Meanwhile, Kate found two gentlemen waiting on the other side when she opened the door. She gave them a quick once over: They looked familiar and they were dressed like plain clothes detectives.

"Detective Beckett?" the stocky man whose hand had been poised to knock on their door again looked a little surprised to find her here. "What are you doing here?"

"I live here," Kate cocked her head. Suddenly she remembered where she knew them. "Detective Sanchez, right?"

"I thought you'd transferred to D.C?" Sanchez frowned.

"I have, so technically I'm no longer a detective, detective." Kate grinned. "It's Agent Beckett now. Why don't you tell me what brings you here?"

"We're actually here to take Mr. Castle in for questioning." Sanchez' partner stepped forward but Kate blocked the door. She instantly widened her stance and crossed her arms automatically.

"May I see the warrant, please?" Jim Beckett inserted himself into the conversation out of nowhere and almost startled his daughter. "Tell Rick to call his lawyers."

"Dad, it's ok, I've got this," Kate was a little surprised by her father's sudden appearance and the abrupt change in his demeanor. She'd never actually observed either of her parents in court but seeing her dad kick into gear now – just like that – was a little impressive. His face and voice reminded her of the one time her parents had quasi cross-examined her on the couch in the living room after they'd caught her sneaking home at 2 a.m. on a school night.

"Oh no, sir, that won't be necessary. We're not here to arrest anybody." Sanchez tried to quickly defuse the situation, "We'd just like to ask Mr. Castle a few follow-up questions regarding our internal investigation into the shooting of Jerry Tyson," he turned from the older Beckett to the younger one, "and since you already happen to be here, perhaps you wouldn't mind coming down to 1PP for a little talk as well, Agent Beckett?"

"Surely you did not just suggest to my daughter, a decorated law enforcement officer, that she forego her right to legal representation, when being interrogated, in front of her lawyer?" Jim stepped forward. "And let's be clear, Detective Sanchez, you're not here about Jerry Tyson. You're here on a fishing expedition to see if you can make any of Jeffrey Lawson's wild accusations stick so you can throw my daughter and her partner under the bus."

"Perhaps your daughter should've thought about that before she slept with a suspect," the other detective sneered and Beckett lunged. From years of experience, Jim instinctively hooked two fingers into the waistband of his daughter's jeans, tugging her softly back, to keep her in place before she could get into the man's face.

"That's right, Beckett, we know all about your little secret. What, you thought we wouldn't find out? Funny how everybody from your precinct failed to mention in their affidavits that the lead detective on the case liked to spread her legs for the prime suspect." Sanchez' partner continued to rile up Kate.

"Gentlemen, enough already!" Jim Beckett barked and stepped between the tall detective and his daughter.

"What's going on here?" Rick chose this particular moment to find out what the commotion at his front door was all about. "Detectives Clarke and Sanchez! To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit? No wait, let me guess, starts with Jeffrey and ends with Lawson, am I right?" Castle's face dropped when he saw the fire in his fiancée's eyes and the tense looks on the other men's faces. "Seriously, what's going on here?" His tone suddenly became a whole lot more demanding.

"Don't say a word, Rick!" Jim instructed him quickly.

"Am I being arrested?" Castle squeaked nervously, as usual ignoring any instructions he received, which attracted his mother's attention who came rushing to the front door as well.

"Again?!" She quipped. Castle and the Becketts shook their heads 'no' at her and shooed her away before she made things worse.

Sanchez stepped forward and took control of the conversation to smooth over things, "Once again, no one's getting arrested. I apologize for my partner's remarks about your daughter, sir, they were out of line," he cast Clarke an angry glare, "though he does have a point regarding the non-disclosure of – what I assume now," he glanced back and forth between Kate and Rick, "is an ongoing relationship between Detective Beckett and Mr. Castle."

"What remarks?" Castle narrowed his eyes at Clarke. Kate shook her head and mouthed later.

