Hello! Homicide detectives, who could ask for something better? Please review!


Richard Castle liked to think of himself to be an averagely normal man, working with an NYPD homicide detective who was the basis for a book he'd written and that book instantly became a best-seller. He also had his mother living in his house and his college-age daughter who's friend was now laying on the floor in front of him and aforementioned officer of the law in her college apartment. The girl had bright blue eyes staring blankly at the white ceiling, arms and twin, vibrant-red braids splayed out on the floor as the crimson stain spread on the white carpet. Rick almost felt a personal connection to the victim as a novel with his name on it lay beside her, the first piece of evidence now covered and soaked in the grotesque liquid with a yellow #1 card next to it.

The girl's braids were long enough to reach her well-formed hips, covered in a pair of pale-teal jeans. She also wore a pair of white socks with black smudges on the beginnings of her toes and the undersides were stained a pale red, the color having been rubbed on from the pair of red-brown high heeled boots that rested peacefully by the black, pull-out couch. The girl also wore a blue, button-up shirt with two holes on each side of her chest.

Uniforms were scouring the small apartment for anything, checking under the pull-out and coffee table next to it, littered in college essays stained in red pen that would never be edited and turned in, and a bag of sunflower seeds half-eaten, their hallow remains as well as those of a few soda and Red Bull cans laying in a trash can in between the bed and table. On the edge of the table was an iPod playing Broadway musicals and movie soundtracks on an endless loop. No one had the heart to turn it off.

Her cell phone lay on the bed, tangled in the beige blanket and white sheets. The pillow had a few traces of bright red hair, coveted from its owner in her scarce hours of rest. A notebook, half-full of paper, lay open next to the pillow and a small pile of crumpled pieces covered in crossed-out scribbles was accumulating in the corner between the mattress and the couch. Whoever she'd been writing to would get the NYPD homicide at their door, as opposed to whatever letter they were expecting.

Lanie stood up and passed a wallet to Kate, her lips pressed in a thin line as she did so.

"Our victim is a 19-year-old student of Columbia University. Name in her I.D. says she's Annie Oakley. She took three shots, two to the chest and one to the head. Based on body temp I'd say the time of death was between midnight and two am this morning." Kate nodded as she opened the wallet and the girl's green I.D. glared back at them, her picture showing what she'd looked like in life: A bright, happy smile that lit up the picture, blue eyes full of life and vibrant red hair pulled over her shoulder in a loose braid.

"Well, let's get started. Finish up here, check her phone, iPod, TV, everything with a screen, get her down to the morgue and then we'll start looking into the investigation," Kate said as she turned away from the victim. She nodded to Castle sharply before brushing past him. Rick sighed and looked down at the book as Lanie gently picked it up and put it into an evidence bag, the title on the spine reading "Storm Front" in silver letters.

"Looks like she just got started," Lanie said remorsefully as she closed the bag and handed it to another officer. Castle nodded as he slowly turned and left the scene.


BZ: Hey everyone. I just recently joined the site and this is my first homicide so if you guys can give me some feedback like constructive criticism, that would be great. This is set some time after Kate gets shot but before she dates Castle. But I am a huge fan of the pairing! Bye! Please review! And I promise the next chapter will be longer.