Chapter 26

One useless road trip, and hence, a wasted hour later, Beckett leaned back in her office chair releasing a big exasperated sigh. She then whined mainly to Rick because he was the only one within hearing distance, "I can't believe Samuel Cavanaugh was murdered. We went all the way out there and didn't check the records first."

Castle took a handful of gummy bears, shrugged his shoulders, "Me neither. But we can't win them all. We picked up a fresh supply of candy. Another bag of Snakes Alive, and you found that block of black forest chocolate. That was a good find."

"Yes, good call on the candy store. I also found the lollypops I love." Beckett happily replied, chuffed she had a fresh supply at work, in the car and she was taking some home. "My jar at home will be replenished."

"I'll keep some at my place for you too," he quietly said and received her nod of approval.

He then asked, "Like, what's the chance of two people in the one family being murdered at different times?"

It was Beckett's turn to shrug her shoulders. "Like this? Never seen it. Neither has Montgomery. Here come the guys, Babe." She hissed and indicated visually where the boys were coming form. Both sat up as Ryan and Esposito approached.

Ryan said "Hey, Beckett."

"Hey." Beckett said, "Did you find anything?"

"We sure did, find something while you two were out hunting down candy," Espo said scanning the desk.

"Good candy and Australian lollies," Kate replied, with a mouthful of gummy bears and she held out the dish as offerings to the boys.

"Lollies?" Esposito asked.

"That's what Aussies call candy," Beckett replied as the boys took some. "We Googled-." She paused catching Rick's eyes widening in warning.

Castle looked at the boys, "So, what did you find?"

Esposito said "Samuel Cavanaugh. Shot outside a grocery store about a year ago. Small caliber. Double tap to the chest. Wallet and valuables missing."

Ryan said "Poor schlub's wife disappears. Four years later, he gets shot in a mugging."

"Yeah. What are the odds?"

"Yeah, Espo," Castle agreed, "We were just saying, long, unless they're connected."

"Well, four years between murders? One's a popsicle, one just got popped? How could they possibly be connected?"

Castle chuckled, "Maybe he and his wife got into something they couldn't get out of, Espo. Maybe something to do with a drug habit."

"So, someone waits four years to finish the job?" Ryan queried.

Castle replied, "Maybe he finally figured out what happened to his wife and was about to go to the police with it."

Ryan said, "I don't believe it."

Castle said, "Give me 250 pages, I bet I could make you." He smiled with Ryan's laughter.

Beckett butted in, "We're solving a murder, Castle, not writing a book."

Castle ignored Beckett's bossy attitude, and continued, "I could call it, a chill runs through her veins."

Esposito said, "Ooh. I like that."

Castle and Esposito high fived and Castle exclaimed, "Bam said the lady, another best-seller for me."

Beckett lost in thought and beginning to be accustomed to the boyish behavior around her nowadays asked anyone who was listening, "What happened to the kids?"

Esposito replied, "Living with Melanie's parents up in White Plains."

Beckett said, "Looks like I'm going to White Plains." Then she gave the boys a wave of her hand, "Can you canvass the construction site? Someone must have seen something."

Esposito said "Yeah, the foreman said that they have a problem with the homeless at night. So, I figured I'd go down there later, try to catch them at the site."

Castle said "Hmmm. Homeless, White Plains. Homeless, White Plains." He watched Kate grab her keys and jacket.

Esposito said, "They're both kind of creepy places."

Kate also snatched an unopened bag of sweets for the car ride and a bottle of water. Rick stood and began to walk towards the elevator foyer. He hit down. There was no other place he wanted to be than at Kate's side and since he didn't have to be anywhere else, he was going with her.

They ate dinner at a diner, a couple of blocks from the 12th Precinct. They were mostly tired from little sleep and a long day. The trip home from White Plains had set in the fatigue. While they downed burgers, fries and milkshakes they debriefed on the information they had gathered that evening visiting the deceased's parents and an old cop that worked the missing persons case five years back.

"Ben Davidson." Rick brought up. "He certainly had it out for the cop who first had the case, Beckett, and he snapped at you pretty fast on that."

"Yeah, I caught that. He was really pissed off, bitter."

"He's held a grudge for a long time. Then, the useless cop, what was his name?

"Detective Sloan." Kate grumbled, and gave a frustrated roll of her eyes.

