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Beckett knocked on the door of Michael Zivanovic's apartment. Her and Castle waited not quite five seconds before Michael opened the door. "Hi, sorry no autographs today, but thanks for stopping by", he flashed them a cheesy grin and attempted to shut the door on them, but Beckett stopped it with her foot. She flashed her badge. "Detective Kate Beckett, NYPD, this is Richard Castle, we need to talk to you regarding Alana Vestig."
Michael's grin faded, to be replaced with a mixture of despondence and a hint of anger.
"Oh, well I don't know why you'd want to talk to me about her, we broke up a couple of months ago; I haven't seen her since. Last I heard, she was with that reject Paul Thompson." He shook his head. "Don't ask me what she sees in him, that guy has got less talent and charisma than Charlie Sheen."
"I'm afraid Miss Vestig is dead", Beckett said flatly.
Michael's eyes shot open "W-what? No! No, not Lana..." He began to sob uncontrollably right there in the doorway. Castle and Beckett looked at each other, shifting uncomfortably.
"Mr. Zivanovic, you say you hadn't seen or heard from Alana in two months?"
"Yeah, about that long. She hasn't really - ah - hadn't really been socializing with anyone since she got the lead on Girl About Town." He shook his head with a sad smile. "She was so stoked about it, worked herself to the bone to get every single cue and line right for the first day of shooting."
"So why'd you two break up?" Castle said a little sharply. Beckett was a little bit taken aback at his sudden abruptness.
Michael looked at Castle reproachfully. "Um, well I don't know really, we just wanted different things out of life I guess, but it doesn't mean I don- didn't still care about her. Man, I just can't believe I'm never going to see her again."
"Who broke it off?" Castle dug even further.
Michael inhaled. "She did."
"Mr. Zivanovic what were you doing Thursday evening, around 8?"
"I was taking a walk to clear my head and rehearse some lines, I find open spaces are less constricting on my acting energy."
"So you've obviously never done community theatre", Castle deadpanned.
Michael shot Castle another hardened look. Beckett cut across. "Is there anyone who can verify that?"
Michael turned to her and shook his head. "I don't think so."
"Who did you say Alana left you for?" Castle tried to ask nonchalantly.
Michael saw it as anything but, and he started shouting at Castle. "Hey man, she didn't leave me for anyone. She got with that Thompson idiot AFTER we were over!"
"Hey, you wanna keep your voice down!" Beckett snarled at Michael. "My partner was just trying to ascertain who exactly this guy is."
Michael took a few deep breaths, calming himself. "Paul Thompson, guy playing Alana's love interest on the show."
"Do you know where we can find him?" Beckett asked impatiently.
"Apartment building on the corner of 52nd and 3rd."
"OK, that's it for now. We'll be in touch." Beckett said shortly, fearing Castle and Michael's obvious feud might soon turn into a fist fight. Even though she was pretty sure Castle could take him.
She began walking away, Castle followed her, looking back at Michael behind his shoulder he murmured "Don't go too far."
Walking out of Michael Zivanovich's apartment, Castle exhaled loudly.
"You know he seriously looked like he wanted to crack your skull open", Beckett said to him, partly amused.
"And you don't think he's our killer?"
Beckett shrugged. "We don't have enough proof yet, his alibi is shaky though."
Castle scowled. "The guy just gives me the creeps."
"Yeah well, unfortunately giving someone "the creeps" is not a capital offense Castle". Beckett teased.
"You can't tell me he put you at ease though? I thought actors were supposed to be charming."
"Yeah well, he just lost someone that he cared about. Wouldn't you be that way toward people if someone close to you died?"
Castle stopped in his tracks. "I was." Beckett looked at him "'Sorry?"
Castle looked back at Beckett seriously. "When you were in that hospital I...I was on everyone's back. Making sure they were taking care of you. If you weren't their first priority at all times, it wasn't good enough for me. If anyone tried to tell me anything, even to reassure me, I'd just get so mad. I didn't want to hear about you eventually recovering, I just wanted it to happen."
Beckett considered him for a moment and then softly said. "Well that's a little different."
"Why?" Castle asked, thinking she'd say. "We're not together" or something similar.
"I survived." Beckett said, holding her head up high.
Castle's eyes shone slightly in the light of a of the sun and he slowly smiled at Beckett.
"Yes you did."
...
The partners walked through the courtyard of of "Patriata Studios", escorted by a security guard. "This is the "Girl About Town" lot right here." He grunted at them.
