Author's Note: Sorry for the delay, the Christmas week was crazy at work which meant I didn't have a lot of time to spend on the computer. On that note, I hope everyone had a great Christmas/holidays and a Happy New Year in advance. Thanks to Tycho77 for the review, I'm glad that you are enjoying it. This chapter starts in Ryan's perspective. We will jump back to Beckett's POV about halfway through. Enjoy!

Chapter 26

Ryan paused the tape to get another cup of coffee. So far, he had carefully screened the elevators, the elevator bays, the delivery zone, and the lobby. The lobby had taken the longest due to the sheer number of people who went through it every day. The delivery zone was somewhat quicker, and everyone who was on camera was supposed to be there. The elevator bays and elevators went smoothly. Everyone caught on tape was either an employee or a guest. So far, no one had looked suspicious, and Daniel Maguire was nowhere to be seen. The only curious thing Ryan had seen was two days before the murder of Colleen and Neski. That day, Ewan Brebnor, the electrician they met during the Caldwell case, came in. He had been seen in the lobby meeting with one of the managers, and in the elevator bays refusing to get onto an elevator. Ryan had already called the hotel and learned that Brebnor was one of their regulars due to some of the older electrical fixtures at the Roosevelt.

Ryan sat down and started the tape again. This was the last one: the roof. So far, all he had really seen were a lot of birds. In addition to the birds, a security guard came out onto the roof everyday and walked around for a few minutes before checking the door and going back down the stairs. Two days before the murders, a blond security guard with glasses and a mustache followed the routine, but he spent a little bit longer with the door than normal. The next day, a different security guard came out around the same time. He too walked around and spent a little bit longer to check the door. Ryan had thought it was strange when the blond guard did that, but when the second guard did too, he figured that there must have been a slight change in procedure and didn't think about it.

Ryan continued to watch as the time of the murders approached. Night fell. Ryan took a sip of his coffee and was just beginning to wonder if watching this tape was an exercise in futility when he saw movement on the corner of the screen. He quickly rewound the tape and watched for the movement again. On the rooftop across the alley, a figure had appeared. The lack of lighting in that area made it difficult to see who it was. The figure disappeared and Ryan was about to take another sip of coffee when the figure was back in the frame. Whoever it was, they had just launched themselves from the rooftop across the way and were now airborne between the two buildings. The figure landed on the rooftop of the Roosevelt and immediately dropped into a tuck-and-roll. Ryan paused the video when the figure stood up; standing on the roof was a ninja.

Ryan couldn't believe his eyes. He watched as the ninja ran over to the door on the roof and pulled; nothing happened. The ninja tried again before running to the edge of the roof under which a fire escape must be located and dropping out of sight again. Ryan rewound the tape again and called Beckett and Castle over before playing it for them.

Castle was laughing when Ryan stopped the tape. "A ninja really did show up at the Roosevelt."

Beckett leaned over Ryan to rewind the tape a little. "They tried to get into the roof access first. Does anyone come out onto the roof before our ninja shows up?"

Ryan nodded. "A security guard walks the roof everyday."

Beckett nodded. "Check with security and see if any of the guards in the video were not really guards."

Castle pointed at the screen. "It looks like they expected the door to be open. Could there be some kind of trace on the door?"

Ryan nodded. "You might be right. I'll have CSU check the door."

Ryan rewound the tape to the beginning and started speeding through the tape, slowing it down when a guard was making their rounds and freezing it when there was a good shot of the guards' faces. He then printed out the best frames and headed to the Roosevelt.

Ryan arrived at the Roosevelt just before 3:30 and went straight for the security desk. CSU was supposed to arrive at any minute. Ryan waited until the guard came out of the security room.

The guard left the room reluctantly. "What can I help you with?"

Ryan flashed his badge. "I'm Detective Ryan with the NYPD. I'm here about the double homicide that took place here three days ago." He laid out the pictures. "Do any of these guards stand out? Maybe like they don't really work here or are known for acting suspicious?"

The guard studied the pictures for a minute and then held up the photo of the blond guard. "I don't recognize this one. None of the guards who work here have blond hair."

Ryan wrote the information down. "This picture was from two days before Maguire and Neski were killed. Do you know how someone that doesn't work here could have run the daily roof check without anyone getting suspicious?"

