Moment in Time II

Chapter 36

At Close Range

Usually if Jenny Ryan awoke during the night it was from some slight sound from the baby monitor, but tonight Sarah Grace was quiet. Jennny shifted in bed, missing the warmth that should have been Kevin. Turning toward his side of the bed, she could see that it was empty. Not bothering to pull on a robe, she padded barefoot into their small living room. Kevin sat quietly in a chair, his brow wrinkled in thought. Jenny sat on the arm of the chair, her hand on his shoulder. "Kev, what's going on?"

"Nothing," Kevin answered, "I just couldn't sleep."

"You should come back and try," Jenny urged. "Working full time for the N.Y.P.D., moonlighting, this case, Kevin you're exhausted.

Kevin shook his head. "I can't Jenny. There's just something about this case that just doesn't add up."

"What do you mean?" Jenny asked. "Lopez described Chambers. His fingerprint was on the wall. He fled the scene after the shooting."

"And we found the press pass and floor plans in his house and the gun in a storm drain not far away." Kevin added. "It's neat, open and shut, maybe too open and shut."

Jenny smiled and ruffled his hair. "Now you're beginning to sound like one of Rick's books. Maybe you hang around with him a little too much."

"Yeah Jenny, his theories are usually pretty out there," Kevin admitted, "but when he gets a feeling that something about a case doesn't add up, he's usually right. And I think I'm right too."

"So what is it that doesn't fit?" Jenny questioned.

Kevin sighed, pursing his lips. "We have the press pass, the plans, the gun - Jenny, that's it! The press pass and the plans were in the apartment, he didn't bother ditching them. But the gun was in a storm drain. That doesn't make sense. If he got rid of that, why keep the other evidence? Someone planted the gun."

"You going to call Kate?" Jenny asked.

Kevin shook his head."No, I have zero evidence. Even if she believed me, she wouldn't follow up on it. She probably wouldn't follow up on it even if Castle suggested it. I need something else. I need to put all the evidence together and see if there's something else that doesn't fit."

"Kev, that's a huge job. You're already tired. You're not going out in the middle of the night by yourself to do it, are you?" Jenny worried. "You could call Javi."

"No I can't," Kevin responded. "He's even more skeptical than Beckett. There's only one person that will buy this and that's Castle."

Castle reached muzzily for his phone on the nightstand, hoping to grab it before it woke Kate. He squinted at the ID. "Ryan? You want to talk to Beckett?"

"No, Castle. Look buddy, I'm gonna ask for a huge favor here."

Castle stretched and propped himself up on his elbow. "Okay. You've pulled my ass out of the fire enough times, Kevin. What?"

"Look, I'm at the shooting scene in the ballroom, trying to reconstruct what happened. I need your help."

Castle rubbed the back of his hand across his eyes. "Um maybe I'm still asleep. Why? You caught the guy. He's in jail."

"Castle can you just humor me?" Ryan asked. "I've got a theory. I'll explain it when you get here. And can you bring some of that PI stuff you're not using anymore? The cords? The targets? The lasers?"

"Yeah, okay," Castle agreed, getting out of bed carefully. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

Castle used his penlight to pick out his clothes before taking them into the bathroom to get dressed. He brushed the night out of his mouth and ran a quick comb through his hair before quietly making his way to his home office, where he stored the equipment Ryan had requested. He'd removed it from his PI office when he'd closed it to return to working with Kate at the precinct. Castle gathered the items he needed and left the loft.

The crime scene tape had all been removed from the ballroom and Ryan had gotten hotel security to unlock it. No one challenged Castle as he made his way inside. Ryan crouched on the floor over the array of digital photos that had been obtained from security footage and cell phone captures. "Give me a dollar," Castle demanded.

"What?" Ryan asked, looking up in puzzlement.

"I'm not here consulting with Beckett, but I'm still a licensed PI," Castle explained. "If anyone asks, you're my client."

"Okay," Ryan agreed, pulling four quarters out of his pocket. "Here, I don't have any singles."

Castle laughed. "Good, I never have enough change for the machines in the break room and sometimes Beckett really needs chocolate."

Ryan's mouth quirked. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Jenny thinks I don't know about the M & M's® she stashes under the bed."

"So what's your theory that's too crazy to tell to Beckett?" Castle prompted.

Ryan explained about the press pass, plans, and gun. "I think Chambers was being set up," he finished. "He never has confessed, Castle, but as obsessed as he was with Lopez, I think if he'd actually killed him, he wouldn't have been able to help admitting it. He's the perfect patsy."

"A conspiracy theory truly worthy of a Castle thriller," Castle agreed. "So how can I help?"

"Well I want to use the pictures to establish where everyone was to the inch, then set up trajectories. Maybe we can figure something out," Ryan proposed. "Did you bring your stuff?"

Castle indicated a wheeled case he'd pulled behind him. "Everything the wild eyed conspiracy theorist could desire."

"Great, thanks," Ryan acknowledged. "I thought we'd start with Alex Lopez and Carolyn Decker. I remember exactly where they were."

Castle gazed at the intensity in Ryan's face. "I'm sure that you do."

They spent an hour making measurements, setting up targets and marking trajectories. Castle examined the final product. "You were right, Ryan. It didn't add up and now you've got some pretty solid proof. It's time to call Beckett."

Kate reached for her own buzzing cell phone, seeing Castle's face on the screen. Confused, she turned to see the empty space next to her in their bed. "Castle, what the hell? Where are you?"

"Hey, Kate, I'm with a client," Castle explained.

Kate sniffed and sat up. "What client? I thought you decided to stop taking cases when the D.A. told Gates to take you back at the precinct to work with me."

"I did," Castle agreed, "but let's just say our cases have converged. Can you just come to the ballroom where Carolyn Decker was killed?"

"Alright," Kate sighed, climbing out of the too cold bed. She pulled on her clothes wondering if when she got to the scene of the crime they'd supposedly closed, she would want to kiss her husband or hit him. She smiled to herself. Whatever goofy theory he was calling her out for now, she knew the answer. She wanted what she always wanted - to kiss him.