"Depends on how fast you can ready the SWAT guys," he says dryly (but maybe not entirely jokingly).

Castle brings the phone back to his ear. "All right, I'm on my way. Don't let her move the furniture and if things start to get rough, find a doorway or move to a central, windowless room." Disaster preparedness is something that the Castles got used to, especially when Hurricane Martha made a stormy appearance. "Be there in a jiff."

He flashes Beckett a tight, apologetic look. "I'm sorry, but if I don't go, Alexis is probably gonna' get inducted into some kind of theatrical society and we were really hoping that she'd get into an Ivy League at some point, so." He works his arms through the sleeves of his coat. 'Looks at her with an absolutely mournful expression.

"Until tomorrow?"