The reason Richard Castle felt somewhat smug when he subtly "admitted" in front of Esposito that he had premeditated the takedown of Jerry Tyson was that he knew Esposito wouldn't expose his little scheme. Besides, Esposito, like Castle, deeply despised serial killers like Jerry Tyson and Marcus Gates, who preyed on vulnerable women. So, when Esposito jokingly teased Castle about it, Castle coyly admitted that he had indeed begun to suspect Jerry Tyson's true identity beforehand.
However, Castle would never admit this in front of Beckett. If he did, Beckett would scrutinize everything he had done up until that point, which would land him in serious trouble!
After quickly striking a deal with Esposito, Castle left the downstairs area, and Esposito went off to check on his unlucky partner, Kevin Ryan. Castle then made his way upstairs, heading toward the room where he had shot Jerry Tyson. Beckett was crouched on the floor, staring pensively at the now-dead body of Tyson, who had been fatally shot three times by Castle. Hearing familiar footsteps behind her, Beckett knew Castle had come upstairs.
Without turning around, she voiced her frustration. "Sure, you took out this monster with a clean shot, but we still have a lot of questions left unanswered."
"Like where Marcus Gates is hiding, for example. That's something we need to know!"
"While it's true that Tyson had Ryan's gun and was attempting to flee, so your shooting him was justified, and yes, he confessed to being the 3XK killer through the hidden camera you planted, now that he's dead, a lot of our investigation will have to start over."
"You, Castle... I can't tell if you're here to help us solve problems or create them!"
Castle, being a seasoned player, wasn't worried that Beckett would be upset about him killing Jerry Tyson. As Beckett herself said, under the circumstances, his quick decision to shoot had saved Ryan's life. Ryan was a fellow cop, and Castle had acted to protect him and prevent the serial killer from escaping. Shooting Tyson had been the best option, and with his girlfriend Beckett in charge of the case, he was confident he wouldn't face any repercussions. So, Castle remained relaxed, ignoring Beckett's frustration.
He didn't volunteer to help with the search for Marcus Gates either. After all, he had already discreetly eliminated Gates, and the body had been cleaned up by the Continental Hotel's team. How could he possibly find a man who no longer existed? Instead, Castle cleverly requested to head home, explaining that the night's events had left him feeling exhausted and in need of rest.
Being his girlfriend, Beckett couldn't help but feel concerned for Castle. Believing that he was genuinely worn out from the night's ordeal, she let him go home without much thought. As for Castle's formal statement, she figured he could come by the 12th Precinct tomorrow to file it.
Thanks to the hidden body cameras worn by both Castle and Ryan, everything from the moment they left the precinct with Jerry Tyson to their confrontation at the motel had been recorded. This footage was enough to prove that the man Castle shot was indeed the notorious 3XK killer who had evaded the NYPD and the FBI for years. With all that evidence, Beckett felt she had enough to report to her superiors, so she allowed Castle to go home.
"Wait... I'll go home with you. I have a few questions," Beckett suddenly said, interrupting Castle's attempt to quietly sneak away. As Beckett thought more about the night's events, she started to feel that something wasn't quite right. Given that Castle had previously expressed doubts about Jerry Tyson's identity, Beckett began to suspect that Castle might have planned more than he let on.
With Esposito and the other detectives handling the crime scene, along with the help of FBI agents Diana and Jones, Beckett decided to go home with Castle to question him properly.
Castle, sensing from Beckett's tone that her sharp intuition had kicked in and she might be on to his scheme, felt a chill down his spine. Reluctantly, he turned back with a resigned look and agreed.
Once they got home, the two didn't head straight to bed. Instead, they went into the study where Beckett, with a serious expression, asked, "Castle, be honest with me. Did you know from the start that Jerry Tyson was the real killer, and that's why you made all those arrangements?"
There was no way Castle could admit to such a thing at this point. Smiling and playing it cool, he sat down next to Beckett and explained, "No, really, I didn't know! I just looked into Marcus Gates' past earlier in the day and realized that he didn't seem to have the kind of meticulous mind that the 3XK killer would. That's when I started doubting the whole story Jerry Tyson was telling us about Gates. I never imagined that Tyson himself was the killer."
"Think about it, Beckett—if I'd known he was the real 3XK killer, why would I have taken Ryan with me to the motel with such a dangerous person?"
"I only bought those hidden cameras because I wanted to get some other secrets out of Tyson. Who would have thought the truth would be so shocking?"
Beckett, staring at Castle's casual and playful demeanor, felt exhausted. He was clearly lying, but what could she do? After all, he had helped the police catch the real 3XK killer, and he had even shot the man dead. Was she really going to criticize him for it?
Castle, knowing Beckett's biggest concern was now finding Marcus Gates, played his next card, suggesting a topic that would interest her more.
"I heard that Senator William Bracken is about to go on trial. Do you know what kind of sentence he'll get?"
As expected, Castle's diversion worked. Upon hearing the name of her longtime nemesis, Beckett immediately perked up. "I've heard that William Bracken has been impeached by Congress and stripped of his senatorial position. His party, the Republicans, have also removed him as their next presidential candidate. He's facing charges from the New York District Attorney for obstruction of justice, conspiracy to commit murder, and corruption, but I'm not sure about the specific charges yet. Right now, he's being held in a high-security prison at a secret location because they're worried someone might try to silence him."
Seeing that his tactic had worked, Castle eagerly continued the conversation, and soon Beckett, despite herself, was drawn into the discussion. Once again, Castle had managed to deflect her probing questions.
Beckett wasn't completely unaware of Castle's tricks. She knew he was trying to avoid her questions about Jerry Tyson, but in the end, the real 3XK killer was dead, and Castle had played a crucial role in bringing him down. With that in mind, she decided to let his hidden secrets slide this time.
After another passionate night together, the next morning Castle walked into the 12th Precinct with Beckett, looking radiant. He was warmly welcomed by everyone in the precinct, who were grateful for his role in saving Kevin Ryan. In the close-knit community of American law enforcement, Castle's actions had earned him the respect and camaraderie of the police officers. After all, being a cop was just a job for most of them, and they always hoped someone would have their back in dangerous situations. Castle had saved Ryan's life, making him a hero in their eyes.
Thanks to his romantic relationship with Beckett, and his recent large donation to the precinct, Castle had already gained considerable popularity within the department. Now, after saving Ryan, his popularity had skyrocketed, so much so that even Beckett felt a little jealous. The greetings Castle received were more numerous than those she, the actual captain, got. Was there no justice?
Just as they arrived at the precinct, Esposito approached Beckett with a file in hand. "Beckett, the FBI found out we took down the real 3XK killer last night. It seems those two FBI agents at the scene reported it up the chain, and now the Bureau wants to take over the case. They even want to take the Marcus Gates case as well."
Hearing this news right after walking into the precinct put Beckett in a foul mood. What was the FBI playing at? They were trying to swoop in and take the credit after the NYPD had just killed Jerry Tyson, the real 3XK killer? That was ridiculous!
But standing behind Beckett, Castle didn't see things the same way. He actually thought handing the case over to the FBI was the best course of action, especially since Marcus Gates... well, let's just say he was beyond anyone's reach now.
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