Thanks again to Tanya Reed for betaing this chapter. Much appreciated. Hope you all enjoy.


CHAPTER TWO

"THANKS for having my back in there," Castle said once they both got settled in Beckett's unmarked police car.

"He was out of line," Beckett answered simply as she watched Caliver make his way into his own car. She put her car into drive and edged out onto the street, hoping to make it to the Myles estate before Caliver did.

The ride to the estate was silent, allowing Beckett to prepare herself for what she felt was the worst part of her job. Telling someone a loved one had died was hard; telling them a loved one was murdered was even harder.

Castle glanced over at Beckett, watching as she concentrated on driving. He had been with her long enough to know what she was thinking. He admired how well she hid her own pain, but he knew every time she crossed the yellow tape at a crime scene, or had to deliver the bad news, she thought about her own personal tragedy.

"Damn it!" Beckett suddenly said as she jerked to the right, watching Caliver quickly pass them.

"Did someone just cut you off?" Castle asked once his brain registered what had just happened. He had been so transfixed with Beckett that, if it wasn't for the sudden pull of the car, he would not have known someone had almost cut them off.

"Not someone," Beckett said through gritted teeth. "Caliver." She had recognized his license plate when he quickly weaved in front of her before disappearing into traffic again.

Castle looked over at Beckett, "Is he trying to get us killed?"

"No. He's trying to beat us to the Myles estate."

"Does he think this is a competition?"

Beckett didn't answer Castle as her hands tightened on the steering wheel until her knuckles turned a visible white. She continued to drive for about twenty minutes until she was able to exit the main street and turn into a residential court that consisted of three large lots and magnificent homes.

"Wow," Castle said, admiring the homes.

Beckett pulled her car up next to Caliver's, who was waiting in front of the large, pearly gates of the Myles estate.

"It's about time you got here," Caliver said once Beckett had rolled down her window in the car.

Leaning forward to get a look at Caliver, Castle said, "You cut us off, dude."

Caliver ignored Castle, turning toward the intercom and pressing the white button. Within seconds a staticy voice was heard over the intercom.

"Can I help you?" The male voice asked.

Caliver pulled out his badge and pointed it at the camera. "I'm Detective Jason Caliver of the NYPD, and my partner, Detective Katherine Beckett, along with her...friend...are in the other car. We need to speak to Edward and Gloria Myles."

There was a moment of silence, and then the gates started to open slowly, with the man on the other end saying, "Proceed."


THEY were greeted by a security guard who brought them through the main forum of the home. Beckett marveled at how nicely decorated the mansion was. There were various paintings that looked like they belonged in a museum and not in someone's home, like a sculpture of a barely clothed man holding a vase, in the centre of the room, that had running water pouring out of the vase and into a small fountain.

"And my mother thinks that I have too many unnecessary things," Castle whispered to Beckett as they were led into the living room, which was also extravagantly decorated with a polar bear rug situated in the middle of the floor.

It didn't take long for Gloria and Edward to enter the living room. The first thing Beckett noticed about them was how fancy they were dressed for such a casual day. Edward, who was in his middle to late fifties, and in optimum shape, was dressed in an Armani suit. Gloria, who looked in her early fifties, was dressed in a white Versace dress, and her make up looked as if it had been done professionally.

"I'm sorry," Gloria said as she approached the two police officers. "Who are you again?"

"We are Detectives for the NYPD," Caliver answered and then pointed to Beckett. "Well me and her. The person standing next to my partner is shadowing her for a novel he is writing."

Gloria turned to look at Castle. "Anything I might have read?"

"Derrick Storm and the Nikki Heat series," Castle answered, but he didn't need the blank expression on Gloria's face to know that his books probably weren't her genre.

Gloria looked back at the two detectives and, with disappointment and hint of agitation in her voice, she asked, "What have Adam and Sean done this time?"

"I'm sure we could arrange something," Edward added. "I know they have gotten into minor criminal trouble before but we assure you that we will make sure this incident won't happen again."

Beckett exchanged a confused look with Castle before saying, "Mr. and Mrs. Myles, we are not here because of your sons."

"Oh thank God," Gloria said with relief in her voice, and Beckett began to feel bad about what she had to say next. With a smile on her face, Gloria asked, "Then what can we do for the police?"

"We're actually here about your daughters," Beckett began.

"Our daughters?" Edward asked, exchanging a confused look with his wife.

"It might be easier if you two have a sea"- Beckett began to say, but was interrupted by Caliver.

