"Actually, I don't have anything to do tonight, and I would love some pizza."

"And some red wine?" Martha asked.

"Not tonight. I'm driving."

As they ate, Kate went over what they had learned so far, which consisted of negative reports. They knew where Castle wasn't, but that was it. She decided she had to ask Martha something. "You said that Gina thought Castle was with me or that I knew where he was. Why?"

"Dear, Gina is terribly jealous of you and the amount of time you spend with Richard. And she knows that Richard….cares for you. A lot. She's just acting like a jealous woman."

Kate blushed slightly. "I care for him a lot, too." She thought for a second and decided she should tell Martha about her plans for the weekend. The idea that anything could be important worked both ways. "Martha, I didn't have any other plans tonight. Castle invited me to go with him for the weekend. I broke up with my boyfriend so I could go with Castle."

Martha took her hand. "I'm so sorry dear. I'd rather hoped you two would get together. He's changed immensely since he met you and much for the better. Find him for both of us, Katherine."

Kate nodded. "I will. Are you going to be here?"

"I was supposed to be in a summer stock play, but I'm just too upset. I've already called and cancelled. Oh, dear! Should we call Alexis?"

Kate thought for a second. "Perhaps tomorrow would be best. Let her get a good night's sleep before we do anything to upset her."

Later, Kate lay in her bed. I should be in Castle's bed. He said no funny business, but if he didn't come to my bed tonight, I was going to go to his. I should be Castle's lover. His girlfriend. Damn! I should have told him I'd go with him as soon as he asked. I wanted to. I said it sounded magical and it did. I should have been with him. If I'd been with him… She stopped. No. I've seen too many next of kin do this. It's what I did when Mom died. You run every scenario through your mind. You think, if I'd just done this or that, things would be different. Everything would have been fine. And then you start blaming yourself. I can't fall into that trap. Even though it's Castle, I have to be detached, professional. I can do that.

Kate rolled over and eventually went to sleep.