"That's the one, he was convinced she'd run away, and was equally convinced she was still on drugs." He bit into his second cheeseburger.

Beckett said "But her father didn't think that at all. Said she was clean."

Rick chewed, then used a napkin to wipe his mouth and fingers. He swallowed then said, "But her mother said Sam, the husband, thought she was gone because of drugs too."

"So why did the husband wait over a day before he reported her missing?" Kate asked tackling her burger that was falling apart.

Castle shrugged his shoulders, "She had run off before. She did use drugs."

"Besides that, if Sam had thought his wife was in trouble, why didn't he report her missing right away? Why didn't he call for help?"

"Because maybe he didn't want her found." Rick replied, picked up his burger and took a bite. "Maybe they had a fight and needed cooling off time. Like it seems you need with that bloody burger. What are you doing?"

"Maybe." She got it together with the burger, licked her lips then said, "Certainly been there." Beckett admitted, "I agree with Ben Davidson. That Detective Sloan did a shit poor job on the case. I so wanted to say something when we met with him at the bar, but I held my tongue."

"I noticed. It was killing you to hold back."

Kate smirked recalling her level of control during the half hour they had spoken with Detective Sloan.

"He also remembered Melanie Cavanaugh, like she was his failure." Castle pointed out.

"He said he had a missing person, not a murder." She said.

"From his point of view, all he had was a woman with a drug habit and a history of, uh, disappearing and a husband who had gone a day or so before he reported her missing."

Beckett said "Okay, let's look at Sam who was gunned down on the street over a year ago."

"Maybe we should look into the husband's best friend, Charles Wyler." Rick suggested, "Best mates. He would know the most."

"He's not exactly an impartial observer." Kate said. She then took a long draught of her strawberry shake. As she did, she noticed Castle's odd expression. She paused. "What?"

"You have an impressive appetite, Beckett. I like that in a woman. Refreshing." He smiled, then added, "I'm being serious, just in case I'm not sounding so."

"But I still won't get through all this," she scanned her plate, with a second burger to go and a bowl of sitting chips between them. "You order big, Rick." She put the straw back to her lips and sucked.

"I'll help you, as usual."

She kind of smiled her eyes glistening. "I'll share my food with you."

"Same." Castle said, "If I ever disappear, make sure this guy's not on my case."

"I would find you," Beckett replied without a thought, "I hate cops like him. Guys like him, things only make sense if they fit in a box. So, they make them fit, and murderers go free."

"Question is, would you break me out of jail?"

"I'd give it a shot," she replied, put down the shake and picked up the half burger she was working her way through.

"Is that what happened to your Dad?" He asked.

Beckett looked confused, "My Dad?"

Castle said "I noticed your watch. Was he…?" He stopped himself, when he saw Beckett's expression as she looked to her wrist. Her watch was oversized. Clearly a man's wristwatch and old style. It had certainly seen better days. "It's your dad's, right? He's why you wear it?"

"Yes, it was his."

Kate's work phone pinged to life on the dining table. She grabbed it up, glad for the interruption. "Beckett. Hi Espo," she looked vacantly into the distance, listened, then shifted her eyes to Rick's "We'll meet you there in ten or so…" A smile spread over her face, "Yes, he's still with me. Can't shake the bastard off." She said her dark eyes stared over the table at the blue eyed writer who grinned back at her. He was almost done with his second burger and had sauce all over his fingertips. "Bye." She hung up. "There's a storage facility along the Westside Highway near the river."

"Yeah, it was an old printing warehouse," he said.

"Espo and Ryan found something. Eat faster." She said even though he was eating fast enough.

"Bastard?" He asked.

"Playing the part, Castle. Playing the part."

"I think you enjoy playing the part a little too much, Missy."

She laughed, "Never had so much fun in my life, pretending to hate you." She giggled harder.

"Eat your burger, Detective." He replied then reached over and picked up Kate's second burger she was waving a finger at. It was a given she wouldn't be able to fit it in.

Beckett and Castle exited her police car and approached Esposito and Ryan who waited by their unit.

Beckett asked as she approached in her usual long strides, "You find a witness?"

"Yeah. Homeless guy. A couple of bucks jogged his memory." Esposito answered.

