[Castle’s Loft : Castle, Martha and Alexis]
[Castle playing pilot with a remote control helicopter.]
Castle : (on radio) Sector six maverick. This is your captain up and on the mount. Listen up, ladies and gentlemen, our fugitive has been on the run for 90 minutes. We're in the pipes. Let's keep our feet dry this time. Jungle Radio. This is One Delta Bravo. Eyes on suspect. Requesting backup. Over. Requesting permission to deploy laser activated radioactive immobilizer.
Martha : [Martha getting frustrated.]Permission denied. Really, Richard, I have all of these new lines to learn before my play goes into rehearsal.
Castle : I'm going in.
Martha : If that comes any closer, you're going to have Black Hawk Down on your hands. Oh!
[Castle lands the helicopter on her table. Alexis enters.]
Alexis : What's all this?
Castle : Official police tactical training.
Alexis : Oh, hey, Dad, did you get a chance to sign that permission slip I gave you the other day?
Castle : Haven't you learned to forge my signature yet?
Alexis : Credit cards, yes. Permission slips, no. It's for my civics class. Every student has a three-day volunteer internship at one of the city's agencies, law enforcement, sanitation, fire.
Martha : I'll go with fire. They have the best calendars.
Alexis : I went with law enforcement. Detective Beckett already said it's cool if I volunteer down at the station.
Castle : Oh, well, as a member of the NYPD volunteer squad, I would be happy to show you the ropes.
Alexis : Actually, Detective Beckett is giving me my orientation course tomorrow morning.
Castle : Then I would be honored to carpool with you or share a cab.
Alexis : Mmm.
Castle : [Castle's cell rings.]Castle.
[Apartment Garbage Room : Beckett, Castle, Lanie and Ryan]
Lanie : Prelim suggests victim died of a single gunshot wound to the chest at close range.
Beckett : Any signs of struggle?
Lanie : Contusions coming up, here and here. But it's likely a result of his tumble down the trash chute
Castle : [Castle makes a nasally sound and Lanie and Beckett shoot him a look. He's plugging his nose.] What?
Beckett : What are you doing?
Castle : Well, I can't breathe through my nose. I happen to have a very acute sense of smell.
Beckett : Suck it up, Castle. Real cops deal with worse.
Lanie : Yeah, not to mention medical examiners. Do you know how long I have to shower before heading out on a date?
Castle : No, but if you need someone to time it for you I'd be happy to h...
Ryan : Found it! [Ryan's arm pops out of a dumpster holding a wallet. He climbs out.] It must've fallen out of his jacket on the way down.
Beckett : Yep, that's our guy. Alright, the name is Sam Parker. And the driver's license has his address placed in Connecticut.
Ryan : [Ryan's cell rings.] Maybe he's visiting someone in the building.
Castle : You mean dropping by.
Ryan : (on cell) Ryan here. Thanks, bro. (hangs up) Esposito's up on 15. Says he found out where our guy was shot.
Beckett : Alright. Let's go.
[Apartment, 15Th Floor : Beckett, Castle, Esposito and Ryan]
Esposito : From the blood spatter, our guy was shot right here. Then he was shoved head-first down the chute.
Castle : A killer who cleans up after himself. Very American Psycho.
Beckett : He probably wanted to get out of the building unnoticed. Figured that the dumpster wouldn't be emptied for a couple of days.
Esposito : He didn't count on a tenant on the seventh floor, *cough* a hottie *cough*, seeing the body drop as she threw out her pizza box.
Castle : Is she distraught? Because I can be very comforting.
Beckett : CSUs?
Esposito : Team's on its way.
Ryan : Neighbors didn't hear the shot.
Esposito : Ah. [Esposito picks up a plastic bottle.] Poor man's silencer. Must've picked it up from this pile here and then thrown it back when he was done.
Castle : Resourceful.
Beckett : How did a clean-cut, suburban guy end up this far from home, dead and thrown out with the trash?
[Police Department, Break Room : Beckett, Castle, Esposito and Ryan]
[Castle makes a specialty coffee for Beckett.]
Castle : Are you ready? Here we go. I know Alexis already talked to you. I just wanted to make sure that you're really okay with having here.
Beckett : I wouldn't have said yes if I wasn't.
Castle : Well, yeah, but you're busy, and I just don't want her to be in the way.
Beckett : Big Castle is the one who likes to get in the way. I'm sure Little Castle will be a pleasure.
[Castle and Beckett arrive at her desk. Ryan and Esposito enter.]
Esposito : Sam Parker, age 38. Lives in Connecticut with his wife Helen and his two kids.
Ryan : Wife's en route to the morgue to ID the body.
Esposito : We contacted the leasing office, and they don't have a Sam Parker listed as a tenant.
Beckett : So, he probably was visiting someone.
Ryan : Uniforms are canvassing. No hits yet. CSU's working to untangle the prints, but since it's a common room, there's probably dozens of them. However, the chute handle, doorknob, and soda bottle were all wiped clean.
Beckett : Alright, let's go visit the wife at the morgue. Maybe she can tell us what he was doing in the city tonight.
Castle : And if she doesn't know, that tells us something, too.
Ryan : Mm-hmm.
Castle : [Castle holds his specialty coffee out to Ryan.] Can you...
Ryan : Fresh. And hot, and hot, and hot. [Ryan puts the cup down on the desk.]
Esposito : He doesn't make me coffee.
[Police Department, Autopsy Room : Beckett, Castle, Sarah Reed, Helen Parker and Morgue Assistant]
[Castle and Beckett walk down the hallway before they reach the morgue.]
Castle : You okay?
Beckett : This is never easy, no matter how much experience you have.]
[They enter.]
Sarah Reed : Oh, my God.
Beckett : I'm Detective Kate Beckett. I'm with the NYPD. I'm very sorry for your loss.
Sarah Reed : Do you have any idea who did this?