"They were found murdered in your eldest daughter's home."

Beckett glared at Caliver before turning back to face Gloria and Edward, who both looked completely in shock.

"How is this...possible?" Edward asked while putting his hands on his wife's shoulders.

"The woman who cleaned your daughter's home found them," Beckett answered gingerly.

Gloria shook her head. "Wait? What? At home?"

"That's impossible..." Edward said under his breath.

"Impossible?" Castle asked, hoping to get more information from the grieving father.

"Yes. When you told me they were dead I thought something had happened to them in Maui...not New York."

"They were in Maui?" Beckett asked, remembering that the two girls were tanned, but she figured it was the result of a tanning salon not a tropical vacation.

"They were supposed to come back tomorrow night on one of our private jets," Gloria answered. Her face began to cave slightly, the reality of what had been said finally hitting her.

"We are going to need a list of all of your plane itineraries," Caliver said, to which Edward nodded.

"Is it possible that they could have taken another plane home?" Beckett asked.

Edward laughed slightly. "What? Like West Jet? Our girls knew better. They went to Maui on our plane, and they were going to leave on our plane."

"Edward, you don't have to be so testy. They are just doing their jobs," Gloria said, her voice cracking slightly.

This seemed to calm Edward down a bit. "I know. I know, and I am sorry. It's just...I knew it."

"Knew what?" Beckett asked.

"That the guy Kristen was seeing was no good. I warned her he would be trouble."

Castle looked at Edward. "This guy's name happen to be Cameron Drew?"

Edward's eyes widened just a bit. "You know him? You caught him?"

"Unfortunately he was also found dead with your daughters," Beckett answered.

"Then it had to be a murder-suicide," Edward pressed while crossing his arms. "It has to be."

Again, Beckett had to deliver the bad news. "Unfortunately, all three were murdered. There was no suicide."

"Well then it has to be one of his low-life friends," Edward insisted.

"Did Cameron have troubles?" Caliver questioned while taking out his note pad.

"Yes!" Edward said adamantly.

"Not anymore," Gloria countered. She looked at Beckett. "He had a drug problem in his teens and early twenties. Kristen volunteered at a rehab center where he was volunteering once he kicked the habit as a sort of pay it forward type thing. It was love at first sight."

Beckett turned toward Edward. "I take it you didn't like him?"

"Of course I didn't like him. My daughter was too good for him. He was using her, and now she and Dani are dead because of him."

"Don't listen to him, Detective," Gloria said. "Cameron had his troubles in the past. I liked him, and he made Kristen happy. That's all that mattered."

"Did Cameron go to Maui with your daughters?" Castle asked.

"No. He was busy working. He does construction. It was just something Kristen and Dani planned last minute," Gloria answered. She then turned to Edward, and with anguish in her voice she asked him, "Why weren't they in Maui? Why did they come home and not tell us?"

Beckett felt a tinge in her heart, and she closed her eyes for a second, remembering asking those same questions of 'why' to herself when her mother was found dead in an alley.

"We are sorry for your loss," Beckett said once she reopened her eyes. "And I promise you we will do everything we can to find whoever did this."

Gloria nodded her head in appreciation as tears streamed down her face.

"I'll get the itinerary," Edward said numbly, and made his way toward his office.


ONCE the three of them were back outside and making their way toward their cars, Beckett turned to Caliver. "What the hell was that?"

"What the hell was what?" Caliver asked.

"That's not how you tell someone their children have been murdered," Beckett answered with a hint of anger in her voice.

"That's how I tell them, Katherine. No point in sugar coating it. It won't bring them back to life."

"But was that really necessary?" Castle interjected. "I mean, they are clearly distraught."

"This isn't one of your books, Rick. I'm not here to please people. I'm here to solve a case."

"And cases can still be solved while treating human beings with respect," Beckett added. "There was a better, more compassionate way, to tell them the news."

Caliver stopped walking once he was a step away from his car. "No offense, Detective, but back in Detroit, my rate for closing homicides surpassed yours. I want to make a name for myself here and, sooner or later, everyone at the 12th is going to realize what everyone in Detroit already knows." He took a breath to look at Castle. "I don't need a writer to help solve murder cases. In fact"- he let out a quick laugh - "when I close this case, and others, in record time, you might even base your next book on me."

Castle clenched his fists and watched as Caliver went inside his car. He had known from the moment Caliver stepped into the 12th Precinct to replace Beckett that he didn't like him.

"Come on, Castle," Beckett said as she headed toward her car. "He's not worth it."