Genre: Drama, Crime, Romance, Family, Humor
Rating: M for sexual situations and language
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters featured on the show Castle, they belong to the creator of the show, ABC, and the others who do own them.
A/N #1: I loved getting the feedback I did for the last chapter so let me get to my thank yous quickly for them! TORONTOSUN (Great to see you thought the love scenes at the beginning were very well written. And that's true, lol, when she starts them it's hard for them to stop! And I was really happy you liked that I brought in Darnley and Sumner, also that you think they're cool!) and vetgirlmx (Wasn't surprised to see your reaction to the ex-husband, lol, or the fact that you think it'll be interesting to see them confronting him when they talk to him. Glad you thought the pictures was creepy since I was aiming for that, as well as showing that the murders were definitely planned. And as for the woman I wasn't planning on anything coming from her, just the letter being mailed out and managing to get to the house. I wasn't surprised either that you were glad Nkosi and Skye were alright in the end, also a hypothetical baby victim; unfortunately that diorama is real though I'm not sure if it was based on an actual crime. And you'll see in a future story if their friends will be able to make it to the ceremony in Ireland in the summer. You made a good point, lol, about Beckett former friend in San Francisco, of course with that happening they'd want to make sure it wouldn't happen again. I was happy to see that you though it was cute that Eliza was worrying about them, wanted to have to do that once in a while, not just Julia lol. And that eppy is definitely one of my favorites too and you did mention you liked it so I thought you might like the reference in the chapter. And I figured the way they do the lock picking together would be good, as you said very sneaky and a lot less obvious than when Beckett did it on her own in the eppy. So I was happy to read that you enjoyed that! Pleased to see you had fun reading the chapter and that you can't wait to see what's next which you can do now!). Thanks so much for the reviews, I loved them and am grateful for the time taken to write them to send them my way!
A/N #2: The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song I'm Just a Bill by David Frishberg from the educational short film series Schoolhouse Rock!
As Far As Capitol Hill
"Detective Darnley-" the commissioner began to say as she frowned at him.
"Ma'am, I can't have Sumner in there with me," Darnley replied easily. "This is her ex husband and I don't want to handle it alone; especially if he is our killer. From what Sumner's told me about him it would be best to go in with backup."
"He wasn't a cop," Le Blanc replied nodding to Castle.
"No but he's been with me in numerous interrogations," Beckett said as she and her husband were in the room. "He could easily hold his own."
"Luckily Darnley isn't asking for that," Le Blanc replied. She studied the two closely and said, "If he makes any protests about them in there with you, you send them out."
With a nod Darnley said, "Understood." He left the office, not surprised the two were following him to the interrogation room. Turning to face them he then said, "I want you both to be sitting down."
"We had a feeling," Castle said though he and Beckett hadn't talked about it.
With a slight nod Darnley turned to the door and opened it, walking inside first with Castle and Beckett following him. "Mr. Abernathy," he said to the man standing on the other side of the table. "Have a seat please."
"Three cops?" Abernathy replied questioningly, leaning his hands on the top of the chair. "You're worried that much about me?"
"Sit," Darnley reiterated.
"I know who you are," Abernathy said as he reluctantly did what the detective asked. "My ex's partner, which is why she can't talk to me right?"
"This is Mr. Castle and Ms. Beckett," Darnley replied easily. "They're assisting me with my investigation. I'm wondering are you familiar with this book?"
Looking at the picture that the detective slid across the table to him Abernathy replied. "I think I've seen it," he said with shrug. "Why? Was it a murder weapon?"
"In a way," Castle said simply.
Looking at him Abernathy frowned and then said to Darnley, "What is it?"
"There have been three murders," he replied, not wanting to say any more than that for the time being.
"Look, you're wasting my time," Abernathy said in annoyance, starting to stand up.
"Sit down," Darnley told him sharply before he caught Beckett's eye.
"Did you ever read this book?" she asked.
"Huh, funny you're the one asking me that," Abernathy said.
When the man was silent at that point Beckett shared a look with Castle and said, "So you're aware of who we are now. But that's not what we're trying to figure out at the moment." She then made a gesture to her friend and took the file he handed her. "Again, have you read the book?"
"I looked at it when I got it," Abernathy replied. "But it was a coffee table book, one of those you don't really look at too often. Why?"
Sliding the picture from the first murder Beckett knew it was going to shock the man since the vic was naked but for her shoes and watch. She was right as Abernathy cringed when he saw it and she said, "Did you know her?"
"No," the man said slowly, staring at the photo. When there were two more pictures and he saw the wounds to the women he swallowed hard and said, "I didn't know them either."
"Then why don't you let us know where you've been the last four days?" Darnley said.
"I… you think I killed these women?" Abernathy said in surprise.
Castle, not finding the tone of the man's voice that believable, said, "We wouldn't show you those pictures if we didn't. We're not trying to scare or gross you out; Detective Darnley is attempting to solve a murder and doesn't have time to waste."
Shooting him a scathing expression Abernathy said, "Jodie put you up to this didn't she? Did you think she might be in on this? Maybe try to frame me?"
"Why would she want to do that?" Beckett said, crossing her arms over her chest.
Frowning Abernathy looked between the two and said, "I was out of town."
"From when to when?" Darnley then asked.
"From Thursday night when I flew to Boston for a weekend visit with my in laws to this morning at nine when my wife, sons and I flew back to Washington National," Abernathy said firmly.
"Alright," Darnley said, walking back and forth behind Castle and Beckett then. "What about these dioramas?"
"What about them?" Abernathy asked, looking up at him in confusion.
"Do you know anyone who's obsessed with them? Maybe you met them at the museum where you bought this book?" Castle asked.
"The Crime and Punishment museum," Abernathy said, starting to sound worried at that point. "On the 7th. They had a special exhibition and my wife Tilley and I went to it; got their book at the gift shop."
Nodding once; since they already had that information; Darnley smiled and said, "Want to tell us now about who you saw there?"
"I… how did you know that?" Abernathy asked in surprise.
"It's written all over your face," Castle said, taking the picture that the detective had handed over to him. He then slid it over to Abernathy said, "Is this him?"
