American Crime Stories

A/N: So, I got some reviews and PMs that stated that Chapter one wasn't all that much different from the canon episode. Well, duh… It was the first chapter of a brand new story, it's supposed to be the starting point to get the ball rolling. Still, as I go forward with my story, I am going to rehash many parts of the canon. But don't worry, I am going to deviate from established canon. This fic will be AU after all. Some changes will be obvious, some will be in the details. So, please be patient and I'll try to do my best to not disappoint you.

Arc One, Chapter two

CASTLE'S LOFT

Richard Castle sat in his darkened study, a bottle of Scotch in front him. He brought a glass to his lips and drank deeply. The liquid slid down his throat and he rejoiced in the burn. He slammed the empty glass down and reached for the bottle but stopped before grabbing it. The Richard Castle from a few years back would have sloshed more alcohol into his glass and drank himself in oblivion. However, the Richard Castle from today was another man. The past few years had changed him. More precisely, the years working with the NYPD had changed him. He knew that he had been drifting the last years before starting to work with them. Alexis had started to go to school and doing more and more with her friends. She hadn't needed him around 24/7, so he did have more time for himself. He was honest to himself and knew that having too much time to himself wasn't very good for him. He wasn't wired that way. He liked to be surrounded with people. So, he started to party more and more. He could have used the time to intensify his writing. But it was true what he had told Gina at the launch part of his last Derek Storm book: writing Derek used to be fun, in the end, it felt like working. And he hadn't worked much. Then one Detective Kate Beckett appeared and asked him to accompany her back to her precinct. And the rest, as they say, was history and he a changed man.

Despite what his mother and daughter (and possible some others) thought, it wasn't just because of his feelings for Beckett that had changed him. True, as time went by and his feelings grew, part of him wanted to be a better man than the party clown he had been when they first had met. However, a far greater factor for his change had been the fact that he realized that he could actually make an impact on people's life. That he could help them in their darkest hour, to bring them closure. In that way he was similar to Beckett. She had become a cop because she wanted to be a detective who did not commit what she felt was the investigating detective's mistake of "pigeon-holing" crimes. Like the one who had investigated her mother's case.

For him, it was a traumatic day in Hollander's Woods. He did not have closure from that experience, which featured prominently in his nightmares even until this day. Since that day he'd been fascinated with crimes, with the psychological part of crimes. That interest was fostered with watching a lot of police and P.I. shows on tv. Something that only a few people knew was that he had actually thought about going to the police academy. But then he had met and then impregnated Meredith. So, he had changed his plans and focused on his writing career. He didn't regret anything about that decision and he never would. Being loved by his daughter was his greatest achievement.

As time went by, he had dreamed about getting the chance to work with the police but never thought possibly. When it got the chance, it was literally like a dream come true. And despite what many people thought, he wasn't just the goofy sidekick. Yes, he downplayed his role to the outside and challenged the others on his team with his exaggerated theories. But he knew better, the statistic and facts told a very different story. The solving rate of his team alone went up a lot and more importantly, HE, Richard Castle, disarmed a fucking dirty bomb downtown New York and possible prevented the start of a new World War.

But despite all that, here he was, sitting alone in his study, a bottle of Scotch in front him. Beckett's previous exclamation in her interrogation of Bobby Lopez had thrown him. It wasn't the confession that Beckett had lied to him. That didn't really surprise him. Beckett may be able to lie to pretty much everyone else, but not to him. He knew her better than that. At the hospital after the shooting, she hesitated when he had enquired about what she remembered. In fact, she wouldn't even look at him. Instead her eyes had darted down and away. He knew then that she had been lying. He had for a second thought about confronting her, but had decided against that.

Her boyfriend Josh had just left the room. Rick had thought that there would be plenty of time to discuss it later. After she had left the hospital. But that didn't happen because Beckett left the hospital without anybody noticing it and wouldn't contact him for months.

He had been angry when she had visited him at the book-signing. He followed his first instinct and just left but then she had followed him. He had then thought about confronting her with her lie, but once again decided against it. He had then allowed her to say what was on her mind. Sitting on the swings his hopes went up and he had hold his peace. And after a while he even opened himself to the possibility, that maybe, Beckett had not lied at all. He had hoped that with time that she would open up more and that they would get closer. And they did. Or so he had thought. And then he had overheard her interrogation.

But what should he do now?

BECKETT'S APARTMENT

It was girls' night at Beckett's apartment. Kate poured a glass of wine and handed it to her longtime friend Lanie Parish.