"So let's start over again. We are, in fact, not here about Jeffrey Lawson, counselor. Granted, we've re-opened the investigation into the shooting of Jerry Tyson because of his crusade against Mr. Castle and the NYPD. As a result, we have reviewed all our records from the investigation and checked with the archives to identify who had access to the sealed records."

"Nobody," Beckett interjected and Sanchez nodded.

"Indeed, Detective Beckett you're correct. I suppose you've been in touch with your former team the whole time?" She nodded her head. "Now imagine my surprise when I found out that the records had been sealed a few days after we shut down our investigation. Add to that that nobody's tried to access them since, I do have to wonder how does Jeffrey Lawson know certain details from the shooting on the bridge?"

"Someone from the precinct must have blabbed. Much as it pains me to say," Castle explained but Kate cut him off.

"He thinks it's one of us."

"You can't be serious!" Rick shouted. "Why on earth would I start a smear campaign against myself? Have you been listening to the shit coming out of Lawson's mouth?"

"Yes, we have." Clarke inserted himself back into the conversation, "And not all of it is lies, is it?" He pointed at the engagement ring on Beckett's finger. "So I have to ask, there were three people on the bridge, you two and Jerry Tyson. One is dead, the other two have been secretly in cahoots the whole time. I've looked into your sales numbers for your latest book. Derrick Storm's turned out to be quite the shelf warmer, hasn't he? Perhaps you thought you could boost sales for your next one with a little publicity stunt?"

"By crucifying the woman I love?" Castle yelled enraged. "What possible reason could I have to do that? If I wanted to boost sales for the next Nikki Heat, all I'd have to do is shout from the rooftops that I'm engaged to the real Nikki Heat. Fans would gobble that up so quickly, Black Pawn's presses couldn't print fast enough to meet the demands."

"If neither you nor Detective Beckett have talked, that only leaves a third option. Dead men don't talk, Mr. Castle, and going through your statement again I've noticed some inconsistencies and allusions that Jerry Tyson might still be alive. At the time I paid no heed to your veiled insinuations but I have to ask you now, Mr. Castle, would you care to amend your statement?"

Jim raised his eyebrows and Martha sighed in the background. Kate and Rick exchanged long glances, having a silent conversation.

"Do you think Jerry Tyson might be behind all this?" Castle finally asked Sanchez.

"I don't know, Mr. Castle. That's what I'd like to find out, so I'm asking you. I'm just pursuing every possible angle in my investigation."

"Isn't it the official position of the NYPD that Tyson is dead?"

"Yes, but still Mr. Castle managed to convince his friend the mayor to talk the police commissioner into sealing the Tyson files. Personally. You don't do that on a mere hunch. So, Mr. Castle would you, please, come down to 1PP with us to update your previous statement."

Rick weighed his options and opened his mouth to say yes but Kate's father intercepted him.

"If you go down with them now and walk out of the building accompanied by two plain clothes detectives, the media will have a field day with you, son." Jim warned him. "If it's really necessary for him and my daughter to give their statements at 1PP, I will drive them there personally in a separate car, but perhaps it's possible to conduct your interviews here at the loft? I worry that my clients' co-operation with the police could be construed as an admission of guilt in the eye of the public."

Oh her father was good, Kate had to give him that. She would've never thought about public appearances if she and Rick had simply left the building in the company of two NYPD detectives. Even if some of the paparazzi camping outside their building had recognized the two plainclothes, they had no proof as to where they were going and on what kind of business. Eduardo was probably the most discreet doorman in all of Manhattan and would never talk to the vultures.

Sanchez nodded, "Of course." He looked at his partner who huffed, "I s'ppose."

"Good," Jim nodded and pointed at Sanchez, "and if you don't mind, you'll be asking all the questions, I don't like his attitude."

"Sure," Sanchez nodded eagerly, "and my sincere apologies again."

"It's not me who needs the apology and it's not you who owes my daughter one."

