A writer and his muse

Chapter 5

"Ryan! I want two protective details with the Marcovich's tonight. Who ever killed Jacob might be after his family too." Kate called from her desk.

"On it!" Ryan called back and picked up his phone to make phone calls.

"Hey, plain clothes, okay?"

Ryan nodded again and held the phone between his shoulder and cheek bone as he jotted down something. Kate stood and walked over to the murder board. She studied everything on it: the faces that hung on it, the descriptions and motives and opportunities, the time frames. She chewed the corner of her thumb out of habit.

Rick's hand appeared in front of Kate's face with a Styrofoam cup of coffee.

"Thanks," Kate smiled.

"Anytime." Rick winked. "So what have we got so far?"

"Not much more than the last time you asked me. Five minutes ago." Kate replied in an almost irritated sounding tone. "This guy, Jacob, what was he into that he would be killed?" Kate thought out loud to herself.

"Where is Ellie now?" Rick asked.

"With Johanna and Cosmo in the break room.

"In the break room? Are you sure that's a good idea? What if Gates goes in there?"

"Gates is with the CEO of a small but powerful lawyer firm. Our vic Jacob was the CEO's assistant of the Jude-Cherheart firm. The CEO is demanding to know what is going on and why his assistant and one of their best lawyers is dead."

"So how long will that tie up Gates?" Rick asked.

"Just long enough," Kate replied, still engrossed in the board.

"So do we know anything new?"

"We sure do," Esposito walked up to them holding files in his hands. "Tox report says our boy here had antifreeze in his system. Hardly traceable and takes a couple of hours to reach the intestines and show signs. Lanie says she wouldn't have found it had she not done another test. Whoever wanted Jacob dead wanted to make it look natural." Esposito wrote "antifreeze poisoning," up on the board. "Lanie was able to DNA off of the blade we found at the scene. She's running that now."

"Hey Beckett," Ryan called from across the bullpen, waving her over. He stood with a younger looking lady. Kate glanced at Esposito before walking over. He shrugged. Kate strode over to the woman.

"She say what happened to our vic." Ryan whispered as he passed Kate. She nodded and thanked him.

"Hi. Detective Beckett." Kate held out her hand. The woman frantically looked around until her eyes found what she was looking for. Kate glanced in the direction she was looking in and spied a camera. One of the office security cameras. The woman fumbled to take something out of her pocket. She made it very clear as she passed it off to Kate. A strand of paper with numbers messily scribbled on it. As soon as Kate had the paper, the woman released it and quickly walked to the elevator. She kept her eyes on the camera until the elevator doors opened. She stepped into it and was gone.

Kate looked at the paper. "151-7-12. 252-1-2. 78-7-57." Her eyebrows creased together as she walked back to the board.

"What have you got?" Rick asked as he peered over her shoulder as she stuck it up on the board.

"I'm- I'm not sure. Castle, does this make any sense to you?" She watched as his eye calculated and analyzed the paper, trying to figure out its meaning.

"No." He finally said.

"Alright. Well we need to get Johanna and Cosmo home. Can you take them?"

"Can I take the charger?" Rick asked, his eyes widening like a little boy's.

"No." Kate replied. She kissed him quickly goodbye and he went to get their kids. Kate glanced over at Gates' office. She seemed to be in a heated discussion with the head of the firm. Rick, Cosmo and Johanna hurried to the elevator and the doors closed.