A/N: I meant to have this done earlier, but the cold bug this season hit me hard. But we have a Interesting turn of events here. Next chapter we will wrap up the case as Esposito returns home and helps finds out where the reporter is. Plus Kate and Rick have the sonogram. What will the sex of Kate and Rick's baby be? Please keep your eyes open to find out. Keep the reviews coming. Thank you.
Chapter 7
12th Precinct
Manhattan, New York
"Right thanks." Russell stated as she set her desk phone down. She looked up at Castle and Kate who were standing on front of the murder board. "Alibi confirms it. He never left his friend's apartment last night and according to his friend, James was to drunk too go anywhere"
"Great so that clears him of the kidnapping, but not of the murder." Kate said from the chair she had previously sat down in. She looked at the board.
Ryan came over with a stack of paper. "Unfortunately he is cleared for that as well. His cell pinged off the tower in the area but his GPS puts him near a coffee shop during the time of the murder."
"Should I cut him loose Captain?" Russell asked after hearing the news. She got up and walked over towards the board.
"No check with the DA and find out what he wants to do first?" Kate stated. Russell nodded and moved back towards her desk picking up the phone. Kate braced herself against the desk and pushed up with the help of Rick. She looked at the picture of Sierra Potter. "What do we know about this Jeffery Martinez?"
"Opened his martial studio a couple years ago, has a clean record." Ryan replied as he posted the picture of Jeffery on the board. "That is it."
"What do you mean that is it?" Russell replied setting the phone down back in its cradle. She walked over. "He must have a birth certificate, SSN or alien registration number somewhere. He told us he learned Krav maga in Brazil."
"No record of everything, and I checked with Social Security, the number Jeffery Martinez is a phony number. They have no record of them issuing that number." Ryan replied standing by the board.
"Makes sense if he was involved in criminal activity in Brazil. Probably got plastic surgery to fool any cameras as he entered the country." Castle responded as he stood next to his wife. He looked at the board. "Maybe we should have Lanie look for any type of enhancements or reductions."
Chief Miller startled the whole room as he spoke. "Mr. Castle, he would still have to be fingerprinted as he applied for not only legal registration, but for the contract, and if he was printed in Brazil, it still would have flagged."
Castle turned and looked at Chief Miller. "Not necessarily. When I was writing my Storm Series books, I contacted the people I knew at the FBI and other say agencies about fake fingerprints that could be purchased to avoid yours being flagged. Believe it or not with the technology today it's possible to even fool the most advanced biometric scanners."
"What about the man and his daughter, Castle?" Russell asked as she walked back towards the board. "The victims family confirmed there is a daughter?"
"Or who is paid to be a daughter, or could be his actual daughter." Castle remarked that got most people's eye's rolling except his wife. "What a perfect place to disappear, in the city with a large and diverse population."
"Still a long shot Mr. Castle." Chief Miller countered. He walked over towards Kate. "Captain, this is your investigation, but since it involves my stepson I would…."
"He is being held until the DA decides what to do with him Chief. I'm not releasing him till I get official word." Kate replied turning to face the chief. She took a deep breath. "Go sit with him until I find out what they want to do."
Chief Miller nodded and patted her on the shoulder before moving off in the direction of the holding cells. Kate turned back to her team. "Ryan scour any surveillance footage we have for Jeffery Martinez. Russell have Lanie check the picture of Jeffery Martinez for any small signs of comestic surgery. I have to again meet with the budget folks so keep me updated."
She gave Castle a quick peck on the cheek before moving towards her office to grab her stuff. Castle walked over to the board. "I never asked him where he was the night Manuel was killed."
"Neither did I Castle, because I forgot about it. We'll check on him." Russell remarked as she picked up the phone to call the morgue.
Castle continued to look at the board, then it hit him. He came quickly over to Russell's desk. "Why kidnap the reporter? What is the point of keeping her alive?"
"What Castle?" Ryan asked from the computer where he began to scour the surveillance footage.
