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: It was great to receive the feedback for the last two chapters, so I'll start on my thank yous for that! TORONTOSUN (I was happy to see you like how I'm writing the story!),

Mb (I wasn't surprised that you liked seeing more of Martha in that chapter. Or that you noted how Josie was in the separation anxiety stage since I figured with her age, she would have that. I had to laugh at you saying you were jealous that they're going to Hawaii, but it makes sense since I am too. But it's Spring Break vacation, so in March. I wasn't surprised you noticed Peter and Eve's dilemma dating that young, but at least they can do something. And yeah, the plays were different along with the time, I wasn't surprised you'd thought they were going to the one the murder was in. I was really pleased seeing you thought the case was unique because of the play, I definitely wanted to make it that way so I'm glad I managed! Great to see too you're looking forward for more with this story! You're welcome for the first half of the chapter! I was happy seeing you thought the second half was nicely done too with more information about the casts and the victim as well. Wasn't surprised you mentioned them having a large amount of people to look at, along with getting a motive for the murder. I had to laugh at you mentioning politics with the council looking into keeping Brad as sheriff. You had some interesting theories with that. And happy to see you think this is a very interesting case. You're welcome for the second half of the chapter!) and

Mb (I wasn't surprised you remembered doing that at lunches, I don't think I did but I figured some people might have so I'm glad I got that right! I was glad to see your reaction to Julia spotting the spirit of the victim and the connection to the new friend. Not surprised you felt sorry for Chloe finding out her cousin had been murdered but I was glad you did for Julia too telling her since as you said she had no idea knowing it was recent. I'm glad you can understand that Beckett's getting better understanding why the spirits seek out Julia. Also the reason why she doesn't want Julia to help them move on. You're definitely right it's hard to find a balance for them. You're welcome for the first half of the chapter! I was really happy to see you thought Skye coming to help with the case was interesting. And not surprised you realized why Julia mentioned her after she had spoken with Matthias. Also wasn't surprised you thought it was good Brad was being retained as chief as you put it since it meant the consultants could continue to stay and assist him. No surprise you're wondering about what the notes were and why Matthias hid them. So pleased you called the case outstanding with its twists and turns! You're welcome for sharing the second half. And since you had company, I was glad to see you reviewed the last chapter still, I appreciated that! Happy Easter to you too!).

Thanks for the reviews, I loved reading them and I'm grateful for the time taken to write them out and send them my way!

A/N #2: The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song Pisces Fish written by George Harrison, from his album Brainwashed.

Tangled In His Rope

"Nobody panic," Brad said immediately.

"We aren't," Beckett said, getting her flashlight app on. "But it sounds like we're stuck."

"We're not," Brad and Skye said at the same time.

Surprised, the chief looked at the investigator and asked, "He told you?"

"He did, come on," Skye said, turning. She used her phone to light her way before she went around a corner and found the door out. "You knew about this already?" she asked Brad.

"I guessed," the chief corrected her. "After Sandy they would have had to shore up possible flooding if they were using the building."

"At least we have a way out," Castle said.

"I have bars," Skye said.

"Then we would have had a second way out," Castle commented. "What do you think?"

"I'm thinking we need to look at those names," Brad answered before anyone else could. "But for now let's hurry and see what we have outside."

Leaving the basement, the group rushed to the parking lot but only found their cars before they were running around the building to try to see if anyone was there.

"I'll head back inside," Brad told his consultants when there was nothing.

"We should back him up," Darnley said to Beckett.

Though he wanted to follow his wife, Castle knew he was going to need to stay to watch Skye as the two were leaving them to rush inside the building with their weapons drawn. "Should I ask what you're thinking right now?" he said, looking at the investigator. He wasn't surprised when she shrugged before putting her finger to her lips since they could hear the other three calling out inside. Though it was distant he was able to discern they weren't finding anyone before he spotted them walking out. He was about to comment on the audience before Darnley was beating him to it.

"Are we sure we can't get anything from the people who were here?" the carpenter said.

"We're trying but it's getting to be next to impossible," Brad said. "Like finding whoever the hell that was," he added.

