"Hey Julia, wait up," a voice said behind her as she was almost out of her neighborhood.
"Hey, are you riding around?" Julia asked once she'd stopped her bike and her dance partner was next to her on his mountain bike.
"Yeah, my mom didn't want me to but I asked 'cause I was really bored," Peter said. "You're lucky you have a sister."
Shrugging Julia wanted to say goodbye to him as she wanted to go but he was speaking before she could.
"Where are you going?" Peter then asked.
"Oh… um I'm gonna go to the station," Julia said after she realized that she couldn't really lie to him.
"The police station?" Peter said in surprise.
"Yeah my parents are working on a case but… I just wanna check on them," Julia said.
"Cool, can I come?" Peter asked. "I never got to see the station before."
"That's good though," Julia said. She thought for a moment before she said, "Okay, come on." She sat back on her bike and they rode together to the station though she had to lead her friend as he'd never been. "There," she said when they stopped at the street across from it. "We better walk; you're not supposed to ride on the sidewalk."
"How come you were?" Peter asked as they got off their bikes.
"I wanted to go really fast in case it started to rain," Julia replied. "Or else I'd have to turn back around."
"Oh," Peter said before they were crossing the street and coming up to the station. "What about our bikes?"
"We can lock them here, do you have yours?" Julia asked. When he shook his head she said, "That's okay, we can share mine." And with his help she locked up their bikes with the one chain she had. "Okay, now we just go inside and we ask the officer at the window if my parents can talk to me," she told her partner as she led the way over to the door. When she opened it and they were inside she was a little surprised when Peter stepped up close to her and she looked at him before she turned to the window on the other side of the lobby.
"Hello Julia," the officer said, smiling at the girl who she immediately recognized. "Here to see your parents?"
"Hi Officer Rice," Julia said, going to the window quickly, hearing Peter literally scurrying after her. "This is my friend and dance partner Peter he came with me."
"Hi," Peter said slightly shyly.
"And we are here to see my parents," Julia said. "I wanted to talk to them really quick. Can I?"
"Hold on, they might be talking to someone," Rice said before she left.
Julia tried to look through the window and into the bull pen before she heard her mother's voice saying her name in surprise before she said Peter's. "Mommy!" she exclaimed before she realized that the officers past the window were turning to looking at her. "Hi," she said to who she could see, recognizing everyone.
"Julia, what are you doing here," Beckett said as she stepped out into the lobby with Castle close behind her. "And you Peter." She looked around and said, "On your own?"
"I begged Gram, she had to let me 'cause I wasn't going to let her say no," Julia explained. "But are you okay Daddy?" she then said, looking at him.
"I'm fine," Castle said. He'd been about to ask why she was worried about him when he guessed, "Did you think I was hurt?"
"I thought…" Julia said before she glanced at the window and saw that some of the officers were looking out at them. She closed her mouth and then looked at her mother feeling her cheeks turning red.
"Come on," Beckett told her, reaching out and taking her hand so they could go inside.
"I can come too?" Peter asked as Castle ushered him after the two.
"We're not going to leave you in the lobby," he told the boy.
"Thanks," Peter said before they were in the bull pen and he was looking around with his mouth slightly opened in awe.
"If the chief comes out let him know we're in the interview room," Castle said to Wade and Rice who they were passing.
"Is this where you talk to suspects?" Peter asked before he was sitting on an armchair.
"Not really," Beckett said. She then turned her attention to Julia who was sitting next to her on the couch and said, "Tell us sweetie."
"I got a weird feeling when I was walking home from Mari's and then I guessed maybe it was you Daddy," Julia explained. "'Cause it wasn't anything bad but something happened."
"Okay well we were going to tell you about this when we got home later," Castle said.
"But I guess we'll need to tell you now," Beckett said before she got her phone out of her pocket.
"Whose horse is that?" Julia asked, looking at the picture there.
"Well if you want her and will give Marie to your sister; yours," Beckett answered.
"But…" Julia said, her eyes growing wide. "How?"
Castle and Beckett then explained how they were suddenly the owners of a pregnant mare and when they finished he said, "But it's up to you."
"Well… I couldn't ride her now couldn't I?" Julia asked.
"Not just yet," Beckett replied.
"Then I think I want to take her," Julia said. "Oh, I can't until she has her baby huh?"
