DISCLAIMERS: Nope, still not mine.
SUMMARY: Alexis unloads on Det. Carver and the team begins investigating the previous attacks, making a startling discovery in the process.
A/N #1: I promise that I will complete this story before the deadline. It's just lately between being blocked and having some health issues, I haven't been in the mood to write.
A/N #2: Again, thanks to Kelly for being a sounding board and to Gina for the great suggestions. Her husband Marc pointed out something important to me that I will be using in this chapter.
FINDING A PURPOSE
CHAPTER 7: ANGER AND DISCOVERIES
"Alexis!" Caroline Livingston opened the door to find the young redhead standing in the hallway. "This is a surprise. Please come in."
"Hi, Mrs. Livingston. Is Paige here?"
"She's shut up in her bedroom, but I'm sure she'll be happy to see you. Are you all right?"
"I'm fine. I just wanted to be here for Paige."
"Well, aren't you sweet? Go ahead, dear."
Alexis walked up to the closed door just off of the living room and tapped on the door. "Paige, it's Alexis. Can I come in?"
A moment later, the door opened, revealing Paige, who was dressed in rumpled pajamas, her eyes red and swollen. "Come on in. Did you talk to Kate?"
"A little while ago. Paige, she told me—"
"About the two donors? I just finished talking to somebody from the police lab in Atlantic City. God, Alexis!" She covered her eyes and started sobbing again. "I had sex with two men and I don't even remember it!"
"Paige, you didn't have sex. You were assaulted. Neither of us consented to anything that happened last night."
"How many 'assaulted' you?" Paige watched while Alexis bit her lip and stared at the ground. "Alexis?"
"Paige, my kit was negative. I don't know if they were afraid of being interrupted or what happened, but—"
"They didn't even use condoms, Alexis! What if they have STD's? What if I get pregnant? This is a nightmare! I can't believe that they didn't even touch you!"
"What in the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"I don't know! It doesn't mean anything! I'm just worried and scared! I don't know what I'm going to do!"
"I know," Alexis pulled Paige into her arms as her friend continued crying. "Look, I think we could both use a break from all of the drama. Throw some clothes on and we'll go grab some coffee. We could both use the fresh air."
"Alexis, I don't feel like coffee," Paige argued.
"Well, I do. And anything's better than lying around here feeling sorry for yourself. Come on, get dressed. I'm buying."
Twenty minutes later, the two young women were sitting at a nearby coffee shop, sipping coffees. "How do you do it?" Paige asked, tearing a piece off one of the muffins Alexis had bought to eat with their coffee.
"How do I do what?"
"Sit here and act like nothing has happened. You did the same thing after Paris. If someone had kidnapped me, I'd curl up in a corner and never leave my house again."
"I don't know," Alexis shrugged. She still wasn't completely comfortable discussing the events of what had happened almost two years ago in Paris. "I guess I've just learned to shove the bad stuff down so that it doesn't bother me." Just then her phone rang. Alexis smiled when she answered it. "Hi, dad. I'm okay. You didn't have to check up on me."
"Alexis, you need to come home."
"Why? Dad, what's wrong?"
"Alexis, I don't want to say more over the phone, but it's imperative that you come home right now."
"Okay, I'll be there in about 20 minutes." She hung up and looked across the table at Paige. "My dad wants me to come home. Something's wrong. I could hear it in his voice. Can you get home all right?"
"Yeah. Call me later," Paige said as Alexis slipped into her coat and grabbed her purse before running out of the coffee shop to hail a cab.
***CCC***
Back at the loft, Castle sat stiffly on the sofa, staring at Det. Carver, who was sitting near him. "Does Alexis need a lawyer?" He finally asked.
"She's an adult, Mr. Castle. Only she can decide if she feels that she needs a lawyer."
"Is she a suspect?"
"Mr. Castle, I just need to ask her a few more questions to hopefully clear up some things. That's all that I need to do right now."
Just then, the door opened and Alexis walked in, stopping short when she saw Det. Carver sitting in the living room. "Det. Carver? Is something wrong?"
"Alexis, I need to take you back to Atlantic City to ask you some more questions about last night."
"Okay, I can follow you up there," she said, her voice small and uncertain.
"I'm afraid that you have to come with me."
"Am I under arrest?"
"No, you're not."
"Then, why can't I drive myself to Atlantic City?"
"Police policy. I'm sorry."
"Alexis, do you want me to call an attorney?" Castle asked.
"No, dad. If all Det. Carver has is questions, it's fine. I'll answer his questions."
"Kate and I will be right behind you," Castle got up and pulled his daughter close, kissing her on the forehead. "Make sure he advises you of your rights and that he gives you a waiver form since you don't want an attorney."
"I'm not the Gestapo, Mr. Castle."
"Yeah, well this is my baby girl, so as far as I'm concerned, you are," Castle's expression was hard.