"What remarks?" Castle piped up again as he led the group inside. Kate pulled him aside and promised to fill him in after the detectives left. She knew Rick would show a lot less restraint than her father did, who may have been secretly fuming, standing beside her as the insults were hurled at her, but showed enough composure not to act on his instincts. Castle, on the other hand, would probably tackle Clarke and clock him in the face or at least demand a duel to defend her honor. There were after all real swords in his office.

They opted for the living room over the study, hoping the open space and casual setting would help keep tempers even. Kate's father called his associate to let him know that he had to fill in for him in court this afternoon. Martha sent Jim a grateful look. He'd decided to sit in on the interview to see where it was going and so he could step in the minute he didn't like the direction it was going, too. He hadn't really handled any criminal law cases since his wife was murdered but his knowledge should suffice for now and he could always end the interview and get his daughter and future son-in-law better attorneys.

Clarke pulled out a folder from his briefcase and handed it over to his partner. Sanchez glanced over the documents, "In your previous statement, you weren't able to provide us with too many details about the shooting."

Castle nodded, "My memories were a little bit hazy. It all happened too fast."

"We've used Detective Beckett's statement to fill the gaps in yours, so if you don't mind we'd like to go over your account again and see if your memories have become clearer."

"They have actually." Rick nodded. "I used a notebook to write them down as they came back. You're welcome to take a look at it if you want."

"That's great." Sanchez nodded. "Detective, feel free to jump in if you disagree with your fiancé's description of events."

"If at any point during this interview we get the impression that you're in cahoots, we'll end this informal interview and question you separately down at 1PP." Clarke clarified.

"Of course, but we've got nothing to hide. Everything happened the way we've previously described. Our stories won't change."

"Good, then let's start on the bridge after you left the abandoned warehouse. You said before you didn't notice anyone following you, is that still correct?"

"Yes, but I wasn't really paying attention. She was driving and I was in the passenger seat. I was still a little overwhelmed by everything that had happened to me over the last twenty-four hours. We were talking about the case and Tyson. Beckett had to stop because the bridge went up to let a ship pass. I remember I thanked Detective Beckett for her faith in me, that's when Tyson rammed our car."

"What happened next?"

"He tried to run us off the road or at least to the end of the bridge. Suddenly we stood still and Kate told me to duck. So I did. That's when he opened fire on us." He glanced at Kate and smiled. One of the few times he'd actually followed her orders. "She must have unfastened her seatbelt because next thing I know she got out of the car with her gun drawn. I couldn't really turn around because I was still wearing my seatbelt but I heard multiple shots. I can't tell you who fired how many but suddenly there was silence again."

"You couldn't see anything through the rearview mirror?"

Rick shook his head. "I kept my head down since I was actually looking for Beckett's back up. I had hoped she'd pulled it out before she left the car but she hadn't. All I found was a spare magazine. That meant I was a sitting duck inside the car. I assumed Kate was down because if she'd hit and subdued Tyson she would've let me known by now. I realized I had to get out before he could sneak up on me.

That's when I heard him taunt me. 'Castle, I got your girl,' he sing-songed." And Rick's imitation was so dead-on it sent shivers down the spines of the other occupants of the room. Kate glanced worriedly at her father who was hearing the details for the first time.

"That's when I knew I had to do something. I snuck out the driver's side and cowered while I heard Tyson approach on the other side. He was so focused on the passenger seat, he never saw me crawl to the back of the car. He kept taunting me, telling me that he was going to kill Kate and make me watch it. Then he was going to kill me. I searched for something I could use as a weapon to hit him with and that's when I saw Kate's gun next to the tire. I picked it up, rounded the trunk, aimed at Tyson and called out, 'Over here.' The minute he turned around, I emptied the rest of the magazine into him."

Sanchez and Clarke sent each other knowing looks and nodded slowly.

"What? It was self-defense, if I hadn't shot first, he would've put a bullet through Kate's stomach before I had a chance to."

"No, Mr. Castle. We're not rethinking our ruling." Sanchez leaned forward and explained, "The last time we interviewed you, you couldn't remember how you got Detective Beckett's gun or how many times you fired her gun."

