She could not believe it. She is convinced that her boss did this on purpose. Her first solo assignment and she is sent the Twelfth! She knows she won't encounter any problems with the officers, but she also really wanted make a name for herself instead of relying upon her family's connections.
Growing up in a rather eccentric and rambunctious household had given her the skills to deal with just about anything and working for almost two years at the NY Times had only solidified those skills into the confident and competent women she was. So, with head held high, she pinned on her shiny press badge and entered the Precinct. The Sergeant on duty gave her a smile and waved her through. A few minutes later, the doors to the elevator opened and cacophony of sounds from the homicide floor washed over her. Oddly enough, it was almost like coming home. Dodging busy cops and one very obstinate witness on his way to interrogation, she finally reached the Captains door.
"Good morning, Captain. Do you have a moment?"
"Morning, Sweetheart. Come on in." Kate Beckett- Castle, veteran of the Twelfth Precinct waved her daughter in as she hung up the phone.
"Mom," Hanna responded with a frown as she sat in the chair across the desk, "this is an official assignment. Not a social visit. I'm here to learn about the Columbia case."
"Well, then, I can officially say nothing."
"C'mon. You've had this case for a few hours now, and my sources say it is open and shut."
"Your sources, hmm? And just who would that be?"
"I haven't accessed the family grapevine yet, if that's what you're asking." She was beginning to feel more and more irritated with this assignment and her mother now that she was here.
"Oh, Hanna. I'm just teasing you." Sometimes her daughter was a little too much like Kate, a little too serious and intense. "Where's Bob?"
"He is working on another assignment." She tried to say it in a sort of disinterested tone, as though it wasn't significant. But, inside, Hanna was brimming with satisfaction and determination.
"So, this is your first solo?" Kate asked in confirmation, pride in her child's accomplishments filling her entire being. Hanna didn't answer her mother aloud. She simply gave her a small smile and a brief nod. "Oh, Honey! Congratulations." Kate spoke as she stood, and lifted her arms to embrace her daughter. But, Hanna, still wanting to maintain a degree of professionalism, stood just as quickly and took a step back. A brief flash of hurt flared in her mom's eyes before acknowledgement softened her face. In addition to being serious and intense about her work, Hanna also rarely allowed public displays of affection, even from her family. Rick had been right, when she was little, he said the girl was just like Kate, and he was right. "Alright. Back to business, we can celebrate later. I really can't disclose any information on this case." Seeing that her daughter was about to protest, she lifted her hand to stop her. "Because, I have been swamped with paperwork," disgust filled her voice at the word paperwork. "and I haven't had an update from my Detectives yet. Let's see…" Kate's voice trailed off and she shuffled through the papers on her desk, "Evans and Rawlings have this one. You can talk to one of them."
"Alright. Thanks, Captain."
"Dinner at the Old Haunt tonight? To celebrate?"
"Sure Mom."
Out on the floor, Detectives and officers still hurried about their jobs. She took a quick breathe and the marched over to the white murder board she could see set up next to her mom's old desk. Although she had only been five when her mom was made Captain, Hanna could still remembered her dad bringing her and her brother to the Precinct to visit. Her mom would put aside whatever she was working on, lift her up onto her lap and just hold her tightly. After all these years, they were some of her favorite memories.
There were no Detectives at the board or their desks, but they were bound to be back eventually, so she sat down at one and pulled out her tablet to review her notes and the questions she wanted to ask them when they did arrive. She had barely begun when a shadow appeared, covering her screen, and someone cleared their throat loudly behind her. She looked up into the most incredible green eyes she had ever seen.
"Can I help you miss?" He asked. The one thing Hanna had picked up from her dad, well maybe her dad and her mom, was her ability to think on her feet. She always had an answer at the ready. But for the first time in her life, no answer came. It wasn't until his partner spoke that she was able to break whatever spell he had held over her.
"Hanna. What are you doing here?"
"Hello, Detective Evans. It's nice to see you again." She said a she stood to shake hands with the elder man. "I have a few questions about your case."
"Well, Rookie here," he answered with a grin as he clapped his beefy hand to the younger man's shoulder, "will answer any questions you have."
"Thanks, Evans. I needed a good excuse for a coffee break. Those phone records are on my desk." Rawlings responded with a grin of his own as he pointed to the thick stack of papers on his desk and whisked Hanna away to the break room. "So, Miss...?"
"Knight. Hanna Knight. I'm a reporter for the NY Times." Technically her name was Johanna Castle, but she used Knight at work. She had learned long ago that people treat you differently when they know your parents are rich and famous.
"Miss Knight. A pleasure to meet you. I'm Detective Nate Rawlings. Can interest you in a coffee?"
"Expresso, please." Hanna answered. If he felt any surprise at all, he hid it well as he walked over to the counter and made two expressos.
"Well today is your lucky day, because this floor does in fact have an expresso machine." She did not intend to tell him that her father had bought the expensive coffee maker.
"So, what would you like to know?" He asked before taking a small sip of his drink.
"What can you tell me about the murder of a young woman at Columbia early this morning? Who is she? Do you have any suspects yet?" Although he had been polite and professional, any glint of good humor left his eyes immediately to be replaced by some emotion she could not place. He took another sip to compose himself before answering. By then, whatever it had been was gone and the mask of professionalism was firmly back in place.
"The victim was a student there. Her name is Angela Jackson, age 23, she was an art major. We spoke to her roommate Katie Ryan who said that the young woman was having trouble with her boyfriend. We sent a team to bring him in for questioning but he seems to have gone awol. That is all we have at this time."
"Did you say her roommate is Katie Ryan?"
"Yes. She is also an art major." Hanna was struck with indecision. She needed to finish the interview, but her heart cried out for her to call her cousin immediately. Well, biologically the two were not cousins. Katie Ryan was the third daughter of Kevin and Jenny Ryan, best friends to her parents, so of course the children had grown up together. Katie and Hanna were especially close.
"Did she find her? Was she killed in the apartment?" Her voiced quaked slightly a she asked. If Detective Rawlings answered with an affirmative, she would be out of the Precinct and on her way to Katie in the blink of an eye.
"No. She was in class at the time of the murder. Angela was killed in the building, but not in her apartment. The apartment manager was the one to actually find the girl and call it in." Intense relief flooded Hanna.
"Do you have any suspects besides her boyfriend?"
"He is not a suspect at this time; he is just wanted for questioning."
"Come now, Detective, that's pretty much the same thing." Hanna tried to persuade him to give a more definitive answer, but Rawlings was immovable.
"Do you have any other questions, Miss Knight?"
"No. Thank you for your time, Detective." She offered her hand. Her parents had taught her, and then her sense of journalist professionalism had further this lesson, that you shook hands at the beginning and end of an interview. Rawlings, however, rather than letting go at the end, held on.
"Would you like to have drinks with me tonight?" His question, while not at all opposed, was a complete surprise.
"Sure." She replied. "Do you know the Old Haunt?" Since her dad had bought it way back when he had first begun shadowing then Detective Kate Beckett, it had become a favorite hangout of the Twelfth. Rawlings, being new to the Precinct had yet to visit the place, but it would have been impossible to work at the Twelfth without hearing of it.
"Yes. Meet you there at 8 o'clock?
"It's a date." Hanna Castle retracted her hand, gathered her coat and bag and left.