The Haunted Castle

Having already persuaded Alexis and Clair to join in his Halloween plans, Castle gets to work on the Homicide team, "It'll be brilliant! I've always wanted to do the Ghost Tour. But Alexis was too scared. So, what do you think? My treat; costume mandatory. Lanie is already on board. We can meet at my place and walk to the parade. We'll exit at Washington Square South and have dinner at Vol de Nuit. They have good food and Chimay Blue on tap. From there it's only a few minutes' walk to the start of the tour, which includes such classics as Washington Square Park, Fire Patrol Station No. 2, and a pilgrimage to the façade of the very place Edgar Allan Poe was living when he wrote The Raven and The Cask of Amontillado."

The guys have already given a thumbs-up. But Beckett says, "I don't know, Castle. Halloween is a pretty busy time for cops."

"Sure, for Uniformed. But not for you." Realizing what might make her hesitate, he adds, "Of course, significant others are welcome too."

"Thanks, Castle. But he's on the 3pm-11pm shift for October. So he can't make it."

Castle smiles, and says, "All the more reason. You know that you'll just end up going over cold case files, and eating whatever aging takeout remnants currently haunt your refrigerator. Come on, Beckett. See the city when it's not taped off."

Smiling at his scarily accurate estimate of her evenings alone, Beckett says, "Ok, Castle. Thanks. Sounds like fun."

After submitting his first draft, Castle is now faced with the tedious process of rewriting and proofreading, in cooperation with his editor. At the same time, he's already planning his next novel. With so much on his mind, he wakes up ridiculously early, and can't get back to sleep. After working for a couple of hours, his brain is fried, so he flees the confines of his office for a walk. The brisk October air clears his head, and his imagination runs wild with new ideas.

It's barely dawn, and he's walking past Luther Gulick playground, when something inside the fence catches his eye. It's just a black garbage bag, fluttering in the breeze. A few steps later he realizes that the garbage bag has ears. Finally receiving the correct message from his eyes, he can now clearly see a black pit-bull terrier, cowering against the interior fence of a small, oval enclosure inside the playground.

There's no one about. After walking around the perimeter, looking for a way in, Castle vaults the fence and warily approaches the animal. He doesn't get within ten feet, when a low, rumbling growl dissuades him from getting any closer. Even from that distance, he can see that the dog is severely injured. There are several blood stains in the middle of the oval, and Castle knows that he's looking at the scene of a dog fight.

The dog is still growling. So Castle crouches down and turns partly away, in an effort to make himself less threatening. The growling stops, though the trembling continues, and the animal won't take his eyes of him. Whilst saying, "Easy, buddy; just getting you some help." Castle calls the front desk at the precinct and explains the situation.

So long as he doesn't move, the dog settles down. While he waits for officers and Animal Control, Castle keeps up a running monologue of the ideas he's come up with for his next novel. After about fifteen minutes, the dog has mostly stopped trembling. Unfortunately, Castle is getting a cramp in one leg, and needs to stretch it out. Still chatting, in what he hopes is a calming monotone, he slowly stands up and starts to move away, in case the animal feels threatened again. The dog's ears perk up at the movement, and he limps over to Castle's side, as if he's been commanded to heel.

Castle says, "Oh, so you've come to your senses, have you?" And then stretches his legs, before removing his jacket and sitting down against the fence. When he pats the ground beside him, the dog struggles to his side and flops down, half on Castle's legs. Already mourning the loss of his favorite jacket, Castle wraps the animal to keep it warm.

Half an hour has passed, and Castle is the one trembling; from cold. There's some foot traffic now. A few people ignore him. One woman looks scared, and crosses to the other pavement. But a man walking by spots them and asks, "You 'right?"

"I'm fine. The dog's been in a fight. I'm just waiting for NYPD."

The man chuckles, and says, "Then you'll be waiting a while. It's Occupy Wall Street today, so I doubt they'll be in a hurry to check out an injured dog."

Cursing himself, for forgetting what day it is, Castle thanks him and calls Beckett. She's there within fifteen minutes. Even as she's getting out of the car, the dog barks at her. Castle risks putting one hand over his muzzle, to quiet him, and says, "Thanks for this. I called the precinct, but I guess they're busy, and Animal Control can't be here inside an hour. If I wait that long, I'll be frozen to the ground."

As she approaches the fence, the dog growls, but hushes at the sound of Castle's voice. Beckett stops and says, "No problem. I was just leaving the apartment when you called. But what on earth are you doing here on foot?"

"I just needed a walk, and ended up here. Looks like there was a dogfight here last night and this guy lost. I think he's been shot too."

