05x21 - The Squab and the Quail

Episode transcripts for the TV show "Castle". Aired: March 9, 2009 –; May 16, 2016.*
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Bored with his success, celebrated mystery novelist Rick Castle teams with NYPD Detective Kate Beckett to solve the case of a copycat k*ller who re-creates m*rder scenes from Rick's novels.
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05x21 - The Squab and the Quail

Post by bunniefuu »

(BRITISH ACCENT)
Let's keep this going, people.

This is a big night for us.

You! Get it together, man. Focus!

Yes, Chef.

Table 21, order in. Appetizer,
one tuna crudo, one pork belly.

Two salmon, one squab, one quail.

Lovely. Off it goes.

(BRITISH ACCENT)
Ah, look. Here we are.

WOMAN: Excuse me.

MAN: Enjoy.

Well, bon appetit, everyone.

So, Eric, how would another
20 million for MexiSolar sit with you?

Once I've seen that factory.

Enough business. Eat, drink.
Be merry for once in your life, huh?

(CHUCKLES)

My God, this food is sublime.

Now I should hope so.

This is the toughest reservation
in the city.

(RETCHING)

- Arthur?
- (GROANS)

- (GASPS)
- Someone call 911!

Now you're dead, so you can suck it!

- (g*nf*re)
- You want more?

Come get it, buddy,
'cause I got something special for you.

And I got something special for you, too.

Well, that's not looking too good.

What? Castle...

Well, then stick your head up, Patel,
and get pwned like a real man.

Who's Patel?

He's this kid from India.
He's been thrashing me for weeks.

But not tonight,
'cause tonight I am bringing it.

It stings, doesn't it?

Yeah, it kind of does. Castle!

What?

Would you rather play with a kid
in an imaginary world,

or with... In the real world? (INHALES)

(g*nf*re CONTINUES)

I...

Oh, my God!

What?

Oh, my God!
You actually have to think about this!

No.

(MAN SCREAMS)

No, I don't have to think about it.
Come on over here.

- Are you kidding me?
- What?

You know what? Forget it.

- Seriously, I d*ed on purpose for you.
- Whatever.

Come on. What?

No, I... It's not my mom, it's worse.

Yeah. See you Thursday.

I'm sorry.
You know how I get when I'm gaming.

I was in the zone. I was like Gretzky.

Well, at least Gretzky
knew how to score.

Ouch. Okay.

Look, again, I'm very, very sorry.
Do you forgive me?

You know, Castle, it wasn't too long ago
when me wearing a sexy outfit

would get an immediate response
from you.

What are you saying?
That I'm taking you for granted?

I don't know, Castle. Are you?

Hey, guys. Victim's over here.

- (CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING)
- RYAN: His name is Arthur Felder, 54.

He's a wealthy venture capitalist.

Witness said that he took
one bite of his squab

and did a nose-dive into his plate.

Okay, so this was not
an allergic reaction?

There's no sign of anaphylaxis.

But his enlarged pupils
and excessive saliva

suggest a foreign substance.

- He was poisoned.
- LANIE: It looks that way.

But I won't know for sure
until I run a tox screen.

So, how many people had access
to the food before it was delivered?

Esposito's checking on that right now.

Is that Eric Vaughn?

Uh, yeah. He was part
of the victim's dinner party.

- He's that billionaire inventor, right?
- Yeah.

Inventor, innovator,
and number eight on my LSL.

- LSL?
- Last Supper List.

You and a table of 12,
anyone from history.

What is mine, you ask?
I'm glad you did.

In order, it is Lincoln, Einstein,

lan Fleming, John Lennon,
Joan of Arc, Sinatra...

And you, of course.

Too late, Castle.

BECKETT: So who made
the reservation?

I did. About a week ago.

Did anyone else know that
Mr. Felder would be here tonight?

His office. But I have no idea
who they might've told.

Mr. Vaughn?

ERIC: Okay.

Excuse me. Hey.

Fantastic. Thank you.

This is a m*rder investigation.
I'm gonna need your full attention.

I'm so sorry. That was my pilot.

Arthur's family's in the Caribbean.

I was arranging for my plane
to bring them home.

Yeah, well, that's very generous
of you, Mr. Vaughn.

No, please, call me Eric.

- And you are?
- I'm Detective Kate Beckett.

And I am Richard Castle.

- Oh, the writer?
- Yeah.

My mother loves your novels.

I'll get her an autographed copy.

So, how well did you know our victim?

