Épisode Rire et châtiment S02E20

At Bobby Mann’s talk shot.

Bobby Mann: And did you hear? Our favourite golfer is in the news again. Missed a charity tournament over the weekend. Really unfortunate. The world's top golfer had to pull out. In fact, it's the first time he's pulled out of anything in five years.

Hank Mcphee: Oh, hello!

Bobby Mann: Ouch. Ouch. What do you think, Hank, should I take a mulligan?

Hank Mcphee: No, play through, Bobby! Play through!

Bobby Mann: I will, my friend. We have a great show for you tonight. Ellie Monroe is here...

Kayla: Mr. Castle. Hi, I'm Kayla. Please follow me.

Castle: Sure.

Bobby Mann:...and my favourite writer, Richard Castle, is joining us.

Kayla leads Castle backstage to the makeup chair.

Kayla: Here you go, Mr. Castle. Deb the makeup artist will take care of you from here.

Castle: Thank you, Kayla.

Kayla: And you're up right after Ms. Monroe.

The woman in the makeup chair next to him turn to Castle.

Ellie Monroe: Hi, it's Ellie.

Castle: Rick.

Ellie Monroe: Can I just say... Wow, like, I can't believe I'm meeting you right now.

Castle: Really?

Ellie Monroe: Well, you're, like, my favorite author ever. I mean, I've read Heat Wave at least three times.

Castle: Can I tell you, I have seen every movie you've ever been in.

Ellie Monroe: Really? Oh, not Viper Mountain , I hope.

Castle: Yes, Viper Mountain . You were the best thing in that movie. As soon as that snake ate you, the whole movie fell apart.

Bobby Mann: Folks, please help me in welcoming Richard Castle. Rick Castle.

Alexis and Martha watch from home.

Alexis: Whoo!

Martha: Oh, he looks good.

Bobby Mann: Welcome.

Castle: Thank you.

Bobby Mann: First of all, congratulations on Heat Wave . New York Times bestseller.

Castle: Thank you. And you know what? I-- I really loved writing it.

Bobby Mann: Well, the paperback comes out July 27th. Right?

Castle: July 27th, that's right.

Bobby Mann: And it's being made into a movie. Now, you worked with actually NYPD homicide detectives to research Heat Wave , right?

The detectives watch from the bullpen.

Castle: Yes, yes, I did. And-- and they still won't let me carry a gun.

Ellie Monroe: I didn't know you worked with law enforcement. It's kind of my weak spot.

Hank Mcphee: Hello. Waiter, check please!

Bobby Mann: Well, you guys are single, right?

Castle: Ah, well, actually, not anymore, Bobby. Thank you very much.

Castle cuddles with Ellie.

Beckett: Wow. The camera really does add ten pounds... To his ego.

Castle: Call me old-fashioned, when a beautiful movie star is impressed with my fake law enforcement credentials, I'm in.

Alexis: Do you think he's asked her out yet?

Martha: Pfft. Your father, pretty girl like that. He may have proposed by now.

Castle: Yes, indeed.

Bobby Mann: And that's our show for tonight. Stay tuned for Late Talk with Mickey Reed. I'm Bobby Mann. Remember, folks, the boys will be back on duty tomorrow night.

Castle moves over to shakes Mann's hand.

Alexis: I always wonder what they're saying when they lean in like that.

Castle: Thank you.

Bobby Mann: Thank you for coming. They want me dead.

Castle: I'm sorry, what?

Bobby Mann: I'm serious. you work with cops, right? They want...

Janine Marks: That was a great show, guys. I'm so sorry about segment three. Next time we put the emu in a diaper.

Bobby Mann: I'll call you.

Janine Marks: Oh, the box-in-box with Justin looked great.

Bobby Mann: Good, good.

Alexis packs for a trip. Castle sits nearby.

Castle: Um, you're going orienteering, not library-ing. You sure you want to take that many books.

Alexis: Over-ambitious for a five-day trip?

Castle: You're going to be responsible for your own pack. I think you're supposed to be more Sacagawea than a scholarly reader. Besides, look at all those pages. The trees might want revenge.

Martha: Richard?

Castle: What's wrong?

Martha: Bobby Mann is dead.

Castle: What? What happened?

Martha: They're saying he had a heart attack.

At the police station.

Castle: I'm telling you, the guy said that somebody wanted him dead, and then he ends up dead. That can't be a coincidence.

Beckett: Bobby Mann had a history of heart disease and on the autopsy reports it states that the cause of death was a heart attack. That can't be a coincidence either.

Castle: Did Lanie do the autopsy?

Beckett: No. But she sent it to me. Okay, a guy was walking his dog, saw Mr. Mann collapse on the sidewalk. Alone. There's no puncture wounds, no bruising, and the tox panel came back negative. There's no foul play, Castle.

They enter the break room.

Castle: I talked to his producer this morning. She said that Mann left the studio at 12:45 in his Bugatti Veyron. That's a $2 million car. He collapsed on foot a few blocks from his house at 4:50.

Beckett: So?

Castle: So where's the car?

Beckett: He's like a gazillionaire, Castle. He probably just parked it and expected someone else to pick it up the next morning.