Beckett can hear Castle's teeth chattering, so wastes no more time, and opens the back door of the car. Castle wills his frozen legs to move, and stands up with the dog in his arms, making sure it's wrapped in the jacket. The animal is barely conscious now, and offers no resistance. So he's able to pass it over the fence, to Beckett. She puts the dog on the back seat, and goes to the trunk. Castle is still shivering with cold, as he climbs in next to the dog. Beckett sees the blood all over him and says, "Please tell me none of that is yours."

Looking at his sweater and jeans, he says, "No. It's all from him…and his opponent, I guess."

When Beckett passes him a blanket, he goes to put it on the dog. Beckett says, "For crying out loud, Castle; you're turning blue. Keep the blanket for yourself."

"Oh, ok. Thanks."

Satisfied that they're both comfortable, Beckett takes a few moments to put police tape across the gate, just as a squad car finally arrives. She quickly explains the situation, and leaves them to take care of the scene, while she heads for the nearest animal hospital. Worried at Castle's subdued demeanor, Beckett waits until she's sure he isn't suffering from hypothermia, and then drives to work.

On the way to the precinct, Beckett is called out to a crime scene; a triple-murder and suicide in SoHo. Once there, she sees that Lanie and the guys have beaten her to it. It's an upmarket loft apartment. From the outside it reminds her somewhat of Castle's place. But one step inside dispels that thought. Where Castle's apartment is warm, even inviting, this one feels cold…almost clinical. There's way too much white for her taste. Ryan and Esposito are in the living room, comparing notes. Beckett can see a bloody, battered woman on the floor in the kitchen, partly concealed by the counter. And the body of a man, hanging from the balcony railing by a belt. At Esposito's conspicuous glance at his watch, she says, "Castle felt compelled to rescue a dog."

Ryan surmises, "So you felt compelled to rescue Castle?"

"Something like that. What have you got?"

Ryan explains, "Looks like Simon Ledbetter beat his wife to death with his fists, and then smothered their two children, Molly; 8 and Gregory; 10 as they slept, before hanging himself. A colleague of Mrs. Ledbetter called police early this morning, because she missed a dinner appointment with a client last night and hadn't called to explain. They knew that the couple had been having problems, so were worried that something bad had happened to her…though they probably weren't imagining anything as bad as this."

Esposito offers background, "They're both lawyers. Like a lot of people, they're in financial difficulty. So much so that the apartment is for sale. Also, the couple were in the final stages of a divorce. They've been sharing the home, but not a bed, for a while now. Looks like Mr. Ledbetter was on a few different medications; Lanie says they're for depression and anxiety. No witnesses so far. If you want to do your own walk-through, we can go talk to the doctor and the colleague?"

"Yeah, sounds good. Thanks." Even as the guys are leaving, Beckett moves to examine the body in the kitchen. Her first thought is that, if Ledbetter did this, he must have been in an explosive rage. The women's face is pulp, and a cursory examination shows that she was kicked in the head and stomach once on the floor. There's a half-empty cup on the counter, with coffee spilled around it. As if it was put down in a hurry, or with force. Lipstick on the rim suggests that it was Mrs. Ledbetter's. Trying to imagine what went down, Beckett can almost see the couple arguing, and pictures the wife slamming the cup down, to emphasize a point. She sees the TV remote on the counter, and asks a nearby officer, "Was the TV on when you got here?"

"Yeah; loud."

So Beckett knows that one of them cared enough about their children, to mask the argument. She heads upstairs to get a better view of Mr. Ledbetter's body. From that vantage point, he would have had a clear view of his wife's battered body. Beckett asks the same officer, "Suicide note?"

"Not so far."

"Ok, thanks."

Beckett enters the nearest bedroom. Lanie is here, with her back turned, and appears to wipe her eyes, before standing up to rattle off, "Looks like the children were both smothered with a spare pillow. The wife you've already seen, I'm sure. So you know how she died. There are bruises and cuts on the husband's hands, consistent with him being the one who beat her. He managed to throw himself off the balcony with enough force to snap his neck. So he died quickest of all. I doubt there's going to be any surprises from the autopsies, but I'll let you know."

"Hey, Lanie. It's just me. Relax."

It's enough for Lanie to calm herself with one, trembling breath and ask, "How can people do this to each other?"

"I don't know. But I have to believe that everything we find out about cases like this makes it less likely to happen in the future."

Lanie nods her head, and says, "I hope you're right, Kate. I hope you're right."

"You want to hand this one off to someone else?"

Rallying, Lanie says, "Nope. I'm good now, thanks. I'll go arrange transportation." As Lanie leaves the room, she pats Beckett's shoulder in gratitude.

