Sorry for the delay in getting this out guys, it's been a horrid week! Thanks so much for your support, and here's hoping the next part is OK :)

Beckett pulled herself to her feet, the slightly light-headed feeling going quite quickly. Lanie watched her critically, her hands on her hips.

"When was the last time you ate? And don't say lunch, coz you hardly touched it girl."

Beckett rubbed her forehead. "I'm on it, Lanie, OK? I just need to go interview this kid."

"That's it, I am coming over tonight and babysitting you, I can't trust you to do what you need to do. Expect me at 7, and if you're not home I will come over here and drag your ass home. You got it?"

Beckett laughed. "Sure, you're always welcome. See you later?"

Lanie smiled, opening the door for her to walk through. "See you later. And take care of yourself!" she warned, her face splitting into a smile when Beckett just rolled her eyes at her.

"Are you interviewing the brother?" Castle asked, appearing at Beckett's side with a warm coffee. She took it with a quizzical look, continuing her way down the corridor.

"Yeah, why?"

He blushed slightly, rubbing his neck. "I just figured...maybe...you know, I could come with you?"

Beckett stopped, her hand on the door handle. She sighed, turning to face Castle. "Don't you have somewhere else to be?"

He smiled, her face softening at the look. "Nowhere I'd rather be."

Returning his smile, she pushed open the door, Adam's head shooting up instantly. He looked upset, his eyes roaming over the bruise on her cheek as he stood, wringing his hands.

"Detective Beckett, I'm so sorry about before. I'm really sorry you got hurt, we didn't realise you were there, and it was all so heated..."

Beckett smiled, taking her seat. "It's fine, Adam, occupational hazard. Take a seat." She waited for him to sit, before gesturing to Castle. "This is Richard Castle, my partner." Castle's grin widened into a beam, taking in the skinny, good-looking youth who looked so eager to please.

"Pleasure. Is this about my sister?"

Beckett nodded. "Do you know where we're up to so far?"

Adam nodded, clearing a lump from his throat. "Yeah, Mom called. I figured you'd find her eventually. It's not like Meg to vanish like that, especially not from me."

Beckett nodded encouragingly. "I'm so sorry for your loss, Adam. Were you two close?"

He smiled sadly. "Inseparable even in birth. She was an amazing girl."

"We've been told that, everyone has nothing but nice things to say. Had to you noticed any change in her recently?"

Adam looked up in surprise for a moment, before his face was blank. "No. I mean...she'd been a bit stressed with school, but that's nothing new. She was kind of a perfectionist."

Beckett smiled sadly. "Any problems at home, with anyone at school..."

Adam shook his head. "Not really. It was kinda rough for us when Dad lost his job, and we lost funding for school, but she was getting through it. It just meant a bit of a re-adjustment."

Beckett scribbled on her pad, briefly. "And where does James fit into all of this?"

Adam sighed, rubbing his face. "She was always so happy, until she met him. Then everything changed, and I couldn't work out why. She stopped telling me about him because it always set me off and we'd argue. And we both hated arguing."

"What changed?"

"Everything! She said she owed everything to him, because he helped her financially. I figured he was blackmailing her, so I went over today to find out what he'd wanted in return. But he wouldn't say anything, and that's when we got into it."

Beckett nodded. "OK, well thanks for your time, Adam. We'll follow that lead, and get back to you if we have any more questions."

He smiled sadly. "Sure, anything I can do. Just...please find out what happened, Detective. She was too special for this to stay like it is."

Beckett reached across the table, putting her hand over his briefly, causing his sad eyes to shoot to hers. "I promise you, I will do everything in my power to solve this, OK? Just hang in there, and if you need anything you call."

He smiled, nodding. Giving him one last sad glance, Beckett followed Castle out of the room. He sighed, seeing her sad look as she lost herself in thought, wandering back to her desk.

"What are you thinking?"

Her head shot up, looking at him critically. "I don't know. Something doesn't add up." She smiled a moment later, settling down to type up her report. "Let's hope Espo has more luck getting something out of lover boy."

"What's going on?" came the unwelcome voice of Cole, and even Castle cringed slightly at her poor timing. Beckett's smile dropped instantly, Castle once again on the outside of her emotions.

"Castle, why don't you go fill Detective Cole in. I'm only typing my report anyway."

He nodded. "But you'll come get us if anything happens, right?"

Looking up, she looked straight into his eyes, so he knew she was being truthful. "I will."

Esposito leaned across the table, his eyes blazing as he looked at James. The dark haired boy sat back in his seat, his arms folded, his head averted from the two detectives. He almost looked haughty, and Esposito knew he had to tread carefully, or he would eliminate any information he might get from him.

"That's a nice shiner you got there," he started, James looking irritably across at him before shrugging.

