Author's note: As per my last note, I'm going with the scariest option: a). I've dated the stories by referring to Thanksgiving, which means we're approaching December during Season 3 of the show.

Original Character:

Clair; Castle's recently ex-girlfriend, currently on the road somewhere in the US. First appears as a murder suspect in "Castles in the Air"

Matt Blood; ESU with NYPD, Beckett's current romantic interest. First appears as a hostage negotiator in "The Castle on the Hill"

Abril Rivera; process server, Clair's business partner. First appears in "In Defense of the Castle"

Luther; Clair's dog, originally rescued by Castle. First appears in "The Haunted Castle"

Alexandra "Sasha" Beketov; aka The Chess Killer, prison inmate and Castle's friend. First appears as a serial killer in "In Defense of the Castle"

Sandcastle

"When love is untrue, it will just be like a sandcastle…it will break the moment it is shaken."

-Excerpt from "Love untrue is like a sandcastle" by R S Mallari

Early Monday morning, Beckett gets the murder call. Knowing that Castle is almost certainly hung-over, Beckett decides to leave the choice up to him and calls him. The phone rings for a while, and then there's only silence, so she says, "Castle?"

Sounding like a bear woken from hibernation, he growls, "What?"

"Crime scene. Want to skip this one?"

"No, thanks. I'm good. Send me the details and I'll meet you there."

"Actually, I'm still at home. Your place is on the way, if you want a ride?"

After a pause, he says, "Thanks. Just give me twenty minutes, ok? And, for pity's sake, stop shouting."

Trying not to smile, Beckett says, "Sure, Castle. I'll see you soon."

Castle is waiting under a street lamp outside his apartment when Beckett arrives around 6:30am. It's cold enough that his breath mists, and she can see steam curling from the travel mug he's carrying. Touched that he'd remember her coffee, when he's suffering the after-effects of too much whiskey and not enough sleep, she leans over and opens the passenger door, saying, "Feeling any better?"

After struggling to get his full-length coat in the door, he hands her the coffee and says, "I can't find my jacket."

Beckett smiles and says, "You gave it to Cookie."

She can see that her words are enough to jog his memory, and he says, "I might as well start buying them in bulk. I can't seem to hang on to a jacket for very long." And then frowns in confusion and adds, "Did I give him a pair of shoes too?"

Shaking her head, Beckett says, "I've no idea what happened to your shoes. But you weren't wearing any when I found you."

Rubbing one temple with fingertips, he says, "I vaguely recall getting into a debate with Cookie about Thoreau. I think he dared me to prove how rich I am, by seeing how much I could live without."

"Good thing he didn't dare you to live in the woods, of we'd never have found you."

He laughs, moans in pain, and says, "Please don't be funny today."

Struggling not to laugh, she says, "You got it, Castle." After a second she says, "At least you smell better than you did when I found you last night."

It's just getting light as they arrive at the scene; a small parking garage on East 13th Street. Beckett notices Castle's glance east, where Clair lived until two days ago and she again gives him the option, "Sure you don't want to skip this one?"

Poker-face firmly in place, he says, "I'm fine."

It's obvious that CSU have been and gone. But Lanie and the guys have just beaten them to it. Lanie is still examining the body; a woman lying face down on the ground, with a large, bloody wound on her back. On seeing Beckett and Castle approach, Lanie explains, "Cause of death appears to be a single gunshot to the chest, at close enough range to exit through the back; time of death around 4am."

Esposito says, "No sign of a purse, so motive was probably robbery. There are a few nightclubs nearby. I'd say she came from one of them and was returning to her car." Nodding to Ryan talking to a uniformed officer nearby, he says, "A young couple walking by saw the body and called it in just after 5am. Ryan's getting a copy of their statement and details."

Beckett says, "No ID?"

Lanie interrupts to say, "This might help." She holds up a remote car key. At Beckett's nod, Lanie pushes the button and the indicators on a black Lexus flash as the car unlocks.

Beckett takes a couple of steps closer, to check it out. Castle notices her back suddenly straighten. And then she spins back to the body, saying, "Turn her over."

Esposito helps Lanie with the chore. Already sensing that something is not right with Beckett, Castle is watching her, not the body, as the woman's face is revealed. So he's the only one who sees the look of horror on her face before Beckett gets her emotions under control and explains, "Her name is Jessica Breuer; a surgeon at the Eye and Ear hospital in the next street. She's Matt's sister."

But they all see that Beckett's hand is shaking slightly as she gets out her phone. Lanie is the one who says, "Might want to deliver this news in person, sweetie."

Esposito agrees, "Yeah, we got this."

It takes a second for their words to register, and then Beckett says only, "Right. Thanks." Putting her phone away, she turns and heads to her car.

Castle takes a moment to recover and then catches up with her, saying, "Keys."

In case he was in any doubt that she's reeling from this news, Beckett reveals just how upset she is by handing over her keys without a fight.

Other than to give Castle directions, Beckett says nothing. They soon arrive at Matt's apartment in Brooklyn. After turning off the engine, Castle asks, "Want me to wait here?"

After considering for a second, Beckett says, "No. Matt and his sister have lived together since her divorce. So the apartment is a secondary crime scene. I'm not sure how he's going to take this." With a small shrug, she confesses, "And I'm not sure how I'll cope, if he doesn't take it well. So I might need your help, ok?"