"I… no," the man said, studying the sketch closely. "He had thinner eyes, he nearly looked Asian but they were green and he was definitely Caucasian and he had blonde hair. He was looking at the dioramas and I could have sworn he was drooling over them. I talked to him and said he needed to move on before I called security, he was almost… orgasmic and it was grossing my wife out and some others there too."
"And that's all you saw of him?" Beckett asked. At Abernathy's nod she stood with Castle as Darnley went around the table to inform him that he was a suspect and they were going to hold him for twenty-four hours until they could clear his alibi. Walking ahead of her husband into the interrogation room she said, "What do you think?"
"Good question," Sumner said with a slight frown. "The idea of him wanting to protect his wife from the creep is legit; he did that for me once before."
"Do his in laws live in Boston?" Darnley asked as he walked into the room then.
"Here," Sumner said as she handed him a file. "His finances and there are four tickets to Boston."
"Did he have twins?" Castle asked. When she nodded he said, "What does he do?"
"Carpenter," Sumner said. "I know, I thought the same but I took another look at the frames for the dioramas and no, that's not his work. I knew his and this wasn't it; unless he suffered brain trauma and completely changed it."
"No, nothing like that," Darnley said. "You thought?" he directed to Castle.
"It would have been the answer we were looking for," he said with a nod in response to the detective's question.
"Are you going to call Washington National?" Beckett asked.
"Yeah," Darnley said before he noticed his partner's troubled expression suddenly.
Seeing that all three were looking at her questioningly Sumner said, "It's weird that he flew from there. He had two cousins that died on a flight coming out of there nearly forty years ago."
"Air Florida?" Castle and Beckett said at the same time. Now it was their turned to be looked at questioningly and he said, "You know about it already," to Sumner.
"I do," Sumner replied. "He told me about it once when he was drunk; about the only time he would confide in me about anything. The wings of the plane iced over due to atmosphere and pilot error."
"I think I've heard of it," Darnley replied. "It crashed on the 14th street Bridge didn't it?"
"One of them," Sumner said. "But I get the feeling the only reason he flew from there was because of money."
"Cheaper flight?" Beckett asked.
"Yeah they flew Jet Blue," Darnley said. "So you're right. Okay so I need to call the airport and the museum. By the way; you two need to try and visit it's a great place."
"We're going to," Castle said, looking at his wife. "When the case is over."
"Hopefully it'll be soon," Darnley said. "Come on." He led the way out to his desk and began to make a phone call to the airport while his partner contacted the museum.
Watching them and waiting Beckett looked over at her husband when he began to pace next to her raising her eyebrow at him when he glanced at her. She wasn't surprised when he took her by the arm and pulled her over to the murder board to speak with her quietly.
"I think," Castle began. "We might need to keep our eye on her."
"Why?" Beckett asked, furrowing her brow.
"Things keep coming back to her," Castle said. "But not her as the killer, she's being framed."
"I don't… think so," Beckett said slowly. "But you're right about there being a connection to her." She could see that Castle was thoughtful and she glanced over at Darnley and Sumner and saw that the latter was looking over at them. "You might want to explain your idea," she told her husband.
"Sure," Castle replied. He waited for Darnley to finish his conversation before he asked the man, "He's clear?"
"He's clear," the detective said. "Sumner?" he asked.
"They're sending some footage from that room," she replied. "What were you two saying?" she then directed to Castle and Beckett.
Seeing that his wife was looking at him pointedly Castle cleared his throat slightly and then said, "I've been thinking about how things have been pointing to you," directing that to Sumner.
"We cleared her," Darnley said slowly, knowing that he wasn't referring to that.
"Right," Castle told him. "But what if someone was… well at first I was thinking that someone might be trying to frame you but Kate pointed out…"
"If they were trying to frame you the attack on you didn't really help," Beckett said as the woman looked to her. "Though I guess they could have thought that we'd think you were staging it."
"We don't," Darnley said rapidly when his partner looked a little stricken. "But you know you make an interesting point. We've been shown in the Post for two of our cases," he then said as he looked at Sumner pointedly.
"He's right, they were a couple serial killer cases," she said to Castle and Beckett. "We were photographed with them as we brought them in after arrest, about two years and seven months ago."
"When they talked about you," Castle said suddenly after a few seconds of silence. "Did they mention your father?"
"My father? Well, yeah of course," Sumner said. "It's well known here that I'm his daughter." She then said, "You don't think someone could be trying to frame my dad do you?"
"No," Darnley said before Castle could answer that. "But I see what you're thinking, it's something with him."
"You live here in DC, politics and crime do go together sometimes," Castle said.
"It's not my father," Sumner said, beginning to sound angry.
"I don't think it is but it deals with you Sumners," Beckett said. She smiled briefly at her husband when he looked at her in surprise and said, "Would we be able to speak to him?"
"I… yeah," Sumner said before looking at her watch. "Yeah he just got out of a session not too long ago, let me call him and see where he is."
"I would have voted for him if I was in his district," Darnley murmured to his friend and Castle.
"Yeah he sounds like a great guy," Castle replied. "And that's where I got the idea of him. Anyone really trying to be that pure in DC is going to be taken under at some point."
"But it doesn't feel right Rick," Beckett then said.
"I know, that's where your comment about the details comes in," Castle said, nodding to her. "Unfortunately we've got no clue what those details are."
At that moment Sumner was coming back over to them and she told them, "He has to stay a little late tonight but he can speak with you."
"You think Le Blanc would hold you here?" Darnley asked.
"Are you kidding? We need to tell her," Sumner replied.
"Alright I'll go, you two stay," Darnley said to Castle and Beckett. He started to walk over to the commissioner's office when he paused and then asked him, "Know anyone?"
"At the Capitol? One of the Senators for Vermont," Castle said.
"The former mayor of NYC," Beckett added. "I know him too." She watched Darnley nod before he then went over to the office and she said, "Is he there?"
"I have no idea, I haven't heard from him since he moved out of New York," Castle said, shaking his head. "She'll let us talk to him though."
"He's right," Sumner said. "Telling her is just a formality, my father knows you two so you'll lessen the idea of him being spoken to by police."
When Darnley had finished speaking with his superior he walked out quickly to the three and said, "They're clear but she's begging me to make sure that you two don't do anything… outrageous."
"We'll be on our best behavior," Castle said. He wasn't surprised when his wife rolled her eyes but followed her and Darnley over to the elevator so they could head out.
