Sorry for taking sooo long. I've been busy with my other stories, and I guess ratings and reviews motivate me for writing, which is why this story hasn't really been my priority.

"Right, Rufus Morgan, 34, disappeared three years ago. Was born in Britain but moved to Russia when he turned eight. Moved back to the UK five years ago. Has been missing ever since." Ryan told Beckett.

"Nothing stands out?" She asked hopefully.

"Nothing." Ryan replied grimly.

"Isn't it funny how he has been missing for the last three years since moving back to the UK five years ago?" I asked while spinning around on my chair. "I think I remember reading an article in the paper about him a few years back." I strained my mind for any valuable information, but deciding I didn't remember anything I pulled myself over to Ryan's desk and brought up the internet to search for the article.

"Espo, any leads?" Beckett asked, pacing the room.

"Nope. Seems the perfect crime." Esposito, who was drinking another cup of coffee, called from his desk.

"Ah ha!" I found the article on The Daily Telegraph website. I started reading.

"Rufus Morgan, from Croydon, that's an area of London by the way, disappeared last Thursday night. Friends and family are appealing for any information on his disappearance." I stopped reading.

"Okay Ryan, try contacting Morgan's family. See if they have information on his UK disappearance." Beckett ordered.

"Wait! There's more!" I began and scrolled down to an article that was linked to the previous one. "Rufus Morgan is feared dead after remains were found in a canal near the Thames. Morgan has been missing since the 15th of April. The police are not treating the death as suspicious and are not seeking anyone in connection to the body found."

"But he isn't dead!" Castle exclaimed. "So whose remains were found in the canal?"

"That, Castle, is the million dollar question." I told him. Castle chuckled. "Yes, I know I say your name funny." I rolled my eyes as Ryan smirked beside me.

"I'll get Gates to call the Metropolitan Police to explain everything. Let's hope they have extra information we can use." Beckett declared and made her way to Gates' office.

"I'll try and contact Morgan's family." Ryan said to no-one in particular before turning back to his computer.

"I'll go and visit Lanie to see if Forensics and the autopsy have come up with anything else." Esposito told us before yawning and getting up from his chair. I looked at Castle enquiringly. "I guess that leaves us then." The author said and shrugged. I sighed, grabbed his arm and pulled him up.

"Where are we going?" He asked with a confused look on his face.

"Back to the crime scene." I replied. Castle looked over at Beckett in Gates' office and looked back at me again.

"Okay then." He smiled with a twinkle in his eye.

"Hey! Where are you guys going?" Ryan asked and looked up from his computer.

"Uh, nowhere of importance." I replied and dragged Castle to the lift/elevator/whatever-you-want-to-call-it. "You're gonna have to drive." I told him.

"What? Why me?"

"I don't have my licence yet." I laughed.

"Tourists." He muttered. We pushed through the doors of the Precinct and Castle led the way to his very expensive looking car. I climbed into the passenger seat and did my seatbelt, as did Castle too. "Let's get ready to rumble." He said in a mock gruff voice and put on a pair of sunglasses. "So, what borough do you live in Miss England?" He asked.

"Uh…"

"You don't know, do you?"

"Nope."

Castle laughed. "Of course." he sighed. "But if you don't know where you live, how can you be a detective?"

"I've already told you. I was transferred. I've only been here a week." I replied, slightly miffed.

"Okay… okay…" He sighed. "Where did you live in London?"

"Central." I answered. "I had a flat near Scotland Yard which saved me some exercise."

"I live in Manhattan." Castle boasted.

"Really? The rent must be astronomical."

"Oh it is." Castle laughed. "What's your rent?"

"I may have gotten a sort of discount…" I murmured and looked out the window. Castle laughed again. "So, what's going on between you and Beckett?" I asked.

"Oh! Nothing… nothing. We're just friends." Castle said quietly and suddenly became very interested in the steering wheel.

"Come on Castle, it doesn't take a detective to notice the 'thing' between you two."

"It shows?" he whispered worriedly and I laughed.

"Oh, sure as hell it shows. But don't worry, your secret's safe with me." I tapped the side of my nose.

"Good." Castle replied and turned a corner. After some casual conversation and more driving Castle stopped. "We're here!" he said brightly. He parked his car and we got out, slamming the doors behind us and we both walked over to the alleyway where there was still police tape. I showed the officer on duty my new badge and he nodded, letting us duck under the tape. I pulled on some latex gloves and threw a pair at Castle who almost dropped them. I took my time walking down the alleyway, trying to spot out any inconsistencies. And I found one. "Hey, Castle, look at the bin." I said and pointed at the bin near the end of the alleyway.

"Bin? You mean trashcan?"

"Bin, trashcan, hippopotamus, whatever you want to call it. Forensics have already analysed it. But do you notice something?" I asked him. He walked over and took a closer look.

"The dust…" he murmured.

