"Beckett? Castle?" Esposito's voice cut across their thoughts on the case.
"Morning, Esposito," Kate answered without looking physically acknowledging him. She moved her right hand slightly to alert Castle to the fact that he was holding it. The author beside her released it and moved it into his lap.
"Morning Esposito," he too greeted.
"Have you been here all night?" he asked.
"No," Castle replied far too quickly for her liking. Still she didn't take her eyes off the board.
Kate heard the footsteps making their way over to join them in front of the board.
"You've made a lot of headway, Beckett," Ryan commented.
"It helps that I already knew all of this," she bit her lip as a lump started in her throat threatening to make her voice break.
Ryan seemed to realize his mistake because he didn't make any more comments as he spoke again. Esposito joined them staring at the board.
"Who do you find the most likely suspect?" Ryan asked.
"I put Whitting at the top of the suspects list. He'd always been on and off with my father. I never knew whether they were friends or not," Kate answered.
"Alright we'll go once we know more about all of these…" Esposito started.
"You'll go?" she interrupted, "I am going to be the one interviewing our suspects."
"Are you…" Castle stopped mid-question.
"Esposito, check the list of his friends. Find their current locations, their current employments and whether there is any reason for them to be hostile towards our vic. Ryan, do the same for the convicts," She paused and looked at Castle, "Find something to do that won't embarrass me or make me want to kill you. I'll handle the enemies."
Kate Beckett seated herself at her desk and opened the police files.
"Batreus, is a negative," voiced Ryan, "He's been dead for three years. Some other con got into a fight with him. He came off on the losing end."
Kate stood and picked up the marker from the tray at the base of the board. She drew a line threw the name. As she ended the line she saw a word she'd almost forgotten was even related to the case. How could she forget such an important detail? Clearly, it would lead to an important fact of the case.
"After you are done narrowing down which are still alive and have a record of being in the area for at least the last two days make a note of those who would have any knowledge of a code. Those with a background for studies in subterfuge and anonymity or historical references," Kate ordered.
(Later)
"Beckett?" it was Castle, she knew that voice by now it having tormented her for what seemed like years but truly had only been a few weeks.
She'd been eating what was left of her sandwich from the previous day when her father's death finally caught up with her. Then she'd made her way as unobtrusively to the bathroom and broke down there her back leaning heavily against the door to keep anyone else from entering. She'd moved away from the door realizing that someone could probably here her if they were planning on coming into the bathroom and made her way over to the sink instead.
She was to the point where shock had worn off and there was no protection from how it felt. She couldn't deny that her father had meant much to her and she couldn't understand why anyone would want to kill a man that had helped the city so much. Then again, she couldn't understand how anyone could kill any of the victims whose cases she worked day after day to solve. Still, how could her father possibly be dead?
Kate heard the door open and swore under her breath. Why couldn't he just mind his own damn business?
"We have to go see… Beckett, you look awful," Castle seemed to be stunned.
"Thanks for your compassion and concern," She replied doing her best to still appear controlled, "What do we have to see, Castle?"
"The ME has the blood tests back. The results weren't good," Castle answered, "Kate," he started in a quieter voice, "are you sure you're alright?"
"Don't," she whispered, "call me Kate."
Castle seemed to shrink back a bit but still he didn't lose his air of supposed charm. He raised an eyebrow at her indicating he still wanted an answer. She gave him a glare and then made her way out of the bathroom. He followed right on her tail. The ME's office was in the farthest part of the precinct and so they were forced to walk the distance in a rather uncomfortable silence. On any normal day, she would have welcomed the peace, but today, when Castle was quiet out of respect, she almost wished for the wise-cracks that almost always came at her expense.
"Girl, how are you holding up?" Lanie asked.
"I'm fine Lanie," Kate answered her friend, "Let's just get on with your findings so we can wrap up this case."
"COD, was an overdose of heroin injected into his bloodstream through the large veins in the wrist. It took the blood immediately back to his heart which then pumped the blood to his brain." The ME explained.
