Disclaimer: I do not own the characters featured on the show Castle, they belong to the creator of the show, ABC and the others who do own them.

A/N #1: It was nice to get the holiday wish and feedback I got for the last chapter so I'll go ahead and start my thank yous for that! TORONTOSUN (Happy New Year to you and your family as well, thanks for that message!) and

Mb (It was great to see you enjoyed how Castle and Beckett started their day, lol, but yeah, seems like it would be a nice way to do it! And I wasn't surprised you mentioned there might be movement in the case since I know you've been wondering if there would be. And you did get an answer to what Skye wasn't saying in the next chapter but I wasn't surprised either you were asking about that. Really pleased to read you thought it was an interesting update. And glad you were looking forward to more! You're welcome for the first half of the chapter! Great reading first thing you thought the second half was interesting, though since you were referencing Skye being jumped by all the victims that made sense. And yeah, since she's welcomed those spirits to her it'd be harder to prevent them doing that to her. I couldn't help laughing at you saying Mary and Skye will be laying down ground rules but it would happen of course! I wasn't surprised you were wondering about Kipling remembering more possibly with the wellness check since it's a legitimate question. And I wasn't surprised either you're wondering about the car and also who is in the car in the water. With you saying it was nicely done that the cases are starting to gain some traction I had to laugh at you then saying there will probably be even more questions since that does happen but of course you'll have to see! You're welcome for the second half of the chapter!).

Thanks for the reviews, I loved reading them and appreciate the time taken to write them out and send them my way!

A/N #2: The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song Dead Man's Party written by Danny Elfman, from the Oingo Boingo album the same name as the band.

All Dressed Up, Nowhere To Go

"We're hooked up," the tow truck operator called to Brad and Aspinall.

"Alright, pull it out of there," the agent said.

Watching the car making its way out of the water slowly, Castle said, "What do you think?"

"No idea," Skye said.

"You did want to stay," Beckett told her since she could hear the investigator's annoyance.

"The house," Skye replied.

"Does Kipling still want you to go?" Castle asked in surprise.

"Yes, he's down the street with the other four," Skye said.

"I could take her down there," Darnley said.

"Not yet," Skye said rapidly. "Sorry," she told the carpenter when his eyes widened at how fast she'd spoken. "I want to make sure she isn't in there."

"Did you tell Trev to talk to her friend on the Go-Team?" Darnley inquired.

"No, I don't want to worry her if there's just… debris in there," Skye answered. She hesitated for a moment and asked, "In LA a canal like this is to channel the water to the ocean."

"It's for hurricanes or storm surge," Beckett said.

"There's one about a football field away to the east of our beach," Castle asked.

Nodding, Skye saw the car was a little further and she had planned to step up closer when her friend was holding her back. "I don't have a right to do that," she stated.

"Not really," Beckett said, squeezing her arm gently before she let her go as Brad was walking up to them.

"You don't want to head to the house?" the chief asked the investigator.

"Not until the car is out," Skye said firmly.

"It's going to take a while," Brad informed her.

Hesitating for a moment, Skye then said, "Then just until we can see inside." She then asked, "Did you talk to Aspinall about going over there?"

"I told him the woman who owns the car is just down the street," Brad replied with a nod. "He said you can go since there was that request for a welfare check from you."

"That's all he said?" Skye asked in surprise.

"There were other agents," Brad replied.

"Okay," Skye said. "Then I'll just do that."

After the chief had left them, Castle said, "He has to have the results of the test soon."

"Yeah," Skye replied. She then said, "But there's something I'm missing."

"We get that all the time," Darnley said. He made a face at what he'd said, the other three looking at him, and said, "I mean me, when I was still with Metro. There used to be little things like that before the case was solved. It drove me crazy."

Hearing a shout, Beckett immediately turned to the car, seeing the tow truck operator was next to it and reaching inside. "It's not-" she started to say before the man was yelling towards Brad and Aspinall.

