Chapter 435: The Arrival

The seasoned and thick-skinned Richard Castle took less than ten seconds to convince himself that he could delay his manuscript a little longer. He justified it by thinking that he simply didn't have the time right now to finish the second book in the Nikki Heat series. He decided to rely on his thick skin to drag it out for a bit more.

Thinking this, Castle continued his work, pretending to put on a stern face: "You don't need to worry about this. Just eat your breakfast and go to school. I'll handle contacting Gina myself..."

Alexis made a funny face at her father but didn't expose his feigned sternness. She knew that her dad had genuinely been busy lately, without much time to spare for his latest novel. Her earlier reminder was just a kind gesture as his daughter. She had long been used to seeing her father in a constant battle of wits with Gina, his ex-wife and publisher.

While the father-daughter pair were playfully arguing in the kitchen, Beckett walked in, yawning. After Alexis warmly greeted the woman who seemed likely to become her stepmother, she grabbed her half-eaten pancake and headed out the door to school.

Watching Alexis skip out the door, Beckett couldn't help but express her envy to Castle: "Every time I see Alexis, I can't help but wonder how you managed to raise such a well-behaved daughter. She's nothing like you..."

Castle, having finally finished what he was doing, smiled smugly: "That just shows I'm a pretty good dad. You have to remember, I raised Alexis on my own. Her mother, Meredith, was always busy with her work in Hollywood on the West Coast. I had to write novels while playing the role of dad. It wasn't easy raising Alexis by myself..."

Having never been married or a mother, Beckett wisely changed the subject, avoiding a topic she wasn't comfortable with. She took a sip of the coffee Castle had made her and asked, "Based on what you said last night, the fact that Senator William Bracken sent hitmen to track us has already caught the attention of the Democrats. Do you think their representatives will approach us today?"

Castle, now serious, sat down beside Beckett and replied, "If it were me, I'd definitely make a move. The Democrats may have captured Nick Coonan, an important witness, but they lack the local influence in New York to act on the information they've got from him. Verifying Bracken's dirty history requires more power than they have in this traditionally Republican stronghold.

Your involvement is a huge asset to them. Don't forget, you're a precinct captain in the NYPD, holding real authority. Whether it's investigating Bracken's crimes or something else, they don't have a better option than you. Plus, they must be aware of the grudge between you and Bracken by now. The Democrats would be foolish not to use that to their advantage and start a formal offensive against him.

So, I'm sure they'll come looking for you today, trying to pull you into their camp and use your conflict with Bracken to launch their attack."

Beckett nodded, agreeing with Castle's analysis, as her own thoughts were along the same lines. Now, it was just a matter of whether the Democrats would act as she and Castle predicted.

After breakfast, Castle drove Beckett to the Twelfth Precinct. While Beckett went to her office, Castle headed to the break room with Esposito to chat.

"Castle, were those two guys we caught last night really hitmen sent by Senator Bracken to kill Beckett? Why did you guys let their lawyer bail them out without questioning them?" Esposito asked, the question that had been bugging him since last night.

Castle, fiddling with the fancy coffee machine he had donated to the precinct, casually explained, "Those two only followed us for a while without making any aggressive moves. Even though we all know they were sent by Bracken, legally, they haven't committed a crime. Holding them wouldn't do us any good. We're pretty much in open conflict with Senator Bracken now, and things are going to get bloody soon. Don't worry, there'll be plenty of work for you guys. And you and Ryan should be careful too. I'm worried Bracken might go after you to throw us off."

Ryan, who had been quietly listening, couldn't help but exclaim, "I can't believe the man who killed Beckett's mother ten years ago is actually Senator Bracken. I even voted for him when he ran for Senate. I never would've guessed he was hiding something this deep!"

Castle chuckled, "You never really know someone. And in this country, no matter how righteous a politician seems, they're all the same behind closed doors. If you believe what they say, well..."

As the three of them were chatting in the break room, a well-dressed man with an air of importance walked into the precinct. After asking an officer where the captain's office was, he went straight to Beckett's door, knocked, and entered once he got her permission.

Castle noticed the man immediately and had a strong feeling that this was the representative from the Democratic side coming to negotiate with Beckett. However, he couldn't just walk into Beckett's office, so he had to wait until after the meeting to find out what the visit was about.

The man stayed in Beckett's office for less than fifteen minutes before politely excusing himself. As soon as Castle saw him get into the elevator, he rushed into Beckett's office, eager to find out what had happened.

Seeing Beckett deep in thought, Castle couldn't wait and asked, "So, was that guy here to negotiate or recruit you for the Democrats?"

Beckett snapped out of her thoughts and smiled at Castle's eager face: "You guessed right. He was a representative from one of the Democratic bigwigs. They want to team up with us to take down Senator Bracken."

Castle, eager to know more, quickly sat down across from her: "Tell me everything..."

Beckett calmly explained, "It's pretty much what we expected. They want to use my connections within the NYPD to investigate the things Nick Coonan revealed. According to that guy, once they confirm everything, Bracken won't just be worried about running for president; he'll be worried about how many years he'll spend in prison. They're also aware that Bracken ordered Coonan to kill my mother ten years ago. They've promised to fully support my revenge, offering whatever resources we need. Their only demand is speed. They want to hit Bracken fast, before he has time to react."

Castle, however, focused on something else: "Didn't they ask you to join the Democratic Party?"

Beckett, surprised by Castle's seemingly random question, gave him an annoyed look and said, "I'm just a precinct captain in the NYPD. Do you really think I'm qualified to get involved in a party conflict?"

Castle laughed, "I wouldn't be so sure. You're a valuable asset right now. Remember, even with evidence, the Democrats don't have the power to take down Bracken on their own. He's got the entire Republican machine backing him. If they want you to lead the charge, do you think they won't offer you something in return?"

Beckett gave Castle a look, acknowledging his insight: "You're right. He did invite me to join the Democratic Party, but I turned him down for now..."

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