There was little Pearlmutter could tell them they didn't already know, which didn't do much to help Beckett's state of mind. She followed him around his autopsy while he stuffed the dregs of a soft-taco into his mouth.

'Give me something, Pearlmutter,' she demanded, hoping her tone stayed forceful and didn't slip to pleading.

'Like what? Tickets to a Mets game? Your boy was in his early sixties, he had considerable liver damage thanks to too many trips into Whiskey-Land and was starting to feel the effects of the kidney disease he probably didn't know he had yet. His blood alcohol level was point-zero-three, he didn't take any drugs for sex or party-time, and he was killed by a single bullet to the chest which crossed through several major arteries. He wouldn't have known what was happening as the body would have sent the brain into shock so we can say he didn't feel his death.'

'There has to be something, this man wasn't killed just for kicks.'

'Then go and talk to CSU,' Pearlmutter sneered, and Beckett wanted to slap him. The man may have been good at his job, but as Castle had once pointed out there was a reason the man worked with the dead. 'Maybe those petri-jockeys can help you out.'

'Ryan,' was all she said and he nodded, headed out the door, though Ryan had to wonder has he went if it was because Beckett wanted a little privacy to rip the pathologist's liver out and eat it raw.

Alone with the doctor, Beckett spoke as calmly and civilly as she could; with Pearlmutter that was more than a bit of a stretch. 'Doctor Pearlmutter, you understand who this man is? His connection to me?'

'Yeah, he's your vic, I get it-'

'He was also the man who investigated my mother's murder. The woman driving the car he was in, they were on their way to Sing-Sing because that woman is Christine Doran, and her husband Mike was killed in prison this morning.'

'Doran? Like that dirty cop?'

Even to someone as dense as Pearlmutter the sting of Doran's betrayal was deep. 'Not like that dirty cop, he is - was - that dirty cop,' Beckett replied. 'His death and Raglan's are linked and I know in my gut- hell, I know it in my soul that their deaths are linked to my mother's case.' Her voice was strong with passion as she stared down a now-pale Pearlmutter. 'So please give me something fresh. What about his personal effects, his cellphone, his wallet, anything like that.'

'Not much there I can say. He only had a few dollars in cash in his wallet, he had no religious medallions on a chain, his only jewelery was a wedding ring.' Pearlmutter picked up the file off his bench. 'Ballistics has the slug pulled out of his chest, and AV has his SIM cards, so beyond that, he looks like-'

'Wait, you said SIM cards? Plural? As in more than one?'

'Yeah, he had two cellphones on him.'

Beckett could have danced for joy on the autopsy table. Instead she gave him a brisk nod and thanking him, left the theatre to find Ryan talking to Shane and Lanie; all three had a cookie in their hand, and Lanie and Ryan had bottled smoothies. All three stopped when they looked up at her and had the good grace to look guilty. 'I thought you were calling the CSU lab, Detective, not stopping for recess-time.'

'But, Mom, we had to ask him to be on our kickball team,' Shane said in a teasing whine, then held out a box. 'Alexis was baking with RJ this morning. Toffee-walnut and oatmeal. Unless, of course chewing would take away from investigating.'

'Give me a fucking cookie.'

Shane, ever a wise man, held out the box and said nothing when she snagged three, crammed one in right away. He'd heard from Alexis and Castle that morning just how maxed out already his mother-in-law was about this case, and knew saying three was not one would get him no where fast. Instead, he put the lid on the tin once more and scratched his cheek, sending the gold of his wedding ring winking under the industrial lights.

'You get anything from the lab?' Beckett asked Ryan as she swallowed.

'Yeah, ballistics is ready with a report for us and the Cheese Whiz can give us a prelim.'

'Outstanding. Let's move.'

She turned on her heel, then turned back to Shane and Lanie and felt a punch of guilt when she saw their placid, understanding looks. 'Sorry to bitch and run but this is time-sensitive.'

'I know, girl,' Lanie said.

