The detective and the writer park their cars with a couple minutes difference, pretending they weren't together just a few moments ago, they get out of their vehicles and greet eachother. They spot detectives Ryan and Esposito by the corner talking to Lainie who is squatting next to the dead body and immediately walk towards them.
Seeing them, Lainie starts with the regular procedure by introducing them to the victim – "Hi guys, this is…"
- "Michael Crawford!" – Castle interrupts her abruptly, in shock.
Lainie and the three detectives turn to face him surprise – "Do you know him?" – Beckett asks.
Castle doesn't respond, he seems lost on his own thoughts – "Where are the girls?" – he suddenly questions.
- "What girls?" – Beckett inquires confused.
- "Officer Higgins took them in the back" – Lainie answers – "Castle, where do you know this guy from?" – the ME asks, but he's already wandering off.
The rest of the team exchange confused looks, but apart from Beckett no-one moves, they know she's the one who has to deal with it.
- "Castle! Castle!" – she calls chasing him, but it's like he's not even listening. She finally reaches him when he stops to look around – "Hey" – she calls pulling his arm to get his attention. Castle finally faces her, and what she sees is pain in his eyes – "Castle, who is he?" – she asks softly, but before he can answer a child's voice cuts him off.
- "Uncle Richard!" – a young girl running towards them screams, a mist of fear and relieve in her voice. She doesn't stop running until she reaches Castle and wraps her little arms around him. The impact makes him stumble, once he's balanced again he lifts the girl up who, without even looking at him, hugs him as tight as she can. Beckett watches the little girl, she can't be more than 6 years old, she thinks, as she buries her face on Castle's neck, her little hands gripping his back.
- "Mel! Mel!" – an older girls wanders around calling. She stops when she finds Castle – "Uncle Richard!" – she says surprised. The girl is tall, but her features tell Beckett she must be younger than she looks. She has long brown hair and puffy red eyes – "You've heard?" – she asks Castle in a shaky voice.
He gives her a nod – "I'm so sorry, Megan" – he offers. The girl lowers her tearful eyes to the floor and, shifting her sister to the his right arm, he invites her into a hug – "come here" – he doesn't have to ask twice, in a second, Megan's face in buried in his chest as the writer whispers shooting words to both girls.
Castle finally gathers the courage to face Beckett, who hasn't moved or said a word the whole time. He can read her well by now, he knows she's confused, that she needs explanations, but he can also tell she's making an effort not to ask any questions until he's ready to answer them.
Megan is the first to pull away from his embrace – "Are you working on this case?" – the young teenager asks him, knowing that Castle follows the NYPD. Mel turns her head to face them but keeps her grip tight.
- "I am… I was" – he corrects himself uncertain – "I didn't know it was your dad until I got here" – he explains.
The girl nods quietly – "Will you find him? The guy who did this" - the girl clarifies – "You need to find him!" – she begs.
- "There's someone I want you to meet" – Castle starts by saying, glimpsing over to where Beckett is, inviting her to come closer. When the detective is standing in front of them he continues – "Girls, this is my partner, detective Kate Beckett" – he introduces, facing the girls. Then turning to Kate continues – "This is Mel, she's 5 and Megan, she's 12. They are… they were Michael's daughters" – he explains, though he's sure Beckett has understood it already.
- "Hi" – Beckett offers with a gentle smile, uncertain on what to say – "I'm really sorry for what happened" – she says sincerely.
- "Detective Beckett is the best in town and I can promise you she'll do everything she can to find out who did it" – Castle promises the girls.
- "Oh, there you are!" – officer Higgins exclaims when she finally finds the girls – "I was running around looking for you everywhere" – the woman says relieved.
- "It's okay, we'll take it from here" – Castle says.
- "Excuse me, and you are?" – the officer inquires reaching for the girls.
- "Mr. Castle, my partner and I'm detective Beckett" – Beckett intervenes showing her badge.
Immediately the officer let's go of Megan's shoulder and starts to blush. Great way to start, she thinks to herself, first you lose two kids and then you don't recognize detective Beckett – "Oh, I'm so sorry detective, I just…" – she rushes to explain, but before she can continue Beckett tells her that everything is fine and asks her to leave the children at her guard.
- "Thank you" – Castle whispers her once the officer walks away.
- "Always" – she replies, felling that he needs to hear it in that moment.
Almost oblivious to her words Castle dismisses her faster than she thought and walks towards his car. Reaching it, he asks the girl to settle inside. Beckett follows him – "What are you doing?"
- "What does it look like I'm doing?"- he retorts.
- "I don't know Castle, if I didn't know you better, I would say it looks like you are taking two witnesses from a crime scene" – the detective replies starting to get upset.
Castle closes the car door before addressing Beckett's question – "They're just kids!" – he states aggravated.
- "Still, we need to talk to them, you know that, Castle" – Beckett insists, trying to remain calm.
- "Don't you think they've been through enough? Do you really want to make their day worse?" – he accuses.
- "Why are you acting like this is my fault?" – Beckett asks – "You, better than anyone should know I take no pleasure of doing this" – she says trying not to raise her voice – "you also know I have no choice!" – she reminds him. Then, without giving him time to disagree she informs him – "I'm going to talk to Lainie and the boys to get more details, you can drive them to the precinct so that they are not here once the body gets removed, but then I'll have to talk to them" – she finishes walking away.
Castle sighs, rubbing his hands on his face, knowing that he was unfair to Beckett. Fighting with his girlfriend was the last thing he needed on a day like this.