Beckett : We are doing everything we can to figure that out.
[A morgue assistant enters with another upset woman.]
Beckett : Excuse me, we're in the middle of an identification.
Morgue Assistant : That's why she's here.
Beckett : And you are?
Helen Parker : I'm here to identify my husband. Oh, my God.
Beckett : Excuse me? Your husband? (to Sarah) What's your relation to the victim?
Sarah Reed : I'm his fiancée.
Helen Parker : I'm sorry. What did you just say?
Sarah Reed : I'm his fiancée.
Castle : (whispers) Dude, you are so busted.
[OPENING]
[Police Department : Beckett, Castle and Montgomery]
[Beckett discusses the situation with Castle. Sarah Reed sits in an interview lounge while Helen Parker sits in another across the hall.]
Beckett : (whisper) I don't know how to get the two of them out of here.
Castle : (whisper)I'm just...
Montgomery : [Montgomery approaches.] Is that our vic's wife?
Beckett : Fiancée.
Castle : The wife is over there.
Montgomery : Come again?
Beckett : Fiancée.
[Beckett and Castle tip their heads to the left.]
Montgomery : Mm-hmm.
Beckett : Wife.
[They tip their heads to the right.]
Montgomery : Hmm. Oh, boy.
Castle : I know, isn't it delicious? Okay, who do we talk to first?
Beckett : Hmm? [Beckett nods to the fiancée. Castle agrees.]
Beckett : Okay.
[Police Department, Interview Room : Beckett, Castle and Sarah Reed]
Beckett : I know this is difficult, Miss Reed, but if we could ask you a few questions.
[Sarah nods.]
Beckett : How long did you know Mr. Parker?
Sarah Reed : Parker?
Beckett : Sam.
Sarah Reed : His name's Jake. Jake Holland.
Beckett : Um... [Beckett opens her file.] According to his driver's license, it's Sam Parker.
Sarah Reed : It was all a lie? Even his name?
Beckett : Where did the two of you meet?
Sarah Reed : At work. A girlfriend of mine said that there was this great guy in her department, and did I want to meet him.
Castle : And when did you two last speak?
Sarah Reed : This afternoon. He called to say he was on his way back to the city. His father is in the hospital upstate. He has late stage Alzheimer's, and Jake would drive up to see him every... I'm so stupid. He was spending the weekends with his wife.
Beckett : So, you were intending to see him tonight?
Sarah Reed : We were going to get takeout and watch a movie. A neighbor stopped me in the hallway and told me that the police had been there. But when I called, nobody could tell me anything. I-- I guess now I know why.
Beckett : Because we ID'd him as Sam Parker.
Sarah Reed : Somebody at the morgue confirmed that a body had been picked up at his address, so I went down there. [She looks down at her ring.] When he proposed, I told my best friend, and she was all, "You've only known him six months." But I didn't care. He was the one. How could he do this?
[Police department, Interview Room : Beckett, Castle and Helen Parker]
Helen Parker : This is insane. Who is this woman? Sam would never. He... He loved me. Our kids meant everything to him.
Beckett : Apparently there was more to it than just the affair, Mrs. Parker.
Castle : Your husband was using a false name at his job.
Helen Parker : Well, I don't understand. Why would he do that?
Beckett : We're still trying to figure that out. But from what we understand, he met Miss Reed at his office.
Helen Parker : H-- he started there about six months ago. He'd been passed over for a promotion at his old firm. There are not a lot of opportunities in green solutions, so he took the job, even though it was in the city.
Castle : Green solutions, as in environmentally conscious?
Helen Parker : He did corporate consulting. How to reduce waste, save energy. It was a passion of his.
Castle : It's very commendable.
Helen Parker : Well, all that working and commuting were running him ragged, so he found a cheap sublet. It was hard, but if it all worked out, we were going to move down to the city so that we could all be together.
Beckett : Mrs. Parker, did you have any idea that your husband was having an affair?
Helen Parker : I know what you're thinking. Why didn't I notice the signs? We have two children together.We do not have a nanny, so every second of every minute of my day is about my kids. And if there was an issue, I'd call Sam on his cell phone, and he would always answer. I never, never thought I'd be sitting here justifying my marriage.
[Police Department : Beckett, Castle, Esposito and Ryan]
Castle : With the wife, it was "Only call my cell during the week" routine. With the fiancée, he pulled out the trust "I can't call you from the hospital" act.
Ryan : Man, my girlfriend freaks out if I don't check in, like, every hour.
Esposito : You do check in, like, every hour.
[Ryan's cell rings, and he picks it up.]
Esposito : Sometimes more.
Castle : This guy had both of these women believing that they were his one and only.
Beckett : People believe what they want to believe.
Esposito : Till the dead truth sets in.
Castle : What, you think one of them caught on to what Sam was doing?
Ryan : And didn't take too kindly when they discovered they weren't the only woman in his life.
Castle : Mmm. I don't know. They seemed pretty shocked to me.
Beckett : Yeah, to me, too, but we've got to cover all of our bases. Both of them had soft alibis. The wife said that she was watching TV while the kids were upstairs sleeping. And the fiancée said that she was home alone getting ready to meet him.
Ryan : We'll run phone and financials, see if anything pops.
Beckett : Thank you. [Castle's sitting on Ryan's desk.]
Ryan : Could I run...?
Castle : Right. [Castle gets off and follows Beckett]
Beckett : Do you think he would've gone through with it?
Castle : Through with what?
Beckett : Marrying Sarah if he hadn't gotten killed.
Castle : Well, that was a pretty big rock he put on her finger. With the fake identity he had set up, the county clerk's office never would have flagged him for someone who was already married.
Beckett : Yeah, but Sam was pretending to be Jake before he met Sarah. I don't understand the fake identity.
Castle : Maybe to land the job?
Beckett : I understand fibbing on your resume, but changing your identity? The math doesn't quite add up for me.