We'd been doing business
for many years,

but we weren't close, I'm afraid.

Any idea who would want him dead?

None. This whole thing is terrible.

Hey, Beckett.

- BECKETT: Excuse me.
- Of course.

So normally only a handful of wait staff
handle each entree,

but in this case it could've been
somebody from the outside.

There was a kitchen door
propped open,

and CSU found this waiter's vest
stashed in the dumpster.

Okay, have unis canvass the area,

and I'm gonna wanna interview
all of the kitchen staff as well.

Right.

Yes.

What?

Looks as though Vaughn
is on your list as well.

Oh. Things you notice
when you're paying attention, Castle.

CORY: Yeah, I've been a busboy there
for two years.

So, where were you at 8:20?

8:20? I was at a back sink
scraping dishes.

All right. Did you happen to see anyone
in the kitchen

that you didn't recognize?

Yeah, you know,
someone brushed past me.

I didn't get a good look, but I remember
thinking that he wasn't familiar.

Can you describe him?

Not really.
He was short, dark hair maybe.

Things move fast in the kitchen,

so I only caught him out of the corner
of my eye.

Tell me about that back door.
Is it always open?

- It shouldn't be.
- ESPOSITO: Hey.

Looks like our victim, Arthur Felder,
wasn't the most fuzziest of guys.

He made his fortune
in hostile takeovers.

Couple of weeks ago, he shut down
a chemical plant in Newark

and sold it off for parts.

It says here that 200 people
lost their jobs.

Yeah, and according to his assistant,

they got quite a few death threats
after they announced the closing.

Corporate raider shutters
a chemical plant

and ends up eating crow,
or in this case poisoned squab.

It's poetic. Diabolically speaking.

Okay, Castle and I will talk to Lanie

and see if there's any connection
between the poison and the plant.

In the meantime, why don't
you guys go through the list

of people that made threats

and see if anyone was in the vicinity
of the restaurant.

Right on.

Sorry, it's not a match for any of the
chemicals manufactured by that plant.

So what was he poisoned with?

Something exotic enough
not to show up

on a chem
and unknown toxin evaluation.

I'm running further tests,

but all I can say for sure is that
it was some sort of paralyzing agent.

Speaking of paralyzing agent,
can I just say, Eric Vaughn!

See, Castle?
Look, he's on everybody's list.

Yes. Yes, he's quite impressive.

And handsome.

And don't forget rich.
And that accent?

- Ooh, honey.
- I know!

All right! Okay. (CLEARS THROAT)

I admit, all right,
just as lesser men aspire to be me,

he's who the me's of the world
aspire to be, okay?

But that is not gonna help us
solve Arthur Felder's m*rder.

Finding out what he was
poisoned with will.

Well, I can tell you this.

Whatever the poison was

was chemically synthesized
and incredibly fast-acting.

The mushrooms he was eating
never even made it to his stomach.

Thank you. Wait, mushrooms?

I saw the menu. The mushrooms were
served with the quail, not the squab.

You're right.

But Ryan said that Felder had
the squab.

LUCAS: Yeah, it's my handwriting,
and it's right here on the ticket,

Mr. Felder ordered the squab.

Well, we have reason to believe
that he actually ate the quail.

The poisoned quail, Lucas.

How did he end up with it?

Oh, no. I must've made a mistake.

I'm still learning the spring menu
and the quail with the mushrooms

looks a lot like the squab
with the artichoke hearts.

And Chef was screaming.

So you mixed up the orders.

Oh, God.

Okay, if Felder ordered the squab,
then who ordered the quail?

Yeah, here it is.

The quail was supposed
to go to Eric Vaughn.

Felder wasn't the intended target.

They were trying to k*ll Vaughn.

You mean to say that poison
was meant for me?

It seems that way.

Good God.
What am I gonna tell Arthur's wife?

Mr. Vaughn...

Eric. Please.

Eric, I understand your concern,

but right now I think we need
to focus on you.

Do you know of anyone
that would want you dead?

No.

But you don't get to where I am
without making enemies.

When one of my innovations succeeds,

it often means that
someone else's fails.

And being high profile,
people tend to want things from me,

or get angry for things
that I can't control.

Well, it sounds like being Eric Vaughn
has its price.

(EXHALES) Don't get me wrong.
I'm not complaining.

I'm sure you face much tougher
situations every day.

Well, you know,
when someone is trying to k*ll you,

I think that you have
every right to complain.

So, what about recently?
Have you received any threats?

Not that I'm aware of.