"Sure. Whatever you need."

Looking at her watch, Beckett says, "If his shift finished on time he will have just gotten home." After taking a second to gather her courage, she exits the car.

Matt answers the knock at this door, still in uniform. On seeing Beckett, his face lights up and he says, "Kate! What are you doing here…" When he sees Castle he's immediately concerned and says, "What's going on?"

Voice strained from the effort of keeping her emotions under control, Beckett says, "Can we come in?"

He steps aside to let them in and then asks, "What's wrong?"

Beckett voice breaks a little as she says, "It's Jess. She didn't make it home last night."

Matt is too shocked even to be upset and says, "No, she's here." He heads towards a nearby room, but Castle moves to intercept him. Matt tries to get past him, without success. He tries once more and is again intercepted. Mystified at this behavior he actually laughs a little and says, "Rick, what are playing at? Move."

Beckett puts a hand on Matt's shoulder, but struggles to say anything. So Castle says, "She's not in there, Matt."

Realization is obviously dawning, but he shrugs off her hand and once again tries to push past Castle, saying, "She was out with friends last night. She'll still be asleep."

Castle gently asks, "Out with friends near the Eye and Ear hospital in Manhattan?"

Matt's gaze snaps to Castle's face, and he sees the truth there. Then he looks to Beckett for verification and finds it there too. Still, he shakes his head and says, "No, Kate. No."

As they reach to each other for comfort, Castle leaves the apartment and gently closes the door behind him to wait in the corridor.

Castle is almost asleep, leaning against a wall when Beckett and Matt emerge from the apartment. Matt is now dressed in civilian clothes and carrying a large sports bag. His other hand is clutching one of Beckett's, as if it's a life source. Without a word, Castle takes the bag and leads them to the car. Beckett and Matt are in the back seat by the time Castle has stowed the bag. After starting the car he asks, "Where to?"

Beckett says, "The scene."

Castle adjusts the rear view mirror, until he can see her eyes. When he sees nothing there to concern him, he chooses to trust her and does as he's bid.

At the scene, the body is bagged and on a gurney, ready for transport. Having received a call from Beckett, Lanie has waited for Matt. With her usual compassion, Lanie has uncovered the victim's face, but covered the wound on her chest. Matt releases Beckett's hand for the last two steps. Castle is finally reassured that this isn't a catastrophically bad idea when Matt asks Lanie for gloves before saying goodbye to his sister. As if they'd organized it, everyone gives him room. Matt gently strokes her hair, then leans forward and says something to her softly enough that no one else can hear. After stowing the gloves inside the bag, he takes a step back and asks Lanie, "Was it quick?"

Surprised at his composed behavior, Lanie says, "Very. One shot to the heart."

"Thanks. And thanks for waiting."

"You're welcome. Are you riding with us?"

"No, thankyou." Matt turns to the scene, not even watching the van leave.

Beckett catches Castle's eye and glances at Matt. Castle nods that he's understood and moves closer to Matt, just in case. Beckett points west, saying to Ryan and Esposito, "Jess was at Professor Thom's, just around to the right. Start there and see what you can find." After a nervous glance at Matt, the guys do as they're told.

Matt is transfixed by the patch of blood on the ground. Beckett says, "Matt?"

He appears to come of the trance and says, "I'm sure. Let's do it."

With a shrug Beckett approaches the spot where his sister was shot, with Matt and Castle close behind. She explains, "Looks like she walked from the restaurant alone. Did she usually park here?"

Pointing to the rear of the lot, he says, "Yeah, that's the back way into the hospital. This lot is reserved for staff. She'd normally come from there."

Pointing to a nearby security camera, Beckett asks, "Is it active?"

Matt looks and says, "No idea. I've only met her here a couple of times. There are cameras in the street here too. I don't know who put them there, or if they're active, sorry."

"No, that's good. We'll find out. You said that she works at the hospital?"

"She and her business partner have a private laser eye surgery clinic inside the building. They're in the process of dividing the company, because Andre is her brother-in-law and it's just been a little weird working with him, since her divorce."

"Do you know if there's any animosity between Andre and Jess?"

Shaking his head, he says, "No more than with any business partners, I think. Jess is senior partner; she set up the clinic, and he joined later. That's how she met her husband, Gerry. Andre isn't always happy with how she runs the place, but she hasn't complained much about it."

Beckett has been taking notes. After checking over them, she asks, "Anything else? Was it normal for Jess to be here so late at night?"

Shaking his head, he says, "No, and certainly not on a Sunday. With the company being divided, they'll have to let the staff go. She texted me to say that they were throwing a farewell/thankyou party, and that she wouldn't be home for dinner. I texted her goodnight as I was leaving for work. That was before eleven." Remembering, he looks at her and says, "After I'd left your place." Seeing the concern on her face, his voice is filled with pain when he says, "Kate. This is gonna kill my Dad. She's his favorite."

Seeing that he's reached the end of his limits, Beckett says, "Ok. That's enough. Want me to come with you?"

After considering it, he says, "No. I don't want this to be the day you meet my parents."

"Ok. But I'll give you a ride there." To Castle she says, "Can you let the guys know what's going on?"

Castle returns her keys and says, "Of course."

