Chapter 1
"Daddy we're gonna be late for school," Rick heard as he felt the mattress dip as his little girl climbed on the bed.
"A few more minutes, come on lay down with me," he said trying to reach for her.
"No, get up! Get up!," she singsonged bouncing up and down beside him.
"Alright pumpkin, I'm up." He said tolling over and grabbing her mid-bounce. "What do you want for breakfast?" he asked hugging her to him.
"Chocolate chip pancakes," she announced pulling away and jumping off the bed.
As she got dressed for school, Rick shuffled to the kitchen to make their breakfast. A few minutes later she padded into the kitchen, "I'm ready."
"Are you excited about going back to school?" he asked as he placed a pancake on her plate.
"Yeah," she replied stabbing it with her fork.
When they finished eating he put the dishes in the dishwasher and handed her the lunch he made for her. His little girl was growing up so fast. How was it that she was already in the second grade. Pulling up in front of the school he spotted kids running here and there and worried parents desperately trying to let go. He remembered when it was Alexis' first day of kindergarten, he had stayed the whole day just to make sure she was alright. Or at least that's what he told himself.
"Daddy we're gonna be late," Alexis said from the backseat.
"Oh sorry sweetie."
Climbing out of the car he gave her a hug and watched her go. She had insisted she wanted to do this on her own. He made his way back to the car with a sigh, how had his little girl become so grown up? Stopping at Starbucks he grabbed a cup of coffee before heading home to do some writing.
Rick stretched back in his desk chair he had gotten in maybe an hour of writing in between organizing his desk, having an extended lunch break and playing Angry Birds on his phone. He had been experiencing writers block lately and knew he needed something to inspire his creativity. But he was quite sure what that was yet but he hoped he found it soon.
Just then the phone rang and he grabbed it up on the second ring, thankful for the excuse to take another break. "Is this Richard Castle?" the voice on the other end asked.
"Uh...yes it is. Who may I ask is calling?"
"My name is Detective Beckett. I work for the NYPD. I'm sorry to have to tell you this...but it seems your daughter is missing.