07x04 - Child's Play

[bunniefuu]

[ ice cream truck jingle playing ]

[ thud ]

[ music stops ]

[ horn honks in distance ]

Oh, my god, ice cream? Are you trying to k*ll me?

[ laughs ] at least you'll die happy.

Oh...

[ sighs ] kate? Mm!

Oh, no, thanks, I couldn't, not after this

Amazing meal that you guys just stuffed us with.

Oh -- darling, I'm sorry. Dessert is not optional,

Not after I traipsed all over town

To find richard his favorite flavor of ice cream.

Potato chip fudge?

[ giggles ] [ whispers ] yes!

Beckett, dig deep.

Come -- you would not quit at mile 25 of a marathon.

You know what? Why don't we take a break

And you and I do dishes? Oh --

Oh, don't even think about it.

Gram and I have it covered.

Okay.

[ lowered voice ] you are not letting them do dishes

After they just cooked.

They want to.

"I've been missing for two months thing," aren't you?

They are glad to have me back,

And if fussing over me makes them happy...

[ lowered voice ] enjoy it.

Like you ought to be enjoying this

Potato chip fudge ice cream sundae.

It's got that whole salty/sweet thing going on.

It's just -- just like me.

Mmm!

[ phone rings ]

I'll -- I'll get yeah. I'll get it. [ grunts ] mm.

[ phone beeps ] beckett's phone.

[ police radio chatter ]

[ sighs ] look, I know that you've only been back

For a few weeks, and we're all still trying to process it,

But I gotta say,

Alexis waiting on you hand and foot --

It's just it's a little odd.

Hey, you know what's really odd?

Ice cream truck in the middle of nowhere.

There's no kids lining up to buy b*mb pops around here.

Yeah, this couldn't have been the driver's route.

Not even close. I just got off the phone

With the owner of the ice cream truck --

Sergei vetotchkin.

The victim is his son -- anton, 22.

They found him behind the wheel around 5:00 p.M.

Castle: Is nothing sacred?

I mean, who kills an ice cream man,

A symbol of childhood innocence?

Beckett: Maybe someone wanted his money.

Except that today's cash receipts were still in the van.

And whoever did this sh*t him at close range.

Two g.S.W.S to the chest with powder burns.

We figure the sh**t boarded the truck

And sh*t anton, knocking him back into the shifter.

Went into first, and that's why the truck rolled here.

k*ller probably bolted out the back.

Anyone see it?

We got unis canvassing for witnesses,

But it's not exactly an area where people hang out.

And what about street cams?

Coverage is spotty. We'll get really lucky if we get a hit.

What was this kid doing here in the first place?

I don't know why our son would be in that neighborhood.

That's not where we do business.

Well, is it possible that he was involved

In something that would take him down there,

Something dangerous?

No. Anton was...A good boy.

Never got in trouble.

Were there any troubles on his route?

Anything unusual going on in his life?

He came home early from school.

What school did he go to?

He was taking night classes at the community college

In the bronx for graphic design.

Since he was a boy in abkhazia, he loved to draw.

But last night, he came back from class

Very upset, like something was wrong.

Woman: Yeah, there was definitely something wrong.

I'd never seen anton like that before.

Could you tell us what happened?

Yeah, I'd given the class an assignment,

And anton was working at his station like everyone else,

And all of a sudden he started shaking

Like he was terrified. Because of what?

I don't know. He ran out of the room.

But I saw him later in the parking lot

Getting into a car with some guy.

What guy? Can you describe him?

No, it was too dark, but...

I-I do remember the car.

It was bright green, an old camry.

Did you happen to get a license plate?

I-I got a 3, an "e," and a "k."

You said this all started when he was at his station.

Can we take a look at what he was working on?

Uh, yeah. I have to log you into the system. [ mouths word ]

[ chair wheels roll ]

[ exhales ]

[ typing ]

[ beeping ]

What the --

His portfolio is gone and all his...

[ taps mouse ] projects have been deleted.

Did anton delete them? Why would he do that?

I have no idea. [ phone rings ]

[ ring ]

It's c.S.U. Ryan. [ beep ]

[ police radio chatter ]

Ryan?