"Said he saw a dented yellow truck pull up to the site. Heavy-set guy pulls a large bag out of the back. When he comes back out, he doesn't have the bag anymore." Ryan added.

Beckett gazed about the old facility, "How'd you find this place?"

"The guy also remembered the word 'storage' written on the side of the truck," Esposito replied.

Ryan continued, "We searched all the storage places on the West Side, found out this one uses yellow trucks."

Beckett looked about them particularly the pool of yellow trucks parked on the property. She asked, "So, who owns the trucks?"

Ryan checked his notes written in a pocket size notebook, "According to the DMV, Albert Bolland."

"Let's go find Albert Bolland." Beckett said to Castle, then turned to the men, "You guys go home and get some rest. Good job with what you found. I'll text you with what we find."

"Sure Beckett. Night." Ryan said.

"See you in the morning." Espo replied.

….

Beckett and Castle didn't take long to find the business owner, who was busy finalizing a few matters before he left for the night. Albert Bolland was a heavy set fellow who seemed to know he was in trouble the second Beckett showed him her NYPD badge.

"Mr Bolland, I am here about a body that was dumped at a building site early this morning."

Mr Bolland stood from behind his old wooden desk, his worn office chair rolling back into a old knocked up filing cabinet, "What body? I don't know what you're talking about."

Beckett said, "A witness saw someone driving one of your yellow trucks and dumping the body."

"You're lying. No one saw."

Castle and Beckett glanced to each other mostly in amusement, a little disbelief, then Rick suggested, "Ouch. Wow. Maybe you should have tried denying it first."

Beckett said "Let me help you. Melanie Cavanaugh, mother of two. Wife of Sam Cavanaugh."

Albert sighed, held up his hands, "Okay, look. I dumped her. But I swear, I..."

"You didn't kill her, right?" Kate guessed.

"That's right. I found her."

"Uh huh," Beckett responded expecting more information.

"I never even knew she was here."

Castle was curious as the guy seemed honest, even if a little stupid, "What do you mean, "here"?"

Albert pointed upwards, "Sixth floor. Renters were in arrears. We usually give them three months, and then we cut the locks and we sell the belongings. Only this time, all I find is a freezer plugged into a light outlet which, by the way, is totally illegal."

Beckett asked, "You didn't think it was illegal to store a dead body in a freezer?"

"You think I knew? When I opened it up, I nearly had a heart attack."

Beckett said, "You could have called the cops."

"So, I could make the front page of the Ledger? Yeah, that's good for business. What if it's a mob hit? I mean, I got a family."

"So did she," Beckett replied frustrated with the guy for dumping the body.

"So, you find her. Next logical step, dump her at a construction site?" Castle kept it rolling aware Kate was sensitive about the family for some reason.

"I know a guy who works over there. So, when I find the body, I figure that's the place, right?"

"Show us where you found her." Beckett requested using a tone that told the guy she wasn't asking she was telling.

"Sure. I'll grab the keys."

After a rather rattled and noisy ride in an old industrial sized elevator followed by a walk along a narrow corridor, they found themselves at the entrance of a dark storage unit. Using flashlights because the light was not because it was now an improvised source of electricity, they all stared at the top-loading freezer sitting inside the room.

"There's nothing else in the unit," Castle stated.

"It's been left untouched for years, even the lock was stiff when I first opened it the other day." Albert said.

Taking a nervous breath, Beckett stepped up to the long freezer, then lifted the freezer lid. A small internal light came on. She saw nothing.

Rick leaned over her left shoulder peering down upon an empty freezer, "Nothing," he murmured.

Using flashlights, they lit up the box, immediately sighting what seemed to be a few strands of the victim's dark hair stuck in ice.

Beckett solemnly said to Castle, "Five years in there. Nobody deserves that." She took a moment then turned to Albert, "How'd they make payments for the unit? Check? Credit card?"

Albert replied, "Cash, every six months. But, like I said, they were three months overdue."

Beckett said, "Puts the last payment at two months after her husband was killed."

"Hard to make payments when you're dead." Castle noted.

"Mm-hmm. Cash. That means…" She turned to Albert, "That camera in your office, have you got footage of the guy who made payments?"

"That was nine month ago. We keep maybe two weeks at a time."

Frustrated, and realizing how late it was, Beckett decided to wrap things up for the night, "It looks like Sloan was right, Castle. Sam Cavanaugh didn't have anything to do with it."

