Castle quickly stopped Beckett from blowing up in frustration, physically pulling her into her office. "I think it's actually great that the FBI wants to take over this case. Think about it—we've already gotten credit for taking down the real 3XK killer, Jerry Tyson. Even though I'm the one who shot him, I'm still a consultant for the 12th Precinct, right?
Now, with Marcus Gates missing, there's no need for us to waste more time and energy. We were the ones who revealed his true identity and took down the real 3XK, Jerry Tyson. The FBI is only trying to grab the case because they're embarrassed. My suggestion is simple: let them have it!"
Beckett eyed Castle suspiciously. "Are you hiding something from me? Why are you so eager to hand this case over to the FBI, especially when it's obvious they just want to steal our thunder? Is there something you haven't told me about Marcus Gates?"
Castle inwardly broke into a sweat at Beckett's uncanny sixth sense. He quickly explained, "No, no, I'm not hiding anything. But listen to my reasoning.
First, we've already secured the biggest accomplishment—exposing Marcus Gates' identity and killing the real 3XK, Jerry Tyson. But in doing so, we've scared Marcus into hiding. Now, knowing his mastermind Jerry Tyson is dead, Marcus will be even more careful and go underground. To find him, the resources of the 12th Precinct alone won't be enough. So, if the FBI wants to take over, let them! They have more manpower and resources than we do.
Chasing down Marcus Gates across the entire country will be a huge undertaking. Since they're willing to shoulder the burden, why not let them? We've already bagged the glory. Letting the FBI take over now is like building goodwill."
Seeing Castle confidently spout what she suspected was nonsense, Beckett knew there was more going on than she realized. But after thinking it over, she nodded. "Fine, you've got a point. We'll report it to the higher-ups and let the FBI handle it. Hopefully, they'll manage to catch Marcus Gates wherever he's hiding."
Castle nodded with exaggerated sincerity. "I have complete faith in the FBI's mighty capabilities. I'm sure they'll catch Marcus Gates, no matter how elusive he is!"
Beckett felt a growing suspicion, especially given how fake Castle's words sounded. But what could she do? Would she really grill her boyfriend, who had helped her so much, over a creep like Marcus Gates who preyed on vulnerable women? No, Beckett decided she wasn't that noble.
Besides, Castle had subtly hinted that Marcus Gates might be hard to find. And if the FBI wanted to take over a case just to claim credit, why not let them? She'd already secured the biggest achievement by breaking the case. Letting the FBI take over meant her precinct could move on to other things, all while gaining the FBI's goodwill. Who knew what the FBI was thinking by wanting to jump in at this stage? Without Castle's secret tricks, Beckett doubted they'd have much luck finding Gates.
What Castle and Beckett didn't know was that the FBI had, in fact, been provoked into action by Castle's maneuvers. Agents Diana and Jones had reported the events of the night directly to Hughes, the FBI's New York field office director. Hughes had been shocked to learn that the 12th Precinct had solved a case that had stumped the FBI for years. Not only had the NYPD exposed the real 3XK killer, Jerry Tyson, but they had also prevented Marcus Gates from committing more murders, all thanks to Castle's clever moves.
Realizing that the bulk of the investigation was now complete and that all that was left was catching Marcus Gates, Hughes saw an opportunity. If he could take over the case and bring it to a close, it would be a big win for the FBI. Ethics? Who cared about ethics in this situation?
Hughes immediately ordered Diana and Jones to collect all the case files and present the FBI's demand to take over the investigation to NYPD headquarters.
At first, the head of the NYPD didn't want to hand over a case that was nearly closed. But after a phone call from Beckett, he changed his mind. He agreed to transfer the case to the FBI, all while planning to sit back and watch them struggle with what he knew was a hopeless chase.
The FBI had no idea that they were walking into a trap. Marcus Gates, now confirmed as a suspect, was already dead, thanks to Castle. To catch him, the FBI would need to commune with the dead—or track down Patrick Jane, who was currently working with the California Bureau of Investigation, and maybe get him to summon Gates' ghost!
Back at the FBI's New York field office, Diana and Jones stood before their boss, Hughes, briefing him on what they had observed at the 12th Precinct. Most notably, they highlighted the role Castle had played in solving the case.
Hughes listened silently before asking, "So, this mystery writer not only has a remarkable talent for solving cases but also has access to a secret information network that even surprised you two? Have you figured out where his intel comes from?"
Diana responded, "We've only uncovered a few clues. It seems Castle has a close personal relationship with 'King' of Bowery Street, a man who controls almost all the street-level informants in New York. It's an incredibly powerful information network.
Apparently, when Castle stopped Marcus Gates from attacking his second victim, it was thanks to precise intelligence from these street informants."
Hughes' eyes lit up. "So, you think Castle could use those same informants to find Marcus Gates now?"
Jones replied in Diana's place, "It's possible, but Castle seems to have some reservations about us. We're not sure if he'd be willing to help."
Hughes frowned. "Why not?"
Diana explained, "Our official reason for going to the 12th Precinct was to assist with the investigation. But in reality, Peter sent us to investigate Castle on the side. Castle has strong ties to Neal Caffrey, and Peter suspects that Castle might be linked to the missing treasure from the Vincent Adler case.
The moment we arrived at the precinct, Castle seemed to catch on to something. Neal knows us well, and Castle may have sensed something was off, given that Jones and I usually deal with white-collar crimes, not violent ones."
Hughes thought for a moment before speaking. "What about this 'King' of Bowery Street? Could we use him to track down Marcus?"
Diana and Jones shook their heads. "King is the ruler of an underground intelligence empire, but he's never cooperated with law enforcement. So that approach might not work."
Hughes sighed, realizing the challenges ahead, but with the FBI now officially taking over, they had no choice but to press on.
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