07x19 - Habeas Corpse

[bunniefuu]

[ engine revving, tires squealing ]

[ tires screech ]

Wait! Please!

We can talk about this!

[ panting ]

No! No!

No!!

A crime is a wrong

Arising from the violation of a public duty.

A tort is a wrong

Arising from the violation of a private duty.

Yes.

Okay. I think my brain is crammed to the limit.

Well, i think you and your brain are more than ready.

Hey, alexis. Don't you have a midterm this morning?

I'm leaving now.

Beckett was just giving me a last-minute review.

Bye. Bye.

Mwah. Thanks for your help.

Bye. [ smooches ]

Good luck!

[ door opens ]

You know, she's got an amazing brain.

I mean, if she wanted to, she'd make an incredible lawyer.

Yeah. Like i don't lose enough arguments to her already.

What about you?

You ever regret it, not getting your law degree?

Um, i'd rather take criminals down than send them up.

Really? Mm-hmm.

Because with your mind,

Bet you could have made chief justice.

You have all the qualifications.

You're smart, you are intimidating,

And you look very, very good in a robe.

Wow.

Really? Mm.

Care to take a 10-minute recess in my chambers?

If it please the court, i would.

[ laughs ]

[ cellphone rings ] oh.

I think we're gonna need a continuance.

Uh, objection.

[ cellphone beeps ] overruled.

Beckett.

Castle: Ryan, give it to me.

Sorry, castle. I'm not telling.

That's too bad. I already know.

It's john legend, "all of me cuffed all of you."

[ laughing ] no.

Wait a minute. Are -- are you guys

Talking about the policeman's benevolent fundraiser?

Yeah, the talent competition is on friday night,

But he won't tell me what he and espo are doing.

So, how are you guys even gonna top

The "dirty dancing" lift scene from last year?

Ah. "crime of our lives." classic espo/ryan.

No, rest assured, as two-time champs,

Whatever we do is gonna blow the rest of the field away.

Well, that's only because, not being a cop, i'm ineligible.

But if beckett and i were competing,

You'd be out a trophy.

Oh, yeah. We'd so take you down.

[ chuckling ] well, back in reality,

Our john doe was found this morning

By sanitation workers.

No phone, no wallet.

Cause?

Blunt-force trauma to the back of the head.

Probably a pipe or a baseball bat.

Based on lividity, i'd say it happened

Between 12:00 and 2:00 a.M. This morning.

Any witnesses?

A guy who lives nearby heard screams around 1:00 a.M.

He looked out his window. He saw a car speeding away.

He get a make and model?

Just taillights. But he said it looked like a sports car.

Ryan and i are gonna keep looking for witnesses

And street-cam footage,

But it's an industrial area, so coverage is spotty.

Wait a minute. I think i know this guy.

He's that personal-injury attorney on tv

Who has the late-night ads.

Oh, my god! You're right! That's, uh...

The pitbull. The pitbull.

The pitbull?

Yeah. Richie "the pitbull" falco.

Come on, man. You've seen the ads.

A guy's head on a dog's body.

[ as pitbull ] "you been in an accident? Take the law by the tail."

[ as pitbull ] "and get a bite at the settlement you deserve."

"i'll make the law"...

All: Your bitch!

"el pitbull tambien habla español."

Why am i the only one who's never seen this commercial?

Because it comes on late at night,

And when you're not moonlighting,

Your honey-milk-sipping ass is in bed by 10:00.

Why would anyone want to k*ll the pitbull?

Maybe csu will get lucky and find the m*rder w*apon.

Meanwhile, let's get the body to the morgue

And see what it can tell us.

Castle, you and i should go to pitbull's office,

See what we can find there.

Been in an accident?

Take the law by the tail

And get a bite at the settlement you deserve.

I'll fight for you, the little guy,

Because pitbulls and underdogs stick together.

Remember, i'll make the law your bitch!

Ruff!

Ruff! Ruff!

Wow.

Richie's clients may be suffering,

But his business sure wasn't.

Yeah, well, there's always gonna be people

Looking for a quick settlement

And plenty of opportunistic bottom-feeders like richie

Ready to help them cash in.

I bet half these people are faking.

Mm.

See that guy over there? Mm-hmm.

Watch this. Excuse me, sir?

Could you throw this away for me?

Mnh!

Sorry. My aim is...A little...

Maybe -- he's probably legit.

Sorry for the wait, folks.

I'm sure pitbull will be here any minute.

The way h-he's been acting the last few days, i...

[ sniffles ]

...I knew something was wrong.

How was he acting?

Anxious. Paranoid.

Before he'd leave the office, he'd look out the window.

It's like he thought someone might be watching him.

And yesterday morning,

He called to say that he wasn't coming in at all.

Was that unusual?

