Kate
The day had started out just like any other. Kate awoke in a tangle that was Castle's strong, warm arms. Coffee and breakfast with Martha and Alexis and then a rather 'touchy-feely' ride, to drop Castle off at his new P.I. office, before heading to the precinct. She hadn't exactly been happy about the change in their daily routine. That was, not being able to work cases with Castle anymore. Working with Castle was something that had always meant a lot to her. As infuriating and egotistical he had once been, she was able to power through the glitz and bluster that had the New York Times Best Seller pegged as a creep. In fact, Richard Castle was the exact opposite of everything he had seemed to be at first. He was a loving and doting father, an even more loving and patient son and a wonderful husband. Working cases together was when Kate had truly fallen in love with him in the first place. Not having him at the precinct, or beside her at crime scenes was difficult. The only thing that made it all okay at the end of the night, was curling up beside him, knowing that she was his.
Arriving at the crime scene had a new flavor now. A new whisp in the air was forming, as Kate was trying to remember what it was like to work cases before Castle came along and joined their little work family. Before he upended her world and finally made her remember what it was to live again. Even Gates had an air of change about her. Almost as if she missed Castle's wild antics at the precinct? It was odd to see the captain at a crime scene, she usually only showed up for high profile cases. The murders of rich real estate moguls, loaded housewives with cable network shows, or political head figures. As Kate approached the scene, it was clear that something big was going on. Gates still had on her blue crime scene gloves and held in one of her hands an evidence bag with what looked to be an iPhone 6 inside. Esposito and Ryan were hovering near the body, with Lanie crouched at their side, examining, to the best of her ability, the limp body of their latest victim. Kate took a few more steps onto the scene until she could clearly see the victim and her very obvious cause of death. Well, one of them...
It wasn't the messy bullet-hole to the temple, or the splatter of brain matter around them that disturbed Kate the most, it was who the victim was. Paige St. James. She was a close, personal friend of Alexis. Or rather, had been. The vibrant green eyes that starred back at Kate were the first giveaway. The silver charm bracelet Alexis had given Paige for her last birthday was the second. "Oh god..." Kate blurted out without warning. It wasn't often that the seasoned homicide detective had to turn away from the usually gory crimes before her. But this one hit a little too close to home. "Kate?" Lanie implored. "What's wrong?" It took several moments for Kate to will away the bile threatening to creep up her esophagus. "I know her..." was all Kate replied. A soft shuffling behind her signaled the sudden, but inevitable discomfort and understanding that her team now faced. "I had a feeling you might say as much." Gates commented, ushering Kate to her side. "We need to speak... in private."
Though the walk to the captains car was a short one, it felt like an eternity to Kate. The silence that followed their heels clicking along the pavement below made it worse. "I'm going to be straight with you Detective, because I feel it's the only way to get across the severity of the situation." She bellowed privately. "Sir? Situation?" Kate replied, a curious expression peeking it's way out.
"Evidence has been collected from the scene. The phone, for example, is one of the key pieces of evidence." Gates continued quietly, unlocking Paige's lock screen to reveal a series of rather explosive messages between Paige and a contact in her phone labeled 'Alexis C'. "Miss. Parish said there are certainly hair and tissue samples available underneath of the young woman's fingernails. She didn't want to disturb them until she gets the body back to the lab. Which... might give you some time to get real answers before the tests come back." Gates replied.
Kate's expression remained the same. Confusion mixed with sadness. "Sir?"
"Kate... the hair samples found on the body, were red." and with those words, Gates knew that Kate understood. Her face dropped and her limbs felt numb.
"You can't be serious! You don't honestly believe that Alexis could have had something to do with this... do you?" The tone in Kate's voice wasn't a question, it was more of a warning. The warning of a mama bear protecting her cub.
"I think what you need to do, Detective, is speak to your first suspect. She was picked up and brought to the precinct ten minutes ago. She'll be in interrogation one waiting for you." The guilt that Gates felt was obvious in her expression. She handed off the evidence bag to CSU and got back into her car without another word.
It was funny how one moment you could be on top of the world, and the next, you could feel it crumbling beneath your feet. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be real. This was like some dodgy case straight out of one of Castle's books. Alexis? A suspect? This was outrageous! And that Gates would go behind her back without even a heads up first. Something wasn't right, something was off. Without a word to her team, Kate hurried back to her car and made her way to the precinct, sirens and emergency light on the entire way. Did Castle know? No, probably not. Alexis was an adult now, he wouldn't have to be notified and knowing Gates and the situation, she probably wouldn't have tipped him off for fear of serious retribution. Richard could be a very dangerous man when his little girl was in danger, or worse... big trouble.
New York, 12th Precinct.
The doorknob to the interrogation room was freezing to the touch. It caught Kate off guard when she went to grab it. She released it, rubbing her hands together and trying with all her might to gather up the strength to do this. To see Alexis like this. She placed her hand on the knob again and turned it, entering the room with confidence. A confidence that shattered the moment she saw Alexis. Kate had been with her only an hour earlier. They had laughed together, teased Castle together and split a grapefruit together. This was insane. Alexis wouldn't hurt a fly. Literally. So how on earth could this be happening to her, and what exactly had prompted such ruthless texts from the otherwise calm and demure twenty-one year old she had watched grow up before her eyes? What had happened between the two of them last night and how exactly did Paige end up with her brain matter scattered across the pavement of a dark alleyway?