"Seven," Rick replied immediately, "but I know that from the ballistics report, not from memory. I pulled the trigger until no more bullets came out."

"But you do remember taking aim?"

"Yes," Castle nodded and patted his chest right below his right clavicle. "The first round hit him here, the next few straight into the middle." Rick rubbed his sternum to show where the remaining entry wounds would've been if they'd found a body.

"You didn't aim for his head?" Clarke dug a little deeper.

"No, god no!" Castle choked up a little bit and glanced at Kate.

"How can you be so sure?" The detective continued.

"Because his head was too close to Kate's. I'm a good shot but I'd never take such a risk."

Sanchez and Clarke nodded and jotted down a few notes on their notepads. "Detective Beckett, could Jerry Tyson have worn a bullet proof vest? You were standing closest to him."

"I didn't see or feel anything but it is possible." Kate conceded. "I wasn't really paying attention to that."

"In your opinion, Mr. Castle, did you lethally wound Jerry Tyson?"

Rick licked his lips and glanced at Kate again before he shook his head no. "I think 3XK planned the showdown on the bridge far in advance and prepared for the shooting. He wanted me to shoot him so he could disappear into the night while everyone thought he was dead."

"How so? He couldn't have known you'd be on the bridge at that particular moment."

"No of course not, but he certainly could have and probably did continue to follow me and Detective Beckett around. The bridge was the only route back to Manhattan."

"You mean after you escaped from jail." Clarke clarified.

"Look, I did what I had to do to survive. When the Triple Killer sneaks into a police precinct full of seasoned cops without anyone noticing, you tend to lose your faith in the system. He told me he had people waiting for me in the tombs. Your people could've never protected me – and that's not even taking into account that he could've bribed a dirty guard." Castle defended himself.

"Even if 3XK trailed you to the abandoned warehouse, how could he have known that the bridge would be up?"

"Have you tried to follow up with harbor patrol about that ship passing through which prompted the draw of the bridge?" Castle raised his eyebrows. "If you did, you would know there never was a ship. I talked to the worker in charge that night and he explained that something must have interfered with the system. Co-incidence? I say not. You may guess three times who sent the signal to lift the bridge. It's all in my notes."

"Tyson did something unusual," Kate recalled another detail, "he fell back into the car, pretending I had wounded him. I stopped shooting and walked up to the car. He pushed the door open and knocked me down. That's how he overpowered me. He could've just returned the fire and killed me, instead he used a ruse to hold me hostage."

"He wanted to kill you in front of Mr. Castle's eyes. He wanted him to watch and suffer helplessly," Detective Sanchez reasoned.

"That's what I think, too, but I just realized something. Tyson let go of me almost immediately when the first bullet hit him. He jerked back violently; he never squeezed the trigger on my waist. Granted it could have been the impact but I think his hand might have even come off me a few seconds before Castle fired the shot. He jerked his head back and pulled away… It was as if he wanted to present Castle with a specific target. I didn't think much of it back then but now it makes me wonder why he stumbled back so quickly and never even tried to regain balance. It was as if he wanted to fall off that bridge. He could've held onto me and taken me with him but he didn't." Kate looked up and saw the pained expression on her father's face and Martha looked a little green around the gills.

"Think about it," Castle picked up the story, "it's the perfect disappearing act. The man was shot multiple times, fell off a bridge at a height where the impact on the water surface equals that of concrete and then drowns in the river. That's the definition of overkill. With everyone assuming that he's dead, he can go about his merry business. Nobody will suspect 3XK because he's officially dead, even if the MO were identical. Everyone will think it's a copycat."

"So you had the files sealed," Clarke noted impressed. "If a body turns up with identical marks suggesting similar MO, you'll know it can't be a copycat because details were never released to the public and media."

Rick nodded, "It seemed the best solution under the circumstances. He might get away with a few murders but eventually some law enforcement officer will notice the similar MOs and put two and two together and request the 3XK files to look for copycats or possible partners. That's when the noose tightens around Tyson's neck."

