Author note: Sorry for the delay folks. Hope you enjoy! Just a note on casting here, since I know some of you may not have seen the other shows.

Jackie: is from Blue Bloods, played by the wonderful Jennifer Esposito.

Danny: also Blue Bloods, played by Donnie Wahlberg.

Miller: of 3rd Watch was played by Aidan Quinn

Faith: was played by Molly Price

Bosco (hint from his last chapter): was played by Jason Wiles

Carlos: played by Anthony Ruivivar

Grace: Cara Buono

Now, on with the show... Er, fic. Right, the fans don't own the show rights... We should fix that with Firefly.


Charlatans and Circus Folk - Part 1

In a Van Down by the River

"What's that on her neck?"

"Gee, Boscorelli, it has been a long time for you hasn't it?" Detective Curatola asked.

Faith laughed at that.

The Sergeant and two detectives were sitting in the back of a command van monitoring the anti-crime operation on monitors.

"What?" Bosco asked, slightly affronted.

Faith patted her old partner on the head. "It's called a hickey, Bos. You remember those, right?"

"Want to go out back and find out?" Bosco shot back with a laugh.

"Shut up," Faith said.

Leaning back in his chair Sgt Boscorelli reached for the sandwich he had picked up at the deli around the corner, he picked up half, and offered it to Jackie Curatola.

"Thanks," she said with a small smile. "Y'know, you can be cute when you want to be."

"Oh Eight Patrol Sergeant to Central"

The radio crackled from the sideboard in the van. Bosco picked it up.

"Go Central."

"We have a 187 reported in your vicinity. Out of precinct Homicide and FDNY Paramedics first on scene, requesting supervisor, local detectives, crime scene and ME."

"What's that location Central?" Bosco asked? "We have an active Operation underway."

"Acknowledged Sergeant, location is St. Mary's High School."

"Copy that Central," Bosco said. He looked over to Jackie, clicking off the radio. "Is that the school you checked out earlier?"

"Yeah," Jackie said, running a hand through her hair. "You think this is related? I can tell you, PC's not going to like this."

"Faith call the Captain and have him tell Davis that we need to step out," Bosco said.

"Sure," Faith said, pulling out her cell phone.

While Faith was dialing Captain Miller, Jackie's phone rang.

"Curatola," she answered. "Wait… wait, Erin hold on a second. It was a student who found the body? Jamie's with her, in the principal's office with another teacher, okay, good. Who's the detective on site? Ryan? Don't know him. He's with the 12? Wait, what? Who had the principal keep the kids in the classrooms? Some guy's girlfriend… used to be a cop, yesterday? Geez. We got a name on the vic?"

Jackie pulled out her note pad and started writing.

"That's F-A-R-T-H-I-N-G? Yeah, thanks Erin. No, Danny won't be covering this one. Because I won't let him near it. It's his freakin' alma mater for Christ sake, and you and Nicki were both there. No. I'm working an Op with Anti-Crime. Danny will take over for me here. Besides, he has vacation starting tomorrow. Yeah. Thanks Erin. We'll be there in a few."

Jackie shut her phone and looked to the other 2 occupants of the van.

"Sounded fun," Bosco said.

Jackie leveled a glare at him.

"Cap's on the way," Faith said. "Sounded like someone has all the prelim taken care of."

"Yeah," Jackie said. "A Detective Ryan with the 12. My partner's brother is partnering with him today. And Erin said that a he and a former Detective are sitting with the girl that found the body."

"Good," Faith said. "You're partner's brother, he's?"

"Uniform for two years," Jackie started to say. "The 12 is doing some mentoring program, the unis tag alon–."

Jackie stopped when the back doors of the van were torn open, Captain Miller, Danny Reagan and Sergeant Finney, and another plain clothes cop from Anti-Crime were standing there.

"Out " Captain Miller said with a jerk of his thumb.

Jackie was the first out, patting Danny on the shoulder as she went to the dark sedan behind the van. Faith and Bosco followed.

With the Detective and two anti-crime officers situated, Captain Miller turned to Faith who was leaning against the front of the sedan. John Miller pointed to Bosco.

"Is he still a good wheel man?" the captain asked.

"The best," Faith replied.

Captain Miller made his way over to the passenger side of the car, and threw the keys to Bosco over the roof. "Get us there 5 minutes ago."

"On it Boss," Bosco said with a grim smile while Jackie and Faith got in back.

At St Mary's, still in a stairwell

"Okay, who touched the body?"

The paramedics looked at the cop, the cop looked to the paramedics.