Castle nodded his agreement but then asked the obvious, "Well, if not Sam, then who?"

Kate shrugged her shoulders. She had no idea.

During the journey home, Kate asked Rick to do the driving so she could make a few phone calls. She arranged for the CSU department to collect the freezer from the storage unit first thing in the morning then had a quick conference call with Espo and Ryan to brief them on what they'd found. She finally phoned the Captain to update him on their progress. At Rick's place, he left the car running and they both climbed out. They stood on the curbside, and Rick quietly hooked his fingers into hers their eyes connecting.

"I had a great time with you in LA. We should do it again sometime Detective."

Kate smiled, "We should. I had the best time in your company, Ricky. You're fun to be around even when we don't have work." She closed her fingers around his. "Meet me at the Precinct in the morning?"

"Until tomorrow," he agreed, "I'll collect my case another day.

She nodded, "Good night, Castle." She let go of his fingers and stepped to the road, watching for cars.

"Bear claw?" He asked.

"Huh?"

"In the morning."

"Oh, yes please. Thank you." She blew him a kiss and gave him a smile.

Rick caught the kiss then pressed his palm to his chin, as he watched her get in the car. He stayed on the side walk as he drove away, then took himself inside his apartment building. He was ready for a hot shower, a scotch and bed.

…..

After Kate arrived home, she connected her digital camera to the Apple desktop to upload the photographs while she went for a quick shower. Out of the bathroom, she fished in Rick's suitcase for a t-shirt. Unable to resist, she pressed it to her nose to breathe in his scent. Only a half hour had passed since she'd dropped him at home and she already missed his company.

Beside the fact she lacked sleep and was tired, she still required downtime to allow the findings of the day to fade away until she was back on duty in the morning. Sleep would not come before her mind would be quiet enough. Huddled in the blankets of her bed, Kate was settled in for the night and her little night cap was there to sip on.

With the Apple laptop on the bed between her thighs, she spent some long awaited time, viewing the photos she'd taken in LA. Because she was tired and it was late, it was mostly a scan and assess how her photography skills had improved especially after the gift of a three hour photography lesson with a professional photographer. The photographer had taken her to some fantastic places and had provided her with opportunities to learn to play with light.

She paused, and reached for the glass of iced Scotch positioned on the bedside table, that once consumed, would have her dozing off soon enough. While sipping, she stared at the photo on her screen. A selfie of herself and Rick at Venice Beach, with him holding the camera. They both wore grins, windblown hair, and sunglasses. That afternoon he'd taken possession of the camera and had turned it on Kate. She hit the arrow and the next photo appeared. One of herself in a bikini top and shorts on the sand. She smiled at herself. Her skin was white compared to other people. That had been the afternoon she had caught a bit of sun. She looked down at her left arm at the tan she had. Back at the screen she flipped through a dozen or so photos until she came across pictures taken in one of the hotels they had stayed in. She smirked at the sight of herself in a silk slip, sitting on a bed smiling up at Rick who had been standing on the bed above her. There was a tray of cheeses and fruits half consumed before her, and she had a glass of wine in her left hand. It was a cute photo. The next was a photo of herself and Rick lying together on the bed and looking up at the camera. She smiled mainly because she already knew what photo followed. Rick had taken the photo. He was on his back, naked, she was straddled over his body face down on his chest, her head to his shoulder, his right hand in her hair. He had a closed mouth smile, his blue eyes stared into the lens, her eyes were closed, her expression content. He'd done it spontaneously. Picked up the camera, flipped it over in his hand, turned on the timer and held it up above them. Professional shot? No way. Fully automatic. Totally a snap shot but she fell in love with it. With that, she picked up her phone. She found the photo from the iCloud and prepared it to send to Rick's secret phone. She tapped out a text.

My favourite photo.

She hit send, then began to shut the software her laptop. While it was closing, she received a text from Rick.

You have a beautiful backside. He wrote.

Kate checked the photo from her phone. Yes in the photo her back was bare, from her neck to the top of her butt, her right thigh and arm were slightly pink from being in the sun.

Yours is quite nice too. She tapped back then sent another. I miss you. Good night. The phone was placed on the bedside table.

She laid down, turned out the light, pulled up the bed linen and closed her eyes. Content, she drifted off to sleep