903. Chapter 903

After Castle, P.I.

Episode 7.11

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: You're good. Really good, but you don't own Castle and neither do I. Rating: K Time: See above.

Author's note: This is a sequel to chapters 533, 570, 614, 690 and 795, which chronicles the adventures of Officer Katherine Beckett, one of the NYPD's first policewoman in the 1920s.

"Someone murdered a school teacher?" Officer Kate Beckett said. "How awful. Do we have any clues?"

Sergeant Roy Montgomery shook his head. Although every other homicide squad in the NYPD was commanded by at least a Lieutenant, Montgomery remained a sergeant because of the color of his skin. That, however, did not prevent him from having the best homicide squad in the city. He looked at his team which included Beckett, whom he was determined to make into the first female detective in the NYPD's history, Detectives Ryan and Esposito and Richard Castle. Castle was a former fighter pilot in the World War whose experiences in France had caused him to lead the life of a playboy. However, having met and married Beckett, he was a much changed man and was as big an asset to the squad as any cop. Plus, he was good friends with the Mayor or New York, Jimmy Walker, known as "Beau James" for his unorthodox and occasionally illegal lifestyle.

Montgomery nodded to Beckett. "We've got a report that a man was seen leaving Miss Alice Sommers apartment. Neighbors identify him as her boyfriend, but we only have his first name, Mike. I'd like you four to canvas the neighborhood to see if you can get an ID on this Mike." He smiled at Kate." Beckett, it would be better if you were in plain clothes."

"Plain clothes?" Castle said. "I don't think she has any of those. Since we've been married, most of her clothes are on the fancy side." He brushed his lips against her cheek, causing her to blush.

"I'm sure I can find something, Sir."

Later, they canvassed the neighborhood. A couple of storeowners remembered seeing Mike, and one even remembered seeing him with Miss Sommers.

That was all they had until the talked to a florist.

"Sure, Mike was a good customer. And that nice Miss Sommers is dead? Dreadful! What's this world coming to?"

'What can you tell us about Mike?" Kate asked.

"He came in here once a month and got a dozen roses for Miss Sommers. Expensive roses, too. He said he wanted the best."

"He spent a lot of money on her?" Castle asked.

"Sure. He was a sharp dresser, too. But conservative, like a banker or a stock broker."

"Do you know where he lives?"

The florist shrugged. "You could ask George, the cab driver. He drove the two of them around a lot."

George wasn't in the mood to be helpful. "Mike? I know a lot of Mikes. But I don't know nothin' about nothin'." George sneered. "So get lost. Huh! Lady cop. Who'da believed it?"

Kate was ready to haul George in, but Castle pulled out a twenty and waved it in front of George. "You sure you don't know where this Mike lives?"

George smiled. "Maybe. Maybe not.'

Castle smiled at Kate. "I'll just bet that if I spread some money around this neighborhood, I could find a lot of people who'd help."

George grabbed at the twenty, but Castle pulled it away too quickly.

"An apartment building on the corner of Houston and 79th. I dropped him off there a number of times." Castle handed him the bill.

Castle pulled his new Pierce Arrow up in front of the building. They checked the mail boxes and found only one Mike. A Michael Granger, apartment 310. They went to the apartment, but got no answer when they knocked. Disheartened, Kate went back to the car with Rick.

"We need a search warrant, but I don't think we have probable cause to get one. All we know is that this Granger is Miss Sommers' boyfriend. We have nothing to connect him to the murder."

Rick opened the car door and started getting out.

"Where are you going?"

"I think I dropped a handkerchief upstairs. I'll be right back."

"Rick, you aren't going to do anything illegal, are you?" Kate demanded.

"Me? Of course not. You just wait here."

Rick got into Granger's apartment easily and found what he had feared he'd find. Mike Granger was former Captain Mike Granger who had taught Rick to stay alive in the air over France and had saved Rick's life a number of times. Granger had gone to France to fight and fly in the Lafayette Escadrille, a French fighter squadron manned by Americans. When the US entered the war, he had transferred to the US Army Air Service. His combat experience had been invaluable for trained, but rookie, pilots like Rick. He searched Granger's apartment and found an address and some numbers. Rick knew where he could find Granger. And he knew he couldn't tell Kate.