But if my people don't think it's serious,
they often don't bother to tell me.

My assistant, Petra, can get you the file.

We need as much background
as she can give us.

Disgruntled employees,
angry competitors,

lawsuits, things like that.

Whatever you need.

Detective, whoever did this
is still out there.

It wouldn't be crazy to assume
they might try again.

No. It wouldn't.

Look, I can assign some
uniformed officers to you,

but I think, until we figure out
who's behind this,

you might consider
hiring private security.

And there you go.

What is this?

- It's just me, not taking you for granted.
- Oh.

So what did you talk about there,
you and Vaughn?

Oh, we were just going over
the investigation,

talking out the next few...

Wait a minute, is this... Are you...
Is this you being jealous?

(HUFFS AND MUTTERS)

Jealous?

Yes.

The guy won
a MacArthur Genius Award.

You know who they give
those awards to?

Geniuses. Okay, he's got one company
bringing clean water to Africa

and another one that might
actually cure cancer.

So, yes, when you're in a room
with him, alone, I'm a little jealous.

I saw how you looked at him.

Oh, my gosh. Castle, it's Eric Vaughn.

He was voted one of the hundred
most interesting people on the planet.

Of course I'm gonna swoon a little.

Just like you would if Bar Refaeli
walked through the door.

But it's meaningless.

Yeah. You're right.
It's just... The guy's so impressive.

But he's not you.

Besides, the guy could get any woman
he wants. He's not interested in me.

(CHUCKLING) Right. Yeah.

Okay, I spoke with the Commissioner,

and he's agreed to provide
Vaughn with a protective detail.

Great. I actually have a few uniforms
that I'd like to recommend for duty.

No. Mr. Vaughn has requested you.

He what now?

Sir, I'm a homicide detective,
not some bodyguard.

Trust me, I know. But this comes
directly from the Commissioner.

Why doesn't Vaughn just hire
a private army? He can afford that.

I don't know why, Mr. Castle.

I just know what my orders are.

He wants Detective Beckett,
and only Beckett.

Can he even do that?

I think he just did.

Beckett's hanging with Vaughn?
Oh, hell, yeah, you should be worried.

His hit list includes half
of Maxim's Hot 100.

Oh, and unlike you,

his helicopter doesn't need
a remote control.

Don't listen to him, Castle.

Beckett's loyal to you. She's not
gonna be seduced by his charms.

Really? So, you'd let Jenny
hang with him, then?

Hell, no.
I wouldn't let Jenny near that guy.

Thanks.

Okay, but I'm not worried.

I'm not, okay?

I just... I can't believe that
the department is forcing her

to hang out with some womanizing
rich guy against her will.

Yeah, unbelievable.

Yeah, she's never done that.

You know what we need to do?

We need to solve this case
and fast, okay?

The sooner we catch this k*ller,

the sooner we get her
away from Vaughn.

Where are we on that waiter vest
we found in the alley?

CSU was checking for trace evidence.

No fibers, and they couldn't pull
any prints off the buttons.

No. Have them do it again.
Whoever wore that vest is our k*ller.

- I know. We have done this before.
- Have you?

Castle, chill.

We may have another lead.

Uniforms picked up a homeless guy
in the same alley

right where that vest was found.
He may have seen something.

Well, then why aren't we talking to him?

Because at the moment,
he is stupid drunk.

Seeing double.

We'll have a better chance
of a description once he sobers up.

I'm on it.

- What do you mean you're on it?
- Where are you going?

Making the best damn cup of coffee
he's ever had.

BECKETT: This is a big mistake.

The best way for me
to keep you alive is to get out there

and catch the guy that's behind this.

You underestimate yourself, Detective.
I'm quite sure you can do both.

And are you willing
to bet your life on that?

You don't even know me.

I know enough.

You graduated the top of your class.

You're the youngest woman in the
history of the NYPD to make Detective.

You have the highest closure rate
of anyone in the department.

And earlier this year, you bucked
every protocol to save a Senator's life.

Do you have any idea
how remarkable you are?

You don't, do you?

If anyone can keep me safe, it's you.

Good afternoon, Eric.

We've put extra security in place,
but we have to talk about MexiSolar.

Detective Beckett, David Anderson,
my attorney.

The Detective is looking after me,

so make sure she has
everything she needs.

If he gives you any trouble,

we can put him on investor
conference calls all day.

I might take you up on that.

(CHUCKLES)

Eric, it's important to keep
MexiSolar R and D moving.

