Moment in Time

Under the Gun

Castle watched as Beckett took down the evidence from the murder board. "Can I just say how unsatisfying it is to go on a treasure hunt with no treasure."

"Well it wasn't really a treasure hunt, Castle," Beckett responded, "it was a murder investigation."

Castle snorted. "Oh, come on, you can't tell me your weren't just a little bit excited."

Beckett's mouth just barely quirked at the corners. "Maybe a little."

"Ah," Castle said, returning her smile. "What's bugging me, though, is if there was no treasure, then why make a map?"

"Well it's a big cemetery," Beckett speculated. "Maybe Lloyd got the spot wrong or maybe 'under the gun' was just to throw us off."

"You know," Castle told her, "if it was me, I would have left something out of the map, a last step. I would have kept it close to me, like there," Castle said pointing to a picture of Lloyd's tattoo.

"You think that's the final part of the map?" Beckett asked.

"Why else would he have it?" Castle asked. "I read this as two rows up and six stones over from where we dug. Care to do some digging, Detective?"

Kate smiled and put out a hand for Castle to lead the way.

Castle soon found that digging for buried treasure was much more fun in theory than in practice. His shoulders were sore and his hands were blistered. Beckett didn't complain, but her face was smeared with dirt and her shirt stuck tightly to her body with sweat. She had a look of solemn determination on her face.

"Thinking about Royce?" Castle asked.

"Mmm," Beckett answered.

"It's hard to see your heroes fall, or is it something more than that? Kate, did you really tell Royce that you were in love with him just to keep him on the phone?"

"No," Kate admitted, "but if you tell Ryan and Esposito, you'll never live to tell anyone anything again. I was drowning. I was obsessed with my mother's murder and no one understood that except Mike, at least until I met Captain Montgomery. Mike was my rock. He kept me from going under. I loved him for that. I couldn't handle the case anymore when he was gone. You know how I was when you came. I couldn't even go near my mother's murder without falling apart."

"But you can now," Castle offered.

Kate smiled. "I guess I've got a new rock, even if the rocks are in his head."

Castle's shovel clanged against something. Beckett immediately joined him and they used their hands to clear the dirt away. They found what appeared to be a small metal toolbox. Castle drew it out of the ground and stared at it.

"Aren't you going to open it?" Beckett asked.

"I'm savoring the moment," Castle told her. Then he tried. "Also the latch is rusted shut. We'll need something to pry it open."

Beckett drew a knife from her pocket and flipped it open. "I forgot you have that," Castle said, "your 'Miami Vice' knife."

"My NYPD knife," Beckett told him, inserting the blade under the hasp. The knife slipped, putting a gash in her left hand. "Damn!" she exclaimed.

"Let me see that," Castle told her, grabbing her hand to examine it. "That's pretty deep, and dirty. Do you have a first aid kit in your car?"

Beckett nodded. "In the trunk."

"Here," Castle said, wrapping his handkerchief around her hand, "until we get there."

Castle picked up both shovels and the treasure box. "I can carry my own shovel," Beckett protested.

"I swear," Castle told her, "you are the most stubborn person I've ever known, and considering my mother, my daughter, and my ex-wives, that's saying something. Take your shovel."

By the time they made it to the car, the bleeding had slowed. The first aid kit was city issue and stocked for most emergencies. Castle cleaned the cut and bandaged it. "That's probably the cleanest thing on either one of us right now," he commented.

"We can clean up later," Beckett told him. "Right now we need to see if there's anything in that box, and turn it in if there is."

Castle gave her a knowing look. "Why Detective Beckett, you are excited about the treasure."

"I'm just curious," Beckett retorted.

"I've got all kinds of tools at the loft. Probably some WD-40 and a screwdriver will satisfy your - curiosity," Castle told her.

Castle and Beckett came through the door of the loft to the wide eyes of Martha and Alexis. Martha regarded the dirt caked on both of their clothes. "have you two been digging for treasure again?" she asked.

Castle nodded.

Alexis looked at the toolbox. "Did you find it?"

"We're going to find out," Beckett told her.

The lid of the box was finally flipped back, revealing the cache of rubies and sapphires.

Martha and Alexis leaned in for a look. "Just exquisite," Martha gushed.

"Wow!" Castle exclaimed.

"Don't get too attached, Castle," Beckett told him. "They're going into evidence at the precinct and then they'll be returned to the rightful owners."

"You do know how to spoil the fun, Beckett," Castle told her. "Can I at least take some pictures and shower and change before we go?"

"Knock yourself out, Castle," Beckett agreed.

The paperwork was complete and Beckett had showered and put on fresh clothes from her locker. She and Castle cleared the last picture of Malcolm Lloyd from the murder board and erased it. "Well, Detective," Castle said, "the mystery is solved and your sworn duty is done, how about a celebratory drink?"

"You're on, Castle," Beckett replied.

Castle and Beckett sat at the bar with cold beers and a basket of wings between them. "What's going to happen to Royce?" Castle asked.

"I don't know, he did kidnap a suspect," Beckett said. "Since he had paperwork to capture him as a bounty hunter, he can probably bargain it down. At the very least, he'll lose his license in New York."

"Could he go somewhere else?" Castle asked.

"Maybe," Beckett answered. "He was always talking about wanting to live in California. I really don't want to talk about Mike anymore. Tell me about how you figured out the folding on the map."

"Mad Magazine, the back covers."

Beckett's eyes lit up. "By Al Jaffee, of course. I love those things!"

"That has got to be the new hottest thing you've ever said to me," Castle told her. "Remember the Wall-E that turned into TMZ?"

"And the one about Guitar Hero?" Beckett continued excitedly.

"You know," Castle told her, "I have the four volume hardcover set. Do you want to see it?"

Beckett grinned. "Lead the way.