"I'll be fine, dad." But Alexis was pretending to be braver than she actually felt. In reality, she was terrified.
Castle felt Kate reach for his hand as they watched Alexis lead Det. Carver out of the apartment. "Come on, Castle. Let's go, so we can bring Alexis back home."
Alexis didn't say a word during the drive back to Atlantic City. She sat in the back seat of Det. Carver's unmarked and just stared at the passing scenery. She didn't know what answers she could give this guy. She didn't remember anything. She didn't know how many times and in how many different words she had to keep telling him, because apparently he wasn't getting the message. Storm clouds were gathering which was matching her mood perfectly. She just wanted this to be over.
When they arrived at the Atlantic City PD, Det. Carver led Alexis into the elevator and up to the detective's squad room, where he then led her into an interview room. He then read her Miranda rights to her, after which Alexis signed a waiver saying that she understood her rights and was willing to talk without an attorney. "I have a couple of pictures to show you," he slid two pictures across the table. "Do you recognize the object in these two pictures?"
Alexis carefully examined the pictures, both of which were of what appeared to be a razor blade that was covered in blood. "No, but I'm assuming that you're going to tell me that's the weapon that was used to kill the guy in my room."
"Yes, it is. Alexis, your fingerprints are on file because you worked for the OCME. Your palm print was found on this straight razor. Now, I understand that you're scared and I understand that you claim to not remember what happened, but let's be honest here. Tell me what happened and I can put in a good word with the D.A. Did you get in a fight with Sam Riley? Did you try to stop him from taking your friend and things got out of control?"
Alexis rolled up the long sleeves on her cardigan, carefully examining her hands and forearms before she answered. "Did you look at the pictures that they took of me at the hospital after I was cleaned up?"
"I haven't received all of the pictures back, yet. Our lab is backed up. Why do you ask?"
"Look at my hands and then look at my arms," she thrust her arms out toward him. "If I had gotten into a fight with Sam Riley, I would have defensive marks on my hands and arms. Things like bruises and scratches. I'd also have similar marks on my legs. If there had been a fight, Sam would also have defensive wounds on him. Did he have anything of that nature?"
"No, he didn't."
"I was 15 when my father started following Det. Beckett for research. During the last several years, I've learned quite a lot about murders; both victims and perpetrators. One of those things is when two people are in a fight for their lives, they usually have evidence of it. Do you see any bruises or scratches on me, Det. Carver?" Alexis asked again, her temper now matching the color of her hair; fiery red. "Paige and I were drugged! She was taken to another room in that hotel and violated by at least two people! Believe me, if I had been coherent, I would've fought back! But I wasn't, so I didn't! I don't know how my palm print got on that razor, but if I was a detective, I would deduce that maybe it was planted there by the real killer! Now, instead of hauling me down here and grilling me like I'm a common criminal, why don't you go out there and find out what really happened! I think I will be hiring an attorney, so if you have any further questions, you can ask him or her. Now, am I free to go or are you going to lock me up?"
"No, you're free to go."
Alexis quickly left the interview room, hitting the button for the lobby where she found her dad and Kate waiting for her. She flew into Castle's arms, burying her face into his chest. "It's okay, sweetie," he rubbed her back. "It's going to be okay."
"Sometimes I think nothing's going to be okay ever again. Can we please just go home?"
"Yeah, let's get the hell out of here."
"How did it go?" Kate asked as they made their way out of the precinct and toward the parking lot.
"I told his ass off. You've taught me a lot over the years, Kate, and I threw some of that knowledge back at him."
"Like what?" Kate was intrigued.
"I told him that if I'd fought Sam Riley, I'd have defensive wounds on my hands and arms."
"Probably your legs, too," Kate added.
"Well, since neither Sam nor I had any marks, I couldn't be the one who killed him. After all, who's just going to stand still and let someone slit their throat?"
"Good point," Kate managed to smile at Alexis, who tentatively smiled back.
***CCC***
Kate groaned when her alarm went off the next morning. She rolled over to curl into the warmth of Castle's body for a few minutes, only to find his side of the bed empty. She sat up and looked around the room, spotting her husband staring out of the window. "Castle?" She got up and walked over to the window, slipping her arms around him and pressing her cheek into his back. "How long have you been awake?"
"I don't know," he shrugged. "Most of the night, I guess. Who does this kind of thing, Kate? Who sets people up so that they look like a murderer?"
"I don't know, babe. But we're going to find out. Let's take a shower," she reached down and took his hand, pulling him toward the ensuite.
When they came out of their bedroom half an hour later, they were both surprised to find Alexis in the kitchen cooking breakfast. "Good morning," she smiled, pouring two cups of coffee and placing them on the breakfast bar. "I'm making omelets and they're just about ready."
"Thank you, sweetie," Castle smiled, taking a seat at the bar and taking a sip of his coffee. "How are you feeling? Did you sleep all right?"