Once she's gone, Beckett takes a closer look at the body. It's the daughter, Molly. She could be sleeping, except for the purple discoloration on her face, indicating cyanosis. And the white pressure marks around her mouth and face that show where her killer applied pressure, to keep her from breathing. There's no sign of a struggle from the child, and Beckett wonders if she was sedated first. It would turn her rage theory on its head, but make the whole case no less tragic.

Beckett can hear Castle greeting officers below and goes to meet him, thinking that she'd like a break before examining the body of another child. He's getting an update from the officer. She's not surprised to see that he's changed his clothes and had a shower. The officer sees her on the stairs, and nods in her direction, saying, "Here she is now."

Castle looks pleased to see her and walks over, saying, "Hey. I called the precinct, and they told me where you were."

"How's the dog?"

"He was in surgery when I left. Other than giving them my credit card number, there's nothing I could do. So I thought you might find a use for me."

"Not much of a mystery for you, Castle. But you're welcome to assist. I was just about to check out the last victim." Beckett heads back up the stairs, with Castle in tow. Just before they get to the room, she warns him, "It's a ten year old boy." She senses his quick glance in her direction, but he makes no comment.

This scene is less peaceful than the other bedroom. The pillow used to smother Gregory is still covering his head. Beckett can see spots of blood, presumably from Ledbetter's hands, on the edges and middle of the pillow. Once again, there doesn't seem to be any sign that the child woke up during the attack; a dubious blessing. Knowing that Lanie and Crime Scene have already been here, Beckett puts on one disposable glove before gently lifting the pillow from his face. There's the familiar purpling on his face and neck, with similar pressure marks around his nose, mouth and forehead. She replaces the pillow, and turns the glove inside out before placing it in a pocket.

Looking around the room, she learns that Gregory Ledbetter was a fan of Spiderman, baseball, soccer and horses. Open school books are on his desk, as if he wasn't quite finished his homework. Curious, she walks over to see what he was working on, and silently reads that some of his Favorite Things are, "Playing soccer with my Dad, my horse Blaze and when my Mom irons my shirt in the morning, cos it's warm when I put it on."

Castle can't see what Beckett is reading. But he can see the effect it has on her, when her shoulders sag, and she starts trembling with the effort of maintaining her composure. Mindful of not overstepping their professional or personal boundaries, he takes a few steps closer and just says, "Kate?"

As if the word unlocks all her barriers, she turns to him for comfort. He holds her, for what seems a long time, but is probably only a matter of seconds. Beckett is the one to back out of the embrace, saying, "Thanks, I needed that."

"Me too." Then he smiles and says, "Looks like you had a use for me after all."

Also now able to smile, Beckett says, "Of course, if you tell anyone about…"

"I know, I know. You'll have to kill me. Understood."

Still smiling, she says, "You seem better. I was worried, when you didn't make a single wise-crack this morning."

He shrugs and says, "Not a very funny morning."

Later that day, Lanie confirms that the children were both drugged, with some of Mr. Ledbetter's prescription sedatives. So, if he'd lived, the charge would be premeditated murder. By shift's-end Friday they've discovered that he'd sent letters to colleagues and friends, detailing his wishes, in the event of his death. And he'd recently drawn up a will. Several friends, colleagues and neighbors noticed a change in his personality. But no one thought to do anything about it. Beckett is pondering how this could be. And Castle says, "Well, we've got the whole picture. Maybe everyone who knew him only had a scrap of information. Not enough to worry about, by itself, but terrifying when you put them all together."

Ryan says, "Kind of like my family."

He receives kudos for this crack, and then Castle says, "Ok. I'll see you Monday morning. Remember; be at my place by 6:30pm and we'll walk to the parade from there. And pray for no murders over the weekend, so we can finish in time to get into costume." Seeing the panic on Beckett's face, he says, "You forgot, didn't you?"

Obviously lying, she says, "No. It's all under control."

He smiles and says, "Well, if you need any suggestions, I'll be happy to help out."

"Goodnight, Castle."

With only three nights to go until Halloween, Beckett knows that there's no point trolling the costume shops, or she'll end up going as Betty Boop. After giving it some thought, she calls Clair, and says, "Hey, I forgot to get a costume. I've got an idea, and was wondering if I could borrow that long, leather coat you wore the other night?"

"Sure. It'll be a few inches short on you. But it should fit. I'm working tomorrow. But you can pick it up Sunday afternoon, ok?"

"That'd be great, thanks. You're a lifesaver."

And then Clair says, "I'm glad you called, actually. I'm dropping out of the poker game."

"Oh, ok. Too busy?"

"Not exactly." Clair is quiet for a second, and then says, "I don't mind telling you why. But it's one of those things you'd probably rather I kept to myself."

So Beckett guesses, and says, "You mean the fact that he glances at me, when he's bluffing?"