Detective,

I put together summaries of our entire
portfolio of companies per your request,

along with any complaints against them
or Mr. Vaughn. Briefing in an hour?

- (CELL PHONE RINGING)
- Yeah. That would be great. Thanks.

Hey, Lanie. What's up?

(OVER PHONE) Your cause of death.

The poison was a chemically
synthesized weaponized agent,

similar to the organic
compound saxitoxin.

Saxitoxin?

Mmm-hmm. It usually occurs
in shellfish, but not this version.

Whoever created this had access
to a pretty sophisticated lab.

And this one's been supercharged.

Speaking of supercharged,

is it true that you're with Eric Vaughn?

I mean, Kate, I know you love
Castle and all, but, girlfriend...

Bye, Lanie.

Bye.

(IMITATING BRITISH ACCENT)
Hello there, Lanie. I'm Eric Vaughn.

Ah, and I think
you're absolutely ravishing.

Saxitoxin?

Yeah, are you familiar with it?

Well, the Vaughn Alliance
partnered with a university lab

to develop a next generation antidote
to that entire class of neurotoxins.

And have you had troubles
with anyone associated with the lab?

Cindy.

Who's Cindy?

(SIGHS) Cindy Paralti.
She's our lead researcher.

A few months ago, we were presenting
at a conference in Singapore,

we had a few drinks, and...

And it ended badly, I get it.

ERIC: Actually, it started badly.

She expressed some deep-seated
feelings for me,

ones that I didn't share.

So when I declined, she took it hard.

PETRA: He is being polite.

She went Fatal Attraction
for a couple of weeks.

And you still work with her?

(SIGHS) She's a very
talented researcher.

Detective, we're all misled
by our hearts sometimes.

It shouldn't end a career.

It shouldn't end a life either.

So, where does Cindy live?

By the university labs
in Lower Manhattan.

So, in the city, near the restaurant.

And with access to saxitoxin.

I have a PhD in chemistry from MIT.
Of course I've heard of saxitoxin.

Pretty dangerous stuff, Cindy.
You ever work with any of it?

We do. As do a lot of other labs.

Ms. Paralti, we understand that you and
Eric Vaughn had a personal falling out.

Yeah. So?

So, any hard feelings?

It was painful, but I got over it.

ESPOSITO: Did you?

Because that hasn't been your pattern.

You've had restraining orders filed
against you by three ex-boyfriends.

You've keyed cars, slashed tires.

It's straight out of
a Carrie Underwood song.

Yeah, but you know what Carrie
Underwood never sang about?

What's that?

Using a chemically
enhanced neurotoxin

to poison a guy in a restaurant.

See, Eric Vaughn, he survived,

but one of the other people
he was with wasn't so lucky.

Someone tried to k*ll Eric?

No. I would never.

Ms. Paralti, you had access to the toxin.

Where were you last night, Cindy?

At the opera. Madame Butterfly.
You can check.

(RATTLING)

(PANTING) I got something.

Okay, so after two cups of coffee,
a latte and three espressos,

our homeless friend, Mr. Hazelton
over there, finally sobered up.

He said he saw who stashed
the vest in the dumpster.

Said the fella was dressed
in a busboy uniform.

Wait a minute. Are you saying
it wasn't someone from the outside?

It was someone who worked at lago?

Right. So, I showed him photos
of all the lago employees,

and he fingered this guy.

Cory Harrison.

Wait a second. I spoke with this guy.
He tried to pin it on somebody else.

Well, then he's lying,
trying to make it look like

it was someone from the outside
when it was him all along.

- Why would he wanna poison Vaughn?
- Let's ask him.

- Coffee?
- No.

I should probably stop, too. One more.

NYPD!

Police!

Over here.

Looks like someone got here first.

(MAN SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY
OVER POLICE RADIO)

(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING)

(SNEEZES)

Ooh. Goose down allergy?

I'll live, unlike Cory Harrison.

k*ller clearly used a pillow
as a poor man's sil*ncer.

No sign of forced entry, either.
Maybe he knew his k*ller.

He also knew what was coming.

I found defensive wounds
on Mr. Harrison's wrists.

But that's all I'm gonna find. Someone
washed his hands with bleach.

Disposing of DNA and trace evidence?
sh**t sounds like a pro.

Yep. And I think I know
why he was here.

The lab confirms it.

The bottle in Cory Harrison's apartment
contains the toxin that k*lled Felder.

So someone was using him to spike
Vaughn's food, and then got rid of him.

Which means somewhere in Harrison's
life, his family, financials, or work,

there's the key to whoever's
behind all of this.