"Have you been here much?" Beckett asked as they were walking up the Capitol Building steps.
"As a detective?" Darnley asked instead of answering. When she nodded he then said, "A couple times, mostly to speak to representatives of the city but once to speak to a janitor who was a possible suspect but was an eyewitness instead."
"So you know where we need to go?" Castle asked.
"Jodie also let her father know we needed to have someone meet us," Darnley said.
"Nice of her, it'll help having an escort in," Castle said. "How far to his office?"
"I have no idea," Darnley said. "I've never been."
"Have you met her father?" Beckett asked him then.
"I have," Darnley said with a nod. "I've had dinner at his home in Alexandria a few times. I get the idea that he wanted to make sure I was treating his daughter with respect."
"How long have you been partners?" Castle asked.
"Six years," Darnley replied. They were entering the building then and he walked over to the person who knew already was going to be their escort.
"Detective Darnley?" the security guard asked. When he nodded he said, "This way but you'll need to wear these passes while you're in the building."
Taking his and pinning it on his jacket Castle tried to see if it said anything besides Visitor and had the seal of Congress but there was nothing else there. So instead he paid attention to where the guard was leading them to the second floor and the offices.
Stopping in front of a door the guard said to the three, "Senator Sumner is in, please knock before you go inside."
Doing so as soon as the guard started walking away from them Darnley was pleased when the man inside called them in. But when he stepped into the office first he was slightly surprised to find that there was a younger man inside and not his partner's father. "Is Senator Sumner here?" he asked.
"Yes, who are you?" the man asked.
"Detective Patrick Darnley," he said, showing his badge instead of shaking the man's hand. "And you?"
"The name's Anton Mott," the man replied. A door opened behind them then and he said, "Senator, you have some people to see you."
"Of course, Jodie's partner," the senator said, going over and shaking his hand. "These are the consultants she was talking about?" he asked, nodding to Castle and Beckett.
"They are, this is Kate Beckett my friend from the Academy in New York," Darnley said. "I've told you about her before."
"Of course and I have heard of you," Senator Sumner said with a nod for her while they were shaking hands. "Anton, I'm wondering if you can get in touch with Senator Schubert about the bill?" he then directed to the man.
"Yes sir," Mott replied with a nod. "She should have the final draft ready by now."
Once he'd left Senator Sumner said to Castle and Beckett, "Anton is my aide, Senator Schubert and I are putting a bill into the Senate together at the end of the month with a group of other senators. But I wanted to say Ms. Beckett that I know you because of the former Senator Bracken."
Castle looked at his wife; slightly worried at that; but she merely gave the man a questioning look.
"I was unsure of him and now I know why," Senator Sumner replied. "Doubly unsure. And you're Richard Castle; I've read a number of your books and have kept reading them. You're helping Patrick?"
"They're consulting with me as they have some very valuable insight into it," Darnley answered. "Which is why we're here to speak to you."
"Of course, please have a seat here… on these chairs," Senator Sumner told them. "How's Jodie?" he asked.
"She's doing well," Darnley said, not surprised when the man nodded. "What we need to speak to you about is if you have received any threats lately."
"Well I would assume that there are threats in the letters I get," Senator Sumner replied. "I don't read those of course as they take them away but lately?"
"In the past six months or so," Castle told him.
When the senator shook his head, not surprising him, Darnley said, "Then there hasn't been anything even unusual?"
Seeing that the man was about to shake his head no Castle asked, "What about your bill?"
"My bill?" Senator Sumner said slowly. "Well it's to restructure the FAA."
"Really?" Darnley said. When he saw the slightly perplexed looks on Castle and Beckett's faces he explained, "There's been some trouble with it lately."
"We've heard," Beckett said with a nod.
"Of course, you know Investigator McDouglas," Senator Sumner said with a nod. "I've gotten her support for this bill and incidentally your husband too," he said, directing the last to Darnley.
"My husband?" he asked in surprise.
"I went to see them yesterday during their investigation," the senator said. He smiled and then said, "I see they kept things quiet like I requested. I went to speak with them about how the NTSB would take the bill. They were all for it and said the Board would stand behind the bill as well."
"No surprise there," Castle said. "But has there been any kind of heavy opposition to it?"
Senator Sumner opened his mouth to speak before he paused and then said, "I have had some opposition from Senator Smith. He has worked with the FAA and is insistent that it's fine. I've had suspicions that he was in on the corruption in the group but I don't know if I want to level that accusation at him without sufficient evidence."
"Is he aware of those suspicions?" Beckett asked him.
"I don't think so," the senator replied, shaking his head.
"Any lobbyists that would have reason to oppose you?" Castle asked though Darnley held up his hand to stop him from speaking.
"No," Senator Sumner said after thinking for a moment. "No money will be lost to them, just those who are corrupt."
"Then are you aware of something called the Nutshell Studies?" Darnley asked him.
"The… no," Senator Sumner started to say. When the detective stood he said in concern as he followed with Castle and Beckett, "Am I in some kind of danger?"
"No this was just so we could clear some things up," Darnley replied, shaking his hand firmly. "We need to get back to the investigation." When the man asked him to give his love to his partner he nodded and then led Castle and Beckett outside so they could leave the building. He knew they wanted to speak but didn't give them a chance to as he wanted to hold off until they were outside the building and walking on the Mall and he turned to his friend before anyone could speak.
"Any reason we just ran out of there?" Beckett asked, watching him closely.
"We didn't run," Darnley replied. "But there's somewhere we need to go first before… Jodie?" he trailed off when he caught sight of his partner in front of the steps to the building.
"I was going to see my father after you left," Sumner replied. "And I can tell you now that we're finished with the list of things bought for the dioramas."
"Even the latest one?" Castle asked.
"Even that," Sumner said. "And I wish your hunch you two had about the wallpaper had worked."
"It's an old kind?" Beckett asked. She wasn't surprised when the woman nodded and she said, "And let me guess, no real way to trace the other items?"
"The tubs were widely bought, though there weren't that many purchases made in the end," Sumner told them. "And the credit cards used have been traced and no one's coming up suspicious."
"No cash purchases?" Castle asked. At the detective's shake of her head he frowned and said, "That's suspicious too. Think they could have stolen them?"
Darnley started to protest before he said, "Hold on."