Not really surprised that Beckett has noticed, she says, "Yeah. I thought that I'd be ok with it. Whatever it is you two have, it's not evident when he's alone with me. Plus, I'm almost 33 years old and been married twice. So I'm not looking for the white picket fence and matching Labradors. But, seeing him look at you for permission…I think that I'd prefer it if you were sleeping with him."

"I'm sorry."

"Not your fault. Not his either. I'll see you on Sunday."

"Wait, Clair. Have you considered the fact that there might come a day, when he glances at you instead of me?"

"I don't think so, Kate. But thanks for saying it."

"But it's possible. And wouldn't you want to be around for that? Besides, I think you're mistaken, about his motives. I don't think he's asking for permission. I think he does it, because bluffing is a form of lying, and his subconscious knows to be terrified of the consequences."

Clair laughs, and says, "I hadn't considered that. You might be right. Thanks, Kate. I'll see you Sunday."

"Actually, you might be able to help me with something else?"

"What is it?"

"You're no doubt aware that Castle and I have an ongoing prank war?"

Clair laughs and says, "Yeah. I heard about the note. How did you get him back?"

"That's just it. I can't make myself do it anymore…not since he was shot. I've literally felt his life pumping out of his body. Now, every time I try to think of a suitable revenge, I see that image and just can't do it. But I don't want to stop the game. It's the most useful thing he's ever done for me. Sometimes he makes me so angry that I forget about almost everything else. And I have a lot that I need to forget." She smiles and adds, "Besides, I owe him."

"You want me to help you torture Rick? Whilst that does sound like fun, wouldn't it kind of put me in the firing line?"

"He's never done that with you? I'd assumed it was standard operating procedure."

"No. With me, it was an unrelenting, gentle kindness…followed by an equally unrelenting and gentle seduction." She's smiling, as she concludes, "Followed by none of your business."

"Really don't want to know. Well, can you help me out? You're the only other person who knows him well enough to punish him properly."

"It would be my pleasure."

Thankfully, Castle gets his wish and there are no fresh murders to investigate on Monday morning. Despite that, it's obvious that something is bothering him. Esposito finally asks, "What's wrong, bro. Did the dog not make it?"

"No, he's going to be fine, though he's aggressive towards any man except me. They'll assess him, when he's recovered. But they've prepared me for bad news. I've tried several shelters, and they're even less keen to take on a pit-bull with aggression issues. So it would appear that I now own a dog."

"So, what's bothering you? Last time I saw you this upset, was when Beckett tricked you into thinking you were going bald."

Ryan laughs and mimics Castle's voice, "Does this look like a normal amount of hair, to find in your shower?"

Castle frowns and says, "Still not funny." And then continues, "No, it's…Clair and I were…together on Saturday night, and she said I love you."

Esposito says, "Oh; the dreaded "L" word. I can see how that might bother you."

Castle grimaces, and says, "No. She said I love you, Bert."

The guys are stunned into silence. After several seconds, it's Beckett that finally breaks the quiet, "Castle?"

"I know; it's bad, right?"

With an immense smile, she says, "No, Castle. Now we're even."

She can see the moment, when he knows that he's been played. And then the dawning realization that Clair must have cooperated, and he says, "No. You didn't…she wouldn't…Oh my God. Women are evil!" The guys have worked it out and are nearly falling of their chairs laughing. Beckett is smiling and keeping her distance, just in case Castle resorts to violence. He's standing now, and continues his rant, "This is…I can't even describe how much this violates any trust we have…we had. You're both about to endure a shit-storm such as has never been seen in the history of practical jokedom." Grabbing his jacket, he leaves, saying, "Don't bother showing up tonight, Beckett. You're uninvited."

The laughter continues for a while after he's gone. The guys congratulate Beckett on her coup. Esposito wipes tears of laughter from his eyes and says, "Jokedom?"

Of course, Castle has calmed down by the time people start showing up to his apartment. Though he still occasionally glares at Clair, and shakes his head. She's unafraid, and just laughs at his efforts to intimidate her. The fact that she's dressed in a skin-tight, black jumpsuit, with glowing white piping is certainly helping him forgive her.

Alexis has been very quiet about her costume, and comes down the stairs as Daphne, from Scooby Doo. She looks to Castle for approval, and he says, "Perfect."

Alexis spies Clair, and exclaims, "Quorra, right? You look amazing!"

"Thanks. You look adorable…is adorable ok?"

Alexis smiles and says, "Tonight it is." Castle's hair is uncharacteristically scruffy. He's wearing a baggy, corduroy suit, white bow tie and scarf, a black Trilby hat, fake moustache, round spectacles and carrying a walking cane.

Confused, Alexis asks, "Dad, who are you meant to be?"

Proud of himself, he says, "I'm Alexander Woollcott. He was a famous critic, known for his caustic wit. He's also the man who said, "All the things I really like to do are either immoral, illegal or fattening."