Maybe someone at the restaurant
knew what he was up to.

- We should go back there.
- Mmm-hmm.

No, you and the boys
can go back there, Mr. Castle.

Beckett's going to the Fairwyck Hotel.

What's at the Fairwyck?

Eric Vaughn.

As long as we have
a k*ller running around,

I need him somewhere safe.

So, he booked the presidential suite.

And from now until the time
we catch whoever's behind all this,

you're staying there with him.

In the presidential suite?

Uh, sir, are you serious?
You want me to babysit this guy?

He's insisting. Apparently
you made quite an impression.

Sir, I...

Detective, I know how you feel,

but whoever k*lled
that busboy was a pro,

which means he may strike again.

And I am not going to lose
one of the world's most influential men

on my watch.

(DOOR CLOSES)

You know, it's one thing
to follow him around,

but quite another
to be shacking up with him.

Castle, I am not shacking up with him.
I'm just doing my job.

Right.

You don't trust me.

Oh, no, of course I trust you.

No, you don't.

That's what this is all about,
otherwise this wouldn't be an issue.

Shall we?

Yes.

Coffee break at a time like this?
Really, guys?

What's your problem, bro?

Look, you need to call Jenny, and you
need to call whoever it is you call,

because we are not going home
until we solve this m*rder, all right?

Let's get to that restaurant
and get some answers.

Hmm.

Seriously, guys, I mean it.

Wow! This is the nicest safe house
I've ever seen.

Well, if someone's trying to k*ll you,

you might as well make
the most of it, eh?

I should get to work.

Apologies to Novatech, and let's cancel
the MexiSolar trip until summer.

Thanks, Petra.

When were you last in contact
with Jeff Sussman?

It's not Sussman.

Well, you fired him
and he was convicted of embezzling.

That sounds like a suspect to me.

Look, the guy screwed up
and paid for it.

But I set his mother up
in an assisted living facility.

Jeff was very grateful. It's not him.

(KNOCK ON DOOR)

Are you expecting anyone?

I took the liberty of ordering
some room service.

Good evening, ma'am. May I come in?

Actually, no. Sorry.

Hey...

Listen, given the way
that Felder was k*lled,

I would prefer if my people oversaw
the food preparation.

May I at least grab the champagne?

It is sealed.

Yeah. Okay, fine.

Excuse me. Here.

Ooh.

Thank you, sir.

I'll make sure
that we get you some food up here.

That's okay. We have the essentials.

(CHUCKLES)

Pour you a glass?

No, thank you. I'm on duty.

You take your work seriously.

I like that about you.

Makes me feel safe.

- (POPS)
- Oh! Oh!

- (GROANING)
- Oh, my God! Are you...

- Are you okay?
- (LAUGHING)

Yes. I think you're gonna have
to protect me from myself.

(LAUGHS)

Okay. I'm gonna go
and get you some ice, okay?

You know what, I'm glad Cory's dead.

After what happened, the bloody
Health Department shut me down.

I mean, if I'd known what he did,
I'd have k*lled him myself.

Yeah, except we think whoever
put him up to poisoning your food

was the one who k*lled him.

You want revenge,
help us find his k*ller.

What do you wanna know?

Did you notice anything unusual
about Cory the day of the poisoning?

Yeah. The son of a bitch was late.

I'm sorry, that's it?

You don't understand.
No one's late. Ever.

It's one of my rules.
I should've fired him on the spot.

Why didn't you?

The look in his eyes.

It was like he'd seen a ghost.

Something happened to him that day.
Something bad.

Here. That should help
with the swelling.

Yes. But not my pride.

(CHUCKLES)

You know, with your bedside manner,
you could've been a doctor.

Me? No. No. A lawyer maybe.
I was in pre-law.

I could've represented you
in your case against the cork.

(CHUCKLES)

But instead you became a cop. Why?

Someone close to me was k*lled,

and that just changed things
and changed me.

Mmm.

You know, I was supposed
to be an architect.

No, seriously. But my sister d*ed
when I was in college.

Heart defect.

So I dropped out
and invented a new heart valve.

That was my first patent.

It's amazing how fate
changes lives, isn't it?

I should get back to work.

At least have a glass of champagne.

I mean, I have suffered for it,
after all.

(SIGHS) Okay, fine.
You know what, if you put it that way.

But just half a glass, okay?

Go on. Three quarters.

(LAUGHING) Yeah.

We talked to Cory Harrison's girlfriend.