Standing on the sidewalk after they've gone, it takes Castle a second to realize why it feels weird; it's the first time he's been the only "detective" at a crime scene. It's too good an opportunity to pass up, so he begs a pair of disposable gloves from one of the officers and does his own walk-through of the crime scene. He starts on the sidewalk, imagining that he's the killer. After a few minutes of walking around and holding up his fingers in the shape of a pistol, he's sure that something is missing from the story. By the time Ryan and Esposito return he's worked out what's missing and says, "I don't think it was a robbery."

Esposito says, "Why's that?"

Pointing to the only security camera, he says, "That camera is pointed at the entrance, not in here. There was no one around at that time, other than the victim and the killer. If the motive was robbery, why not check out the car as well?"

Ryan says, "The key was under the body." Even as he says it, he realizes what Castle is talking about and says, "But it would have been in her hand when she was shot."

Castle says, "Exactly. It would only take a few seconds to check the car for something valuable and easy to carry. Just peeking in the windows I could see a TomTom, several CDs and a nice stereo system, around twenty dollars of change in plain sight and even a laptop poorly concealed under the front passenger's seat. Any of that would be almost irresistible to the average thief, especially with the key."

Esposito says, "That's good thinking bro." And then asks, "Beckett?"

"She's driving Matt to his parents' place. Should be back soon."

They're all silent for a few seconds, overcome with sympathy for Matt. Then Castle shares the information Matt gave Beckett and Esposito says, "The owner of the restaurant is keen to help and opened up for us. Other than the relevant receipts, and security footage from the camera aimed at the cash register, he can't give us much. But there are six security cameras between here and the restaurant. Even if only some of them are actually recording, we should get a good picture of what happened last night."

Castle says, "Unless the killer came from the hospital." Pointing to the walkway to the Eye and Ear hospital, he says, "I didn't see any cameras back there." And then he adds, "Something else; the way her body fell, I think the killer was waiting back there. He could have walked from the street and then lurked back there. But it makes more sense, if he came from there in the first place."

Esposito says, "Show us."

So Castle does his walk-through again. By the time he's finished the guys are in agreement and Ryan says, "We need to look into colleagues. We'll get a list of who was at the restaurant last night. Shouldn't take long to find out who was missing from the party."

Esposito claps Castle on the shoulder and says, "Keep this up and we'll have to give you a badge."

Returning to an old argument, Castle is only half joking when he says, "I'll settle for a gun."

Ryan smiles and says, "That's easy; all you have to do is convince the captain and Beckett that it's a good idea."

With a resigned shrug, Castle says, "Yeah, that's not going to happen." Musing on the sub-text he asks, "Do you think Beckett will ever trust me?"

Esposito says, "She trusts you, bro."

"She only trusts me to follow her around and feed her clues." Shrugging it off, he says, "Sorry guys; only two days without sex and I'm already maudlin. How about we check out the hospital? The clinic probably won't be open, but we might find something."

As they're walking to the hospital, Esposito puts a "consoling" arm on Castle's shoulder and says, "Two whole days, huh? I feel for you, bro."

Ryan plays along, saying, "Yeah, that's some drought, Castle."

In a rare moment of kiss-and-tell, Castle responds to their sarcasm with, "Well, it is when you've had sex two or three times a day, every day for the past two weeks."

Esposito removes his arm from Castle's shoulder, as if he's been stung, and says, "You need to stop talking now."

Unable to stop a grin, Castle lies, "Sorry, Jav."

They're almost finished in the hospital when Beckett radios for their position. They meet her back at the crime scene. Ryan and Esposito let Castle explain his theory about the motive being something other than robbery. She listens intently and asks Castle, "You think Andre Breuer had something to do with her death?"

Castle shrugs and says, "I hadn't got that far. It just doesn't feel like a mugging."

Ryan says, "We got a list of the clinic's staff from hospital records. But it's not open yet, so we haven't talked to any of them." After a second he says, "If this was a hit, Andre Breuer most likely approached someone he knows." Checking his notes, he says, "Only two staff members were absent from the farewell party. We can check them out first?"

Esposito reminds him, "And we still need to talk to the staff at the restaurant, and track down who owns all the security cameras in this street. Something else that could be relevant; the entire evening was booked and paid for by Andre Breuer."

They give Beckett a moment to decide how she wants to proceed. After several seconds she says, "If Andre Breuer had anything to do with this, he's not going to let us into the clinic without a warrant. We need probable cause." To Ryan and Esposito she says, "Security footage first. That should give us a better idea what happened. Then talk to the clinic staff, starting with the two who weren't at the party. We don't need a warrant for that, just their cooperation. If Castle and I aren't back by then, go ahead and interview the restaurant staff."

Ryan asks, "And you'll be?"

"First we're going to check out the car, and shoot whoever at CSU didn't find the key, then Matt's apartment. Maybe we can find out something from Jess' belongings."

Esposito hands her the car key, already bagged as evidence, and asks, "You don't want to swap?"

Frowning, as if she doesn't understand the question, Beckett says, "No."

The guys shrug and head off to do their job.

When they're gone, Castle asks, "How's Matt?"

"Crappy. Can we not talk about that, please?"

"Of course, sorry." And then adds, "I noticed a laptop under the front passenger seat; might be a good place to start."

Grateful for his understanding, she says, "Thanks, Castle."