Alexis laughs and says, "Well, then it's perfect."

Esposito and Lanie arrive next; he as a Mexican Bandito, she as Catwoman. After recovering from Lanie's costume, Castle quips, to Esposito, "Considering a change of career?"

"Maybe." Gesturing to Castle's outfit, he asks, "What's this?" So Castle has to explain again.

Ryan and Jenny show up soon after, as Austin Powers and Felicity Shagwell. And Castle explains yet again.

They're waiting for Beckett, when they hear the throaty roar of a motorbike outside. Clair says, "That'll be Kate. Let's go."

Beckett is Trinity, from The Matrix, complete with matching Glock pistols on her hips and a borrowed, black Ducati. Beckett doesn't get off the motorbike, but hands Clair a spare helmet.

Castle's brain is having trouble working, but he manages, "You can't just ride in the parade."

Clair smiles and says, "You're not the only person with contacts at City Hall, Rick. I got a permit today. We'll meet you at the line-up area." Clair puts on the helmet and climbs on the back of the bike. And then they're gone.

Beckett sees something in one of the mirrors and motions for Clair to look back. She can see Castle standing on the sidewalk, with his mouth open, apparently in shock and says, "Oh dear. I think you broke him."

Ryan, Jenny and Alexis have walked off, but Castle is still standing, slack-jawed when the camera flash of a phone snaps him out of it. Esposito is chuckling and showing the picture to Lanie. After playing keepings-off with Castle for a while, he lets him see it. Even allowing for his costume, it really doesn't look like him and he asks, "Is that some sort of app?"

"No. That's the moment just after you saw your girlfriend and your best friend ride off on a motorbike together, and then your mind went to the nasty place."

Realizing how much trouble that could get him into, Castle grabs for the phone again. But Esposito is way too quick for him. They start heading to the Parade, and Esposito says, "You know, I think this could be my new contact picture for you."

But Esposito doesn't torture him for very long, and shows Castle the photo being deleted. Relieved, Castle says, "You know you're my best friend too, right?"

"Oh yeah, of course. Beckett is just your best friend with boo…" Remembering that they're walking with Lanie, he concludes, "…brains." But Lanie hits him anyway.

Of course, the start of the parade is delayed. But after a phone call from Castle, they still have a table waiting for them at the restaurant. Beckett rides the motorbike back to Castle's apartment, and rejoins them before the main course arrives. After too much food, and almost enough Belgian beer, they walk to Washington Square Park for the ghost tour.

Castle can't help but remember the last time he was in this area, and wonders if the team is also thinking about the young woman who was murdered just a block away. If they do recall it, they don't let it ruin their evening, and are enthusiastic about seeing some of the alleged haunted places around the park. They encounter many ghouls, ghosts and goblins on the way. And Castle is reminded why Halloween is his favorite holiday.

Their tour guide is in Victorian costume, and using a storm lantern to light their way; an excellent beginning. He's good at his job. They haven't even left the park, and he's somewhere between "used to be an Indian burial ground" and "people came here on a Sunday, to watch criminals hang from this very tree", when Castle feels a hand take his. It's Alexis, so he squeezes her hand to reassure her, and returns his attention to their guide.

By the time the guide is done talking about the 15 000 bodies that are still buried under the park, and the fact that dogs used to dig up shallow paupers' graves for the bones, Alexis is clutching Castle's arm, and Clair has commandeered his other hand. He's not surprised by Alexis' behavior, as she's always preferred gory to spooky. But he's mystified how this could bother Clair, given what she's been through. And, naturally, he wonders if he can use this information to pay her back.

Sadly, the tour finishes without incident; they don't see the Roosevelt's dog Fala, or hear the mysterious rapping at the Edgar Allan Poe house. But they have a good time, and Castle tips the guide accordingly. Everyone agrees that they've still got 15-20 minutes walking left in them, so they leisurely make their way back to Castle's apartment for coffee.

They're at the corner of Broadway and Spring St, when Beckett sees something in the gutter. Realizing what it looks like she says, "Really, Castle; a fake femur? Is that the best you could come up with?"

Seeing what she's looking at, he says, "Not me. I know the last prank was a little last-minute, but only because I couldn't walk very far. This time I promise that you will learn to beware the wrath of a patient adversary. Besides, that's just lame."

Lanie is taking a closer look, notices the remnants of flesh and tendons, then says, "Uh, it might be time to decide who's staying, and who's waiting for CSU."

Beckett says, "No. Not really?"

"I'm afraid so."

Beckett accuses Castle, "This is what comes of leaving my apartment on a Monday night!"

