Shadow of a Doubt by CTTFICFAN

Authors Note: Based on Canon episode Probable Cause with some interesting twists, also a prompt from our fan Retired1984 will be addressed as well, the prompt will appear at the end of Chapter One.

We don't own Castle; We use the characters for amusement purposes only, except the ones we create.

Chapter 1

NEW YORK

FEBRUARY 10th 2012 Bronx Cemetery

As he walked through the rows of headstones, he thought to himself it would be a lot easier if they buried people in alphabetic order, but that would be unheard of so he kept walking until he spotted the one he had waited so long to see. The one he's been searching for, the one that kept him awake at night, so full of anger and hate, enough to stay alive when he should have died with others.

Francis Matthew Cannily

March 13th, 1979 – February 10th, 2009

Beloved Son.

Yes, that's who he was until he was shot and left alone in the desert of Iraq. Leave no one behind, how many times had he heard that, but it didn't matter anymore because whether they thought he was dead or not he should have been accounted for and either sent home in a body bag or on military transport, so much for military honor.

It was bullshit as far as he was concerned, rather than a homecoming he was found and held hostage for 2 years. He was tortured and humiliated by them day and night. He lived to see freedom, something many of his fellow prisoners would never do and that thought kept him alive when it would have been so much easier to just close his eyes and die. He would never let one person escape with the knowledge of his wrongdoing No he would make sure that the one who left him behind, his spotter, Sgt. Javier Esposito will pay for his treason.

12th Precinct New York

March 5th, 2014

Detective Javier Esposito had been in one of his moods for the past few weeks, picking fights with his partner Kevin Ryan and then finally crossing a very personal line with Kate Beckett, his immediate supervisor. Dispatch advised that they had a body drop at about 4 am, and as protocol required they called Kate Beckett. She had stayed with Rick Castle, her beau the night before because he was ill and Martha and Alexis were out of town. He had slept through the blare of her cell phone so she let him sleep and went to the crime scene alone.

She could tell things were off the moment she stepped out of her car, Lanie and Javi looked upset over something, so she proceeded to Lanie as she made her preliminary walk around the body and crime scene. Lanie was nearest to her, so she asked her usual question,

"What do we have Lanie, just looking at the scene is creepy."

Before she could answer Javi said in a tone that sent Beckett's blood pressure up thirty points and her patented eye roll let Lanie knew that her on-again, off-again boyfriend had just dug himself a hole he would be in for the foreseeable future.

"Beckett, don't you see us talking, by the way where's your shadow? What gives? Just because he's got you in his bed now, he doesn't do crime scenes anymore?"

Lanie held up her hand, silently to ask Kate to walk away. She did, for now, but Esposito had burnt his last one more second chances. Kate decided that he was going to need more than the ass chewing he was getting currently from Lanie, he was going on report, with a possible suspension. She busied herself and made copious notes, the victim was left hanging from the ceiling with barbed wire, with a symbol carved into her forehead, whoever had committed this crime was one sick bastard she thought.

Kevin Ryan came into view, and Kate motioned for him to come over after he completed his conversation with a Patrol Officer, the first on the scene from the 9-1-1 call.

"Hi Kate, sorry to get you out, I know Rick's sick and this wouldn't make him feel any better, good thing he stayed home. To be honest, a few of the cops have already gone running to the bathroom losing their dinners over this site, sick bastard" Kevin said as he made the sign of the cross, the young Irishman was raised in Catholic schools and old habits were hard to break.

"Thanks, Kevin, I know and agree, whoever did this was one sick puppy who enjoyed killing, what do you have anything so far? Esposito seems more interested in patching things up with Lanie than working, so not counting on him for much on this one."

"Yeah, about that, something is really bugging Javi for the last month or so, I mean he went from playing Madden at the house and going out for drinks with Jenny and Lanie to this super prick who you just can't talk to, I don't know Kate, but I think something is wrong with him."

"We don't have much, just the body was identified by the roommate who discovered her upon returning from a business trip. The victim was Tessa Horton, age 29 found by Ellie Daniels, her roommate and best friend for the last 4 years. She was an insurance adjuster, who worked a lot, no boyfriend of record, although she had started seeing someone in the last 6 weeks. Miss Horton told Miss Daniels that he was every woman's dream, described him as rich, handsome and generous, recalling several times flowers or gifts would appear for Tessa including some jewelry.

"Ellie had no idea who this man was, or what he looked like?"

"Ms. Daniels drew the conclusion that the man was not single, or totally free, thus the secrecy of his identity."

"Any love life or interest prior?"

"No such luck, Miss Horton was described as a shy workaholic and had to be almost forced to attend social events, until she met the mystery man."

"Hi Kate, Lanie said as she returned, "Sorry about that, I'm sure you will deal with Javi in your own way, I just don't know what the hell is bothering him. Shrugging her shoulders, she returned to her job and started her findings, "the victim didn't die by the hanging in barb wire, she was strangled by a ligature, approx. time of death, between 2:00 and 3:00 AM Saturday.

It gets even weirder, strangulation is a personal, upfront way to kill, usually the victim fights back, but nothing under her fingernails, I'm thinking she was drugged by someone she knew and trusted, and all of this other stuff is just to throw you off the trail. I'll have more once I do a full workup at the lab."

"Thanks, Lanie, keep us posted will you please."

"I couldn't forget this one if I tried, I will probably be having nightmares about this for months to come" as she walked away, shooting Javi the death stare.

