Get a Clue
“Get a Clue”
By December21st
Fandom: Castle
Rating: PG
Pairing: None
Warnings: None
Summary: Murder's not a game.
In this castleland writing challenge, titled "J'Accuse", we were asked to write short fic based on a handful of clues, including the identities of the victim and three suspects. I tied for Second Place for this challenge.
A/N: This story has several references to something (you'll figure it out when you read the story). See how many you can spot.
Beckett sits on her desk, staring at the murder board. Photos of the late Janet Body show her lying face-down on an Oriental rug in the study of her palatial Park Avenue home. “Lanie says the gunshot wound could have come from half the weapons in her collection; she’ll have more for us tomorrow.”
“Didn’t Lanie also say our victim wasn’t killed where she was found? That somebody moved her?” Castle asks, examining photos of the crime scene. The study is full of display cases containing a small arsenal of antique weapons. The top photo shows a dagger with an elaborate peacock blue hilt.
“Esposito? What do our witnesses have to say?” Beckett asks. They’ve already discussed the primary suspects and their motives.
“The unfortunately-named Ms. Body had six guests for dinner. Four members of the Parker family, in addition to Clark Michaels and Stacey Brown. The sister’s in San Francisco for the weekend. Body was trying to convince the brothers to sell their late father’s customized wrench business to her. When they heard the gunshot, the Parkers were all in the dining room, but neither Michaels nor Brown were there. The caterer’s assistant, Bitsy White, alibis all the Parkers, but get this: she let slip that her boyfriend is none other than Peter Williams.” Esposito reports.
“The guy Janet Body had arrested yesterday at the catering company for pickpocketing?”
“Yeah, Bitsy says she was going to beg Ms. Body to reconsider pressing charges, but she never got the chance.”
“What about the caterer?”
Ryan speaks up. “Guy named Geoffrey Green. He was in the hall, on the phone to his bookie. By the way, Lead Pipe Cinch is a sure thing in the Seventh. He says that he saw Miss. Brown go into the kitchen, and Michaels was in the lounge when the gunshot went off. He couldn’t tell where it came from - sound bounces around those big hallways like crazy. He swears that he could see the study door the whole time, and nobody came in or went out until they found the victim.”
“Then how did the murderer get out?” Beckett wonders aloud.
“A secret passage!” Castle exclaims enthusiastically. Beckett exchanges looks with Ryan and Esposito but when Castle insists on returning to the scene of the crime, it doesn't take him long to find the hidden corridor, the narrow passage revealing itself when he tugs on a mustard colored silk rope dangling from an elaborate tapestry.
Beckett takes the lead as she and Castle squeeze through the tight passageway, her flashlight revealing drag marks and drops of blood on the dusty floor. When they reach the end, Castle spots an antique revolver resting on a wooden beam just over the panel that opens into the larder of the mansion's kitchen.
"I know who did it!" Castle exclaims, turning to Beckett as he clambers out of the corridor. She nods, evidently having come to the same conclusion.
"It was Miss. Brown in the kitchen with the revolver!"
I rewrote this story as part of a castleland challenge. You may be interested in " Get a Clue -- Ending B".
By December21st
Fandom: Castle
Rating: PG
Pairing: None
Warnings: None
Summary: Murder's not a game.
In this castleland writing challenge, titled "J'Accuse", we were asked to write short fic based on a handful of clues, including the identities of the victim and three suspects. I tied for Second Place for this challenge.
A/N: This story has several references to something (you'll figure it out when you read the story). See how many you can spot.
Beckett sits on her desk, staring at the murder board. Photos of the late Janet Body show her lying face-down on an Oriental rug in the study of her palatial Park Avenue home. “Lanie says the gunshot wound could have come from half the weapons in her collection; she’ll have more for us tomorrow.”
“Didn’t Lanie also say our victim wasn’t killed where she was found? That somebody moved her?” Castle asks, examining photos of the crime scene. The study is full of display cases containing a small arsenal of antique weapons. The top photo shows a dagger with an elaborate peacock blue hilt.
“Esposito? What do our witnesses have to say?” Beckett asks. They’ve already discussed the primary suspects and their motives.
“The unfortunately-named Ms. Body had six guests for dinner. Four members of the Parker family, in addition to Clark Michaels and Stacey Brown. The sister’s in San Francisco for the weekend. Body was trying to convince the brothers to sell their late father’s customized wrench business to her. When they heard the gunshot, the Parkers were all in the dining room, but neither Michaels nor Brown were there. The caterer’s assistant, Bitsy White, alibis all the Parkers, but get this: she let slip that her boyfriend is none other than Peter Williams.” Esposito reports.
“The guy Janet Body had arrested yesterday at the catering company for pickpocketing?”
“Yeah, Bitsy says she was going to beg Ms. Body to reconsider pressing charges, but she never got the chance.”
“What about the caterer?”
Ryan speaks up. “Guy named Geoffrey Green. He was in the hall, on the phone to his bookie. By the way, Lead Pipe Cinch is a sure thing in the Seventh. He says that he saw Miss. Brown go into the kitchen, and Michaels was in the lounge when the gunshot went off. He couldn’t tell where it came from - sound bounces around those big hallways like crazy. He swears that he could see the study door the whole time, and nobody came in or went out until they found the victim.”
“Then how did the murderer get out?” Beckett wonders aloud.
“A secret passage!” Castle exclaims enthusiastically. Beckett exchanges looks with Ryan and Esposito but when Castle insists on returning to the scene of the crime, it doesn't take him long to find the hidden corridor, the narrow passage revealing itself when he tugs on a mustard colored silk rope dangling from an elaborate tapestry.
Beckett takes the lead as she and Castle squeeze through the tight passageway, her flashlight revealing drag marks and drops of blood on the dusty floor. When they reach the end, Castle spots an antique revolver resting on a wooden beam just over the panel that opens into the larder of the mansion's kitchen.
"I know who did it!" Castle exclaims, turning to Beckett as he clambers out of the corridor. She nods, evidently having come to the same conclusion.
"It was Miss. Brown in the kitchen with the revolver!"
I rewrote this story as part of a castleland challenge. You may be interested in " Get a Clue -- Ending B".