"There's a bunch of junk in here," the worker said. "Clothing and debris… maybe a mannequin?"

"They wanted it to look like a body," Brad said, going to the side of the car. He and Aspinall waited there for the rest of the procedure before the automobile was finally out and he said, "Yeah, they did."

"Can we get the trunk open?" Aspinall asked the operator. After the man had forced open the driver's door the trunk lever was pulled, and he and Brad were there with the others behind them.

"More clothes," the chief said with a frown before he heard someone stepping up behind him. Looking at Skye, he saw she was staring at the wet items inside, and he murmured, "What is it?"

Shaking her head, the investigator stepped back towards the other three and told them, "I've seen some of those jackets."

"Wait," Aspinall said, having put on gloves and pulling things out to hand over to his agents to put away in bags. "There's a fake beard… a mustache… this Nagel is a woman, right?"

"She is," Brad said, looking at Skye and seeing her speaking with Beckett. "Skye," he called to her when Aspinall had stepped aside to take a phone call.

"I was jumped by the victims; all of them; last night," the investigator said once she was standing with the chief. "They showed me what they'd seen before they'd been knocked unconscious. I remember that deep purple sweater since Lavigne hated that shade and the other Kipling saw opening the front door of the house. And all of them were men… probably the same man," Skye said, adding the last at the end while she was eyeballing the fake facial hair.

"Then you need to go to the house," Brad said, glancing towards Aspinall. When the investigator immediately nodded, he said, "Alright, I'll tell him I'd like to take care of this."

"Will he let you?" Beckett asked, having walked over to them.

"Yes," Brad said firmly. "This is our city, and she is a citizen," he added. He hesitated for a moment and then said, "And she might be in some distress."

"You can just call it a welfare check; what you were supposed to do in the first place," Castle said.

"I should have had Wade do that before you found the car," Brad said, making a face. "But I'll take this. Let me go talk to him."

"At least we have something now," Darnley told the investigator.

"Definitely," Skye said. "And I'll take it."

"Okay, we can go," Brad said when he hurried to them. "You two are ready?"

"You're not taking Wade?" Castle asked in surprise.

"Oh I am," Brad assured him. "But I need them to assist too."

"Are we taking the agents?" Darnley then inquired.

"One, Agent Courtney," Brad answered before he motioned to the woman walking up to them.

As the two were talking, Beckett took Skye aside and began saying, "You can't-" before she was interrupting her quickly.

"I have to," Skye said. She wasn't surprised at the look she was getting from her friend and told her, "Who's going to watch your husband?"

"Hey," Castle said before they were turning to Brad.

"I know you need to be there, but I don't want you going inside," the chief said.

"I figured, but if you do need me…" Skye started to say slowly.

"I'll call you in," Brad said. "But only if it's totally necessary," he added firmly.

Watching Skye nodding, Castle walked with her down the street to the house before he saw there were some squad cars going by. He glanced at the investigator and seeing she appeared surprised he said, "They need to surround the house."

"I'm not surprised," Skye said. "But…" She never finished that since they were reaching the house and Castle was stopping her from continuing after the group.

Going across the street to the driveway of the house, Beckett glanced behind her at her husband before Brad stopped her. "It's fine," she said, since he'd given her a vest as they'd begun walking.

"It better be," the chief replied before he was turning back to the house.

Glancing down the street on either side of them, watching for any sign of movement, Castle looked back at the sound of the door being kicked in across the street. He started to move to cross the street when the group had disappeared inside before he felt Skye holding him back.

"Like I said, someone needed to watch you," the investigator said before she was suddenly squeezing hard at his arm.

"What?" Castle asked, startled at her grip.

"It's Kipling," Skye replied, her gaze on the house. "He went inside."

"You can't go," Castle said, having to run after her when she began to.

"He's going to go to Kate," Skye said seriously. She wasn't surprised he paused and then said, "But… we can't go in."