Xx

Across town in a cheap SRO, (Sleeping Room Only) is Airman First Class, Francis Matthew Cannily as he was once known, now going by an old family name from his mother's side, Jerry Tyson is busy with his plans to sabotage one Sgt. Javier Esposito, to make him pay for every minute he spent in a foreign prison, hurt, cold, hungry, not knowing if he would live or die, and most days not caring either way.

He wanted Esposito to feel as helpless, hopeless, and confused as to why his comrades and fellow members of his unit were turning on him. It was a very complex plan, but if he could pull it off, Esposito would never see freedom again, and never know why none of his friends came to his rescue.

The murder of Tessa Horton was only the first step, the carving in her forehead was something he had seen in an old Stephen King movie, now when forensics were ran, they would start to find the evidence he had planted against Sgt. Esposito, so proud of his time with special forces, well, he had something special coming his way, and it wouldn't take long to bring his plan to fruition. He could then sit back and taunt the cocky Son of a Bitch, from anywhere in the world, after all, he wouldn't be going anywhere except perhaps to the death row.

As he thought of the next steps, he pulled out a battered copy of "The Airman's Handbook" its pages torn, tattered, yellow with cheap scotch tape to hold it together, but one section Airman Cannily had memorized, and almost treated as something Holy, were the Code of Conduct pages. It spelled out his entire defense of why he wanted to not just kill Esposito, but to make him live a long and terrible life in prison.

"25.7.3. Air Force Core Values.

Values represent enduring, guiding principles for which we as individuals or organizations stand. "Core" values are so fundamental that they define our very identity. The United States Air Force has clearly defined its identity by these three simple values: Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence in All We Do.

For those of us who join this proud community of Airmen - whether officer, enlisted, civilian, Active, Guard, or, other, we pledge to the following code of conduct;

. Service Before Self:

.1. Service before self tells us that professional duties take precedence over personal desires. The call to serve is a call to live according to a higher standard. It is not just a job; it is a commitment that takes energy, dedication, and sacrifice. We do not "work" in the Air Force; we serve in the Air Force. A heart and mindset for service allows us to embrace expectations and requirements not levied on the American public or other professions. The virtues that demonstrate one truly values service include:

.2. Duty is the obligation to perform what is required for the mission. While our responsibilities are determined by the law, the Department of Defense, and Air Force instructions, directives, and guidance, our sense of duty is a personal one and bound by the oath of service we took as individuals. Duty sometimes calls for sacrifice in ways no other profession has or will. Airmen who truly embody Service Before Self consistently choose to make necessary sacrifices to accomplish the mission, and in doing so, we honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

.3. Loyalty is an internal commitment to the success and preservation of something bigger than ourselves. Our loyalty is to the Nation first, the values and commitments of our Air Force second, and finally to the men and women with whom we serve. Loyalty to our leaders requires us to trust, follow, and execute their decisions, even when we disagree. We offer alternative solutions and innovative ideas most effectively through the chain of command. Ultimately, loyalty is demonstrated by helping each other act with honor.

.4. Respect is treating others with dignity and valuing them as individuals. We must always act knowing that all Airmen possess fundamental worth as human beings. We must treat others with the utmost dignity and respect, understanding that our diversity is a great source of strength.

Excellence in All We Do:

.1. Excellence in all we do does not mean that we demand perfection in everything from everyone. Instead, this value directs us to continuously advance our craft and increase our knowledge as Airmen. We must have a passion for continuous improvement and innovation that propels America's Air Force in quantum leaps towards accomplishment and performance.

.2. Mission focus encompasses operations, product and resources excellence. The complex undertaking of the Air Force mission requires us to harness the ingenuity, expertise, and elbow grease of all Airmen. We approach it with the mindset of stewardship, initiative, improvement, pride, and a continued commitment to anticipate and embrace change. Our work areas, our processes, and our interpersonal interactions must be undeniably professional and positive. Our people are the platform for delivering innovative ideas, strategies, and technologies to the fight."

The handbook had seen better days, but you could still see the printing and the Airman's Creed in bold italic letters,

The Airman's Creed

I am an American Airman,

I am a Warrior

I have answered my Nation's call

I am an American Airman,

My mission is to Fly, Fight and Win,

I am faithful to a Proud Heritage,

A Tradition of Honor,

And a Legacy of Valor,

I am an American Airman,

Guardian of Freedom and Justice,

My Nation's Sword and Shield,

Its Sentry and Avenger.

I defend my Country with my Life

I am an American Airman,

Wingman, Leader, Warrior,

I will never leave an Airman behind,

I will never falter,

I will not fail.

He had underlined the line, I will never leave an Airman behind several times, and posted a note in the column. The day, date, and time of the attack, and Esposito's betrayal, February 10, 2009, 0600 Hours, Outside Zone A, Bagdad.

He was aware that since he had been a homicide detective for a number of years, the greater percentage of wagers would go for how long he would remain alive before the informal courts held a trial and imposed their own sentences, usually death by shanking, beating, or hanging. Any type of death would suit Tyson just fine, as long as Esposito had felt at least one day of the pain he had endured.

TBC

Prompt was, and it will come we promise you as we develop the story.

"One thing that bothers me about the storyline of Season 5 is that, although Kate admitted she believed Rick would not commit murder, she never actually did come out and indicate she believed he would not cheat on her. She truly thought he was cheating on her with the victim, but did not recant that belief. I think this is a story that needs to be written and is a large hole in canon belief." Retired1984

A/N The Code of Conduct is taken verbatim from "The Airman's Handbook, available online for download