AN: From this chapter on I will change the format of the headlines to "time, hours since kidnapping" for future references. Because I needed to scroll up to check how many days it has been, so for you my dear readers it should be even worse. I hope this will help you to keep track of the story. So lets get it started.

9:07 pm, ~62h:

After a short stop to pick up Chinese takeout Beckett returns to the precinct. Ryan is powering down his PC. 'Ryan, how far did you get with the surveillance tape?'

'From midnight till one hour after the time we estimate Castle was taken I could identify nearly all persons entering or leaving as tenants of the building. For the last thirteen I didn't recognize I will check in with George on my way home. If he reveals something new about them I will contact you.'

'Want some of the takeout for on the way?'

'No thanks, I will have dinner with Jenny. Do you have anything.'

'No, this is the worst case ever.'

'Night, Beckett.'

'Night, Ryan.' With that the two of them part, one to settle in for another long night and the other to get a little distance from the case or it will eat him alive.

Dumping her purse and jacket on the chair Beckett takes a quick overview about the reports, nothing new since she left for the hotel.

She needs something to do or else her imagination and experience will drive her nuts, so heading over to the meeting room she takes in how Karpowski set up the fan mail. Luckily for her it is an easy system, on the tables in the middle of the room are the unprocessed letters in boxes and on the sides of the room boxes labeled with "Unsuspicious", "Second opinion" and "Forward to Dr. Holloway".

The takeout is already forgotten as she takes a seat and picks up the first letter. The time seemed to fly and after what seems only a couple of minutes, but are hours she went through a lot of letters. Most of these letters were sent from female groupies with pictures attached, which were nearly from the quality you see on porn sites. Some angry letters about the death of Storm, followed by letters from the same writers stating that Nikki Heat is even better. The lone angry mails and crazy ones went into the basket for Dr. Holloway to double check.

Around midnight her stomach growls and she realized that lunch was the last meal she had. Standing up she goes to her desk and picks up the cold noddles. After getting the noddles nuked in the microwave she settles on the comfy couch in the break room. Deciding she will head home after her snack.

2:13am, 67h:

Beckett moves down an deserted alley, a bad felling in her stomach. Near to the next intersection she sees a woman standing, who looks on the ground. Beckett wants to stop, but something pulls her towards the unknown woman. As she gets closer she sees another body lying on the ground. 'Oh no', she whispers.

Something about the woman stirs up a feeling, she knew her. Beckett is only an arm's length away from her. She can smell copper and as the woman turns around she looks into the eyes of her mother, 'It is your fault that he is dead! You killed him!'

'Yeah, you killed me', Castle agrees.

'Nooo', Beckett yells as she sits up on the couch, 'Damn it, another nightmare.'

6:15am, 71h:

Ryan nearly runs into Esposito, who stands in the hallway leading to the bullpen. 'Morning bro, what are you doing?'
'Take a look for yourself', Esposito says while pointing into the bullpen. 'When did you see her act like that the last time?'
Ryan steps next to him and takes a good look. Beckett unaware of her surroundings is at the murder board, sliding up and down in front of it. Her nose is only inches away from the board when she tries to get a better look at the pictures posted on it. Then she takes a step back and looks into the case file for something, but there isn't more to add. So she starts the routine one more time going over every aspect, her nose again short of making contact.

'It reminds me how she acted in the home invasion case', Ryan comments.

'Yeah and only Castle could stop her', Esposito agrees.

'She wont like my report about the surveillance tape.'

'You pulled a blank.'

'Indeed, except ….'

'Except what bro?'

'Our Beckett twin is a little bit on the slutty side. George remembers that she entered the building with a couple different tenants. Sometimes leaving after half an hour, sometimes staying longer.'

'You think she is a professional?'
'It could be, but it is not relevant for the case.'

'But what should we do with her', asks Ryan.

'Lets observe her and if she get's worse we can always tip of Lanie.'
'Sounds like a plan for me.'

The two walk over to their desks, greeting Beckett. She acknowledge the detectives and instead of prancing in the front of the white board she takes a seat at her desk and starts pushing case files from right to left on it and then from left to right. Every now and then she takes a peak at the board comparing it with the notes in the file she holds in her hands.

But no new leads came up.

Ryan and Esposito work their lists, making sure that nothing goes unnoticed, but even fine combing doesn't reap results.

11:30 am, ~76h

Ryan's phone rings, picking it up he says, 'Detective Ryan, Homicide …. that is correct …. Where? …. How did she get there? …. When? …. Does she has proof? …. No, then she alibis out, we don't need to interview her. …. Thanks for the call.'

Slamming the telephone receiver he turns around and states, 'We officially have zilch. Our last suspect just alibied out.'

'Details, Ryan', Beckett commands.

'They caught Chloe Richardson playing with her kid at the orphanage. And it seems that she had receipts for the bus on her. They are checking the surveillance from the bus stations for the time Castle vanished, but I don't believe that she didn't took the bus.'

A visibly shaken Beckett grasps her purse, 'I go have lunch, call me if something comes up.'

The detectives nod and watch her leave the bullpen, sighing as she takes the turn which will lead her deeper into the building.

'Good, she is heading for the morgue. That is one awkward call less we have to make.'

'True, bro, true', Esposito agrees.

11:36 am, ~76h:

Lanie looks up from her paperwork as somebody burst into the morgue. Taking in the appearance of Beckett she stands up and closing the distance to her. With a closer look she can see the make up, put on in a thick layer around the eyes. 'Kate, something happened?'

'No, everything is fine. I simply have no leads to find Castle. I only know that the blood was his, what type of weapon was used, but no suspect turns up. It is like the perfect crime he would write about.'

'Kate, that is not what I have meant. You look like you didn't sleep in the last couple of days.'

'It is nothing.'

'Come on, girlfriend. You may fool the other detectives, but not me. I can see the make up, you know.'

'Okay, I will spill, but if you tell anybody I deny everything.'

'Deal.'

'I have nightmares every time I try to sleep. You know the alley my mother was found in?'
Lanie nods.

'I walk the alley down, half the times I only find him dead on the ground and he blames me. The other times …'

'The other times, what Kate?'

'My mother stands over him and both blame me.'

'Oh my' Lanie says, before she pulls Beckett into an embrace and starts to let her hand move in comforting circles on her back. 'Do you believe that Castle went behind your back and was digging in your mothers past?'

'No, I only fear it and that I lose Castle to the same shadow man I lost my mother to', Beckett sobs into her shoulder.