Castle stood silently behind Beckett, just as he had during their first visit to the prison, watching her interact with Jerry Tyson. Observing Tyson's facial expressions closely, even Castle had to admit that if he didn't already know who Tyson really was, he might have been fooled by this masterful performance.
Beckett, currently negotiating terms with Tyson, had no idea that the man in front of her, feigning fear and hesitation, was actually the infamous 3XK serial killer. Castle couldn't help but think about how, in the original timeline, this man successfully deceived both him and the police. Tyson's ability to fool everyone wasn't just an empty reputation.
However, Tyson couldn't have predicted that Castle was no longer the same person as before. Now, as someone who had crossed into this world with full knowledge of the plot, Castle knew exactly how events would unfold, as well as Tyson's true nature. In fact, Castle had even prepared a special surprise for Tyson tonight—a surprise that would surely catch him off guard.
After finally coming to an agreement with Tyson, Beckett promised police protection to prevent any retaliation from Marcus Gates. The paperwork for Tyson's release from prison was processed smoothly since he had few personal belongings—just an old green duffel bag holding all his things. Soon, the three of them were on their way back to New York, with Beckett personally driving the car.
It wasn't until then that Tyson began to focus his attention on Castle, dressed in a sharp suit that made him stand out. When Tyson learned that Castle was a bestselling novelist and a consultant for the police, his interest was piqued. Castle, in contrast to his earlier aloofness, suddenly engaged Tyson in friendly conversation. This shift in behavior didn't go unnoticed by Beckett, who glanced curiously at Castle several times as she drove. But Castle, focused on his plans for the evening, had no intention of explaining his change in attitude to Beckett.
Upon returning to the 12th Precinct, Beckett had no time to dwell on Castle's unusual behavior. She immediately took Tyson into the conference room, where several officers were already waiting. These officers were ready to head out and investigate all the potential hideouts or frequent spots Tyson claimed Marcus Gates might visit.
The FBI agents, Diana and Jones, were also present. On the drive back, Tyson had revealed that Marcus regularly visited a bar called "The Boar." With this information in hand, Beckett wasted no time organizing the next steps.
Castle stood quietly by the door, watching Tyson's ongoing performance without saying a word. His silence finally caught Beckett's attention. After issuing orders to her team, Beckett couldn't hold back any longer. She pulled Castle into her office, intending to get to the bottom of his behavior.
Castle, of course, couldn't reveal that he already knew Tyson was the real 3XK. However, he wanted to give Beckett a subtle warning. After carefully choosing his words, Castle put on a slightly hesitant expression and said, "I can't shake the feeling that there's something off about Jerry Tyson, but I can't quite put my finger on it."
He continued, "His behavior is contradictory. It's like he knew we'd come to him for help all along. He acted scared of Marcus Gates, but the moment we offered him early release, he jumped at the chance. It just doesn't add up. I'm starting to wonder if this whole thing was planned from the beginning."
Beckett, already familiar with Castle's wild imagination, chalked it up to his tendency to overthink things. She had no idea that Castle was subtly planting seeds for his upcoming moves. Still, with the clock ticking and her focus on capturing Marcus, she didn't have time to entertain Castle's doubts. She offered a few reassuring words, then asked if he wanted to join her in going to "The Boar" to track down Marcus.
Unbeknownst to Beckett, Castle had already taken care of Marcus Gates, whose body was likely long gone by now. Although he wasn't thrilled about the idea of going to the bar, he decided to tag along to see if anyone there might remember his presence from the other night.
Castle realized that if someone at the bar had noticed him, it would be better to be there in person to offer a plausible explanation. After all, Beckett's intuition was notoriously sharp, and he knew he had to be cautious. He had a ready excuse: he could claim that after scaring off Marcus from attacking Kim Foster, he had received a tip from a homeless person and checked out the bar, but hadn't found Marcus. It might not fool Beckett completely, but it could buy him enough time to cover his tracks.
Feigning nonchalance, Castle accompanied Beckett and a group of officers to "The Boar." To his surprise, Beckett didn't take the whole team inside but instead sent Esposito in alone to question the bartender. When Esposito came back with confirmation that Marcus had indeed been a regular there and had even visited two nights ago, but hadn't shown up since, Beckett's trust in Tyson's information grew stronger.
Beckett reasoned that Marcus had gone into hiding after being spooked by her and Castle the other night. She left a few officers behind to keep watch over the bar in case Marcus returned, then led the rest of the team back to the precinct, ready to re-interview Tyson for more details.
Castle, relieved that his presence at the bar had gone unnoticed, was now even more excited for the events of the evening. He couldn't wait to see how Tyson—the real 3XK—would attempt his escape.
Wanting to capture the moment Tyson made his move, Castle took a detour on the way back to the precinct to buy a few hidden cameras. He planned to set them up at the motel where Tyson would try to flee, and live-stream the whole thing to the precinct.
When Castle returned to the precinct, Beckett had already extracted more information from Tyson. According to Tyson, Marcus had a secret hideout in Brooklyn with a view of the Brooklyn Bridge. Though Tyson didn't know the exact location, he was certain that the apartment's window overlooked the bridge. With this new lead, Beckett was confident they could find the hideout.
She immediately dispatched Esposito to scout the area while organizing another raid for later that night. Since Tyson was cooperating with the police, Beckett also arranged for his protection, which naturally fell under the responsibility of the 12th Precinct.
Beckett ultimately decided that Ryan and Castle—who wasn't particularly useful in the raid—would take Tyson to a nearby motel for the night and keep an eye on him. Unbeknownst to her, Castle had already set everything in motion for Tyson's big "performance."
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