Chapter 3 – Murder Boards
"Grande skim latte with two pumps of sugar free vanilla, and a grande caramel macchiato, please." I asked the barista pulling my wallet out to pay. I was early to the same Starbucks that I'd run into Kate at four days ago.
She'd called this morning to take me up on the coffee offer. There was an edge to her voice that said it wasn't just about the coffee when she'd asked. I hadn't pushed on the phone though. I wasn't going to complain though, if she wanted to meet for a cup of coffee, then we could meet for a cup of coffee. We were meeting at two and in my excitement to see her I'd gotten there a few minutes early knowing that she'd probably get held up at work and be a few minutes late. So I'd taken the time to order our coffees scouting out the table in the corner was still vacant and no one else was coming in.
"Rick?" the barista held up the two cups out to me with a lifted eyebrow.
"Thanks." I took the cups with a smile turned to make my way to the table. The bell over the door tinkled as a blast of autumn air swept into the shop, bringing with it an auburn beauty. Her hair was in a knot at the base of her neck, tendrils escaping to frame her face. The navy of her military jacket setting off her coloring just perfectly. Walking over to her, I held out the cup, "One grande skim latte with two pumps of sugar free vanilla for the detective."
I was rewarded with a grin, "How'd you remember that?" She took the cup with her free hand.
I cocked my head towards the empty table hoping that she would know to follow. "I paid attention and I have a great memory." I winked, setting down my coffee so I could shrug out of my coat and take a seat, just watched her smile, and roll her eyes. She took the seat across from me setting her folder on the table. "So what do I owe the pleasure of your company before your day off?"
"Castle..." she looked upset as she sighed my name, wrapping her hands around the coffee cup drawing strength from its warmth. "Castle, I don't want to ask you this... I wanted to have coffee with you to catch up. To talk to you."
I don't really think I'd ever seen her look so torn up over something. "Kate, whatever it is just ask. We can talk any time, if you need something I'm happy to help." I reached out laying a hand over her wrist. She froze just briefly looking at my hand and then back at me before taking a second to take a sip of her coffee.
She pulled the folder in front of her. "I'm sorry about this Castle, I really am." Then she sighed opening the folder revealing four headshots that I knew were copies of the ones on her murder board in the precinct. "We're at a dead end, Castle. These four women were kidnapped, drugged, and bled out slowly, before being posed on a park bench for someone to find on their commute."
She spread the photos out for me. Sadness and frustration radiated from her. "So what can I do to help?" I asked.
"We need a theory. Any theory. We were hoping that you would come up with one. A crazy theory would be fine. We just need somewhere different to look." She asked. "I know it's crazy and it's the last thing that I would ever do, asking you for a theory even a crazy theory. But we're desperate Castle, there's been a new vic every day this week and we've got nothing."
I looked at her, and down at the women she'd spread before me. "What do they have in common?"
"Nothing, besides they're turning 30 in a few weeks." She sighed.
I looked at the women; they really were different even if all I had was their appearances to go off. One with shockingly dark hair against alabaster skin, the second a dyed blonde, tanned, and too much make up, the third with piercings all over her face and purple hair, and the fourth with frizzy mousy brown hair and glasses.
I looked at her. Watched her as she looked at the photos. I knew that look. I remembered it. It was the one she had when she was trying to see something that just wasn't there. "Ok I'll see what I can come up with." I told her, trying to take another sip of coffee only to discover that I'd already finished it.
She looked so relieved at my words, "Thank you Castle. Thank you so much."
"Just one question?"
"Anything." She smiled.
"Why didn't you just ask me to come into the precinct?" I couldn't figure out the reasoning behind that.
She leaned back in her chair drinking her coffee. "The new captain is..." she paused searching for the right word, "...she's by the book, and you're…"
"…decidedly, not by the book." I finished the thought for her.
"Exactly." She nodded with an approving smile, closing the folder in front of her. "I've made copies of our notes and everything else associated with the case." She pushed the folder over to me. "If you come up with anything let me know."
"Of course," I told her pulling the folder to me and opening it so I could thumb through the pages.
"Thank you, Rick."
"Any time."
She stood buttoning her jacket back up, "I have to get going, but just give me a call if you come up with anything." She leaned down and brushed a kiss softly across my cheek. "And on my next day off we'll actually sit and talk about something other than murder and mayhem and have that coffee."
I grinned. "I'm looking forward to it."
"Bye Castle."
"Until next time Detective Beckett." Earning me an affectionate headshake as she left the shop.
I gathered up the folder's contents pausing only briefly to look at all the photos one more time. In my head, I could hear my mother telling me that a Starbucks was no place to pour through crime scene photos and police data. With a smile, I chucked my empty cup and tucked the folder under one arm exiting the coffee shop to hail a cab.
