Castle shrugged nonchalantly, flashing his trademark grin. "What can I do? These old folks won't listen to me. And from what I've heard, they're not planning to kill our dear Vice President Andrew. They just want to leak some of his dirty laundry. Also, Joe isn't Henry's girlfriend—Henry's too shy to confess. Right now, Martinez is dating a Black billionaire. So don't go spreading rumors!"
Beckett was feeling the weight of the situation. As a responsible precinct captain, she couldn't just ignore it. "Are we seriously going to just sit back and watch this happen? Castle, this isn't a minor issue. If those agents suddenly decide to take out the Vice President, this could blow up into a national crisis.
Even if they don't kill him, do you know what could happen if they expose Andrew's scandals here in New York?"
Castle remained unfazed. "Of course I know. And let's not pretend I'm the only one here planning something. Take our friend here—Bob's itching to settle the score with Charles Hahn as soon as he leaves New York, right, Bob?" He pointed directly at Bob, who was taken aback, nearly choking on his drink.
Bob was caught off guard by Castle's bluntness, especially in front of Beckett, a police captain. But Castle was having none of it. "Come on, Bob, admit it. You're not going to let Charles Hahn, the guy who framed you, get away with it, right?"
Bob, still recovering from his surprise, couldn't believe Castle was talking so openly about this in front of Beckett. He looked at her nervously, unsure how to respond.
Castle continued with a mischievous grin. "Relax, Bob. Even if you do decide to take out Charles Hahn, it won't be here in New York. Beckett is the police captain here, but what happens in Montana or Washington D.C. is none of her concern. Right, honey?"
Beckett, already well-aware of the situation, gave Bob a knowing glance. "I only deal with what happens in the jurisdiction of the 12th Precinct. Anything outside New York is the FBI's responsibility."
Castle's casual attitude toward plotting against a senator in front of his police captain girlfriend left Bob speechless. He quickly decided it was best not to comment further on the subject.
However, Castle's mood shifted when he heard that the 22nd Precinct would be handling security for tomorrow's fundraiser. His curiosity piqued. "Hey, I haven't checked in with Henry in a while. Since we've got some free time and Bob's situation is more or less sorted, how about I call Abraham and invite Henry over? We can have a little party here at the estate!"
Just as Castle was about to pull out his phone, Beckett stopped him. "Who said we're done here? I came today to get the full story, Castle. No more half-truths. I want to know exactly what you're planning."
Castle glanced at Bob, who was starting to feel uncomfortable. "Hey, Bob, how about a tour of the estate? It's quite spacious."
Relieved, Bob quickly stood up and left the hall. Upstairs, Mozzie, Neal, and the little hacker were still showing Alexis how to navigate the world's finest museums through the wonders of technology. With everyone else occupied, Castle and Beckett were left alone in the hall.
Castle knew it was time to come clean. He led Beckett to his private beach and began recounting the series of events from last year—starting with the moment his estranged father showed up out of the blue in France. He talked about Neal's current situation, though he carefully omitted the part where he and Gianna, Mozzie, and Neal had conspired to bring down Vincent Adler. He also left out the fact that he and John Wick had killed Adler during the FBI's raid. It was too sensitive, and knowing Beckett, she'd never approve of such a vigilante approach. Other than that, Castle laid out most of the details from the past six months.
Beckett was dumbfounded as she listened to Castle's chaotic tale. His life was a whirlwind of unpredictable events. He wasn't intentionally seeking out trouble, but he always seemed to stumble into it. Yet somehow, through sheer luck or cunning, Castle had managed to become a shareholder in the third-largest weapons manufacturer in the country after his involvement with two drone prototypes. He had even helped develop a new generation of drones for Northrop Grumman with little Harry's help, which were set to enter a military bidding war next month.
Despite all this, Castle still found time to involve himself in cases like yesterday's fiasco. His reasoning? First, because the incident had happened in his precinct, he couldn't just let it slide. If the true masterminds succeeded, it might not ruin the NYPD, but as precinct captain, Beckett would be left to bear the brunt of it. Second, Castle despised how Senator Charles Hahn had framed Bob and couldn't stand by and let an innocent man suffer.
Beckett grudgingly accepted Castle's explanations, especially his reasoning about Bob. However, she was floored when Castle revealed that Neal was also entangled in a bitter feud with New York's only remaining senator, Pratt. "Wait, did I marry a senator killer or something?"
She couldn't believe how many senators had crossed paths with Castle, only to be taken down. William Bracken had already been toppled by them, and Charles Hahn was almost certainly marked for death by Bob, given his relentless pursuit of justice. Now, it seemed Neal had his own vendetta against Senator Pratt. Beckett's head was spinning.
Castle, on the other hand, didn't see things that way. Noticing Beckett's exasperation, he couldn't resist gloating. "Oh, don't worry so much. Just like we brought down William Bracken, Senator Pratt also has a lot of skeletons in his closet. He's no saint, and he's got plenty of dirty history. And, fun fact—Pratt used to be with the NYPD. Man, why is it that so many New York cops go into politics and end up being corrupt? What's up with that?"
Beckett was furious at Castle's sarcastic jab. Here she was, genuinely worried about him, and he had the nerve to make fun of her profession. "What makes you so sure you can take down Senator Pratt and help Neal? As I recall, Pratt has a solid reputation, and when I was a cop, he was already a city councilman. He had a lot of respect within the NYPD. Without concrete evidence, you're not going to bring him down like you did with Bracken."
Castle smirked, finally deciding to reveal his ace in the hole. "That's the thing. I already know where the evidence is hidden. Pratt's old crimes? His former partner, Ellen, gathered it all. The evidence is stashed under the floorboards of a room in the Empire State Building. I haven't told Neal yet, but I found out."
Castle didn't want to tell Beckett the real reason he knew this—because he had seen it all in the original show. So, he played it off as something he had uncovered during his investigation. Thankfully, Beckett didn't press him on the details. After being amazed by Castle's intelligence network so many times, she had learned to accept his uncanny ability to find things out.
"You haven't told Neal yet? Why?" Beckett asked.
Castle sighed. "Because of what happened yesterday. If it weren't for that, I would've told him already. But now, we need to wait until things calm down. Otherwise, if New York keeps getting hit with these high-profile scandals, it's going to be bad for the whole state."
Beckett nodded, understanding his concerns. First, they had taken down William Bracken, then there had been an assassination attempt on the Vice President. If another scandal broke involving Senator Pratt, it would be overwhelming for New York's political landscape. It might even destabilize the state.
Castle, seeing Beckett's realization, added, "Exactly. One scandal after another won't be good for anyone. Let's take things one step at a time."
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Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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