"Both you and Detective Beckett have pointed out that the doppelganger Tyson hired to impersonate you at the jewelry store fits 3XK's habit of using a partner. Why do you think he chose Jeffrey Lawson?" Clarke asked.

"I don't think Tyson is Lawson's source." Rick retorted. "It wouldn't make sense. The whole purpose of staging the shoot out on the bridge was to disappear so he could start killing again. Drawing this kind of unnecessary attention to himself would be counterproductive to his plans."

"Maybe you're underestimating the grudge he's holding against you. Maybe he wants you dead after all? Or at least see your reputation in shambles?" Sanchez pointed out.

"While that is a possibility, I still think it's unlikely." Castle was not yet convinced. "Let's assume he did provide Lawson with information about it. He must have known that the accusations eventually wouldn't stick."

"You wouldn't be the first innocent man to die in prison." Clarke pointed out. "You almost found that out first hand."

Rick shook his head, "And then what? It's over. He doesn't get to toy with me anymore. It's far more pleasurable for Tyson to know that I know that he might still be out there and killing again. He gets off on my fear and guilt that one day he could walk back into my life unannounced. Any day. But he must also know that next time he comes after my children, my mother or my wife, I will hunt him down and will not rest until I put him down like the sick dog that he is." Castle seethed.

"Castle!" Kate exclaimed shocked. She knew Rick had this darker side to him ever since she let him torture the suspect to get the location of Alexis but it still made her hair stand on end.

"Rick!" Jim warned him to express such desires in front of the police.

"Richard!" Martha shook her head disapprovingly, too.

Clarke actually grinned, "Think I might look the other way if that particular case crossed my desk."

"So what are you going to do?" Castle wanted to know.

"Keep looking for the leak." Sanchez shrugged his shoulders. "In light of the accusations brought against NYPD, 1PP ordered a case review but I don't think their official position on 3XK will change."

"So you're not going to pursue 3XK as a fugitive?" Beckett clarified.

"Doubtful. We're going to update his file with the information we got from you today but that's all we can do. The big guns don't like to admit we might have made a mistake. Least of all, they want the public to know that a serial killer we all thought had been apprehended might still be on the loose. We'll flag his file, though, so that every time someone pulls any of his records or just makes an inquiry, we'll get a notification." Clarke shook his head then turned to Castle, "Would it be possible to take a look at your notes?"

"Of course," Rick nodded eager to help and disappeared into his study.

"As for Lawson, that's up to the lawyers," Sanchez continued. "We've dotted every i and crossed all our ts in this investigation as we were asked to do, and while our records need to reflect that Detective Beckett and Mr. Castle omitted the true nature of their relationship, they technically didn't lie, since we never asked. Taking into account the timing, which establishes that the relationship predated the investigation, I think the accusation that Detective Beckett slept with a suspect might be a bit misleading. It just so happened that her partner-turned-lover became the prime suspect in their own investigation, especially because he was set up. Under these circumstances I consider Detective Beckett's behavior more as an act of questionable judgment than criminal intent, so it should be punished accordingly. However, since Detective Beckett has already left the force, disciplinary punishment would be rather difficult to enforce retroactively, so I think Detective Beckett will count her blessings and thank her lucky stars she got off with a slap on the wrist this time."

Castle returned with two medium-sized Moleskin notebooks. "It's actually three notebooks. I kept a note of everything about the investigation, memories, lab reports, test results, witness statements. I can't find the third one right now, but these two have all the essential notes. I must have taken the other one with me to D.C. and left it in the hotel."

"I'll look for it on Wednesday when I fly back and have it sent to you," Kate promised.

"Thank you," Clarke accepted the black notebooks from the writer and exchanged cards with Kate. "I'll have them returned to you once we've made copies. Would you rather have them shipped to your address in D.C. or the loft here?"

"Loft would be perfect," Castle replied, "we don't have a permanent address in D.C. yet."

The detectives thanked them once again for their co-operation before they said their good-byes.