"What're you doing next?" Skye asked.

"Calling CSU, they need to look over the basement," Brad said. He looked at the notebook still in the investigator's hands and said, "But first I need to get that into an evidence bag."

"We couldn't peruse it more?" Skye said.

Brad hesitated, and he sighed before he said, "Alright, but as soon as you look at it, I'm putting it into the bag."

"You mean I am," Skye replied absently. She was opening the notebook and looked at Beckett who had walked over to her, turning her attention back to the book. They were reading at the same time, and she looked at her friend before murmuring, "Motive?"

"It seems likely," Beckett replied with a nod. She then turned to the men and told them, "He noticed things being stolen from backstage. He watched these three men he wrote about, and he says here he thought he'd seen one of them leaving his dressing room where he left a fake expensive watch."

"Did he note a name?" Darnley asked with a slight frown.

"The prompter," Beckett said while Skye was slowly closing the notebook. "Justin Briochi."


"We found him," Brad said, coming to the doorway of the breakroom where Beckett and Skye were.

"Where?" the two said at the same time.

"The Locked-Up Storage Facility," Castle said, walking up behind his friend. "I know," he said, when the two women looked at each other in obvious bewilderment. "But it's real and in Southampton," he added before his wife was speaking to the chief.

"We're going?" Beckett asked.

"I am," Brad said. He wasn't surprised when the others were protesting and he held up his hand telling them, "You didn't let me finish. I'm going in to get him. You guys are waiting, and by you guys I mean…"

"I'm out?" Castle asked.

"I would assume to babysit me," Skye commented.

"Not babysit, I want you here to be safe and I want him here to make sure that if you get anything you can speak to someone who knows what you can do," Brad explained to him.

"Sure," Skye said, looking at Castle.

"I'm fine staying," he said rapidly. "Be careful," Castle told his wife seriously.

"I will," Beckett said, squeezing his arm gently. She walked out with Brad and Darnley and paused to look back at her husband telling him, "I'll call you."

"Thank you," Castle replied before watching her go.

"I'm sorry," Skye said.

"No, I was serious," Castle told her, going back into the breakroom. They sat at the table together and he asked, "Want some tea?"

"That would be nice," Skye replied.

After he'd gotten the first mug of water ready to warm up, Castle turned to her and asked, "Have you heard anything from Weller lately?"

"Maybe you should refer to him as Matthias," Skye said slightly uncomfortably, looking out into the bullpen. "I wonder if anyone knows about me."

"They might," Castle replied. "Ghost Adventures?"

"Right…" Skye said slowly. She then shook her head and told him, "Still. But I'm getting the feeling he's not going to come if I try to call him."

"Why?" Castle asked, getting the tea bag ready and setting it into the hot water.

"You'd have to ask your mother-in-law," Skye said.

"Johanna?" Castle asked in surprise.

"She told me, before Kate left with the others, that she had him follow her," Skye replied. She wasn't surprised when the writer immediately looked concerned, and she was about to reassure him when he was speaking before she could.

"I should have gone with her," Castle said with a frown. He looked at the investigator and said, "You don't think so?"

"She won't be drained," Skye replied. "Your mother-in-law will guide her," she added, hoping he wouldn't respond to that though she wasn't surprised when he did.

"Would he hurt her if he did that?" Castle asked. He nearly reached for his phone when the investigator wouldn't look at him and said, "I can't stop her."

"No," Skye said with a sigh. She turned back to the writer and said, "But remember Patrick is there with her; she's his sister."

Castle could only nod since he knew she was right, but he still couldn't help being concerned for his wife. They'd discovered Briochi had a criminal record of assault and petty theft and he hoped Brad would keep to his method of taking point while he looked at the clock to wait for Beckett to call him.


"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Beckett murmured. She looked out the windshield and said, "I don't know what's going on."

"I think I do," Darnley told her. He wasn't surprised when his friend glanced at him and told her, "You're not going to like it."

"I think I know what you're thinking," Beckett said. She sighed and told him, "I don't because this shouldn't happen."