Hey. C.S.U. Got us a lead.

See how this cabinet door is open?

Just like in these crime scene photos.

[ exhales sharply ]

Okay. So?

So when the cabinet door is closed...

There's blood spatter on the door panel behind it.

Which means the door was closed when anton was sh*t.

Yep. Now, see this smear of blood

On the inside edge of the door?

C.S.U. Said that this came from a finger,

So somebody grabbed the door from the inside,

Pulling it open.

If someone was in there when anton was sh*t...

They saw our k*ller. A witness.

Yeah, not only that, I think our witness might be a kid.

What?

They left that on the inside of the cabinet.

It's a permission slip for a class trip.

No usable prints on it,

But it does have today's date.

Kennedy elementary.

That's less than a mile away.

Assuming an afternoon dismissal,

Anton was sh*t at 5:00 p.M.

Someone from that school was in this van when anton was k*lled.

Someone from miss ruiz's second grade class.

Man: I can't imagine it's one of mrs. Ruiz's students.

Why would they even be in that area alone?

Well, we'll know more once our youth officer

Is done talking to them.

Now, what time did...

[ clicks pen ] mrs. Ruiz's class let out yesterday?

At 3:00 p.M., and each child was picked up

By a parent or authorized guardian.

Okay, and I'm gonna need a list of all of their names

So we can determine where they were at 5:00 p.M.

Of course. Detective beckett?

Mrs. Ruiz and I talked to all the students.

None of them seems to be your witness.

Except one of them has to be.

[ ball rattling ]

You know, maybe we should talk to them again.

If they're afraid to come forward, that's not gonna help.

Man: Or perhaps they didn't see anything.

Either way, these children shouldn't be subjected

To endless questions. I know, I understand,

But we have to find this witness.

In cases like this, a child is often more likely

To open up to somebody who's not an authority figure --

A classmate, a friend.

So, basically, we're looking for someone

Who won't intimidate them.

An adult presence in the classroom

That 8-year-olds will view as a peer,

Someone that they can consider one of their own?

Okay, but where would we find someone like that?

Got it.

Easy.

For letting castle spend time in your classroom.

I wasn't given much of a choice.

Well, then we apologize for the imposition,

But we do need to figure out who this witness is.

You know we spoke to all of them already, right?

Yes, but being 90% kid myself,

I have an ability to get into the minds of children.

And I have the perfect plan.

Trust me, there is no such thing.

Have you ever been in a room

With 20 second-graders, mr. Castle?

I appreciate your concern, leslie.

May I call you leslie?

"mrs. Ruiz" is fine. Excellent.

I'm sure I'm more than capable of handling

Anything these little charmers can throw my way.

Hmm.

[ children shouting playfully ]

In this case, is an eraser.

[ cell phone rings ]

[ beep ]

Hey, what do you got?

We chased down that partial plate

That anton's teacher gave us.

That car she saw?

Looks like it's registered to a retired cop

Named clark jaffe.

A cop? Yeah.

Anton placed a call to him that night from

The pay phone outside the college.

Okay, bring him in.

That's gonna be a problem.

Jaffe's dead. sh*t to death.

He was sh*t, too? When?

Yesterday, about eight hours before anton.

And I ran ballistics. It's a match.

It's the same sh**t.

Okay. I'm on my way. [ cell phone beeps ]

[ laughing and shouting playfully ]

Hey, everybody. Atten--

Attention, everyone! Hello! Attention!

[ children shouting playfully ]

Guys.

Class.

[ shouting stops ]

Neat trick.

Children, this is mr. Castle.

He's gonna be helping me with today's lessons.

Students: Good morning, mr. Castle.

Okay, columbo. You're on.

Right.

[ bone cracks ] [ clears throat ]

Good morning, class.

Does anyone here know what a writer is?

Yes? A writer writes stories.

That's exactly right.

And...Who here knows a writer?

Mrs. Ruiz said I can show-and-tell my instant camera!

Maybe later, jason.

[ sighs ] yes?

Mr. Castle, aren't you a writer?

Well, as a matter of fact, I am.

