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Chapter 10: Into the Woods

"Thanks."

"What for, Castle?"

"For taking another look into the case."

"Oh that. Well I just wanted to see if we hadn't missed a possible witness."

Beckett tried to pull her way out of it. She didn't want to give Castle the opportunity to gloat about it. "Let's just get something to eat around the corner and come back to interview Max Griver about why he was near that alley."

"Fine, but I'm taking the large menu." Castle's stomach started growling again and the both walked out of the precinct laughing.

"Hey man, how's it going? Brought you somethin'." Esposito putted a bowl of popcorn in front of his partner.

Ryan had been going over the surveillance tape again for the past 30 minutes. It seemed that the neighbourhood around the crime scene was overpopulated. He had to pause every few seconds and rewind to make sure he hadn't missed something. But now, he at least had a time frame which made it a little easier.

"Thanks, I could definitely use a snack."

"Found anything new yet?"

"Just some sketchy people. Nothing unusual for the neighbourhood."

"I guess I'll have to keep you company then."

"It would be useful to have an extra pair of eyes. Maybe if you focus on the feed from that Wednesday until Saturday and I'll continue on the feed from before that."

"Sounds like a good plan to me."

They watched the rest of the tapes until they heard laughter coming from the bullpen.

"What's going on in there?"

"I don't know bro." Esposito stood up.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting my ass off this chair for a few minutes and check what's so funny. You coming with me?"

"Sure," Ryan said after hitting the pause button.

"Hey guys! What took so long?"

"Sorry Espo. Castle here had to order the extra large menu with dessert." She glanced at Castle who was talking to Ryan, totally unaware that she was talking about him.

"If I were in an elevator for that long I'd order that too. And maybe a milkshake with it."

"It's unbelievable how much men can eat."

"Well we are better equipped."

"Is that a dare, detective Esposito?"

"What, you think you can handle it, detective Beckett?"

"You? You name a time and date."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Javi. She can drink you under the table!" The medical examiner entered the bull pen.

"We weren't talking about drinking but yes I most definitely can. What are you doing here Lanie?"

"Hello to you too. I've got the lab results from that jacket CSU found in the dumpster with the girl. It's definitely her blood all over it but they also found processed wood splinters. My guess is that she was on a playground before she got murdered."

"Great, thanks. And hello."

"I heard your trip downstairs didn't go so well. Stuck with Castle in an elevator, I'd be a little bit cranky too."

"It was long but I made it."

"Glad you did. So what time are you getting off today?"

"I don't know for sure. It all depends on how fast we can break the guy."

"Good luck then. Call me when you're done. Maybe we can get a drink after."

"Sounds good, I will. Bye Lanie!" Beckett waved her friend goodbye. "See you later maybe."

"Bye, see you later."

"What was Lanie doing here?" Castle joined with Ryan right behind him.

"She dropped of the lab report on the jacket that was found near Sarah Dontey's body," Beckett explained.

"What did they find?" Ryan now diverted his attention to the conversation.

"Just some wood splinters, probably from a playground. Nothing special for a little girl."
"Wooden?"

"Yeah Castle, why?"

"The area where she was found only has playgrounds with sand, not wood."

"So maybe it's from where she lives or her school," Esposito threw in.

Now Beckett started to think about the surroundings of the little girl. "When we went to her school, the playground was rubber and I don't recall there being any public playgrounds in the neighbourhood where she lived. Maybe we should go back to the parents to ask them if she went to any that day. We also have to interview the nanny. We can ask her if she went to any playgrounds with wood recently with Sarah. She should be the one to know," she said. "Castle and I will go interview the nanny now."

"We can finish watching the tapes while you're gone then."

"Great. Enjoy." She mockingly smiled at the pair. "Oh and can you call the parents and tell them we indentified their daughter?"

"Sure."

Castle walked to Beckett's desk and grabbed their coats.

"I don't think that will fit you, Castle."

"Huh?"

She pointed at her coat hanging over his arm.

"Oh. Err... I took it for you."

"Thanks." A little smile appeared on her lips. "Let's go." She took her coat he handed her and walked across the bullpen to the elevator.

"Maybe we should take the stairs." He stopped her just before she could press the button to ride the elevator down.

"What, Castle. Are you afraid?" The smile turned into a grin now.

"No. No!"

That first 'no' was so silent and the second one so loud that she started laughing.

"You know, last time we took the elevator, we were stuck in there for the whole morning. Maybe we..."

"It's fine. We'll take the stairs this time if that makes you feel better." A now gentle smile played on her lips. He returned it immediately, glad he didn't have to take the elevator for now. The thought of being trapped again in one scared him a little bit.

"Hello, what can I do for you?"

Beckett and Castle stood in the front of the young woman. She couldn't be over 25. She had long, wavy brown hair. She started to shift on her feet because she was barefoot and the stone floor in the hallway must be could.