"Right," Castle told her. "But don't worry as soon as she can your mom will make sure she's ready to ride."
"I hope so," Julia said. "Can I go see her?"
Beckett shared a look with her husband before she told their oldest about how the mare was at the clinic. "But she's being cared for so you don't need to worry about her too much," she finished.
"I still wanna see her," Julia said firmly.
"Maybe tomorrow," Beckett said.
"But I can't, there's school and then dance class," Julia protested.
"Maybe," Castle began. "We can take her."
"Now?" Beckett asked.
Before anyone could say anything to that there was a knock at the door and Brad stepped in saying, "Guys? I need to talk to you two."
"Can they go in the break room?" Castle asked.
"Yeah," Brad said, smiling at the kids. "Hey Peter."
"Hi," the boy said a little shyly though he knew the chief.
"Here," Beckett said, giving the two water bottles when they were in the room. "Sit at the table and we'll be right back."
"Could we go now?" Julia asked before her parents left.
"We'll see," Beckett said, glancing at her husband. They then left and walked over to the office, seeing that Brad was holding something up with gloves on his hands.
"Julia," Peter whispered. "Where are you going?"
"Nowhere," Julia replied. "Oh, I think that's where my parents sit when they're here," she told her friend, nodding to an empty desk with a chair next to it.
"Cool but your mom said to sit… Julia!" Peter protested when she stepped out into the doorway and then just slightly past it.
Not saying anything to him Julia rushed through the bullpen before she got to the doorway of the chief's office. She leaned against the window to the side of it, trying to listen in on what they were talking about inside.
"Weimer said that he got this off of Sawyer when they were fighting about the vic," Brad was saying.
"He saw her too?" Castle asked.
"Not really," Brad replied. "He saw someone but never saw her exactly. He thought the vic was a man too. Ironic how many people are saying that about her and she wanted to become a man. But he says he got it from him and Sawyer got it from her."
"And have you read it?" Beckett said.
Brad didn't say anything to that and simply opened the paper to allow them to read what he had once he'd opened it himself with gloves.
"It's a map," Castle said the moment he saw what was on the paper.
"How can you be so sure?" Brad said.
"Because it's got a grid lay out…" Castle said. "I don't think it's the stables though where the x is… what?"
"No exclamations about a treasure map?" Beckett said to him.
"No," Castle said, shaking his head. "But it's here; if she was looking around town then it's got to be here."
"We'll have to try and look into that but I want to get Bernier on it; you know he's good with maps," Brad said. "And I heard what you two were talking about in the room; go ahead."
"Right in the middle of the case?" Castle asked.
"Yes, because everything we're doing we have under control," Brad answered. "You just need to come back."
"We won't take that long," Castle said as he looked at his wife and then nodded. "I guess we better tell Julia the good news."
"I think she already knows," Brad said. When the two looked at him in confusion he nodded behind them before they turned.
"Julia," Beckett said, going out to her.
"Sorry," the girl whispered when her parents stood in front of her. "So we can go?"
"Yes, let's go now before we lose the chance," Castle said.
"Oh, Peter's still over there," Julia said as they walked back to the break room.
"Does his mother know he's here?" Beckett asked.
Shaking her head Julia said, "He was riding down the street when he saw me and then came with me."
"I'll give her a call," Castle said.
"What about our bikes," Julia said to her mother.
"You're going to need to ride back if that's alright," Beckett told her.
"Yeah that's fine," Julia said rapidly. By then they were in the break room and she said eagerly, "You get to come with us to see my horse!"
"Cool but my mom…" Peter started to say.
"I just got in touch with her," Castle said. "And she's fine with you coming out here but apparently you have a phone on you?"
"Oh," Peter said sheepishly as they were walking through the bull pen. "I forgot."
"I told your mom that probably happened and she agreed," Castle said.
"So… you work here?" Peter said, looking around again.
"Not all the time, just when we're asked to," Beckett replied. "I guess you like it."
"Yeah… do you keep suspects there?" Peter asked as he pointed to holding.
"We do," Castle said. "But there's not much to see there. The horse though, that's something to see."
Julia smiled and they went together to the parking lot and then to her parents' car. When they were in the back she said, "I hope this is okay."