Well, I don't know if I'd use the word "famous."

Some people -- my dad says your books suck.

[ laughter ]

[ laughter continues ]

Mr. Castle!

We do not make faces in my classroom.

He started it!

Students: Boo!

You said you had a plan?

Yes, yes, I have a plan. [ clears throat ]

Aside from me, does anyone here

Know another writer?

Tell you what. Everyone look to your left.

You're looking at a writer.

Except for you guys on the end. You're looking at the wall.

[ laughter ]

We are all writers.

If you can tell a story, you can write a story.

So...

Let's do that right now. Let's write a story.

It can be about a little boy

Or a little girl, just like you.

It can be as silly or as scary as you want it to be.

Can I write about having a tea party?

Of course you can.

Mr. Castle, is it okay to make things up?

Of course, yes. You can make things up,

Or you could, um, you could write it

Based on something that happened in real life.

Is everyone ready?

Uh, go!

[ mouths words ]

We found a link between our two vics?

Other than anton getting in jaffe's car that night,

Not so far, and anton's never been in trouble with the law.

You talk to anton's parents? Yeah, they never heard of jaffe.

They lived in different neighborhoods,

They moved in different circles.

[ sighs ] they drive off together,

And then the next day they both end up dead?

They're connected. We just gotta find out how.

I got something else. After clark jaffe was k*lled,

Someone tossed his place.

k*ller was looking for something.

If you don't hydrate, they'll eat you alive.

Ah, thank you. That's very kind. [ sips ]

So, how are those stories they wrote?

Oh, and feel free to use my desk.

I was -- I just...

You don't like me very much, do you?

That's not it, mr. Castle.

These are kids,

And it's my job to protect them,

Even from people who mean well.

Besides, if one of them did see something,

They're too afraid to come forward.

So why would you expect them to write about?

Well, I don't. Well, not directly.

But an experience that powerful

Is going to find a way to express itself

Even the wildest fantasy is based on a kernel of truth.

As a master storyteller, I'm able to separate

The make-believe from the telltale details

Of thinly veiled fact.

You mark my words, mrs. Ruiz --

Somewhere in this pile is the key

To identifying our witness.

[ slurping ]

[ coughing ]

I followed up on jaffe's car.

There's no g.P.S., no e.Z. Pass.

There's no way of finding out

Where he and anton went that night.

Okay, what about you on financials?

For an ex-cop, the guy lived like a monk.

So did anton, which is part of our problem.

The kid had no cell phone, no credit cards to pull.

There's got to be a connection between these two guys.

I'm just not finding it.

But here's what I don't get --

What's a 22-year-old ice cream man

Doing with an ex-cop, anyway?

Ryan: I may have a lead on that.

I was looking into the ice cream truck.

It was ticketed last week up on marble hill,

Which is nowhere near anton's route. So?

So I checked into clark jaffe's financials.

Jaffe's credit card shows that he parked at a meter

The exact same block on the same day.

That's not a coincidence.

This is traffic cam footage of anton's truck that day.

Now watch. [ remote control clicks ]

[ beeps ]

He goes into that shipping store.

What's he doing in there?

I have no idea. But I scrubbed all the footage.

This is from an hour earlier.

[ click ] a green camry.

And that's clark jaffe.

Going into the same store.

So what were the two of them doing?

I found it!

I think I found our witness!

Right here. It's jack.

He wrote a story about an evil giant,

Which, from a child's perspective,

Is how the k*ller would seem.

He said that the giant spoke in a loud, angry voice,

Said mean things, and promised he would hurt someone.

That's just "jack and the beanstalk."

Yes, but in this story, the giant had a g*n.

[ sighs ] okay. Let's say you're right.

Let's say jack was hiding in the ice cream truck,

And he's afraid to tell anyone.

How are you gonna get him to tell you?

[ patriotic music playing ]

[ making g*nf*re and expl*si*n noises ]

[ noises continues ]

Keep moving! Move up!

Hold back, guys! Cover me!

[ makes expl*si*n noises ] got 'em!

Nice work! Whoa! Wait a minute.

I think I see more bad guys ahead.