Smiling and putting up his hands in defense, he says, "Hey, no way this is my fault. But it does have a certain poetic justice to it." Taking Clair and Alexis by the hand, he heads for home, saying, "The offer of coffee still stands."

Lanie and the guys look at Beckett, for her decision. She's obviously not happy, but says, "Go! I'll see you tomorrow." She's already calling it in, as they offer lavish thanks and leave her to it. They've only gone a few steps when Castle says, a little louder than is necessary, "Well, I think this may be the best Halloween ever!"

Knowing that tomorrow will be a busy day, Castle's friends don't linger very long. He's barely had time to remove his fake moustache, before they start saying their goodbyes. After Alexis has gone to bed, only Clair remains and she says, "You're not really going to leave her out there, are you?"

"Of course not. But it won't hurt her to stay out in the cold a little while. I'll take her coffee and a blanket, but I won't be long. Would you like to stay?"

She smiles and says, "Tempting, but no. For some reason I find it difficult to get going, if I wake up next to you."

Smiling at the real reason, he says, "It's the Egyptian cotton sheets. They're hard to resist."

Also smiling, she says, "That must be it. I'll see you tomorrow night, if you don't get busy."

After saying goodnight to Clair, he fills a thermos with coffee, and stows a few things in a backpack, before putting on a coat and walking the few minutes to the crime scene. Beckett is still waiting by herself. She's huddled in a doorway, trying to keep warm. She looks surprised and delighted to see him. He hands her the thermos and blanket and says, "You didn't really think I'd leave you to freeze to death, after you rescued me from the same fate did you?"

"Actually, I kind of did. Sorry."

"That's ok. I'll take it as a compliment that you found my performance so convincing." Opening the backpack, he explains the contents, "I figured that, with it being Halloween, you might be here a while. So I got candy and other snacks, a change of clothes big enough to go over what you're wearing, flashlight, digital camera with a blank SD card, notepad and pencil, rubber gloves, and a wide-necked bottle for…well, for if you need relief after all that coffee."

Beckett is almost moved to tears and says, "Thanks, Castle. That should be more than enough. Can you turn your back for a second while I change?"

Using the doorway for cover, Beckett swaps the leather pants for sweats and pulls the sweater on over her leather vest, and stores the handguns in the backpack. She lets him know that she's done and says, "Thanks for that. I wasn't looking forward to meeting Uniformed in costume."

He smiles, and says, "I don't know. I think it would greatly enhance workplace relations."

Also smiling, she says, "Maybe for you. I know you'd make sure to get credit for it."

"True. Do you want some company, or would you rather I leave you to it?"

"Company would be good, thanks."

Using the flashlight, Beckett checks out the immediate area. There's a spot of blood in the street, and she wonders if the bone bounced on the asphalt, before coming to rest in the gutter. Thankfully there's not much traffic, so she takes a few good photos of the spot, just in case the scene is compromised before CSU arrive. Then there's nothing to do but wait, though the time goes quickly with Castle there. By the time she's recorded any pertinent details in the notebook, a squad car arrives, followed closely by the Crime Scene Unit. Beckett gives them everything she has, and is permitted to leave.

Tired now, Beckett and Castle don't say much on the way back to the Ducati. Castle can see that exhaustion is taking hold of her and says, "Look. You're welcome to stay in the spare room. The bike will be safe within sight of the doorman. There're always some spare clothes in the closet, and a fresh toothbrush in the bathroom."

Yawning yet again, Beckett relents, "Ok, Castle. That'd be good, thanks." She's almost to the stairs, when she turns and says, "You know, other than having to wait outside on such a cold night, this really was the best Halloween ever, thanks."

Pleased that she had such a good time, Castle says, "For me too. But you know that you're still in trouble, right?"

She smiles and says, "I would expect nothing less. But maybe you could go easy on Clair. I kind of talked her into it."

Putting on his best villain voice, he says, "Uh, uh. You've both unleashed the wrath of the tiger, and now must pay. Sweet dreams, victim."

She laughs and says, "Goodnight, Castle."

Beckett is already gone, by the time Castle wakes on Tuesday morning. After such a huge dinner and midnight snacks with Beckett, he's not yet hungry. So he makes a few calls and runs a couple of errands, before heading to the precinct to help solve the intriguing case of the thigh bone in the gutter.

On arrival, he finds that they already have Lanie's preliminary report, and asks, "How early did she get here?"

Beckett smiles and says, "I think she felt guilty about ditching me last night." One glance at the guys confirms that they have no such compunction about abandoning her. Beckett continues, "Lanie says the femur belonged to a woman in her 50s, who was dead when the leg was severed. She was overweight and suffering from malnutrition, chronic liver disease, arthritis, diabetes, tendonitis and tuberculosis. Also, that the meat was filleted by someone with butchering skills."