He never missed a day

In the three years i worked for him.

Do you know what was going on?

He wouldn't talk about it.

I-i-i asked if it had something to do with one of the cases,

And he --

...He said no, and he, uh, told me not to worry...

[ sniffles ]

...And that it would all be over soon.

Was he having any problems with anyone?

Uh, clients? A girlfriend?

He...Didn't have a girlfriend.

I kept hoping, but...

Look, i...

[ chuckles ]

I know what you guys are thinking.

Personal-injury lawyers are gutter rats, right?

But richie was different.

He really cared.

He thought the law was there to protect everyone

And not just corporations who could afford it.

And his clients, they loved him for it.

And his adversaries?

S-sure, people he sued got pissed sometimes.

I mean, he won some big settlements.

But nothing i can imagine anyone k*lling for.

Ms. Klein, i need a list of all of his active cases,

Along with anyone that he's won a judgment against

Over the last few years.

Of course.

So, i understand that mr. Falco lived in brooklyn.

Yeah -- park slope.

His body was found in hamilton heights.

Do you have any idea what he was doing up there last night?

St. Simon's is up there.

The hospital? Yeah.

Sometimes he would do the rounds at emergency rooms

To see if anyone needed his services.

Got your text. You have something for us?

Yep. I know what your victim was doing before he d*ed.

What? Unh-unh.

You first.

Ohhh. I get it.

She wants us to tell her about our routine.

Uh, you know that we cannot be giving that away, girl.

You are gonna have to buy a ticket,

Just like everyone else.

Now, what have you got?

Fine.

Pitbull spent some time in the countryside.

You see this sticky yellow powder

On richie's pant leg about ankle high?

Pollen from the tussilago flower,

Also know as coltsfoot.

It's not found in the city, so it didn't happen here.

But there's something else --

Something a lot less fun than frolicking in the flowers.

Those are taser marks.

He was tortured?

Yeah, lanie says the injuries he sustained

Were within an hour of his death.

So either the k*ller wanted something from him,

Something pitbull didn't want to give up...

Or the k*ller wanted him to suffer.

This might have something to do with one of his old cases.

Yeah, but nothing jumped out from his client list.

It's all slip-and-falls, workmen's comp,

Insurance claims --

Nothing that would explain t*rture

Or a trip outside of the city.

So where did he go?

Mr. Castle? A word?

Of course.

As you know, the pba talent competition is this friday,

And every year, we line up a celebrity to perform.

Yeah, to help boost ticket sales.

Isn't kimmel doing it this year?

He was supposed to,

But due to a last-second conflict, he just dropped out,

What?!

And i've been told we need a replacement celebrity.

I've been asked to ask you.

You want me to perform?

It would earn us both some much-needed goodwill

Down at 1pp.

But what about ticket sales?

Beckett and i would be happy to.

Wait. What?

On one condition.

Even though i'm not a cop, we compete for the trophy.

Done.

[ snickers ]

Oh, castle.

You really don't think you have a sh*t at winning that trophy?

Oh, i think i have more than just a sh*t.

Castle?

Esposito: You do understand that me and ryan

Have been rehearsing for months?

Well, what beckett and i have cannot be rehearsed.

It's chemistry -- that intuitive bond,

Each person knowing what the other's thinking.

Castle. Can we talk for a second over there?

I knew she was gonna say that.

Mm.

Don't you think you should have...Asked me

Before signing me up for this?

I thought you were on board.

Uh, you were trash-talking ryan about it before.

Yeah, that's when i thought that there was no chance in hell

That we would actually do it.

Oh, relax. We'll just do our routine.

We don't have a routine.

Come on!

That thing in the shower? That is delightful.

No. That's not a routine.

That's two naked people singing

When there's no one around to see or hear it.

So we'll add some dance steps and clothes.

It's can't-miss.

Ryan: Uh, guys?

Give them a second, bro.

They're rehearsing their chemistry.

[ sets down folders ] ryan, you got something?

Yeah -- turns out that richie was at st. Simon's last night,

And he was not alone.

All right, so, here is the parking lot

Behind st. Simon's.

There's richie.

Now watch this.

Esposito: It's a sports car --

Like the one seen fleeing the crime scene.

Yeah.

And apparently,

The driver had some kind of beef with pitbull.

He shoves him in the car and drives off.

Can we make out the plate?

Yeah. Already ran it.

It is registered to this guy --

Derek bolt.

Derek "lightning" bolt, the ex-nfl running back?

What's a former mvp doing with our ambulance-chasing pitbull?

Nothing good. Check out the time stamp.

11:00 p.M. -- Just hours before richie was k*lled.

Leaving enough time for him to be tortured first.

Ryan: There he is.

Derek bolt?

We'd like a word.

Hey!

Aw, man! Get off me, man!