"No but it does," Darnley replied. "What do you sense right now?" When she nearly glared at him, he quickly said, "I'm just going by what Skye's done."

Not saying anything in response because she knew he was right, Beckett said, "Like someone's behind us."

"Can you tell who it is?" Darnley asked.

"I know who it is," Beckett said firmly. "My mother." When she saw the way her friend was looking at her, she shrugged and said, "I know, but that's what I'm feeling right now."

"Should we be worried?" Darnley asked.

"I don't know," Beckett said honestly. "I need to text Skye."

"Then… why don't you?" Darnley said before he glanced at her and saw she was doing so at that moment. He turned back quickly to the road since he was driving when he heard a response soon after, about to ask before his friend was speaking.

"She said that I need to just allow my mom… to guide me," Beckett said.

Spotting her frown Darnley said, "What's wrong?"

"She said Rick's worried about me," Beckett said before she dialed her husband's phone.

"Kate-" Castle said.

"I'm fine Rick, we're not even there yet; it's on the other side of the city," Beckett interrupted him.

"Were you texting with Skye?" Castle asked. When his wife answered in the affirmative, he sighed and said, "I wanted to go with you."

"I know, but Patrick's with me and he'll have my back," Beckett replied.

"She's right, I will," Darnley called since she had the phone on speaker.

"Thank you, you'll call once you're on your way back, right?" Castle asked.

"Yes, but while we're doing this, will you do something for me?" Beckett replied.

"Anything," Castle said seriously.

"Go with Skye and look at the names we've looked at already," Beckett said. Before her husband could respond to that she told him, "Just show her the pictures and see what she might think."

"Okay," Castle said, having looked at the investigator and seeing her nod. "I'll let you go but please call."

"I will," Beckett said before she said goodbye to her husband and hung up the phone.

"I'm so glad I don't have to worry about you anymore," Darnley said.

Giving him a look Beckett said, "I don't think I managed to reassure him," not surprised when her friend was responding immediately to that.

"No, but again, nice that he cares so much for you," Darnley pointed out.

With a brief nod Beckett said, "He always has." She then turned to him and said, "I hope this doesn't take that long."

"Me too," Darnley said. "I want to get to the dance class."

Smiling Beckett said, "That's only because your family will be there."

"Probably not my in laws," Darnley commented. "Bethany will be cooking, and Joseph will likely be looking over the seeds he has to plant in the front." When he glanced at his friend and saw she looked a little uncertain, he smiled and said, "He wants to plan the front yard just right."

"I'm not surprised," Beckett said. She then looked out again and said, "Finally," as they'd reached the storage area. After they'd parked next to Brad and Hutchinson, they got out of the car and she went to the chief, explaining to him what she'd told her husband to do.

"That wouldn't hurt," Brad said when she'd finished. "Since I know Rick won't calm down until you're on your way back."

"When I call him," Beckett corrected him.

"Okay," Brad said quickly when Hutchinson was walking up to them. "Briochi should be in the office, Hutchinson you'll go with me. Beckett, Darnley I want you two outside waiting for us in case he's gone when we get there."

"Is there any back entrance to the office?" the carpenter asked.

"That I'm not sure," Brad said. "I'll look around."

"Why don't I just go around to the back," Darnley said. When the other three turned to him he said, "Yeah, I figured," before he watched the chief and officer walking inside. "What do you think?"

"Why would he go to that trouble for theft?" Beckett replied with her own question. When her friend nodded, she said, "I've been thinking of that too. But he may know something." Watching Darnley nodding again, she was about to mention the fact they had two other names when Brad was coming out in a rush and speaking rapidly at the same time.

"He's not there, we ducked behind the counter and found a door but there's a security system," the chief was saying. "We spotted him in Bay 4 so we're going in the car."

"Do you know where to go?" Darnley asked.

"Luckily I do," Brad said before they jumped into his car. He drove them towards the section of storage sheds before he parked and said, "We'll walk from here."

"Do you need to surprise him?" Beckett asked in surprise.