Uh-oh. What?

There's a giant.

And does he...

Yeah. He does. He's got a g*n.

No! Get down! He's gonna sh**t it!

You think?

He did last time. He said, "I'm gonna sh**t."

Then he did.

Last time, like in your story? Yes.

He sh*t his g*n -- bing, bing!

And then the other guy was bleeding.

Only...

It wasn't a story, was it, jack?

It really happened.

I was scared. I closed my eyes

Until the giant disappeared.

Hey, man, you are very brave.

That's not what my brother said.

Your brother was there?

He said, "don't be a chicken. It's just a stupid movie."

Then he changed the channel.

The giant was on tv? Yeah.

Mm.

Mr. Castle wet his pants! Mr. Castle wet his pants!

Oh! [ children laughing ]

No, no -- see, the ground was wet!

[ laughing continues ]

[ camera clicks ]

[ laughing continues ]

Yeah. Anton and mr. Jaffe. They come in here a lot.

Anton rented a p.O. Box here about six months ago,

Box 552.

And he shared it with jaffe.

They were sharing a p.O. Box? Yeah.

What kind of mail were they getting?

That's the thing. They weren't getting any mail.

At least not that I ever saw.

Then why did they need the box?

All I know is they both came in twice a week to check it.

Together? No.

Usually about an hour apart.

They were using it as a dead drop.

Yeah, but for what?

Uh -- when was the last time you saw them?

I saw 'em both last week.

But anton came in yesterday.

And he seemed a little worked up

After I told him about the phone call I'd got.

What phone call?

Some dude with a russian accent

Called asking me who owned box 552 --

Anton's box.

I told the caller we don't give out that kind of information,

But when I mentioned the call to anton,

He flipped out.

So anton knew this guy.

Yeah. I guess so, 'cause he went into total panic mode,

Said he had to use the phone.

But I couldn't let him use it.

It's against company policy,

So he just raced out of here.

What time was that?

3:00. Okay, thanks.

3:00 p.M.? That's two hours before anton was k*lled.

Sounds like this russian dude was coming for him.

Who do you think anton was trying to call -- jaffe?

Or someone else connected to all of this.

Look, anton didn't have a cell,

So if he really needed to make a call, he'd go nearby.

I'll canvass all the stores in the area,

See if anyone let anton use their phone.

Great. And, uh, school's almost out.

I'll get ahold of castle and see if he's gotten

Any closer to finding our witness.

[ children laughing ]

Uh, no, no breakthroughs yet,

But, uh, the good news is -- is, um,

It looks like they've accepted me as one of their own.

Okay, guys, give me the wallet. That was a gift.

Oh! [ speaks indistinctly ]

Wait, what is going on over there?

No, everything's fine. I'll talk to you tonight.

Okay, bye-bye.

Okay, guys, very funny. [ laughing continues ]

Give me back the wallet now.

Mrs. Ruiz, a little help here?

Children: Here! Here! Here! No? Huh?

[ shouts indistinctly ]

Okay, that's get-- okay.

Whoa! Whoa!

[ thud ]

[ laughter ] [ school bell rings ]

Children, line up in the hall for dismissal.

[ laughter stops ]

Mr. Castle, are you okay?

Oh, yes, I am.

I'm fine. Thank you, emily. Very kind.

I know how it feels.

Sometimes bad things happen to me, too.

They do?

Mm-hmm. Really bad things --

Things I didn't want to tell mrs. Ruiz

When she asked me this morning.

Well, things like what?

Like yesterday, I was --

Emily? Come along, dear.

We don't want to be late for the doctor.

Will you be here tomorrow?

You can count on it.

So esposito confirmed with emily's parents

That her 14-year-old brother was supposed to be

Watching her that day, but he was playing videogames

And he didn't check on her for hours.

So she could have sneaked out.

It is her, beckett. I knew it!

Which is why we should have talked to her

At her place last night.

And risk intimidating her? No, no.

This girl's -- she's ready to open up to me.

We have a... A special connection.

[ laughs ] really? Should I be worried?

Only that I'm gonna solve the case before you.