Guess what, bolt. You just got benched.

[ groans ]

Finally!

Someone gonna explain to me what i'm doing in here?

So, i guess you running away from us

Was, what, exercise, derek?

Hey, i didn't know you were cops.

Look, i got some financial troubles, all right?

And you two looked like collection agents,

So my instincts kicked in.

You can take lightning out of the nfl,

But you can't the nfl out of lightning, you know.

We know all about your financial troubles, derek.

Yeah, we were just reading

How you got hit with a lawsuit last year

After you busted up some guy outside of a club.

Hell yeah. He dented the bolt-mobile.

Look, i lost my head, all right?

But i've left him alone since.

Lightning don't strike twice.

Except you weren't so forgiving of his lawyer, were you?

Pitbull?

What's he got to do with any of this?

He won a big settlement against you last year

And sent you into bankruptcy.

So?

So pitbull's dead, derek.

What? And the last time he was seen,

He was being shoved into your bolt-mobile at 11:00 p.M.

Hey, hey, that -- that ain't what it looks like.

Really? Because right now, it looks like revenge.

Whoa! Whoa, whoa!

I-i did not k*ll pitbull, all right?

Look, dawg did such a good job against me in court,

I wanted him on my team.

So i went and hired his ass.

Richie was working for you?

Well, then why weren't you on his client list?

[ sighs ]

It's a paternity thing, all right?

My old lady's just about had it with me,

So he was handling this off the books.

Okay, but none of that

Explains your little joyride last night.

[ sighs ]

Me and richie were supposed to meet up

With my baby mama and her lawyer yesterday afternoon.

Only, richie never showed up, and it made me look bad.

So i invited him into my car for a little conversation.

He said he was sorry

And that some urgent business matter came up.

What kind of business?

Something about settling a debt.

He told me he'd handle my thing,

But he wanted me to take him to some diner

For a late-night meet.

Said someone's life depended on it.

Guess maybe it was his.

So, the manager at the 24-hour gym

Confirms that derek was working out there

During richie's time-of-death window,

So he's not our k*ller.

Which means derek might have been telling the truth

About dropping richie off at that diner.

Yeah, i'll head over there,

See if the waitstaff remembers richie

Talking with anyone last night.

It still doesn't explain where he was during the day,

Why he missed work or blew off that client meeting.

I may know someone we can ask.

Espo, what happened?

I twisted my knee when i was tackling lightning.

Wh-- are you gonna be okay?

Yeah, i'll be fine. I just, uh...I just tweaked it.

It's probably a sprain.

Oh, that's too bad.

I was looking forward to b*ating you in the talent competition.

Oh. You think this is gonna take me out?

Yes. Yes, i do.

No. It's still on.

Uh, ge-- i-i-i mean, how?

Espo, you can barely walk.

Yeah, and even on one leg,

Ryan and i are still gonna whip your sorry asses.

In fact, how about a wager?

Um, uh, partner, you know, maybe w-we should discuss --

Unh-unh.

If we win, then you will dedicate your next book

To "esposito and ryan,

Two guys who are funnier, handsomer,

And better than me in every way."

[ laughs ]

Oh, you're serious.

And if beckett and i win?

Well, then ryan and i

Will call you "king castle" for a month.

Hey, javi --

I mean -- [ sighs ]

What do you say? Yeah, you know what?

I think ryan's right.

I mean, we don't need to make a bet out of this.

Why? Because you're chicken?

No. Because i am a grown-up.

Yeah -- a grown-up chicken.

[ clucking ]

I will also accept "your royal highness."

You're on, gimpy.

Ooh. That's clever.

I work with what you give me.

I'm gonna take you down.

With what -- your crutches?

Can we get back to the dead guy?

You said that you found someone

Who could tell us why richie missed work yesterday.

Yes. I pulled his phone and financials.

There were no charges on his credit card yesterday,

But he made a call --

The only call he made from his cell all day.

To whom?

Someone he hasn't called in years --

His ex-wife, elise resner.

He said he was in trouble and needed my help.

What kind of trouble, exactly?

Detective, you have to understand --

I hadn't spoken to him in years.

And then he just calls out of the blue.

You never asked.

I didn't want to know.

After everything that happened between us,

I knew i couldn't get involved again.

What happened between the two of you?

We were at the same corporate firm.

It's how we met.

Corporate law?

How did he end up a personal-injury attorney?

He was a superstar --

Harvard law review, partner track.

But the pressure got to be too much for him.

About five years back, he self-destructed --

Drinking, dr*gs...

Losing all of his cases, uh, his job...

Then, finally, me.

[ knock on door ]

Hey, beckett, we got a situation.

[ sighs ] i came back from lunch to find the door half-open,

The lock was broken,

And -- well, you can -- you can see the rest.

Any idea what they were looking for?

