~ Heat Exchange: Flashpoint ~
Chapter Ten ~
"One in a million are the odds we face. One in a million that's a chance I'll take. 'Cause when the moment comes I'll take that chance with you."
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"Here it is," Beckett said, holding up a page of phone numbers.
"Cellphone or landline?
"Landline."
"Phew." Esposito rubbed his brow. "Not my mistake then."
"I don't know how I missed it," she said frowning.
"You weren't looking for it," Castle said. "You were looking for work numbers, friends numbers … not pizza delivery."
"So you were right, there was a pizza delivery, but how does that tie in to the murder? Did the delivery guy kill her, and if so, why?"
"We didn't find any connections to anyone in pizza delivery. Guys, check the phone records again and see how often she ordered pizza. Maybe there's a connection to a specific pizza place and deliveryman."
"Farfetched," Castle said absently, staring out the window.
"You have a better idea?"
"Random act of violence?"
"Nuh uh." Beckett shook her head firmly. "A guy pulling a gun at a school or a crowded McDonalds and blowing away half the patrons I'll buy as a random act of violence. Guy doesn't wait for a pizza order, go up to an apartment and kill a woman he doesn't even know. It doesn't make sense."
They were silent for a few moments as Beckett added the new information to the white board. "So how does it fit in?" she asked herself, leaning back against the nearest desk.
"Coincidence?"
"I don't believe in them. There must be something."
Castle snapped his fingers. "Maybe the guy was there but he wasn't the one who killed her."
"Great. Make it even more complicated than it already is." She sighed. "Maybe it really is a coincidence and Mayba is still our guy."
"Have we confirmed the meeting yet?"
"Can't get a hold of the other guy. When we do, I suspect he'll tell us what we already know; there was no meeting that night."
"Got it," Ryan called out, walking over to them. "Pizza Hotline. Susan ordered from them once a month like clockwork."
"Movie night," Castle and Beckett said in unison, looking at one another.
" - her credit card confirms she purchased from them regularly - "
" - and the doorman's statement about pizza delivery guys fits. One of them was from Pizza Hotline during the time frame of the murder," Esposito finished.
"Get down there and find that delivery guy," Beckett ordered. "Even if he didn't have anything to do with the murder, he was there. He might be a witness."
"On our way."
She turned back to Castle, who was beaming from ear to ear. "Thank you for the help," she said with a brief smile, "but don't think this makes us square."
His smile fell. "I'm sorry. I just thought … it seemed as if … I was probably wrong and shouldn't have said anything. It just seemed like you were … "
" … too eager to get this case solved and not able to see the bigger picture?"
His shoulders slumped. "Yeah."
Beckett leaned against her desk and crossed her arms over her chest. "You were right. I was acting too hastily and not doing my due diligence," she admitted. "I just wanted so much to get it figured out for Abbey. She may not care too much to know the details of what happened now, but she will someday. I know she will. And it'll be easier for her to move on if she has that closure behind her."
"I wish I could give that to you," he said softly. "You're obviously still missing it very much."
She smiled sadly. "You've tried Castle. Despite my prickliness you went ahead and tried to figure it out for yourself. It's not your fault it's a stubborn case and the trail has gone stone cold in ten years. You may not always do the right thing but your heart's always in the right place."
He moved a step closer, right into her personal space. "I'm pretty sure the right place is wherever you are."
She flushed. "That's very poetic. Who knew you were such a romantic?"
"Aren't all writers romantic by their very nature?"
She took a step and closed the short distance between them. "You write about people killing and dismembering other people," she whispered. "How romantic is that?" The room suddenly seemed very warm.
"Murder brings people together like nothing else," he countered in an equally low, husky voice.
She looked into his eyes then hers wandered down to his mouth. She hadn't even processed the thought when her body began to move and suddenly their lips were touching. His eyes closed and hers followed suit, ready to surrender herself to the kiss she'd been waiting months for.
"We got him," Ryan's voice called out as footsteps grew closer to them. "The guy who delivered the pizza … oh."
They stopped dead and Beckett quickly pulled away from Castle, cheeks flaming.
"Oh my, are we interrupting?"
She hastily crossed her hands over her chest and moved back a step. "No. Go ahead."
"This is Manny Gutierrez. He's a law student who works at Pizza Hotline on weekends and some evenings."
Beckett nodded at him, sizing him up quickly. "Let's take this to the interview room." Castle followed her in and sat down with her across from Manny. Ryan and Esposito waited outside.
"Do you recognize this woman?" She pushed a photo of Susan's body in front of the man.