Oh. [ chuckles ]

Where do you think you're going?

Um, second grade.

Not without finishing your breakfast.

I ate most of it, and I'm just -- I'm late.

Come on, dad, just one more bite.

Alexis, I'm not --

Now don't forget your lunch.

Okay. You're right.

It's weird. I'll talk to her.

Okay. But right now...

I'm late for a tea party.

[ clicks tongue ] thank you so mu--

Oh, that's plenty.

Did you make this tea yourself?

Mm-hmm. I have to say, it's excellent.

Thank you. No, thank you.

Do you want some sugar? [ clicks tongue ]

Actually, I'm trying to cut back.

Do you have any low-calorie fairy dust?

Mm-hmm. Thank you.

Perfect.

[ makes squeaking noise ]

Mmm! Delicious. Thank you very much.

And thank you for spending recess with me.

You're welcome.

Do you want to build an ice palace?

It's only my favorite thing to do.

Here we go.

Oh, they are nice.

You know, emily, do you remember yesterday

You said that something really bad happened,

Something --

You're making the wall too high.

Oh. Sorry.

[ grunts ] ah! Is that better?

All right.

That you didn't want to tell mrs. Ruiz about.

Do you think maybe you'd want to tell me?

Okay.

You know, you could -- if you wanted.

It would just be... One princess to another.

Because princesses help each other?

Because princesses help each other.

It's about jason.

Jason -- that kid who makes faces, jason?

He's a bully.

He says mean things and pulls my hair. [ exhales ]

This morning, he stepped on my foot -- on purpose.

Emily, do you know why people do mean things?

'cause it makes 'em feel strong.

Really, though, you and me, we're the strong ones.

We just keep our strength inside.

So sometimes we forget it's there.

Like sometimes I forget I have gum in my pocket.

Exactly. So, next time jason does something mean,

You just use that strength and just let it go.

When he sees he can't upset you, he'll stop bothering you.

Okay?

Can I go out and play now?

Of course. I'll take care of these dishes

And finish the palace.

Not her, huh?

Go ahead. Gloat.

Maybe this was a dumb idea.

Oh, it was.

But...That dumb idea

Got emily to confide in you.

You're earning their trust, mr. Castle.

I guess I am, aren't I?

And if you got emily to open up to you,

Maybe that witness really will come forward.

Thank you...

Leslie?

Still mrs. Ruiz. Right.

[ child screaming ] oh, dear!

[ screaming continues ]

Please!

She punched me in the nose!

It was my inside strength.

I let it go, like mr. Castle said.

You told her to hit me?! What?! No, jason --

I'm gonna tell the principal!

I'm -- that was --

Mr. Castle, I'm sure that this is being

Blown out of proportion, but I'll be candid.

Jason's parents are two high-powered lawyers

With a zest for litigation.

We found out a while ago that it's best not to upset them.

So what are you saying?

We gave this experiment a fair sh*t,

But now we have to move on.

Principal silva, please -- I just need a little more time.

I wish that I could believe that, mr. Castle,

But have you made any progress in identifying

This supposed witness?

Any progress at all?

Nothing pops with this financials.

If anton and jaffe were doing anything illegal

With that p.O. Box, they weren't making much money.

Clark jaffe put in 30 years.

He retired with commendations and a spotless service record.

Why would someone like him break the law?

I'm asking the same thing about anton.

What we really need is castle's witness.

Yo. Canvass got a hit.

The owner of a bodega near that mailbox store

Said that anton came in all desperate to use the phone.

The guy let him make a call. To who?

To this guy. Dmitri kalenkov.

He emigrated to the u.S. In '03

And is rumored to be an enforcer for the bratva.

Russian organized crime?

Wait a minute.

The guy who called asking about the p.O. Box --

Wasn't he russian, too? What if that was dmitri,

And he's the one that took out jaffe and anton?

Maybe they were involved in something illegal,

And whatever it was stepped on russian mob turf.

So anton called dmitri to smooth things over.

And ended up taking two in the chest.

Thanks, l.T.

Organized crime just got a current address on dmitri.

[ thud ]

N.Y.P.D.! Dmitri kalenkov!