As he went down the sidewalk from them Sumner turned to Castle and Beckett and asked, "What did my father say?"
"Did you know about his bill concerning the FAA?" Beckett asked her.
"I did but I have no idea what the details are," Sumner replied. "He doesn't give me those until the bill is either through or defeated. But that doesn't surprise me, he was in an incident on a plane to LA where the NTSB had advised the FAA to change the oil used on the landing gear. Oh, that was your friend, Investigator McDouglas."
"I remember her telling us about that," Beckett said.
"And they didn't?" Castle asked.
"After my father's incident they did," Sumner said. "And that wasn't the original one. If he's addressing the rumors of corruption we've heard then this is very important to him. He doesn't want what happened to him happen again but much worse."
"If there was someone that was trying to target your father," Castle started to say.
"Because of this bill?" Sumner said quickly before he could continue.
"No, in general," Beckett said. "Who'd handle it?"
"The FBI," Sumner and Darnley said at the same time, the latter walking back to them then. "Just got off with the station and also the FBI, they're waiting for us."
"You spoke to Le Blanc too," Sumner said. "So I'll visit Dad while I'm here and don't worry, I won't give any details."
Watching her go Darnley said, "Ready?"
"Are we going too?" Castle asked, trying to hold back his excitement. But when the detective looked at him he realized he hadn't been that successful and he said, "Sorry."
"He does that," Beckett said with a nod when her friend looked at her. "But I can't blame him."
"We're not going to be going into the building really," Darnley replied as he led the way back to his car. "I just need to talk to the agent in charge of looking into the letters that threaten him."
"Is that all he does?" Castle asked.
"No but every once in a while there'll be a letter that he'll look into," Darnley said. "Not just him but whoever is assigned it at the time."
Beckett was quiet as they drove to the FBI headquarters and once they were walking into the lobby she asked her friend, "How did you get them to agree to talk to you?"
"I'm just asking for simple information needed for a case," Darnley explained as he stopped and made them do the same. "I'm not going to work any case with them so they're being cooperative."
"Darnley," a voice said behind them then.
"Jacobs?" Beckett said in shock when she saw the agent.
"Beckett?" the man said, the same surprise in his voice. "What are you… are you working with Patrick?"
"Consulting, yeah," Beckett said, going to him and hugging him tightly. "How are you?"
"I'm doing alright," Jacobs said. "So this is your husband I've heard."
"Rick, this is Fred Jacobs he went to the Academy with me and Patrick," Beckett said. "And this is Richard Castle," she then said to her friend.
"It's nice to meet you," Jacobs said.
"Nice to meet you but I have to be honest, I've never heard of you from them before," Castle said.
"I left before them," Jacobs explained. "Managed to get into the Metro PD before I joined the FBI."
"Congratulations on that by the way," Beckett said with a slight smile. "I know you've wanted to do that since we met you."
"Thanks," Jacobs said with a nod. "Your kids?"
"We have two daughters," Beckett said, looking then at Darnley.
"I didn't mention that to him," the detective said.
"Good to hear," Jacobs said. "Come on, better we talk outside," he then told them to bring attention back to why they were there.
"What can you tell us about the threats against Sumner?" Darnley asked when they were in a slight alcove made by some foliage.
"There's nothing that deals with the bill you'd mentioned," Jacob replied. "Mostly it's his track record which is par for the course. But there is one letter I brought a copy for you to read, I can't let you take this."
Taking the paper Darnley read it and said, "Really?"
"Really," Jacobs said as Castle and Beckett were leaning over to read it.
Seeing that the letter written was largely a taunt to the senator, Beckett said, "Same language," looking to Darnley.
"Yeah, we've gotten two photographs with that same kind of language to it," he explained to Jacobs who was looking at him questioningly. "Very short messages. What've you found out about the sender?"
"Little," Jacobs replied. "About all we found was the fact that they were sending the letters from here."
"Did, letters?" Darnley asked before stopping himself to look at him in surprise.
"It's more of the same and they were mass mailed," Jacobs replied. "Four letters from four different post offices and since there's no time stamp we have no way to pin point who exactly it was that mailed them. No DNA anywhere the ink of the address on the letter is generic, nothing that would let us know who sent it."
"Well now you know that the sender is our killer," Darnley replied. "That phrase to find them if he can? Same one as our note just different pronouns of course."
"Then you'll fill us in on the killer?" Jacobs asked.
"Of course," Darnley replied. "And if there's a threat that we can see to Sumner we'll let you know."
"How was he when you saw him?" Jacob asked.
"Fine," Darnley said.
"He wasn't afraid or hiding something," Castle said. When the agent looked to him he said, "I had a feeling that's what you were referring to."
"You're right," Jacobs replied.
"He's right, Sumner was focused on his bill," Beckett said. "Which you're aware of?"
"I am," Jacobs said with a nod. "We've been keeping an eye on the FAA but there hasn't been anything from that quarter to concern us. Or Congress which we've looked at as well."
"Alright thank you Jacobs," Darnley said, handing back the letter and shaking his hand. "I'll get in touch with you again I'm sure."
"Thanks for bringing her along with you so I could see Beckett again," Jacobs said.
"I didn't get a chance to ask you," Beckett said as he turned to her. "Did you ever get married?"
"Nope, like you predicted I never really found someone," Jacobs asked. "I would ask you but I don't think it would work out."
Beckett put her hand on Castle's arm before she then said to her friend, "Because I'm married?"
"More because you were like a little sister to me back then," Jacobs replied. "And you our brother of course," he said to Darnley who merely smiled slightly. He hugged her briefly and then said, "Keep in touch," as he handed her a card.
"I will," Beckett said with a nod. They watched him go back into the building and she said to her friend, "I forgot about him."
"I nearly did as well," Darnley said in agreement as he nodded his head. "Until I met him for a past case."
"So he's doing well?" Beckett asked as they then walked back to the car.
"Oh yeah, I've had drinks with him a couple times," Darnley replied. "He's come over to the house for dinner and he knows Trev and Maddy." He then stopped her by gently taking her arm and said, "I haven't mentioned this to you because I have no idea if you want to talk about it, but Rizzio and-"
"It's alright," Beckett said reassuringly to him. "What do you know about what happened?"
"Not much," Darnley said, glancing at Castle who was walking with them. "I wasn't sure what you knew Rick so I didn't ask."
