In the original case, Jerry Tyson, the highly intelligent serial killer who nearly killed Beckett alongside the plastic surgeon, thought little of Castle. But Tyson never imagined that this seemingly harmless writer was hiding his true capabilities, only to shoot and kill him at the very last moment. Tyson had believed he was about to escape, only to be fatally betrayed by his own miscalculation.
Talk about being caught off guard!
After fatally shooting Jerry Tyson at the motel room entrance, Castle holstered his registered gun. He then helped Ryan, who had been lying on the floor, and freed him from his handcuffs. Ryan gave Castle a wry smile and complained, "You knew something was off with Jerry Tyson, didn't you? Couldn't you have given me a heads-up earlier? I was almost disarmed by that maniac! If he'd left the motel with my gun, I'd be in deep trouble!"
Castle smirked and playfully replied, "Didn't the fact that I asked you to wear a hidden camera raise any suspicion for you? Did I really need to spell it out?"
As the two bantered, Castle's phone rang—it was Beckett, who had been watching everything unfold via the live feed.
"Hey, Beckett. Yeah, it's me… Oh, you saw it? Everything? Okay, we'll stay here and secure the scene until you arrive."
After hanging up, Castle glanced at Ryan, who looked distraught. "Beckett and the others saw everything that happened?" Ryan asked, dismayed. "Does that mean they also saw me get overpowered and lose my gun?"
Castle couldn't help but laugh at Ryan's misery and teased him, "Don't worry. Who could've predicted Tyson would lash out so suddenly? And besides, your gun is still here."
He added with a grin, "Look on the bright side: we've finally caught the real 3XK. Sure, you got knocked down, but we shared the credit for taking down this dangerous criminal. We're a team, remember?"
Ryan's spirits lifted instantly. Castle was right. They had caught the infamous 3XK. Even though he'd been temporarily subdued, he was still part of the team that solved the case. Besides, not even the FBI had been able to unmask Tyson despite hours of interrogation. So, in the grand scheme of things, Ryan figured he hadn't done so badly after all.
Feeling much better, Ryan picked up his gun from the floor next to Tyson's body and said, "Good thing you were suspicious of this guy from the start. If not, we might've let him slip away tonight. He really knew how to hide his true nature. Who would've thought the real 3XK would look so harmless?"
Castle reclined back on the bed, agreeing, "Yeah, he was quite the actor. If I hadn't gone out this afternoon to verify Marcus Gates' history, I might've been fooled too. Gates was never capable of pulling off such intricate murders. His previous crimes were all brute force—no finesse. How could a guy like that suddenly become a master planner after a few years in prison? It just didn't add up."
Castle continued, "When we first met Tyson in prison, I got the sense that he wasn't being completely honest. And when we offered him a deal to help him get out early, I could tell he was more excited than he let on. It felt off. I had a feeling Tyson was hiding something, but I never imagined he was the actual 3XK until today."
He smiled at Ryan. "Good thing we were wearing those body cameras. Everything Tyson said is now safely recorded and sent to Beckett's computer. There's no doubt—Jerry Tyson was the real 3XK."
Because the motel was close to the 12th Precinct, it wasn't long before Beckett arrived with a large group of officers, her expression cold as ice. She sent some officers to question Ryan about the incident and then walked directly over to Castle, her face hardening. "You knew Jerry Tyson was 3XK all along, didn't you? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
Castle, knowing better than to admit to anything that would get him into trouble, quickly denied it. "No, I didn't know for sure. I just had a hunch something wasn't right with him. Remember, I told you from the very beginning that I didn't trust him? That's why I went out this afternoon to dig up more on Marcus Gates. But all I had were doubts. I didn't know for sure until Tyson made his move."
He added, "If I had known Tyson was 3XK, why would I follow him to the motel with Ryan? I would've told you right away at the precinct!"
Castle's explanation was half-truth, half-lie, but it was logical enough that Beckett didn't question him further. After all, Castle had indeed voiced his distrust of Tyson on multiple occasions, so Beckett had no reason to doubt him at the moment.
What she didn't know was that Castle had carefully orchestrated this entire scenario, ensuring that Jerry Tyson, a dangerous serial killer, would never escape to torment them again. Castle's plan had worked perfectly, and Tyson was dead.
Satisfied with Castle's explanation, Beckett went upstairs to check Tyson's belongings, leaving Esposito to approach Castle sneakily. "So, you didn't know Tyson was 3XK, huh? Come on, man. I don't believe that for a second. You did a lot of weird stuff today—like when you grabbed those extra cameras. You're telling me you didn't suspect anything?"
Castle, seeing where this was going, quickly covered Esposito's mouth and looked around to make sure no one overheard their conversation. "I've told you—I didn't know for sure. If I did, why would I risk coming here with Ryan?"
Esposito wasn't convinced, and mumbled through Castle's hand, "Maybe you just wanted to deal with the psycho yourself…"
Castle's face turned pale with sweat. How could Esposito be so sharp? He had practically figured out Castle's true motive. But Castle wasn't about to admit anything. He'd just narrowly escaped Beckett's wrath and had no intention of facing it again.
Castle let go of Esposito and sighed, "Alright, man, what do you want in exchange for keeping your mouth shut?"
Esposito grinned mischievously. "Your Ferrari… for at least a week. Then I'll forget I ever saw anything."
Castle groaned but reluctantly agreed. "Fine. But if Beckett finds out, I'll say it was your idea too!"
Esposito chuckled, his plan working perfectly. "Deal. Don't worry, I won't say a word. But if Beckett figures it out on her own… well, I won't be able to save you then."
Castle smirked. "Don't worry. She'll have other things to deal with soon enough."
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