CHAPTER 3

Later that afternoon, Dr. Parish is standing over her autopsy table working on the latest victim when detective Beckett enters and walks up to the medical examiner "Hey, Lanie got anything new on our vic?"

"Not a lot more than I had earlier. His name on his driver's license is Kenneth Hodges, 23 lives in Queens. I gave the rest of the contents from his wallet to Javi. He's following up on the credit cards."

"So, does it look like an accident or murder?"

"Definitely, murder. He has a large wound in the back of his head. It is a very odd wound though"

"How So?"

"It's round and deep. It looks like it was caused by a cannon ball except it appears to have some type of a pattern. There are penetrating marks inside the wound track."

"What kind of marks?"

"I'm not real sure. I took some digital pictures and am trying to get the tech guys to clean up and get me some details. They tell me it will be sometime late tomorrow at the earliest, before they can render a good picture for comparison."

"OK. Great! Anything else?"

"Yeah there is! When were you going to tell me about your little tryst to Vegas?"

"UH! What do you mean? What are you talking about?"

"You know full well, what I am talking about! You and Castle! Little romantic getaway to Sin City"

"Lanie! I don't know who told you what, or what you think you heard, but Rick's publisher has set up a release party and book signing for Rick in Vegas. Paula, his publishing agent is trying to get me to come too. I told Rick that I can't afford take off work. But Paula is trying to work out something with the commissioner. Nothing is definite yet."

Lanie notices that Kate called him Rick and not Castle "So, it not a little week end romantic getaway with just you and writer boy?"

"NO, Lanie! I don't know why you would think that we would be doing something like that?"

"OH! No particular reason other than Richard Castle is crazy in love with you, and you have been fighting those same feelings you have for him for years. That's all!"

"Lanie! Give it a rest. Even if Castle and I were to go out with each other, Gates would fire me, throw him out, or put me back into a patrol car. The department rules about coworkers dating and she would use it to separate us"

"OK! I see you have thought this thru. So, girlfriend! Are you telling me that glow I have seen in you and the sparkle in your eyes over the last several months are NOT being brought on by some late night story meetings with one well known mystery writer?"

Kate drops her head and a little blush appears on her cheeks and chokes out an "UH! NO?"

"OH my gosh! You have gone way past being his muse now, haven't you?"

"Lanie! PLEASE! I can't have him booted." Kate responds with a touch of fear in her voice

"How long has this been going on?"

"We got together during my suspension. He helped me find Maddox" Kate gets a far away look in her eyes. "Lanie, he makes me feel safe. I feel warm inside when I'm with him. I honestly didn't know how love was supposed to feel until he wrapped me up in his arms. Lanie, I just want him so badly now. I know I must sound crazy after all the times I pushed him away"

"No Kate. It's called love. And everyone knows that you two are in love. We've all seen it for years. We couldn't understand why you two kept apart for so long"

Beckett just smiles at her best friend "And please don't say anything to the boys. I don't want Gates to get wind of this before she has to. I know she will sooner or later. I just want it to be later"

"OK you secret's safe with me. So, tell me all about this Vegas trip"

"Like I said, there is a book release party and his publisher and agents all want me there. But at this moment I have a murder to solve right here"

"OK! You know the boys can handle the case. But, who knows. You may have it finished before the two of you go traipsing across the desert together"

Kate gives Lanie a girly grin "We'll see. Keep me informed"

"Gotcha girl. Mum's the word"

Back at the precinct, Ryan and Esposito are digging into the background of the victim. When Beckett returns they bring her up to date on what they found so far

"Our victim was a teller at New Amsterdam Bank and trust. He has been there for two years". Esposito reports

Ryan continues "he had just finished at junior college with an associate's degree. He has enrolled at New York University to start in the fall. He was going for a bachelor's in computer science. They said he was a whiz kid with the machines. Whenever they had computer problems, they called him instead of the bank's help desk."

"What about friends? Did he have a girlfriend? Close guy friends?"

"The bank manager said he was friendly, but reserved. Quiet Never talked mush about his life outside the teller cage" Javi explained

"OK! Let's talk to his coworkers, neighbors. See if anyone knew him and if he had friends."

"Also have we found any family yet?"

Esposito answers "We haven't found any so far, but we are still looking"

"OK! Let's get some uniforms to canvas the area around his work and home."

"Got it boss" Ryan answers as he and Esposito head out toward the elevator

As Beckett starts to sit down at her desk, she hears the captain's voice "Detective Beckett! May I see you in my office?"

"Yes Sir" Beckett walks into Gate's office. She knows what is getting ready to happen, but she is still not sure what to say.

"Detective, the commissioner's office just called with orders for you"

"Sir?"

"It seems that Mr. Castle has convinced the powers to be downtown that you should travel with him on a little book tour"

Trying to play as innocent as possible Beckett responds "I'm sorry, sir! Book Tour?"

"Yes detective. The mayor has decided that you are being given paid leave to attend Mr. Castle's book release party representing the city of New York. As if you didn't already know"

"Well, sir. Castle mentioned it to me in the bull pin just this morning that he was going on this signing, but I had no part in arranging it so I don't know what to say"

"Based upon the way it was presented to me, neither you nor I have much we can say. We will just follow orders"

"Very well, sir" Beckett is not convinced that the captain believes her side of the story. All she can do right now is to follow what she was told and go back to finding the killer.

"All right detective. So! Your current case! Any leads?"

"No sir, not yet. The boys are out doing a canvas right now. Based on current information, we don't even have known associates or friends for the victim"

"OK I hope that we have some closure on this case before you leave. Keep me informed. Dismissed"

Beckett returns to her desk, picks up her phone and sends a text to Castle letting him know that the orders had been delivered.

Within moments he sends his response. "Gr8 Talk 2U L8R "

Becket gets that warm feeling inside that only Castle has been able to give her. She puts her phone back into her pocket. She has decided that this trip is going to be a lot of fun.

If she only knew!