"Yeah. The dust has formed a ring here, but the bin is a few inches away from it. Which means…"

"It's been moved." Castle finished my sentence.

"Exactly. But why?" I traced my fingers over some faint marks on the side of the bin, when I realised something. "These marks… they look like the same size of some large pieces of gravel. Do you think the bin was knocked onto its side in a struggle then put back by the killer?"

"Maybe." Castle replied. "Probably." he added.

"So if it was knocked down here…" I pointed to floor. "Then…" I didn't bother finishing speaking and I went on my knees and shone my torch under a 'dumpster' as Americans call them.

"Nothing?" Castle asked.

"Nothing." I replied. I heaved a heavy sigh and leant against the warehouse's brickwork. "We have no motive, no suspects, and no murder weapon. We're basically stuck." I kicked the wall.

"Hey, we've had plenty of cases like this. Something always pops up." Castle tried to reassure me.

"Maybe." I sighed. "And maybe we just need to look at the crime scene even closer." I suggested. "You're a writer, how would you have killed this guy?"

"Well, I would have walked in from that end of the alley because it's near the backstreet…" Castle stopped abruptly. "Actually, was our killer trailing Morgan, or did they arrange to meet up?"

"That is an excellent question." I murmured. "But if they did meet up, then Morgan must have known his killer because he hasn't made a phone call or emailed anyone for three bloody years."

"I suppose." Castle sighed. "We'd probably better get back. Beckett's gonna kill us."

"Yeah." I said and took a picture of the ring of dust with my phone and turned back to Castle's car. Half an hour later we were back at the Precinct where Ryan was eating yet again and Esposito was now at his desk after being with Lanie.

"Hey! Where have you been?" Beckett snapped.

"We were back at the crime scene." Castle said quickly and winced. Beckett sighed.

"Tell me next time before you go anywhere, okay?" Beckett looked tired with that I'm-at-my-wits-end look that my mum always used to wear.

"'Kay." I mumbled and went over to Ryan's desk. "Oh, was there any other information that Scotland Yard had?"

"No. Except that he disappeared in Slough and that remains were found in a canal."

"But if our vic is Morgan, then who was found in the canal?" Castle asked as he tried to balance a pencil between his nose and top lip (and failing).

"And why did the Yard just assume that it was Morgan?" Ryan asked.

"That's what we're here to find out."

"I thought we were here to solve a murder here in-"

"Shut up Castle."

"Anything else from the crime scene?" Ryan asked me and Castle.

"Not much. But we did find this…" I said and passed my phone to Ryan, ahem, Kevin, who looked at the pictures. "Weird. Did you take this one in Spain?" Ryan asked and I snatched my phone away from him as he winked.

"Pervert."

"That bikini really suits you."

"I'd better lock all my doors and windows tonight."

"Everyone listen!" Beckett almost screamed. "We need to get leads and fast otherwise this case is officially closed!"

"We need to know whether Morgan arranged to meet up with his killer or if his killer followed him." Esposito spoke up.

"And why was Morgan in New York?" Castle asked and succeeded on balancing the pencil on his face.

"Very important."

"Mhmm."

"I think I may have a lead!" Lanie was suddenly at Esposito's desk and waving a plastic evidence bag in our faces.

"What? Another one?"

"She's on a roll."

"Yeah, don't get in front of her when she's on a roll." Esposito said cheekily and Lanie slapped the evidence bag across the top of his head. "Ow!"

"Well, Forensics heard you were in bit of a situation so they broadened their perimeter and found this." Lanie gave the bag to Beckett who hastily broke the seal.

"A… phone?" Beckett held up the cheap hunk of metal and plastic.

"Looks like a burner one, unless this guy stole it from 2001."

"Shut up Espo."

"Why does everyone keep saying shut up? Can't you be more imaginative like shut your mouth, or-"

"Shut up Blake."

I shut up.

"See if the techy guys can trace any calls."

"Techy guys?"

"Shut u-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence."

"Well, excuuuuussee meee…"

"I THINK IT'S TIME WE ALL TOOK A BREAK!" Beckett shouted (she does that a lot, doesn't she?) and stormed off to a small room housing an overused coffee maker.

"I'm sick of bloomin coffee." I groaned and slumped into my chair. "Are you looking through my photos again?"

"No." Ryan replied quickly and threw my phone into my lap. I rolled my eyes and swivelled over to Castle who was humming Elton John.

"I'm bored."

"Oh, I didn't realise." Castle glanced over at the break room where Beckett was sipping her drink.

"Ooooo, you got it bad."

"No I don't." Castle snapped. "And you've known Ryan for what, a day? What's going on between you two?"

"Nothing."

"That's what they all say."

"It's just playful flirting. And Espo told me he was still hung up over- who was it? Ginny?"

"Jenny. And they broke up more than two months ago."

"Jesus."

"So you do have a shot."

"Uh, I don't think so. Well, not me anyway. I mean, you can keep having your dirty fantasies late at night but-"

"Shut up."