Another Week Another Murder
Monday morning bright and early Detective Katherine Beckett-Castle exits the elevator and heads to her desk. There is a bounce in her walk always now. She has a smile on her face. Unlike her former life just a short time ago when she rarely had much to smile about, she has a lot to smile about now. The other officers in the precinct see it and are happy for her. She can't hide what she feels inside. And she doesn't want to hide it anyway. Her personal life is now filled with happiness and it spills over to her everyday life.
After the grief and trouble last week over her DNA, she is ready to start a full work week and to hit the streets so she can do that wild and crazy thing she does like doing. Putting criminals behind bars
Ryan and Esposito are both already hard at work at their desks. Kevin Ryan looks up "Hey Beckett…uh! Excuse me Castle good morning. It is going to take me sometime to change that in my head"
"Good morning both of you and it is still Beckett here" At work she is still detective Beckett. It's simpler and less confusion that way. "Thanks to both of you for coming over for diner on Friday. Rick and I really enjoyed having everyone there."
"No problem boss. Lanie and I really enjoyed it. It was fantastic. I think we know why you married Castle now. He's a pretty good cook"
"Yeah Javi he is. But I promise his cooking is not the only reason. And, by the way, I want to thank both of you for your support for Castle and me over these last few years."
Esposito responds "Not a problem. Everyone knew this is where you two needed to be."
"Thanks anyway. Well, do we have anything active?"
Ryan speaks up "No just waiting for something. Anything"
And just as if someone were watching, Kate's desk phone rings "Beckett." She starts making notes "We're on our way"
Beckett looks to her team "Pier 12. The dock workers smelled something and Port Authority found a body inside a shipping container. They are turning it over to us"
Kate grabs her jacket and the three walk to the elevator. Just as Ryan pushes the call button, the door open and there stands Kate's husband holding his usual morning kiss to his girl, two cups of steaming coffee. "Hi guys, heading out already?"
Kate takes her cup "Come on writer boy, we got us a smelly one"
Decomp is not Richard Castle's favorite place to be. "Oh Yuck! Do I have to?"
"Yes you do. If you are going to keep following me around like a puppy dog, you got to go to the good and the bad. Remember what the preacher said in our vows 'For Better or For Worse'. This one falls into the 'worse' category"
"Thanks Kate"
Once down in the garage Ryan and Esposito get into their cruiser and Kate and Rick into hers. "So Kate, have you heard anything from Lanie yet this morning?"
"No but she usually is tied up early clearing case paperwork from the week end crew until about noon. Why?"
"I just thought you two might have already ordered the invitations, flowers and hired the DJ for the reception"
"You are very funny. I am not sure about Lanie was doing, but if I remember correctly I was very much otherwise engaged most of yesterday and focused on some other activities."
"Me too" Castle smiles over to his girl "Hey, I have the picture of the dress in my pocket so if we get time today we can go over to Eduard's studio and meet with him about it. OK?"
A tremendous smile appears on Kate's face with his statement. "Sure, Castle we can do that later after we get this case going"
They arrive at the docks to find the dock foreman standing next to a row of shipping containers. He is talking to the Port Authority uniforms. Rick and Kate walk up to the group "Detective Kate Beckett" showing her ID to the group "What do we have?
The Port Authority Officer points to the dock worker "Dennis O'Leary here thought he smelled something this morning. When he opened the doors he found this" again pointing to the open shipping container.
Looking into the container, they see Dr Parish kneeling down next to the body. She is wearing a surgical mask coated with menthol to block the smell.
"Hey Lanie" Beckett starts up
Dr. Parish looks to the door of the box, she stands up and walks to the opening, taking the mask off her ear "Hello sweetie" then looking toward Rick "and you too Castle."
"What do you have?"
"White male, mid forties, blunt force trauma to the right side of his head. No weapon found. It's hard to tell time of death since the body has been in this oven for several days" pointing around the doorway "I will have more for you when I get him on my table"
"Have any idea on type of weapon?"