However, the laptop requires a password. But one text message to Matt solves that problem. Gloved up again, Castle fossicks through the car while Beckett checks out the computer. He finds no new clues and says, "Anything?"

"Maybe. Some of the emails from Breuer to Jess have been taking on an increasingly ugly tone. But I'll let the techs sort through this properly." She locks the car and leaves the key with uniformed officers, asking them to contact ESU for a sweep of the car.

Beckett looks even more troubled than before, and Castle asks, "What is it?"

"I really want to get a look in that clinic. Breuer is an ophthalmologist. I doubt he's an experienced criminal. So, even if he's smart, I'm betting he's left clues that will tell us whether he did this."

"Nasty emails aren't enough to search?"

"Not nasty enough. And I don't want to risk asking for permission and being refused. He'd only panic and destroy everything he could."

After a few seconds, Castle says, "The clinic is inside the hospital. It might be leased. Can you search with the landlord's permission?"

Taking out her phone, Beckett is already cheering up as she says, "No, we can't. Not unless there's a clause in the lease saying so." Once Esposito is on the phone, she asks him to look into the lease and see if they can get permission. After hanging up, she says, "Ok. Next stop."

Beckett hesitates only a second before unlocking the door to Matt's apartment. Once inside, she stares at the door that Castle has guessed must lead to the victim's bedroom. Hoping to make it easy for her, Castle asks, "What can I do?" When she looks at him, the distress on her face is almost too much for him, but he remains professional and says, "I know what to look for. You've taught me. I can do this."

After one, deep sigh, Beckett says, "Ok, Castle. Thanks. You take the bedroom. I'll search the common areas."

After gloving up yet again, Castle enters the bedroom and gently shuts the door. Jessica Breuer's bedroom is only as neat as someone who works fulltime can make it; the bed is unmade, but clean. Her desk is crowded, but fairly orderly. Only her closet is messy, as if most things were just thrown in there. With no one to tell him what to do, Castle hesitates for a moment over where to start. With a shrug, he settles on the desk. Other than a whole lot of books and notes in medical jargon that he doesn't understand, there's nothing of concern. He finds some items hidden in the bedside table that Matt probably never wants to know about. Finally left with only the messy closet, it takes him a while to find the shoebox containing important papers. Flicking through them he finds something that makes it all worthwhile and takes the entire box to show Beckett, saying, "I don't think Jess was dating anyone. But I did find this; both partners took out an insurance policy on each other, enough to cover either partner for current and future loss of income, if one of them dies."

Beckett scans the paperwork and says, "Fourteen million dollars?"

"We've certainly seen people murdered for a lot less." And then he asks, "Did the guys get permission to search the clinic?"

"No. That was a bust. But we're getting closer. Thanks, Castle."

"Did you find anything here?"

"Nope."

"What's next?"

"Back to the station and see what we've got." She notices Castle glance at his watch and says, "Somewhere you should be?"

"Yeah, sorry. Clair gave me power of attorney before she left. Abril is taking over management of the business. But they're changing the name and location, for her protection. I'm supposed to meet her and sign some papers. I don't think it'll take long."

"That's ok, Castle. You've done a day's work already. Need a ride?"

"No. I'll take a cab. I'll see you later." As he's walking to the door, he says, "And just in case your need to check my work outweighs your need to respect Jess' privacy, I wouldn't look in the top drawer of her bedside table. You don't want that image in your head next time you talk to Matt."

The detectives are all back at Homicide when Castle catches up with them a few hours later. He sits down beside Beckett's desk and asks, "What's new?"

Beckett says, "Pretty much just waiting for everyone to catch up with us. Forensics should be done soon and we're waiting on news about the warrant for…" Pausing, she shakes her head and says, "You literally have no shame, do you?"

Trying to brazen it out, he says, "What?"

"Clair's barely been gone 48 hours."

Knowing that he's busted, he says, "How can you always tell?"

"It's just after lunch and you've already had two showers. No one is that clean unless they've got dirty in the meantime. And you weren't wearing aftershave this morning."

The guys are confused, and Beckett just says, "Abril."

Shocked, Esposito looks at Castle to see the truth and says, "I want your life, for just one day."

Suddenly serious, Castle says, "No, you don't." And then gets to his feet, saying, "I'll make us some coffees."

When he's out of earshot, Beckett says, "Clair is the only long-term relationship he's had since I've known him, and he doesn't even know where she is, because she's on the run from two murderers. And his big date tonight is with a violent serial killer, who he can't let himself give up on because he was too much of a gentleman to take advantage of her three years ago and now feels responsible for her. I'd say he deserves to grab solace where he can."

Esposito nods his agreement and Ryan dares, "You know what might give him solace?" When Beckett looks confused he quotes, "You know how to whistle, don't you? You just put your lips together…" Not even Ryan is brave enough to continue under that glare, so he suddenly gets busy.

Castle is once again wearing his mask of cheer when he returns with their coffees. And he asks the guys, "What about the staff at the clinic?"

Esposito explains, "They confirmed that there's been some tension lately between Andre Breuer and the victim, as they try to divide the company. Still haven't caught up with a Joseph Wight, who wasn't at the party. I'm waiting for some call-backs on that one."

