This chapter is almost entirely written by my co-author. He is doing this writing thing for the first time and I might say, he is doing an awesome job with that.
Love you all who reviewed and shared their thoughts. Your reviews are insightful and very neat. They help us evolve and be better writers. Thank you guys, you rock!
*Hug* for lv2bnsb1 who edited the chapter.
Ryan and Esposito walk back into the precinct, suspect in tow, noting that the bullpen was quiet, nobody around - so the homicide floor seemed deserted.
"Don't see Beckett yet... or Castle for that matter." Ryan takes a quick glance around the room.
"Not in the break room either. Must be still at the morgue. I think that is where they were heading," Esposito notes to his partner. He turns to the uniformed officer who is also accompanying them, "Take him into interrogation room one, we will take it from there in a minute."
The junior officer, a fresh rookie not long out of the academy, nods his head, and escorts the suspect down the hall.
"Hey Javi, what's the time?" Ryan asks from his partner, stopping him on his tracks.
"Two forty-five. Why do you ask?"
"Oh Jenny is swinging by with her cousin, for the double date around seven or so. Plenty of time. Let's see if we can finish up all this before then," Ryan quips as he strides to his desk, grabs his notepad, ready to interrogate the self-confessed murderer.
Esposito sits down in his own chair, leans back with his hands behind his head, and looks back at his partner. "This doesn't quite ring true, you know."
Ryan stops. "What do you mean?"
"Well the suspect confesses as soon as he realizes we are cops, the consulate staff barely knows him, and look at him? Would you seriously think he could kill a guy? He's too well dressed." The last phrase comes out with a small chuckle.
"Heh yeah. His suit does look good doesn't it?" Ryan chuckles along as well. He notes Esposito is looking back at him, a smile still on his face, but questioning at the same time. Ryan's stands up straight, confusion on his face, "What?"
Esposito pauses for a few seconds, then asks calmly, "What on earth were you thinking inviting Castle out on a double date with Jenny, and her cousin, bro. Didn't you see Beckett's face?"
"Oh she didn't like it?" He starts to shuffle back and forth on his feet, a worried expression on his face, "Well not much I can do about it now. Jenny has been planning this for a couple of weeks. Can't stop the night."
Esposito laughs, jumps up out of his chair, and strolls towards the interrogation room, Ryan close behind him. "Don't be surprised if she busts you down to traffic after that."
"Oh, she won't be that mad, would she?" His brows knot in concern.
Esposito glances at his partner as he opens the interrogation room door, his expression showing he thought Ryan's last comment highly improbable.
The suspect was already seated at the table as the two detectives take their seats opposite him. Ryan studies him for a few seconds, noting the neatly parted hair, impeccably groomed moustache, fitted dark blue suit, expensive cufflinks, and a Rolex to boot, gracing his wrist.
"Italian, eh?" Ryan asks the man across the table.
The suspect looks a little taken aback, and replies, "No, I am Estonian."
"I mean the suit. Looks expensive." Ryan smirks.
"Oh yes. Italian made. Very comfortable." the man replies quietly.
Esposito looks down at his notes, and takes over the questioning, "So Mr... Kask. Peeter Kask. Do I have that right?" The suspect now identified as Peeter nods. "You have been informed of your rights?"
The suspect nods once more.
"So tell me the story. How and why did you kill the new Consulate General? We are both dying to know," Esposito says to the guy with a clear sarcasm in his voice. Both Ryan and Esposito lean forward, arms on the table awaiting the response.
Peeter answers abruptly, "Well I didn't like his manner. I thought he treated his predecessor badly, as well as the other staff, so I took measures."
Ryan and Esposito both look and each other, eyebrows raised. Esposito looks back at Peeter. "That's it?" You killed him because you didn't like him?" The detective was clearly unconvinced. "So... how did you kill him? Walk us through it."
"Well, I stole a bike." he mumbles. Takes a break and appears to be thinking hard. "I pulled up to the car, and I … I shot him through the window...no wait, the door," he comes up with a response.
Ryan pauses for a second to gauge Peeter's answer. "Really? So where did you get the shotgun?"
Peeter is hesitant in his reply, "I bought if from a guy in Queens. Backstreet somewhere."
"Somewhere? You don't remember?" Esposito asks skeptically.
"I can't remember the street name at the moment!" the man is getting nervous.
"And the bike? Where did you hide it?"
"Well, err... I dumped it somewhere east of the park." Peeter is now looking even more uncomfortable. He returns the detectives' gaze, but is unable to hold it for long. They in turn, remain silent.
