The Good and The Bad (A Caskett Story)

Chapter 12

Back at the precinct, Espo and Ryan had brought in Nicole for questioning. After the boys went to her apartment and found her hiding all of Wild's stuff, they brought her in. They waited for Castle and Beckett to arrive before starting the interrogation.

"I thought you didn't know Dominic Wild was out of jail," Espo greeted as he and Ryan entered the room. He dropped Wild's file on the table and sat down.

"I didn't," Nicole said, failing to make eye contact.

"Then explain his clothes at your apartment with his DNA on them and his cell phone that we found with his DNA, also, on that." Nicole looked up.

"Okay, fine. I knew he was out. He came to me right after he got out and asked for money and a new life. So I helped him out."

"By letting him sleep with you, in your bed. The same man that tried to kill you and went to jail for it?" Ryan piped in.

"Okay, look. I didn't even make that call. My bitch sister did when she walked in on us."

"We talked to your sister and she confirmed it. She also said that he was holding a broken wine bottle over your head and you had fear in your eyes," Espo quoted from Beckett's notepad she gave him.

"Nicole, you don't have to protect him anymore. He's dead. Someone murdered him and we need your help to find out who did this." Ryan told her. She moved forward in her chair, put her elbows on the table, and put her head in her hands.

"I know who shot him," she murmured.

"Who?" Espo asked a little too sternly.

"My sister, Kendra."

"Why do you say that?" Ryan asked.

"Because she was the one who stole my gun." she paused. "She came over a few days ago and she noticed something different. So she asked me and I said nothing and Dom came out of the bedroom in just his underwear. She freaked out and started yelling. I told her to leave and she did. Next morning the gun was gone in my car and I assumed it was her. And then I find out that he was murdered. I was so pissed. I went over to her apartment and started yelling at her but she kept denying that she didn't do it. There was something in her eye that told me she was lying. I ignored it then, I didn't know what to do at the time so I went home."

"Thank you for your help," Espo said. The detectives got up and left the room. Castle and Beckett met them out there.

"I don't know if I'm buying this," Espo said.

"Me either. Kendra has an airtight alibi." Beckett said.

"What if this has something to do with the uncle?" Castle suggested.

"Yeah, maybe. You two go get Kendra and bring her down here. I am going to talk to Nicole about her uncle." Beckett told them and they separated.

"Hi Nicole, you remember me and Richard Castle from yesterday. We need to ask you questions about your uncle." They sat down at the table.

"Um, yeah. Sure."

"How exactly did he die?" Beckett asked.

"He ate something that he was allergic to."

"Do you know why he would do that?"

"No, I don't actually. He was happy in his life, we all were shocked."

"We looked at the autopsy reports and it said the food was shoved down his throat."

"They never told us that." Nicole spoke softly.

"Now, how could a happy man shove food down his throat that he knew he was highly allergic to?"

"Are you saying someone killed him?"

"That's exactly what we are saying." Castle told her.

"That's insane! Everyone loved Uncle John!"

"Even Dominic?" Beckett asked. Nicole stared at her.

"You think he killed him? Are you serious?"

"Yes, I'm serious. Why would Dominic name himself after your uncle?"

"Because my uncle was the only person in my family that cared about him. That didn't care the way he dressed or what he did. He just cared that Dom was taking care of me and making me happy." Castle and Beckett looked at each other with confused looks.

"Is there anyone, anyone at all, that you could think of that would kill your uncle?" Beckett asked.

"No, no, there wa- actually there was someone. Uncle John was being stalked. He mentioned it at a family dinner, said that this person kept sending him emails and texting him and sending letters to him."

"Did you tell anyone? The cops or someone else?"

"No, no one."

"Okay, thank you." Beckett said and got up with Castle behind her.

Beckett pulled out her phone as Castle shut the door behind her. "Hey, so the uncle had a stalker. They didn't tell the cops or anyone and eventually he went away."

"Yeah, come to Kendra's apartment. You might wanna see this."

{829 words}

A/N: This case is getting pretty interesting. Oooo. Hah. Not.