When Beckett arrived at work, the first thing she saw was her unreliable boyfriend sitting on Esposito's desk, enthusiastically bragging about something to her two underlings. As soon as she saw this, she knew that Castle had once again managed to fool her two dimwitted subordinates. Irritated, Beckett yelled out, "Castle, you jerk! Why do you always come to the precinct and disturb my team while they're trying to work?"
"Get in here..."
It wasn't just Castle who was startled by Beckett's outburst. Esposito, who had just realized that their boss had caught him and Ryan slacking off, immediately averted his gaze and hurriedly fled with Ryan, abandoning the same Castle who had just given them both some expensive gifts.
But Castle wasn't the least bit afraid of Beckett's minor tantrum. Acting like a shameless sycophant, he picked up the non-fat latte he had bought for her and followed her into her office, where she was still scowling.
Castle wasn't worried, as he knew Beckett well, in this life and the previous one. He was fully aware of her temperament and knew that once he brought up the topic of Ben Gates, who was currently on the national wanted list for stealing the Declaration of Independence, her focus would shift.
Sure enough, when Beckett learned that Castle had come to the precinct because he had information on Ben Gates—who was constantly being featured on the news for his high-profile crime—and that Gates would soon be in her jurisdiction, she quickly focused on the issue at hand.
However, as Castle gave a thorough rundown of the Gates family and explained why Ben Gates had stolen the Declaration of Independence in front of so many witnesses, even Beckett—who had grown accustomed to Castle's bizarre antics—was stunned.
"You're saying the reason this guy stole the Declaration is to find a batch of Freemason treasures that went missing during the founding of the country? And not only does this treasure exist, but it's actually hidden in Manhattan? You've got to be joking," Beckett said, looking incredulously at Castle, unable to believe that the legendary treasure, which the powerful and influential Freemasons had been searching for over two centuries, was buried in her jurisdiction, and that the news came from Castle, of all people.
Castle had debated whether to tell Beckett that he had already entered the treasure-filled chamber the previous night. Ultimately, he chose not to. It wasn't because he wanted to deceive her or because she was any less important than Mozz, John, Fatty, or Bob. Rather, he didn't want Beckett to start questioning him more. Her infamous sixth sense was eerily accurate, and if she knew what Castle had been up to the night before, she might easily figure out something wasn't right—like how Castle had known the exact location of the treasure. Even the Freemasons, a powerful organization that essentially controlled the entire U.S., hadn't been able to pinpoint the treasure's location, so how had Castle figured it out after simply watching the news about Gates' theft?
Mozz and the others hadn't pressed him on the flimsy explanation he'd given because of their friendship or other reasons, but Beckett, as his girlfriend, wouldn't let it slide so easily.
After thinking about the potential uncontrollable consequences of coming clean, Castle decided to keep last night's activities to himself. It wasn't about respecting his girlfriend; it was about the risk of exposing his biggest secret to Beckett, who had an uncanny ability to sniff things out. To avoid that, it was better to keep her in the dark for now.
However, there was no issue with helping her capture Ben Gates, currently on the national wanted list. Castle assured Beckett that Gates would show up at Trinity Church in the next day or two, and suggested she prepare her team accordingly. Then, he moved on to a second matter: the upcoming U.S. presidential election. If things went as expected, Benjamin Arthur, the dark horse third candidate from the donkey party, was likely to snatch the presidency. Castle told Beckett he planned to invest in Arthur, and he hoped she would join him when they met this largely overlooked candidate, who had an 80% chance of becoming the next president.
Beckett was completely numb at this point. One minute Castle was talking about capturing a fugitive who had stolen the Declaration of Independence, and the next he was predicting that Benjamin Arthur—who wasn't even taken seriously by his own party—would become president. Was Castle delusional, or did he truly have that much faith in Arthur?
None of that really mattered. Right now, Beckett didn't want to guess whether Castle was being reckless or had a sudden flash of inspiration. Her attention was fully captured by the story of Gates, who was allegedly on the verge of discovering the long-lost Freemason treasure.
"Castle, are you sure that explorer Gates will come to Trinity Church? Why?" she asked.
Castle grinned mischievously. "After learning about the case, I looked into Trinity Church's history. It turns out the church was indeed used as a secret base by the Freemasons during the Revolutionary War. And as you know, churches—places guarded by clergy—were likely the safest locations during that time. So, if I'm right, there's a good chance the treasure is buried beneath the church."
His nonsense, which was actually the truth disguised as speculation, somehow convinced Beckett. After all, she had seen Castle's bizarre theories play out too many times before.
"I'll have my team in place near Trinity Church. As soon as Gates shows up, we'll capture him!" Beckett decided.
"No, no, no! You can't arrest him the moment he shows up. We need to let this amazing explorer find the Freemason treasure first. If Gates does locate the treasure under the church, it'll not only clear his name of stealing the Declaration, but it could also help you gain the favor of the Freemasons—which could be a huge advantage if you ever decide to go into politics! If you arrest him too early, he'll never have the chance to clear his name. There's no need for that; he's not a bad guy, just overly obsessed with the treasure. His family's been labeled as traitors for years. This treasure could finally help clear their name. So let him find it first, and you can follow him into the church. Once he's uncovered the treasure, you can make your move!"
Castle's words made Beckett give him an odd look, which made Castle feel uneasy.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked.
"I just feel like you're starting to give off some serious 'mastermind' vibes…" Beckett said.
Castle was momentarily stunned, but quickly recovered. "What mastermind? I'm just helping you plan a better career path, and this is the thanks I get?"
Beckett smiled sweetly at him. "Alright, don't be mad. I was just kidding. I was planning to go to Long Island tonight, but with this Gates situation, I guess I'll have to wait until after we deal with him."
Castle had known for a while that his girlfriend was the type to prioritize work over personal matters, so he wasn't upset. Besides, his estate currently had two shipping containers full of mysterious artifacts, so it was actually a good thing Beckett wouldn't be visiting today.
After wrapping up his business, Castle had no intention of sticking around the precinct. He wanted to head back to the estate and check out his loot from the previous night. While his personal storage was already packed, the items he had loaded into the containers were just as valuable.
With Neal and Mozz, two experts in historical artifacts, at the estate, it was a good idea to get their opinion on the treasures he had brought back from the hidden chamber.
Oh, and since he was already in Manhattan, he thought he might as well drop by the Continental Hotel and ask Winston for any news on Dr. Bailey and that Bakkawi guy, the one whose entire family had been wiped out by a U.S. drone strike and was now out for revenge...
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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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