"It is, if we didn't want to go we would have sent you two back home," Beckett said, looking back at them as Castle started to drive to the clinic where they would take their dogs.
"You don't need to be there?" Peter asked.
"That's what Brad told us," Castle assured them both though Julia had already heard that.
Julia wanted to ask about the map but she was a little embarrassed about her desire to work on the case when she obviously couldn't so instead she said, "Can I name her?"
"Of course, if she's going to be your horse than you can," Castle said first.
"But you can wait to do that," Beckett added. "You don't need to rush into picking."
"Okay," Julia replied before she looked out the window and could see they were getting nearer to the clinic.
As soon as they had reached the building Castle and Beckett took the two to the stable in the back for when horses were cared for there. After speaking to the vet taking care of the mare they were allowed to go into the building though Beckett and Julia went first to make sure the horse would be okay, the girl looking for her mare eagerly as they walked past some empty stalls.
"Is that her?" Julia asked, almost gasping when she saw the dun colored horse looking out of a stall.
"That's her," Beckett said, smiling at her daughter. "What do you think?"
"She's beautiful," Julia breathed. "Can I pet her?" she asked, unsure of that as her mother had stopped them a little bit away from it.
"Let me see how she's doing," Beckett replied. She then walked up to the mare and held out her hand, just in case, before the horse pressed against it. Scratching at the mare's ears she said to Julia, "Come here sweetie but slowly."
Nodding once the girl walked carefully up to her mother and the horse before Beckett stepped away a little. She already knew what that meant so she held out her hand carefully. Holding her breath almost she watched as the mare bowed her head and then raised her head. "What does that mean?" she whispered to her mother.
"Scratch her head," Beckett said. "But stay away from her mouth."
"Okay," Julia said, guessing that meant that the horse had accepted her. She smiled when the horse whickered slightly as she was scratching as close to its forehead as she could. "Mommy?" she then asked.
"Watch out sweetie I'm going to go into the stall," Beckett told her. "What is it?" she then asked as she was standing next to the horse.
"I wanna name her Charlotte," Julia said.
"Oh?" Beckett asked with a smile.
"Yeah but I want to call her Lottie; I like that name," Julia added.
"It sounds like a good idea," Beckett said. "Come here."
"In the stall?" Julia asked in surprise. When her mother nodded she breathed out and walked in, trying not to be nervous as she touched Lottie's neck.
"Calm down Julia, she accepts you," Beckett said, watching her daughter closely.
"I wish I could hug her," the girl confessed, looking up at her mother. She was startled when Beckett went over to a short step ladder, setting it next to the horse. "Thanks," she said with a wide smile. She got to the top of it quickly and then wrapped her arms around Lottie's neck, being as gentle as possible.
Beckett bit at her lower lip slightly as she watched her daughter rub her cheek gently against the coat of her horse, touched by the scene. She was going to comment; as she wanted the girl to know what she was thinking; when her daughter was speaking before she could.
"Mommy she doesn't have a neck like other horses," Julia said.
Sighing Beckett said, "I didn't want you to know but she's a little underfed."
"But… the pony," Julia said.
"They checked it and it's fine," Beckett assured her. "And we'll feed them both now don't worry."
"What about the pony though? You're gonna have two of them," Julia pointed out.
"We were thinking of giving one of them to Alexis," Castle explained as he and Peter were walking over to them.
"Then shouldn't Lottie go to 'lexis?" Julia asked.
"She's not here and she doesn't ride as much as you," Beckett said. "So I'm sure she won't mind waiting for one of the ponies to grow older so she can ride it."
"You named your horse Lottie?" Castle said.
"Yeah, for Charlotte," Julia replied before she looked at her dance partner. "Peter?"
"Yeah… horses make me nervous," the boy said as he'd stopped a little away from them.
"I'll take him outside," Castle said.
"We'll be right out; these two need to go back," Beckett told him. She turned to Julia and watched as her daughter slid the step ladder down a little and watched her press her cheek to the obvious bulge where the baby was. "They're guessing she has about a month or two to go before it's born," she said, knowing her daughter was going to ask.
"Can I be here when it is?" Julia asked in a rush as she wasn't sure what her mother was going to say in response to that.