Castle : You know what math doesn't add up for me?
Beckett : Mmm.
Castle : Two wives.
Beckett : One wife too many for you?
Castle : Two wives too many.
Beckett : Seems like the common denominator in that equation is you.
[Castle’s Loft : Castle, Alexis and Martha]
[Castle makes a turkey wrap for Alexis in the kitchen.]
Castle : Good news. I'm finally embracing the lecture you gave me on the importance of organic food.
Alexis : You made my lunch?
Castle : You think I'm gonna let you risk your life on the vending machines and stale donuts of the break r... [He turns around and sees Alexis's outfit.]
Castle : Wow.
Alexis : What?
Castle : You look so grown up.
Alexis : Really?
Castle : Really.
Alexis : Well, Gram said presentation is vital.
Castle : Well...
Alexis : I forgot my phone. [Alexis runs up the stairs.]
Castle : That ever happen to you with me? One day you look, and you see your boy is all grown up?
Martha : I'm still waiting for that moment, actually.
Castle : I set you up for that, didn't I?
[Police Department, Property Room : Beckett and Alexis]
[Beckett gives Alexis a tour of the station.]
Beckett : Okay, so this is the property room. It's where we keep all the items that we find at a crime scene that aren't classified as evidence.
Alexis : Sort of like a lost and found?
Beckett : Um, sort of.
Alexis : Why don't the victims' families claim this stuff?
Beckett : Well, loved ones are aware of the big ticket items, like rings and watches. But things like sunglasses and lighters, those usually go unclaimed.
Alexis : Are these case numbers?
Beckett : Exactly, so the idea is to get rid of all of this stuff and stick it into storage. But before we do that, we have to catalog it, just in case someone comes in with a claim.
Alexis : Okay, so you need a description of every item along with its corresponding case number downloaded into the database.
Beckett : Mm-hmm. And I know that this isn't exactly what you were thinking of when you asked to volunteer, but we're low on manpower, and this would be very helpful.
Alexis : Don't worry about it. This place is gonna be so organized when I'm done, you won't even recognize it.
Beckett : I bet I won't.
Alexis : Detective Beckett?
Beckett : Huh?
Alexis : I know my dad can sometimes be a handful. And by sometimes, I mean all the time. But I wanna let you know you don't have to worry about me. I'm all about getting the job done.
[Police department : Beckett, Castle, Esposito, Ryan and Montgomery]
[Castle waits for Beckett. Beckett meets Montgomery on her way down the hall.]
Montgomery : Beckett.
Beckett : Sir.
Castle : Well?
Beckett : Alexis? She's fine.
Castle : You know, her first day at preschool, I hid outside in the bushes all day just to make sure she was all right.
Montgomery : First time my son went to summer camp, I followed the bus all the way to the Adirondacks.
[Castle and Montgomery laugh]
Beckett : You two are both either very sweet or very creepy.
[Ryan and Esposito join them in the bullpen.]
Esposito : Super let us into Sam Parker's apartment.
Ryan : Jake Holland's apartment.
Esposito : Same guy, bro.
Ryan : Yeah, just trying to keep it straight for everybody.
Esposito : Anyway, there were no signs of a struggle, and Sam's bag was...
Ryan : Jake's bag.
Esposito : Wes still sitting by the door from when he came home from visiting his family in Connecticut.
Ryan : Which explains why we found the Sam Parker wallet on him when he was killed, as opposed to this one we found in his dresser.
Castle : Jake Holland's wallet.
Ryan : It's got his driver's license with his New York address, work ID, the whole shebang. [Ryan pulls out a framed photo of the victim and the fiancée.]
Castle : Oh, please tell me that's the old double-sided picture frame gag.
Ryan : Lovely fiancée which can easily be swapped out for the wife and kids, should they ever visit Daddy in the big city.
Esposito : Big news is we found this sitting on the kitchen counter. [He holds up a phone.] There's a voicemail you're gonna want to hear.
Man : (on voicemail) I'm not going to let you get away with this, you worthless piece of trash. If you don't call me back tonight, then my next call is to Helen.
Castle : Someone caught on to Sam's double life.
Ryan : We ran the number. Belongs to one Charles DePetro.
Beckett : DePetro? That's his wife's maiden name. It's hyphenated on her driver's license.
Esposito : Mmm-hmm. Charlie is Helen's brother.
Beckett : He found out what Sam was up to.
Castle : And decided to take out the trash.
[Police Department, Interrogation Room: Beckett, Castle and Charlie DePreto]
Beckett : Mr. DePetro, I can understand the instinct of protection.
Castle : If I had a sister, and her husband was cheating on her, I'd want to set him straight, too.
Charlie DePetro : That's not why I left the message.
Beckett : Did you know that Sam was cheating on Helen?
Charlie DePetro : Not until she called me last night and told me he'd been killed.
Beckett : Then what did you mean when you said, "I won't let you get away with this"?
Charlie DePetro : He owed me money.
Castle : So, Sam borrowed money from you?
Charlie DePetro : Twenty Gs. He needed it to cover the mortgage. They'd already borrowed against the equity in the house.
Beckett : And what was the arrangement?
Charlie DePetro : He said he needed a couple months. And when he started the new job in the city, I figured he'd be making more dough.
Beckett : Helen didn't know about this?
Charlie DePetro : He didn't want her to worry. And as long as he paid me back, I said it's be our secret.
Castle : And did he pay any of it back?
Charlie DePetro : Not a cent. He kept saying he was pulling in less money. I thought he was lying. Why take the job that far from home and force Helen to deal with the kids on her own? Comes out now, he wasn't doing it for his family. He wanted the freedom to cheat on my sister.
[Police Department : Beckett, Castle, Esposito and Ryan]
Ryan : Brother's alibi checked out. He was working late when Sam/Jake was shot.
Beckett : Any word on Parker's financials?
Ryan : Yeah, they were a paycheck away from defaulting on their mortgage.