"I'm telling you. Something happened, something changed. He's been acting weird lately. It began right after the Boyan Plaza bombing. First, he didn't want to have drinks with me and just left. Without saying anything else. He has never done this before. Then, the next two days while the guys and I did our paperwork, he just sat there. He was unusually quiet, didn't say much. Well, when he actually sat at our desk. Most of the time he wasn't even there. And on the second day he left early without explanations and he hasn't come to the precinct since that day. He just sent a message that he'd been away for a few days and be back soon."

"He's been acting weird 'lately'?" Lanie asked in her typical sarcastic voice. "Kate, it's been weird for four years."

"No, this is different. He's different. It's like he's pulling away."

Lanie took a drink of her wine. "Well, can you blame him? He's probably tired of waiting."

Beckett startled at that observation but tried to play it off. "Waiting? Waiting for what?" She tried to give an innocent look that Lanie answered with raised eyebrows.

"What do you think? The guy is crazy about you. And despite your little act, you're crazy about him." Lanie stated firmly. Beckett tried to mask her impression but that didn't fool Lanie. "Oh, what? Was that supposed to be some big secret?" Lanie said, exasperation creeping in her voice at her obstinate friend.

Beckett glared at her friend. "Yes." Even to herself she sounded unconvincing. Lanie glared right back at her. "No." Beckett sat down at the bar next to Lanie and lowered her voice. "Do you think he knows?"

Lanie smiled brightly at the fact that her friend for the first time ever openly conceded her feelings for their favorite writer. "Do you remember how he used to be? Girl on either arm? You really don't see that guy too much anymore. Why do you think that is?" Beckett bit her lip but didn't respond verbally. "He's waiting for you." Lanie answered her own question.

A still silent Beckett allowed herself a small smile at her friend's statement. "Yeah, but Lanie –"

"I know. You're dealing with stuff. But you cannot ask him to wait forever." When Lanie didn't get an answer, she pressed on. "Unless, of course, you're okay with him pulling away."

"What if it doesn't work? What if it ends up like you and Javi?"

"Well, at least we gave it a shot. And it didn't work out. So what? Now we can move on, give or take the occasional booty call." Beckett smirked at that, she did know her friend well after all.

"I just – I don't want to lose what we have, you know?"

"Girl, please." Frustration creeping back into her voice. "What exactly do you have, really?"

Beckett paused at that question and thought for a second. "A friendship."

"No. What you and I have is a friendship. What you and Castle have is a holding pattern. How long can you circle before the fuel runs out?"

Beckett quietly considered Lanies question when her phone rang. "Beckett."

Lanie watched on as Kate got information on a new crime scene. She gave Beckett one last pointed look.

OUTSIDE ALEXANDRIA MOTEL

They drove mostly silently to the crime scene, both preparing mentally for what they would see and would have to do. They made their way to the crime scene when Lanie picked up their conversation from earlier. "Don't think you were saved by the bell, Kate Beckett. As your friend, I'm not going to let it drop." She said and ducked under the crime scene tape as the detective followed.

"So, what? You think I should tell him how I feel?"

"Yes!" Lanie said forcefully. "You hunt murderers for a living. You can do this."

"Okay. Okay. I just, I – I have to find the right time."

"No time like the present."

At that exact moment Castle's red Ferrari zoomed up at the crime scene. Kate and Lanie turned at the noise and saw Rick in the driver's seat, an attractive blonde woman in the seat next to him. Both women were shocked.

"What the… ?" Lanie exclaimed. Kate turned to her friend and gave her a pointed look.

"On second thought, maybe you should wait a bit. What's that? Ryan's calling? I – gotta go." Lanie said and hastily made her way towards the building. A now alone Beckett turned to Castle, waiting for her partner to come to work. She looked on when the blonde woman exited the car and scurried around to the driver's side. There Rick was waiting for her and shut the door after she's got in.

"I'll call you in about an hour." Castle said to the woman and gave her a peck on the cheek. Becketts face tightened as the blonde zoomed away. Rick looked on with a smile on his face as the woman drove away in his Ferrari, turned and walked over to Beckett.

"Hey there." He greeted her happily, despite the anger he was still feeling towards Beckett.

"I feel like I just walked into a bad episode of Miami Vice." Beckett said, rather coolly.

"Okay. First, there are no bad episodes of Miami Vice. Second, who died?"