"Of course," Beckett said. When her daughter looked at her with wide eyes she told her, "Say goodbye to Lottie, we need to go." After her daughter had done so and was outside the stall she scratched at the mare's neck and closed the door behind her. "And I'm letting you go because it's almost the same as seeing a kitten born plus she is your horse," she told her. When Julia just looked at her she smiled and explained, "We'll put your name on her papers once we fill them out."
"Thanks," Julia said. They were stepping outside of the stable and she sucked in a deep breath of air when she saw who her father was talking to, looking quickly up at her mother.
"Meredith," Beckett said as she and Julia had joined the group. "Did you bring a pet with you?"
"No, I was just telling Ricky here that I was looking for one for my fiancé," Meredith replied. She smiled and said, "I'm looking out for a Chesapeake Bay Retriever; he's always wanted one; so I was at the shelter next door when I saw you there."
"Mommy, Daddy I'm thirsty can we go back now?" Julia said then.
"Excuse us," Castle said before he told his ex a quick goodbye. "Kate-" he started to say in a low voice as they were walking away.
"We can talk about this later, or not at all," Beckett interrupted, giving him a pointed look.
Castle nodded and when they reached the car he drove as quickly as he legally could to the station, keeping an eye on his wife before he was parking in front of the building.
"How come we came this way?" Julia asked when they were out of the car.
"So you two could get to your bikes faster," Beckett told her, taking her hand. She watched with her and Peter as Castle unlocked the bikes and the boy went to get his before she looked at her daughter. "Don't say a word about the case to your sister," she said.
"I won't," Julia promised. "But… what happened?"
"We'll talk about it later," Beckett promised, not wanting to talk about the case in front of her friend. She hugged her tightly and said, "Though I wish you hadn't come with it rainy today I'm glad you did."
"Me too," Julia said, embracing her back hard. "Lizzy wanted to come with me." When her mother paused in letting her go she smiled and continued with, "But Gram said no."
"I'm glad to hear that," Beckett replied finally letting Julia go. "Be careful, both of you, going back and if it starts to rain you're walking your bikes."
Not surprised when the two kids started to protest Castle said, "She's right, if your brakes get wet you know that they're not going to work that well. You better walk and put on your rain hat; your hoodie Peter."
"I will," the boy said with a nod. "Thanks for letting me come inside."
"Not a problem," Castle said first. "We'll have to give you a full tour someday."
"Cool," Peter replied.
"We'll see," Beckett said.
"Bye Daddy, thanks for not getting mad at me," Julia said as she hugged her father.
"Oh no, I'm proud of you for doing that," Castle said. "You rode on the sidewalks here didn't you?"
"All the way," Julia said with a smile as they let go of each other.
"Good girl," Castle said, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. "Do the same on the way back?"
"We will," Julia promised before hugging her mother again. "Thanks for Lottie," she said, looking at both her parents.
"Thank your mom," Castle said quickly. "She saw her."
"You're welcome," Beckett said quickly before Julia could say anything. "Go on home okay?"
"Yeah," Julia said before she and Peter put on their helmets and got their bikes before walking across the street. She waved to her parents and then rode with her partner once they were on the sidewalk again.
"So that's where your parents work," Peter commented after they were out of sight from the station.
"Yep, why?" Julia asked him.
"Your mom had a gun this whole time," Peter whispered then after he'd slowed down and she followed his lead.
"Yeah, she needs it for when they're out of the station," Julia said with a nod. When he just looked at her she shrugged and said, "She's been a detective for as long as I remember so she had a gun but she hates hugging me when she's wearing it. Me and my sisters."
"Can I ask you something?" Peter then said after they were going slowly together for a while.
"Sure," Julia said, wondering at his tone of voice.
"Your dad isn't your real dad, is he?" Peter said. And as soon as he'd finished speaking he knew he'd said something wrong as she visibly bristled.
"He is my real dad… he's just not my birth dad," Julia replied, trying to control her anger as she knew her partner wasn't sure how to word that exactly. She looked at him and when she saw him obviously looking like he was going to say something else she told him, "I dunno who that is."
"No?" Peter said with a frown.
"Nope," Julia said. "And since he didn't want to be in my life it doesn't matter. My dad does want to so… he's my dad." She then smiled and said, "I am Julia Castle. We-ell Beckett-Castle but yeah, he's my dad."
