Shared Obsession Chapter 140

Ryan points to a line of phone booths along a wall in massive Grand Central Station. "According to Tech, the call came from the second booth on the end."

Castle, Ryan, and Esposito trail Kate as she strides toward the booth. She pushes the door open, revealing the receiver hanging off the hook. Turning, she spots a pool of blood – and a body.


A criminalist digs in the body's pocket and hands his finding to Lanie. "Here's his wallet."

Lanie passes the billfold to Kate, whose gloved fingers quickly examine the contents. "His name's Alex Peterman, lives in Dobbs Ferry. It wasn't a robbery. The money and credit cards are still here. So are his business cards. He's a personal injury attorney."

"Taking the late train home," Castle surmises.

"Anything other than GSWs, Lanie?" Kate inquires.

The ME shakes her head. "No, just five shots to the chest. Looks like they came from a 45."

"A 45 makes a pretty loud snap, crackle, and pop," Castle notes. "I find it difficult to believe no one heard it on the main concourse. Or maybe no one wanted to hear it."

"He could have used a suppressor and waited for a train to pass by," Kate proposes.

Lanie gets up, a look of disgust on her face. "And let's face it. New Yorkers are famous for a 'See no evil, Speak no evil,' attitude. I'll give you an update when I get him back to the lab."

"Thanks, Lanie," Beckett says.

"Did you hear about the movie?" Esposito asks.

Lanie's eyes narrow. "What movie?"

"The one they're making of Heat Wave," Ryan explains. "Who do you want to play you?"

"Halle Berry might be able to catch my vibe," Lanie replies. "Kate, who were you thinking of to play you?"

"Castle got a text about this from his agent a few days ago. But I've been too busy to think about it," Kate claims.

"Uh-huh," Lanie responds.

"How about Kate Beckinsale?" Castle offers. "We'll call you K-becks."

"Castle, let's just work on the case," Kate urges.

"All right," he agrees. "But thinking about the movie could lighten the mood a little."

"A guy's just been shot five times in one of the busiest places in the city, and things went on as if nothing happened. I don't want to lighten the mood. I just want to find the psychopath who did it."

"Wow, this one's really getting to you, Kate. Look, the killer called you. So this is probably exactly what he wants – your undivided attention. Don't give him that kind of power."

Kate leans briefly against Castle's arm. "You're right. Let's just catch the bastard."


As Kate marks out a timeline on the murderboard, Ryan and Esposito join her and Castle. Hey, guys, what have we got so far?" she queries.

"Finally got a witness, a woman," Esposito reports, "said she heard a loud sound like a car door slamming around 8:45."

Kate marks 8:45 as the start of the kill zone.

"And she said she saw a white male, 30s, average height, leaving the waiting room very quickly and moving toward the exit," Ryan adds.

"Said he was wearing a black coat, sunglasses, and had some sort of a beard, maybe a goatee," Esposito continues.

"Sounds like a disguise, and not even a very creative one," Castle offers. "It's more like what you'd see in a Perry Mason episode, one from the '50s."

"Could be," Kate responds, "but maybe we'll get lucky. Find out if anyone can corroborate the description. Make up a sketch and show it to Alex Peterman's family. See if they recognize the killer."

As Ryan and Esposito move off to follow her orders, Kate gazes into the air above the bullpen.

"What is it?" Castle asks.

"He called to report his crime. And that voice, it's like he did it for fun – too much fun to stop." Kate's cell buzzes. "That's Lanie. Maybe she's got something."


"Cause of death is multiple gunshot wounds," Lanie announces. "No surprise there. Tox indicates he had a martini about an hour before he died. Other than that, nothing interesting about the body."

"Then why the call?" Kate asks.

Lanie points to a bullet in a plastic container. "Check that out under the magnifier."

Kate looks down through the eyepieces. "It's engraved. There's a 'K' on it. How about the other bullets?"

"All engraved, hand etched. And the letters spell out something. I have them on cards."

Castle shuffles the cards around. "They spell 'kinki.' Other than the misspelling, strangely appropriate.

Kate rearranges the letters. "Not 'kinki,' 'Nikki,' Nikki Heat. That's why he called me. That's why he said he's a fan. He dedicated the murder to me."


Montgomery regards a photo of the marked bullets. "Does he realize Nikki Heat's a fictional character, not a real person?"

"Obviously, he's delusional," Castle says. "But given that Nikki Heat is based on Detective Beckett, maybe he's confusing the two. And we showed Alex Peterman's family the sketch of our suspect. He didn't look familiar."

"How are we on forensics?" Montgomery asks.

"CSU grabbed about 200 fingerprints, a thousand fibers, and 60 odd DNA samples," Kate says. "And that was just from the phone booth. They're working them up now – but it's creating a huge backlog."

Ryan sticks his head in Montgomery's doorway. "Beckett, guy on the phone asking for Detective Heat."

Kate rushes across the bullpen to grab the receiver. "Beckett."

She recognizes the smarmy voice immediately. "Nikki, did you get the first part of my message?"

"Yes," Kate responds cautiously.

"Well, the second part is at the Central Park carousel."


Kate trips over a clump of grass as she and Castle make their way from where she parked her unit, to the seasonally shut-down ride. "You OK?" he queries, grabbing her elbow.

"Yeah, fine. It's just this guy is centered on me, you know? I was thinking, maybe I should stay away from your place, stay in my apartment until we get him. I don't want to endanger Alexis or Martha – or you."

"Mother is hardly going to be there. She's decided to live, or at least semi-live with Chet."

"Her old boyfriend from high school?"

"Yes. And I've signed on for the duration. But you could be right about Alexis. Still, she'll miss you, if not as much as I will. But maybe he's left enough clues to nab him this time. With the carousel not in service yet, there may not be as much confounding evidence."

Kate sighs. "I wouldn't count on it." She opens the door to the carousel and steps inside, with Castle behind her and Ryan and Esposito bringing up the rear. Despite being officially shut down, the carousel is turning, and cheery music is playing. Kate takes her Mag-Lite from the pocket of her jacket and uses it to illuminate her way. Halfway around the circle of horses and sleighs, her beam finds a body.


"Same MO," Lanie announces, examining the victim, "except that there were four shots, not five. There are contusions on the left side consistent with the muzzle of a 45 being jammed into her ribs. So I'm guessing the killer is left-handed."

"A criminalist walks up holding an evidence bag. "We pulled the slugs from the back of the carriage. They have letters on them, W-I-L-L."

"Will," Kate responds. "They're the second part of the message. "Nikki will."

"Nikki will what?" Castle wonders. "There has to be at least one more word."

"Which means," Kate says grimly, "unless we stop the killer, at least one more body."