According to her,
he was in a good mood

when he left her apartment
yesterday morning.

Then something must've happened
between home and the restaurant.

In fact, something did.
We took a look at Cory's routine.

Pretty much every morning,
he left his apartment,

picked up his daughter,
took her to preschool,

then he'd walk to the bus stop

where he'd catch the 10-X
from Staten Island into the city.

Ah. Great, Captain, you're here.
Did you tell her?

I did tell her.

Good. This is the security video footage
from the bus shelter yesterday.


- Show her the... Thank you.
- Yeah.

RYAN: There's our busboy, Cory.
Talking to some guy.

And that is the 10-X bus,
but Cory does not get on.

He is late for work. He risks getting
fired just to talk to this guy.

Well, what do we know about him?

Nothing. We can't get
a good look at him.

It's like he knows where the camera is.

Right. But this is where
it gets interesting. How do I...

- That one.
- That one.

Wait. That's the bottle of poison.

Right. And after he used
it to poison the food,

I'm betting this guy came back
and sh*t him to tie up loose ends.

He's your k*ller.

Look, I wish I could help you,
but I simply just don't know him.

Ryan, we gotta go over that video again.

There's gotta be something in it
that will help us figure out who he is.

Excuse me.

Looks as though you two
were enjoying yourselves.

(EXHALES DEEPLY) Castle.

What about pajamas?
Homely flannel or skimpy sleep shorts?

Oh, my gosh, you're sounding like my
dad dropping me off at summer camp.

Did they serve champagne
at your summer camp?

I was being polite.

Castle, do you think I want this?
Do you think I asked to be here?

I think you're making the best of it.

You know I would rather be with you.

Well, then maybe I should stay.
We can protect him together.

No, I am not letting you do this.

I'm not letting you turn this investigation
into some kind of a twisted competition.

Look, don't make this harder
than it needs to be. Please.

Okay. But only
because you said please.

ESPOSITO: Since we can't get
a clean look at this guy's face,

I'm hoping there's some other way
we might be able to ID him.

Fortunately, we're all much
more than our faces, Detective.

Harrison's driver's license
lists him at 5'10".

That other guy looks like he's 6'2".

Posture is an indication
of spine curvature.

I'd say it puts him in his early 40s.

Watch his hand.

He makes two distinct movements.
First, he grabs Mr. Harrison's arm,

then he passes him the poison spray.

He's left-handed.

And look at his neck.

It's a bandage.

Maybe covering up a recent injury,
or a tattoo.

Yeah.

Hey, so I think I know how this guy
got Cory to poison the food.

Don't say money. I've been through
his financials, there's nothing there.

It might be something
a lot more personal.

I canvassed the preschool
that Cory's daughter attends.

A teacher recognized him when
I showed her the screen grab.

Remembers seeing him hanging
around the school the day before.

So you think he threatened to hurt the
daughter if Cory didn't poison the food?

It might explain why he was so upset
when he got to the restaurant.

Where are we on ballistics?

Slug from the crime scene
is pretty m*nled,

but it's a possible match
to another one in the system.

We should know more in a few hours.

ALEXIS: Okay, Dad, the box said
something about a soothing infusion

of calming herbs.

(Kn*fe CLICKING
AGAINST CUTTING BOARD)

Anyway, it's a calm tea,
and you need to calm down.

How am I supposed to calm down?
It's Eric Vaughn.

Dad, Beckett is over the moon for you.

So give her a little credit, huh?

It's no different than when
she was protecting Senator Bracken.

Yeah, you're right.

Oh, except for the fact that
when it was Bracken,

they weren't having a slumber party
at a fancy hotel.

And let's face it, compared to Bracken,
Eric Vaughn is like George Clooney.

(CHUCKLING) Oh, no. Eric Vaughn's
way sexier than Clooney.

What? He is.

Yes, and Beckett is protecting him
at the Fairwyck as we speak.

Oops.

I was just reminding Dad
that Beckett is a professional

and totally committed
to their relationship.

Eh...

Well, not totally committed.

What do you mean?

Well, there isn't a ring
on her finger, is there?

I...

Technically, she's not really
committed at all.

Ciao.

(DOOR OPENS)

(DOOR CLOSES)

I'm gonna need more of that tea.

Hey, Beckett, ballistics got
multiple matches on the g*n

used in Cory Harrison's m*rder,

connecting the w*apon
to four killings outside the state.

Okay. So where were
those other murders?

Detroit, Chicago, Las Vegas
and Memphis.