'You know Raglan was-'

'I know, girl,' she repeated, this time with a little smile. 'Go. There's plenty of time next week when we throw Andrea a baby shower.'

'Right. Thanks.'

Ryan kept his mouth shut as they rode down the elevator, didn't say a word until they were back in Beckett's Crown Vic. 'Beckett, you're doing it again.'

'What?'

'That thing you do whenever your mother's case comes up. Why do you always shut Lanie down, yet you always let Andrea and Meredeth in?'

'Now you want to be my therapist too, Detective?' she snapped.

'No, I want to be your friend. Watching you like that with Lanie doesn't go down so nicely.'

'Because Meredeth and Andrea know what it's like to lose a parent.'

'And Lanie doesn't?' Ryan fired back as they looped north towards the precinct. 'She hasn't spoken to her mother since she was fourteen, Kate.'

'Her choice. Andrea didn't have a choice when she lost her father and Meredeth had so many choices taken away from her because of circumstance.'

'So did Lanie. You're conveniently forgetting that Andrea stopped speaking to her mother for nine years after her father died, and that it wasn't Lanie's choice to stop speaking to her mother. Lanie's mother cut her out since Lanie supported her father when they got divorced.'

'Fine. Here.' Beckett fished her cellphone from her pocket, tossed it at Ryan. 'Her cell is speed dial eight. Push the pound key for speaker-mode.'

The only sound for a few thrumming moments in the car was the tinny echo of the phone ringing. When Lanie picked up, her voice was full of worry; it made Beckett's throat close up.

'Katie? Are you okay, were you in an accident?'

'No, I'm fine, I just...I'm sorry, for snapping.'

'Please, I'm used to you doing that by now. I know what it means for you to be working on this case-'

'No, you don't. Look, are you free tonight?'

'I was planning on shopping for Dave's birthday so he is watching the kids but I'll blow it off if you need girl time.'

'Do your shopping until I call you.' Beckett let out a little sigh. 'I'm sorry,' she said again.

'Kate, forget tonight, I'll come by the precinct when I'm off shift, talk to you then.'

'Lanie-'

Now the lady doctor used her mama-voice. 'Girl, don't argue with me.'

'Okay. The precinct, when you're done. I'll be there.'

Ryan pressed the button to end the call, held onto it so Beckett wouldn't have something to throw against the closed window of the car. 'Don't you feel better now?'

'Shut up, and answer the phone,' she snarled when it began to ring again. 'Beckett.'

'Hi-hi Mumum!'

RJ's voice was sparrow-bright; just hearing his little greeting nearly had Beckett's steel crumbling. 'Is that my little prince?'

'Uh-huh, your little chef prince! Mumum, I have to ask you a very importan' question.'

'Fire away.'

'Shane called and said me and Jojo were invited for bros-an'-sisters night to-night with him and Alexis, may we go puh-lease?'

'Did your daddy already say yes?' Beckett asked, knowing Castle wouldn't let RJ call unless it was for form's sake.

'Oh, yes, Mumum, I am double-checking with you.'

'That is just fine with me.'

'Yea! Guh-racias, Mumum! Jus' a momen' Daddy wants to say hi-hi.'

There was a shuffling sound and Castle came on the line. 'Hey Kate, thought that might be a nice little pick-me-up for you.'

'Shane called you didn't he?'

'Yes he did, said you looked like you needed your boy's cheeriness.' Castle didn't add that Shane observed she looked like she was either going to burst into frustrated passionate tears or kick everyone's ass. 'How were the cookies?'

'Deliciously inappropriate.'

'Remember what Meredeth said?'

'Yeah, smartass I do.' It felt good to bitch at someone who loved her, Beckett realized. 'Now time for me to put my sugar-fueled body to work.'

'Any chance of bringing that into the bedroom tonight?'

Ryan coughed and Beckett had her second real smile of the day. 'Careful, Castle, or you'll make Ryan blush. That's Esposito's job.'