"Let's put out an APB on-", Beckett said the moment she arrived at her detective's desks, Castle staying close behind.
"Already done. Sketch artist is on his way up here as well. I am about to run the DMV database to see what I can dig up on the car."
There was a quiver in Ryan's voice as he turned his back toward them, his fingers racing across his keyboard, anxious to finally narrow down the ID of the man who'd caused so much terror and heartbreak in this city.
Esposito had stayed behind, leaning against the door frame to the interview room, catching a brief glimpse at the grieving parents holding onto one another in their time of agony. When he noticed Beckett watching him, he walked over, drawing a deep breath as he joined the team, but decided to remain quiet.
Noticing his odd behavior, Beckett cleared her throat, the file and image of their latest victim clamped against her chest.
"What'cha thinking, Espo?", she asked, trying to sound casual which was a feat after the latest interview.
"That guy, man…", the older detective began and shook his head slightly, "I just…I just feel like we're missing something here. I mean, the dude is doing all this to impersonate Collins? What kind of whackjob kills three young girls just to impersonate somebody? And now he's trying to mess with us, trying to mess with…with Kevin."
He'd lowered his voice at those words, grateful to see that Ryan was too busy typing to hear them.
Sensing the array of strong emotions boiling within him, Beckett leaned forward to squeeze his arm reassuringly, cocking her head in silent understanding.
"Why don't you and…and Castle head back out to the crime scene? See if you can find some witnesses, anything else that can help us.", she suggested, immediately seeing the writer open his mouth to protest and shutting him down with a firm glare, "I need to meet with Gates on this interview right away to brief the Chief and the Mayor. While Ryan is searching the web, you two can canvass the streets, see if you can turn up something else. And be careful."
With a subtle nod, Esposito watched her turn on her heels to head toward Gates' office, her slumped shoulders giving away some of the weight of the world she seemed to be carrying.
And Beckett certainly wasn't the only one.
"Well, you heard the lady, my friend…", Castle said after an awkward break, slapping him on the shoulder with a smug grin, "Let's go out and cavass the streets. Stop evil with the long arm of the law. Put the right back into righteousness. You'll be Starsk-"
"Don't even go there, Castle.", Esposito warned with a frightening glare and grabbed his jacket and car keys, hoping the next few hours would go by fast.