"Did you find anything?" Kate demanded when he came back.

"I must have lost my handkerchief elsewhere." Was his only reply

Later that night, Castle snuck out of his house wearing dark clothing and carrying his old 1911A1 Colt. He hoped he wouldn't need it. He flagged down a cab and told the cabbie to take him to Floyd Bennet Field in Brooklyn, the only airport in New York City. Once there, he began to look for the tail number of the aircraft he'd found in Granger's apartment. As he expected, he found it in a darkened hanger well away from any other part of the field.

As he approached the aircraft, he caught a whiff of something and smiled. He knew what Granger was doing. As he approached it, he saw the airplane was a large, twin engine craft, which was natural considering the value of its cargo. He stuck his head inside and found the aircraft was empty, which he also expected.

When he backed out, he was stopped by a gun in his ribs.

"Hello, Rick. Long time, no see." A hand reached around and relieved Rick of his pistol.

Rick slowly turned around to face Mike Granger, who was armed with a Tommy gun. "It's a good idea, Mike. Use an airplane to fly liquor into the US from Canada. From the smell of it, you're flying in the very best Scotch. Probably landing it in some out of the way place in upstate New York to be unloaded and distributed, then fly the plane here. Smart."

Mike shrugged. "Your average Joe has to be satisfied with bathtub gin or some slop made out of alcohol and food coloring. But the people with cash, they want the real McCoy and they'll pay for it. And pay well."

"Did you need the money that badly, Mike? I could have helped you out."

Mike shook his head. "It sounds crazy, but I miss the war. It gave me a sense of purpose, it was exciting and kept me on my toes. Peacetime….Peacetime is boring, Rick."

"Did you kill Alice Sommers?" Rick asked, dreading the answer.

"What? I loved Alice. I'd have never hurt her. But she kept asking questions about where my money came from. I didn't want to tell her, so she followed me and found out on her own. The people I work for didn't believe me when I said that I could keep her quiet. They're not a trusting group, I'm afraid."

Rick felt some hope at last. "Mike, my wife is a cop, she works homicide. Come with me and we'll talk with her and her boss. We'll arrest these guys and make them pay."

Mike laughed. "Rick, are you that naïve? Do you have any idea how many judges, prosecutors and cops these people have on their payroll?"

Rick didn't expect the kick in the stomach that doubled him over, nor the butt of the Tommy gun to his head that knocked him out.

He woke up inside the airplane much later with a pounding head. He staggered out of the aircraft and saw a badly shot up Ford Tudor sedan with a body sprawled to the side of it. He walked slowly over and found Mike dead. He checked the car and found four dead men in the car. The one on the passenger side had a sawn off shotgun that apparently killed Mike Granger.

He walked slowly off to find a pay phone.

That afternoon, the homicide team met in Montgomery's office. "The Brooklyn cops say it was a shootout between gangsters over money they made selling illegal booze. This Granger was the pilot flying in the liquor and was working for "Pretty Boy" Sorenson, the mobster. Granger killed him and three of his torpedoes, but they got him, too. And I'm afraid that if we enlighten the Brooklyn cops, Mr. Castle could get in to more trouble than he already is with me. Now, Castle and Beckett, get out of here before I do something I may not regret."

That night Rick and Kate lay in bed together.

"Don't do that to me, ever again. Don't ever cut me out of a case and don't ever go someplace dangerous without me." Kate said softly, but with determination.

"I won't. I've learned my lesson. But…"

"But?" Kate said, turning to face her husband. "But what?"

"That could have been me. I was lost when I came back from the war. I needed… something. Being a happy go lucky playboy wasn't doing it for me. I needed something else. Luckily I found you."

"Then don't do anything like that. I want to have you always."

"Always."