Sharing a look with her husband, Beckett gave him a slight nod before they then told Darnley about what had happened. "We never figured out where exactly Rizzio met with Tyson or how the hell he'd found him but he did."
"And you really have no clue where he is now?" Darnley asked, meaning Tyson.
"He's well known to the police up and down the coast," Castle then said as they were getting into the detective's squad car. "So they're going to look out for him."
"Which makes the name the Fox work," Darnley said as he was well aware of that APB that was essentially still in effect. "They're looking for him too right?"
"They are," Beckett said with a nod as he started to drive back to the station. She had recalled how they'd gone to the Capitol so it was a surprise when he diverted from the way he'd need to go to the station. "Patrick?" she asked.
"I just thought of something," Darnley said. "If he went to speak to the NTSB the other day…"
"Good idea," Castle said from the backseat. "You think he was tailing Senator Sumner?"
"I'm not sure, it's a hunch but I'll have to be sure of it," Darnley said as he drove them back to Dulles.
"Alright," Skye was saying to everyone standing in front of her. "We've done great work on this and we'll definitely have a conference to go to the media with our findings."
"If we need you there to assist us we will contact you," Nkosi said, standing next to her. "Please have the paperwork ready for us by tomorrow at five." After everyone started to leave he said to his co-IIC, "What will you do now?"
"My own paperwork; I want to get it out of the way so I could hopefully spend time with Mary," Skye said.
"Skye," a voice said behind them then. "Someone to see you."
"More than one person," Skye said as she walked to the door to the hangar. "There hasn't been another threat has there?" she asked as she saw Darnley, Castle and Beckett walking over to them.
"No we have some questions," Darnley said, going to his husband first.
Beckett smiled slightly as the two men embraced each other with one arm briefly and she said to Skye, "You met with Senator Sumner yesterday didn't you?"
"Oh sure, Detective Sumner's father," the investigator said with a quick nod. "Why?"
"Why don't we head inside where it's a little more private," Darnley told them.
"We… Mary?" Skye said in surprise when she saw her wife stepping out of the car that had just pulled up.
"Hey we're all here," Mary said a little uncomfortably. "I came to get you so we could head back to the hotel together, maybe get something for dinner but I guess that can wait."
"No come on," Skye said, grabbing her wife's arm. She led the way inside the hangar and to an office where there were a number of chairs around a table. "Alright," she said once they were all seated. "What is it you'd like to know about the senator's visit?" Seeing Mary's confused expression, she explained, "That idea of restructuring the FAA I told you was in the air in Congress."
"Oh, it's from him… wait your partner's father?" Mary asked.
"Yeah, he's spearheading the bill with another senator," Darnley replied. "So take us through the meeting with him."
"All he wanted," Nkosi began. "Was to see how we would feel about the FAA being 'cleaned up' as he put it."
"Of course we were all for it," Skye added. "With that cleaned up and no longer corrupt our advice might be taken more seriously and implemented."
"That would be the hope," Nkosi said in agreement.
"Who would have anything against this?" Beckett asked.
"Those currently in charge and getting the money," Skye answered.
"No one's investigating that?" Castle said in surprise.
"Of course," Nkosi said. "But what they'll be able to find…"
"Congress is doing that," Beckett stated.
"It's been in the news though not that much has been said about it," Darnley said.
"Since nothing has been proven so far," Skye told them. "But I'm sure they'll slip up somewhere."
"Is Sumner on the committee?" Beckett said.
"No he's not impartial obviously," Skye answered before Darnley could say anything.
"So what is this about?" Darnley asked, looking at the two.
"You mean him coming to see us?" Nkosi asked. "I think he mentioned being told by a co-worker that we at the NTSB would not take the idea of the restructuring well," he answered after his husband had nodded, glancing to Skye for confirmation.
With a quick incline of her head the investigator told them, "We assured him nothing could be further from the truth. We find out what needs fixing, we ask the FAA to investigate. If they don't do that then we'd want that to be fixed of course so we told him we'd stand behind him completely."
"With that visit did you notice anything strange at all outside of the senator?" Darnley asked.
"Like someone following him or acting weirdly," Beckett said.
"Even someone here, someone on the go team," Mary said. She wasn't surprised when the others looked at her and she smiled slightly at them before Castle and Beckett looked back first at her wife and Nkosi.
"There was a car," Skye said slowly.
"Yes I saw it as well," Nkosi answered with a nod. "It was idling when he came in and then did not leave until he had."
"Did he arrive with the senator?" Darnley asked his husband.
"It pulled up just before we went inside," Skye replied before her co-investigator could. "We weren't able to see who was driving though."
"And a license plate?" Castle asked.
"It was far but it was from Virginia; a white compact; and I think… a three and F on it," Nkosi said.
"I saw the same," Skye agreed. "We didn't really look at it for that long."
"That'll be enough to help," Darnley replied. He wrote on the paper he had his small notepad opened to and then said, "I think that's all we've got for now. We'll call next time; I'm assuming you're leaving?"
"My mother is waiting for me to get home to take Maddy," Nkosi told his husband.
"And we were just heading back to the hotel," Skye said, looking at her wife.
Getting up and leaving the group waited for Skye to lock the hangar door before they went to the cars that were parked there.
"So you still need to work?" Nkosi was asking Darnley.
"Unfortunately," he said with a nod. "But I promise I'll come home as soon as I can."
"We'll see you tomorrow for dinner," Skye said to Castle and Beckett. "I hope."
"You will," Beckett replied. "Enjoy your night."
Skye smiled and then said to Nkosi, "I'll finish the paperwork at the hotel and will drop it off tomorrow to see what'll need to be done."
Nodding the investigator watched with the others as his co-investigator and Mary left and he then turned to his husband, "Tell me when you're coming home."
"Of course," Darnley said, surprised when Castle and Beckett went to his car to get inside.
After putting on her seatbelt Beckett glanced out of the windshield to see if her friend was on his way to join them. But there was little surprise when she saw that Darnley was sharing a brief kiss with Nkosi and she looked away to give them privacy before she saw that her husband was looking at her. "What?" she asked, a little unsure of the look on his face.
"Jealous?" Castle asked, being serious.