"Wait, he died of a d-drug overdose? Heroin? He was in narcotics; he spent most of his life making sure people who had already ruined their lives were given a second chance. How would he end up with a drug overdose?" Kate stammered through the statements shock once again surprising her by coating everything with a haze.
"The overdose wasn't self-inflicted. That's where things could get tricky. The drug was put in through the veins in the wrist after he received the blow to the temple. Most likely, he was unconscious when the heroin was injected," Lanie explained.
Kate opened her mouth for a second and then closed it, "So it's a homicide staged to look like a suicide?"
"Maybe,"
"The only thing is, if the perp. was trying to make this look like a suicide, why would he write all over his wrists and arms? It's contradictory," Kate interjected, "It' seems as though he went through a lot of trouble for nothing."
Lanie raise her eyebrows at her in surprise. It seemed, she'd expected her to stay in shock a while longer, and though Kate didn't notice it, Castle had a similar reaction. She was keeping on her work face and remaining professional. It was another case and so it would be carried out as such until it was solved. Then maybe she'd give herself some time to grieve as she'd done with her mother. Still, keeping the ruse up that she was fine was hard.
"Do you have pictures of the writing by any chance?" Castle broke the loud silence.
"Of course, don't we always? That's what we do when we're working with the 'fr'… a case," Lanie amended.
Kate noticed she had been about to say the "freaky ones" but had changed it probably because of tact. There was a little bit of annoyance that came with the gesture but overwhelming that was the gratitude towards Lanie that she was not going to directly call her father's case such a name.
"Here," the Me picked up a few photos of the writing, "These are the best ones we have; hopefully they'll be good enough for reference."
"Thanks Lanie," Kate took the photos and turned to leave. Castle blocked her way.
"Castle," she glared at him, "move."
"But we're not done here," he replied and sidestepped her. He made his way over to the ME's folder and grasped something.
"Castle!"
"We should know the contents of his wallet. Am I right?" Castle held up a bag with a small black leather wallet in it.
Kate stood there for a moment just looking at him before turning and walking out of the morgue.
(Later)
"Where's Castle?" She leaned on Esposito's desk.
"He said there was something he needed to do about an hour ago. He still hasn't come back as far as I know,"
Kate closed her eyes for a moment in annoyance, "How are we supposed to make any headway if he's off doing his own thing? I have to go and interview Whitting which I told him when we were done with talking with Lanie. What could he possibly be doing that is so important?"
She crossed her arms and leaned back against her desk looking at the ceiling. The longer she had to wait the more likely it would be that she would breakdown again. She needed to keep busy.
"Beckett, you really don't have to work this hard," Esposito's voice cut through her thoughts, "I know that you are determined to make this case end with a conviction but you need to relax. It won't turn out like your mother's…"
"Where do you get off giving Castle her case file?"
"He told you about that?"
"I was looking for it last night and I mentioned that I couldn't find it. For some reason he decided to be honest for once," she replied still angry.
"You and Castle were here all night?"
"Don't change the subject!"
"Castle and you were here last night?" Ryan joined the conversation by rolling his chair over to Esposito's desk.
Kate put her foot on the front of his chair and straightened her leg so he rolled back out of the conversation.
"He came and asked me for it. It was after the Cavana murder and he was very intent on having it. Wouldn't take no for an answer. I made him promise he wouldn't tell you."
"I guess you learned to can't trust Castle,"
"Kate! There you are!"
She turned on him.
"I've got a present for you," he continued with his usual attempts to lighten the mood of an investigation.
"Where have you been?!" the detective was certain that a present from Castle was anything but good. He seemed to remember then why she was asking him about his whereabouts because his face changed from its attempt at looking charming and smug at the same time to looking charming and slightly anxious at the same time.
Kate looked him over and notice her was holding a thin folder that seemed to be a case file. She held out her hand for it and he handed it to her rather lamely. The picture on the front was not what she'd expected. It was her mother staring back at her now and not her father, whom she'd anticipated because Castle had such a record of pilfering evidence. There were a few seconds where she wasn't sure if she could breath, and then she sat down on the edge of her desk again.
