The startling new information set in motion a fast-paced search for four dangerous teenagers, the BOLO having been released to all the departments in the vicinity within the hour.
A phone call to Jackson's last known address revealed that the young man had ran off two years after arriving there, the CPS authorities failing at locating him since.
Their database hadn't been able to come up with an ID on Richie thus far, the kid quite possibly not even from his town, another lost young soul travelling through the area hoping to change his luck.
The most difficult task would be to narrow down their killer without giving out confidential information on their investigation. If they were truly after somebody from their own ranks, secrecy would be their best weapon.
Alas, Castle sighed, having just relished the return of their open-minded working relationship; the jazz, the metaphysical energy that bound four vastly different characters together and somehow forged a seamless teamwork atmosphere could once again be threatened by the need for half-truths.
For now, the renewed sense of urgency had all of them on pins and needles, the nervous energy filling every crevice of the bullpen.
Midway through, a call had come in from Lanie, explaining that the .22 used at the Oseguiro slaying was indeed a match to the other killings. The slug found in his girlfriend's head however belonged to a .32 revolver recently involved in an armed robbery and, according to their records, currently in evidence hold- or so they thought.
"Let me guess, a John Smith signed it out?", Esposito asked from his desk, never bothering to look up as Beckett finished the lengthy phone call, spending the entire time standing by the murder board.
"Actually no.", she replied and slid the cell back into her pant pocket, "It was signed out by an Officer Callahan in preparation for trial, then brought to the courthouse. They had a dozen cases that day between all the court rooms and the bailiffs think it got shoved into the wrong case or dropped somewhere on its way into the building. That's what it said on the report at least."
"Somebody knew this gun was in transit and waited for the right opportunity to grab it.", Castle theorized, his eyes widening, "So, if we can figure out who all was in the courthouse that day, we can narrow down our list of suspects."
When he received nothing but skeptical glances in return, he shrugged.
"Yeah, I suppose that would be a lot of people to track down…"
"Anything on Callahan I should look into?", Ryan chimed in, his eyes red-rimmed after hours of fervent research.
"The man I spoke to said that Callahan has worked for the courthouse almost thirty years, he's actually getting ready to retire...", Beckett explained, "Let's check him out to do our due diligence, but let's not foget that there are countless police officers going in and out of that building every day. I bet you it's one of them."
"Do we know which precinct the gun came from?", the young detective asked, one hand moving back to his keyboard, ready to resume his research.
"Sounds like it came from the 9th.", she answered with a shrug, her words making both Ryan and Esposito freeze in their spots, then look at each other in undisguised dread.
"What is it, boys? You got something?"
Standing up in perfect unison, both partners reached for their coats and headed for the elevators, wordlessly expecting the rest of the team to follow along.
"What is it? Who is it?", she asked again, the pitch in her voice rising, demanding an answer.
Glancing over at her, his blue eyes clouded with haste, Ryan pointed his chin north.
"It's Mikey O'Donnell from Robbery."
"Who?"
Upon her stern words, both detectives slowed down again. This time it was Esposito clearing his throat.
"He's the guy Reece was on the phone with while Oseguiro was in the back of the car. Damnit, I knew that jerk was lying!"