"I'm relieved to know that I'm probably not a killer. I'm going to get together with Paige later."
"When you see Paige, tell her that we're going to figure this out," Kate said.
"Thanks, Kate."
When they stepped off of the elevator at the precinct almost an hour later, they were met by Esposito. "Ryan and I have been checking into the other attacks at the hotel. The first victim was Casey Swann and she lives here in the city. Here's her address in Tribeca," Espo handed Beckett a slip of paper.
"Okay, Castle and I will go talk to her. You and Ryan keep digging into the other attacks."
"As you wish," Espo turned and walked back to his desk.
Castle and Beckett returned downstairs and out to the unmarked. The air had a definite bite to it, the first real signal that winter was about to wrap itself around the city like a freezing cold blanket. "We might have snow before the day is out," Castle commented, getting into the passenger side of the car.
"Yeah, could be," Kate got behind the wheel and started the car.
Casey Swann's apartment was on the 11th floor of a building not too far from Castle's loft. Kate showed her badge to the doorman, who stepped aside to grant them entry into the building. They got off of the elevator on the 11th floor and quickly found apartment 1120. Kate rang the doorbell. Minutes later, it was opened on the safety chain by a woman with long dark hair who appeared to be in her early 20's. "May I help you?"
"Casey Swann?" Kate asked as the woman tentatively nodded. "I'm Det. Kate Beckett, NYPD. This is Richard Castle. We need to ask you some questions about an attack that happened three months ago in Atlantic City."
"Have you found Laurie?"
"Laurie?" Kate asked back.
"My roommate, Laura Palmer."
"We don't know anything about your roommate. May we come in?" Kate asked, as the door closed.
They heard the sound of the chain being removed and then Casey opened the door, allowing Kate and Castle into her apartment. "The cops told me that Laurie probably found some hot guy and hooked up with him. I could buy that if she'd taken off for a day or two. But it's been three months and nobody's heard a word from her. Not me, not her parents, not her fiancée."
"Has anybody filed a missing persons report on her?" Kate asked.
"Yeah, her parents did after three days. But nobody's taking it seriously. Laurie and I went to Atlantic City for one last fling before her wedding. She was supposed to have gotten married in October."
"Ms. Swann—"
"Casey. Please call me Casey."
"Okay, Casey. Why don't you start at the beginning and walk us through what happened."
"Laurie and I went to Atlantic City on a Friday afternoon. We checked into the Trump Taj Mahal. We both got massages before we went to dinner. After dinner, we were walking through the casino, just having a good time before Laurie got married. We saw a group of girls gathered around one of the bars, watching these two bartenders tossing liquor bottles into the air and back and forth to each other."
"Like Tom Cruise and Bryan Brown in 'Cocktail?'" Castle asked as Casey appeared confused. "I'm sorry, that might be before your time."
"What happened next?" Kate asked, shooting a look to Castle.
"I remember that we sat down and we talked to a waiter. I don't remember his name, though. He was flirty and really cute."
"Is this the waiter you talked to?" Kate showed her a picture of Sam Riley.
"Yeah, that's him. The last thing that I clearly remember is him telling us that the bartender made this really good drink. He asked us to try it. That's the last clear memory that I have until the next morning."
"What happened the next morning?"
"I woke up in our room, my head was pounding, I was naked, and Laurie was nowhere to be found. I had bruises all over the insides of my thighs, so I knew that something had happened. I went to the hospital and they were the ones who called the cops."
"Do you know the names of the officers who investigated?"
"Investigated? Are you kidding me? They sent two dicks in suits to the hospital. I'd obviously been raped, but they acted like I was some drunk girl from the city who asked for it! And when I mentioned the fact that my roommate was gone, they just blew it off. They didn't 'investigate' squat. But I can give you their names. Carver and Jimenez. I'll never forget their names as long as I live. Can I ask why you're here talking to me? Has it happened again? It has, hasn't it?"
"Two young women were attacked over the weekend, in the same hotel, possibly by the same perpetrators. We learned that there have been other attacks in that hotel."
"The hotel is trying to cover it up to avoid the bad publicity."
"That's what it sounds like. Atlantic City is a popular tourist destination, so they don't want it leaked that they might have a serial rapist/kidnapper on the loose."
"Is he in on it?" Casey pointed at the picture.
"We think that he was. He was murdered Saturday night."
"By one of the women? If so, they deserve a medal."
"The AC police are still investigating his murder."
"I'm sure that they'll give it more attention than they did Laurie's kidnapping or my rape."
"Casey, did you learn anything about your rape?"
"Yeah, there was more than one guy."
A/N #3: And there we have it. The missing girl's name is my homage to 'Twin Peaks.'
A/N #4: I was asked why I never have Espo say 'As you wish' when Kate asks him for something. I notice that he says it quite a lot on the show. So I added it to this chapter.
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