"You don't ever wonder?" Peter asked.
"Nope," Julia repeated. When he looked at her in surprise she said, "I told you, I don't care, I have a dad already."
Before either of them could say anything else a car pulled up next to them, someone calling Julia's name.
"Oh no," she groaned when she glanced back and saw who it was.
"Hello, you two," Meredith said as she stopped next to them. "I saw you riding Julia and wanted to offer you and…"
"Peter," the boy said slowly, glancing at Julia.
"A ride, it might rain," Meredith said with a smile.
"No thank you, we're almost to our homes anyways," Julia replied. She braced herself for the woman to offer again but when she just said she'd see her on Wednesday and left she breathed out hard.
"Who is that lady?" Peter asked.
"Let's keep going," Julia said. "I don't want her to come back when she sees we're not moving." After they'd been riding for a while she explained, "That's Alexis' mom."
"Oh… so that means she used to be married to your dad," Peter said. When Julia nodded he said, "How come she's here? I never saw her before."
"I dunno… I don't think she really likes my mom," she answered.
"She doesn't," Peter said. He then explained; when he knew Julia was going to wonder; "When your dad and I were outside and she came up to us she said something about she was glad your parents weren't really attached at the hip. But she said it really meanly; I don't think your dad was happy about that."
"No wonder he looked mad," Julia said with a nod. She sighed and said, "Hopefully she changes her mind about coming to the dinner later."
"So what about their case?" Peter asked when they had reached her neighborhood.
Julia smiled and said, "I'll tell you a little bit about it but you can't tell anyone; not even your mom."
"Scouts honor… whatever that means," Peter said before he and Julia looked at each other and burst out laughing.
When they'd calmed down Julia told him about the map; the safest thing she could tell him; wondering if her parents were having any luck with it back at the station.
"Well, other than her tone," Beckett was saying to Castle as she'd asked him what Meredith had said outside the clinic. "She's right, we usually are together. But do you buy her story about being there for a dog?"
"I do, Alexis mentioned it to me as apparently she couldn't find that breed anywhere in Italy; at least not to buy or adopt," Castle explained. "But the timing is suspicious."
"I almost thought we were going to switch for a moment there," Beckett said jokingly. "But if she's checking us out… would Alexis have mentioned we have a case?"
"Likely, not knowing that she would try and see us," Castle said. "What if-"
"Don't build theory about what she's doing," Beckett said, covering his mouth with her hand. "It doesn't matter and she'll be gone… sooner rather than later. Let's go back inside because I'm sure Brad has something by now."
When the two appeared in the bull pen the chief called them to his office before he said, "How's the mare?"
"It's Lottie now," Beckett answered. "And she's fine. What about you?"
"We're having some difficulties with the map," Brad said with a sigh. "If it even is a map. Come on." He led them to the conference room which was in between the interview room and break room and told them, "Here's the Hamptons."
"You're really going street by street?" Castle asked as a huge map was stretched over the table and chairs and still hung off it.
"We will, we just need to work together on this," Brad said before he watched as Hutchinson and Bernier came in. "The five of us should be able to at least make a dent in this map."
"Did you look at this map itself?" Castle asked.
"Repeatedly, why?" Brad said.
"There has to be something to narrow it down," Castle said. "Did you try where the street the stable is on?"
"First thing and no, it doesn't match," Brad said.
"Did you try the angled streets?" Beckett asked though she had a feeling of the answer already.
"There are a number of them in the area," Brad said. "About…"
"Eleven that we found," Bernier said as the chief was looking at him and Hutchinson. "But six of those match the drawn map closely enough."
"Fields?" Castle and Beckett then said at the same time.
"Three of those," Brad said. "And by the way we did that on this map we didn't have this out here just for what we're going to do now."
"Where are the three fields?" Beckett asked them.
"Here, here and here," Hutchinson replied, pointing them out.
"Where's the transfer you were using?" Castle said. When Brad handed it to him he set the copy of the map down and covered it with the transfer. "Well this isn't going to help you," he said.
"Why?" Brad asked as he was looking down at the papers.
"The program you used cut off the curve on the street one lot down from wherever the x is," Beckett said, pointing it out. "Look for the curve and you should find it."
"I know where it is Chief," Bernier told them then. "East of Lilac Avenue; on Pine Grove Way."