I'm still sorting through the mess.

But richie's computer is gone,

And there's something else.

All of his case files are missing.

Why would anyone want richie's files?

This must have something to do with one of his cases --

Client, maybe a witness...

Someone or something that he was looking into,

Something he was hiding even from you.

Okay, let's canvass the building,

See if anyone else saw something.

[ cellphone rings ] and get csu down here.

Prints, fibers, dna -- the whole thing.

Right.

Excuse me.

[ cellphone beeps ]

Beckett.

It's me.

Do you remember that meeting

That richie said he had in a diner last night?

Yeah.

Well, a waitress saw the whole thing.

A lot more like a fight.

Richie got in a shouting match with another guy.

You get a description?

[ laughs ]

Uh, better than that.

Waitress knew exactly who he was.

I'll send you a picture.

[ camera clicks ]

Annie: That's archie bronstein,

"the savannah hammer."

Is there any reason that richie and the hammer

Would be fighting?

They were always stealing clients from each other.

Only, richie was better at it.

It got to where hammer was so sick of losing business to him

That he...

He promised to put an end to it.

One way or another.

Where can we find him?

Bronstein: [ southern accent ] call me, friend.

Whatever happened to you is nothing

Compared to what i'm gonna do to the other guy.

Mr. Archie bronstein?

The savannah hammer.

No case too small, no settlement too big.

Now, what can i help you with?

Slip-and-fall? Work injury? Medical malpractice?

We're here about the m*rder of richie the pitbull.

Sure, i was at that diner last night.

This urgent meeting that the two of you had --

What was it about?

I'd hardly call it a meeting.

I went in to get some pecan pie,

And i saw him sitting there.

So the meeting wasn't planned?

Well, maybe he was planning on meeting someone else,

But when i saw him in that booth, he was alone,

And we got into it. About what?

The usual -- i caught him here last night

Trying to poach one of my clients.

We had words here and then again at the diner.

So, richie was paranoid he was being followed,

Disappears all day, says he's in trouble,

Then comes here to poach a client?

Mr. Bronstein, was there a specific reason

That he was interested in this client?

He smelled an easy win.

Poor girl gets three pieces of flying metal in her heart

When a scrap truck plows into her car.

Now, that is a slam-dunk settlement.

So you bet when i saw richie at that diner, we got loud.

So the waitress told us to take it outside,

Where i advised him to steer clear of my clients.

And what time was that?

11:45 maybe.

Look, i didn't k*ll him.

I didn't steal those files.

But it might be related

To his... Extracurricular activities.

Uh, what's that mean?

Richie liked to come off like he was better than all of us,

With his harvard degree

And his "champion of the little guy" act,

But trust me -- he was into some things.

What kind of things?

Bad things.

Word on the street was,

There was nothing he wouldn't do for a price.

And i mean nothing.

[ camera shutter clicks ] hey.

So, it looks like hammer's not our k*ller.

Apparently, after he left the diner,

He spent the rest of the night "nailing" one of his clients.

Anything else turn up missing

Besides the files and the computer?

No, not so far.

This is what i don't get --

If all they wanted was files,

Why'd they turn this place upside down?

Must have been looking for something else.

Hmm.

Detectives, you need to see this.

We found a false panel in the wall. Take a look.

[ flashlight clicks ]

Rope, duct tape...

...Rags, gloves...

Chloroform.

Looks like somebody was planning an abduction.

He might have went past the planning phase.

Glow sticks last, what,

24 to 48 hours once activated?

And they're still glowing.

Which means he must have used this bag

Within the last two days.

Yeah.

But for what?

Well, i just got off with csu.

That rag tested positive for chloroform.

So he must have used it to knock someone out.

Not very lawyerly of mr. Pitbull.

So, wire cutters, alarm schematics,

Night-vision goggles, and glow sticks.

He's breaking in somewhere. But where?

Esposito: All right, i'll check the blotters,

See if there were any b&es in the past two days,

See if i can link any of them to richie's cases.

Yeah, and look into missing-persons reports.

We still can't rule out an abduction.

Yeah.

Hmm.

Check this out.

Cities and dates.

"january 3, 2009, seattle.

March 18, 2011, tulsa."

Six of them all within the last five years.

What do you think that means?

Have tory run this through the database,

See if she can find anything.

And let's see if she can trace where richie was

When he made that phone call to his ex.

You think any of this is connected to that girl at the hospital?

No, that was a straight-up car accident --

Nothing that speaks to any of this.

But someone out there has to know what richie was up to.

Well, maybe we should ask mr. Sampson.

Who's mr. Sampson?

I don't know, but these are his night-vision goggles.

Yeah. They're mine.

How did you know the victim, mr. Sampson?

Uh, i did work for richie here and there.

