"You know.. this would make for a great new story for one of my books." Castle looked at the strange angle the body was in.
"Everything is either a story or a joke to you." Kate passed him by as she rolled her eyes. "What have you got for me Lanie?"
"Not much Kate. The body is still up there." Castle chuckled and both women shot him an angry look. "I haven't seen anything like this yet. I wonder how anyone could get a body up there." Lanie looked up at the poor man hanging there. "Have you?"
Beckett looked up. "I've never seen or heard about any case like this."
"I have." Castle flashed his most charming smile.
"What?" Beckett looked at him. "Are you kidding me?"
"I don't kid about things like this Beckett. Haven't you ever read the Lone Gunmen?"
"The WHAT?" Beckett gives him a confusing look.
"The Lone Gunmen.. it's a magazine."
Both Beckett and Lanie are looking at him as if a small arm is growing from his head.
"Dare I ask?" Beckett looks at Lanie.
"Don't look at me! I am just de medical examiner." Lanie quickly walks off to one of her colleagues.
"What's with Lanie?" Esposito looks at Beckett.
"Don't ask." She rolls her eyes.
"Wait! Espo! You must have heard about the magazine The Lone Gunmen?"
"Dude.. what?" Esposito shrugs.
"So I've got a couple of statements but nothing significant." Ryan walks up to the group.
"Hey Ryan.. you know what The Lone Gunmen magazine is?" Esposito asks his partner. Ryan's face lights up. "Do I? Man I still read it!"
Castle's face also lights up at the words of Ryan.
"Okay.." Beckett sighs. "For the sake of argument, tell me more."
"So it started out with 3 guys. They call themselves the Lone Gunmen, the uncover government secrets, expose and explore other options." Castle begins. "And they have guest writers in their magazines."
"Yes!" Ryan interrupts "And they have close connections to the FBI. One agent in particular, who is a true believer. But the original 3 Lone Gunmen are presumed dead, although no one has ever handed over proof."
"Right! But now a younger generation has taken over. BUT the connection with the FBI is still there. What was the authors name again?"
"M.F. Luder?" Ryan looks expectantly.
"That's it! Well he has VERY close connections to the FBI." Castle continues.
"Some assume he works for the FBI." Ryan adds.
"But nothing has been proven, well this M.F. Luder writes the most interesting stories. From alien abductions to monsters in the dark and to ritual killings. This." Castle points up to the victim. "Looks like a story he wrote."
Ryan looks up as his mouth drops. "You are right. Wasn't it like a cult? As in a team effort?"
Castle violently shakes his head. "Yes, yes exactly!"
Beckett and Esposito share a look. "So you're saying that if we find this M.F. Luder we will find the killer?"
"Well duh!" Castle laughs.
"But I think M.F. Luder is a pseudonym. I mean IF he is a real FBI agent, he won't write under his own name. At least I don't think so." Ryan seriously responded.
"Who are you?" Esposito looks at his partner in disbelief.
"I can't believe I am seriously considering this." Beckett looked at her victim. "But I am willing to give this a try. Do you have any connections at this Lone Gunmen magazine, Castle?"
Castle pulls out his phone. "Let me make a few calls, I will be right back." He says as he walks away excitedly.
"Are you sure about this Beckett?" Esposito was the voice of reason.
"I have no clue Espo, but we have to start somewhere. You stay in contact with Lanie, Ryan you stay in contact with the forensic guys and Castle and I.. I can't believe I am saying this.. we will check out the Lone Gunmen lead."
Beckett signals Castle to follow her. He complies with her.
Beckett cringed at the sight of her new Toyota Camry hybrid as she gets in her car and he takes the passenger seat.
"You really hate this car don't you?" Castle chuckles.
"Not a fan of all this technology, no." she simply replied.
Castle's phone rings as Beckett drives to the station.
"I've got it!" Castle says before Beckett reached the station.
"You've got what?"
"One of the Lone Gunmen. The new guys. One of the writers I know, knows someone in the publishing business, who knows someone in DC, who.." Castle went on.
