Castle's plan was simple. Although Captain Montgomery had already been confirmed for promotion to Deputy Commissioner of the NYPD, Castle knew that the captain, who had experienced a tough journey in the original series, would not mind accumulating a bit more merit. After all, even with the recent heroic image of averting chaos caused by Simon's group in New York leading to his promotion, which police officer would reject more commendations?
Castle suggested to Beckett that he would personally approach Captain Montgomery, leveraging the rapport they had built during the Simon incident. He would present the discovery of a significant smuggling and drug trafficking route from Hong Kong as a pretext. Offering Montgomery a major bust just before his promotion was an attractive proposition that Montgomery would likely not refuse.
Castle's idea also had a small, selfish motive. He knew that the only substantial evidence capable of toppling the powerful Senator William Bracken was in Montgomery's possession. Montgomery's complicated past with the corrupt cops within the precinct made it uncertain how he would react once Beckett began investigating Bracken. Castle intended to strengthen Montgomery's position with this significant achievement before any fallout occurred.
Moreover, Castle had abandoned his initial plan to persuade Montgomery to hand over the evidence of the corrupt cops. Instead, he now intended to enlist Neal, the master safe-cracker, to retrieve the crucial evidence from Montgomery's home safe. Castle had realized that this was no longer the TV show he had watched in his previous life but a real world where everyone acted out of self-interest.
In the show, Montgomery had died protecting Beckett during a shootout with his former corrupt colleagues. However, in this altered reality, Montgomery was set to be promoted to Deputy Commissioner. Would he still protect Beckett, or would he prioritize his new position?
Castle decided not to test whether Montgomery was purely a good person. The implicit understanding they had reached during the Simon incident suggested Montgomery was ambitious. Thus, Castle abandoned the idea of directly confronting Montgomery and instead planned to have Neal help him. Neal, constrained by his anklet during the Vincent operation, might appreciate the opportunity to be useful. This private matter would not only help Castle secure the evidence but also give Neal a chance to feel appreciated.
Friendships thrive on mutual support. Castle had helped Neal reunite with Kate, and although Neal had never explicitly repaid him, his gratitude was evident. Mozzie had often complained about this imbalance, and now was the perfect opportunity to correct it. Conveniently, Montgomery's residence was within Neal's permissible range, making it an ideal solution to achieve two goals.
Castle's suggestion to Beckett was to have him approach Montgomery, presenting the case of discovering a secret drug smuggling route from Afghanistan through Hong Kong to New York. He would propose assigning this case to Beckett, who was poised to take over Montgomery's position. This way, Beckett could demonstrate her capability to the higher-ups, ensuring her a commendable record as a highly effective officer. Given Montgomery's favor towards Beckett as his trusted subordinate, and not foreseeing the potential repercussions, he might indeed hand the case to her.
This strategy would ensure Beckett was not overstepping her bounds by investigating drug crimes outside her department's jurisdiction. Instead, she would be acting on the captain's authorization, adhering to the proper procedure. Solving the case would bring credit to Montgomery as well, enhancing his reputation before his promotion. There was no reason for Montgomery to refuse such an arrangement.
Once Castle laid out the intricacies of the plan to Beckett, she realized it was her best option. Compared to covertly investigating drug dealers against police regulations, this approach provided her with institutional support and avoided any legal pitfalls. The meticulousness of American law, with its reliance on the principle of "innocent until proven guilty," made it crucial to avoid any procedural errors that could jeopardize the case in court.
Castle's proposal was indeed perfect.
As expected, when Castle went upstairs to discuss with Montgomery, it took less than fifteen minutes for him to return, beaming with Montgomery's approval of the plan.
With her superior's authorization, Beckett had no more reservations. She immediately called Esposito and Kevin, instructing them to meet her downstairs and join Castle in apprehending Johnny Wong, the first link in the smuggling chain.
Esposito and Kevin, surprised by the seemingly minor target of their operation—a low-level scammer—didn't question Beckett's orders. They followed Beckett and Castle to a downtown studio, where Johnny Wong, posing as a marketing guru with a peculiar accent, was recording his show.
Following Beckett's instructions, Esposito and Kevin swiftly apprehended Johnny Wong in front of the studio audience. Wong, an essential cog in the drug smuggling operation from Afghanistan to New York, was taken back to the precinct.
Montgomery, busy at the precinct, was astonished to find that within an hour of discussing the plan with Castle, Beckett had already captured the suspect. He couldn't help but envy Beckett for having such a resourceful partner like Castle. Montgomery had realized after the Simon incident that Castle had a formidable intelligence network within New York, which would continually supply Beckett with valuable information. This made Montgomery envious and bitter. Why couldn't he have someone as effective as Castle?
Damn, this was discrimination! He was just older and darker-skinned. The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he became. Well, as Castle had suggested, he should capitalize on his remaining time as the captain of the 12th precinct, accumulating as much credit as possible. After all, as Deputy Commissioner, he would likely handle more administrative duties, away from the action.
Johnny Wong, bewildered, sat in the interrogation room. He had no idea why the police had brought him in. In the studio, the strikingly beautiful policewoman had vaguely mentioned his involvement in a case but hadn't specified that he was under arrest. Consequently, Wong couldn't request a lawyer, as he was there to assist with an investigation, not under arrest.
Soon, Beckett and Castle entered the interrogation room. Following Castle's coaching, Beckett opened with a statement that startled Wong: "We know you've been using those DVDs shipped from Hong Kong to New York to secretly transport heroin from Afghanistan for Nick Coonan. Don't think you can get away with it. Your only choice now is to cooperate with the police..."
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