Castle shook off Ryan. He turned to Russell as she hung up the phone. "Why keep Sierra alive? If you want to stop her article you kill her and destroy the computer she was using?"
"You are right, but both computers still worked and he only kidnapped her." Russell added as Castle nodded. She looked at the board where the pictures where posted. "You want to find out what she knows."
"But her computer files are password protected." Ryan remarked as he got them nodding.
Russell looked at Ryan and then turned back towards Castle. "What about Manuel?"
"Maybe he saw the business card and though his secret would get exposed."
Russell thought about it for a moment. She walked over and grabbed her coat. "Ryan check on CSU and see where they are on the computers."
Ryan nodded as she and Castle were heading towards the elevators as Castle quickly grabbed his coat. "Where are we heading?"
"To get the client list from that martial arts studio, and you are going to call your buddy the judge to get the warrant." Russell remarked as the doors closed.
Castle nodded and took out his phone.
Somewhere over the North Atlantic
Esposito was fast asleep on the flight back to the states on the Air Force version of the 737 as it moved closer to America. Esposito slowly stirred as he felt a hand shake his shoulder. He stirred and saw the Air Force technical sergeant standing over him.
"Detective Esposito, the General would like to see you." The sergeant told Esposito.
Esposito nodded and got up and stretched as best he could as he made his way forward towards the front of the plane. Unlike a regular 737, this one had less seats and more of a spacious interior for crew and a few passengers. The general on this flight took minium staff so the plane was less than full, and had some other Air Force personnel on it that were taking the plane home. Esposito arrived at the main cabin where he saw the general standing up and motioning him forward. The aircraft also had a small electronic suite he wasn't allowed to see near the main cabin to which the general's aide walked out and handed him a paper.
"Detective, sorry to wake you, but we wanted to let you know. Instead of landing at Andrews, we are setting down at JFK. You'll deplane there and check out with me before we land." The general said as he looked over the paper work. "My staff will take everything you need to turn in and collect the intel from you to hand over to the people waiting for it."
"Yes sir." Esposito stated as he was confused but he didn't want to press forward with questions.
The general saw his look. "With this reporter being kidnapped despite it being a local manner, there is concern about the task force and any information she has getting out there. That is why we deviated. We'll land in about 5 hours."
Esposito nodded and stood straight. "Yes sir."
The general clasped him on the shoulders. "We'll send for you when we need your signature on stuff, but for now go back to your seat."
Esposito again nodded and left the main cabin heading back towards his seat. "This is going to be a long five hours."
Hamilton Heights
Manhattan, New York
Castle and Russell walked towards the martial arts studio that was owned by Jeffery Martinez. Yet arriving at the door they found it locked and the lights off inside. Castle checked his watch. "There should be somebody here."
"Yeah there should, but thankfully the warrant allows us to go in." Russell remarked as she went inside her coat pocket and retrieved a pick set. She felt Castle's look. "We're trained to do this. Surprised the Captain never showed you."
"Kate has done it, but still surprises me." Castle answered as he looked away from the door. A patrol car pulled up. "Here's our backup."
Russell looked over as she finished picking the lock. She pushed open the door and waved to the two patrol officers as they walked up. "Good. Post this in the window."
Castle nodded and went to the reception desk where he grabbed the tape and taped the warrant to the window while one officer remained outside and another followed Russell. As Castle returned the tape, he saw the cabinet behind the desk. He walked around and started to go through the drawers. Most contained marketing materials, and pamphlets. Russell came from the back office. "Nothing in there except the normal payroll and business contact information. No computer."
"Well same here for marketing materials as well." Castle answered. He opened the bottom drawer and found files. "Here we go. Client list."
Castle took the files out and handed them over to Russell so they could go over the information. Castle was the first to speak. "Sierra Potter signed up for classes. She included her home address and business card."
