Summary: **Spoilers for 5x06** Of all the ways he thought people might find out about his and Kate's budding relationship, he never imagined that it would happen like this.
Author's Note: Spoilers for 5x06 (in case you missed it above)! Based on the spoiler that there will be a murder in which the evidence will point towards Castle (from the GMMR article on Friday...message me if you want the link). Which, of course, means he needs an alibi...
Thank you to the talented teelduo for designing the cover art!
Disclaimer: If I owned Castle, I wouldn't be procrastinating my homework to write fanfic.
Busted
Chapter 1
"I'm sorry bro, but I have to ask. Where were you Tuesday morning between the hours of one and four a.m.?"
Castle opened his mouth to answer, froze when he realized that he was backed into a corner by Esposito's words, by the cold hard stare that was penetrating straight through him. He knew that the detective did not really think he was guilty, but nevertheless, this interrogation needed to be done, and if detachment was the way to get them through it, then he could take the harsh words and sharp glares for the next few minutes until they proved he was innocent.
Because he most certainly was not guilty, no matter how decisively the evidence was piling up against him.
But it was steadily becoming harder and harder to maintain everyone else's belief in his innocence because with each piece of evidence that was unearthed, the arrows were pointing more and more directly at Castle. A years-old relationship with the victim, one which ended badly on both sides when she realized that he was flailing and still trying not to be in love with Meredith, and he realized that she was only interested in using his fame and money to boost her own career. So they had parted on less-than-amicable terms, and despite the fact that Castle had neither seen nor spoken to the woman in fourteen years, his past connection with her was the most tangible link the team had at this point.
Add in Castle's novels full of murder and his documented propensity for thinking of odd and sneaky ways to kill people, and he presently found himself in the role of most viable suspect.
"Castle," Esposito demanded.
He opened his mouth again, closed it, sighed heavily and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he found Esposito's stone cold eyes boring into his, arms folded on the table, biceps flexing menacingly. Not that he actually felt in danger but he was still very aware of the threatening posture.
"I, umm, was..." he sighed again, ran a hand over his face. There was no good way out of this situation, not without facing either murder charges or the wrath of his girlfriend, and neither was very high on his priority list. "I was at home in bed."
"And can anyone corroborate that?"
"Yes," he answered grudgingly.
Naturally, that night was the one night this week that Martha had been away, and though he was sure he could lie and get his mother or even his daughter to back him up, he knew from four years at the precinct that things like that had a way of getting out and when it invariably did, he would only appear even more guilty.
"I need a name."
Castle dropped his head, cursing the world for befalling these circumstances onto his shoulders. Of all the people who could have been murdered, of all the nights his family had not been home, why did everything choose to happen now? Add to that the fact that he and Kate spent yesterday fighting over Castle's former relationship with the victim, and he could only feel as though the world was out to destroy their newfound happiness.
"Kate," he answered quickly, so quietly that the word barely left his mouth.
"What was that?"
"I was with Kate," he said again, words leaving him in a rush, as though spewing them out rapidly would somehow make this easier.
"Kate who? Wait a second!" Esposito exclaimed, jerking his head up sharply. "Our Kate? As in, Beckett?"
"Yes," Castle mumbled, looking simultaneously horrified and embarrassed.
"And what exactly were the two of you doing?" Esposito asked after a moment, corners of his mouth twitching upward in amusement.
"I'm pretty sure that's not a relevant question."
Esposito smirked now, taking full advantage of the opportunity to make Castle feel uncomfortable. "Just want to make sure all the facts are straight."
Castle squirmed in his seat, eyes glued to the edge of the table. One hand was tracing the sharp corner while the other sat in his lap, tightly clenched to prevent himself from hitting someone or something.
He wanted to strangle Esposito for looking at him knowingly, for having far too much fun with what was already an awkward situation. And with his luck, Gates was probably standing in the observation room, silently celebrating the fact that she now had a valid reason to kick him to the curb.
"That's all the facts you get from me," Castle said sharply, leaving no room for discussion. This needed to end now before things got any worse.
Esposito leaned back in his chair, leisurely interlaced his fingers behind his head. "You know, I think that pretty much clears it up for me. You're free to go."
On the other side of the two-way glass, Ryan smiled mischievously to himself, slipped back into the bullpen to go about verifying Castle's alibi.
Thoughts?