"Without vests or weapons, we'd be kicked out of the investigation," Castle replied. "Will she be okay?" he asked. He wasn't surprised when Skye shrugged, looking irritated, and he said in slight concern while he looked back at the house, "Hopefully they'll find Nagel soon," before the investigator was suddenly running. "Skye, wait!" he yelled to her.

Inside the house, Beckett had broken off with Darnley to the wing of the house that contained the bedrooms. She was whispering to her friend that the laundry room and bedroom across it were clear when something ahead of them caught her eye. Turning her head, she suddenly perceived Kipling as she had last seen him before the image faded and she realized Darnley was gripping her arm from behind her.

"What's going on, it's freezing," the carpenter was nearly hissing to her.

"I'm not sure," Beckett said immediately, shaking herself. She stepped away from Darnley when she suddenly heard a thud above them and looked up at the same time he had. Before either of them could react though, she heard a soft creak at the start of the hallway and turned to see it was Skye and her husband. "G-" was all that she was able to get out before the investigator spoke first.

"This house has an attic," Skye said, looking between Beckett and Darnley before he was answering first.

"Here, someone was here," Darnley said. "I'll get Brad."

"She's up there," Skye said.

"I couldn't stop her," Castle said when he saw his wife was looking at him.

"What is it?" Brad said, coming to the hallway with the agent and Wade.

"She's up in the attic," Beckett said firmly. She saw Brad incline his head before he was turning to Skye and Castle.

"You two need to go back outside," the chief said.

"No," Skye said firmly. She wasn't surprised when the others behind him were pausing before Brad was shaking his head.

"Fine but if you get hurt-" the chief started to say.

"I won't, go," Skye said firmly.

"Kate-" Castle started to say when he noticed then his wife was grabbing the cord hanging down.

"I'm waiting," Beckett interrupted him.

"Go ahead," Brad said after she and Darnley turned to him.

Getting her out of the way, the carpenter was slightly surprised when his friend merely nodded to him before he was pulling the cord down. After the stairs had come down as well, he was moving out of the way of Brad and Courtenay who were aiming their guns up at the opening.

"Go," the chief said.

Though she was already moving to the first step, Beckett nodded and started up before she paused when she heard more thudding. She shook herself and then went up again before her head was in the attic and she nearly came face to face with a woman. Keeping herself from falling backwards, she yelled down to the others, "Call an ambulance, there are two women here."

"What?" Brad asked in shock. He holstered his gun and said to Courtenay, "Tell Aspinall and call an ambulance," before he went up after Beckett as she climbed up fully into the attic.

Not surprised when the two women were trying to pull away from her Beckett knelt next to Nagel and said, "I'm a consultant with the Hamptons police. The chief is here, and we'll get you out of here." She carefully pulled the tape covering Nagel's mouth off and said, "Can you get up?"

"I don't know… please… water," the woman whimpered.

"Easy, I'm the chief of police," Brad said to the woman that was laying next to Nagel. He had the tape off her face before he then reached for his radio and said, "Emerson, Emerson come in."

"Here chief," the officer said.

"Did Courtenay get to Aspinall?" Brad asked.

"No sir," Emerson replied.

"No?" Brad exclaimed. "Call two ambulances and tell Aspinall we've found Nagel and… another woman."

"Was that even Courtenay?" Skye asked, having come up the stairs.

"I'm Courtenay," the other woman said roughly. "How did I get here?"

"We'll talk about that later," Brad said, gently pressing his handkerchief to Courtenay's forehead.

"Do you want to try and get them out of here?" Castle asked.

Shaking his head, Brad got his radio again and said, "Bernier."

"Here chief," the officer said. "Aspinall is heading over there with some agents, the car is being towed to the station."

"Will tech be there?" Brad asked.

"Yeah," Bernier replied.

"Did someone tell him about Courtenay?" Brad then said.

"Yeah… he was confused," Bernier replied.

"You remember what she looked like right?" Brad asked. "We need an APB on her, call in the station. And did someone get ambulances?"