There was never enough evidence,
but a name did come up.

- Who?
- Thomas Barber, 42.

Used to be a button man with links
to organized crime in Chicago.

According to his file,
he's a freelancer now.

I'll text you his photo.

So, is this the same guy
that we saw on the bus stop video?

Yep, he's a match for height, age
and placement of creepy neck tattoo.

All right, put an APB out for him,

and start checking plane
and train manifests

along with any other transportation
systems into the city.

And keep in mind,
this guy is a g*n for hire.

So, we find him, we're gonna find
whoever put him up to this.

On it. Keep you posted.

Okay.

It's gonna be fine.

I know it is.

I've worked with the best and you'd
run circles around any of them.

Before your first cup of coffee.

I feel completely safe in your care.

After knowing me for just two days?

No, after knowing you for two minutes.

(SIGHS)

So you think you've got me
figured out, huh?

Except for one thing.

Are you and Castle...

Yes.

Is it serious?

Yes. Yeah, you could say it's serious.

But the truth is, you don't really know.
Otherwise you wouldn't have hesitated.

No, it's just we've never really
talked about it, that's all.

Why not?

We just haven't.

Then he's a fool.

No, it's...

It's just that it's complicated.

Kate, there's nothing complicated
about meeting a woman like you

and knowing what to do.

No!

- (g*n f*ring)
- (YELLS)

Get down!

(INDISTINCT CONVERSATION
OVER POLICE RADIO)

Okay, pack it up.

Hey, Beckett!

Hey, Castle. I'm fine.

Okay.

RYAN: All right, thanks, Captain.

Vaughn's already back at the precinct.

Gates wants to keep him there
until we find a new safe house.

Yeah, preferably one without windows
that sn*pers can sh**t through.

Yeah, it looks like the sh*t came from
the hotel across the street.

Uniforms are canvassing for Barber,
but so far, nothing.

I don't understand, how did he even
know you and Vaughn were here?

Well, maybe he's been watching us

since Vaughn survived
the attempt at the restaurant.

Hey, Beckett, I hate to do this to you,
but I need to take your statement.

No, it's fine.

All right, where were you standing
when the first sh*t came?

I was right over here.

Okay. And where was Vaughn?

Right there.

Right here?

Yeah.

Why was he standing so close?

I don't understand. That would...

Wait a minute. If he was standing there,

then the b*llet would have gone
right through his head.

How did Barber miss?

Well, before the first sh*t,
Vaughn stumbled.

Stumbled. Kids and old people stumble.
How did he stumble?

I don't know, he just did.

So, he ate the wrong entree
and avoided being poisoned,

and then he stumbled at just
the right moment to avoid being sh*t

by an assassin through a window.

Nobody's that lucky.

What's going on here, Kate?

He kissed me, okay, Castle?

He what?

I think I have all I need here.

Look, I'm not gonna lie to you.
We were talking about you,

we were talking about relationships,
and then he kissed me.

But it didn't mean anything.
At least not to me.

Well, if he kissed you, why wouldn't
you just push him away?

Oh.

Which is why he's not dead.

Yo, the front desk clerk from
the hotel across the street

positively identified Thomas Barber.

Said he was staying under
an assumed name.

Any sign of him?

No, but the phone records
from his room

show that he made several calls
to a single number.

You'll never guess
who Barber was calling.

Ms. Paralti, some additional
information has come to light

since you were last here.

Like the fact that your father
was in financial dire straits,

to the tune of $ 75,000.

He nearly lost the family farm.
And then suddenly, he didn't.

What does that have
to do with anything?

Well, it may explain why you did
something you otherwise wouldn't.

Like turn over a lethal dose
of neurotoxin

in exchange for the money
to pay off that debt.

I don't know what you're talking about.

What's this?

The records of phone calls made
by Thomas Barber, a contract k*ller.

Phone calls that he made to you.

Look, please, I didn't know
he was gonna hurt anyone.

He told me he was from a rival lab,
that they wanted the patent first.

I was mad at Eric,
and I needed the money.

Where did you meet?

We didn't. We talked on the phone,

and I dropped the vial
at a prearranged place.

How did you get paid?

He told me to set up
an off-shore account.

The day after the drop,
the money just appeared.

Hey, guys, check it out.
The money arrived via a wire transfer.

With Cindy's cooperation,
we were able to track it

to a Mexican energy company
called MexiSolar.

BECKETT: I heard Eric talk about this.

What does a Mexican solar company
have to do with Eric Vaughn?

