Thank you for the encouraging words to continue. I really wasn't sure if this would be good or not. I hope the 2nd chapter does the 1st chapter justice. I'll try to upload a chapter a day until this is resolved but no promises and I know where I want this to resolve but not sure how its going to get there yet. Again - thank you!
Disclaimer: I don't own 'em.
Chapter 2 - Something
Beckett with a new stride crosses over to her desk yelling out, "Ryan! Anything on video?"
"No boss. I've been going through it like you asked and nothing. I'm sorry…it looks like Castle to me."
"It can't be." The evidence currently appears to be 100% but she isn't. She just has to find the missing link. There is something they've missed, something that will explain the unbelievable.
Esposito. Always the brother, always the one to have her back, only now he has her back in a way that he thinks is best for her, "Beckett, I…"
"No Javi…I know him. He did not do this." Maybe now it's my turn to grasp at straws, but he just can't be the one responsible for this.
Esposito curiously asks because he has to know where this change in her has come from, "What did he say in there?"
Deciding to play it cool and not show her hand to the boys she limits their visibility, "Oh you know. The usual: I didn't do it." What's the point in sharing the 3XK theory with them? She needs a little more time, a little more evidence because right now she fears they'll see her grasping. And she can't deal with the sympathy right now. Right now, she needs to focus because she once made a promise, "Don't worry Castle, I'd get you out."
Laser focused she instructs, "Ryan…instead of the video let's go at this a different way."
"Why boss? We got 'em. I don't like it as much as you, but it's Castle. Look Beckett, I know, okay? I know about all of it" he looks deep in her eyes trying to communicate the depth of his knowledge, "and it's just something that you have to accept" Ryan knows about them, he sees her struggling; he sees her grasping and doesn't see the point. He doesn't want her to have hope where the evidence says there's none. He can't stand to watch her fall so hard after she's been climbing for so long.
Beckett stares back, eyes opened, mouth gaping. Oh shit! He does know. Does Javi know too? Her eyes dart to Esposito but nothing. Looking back at Ryan she thinks, save the 'I know' speech because really? Where is that going to get us right now? With all her resolute, "Well, we've got to be sure. This is one of us after all." What the hell? They have to know he didn't do this too. "Anyway, as I was saying, all we need to find is something…Ryan, trace the IP address back to the bank of the withdrawal from his pocket account. I want to know the geographical location and time. Espo, trace where the cashier's check was purchased and pull the video off that location. Our only hope is to cross-reference time and location with Castle. We've got to dig deeper on this." Because he'd do the same for us. "I'm going down to talk to Lanie – keep digging and see what else you can find."
As Beckett walks away, both Ryan and Esposito quietly observe her retraction feeling every ounce of their sympathy growing the further she gets.
"Dude." Espo back slaps Ryan on the arm, "What's with the 'I know' speech?"
"Nothing…just that I know…this must be tough"
"Yeah right," Esposito says in disagreement. "uh uh, that wasn't nothing…that was something."
Just after she enters the elevator she turns facing them, yelling "Guys! Go!" just as the elevators door close. Both men scurry like roaches as Beckett leans her head back on the wall, closing her eyes thinking, I hope Lanie has something.
Beckett brushes into the morgue with both doors flying open with the same gusto as you can see her moving with, "Lanie, tell me you have something."
"Oh I have something alright, and from the looks of it you have some explaining yourself." Lanie presses her lips together tightly as she raises her eyebrows and looks at Kate dead on.
"Not now Lanie."
"Fine but I'm only dropping this temporarily."
"Body." Beckett interrupts her.
"Excuse me." Lanie sounds excitedly rushed with disbelief because there is no way Kate Beckett is going there at this moment.
"The body…please tell me you have something that will help Castle."
"Oh right." Damn…Lanie thinks. She was so close and then Beckett had to go full on cop mode. Thinking better of it, the ME informs her, "At first glance there's no straight forward cause of death. But see the postmortem bruising settling in around the neck here, and the esophagus was crushed on an upward 45 degree angle. I'd say she was strangled to death by someone taller but after the carved tattoo in the forehead."
"Carved tattoo?" Kate asks. Lanie carefully points to the emblem carved into the woman's forehead, "see the design? I could only see the detail after I cleaned the blood off."
"What about the barbed wire? Anything interesting with that?"
"No."
So far this trip is proving to be less useful to her cause and Kate grunts in disappointment. Damnit.
"Initially…" Lanie begins and that peaks Beckett's interest. She looks to her friend hopeful, eyes dancing at the possibility of something as Lanie finishes, "I did find some green fiber in one of the gashes in the abdomen caused by the wire." "It may not be much but I'm running the fiber through the database now to determine the type of material. I should know more in about an hour."
"Perfect! Thanks Lanie!." Beckett's voice hitches in excitement along with her step as she begins to exit the morgue.
"Girl we're not done yet."
Beckett halts at the door turning around, oh, there's more? "Oh…what else?"
"You tell me." Lanie sasses back.
Beckett gives a knowing smile and nod to her friend. Always the prying, looking out for you friend, she raises over her shoulder as she walks out, "Okay – I'm going now."
Lanie just smirks at no one in particular as the doors swing shut, "Mmhmmm. I'm sure you're doing a lot more coming than going these days."
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