Ryan says, "We got something from the restaurant that supports your theory, though it's not conclusive. The waitress at their table recalls that Andre Breuer was very keen to keep the party going. He was lavish with the drinks and, though the victim wasn't drinking much, he was pretty vocal about persuading her to stay, saying stuff like, One night on the town won't kill you."

Castle says, "He didn't actually say those words?"

Ryan nods and checks his notes before saying, "The waitress recalls it because, and I quote, There was something about the way he said it that gave me the creeps."

Esposito continues, "We've reviewed security footage from the parking garage to the restaurant. Other than a few people entering and then driving out in their car, no one entered the parking lot, which means that the killer entered from the hospital."

Looking at Beckett, Castle asks, "Still not enough for a warrant?"

Beckett shrugs and says, "We'll know when the phone rings."

While they wait, Castle checks out the murder board. After a few seconds, Beckett joins him and they peruse the evidence in silence. Soon after that Esposito gets a call, and then says, "Tracked down the guy who didn't make it to the party; at the airport. He was booked on a flight to France. Airport security are holding him."

Beckett says, "No extradition." And then orders, "Go get him."

Ryan and Esposito are gone in seconds. Beckett's gaze is once again fixed on the board as she says, "Looks like you were right, Castle. And he might have got away, if you hadn't worked out it wasn't a mugging." And then she suggests, "I suppose they'll offer you another medal?"

Realizing that there's no point denying it, Castle asks, "How long have you known?"

Beckett shrugs and says, "Since the first one. You must know by now there's not much you can do that I won't find out about."

Embarrassed, he says, "Well, it's nice that you're paying such close attention. But maybe this could stay between us and the captain?"

"Of course. I understand. I just wish that I could refuse them too."

Satisfied that she'll continue to keep his secret, Castle moves on, saying, "So, did you check my work?" The guilty look on her face confirms that she performed her own search of Jess' room. He chuckles and says, "The guys think you trust me."

Shocked that he would think otherwise, Beckett turns to him and says, "I do trust you."

Having already made his case, Castle just shrugs and says, "So, did I miss anything?"

Still hurt that he could think she has no faith in him, she says, "Lack of trust is not why I searched the room."

Castle perches on the corner of her desk, arms and legs crossed to wait for her explanation, saying only, "Oh?"

"I was afraid to go in there."

Understanding immediately, Castle says, "So you couldn't leave until you'd pushed past it?" At her nod, he says, "Then I hope you at least trusted me about the dresser drawer?"

She smiles and says, "Yes, Castle. That can remain your secret." After a second she says, "Thanks for being such a help this morning. The sooner we get this resolved, the easier it'll be on Matt and his family."

Castle shrugs again and says, "No problem. I'd only be moping around the apartment feeling sorry for myself, if you hadn't called."

Unable to resist teasing him, she says, "Apart from signing papers, of course."

Just as powerless to resist rising to the bait, Castle blurts out, "Hey, I really did need to sign papers. And one of them was a note from Clair suggesting that Abril and I to…explore possibilities. Apparently she's been keen on me for a while. I thought she didn't like me, but it was just a misunderstanding about Luther's injuries and…" Seeing the look on Beckett's face, he says, "You don't care. You're just jerking my chain." Pointing an accusing finger at her, he declares, "You're a devil-woman."

Smiling at her success, Beckett asks, "So, what's the verdict?"

With a shrug, Castle says, "I dunno. She's sweet. But she's a vegetarian, so I don't see it being a long-term thing. I already have enough guilt, without worrying about the animal I'm eating." At the knowing grin on Beckett's face, he asks, "What?"

Pushing aside his collar a little to expose the fresh hickey, she says, "Apparently she's not strictly vegetarian. That wasn't there this morning either."

Uncomfortable with the entire conversation, Castle ends it with, "You need a hobby, Beckett."

"Yeah, I hear that a lot."

They don't have to wait long before Beckett gets the phone call, and then says, "Warrant came through. Let's go."

Andre Breuer is not happy about having his office searched, but doesn't fight the warrant. After leaving him under the watchful eye of uniformed officers, Beckett and Castle get to work. Despite an exhaustive search, they've found nothing. Beckett stands in the middle of the room and says, "Well, it was worth a shot. I'll get his computer to the station. Maybe he was stupid enough to use emails to set it up."

"Was there anything on his phones?"

"Not so far. They're still going through the call and message logs."

After a few seconds, Castle says, "Could you step out for a second and come in when I call you?"

"Ok. What are you thinking?"

"Nothing yet. Just trying to write the story." Without another word, Beckett does as he asks, quietly shutting the door on the way out. Castle sits in Andre Breuer's office chair. The desk is very neat. Even the sticky notes around his computer screen are neatly aligned with the edge of the screen. When he's in character, Castle says, "Come in!"

Beckett enters and walks towards him, waiting for his cue. Castle gestures that she should sit down and says, "Will you do it?"

Playing along, Beckett says, "I'll do it, but I want the money up front. I'll need to disappear afterwards."

Still in character, Castle says, "Half now, half later. Leave me your account number and I'll send it to you once the deed is done." Reaching for the nearest thing to write such details on Castle points to the sticky note pad.

Beckett catches on and holds the notepad up to the light, hoping to read what was most recently written there. It's a bit of a jumble, but she can both make out J A Wight, BOA, and some numbers. Beckett's dangerous grin appears for the first time today and she says, "Now we can go through his financials."

