Chapter 3

Rick glanced over at Kate and shrugged before looking back at the officer. He rolled his eyes when he figured out who it was. "Lexie?"

The woman re-holstered her gun and burst out laughing. "Oh, Ricky…If only you could have seen your face!"

Kate looked at Rick. "Do you want to introduce us?"

Rick took her hand and headed over towards the cruiser. "Damn, Lexie, that was mean!"

She smirked and noticed their joined hands. She pointedly looked at their hands and then her lip started quivering and hers eyes glistened. Kate looked concerned until Rick dropped her hand. He then walked over and slapped Lexie on the arm. "Give it up, woman!"

Kate looked shocked. "Rick?"

He stuck his tongue out at Lexie and turned around as she busted out laughing. "Kate, let me introduce you to the incorrigible Alexis Rogers, my daughter's namesake. Lexie, meet Kate Beckett, my fiancee."

Kate looked confused. "Are you two related?"

Lexie grinned. "No, but we do get that a lot." She stuck out her hand for Kate to shake. "Call me Lexie. Lily Rose was my sister."

Kate shook her hand. "Rick here hasn't mentioned you, but I only recently learned about Lily and the others from Sedgewyck."

Lexie looked at Rick with a raised eyebrow. "What…are you ashamed of us?"

Rick shook his head. "Nope; I know that it may sound weird, but it really hadn't come up until recently."

"What came up?"

"I had a visit from Joey and Tommy on a case we were working on."

"A case you were working on?"

He sighed. "Yeah."

"Aren't you a writer?"

Rick sighed and pulled out his credentials. "Remember those few years after college when I dropped off the map?"

She took the credentials and opened them. Her eyes widened. "FBI? Rick, what the hell?"

He took them back from Lexie and nodded. "Yeah, while I was in college I was recruited and then became a profiler. I resigned when Meredith and I split and started writing full-time. A few months back I was reactivated and now I am liaison to the NYPD and work with Kate."

"Well, damn. Do the rest of them know?"

"Yeah…Bobby helped me get in with the NYPD several years ago and Tommy and Joey found out about two months ago. The others knew except for you. So…" He shrugged. "Now you know."

She sighed. "Yeah, now I know. So why are you back here? Is it because of the APB?"

He nodded and motioned towards Kate, who spoke up. "We are following up on a lead. We have an appointment with the headmistress; you can join us if you'd like." Lexie nodded and followed them inside the building.

TCOP3

Rick led the trio into the building, his feet traveling towards the office from memory. As they walked down the hall, Kate noted that the walls were covered in pictures of students captured at random moments. A group of several stood arm in arm and grinning, waving at the photographer. She looked at the caption below the picture and gasped. "Rick Rodgers and pals hamming it up for the camera. Photo taken by Alexis Rogers, 1986."

"I've always liked that one." Kate jumped at Lexie's whisper in her ear. "They were so carefree; that was a couple of days before Derek went missing." Kate looked closer at Rick's face. He was so young! She smiled and turned to follow him once again. Once they had solved this case she was planning on coming back here to learn more about her future husband.

They stepped into the outer office of the headmistress. Rick groaned when he saw the name. Kate looked at him and he pinched his nose. "Why did it have to be old lady Collins?"

"Why indeed Mr. Rodgers."

Rick cringed. "Hello Ms. Collins."

"Headmistress Collins, Mr. Rodgers. Come in." They followed her into the inner office and sat down. "Now, what is your purpose here, Mr. Rodgers?"

"It's Castle, not Rodgers, ma'am. And we are here due to a murder case in the city."

She raised an eyebrow. "A murder case, you say? Mr. Rodgers, I was under the impression that you wrote fiction."

Rick glared at her. "I do write, Ms. Collins. And I am quite successful at it. However, we are not here today to discuss what I do but rather to discuss the actions of a current or former student of yours." Kate's eyes widened...Rick was not making friends and they needed her cooperation.

The headmistress chuckled...then laughed loudly. "Finally! I knew you had a backbone, Mr. Castle!"

Rick looked at her confusedly. "What?"