"Wow," Kate let out a shaky breath and fell back into the couch, "I knew they'd come to talk to us eventually but I didn't expect them so soon."

"1PP must be worried if they're sending out their bloodhounds so early." Castle observed.

"Okay, kids, I really need to get back to the office now. Call me if they come back or they send someone else to harass you. I'll slap them with so many court orders and complaints, they'll spend Christmas still filing paperwork."

"Thank you, Jim." Castle was truly grateful. "If nothing else, I would've walked out with them, thinking none of it, and fuelled rumors about my involvement."

"Don't mention it, son." Jim Beckett patted his shoulders before he leaned over the back of the couch to kiss his daughter on her head through her hair. "Bye, sweetheart, be careful."

"Don't worry, dad," Kate turned around and smiled at her father. She was going to add that as a cop she was always careful but the strange look on her father's face made her frown. It had that distinct paternal, 'You didn't think you'd get away with that?' ring to it. Somehow she didn't think the last comment was about the Lawson scandal. Was that…? She strained her ears to listen. Was her father humming?

While Castle and Beckett watched Jim's retreating form confused, Martha recognized the tune immediately and burst out laughing. As Kate's father bent to pick up his briefcase, he raised his voice to sing quietly, "Your life, little girl, is an empty page that men will want to write on."

"DAD!" Kate jumped off the couch shocked. Her father completely ignored her protest and stuck his head together with her future mother-in-law. The two of them chuckled and hummed their way through the rest of the song as she walked him to the door. All Castle and Beckett could do was watched their parents in utter disbelief.

"This is bad," Rick commented.

"Yep," Kate stressed the final consonant, "they've been in cahoots this whole time."

"Yep," Castle looked at his fiancée, "I don't like this one bit. If we don't watch out, we'll spend every Thanksgiving and Christmas at their mercy."

They exchanged worried glances and Beckett groaned, "We're toast. We're never gonna hear the end of it. I liked it better when they were arguing." The couple watched their parents hug and kiss good-bye at the door.

"Sex is off the table now, isn't it?" Rick asked quietly, his eyes still trained on their parents at the door.

"Oh most definitely," Kate huffed and looked around the loft searching for her phone.

"What I thought," Castle sighed and stuffed his hands in his pocket. "For the record, you started it."

Beckett stopped looking for a moment and smiled at her fiancé patronizingly, "Oh Castle, twice divorced and still you don't know that it's always the man's fault."

"How can it be my fault when you came on to me?" He defended himself. "Wasn't my nimble fingers that lowered zippers sneakily and without warning."

Kate cocked her head and stalked over to him like a woman on a mission. Castle swallowed and backed away slowly. She declared confidently, "Well, it certainly ain't my fault that you're so damn cute and irresistible."

Rick gave a bashful smile and tilted his head sheepishly as he bumped into a piece of furniture that cut off his escape route.

"Tell me how on earth am I supposed to keep my hands to myself," She came to a stop in front of him, her face only inches away from his, and reached out as if to touch him, "when you're the only person in the world who can give me exactly what I need?"

"Kate," he squeaked before he quickly cleared his throat, "parents!" He flicked his eyes to the door to remind her.

"I know," she dismissed his concern and reached behind him to grab her cell. "I meant my phone. I want to call Lanie and see if she's got time to go dress shopping and possibly get wasted so I can permanently erase my embarrassing memories of my father walking in on us in the kitchen and torturing us with it."

Castle's jaw dropped to the floor shocked.

"What? You thought I was talking about something else?" She smirked.

"You're a cock tease, Katherine Beckett." He spluttered, "Coming on to me like that. Again! False advertising is what that is."

"I never made any promises," Kate trailed off as she saw the alert on her display. "Oh, a text from Espo."

"What's it say?" Rick's curiosity was piqued.

She held up the phone for him to read along, "BOLO on Sanchez & Clarke. Tricked Ryan + me into spilling the beans about u, so expect them soon. Sry."

Castle and Beckett looked at each other and started laughing hysterically.