In the detention room of the 12th Precinct, a couple was pouring their hearts out to each other.
Amy and Greg were handcuffed to one end of a bench. The distance made it impossible for them to hug each other. They could only hold hands with difficulty, but they were still inseparable.
"I shouldn't have agreed to your stupid idea. Now you're going to lose your freedom because of me. We can't even see each other once a week."
The girl Amy's eyes were red and swollen, and she didn't know how long she had been crying.
"Perhaps your story would have a different ending." Beckett's voice came from outside the detention room, and Jack and Cassel appeared with her.
Cassel smiled and waved the key in his hand at the two of them, then opened the iron door of the detention room. "A certain love saint said that if someone is willing to give up everything to rescue the one he loves from prison, then that must be true love.
True love is hard to find in this world, not to mention that Greg has repeatedly insisted that you are innocent, so he dragged me to the court to ask a friend to retrieve your file and the trial records at that time."
"The love saint or something like that refers to yourself, but I prefer to use the word playboy to describe you.
What I was saying was, what is the probability that an ordinary girl with no criminal record and a record of many minor collisions would become a pick-up driver for a robbery gang?"
Jack smiled and explained what he had dragged Cassel to do this afternoon. "I asked Assistant Prosecutor Ms. Irene Reagan to look at your file. According to her, this case does have many irregularities."
In fact, because they were meeting privately at the time, Irene was very blunt and called a certain public defender a waste.
"Your lawyer overlooked the absence of crucial evidence, even failing to exclude the eyewitness testimony from the clearly mentally ill homeless man.
Therefore, Assistant District Attorney Erin Regan is willing to reexamine your case and believes there's a good chance you'll be exonerated."
Jack's words filled the couple with joy. However, handcuffed to opposite ends of a stool, Greg could only hold Amy's hand and repeatedly kiss the back of it.
But the girl's delight didn't last more than three seconds before she began to worry again. "What about Greg?"
Planning and aiding a prison break was a serious offense, but fortunately, this was a federal offense, so everything was negotiable.
Castle smiled, "The kind assistant district attorney said that, out of the interest of justice, if you, Amy, are found not guilty, she'll negotiate with the judge and recommend probation for Greg."
Of course, he didn't mention that for this to happen, Amy would have to sign some sort of agreement, perhaps waiving certain compensation payments.
This was a minor test. Greg's love for her was real, but what about the other side?
Three years of unwarranted imprisonment would mean a substantial restitution bill. Whether Amy would be willing to trade this money and the corresponding silence for Greg's probation agreement remained an open question.
Everyone loves a fairytale ending, but reality often doesn't always go as planned. Jack handed Amy the power to write this ending, hoping she would live up to his hard work.
Of course, Jack wasn't the only one working hard; Cassel also had a heartfelt tribute.
"It's unfortunate that the state police arrested you from Burger King while you were reminiscing about your first encounter, so you'll have to make do with this until you leave the cell."
He revealed a paper tray hidden behind him and stepped forward to place it between the bench where they sat. On it was a paper bag with the Burger King logo and two Cokes.
Beckett, smiling in return, stepped forward, pulled out a key, unlocked their handcuffs, and moved them to a more comfortable position, allowing them closer proximity. He also offered them two pieces of gum.
"I hope this is a happy ending, after all Greg has done for her." Leaving the detention area, Castle was still a little worried, but his erratic thoughts quickly took a turn for the strange.
"Jack, if you were to be imprisoned, who would you choose to be with?"
"Clay, someone older you don't know well, some friends in California, but definitely not you, because we could easily find a way to escape, and you'd just give away our plans with your big mouth."
Jack shrugged, stating the cold, hard truth.
"Wow, this is so heartbreaking! A fake prison trip has shown me how hypocritical friendships can be." Castle looked hurt.
"Don't worry, Castle, I'll get you out." The beautiful detective trotted past the two.
The great writer stood there, stunned, watching Beckett's graceful back as she headed for the elevator.
What was this, a casual confession? Jack rubbed the goosebumps from his hand, feeling like he could keep enjoying the fun of these two people.
"What are you waiting for? Didn't we agree to go to Las Vegas together?" Beckett turned and smiled at the two of them.
What
had been envisioned as a trip to Las Vegas for just a few friends had turned into a rather large impromptu tour group.
Besides Jubal, who had stayed behind to be with his family, the rest of the Most Wanted team included Alexis and Cassel's fun-loving mother, Martha, along with Brian Mills and Kim, who had come all the way from Los Angeles.
Brian's work was quite busy these days. Besides protecting Leila, his focus had shifted to his newly established security company.
But this time, he was accompanying his daughter, Kim, to visit Alexis, a friend who had suffered with him in Paris, so naturally, he had to make time for it.
Due to delays in the case, the two Korean visitors, Ma Xidao and Jiang Zhentai, who were the main characters of this trip, had been waiting here all day. Fortunately, they had taken a full week off.
That night, two big winners emerged in a casino in Las Vegas. Two Korean tourists won more than two million US dollars in chips at a blackjack table.
Cassell, who had never won money in a Las Vegas casino, also followed Jack's suggestion and made a small profit.
The writer, in a good mood, treated everyone to a round of drinks in the bar attached to the casino and spent all the chips he won.
Perhaps because it was a group trip, no accidents happened. However, there are not many places to play in Las Vegas. Apart from the casino, there is only eating and drinking.
Three days passed in a flash. After seeing off the two Korean policemen who had "gained a lot" on this trip, Jack was thinking about whether to go to Los Angeles for a walk or go back to New York with his friends. A new case from the International Department came again.
(End of this chapter)