"You should see the other guy."

"We did. What was it about?"

James looked back, his eyes sparkling for a moment. "A woman. What's it always about?"

Esposito allowed himself a small smile. "This particular woman turned up dead though, didn't she?"

James shrugged. "How in the hell was I supposed to know that? I haven't spoken to her in months, due to the fact that we were broken up."

Ryan leant forwards. "What happened between the two of you."

James laughed. "Everyone says she was perfect. Lovely Megan, so kind, so gentle...what a load of bull. She was as selfish and self-centered as the rest of us, and once she'd got what she wanted from me she kicked me to the curb."

"So what was it then James, you didn't like her getting one over you, so you went back and killed her?" Esposito smiled knowingly, James snorting.

"Think what you want, that bitch isn't getting me into anymore trouble now she's dead. Jeez, what a woman."

Ryan cleared his throat. "So what exactly did she want from you before she kicked you to the curb?"

Sighing, James rubbed his forehead. "Money. Just like everyone else. James is so rich, he'll get us what we want. I work for my money!"

"So you helped her out?"

"Sure I did! She was my girlfriend, and I felt sorry for her. It was a rough break her Dad losing his job, and her Mom wasn't helping."

"So, you just leant her the money, no questions asked? No reassurance of getting it back?"

James held out his hands. "What can I say, I'm just that kinda guy."

"Bullshit!" Esposito exclaimed, his hands banging down on the table. "She wouldn't pay, so you killed her. Just admit it so we can all go home and sleep soundly tonight."

"I didn't kill her!" James shouted back, his brown eyes blazing. "Why in the hell would I kill her? Who's going to pay me then, huh? You're so far off base it's beyond funny."

"So bring us back on base. Show us where to look."

"Why would I do that? What's in it for me, apart from cops breathing down my neck and a reputation building over one stupid girl?"

Esposito sighed. "Take yourself off our prime suspect list. Go back to living your normal life."

James snorted. "Yeah, coz that's worked out so well for me." He paused. "What's more, if you're going to ask me anything else, I want a lawyer. I think I've been more than co-operative."

"Suit yourself, but you're not actually under arrest...yet..." Ryan added, James shrugging and standing.

"Can't stop me leaving then, can you. Pleasure meeting you both."

"Charmer," Esposito mumbled to Ryan as they followed him out, James stopping short just outside the room when he saw Beckett walking towards them. She smiled at him, James disarming immediately.

"Hey, heading out?" she asked, James shrugging.

"I've got nothing else to say." He paused, looking down for a moment. "I'm sorry. Really sorry, I didn't realise I'd hit you instead of that psycho git that banged my door down."

She shrugged. "No harm, no foul. If you think of anything else, you'll call right?"

Her face left no room to interpret that as a question. He nodded, his eyes tracking over her shoulder to see Castle standing with Detective Cole. His face hardened straight away.

"What the hell is she doing here," he spat under his breath to Beckett, his eyes blazing. Turning slightly in surprise, Beckett frowned, not following his train of thought.

"Who?"

"Her! That Detective. If you're working with her, I'm not saying anything, I swear to God."

"Woah, hold on a minute, you know her? From where? And rest assured, I have no affiliation." Beckett frowned, James shrugging.

"Whether you do or don't, I'm not stupid enough to shoot my mouth off. Watch your back though, Detective Beckett. I owe you that warning for..." he broke off, indicating her face. Smiling grimly, he turned and walked away from them, his hands firmly shoved into his pockets.

Beckett frowned to herself, lost in thought as she gripped the file of the case so far in her hands. Where could he have met Cole before? This all made little or no sense. Then again, what did she actually know about the other Detective?

"Beckett? Everything OK?" Esposito asked, Beckett shaking her head and offering him a smile.

"Sure. Shall we grab a coffee and swap information?"

"I'll meet you in there," Esposito replied, patting her shoulder familiarly as he passed. Heading back to her desk, Castle followed spouting his usual completely out there theories that Cole seemed to respond to, the two bouncing off each other. Beckett wasn't even bothered, like she normally would have been. She was too lost in her thoughts. Grimacing as she realised that it would be a while before she could follow up on this, she resigned herself to concentrating on the case, determined to work out what was going on before it was too late and another killer walked free.

"So we're basically back at square one," Beckett sighed, leaning against the side of the whiteboard, her eyes roaming the pictures as if they would trigger a memory of something. "It's James," she said, turning back to Esposito who shrugged.

"He seemed quite convincing that he didn't do it. Once we have a time of death we can check where he was, but I'm not convinced Beckett."

She shook her head. "No, I mean he's the weak link. He knows something, he just didn't tell us what it was. We need to lean on him."

Ryan looked at Esposito uncomfortably. "Uh, I don't think we're his favourite people right now...do you wanna have a crack at him?"