"I'm just worried if he might be a flight risk with his record," Brad said simply before they were going around a set of storage sheds. He froze with the others when they spotted their suspect, and the man was turning to them. "Briochi…" he started to say before the man was suddenly running through a gap between two buildings. "Damnit," he swore before they were taking off.

"We'll head around," Beckett said before she went with Darnley around the building. Briochi was coming around the corner at the same time, and she tried to recover to help her friend as he and the suspect collided. They were all still moving, so they ended up on the ground before she was grabbing Briochi's hand telling him, "You're under arrest! Stop moving!"

"Here," Brad said, running up with Hutchinson. He took the man's hands and handcuffed them quickly before he and the officer got Briochi standing. "She's right," he told him. "You're under arrest for assault."

"I didn't mean to! I didn't mean to!" Briochi said, breathing hard. "I've been arrested too many times. I didn't want to go to jail again."

"If you help us, you might not have to," Brad told him a little angrily because the man was still struggling against him. He was startled when Briochi stopped moving and said to Darnley and Beckett, "We'll head to the station."

"We'll follow," the latter said, doing her best to press Darnley's handkerchief against his nose since it was bleeding. They started walking after Brad and Hutchinson, but they were slower, and Beckett was startled when Darnley stopped them and touched her hand before he spoke.

"I'll be okay," Darnley said. "But you're going to have to drive."

"I don't mind," Beckett said. "Though… I do need to talk to Rick."

"I can hold the phone for you," Darnley said quickly, noticing her wording. They continued to her car and waved briefly to Brad while he was driving the car out of the lot. Once he was in the passenger seat, he checked on his nose and said, "It's slowing down already."

"Good, I won't have to explain to Trevor why you were hurt so badly," Beckett said half-jokingly and half distractedly while she got her phone from her pocket.

"Don't worry, I'll tell him myself," Darnley said, holding his hand out. After Beckett had started the car, he began dialing the number before her husband was answering immediately on the other end.

"Kate," Castle said. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Beckett said firmly, seeing Brad ahead of them once she was on the main road. She was about to explain what had happened when Skye was suddenly talking on the phone to her surprise.

"You didn't need Matthias' help, did you?" the investigator said.

"You sound surprised," Darnley commented.

"Well, the thought was you would," Skye replied simply. "But you're both alright?"

"We are," Darnley said, shaking his head briefly when Beckett glanced at him quickly. "But this was more to assure Rick."

"Thank you," Castle said to Skye while she handed him back her phone. "What about Briochi?"

Explaining what had happened, Beckett soon said, "I'm not sure he's our killer. Everything in his record seems too petty to think he'd take the time to doctor lozenges. But Brad's going to ask him if he had any problems with our vic."

"You're bringing him back?" Castle asked.

"Brad and Hutchinson left a little ahead of us," Beckett answered. "But we're close behind them."

"Are you driving right now Kate?" Castle asked after a moment's pause.

"Yes," Beckett replied simply.

"Okay, we'll see you back at the station," Castle said.

After saying goodbye to the two on the other end, Darnley hung up and said, "He's not happy."

"Just because we can't talk right now," Beckett commented. She then looked at her friend and said, "But we will at the station," before she pressed harder on the gas pedal so they could get back to the Hamptons.


"You're so lucky Brad didn't take me in," Beckett told her husband when he closed the door to the breakroom.

Wrapping his arms around his wife tightly Castle said, "I am, but you don't want to go to observation?"

"This is a little more important," Beckett commented, embracing him back. "Making sure you're aware I'm okay," she explained to her husband in amusement when he pulled away so he could look at her before he was responding to that with a slight smile on his face.

"You realize that makes me seem really needy," Castle pointed out.

"It does, but I know why you were reacting like that," Beckett said. "We haven't been that far apart when I've helped Brad get a suspect since we've started working with him."

"Or since we ever consulted here in the Hamptons," Castle said.

"So it was understandable," Beckett said. She hugged her husband back when he was doing the same to her and after they parted, she said, "But we should head to observation."

"You know you could have stopped me," Castle commented.

Raising her eyebrow, Beckett wasn't surprised when her husband just stared back at her and she sighed before leading the way out once she'd opened the door. At the door to observation she slipped inside before her husband was doing the same behind her.