"Looks like the object was irregular in shape. Possibly a brick, stone, piece of concrete. There seems to be some stone particles in the wound. It might just be a weapon of convenience. Something the killer picked up and used it on the victim"
"So you didn't find what caused the wound?"
"No, but he was not killed here. The body was moved. You might find the weapon if we find the location where he was killed"
"Ok Lanie, keep me informed." As Rick and Kate step away from the container they see that Ryan and Esposito are questioning the longshoremen standing around.
When Beckett and Castle walk up to join the other two detectives one of the men whistles at Kate. "Hey baby, I don't remember ever being questioned by a cop that looks like you! If you ever want to learn how much load a longshoreman can carry, I'll be happy to show you"
"You know why you don't ever remember being questioned by a cop like me? It's because she beat you senseless and now you have long term memory loss"
That response gains a large amount of laughter from the others in the group. Beckett motions for the other two to join her away from the crowd. "Are you getting anywhere with them?"
"No. You got more conversation that we did. I really don't think they know anything. They are mostly talk and no action"
"All right. Get everything from the Port cops and we'll meet you back at the station. Rick and I have a stop to make before we go beck"
Ryan looks over at Castle with a smirk on his face "You two need to make a stop Huh?"
"Get your mind out of the gutter Kevin. We are stopping at the dress maker to get started on Kate's wedding dress"
"Wedding dress! So you two really aren't married yet?"
Kate responds "Yes we are married. But Rick and I are going to have a formal ceremony in the Hamptons so everyone can be there. We just need to get my dress made. That will take several weeks to do. So we have to get started. That's all"
"Right!" Esposito comments with a laugh
Castle and Beckett get back into her cruiser and head out to the garment district
When they arrive at the design studio it is obvious that major changes have taken place since the last time they were here. First there is no parking available directly in front like there was before. When they walk in the front door and into the lobby, there are several people in the room. Some are talking with each other very loudly. When Rick and Kate enter the lobby, the conversations suddenly stop. Several of the occupants of the chairs point at Kate and start whispering among them selves.
As before the raven haired receptionist looks up. "Mr. Castle, Ms. Beckett. OH! Excuse me Mrs. Castle. I am so glad to see you again." She jumps up comes around the desk and puts Kate into a bear hug "Congratulations! I am so happy for you two"
"Thank you Brittany" Rick responds "Is he in?"
"Of course. Go on in I'll let him know you are here. He is going to be so happy to see you two"
Kate and Rick enter the second door and into the work room like before. What they don't know is back in the lobby Brittany is being bombarded with questions.
"Was that the writer Richard Castle? Was that Nikki Heat? Isn't .she the one who wore that dress in Las Vegas, right?"
Brittany answers "YES! YES! YES! And they are married"
Inside the work room Kate sees more tables, more workers, more dresses being worked on. Then the inner door opens "There is the happy married couple. Wow did you two make my day for me."
Rick reaches out and shakes his hand "Hi Claude, I am glad this worked out. It actually went better than we planned"
"Oh yes it did. We never talked about you two getting married" looking at Kate "wearing my design."
"Well Claude, I love the dress. It was unbelievable how it looked."
Ricks continues "Right! It looked unbelievable. On her" pointing at his wife
"Rick, I have to say she is unbelievable"
"Yes she is. So Claude, we are here for a real wedding dress" Castle pulls the wrinkled picture out of his pocket and hands it to Claude
Claude looks at the image of the dress then looks up to Kate. "Richard, this dress will look amazing on this amazing woman"
Castle looks over at Kate with pure love in his eves "Yes, Claude. I know"
Kate is standing beside her husband listening to this conversation. She is now finding it more and more difficult to concentrate on anything else. This man is fawning over her and driving her crazy. She is married to him for Pete's Sake. They get to touch one another any time they want. Yet why does she feel giddy like a school girl with a crush on the star athlete.
She finally snaps out of her dreaming "Hey guys. I have a real job and I have to get back to it"
Claude turns to her "Kate, we will get started and I will call you when we are ready for your first fitting. In the mean time congratulations again you two"