Title: The Manhattan Three

By: grygoose70

Summary: Who or what are the Manhattan Three.
Disclaimer: The only thing I own are the words used to write this story.

Chapter 4

"This is Captain Beckett, twelfth precinct. To whom am I speaking with?"

"My name is George Plimpton, I own the Castle Inn and Spa in Tarrytown. I just saw the bulletin on WNYW, that you were looking for Alex Crossman."

"Continue Mr. Plimpton," Beckett said.

"Mr. Crossman checked in today, said he wanted a room with a king sized bed for one night, paid in cash."

"What time was that," Beckett asked?'

"About one this afternoon."

"Did he have anyone with him?"

"Well. he registered as mister and misses."

"Do you know what he was driving.?"

"A van with some fancy painting on it. Didn't catch the make and model."

"Are they still there?"

"Saw the van leave about twenty minutes ago."

"Well thank you for calling Mr. Plimpton, you've been very helpful." Beckett then hung up. "I think I'll pay a visit to Ms. Mason tomorrow."

"You want us to go with you," Espo asked?

"No, I'll take Analdo with me. Mason might open up a bit more with women."

"What do you want us to do," Ryan asked.

"I want you two to find Alex Crossman and bring him in for questioning. For now, let's go get dinner, I'm starving."

Day 3, The Mason House

Detective Analdo rang the doorbell to 1515 W. 151st Street, the home of Ms. Marilyn Mason, the McCall house being directly on the other side of the street. A few moments afterwards the door was opened, and standing there was Marilyn herself. Analdo introduced herself and Captain Beckett. Without hesitation Marilyn invited them in and lead them to the living room. "Please have a seat," Marilyn said, then asked them if they would like some coffee. They responded with a no thank you.

"Would you mind if I got some, I've only been up for a little while, haven't had my caffeine fix. One of you can come watch me, be sure I don't sneak out the back door."

"No, we trust you," Beckett replied.

Sitting down in an armed chair across from Beckett and Analdo, who have taken up residence on the sofa, Mason took a sip of coffee and gave a sigh. "So much better than that sludge they serve in the joint."

"We understand you were just released yesterday," Analdo comment.

"Correct, but that's not why you're here is it?" Mason said. "you know what detective, captain, I've been expecting this visit every day for the past eighteen years.

Mason's declaration caused Analdo and Beckett to give Mason a much surprised look. "You want to know what happened and who killed Mrs. McCall, Stacy and Sherrille. Let me begin by telling you wasn't me or Alex, my boyfriend. Le t me tell you a story." Analdo immediately opened her notebook to a blank page.

"It was close to 4am when Alex and I left the Kirby party. I think we were about the last to leave. As we pulled up to my house I noticed the front porch light was on. Mrs. McCall would only have left it on if Stacy weren't home yet. There were lights on inside the house also. I remembered I was talking to Janelle (Janelle Kirby) when Stacy approached telling Janelle she and Sherrill were heading home. Suddenly a saw an image through the widow swinging something. "I'm going over there," I said to Alex. "Not without me," he replied. As we got to the porch, I stepped on something crunchy. I looked to see what it was and saw broken glass. I then looked up , saw where the globe for the light was broken but not the bulb. I knocked on the door and waited but no one came to answer it. I tried the door and found it unlocked, so I opened it and called out, "Mrs. McCall, Stacy," but didn't get a response. Alex and I continued on inside until we got to the living room where we saw Bobby Conrad sitting cross legged on the floor holding some kind of rod. Lying next to him was Mrs. McCall with Stacy lying almost on top of her, Sherrill was lying next to them. "Bobby, what happened here?" I asked. He raised head and what I saw scared the living hell out of me. It was the look you'd see from someone like Jason in one of those horror movies. He said in a voice I knew wasn't his, "they wouldn't stop calling me Bobby." That's when I remembered, he has never liked the name Bobby, his mother always called him Robert, the name he always preferred. So I rephrased my question and asked again. "What went on here Robert?" I watched his eyes soften, then in a voice closer to that of his own said, "they wouldn't stop calling me Bobby, so I killed them." I stood in horror at what he just told me. "We need to call the police," Alex whispered to me. "No. We can't! I nearly shouted back. "Why not," Alex asked me. "Because Robert is only twelve years old, he will end up in some type of mental ward for children." He then asked, "Then what we going to do?" I needed to think. It took me a few minutes till I finally came up with an idea. I knelt down next to Robert and said to him. "Robert, I need for you to go home and get rid of that stick when you get there. And never talk or mention to anyone what you did here. Okay, can you do that?" I saw him nod his head, he then stood and left by the back door. I told Alex to find a broom and sweep the glass off the front porch, then shut off the porch light. When he was done, I told him to back his van into the driveway. "What are you going to be doing," he asked. "Getting these women ready for transport," I responded. When he left, I found some sheets, stripped the women of their clothes, rolled them up and when Alex returned, we carried them out and put them in the back of his van. "What now," he asked as he pulled out of the drive and parked in front of my house. "Nothing tonight it's too close to daylight. When you get home, park as you normally would, just be sure all the doors are locked. Tomorrow night we'll find a place to bury them. Alex picked me up the following night about 1am. I had already drove round during the day looking for a spot finally finding the empty lots on west eightieth avenue."

