Mirror Image

Chapter 5

       

"What do you have?", Kate circles around to Ryan's desk to look at his computer screen, littered with priors for one Mr. Alfred Shorts.

"Just your garden variety B and E when he was young, upgraded to assault with a deadly weapon in his thirties that he did five years for, and now the occasional drug charge but that's about it", Ryan gives her with a nonchalant shrug.

"That's it? Sounds like the guy has made a career out of breaking the law!"

"Ya...well, that's not the bad news"

"There's more?"

"That BOLO we had out on him came up empty, vanished, no trace."

"How is that possible? Did you comb through traffic cams near the house?"

"Ya, and the surrounding businesses surveillance footage, we lost him"

"Ryan we have to find this guy". The look in Beckett's eyes told the whole story. This case was turning into something different than the rest. Zoe was making it different. She barely knew the kid but she made a promise to keep her safe and she planned to do just that. "Keep working guys, I know you are doing your best but...just keep digging". Beckett went back to her office to continue her own investigating along with her responsibilities as Captain. All she could seem to think about was finding this guy. This kid had been through enough already and all she wanted to do was give her some piece of mind to go on with her life.

She arrived home around ten that night. They still had no leads on where Shorts was, or is. For all she knew, he was right under their noses. They decided to call it a night when they ran out of cameras and ideas were becoming wilder than Castle's murder theories. She turned the key, pushed open the door, and strolled into the entryway. She dumped her keys and purse in the chair by the door and locked her gun in the drawer by the closet. Without even looking up she called out to her husband and guest.

"Hey Castle! I'm ho...", she paused mid sentence when she finally saw the scene in the living room, "home"

The movie projector had been brought out from Castle's office and was playing what Kate could only assume was a Marvel movie from the menu on repeat, possibly Captain America she thought.  On the couch, under a pile of blankets from the closet, were the two of them. Zoe at one end of the couch, curled up in a ball, a pair of Alexis' old sweat pants and what looked to be one of her NYPD t-shirts. At the other end of the couch was her husband, spread out, blanket half off, and a bowl of popcorn nestled in the crook of his arm. 'Such a kid at heart', Beckett thought with a smile on her face.

She sat down on the edge of the couch, took the bowl from his arm placing it on the ground, and leaned over to brush a kiss to his lips. His eyes fluttered before he responded by returning to the favor.

"Hey", he said with a low scratchy voice

"Hey yourself", she smiled back, "How long have you two been asleep? It's only ten."

Rick looked at his watch, rubbed his face, then looked down at the sleeping girl at the end of the couch." I think I've only been out an hour? I'm not totally sure, but she fell asleep about an hour into the movie, so maybe around eight thirty."

"Oh, wow", Kate was genuinely surprised.

"Ya, I guess I wore the poor kid out. She is surprisingly good at video games", he gave a raise of his eyebrows.

"Castle, do not tell me you let her play video games and watch movies all day"

"Noooo. We already told you about laser tag this morning"