Impressed, Castle says, "She got all that from a thighbone?"

Beckett answers, "We'll have more once Tox is done. But I'm guessing they'll find that the woman was an alcoholic."

After considering all these symptoms, Castle asks, "Homeless?"

"Looks like it. We're currently going through missing persons reports for similarities. But, if she was living on the street, she may not show up there."

Already sidetracked, Castle muses, "Why do we call it homeless; why not houseless, or shelterless?"

Beckett rolls her eyes, and asks, "Castle, are you still in touch with any of your friends from Tompkins Square Park? They might be able to help us with an ID."

"Uh, sort of." Embarrassed at being found out, he admits, "I set up a creative writing workshop at the Bowery, in King's name. But I only drop by occasionally and I don't have any of them on speed dial. We can head over to the park now, if you like?"

"Ok. Let's go." To Ryan and Esposito, she says, "Keep digging, and see if you can find any surveillance footage of the intersection. I didn't see any cameras last night, but we might get lucky."

Castle and Beckett have left the car and are approaching the corner of the park, near the chess tables, when a passerby exclaims, "Castle! And the lady detective."

Wracking his brain for a second, Castle shakes his friend's hand and says, "Cookie! How are you, man?"

"Can't complain. Can't complain. What brings you to our humble abode?"

Nodding to Beckett, he explains, "Police business. She's got a few questions."

"Sure. Sure. Come on down to the Row. Gordo and Squirt are still here. And a few others you haven't met."

After introductions are made, Beckett describes who they're looking for. Unfortunately, no one recognizes the woman from that description. Beckett asks them to call the precinct, if anything changes. Castle says his goodbyes. On the way back to the car he says, "I'm starving. I haven't had breakfast. What about you?"

"No, but that's ok. If you want to stay and eat I'll see you later."

"Come on, Beckett. You've got to eat. Your diet is a disgrace, even for a cop. There's a café two minutes from here that does a delicious breakfast; fresh blueberries on buckwheat pancakes with organic maple syrup and homemade vanilla ice cream. Oh, and they have the best vanilla malted I've ever tasted. How can you pass that up?"

Her rumbling stomach betrays her, and she surrenders, "Ok, Castle. I guess we have time."

Castle and Beckett eventually make it back to the precinct, to find that Ryan and Esposito have news. Esposito explains, "We finally found some useable footage from one of the stores near the scene. Seems they've been having trouble with vandals, and installed a camera on the exterior of the building. The angle isn't very helpful to us. But you can clearly see a garbage bag hitting the ground, and the legs of someone coming back for it. The femur must have fallen out of the bag unnoticed. We got a partial plate number. It's a delivery vehicle, registered to a commercial address; 1372 Broadway. We've already got a warrant for the truck, and were just about to head over there and check it out."

Frowning, Beckett asks, "What's the business at that address?"

Checking his notes, Esposito says, "Uh…Mr. Broadway Kosher Deli. Why?"

Looking a little dazed at the possible implications, Beckett says, "I eat from their home delivery menu all the time."

Ryan grimaces and says, "Then, for your sake, I hope thigh meat isn't kosher."

Esposito asks, "So, are we good to go?"

"Yeah, we'll come with you, just in case."

Ryan asks, "Just in case what?"

Esposito smiles, and says, "Just in case pork is next on the menu, I guess."

Beckett isn't laughing and Castle asks, "Are you ok? You look a little pale."

"I'm fine. Let's go."

On arrival they see that Kosher Deli is something of a misnomer. They do offer an extensive kosher menu. But customers can also order from the sushi bar, Mediterranean salad bar, full Chinese menu, or grab a pastrami-on-rye at the deli counter, and more.

Esposito whistles in appreciation and says, "This place is amazing. No wonder you're a regular customer, Beckett."

Beckett is still looking a little green around the gills and says, "Let's just take a look at the truck."

After identifying themselves to the manager, they're shown to the truck; parked in an alley nearby. Beckett is obviously gathering her courage, as she puts on disposable gloves before entering. Ryan asks, "You want us to take this one? There's not much room in there anyway."

Beckett says, "No. I'll do it." They can see tiny beads of sweat on her forehead, as she enters the truck. There's only room for one more, so the three guys use the tried and true rock-paper-scissors, to see who goes inside. Ryan joins Beckett and says, "I won…I think."

The almost exclusively stainless steel interior is pristine. The smell of ammonia is quite strong, as if the truck has been cleaned recently. Within this confined space, the odor doesn't help Beckett's already unsettled stomach. Ryan asks, "What are we looking for?"

Beckett shrugs and says, "Anything that shouldn't be here. I'll start at the other end. You start here."

After a thorough search, they've almost met in the middle when Ryan says, "Uh…Beckett?"