Castle : You know, the brother said that Sam was pulling in less money at his new job. If Sam was strapped for cash, why would he quit the job he had to take one that paid less?
Ryan : Didn't his wife say he was passed over for a promotion? Maybe it was a pride thing.
Castle : Yeah, but you factor in the sublet, not to mention gas, that's a high price to pay for pride.
Beckett : Yeah, well, never underestimate the fragility of the male ego.
Ryan : Oh, see, that's just a stereotype...
Castle : Don't. Don't. That's... She is baiting us, alright? Just ignore her, and she'll lose her witchy powers.
Beckett : You wish. Alright, let's go off to Parker's office.
[They stand up and Beckett stops to look for something.]
Castle : Lose something?
Beckett : Um... Where-- where, um.... where's my broom?
Castle : [Castle laughs sarcastically.] I was looking.
Ryan : Yeah.
Beckett : Yeah?
Ryan : For the record, I did not.
[New York Recycle, Office : Beckett, Castle and Lance Garlberg]
Lance Carlberg : I don't know. Maybe I should've seen it. His resume was almost too good to be true. Top of his class at Berkley, Stanford Business School. He must've really needed this job to lie so bad.
Castle : So, there's no other reason you can think of as to why he lied?
Lance Carlberg : No.
Beckett : When you hired him, did you look into any of his references?
Lance Carlberg : Of course I did, Detective. I called them all myself. And I got nothing but glowing recommendations.
Castle : For a guy who didn't exist.
Beckett : I'd like to take a look at a copy of his resume, if you still have it.
Lance Carlberg : I'll have human resources e-mail it over to you.
Beckett : Uh, before we go, did you know that Mr. Parker was romantically involved with one of your employees?
Lance Carlberg : Sarah, yeah, she's one of my best engineers.
Castle : Ever notice any drama there? Drunken fighting at an office party, that sort of thing?
Lance Carlberg : No. Never. They actually seemed like a pretty solid couple. And she must be going through hell right now.
[Police Department : Beckett, Castle, Esposito and Ryan]
Operator : We're sorry. The number you have reached is not in service. Please check the number, or try your call ag...
Beckett : [Beckett hangs up the phone.] That's the last one.
Esposito : Every single reference he gave is suddenly out of service?
Ryan : When, according to his boss, they were all up and running six months ago?
Castle : So, who was answering the dummy lines?
Beckett : Let's get a warrant for all these numbers. I'd like to know who they were registered to.
Esposito : Okay.
Beckett : This guy went to some pretty serious lengths to get this job.
Castle : They must have amazing dental.
[Police Department, Property Room : Beckett, Castle and Alexis]
[Beckett and Castle check on Alexis who is doing inventory. Alexis puts a set of false teeth in a bag.]
Alexis : Ew.
Castle : I don't know where you got this work ethic, but it certainly was not from me.
Beckett : How'd it going?
Alexis : Pretty good. The computer was a little glitchy at first, but that's because no one had run a software update in, like, two years. Plus it picked up some viruses I had to zap.
Beckett : I am realizing that you are way over-qualified for this job.
Castle : Told you she was a smarty.
Alexis : But I do have one question. Like you said before, most of the items here are pretty junky and meaningless. I did find this, though. [Alexis hands Beckett a photo album.]
Castle : Oh! It's a brag book. So you can brag about your kids. I used to have one in my wallet. Now, it's on my phone.
Alexis : Some of the pictures are really old. Like, they're one of a kind. It seems like something worth returning, only it wasn't tagged or anything.
Beckett : Yeah, but the problem is, is without a case number, it's difficult to find out who the victim was and how to get this back to the family.
Alexis : Okay, so then it just goes in the storage box, right?
Beckett : I'll tell you what. I'll give you a list of all the detectives who possibly worked this case. Show them the pictures, maybe it'll strike up a memory.
Castle : Only, don't bother them if they seem busy.
Beckett : You're one to talk.
Alexis : Thanks so much.
Beckett : [Beckett's cell rings.]Mm-hmm. Excuse me. Beckett.
Castle : Hmm. What's this?
Alexis : [Alexis grabs Castle's hand to stop him from fiddling.] Dad.
Beckett : (on cell) Okay. I'll be right there. (hangs up) The fiancée's here. She wants to talk.
Castle : Have fun.
[Police Department, Interview Room : Beckett, Castle and Sarah Reed]
Sarah Reed : I knew she looked familiar at the morgue, but I couldn't place it at first.
Beckett : So, you're saying that last night wasn't the first time you had seen Helen Parker?
Sarah Reed : Well, there was something about her face. And then it hit me. I had seen her in front of Jake's apartment a couple weeks ago.
Castle : Was she leaving the building?
Sarah Reed : No. She was sitting in her car across the street.
Beckett : And you're sure it was Helen Parker?
Sarah Reed : I'm sure of it now.
Castle : A positive identification from all the way across the street in a car?
Sarah Reed : I made a note of it because the way she was staring at me was creepy. Like she was sizing me up.
Beckett : Miss Reed, the past 24 hours have been overwhelming, to say the least.
Castle : It's not uncommon for witnesses' memories to be confused after a traumatic event.
Beckett : We just need to be absolutely sure.
Sarah Reed : Look, I know what I saw. she was sitting in a silver hybrid staring at the front of the building.
Beckett : And did you tell your fiancée about this?
Sarah Reed : No. At the time, I just dismissed it. But now... It makes me wonder if I'm the only person in the whole situation who didn't know what was really going on.
[In Front Of Parker’s House : Beckett and Castle]
[Castle and Beckett pull up to the Parkers' house in Connecticut. They look at the car in the driveway.]
Beckett : Silver hybrid.
Castle : I guess Helen did know about her husband's affair.
Beckett : That'd be a pretty strong motive.