"You, from the looks of it. You look like you just got run over by a truck." Beckett said and they walked over to the crime scene.

"Yeah, a truck delivering a shipment of awesome. Nah, I just, uh, flew into Vegas for a few days. Just needed a little change of scenery."

"And you won the blonde in a high stakes poker match?" Kate asked sarcastically.

"No, I met her on the flight back." Ricks replied like he hadn't noticed her tone.

"And you just gave her your car?," Beckett asked disbelievingly.

"Abby happens to be a very trustworthy person. It's not like I gave her my social security number."

Beckett looked at him incredulously. She was confused and not a little appalled at his behavior and his cool tone.

"Castle –" Kate stopped walking and turned to him – "is everything okay?"

Rick stopped. He tried to force down all the emotions he was feeling. Even after a few days away he was still angry. "Never better." He walked towards the crime scene and left his confused partner behind. Beckett watched him go for a moment and then followed him. There was no time to think about her partners' odd behavior now. There was a lot of work to do.

MOTEL ROOM

When Beckett entered the hotel room, she paused for a moment to take in the scene. Esposito walked up to her. "Our victim's Naomi Allen, age 25. Her green card indicates she's a British national. Ryan's notifying the consulate."

Kate looked at a paper in his hands. "Her address is in SoHo. What was she doing all the way down here?"

"Don't know, but she checked in two hours before she was killed."

"Hope they prorated the room." Castle said from the side where he was standing. His random comment got a look from Beckett as he walked away. Esposito had more information to pass on to Kate. "Good news is we have a witness. The maid who discovered the body saw a guy run out."

"Did the maid get a good look?"

"She's with the sketch artist now."

"Well then, whoever he is he was looking for something." Kate indicated the mess. "This place has been searched."

"One thing we do know is that she was not robbed. Her wallet, watch, and cash were untouched." Beckett nodded and walk on. She stopped to talk with the medical examiner. "Hey Lanie, how does it look?"

"Like you waited too long," Lanie deadpanned.

"The vic." Beckett said exasperated. Lanie sighed, but complied. "She was strangled, but she went down with a fight. Prelim suggests signs of a struggle." The medical examiner pointed to a bruise under the victim's eye. "She took one to the face."

"A well dressed, attractive woman in a seedy motel and a guy who flees the crime scene. This might have been a one-night stand gone wrong."

"Are we talking about the victim or Castle?" Lanie asked and ignored her friends glare. She was used to it after all.

"Hey Espo?" Beckett stood up and turned to the Latino detective.

"Yeah."

"Can you contact the next of kin and canvass the area once the sketch is done?"

"Yeah, no problem."

"Hey Beckett." Ryan walked in and greeted his team leader.

"Found the vic's business card in the side pocket of her purse." Ryan bagged the card. "Looks like she works in Manhattan."

Castles walked up and took the bag from Ryan. "Naomi Allen, Kittman Group."

KITTMAN GROUP OFFICES

Castle and Beckett drove mostly silent to the offices of the Kittman Group. Beckett was still confused – and a little angry at the return of playboy Castle. Castle on the other hand was working through possible scenarios for the murder. They only updated each other on the facts that they had each learned so far.

In the office, a woman sat in an armchair across from Castle and Beckett. "Yes, I was her US booking agent. Naomi was one of our top models," said Claire Panchard.

"So she was in the city for work?" Beckett asked.

"She split her time between here and London. The good ones usually end up spending half the year in New York."

"Do you have any idea why she was at the Alexandria Motel last night?"

"Uh, no. I've never even heard of it."

"It's one of those … um… pay by the hour places," Castle pointed out delicately. Claire didn't say anything but her eyes grew wider. Beckett noticed the reaction. She handed over the sketch made from the description the maid had given them. "Do you recognize this man?"

"No. No, I don't." She handed the sketch back.

Beckett studied her. "But you do have an idea of who he might be."

"It's just …" - Claire paused - "lately Naomi was making some odd choices."

"What kind of choices?" Beckett asked.

"Well, she seemed to have lost interest in standard modeling jobs. Recently she had been booking more ,uh …, unconventional gigs."

"Like what?"

"Well I heard the London office booked her to attend the birthday party of some foreign dignitary a few months ago." Beckett looked to Castle, who was mostly quiet. He got it immediately.

"She was hired to go to a party?"

"It's common for models to get hired to pretty up an event. Some girls do it to pick up extra cash and other girls do it as a way of connecting with wealthy men."

