Castle is back on his phone by the time they arrive at the morgue. Whatever agreement they reached in the car over has allowed him to return to his other conversations. It's not slowly driving Beckett insane, at least she would never admit to it.

He always has liked pulling her pigtails and this is just another way of doing that. She won't give him the satisfaction of reacting. Even if she does want to take the blasted device and throw it into the busy traffic outside her window.

She takes the high road and exits the car intent on getting this visit with Lanie over with but her husband remains rooted to the seat. She's almost to the door before he is jogging to catch up with her, face full of apologies.

"Castle if you want to see the bikini I bought the other week you might want to get your head out of your phone and back onto the case."

She can't tell which hit more to home, the reprimand or the thought of her in a bikini, but she'll take whichever because he is instantly back to being her partner. The quick squeeze to her hand accompanying his words her reassurance. "I'm sorry. Full focus here with you from here on out. Not that I'm not ever 100% focused on you."

He just never knows when to quit while he's ahead. "One word Castle. Halo."

With that she is in the building and on her way down to see Lanie, a sad puppy following behind her the whole way.

Castle loves when he can get her riled up in a short amount of time. Over the years he has learned exactly which buttons to push in what combination to get the Beckett he wants. Sappy Beckett, annoyed Beckett, giggly Beckett or his least favorite but sometimes-necessary angry Beckett.

That's how he knows exactly what to say as they step into the elevator to get her right where he needs her. It doesn't hurt that he is a little annoyed at her comment about his video games. It was one time and really they came to an agreement about it.

They are walking into the morgue when he gets to the important part of their little argument. "I'm just saying, it's a private beach. The possibilities are endless."

Lanie Parish has never been one to shy away from eavesdropping on a conversation, a trait that Castle has used to his advantage before. This time she just happens to have a little prior knowledge of the conversation she is hearing.

She doesn't miss a beat or even look up from her clipboard when she responds, "Possibilities for what?" His mother would be impressed with her acting skills.

Their brain connection leads them to both respond with "Nothing." without missing a beat. Lanie just smirks across the table at them. "Mmmhmm. Keep your little secrets but I'll get the details eventually."

The look his wife sends Lanie has broken hardened criminals before but the ME just stares back continuing on like she is on the receiving end of the world's biggest smile.

"What do you have for us Lanie?"

"I was able to pull the slug so ballistics should be able to match to the weapon. Also time of death still stands at midnight to two AM."

When she doesn't continue with more information after several seconds Castle can see the wheels in Beckett's head start to turn. She was always smarter than most people gave her credit for. He's in trouble for sure.

She wouldn't kill him this soon would she.

"Lanie, you could have told me all of this over the phone. Why did you drag us down here in the middle of our investigation for that?"

"If I had called you then I wouldn't be able to try to convince you to leave with this man."

Damn it Lanie. She just had to throw him under the bus for this one didn't she. Beckett is shooting daggers between the two of them and one of them isn't going to make it out of this room alive. His money's on himself. She rounds on him and instincts have him backing away slowly. "You put her up to this didn't you?"

He raises his hands defensively out of instinct. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Save it Writer Boy. Lanie I will go on my honeymoon, with my idiot husband over there, if we can solve this case. You know how it goes."

Whatever mystical powers Lanie posses he needs to learn because in the blink of an eye his spitfire of a wife has softened to a kitten. How did she do that without saying a word?

"Kate, we all just want what's best for you. You need a break. We all know it. The boys are more than capable of finishing this case up."

She may have softened but she still isn't listening. She's half way out the door when she says, "I don't have time for this." Lanie is apologizing behind him as he races to catch up to Kate at the elevator.

He's in for a long, silent ride back to the precinct now. Stupid favors, stupid phone.

Castle's been quiet since she left him behind in the morgue. Scary quiet now that she thinks about it. He must think she's really mad at him.

It's not that she is, she's just annoyed. Annoyed that they caught a case two hours before she went off call. Annoyed that she is at the precinct instead of at home celebrating with Castle. Annoyed that he doesn't seem to understand that as much as she wants to go on their honeymoon, which she does badly, that she has a job that she has to see through. This is who she is and he knew that when he married her.

She doesn't stop on her way to the murder board because every delay to this case is a delay in time well spent somewhere else more tropical. "Where are we on Simon Lark?"

Epso like always is the first up with an update. All these years and he's still the eager beaver. "Canvas of his building pointed us in the direction of a local bar he frequents. Uniforms are on their way to check it out now."

Ryan adds in his information and finally their back on track. "I went over the video from outside the vic's building. Simon showed up several times over the last two weeks."

Her once silent husband can't help jumping back into the case and that's one of the reasons she loves him. He needs answers as badly as she does. "Which means he could have known Melissa's schedule. Maybe Melissa changed up her routine and surprised him. It wouldn't be the first time he had to act out of self preservation."

Now they're getting somewhere. She doesn't register Espo's phone ringing or his rush to answer it. Her brain is busy putting the puzzle pieces together. "With his history I would say that none of this helps his case. There is always the chance that he knows someone in the building."

"A career criminal in that apartment building? I don't think so. Simon Lark is a career thief and that building is prime real estate. No doorman, no real security measures. They are just asking for a break in." She loves this man and how his mind works. This is so not the time to think about other ways he puts is mind to work that she loves.

Espo's voice pulls her from her inappropriate thoughts, "Uniforms found Simon Lark."

"Well Castle. Looks like we might make that plane after all."

If she is spending the rest of her life in the warmth of his smile the one he is giving her right now will last her. His pure joy builds her up for the interrogation she faces and every other challenge they will face.

TBC...

A/N: Reviews are welcomed and encouraged. This story is getting closer to a lot of Casketty goodness. Just stick with it and I promise the reward will be worth it. Thank you for reading.