The medical examiner taped his foot and crossed his arms.

"I'm waiting," Sydney Perlmutter said.

"Well," Grace started to say.

"Detective Ryan asked me to show him her back," Carlos Nyetto said. "He wanted to see if she had any other wounds."

Perlmutter uncrossed his arms and sighed, resting his left elbow in his right hand, and slowly laid his forehead in his left hand.

"You checked for vital signs?" Perlmutter asked the paramedics.

"Yes," they answered.

"Clearly you didn't find any."

"You did see the number of stab wounds right?" Carlos asked.

"The blood pattern on the left shoulder and arm of her shirt, and her chest?"

"The girl that found her," Kevin Ryan said. "She had blood on her hands, said that she couldn't wake her up. She's pretty shaken up. Beckett and my partner are with her now."
Perlmutter lifted his head from his palm, and leveled a look at Ryan.

"Did he touch the body?"

"He put gloves on and checked for a pulse," Ryan said.

"And did any of you put gloves on before you messed with my body?" the M.E. asked jerking his head to the two paramedics.

"Yes," they said.

"Good. Now, I won't have a cause of death until I can make a more thorough examination. But from first looks, the stabbing is most likely, but I'll need to wait on the bruising on her neck to show up more to rule out asphyxiation."

"Think she might have got a piece of who did this?" Ryan asked.

"Haven't found any offensive wounds yet, but her fingernails are scuffed, and I did find some fibers under her left hand fingernails, so I should have something more conclusive for you later."

"Thanks Perlmutter," Kevin said.

"Mhmm, hm," Perlmutter grunted.

The four turned their heads when there came a knock on the door to the stairwell.

A head poked around the corner, John Miller.

"Hey, Syd-man What's happenin'?" he asked.

"Same as always," Perlmutter said.

"That bad huh?" Miller asked with a smile. As he, Faith, Bosco and Jackie walked in, he looked up to Ryan. "Your partner is coming with the crime scene guys, and I have unis sitting with the girl. ADA is sitting with the Rogers and Beckett out in the hall."

"Yeah," Kevin said. "I'd like him to see the scene, and the body. Castle does consultant work with us at the 12."

"I thought that was for books on her," Miller said.

"We're a pretty good team."

"Like you were with that guy in the motel room?"

At this Ryan stepped over to Milller, crowding his face.

"You want to ask that again?"Ryan asked, his face stone.

"Easy Irish," Miller said rasing his hands. "I'm just making a point. This 'Castle' as you call him, seems a bit unconventional is all. Wild theories, pissing off the feds when they show up."

"Don't care," Kevin said. "He's one of the best minds the NYPD has at its disposal."

"Look," Perlmutter rejoined. "Just let the hack writer in so that I can get the body out of here."

"Little pesky today, Syd," The captain said. "Was there an incident?"

"Oh, there's always an incident. People touch things," Sydney said testily with a look to Ryan, and the paramedics.

"Well, you should punish them for that," Miller said with a chuckle.

"I beg my superiors to allow me," Perlmutter said deadpan.

By this time, Jackie had moved over to examine the body with Faith.

"The bruising on her neck doesn't look like hands. More like rope," Faith said.

"Check her nails," Perlmutter said.

"Huh," Jackie said, taking out tweezers and a baggie. "Blue and white fibers."

"What?" Ryan asked sharply.

"Blue and white fibers, probably from a rope," Jackie repeated.

"Castle!" Ryan shouted to the hall.

In seconds, Rick Castle was bounding through the door with Jamie Reagan and crime scene techs behind him.

"What do you need?"

"Look at the body," Miller said.

"Hey Johnny," Castle said as he went to the stairs. As he crouched down, he head checked back to the captain. "Johnny? ?"

Castle stayed staring at the captain for a long few seconds, only broken from his position when Jackie slapped him on the top of the head.

"Hey Body here," she said pointing.

"Wha– Sorry," Castle said.

Taking a few minutes to examine the body, and the surroundings, Castle started pacing. A few seconds later he started to speak.

"Friction burns and bruises on her neck will show that she struggled, her windpipe will be intact, he didn't have a clean safe area to... the stabbing though, that's new for him, for this level of intimacy. It wasn't a knife, or dagger. There's a mix of shallow cuts and deep wounds. Son of a bitch is evolving."

"Castle?" Ryan asked.

Rick looked over to Kevin, a sad but determined look in his eye. Slowly he nodded.

"A thousand bucks its him," Castle said.

"Who him?" Faith asked.

"Jerry Tyson," Miller said. "You know him as 3XK."