CASTLE

PETALS OF A WHITE ROSE Part 2

"Avery, I'm Detective Kate Beckett and this is Rick Castle, we just want to ask you a few questions," Avery Maslin sat across from me tracing patterns on the hard steel table. She looked just as I had remembered her- short, chocolate coloured hair full with a fringe and bangs. Today her crystal blue eyes were as big as golf balls while her eyelids were stained a midnight blue.

"I know who you are," she said in her sweet voice, glancing between both me and Kate, "Everyone knows who you are."

Ignoring that Kate continued, "Where were you between 12 and 3 last night?"

"At 10 last night I left Alexis' place and walked home. I got there at 10:15. After that I stayed up with my mum and watched repeats of Bones episode until roughly 12:30. I then went to bed where I stayed until 7 this morning when I got up and went for my daily walk. And while we are on the topic, why am I here?"

"Seems your pretty sure about the times in your alibi Avery," Beckett didn't miss a beat. Thats what I admired about her, she had her training skills but she also had a deeper, gut feeling to these types of thing.

"Yeah well I have an eidetic memory," she answered.

"Its true," I piped in, "All of Alexis friends are like freaky smart nerd people."

Avery gave me a death stare. I considered having a glaring war with her but figured that would piss Kate off more. As it was, she gave me a death stare of her own. A this-is-my-interview-not-yours kind of look.

"Do you know a girl by the name of Lisa Nicholson?"

"No, should I?"

"Lisa Nicholson," Beckett took the crime scene photos out of the file, "19, long black hair, blue coloured eyes? Ring any bells?"

"No sorry."

Kate laid out the photos one by one in front of her. Slowly Avery's expression changed from confused to horrified. She paled and looked like she was going to faint. I asked if she want me to get her some water or something but she refused. Pointing at the photos she said, "This is your murder Mr Castle!"

"No this is what I told Alexis to do for her story- then she told you."

Blushing she averted my eyes, "Well, we aren't the only ones who know about this."

Leaning forward, Kate looked deep into her eyes, "What do you mean Avery."

"Um... Last night I kind of forwarded an email to the whole school about you idea. I mean, everyone wants to know about Mr Castle's latest work."

Sighing, Beckett leaned back in her seat. She ran a hand through her hair which I noticed she was growing out. Huh, it suited her, made her look more feminine and if possible more beautiful.

"So your telling me that the person who did this," she pointed at the scene photos, "Could be anyone in your school?"

"Yes."

Biting her lip, Avery sunk deep into her chair. She looked as if she were going to cry, but it wasn't like I could sympathize for her. She had potentially led another person to kill an innocent. But of course, as a writer, no on was innocent. Getting up I followed Kate out of the interrogation room. "Castle, this is going no where," she muttered, playing with the necklace that hung around her neck; It had been her mothers.

"Hmm, If I were the killer what would I do next," I mumbled.

"What?" In the distance I heard Kate trying to get an answer from me.

"What evidence did you find at the crime scene?" I abruptly stopped the pacing I didn't know that i'd been doing.

"Uh, nothing like fingerprints or anything. Castle whats this about?"

"Was the victim missing anything," I said.

"Yeah a ring that her mother said she never took off."

"Mmm, do you mind if I take the case home and go over it?" I asked.

"Yeah but-" I took the file from her and started walking out of the building. "Bring it back tomorrow! Let me know if you find anything." She called to me as I reached the elevator. As the doors clambered shut I gave her one of my cheeky smiles and waved goodbye.

Sitting at my desk, I ignored the screen saver on my computer flashing "You Should Be Writing!".This was much more important. After hours of pouring over facts and possible scenarios I hadn't come up with anything new about the Nicholson case.

Sighing I glanced out the window. The day had silently turned to night and the hot pinks and smoky oranges had turned to sapphire blues and dusty purples. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alexis in her monkey pajamas enter the room. All afternoon she had holed herself up in her room, blaming herself for the death of Lisa Nicholson. Of course, it wasn't her fault, she didn't know that a psychopath was going to copy my work... again. "Dad," she whispered.

Turning my head I replied, "Yeah sweetie."

"I know you think this is not my fault, but it is. If I hadn't had Avery over, none of this would have happened." For the millionth time that day she burst into tears. Slowly, I got up and hugged her to my chest. "If its anyones fault its mine, I wrote it." At this, she just cried harder.

Jumping, I heard the twinkle of the "You Have Mail," sound on my lap top. Wiping her tears, Alexis went and sat in my chair while I went to check my mail.

One New Message From:

Dark_

To:

The nights breeze tickles her deep wine coloured hair as her chest pours a crimson blood deep from within her. She has passed away but seeing her in the night, she looks as if she is star gazing. The stars are bright tonight, a shimmering silver, as if they knew tonight was going to be special, remarkable. I kneel over her body and trace the plains of her perfect face. How stupid she was to trust me, how naïve she was to care. She should have seen this coming, this all could have been avoided but she was just to stupid to realize. I kissed her pale cheek and pressed her eyelids closed, hiding the emerald green beneath them.

No more stars for her tonight, no more life for her to fight...

I read over the email several times before finally coming out of shock enough to call Kate.

"What- Castle is 12:30 night? And before you ask, no, you can not come over for a booty call," She sounded like she had been sleeping. Her lyrical voice was covered with the huskiness of a deep sleep.

"How ever appealing that may be, that was not why I called," I said.

"Then why Castle- skip the drab details."

"I got my first piece of real fan email!" I said a little to excitedly.

"Oh wow! You are a best selling author I cant imagine why you haven't had fan mail before," with a sigh she added, "Goodnight Castle."

"Wait wait wait wait wait! I think this is an email from the Nicholson killer and if it is we need a search and recovery because this wacko is talking about another body."

"WHAT! You didn't think about mentioning this earlier!" Kate literally screamed over the phone line.

Wincing, I switched the phone to my other ear, "Well you side tracked me with the talk of a booty call," I was secretly glad she wasn't with me at the moment. If she had seen me grin, she probably would have used her gun on me for real this time.
She made an irritated noise over the line then with some amazing patience on her behalf said, "I'll call the boys... be there in a half hour!"

"But its cold and dark and the bogey man might get me!"

"CASTLE."

"Yes sir!"

Angrily she clicked off. Grabbing my coat, I gave Alexis a quick kiss goodbye then rushed out the door to solve yet another murder.