[Parker’s House : Beckett, Castle and Helen Parker]
Helen Parker : You came all this way because she told you some crazy story about me being parked outside the apartment.
Beckett : Mrs. Parker, we have to take every lead seriously.
Helen Parker : Did you ever think that maybe she made this up to take the attention off of herself?
Castle : She was specific about your car.
Helen Parker : A silver hybrid? That's-- that's like saying somebody was wearing black shoes.
Beckett : That still doesn't answer the question.
Helen Parker : No. In the six months Sam had the apartment, I never went there.
Castle : You never popped down just once for a date night? I mean, Connecticut's not that far a drive.
Helen Parker : Well, when you have two children under the age of ten, popping down for date night midweek is nearly impossible. Sam only came home every weekend, and I would see him then.
Beckett : Okay. Well, we just needed to check. It's possible that Miss Reed was mistaken.
Helen Parker : Did it ever occur to you that maybe she was the one that knew he was lying?
Beckett : We're considering every scenario.
Helen Parker : We got a lot of hang-ups last month. Do you think that's a coincidence?
Beckett : Did you tell Sam about it?
Helen Parker : I did. He said it was telemarketers, but it-- it was her.
Beckett : How can you be sure?
Helen Parker : I know she has out phone number. She's called since Sam was killed.
Castle : Sarah called you?
Helen Parker : She called about the funeral details. Can you believe that? If she thinks she's gonna show her face here, she is sadly mistaken.
Beckett : Was that the only time you heard from Sarah?
Helen Parker : No. She-- she called this morning and left some ridiculous message about getting things back from Sam that she had given him. And then, on and on about some pen that had been her grandfather's... We were married for ten years and eight months. If she thinks that her six-month affair can hold a candle to that... I'm not giving her anything.
[Police Department : Beckett, Castle, Esposito and Ryan]
Castle : That was a long drive. I can see why he got the apartment in the city.
Esposito : So, I did some background on Parker's job situation. Turns out that his old employer, Connecticut Solutions, has been circling the drain. Over the last couple of years, they've lost half their market share to his new employer, New York Recycle.
Beckett : Sounds like Sam was abandoning a sinking ship.
Castle : To join the winning team.
Esposito : Supposedly, New York Recycle came up with some new technology that turned out to be a game changer. Apparently, these two CEOs have been major rivals from day one.
Castle : Like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, Kobe and LeBron, Jolie and Aniston.
Beckett : We get the picture. Rivals.
Castle : Yes. My point was maybe that's why Sam faked his resume. He didn't think that New York Recycle would hire him if they knew he was from Connecticut Solutions.
Beckett : Well, that makes sense.
Castle : Thank you.
Ryan : (laughs on the phone) You're kidding me! Uh, thank you. You've been very helpful. (hangs up) Hey, the warrants just came through on the numbers on Sam's resume. His references' phone numbers, they're all billed and registered to Connecticut Solutions, his old firm.
Beckett : Okay, why would they set up dummy phone lines and give phony recommendations?
Castle : They wanted Sam to get hired.
Beckett : He wasn't passed over for promotion. He was planted at New York Recycle as a corporate spy.
[New York recycle, Office : Beckett, Castle and Lance Carlberg]
Lance Carlberg : I'm sorry. I'm just trying to get my head around this idea. I mean, this is the guy who organized the potato sack race at the Labor Day picnic.
Beckett : Well, there's considerable circumstantial evidence that he was planted here by his former employer. We just don't have the proof yet.
Lance Carlberg : Obviously, no on e wants to get to the bottom of this more than I do, so you'll have our complete cooperation.
Castle : What do you think Connecticut Solutions was after?
Lance Carlberg : Well, it's our battery recycling technology. I'm sure you both know you're not supposed to dump your batteries in with your trash. Now batteries need to be disposed of properly, or else the acids and the heavy metals will leach out int...
Castle : And get into the water table.
Lance Carlberg : Exactly, yes. The problem is, storing battery sludge can be quite expensive. But we've figured out a way to actually recycle the stuff.
Castle : So, when you bid on a contract to haul away old batteries, you can do it cheaper.
Beckett : Which is why Connecticut Solutions lost half of its market share to you.
Lance Carlberg : Bottom line is they can't compete.
Castle : Was Sarah Reed on the team of engineers that developed that technology?
Lance Carlberg : Yeah. That's right.
Castle : That's probably why Sam Parker went out of his way to romance her. For access. It's pretty smart.
Lance Carlberg : Pardon me, but don't you mean despicable?
Castle : The two aren't mutually exclusive.
Beckett : Would you mind if our forensic IT team took a look at Sarah's computer and Sam's/Jake's as well? They should be able to tell us whether your security was compromised, and whether he got a hold of anything proprietary.
Lance Carlberg : Anything we can do to help.
[New York Recycle : Beckett, Castle and Sarah Reed]
Beckett : (on cell) Okay, thanks. (hangs up) Forensic IT's taken possession of Sarah and Sam's computers.
Castle : You know, there's a lot of corporate secrets I can see sending a spy to steal, but all thisskulking around for some battery sludge?
Beckett : Well, like the man said, it's a business like any other. But whoever runs Connecticut Solutions is gonna have a hell of a lot of explaining to do.
[Sarah Reed follows Castle and Beckett down the steps.]
Sarah Reed : Is it true?
Beckett : Miss Reed?
Sarah Reed : What they're saying, is it true?
Beckett : Look, I can't go into details, but there's evidence that Jake was trying to steal information.
Sarah Reed : Then it was all an act?
Castle : No, that-- that doesn't mean he didn't care about you.
Sarah Reed : That's exactly what it means. He never loved me. He was just using me the whole time.
[Police Department, forensic it Room : Esposito, Ryan and Forensic it Guy]
[Ryan and Esposito look over Sam Parker's computer files with their IT department.]
Forensic It Guy : This guy was good. He was running a secret e-mail client from inside a hidden partition in his hard drive.