N.Y.P.D.! Hands up! Hands up!

N.Y.P.D.! Hands up, dmi--

[ coughs ] [ gasps ] that smells good.

[ sighing ] [ choking ]

Found him!

It's dmitri. [ flies buzzing ]

[ stifled choking, exhales ]

[ gasps ] he's been sh*t.

Been dead at least a couple of days.

Hey, beckett, check it out.

[ buzzing continues ]

Electrical cable, car battery, leads.

He was tortured first.

Esposito: [ groans ]

[ indistinct conversations ]

Well, someone might have been tortured here,

But it wasn't dmitri.

Are you sure?

The only injury I see besides b*llet wounds

Is a blunt-force trauma to the back of the head,

And by the look of the contusion,

I would say it was made by that broken chair arm.

So if dmitri wasn't tortured,

Maybe he was the one doing the torturing.

It fits the profile of a mob enforcer.

Which means whoever was tied into that chair

Broke free, overpowered dmitri, and then sh*t him.

How long has he been dead?

I'd say at least three days.

[ camera shutter clicks ]

So dmitri was k*lled before jaffe and anton.

And most likely by the same sh**t.

Same two taps to the chest.

Okay, thanks.

Why k*ll a mob enforcer, an ice cream man,

What were they mixed up in? I don't know,

But it's starting to look like a russian thing.

Anton, dmitri, the guy who called the mailbox store.

Let's see if there's a conflict in the russian community. All right.

Hey. That was anton's parents.

Someone just broke into their apartment and tossed the place.

Just like jaffe's place was tossed.

The k*ller's after something.

Something that our victims had.

Yeah, but what?

Children: Bye, mr. Castle! Castle: Goodbye. Bye, sweetheart.

Bye, fiona. Bye, June.

Bye, sophie. Thank you, mr. Castle.

Bye, sarah, bye. Bye.

Have a good one, buddy.

On that b*ttlefield, all right? [ clicks tongue ]

All right. Bye, sweetheart. Bye.

You're leaving?

Oh. Yeah, emily, I gotta go.

Is it because I got you in trouble?

Oh, no. No, emily, that's not your fault.

I-I'm always in trouble.

Come here.

You make sure you use your princess powers

For good, okay?

Bye.

Bye, guys.

I never thought I'd say this,

But I'm sorry to see you leave.

Thank you very much, mrs. Ruiz.

Please call me "leslie."

I'll contact you if there are any new developments.

I appreciate that. Take care.

[ paper rustling ]

I could not believe what I saw.

When my wife and I got back from lunch,

The door was kicked in and the place was torn apart.

Do you have any idea what they were looking for?

In anton's room, the ceiling vent

Was pried open, and on the floor

Right below it...

[ unzips jacket ]

I found this.

Passports?

They're blank.

What was anton doing with these?

I've never seen them before today.

What was my son involved in?

He was studying graphic design.

Do you think he was forging passports?

Mr. Vetotchkin, I -- I need to ask you --

Do you recognize this man?

Yes, that's dmitri. Dmitri kalenkov.

And how do you know him?

He and my son grew up together

Back in abkhazia during the w*r.

Is dmitri involved in this, too?

[ phone rings ]

I'm sorry. Just one moment.

[ ring, beep ]

Hey.

Castle: Beckett, you need to come down here.

Castle, whoever put this in your pocket --

Is sending me a message.

Our witness is reluctant to come forward,

But when they saw I was leaving,

It forced their hand.

Have you tried just asking who drew it?

I don't want to scare them off...

But I have a plan.

Okay, class, time for that extra recess period

I promised you for being extra good today.

[ indistinct conversations ]

I'm emily. Who are you?

I'm kate. I'm mr. Castle's...Friend.

Do you like to play princess with him?

Uh...Sometimes.

Are you two getting married?

One day. One day.

Now's our chance. I'll take the front.

You guys take the back.

Okay, so what are we looking for?

Made by the same kid. Yeah, but these are second-graders.

I mean, don't their drawings look the same?

When you live and breathe these children,

Every scribble is like a fingerprint.

Can't imagine they'll need much prompting when we confront them.