"They were called," Bernier stated.

While his friend was finishing the conversation with his officer, Castle turned when he saw Aspinall entering with some other agents. "The woman up there says she's Courtenay," he told the agent.

"How is that possible? Courtenay," Aspinall yelled.

"Here sir," the weak voice of the woman in the attic called.

"That's not-" Aspinall said with a frown before Skye was interrupting him while she made her way down the steps.

"Have you worked with her before?" the investigator asked him.

"No," Aspinall replied with a frown. "But I know what she looks like."

"We all do," Brad said, going down the steps. "And that woman looks the same as whoever it was we were talking to."

"I would go look at her," Skye said, seeing the way the agent was hesitating. She watched with the others as Aspinall went up, frowning at Castle at the loud curse from the room.

"They want to get out of here," Beckett said, looking down at the others.

"The ambulances-" Brad began.

"We can walk," Nagel said, interrupting him.

Staying to help Nagel and then Courtenay, Beckett said, "There's more clothes."

"The lady who was posing as her left them," Nagel commented.

"Lady?" Skye asked.

"Yes, she came to my house dressed like a man," Nagel said.

"It wasn't her?" Brad asked, nodding to Courtenay.

"No, she brought this woman after she had me in the attic. I don't know how long it was the days were a little hard to judge but I was here for a day or two at least," Nagel explained. "And I think she took my car."

"She did, we found it in the irrigation channel," Castle said.

"Did you hear two cars?" Aspinall asked, holding his hand out to the writer.

Hesitating, Nagel said, "I did."

"And how long have you been here?" Aspinall asked.

"For at least three days if I figured it out right," Nagel replied. "I heard my phone ringing, I bet it was my friend Leslie Bonner."

"It was," Skye said. "She's here right now."

About to speak, Nagel paused before she said, "For an investigation?"

"What about you?" Aspinall asked Courtenay.

"I was… it was last night," the agent said in obvious exhaustion before they were all turning to see an EMT walking in as she spoke.

"Chief Davis?" the woman asked. When he motioned to her, she said, "There's only one ambulance."

"Only one?" Aspinall asked with a frown.

"There was a car accident, two intersections over. We got there just as it was happening," the EMT explained while she set her bag down in front of the two women who were sitting on armchairs in the living room.

"Wade," Brad said when Aspinall immediately left the house.

"I'll stay," the officer replied swiftly.

"We'll have to question you and the driver," Brad told the woman who nodded though she didn't turn from checking on Courtenay. "Did you call another ambulance?"

"I did, it's almost here," the driver said, walking into the house. "Do you need help?"

With the two EMTs helping the women, Brad called his consultants with him, and they left before he said, "We can either go back to our cars or book it."

"I'd rather book it," Skye said, not surprised when Beckett was grabbing her hand to hold her in place.

"Emerson," Brad said, motioning to them.

Though he wanted to ask what they would be doing exactly once they reached the crash site, Castle refrained since they were shortly after beginning to run. Since it wasn't that far they soon spotted the two cars and ambulance before he saw they were only at one car. "It's empty," he commented.

"I doubt it," Beckett said grimly.

"It isn't," Darnley said a little after she'd spoken. By then they could see the figure in the driver's seat, the door open, slumped in the chair and their arm limp at their side. "Who's pulling the air bags away?" he asked.

"Brad will," Beckett said. They'd stopped and were looking at the two cars before she walked a little to the left.

"I see it," Castle said, following behind her a little. He then said, "Should they be turned off?"

"One is," Skye called.

"What are you doing?" Darnley said, the writers running around the car behind him.

"I have gloves," Skye replied simply, climbing into the driver's seat. She pushed at the air bag from the steering wheel and said, "It's her… whoever the hell she is," as she looked back at the others.

"You knew her," Aspinall told everyone where they had gathered in the chief's office.