"I asked her if she was annoyed by the fact that I couldn't see her as an actual girlfriend," Darley said before Beckett could answer that. He started the car and waved to his husband before pulling away and heading to the street that would lead them back into the city. "She told me we were friends and to hurry and putt so she could go next."
"So you weren't kidding about that golf course," Castle said in amusement after he heard his wife laugh slightly.
"It was an escape," Beckett said. "But now you know. And I'm just happy to see you happy."
"She asked me once if I was ever worried I'd be hiding," Darnley explained to Castle as he knew he had to be confused as to what that meant. "And I was because I thought I'd have to but I'm very open and happy as she said."
Squeezing his arm gently Beckett then said, "What about after we try to find the license plate?"
"I'm not sure," Darnley replied. "But I get the feeling that we might need to look at the case again with the addition of my partner and her father."
"How-" Castle started to say before Darnley's phone rang.
"It's Sumner," he said to the two, able to almost feel their curiosity. He picked up the phone and said, "Did you get-"
"There's been another attack," Sumner interrupted him. "You have to get down here."
"We're on our way," Darnley said, about to hang up when his partner spoke again.
"No you don't understand," Sumner replied. "You have to get here because you have to take point."
"Why?" Darnley said, his brow furrowed.
"Because Ethan is here," Sumner told him. "He's dead."
Jogging over to his partner who was standing on the sidewalk and leaning against her squad car Darnley said, "What happened?"
"Ms. Brewer lives next door when she heard a scream coming from the house," Sumner said, running her hand over her face. "She looked out to find Ethan struggling with a man all in black; about the same height as him; and they fought until she saw the man shoot him and then run off."
"How did he get away?" Beckett asked.
"She heard the tires from a car squealing as it drove away but it was too far away from the house for her to see," Sumner said.
"What about the attack?" Castle asked.
"They were going to use the barn one," Sumner replied. She pointed to the driveway of the house where a shed could be seen and told the other three, "There were cans of gasoline all around it and a noose as well."
"And the vic?" Darnley asked.
"She was taken away to the nearest hospital," Sumner answered. "I didn't have a chance to talk to her, her name is April Leeds."
"He has some kind of problem with women," Castle said immediately as soon as the detective stopped talking.
"He's right, you remember the barn scene was a man," Beckett pointed out to her friend.
"I'd had the same thought," Darnley said with a frown, looking thoughtful. "Did you see him?" he then directed to Sumner.
"No the officer who responded to Ms. Brewer's call found his wallet and took a look at his ID. He let me know who that was," she replied slowly.
"Alright you need to go back to the station-" Darnley began to say.
"What's he holding?" Castle asked suddenly, interrupting the detective.
Turning with Darnley to see what he was talking about Beckett could see it was a scarf that one of the ME workers was holding while the body was being taken away in a body bag and she turned to his partner as she'd seen Sumner wearing that exact same one the day before.
"It's not me," Sumner replied to their looks, sounding heavily panicked. "I-"
"It's not," Darnley replied. "First off you have about four of that same scarf. It's her favorite," he said to Castle and Beckett. "Two we've cleared you."
"A long time ago," Castle said to reassure the woman.
"They're right, I don't think it's you either," Beckett said. "But you do realize what this means."
"He's trying to frame you both," she and Castle said at the same time as they looked at Sumner.
"What would be the point though?" the detective asked uneasily.
"You can't think of anyone?" Darnley said, agreeing with the two immediately at that idea.
"I… I don't know," Sumner said, her voice obviously strained.
After Darnley had made a signal to her with his hand Beckett took Castle's arm before he could follow the two to the street and told him, "She'll have to take the license plate and her own past for now."
"And talk to Le Blanc," Castle pointed out.
"I don't envy her that," Beckett said, shaking her head.
"You think the commissioner would take her off the case?" Castle said.
"Absolutely," Beckett said. "Unless she recalls that Sumner was never a suspect in the first place." When her husband looked at her questioningly she smiled slightly and told him, "Patrick never let her know that she was suspect at any time."
"And she still isn't," Darnley said firmly to them as he rejoined them. "She's going back and talking with Le Blanc and she'll let her know that she'll offer her apartment to be searched and whatever else she needs to clear her name. But also mention that I've done that already as she has an alibi."
"You might get in trouble," Beckett told her friend firmly.
"I know but I'll deal with that situation when we get to it," Darnley said. "Ready to go inside?"
"As ready as we can be," Castle said. "There's something I don't get," he told the two as he followed them up to the house where they knew CSU was already working. "How was Abernathy aware of his being framed?"
"We have to talk to his wife," Darnley said.
"I would have suggested that Sumner do that but I'm a little unsure," Beckett said.
"The thought ran through my head for a second until I recalled who exactly Mrs. Abernathy is," Darnley said. "Go inside, I'll talk to the officer that went to inform her of her husband's death."
While the detective was getting his radio to speak into it Beckett stepped inside of the house first and paused for a moment at the destruction the attack had brought to the living room. "So she put up a fight," she said.
"I'll tell him to get in touch with the hospital," Castle said quickly before he left her.
Scanning the room for a long time Beckett frowned and then turned to go, bypassing Darnley and Castle. When she heard them both make a sound of confusion she told them, "I want to see the shed; we're not going to get anything in there. Leeds was found in the shed and that's where Abernathy found them."
"She makes a great point," Darnley told Castle before they followed her.
"When doesn't she?" Castle asked with a slightly raised eyebrow.
"Good point too," Darnley said before they caught up with her at the outline where Abernathy's body had lain.
"He bled out," Beckett said though it was obvious with how much was on the concrete.
"But he tried to get away from him," Darnley said, pointing to the short trail. "So right here," he said as they found where it began. They went together to the shed before he looked inside and then said, "Wait, why the hell is there gasoline in here?"
"He combined two of them," Beckett said in realization.
"There's a burned barn one too?" Castle asked.
"No just a room," Darnley answered. "She's right… what the hell does that mean though?"
"I'm not sure," Beckett replied, shaking her head. "Unless there was something with this one he felt the need to destroy with fire."
"Did he have a chance to leave the diorama?" Castle asked. "The one that he made himself?"
"We need to search," Darnley said. "We can take a look here now, look through the hay Rick. Kate?"
"I'll look everywhere else," Beckett said. "And you?"
"Outside, yell to me if you find it," Darnley said before he left the two alone.