"Thank you" Beckett replied. Her and Castle walked into a huge hangar-like shed, which was almost so dark you couldn't see your way. Trying not to trip over the mess of cables lying on the floor. they finally made their way around a corner and were greeted by a facade of a kitchen.
Almost instantly, a short but athletic looking man with thinning blonde hair approached them. "Ooh, honey, are you auditioning for the role of Samantha?" He asked with a wink.
"Who are you?" Beckett asked without flinching.
"I'm whoever you want me to be baby", the man said, licking his lips and eyeing Beckett up and ...
"We're looking for Paul Thompson", Castle quickly butted in.
The man extended his hand. "Paul Thompson, AKA Chuck Rivers", he gave them an overly large bleached-teeth smile. "I'm the lead actor on Girl About Town."
"You're the lead?" Castle scoffed. "In a show called GIRL about town?"
The guy crossed his arms. "Alright, I'm one of the leads. Alana is the other, Alana Vestig? you probably haven't heard of her."
Castle and Beckett quickly looked at each other.
"As it happens, we have." Beckett said
"Oh really?" Paul said, with surprise. "I was pretty sure she was just an obscure little nobody before she got this gig. Did theatre stuff mostly; Off-Broadway."
"We're more familiar with her more recent appearances actually", Beckett said as she pulled out the picture of Alana's body.
"Oh my god. That's not - is that Alana?"
"I'm afraid so", Beckett responded.
Paul turned ghostly white "What happened to her?"
"She was poisoned".
"Poisoned?" Paul looked more surprised than distraught. "Are you sure?"
Beckett narrowed her eyes at him. "Positive."
"Weren't you two seeing each other?" Castle asked Paul.
"Oh, no. No we were for like a day but once the initial fire burnt out, we realized it just wasn't professional. Being in a relationship with someone you work with, it just gets messy."
Castle looked at Beckett out of the corner of his eye. She didn't notice.
Paul continued. "This job is like a dream come true, we both decided it wasn't worth sacrificing over a quick fling."
"So you didn't love her then?" Castle asked doubtfully.
Paul shrugged. "Lana was hot, but she definitely wasn't my one and done. Do you have any idea who might have done it?"
"We're just ruling out suspects at the moment." Beckett responded.
Paul held his hands up "Well hey, it wasn't me."
"Really? Where were you Thursday, around 8pm?"
"I was at a group meeting, at the Jackson Street community centre. I can give you the phone number of the coordinator if you like."
Beckett nodded "Thanks".
Paul walked around the pair and over to pick up a satchel, which he reached inside of. He pulled out a cellphone but in the process, he knocked out a pill jar, which clattered to the floor.
Paul discretely tried to stuff it back in his bag, but Castle was too quick for him.
"What are those?" He asked suspiciously.
"Oh, ah, just painkillers, I get migraines sometimes." Paul pocketed the pills and found the number he was looking for.
Beckett unclasped a pad and pen from her belt. "Let me." Castle said to her, reaching for the pad. Beckett gave him her most reproachful glare, and was about to ask him what the hell he was doing, but the way his eyes were boring into hers made her go slightly weak in the knees and she let the writing implements slip into his outstretched hands.
Paul gave them the number. "Ok thanks, we'll be in touch." Beckett said to him. "Come on Castle."
...
Back at the precinct, Castle was squinting at his phone.
Beckett walked past him, eyeing him up. "Interesting txt Castle?"
"Huh?" He looked up at her. "Oh, no. Something to do with the case."
Beckett stopped and looked at him expectantly. "Wanna fill me in?"
"Oh um, yeah. He stored his phone away. "Those pills Paul had in his bag, I wrote down the name of them."
She leaned in to him, interested.
"Incivek. The brand name of the drug Telaprevir. Not a standard painkiller."
"What's it used for?" Beckett asked.
A smile crawled across Castle's lips. "The treatment of Hepatitis C."
Beckett's mouth fell open, and she too began to smile. Their eyes locked, pulses rising, tension building...
"Hey." Esposito and Ryan came into the room, oblivious to the moment they had just disrupted.
Castle and Beckett straightened themselves up, both looking slightly flustered.
"So our hot shot acting partner Mr. Thompson, his alibi checks out. He was at a group meeting at the Jackson Street community centre." Esposito said.
"Yeah but here's the kicker", Ryan went on. "Guess what the meeting was for?"
"Hep C support group", Castle and Beckett said together.
Ryan's face fell. "How did you guys...?"
"Jar of pills fell out of his bag when we were questioning him. I looked up the brand name and discovered that they were a drug designed to delay the effects of the Hep C virus".
Castle said.
He then turned to Beckett. "I think we might have a few more questions for Mr. Thompson."