Fix You

Chapter Eight

"Could it be worse?"

Castle:

She was in danger. I needed to put my body in front of hers. The shot rang out. I ran. It was too late; the blood was already seeping through her clothes and onto my hands. I couldn't think; all I could do was beg her to stay with me. "Kate, I love you. I love you Kate." I looked down and she died in my arms.

I woke up with a start. "Kate!" I cried out, "Kate!" Then I remembered what was going on and where I was. I was in Philadelphia and Kate was safe and alive at home.

I had been gone for two months now and I still didn't have enough evidence to amount to anything. I had read over those files so many times I knew them by heart. I had been reading over the files again when I fell asleep.

I looked over at the clock and saw what time it was. Panicking I jumped off the couch in my hotel room. I had to be at a fundraiser in an hour. From reading the files I saw that the ME that was on Johanna Beckett's case was also on Diane Cavanaugh's, Jennifer Stewart's, and Scott Murray's. I had known that before but I never really connected it. The ME, Sam Barker, had a heart attack in 2005. His brother lived in Philadelphia; so I thought I would come here and see what he knew about his brother. Sam Barker's brother Marvin Barker was a well known senator and was going to be attending the "save the whales" fundraiser; therefore so was I.

I buttoned up my navy dress shirt and tried to find a tie that would match. Alexis usually was the one who helped me get dressed for things like this. Silly, I know, but it was tradition. I finally decided my maroon tie would work and I put it on, followed by my blazer. I was in no mood for a party, I hadn't been since before Kate was shot, but I would do what I had to.

I almost mechanically got into a cab and then out of it again when we got to the fundraiser. I was surrounded by a sea of people yet I had never felt so alone before. I scanned the crowd looking for Marvin Barker, but he couldn't be found. Finally I saw him standing next to an actress I didn't remember the name of that I had once seen in a movie. Making my way over there, I struggled to find my brightest smile. I casually walked past him and waited for him to make the first move.

"Richard Castle," Marvin called out. I smiled to myself: my plan had worked.

"Hello. Mr. Barker isn't it?"

"Call me Marvin. I must say, I am a huge fan. I especially like your Nikki Heat books. I still don't get why you killed off Derrik Storm though."

"I got bored with him," I said for what seemed like the thousandth time, "Nikki is much more interesting."

"That she is. So what is a New York City boy like yourself doing here in Philadelphia?"

"Just book stuff. I found out about this fundraiser and I had to come. My daughter Alexis is a huge whale lover and she'd kill me if I didn't go."

"Ah. You know the Mayor of New York right?"

"Yes."

"Say hi to him for me."

This was just the opening I needed. "You know the mayor?" I asked casually.

""Yeah, we were buddies when I lived in NYC."

Perfect! "Really? You lived in New York City?"

"Yeah. I grew up there. I lived there until my brother died six years ago."

He was playing perfectly to my hand. He just gave me the perfect opening. "Wait your brother died six years ago? Was your brother Sam Barker?"

"Yeah. Did you know him?"