After making the call, Castle found himself in a state of boredom once again. He had already submitted his manuscript to the publisher, and Beckett was swamped with paperwork for the Cameron Talbot case. If he wandered over to the precinct and Beckett saw him loafing around, she'd definitely hold it against him! So, where could he spend his time today?
Should he continue his plan from yesterday and visit Abraham's antique shop to chat with the old Jewish man, or should he find something else to do?
Castle paced around his living room like someone suffering from chronic indecisiveness, unsure of where to kill time when everyone else was busy.
Right, he remembered an important task he had thought of yesterday: applying for a concealed carry permit. Considering the threat of Vincent and his hired thugs, he needed to be prepared. If he didn't take advantage of this calm period to apply for the permit, he might end up in trouble if confronted by an assassin and unable to defend himself because he lacked the necessary documentation.
With a newfound sense of purpose, Castle grabbed his car keys and headed out the door, driving straight to City Hall. He planned to ask his mayor friend to expedite the process of obtaining a concealed carry permit.
However, when Castle eagerly arrived at the mayor's office, he was met with disappointment. The mayor, looking apologetic, explained that he couldn't help Castle with the permit. Such permits were issued by the NYPD, and given Castle's close ties with the police and his ongoing novel promoting the NYPD's positive image, getting the permit shouldn't be difficult.
Realizing his mistake, Castle temporarily set aside his plan to visit the NYPD. After chatting with the mayor for a while, he hurriedly drove to NYPD headquarters.
The mayor was indeed helpful. Although he couldn't directly issue the permit, he called the NYPD chief to explain Castle's situation. When Castle arrived at the NYPD headquarters, the chief had already sent someone to greet him.
Castle then enjoyed the VIP treatment. The NYPD chief, who already had a favorable impression of Castle for his efforts in promoting the police, was more than happy to expedite the process, especially after the mayor's call. Within half an hour, Castle had a freshly issued concealed carry permit in his hands.
Castle, understanding the importance of reciprocating, promised to continue writing novels featuring Detective Beckett if the NYPD needed it. This would not only please the police, who wanted to promote a positive image, but also give Castle an excuse to stay close to Beckett.
Building a good relationship with the NYPD chief was essential. The NYPD, established in 1845, is the oldest police department in the US and the largest in New York, with seventy-seven precincts, twelve transit districts, and nine housing police service areas, totaling about sixty thousand members (with approximately thirty-six thousand officers).
With a good rapport with the NYPD chief, Castle could feel secure in New York. Any threat from Vincent or his hired assassins would be negligible, especially with the backing of the NYPD and his new concealed carry permit. The NYPD chief also assured Castle of the support of over thirty-six thousand officers, allowing him to continue his collaboration with Beckett at the Twelfth Precinct.
Feeling triumphant, Castle left NYPD headquarters, reveling in the perks of success. Within half an hour, he had obtained the most challenging concealed carry permit in the US, without even paying the application fee, thanks to the NYPD chief and his mayor friend's call.
Despite his newfound freedom to carry a gun in New York, Castle found his excitement waning. Cursing himself for being difficult to please, he shook off these strange thoughts and drove to Abraham's shop to chat with the old man and check in on Dr. Henry Morgan and Detective Jo Martinez's ongoing saga.
Castle received a warm welcome from Abraham, who was equally bored and delighted to see Castle.
"Rick, what brings you here?" Abraham stood up excitedly, giving Castle a big hug.
"Abraham, I'm just here to chat. I have nothing else to do lately. Is Henry at work?"
Castle hugged Abraham back and looked around for Henry.
"Don't mention Henry. He's been working on a tricky case with Detective Jo Martinez. They've been out gathering clues for the past few days. I don't get it. He's just a medical examiner, so why is he suddenly so interested in investigating cases?"
Abraham grumbled about his foster father.
Castle had a different perspective: "Abraham, you're wrong. Henry might not be interested in solving cases. He might be interested in someone, just like me."
Both men laughed heartily. Abraham laughed so hard he nearly cried. "You're right, Rick. It seems Henry is one of those who say no but mean yes. He's probably infatuated with Jo Martinez, just like you are with Beckett, always following her around in the name of helping with cases...hahaha..."
Castle didn't mind Abraham's teasing. Instead, he eagerly inquired about the progress between Henry and Jo. Unfortunately, Abraham didn't have any useful information. Henry and Jo had been working together on cases, but there hadn't been much development in their relationship.
"Abraham, this won't do. We need to find a way to bring Henry and Jo closer together. If they keep holding back, when will we see Henry, this seemingly reserved guy, win over Jo?"
Ever the troublemaker, Castle started plotting with Abraham to speed up Henry and Jo's romance.
Abraham, catching Castle's mischievous look, chuckled. "Rick, do you have any good ideas? Should we drug them?"
Hearing this, Castle knew Abraham was a kindred spirit, equally eager for drama.
After careful consideration, Castle replied, "I don't think drugging Henry is a good idea. Don't forget, his physiology is unique. If he finds out we drugged him and Jo, are you ready to face his wrath?"
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