###
"Dad, what are you doing?" I snapped my head up to find Alexis standing in the doorway looking at my office and murder board that were covered in facts and pictures from the case.
I glanced at the clock realizing that it was coming up on nine-thirty, and I'd been closeted in my office since I'd gotten home this afternoon around three. "Alexis. What's up?"
She came into the room and perched herself on the armrest of the armchair, attempting not to disrupt any of the papers, "Well, I got home like an hour ago and I hadn't seen you and figured that you had a fit of inspiration." She looked around the room taking in the disaster that had appeared in the span of an afternoon, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Dad what are you working on?"
"I had coffee with Detective Beckett this afternoon." I answered evasively.
"And you decided that you would come up with an elaborate serial killer for your next book?"
I sighed taking in the damage around the room. I'd been looking for the one detail that would make the story make sense but I just couldn't find it there was nothing. I couldn't see how they were connected besides their birthdays were coming up. "She asked for help on a case."
Alexis made a face. She'd known that I enjoyed following Kate around but she knew that it was dangerous. I guess part of her had been relieved to have me go back to just writing and solving only the crimes my imagination could come up with. "Are you sure that's safe dad?"
"Of course, Sweetie I'm just looking through the file just trying to see if I can find something that Kate and the boys missed."
"Is that what you were hoping to get out of running into her again? Going back to solving crimes?" For a girl that often that doesn't often get confused she looked baffled. But the question made me think about it properly.
"No." Was the conclusion that I came to. "No, it's not what I was hoping for. But it's reminded me that I really enjoyed doing it." That earned me a cocked head, "If it makes you feel better I don't think that it was what Detective Beckett was hoping coffee to be about either."
She contemplated that for a moment surveying the room some more. "Well it looks like you haven't been much help either since you haven't found this missing piece."
Leaning back in my chair I sighed in frustration. "It just doesn't make sense. The only thing these girls had in common was that they were turning 30 within the next month."
"Were they single?" She got up coming over to look at the murder board tapping on each of them to expand the facts.
"Yeah they were. But one was recently single, another has been single for a few years, the third didn't seem to have had any dating life at all, and the fourth was a serial one night stander."
"Ew, Dad."
"What? you asked and I am desperate to find something." I shrugged.
Alexis studied the board for a while. "Did they want to be single?"
"I have no idea. What are you thinking?" I could see the wheels spinning in that pretty little head of hers.
"Well the thirty thing and the single thing, by now most people would have joined a dating website. At least a free one, whether out of their own desperation, a friend made them do it, or it's a good place to go for easy hook ups." She pointed to the picture of the blonde.
"But why thirty?"
"It's something that would be on their profile you'd think and it's a cut off age?" She made a questioning face, "I don't really know, but it certainly can't do any harm to look into their computer history and dig a little bit for dating websites. Maybe the killer is someone that's been rejected by all of them for a uniform reason."
"Like he's ugly?"
"No, it would have to be a plausible reason for them not to talk to him or to turn him down. Something they could tell him. Something that comes back to their own age issues."
"He's too old? Too young?" I suggest the wheels starting to click into place.
"I guess for all we know you've managed to find a psychotic 80 year old with a helper that doesn't appreciate being told no." She smiled. "I should go finish my homework."
"Ok Sweetie. Thanks for your help." I pulled her to me placing a kiss on her head.
"Any time, Dad." She untangled herself leaving the office, pausing at the door. "Just be safe dad that's all I ask."
"Aren't I always?" I waggled my eyebrows, watched her grin, and shake her head like a parent indulging their small child as she headed out to work on her own homework. She made it half way up the stairs before I got my phone out and ringing in my ear.
"Beckett." The crisp name came across the line.
"I found something that is at least worth looking into," I told her without preamble.
"Seriously?"
"Seriously. Do you want me to tell you or would you like to come over and find out?" I could see her in my mind's eye trying to decide which would be more worth her while.
"I'll come over. It's not like anything is happening here." I could hear her shuffling around. "I'll be there in 15, Castle."
"You remember where it is?"
"I'm a cop Castle."
"And therefore great at knowing directions and horrible at getting anywhere in a timely fashion without the gumball."
"The department upgrade the squad cars. They got us GPS." She teased. "I'll be there in 15 unless I decide to use the gumball." With that, she hung up leaving me with a grin on my face until I looked around the room my eyes resting on the murder board.
She would need some coffee. I extricated myself from the desk chair and made my way into the kitchen booting up the coffee maker and going over to the fridge to pull some snack stuff out, the fact that I'd missed dinner making itself apparent.
The knock came just as I was putting the finishing touches on the coffee. Smoothing my hair down I opened the door to a devastatingly beautiful detective. She hadn't changed since this afternoon but she'd let her hair down and it fell around her shoulders curling with abandon. My breath caught in my throat, and I was stuck by the thought that she should have never cut it short. "Hi."
Thoughts?
Babyrose