A/N: Hey this is just a little thing that I wrote after I saw the pictures for the Poof You're Dead episode. There are some spoilers (because I have read a few and let them influence my writing) Everything else is mere spectulation
"Beckett," Kate barked into her phone. After a brief exchange of information and scribbling down an address she hung up. "C'mon Castle, we've got a body."
"Really? Where?" Castle jumped up excited for the changed of scenery. Not that he didn't love sitting in the precinct watching Kate fill out paperwork.
"421 Seventh Ave," Kate said as she glanced back at her scribbled note before walking towards the elevators.
"Drake's?" Castle's voice jumped a notch as they headed down to the lobby. "There was an actual murder at Drake's?"
"Yes Castle. What is the big deal?" Kate said across the lobby and heading to her car.
"What is the big deal?" Castle reiterated. "Drake's is only the coolest magic shop in the city!"
"Magic? Really Castle?" Kate rolled her eyes as she got in.
"What?" Castle asked innocently. "Oh right, you don't believe in that sort of thing."
"No," Kate defended navigating the car through the New York traffic and pulling up in front of Drake's. "I don't believe in things that can easily be explained by evidence."
"But look at this stuff!" Castle exclaimed as he peered through the window of the shop with his hands on both sides of his head.
"Hands off Castle," Kate said as she leaned in to get a better look inside the window. "That's still part of our crime scene."
"Call came in at 9:32 this morning," Esposito said as he approached them. "City's a little back logged so Lanie should be here soon."
Just as he finished his statement the chief medical examiner car pulled up and Lanie stepped out. She quickly moved to the trunk and grabbed her kit and went inside without ever making eye contact with the trio standing by the window.
"What was that?" Kate asked as she walked inside behind Lanie.
Esposito shrugged as he started to walk inside as well only to be stopped by Castle's arm. "What?"
"Don't what me," Castle said firmly.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Esposito huffed as he tried to step around Castle's arm only Castle stepped right into his path.
"There's something going on with you and Lanie!" Castle exclaimed pointing two fingers at Esposito's chest.
"Dude, you're insane!"
"Really? Am I? I know what I saw." Esposito shrugged off the comment as rushed inside to start on the crime scene.
"Hey Lanie, what have you got?" Kate said as she walked up.
"Hm?" Lanie snapped her attention back to the body and clipboard in her hands.
"You okay?" Kate asked as she studied her best friend.
"Yeah sorry. The vic's name is Zalman Drake. He was found by the witness over there," Lanie nodded to where Esposito was now talking with a young woman. "I can't see any visible signs of death but I'd put the time of death between 12 and 2 last night. I won't know more until I get him back to the lab."
"Witness is Eliza Winter says he's the owner of the shop," Esposito said as he approached the group.
"Well I could have told you that," Castle huffed. Kate rolled her eyes as Esposito continued.
"She came in this morning to work her usual shift when she found Drake in the there.," Esposito pointed to a large water tank in the corner of the room.
"Houdini's water torture tank?" Castle paused swinging the wand in his hand to look at the two detectives.
"I guess," Esposito shrugged. "Ms. Winter said that Drake had been practicing in that thing for days now. Something about an offer from a mister," Esposito glanced at his notebook, "Tobias Strange."
"Esposito, you and Ryan have CSU run the canvas and then meet us back at the precinct," Kate turned to Castle. "Let's find out where this Mr. Strange is."
Together the two walked out of the magic shop and towards her car. Kate noticed immediately that Castle wasn't directly behind her but instead looking through the window of the shop again. "Castle we don't have time for you to window shop."
"Sh," Castle hissed. "I'm not shopping. I'm spying. Aren't the good doctor and our fellow detective acting a little strange today?"
Kate looked through the window at her best friend and fellow detective and had to agree with Castle though she would never come out and say it. "So they're acting a little different."
"I think there's something going on between them."
"Castle," Kate said in a warning tone. "It's probably just your imagination."
"But look how close they are!" Castle pointed back inside of the shop.
Kate studied the distance between the two inside and the looked back at Castle smirking. "Look how close we are and there's nothing going on between us."
A quick stop at the precinct got them the address of Tobias Strange. He was at a theater in mid-town preparing for his show later that night. As Kate and Castle walked into the theater they saw a man being lifted by his ankles and lowered into a tank of water. Panic quickly spreading through their bodies, the duo took off in a run down the aisle of the theater.
"NYPD! Stop!" Kate yelled as they got closer. The people on stage froze and the man was lowered back to the stage floor.
"Oh what is the meaning of this!" A man yelled from his seat in the audience. Both Kate and Castle turned to find the source of the outburst. Taking a breath, Kate pulled out her badge.
"Kate Beckett, NYPD. We're looking for Tobias Strange."
"That's me," the man informed them. "Is there a problem?"
"Mr. Strange, what is your relationship with Zalman Drake?" Kate questioned.
"Zalman Drake? He interviewed with me earlier this week. Completed the trick successfully. I told him if he improved his time, he might have a shot at the show," Strange explained. "Has he done something wrong?"
"He's dead," Kate said bluntly as she gauged his reaction.
"Drake is dead? Strange looked between Kate and Castle determining if they were trying to fool him into a false security. When their faces revealed nothing he sat down on an armrest in the aisle taking everything in.