Surveillance, information gathering --

The usual p.I. Stuff.

He came to me a couple days ago, asking to borrow them.

Did he say what he needed them for?

Sometimes he would slip me some extra cash

Not to ask questions.

Anything else you helped him with?

Yeah -- he had some questions about alarm schematics.

Uh, like...

Like these?

Yeah.

What about chloroform, mr. Sampson?

Did you give him that, too?

No. He had chloroform?

Yeah. Why? What's wrong?

When i gave him the goggles,

I asked if there was anything else he needed.

He said something.

I thought he was joking.

What did he say?

He asked me...

"what's the best way to get rid of a body?"

"get rid of a body"?

I'm starting to think that our lawyer for the little guy

Did abduct someone.

Yeah, and apparently k*lled them.

Maybe that's what he meant by "settling a debt."

But what was the debt, whom did he k*ll,

And how did it cost him his life?

We need to check where ryan and espo are

With that missing-persons list.

If we can find a connection between richie

And one of the people on the list,

That should give us some answers.

Where are ryan and espo, anyway?

I think i saw them go into interrogation.

Who are they interrogating?

Hey, is there another suspect that we don't know about?

What's going on?

I'm... Not supposed to say.

I --

Or...Let anyone in.

Okay.

Hey!

[ door closes ]

What are they doing?

[ daft punk's "get lucky" plays ]

¶ we've come too far ¶

Are you...Seeing what i'm seeing?

¶ ...Up who we are ¶

¶ so let's raise the bar ¶

"sprained," my ass!

His knee is fine.

Daft punk, "get lucky."

I bet they're changing the lyrics to "you're guilty."

Ooh! That's good!

¶ i'm up all night to get some ¶

Castle, he lied to us just so he could sucker you into a bet,

Which you fell for.

¶ we're up all night to the sun ¶

¶ we're up all night... ¶

He's gonna regret this.

Now we have to win.

With what -- our shower routine?

¶ we're up all night to get lucky ¶

¶ we're up all night to get lucky ¶

Hey, guys. Got a sec?

I think i've got something.

¶ we're up all night to get lucky ¶

I haven't had any luck connecting that list

Of dates and cities you gave me,

But when i traced richie's call to his ex yesterday,

I did find something interesting.

Turns out it pinged off a cell tower

Near croton-on-hudson.

That's an hour north of the city.

What was richie doing up there?

I don't know, but by triangulating the signal

Off of other nearby cell towers,

I was able to dial in a more precise location.

Montrose state forest?

To be exact, the call came from this parking lot,

Right at a trailhead into this large wooded area.

An out-of-the-way forest well north of the city.

Now, is it just me, or does that sound like...

The perfect place to get rid of a body.

You know this is a long sh*t, right?

If richie parked in the lot, like tory said,

Then he would have come down this trail right here.

And given how unwieldy it is to carry a dead body --

That's research, not experience --

Well, then he wouldn't have gone very far before burying it,

Which means we just have to look for freshly disturbed dirt

In this, you know, general area...

Like, right here.

Yeah. Like i said, long sh*t.

Just like our chances at winning that competition.

Oh, don't think like that. Come on.

I need my partner to have a positive attitude.

Yeah, then maybe you should have checked with your partner

Before signing her up for this.

Oh, what's the big deal? It'll be fun!

[ scoffs ] castle, did you see those knuckleheads?

I mean, what if i want to be a captain one day

Of my own precinct?

I kind of need people to take me seriously.

Oh, they do. Trust me.

And i'd like to keep it that way,

Which won't be possible if i'm acting like an idiot

In front of the entire police force.

Okay. How about this?

We do something simple, dignified, elegant.

Something like, uh...

A patch of tussilago.

I don't know that one. No, no.

Um, remember lanie said that there was yellow pollen

On richie's pants from a tussilago flower?

Check out this little yellow patch right here

About ankle high.

Beckett.

Yeah.

Richie did bury someone out here.

Look, about the routine...

I know you're worried, but --

It's okay, castle. It doesn't matter what we do.

Hey, that's the spirit!

It's gonna be a disaster.

That's not the spirit.

I'm probably gonna trip, my dress is gonna split,

Video's gonna go viral.

Okay, now you're just sounding paranoid.

Where is this coming from?

I'm just saying, castle, it could happen.

I mean, there's a reason why captain gates

Doesn't get up on the stage and have fun.

I just always assumed

It was because she was genetically incapable of it.

You want me to cancel?

No! No.

That would just make me lose face in another way.

[ thud ]

I just hit something.

[ thud ] [ grunts ]

That's a body bag.

[ grunts ]

[ shotgun cocks ]

Man: Put the bag down and step away from the body.

I think we may just have dug our own graves.

I don't hear anything.

Mm. Me neither.

What's he doing?