"That's how he knew where to find her." Russell commented as she scanned through the folders. "Everything else here looks…"
Castle picked up Sierra's folder and flipped it over. To the backside there was a key that was taped. "Huh, I have a key taped to the back of the folder."
"There was a cabinet that was locked in his office." Russell stated. She took the folder from Castle and walked quickly back into the office. She took the key and inserted it into the cabinet and turned. "It opens."
Castle who followed her came over as Russell picked up photographs. They included shots of Manuel and Sierra, with Sierra pointing many fingers at Manuel. One was dated a couple weeks ago. "He's had them under surveillance."
"For what reason?" Castle asked as he stared at the photos.
12th Precinct
Manhattan, New York
Russell and Castle walked off the elevator into the bullpen where Ryan was waiting for them as he got off the elevator. "Scoured the surveillance footage of Sierra Potter's building, Jeffery arrived 10 minutes before the kidnapping and left through the garage carrying what looked like a large garbage bag over his shoulder."
Castle set his coat on his chair. "That was probably Sierra."
"Here is another thing. He dumped the bag into a SUV with this person driving." Ryan stated as he showed them the photo. It was a picture of Jeffery Martinez's daughter. "That is Sarah Martinez."
"Ok, so Jeffery is spooked that Sierra is getting to close and takes her to find out what she knows." Russell stated as she looked at the murder board as Ryan posted the photos. "So he kills Manuel because he thinks Manuel is going to try and get information out of him, thinking he is Sierra's informant."
"Probably didn't realize that he had the wrong guy." Castle stated as the elevator dinged and Lanie walked off and towards them with a picture in her hand. "Hey Lanie."
"Hey guys, I thought you would like to see this." Lanie stated as she walked up to the board and posted the picture next to the picture of Jeffery Martinez. "My friend Jeremy used a computer program at his cosmetic surgery practice to do this. He said that there was scars for plastic surgery but very minute. He stated at the cheeks, chin were reduced, while the forehead had an experimental implant inserted. This is what he found."
She stepped back and let the team look at the photo. Ryan noticed it first. "Hey isn't that…"
But before Ryan could finish answering the question, the elevator opened and in came rushing Mitchell Potter with two Port Authority officers escorting him. He looked haggard and tired. "Where is she, did you find my wife?"
"Mr. Potter calm down, we have units out looking for…" Russell started to say coming over to intercept him and getting too close to the board.
"If you were looking for her, you wouldn't be here." Mitchell Potter shouted as the officer clasped him on the shoulders.
"Sir trust me we are taking this very seriously, but you need to calm down so we can talk to you." Russell replied as she stood in front of him and looked him in the eyes. It seemed to do the trick. She turned to the officers. "Take him to the break room, get him some coffee, and then put him in interrogation one in about 10 minutes."
Mitchell looked on in shock. "Interrogation?"
"It's standard procedure, ok Mr. Potter. Please just trust me." Russell remarked to the man who was concern for his wife and her well-being. She saw him nod as so she nodded to the officers and pointed them in the way to the breakroom. She then walked back over to where the team was. "Poor guy."
"I don't think he is faking that." Castle stated as the door to the breakroom closed. Everyone nodded and turned back to the board. He looked at the picture. "Yeah Ryan you're right. Is that Hector Jimenez, famed hired assassin for the gangs in Brazil?"
"Also famous for running one of largest drug pipelines in that part of the world too." Russell remarked as she looked at Lanie. "Dr. Parrish, this has to stand up in court. How can we be so sure?"
"There are somethings you can't fix with cosmetic surgery." Lanie replied as she pulled out the folder that the picture came in. "Such as pupil distance, bone structure, and distance and height of ears."
"Okay so he would probably wear contacts to hide eye color from cameras and obviously change the hairstyle." Castle remarked as Ryan went to the computer and began to type the name in. "What about his daughter?"
"Other countries don't have the rules like we do." Lanie answered with a smile.
Ryan looked up from his computer. "Uh guys problem. Hector Jimenez is dead."
Everyone looked at Ryan in shock.