Kate took a seat across from Alexis and summoned all the strength she had not to burst at the seams. "I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry." Tears threatened to form behind her eyes, but she willed them away. She had to be strong for Alexis. She had to be strong for Castle and Martha... even more so, she had to be strong for Paige. Paige and her family needed closure, and Kate was determined to find her killer. At this point, it seemed only Alexis could give her the answers she needed. "I have to ask you... where were you last night from 6pm to 11pm?" Kate's tone was stony, it was the only way she knew how to ask questions in this setting. She only hoped that Alexis understood.
Alexis
-Two Days Earlier—
"Paige, life isn't about you. I can have troubles to." Alexis mentioned. Her friend was furious with her. There was no reason for a fight. Yet, Paige seemed like there had to be. It felt like the time when Paige had broken their egg project because Alexis had brought her hoe and he father had called her parents and she had gotten into trouble. Alexis felt horrible but pissed cause they had failed the project. Alexis had never failed anything before. Though she was a very determined child. Paige had smashed and killed their "child". "You know what, just don't Alexis." Paige said and Alexis watched her storm out of the room, but quickly went back into the room. "This is my room, and my home. You leave." Paige said. "I live here, you leave." Alexis grabbed her bag and left. Good thing, they had been friends since early elementary school.
Alexis got home to see her family standing around the kitchen bar counter. It had been pouring rain and Alexis was soaked. "Alexis your soaked got rained on huh?" she heard her father asked. "Not now, dad. Paige is angry at me again." Alexis said. She put her wet coat on the coat hanger and went upstairs. Alexis hadn't any idea someone had been watching them from Paige's home. She also had no idea that she would never see her friend again. She didn't think any of it. Paige was smart, she also very careful. She never took the subway always a cab and normally shared it with someone. It was someone, from her apartment complex. Never getting into a cab with a total stranger unless it was a familiar face.
-That Night—
Alexis had planned and outing with her friends. She needed time away from everything. Though instead of an outing, they decided a big study session was needed. Paige and she had apologized the very next day and they were good. Her group of friends consisted of three girls and four guys all in the same class and all of them all A+ students. They all meet at the New York Public library and were all near the front desk.
They all got there at exactly 5pm, she had texted her dad earlier saying she wouldn't be home until possibly after 11 pm. They all had huge exam that day and everyone needed to study. "Anyone seen Paige or heard from her?" Alexis asked as they sat down at the tables near the front desk. "No, I haven't seen her since History class this morning." Morgan explained. Paige and Alexis only had a few classes together, and both having 14 credits all together.
The hours went by and Alexis kept getting up and going out for a few minutes beings been through the glass of the large library doors. She kept calling Paige over and over she had even texted her boyfriend whom was not in the city at the time.
Alexis went back inside the library, "We're all done, and did you get enough study time?" Jason asked. "Yeah I can study in the morning since I don't have early morning class tomorrow. I'll be in the school library." Alexis told them. Alexis smiled, as shared a cab with a few of them, her being the last one to be dropped off. Alexis paid for her half and went upstairs, and going up to the loft and turning on the alarm at 11:01pm.
-Next Day-
Alexis got up and did her morning routine taking a very early shower had her breakfast and got back into a cab and went up to the university. She called Paige again, no answer. She flipped through her messages and felt horrible over the things she had said that night they got into argument.
"Thanks." Alexis said and headed out of the cab and straight to the school library. She was seriously starting to get worried.
Alexis got out her books but not before calling her parents. Her parents saying that she had been home and had been sick and couldn't make it to the study secession. Paige also had her own dorm at the college...
Alexis grabbed her bags and went straight to Paige's dorm room, "Paige, your mom said you were sick. I made you some chick noodle soup, you know you really should close your dorm room when you're sick. You don't have a roommate." Alexis said as she went inside.
Alexis closed the door behind her and left and threw out the soup can and went back down to the college campus and went back to the library to gather her stuff.
Alexis didn't even get out of the doors of the library when she spotted two uniform cops coming towards her.
Her heart began to pound. What did they want? Why were they coming towards her? "Alexis Castle, we are going to need you come with us." One said. His voice was plane and a very boring voice.
She held her books in her hands and had her bag on her side, "Did something happen to Detective Beckett or my dad, my grams?" Alexis asked. "No, they're fine. It's about your friend Paige." He stated. The moment he said Paige, "You found her thank goodness. I thought she was ignoring me." Alexis said. They put her in the back of the marked vehicle and didn't say a word.
-New York, 12th Precinct.-
They didn't tell her anything else. Something must have happened to her, they didn't tell her anything. They placed her in the integration room. Why was she there? Alexis was fairly confused and why they brought her in this room? What had she done? She knew she got into an argument with her, but Alexis hadn't done anything wrong, at least not that she knew of. "Have a seat; Detective Beckett will be with you soon." He said as she went out of the door and stood near the door, so that she couldn't leave. Alexis shook her head, "You're not going to tell me what I did, are you?" She asked. He did not say a word just stood there. Alexis took a seat and starred at the clock.
It had been nearly 45 minutes until she saw the familiar figure at the door. Alexis straighten up. She looked at her step-mother. As if her face was filled with confusion and hurt. Alexis didn't understand any of this. Why were they going after her? Worse why wouldn't they tell her what was going on. All she did was a sign of relief to know her family was okay. But this time it was different. She wouldn't be in here for any other reason. Something happened to Paige and they had found evidence that she had done something to her. But she hadn't. She had been with people since yesterday evening. She watched her step-mother enter the room, and took a seat across from her. Alexis looked at her strange. "At the library until 10:30, I shared a cab with my friends until I got home and turned on the alarm at 11:01 P.M." Alexis was one of those girls who remembered those very small details. Even times, such as setting an alarm clock or remembering her dad's schedule, when he went on his tours. Alexis said. "Are you going to tell me what happened, or what?" Alexis asked.
