Ch.3

"What are you doing?" asked a very curious Gina

Stopping for a moment I realized the situation, I had basically been writing on my phone all morning while studying, and now we were having lunch and I wasn't interacting with her like I used to, it must have been pretty unexpected for her.

"Sorry aunty, I am talking with Alexis, she was asking me if I could tutor her today, tomorrow, on Monday, she has a test and was asking me if I could help her like I did yesterday at the party. After all, I did offer my help whenever she needed..." I trailed off by myself looking at a new message she sent

"Today?" she asked "Didn't you just meet yesterday?" I was surprised as well but it seems that granny was doing work there, she was the one who saw her studying and told her to call me for help.

"Her grandmother was apparently aware I am very good at math, advanced lessons good, I do wonder however how she stumbled on that knowledge aunty" I wondered narrowing my eyes at her, her stiff smile told me everything I needed to know.

She sighed, "I might have or might have not told her about it last night... She came to have some questions about you answered as compensation for the information she gave about Castle and to make sure you weren't funny business, you got close to her dear Granddaughter after all" I widened my eyes at that, that was very smart of her.

"Women will be the death of me, how much did you tell her" that made her flinch but she didn't answer.

"So that means everything" she grimaced "Look, I don't care if everyone knows, I already told you that years ago, there are two things I don't like, however, one: using my story as a bargaining tool and two: using it to make me garner pity points. And while I do not doubt your decision-making skills regarding the best way to handle that situation, I would still very much like you would let me know yourself when things like this happen"

She shook her head "Sorry Jack, I just... I didn't know how you would have taken it. Thank you for the trust, I mean it."

"No problem," I paused "Uh, interesting!"

"What is?"

"It seems I was right, Castle was really taken in to help in a case,"

"Oh right, I also got some information about that, know something more?" she got closer clearly interested in the topic.

"My, apparently someone killed two people the same way he did in his books, he doesn't seem to understand why tho"

"That's good news," she said smiling thinking about how to milk that information

"Good for him, he might get inspiration for his new book," I answered smirking

"He better be, or I will sack him for good this time" I laughed straight in her face

"You won't do that" raising her eyebrows she asked

"Oh? And what makes you so sure?"

"You know how he writes once he gets inspiration, the way he puts down every single word, I have never seen someone so accurate in depicting emotions. When you read his books he makes you see his world in a way only the greatest could." I paused to look at her "Castle can kill his money-printing machine, because he can get a new one, you can't because there will not be another Castle, and you know it."

She smiled at me before saying "Yes, but don't tell him that, he will get unbearable"

"What do you think about Alexis then?"

I stopped eating for a second trying to find the right words "She is great company, very smart but surprisingly down to earth, and she also knows a lot of pop culture which is honestly surprising (it wasn't really but if I met her for the first time it would have been)."

Gina smiled, looking like the spitting image of a man-eating fox famous in my old world "Is she cute?"

I rolled my eyes, that was predictable, why do they always ask that question, "Yes aunty, she is cute, happy now" she giggled like a schoolgirl before answering

"Oh come on, leave a bit of fun to a woman, gossip is one of the few ways we can enjoy ourselves"

I shook my head chuckling, as we continued our lunch.

---

"So, is he coming?" Martha asked the smiling redhead

"Yes, he is," she said, "I didn't have much time to study for this test, how did you know he was that good at math anyways"

Martha smiled mysteriously and answered waving her head theatrically in front of her head "A woman, always has a way" Her granddaughter just raised an eyebrow "You asked Gina..." when she saw her grandmother biting her lips and looking at the side she continued rolling her eyes "Of course you did"

"There was a little favor I needed to cash in aaaaand" she then gave a little wink before waddling away

Alexis shook her head before typing something on her phone again.

Suddenly remembering something important she stopped mid-type, searched for her grandma, and called her out "Ah, Grams? What do you think I should wear for the afternoon?" at that Martha smiled again, there was a glint in her eyes as if a thousand plans were forming in the span of a second.

"Come with me honey, we are going to choose the perfect outfit for the occasion, it is rare for you to bring a boy home after all" Alexis' face started gaining the color of her hair

"Grams, please! Wording!" completely ignoring her Martha took her daughter to her room, there was work to do after all.

---

Ding Dong!

"He is here, go open the door honey!"

"Coming!"

Alexis went down the stairs in a bit of a rush, at the door she fixed her hair a bit before finally opening it.

"Hi!" said Alexis as soon as the door opened

"Hi, Alexis" I answered before taking a look at her, a wow escaped my lips on its own, the reason is that, while she was dressed like how someone with guests would stay at home, a pair of jeans and a red shirt, tight on the body, she did her hair and she looked very good: while her hair was mostly straight she added curls from the shoulder down encasing her face perfectly.

Trying to cover up the mistake as well as I could I spoke as if that wow was completely intentional "Did you do your hair? You look great" I smiled and she smiled as well, a bit embarrassed but a bit happy nonetheless. Remember boys, girls like it when you compliment something they rarely do, you appreciate the effort they put in and you make them feel beautiful. Even the simplest of make-ups requires precision and time.