"Oh come now, Mr. Castle. You have not been a student here for many years and the staff has followed your career with pride; we gave you the skills that you use and you honed them! Now, what can I do for you?"

Kate closed her eyes. These people were strange.

TCOP3

She stretched as she woke up, content that he was close. She had been planning this for almost twenty years. She looked in the mirror as she went through her morning routine. Soon, she would be able to make the final change and be complete. Her one wish was that her brother would be here, but he was in the city. Oddly enough, she was happy with that. Her plan would not work if he were around; she knew that she didn't have the guts to go through with it if he were.

She grabbed her purse and made sure that she had everything she needed. With a final look around her she grabbed the backpack she still had from school and headed for her car and the traveling she had planned. Soon she would be able to settle down, once he was out of the way.

TCOP3

"So you see, we have reason to believe that the suspect is an alumni or family of someone associated with the school." Kate leaned back in her chair.

The headmistress sat back in her chair, thinking on what she had just been told. She looked at one of her favorite students (though she would never admit that to him, obviously). "Is there anything else, Mr. Castle?"

Rick looked up at her. "We have reason to believe that there may be some connection to Derek."

She could not help but wince. Derek Hough had been a larger than life student and he had been close to Rick Rodgers and his friends. "Why do you think that?"

"We have a photo capture of someone that has a strong resemblance to Tim Hough." He did not have to say how the resemblance was determined.

"Very well. What can I do to help?" They explained their plan and what they needed. "I have the information, I believe, but I need a legal reason for the information to be released to you."

Lexie nodded and picked up her phone. She dialed and began speaking to someone for a few minutes before hanging up. "You should be receiving an email from my office requesting that the information be given to me."

Once they had the information in hand, they thanked the woman and made their way back to their cars. Rick looked at Lexie and smiled. "Thanks, Lex. We appreciate your help in there."

She nodded. "I want to know what's going on. Do you mind if I join you?"

Kate looked at Rick. "No but remember we have a killer to catch."

"Understood. What's the plan?"

"Well, we go to the Hough's house and talk to the family. We'll go from there."

TCOP3

Lanie was reviewing the ballistics report when her phone rang. "Hello?"

"Hey, Chica."

She smiled. "Hello to you , Javier."

She heard him chuckle. "I love the way you say my name. I was calling to see if you got the results yet."

"I was just reviewing them. There wasn't much. It looks like there was a match to a old murder in New Hampshire, but..."

"What? Did it say who the victim was?"

She looked at the form in front of her. "Yeah...the victim was a seventeen year old white male with ...wait a minute. Didn't Castle know a Derek Hough?"

"Derek was the boy that led the group he was in. Did you find anything else?"

She looked over the form again. "Nothing that I can see. Wait! It says here that the family had the body picked up by a private funeral home and that there was no autopsy. The funeral was private and the body was cremated."

"That seems off to me."

"It does. Can you get this information to Kate? The round was a .32 "

"On it. Bye, Chica."

TCOP3

"Beckett." Rick and Lexi chatted while Kate was on the phone. She looked at the phone for a moment and then thanked Esposito before hanging up.

Rick looked over at her. "Beckett?" She looked at her phone without answering. "Kate?" She looked up at him. "What is it?"

Kate looked up at him. "Lanie had the ballistics tested on the slugs. There was a match to a previous case out of state."

Rick raised an eyebrow. "Out of state? Where?"

"New Hampshire."

Lexie looked at Kate. "Exactly where in New Hampshire was this?"

Kate looked at Rick before answering. "Here. The weapon was last used in the Derek Hough case."

TCOP3

The two cars pulled up into the driveway of the Hough home. The driveway was long and ran in front of a palatial home with an expansive lawn. The large white colonial had six massive columns that ran from ground to roof. A veranda type porch ran along the length of the second floor; it was more like a plantation house than what you would normally find in New England.

They got out and headed for the door. Rick rang the doorbell and stepped back.

The door opened and a young woman peered out. "Can I help you?"

Kate showed her badge. "Detective Beckett, NYPD. Is Mr. Hough available?"

The woman's eyes narrowed. "He's busy...maybe if you came back later."