The guard shook his head. "I wasn't here that day. But I was the next day, and the guard that ran the roof check said that tape was covering the latch of the door. He took it off."

Ryan looked up at the guard. "Tape? Did you report this?"

The guard gave Ryan a look that said 'why bother?' and shook his head. "It's impossible to get onto that roof from the fire escapes. It was probably just a guest that went to out get a smoke and didn't want to be locked out. You have to have a key to get through that door."

"Did you still have that piece of tape?"

The guard laughed. "Why would we still have the tape? I told you that you can't get onto the roof from the fire escapes."

"But you can from a neighboring rooftop." Ryan laid the picture of the "ninja" on the counter. "They jumped from that roof," he pointed, "to yours. I think that the blond guard put tape on the door so that this 'ninja,' who is probably the killer, would have access to this hotel from the roof's door."

The guard was frozen in shock. Ryan noticed that CSU had arrived and waved them over. The guard looked up when he saw the group approach.

Ryan gathered up the photos. "This is the Crime Scene Unit; they are going to need access to the rooftop to check for any evidence the killer or his accomplice may have left behind."

The guard nodded and called for another guard to accompany the CSU's to the roof. Ryan asked for a list of guards and their contact information for the Roosevelt and the guard quickly printed out the list. He then asked when the room would be cleared for guests to use. Ryan told him that it was still a crime scene, but that they would contact the hotel to inform them when they no longer needed it.

Ryan returned to the precinct just as Esposito arrived. Beckett and Castle were waiting for their reports. Esposito went first.

"Maguire's alibi fell through. No one at the bar remembers seeing him. But the bar was also very crowded, so there may have been too many bodies for anyone to keep track of. I'm still looking into the other the Shadow Fox cases and seeing if he has an alibi for any of those."

Castle raised his hand. "Were there any cameras in the bar?"

Esposito shook his head. "Dummies. They don't actually work."

Ryan went next. "It turns out that the door to the roof had been tampered with. This guard…"

Castle interrupted. "Didn't actually work there."

Ryan nodded. "Yeah. Apparently the guard that ran the roof check the next day noticed some tape over the latch and removed it, but they threw it away and didn't bother to report the problem because they didn't think anyone would be able to get onto the roof from anywhere but the stairwell."

Castle shook his head. "How did they think the tape got there?"

Ryan shrugged. "They thought a guest did it so they could smoke on the roof and still get back in afterward. CSU is checking to see if the 'ninja' or their accomplice left any evidence behind."

Beckett nodded. "Thanks Ryan. Help Esposito run down Maguire's alibis."

Ryan nodded and joined Esposito as he went back down the elevator.

Esposito's phone rang not long after he left. Beckett walked over to answer it.

"Detective Esposito's desk, Detective Beckett speaking."

Lenox Hill Hospital was on the other end. "This is Ezra Vosen, Daniel Maguire's supervisor at Lenox Hill Hospital. I'm looking to speak to Detective Esposito. Is he available?"

Beckett grabbed a pen. "He is out checking a lead, but I'm working the same case. If you leave a message, I'll make sure he gets it."

Maguire's boss cleared his throat. "All right. Um, let him know that I have Daniel Maguire clocked in and at his desk two of the days and times that he asked about, the ones for about a month ago on. I'm still checking on the four other dates."

Beckett shook her head; Maguire had just alibied out for both Peterson's and Andreievich's murders. "Yes sir, I'll make sure Detective Esposito gets this." She hung up the phone and groaned. "Maguire just alibied out for Peterson and Andreievich."

Castle shook his head. "Which means he probably isn't Shadow Fox."

Beckett nodded. "Yep."

Beckett called Esposito and updated the boys on Maguire's alibi situation. They had returned to the bar and were checking with some of the regulars that came in for every big game. So far they had struck out, but there were still some more that they could talk to. Castle told Beckett to remind them of the poker game that night and Esposito shot back that Castle should be ready to have his pants beaten off.

Less than half an hour later, Esposito's phone rang again and Beckett answered. "Detective Esposito's desk, Detective Beckett speaking."

Maguire's boss was back. "This is Ezra Vosen again. I'm looking for Detective Esposito; is he still not in?"

Becket grabbed a pen. "No, he is still out. Did you have more information for him?"