"Why are you giving me this?"
"Well, you wanted it this morning,"
"Castle, we don't have time for this, I told you that we were to go interrogate Whitting an hour ago. The longer we take to find the murderer the less chance we will," Kate put the folder down on her desk and grabbed her coat off the back of her chair, "Let's go Castle."
She made her way out the door and to the car sitting outside. It was raining, but she didn't notice. She heard Castle complaining behind her though.
(Later)
The house was white and surrounded by a small green lawn, there was evidence that some children seemed to live there which seemed odd to the detective because as she recall Marvin Whitting and his wife were older than her parents. Though, she reflected with a pang of sadness, that her parents would never reach that age. Her mother had not even reached 45. Kate closed her eyes for a moment entirely aware that Castle was, yet again, watching her. She slid her hand to the latch on the door and opened it before stepping out into the cold early spring air. The grass had that perfectly manicured color about it. Disregarding that, she made her way up to the door and wrung the bell. Castle was right behind her again breathing down her neck.
"Castle," she said in a voice only slightly louder than a whisper. He backed up.
Kate lifted her hand to the door knocker and slammed it three times against the door. It didn't take long for it to be answered.
"We're not looking for something to buy," a woman with graying black hair that hung just below her earlobes answered the door.
"Detective Kate Beckett NYPD," she held up her badge to indicate she spoke the truth and then continued, "We're here to ask Marvin Whitting a few questions involving the murder committed yesterday morning."
She watched as the woman's eyes widened for a moment and then narrowed. Suddenly, a smile of recognition crossed her face.
"Katie, Katie Beckett, is that you? You've grown up so much. The last time I saw you was several years ago when we buried your mother," The woman mused.
Kate ducked her head and walked out into the yard a little ways to gain control of herself again. She was breathing long and heavily so she wouldn't lose her grip on reason. Why did little thing like that set her off yet someone else could make a random crack and nothing happened. Yet she remembered this when her mother had died to. The tiniest little, insignificant act could cause unexpected results.
When she'd regain control of herself, she joined Castle at the door again.
"Please come in dear, there's so much for you to tell me," The woman waved her in ahead of her and did the same thing for Castle. Kate was slightly amused to see how uncomfortable the author felt here.
Once they had reached the living room and were seated on the couch Kate decided to pursue the reason they'd come again.
"Mrs. Whitting it's good to see you again but we really must speak to you husband," she spoke before the woman could get a word in edgewise.
"I'm sorry to say that Marvin is not here right now. He has a Friday poker game with some of his old friends. They start at three, run until six and then go out for some drinking and dinner. They usually don't get home until nine or ten at night. I'm sorry," Mrs. Whitting supplied.
"Do you know where we could find him," she asked and glanced at the clock noting that it had taken them two and a half hours to get there and it was about six thirty now.
"I'm really not sure where they'd be. They usually don't leave town though. You should check some of the bars around."
"Thank you for your cooperation, Mrs. Whitting. I wish I could stay longer and catch up but it's a long drive back to New York, and the sooner we find him the sooner we can be on our way," she stood and got ready to make her exit.
"Come on Kate, we can stay for a little while," Castle commented.
"Sure, kitten, why don't we let a few suspects slip out of our reach. We don't have time," she scowled at Castle.
"Suspects? My dear Marvin is a suspect in a murder investigation," Mrs. Whitting's face assumed a flustered and surprised appearance.
"Unfortunately yes, Mrs. Whitting," Kate replied regretting what she had to say.
"Please, explain to me what's happened, I might be able to help you," the middle-aged woman asked.
Kate sank back onto the couch beside Castle wishing that she didn't have to answer.
"Mrs. Whitting, how was your husband's current relationship with Thomas Beckett?" she asked hoping that if she voiced everything just as she usually did it would somehow change how she felt toward the case and make it seem more distant. It didn't help.
