There had been nothing out of the ordinary they'd been able to find at Raquelle's apartment-at least when it came to her lifestyle and the last few days before her death.
Her clothes had been neatly folded and put away. No male outfits or anything that wouldn't fit her size could be found. As though she had just gone to work that day and never returned home; Raquelle's apartment left them with plenty of questions but no answers.
His gut told Castle that this had been a young woman living alone, not comfortable in the companionship of strangers, not interested in going out late at night, much less mingle with any questionable crowds.
They hadn't been able to establish any friendships she shared besides a few older people and already had plenty of insight into her family life with an overbearing mother.
No, Raquelle hadn't known her killer.
Had she been chosen arbitrarily or on purpose, that was left for them to speculate.
As far as Castle was concerned, any information that could be found about their case wouldn't be hiding in the clean and organized apartment- it was out on the streets.
"You're thinking of Alexis?"
Beckett's soft voice pulled him out of his deep state of concentration, and he glanced up awkwardly before lowering the picture frame he'd been staring at for the past few seconds.
"That…and a bunch of other things…", the writer explained and walked toward the middle of the living room, then turned on his axis to face her, "How did our killer know that she didn't have any family that would care for her? No friends that would get the cops involved if she went missing? Was there anything that she did or said to him that could have exuded her loneliness? And where did he find her to begin with? If she didn't go out much, did he cross her path at the gas station? Did they share a pew at church? Or does he live in this apartment complex too? Could the cooler he's been keeping her body in for two weeks be down on the second floor?"
Pursing her lips, Beckett shrugged, visibly struggling with the countless open ends to their preliminary research.
"When Ryan texted me, he said she'd been working at the gas station for a couple of years but never made friends there. They just figured she'd walked out on the job when she didn't show up for her shift. Nobody there seems to recall her having some trouble or affinity for any of the customers."
"He wouldn't want a relationship. He just wants the kill."
His statement made her raise her eyebrows and lean against the wooden armoire, her eyes tracing the azure carpet below as she followed his line of thought.
"So, he's on the hunt for his victim and comes across her at the gas station. Maybe she seemed shy or said something that caught his attention…"
Castle nodded, then crossed his hands behind his head to think better.
"Something woke up the predator inside and he began to follow her home, waiting until it was the right time to strike."
"There are plenty of alleys between this apartment and the gas station. Either one of them could have been an attractive hideout."
When he didn't immediately reply, she glanced up again, frowning.
"I take it you don't think he struck in one of the alleys?"
"This is somebody who has to be in control at all times…", the writer began with a slight headshake, "He has shown that in the way he placed the body. Then moved it again. He couldn't leave the killing up to chance and pull her into an alley, unsure if there would be witnesses. I think he dragged her into a car, brought her to wherever he prepared for his deed and then raped and killed her in the privacy of his lair."
"Which brings us back to the black car."
"And that's his safety cushion. A car that fits any others driving around, nothing that would grab anybody's attention. Something plain and unsuspecting that he can use to run his deadly errands with."
Beckett was about to reply when her cell phone rang. Reaching for it, she recognized the caller ID and briefly glanced up, meeting Castle's somber eyes.
"Beckett?"
From a few feet away, he watched the color drain from her face as she intently listened to the voice on the other end, her body becoming rigidly still.
"Okay, we will be there in a few minutes."
When she hung up the phone, the seasoned detective paused for a moment, then sought out his gaze again.
"We have another murder."
Upon her breathless announcement, Castle raised his brows.
"Same killer, new victim?"
At first she nodded, then shook her head as the conflicting information sank in. Then, with her jaws clenched she shrugged, struggling with the situation.
"I don't know, Castle. Let's go and check it out."