"Thank you, now come in," she said and we immediately go down to business. Grams came a few times to check on us, she is really sweet, how can anybody hate her?

---

"Look at the time," I said, the tutoring went longer than I expected, it was already 7:00 pm

"Oh wow, I'm sorry, I didn't notice," said Alexis pouting a bit

"It is all right I was so immersed I completely lost track of it"

Martha barged in, sometimes I feel like the woman is a lot smarter than she looks.

"Why don't you stay for dinner then, I would hate to kick you out at this hour," I then looked at Alexis who just shrugged

"Well, if I am not imposing then-"

"Great! Let me call Ricky, he will be pleased to know we have guests" interrupted Martha

"Doesn't he has poker night today?" said Alexis

"Oh trust me, he wouldn't miss this dinner for his life" chuckled Martha with herself. The hidden meanings were not lost on me as I smirked at a confused redhead.

Things seemed to go so fast, but I am not that surprised, Martha who set this all up has been worried for ages that her daughter never had someone to talk to and be herself with, then suddenly at a feast a guy starts talking with her, someone like her more interested in reading than partying, they hit it off quickly and the next they day they tall all morning. Finally, someone who at the very least could become Alexis' friend, someone who could understand her since they were similar, but also different enough to let her experience new things. How can she as a great Grandmother let this occasion go wasted?

We didn't have to wait long for Castle to arrive

"Hi Honey," he said to his daughter clearly looking at how well she was dressed for a simple study session.

"Hi Dad, how was today? Saved the day without a cape?"

"Not quite, Becket is a walking kryptonite" he then looked at me helping set down the plates

"Oh, Jack right? Good to see you again err" he stopped for a second before continuing "How did the study session go"

"Good evening Mr.Castle, it went great. There were only a few things she didn't know at all, but she picked them up in record time" after that we all helped in setting the table exchanging pleasantries here and there.

When we sat down they started asking me lots of questions as I did with them.

"So you want to be a criminal psychologist?" asked Castle

"Yes I have been researching psychology since I was a kid, I was always fascinated by it. One of the reasons I loved your books was how accurately you were able to depict the characters" he looked happy but his expression changed when I continued "May I be so bold as to ask how is the investigation going?"

He turned serious before answering "They got him..." he told us the whole story

Then looked at me and finally asked me the question I wanted him to ask "What do you think about it? To me it feels too easy, too simple, it feels senseless"

I paused before starting "Well, it is true that the guy with the gun in real life is almost always the culprit... However" that "but" got his attention "There are a few things in there that don't make sense, and murder always makes sense" he looked at me nodding for me to continue, Martha and Alexis had their attention focused on me as well.

"For starters, we have a guy who was able to get close to the victims, approach them, kill them then move them to the intended place, and then "decorated" their bodies to make it look like the murders in your books without leaving any clues, mess, or fingertips but then suddenly sends you a letter full of them? These murders are all carefully planned, they aren't done on an emotional spree, which means that there has been heavy research on the victim's routine and the place they should be committed, and then the place they have been then transported. And the guy who planned all this is someone who can't even clean his own room and leaves the proof of the crimes in plain sight without even attempting to hide them? And is then found banging his head in the closet?" Castle is now frowning

"When you put it like this..." but I wasn't finished

"Didn't you say the guy was a super fan? How could he miss the blue dress then, I am sure that if you analyze the other two murders as well you will see discrepancies, discrepancies a fan would not have missed" Castle's brain was literally fuming right now.

"Then that would mean that these murders were just a huge coverup" I nodded

"If, and only if, they were a cover up then that means that the killer is a great planner, a precise person who doesn't leave anything to chance. You should start looking for people around the second victim" that confused him but it was Alexis who pointed at the elephant in the room.

"Why the second, not the first? Or the third?"

"Well you see we have established the murderer is a great planner as such he knows that when you kill the first person detectives start searching for a motive inside the vicinity of the victim, that means-"

"A higher chance to be caught" answered the man himself

"I would choose the second victim to be my target because I might want to get rid of my target as soon as possible, and because after a second murder with the same Modus Operandi detectives start searching for people who know both victims so I would feel safer"

"Is there a need to kill a third then?" asked Alexis

"Of course, after a third murderer with the same M.O. Detectives start searching for a serial killer with psychopathic characteristics, they would never immediately start doubting-" I was interrupted again

"The family of the second victim for example!" Castle shot up from his chair took his things and was about to leave

"Jack?"

"Yes sir?"

"Thank you, this was a great chat, honey go to sleep early tonight, bye mother" with that he bolted away

"Umh... Sorry I guess?"

Alexis turned to me and while smiling said

"That. Was. Awesome! It looked just like a tv series!"

We all laughed

"Who knows, we might as well be inside one" I answered with a smile.

---

I wrote too many words, 2300 to be exact.