"They had not seen each other for quite a while, Marvin seemed a bit annoyed at him but they always used to have their little spats. I figure this was nothing more. Marvin would sometimes get annoyed at your father but never horribly angry, not when I was around," Mrs. Whitting answered, "What does that have to do with your investigation?"
"Our victim," She paused to collect herself, "was Thomas Beckett."
The response from the other woman was instantaneous and something Castle would have mocked her mercilessly, were there other circumstances behind it. The woman had sprung from her seat and wrapped her arms around Kate. She drew in a sharp breath and tried to relax but couldn't.
"Please, I have to know where you husband has been for the last day and a half," she hurriedly brushed the woman off of her and set about keeping up her professional appearance.
"He's been up in New York City working on some business for the last week. He was selling some of his hardware to stores and making pitches." The woman's gray eyes were filled to the brim with tears, "Dear are you alright? I can't imagine what you must be feeling right now. How could you possibly deal with both of you parents being murdered?"
"I assure you I'm fine Mrs. Whitting," Kate stood to leave and grabbed Castle's arm, "Thank you for your time, Mrs. Whitting."
Kate made sure Castle was walking ahead of her as she left so he couldn't think of another reason to stay. She made her way across the lawn and into the car. Castle got into the passenger seat. After the door close she leaned her head against the steering wheel fighting against the lump that had formed in her throat while she'd been explaining. She bit her lip and then leaned back against the seat placing her hands on the wheel only to remember she had yet to turn the key in the ignition. Kate twisted the Key and they pulled away from the curb and began their search for all the local bars.
(Later)
The door was easy to open and the tiny bells rung against it as they entered. Kate looked around the dark room and then glanced toward the bar where there appeared to be a rather rowdy group of men. They all seemed to know each other because she doubted they were drunk enough to be acting as they did toward one another.
"Over there Castle," she gestured slightly.
"Well we'll just have to see how well they can hold their alcohol," he commented and made his way over to sit down next to them.
"Castle!" Kate followed him in annoyance. Why could he never play by the rules? Of course that very fact did make him Castle.
"Richard Castle," she watched as he held out his to the other man, "Pleasure to meet you."
"Mack Riger," the other man replied, "This is Marvin, Jack, Allen, and Frank. What do you want?"
"I would like to propose a friendly competition. Shots?"
"A competition?" Mack replied.
"A good idea," Castle replied but was stopped as Kate grabbed his ear.
"Not a good idea," she hissed, "Detective Beckett, NYPD, we need to…"
She didn't manage to finish because the man in question bolted. She ran after him Castle behind her trying to make their way through the crowded bar. They left through the back into and alley and then across the street towards a small salvage yard. Whitting opened the gate into the yard and tore through but the time he'd lost doing so cost him. Kate caught up to him and tackled him. Then she pulled the cuffs from her belt and clamped them around his wrist.
"Marvin Whitting, you are under arrest," she dictated.
"You're obviously… in better… shape than I… am," Castle panted as he reached them.
"Obviously, here, help me get him up," she replied a strange sense of pleasure for being one step closer to answers filling her.
She grabbed one of the man's arms and Castle took the other and hoisted him off the ground. They walked him to the car and shoved him into the back. Kate sighed and turned the key in the ignition again. They pulled away from the curb on their way back to New York City.
(Later)
Marvin Whitting was sitting at the table alone. Kate looked at him through the one way glass an expression of disgust on her face. She looked down at the coat he had that was full of drugs, heroin included, he probably sold after his buddies got too drunk to realize what he was doing. It's probably what he'd been doing in New York too. She thought. It wouldn't have taken much for him to find her father and get revenge. Then he'd left town the day after. The story seemed so easy for her to put together. She made her way through the door and into the room.
"Mr. Whitting, where were you at between the hours of 3 and 4 am on March 7," she asked.
He looked up at her and a surprised smile spread across his face.
"Katie Beckett, it's been a very long time. Nice to see you again,"
"Nice to see you too," she snapped and continued, "Again Mr. Whitting, where were you in the early hours of March 7?"
