Shared Obsession Chapter 109
Frustrated at being unable to answer the cellphone trumpeting Beckett's ringtone from a nearby table, Castle uses his feet to edge his chair forward. He bends over the phone trying unsuccessfully to activate it with his chin or his forehead but only succeeds in knocking it off the table. He has no idea what Beckett wanted, but it could be important – maybe even news about the special counsel's investigation. Flexing every muscle in his legs, he powers the chair to the flip-top trashcan in the kitchen. Hunching over as far as he can, he stomps his foot against the pedal, letting the lid slam against the tape on his mouth. It loosens but doesn't come free. He stares into the trash, spotting a steel can.
When Alexis was young, Castle adopted the use of a can-opener that cut the sides of cans, leaving no sharp edges. But the model was plastic and the cranks to operate it broke after a few months of use. Finally, when Alexis was old enough to avoid getting cut, he gave in to his own laziness and bought an electric opener that more easily and swiftly decapitated cans in the more common way. Now, he says a necessarily silent prayer of thanks at that particular concession to sloth. A can near the top of the trash has a rough enough edge to saw through his tape. His shoulders protest as he works, but he's determined to get free – ASAP.
"The victim is Sophie Ronson, 35," Esposito says as he and Beckett walk down a hotel hallway. "She's in from LA for a wedding."
"Was she a guest?" Kate asks.
"Bridesmaid. That's why the bride came looking for her. When Ronson didn't show up for hair and makeup, she found her stuffed in an armoire. Unless the maid went snooping around she would have been there a while – probably until after the wedding."
Kate approaches Lanie as the ME kneels next to Sophie's body. "What do you see?"
"Preliminary COD is asphyxiation. And from the way her windpipe is crushed, I'd say the killer choked her from behind. We've got contusions on her throat. And one of her earrings is missing. It looks like it was yanked off."
"We searched the room," Esposito adds. "The earring's not here."
"A twisted killer might have taken it as a trophy," Kate considers. "But get CSU to print out a picture so that uniforms can start searching the hotel."
"Right," Esposito responds.
"What's the TOD, Lanie?" Kate queries.
"Based on temperature and lividity, I'd say between three and five this morning."
"That could narrow down our suspect pool," Kate muses. "Thanks."
"With what goes on the night before, I wouldn't bet on it," Lanie offers.
"I've been a bridesmaid six times. You might have a point," Kate agrees.
Kate conferences with Ryan and Esposito in the hallway. "Let's talk to hotel security. I want to see surveillance tapes and a list of all registered guests. And get records for Sophie's room phone and her cell."
"I'm on it," Esposito responds.
"The hotel says only one keycard was issued to the victim," Ryan reports. "It was last used to enter the victim's room at 3:18 am."
"That coincides with the time of death," Kate notes. "Where are the bride and groom?"
Ryan thumbs a direction. "Bridal suite at the end of the hall, Greg and Kyra."
Kate nods. "OK. Have uniforms assemble the wedding guests in the bar to be interviewed."
As Kyra and Greg sit on the bed next to each other, Kate pulls up a chair. "When was the last time that you saw Sophie?"
"At the rehearsal dinner last night, but I don't think I even talked to her," Kyra admits, regret clearly evident on her face. "She came all this way for us and I don't think I even said hello."
Greg pulls Kyra close. "It's not your fault. It was a crazy day."
"Did you talk to her after I went up to bed?" the would-be bride inquires of her fiancé.
"No. You know how Uncle Teddy is. He wouldn't let me leave without doing tequila shots. I escaped up to my room around one. I'm not sure if Sophie was still in the bar."
"The two of you weren't in the same room last night?" Kate questions.
"No," Kyra replies.
"It's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding," Greg adds.
"Is there anything else you can tell me about Sophie?" Kate asks. "Was she in a relationship? Did she have any enemies?"
Kyra shakes her still artfully coifed head. "I don't know. She lived in LA and we were never super close."
"Sophie introduced us. She's the reason we're together," Greg puts in.
"So when we were planning the wedding we thought she should be there," Kyra continues. "But our engagement party was the first time we'd seen her in a couple of years. And now she's dead. Who would do something like that?"
"That's what we're here to find out," Kate declares.
A man at the hotel security desk hands Esposito some papers. "Here you go."
"Thanks, Joe. They're great," Esposito acknowledges.
"Security have something?" Ryan asks.
"Yeah. They do background checks on all their employees. Joe seemed pretty sure there wasn't a killer among them, but he gave me the list. He's also pulling surveillance tapes. Good news is the elevators are all wired. Bad news is the stairwells and hallways aren't."
Castle rushes into the lobby. "Hey, guys. I got a little tied up. Beckett left me a message that there was a murder here. Which way to the crime scene?"
Esposito points upward. "Sixth floor."
Castle turns toward the elevator. "Thanks."
Esposito's eyebrows rise. "Um, Bro, is that duct tape on your pants?"
Castle strips off a piece he missed.
"Yes, yes it is. Occupational hazard."
Esposito and Ryan exchange looks and follow Castle into the elevator. As they enter the bridal suite, Castle can only see the back of the bride with her bridesmaids. "Who had her big day crashed by a murder?" The woman in question turns toward his voice. "Kyra?"
She stares at him. "Rick? Rick Castle?"
"You two know each other?" Beckett asks.
Castle swallows. "That would be an understatement."
Kyra continues to stare. "I read somewhere that you were working with the police, but I never would've expected to…. How long has it been?"
"Too long," Rick replies.
Kyra's eyes sweep up and down Rick's tall frame. "You look exactly the same."
The right side of Rick's mouth tugs upward in a crooked smile. "And you've improved."
"You always did know how to turn a phrase." Kyra gazes around at the assembly of gowned attendants and cops. "This is surreal. It's my wedding day and you show up."
"Castle, Lanie's got something for us," Kate says, more loudly than necessary.
Rick's eyes flick from Kyra to Kate and back. He draws in a deep breath. "All right. Let's go."
"What did you find?" Beckett asks as she and Castle enter Sophie's room.
"Once I turned her over I saw these abrasions across her upper back," Lanie replies. "They were definitely made before she died, probably during the struggle."
"Any idea what made them?" Beckett queries.
"No, but there's an odd shape to the wounds. I'll have a better idea once I get her back to the lab."
"Can I see?" Castle asks.
Lanie shrugs. "Knock yourself out."
"They look like corners of small rectangles. So what would an attacker have on the front of his chest that would be that shape?" Castle murmurs to himself. "A tie bar! Beckett, I used to wear them years ago to book signings. They helped keep the tie Black Pawn made me wear from getting in the way. I stopped because Alexis said they poked her when I hugged her. But a murderer who grabbed this poor woman from behind to kill her, wouldn't have given a damn about hurting her."
"Which would mean we're probably looking for a male killer," Kate says.
"Or a woman who likes ties," Castle offers. "But I think someone would remember that."
"It looked like a woman jogged your memory, Castle," Kate observes. "You and Kyra Blaine obviously have a history."
"Yes," Castle agrees. "That we do."