Ryan finally clears his throat, "Now, why don't you tell us why you are wasting our time? Are you covering for someone else?"
"What do you mean? I did it!" Peeter fights to convince both of them of his guilt.
"Yeah, well there's a problem with that." Esposito leans back on his chair, his hands now clasped at the back of his head. "You didn't do it."
"I did!" Peeter is desperate to play the guilty one. "I uh-"
"It was a handgun!" Esposito raises his voice, silencing the man fast. "You don't know where you ditched the bike. We never found the bike either! If I didn't know better, I would swear you are covering for someone." Esposito spits out.
Peeter's expression turns angry, "Kalev Järvesoo was a pretentious snob. He deserved to die!" He punctuates the last remark by slamming his hands down on the table. "Oh yes. He was all nice and charming to your face, but that backstabbing bastard didn't care who he stepped on to get in his way." His breath was now heavy, his temper barely held in check.
"Who are you covering for? The old consulate general?" Ryan's patience was now starting to wear thin. Both he and Esposito know that this mostly has been a waste of time. Peeter Kask folds his arms across his chest and looks down at the table. He seems prepared to wait them out now.
Another ten minutes of questioning gets them absolutely nowhere.
"Well you didn't do it, Peeter, but you certainly are hiding something." Ryan sighs, looks across to his partner, as they both get up out of their chairs. "Think we'll hold you overnight. Obstruction of justice, wasting police time... Maybe you can tell us the full story in the morning."
The detectives exit the interrogation room with details given to the uniform stationed at the door to deliver Mr. Kask down to the holding cells.
"Phones and financials on the vic?" Ryan asks, walking back to his own desk.
"Yep. You know Beckett is going to ask us, as soon as she shows up anyway. Speaking of which, thought she would be back now." Esposito looks at his watch quizzically.
"They can't be far away." Ryan drops his notebook near the computer, types in his login name, and prepares to shift through the victim's phone records.
"I wonder if she has killed him yet?" Esposito laughs at Ryan's grimace, and settles down to his own computer to begin a financial check.
Beckett stands nervously in front of the metallic doors of the elevator. She checks her watch and huffs out a breath. Castle looks quizzically at her.
"We shouldn't have stopped at Mary Ann's," she states.
"I was hungry." he explains, smile creeping to his face. "Besides, from what I saw, you weren't complaining either."
"Yeah, well," she shrugs and complains. "We wasted so much time there."
"We'll catch up fast?" he is trying to be helpful and shines a smile to her.
"Ugh... never mind," Kate sighs in annoyed resignation and shifts herself closer to the door.
The elevator door opens with a whisper and they step out of the metal box in unison. Beckett walks quickly to the murder board, Castle not far behind her. Ryan and Esposito, noting their arrival, pick up their own notes and head over as well.
Beckett stares at the mug shot pinned to the board. "So, that's our murderer?"
"Nope. He admitted to it, but he didn't know the details. Covering for someone else, we are guessing. Holding him anyway." Ryan shrugs, and fills Beckett in with the details of the day so far.
"So, you think he is covering for the former boss, guys?" she asks, her eyes fixed to the picture in the board.
"He isn't saying, but I thought we might run down the former ambassador for a chat anyway." Ryan suggests.
Castle interrupts, "Consulate General. The ambassador is in Washington, in most likely a much nicer house."
"OK." Ryan sighs, "If you want to be picky about it, Consulate General."
Beckett pins the note recovered off the corpse, matching it to the existing note found in the car. "And then we have this. Significant?" she looks from Ryan to Esposito and Castle in hope that maybe they can say something about the note.
A commotion by the stairs near the elevator brings the attention of all four.
"I killed my brother!" Two uniformed police officers struggle with a large man, arms flailing, and screaming mostly incomprehensible gibberish. The officers drag their unwilling passenger down the hallway and stop near the detectives. He smelt terrible, and his captors were obviously bothered by it, holding their breath as long as humanly possible. His filthy clothes only added to the bad odor.
The officers turn to Beckett, "Where do you want him?"
"Excuse me? Whose brother did he kill?" All of them were a little taken aback by the sudden appearance of the man, now slumped in both officers arms.
"Well in between his rambling, he claims to have shot his brother, one Kalev Järvesoo. You guys are working that case?" the uniform asks, looking at Beckett.
The detectives and Castle all pause for a few seconds. Beckett closes her eyes and brushes her hair back over her ears and pinches the bridge of her nose. She sighs, "I knew this was going to be a long day."
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