Vosen grunted. "I have him clocked in and at his desk for one of those four other dates and times. The second one he gave me. The other dates, he either wasn't on the schedule, or he was already off by then. You'll let Detective Esposito know?"

Beckett finished writing. "Yes sir, I will. The NYPD thanks you for your cooperation."

Vosen hung up and Beckett returned to her desk. It took her a moment to figure out which murder would be the second date, but then she remembered that the second Shadow Fox scene was Jason Caldwell, one of the subjects of Alex's Bretz and Coven investigation. Beckett updated the board and the boys again. They informed her that the last of the regulars were all a bust, so they were on their way back in. When Beckett hung up, Castle went to the break room to make them a couple coffees.

Gates came out of her office to inspect the board. "Why are you still looking into Maguire? He had the motive, opportunity, ability; what more do you want?"

Beckett stood up and joined Gates at the board. "I wanted to prove that he was responsible for all the previous Shadow Fox cases too. We were checking to see if he had alibis, and it turns out that he could not be responsible for the Peterson, Andreievich, or Caldwell murders. He was at work and on camera during their deaths. He is not the Shadow Fox."

Gates wasn't convinced. "What about the rest of the murders?"

Beckett shrugged. "He wasn't at work those days, but that doesn't mean that he was murdering Watson or Crawford, or that he was the one who attacked Alex."

"What about his wife's case? Does he have an alibi for that?"

Beckett shook her head. "Ryan and Esposito were checking with the bar, but so far no one remember seeing him there."

Gates shook her head. "Keep digging, but Maguire stays here until we've proved he didn't do it."

"Yes sir."

Beckett sat down as Gates returned to her office. She then leaned back in her chair and thought back on everything they knew about the Shadow Fox. According to Lanie's findings, the killer was either a man or a woman between 5'5" and 5'8", used the same M.O. as Rathborne, and used a Wingwalk survival knife. They might be ex-military, probably from a Special Forces unit. According to their first interview with Maxwell Robinson, Alex was the one who gave him the contact information for the Shadow Fox. But when they spoke again, Robinson admitted that it had really been Rathborne. Rathborne had told Robinson that he was getting ready to retire, and to give all future jobs to his protégée. Wait, Rathborne's protégée! A protégée of Rathborne would be someone who was taught by Rathborne to kill like him. They wouldn't be from his old unit; they would be younger, capable of taking over the business when Rathborne decided it was time to retire. Maguire was too old to be Rathborne's student or apprentice. The Shadow Fox had to be someone else, someone younger.

Castle had returned and was trying to get Beckett's attention. "Hello? Anyone home?" He waved a hand in front of her face.

Beckett stirred. "Sorry. I was thinking."

Castle gestured to the coffee as he sat back in his chair. "It must have been a deep thought."

Beckett nodded. "I was thinking about what we know about the Shadow Fox, and I remembered our conversation with Robinson."

Castle took a sip of his coffee. "The first or second one?"

Beckett set her coffee down. "The second one. He said that Rathborne called the Shadow Fox his protégée. I'm thinking that Maguire couldn't be the Shadow Fox, because he is too old to be Rathborne's protégée. The real killer is probably younger."

"Which means that Maguire might have been framed."

Beckett smiled. "The knife was thrown into the air vent to be found, not to hide it. The Shadow Fox was trying to throw us off by planting Maguire's print on the knife and his hair in the stairwell. With that much evidence left at the scene and no concrete alibi, we would have sent Maguire to jail and thrown away the key."

Castle smiled. "Obviously the Shadow Fox has no idea who he was dealing with."

Beckett stopped smiling. "If Maguire is innocent, we need to be able to prove it; otherwise he is still going to end up in jail."

Castle checked his watch. "Well, unless you have any ideas of how to prove he was at that bar, there isn't anything more we can do about it tonight. What do you say we head home and get ready to host a poker game?"

Beckett didn't want to give up yet, but Castle was right. "Sounds good to me. We can do some more digging tomorrow." Beckett stood up and grabbed her coat while Castle returned their now empty coffee cups to the break room sink.

A/N: I was initially going to include the poker game in this chapter, but it was starting to get a little long and there is a lot I have planned for that game. Please leave a review; you have no idea how excited I am when I see that there is a new one. No, really, I love it. Thanks for reading!