Beckett nodded, smiling. "I'll go tomorrow, and you two could follow up on whatever Lanie gives us?"

Ryan nodded. "Sure, I'll call her tomorrow."

Heading off to their respective desks, Beckett smiled at Castle as he sat down in his seat, his face the picture of boyish joy.

"What's got you so happy? You're not usually this happy unless we have a weird case on the go."

He shrugged. "No reason. I'm just happy to be here."

Beckett smiled, her face changing for a moment into something that looked distinctly like affection, before the look was wiped. She stared at her computer screen, weighing up her options. Deciding that she could do research on the internet at home and write down what she needed to know from the precinct, she looked to Castle who was watching her intently.

"You wanna split a cab?"

Castle shifted his feet, his eyes looking down away from her. "I, uh, I mean..."

"Ready to go?" Cole asked cheerfully, Castle blushing a fierce red as Beckett's face hardened, her eyes looking back to her computer. He truly hated himself in that moment for keep causing this looked to appear.

"Sure. Uh, we're getting a drink, Kate, do you want to join us?" he asked hopefully, Beckett's anger only just keeping down the snort of laughter at the look on Cole's face.

"Uh, I'm good, Castle. I have some things to be doing." She pointed at the computer, expecting him to take the hint, and finding herself getting more annoyed when he hesitated, bouncing from foot to foot at the side of her desk.

"Lanie said you should take it easy, Beckett. We could drop you off home first?"

She sighed, leaning her head onto her hand. She had to admit, she did have a killer headache. "I'm a big girl, Castle, I can take care of myself. I'll finish up and then head out. See you tomorrow."

Her tone left no opening for him to discuss it further. Sighing, Castle was just about to head out uneasily when his face split into a huge grin to see none other than Lanie marching towards them, her eyes narrowing when she saw Castle walking out with Cole.

"Wipe that grin off, Castle, before I wipe it off for you," she said, her tone slightly jokey as Castle remained for a moment to watch. Cole looked at him impatiently, Castle just grinning.

"This is worth the watch, trust me. It's like a mountain meeting a tornado. Lanie's the only person I've ever known who can wrap Kate Beckett around her little finger."

Cole looked unimpressed, but even she was looking interested from the first exchange of glances. Beckett gave Lanie a withering look, rolling her eyes before crossing her arms firmly, quite ready for the head to head with her best friend.

"Don't you give me that look! I told you I'd come remove your stubborn butt from this place if you weren't home by a reasonable hour!"

Beckett sighed. "Lanie, it's barely seven thirty! I have some things I need to finish."

"Like hell you do," Lanie retorted, grabbing her coat and standing pointedly staring at the exit. "Shift yourself, Beckett, before I shift you."

"I'd like to see you try," Beckett replied with a mischievous glint in her eyes, before she sighed. "I'll meet you there, I'll only be half an hour tops."

Lanie put her hands on her hips. "Na uh, Beckett, nice try. I leave, you'll move yourself somewhere harder to find and I'll spend my evening looking for you. And I have to stitch that arm before I lose concentration and accidentally tattoo something on it instead. Please, don't make this harder than it has to be."

"Lanie..."

"Don't use that tone of voice with me, I'm immune," Lanie cut her off, Beckett laughing despite herself. "When did you eat? When did you sleep for that matter? And you must want a shower. Come on, I have dinner all picked out and a movie and everything."

Beckett sighed. " This is ridiculous. You're being ridiculous."

"That would be you, hun," Lanie countered, staring her friend down for a moment. "OK, I wasn't going to admit this unless it came to a last resort kind of situation, but I have the file on your vic in the car. We'll talk over what I found, OK?"

Beckett stood instantly. "Where is it? That could be the key, Lanie!"

Lanie sighed. "After dinner. And a shower. And potentially a film, but I don't want to push my luck."

"Lanie!"

"Beckett, you're going to fall apart where you stand! Do you want to know what I found or not?" At Beckett's 'duh' look, she grinned. "Well then, play by my rules and I'll tell you all. Chinese suit you?"

"Fine!" Beckett groaned, grabbing her coat as Lanie gave her a victorious smile, winking at Castle. "Take that look off your face, Lanie," Beckett murmured, Lanie just giving her a hug.

"I really do love you, Beckett, you know that right?"

Beckett softened, smiling. "You're not half bad yourself. I actually could use a girly night..." she broke off when the subject of her girly night grinned knowingly at her, and what was worse was Cole standing looking amused by his side. "Castle! What the hell are you still doing here?"

"Just leaving, my dear Detective. See you tomorrow."

Heading for the stairs, Beckett ignored Lanie's tut of disapproval as she pushed open the door, knowing that her friend would understand her reluctance to spend an elevator ride with Castle and his new interest.