Esposito : English. For my partner here.
Forensic It Guy : He set things up so that he could send e-mails outside the company network in case anyone ever came snooping.
Esposito : What kind of e-mails?
Forensic It Guy : I speak computer. This, however, looks like chemistry.
Ryan : Was he communicating with anyone in particular?
Forensic It Guy : Yeah. All these e-mails were to the same guy. [email protected].
[Police Department: Beckett, Castle, Esposito and Ryan]
[Ryan and Esposito go over a file of Andy Berman with Beckett and Castle.]
Esposito : Andy Berman, he's the CEO of Connecticut Solutions.
Beckett : He must've been who Sam was reporting to.
Ryan : They exchanged a bunch of e-mails a couple months ago. Then nothing till the night Sam was killed.
Castle : And what'd that one say?
Esposito : "Call me. We need to talk."
[Police Department, Interrogation Room : Beckett, Castle and Andy Berman]
Andy Berman : : Okay, yes, it's true. Sam e-mailed me the other night, and I called him.
Beckett : From a payphone?
Andy Berman : : At a gas station near my house.
Castle : Very cloak-and-dagger of you.
Andy Berman : : He said he needed to meet me in the city. He said he finally figured out how New York Recycle was pulling it off.
Beckett : So, you admit that you planted him there to steal their battery technology?
Andy Berman : : They've been underbidding us left and right, stealing out business. Getting our hands on their recycling method was a way to level the playing field. They weren't gonna share it, so I offered Sam a million-dollar payday if he could get a hold of it.
Castle : And when he called and said he'd completed his mission, you rushed right over.
Andy Berman : : The thing about Sam is he and I had been down this road before.
Castle : What do you mean? He'd told you he'd found it before?
Andy Berman : : I wasted hundreds of thousands on research and development with the stuff he brought me. The chemical formulas were never complete. So, when my engineers tried to fill in the blanks and test them, we failed every time. Finally, we ran out of money, so a couple of months ago, I had to cut Sam loose.
Beckett : If Sam wasn't working for you, what was he calling about?
Andy Berman : : He said he needed to show me something.
Beckett : What?
Andy Berman : : I don't know. I drove into the city to meet him at his apartment, but as I pulled up, there were cops all over the entrance. I got a bad feeling about it, so I turned around, and I drove home.
Beckett : That's a very interesting story, Mr. Berman, but I have a different ending. One where you went upstairs to Sam's apartment, and he told you that he finally found the real thing. You said so yourself. Your company didn't have the million dollars to pay him. So you did the one thing that you could. You killed him, and you stole it in a desperate attempt to save your sinking company.
Andy Berman : : I would like to call my lawyer now, please.
[Police Department : Beckett, Castle, Esposito and Ryan]
Castle : It was pretty cool, the way you filled in the story there. I think I must be rubbing off on you. That sounded dirtier than I meant it.
Esposito : Yo, Beckett. Dispatch just got a call out of Connecticut. New Haven PD have two women involved in an altercation.
Castle : Speaking of dirty.
Ryan : And the ladies in question are asking for you before they're taken in for booking.
Beckett : For me? Why? Oh, no.
Ryan : Oh, yes. They're holding Helen Parker for assault and Sarah Reed for trespassing.
Castle : A wife and fiancée catfight. Please tell me we can stop for popcorn on the way.
Ryan : (whisper) Castle. (mouths) Pictures.
[Castle mouths "Yeah, okay." with two thumbs up as he follows Beckett out.]
[Parker’s House : Beckett, Castle, Sarah Reed, Helen Parker and Uniforms]
Uniform : Miss Reed was trespassing in the detached office. When Mrs. Parker confronted her, an altercation ensued.
Sarah Reed : She tried to rip my purse off my arm, almost dislocated my shoulder.
Beckett : Miss Reed, what were you doing in the Parkers' office?
Sarah Reed : She wouldn't give me back my pen.
Castle : Your pen?
Sarah Reed : My grandfather's fountain pen. I gave it to Jake.
Helen Parker : Sam! His name was Sam!
Sarah Reed : I gave it to him before I knew he was a lying sack. And she wouldn't give it back to me.
Helen Parker : I looked for it in the office. There was nothing there. I have no idea what she's talking about.
Sarah Reed : Oh, really? Well, then what do you call this? [Sarah pulls the fountain pen out of her purse.]
Castle : That was in the office?
Sarah Reed : Yes, it was right there in the drawer. How she could have missed it, I don't know. Unless of course, she was lying and never bothered to look.
Beckett : Miss Reed, I understand how you're feeling, but breaking into someone's home...
Sarah Reed : No, this is my grandfather's pen. I never would've given it to Jake if I had known.
Castle : Ladies, I'm wondering if maybe we can put this whole nasty episode behind us.
Helen Parker : She broke into my house. God knows what else she stole.
Beckett : Do you mind if I take a look at the purse?
Sarah Reed : Not at all.
[Beckett looks through the purse and Beckett hands it back to Sarah.]
Sarah Reed : Happy now?
Beckett : I everyone okay? Can we all just walk away?
Helen Parker : If I ever catch your face around here...
Sarah Reed : For crying out loud, give it a rest. No wonder the guy had an ulcer. I would, too, if I was married to you.
Helen Parker : An ulcer? What are you talking about, you crazy lunatic?
Sarah Reed : Do not call me crazy...
Beckett : Look! Look! Hello! Ladies, look!
[They finally stop bickering.]
Beckett : I understand that you're both angry and feeling betrayed, but taking it out on each other isn't going to help. So, you can both press charges and make a bad thing worse. Or you can calm down and walk away. Option number two is a limited time offer.
[Police Department : Beckett, Castle, Esposito, Ryan, Alexis and Louise]
Alexis : Love you.
Castle : See you.
[Alexis goes to the property room and Castle walks to Beckett at the murder board.]