He put his head in his hands and moaned. "Oh god, she's dead, isn't she?"
"Mr Gutierrez, I need you to answer the question."
"Yes, I recognize her," he said, voice cracking and shaking. "Mrs Armstrong."
Castle frowned. The vibe he was getting from the young man bothered him. "From where?"
"I deliver pizza to her place sometimes. She's a nice lady, soft-spoken and polite. Always tips well. Used to tip well," he added.
"Did you deliver to her on Tuesday this past week?" Beckett asked.
Manny wiped his sweaty brow. "Yes. I was supposed to, but … "
"But what?"
"But I … she … " He closed his eyes, seemingly unable to talk about it.
"You're going to have to tell us what happened Manny. We need to know what happened to Susan Armstrong."
"Start from the beginning and don't leave anything out," Castle encouraged.
The young man drew in a deep breath and clasped his hands together. "Receiving gets the orders in and posts them up for the drivers. I saw Susan Armstrong's order and I took it. Like I said, she was a very polite, kind woman. Many people aren't. They think anyone who delivers pizza for a living must be a low-life scum who can't get a better job and they treat us accordingly."
"So why do you work there?" Castle asked.
Manny shrugged. "The money. Do you know how much it costs to put yourself through law school? Even with maximum student loans I couldn't make ends meet. Yes, the job is shitty sometimes but the pay is good and the hours are flexible and work with my school schedule."
"Go back to Tuesday night," Beckett said tersely.
"I was looking forward to seeing her. A nice smile, a kind word asking how I'm doing and a modest tip. It was going to be the perk of the evening for me. Always was when I delivered to her." He smiled at the memory. "The doorman let me in after I buzzed to let her know supper was here and I rode up the elevator."
"Did she answer the door?"
"Sure. She was all smiles. She let me in and we chatted for a minute."
"About what?"
Manny closed his eyes, perhaps reliving the moment. "The apartment smelled like lemon. I told her it smelled good. Clean. She said she'd just washed the floors."
"Sounds pretty innocent," Castle murmured.
"So what happened next? Did you kill her? Who was she to you? What did you think you'd gain by getting rid of her?"
"No, no! It wasn't like that!" Manny covered his face again and began to cry openly. "It was an accident." His voice broke on the last word and he wept. "It was an accident," he repeated in a broken whisper.
"What did you do Manny?" Castle asked in a low voice.
He removed his hands and looked at them both. "I didn't do anything."
"So what happened?"
"She turned and walked back into the kitchen … to get her wallet I suppose, and she slipped and fell. Honest to God, her legs suddenly flew up into the air and she fell backwards. She hit her head on the corner of the counter, so hard I could hear something crack." He flinched. "She hit the ground and there was blood everywhere. She never moved, not even to blink. My God, I was so scared! I knelt down and I was going to feel for her pulse to see if she was okay, then my mind clicked. 'Don't leave fingerprints on the body. What if she's dead? They'll think you did it.' "
"Why would anyone think that? Do you have some other connection to the woman that you're not telling us about?"
Manny shook his head vehemently. "No. It's just … I'm Hispanic. And a pizza delivery guy. People automatically suspect us when there's a crime. Police like to close their cases quickly and easily - " Beckett had the grace to blush. " - and sometimes they pick the stereotypical criminal type without worrying about evidence. They decide who did it and then find evidence to support their case. I wasn't willing to take that chance."
"So what did you do, Manny?" Castle asked.
"I ran. I got the hell out before anyone saw me and the body together. Even if I wasn't arrested for the crime, having my name out there in connection with a homicide would kill my chances at a law degree." He hung his head. "It was cowardly, but I was only thinking about saving myself."
The three of them sat in silence for a lengthy minute.
"You're having difficulty keeping it together to tell us the story now, four days later. How did you manage to finish your shift without breaking down?"
"I didn't," he said simply. "I called my boss and told him I was sick. I went home and threw up and then I don't remember what happened the rest of the night. I think I was in shock."
"What about the pizza? You were delivering a pizza to Susan Armstrong but it wasn't there when we found the body."
"Can you believe it? I still had it under my arm. I'd completely forgotten I was carrying it. I gave it to my neighbour when I got in. Told her I wasn't well and couldn't eat it."
Castle looked over at Beckett and could practically see the wheels turning. Check with neighbour.
"So, Mr Gutierrez, what you're telling us is that Susan Armstrong's death was an accident from a fall on a slippery floor."
"That's exactly what I'm telling you. Nobody killed her, it was an accident."
* TBC *