Beckett is now certain that Andre Breuer organized the murder. After making a few phone calls, she arrests him and takes him to the station. Ryan and Esposito have done as she asked. Just in case there was any doubt that the suspects are guilty, the fear on their faces when the detectives let the two men catch a glimpse of each other confirms it. Beckett has them detained separately and consults the team about what to do next. The first thing she asks is, "Gun?"

Esposito says, "No go in the vicinity of the scene. Uniformed searched for a couple of blocks."

Ryan says, "With the captain's permission, we organized a search of Joseph Wight's house; officers are there now. If he was fleeing the country, he might have just left it behind."

Beckett then asks, "Did Wight say anything when you grabbed him?"

Ryan says, "No. He was real quiet, and settled down quickly, as if he wasn't shocked to see us. I think he'll be easier to break. I doubt he's ever killed anyone before, and the reality may have been a bit much."

"What do we know about him?"

Esposito checks his notes before saying, "He's a healthcare technician who followed Andre Breuer from a different clinic. Single. No sheet, though he's been picked up a couple of times for DUI. His other vice is gambling, which is presumably why he's up to his eyeballs in debt. I don't know if France was always his plan. But he booked the ticket a month ago. The Bank of America account you gave us shows an anonymous deposit of ten thousand dollars just before he bought the ticket, and another deposit of fifteen thousand dollars this morning."

"Any way of finding out who deposited the money?"

The guys look at each other for a moment, and Ryan suggests, "There doesn't appear to be a paper trail. But, if we work under the assumption that Andre Breuer was the donor, then we could maybe guess which branch he used and get him on camera."

Delighted at the idea, Beckett says, "Good. Do that. We should have access to Andre Breuer's financials any minute now. If we can make the numbers and times add up…" When she stops and says, "Shit." they turn to see Matt approaching. Beckett leaps to her feet whilst gesturing that the guys should hide the murder board, and moves to intercept him, saying, "You can't be here, Matt."

Matt clearly has not slept at all since finishing his nightshift, and is struggling to keep his anger under control as he asks, "You've arrested Andre?"

"You know I can't discuss it, Matt. Just leave it with us. We've got scores of people working on it. Go home."

Anger rising, he says, "My home is taped off. And my Mom was still crying when I left her. Have you arrested Andre?"

Having concealed any evidence, all three guys make an informal wall of support behind Beckett, as she says, "I'm not going to discuss the case. And you need to sleep." Taking his arm, to steer him out of the building, she says, "Come on."

Matt wildly pulls his arm out of her grasp, accidentally hitting her shoulder hard enough to make her stumble. The guys all take a step forward and Castle takes two, but they don't intercede. Matt is immediately contrite, saying, "God, I'm sorry, Kate." He sits down on the nearest chair and puts his head in his hands before saying, "I can't go back there. It's bad enough that Mom won't stop crying. But it's even worse that Dad hasn't said a word. He just looks…broken."

Beckett squats down before him and says, "You don't have to go back there. You can sleep at my place. You'll feel better, if you just get some rest. Did you drive here?" When he nods, she says, "You shouldn't have done that." When she holds out her hand, he gives her his keys. Beckett glances back and is reassured by Esposito's nod, and says only, "Thanks." This time Matt lets her escort him out of the building.

The men are silent for several seconds. And then Castle says, "He impressed the hell out of me this morning. But now I kind of want to smack his head in." When the guys look at each other and grin, Castle says, "What?"

Ryan says, "I doubt you'd do much better, under the same circumstances, Castle."

With a shrug, he admits, "Perhaps. But I've never hit her."

Esposito says, "It was just an accident, bro. You saw."

Still sounding angry, Castle says, "Yeah, I saw." Knowing that it's out of his control anyway, he says, "Shouldn't you be solving a murder?"

Laughing, the guys say, "Yes, boss."

By the time Beckett returns at the end of the day, they have good news for her. Esposito says, "They found the gun in a dumpster at Wight's apartment; looks like he threw it down the garbage chute. It's with Forensics now. Even without whatever they might find, it could be enough to break him. It's up to you."

Beckett asks, "What about the money trail?"

Ryan says, "We're working on it. But we're not going to get much before morning."

Rubbing one hand over her eyes in weariness, Beckett says, "Then I think that'll do for today. We're already a lot further along than I expected. And it won't hurt our suspects to spend the night wondering if the other is going to break first. Good work, guys. I'll see you tomorrow."

After they've said goodnight, Beckett goes to update the captain. When she returns to her desk, Castle is still there. Surprised, she says, "Don't you have a date at Bayview?"

"Yes, but she won't mind waiting a little. Are you ok?"

Beckett almost gives her stock, dismissive answer, but realizes that he is in earnest and says, "I will be, thanks. It's just not much fun seeing him like that."

"Ok. Well, you know to call me night or day, if you need anything, right?"

She smiles and says, "Yes, I know. But thanks for reminding me. What about you? Are you ok?"

With a small shrug, he says, "Still no word. But I guess, given that she's in hiding, that's a good thing." Getting to his feet, with a tired sigh, he says, "Well, I'd better go before Sasha throws another tantrum. Goodnight, Beckett."

"Night, Castle. See you tomorrow."