Watching him go Castle said to his wife, "You two would have made great partners too."
"I begged him to stay when he first talked about coming back here," Beckett said as they were searching. "But it was home so I couldn't demand it of him though we'd always talked about sticking together to be partners."
"You missed him," Castle said.
"I did," Beckett said before she heard him start to speak and then stop abruptly. Turning to him she asked, "What is it?"
"I hired someone to find him," Castle said. "When I was in Atlanta I told them what I wanted but Patrick found me before he could get back to me. What?" he asked when he saw the look that his wife was giving him.
"If we weren't at a crime scene I'd kiss you right now," Beckett said with a smile, still looking through the crates that where around the edges of the room.
"Keep that in mind for later," Castle told her. He shared a smile with her before something hit his fingertips in the hay and he paused. "Kate, I've got it," he said as he slid his hand up and realized it was the diorama. He pulled it carefully out as his wife called to Darnley and said, "He was combining them."
"You were right," the detective said, hearing that and looking at the scene in Castle's hands. "Okay so he was combining the two… what the hell is that?"
Peering down into the scene with him Castle was first to make out what he'd seen and said, "A cane?"
"A cane… you've got to be kidding," Beckett said, looking at her husband.
"Her ancestor? But why?" Darnley asked, referring to the fact that the Sumner back in the 1800s had been beaten on the floor of the Senate with one.
"I think we need to make some calls," Beckett told him.
"She's right, it's about the Sumners now," Castle said. "It has to do with them."
Thinking about that for a moment Darnley then nodded and told them, "We need to speak to the vic first before we see what Sumner might have. I'll text her to look at her father's past as well. For now let me get this to CSU to look at and we'll see what Leeds has to say about her attacker."
"I wonder why he didn't take you in with him," Castle said to his wife.
"Probably better that she talks to a detective," Beckett said. "It'll put her at ease after what she went through which I'm sure she'll appreciate."
"This is a bizarre case," Castle told her as he went to sit next to her in the waiting room.
"I know, if they were trying to frame either of them they took their time to show it," Beckett said with a slight frown. "Talking about Rizzio earlier," she then whispered to him so they wouldn't be overheard. "What if this is the same case?"
"That's true," Castle said after thinking that over. "But she would have thought of someone wouldn't she?"
"She might now that she's faced with the idea of being framed; but was I aware of who it was that was framing you?" Beckett asked.
"Yeah…" Castle said slowly. "Alright, so should you text her?"
"What is it guys?" Darnley said as he walked up to them.
Beckett stood and took her friend's arm leading him over to the windows where they were a little more alone before she spoke to him and what she and Castle had been discussing. "I honestly had no clue it was either of them," she said. "And definitely not Rizzio."
"I'll text her," Darnley said.
"She trained here in the area?" Castle asked, having been standing with them.
"She did, so of course if it's an Academy classmate he'd be local," Darnley replied.
"What did Leeds say?" Beckett asked after he'd sent the text.
"She got a quick glimpse of his reflection in the kitchen window where she was doing dishes before he was forced to drag her into the living room," Darnley explained. "She put up a hell of a fight," he then said so they wouldn't wonder why the killer had done that. "And she could confirm the sketch, just his eyes of course. That's about all she remembers."
"He never said anything?" Castle asked. When Darnley shook his head no he said to him and Beckett, "Then he's careful but not to the degree he could be with the police."
"Are you so sure?" Darnley said in surprise.
"No he's right, the talking is something you'd think of because vocal recognition is possible," Beckett said. "But he's made mistakes before, the wallpaper the most obvious."
"So you're thinking what, he might not be police?" Darnley asked.
"He may be," Castle said. "But lower in the totem pole; patrol or just working at the station."
"I'll look into that when we get back," Darnley said with a nod. "Mrs. Abernathy is there already at the station and we need to speak with her."
"Wait," Castle said hurriedly as the detective was looking at his wife.
"I'd prefer to have just Kate with me-" Darnley started to say.
"No, not that," Castle interrupted. "What did Leeds have to say about the gasoline?"
"It's her brother's. He has an ATV he takes out into the country but he lives in an apartment so the ATV is in storage and he's got the gasoline for his trips there," Darnley said. "But that one can was the killer's," he said.
"The one that didn't match all the others," Beckett said with a nod as it had been hard not to notice it.
"Alright we should go, see what Mrs. Abernathy has to say," Darnley then said as he was sure there wasn't much else they needed to do.
Going back to the station the car was quiet until Castle slightly cleared his throat and said to them, "Is Sumner aware that Mrs. Abernathy is there?"
"She is but she's never been mad at her; Jodie at her ex's wife," Darnley said before he clarified that.
"What about vice versa?" Castle asked. "What if Sumner was seeing-"
"Not going to happen," Darnley said, interrupting him immediately. "While the divorce was amicable she was hurt when she found out about the affair. She didn't love him so much she'd go back to him."
"Then what if it was just Mrs. Abernathy wanting to get rid of his ex?" Castle asked.
"The trip to Boston?" Beckett reminded him.
"That's what bothers me," Castle told her. "They're apparently not very well off but they take a trip…"
"We'll ask her what the reason was for it if it was more than a simple visit to the in laws," Darnley said as he was pulling into the parking for the station. Inside on the top floor he went over to his partner who was in the break room leaving Castle and Beckett by his desk.
"We seem to have forgotten their sons," Beckett told her husband as they could see Mrs. Abernathy in the interview room nearest them.
"I know but I still have the feeling she's not an innocent in this," Castle said. "There's also another option." He was going to tell her when she turned to look at him but then hesitated when he saw that Darnley and Sumner were walking up to them.
"What option is that?" the former asked.
Taking a mental deep breath Castle said, "A conspiracy, with Abernathy as the patsy."
"You think that explains why there was no evidence of him being involved until he came to our attention," Beckett stated instead of asked.
"I do and who better to be a suspect framing you and your father; or just you; than your ex," Castle said to Sumner.
"He may have found out who was doing that to him," Beckett said, looking at the woman herself.
"Talk to her," Sumner told them. "See what she has to say."
"Listen," Castle said quickly while Darnley was taking off his coat. "You don't need me here at the moment so let me pick up some coffee for us okay?"
"We have the machine," Sumner said.
