As expected, Castle was met with complaints from his beloved daughter upon returning home. However, when Castle truthfully explained that he was helping Beckett investigate the murder of her mother from ten years ago, the sensible Alexis immediately let go of her grievances. Adhering to his usual practice of not hiding things from his daughter, Castle also shared his ongoing plan to take down Vincent, the mastermind behind the biggest Ponzi scheme on Wall Street. Treating Alexis as an equal adult, rather than a typical child, was Castle's consistent approach to parenting, contributing significantly to Alexis's maturity at such a young age.
"Wow, Dad, are you serious? That submarine Vincent Adler is salvaging is really loaded with precious art pieces looted by Hitler's men during World War II? I'd love to see it!"
Red-haired Alexis might have inherited her artistic genes from her mother, Meredith, since Castle certainly didn't possess them. Busy cooking dinner for his daughter in the kitchen, the not-so-reliable father simply smiled at her enthusiasm. He made no promises to show her the submarine's contents, as it was still underwater and had not been salvaged yet. Only after successfully retrieving the artifacts from the cunning Vincent might he consider picking out some unobtrusive pieces as mementos for Alexis.
"Dad, you mentioned you're helping Beckett investigate her mother's murder from ten years ago. Any leads?"
Castle, multitasking in the kitchen, replied to his daughter while also taking the opportunity to boast a bit. "Of course! With someone as capable as your dad on the case, how could there be no leads? We arrested a suspect today thanks to my intel…"
"Really? Tell me more, Dad…" Alexis moved from the living room to the kitchen, eager to hear the details while watching her father cook.
Castle, who had never understood the concept of 'secrecy,' began recounting the story, "This started with Beckett's mother investigating a corruption case involving dirty cops… Then, her mother was assassinated in an alley. For some reason, the coroner ruled all four cases as random robberies. When I teamed up with Beckett, I learned about this… I previously mentioned meeting New York's chief medical examiner, Dr. Henry Morgan, right? After some suspicion, I secretly copied Beckett's mother's case file and the forensic report. With Dr. Morgan's help, I found out there were four cases with similar methods and wounds…"
Hearing this, Alexis couldn't help but admire her father's audacity and also felt a sense of disdain. "You investigated Beckett's mother's case without her permission? Didn't she get mad at you when she found out?"
Castle, thick-skinned as ever, was used to his daughter's disdain. From a young age, Alexis had often looked at him with such eyes. He replied without turning around, proudly, "Ha, by the time she found out, I had almost cracked the case. When I told her I found the killer, do you think she'd care about my little trespass?"
Alexis rolled her eyes at her shameless father, left speechless.
Ignoring Alexis's reaction, Castle continued, "So, she entrusted me with the secret investigation, and I didn't let her down. This morning, I found the first lead…"
In truth, Castle's story to Alexis was incomplete. For instance, he didn't mention that this case would eventually lead him and Beckett to confront a New York State senator. Castle couldn't reasonably explain his foreknowledge and didn't want his daughter to know that his ultimate goal was to take down a sitting senator. Thus, he had to be vague in some areas, just enough to satisfy his daughter's curiosity.
After dinner, Alexis, ever the diligent student, went upstairs to study, leaving Castle some private time. He planned to follow Gianna's advice from the morning and outline the tasks Beckett needed his help with next. During this time, he received a call from Moz, informing him not to worry about Vincent's activities at sea. Moz, after discussing with Neal, had returned to the D'Antonio family estate on Long Island to monitor Vincent's salvage operations with Harry.
Moz had learned of Castle's whereabouts from Gianna and understood his reasons for helping Beckett. Thus, he assured Castle to focus on earning Beckett's goodwill, leaving the rest to them.
Having organized his 'work' plans, Castle slipped out early the next morning, after preparing breakfast for Alexis, and headed to the precinct. The previous day, Beckett had to discuss with the DA about handling Johnny Wong's cooperation, so Castle hadn't been involved in the later proceedings. Now, he needed to reassure Beckett, who was eager to arrest Nick Connan immediately and get him to confess to the murders, including her mother's.
Castle believed it wasn't the right time for a large-scale operation. Since Johnny Wong was already in custody and under witness protection, they should methodically gather intelligence and evidence before making a move. Acting rashly, as Beckett wanted, might only alert Connan. Castle persuaded her not to deploy a large force to arrest Connan that day, finally relieving Beckett.
With Johnny Wong's warehouse search yielding a significant haul of hidden white powder, Beckett needed to coordinate the case with the narcotics officers. Moreover, since Johnny Wong had been on the FBI and DEA's radar, Beckett had no time to focus on Connan's immediate capture. She needed to liaise with these agencies.
Satisfied that Beckett wouldn't act impulsively, Castle decided to visit Neal. He hadn't chatted with Neal for a while, and with Vincent actively salvaging the submarine, Castle felt it was a good time to discuss their plans as 'partners' in this endeavor. Moreover, Castle hoped Neal could help retrieve the crucial evidence from Montgomery's safe, which the late Montgomery had used to blackmail his corrupt colleagues to protect Beckett.
Having fired the first shot against the ultimate villain, William Bracken, Castle knew they needed the evidence safely in hand. If those dirty cops discovered Montgomery's leverage, they might kill him and destroy the evidence, endangering their entire case. Castle wanted to secure the evidence discreetly before it was too late.
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