Beckett was drying her damp hair when the news piqued her curiosity. Intrigued, she left her hair unfinished and walked to the bed, eagerly waiting for Castle to continue.
Castle, ever the gossip, straightened up with excitement and began recounting, "According to Abraham, Henry's been interested in Joe for a while but kept it hidden. Back then, since they worked together in the NYPD, Henry didn't want to give people a reason to talk. But now that Joe's transferred, he's finally free to pursue her."
Beckett, who had always admired Officer Joe Martinez—a policewoman quite similar to herself—was delighted to hear about this. She was also familiar with Dr. Henry Morgan's reputation, thanks in part to her close friend Renee, who happened to be one of his biggest fans. "So now that Martinez is with the FBI, is Henry going to follow her there?"
Castle shook his head with a smile. "No way. Henry only stayed professional around Joe because they worked together. Now that Joe's with the Feds, he has no reason to move agencies. Besides, he's a forensic expert; the FBI doesn't have enough cases for him to analyze anyway. Henry's staying put at the Chief Medical Examiner's office in New York."
As they chatted, Beckett remembered something. "Oh, right. This afternoon, Deputy Chief Montgomery called to say that since my precinct started using drones for patrols, our response efficiency has increased so much that the department wants to buy a fleet of them. They're planning to purchase six drones to cover the entire New York City area. Given the battery life of our current model, do you think six will be enough?"
Castle was surprised, having not expected the NYPD to embrace the drones after observing Beckett's unit's success. Using drones for police patrols? That was cutting-edge—no other police department had tried that globally.
"Are they planning to buy from Northrop Grumman?" Castle asked.
"Yes, only your model can hover in place. Other models, like the Global Hawk, Reaper, and Predator, can circle but can't hover like a helicopter. The department's been impressed by what our precinct's drone unit can do, but don't you think Northrop Grumman's drones are a bit too large? We don't need drones for long-range flights; just enough to keep three of them airborne at any time would be sufficient. Could they build a smaller version for us?"
Castle thought for a moment. "I'm not sure, but I can ask Northrop Grumman if they'd consider making a smaller, non-combat version specifically for police use. It's practically an untapped market. They might be interested."
"One thing to consider, though," he continued. "After the recent scandal where the CIA was caught eavesdropping, the public is very sensitive about privacy. Won't people, or even the City Council, object to police drones patrolling the skies?"
Beckett chuckled. "Our drones don't hover right next to buildings. They're at 1,000 to 1,500 meters—higher than helicopters. Most people don't even notice them! And this proposal has support from both the Mayor and City Council members. In fact, New York's Senate races are heating up, and senators want to see crime rates drop, so why would they oppose this?"
Her words reminded Castle of the upcoming Senate elections in New York, where both seats were open, and Democrats and Republicans were fighting fiercely. Ironically, despite New York's long-standing support for the Republican Party, a Democrat candidate named Rutledge, backed by Castle's friend Mozzie, had taken the lead. With Castle and Gianna's substantial campaign contributions and Mozzie's insider knowledge, Rutledge's candidacy was thriving, much to the Republicans' frustration.
If things went as expected, New York could soon gain a Democratic senator, a scenario that had the Republican Party scrambling. Recently, Mozzie had even asked Castle for help securing protection for Rutledge to prevent any "accidents" before he could assume office. Castle had his security firm's top agent, Bob Lee Swagger, temporarily assigned to Rutledge's security detail under the guise of a bodyguard. Swagger even left his dog, Sam, with Castle's head of security, Big Ivan, where Sam had quickly settled in.
Castle had nearly forgotten about his sponsorship of one of New York's Senate candidates until Beckett mentioned it. This realization reminded him just how laid-back he'd become.
The next morning, Castle eagerly contacted Northrop Grumman's senior VP to explore the police department's interest in purchasing patrol drones. Hearing that the NYPD wanted to adopt drones for patrols, the VP quickly grasped the potential. Fixed-wing drones had rarely appealed to law enforcement due to their inability to hover in place. But Castle's model, with its dual rotors embedded in the wings, allowed vertical takeoff and hovering, a feature the military had praised. Now, the NYPD wanted that capability.
For Northrop Grumman, it was a huge opportunity. No city police force had ever considered drones for patrols because military drones were usually fixed-wing, resembling regular planes with extended range and loiter time but lacking the ability to hover. If the NYPD proceeded with a large-scale purchase, other cities might follow suit.
Given the NYPD's wealth and influence, cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Houston would likely adopt similar technology if New York saw positive results. And that meant Northrop Grumman could secure exclusive contracts with police departments across the U.S.
Castle had suggested scaling down the drone to fit the police's needs, and as its designer, he was confident it was feasible. The VP wasted no time, bringing Castle's proposal to the board. Though these drones weren't military exports but for internal security, New York's status as one of the nation's leading cities ensured Congress wouldn't oppose a police drone purchase.
The VP couldn't hide his excitement—Castle's idea had just opened a new, potentially enormous market for Northrop Grumman.
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