She can see that he's been investigating the area around the trash can, under the counter. He uses his flashlight to illuminate a dismembered finger and says, "I could be wrong, but I think that shouldn't be here."

Beckett is fast losing the war her insides began the moment she heard that her favorite deli might be the source of the femur. Gulping, she says, "I'll call CSU." And then flees the truck.

Castle is waiting with Esposito, and eating a huge corned beef sandwich. It's the final straw. Beckett makes it to the gutter before throwing up. Castle silently hands her a clean napkin and an unopened bottle of water. And then he says, "I'm sorry. Maybe you shouldn't have had that milkshake."

"It's not that, Castle it's…" She turns to point at the truck, and sees Ryan holding up the dismembered finger. He bends it, to show that it's made of rubber. Castle is already backing away, saying, "I really am sorry. I didn't think you'd actually lose your breakfast." But he doesn't look sorry.

Torn between relief that she hasn't been forced into cannibalism and horror that he would go so far, Beckett says, "You…it was all a lie? How in hell did you get the femur bone in the street?"

Careful to stay out of reach, he replies, "No. That part is real. You should really think about where your food is coming from, Beckett. But Mr. Broadway is not serving thigh fillet burgers."

Still working it out, Beckett turns to the guys, only to see that they've already fled the scene and says, "Those bastards were in on it."

Smiling at his own cleverness, Castle says, "Yeah. I'd never thought of including them. But you changed the rules, by involving Clair. I set it up this morning. And going to the park today gave me the opportunity to implement it. It kind of worked out perfectly really."

"Perfectly? I thought that I'd eaten human flesh, Castle!"

"Well, technically, you still may have. I can't think of another reason for filleting a homeless woman."

Shaking her head in dismay, she turns to head back to the car, and then thinks of something else, "How did you know I'm a customer here?"

Quite proud of himself, he explains, "Well, you do have a scary number of menus near your phone. But the few times I've been to your place, Mr. Broadway's was always on top."

Again shaking her head, Beckett turns to go. On hearing Castle's footsteps she says, "Don't even think about it. Find someone else to torture."

Castle shrugs, and finishes his sandwich, before finding a cab to do just that.

Unused to seeing Castle at her office, Clair is pleasantly surprised when he walks through the door. She's on the phone with a client, so gestures that she'll be with him in a minute. He nods and sits down by her desk to wait. After hanging up, she says, "Not that I'm sad to see you, Rick. But what are you doing here during working hours?"

"Beckett needs some space right now. And there's someone I want you to meet, if you're not too busy?"

"I've got maybe three minutes, before my phone rings again. I think it's time to hire some help." Thinking on what he said, she asks, "So you got your revenge?"

He smiles and says, "Yeah. It went even better than expected, though I'll have to watch my back for a while. She was too upset to say much." Offering the crook of his arm, he says, "Come on. My friend is waiting in the car."

Clair sees the dog and looks to Castle for an answer. He says, "Yeah; same dog. He's well enough to leave the hospital, but has a long way to go before he's fully healed." Castle opens the back door and Clair can see that the animal has several wounds, including one on a hind leg that warrants a full plaster cast. The dog thumps his tail against the seat on seeing Castle and awkwardly shuffles along the seat towards him.

Clair's heart is already melting when Castle explains, "The vet says it was his first fight and he wasn't nearly aggressive enough to win. Usually they would just abandon such an animal, if it survives the fight. But his owner got angry enough to shoot him twice. One bullet glanced off his skull; the other broke his back leg." Clair dares to extend her hand towards the dog. He lowers his ears and cautiously sniffs her hand before allowing her to pet him. Castle continues, "As you can see, he's fine with women. He's been assessed by an expert and they assure me that he's not aggressive to other animals or children, and is polite about food and toys. But, understandably, he has a problem trusting men. So I'm having trouble finding a home for him. And I was wondering if maybe you'd like him?"

Still petting the dog, Clair says, "I can't have a dog, Castle. I don't even own a car."

"Not a problem. I did some research. There's several pet carriers for motorbikes, that would ensure he could safely go anywhere with you. And I could take him any time you're crazy busy or out of town. So, what do you think?"

The dog has so taken to Clair, that he rolls on his side, encouraging her to scratch his chest. Castle senses victory, when Clair asks, "What's his name?"

Trying not to smile, Castle says, "You can change it, but I've been calling him Luther."

Already in love with Luther, Clair reluctantly stands up and is still looking at the dog when she says, "Ok, Rick. You win. I'll take him."

Castle can't see her face, but he can guess her expression. He wraps his arms around her and kisses her cheek before saying, "And nowwe're even."

The End

Where credit's due: "Beware the wrath of a patient adversary."- John C. Calhoun