Castle : Please tell me you did not sleep in the break room again.
Beckett : I went home. I just couldn't stop thinking about that catfight last night.
Castle : Ooh. Would you think less of me if I said, "Me, too"?
Beckett : I kept thinking that, that was a long way for Sarah to go just to pick up that pen. And that whole thing with the ulcers was...
Castle : Oh, I know. That was a great Desperate Housewives moment, the say Sarah just rubbed Helen's face in it.
Beckett : The thing is, there was nothing about an ulcer in Lanie's autopsy report. Sam had a clean bill of health.
Castle : Then what was Sarah talking about?
Beckett : The boys are looking into it right now. But according to Sam's date book, he had doctor's appointments every Tuesday for the last three weeks.
Castle : Well, if he was being a hypochondriac about it, they would've told him right away he didn't have an ulcer.
Beckett : So, what was he doing every Tuesday at 1 p.m.?
Castle : [Castle crosses his fingers.] Another woman?
Esposito : So, the doctor's office has no patient records for Sam Parker or Jake Holland.
Ryan : Car service Sam was using confirmed that he gave the doctor's office as his destination when he was scheduling the cars.
[A young woman hands Ryan a file.]
Ryan : Oh, thanks, Louise. - But I talked to the drivers. Sam changed the destination once they picked him up. First week, he headed out to this residential address out in Long Island. The next week he drove out to New York Recycle's processing plant up in Paramus. And then, last week, he hit the port out in Newark.
Esposito : Sam wouldn't have wanted Sarah to get onto his 007 routine, so maybe he was slipping away to do his spying.
Beckett : At some house in Long Island?
Castle : So, another woman?
Beckett : She and Sam were taking long romantic walks at Port Newark.
Castle : Why you gotta ruin the dream?
Beckett : Listen, Sam was changing his destination last minute with the car service because he was trying to hide something. So, let's look in the addresses and see why he felt the need to give Sarah a cover story.
[Police Department : Castle and Alexis]
[Castle watches Alexis talk about a file with an older detective. As she finishes, he brings over two cups.]
Castle : State law requires a ten minute break every five hours. [He hands her a cup.]
Alexis : Thanks, Dad. I needed this.
Castle : So, how goes your property room sleuthing?
Alexis : Not amazing.
Castle : Oh, no. What happened to that, uh, list of detectives Beckett gave you?
Alexis : I just hit my last dead end.
Castle : Well, what's important is, is that you tried.
[They sit down in the break room.]
Alexis : I know. I just really wanted to get those pictures back to the victim's family. I mean, I'd want them if they were pictures that you'd carried around.
Castle : If you are imagining a scenario where I am no longer here, and watching over your every more, and protecting you from every danger, I can assure you that will never happen.
Alexis : I'm just saying I think it's important.
Castle : No, you're right. But remember, there's a reason why a lot of this stuff goes unclaimed.
Alexis : I guess I just need to focus on cataloging for the rest of my time here.
Castle : And before you know it, you'll be retired from law enforcement and back in the 11th grade.
Alexis : Thanks, Dad.
Castle : For what? You're welcome.
Alexis : You just gave me a new lead.
Castle : So, I'll finish your cocoa.
[Police Department : Beckett, Castle and Ryan]
Beckett : Two relationships. Can you imagine the stress of trying to pull that off?
Castle : Yes. Uh, from a literary point of view.
[Ryan clears his throat as he and Esposito meet them at the murder board]
Beckett : Hey, what'd you guys find?
Ryan : Well, we canvassed using a picture. We came up with a longshoreman in Port Newark who remembered Sam. Apparently, he'd been asking about shipping manifests.
Castle : Sounds random.
Esposito : The longshoreman couldn't help him, so Sam moved on.
Beckett : What about the address from the first Tuesday?
Ryan : Oh, here is where it gets good. The Long Island address is the residence of a single mother, Laura Branston, and her 6-year-old daughter.
Castle : I told you. It was another woman. Our love triangle just became a love square.
Ryan : Nope. Still a triangle. Different name. But that's... [Ryan hands Beckett a copy of Laura Branston's driver's license.]
Beckett : The fiancée, Sarah Reed.
Castle : Well, it look like San wasn't the only one hiding his identity.
[Police department, Interrogation Room : Beckett, Castle and Laura Branston (Sarah Reed)]
[Beckett enters and sits across from Laura/Sarah, while Castle lurks in the background.]
Beckett : The engagement, the relationship. We know they were all fake. Love is a hard thing to disprove, Detective Beckett. This is a copy of your real driver's license, and this is your Social Security card. And this is the employment record from New York Recycle under an assumed identity.
Laura Branston : (Sarah Reed ) Nothing like a fresh start.
Castle : We did a little digging. Turns out, New York Recycle isn't the first company you've worked for under a new identity.
Laura Branston : (Sarah Reed ) A girl's gotta make a living.
Beckett : Here's what I'm thinking. Lance Carlberg figured out that Sam was a spy. He contacted you, an expert in corporate espionage, and asked you to intercept him.
Laura Branston : (Sarah Reed ) I was just doing my job. Leading a man on isn't a crime, is it, Detective?
Castle : Should be.
Beckett : I'm not looking into the leading-on part. I'm looking into a murder. And you had access to Sam's apartment. And you were hired to take care of him.
Laura Branston : (Sarah Reed ) I was hired to get in his way. It was supposed to look like I had access to classified information, so when I struck up a flirtation, he thought the relationship would give him the access he needed.
Beckett : Once you had the relationship, what was the plan?
Laura Branston : (Sarah Reed ) I just had to leave my laptop lying around his apartment once or twice. My key card ended up in his laundry one weekend. Men think they're smart. The trick is to keep letting them think it.
Beckett : Um... So, what was on the computer?
Laura Branston : (Sarah Reed : )Lance was feeding Sam these partial chemical formulas. He thought it would keep Connecticut Solutions going in circles.