"Hi, I'm detective Kate Beckett, NYPD, and this is my partner Richard Castle. Are you Kelly Steiner?"

"Yes that's me. Like the writer Richard Castle?"

"That's me." He smiled, glad to meet a fan.

"I love your books!"

"Thanks."

"But why do you need me? If it's about Sarah, I already told the police everything."

"Yes, but we have new leads so we have to ask you more specific questions this time," Beckett said. Kelly let them in and told them to take a seat at the little table in the kitchen area.

"So it really is her who was killed." Her mood changed to sad in only a few nanoseconds.

"I'm afraid so. Can you tell me again what exactly happened the day she disappeared?"

"I arrived at the Dontey's that morning. Sarah was already awake and I decided we could go play in the little park a few blocks away. She played a bit with the other kids and then we wanted to leave. She went a little ahead while I grabbed our jackets and when I turned around she was gone."

"Did you see anything or anyone suspicious hanging around in the park?"

"I don't think so. It were just the nannies and mothers with their kids."

"You said there was a playground in the park. What does it look like?"

Kelly frowned. She didn't know why the detective would ask that but answered anyway. "There's a swingset, a slide and a sandbox. It's not that big."

"Is the ground sand, woodchips or rubber sheets?"

This earns Beckett another frown from her. "Uhm, rubber I think. Why?"

"We found some woodchips on Sarah's clothes. Did you go somewhere where she might have gotten those?"

"No, not with me. We always went to that playground or just played in the garden."

"Thank you." Beckett started to get up but Kelly stopped her.

"Are her parents okay?"

"We have notified them."

"When you see them, please tell them to return my calls."

"I will try."

"Thank you, detective."

Beckett and Castle headed to the door and said their goodbyes.

"Parents now?"

Beckett nodded and opened the car door. "I want this day over as soon as possible so let's get it all done now."

"Fine with me."

Traffic was busy again and that resulted into hitting every red traffic light in the city and having to stop and start every few seconds.

At first, the car had been so silent you could hear a needle drop. The noises from outside were pretty loud in the background. 'The perks of living in the city,' Beckett thought sarcastically.

"At this pace we're never gonna get there." Castle had become aggravated with the waiting. His legs didn't have much room and he had never been the one to sit still for a long time.

Beckett sighed. She agreed with him and wished they could do everything on foot or by bike. It would be way faster than crossing the overcrowded city with her car. She leaned her head to the back of her seat. She had enough of waiting to start her car again and then having to stop again after a few feet.

"You should use your siren."

Beckett gave him a look that could kill. He knew she'd never do that unless there was an emergency. Fair was fair.

"Ok then. Don't shoot me for thinking it." He held his hands up as if she was pointing her gun at him.

He looked so damn cute doing that. She smiled inside and looked out her side window so he wouldn't see it appearing on the outside as well.

Finally the cars in front of them moved and they continued the drive.

Beckett got out of her car and looked at the house. Everything was still the same. The drawings hadn't been taken off the windows and she was glad they hadn't.

For the second time this week she ringed the door bell. Half a minute after the shrill ring stopped, someone opened the door.

"Detective, can I help you." The woman's eyes were red, like she had been crying for hours. Her voice was low and soft. Obviously Esposito and Ryan had called them with the sad news.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Castle said to her.

"Thank you. Please come in."

They walked to the living room and took place on the same couch as they had the previous time.

"I really hoped it wasn't Sarah." Mrs. Dontey tried to control the new sobs that came up. "Who could do that to my little girl."

"I'm sorry but I have to ask you a few more questions. Is it okay if I do that now?"

She nodded and Beckett went on. "We found woodchips on you daughter's clothes. Do you know where they may come from? Maybe a playground you went to?"

"No." Her head hung low and she had closed her eyes. "I didn't go anywhere with her before she was..." She couldn't say the words. It was still too early to be able to say the words 'abducted' or 'murdered'.

Beckett saw that and laid her hand on the woman's knee, encouraging her to continue. "Maybe your husband went out to play?"

"He doesn't really play with her much. We both work late so there isn't much time for that. I should have, shouldn't I. I should have spent more time with Sarah. Now she's gone and I'll never be able to play with her, I'll never see her grow up." She couldn't hold it in any longer. Her tears dropped onto her legs.

Castle was heartbroken by seeing her this way. A mother shouldn't suffer like that. "Here you go." He handed her a tissue out of the box on the table.

She wiped away her tears but more kept coming. "I'm sorry I'm such an emotional mess. It's not helping you."

"Don't worry Mrs. Dontey. We asked all we need for now."

"I'll let you out."

They followed her to the front door and Beckett turned around just before she stepped outside. "Kelly asked me to tell you to call her."

"Thank you, I will."

Mrs. Dontey closed the door behind them and they left, back on their way to the precinct.

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