This has clearly been eating away

At their delicate little psyches.

Given the chance to unburden themselves --

All right. Who's our sensitive little soul?

Hey, mrs. Ruiz,

Why are you going through my desk?

Jason?

You're the witness?

I'm not talking to mr. Castle. He's a jerk-face.

[ lowered voice ] okay, you know what?

He's the jerk-face.

[ lowered voice ] he's 8 years old.

You've been here for a day and a half,

And you already have a nemesis?

How was I supposed to know he'd be the witness?

[ exhales ]

Jason, honey,

I want you to know that you're not in trouble, okay?

Duh!

All I did was draw a picture.

Ex-exactly.

But I know that you want to tell me

All about this picture.

Except jerk-face over there,

He thinks that you're too scared and that we should

Call your mom to come and pick you up.

I'm not scared!

Told ya.

So, listen, I need you to tell me everything

That you remember seeing

While you were hiding in this ice cream truck.

I-I can't.

Jason, believe me, it's gonna feel a lot better

Letting it out rather than keeping it in.

No! I can't, because I wasn't there!

[ sighs ]

You weren't?

But I know who was.

Who?

I'm not supposed to tell.

Jason, listen, we just want to help you.

Okay?

It was my sister.

Okay.

Does she go to this school, too?

She's a grownup.

We have different dads.

I stay with her when our mom goes out of town.

So you gave her your permission slip that day?

And she said she had to meet her friend, the ice cream man.

When she came home, she was crying.

She told me never tell anyone where she went,

Or something bad would happen.

[ breathes sharply ]

What's your sister's name?

Natalie barnes!

We're gonna need you to come with us.

I was never in anton's truck.

I know that you were, natalie.

Listen, whatever you are scared of,

I will protect you,

But you have to tell me the truth. [ sniffles ]

And you have to start with those passports

That you helped anton forge.

So you were involved?

We were just trying to do something good.

Who do you mean by "we"?

You, anton, and jaffe? Yeah.

Tell me about the passports.

[ sniffles ] anton's route

Covered brighton beach.

There were a lot of russians there,

And he'd seen so many of them come here with the promise

Of a job, and then their papers would be taken,

And they'd be forced to work in sweatshops

Or -- or worse, and --

Anton was trying to get back home.

Which they couldn't do now without the right documents.

Yeah.

And how did jaffe fit into all of this?

Well, anton heard that jaffe had a connection

That could get blank passports.

And jaffe worked brighton beach as a cop,

So he knew what was going on,

And -- and he was sympathetic to the immigrants.

And you were the one

With the high-tech design software.

That's why anton took your class.

When I found out what anton was doing,

I-I decided to help, 'cause I...

I wanted to make a difference.

I don't understand how this got anyone k*lled.

The other night, anton was making a passport in class,

And he saw the photo of the client,

And he recognized the man. It was this --

This terrible man from his past.

Who?

Anton called him "polkovnik."

Anton was terrified of him,

Said this polkovnik once tried to k*ll him.

But anton said that he had to --

To show the picture to a friend of his just to be sure,

Some...Guy called dmitri.

Natalie, what did you see in that van?

Anton had left a message for me

To meet him at his ice cream truck,

Away from his usual route.

And when I got there, he said that jaffe was dead,

And that this man had k*lled him,

And that he was afraid that we would be next

If we didn't run.

And then anton saw him coming,

So he told me to hide.

I watched as polkovnik gunned anton down.

You see his face?

Can you describe him?

Yeah, I --

I can do...Better.

[ panting, sniffling ] wait a second, you're saying

Yeah, in an envelope at her apartment,

Along with other information on him -- why?

Because we looked into this guy polkovnik.

Suffice to say he's wanted for a lot more

Than just three murders. Here in new york?

No, in the abkhazia region of georgia 10 years ago.

He's wanted by the world court for w*r crimes.

He was a militia leader, committed atrocities,

Wiped out villages, including where anton and dmitri lived.

Interpol's been after this guy ever since.

They got a tip that polkovnik was in new york,

So they're tightening the net. Only one problem --

There's no pictures of this guy,

So no one knows what he looks like.