Castle : Why not just fire him?
Laura Branston : (Sarah Reed ) Why not kill two birds with one stone? Keep the enemy close and run Connecticut into the ground.
Castle : And what makes you think that Sam was falling for your routine?
Laura Branston : (Sarah Reed : )Well, I wondered at first, because he wouldn't sleep with me. And then I realized that he was being faithful to his wife, so I pretended to buy his whole "I'm old-fashioned" thing. He thought he was playing me.
Beckett : He was. This is Sam's autopsy report.
Castle : Hmm. Sam didn't have an ulcer.
Laura Branston : (Sarah Reed )He was seeing a doctor for it.
Castle : No. That was just a story. He made you.
Laura Branston : (Sarah Reed )No way. I would've been able to tell.
Castle : Oh, I hate to burst this little Alias bubble you got going on, but Sam found your house in Long Island. He knew you were more than just a flirty engineer.
Beckett : He played along not to arouse suspicion, but I think you already knew that. You knew that he made you, and that he found the secret method. And that's why you killed him.
Laura Branston : (Sarah Reed )I think that sounds like a great Spry versus Spy story, but there is one problem. The night Sam was killed, I was at my daughter's recital, and there's about 20 other parents that can vouch for that.
[Police Department : Beckett, Castle, Esposito and Ryan]
Castle : I like her. For the murder. See that crazy look in her eye? That's crazy killer look.
Esposito : Yo. Sarah's alibi checks out. Dance teacher puts her in the front row at the time of the murder.
Castle : She's still got crazy eyes.
Beckett : He never loved her, she never loved him, and they both thought that they were playing each other.
Ryan : Which still doesn't explain who killed him.
Beckett : We're missing something.
Castle : The pen. If Sarah's relationship with Sam was a fake...
Beckett : Then why did she give him her grandfather's special pen?
Castle : And what was Sarah really looking for in Sam's office last night?
[Parker’s House : Beckett and Castle]
[Beckett and Castle search Sam's office.]
Beckett : Nothing. This doesn't make any sense. We went through Sarah's purse. If there was something in it, we would have found it. Castle, what are you doing?
Castle : I'm writing a scene. Let's say Sarah found what it was she was looking for. She had it in her hand. That's when she would've heard Helen coming out of the house. She would have had to have gotten rid of whatever it was that she found.
Beckett : Great. You wanna write the part where we find it?
Castle : So Helen would never know. Ah. What do you know? [Castle picks up the shredder.] Power mode is still on. We're gonna need some tape.
[Police Department : Castle, Esposito, Ryan and Montgomery]
[Castle, the Captain, and the detectives gather around the murder board with the taped photos.]
Esposito : These are the pics that our vic took while he was supposedly at the doctor.
Ryan : According to New York Recycle, they ship their battery sludge up to the recycling plant in Paramus.
Castle : You don't need a boat to get to Paramus.
Montgomery : Secret method, my ass. They weren't processing it. They were switching labels and dumping it.
[Police Department, Interrogation Room : Beckett, Castle and Lance Carlberg]
[Beckett and Castle sit across from Lance Carlberg.]
Castle : That Sam was quite the Erin Brockovich, wasn't he?
Beckett : There was no secret method to battery recycling. You shipped the sludge out on cargo barges and dumped it in the ocean.
Castle : The money you saved on storage and processing, you just put into your own pocket instead.
Lance Carlberg : Listen, I know my rights. And I don't have to say anything.
Beckett : You sold the bill of goods to your customers. You promised them that they were gonna help save the world. Instead, you poisoned it for money.
Castle : What happened, Carlberg? Sam confront you? Threaten to ruin you?
Lance Carlberg : I didn't kill anyone. And you, you have no proof.
Beckett : Actually, I do.
[Castle slides a file to her and she opens it to place an evidence bagged gun on the table.]
Beckett : We ran ballistics. It's a match.
Castle : We found it in the dumpster outside your apartment building. Had you recycled, you might have gotten away with it.
[Parker’s House : Beckett, Castle and Helen Parker]
Beckett : The night that your husband was murdered, he went back to his office to grab the last few pieces of evidence he had collected. And by then Carlberg had already become suspicious.
Castle : When he realized that your husband was contacting his old boss for help in exposing his company, Carlberg attempted to buy his silence. But Sam wouldn't accept the bribe.
Helen Parker : Of course not. Not Sam.
Beckett : You said that the environment was the most important thing to your husband. Well, he dies trying to save it. And we thought that you should know that.
Helen Parker : Thank you.
[Police Department : Beckett, Castle and Alexis ]
Castle : Hey.
Beckett : Hey.
Castle : Check it out.[Castle hands her a newspaper. "CEO Charged With Murder" with Lance Carlberg's photo on the front.] The EPA is shutting down New York Recycle.
[Beckett's phone rings.]
Beckett : (on phone) Beckett. Anna Noles? No, I don't know any Anna Noles.
Alexis : I do.
Beckett : Uh, yeah. Send her up.
Castle : So, who's Anna Noles?
Alexis : The pictures I found belonged to her mother.
[Alexis hands Beckett the photo album.]
Beckett : Really? How'd you track them down?
Alexis : It was something you said, Dad. About me retiring from law enforcement. It got me thinking, what if the officer who had originally worked the case had since retired?
Beckett : Nice work. I'm very impressed you were able to close this case.
Alexis : Thank you. I mean, I know it's not like the important stuff you do. But I...
Beckett : You know, when a person loses someone, this is important.
[The elevator opens.]
Castle : I bet that's her.
Beckett : You know, maybe you should talk to her. [Beckett hands the album back to Alexis.]
Alexis : Thank you.
[Castle and Beckett watch Alexis give the album to an emotional Anna Noles.]
Castle : She's a chip off the old block, isn't she?
[Beckett makes a doubtful face and leaves. Castle watches Alexis talk with the young woman.]