Rick stepped into view. "Hello, Nat."

The young woman's eyes widened. "Ricky?" She stepped out and gave him a hug. She looked at the others. "Are you all together?"

Lexie nodded. "Natalie, is your dad home?"

"Sure...come on in." They followed her into a large entry hall. "If you wait a minute, I'll get him. I'm sure he would love to see Ricky." She left them and went into another room.

Kate looked around, then at Rick. "Have you been here before?"

Rick nodded. "Once. I came by to pay my respects. This is the only room I've been in."

Lexie looked at Rick. "This is my first time inside. They're very private people." Kate nodded.

Natalie came back into the room. "If you'll follow me...Dad is out in the sun room." She turned and they all walked through the house. Down a long hallway and past some open doors showing a large dining room, a kitchen and a walk in pantry, they went through a door into a room that had several large plants and a sitting area. Sitting in a large chair was an older man with thinning white hair.

He looked up at them and saw Rick. "Ricky Castle! I've not seen you an quite awhile!"

"Hello, Mr. Hough. Sorry, but my life has gotten quite hectic. How have you been?"

The old man smiled and motioned for them to sit. "Natalie, honey, would you see if our guests need anything?"

Kate nodded. "We're fine, but thank you. Mr. Hough, my name is Kate Beckett. I'm a detective with the NYPD."

The old man looked away from Rick towards Kate. "Miss Beckett, it's a pleasure. I'm Daniel Hough."

Kate smiled. "Mr. Hough, Rick and I are here today to ask you some questions about Tim. Have you seen him lately?"

She noticed that his eyes narrowed before he answered. "I know no one named Tim."

Rick glanced over at Kate. "Sir, I know that there has been an estrangement, but we have to know if you have heard from him in the last few days. He is a person of interest in a murder investigation back in the city."

Daniel stood suddenly. "If you'll excuse me, I'm not feeling well. Natalie will show you out." With that he left the room through a doorway across from where they had entered.

Natalie looked apologetic. "I'm sorry. He gets that way whenever either of my brothers is mentioned. Let me show you back to the door."

The three exchanged glances before following her back the way they came. As they were leaving, Kate handed her a card. "If Tim does try to contact either of you, please let me know." Natalie took the card and closed the door behind them.

TCOP3

Rick and Kate followed Lexie back to the police station. They got out and went into her office. After closing the door, she sat heavily in her chair. "Well, that was different. It was about par for that family though..

Kate looked up at Lexie. "What do you mean?"

"The Hough family practically founded the town. They are old money. Back in the mid 19th century they had claims in gold mines in California and Alaska. They were worth over twelve million in 1935 and that has more than tripled since then. Since about 1950 when Daniel was little, they withdrew from the public eye. The only ones that I saw much were Derek and Natalie, Tim was taught by private tutors after Derek's death."

Rick closed his eyes. "When I met Derek he was more like a trust account kid; that seems out of character from what you just said."

Kate smiled softly. "Maybe he was rebelling...something like you, Rick."

Rick chuckled. "Yeah, maybe. Something is not adding up though. Lexie, do you have some paper I can use?" She nodded and handed Rick some loose copy paper. He grabbed a pen and started making plotting a murder board. "Okay let's review what we know. First, Henri was murdered in broad daylight near his work. We have a witness that says a blonde female was arguing with the victim shortly before he was killed. The female had a backpack that looks like a Sedgewyck one. The first responder sees a female standing by the body that fits the description of the first female. Our security footage shows the female and lets me verify it is a Sedgewyck backpack. With me so far?"

Kate and Lexie both nodded. Kate looks at Rick and narrows her eyes. "What are the odds that someone would be working with the police that can identify a backpack from a private school that is several hours away?"

Rick grinned. "Exactly! The female KNEW that I would be involved. I think poor Henri was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. We were supposed to come to Sedgewyck. The question is...why?"

AN: Here's a chapter a little early due to the holiday here in the US. I hope you are enjoying the story! Thanks to the few of you that took time to review; it helps me home my skills. Things will et e bit more exciting in the next chapters and more layers of the onion will be peeled back.