The precinct was buzzing with its usual energy. Detectives darted between desks, phones rang incessantly, and the familiar clatter of keyboards filled the air. Kate Beckett sat at her desk, her eyes glued to her phone. The weight of her mother's murder, which had haunted her since she was 19, often fueled her drive as a detective. Still, it also sparked a deep curiosity about her roots. Researching her family tree had become an important project over the past year, one she had started at Rick Castle's suggestion. When Castle gifted her an Ancestry DNA kit for her birthday, she had been deeply touched by the thoughtful gesture.
"Detective Beckett," he greeted, placing a steaming coffee cup in front of her. "Why are you staring so intently at your phone?"
Kate smirked, setting the device down. "Castle, do you remember that DNA kit you got me for my birthday?"
Castle leaned forward, his interest immediately piqued. "Of course. Ancestry kits are like the treasure maps of family trees, leading to hidden treasures and juicy family secrets. Don't tell me you've finally got your results?"
"I did," she admitted, sipping the coffee he'd brought. "But it's been a crazy morning, and I haven't had a chance to look at them."
Castle practically vibrated with excitement. "How can you resist? What if you uncover some scandalous family secret? Maybe you're related to royalty or..." He gasped dramatically. "A notorious outlaw!"
Beckett rolled her eyes but couldn't help smiling. "Or maybe it'll just confirm that my family is as boring as I thought."
"Oh, Beckett, no family tree is boring. Everyone has skeletons in their closets. Or at least a pirate or two." He tapped her phone. "Go on, check it. The murder board can wait."
Kate chuckled, shaking her head. "I'm not pulling up my family tree in the middle of a murder investigation. I'll look at it tonight."
"Fine, fine," Castle relented, leaning back dramatically. "But you have to promise to share any juicy tidbits with me."
Kate gave him a pointed look. "I'll think about it."
That evening, with the precinct's chaos behind her, Kate settled into her couch at home. Her laptop rested on her knees. She logged into the ancestry site and clicked on the email containing her results. The interface loaded, revealing her ethnicity estimates and, more intriguingly, her DNA matches.
The first names were familiar: two of her first cousins on her dad's side and Aunt Theresa, her mother's sister. But her breath caught when she noticed another match near the top of the list. The label read: Close Family or First Cousin, and her name was Sara.
"Who the hell are you?" she muttered to herself, clicking on the profile. There wasn't much to go on—just her name, Sara, and a general location of Connecticut.
Kate picked up her phone and scrolled through her contacts until she found her cousin Kristy, her father's niece. She pressed call, her curiosity outweighing the late hour.
"Kate!" Kristy's cheerful voice answered on the second ring. "What's up?"
"Hey, Kristy. I know it's late, but I have a quick question for you," Kate began. "I got my DNA results back, and there's a match listed as 'Close Family or First Cousin.' I know you did your DNA test last year. Did you match to anyone named 'Sara' as close family?"
Kristy was silent for a moment as she pulled up her Ancestry Profile. "Kate, I don't have any match for this person in my DNA. "Close Family can mean grandparents, aunts, uncles, first cousins, or... half-siblings."
"That doesn't make sense." Kate echoed, her brow furrowing.
"Does the name ring a bell?" Kristy asked.
"No," Kate admitted. "And the only matches I recognize are you and your brother, Brian."
Kristy hesitated. "Well, if it's not on your dad's side, it has to be your mom's."
"That's what I was thinking," Kate said. "But Aunt Theresa never had kids, and as far as I know, there aren't any other siblings."
Kristy's voice softened. It's worth asking your dad or your aunt about it. Close family is a big deal—it's not a distant relation."
"Yeah," Kate agreed, glancing at the clock. "Dad is on a fishing trip with no cell service, and it's too late to call Aunt Theresa tonight, but I'll ask her tomorrow. Thanks, Kristy."
"Anytime. And keep me posted!" Kristy replied before hanging up.
Kate leaned back on the couch, staring at her laptop screen. The match stared back at her, a puzzle waiting to be solved. The implications swirled in her mind, but she pushed them aside, knowing she needed a clear head for tomorrow.
The next morning, when she arrived at the precinct, Castle was already waiting for her. He had their usual coffees and an eager expression. "Well? Did you find anything interesting?"
Kate set her bag down and took the coffee. "Thanks for this. And yes, something... unusual came up."
"Unusual?" Castle leaned in, his eyes gleaming. "Do tell."
"There's a match listed as Close Family or First Cousin," Kate said. "But I have no idea who they are."
Castle's jaw dropped. "Beckett, that's huge! Any theories?"
"I don't know," Kate admitted. "My cousin, Kristy, said it could only be someone like an aunt, uncle, first cousin, or half-sibling. But none of that makes sense."
Castle's mind was already racing. "This could be the mystery of a lifetime. What if it's a long-lost relative with a hidden fortune?"
Kate gave him a look. "Or it could just be a mistake."
"Mistake?" Castle scoffed. "Beckett, there are no mistakes in DNA. It's science. The real question is, how will we find out who this person is?"
Kate sighed. "I'm calling Aunt Theresa later today. If anyone knows, it's her."
"And if she doesn't?" Castle asked, his voice dripping with intrigue.
Kate took a sip of her coffee, meeting his gaze. "Then I guess we start digging."