"Go with him," Darnley said to her then. When his partner looked at him in surprise he explained, "Go and keep thinking of whoever you can in your past that we might need to look at."
Beckett watched her husband leave with the detective and she then turned to her friend saying, "How do you want to take this?"
"I think we'll be sympathetic until we need to not be," Darnley answered, leading her over to the room. "Mrs. Abernathy," he said to get the woman's attention as she stood looking out the window away from them.
"Yes… you're the detective Ethan spoke to," the woman replied, drying her eyes. She sat down after Darnley had indicated her to do so and she whispered, "Did you find who did this to my husband?"
"I'm afraid not but we're hoping you might have some information to help us," Beckett said.
"This is Kate Beckett," Darnley said. "She's consulting on this case with me and you can speak to her as well."
"I know who you are," Mrs. Abernathy replied. "I have your books."
"Then you'll talk to us?" Beckett asked.
"Of course," the woman replied earnestly.
"Then can you tell us how your husband has been acting recently?" Darnley asked.
"He's been worried," Mrs. Abernathy replied. "We don't have enough money at the moment for the four of us; we just moved into a house; so he's been trying to find extra money."
"And was he able to?" Beckett asked, looking at Darnley as they hadn't seen that in the man's financials.
"I have a separate account," Mrs. Abernathy replied. "And about six months ago I discovered some money coming in that I couldn't explain and I didn't deposit."
"Did you husband have your card?" Darnley said. When the woman nodded he then said, "You noticed the money did you ever ask him where it was coming from?"
"Of course I thought that it was him trying to pay me to ignore an affair," Mrs. Abernathy told them. "But when I confronted him he said that he was being paid. I thought it was a job before he said that he had given someone some of his hair." She saw the looks on the faces of the two across from her and quickly said, misunderstanding them, "I thought he was crazy but then he told me that it was for a drug test."
"Did that money continue to flow in?" Darnley said after sharing a quick glance with Beckett.
"Yes, I thought it was strange but then he told me that whoever it was he was… blackmailing him," Mrs. Abernathy replied softly. "I told him to stop but he said to me that it was huge, this person."
"He never told you who it was," Beckett stated instead of saying.
Shaking her head Mrs. Abernathy then said, "I tried to get him to tell me; just in case. But he didn't want me to know in case they might come after me and our sons."
"They would do that," Darnley said. At the woman's nod he then said, "Alright, then how did your husband get the money?"
"He never said, he was tight lipped about that as well," Mrs. Abernathy replied softly. "But it was cash I knew."
"This trip to Boson," Beckett then said gently. "Was it one you purchased?"
"We had enough money in my account to transfer to his; as Ethan wanted; and my parents wanted to see us so we went," Mrs. Abernathy replied. "But while we were gone Ethan was very unsure and couldn't really relax, I asked him why he didn't go home but he said no he needed to stay with me. He was being framed for murder he told me."
"He knew that?" Beckett asked in surprise.
"He called me before he went to that house and…" Mrs. Abernathy began to say before tears welled up in her eyes. She took a moment to compose herself before whispering, "He said that he had spoken to the police, to you I guess and he said that he had to stop the person."
"How did he know where the killer was?" Darnley inquired.
Shaking her head Mrs. Abernathy then burst into tears and managed to say through them, "He told me he loved me but he had to stop it before it went further and he was in… in jail."
Darnley made a motion to Beckett with his first two fingers and she left the room in time to see her husband walking from the elevator with Sumner. She watched as the detective went to her desk and her husband motioned to her to head to the break room. She was surprised to find them alone when she quickly explained to him what they'd heard in the interview.
"That had to be hard," Castle said, shaking his head when she'd finished. He felt her squeeze his hand then and told her, "We don't need to stay too much longer do we?"
"It's alright that'll be fine for now," Beckett replied. "We just need to wait and see what Sumner might get."
"She's nice," Castle said. "Once you talk to her a little more but she couldn't think of anyone from the Academy that might target her."
"That she can remember?" Beckett asked.
"Yeah so I suggested to her to just look at everyone," Castle said before he heard the text message alert on his wife's phone.
"They're back home," Beckett said, smiling then at the message from his mother. Checking the time she said, "Wait, it's just…"
"Too bad," Castle said, seeing the message after that one that read Julia's dance class teacher was too ill to continue the lesson. He then sucked in a breath of air and said, "I hope they won't catch it."
"It was a sore throat and she kept well away from the children," Beckett read Martha's third text. "So they'll be okay, hopefully."
"Well if she's giving them some orange juice that might help," Castle commented as they read the fourth text from his mother which was also the last.
"Hey, are you two okay to talk?" Darnley asked as he went over to the doorway.
"Here's your coffee," Castle said after he and his wife both nodded to the detective's question. "How's Mrs. Abernathy?"
"I had an officer escort her to her friend's home," Darnley replied. "Where her sons are."
"Did you get an alibi from her?" Castle asked.
"I did but since the only time she wasn't with her husband was today when she was with that friend," Darnley explained.
"She confirmed Mrs. Abernathy was there," Castle said.
"She did, so it's not her obviously," Darnley said. "Sumner's volunteered to look into the deposits that Abernathy himself made into his wife's account but I think their story checks out."
"So now it becomes a question of what the blackmail has to do with the murders," Darnley said. "And why exactly he was framing Abernathy."
"I think we all know that already," Sumner said. "To get to either me or my father."
"But why and who," Darnley said insistently. When Sumner just shook her head no he then said, "We'll have to start looking into your past Jodie and your father's."
"I know," Sumner said before she glanced at Castle and Beckett.
"You'll call us if you find anything right?" Castle asked.
"Of course," Darnley said. "I'm sorry Kate but-"
Holding up her hand to stop him Beckett said, "It's alright, this is about when we leave ourselves and if she'd rather keep this quiet between you two or anyone else here at the station that's fine. But like Rick said, let us know what you find."
"Of course," Darnley replied with a nod. "I'll call you tomorrow morning if we don't talk sooner."
With that Castle and Beckett left for the elevator, watching Darnley follow Sumner into a conference room in the back. While they were heading down to the lobby he said to his wife, "Want to call them now?"
"You read my mind," Beckett told her husband teasingly before she reached out to take his hand the second they were outside on the street where he hailed a cab for their trip back to the hotel.