"I was at a party with some of my clients,"
"Your clients?" she asked immediately.
"I'm and insurance consultant," Mr. Whitting replied.
"Can anyone verify your presence at the party?" she asked.
"Several people who were there saw me,"
Kate looked down at her hands frustrated because she couldn't find anything to suggest he was lying, yet.
"So tell me, why is and insurance consultant selling drugs? Surely you make enough money to support yourself and your wife," she asked catching his mistake.
"Lately business has been unsteady,"
"People aren't paying for their insurance anymore?"
"Well…"
"You have a previous arrest concerning drug dealing though you were never convicted," she stated.
"Yes, but you should already know that,"
"And that arrest was made by narcotics detective Thomas Beckett," she continued.
"Yes your father," Mr. Whitting seemed to be confused and irritated.
"I bet you were pretty angry. Your life had been badly shaken up; you probably lost your reputation as an upstanding citizen. Am I right, Mr. Whitting?" She inquired with vehemence.
"Yes, but…"
"How angry were you, Mr. Whitting?"
"I was very angry, I'd been in a stable relationship then and everything seemed to be going well. We were making money and living together. Then he comes in and blows the whole thing!" her replied.
"Then you won't mind telling me why Thomas Beckett's body was found in Central Park yesterday morning!" Kate stood and leaned over the table toward him.
"I had nothing to do with this! I just can't believe he's dead," Mr. Whitting seemed genuinely shocked which irritated her, and she scowled losing the feeling of having the mouse trapped between her paws.
"Do you know how he died?" she was pacing now.
"Why would I?"
"He was killed by an overdose of Heroin, a drug which you seem to have a lot of!" She turned toward him again.
"I don't deny the drug claim but how do you know this wasn't a suicide," Mr. Whitting was getting bolder.
"I'm asking the questions and you're answering them!" she yelled.
"I want a lawyer,"
Kate looked at the man for a moment and then turned to the door and left the room, anger giving away to the feelings she'd kept suppressed all day. She made her way into the break-room and collapsed onto one of the chairs. For a few moments she wasn't sure she could breathe but then she managed to steady herself and put her forehead in her hands.
"Good job today, Beckett," Montgomery stood in front of her so she bit back the tears that threatened to fall.
"Thank you, chief," she replied.
"Go home Beckett, sleep."
Then the captain left too, only to be replaced by Castle.
"Come with me Beckett. You're too tired to drive yourself home." He commented and for once Kate couldn't argue. She felt like the walking dead.
They made their way to the car and Castle climbed into the driver's seat. Kate climbed into the passenger side unperturbed by this new arrangement. She put on her seatbelt and leaded back against the head rest, her cheek resting against her hand.
It was a little while later when she finally had to give up her battle with her pride. She felt her hand slowly becoming wet and was glad it was dark because Castle would have noticed if it was otherwise. Castle pulled up into one of the parking spaces along the curb and stopped. Kate looked around a realized that this was far from being her neighborhood, this was his. He walked around the car and opened the door for her. She couldn't come up with an argument for him so she didn't make eye contact. Kate followed Castle into the building and across the rather spacious lobby to the elevator.
"I'm going to make you dinner since neither of us has eaten. I'll take you home after we're done," Castle explained.
Normally she would have snapped about being able to make dinner herself but her broken voice would have given her away so she just nodded.
"Kate?" Castle turned around to look at her.
"It's Beckett," she managed to choke before she began to actually cry instead of her silent tears, hating herself for every minute of it.
a/n- Um… so tell me what you think. I managed to get some real Beckett in there, as well as my personal version of Beckett. *hehe* Hope the ending isn't too OOC. I'm actually writing from experience with some of the grief things so I'm doing my best. I'm not quite as strong a person as Beckett so I may over-embellish a little.
Disclaimer- since I forgot to put one in, in the first chapter I thought I'd put it here, mix it up a bit. I don't own Anything from Castle so don't sue me for writing this fic. I'm just having fun and being creative so I see no harm.
Tabitha of MoonAurora