Sometimes, a calm sea hides a brewing volcano beneath its surface—like Beckett's overly composed demeanor at this moment.
Just ten minutes ago, while observing the rooftop across the street, Beckett, Jack, and Hannah had seen the pair up there reminiscing about old times. A few minutes later, Castle and Kyra embraced. The distinct crack of Beckett's knuckles tightening into fists followed.
After that, lip-reading was unnecessary. For the next five minutes, the couple's lips never parted.
"Shouldn't we stop them?" Hannah whispered, glancing at Jack before nervously eyeing Beckett.
Jack, mirroring her apprehension, shook his head. "Castle may be reckless, but his moral compass isn't that broken. Kyra's part of his past."
The comment was a lie, even the opposite of the truth. But with two women beside him, Jack had little choice but to hedge.
In reality, for most men, the combination of an ex-girlfriend and someone else's fiancée was an irresistible temptation under certain conditions—especially if there were no repercussions or responsibilities. However, Castle wasn't just any man. As someone with two ex-wives, he knew better than most that such situations came with massive complications.
Sure enough, when the trio later saw Castle putting Kyra into a cab and waving her off, they collectively breathed a sigh of relief.
Castle had passed the test, narrowly escaping disaster. Beckett's faint smile as they left confirmed her approval.
The next morning, Jack and Hannah arrived at the 12th Precinct with some files, only to find an awkward tension between Castle and Beckett.
Castle sat silently at his desk, while Beckett busied herself with paperwork, ignoring him entirely. The untouched coffee between them had gone cold, suggesting they'd been in this standoff for a while. Neither noticed the FBI agents standing nearby.
Finally, Castle, unable to endure the cold war any longer, broke the silence. "I met with her last night."
His tone was sheepish, like a schoolboy confessing to his parents. Beckett, struggling to maintain a neutral expression, stared him down until she couldn't hold back anymore. She pulled out several photos from her file.
"I know."
"What?"
Castle's eyes widened at the pictures of him and Kyra on the rooftop, including close-ups of their kiss. He looked incredulously at Beckett before spotting the approaching FBI agents.
When people are caught in embarrassing situations, their reactions typically range from mortified silence to angry deflection. Castle, however, was more curious than anything. "You were spying on me? And you two?"
"Not you—Kyra. She's a suspect," Beckett said, attempting to cover her tracks.
"Come on, Beckett. Sophie's death was a one-off crime of passion. You wouldn't waste resources like this."
"I didn't waste resources. I took the photos myself. I needed to make sure you wouldn't do something stupid—and yet, you did." Beckett's blunt admission left no room for argument.
"So you're the mastermind, and these two bored FBI agents are your accomplices?" Castle retorted, trying to divert attention and sneakily reclaim the photos.
"It was Alexis who told us. She overheard your phone call with Kyra but didn't know where your 'secret rooftop' was, so she asked Martha," Hannah interjected, swatting away Castle's hand and flipping through the photos herself.
"Great angles! Is photography your hidden talent, Beckett?" Hannah teased, though Beckett seemed unamused.
"I can't believe you two are this idle. Doesn't the FBI have cases for you? Give those photos back—they might be evidence if Kyra's the killer," Beckett said firmly.
"Kyra isn't the killer," Jack interjected before Castle could defend her. He held up the files they'd brought. "We've already identified the suspect. If you're not interested, we'll leave you to it."
Castle's demeanor shifted immediately. He respectfully offered them seats and even made two cups of coffee himself.
Hannah took a sip, her eyes lighting up. "This beats the dishwater at the FBI by miles!"
"Castle bought us a $1,600 espresso machine on his second day as a consultant because he couldn't stand our coffee," Beckett explained, rubbing her forehead.
Jack tasted his cup and nodded approvingly. "Wow. Maybe we should recruit this talented author as a consultant when our task force is officially established."
"I'll sponsor an entire kitchen setup if you invite me to all your parties," Castle quipped eagerly. "So, who's the suspect? Do we have evidence?"
"We're still missing direct evidence, but we've gathered enough circumstantial evidence and a clear motive to justify a search warrant," Jack said, placing the files on Beckett's desk.
The case wasn't particularly complex, but as a local precinct, the NYPD faced bureaucratic hurdles when retrieving records from other states. The FBI, however, could handle such tasks with ease.
"You're suspecting Grant's uncle, Teddy Murphy?" Castle exclaimed, recognizing the portly older man in the files. He'd seen Teddy at the precinct yesterday, acting as Grant's lawyer.
Teddy Murphy was a well-known figure in their circles, described as gregarious and charming at first glance but someone who grew increasingly irritable when things didn't go his way. The files detailed some financial troubles Teddy had been hiding, and a possible connection to Sophie's death.
"Teddy's motive is simple: Sophie knew too much. She likely discovered something incriminating while they were preparing for the wedding, maybe overhearing or finding documents about his embezzlement schemes. If Sophie threatened to expose him, he'd have a strong reason to silence her," Jack explained.
"Any idea how he did it?" Beckett asked, flipping through the records.
"That's what the search warrant is for," Jack replied. "We suspect he used drugs to incapacitate her, considering the trace amounts found in her bloodstream. It matches substances tied to one of his businesses."
Beckett nodded thoughtfully. "This gives us enough to bring him in for questioning. If we pressure him, he might slip up."
Castle, sipping his coffee, leaned back in his chair. "You know, for a guy who strutted in here so confidently yesterday, Teddy didn't seem all that innocent. I'd love to see how he handles Beckett's interrogation."
"Don't get too excited," Beckett warned, already drafting the warrant request. "This time, you're staying out of the room."
(End of Chapter)
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