After enduring the security check yet again at Bayview Correctional, Castle meets Sasha in their usual room. Sasha thanks him for the care package and asks, "Feeling better?"

Castle sets up the chess pieces, as he says, "Much, thankyou, though I didn't wake up feeling too good. Are you staying out of trouble?"

"Of course. They wouldn't let me be here, if I weren't."

When it's obvious that she wants to say something else, he prompts, "Something bothering you?"

After a glance at the door, she pulls a newspaper clipping from her clothing and says, "I think Sir Beckett better look into this one, before they escalate to murder."

Knowing that he's talking to a murder expert, he gives the clipping his full attention, and learns of several Jewish men who've been attacked at knifepoint by a masked offender and had their sidecurls cut off. When he's finished, he says, "What makes you think they're escalating?"

"For one thing, I'd bet that not all the assaults have been reported, so there are possibly many more victims. Plus, I read an article weeks ago about a similar attack with a pair of scissors."

Castle asks, "Knife trumps scissors?"

Looking slightly uncomfortable, Sasha discloses, "A knife is more personal, more…intimate. I think this person is gaining confidence, and the last victim was also beaten, do they're getting more violent."

"Why are you telling me this, Sasha?"

Frowning, she says, "I'm not sure."

Nervous about this new territory in their relationship, Castle hesitates before saying, "Your shrink said that one day you might want to talk about why you're here?"

"She might be right. But today is not that day."

"Ok, Sasha." Pocketing the newspaper clipping, he says, "I'll tell Beckett." Sitting down at the table, he says, "Your turn to go first."

Next morning, Beckett beats Castle to her desk, but only just. He arrives with coffees and says, "I had a feeling you'd be getting an early start this morning." After a pause, he asks, "Am I allowed to ask about Matt today?"

Embarrassed, Beckett says, "I'm sorry about that, I was just…"

Castle interrupts her apology to say, "Understandably upset. So, how's he doing?"

Gratefully accepting one of the coffees, she says, "Better, I think. He's strong enough to face his parents again. And he got some sleep."

"That should help. So what's the plan?"

"When the results come in from Forensics, I want to be ready. So, unfortunately for you, I'm just going to be updating the board and catching up on paperwork, until we get some news."

"Yeah, that doesn't sound like fun." And then he grins and jokes, "How about I distract you from your troubles by bitching and moaning and generally making a nuisance of myself?"

Beckett laughs and says, "Thanks, Castle. That could work."

Castle is sipping his coffee and Beckett is already tapping away at her computer, when he remembers, "Oh, almost forgot; Sasha had something for you." He hands her the newspaper clipping and says, "She thinks the attacks are escalating and that the guy will soon jump from assault to murder. It only took me a few minutes online to find evidence of other attacks, so I'm guessing there's even more than that."

Beckett takes a moment to read the article and says, "I thought you just played chess?"

Castle shrugs and says, "Usually, yeah, but she was concerned enough to make sure I got this to you."

Confused, Beckett asks, "Why?"

"She wouldn't say, or couldn't." After a second, he says, "I know you think that she was already a killer before she met me. Did you confirm that?"

"No. She was cooperative about everything except that. Do you think she's ready to talk?"

"I don't know. But, other than during the riot, this is the first time she's wanted to speak about anything other than chess tactics. What should I do, if she does want to talk?"

"Just listen. You're good at that. But I can give up a Sunday evening, if that will help."

"Ok, thanks. If she seems ready, I'll mention that to her.

Lifting the article in gratitude, Beckett says, "Thanks for this. I'll look into it, but not today."

By the time Ryan and Esposito show up for work, Beckett and Castle are relaxed and caught up on the work. Soon after that, Forensics confirms that the gun found at Wight's apartment is the murder weapon. But it's too soon to match Wight's DNA with traces found on the gun and there were no prints on the weapon.

Ryan and Esposito have been following the paper trail and Esposito says, "The day before Wight received the first payment, there's a corresponding withdrawal from Andre Breuer's main account. Other than that we can only find a withdrawal of five thousand dollars about a week ago. Unless we're missing something, there's ten thousand dollars unaccounted for."

Beckett can see that Ryan and Esposito have something else to say, and asks, "Your theory?"

Pleased to be asked, Esposito says, "Andre Breuer's brother is Gerard Breuer; the victim's ex-husband."

"You think they kept it in the family?" At their nod, she says, "See if it's enough to get a warrant to look into Gerard Breuer. Good work guys." Looking to Castle, she says, "Want to help me break Joseph Wight?"

Rubbing his hands together in glee, Castle says, "I thought you'd never ask."

Joseph Wight shifts nervously in his chair when Beckett and Castle enter the interrogation room. Acting on intuition, Beckett doesn't say a word, but starts placing documents on the table in front of Wight. First the photo of Jessica Breuer's bloody corpse. Next, the photo of the revolver found at his apartment, and the bullet comparison that proves it's the murder weapon. Then a picture of the sticky note, enhanced by Forensics, to clearly show the details of his bank account. Finally, the copies of his and Andre Breuer's accounts, with the relevant transactions highlighted.