He owns it. In fact, the night that
Arthur Felder was poisoned,

he and Eric Vaughn were arranging
a site visit to the company

because Felder wanted
to double up his investment.

So whatever's going on,
it has to involve this company.

Yeah, but, Beckett, there's more.

The person who authorized
the wire transfer into Cindy's account

was Eric Vaughn.

It looks like he's behind
this whole thing.

That can't be right.

Yo, I just got off the phone with
the consulate in Tijuana.

This company, MexiSolar,
it doesn't exist.

They shut down the factory
in Mexicali months ago.

What? This is making no sense.

Au contraire, my friends,

for the first time,
this is making perfect sense.

MexiSolar is a scam.

Eric Vaughn's been using it
to fleece his investors.

Castle, Vaughn is worth
a billion dollars.

He's not gonna be running scams.

(LAUGHS) Oh, Beckett, that's what
they said about Bernie Madoff.

And like Madoff,

it's quite possible Vaughn's
entire empire is a house of cards.

If Felder was going to visit
the MexiSolar factory,

he'd have found out about the scam.
The house of cards would collapse.

Eric Vaughn couldn't have that.

And what better way
to get away with m*rder

than by making yourself look
to be the intended target?

Don't you see?
This entire thing is a charade.

He's our k*ller.

He played us. Well, mostly you.

Of all the confessions over all the years,

this one is going to hold
a special place in my heart.

Castle, I'm going in there. Alone.

But we're a team. And the universe
demands that I see him crumble.

No. This one has to be about putting
Vaughn away and nothing else.

Don't worry. He will crumble.

Leave the blinds open.

I'm not sure which I should be
more disturbed about.

That someone tried
to sh**t my head off

or that you pushed me away
when I kissed you.

Yeah, let's talk about that,

about these attempts on your life,
about MexiSolar.

- MexiSolar?
- Your company.

The one that doesn't exist.

Of course it exists. I should know.
I founded it and invested millions.

Right. So did Arthur Felder.
30 million to be exact.

And now it's all gone.

What is this? A joke?

It's not a joke. That's MexiSolar.

No, no. This is crazy.

The company's completely solvent.
Our factory is state-of-the-art.

I've seen cash flow reports,
signed contracts.

You mean, like these?
They're fraudulent.

That's not possible.

How is it not possible?
You signed them.

Look, my staff give me dozens
of documents to sign every day.

It's your company.

Yes, but I don't oversee the day-to-day.

Then who does?

That is quite a story, Detective.

Oh, it is. It's got everything.

Larceny, betrayal, m*rder,
and you looting millions from MexiSolar.

But since you had Eric Vaughn
signing off on all of the reports,

no one took a hard look at the company.

Until Arthur Felder wanted
to see where his money was going.

You couldn't have that, could you?

(CHUCKLES) You think
I k*lled Arthur Felder?

Yes, but it was Vaughn
that you wanted dead.

You knew that the paper trail
would make it look like

he had embezzled money
from the company.

So you hired a hit man,
except he k*lled the wrong guy.

Oops.

You have no proof of any of this.

BECKETT: Don't be so sure.

The bank that transferred the money
to Cindy Paralti captured an IP address.

And they traced it back
to your computer.

It's over, David.

(EXHALES)

Look, I didn't steal that money.

I just made some bets with it
that underperformed.

And I took the new MexiSolar funding
and I doubled down.

I mean, that's what Eric would've done.

(SCOFFS)

But damn it, the hole just kept
getting deeper and deeper.

It all would've come out
and it would've meant prison.

I had no choice.

It's amazing how you can
know someone for 10 years

and never really know them at all.

And know someone for a few days
and feel like you know them so well.

Well, you will be happy to know that
the Feds caught Thomas Barber

trying to cross the Canadian border,
so it's over.

Yeah, I suppose it is.

Take care, Eric.

You, too, Kate.

(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)

Leaving?

You know, that's an extraordinary
woman you have there.

I know.

Do you?

What is it, Castle?
I was really comfortable on that couch.

There's something I need to do.
Something that you need to see.

Wait. No...

I didn't say that I never want you
to play your game again.

No, I know.
Don't worry, I have more cords.

This is just symbolic.

But you're right.
I've been taking you for granted.

But no longer. Tonight, it's all about me.

Shouldn't it be about me?

Nope, 'cause tonight it's all about me

giving you a romantic
full-body massage.

Castle...

Yeah?

Where are we going?

To the bedroom. Come on.
You're gonna love this.
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