"Not really, she was introduced to us as Ms. Hopper," Brad said. "And the tech that explained how the mechanism that beheaded the first four victims worked."

"Though it looks like she might have made that mechanism," Darnley commented.

"How did you not recognize her?" Aspinall asked.

"She had a prosthesis for her nose and chin," Beckett said.

"We found them in the bag in the car," Brad said. "And we realized where we'd seen the nose."

"Do I need to do a recreation?" Aspinall inquired.

"If it's possible," Brad replied.

"And we're set on her being the person who robbed Riverside," the agent said.

"I think for everything but the murders," Darnley said.

"I'm not looking forward to untangling this," Brad commented since the carpenter was looking at him pointedly.

"It's not that difficult," Skye said. "At least you know who the fake Courtenay and Hopper was."

"Anlin Klerk," Brad said, putting the picture of the imposter on the murder board. "We showed her picture around the university but…"

"That's not a surprise, all those disguises," Castle commented.

"Have you gotten the footage from that house?" Aspinall asked.

"Yeah," Brad said, waiting for the others to gather around him. He pressed play on the video he'd received from one of the houses on the intersection and leaned back to watch the SUV the fake agent had been driving T-bone a pickup truck. "He's lucky he's okay," he commented stopping the video and closing it.

"Did you confirm our theory?" Beckett asked him.

"Yeah, the breaks were cut," Brad said.

"The other house?" Skye said.

Looking at the investigator, Brad frowned and said, "What are you doing?"

"What did you get?" Beckett asked before the investigator could speak, seeing her hand clutching her phone.

"Watch the video," Skye replied after a quick shake of her head.

"Not yet," Brad said, glancing at Aspinall while he tapped at Beckett's arm.

"Is one of them trying to jump you?" she asked once she'd reached the investigator.

"They say their killer is close… the video," Skye replied.

"Can you watch it?" Aspinall asked her.

"Yeah, I didn't want to bring them all around the desk like this," Skye breathed before she allowed Beckett to lead her around.

Not commenting on how cold the investigator felt; even through her clothes; Beckett took her to the desk chair that Brad had vacated. "Better?" she asked.

After Skye had nodded, Brad played the video, and they watched the SUV that Klerk had used. "This is at six this morning," he said, looking at the time stamp in the corner.

"Someone's approaching," Darnley said before Skye was exhaling hard before she spoke a little shakily.

"It's them… whoever they are," the investigator told the others.

"I don't think this is Klerk," Aspinall said.

"No, they're taller than she is," Castle said.

"I don't think we can tell who that is," Brad commented when the person had finished under the hood of the car and walked back off camera the way they'd come.

"Not really," Beckett said before they were all looking at Skye's phone on the desk.

"I have to get this," the investigator said since her text alert had sounded. Opening her phone, she saw Nkosi had sent her a picture and she opened it before frowning. "Can I call him?" she asked, looking at Brad and Aspinall.

"Stay here," the agent said after the chief had looked at him.

Dialing Nkosi's number, Skye said as soon as he'd picked up, "What is that from?"

"The chunk of melted medal," Nkosi said. "I noticed some scratches and decided to take a closer look."

"Can you raise it from the metal?" Darnley asked his husband.

"Cooper's trying right now," Nkosi replied, sounding like he had stepped away from his phone.

"Trevor?" Skye asked.

"Yeah, sorry," Nkosi said immediately. "We have something."

Hearing the investigator was muffled as he was talking Brad asked, "Should we have him call back?"

Before Skye could answer that, Nkosi was coming back on and he said, "I have to take a picture, we got something," before she was responding swiftly.

"Sure, send it as soon as you can," Skye said rapidly before they were waiting.

"Okay, I sent it," Nkosi eventually said. "I hope you have more luck with it then we do, though if you can't we might have to put it down to just a trick of the fire that melted it."

"Let me see," Skye said, going to her texts. She was about to speak when she froze and then looked at Castle and Beckett before they said at the same time, "I know who the killer is."