"He's been asking about his connection to the troupe," Darnley whispered to his friend and her husband. "Briochi said he left the troupe and he didn't really have any problems with Weller, Hutchinson is going to check with the troupe about that, and he's getting to the notebook right now."

"Mr. Briochi," Brad was saying inside the room. "Searching through Mr. Weller's things I found this notebook. It appears that he was taking notes about thefts that were going on where the troupe was performing. Now there were three names," he added as he opened the book, not surprised when the man immediately spoke as soon as he paused for a moment.

"Thefts? I never heard about that before," Briochi said with a frown.

"No, Weller set up a test and he claims he saw you stealing a watch from his dressing room," Brad replied.

"When?" Briochi said, appearing annoyed.

"The… fifteenth of November," Brad said, referencing the book quickly.

Snorting, Briochi told him, "I was gone by then."

"What?" the four in observation said in shock before they were looking at Skye.

The investigator shook her head at them with a frown on her face before she turned with the others when there was a tap on the door.

Though he wanted to hear what their suspect was saying, Castle went to open it and found Hutchinson was there with an uncertain look on her face.

Spotting the officer, Beckett walked out with her husband asking, "What's wrong."

"I looked into all three men," Hutchinson replied. "Briochi left at the end of October, Cantrell a month before him and Sawyer two weeks before him. Unless they were going back to see them, I don't think he's your thief."

"I don't think there were robberies at all," Beckett said before they turned to find Briochi was being let out of the interrogation room.

"I had to let him go," Brad said when he'd come back to them, glancing at the door to observation. He sighed when it was just Darnley stepping out and was about to go to it when Beckett stopped him.

"Let me talk to her," she told him. "Go back to your office though, she's not going to want you right here whenever we come back out." Watching them go, Beckett soon made her way into the room and saw the lights were still off. Looking to Skye, she watched the investigator for a moment and lowered her hand that had just been about to turn on the light. She moved to sit next to the investigator, waiting for her to speak first which took her a little more time to do.

"I wasn't lying," Skye said first.

"We don't think you are," Beckett said gently. "But Brad's going to wonder why Weller told you about that notebook."

"He's upset," Skye said with a sigh, standing up. "He's afraid we told you something that harmed the investigation."

"I don't think so," Beckett said. "And we get missteps like that," she said, watching the investigator turn before she was talking to the side of the small room.

"Not this bad though," Skye said. She turned back to her friend and said, "He can't sue, can he?"

"No, he ran," Beckett said. "Did Brad tell him he wouldn't press charges?"

"Yeah, Briochi said he wouldn't sue the police as long as they left him alone," Skye said. "He's going to school right now, to run a business."

"Okay, you might have to stop bringing up things from Weller," Beckett said.

"I'm aware of that," Skye said. "But…"

"But?" Beckett prompted her when the investigator didn't continue.

"Matthias only told me he put the notebook there," Skye said.

Beckett was about to speak before they turned to the door and watched it open, revealing her husband. "What's wrong?" she asked with a slight frown.

"Brad has something, he wants you guys to be there too," Castle explained.

"I'm allowed?" Skye asked.

"He's not blaming you," Castle said while he stepped back to allow the two women to walk out. "He remembers you said Weller told you he put the notebook there; nothing about writing in it. But that's why he wants you guys there at the office."

Going over to it, Beckett saw the chief was talking to Rice and she managed to hear him saying, "Look over those as much as you can. I want to make doubly sure it's not Weller's writing."

When the officer had left, Brad said to Skye, "I'm not blaming you."

"You're sure," the investigator stated. At the chief's nod Skye said, "I should have realized he'd just talked about putting the notebook, not telling me he'd noticed thefts going on."

"Sir?" Hutchinson said, standing at the doorway to the room. "I just spoke to Emerson, and he spoke to the troupe members, they never complained of things being stolen while the three men were there."

"And did they all leave because they wanted to?" Brad asked. When the officer nodded, he sighed and when she'd walked back into the bullpen, he turned to Skye who was starting to speak.