"You're right," Brad said, looking at it on the map. "I remember we had to go to a home there a couple times for a domestic dispute but it's not where the x is."
Taking the transfer Castle set it down right where Bernier said it was and found that though the map there didn't match the one under it was close. "Any idea what house this is?"
"The domestic house was 1035… so that's 1063," Brad said before he went over to his office, Castle and Beckett following. As soon as he was in front of his desk he typed in the address and said, "This… no."
"Yes, it is. Frank Fletcher," Beckett read behind him. "There's no way that's a coincidence."
Typing out the name in the database Brad said, "It's not, they're cousins… and he worked with our vic."
"At the bookstore?" Castle asked.
"He was her employee but he was fired," Brad read off. "It doesn't say why."
Castle got out of the way as his friend was grabbing for the phone on the desk and he said, "Fletcher or the vic's wife?"
Beckett wasn't surprised when the chief was soon after talking to the latter and she listened in on his half of the conversation before she said, "Does she know him?"
"She did and according to Yearling he was stealing the profits from their store," Brad replied.
"Why wasn't-" Castle began.
"He paid her back and they were squared away; as she put it," Brad said. "But she then told me that he was trying to have McGale help him with a treasure hunt."
"That doesn't make any sense," Beckett said. "His house is marked as the x."
"Unless that was the idea… or it was a scavenger hunt," Brad said.
"That makes more sense," Castle said. "Look at all the different places she went to."
"But the note, the hidden room?" Beckett said.
Opening his mouth Castle then realized that she was right and he sighed before he said, "Alright, you make a good point. What do you think?"
"I'm thinking we need to go over to his home," Brad said, hanging up the phone he'd been using again. "He's not answering."
"Cell phone?" Castle asked.
"Maybe he's out?" Beckett then suggested.
"I'll put an APB out for him but we're checking on him right now," Brad said as he stood up. "You're still armed?"
"Of course," Beckett replied before they were walking out of the office. She handed the car keys to Castle; since he'd handed them to her; and as he was driving she said, "What do you think of him?"
"I'm not really sure, this kind of came out of nowhere and I'm trying to cope with this to figure it out," Castle said. He glanced at her; as they were waiting for a light to change; and said, "And yes that's partly because my scavenger hunt idea didn't really work out. But why the map? Why the report?"
Sighing Beckett said, "I don't know we have to wait for tech to look at her computer and e-mails."
"Good thing Brad read our minds on that," Castle said. He then looked at his wife and said, "I never thought she'd come to see us."
Smiling at the memory of spotting Julia in the lobby Beckett said, "No but we should have realized that she might one day. And Peter seemed to be awed."
"Think she'll tell him anything about the case?" Castle asked.
"She'll tell him about the map but that's it," Beckett replied. When her husband looked at her she said, "I know her, she'll only talk about the map because she knows it's not that important."
"Smart," Castle said with a nod. "You're sure she can't help us?"
"I'm sure," Beckett said with a smile. She reached over then and gently squeezed his hand before he responded to her saying, "I'm glad she came though."
"Me too," Castle said, nodding in agreement. He had to let go of her hand as they were reaching the house and he parked behind Brad before they got out to join him on the corner of the intersection. "Are you going in tactically?" he asked.
"That depends on Mr. Fletcher," Brad said. "But with that you're still behind Beckett."
With a nod Castle walked behind his wife as they made their way over to the house, not surprised when the two ahead of him were searching all around, doing the same himself in the end. As they walked up the path he studied the home, one story and very unassuming, and he wanted to say something about that but Brad was reaching the door.
"Beckett," the chief whispered.
A second after he'd started to say her name Beckett saw what he did and she withdrew her gun, nodding when he turned to her. He pushed open the door the rest of the way and she followed him before he was stopping abruptly when they spotted what there was in the living room.
"Put the knife down! Put it down!" Brad yelled, Beckett joining him in commanding that immediately.
"I didn't kill him!" Judy Fletcher almost screamed as she stood up hurriedly, dropping the knife that was in her hand. "I didn't I found him… please…" she sobbed as Brad handcuffed her.
Moving to let Brad and Beckett take the woman outside Castle looked down at the body of the woman's cousin, sprawled on the floor and stabbed multiple times over his entire back.