"But why strip them naked," Analdo asked?

"I did a paper my junior year on funerals and burials. In my research I learned clothing doesn't disintegrate like human tissue, that is why even when buried in a coffin for a hundred years the skin is gone but clothing remains."

"My husband would like you," Beckett said.

"Richard Castle, Marilyn responded, "I managed to read all the Nikki Heat books during my incarceration."

"You know we're gonna have to arrest you," Analdo said.

"I know," Marilyn answered. "figured it would take someone like Nikki Heat or her inspiration to find the bodies and eventually get to the truth." Marilyn then stood and held arms waiting to be handcuffed.

"Do I really need to cuff you," Analdo said.

"No, I'll go quietly," Marilyn replied.

It was two days later that the story appeared in the New York Ledger, the headline read, "The Manhattan Three murder case finally solved," by Vernon Crockett. The article, however, never mentioned where the reporter got his information from or the killers name, since the killer was considered too be still at large.

Six Months later, The Trial of Marilyn Cynthia Mason and Alexander James Crossman

"All rise," the bailiff shouted as Judge Markway entered the courtroom and took his seat. "Be seated," he then said, and the two defendants, their lawyer, the prosecuting attorney along with the half dozen spectators sat.

"Will the defendants please rise," Judge Markway politely ordered. Marilyn Cynthia Mason and Alexander James Crossman, along with their attorney, Mickey Haller stood.

The Bailiff began to read the charges.

"The State of New York versus Marilyn Cynthia Mason and Alexander James Crossman are charged with Interference after the fact in the murders of Suzanne McCall, Stacy McCall, and Sherrill Levitt."

"How do you plead," Judge Markway asked.

"Guilty, your honor," Mason responded. "Guilty, your honor," Crossman stated right afterwards.

Judge Markway sat contemplating the charges and the defendants plea then called the councilors to the bench, after dismissing them he turned back to the defendants and spoke.

"The bench accepts the guilty plea from each of the defendants and issues the following punishment. Five hundred hours of community service and a five thousand dollar fine per defendant. Is that agreeable to all involved?" Upon getting a "yes, your honor" from everyone Judge Markway smacked down his gavel and announced, "case dismissed," and stood, the bailiff immediately shouting, "all rise." When Judge Markway exited the bailiff announced, "courts adjourned."

"Don't worry, I'll take care of the fines," Castle told the group of detectives Analdo, Ryan, Esposito, Fuller, and Rhymer.

"And I'm pretty sure that between the seven of us we can keep them busy for five hundred hours," Beckett added.

Epilog

It took almost three months for the detectives of the twelfth precinct to find thirty-year-old Robert Conrad; one because he and his mother had moved to Hoboken, New Jersey where he was now going by the name Robert Ransom, his mother's last name, and two because he was now incarcerated in the NYS Psychiatric Center for the criminal insane. Why there? Because New Jersey didn't have a facility capable of handling his violent tendencies.

End of Chapter 4,

End of Story