"Wait, are you saying Naomi was hiring herself out as an escort?"

"You just don't see girls as good as Naomi taking these party jobs. Not unless there's a bigger payout involved somewhere."

"Do you know if she took on any of these kinds of gigs recently?"

"It's not really what we do." Beckett nodded. "She did want me to try to get her into an event last night, though. An album launch party in Midtown. But I didn't have any connections to it."

"Last night?"

"Yeah."

TWELFTH PRECINCT BULLPEN

Back at the precinct, Castle and Beckett sat at their desk. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Beckett asked Castle.

"Yeah, that we should throw a party and hire a bunch of models." Castle replied without hesitation.

"No." Beckett looked at him oddly. "That maybe Naomi somehow got into that party last night and that that's where she met her killer." Beckett put the sketch on the murder board. "That's what I was thinking."

"Weird. We're usually more in sync than that," Castle deadpanned. There was a moment of silence. A silence that Beckett found increasingly awkward and Castle didn't really care about. To end the silence, she turned to Ryan. "Hey Ryan, did you find anything at Naomi's apartment?"

"No, but someone else might have. It's been tossed. Not only that, but the neighbor said that he saw a man leaving the apartment late last night. The neighbor ID'd him off the sketch. It's the same guy who fled the murder scene."

"He couldn't find what he was looking for in the motel so he searched her place," Castle surmised.

"Yeah, but this time he left a footprint." Ryan told them.

"Meaning?" Beckett wants to know.

"Well, unis canvassed around the apartment with the sketch. He bought a bottle of single malt with a credit card a couple of blocks away." He handed her the paper, which she read.

"Colin Hunt. What do we have on him?"

"Nothing in the system but I ran a trace on the credit card. He checked in to the Mondaray in SoHo this morning."

MONDARAY HOTEL

A hotel employee walked Castle and Beckett to the room where their suspect was staying. Beckett drew her gun and took the keycard the man held out to her. She opened the door and paused a minute before she entered. Hunt walked out the bathroom, only glad with a towel around his waist. Beckett raised her gun. "NYPD! Show me your hands."

"You're making a mistake."

"Yeah, like I haven't heard that before. Hands in the air, now!," she said more forcefully.

Hunt rolled his eyes. "If you insist." When Hunt raised his hands, the knot of his towel slipped free and the towel fell to the floor.

"Whoa!" Castle exclaimed and put his hand in front of his face to block his own line of sight. "Dude." He looked back. "Whoa." In another life Castle might have attempted to protect his partners honor. In this life however, he didn't even think about blocking Beckett's view. Beckett didn't move, nonplussed by the naked man in front of her. "Allow me to introduce myself. Detective Inspector Colin Hunt, Scotland Yard."

A few moments later Beckett checked the credentials, Hunt had presented her with. "You're a long way from home, Detective Inspector Hunt. How did you end up in that dead girl's hotel room?"

Hunt dressed, seemingly not caring that Beckett was sitting in front of him. "I was at a seminar last night in DC when Naomi called me, panicked. She said that she was in trouble and needed my help."

"So you knew her?," Castle wanted to clarify.

"Naomi was like a sister to me. Her dad, Terrence, was my first partner on the job. When he passed away, I promised her family I'd look after her. After she called me, I grabbed the next flight but by the time I arrived it was too late," Hunt explained his relationship to the victim.

"And your first instinct was to flee the crime scene?" Beckett asked sarcastically.

"I didn't flee. I left. She was dead. There was nothing else to do."

"Yeah. Except to maybe hang around and give the police a statement."

"You and I both know that if I had stuck around it would be hours of questioning and then you'd send me off with a 'cheers, we'll keep you posted'."

"But I suppose you had something more important to do?"

"The room had been searched. And whoever killed her was looking for something. I thought they might try her apartment next. By the time I got there, it had already been tossed. Look, I know that I shouldn't have been investigating. However, if you were in a foreign country and someone you loved had been killed, what would you do?"

Castle and Beckett shared a look. They both knew what she would do. She did behave similar after Royce had been killed. Castle turned to Hunt. "What were they looking for?"

"When he was on the job, Naomi's dad used to stash a gun in the lining of his Kevlar. When Naomi started modeling as a teenager, he didn't want her on the underground without any protection. So he taught her to cut a tiny piece of lining in her jacket to stash pepper spray. That's where I found it."

"You found what?" Beckett wants to know.

"A message to me. About her killer."

"What kind of message?" Castle asked.

