Chapter 1
One Man's Worth
Chapter One
A man lay on his couch in front of his television on a stormy night in the middle of April, watching the end of the baseball game. The Yankees were playing the Red Socks and he was angry that the dang Yankees were winning. It has been a long week at work and Detective Murray was happy to finally have the time to relax for a change. On the floor next to him, lay several empty beer cans and a bag of chips that was almost empty. He was thinking about how much he was really beginning to hate his job. It consisted of long hours, a partner whom he didn't really get along with, and he had to deal with seeing a man who drove him crazy everyday, by the name of Richard Castle. He didn't understand how his boss and the lead detectives in his precinct could put up with this man's annoying and childish habits and yet, together they always managed to solve the cases that were assigned to them. He hated Castle and he hated that their chief of police did not recognize his hard work. He has been trying to get noticed so that he would be reassigned to work on Detective Beckett's team and away from his partner, who thought of him as arrogant and full of himself. Maybe he was, but he knew he was better then the others. The other two detectives already on Beckett's team were good, but they had become somewhat corrupted by Castle's influence and Murray believed that they were not as good as him. Beckett on the other hand was good and he knew that they would work great together. However, no matter what he did, his captain did not seem to notice and it infuriated him.
As he was about to drift off to sleep, a knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. At first, he didn't want to answer it because he didn't want to get up. However, the knocking only grew louder. After the knocking lasted for several minutes, Detective Murray finally got off of his couch and walked over to his door to open it. When he did, he saw a man on the other side that was tall, but extremely thin, and his eyes were red and dilated. His hair was shaggy and messed up, he was unshaven, and his clothes looked like they were made to fit someone who was fatter. Murray could have sworn that he has seen this stranger somewhere before, but he shrugged those feelings off. He figured that he was just a homeless guy looking for something to eat or money. The man was carrying a duffle bag that looked pretty empty.
Detective Murray asked, "What on earth do you want? It is getting late, the Red Socks are loosing, and I am in no mood to talk to anyone until tomorrow. Now, go away!"
Just as Murray tried to slam the door in the stranger's face, he pulled out a gun with a silencer at the end, stuck his foot in the doorway, and slammed the door back open causing Murray to jump back.
"Whoa Buddy, take it easy," the detective said with a shaky voice! "Please, whatever you want, you can have it. Just take it and go. I won't say anything, please."
The stranger responded, "You don't recognize me do you? Does the name James Clayton ring a bell?"
The name immediately reminded Detective Murray where he seen this man before and he knew that he was in a lot of trouble. At that moment, the only thing that he knew might spare his life was if he gave the man some information that he would most likely want to hear.
As the stranger forced Murray to sit back down on his couch, the detective spoke up saying, "Listen, I am begging you to please let me go. I will give you whatever you want. Maybe even information on the man who betrayed your family and killed your brother. I know how angry with him you are. I can give him to you. Just please don't kill me."
"I'm afraid, that I already know exactly where Kevin is. My sister has been watching him for some time. We have friends in high places, so I have had people find out where each of you work and live, release my sister from prison by lightening her sentence, and helping me in a prison break. Kevin isn't the only one whom I want to see dead. I have wanted to take care of everyone who is responsible for my brother's death. You are one of the last. I have plans for Kevin but he will pay soon enough. It is your turn now."
About forty minutes later, the man left the house carrying the same duffle bag, but it was now full and he had made sure to turn off all of the lights in the house. He walked over to the car that was parked in Detective Murray's driveway and took out a set of keys from his pocket. He put a key in the ignition, started the car, and drove off with a smile on his face and blood on his clothes.