Castle: In my book Gathering Storm , the former KGB official killed with an undetectable poison that stopped the heart. What if that's what happened to Mann?

Beckett: Need I remind you that you make up stuff for a living? And there is no such poison in real life. And if there was, there would be a whole slew of angry spouses who'd be getting away with murder.

Castle: Could you just have Lanie take a closer look? Please?

At the autopsy room.

Lanie: You know how many strings I had to pull for this, Castle?

Castle: If I'm wrong, I'll reimburse the city.

Lanie: To hell with the city. It's me you're gonna owe. I take spa certificates, jewellery, and cash.

Castle: Duly noted. What's that?

Lanie: The contents of Bobby Mann's pockets when he was brought in. I'm gonna go check on the labs.

Beckett: Okay.

Castle pours the bag contents on a table.

Beckett: What are you doing?

Castle: It's called investigating. You should try it.

Beckett: I usually wait until there's a crime.

Castle: Cell phone. Money clip. He stuck a piece of gum into a paper before he put it in his pocket.

Beckett: One of his last acts was not littering.

Castle: Yes, but there is a word on this paper. "… Tory." Could be a mystery woman.

Beckett: Wow, Castle. Cracking this case wide open.

Castle: Hey, it's his idea notepad. This is a joke from last night. "Charity golf. First time he's pulled out in years."

Beckett: Do you realize that you are now investigating a heart attack?

Castle: Hmm.

Beckett: What?

Castle: His signature line of 20 years, "The boys'll be back on duty tomorrow night." Looks like he was thinking of changing it.

Beckett: "The crew will be back on duty tomorrow night."

Castle: Maybe he was trying to make it hipper. We should have a signature line. "She's armed. He's dangerous."

Beckett: No.

Castle: No. How about, "A whole new chapter in crime solving"?

Beckett: Oh.

Castle: "Chapter." Get it?

Beckett: No.

Lanie: Okay. I ran every extra tox screen outside of standard protocol. All negative. No trace of any known poisonous substance.

Beckett: Okay, Castle. Don't forget to tip your M.E. on the way out.

Lanie: Ah, not so fast. Secondary tox panel detected traces of tyramine, which is harmless, but its presence raised a red flag for me, so I ran some more tests. Bobby Mann was taking Phenelzine.

Castle: "Phenelzine"?

Lanie: A prescription drug for depression.

Beckett: So?

Lanie: So, Phenelzine is in a class of drugs called MAO inhibitors that have powerful contra-indicators.

Beckett: You mean drug interactions?

Lanie: In this case, interactions that can kill. MAO inhibitors contra-indicate with anything fermented. Wine, beer, certain kinds of cheeses. Even the smallest amount can trigger a hypertensive crisis.

Castle: Oh! Almost like an undetectable poison that stops the heart.

Beckett: Which doesn't mean that he was murdered. He could've accidentally eaten or drank something he shouldn't have.

Lanie: That's what I thought, so I ran the contents of his intestines. In the hours prior to his death, he ingested three substances. Something sugary, like hard candy.

Castle: Or chewing gum.

Lanie: There you go. Also, cranberry juice and balsamic vinegar.

Castle: Which is fermented.

Lanie: And there was no trace of anything that you would find balsamic on. No chicken, no fish, no pasta. Just the cranberry juice.

Castle: Which could've easily masked the colour and the taste of the balsamic vinegar.

Beckett: So you're saying that somebody knew about Bobby Mann's condition, slipped balsamic vinegar into his cranberry juice, knowing that it would kill him?

Lanie: This was no accident. Bobby Mann wan murdered.

Castle: Well, Bobby, you were right.

At the police station.

Castle: No crime scene. No clear place to begin the investigations. Don't you just love poisonings?

Beckett: Especially a poisoning without poison. Whoever did this was very smart. Chose a murder weapon that's probably in half the kitchens in the city.

Castle: Good thing we're smart, too.

Esposito (on cell): Thanks. (hangs up) That was Lanie. Based on possible rates of fatal MAOI interactions, she was able to narrow the window of poisoning down between 1:30 and 4:30 in the morning.

Beckett: That makes this our kill zone. 1:30 to 4:30. What else?

Esposito: Well, the lab said that there was no traces of cranberry juice or balsamic vinegar in the gum we found in Mann's pocket, so he must have chewed that before he was poisoned.

Castle: Well, we know he left the studio at 12:45.

Esposito: Which means he wasn't poisoned there.

Beckett: And we know that his home security records show that he never made it there.

Castle: 12:45 to 4:50 in the morning. Leaves in his car, he's found on foot. So, what was he doing that whole time?

Ryan: So, the vehicle locator in Mann's Bugatti is not sending a signal.

Esposito: Probably in an underground parking garage.

Beckett: Which means it could be anywhere. Alright, check his cell phone, see if he made any calls last night, and then go to his brownstone. Castle and I'll head to the studio and see what we can dig up there. Oh, guys...

Esposito: Yeah.

Beckett: No talk of murder. The longer we can keep this away from the press, the better off we'll be.

At Bobby Mann’s Studio.