"Forget it Castle, what now?" Beckett parked the car and turns to him to hear is response.
"Now we're waiting on a call from them."
"And how long will this take?" she raises her eyebrow.
"I don't know." He shrugs. "But it's a lead."
XXX
"Mulder. Yes.. what? Who? Richard Castle? The writer? He what? Yeah give me the number. No, no, you guys did great. Byers, Langly and Frohike would be proud." He listens to the guy on the other end. "You didn't give my name did you? Okay.. yeah. Great. Thanks. Yes, I know the deadline is Friday, don't worry. Bye."
"What was that about?" Scully frowns.
"That was Danders, Richard Castle has been making some calls to find the real identity of M.F. Luder." He looks at her.
"Richard Castle? The mystery writer? From those cheesy Nicky Heat book?" Scully is in shock.
Mulder nods. "He works with the NYPD. And they've got a case, which is similar to one of our previous cases."
"And how does he know about one of our previous cases?" Scully presses on.
"I wrote about it in the Lone Gunmen magazine." Scully puts her head in her hand.
"Oh my God Mulder.."
"How do you know Castle's books are cheesy?" Mulder wiggles his eyebrows.
Scully rolls her eyes.
"You've read them!" he laughs.
She sighs. "I've read one of them, I bought a couple of books for my kindle. And I also wanted some light reading."
Mulder starts laughing. "I can't even imagine Agent Dana Scully reading Nicky Heat mystery novels."
"Watch it Mulder!" She warns him. "Seriously Mulder, what case? And are you going to call the writer?"
"Remember those ritualistic murders? With the victims hanging from trees and those rocks?" he gives her anticipating look.
Scully slowly nods. "Yes, not one of the cases I care to think about often."
"Well.. the NYPD found a victim with the same MO. And apparently this Castle guy reads Lone Gunmen and remembered the case."
"Just what we need, a crackpot writer. Please don't tell me you're entertaining this thought." She looks at her partner of 20 years and knows he will call the writer. "Never mind, you are going to call him.." She shakes her head.
"Castle."
"Richard Castle?" Mulder asks.
"Yeah.. who's this?"
"Names might not be important now."
Oh my God! Castle mouths to Beckett. "It's him." He whispers.
"Him?" Mulder asks overhearing.
"Yeah, you're M.F. Luder, aren't you? You write these articles for the Lone Gunmen." Castle excitedly says.
Mulder feels flattered. "Yes this is he. I heard you have a case that resembles one of my articles."
"Yeah, man, it was exactly how you described it. So did your partner and you really see more victims like that? Because man that was gross."
~Is this guy for real?~ Mulder thinks to himself. "Sir, what are you, a writer, doing at a crime scene?"
"Well I work with the NYPD. Detective Beckett needs my help.. AUW." Beckett smacks him. "Allows me to go on cases with her, I've based Nicky Heat on her. Going on cases helps me write my stories." He proudly says.
Mulder's mouth drops. "What?" Scully asks at the look of his face.
Mulder presses the microphone button on his IPhone. "This guy is full of himself." As he presses the microphone button again.
"Listen Castle. Put me on speaker." Castle does as asked. "Detective Beckett is also there?"
"Yes I am sir." Beckett says.
"These cases of ours, weren't in New York. They were in the Midwest and we solved them. So I highly doubt we are talking about the same perps. Maybe you are dealing with a copycat, someone who has also read the Lone Gunmen and their imagination run away with them too."
Beckett chuckles at his last remark as she looks at Castle.
"Also these Lone Gunmen stories were published on many sites over the years. I would suggest you guys start with finding out which websites published this story." Scully slides a note under his nose. "Oh and also, check for marks on the body, those facts were never published. If there aren't any markings on the body, this is not the same MO. Goodbye Mr. Castle." Mulder hangs up.
"And you think this worked?" Scully smiles at him. "Why do you still write for the Lone Gunmen? Having these people call you.. I mean.. come on Mulder, these people are sensation seekers."
"Yeah, but this was interesting. I wonder if they did find marks. Maybe I should call back in a couple of days?"
"MULDER!" was all she replied.