So when dmitri tried to take justice into his own hands,

Polkovnik k*lled him.

Then he tracked down jaffe and anton

And k*lled them, too.

He knew that they could I.D. Him.

The picture that anton was gonna use on his passport.

A passport that he desperately needs

Okay, that photo is at natalie's place. Let's go.

[ sighs ] he's been here.

Natalie said it was in the bedroom dresser,

Bottom right drawer. Okay.

It's not here. He must have found it.

It's not in the drawer, natalie.

The photo was in an envelope.

I hid it in an old camera case.

Wait. Jason said he stayed here

Because his mom was out of town.

So?

Natalie, the -- the camera case

That you put the envelope in, was it for a polaroid camera?

How'd you know?

Because jason brought it to kennedy elementary yesterday

For show-and-tell.

That photo is in mrs. Ruiz's classroom right now.

We get that photo, we'll get polkovnik.

Come on.

And their tactical units are sweeping the area

Around natalie's apartment.

Where are we on the a.P.B.?

Ready to go. The feds want to get this on the evening news.

All they need is that photo. You'll have it in five.

Okay. [ cell phone beeps ]

Okay, which one's jason's desk?

Right here.

Got it.

Behind you.

[ grunting ]

Aah! Aah!

Aah!

[ grunting ] [ g*n clatters ]

[ groans ]

Get up.

You okay?

Yeah, I've taken worse.

In this classroom, as a matter of fact.

Castle: Cupcake stampede!

[ cheering ] come and get 'em, guys.

Here you go. One for everyone. Help yourselves.

This is just a little thank-you to say

What a wonderful time I had with all of you.

Thank you, mr. Castle. There you go. You're welcome.

Child: Thank you, mr. Castle.

I'm gonna miss every one of you.

Even me?

Yes, jason, even you.

What do you say? Truce? Yeah.

All right. Truce.

Looks like your nemesis isn't ready

To call it a truce just yet.

Yeah. Especially when he sees what I put on his back.

Leslie, one for you?

No, thanks.

Actually, we have something else for you as well.

This is a medal of outstanding service

From the n.Y.P.D. For your invaluable help

With tracking down our witness.

What's gonna happen to jason's sister, anyway?

She's agreed to testify, and with her help,

Our three victims, along with many, many other people

Will finally get justice.

Then maybe you should give this medal to her.

I didn't do much to deserve it.

Are you kidding?

You put up with castle for two whole days.

[ laughs ] I enjoyed the challenge.

In my experience, it's the most difficult children

Who prove most rewarding.

Isn't that right, mr. Castle?

Mr. Castle? No faces. That's right.

[ laughs ] thank you.

[ cell phone chimes ] oh!

See you later. Later, j.

That's me.

What's wrong? It's alexis texting me.

"be sure you come home right after school."

How'd she even know I was here right now?

She put one of those tracker apps on my phone!

Uh, castle, uh, this is getting a little out of hand.

Yeah. I'm gonna have to deal with this.

And I think I know how.

Dad, what took you so long? School ended hours ago!

Alexis, sweetheart --

I've been really worried. [ scooter clangs ]

Yes, I know, and I think I know why.

Because I disappeared.

But...I'm back now,

And I'm not going anywhere.

I'm here to stay.

I just keep thinking I'll lose you again,

Or something terrible will happen.

I know it sounds crazy --

No, no, it does not sound crazy.

I would feel the same way. Matter of fact, I did.

After paris.

After paris.

I couldn't let you out of my sight.

But...

I know that you consider yourself

The adult of the family --

For good reason.

For very good reason.

But...

But part of being an adult is realizing

You can't always protect the people you love.

Okay.

Okay?

Being an adult really sucks. Yeah.

And you've spent way too much time having to be one.

So...

I'm ordering you to be a kid.

Don't you think I'm a little old for that?

I am not too old for it, so you are definitely

Don't you think we should at least test them out?

Okay.

Okay.

Where do you want to go?

[ laughs ] I don't know, ice cream?

How about pizza?

After this case, I might be off ice cream for a while.

[ laughs ] okay.