Castle and Abraham shared a laugh at Henry's expense, teasing him for missing his chance with Jo and finally feeling uncomfortable about it now. After some lighthearted ribbing, Castle shifted the conversation back to the previous topic, knowing Henry's mindset well. Henry believed that since he wouldn't age or die, starting a relationship with Jo might only lead to heartache for both of them, so Castle didn't push the matter further.
Once the conversation turned back to serial killers, Henry's discomfort vanished, and he eagerly began analyzing the case for Castle. However, because 3XK had never left behind any evidence pointing to his identity, even Henry, New York's chief medical examiner, could only provide a basic analysis based on the scant evidence available. Despite Henry's efforts, they couldn't find any useful leads to catch the elusive killer. Castle knew the real identity of 3XK, but without a credible explanation, he had no way to convince anyone. Thus, he and Henry, eager to drop the gossip about Jo, spent some time discussing the killer's psychological profile before reluctantly admitting that, given the current clues, they had no way to catch the serial killer who had been terrorizing New York.
After lunch at Henry's place, Castle said goodbye to the two and, using the excuse of gathering information for Beckett, left Abraham's antique shop and went home.
He really did head home to work on his novel. With the police having no leads on the case, and the copycat who was mimicking 3XK's methods not set to strike again immediately, Castle had plenty of time to catch him. For now, finishing his long-overdue novel was Castle's top priority.
As for Marcus Gates, the man helping the real 3XK carry out murders, Castle wasn't in any rush. He knew Marcus wouldn't get far, and all he had to do was catch him in the act when he killed his second victim, the interior designer Kim Foster. The victim from yesterday, Linda Russell, who worked at a cable company, had been targeted because she had seen the real 3XK—Jerry Tyson—four years ago. Jerry, still in prison, had orchestrated her murder through Marcus Gates to cover his tracks.
Castle's plan was simple: wait until tomorrow when Marcus would attempt to murder Kim Foster under the pretense of checking for a gas leak, then intervene. But rather than capture Marcus immediately, Castle intended to spook him, forcing him to flee. This would allow the police to bring Jerry Tyson out of Sing Sing, under the guise of needing his help, thus setting the stage for Jerry's grand escape plan. Of course, when Jerry thought his escape was flawless, Castle would swoop in and deliver a crushing blow.
However, Castle still needed a plausible reason to bring Beckett to the scene of Marcus Gates' next attack. So, in his study, Castle used the backdoor software he'd installed in the NYPD's internal computer system to hack into the city's population registry. His goal was to locate Kim Foster, the interior designer Marcus planned to kill tomorrow.
Fortunately, Castle already knew the victim's name, age, and profession, so it didn't take him long to find her current address. Now, all he needed was an excuse to get Beckett near her apartment tomorrow evening. At exactly 7:35 p.m., Marcus would call the victim to gain entry under the guise of checking for a gas leak, and Castle planned to make his move then.
With Kim Foster's address in hand, Castle felt more relaxed and fully immersed himself in his writing. That evening, Beckett didn't stay at Castle's place, leaving him free to focus on his novel after dinner. His progress was swift, thanks to his wealth of firsthand experiences and his involvement in the investigation of Senator William Bracken. The words flowed easily, and by cutting out some sensitive details that couldn't be made public, he'd already completed more than half of the second Nikki Heat manuscript. At this rate, he figured he'd finish the book within a few days. Unlike Chinese web novels that ran into the millions of words, Castle's novels were typically between 300,000 and 500,000 words, so his pace was impressively fast.
The next morning, close to 10 a.m., Castle strolled into the Twelfth Precinct, holding two cups of coffee. Every officer he passed warmly greeted the man who had just donated a huge cache of weapons and equipment to the department. By now, the entire precinct viewed Castle as one of their own. After all, a man who could casually drop $15 million to outfit the department with new gear, improving the officers' safety and survival, was certainly a friend to the rank and file, regardless of whether or not he was dating the precinct's captain.
Seeing the once-old Remington M870 shotguns replaced by brand-new FN SCAR rifles and M1014 shotguns in the patrol cars, and the officers wearing new body armor he had donated, Castle was pleased. The Twelfth Precinct's self-defense capabilities were now arguably the best in all of New York. While the donation had cost Castle a significant sum, he felt he had done something worthwhile. Besides, making money came all too easily for him these days.
Castle stepped off the elevator and walked into the precinct, completely ignoring the shocked stares of the two federal agents, Jones and Diana, who had arrived early. Without hesitation, he handed the non-fat latte he'd brought to his girlfriend, Beckett, and spoke bluntly in front of the agents: "I did some digging yesterday and got a lead. Someone spotted a suspicious man, about six feet tall, 180 pounds, with light brown hair, following our victim Linda Russell the day before we found her body. But the witness, a homeless guy, didn't think much of it at the time and isn't sure if the guy is the 3XK we're after.
I've asked the leader of the homeless community to help track down anyone matching that description in the city. We might have some information by this afternoon. If we get something solid, we could be one step closer to finding this serial killer."
Diana and Jones were left stunned, their mouths agape. Only Beckett, sipping her latte, remained calm. She knew Castle had deep connections with the King of the Eighth Street homeless community, so this was just typical Castle behavior.
Though Beckett was equally thrilled by the lead, she kept her composure in front of the others, as befitting her role as precinct captain. However, the glint of approval in her eyes as she looked at Castle betrayed her excitement.
Meanwhile, Diana and Jones, who had been investigating white-collar crimes, began to question their own effectiveness as federal agents. Despite having the resources of the entire FBI at their disposal, they hadn't uncovered any leads. Yet, here was Castle, a writer, finding clues after only one afternoon of poking around.
Castle ignored the two agents for now and continued with his plan to guide Beckett's investigation. "I spoke to Henry yesterday, and during our conversation, I had a thought. Why did 3XK deviate from his usual method and kill Linda Russell in an alley, rather than using his old tactic of tricking his way into his victims' homes before striking?
I think we might've missed something with this victim."
Beckett listened intently, her brow furrowed in thought. "We also thought there was something off about this one, but we couldn't figure out exactly what."
Castle hinted, "I think we should look into Linda Russell's phone records from the last few years. Something about her seems... different."
At Beckett's command, Esposito, Ryan, and the two FBI agents began combing through Linda Russell's phone records from the past four years. Not long after, Esposito walked into Beckett's office, where Castle and Beckett were waiting.
"Boss, Castle was right. Linda Russell is different from the other 3XK victims. Check out this police report from four years ago. We've confirmed it was filed by Linda Russell herself."
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! Only $5 per novel or $15 for all!!] [www.p@treon.com/Mutter]
[+50 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[+5 Reviews = +1 Extra Chapter]