He's gone.

What?

[ grunts ]

So's the body! He stole the body.

Why would anyone steal a body?

He must be connected to this somehow.

Maybe he and richie are partners.

Maybe they k*lled that person together.

Well, there'll be time for questions later.

Right now, we just have to find a way

To saw through these zip ties before he gets back.

Yes, well, he took our keys and our phones, so...

Oh! Wait a minute.

As part of my p.I. Training, i saw a video

On how to break these zip-tie cuffs.

All you have to do is just hit them

As hard as you can against your ass!

Ow.

It said it might take a few tries.

Okay. [ grunts ]

[ grunts ]

[ chuckles ]

Ow!

[ grunting ]

It's not working. No.

But on the bright side, i think

We came up with a new move for our dance routine.

[ groans ] too soon?

Yeah.

[ snap ] aah!

Yes! [ laughs ] oh!

[ snap ] oh!

Sweet.

He stole the body? Yeah.

Send a team up to those woods to comb for trace evidence

And check these zip ties for dna.

Did you get a look at this guy?

He was masked, came up behind us,

Kept us facing away from him the whole time.

Anything from missing persons?

Anyone in richie's life that disappeared?

Well, we've looked into every disappearance and break-in

In the tri-state area.

So far, no connection to any one of them and richie.

And i, uh, checked with known associates, clients,

People he was suing.

They're all accounted for.

Yeah. Well, somebody was in that bag, so let's dig deeper.

Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Oh. And, uh, you can lose the limp.

We saw you rehearsing.

If i might add, it's no "i've had the crime of my life."

Well...

It's still good enough to take the both of you down.

[ sighs ] come on, guys.

This isn't really about the competition.

It's about doing our best for a good cause, right?

Together: It's about the competition.

[ giggles ]

Well! Bravo! And brava!

Wonderful. Darlings, just wonderful.

Thank you.

And you were worried. See?

It's elegant, dignified,

And, above all, a trophy-winning performance.

Am i right, mother?

Well, it will be when i'm done with it.

I'm gonna just need to tweak a few little things. Okay.

And i do wish you would go for that split.

Well, i -- okay. Well, i will leave you to convince ginger.

I will be right back.

Wait. Where -- w-where are you going?

I'm gonna call esposito.

I think it's time we raise the stakes on that bet.

What? Castle...

[ sighs ]

Oh, darling, don't you worry about him.

Do not worry about that trophy,

Because the only thing that anybody

Is going to remember from the final performance

Is that you sound like an angel.

Except, martha, i won't.

[ laughing ] well, of course you will. You just did.

No, martha. That's because it was just you and rick.

We weren't in public in front of strangers.

Oh, no. Stage fright.

Well, it's -- it's -- it's more like song fright. Mm-hmm.

I mean, my heart just starts palpitating

And i start sweating and my throat just chokes up.

I know. I know. I know.

It's classic, and it's awful.

And why in the world

Would richard sign you up for this?

He doesn't know.

Oh, honey.

You have to tell him!

Oh, i-i don't want to let him down.

[ scoffs ] he wants this so badly.

I want to give it to him.

But i just -- i don't know that i can.

Ohh.

I cannot wait to see the looks on their faces

When they get a load of our routine.

Yeah, i can imagine it v-vividly.

Oh, trust me -- it'll be great.

If it's gonna be so great,

Then why don't we up the bet again?

Well, esposito, what did you have in mind?

Sorry, fellas. All bets are off.

I just heard from 1pp.

Kimmel rearranged his schedule, and he's back in.

Oh -- so, unfortunately,

We will not be needing your services, mr. Castle.

Really?

But we rehearsed and everything.

Out of my hands.

This isn't over.

Well...

Hey, guys. We got him. Who?

That guy who jacked you for that body in the woods.

When csu went up there,

They noticed something in the trees --

Cameras triggered by motion sensors

To carry out wildlife census.

Guess what kind of wildlife we found.

Mike sampson.

Richie's p.I.

[ siren wails ]

[ tires screech ]

Nypd!

Let me see your hands -- now!

[ g*ns cock ]

Where is it, mike? Where's the body?

What's going on? What are you talking about?

Search his place.

Espo, pop the trunk.

Hands on the car.

All right.

It's here.

Who's in the bag, mike?

What the...

Sampson's not talking -- about richie or the dummy.

I don't get it.

Why would richie bury a crash-test dummy

In the middle of nowhere, and why would sampson steal it?

I don't know, but he probably told us that story

About richie dumping a body

So that we could lead him straight to it.

Ryan: Well, it turns out that dummy's not the only thing

That sampson stole.

Unis found richie's missing client files

In his apartment, shredded.

This must have something to do with one of richie's cases.

Yeah, but which one?

You know, if sampson won't talk,

Then maybe the dummy will.

