CASTLE

Flowers For Your Grave - Chapter 9

A swimming pool. A yellow gown. A knife in the back. The lifeless body of a woman was found floating on her stomach in a swimming pool. Another one of Castle's books. Death of a prom queen. 

When Kate and her team reached the crime scene, it was flooded with forensic team members all over the place trying to gather whatever evidence they could.

"They just found her an hour ago. Kendra Pitney. She lives in the building." someone briefed them.

"Alright. Let's get her out of the water. You just stay here and don't touch anything." she said to Rick who was already advancing towards the pool.

Lanie Parish, the medical examiner crouched next to the body in her blue coveralls and latex gloves as she inspected the body of the girl.

Castle was growing restless. He was given permission to tag along. He was a writer. He was curious. This case involved him too because the murderer was copying him, or his work. So why was he just standing here in a corner like an errant child who had just been punished? Nope. This wasn't for him, he thought as he walked towards the M.E. but not before checking where Beckett was. She was talking to some building officials so he was safe...For now.

 Lanie cleared her throat as she saw Rick crouch down next to the body in front of her. "Hi. I'm Richard Castle. I'm a consultant." he said confidently.

"Richard Castle, the author?"  she asked questioningly. He hummed affirmative, secretly doing a happy dance in his head as he met yet another person who knew him. "On my better days."

"Lanie Parish. Medical Examiner." she introduced herself as she extended a gloved hand for him to shake. Beckett turned around to witness the handshake. She groaned inwardly. How hard was it for him to follow simple instructions?

"I love your books. You know you have a real gift with the details of death", she continued as Kate made her way towards them.

"I thought I told you to stay over there. " she frowned at him, completely ignoring the existence of her best friend, Lanie. "I got lonely." he said cutely standing up. Who could ignore those puppy eyes?

Beckett gave him a look before she turned to the doctor, "You got C.O.D?" "Not until full examination but this wasn't a stabbing." was her reply.

"Lack of blood around the wound suggests she was dead before it was inserted. No foam around the mouth, so we know she wasn't drowned." he spoke looking at the body while both the women stood awestruck. 

"Oh, you're good!", said the examiner voicing Beckett's thoughts. Beckett frowned at her and shook her head as if to say you really don't need to feed his ego anymore while her best friend simply shrugged.

"She was killed first, then posed. Just like the others.", he said, finally looking up.

"Yeah. I know." Years of solving cases like these made her notice tiny things like these, almost instantly. The reason she was so good at her job was that she always looked at the crime scene with beginner's eyes. She didn't overlook even the slightest detail.

"Can I have a word?" she asked looking at Rick and walking away, not waiting for a reply as he followed her to the corner.

"Something wrong?" he asked, knowing exactly what this was all about.

"This is a homicide investigation, not a day at Disneyland. If I give you an order, I expect you to obey it." she said turning away.

"Then you don't know me very well." he said as he gave her one of his signature smirks which earned him another eyeroll from Kate.

"You know in my book, the dress was blue." Oh I know thought Beckett. She'd read even his lesser known works at least thrice.

"Don't try to change the subject!" she said,obviously still annoyed at him.

"Did Tisdale and Fisck know each other?" he asked trying to change the subject yet again.

"We haven't found a connection yet. Why?" she said frustratingly. There were already three deaths and God knows how many more there would be if they didn't find this killer but she still had NO lead.

"What about motive?" he prodded yet again as her phone rang again. "He's a serial killer. He doesn't need motive." she replied answering the call as Castle turned around to look at the body once again.

"Beckett. Uh huh. Thank you. They got a match off the print!" she informed the other detectives. "Kyle Cabot. He's in Brooklyn. We got him." she said moving toward the exit.

Castle looked back to see no one was there and then saw they were leaving as he hurried  to catch up with them.

When they reached the destination, Beckett got out of the car but not before instructing the adolescent tagging along with her. "Stay here." she said. They were dealing with a psychopath. She couldn't let anything happen to him.

"Scout's honor." he said as she left him sitting alone in the car. He watched from the window as he saw the whole place surrounded by cops and police cars as Beckett, Ryan and Esposito ran into the building, leading the other cops who covered them. 

As soon as they were out of sight, Castle got out of the car and ran after them. There was no way he was going to sit in a stuffy old car and not witness one of the most exciting things he would ever see and experience.