It seems to Castle that he can almost see the sweat squeezing from the guy's pores, as the man's panic rises. Only then does Beckett make the introductions and say, "Joseph Wight, you're under arrest for the murder of Jessica Breuer. You'll be taken from here to Central Booking. After your arraignment, you'll be held at Rikers Island jail until your trial. And then it's up to the judge. But you'll probably be spending the next twenty five years at Five Points Correctional Facility."

In case he hasn't heard of it, Castle adds, "It's a maximum security prison, filled with murderers, so you'll fit right in."

Castle almost feels sorry for the guy, as his frantic gaze shifts from Beckett's poker face to the evidence before him. Finally coming to his senses, he says, "I want a lawyer."

Beckett shrugs and says, "I would too, if I were in your shoes. And we'll arrange that for you." She starts packing up the evidence and muses, "It's just a pity that Andre Breuer won't see the inside of a prison. We know he paid you to kill Ms. Breuer. But we didn't have enough to prosecute him, so we had to let him go."

Beckett and Castle haven't even risen from their chairs before Wight asks, "You let Andre go?"

Her expression betraying nothing, Beckett says, "Yes, sir. I'll arrange that lawyer."

Beckett is almost to the door when Wight says, "It was Andre."

Turning, Beckett asks, "What was Andre?"

"He begged me to help him out. He knew I was in trouble and he said he would give me enough money to make it all go away."

"In return for killing Jessica Breuer?"

"Yes." And quickly follows with, "I want a deal."

Sitting down again, Beckett says, "You've just confessed to murder Mr. Wight. What sort of deal could you possibly offer us?"

"I recorded our conversation; the one where I agreed to do it. I was worried that he wouldn't give me the rest of the money, once it was done. So I kept a copy, for insurance. He talks about what time I should do it, and where she'd be. Plus we talked about the money. Will that do?"

Pushing him, Beckett says, "I'd have to listen to the recording, before deciding."

But he's not quite that stupid and says, "No. I don't think so." Beckett's poker face has slipped just enough that he says, with confidence, "Now I want a lawyer. He can make the deal for me."

By the time Wight's lawyer arrives, they have more evidence. Ryan and Esposito subpoenaed Gerard Breuer's financial records and reveal that ten thousand dollars was withdrawn from his account, the same day that Andre Breuer withdrew five thousand dollars from his. Hoping for a domino effect, Beckett says, "Have Gerard Breuer picked up, and see what else you can dig up. Once Wight makes his deal, we'll have Andre, and then we'll get Gerard."

By the end of the day, they have enough to charge Joseph Wight and Andre Breuer with murder. But, through his lawyer, Gerard Breuer maintains that the ten thousand dollars was a loan to his brother, and that he was ignorant of the plot to murder Jessica Breuer. Andre Breuer supports his brother's story, so they're forced to release Gerard. Watching him leave, Castle says, "I hate this part."

Beckett shrugs and says, "Jess was murdered yesterday morning and we already have her killer and the man who hired him. So I'll be able to face Matt tonight and tell him that we did the best we could."

"True. Do you think that will be enough for him?"

"Only he knows that. But it's enough for me."

Wednesday morning Castle turns up to the precinct with two coffees, saying, "Morning, detective."

"Morning, Castle." Holding up the coffee, she says, "Thanks."

Something isn't quite right, but he can't work out what it is, so he asks, "What's on the cards for today?"

"Unless we get another body, we'll spend most of the day collating all the evidence against Wight and Breuer. I doubt it's your cup of tea, Castle. You might as well give it a miss today."

Suddenly afraid what she might be hiding, he says, "Look at me."

With a nervous laugh, she says, "I've got work to do, Castle. Find someone else to push around."

"I'll go, if you look at me."

She's heard that tone before, so she knows he won't give up, and turns her head to look at him. The intense concern on his face is too much for her, and she looks away again, saying, "Please don't look at me like that."

"You should have called me. I've lost count of the amount of times I've had to cover up bruises for a book-signing or publicity shoot. The layering is good, but you should have applied an ice pack first. I take it that two out of three wasn't enough for Matt?"

"Not exactly. He couldn't accept that Gerard Breuer is a free man, and was ready to kill him last night."

"So you got between a potential killer and their target?"

"I suppose so."

"Well, at least you didn't get shot this time."

This time the laughter is real, and she says, "True." She frowns and says, "You seem ok with it?"

Castle lets the anger into his voice and says, "No, Kate, I'm not ok with it. If you give me permission to hurt him, I'll be on my way before you finish the sentence." He calms himself with a deep, shuddering breath and continues, "Otherwise, I'm going to trust that you know what you're doing…but I sincerely hope that he looks worse than you do."

"No, I didn't lay a hand on him." At his obvious confusion, she smiles and explains, "I just handcuffed him and dumped him at his parents' place."

He grins and says, "Even better." Nervous about asking, he can't stop himself and says, "So, you're done?"

"Yes, Castle. He's a decent enough guy that, with counseling, he'll make someone very happy. But it won't be me."

Castle nods his approval, and asks, "Do you still want me to go?"

"No, Castle. I want you to stay."

"I can do that."

The End

Where credit's due:

"A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone."

-Henry David Thoreau

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."

-Henry David Thoreau

"You don't have to say anything, and you don't have to do anything. Not a thing. Oh, maybe just whistle. You know how to whistle, don't you, Steve? You just put your lips together and... blow." – "Slim", played by Lauren Bacall, from the movie "To Have and Have Not"