You do know i'm a doctor, not a puppeteer?

Yes. And as a doctor, i was hoping that you could tell us

What's so special about this dummy.

I'll tell you what's special about it.

This dummy has been m*rder*d.

m*rder*d?

See the holes in his chest?

They look like little b*llet holes.

That's basically what they are.

As far as i can tell, they were made by small metal pieces

Projected with significant force.

What would explain that?

It's hard to say.

Lots of people use these dummies --

Car companies, the airline industry,

The m*llitary.

So someone could have been testing the effects

Of an i.E.D. Or a new firearm.

I don't think it's a firearm.

Three holes...

Three bits of flying metal around the heart.

Where have we heard that before?

Hammer's client -- the one pitbull tried to poach.

Last thing i remember was that salvage truck

Hitting the median before me.

That's when the metal started to fly.

The paramedic said i was lucky, that i almost d*ed.

Um, jody, do you remember this guy?

Yeah -- the pitbull.

He wanted to represent me, but i already had a lawyer.

But then he wouldn't stop asking about the accident,

Like he didn't believe what happened.

Jody, what kind of car were you driving?

I'm not sure. It was a rental.

Why does everyone keep asking that?

Who's been asking?

The pitbull and the lady who was here yesterday.

What lady?

She said she was from my insurance company.

When i woke up, she was looking at my chart.

She asked me about my injuries

And wanted to know all about the car.

That doesn't make any sense.

The insurance company would have that information

From the accident report.

Do you think you could describe her to a sketch artist?

Yeah.

Okay. And, um, one more thing.

What was the name of the car-rental company?

According to the rental firm,

Jody was driving a modesto sedan.

Now, i couldn't find any safety recalls to explain her injuries,

But on a hunch, i checked the cities and dates

On that slip of paper that we found.

Turns out that each one

Corresponded to a modesto car accident

Where the driver suffered puncture wounds to the chest.

Just like jody evans and that crash-test dummy.

Yeah, but in each case, the wounds

Were attributed to something outside the vehicle --

Road debris, even g*nshots.

Given the velocity of the shrapnel,

This must be related to a defect in the airbags.

And judging by the holes in that dummy,

Modesto was aware of that defect

And chose to sweep it under the rug.

Richie was onto a cover-up.

Yeah, one that he might have been a part of.

I looked into that big-time law firm

Where richie used to work five years ago

Before he became the pitbull.

Guess who their biggest client was.

Modesto motors.

Yeah. And richie handled their account.

You know, about five years, modesto was nearly bankrupt.

So rather than spend millions of dollars to fix the problem,

They decided that the cost of recall

Outweighed the potential cost to human life.

Looks like richie's conscience couldn't take it.

That problem he had with drinking and dr*gs

Started just a few months after that first accident.

That debt richie told derek he was settling --

It was a karmic one.

He wanted to make it right, expose the cover-up.

He needed to prove that modesto knew about the defect

Even before people started dying.

That crash-test dummy -- that was his smoking g*n.

Which explains the break-in equipment.

He needed it to steal the dummy from modesto.

No wonder richie was paranoid

And buried that dummy in the woods.

Guys, if the truth about the defect came out,

Then modesto would be liable

For hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.

He knew they'd stop at nothing to get it back.

Okay, this is a hell of a theory,

But with richie dead, the files all destroyed,

And with absolutely no connection

Between the dummy and modesto,

It's just that -- it's a theory.

Oh, it's more than a theory.

We just got that sketch back from jody

Of the woman who visited her

Claiming to be from an insurance company.

Look familiar?

Esposito: Richie's ex.

What the hell does she have to do with any of this?

She was recently poached from the law firm

That she and richie worked at.

She's now lead counsel for modesto.

Richie was a thr*at.

He knew where the bodies were buried.

So his ex-wife decided to add him to the pile.

I'm not sure why i'm here. I've told you everything i know.

No. Not everything.

You didn't tell us that you were lead counsel

For modesto motors,

And you didn't tell us about the airbags.

You know, those airbags with the habit

Of putting holes in people, like jody evans.

Excuse me?

Ms. Resner, why did richie really call you the other day?

Was it to give you a little heads-up?

You know -- for old times' sake?

Because that defect he helped cover up back then,

You were in on that, too.

He was going public with it,

And he didn't want you to be blindsided.

But you couldn't let that happen --

Not to modesto and certainly not to you.

So you had him silenced.

You think i k*lled my ex-husband?

Detective, i had nothing to do with richie's death.

And, by the way, there is no defect or cover-up.

Richie knew otherwise.

In fact, he committed a break-in just to prove it.

We found that a silent alarm was tripped

At a modesto motors storage facility three nights ago.

But when police responded,

They were told it was set off by mistake.