Hunt studied them. "Not until I'm on the case."

"Excuse me?" Beckett asked indignantly.

"Detective, please. I owe this to Naomi. I owe it to her family."

"You do realize that I could arrest you for withholding evidence," she replied angrily.

"And since you don't know what that evidence is, I could deny it. And none of that will get us any closer to catching her killer." He paused and continued serious. "Let me work this case with you. Because if you don't, I swear, I'll go out there and catch the bastard on my own."

She took a second. "Okay. But I have to check in with my Captain first."

Castle was shocked that Beckett agreed so easily. In the past, she had blown a casket when another detective or agency tried to be involved in their investigation. However, this time she barely put on a fight. Was it because of the rather attractive British inspector? Castle felt the familiar jealousy flare up but pressed down on it. Hard.

TWELFTH PRECINCT BULLPEN

Beckett was in Victoria Gate's office where she tried to convince her captain to let Hunt work the case with them. Castle and Hunt watched them through the window.

"What's she like, your Captain?"

"You ever see that YouTube video of the grizzly bear that decapitates a moose with one swipe of its paw?" Castle deadpanned.

Hunt cringes. "Comforting."

"It's nothing personal. She just doesn't like outsiders in her precinct." They turned back to watch through the window.

"I don't need her to like it. I just need her to allow it. This whole thing with Naomi doesn't add up. Turning down conventional modeling jobs, booking sleazy jobs at private parties - that just doesn't sound like the Naomi I know."

At those words Castle glared in the captain's office. "Yeah well, sometimes it's the people we think we know best that we really don't know at all." Castle watched Beckett talking with Gates. He saw that the women had finished their conversation. The men stood up when Beckett came out of her captain's office. "Well… you're in." Beckett said simple.

Hunt nodded. "Thank you."

"What?" Castle exclaimed and looked at Hunt. "Seriously?" He asked incredulously and a bit outraged.

"Yeah, his supervisor at Scotland Yard said you're one of the best. Even Captain Gates was impressed with your record." Beckett explained.

"Well, I guess it's not outsiders she doesn't like." He sighed. "It's just me." Castle said dejected and angrily turned to glare at Gates through the window.

Beckett turned to Hunt. "Look, we had a deal. What did Naomi give you?"

Hunt pulled a keychain from his pocket and hands it over. "This."

"A key? You said she left a message." Castle asked.

"This is the message. She put it there for me to find. I guarantee it has something to do with her death."

"This looks commercial," Beckett stated.

"It's an Arco-Rifkin 1130R. Mostly used for lockers found at train stations or health clubs." Hunt explained.

"All right. Well, I'll have Ryan canvass the area around her apartment and the hotel. We'll see if any of the businesses have lockers that use this kind of key."

"Yo, Beckett, I got something." Esposito interrupted them.

"Hey, uh, Detective Esposito, this is Detective Inspector Colin Hunt. He's from Scotland Yard. He's going to be consulting on this case. He knows our victim."

Esposito stepped forward to shake his hand. "Hey, how's it going?"

"Pleasure mate."

"So, what do you got?" Beckett asked her partner.

"Well, Naomi did make it to that album release party last night at a club in Midtown. But she was kicked out by security around 10 o'clock."

"Why?" Hunt asked.

"She had an altercation with the host." Esposito pulled out a photo and added it to the board. "Female rapper and ex-felon Nikki J. And she wasn't afraid to take a swing in front of paparazzi."

"Wow. What was the fight about?" Castle wanted to know.

"Unclear, but uniforms are bringing her up to interrogation now."

Castle phone buzzed, he looked at his message on his phone. Beckett was busy looking through paperwork.

"Do you usually question them solo?" Hunt asked.

"No, Castle and I usually go in together."

"Actually, you know what? Why don't you guys take this one?" Castle said a bit absentmindedly.

Beckett looked up, surprised. Usually he wanted to accompany her to every interview. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Absolutely. Besides, Colin's got a personal interest. I really don't, now do I?"

Beckett didn't know what to make of his comment.

"Hah, all right. It's settled then." Hunt said.

Beckett still looked shocked. "Yeah, I guess it is."

"Yeah. Besides, my lunch date is here." Castle said and started to leave. "I'll be back in a few hours. You guys call me if you find anything interesting."

Beckett and Esposito watched as Castle met up with the same blonde woman from earlier and saw him wrap his arm around her. They both smiled as he led her away. Beckett's face dropped.