Castle's partner

Sacramento

I arrive in sunny Sacramento, California at 5 pm. My aunt is waiting for me at the airport. When I see her, I run to her arms. She is my closest living relative, and my favorite aunt. And the only one I have seen in a year and a half.
"Hey Aunt Rose."
"Hey Bug. How's it going?"
We get back to her house, and I change. I look out the window at all the stars, and wonder how I survived for a year without stars. I get in bed, turn on the lamp next to me, and pore over my dad's case file.
I watch the sun rise, and I know everything there is to know about the case, though there isn't much. I decide I will catch who ever did this, no matter the cost.
I turn on my laptop and look up one of the guys that was a suspect in the case. What I find surprises me. The guy died last week. Murdered. That's a dead end now. I look up one of his accomplices, and notice that he is in jail. Here. In Sacramento. And lucky for me, I know a guy. I smile to myself and pick up the phone.

I arrive at the jail the next morning requesting to talk to one Ty Adams.
When I am seated with him, I pull out a picture of my father and ask, "do you know him?" I see his eyes change from cold, to fearful.
"Oh, I see you do. So why did you do it?"
"Do what?" He asks cautiously.
"Why did you kill him with your partner in New York a year and a half ago? And why did you kill his kids?"
He slams his hand on the table.
"I didn't kill him! And neither did my friend. And I will never tell you who did."
"Ok. Thank you for your time."
I walk out of the jail, happy. I know this guy didnt kill my family, but he knows who did. And he's afraid of him.
----------------------------------------
Three months later.
I am sitting a the desk in my room, and my new phone rings. I look down to see Beckett's contact number flashing on the screen. It's been three months, and she hasn't called me. Three months, and not a word.
I press ignore. I wait a few seconds, and she calls again, and I let it go to voicemail.
"Hey Ross." I hear a tapping noise from the phone speaker. "I know you are probably mad at me. I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I just needed time. But I'm ready now. I hope you can forgive me. I already talked to Castle, but I need you too. Ok. Bye."
I reach over for my phone, and instead I move my hand towards my lamp, and turn it off. I get in bed and decide that tomorrow I am going bright and early to the closest Starbucks, even though I hate coffee.

I wake up the next morning, get ready, grab the file, say goodbye to my aunt, and run out the door. The nearest Starbucks is only about a mile away, so I just walk.
When I get there I take out the file and start leafing through it. My phone goes off, and I see it is Beckett again. I press answer, and hold the phone up to my ear. I hear the tap again, and I start talking, except the wrong words fall out.
"Hey I'm really busy right now. Ill call you back later." I hang up. I can't believe I just did that.
"What are you thinking?" I whisper to myself.
I turn my attention back to the file, but I don't know what I am looking for. I already know everything there is about it. But I realize something. All of the suspects are dead, the last one was murdered a week before I picked up the case. Whoever these people are, they want anyone involved dead.

And I'm involved. And they know. That's what the taps were on my phone. They've been monitoring my calls. I've heard it a few other times, like when I called the jail a week ago to check up on my suspect. I unlock my phone, and quickly look up his name. Just as I suspected, he is now dead as of this morning. Murdered.
I turn my phone off and sit back in my chair. What have I gotten myself into? They are going to kill me. And I can't do anything about it. I quickly take out the picture of me in the file, and scribble something on it.
I'm so deep in thought I don't notice the hand on my shoulder until the mouth starts talking. "Hello."
"So this is it huh? This is how's it's going to end." I gather up all of my courage before I dare look at the person talking, and when I do, it's not at all who I expect.