Yet an ambulance was called there that night

To treat a guard for chloroform inhalation.

I'm not familiar with that incident.

Well, are you familiar with this?

It's evidence of your cover-up.

If this dummy was illegally obtained

From a modesto storage facility,

Then it is the property of modesto,

And we'd like it back.

I'm sure you would,

Especially considering it could cost your company

Hundreds of millions of dollars.

Which is why you hired this man to retrieve it.

We're looking into his financial records right now.

It's only a matter of time

Before we connect him to modesto.

[ scoffs ]

You're barking up the wrong tree, detective.

Modesto has its own in-house investigators.

If we wanted to recover this dummy, as you claim,

Why would we entrust such a sensitive task

To an outsider?

But i have seen this man before.

Where?

In front of st. Simon's hospital.

He was sitting in a car, conferring with someone else.

Conferring with whom?

Owed a cash settlement?

It's hammer time.

I'll pound and pound away

Till i've nailed down the cash you've got coming.

Anyone gets in your way,

They'll have to deal with me -- the savannah hammer.

Is that what happened to richie falco?

He got in your way, so you pounded him till he was dead?

Excuse me! We're filming h--

Mr. Castle, i will thank you

And your ridiculous allegations to wait outside.

They're not just allegations -- not anymore.

Mike sampson gave you up.

A witness placed the two of you together,

And sampson was more than eager

To distance himself from the m*rder.

But he did admit to breaking into richie's office

And hijacking the crash-test dummy from us

Because you paid him to.

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

Oh, i think you do.

You knew modesto would pay millions

To get that dummy back.

Matter of fact, you were so sure, you promised mike a cut.

This is crazy.

I never paid anyone to steal anything.

And i didn't k*ll the pitbull. I have an alibi.

No. Not anymore.

Once your alibi found out

She was facing accessory-to-m*rder charges,

She recanted and admitted that you paid her.

We found the taser, hammer --

In the back of your car, right next to that tire iron.

Which you bleached, but you forgot about the droplets

Of blood residue on the carpet.

What do you think is gonna happen

When we test it against richie's dna?

It's over.

[ handcuffs clicking ]

You know, what i can't figure out is why.

Why?

Because he couldn't see that that dummy was a gold mine.

And all he wanted was justice?

You're as naive as he was.

Let's go, hammer.

Yeah.

It's slammer time.

Hey!

Look who decided to show up.

Where were you guys? You missed the competition.

Yeah. Sorry, you guys.

We got held up giving a statement at ntsb.

Castle: But you'll be happy to know they're launching

A full investigation of modesto motors.

Well, looks like pitbull's gonna get what he wanted --

Justice for all the victims of that defect.

Yeah. What about you gentlemen?

Did you get what you wanted at the show?

[ sighs ]

Well, um, let's put it this way --

We are no longer two-time champs.

Three years in a row, baby!

[ cheers and applause ]

Whoo! That's awesome!

Oh, i'm so happy for you guys.

Yes. Very nice, very nice.

Congratulations, even though the, uh, field of competition

Was a little light this year.

Huh. Speaking of which, isn't there a certain bet

That needs settling?

Oh, right -- the dedication.

I guess it's just a matter of how big to make that font size.

Seriously? Come on.

Guys, we didn't even get a chance to square off.

Which is why we're not gonna hold you to it.

You're off the hook, castle.

Ohh.

Thank you. Thank you. That's very big of you.

Especially considering we would have kicked your asses.

Uh... Now, you gonna talk smack?

Well, then we are gonna settle this...

Right here, right now.

Why don't we just clear all these desks,

Go head-to-head, let the precinct decide?

Um...

No. You want bragging rights? They're yours.

Our routine's too good for you, anyway.

Mm-hmm. That's what i thought.

Yeah.

Since when do you turn down a challenge?

Oh, they know we're better. No sense in embarrassing them.

You know, don't you?

Know what?

That's why we got pulled from the lineup.

Kimmel's your bud.

You must have called him and told him to perform

So we wouldn't have to.

Or...So that i wouldn't have to.

I...May have overheard you talking to my mother.

You did that for me?

No more of a sacrifice than what you were gonna do for me.

Kate, why wouldn't you just say something?

I didn't want you to think less of me.

And i really didn't want anyone else to know, so...

[ elevator bell dings ] stupid.

No. Not stupid. Just human.

Aren't you disappointed

You're not gonna be able to perform for an audience?

The only audience i care about is you.

[ shower water running ]

Castle: ¶ "don't you know, little fool ¶

¶ you never can win? ¶

Beckett: ¶ use your mentality ¶

¶ wake up to reality ¶

¶ but each time i do, just the thought of you ¶

¶ makes me stop before i begin ¶

¶ 'cause i've got you ¶

¶ under my skin ¶

Oh! [ laughs ]