Chapter Five What the Hell

Disclaimer: I wish I owned Castle, but no, merely own all the mistakes in my story.

Thank you for the reviews! They mean a lot. :D Dunno how far I can go with this story, but won't give up on it so long as my brain keeps producing some ideas. To those who read the story and may concern, sorry for the late update, been busy with my thesis, which though not as interesting as writing fan fics, have to be done. So, here's chapter 5. Hope it doesn't way too suck. I'm open to your suggestions. Thx! :)

After calling Esposito, Castle feels better to have something to grab and look into. When he makes his way towards the reception of The Post, he cannot help noticing the woman behind the desk waving an I-know-you wave with high raised eyebrows.

"Hi. It is you!" She is literally shouting, like a schoolgirl who has worked out a math problem, delirious of the hostile stares shot from other people in the hall. "The writer! Right? Richard Castle! It's quite an honor. I'm a big fan." She reaches out a hand.

Under usual circumstances, he will be hilarious to meet a fan. Female especially. And if he was with Beckett, he would even be willing to be taken a picture with, merely to see her roll that pair of beautiful and yet jealous eyes at him. But now, it's a different story. Nevertheless, he extends his hand and shakes hers with due sincere. "Yeah. That would be me." He grins.

"Saw your photo in the newspaper." She replies, "You are cuter in person."

"Guess 'cause I just had my hair uglily cut back then." He laughs hollowly, "Well, Miss…Could…you do me a favor?"
"Sure. Anything you need. That'll be a pleasure."

"Thanks…eh…Do you have a Mr. Marvin Williams here?"

"We do. Mr. Williams' one of our best. But he's not usually here. Running after the news around the town. You know."

"Oh, that's a pity. Read some of his articles, and really like them. I happen to be doing some background info check on newsmen… for…another novel. He might be a good choice to begin with." Great, now he begins feeling proud of his ability to lie.

"Yeah, you bet. He's excellent. All good qualities for a newsman. Honesty, probity…but…you understand…that makes him an enemy of many. "

"Enemy of whom?" He pushes.

"Well…many of his articles debunk…problems. So, there're always people who are not very happy about this." She says matter-of-factly.

"He ever has any conflicts with co-workers here?"

"Why? Anything wrong?" Her shining eyes show a shade of concern.

"No, no…just asking. Wanna make every detail real. You see…his career, life, problems…"

"Get it. Details…writers' friends. Eh…there's one" She pauses for a while, as if to pick someone out of her memory, "Gary Cain... Williams' got everything a journalist can think of. Seems that Cain doesn't take it very well. Gives Williams a hard time."

"Okay, thank you very much, Miss…"

"Keats."

"Miss. Keats." He gives her a nod, "for the info. By the way, where can I find Mr. Cain?"

"He got fired…2 weeks ago. Not clear where he's hanging around now."

"You have his address?" He smiles, sensing this is the moment to radiate some charm.

"Think I can look it up in the computer if you wish." She meets his mischievous eyes where a gleam of wisdom is dancing.

"That'll be great, so long as it won't cause you any troubles."

"Won't. Just a second." She types in the name, looking through the records, "Here." She points at the screen and Castle leans in closer, writing down the address on his pad. "Thanks, Miss. Keats. Very helpful." He gives her a good-bye handshaking.

"His whereabouts?" Ryan asks, looking up from the files he's reading.

"No idea yet…I've dialed his phone like…10 times. Always turned to his voice mail. It's just not like him." She says, depressed and annoyed. "What the hell has that jackass got himself into?"

"You really don't think Castle has anything to do with the case, do you?" It's more of a statement than a question from Esposito. He hesitates at the idea of telling Beckett about his previous talk with Castle. "You've called Martha and Alexis?"

"No, they were off to a college trip. If something dose have happened to Castle, I don't wanna them to get worried without any solid evidence."

"Point taken. Well…" Ryan walks around her desk, "Maybe it's time to pay a visit to our writer boy."

"Yo…Beckett…" Esposito speaks up, "I have something to tell you."

Castle stands anxiously outside the door, waiting for someone to answer his knocks. "Hello? Mr. Gary Cain?" He knocks again, only to find by chance that the door's not locked. He pushes it open and steps into the apartment. Located on the second floor, this apartment is small and somewhat stifling, maybe because of the messy state it's in: clothes are tossed everywhere; empty beer bottles lie around; dishes stink in the sink. Is this really where a man lives? Cautiously, Castle makes his way around, when, out of the blue, he feels a thud on the back of his head. The next minute, he has already been on the floor, feeling the ceiling rotating. "What the hell?" Before taking in the whole situation, Castle, out of instinct, struggles with great pain to find his feet, and then he sees his sinewy attacker, Gary Cain, who has just smashed his weapon bottle to use a sharp piece of glass as a knife. He looks unnecessarily stronger and angrier as a newsman. "Hey! Stop there! Are you insane?" Castle yells at him, panicked and yet undaunted.

"You bastard!" Cain snaps, leaving no room for Castle to claim his intention. "I knew! You people wouldn't let me go so easily. Never!" Castle watches his face turn red with rage, as he tries to shield himself from the man by griping both of his forearms. He's doing well, but the man's better. The moment the sharp point bites its way down the back of Castle's right hand, he knows he's losing his battle with weariness and anguish. Cain pushes Castle backwards until the latter's shoulders are flat against a wall, one hand pinning his bleeding head tightly against the hard surface while the other stabs the splinter into his left side. Blood soaks his shirt immediately, a deliberately muffled cream following. Castle's lifeless form slips down to the floor, engulfed by the impenetrable darkness slowly descending. Why on earth cannot he see anything but…Kate Beckett? When he thinks he's gonna lose consciousness, he hears people storming into the apartment with shouts of "NYPD" and his name.

(Playing about with my fingers) What do you think?