Janine Marks: I'm sorry. I don't know where he went after the show last night. What is this about, anyway? I thought Bobby died of a heart attack, right?

Beckett: We're just tying up loose ends for the coroner.

Castle: How was Mr. Mann acting recently? Did you notice anything unusual?

Janine Marks: No, he was great. Except yesterday.

Beckett: What happened yesterday?

Janine Marks: I don't know. I mean, he spent the morning locked up in his office alone, and then the rest of the day he was agitated. He was acting weird.

Beckett: "Weird" how?

Janine Marks: Paranoid. At one point, he asked me if I had heard anything. And I said, "About what?" And he just shrugged it off.

Beckett: Were you aware that he was on powerful antidepressants?

Janine Marks: I mean, he tried to be very private about it, but when he went on them he had to quit drinking, and people wondered why.

Castle: So, word got around.

Janine Marks: You don't think that's what killed him, do you? Something he ate or drank? He was very careful.

Beckett: Like I said, we're just following up.

Hank Mcphee: I keep looking over at that curtain, you know? Waiting for him to walk through, like this is all one big publicity stunt.

Castle: The two of you were close, right?

Hank Mcphee: Since before all this. Since we were just kids together back in 'Nam.

Castle: So, he would've told you if there was anything wrong?

Hank Mcphee: Like what?

Castle: Like if he was concerned for his well-being.

Hank Mcphee: What's this all about? I thought he died of a heart attack.

Beckett: Just routine questioning, Mr. McPhee. You know, some of the people said that he seemed a little agitated recently.

Hank Mcphee: Come to think of it, he was a little preoccupied. I asked him about it after the show last night, but he insisted he was fine.

Mickey Reed: Hank. Man, I am so sorry. Nightmares really happen, huh?

Hank Mcphee: Yeah. You know Mickey. Host of Late Talk , right after our show.

Castle: Yes, of course. I'm a big fan. I love your whole "Booty Roulette" gag. That's great. I'm Rick...

Mickey Reed: Castle. Yeah, saw you on the show last night.

Beckett: I'm Detective Kate Beckett.

Mickey Reed: Nice to meet you.

Beckett: So, do either of you know where Bobby went after the show last night? We're trying to track his last hours for the coroner's report.

Mickey Reed: No clue.

Hank Mcphee: I think he said something about going to see his ex-wife.

Castle: Did he saw which one?

McPhee shakes his head.

Beckett: How many ex-wives did he have?

Near the bullpen.

Ryan: Six. Ranging in ages from 25 to 50. Seems every five years, he traded in for the latest model.

Ryan hands her pictures of five blondes.

Beckett: So, he didn't so much marry them as lease them.

Ryan: So, I ran all their names through the system, and guessed what popped up? Seems Wife Number Five here was arrested over an altercation with Bobby at a restaurant uptown.

Ryan shows them the sixth blonde.

Castle: She's got crazy eyes.

Esposito: There's more. According to the doorman in her building, Bobby Mann was there last night after the show.

In the interview room.

Beckett: Mrs. Mann, when was the last time you saw your ex-husband?

Cindy Mann: About a year ago. In court. He took out a restraining order against me.

Beckett: Well, according to the complaint, you did threaten to kill him.

Cindy Mann: Well, I don't really remember what was said.

Castle: "I wish you were dead, you little weasel."

Cindy Mann: He was dating a younger woman, and she looked just like me.

Castle: Tell that to his previous wife.

Beckett: Were you aware of his dietary restrictions?

Cindy Mann: Sure, nothing fermented, or it could give him a heart attack. Why? You think I had something to do with it?

Beckett: You tell me, Mrs. Mann. According to your doorman, Bobby showed up at your building last night.

Cindy Mann: He did?

Beckett: Cindy, we know you saw him.

Cindy Mann: How do you know he wasn't there to see Barbara?

Beckett: Barbara?

Cindy Mann: His first wife. She's got an apartment in the building, too. We both got them in the divorce settlement. Bobby co-owned the building.

Later, they interview Barbara in interrogation.

Barbara Mann: Yeah, I saw Bobby last night. He came by around one in the morning. Woke me up, as usual.

Beckett: Did he often surprise you in the middle of the night?

Barbara Mann: I was the one woman who fell in love with him before all the fame and the money. Whenever he felt insecure, he came around. Mostly it was the same old stuff, you know. His ratings were down or he was getting old. But last night...

Beckett: What?

Barbara Mann: It was different. He looked haunted. He said something was going on. Something awful.

Beckett: What was going on?

Barbara Mann: He wouldn't tell me. He asked me if I thought he was a good person. I held his hand and I said, "Bobby, you're a lousy husband, but you're a hell of a man." And he left.

Beckett: At what time?

Barbara Mann: Around quarter after one.

Castle: Did he saw where he was going?

Barbara Mann: No. I thought he was going home.

Near the bullpen.

Beckett: Something awful was going on. He knew someone was after him.

Castle: But he doesn't tell his ex-wife or his best friend. Instead, he tells me.

Beckett: Maybe it's because he knew you were working with the cops. "Tell me I'm a good person."

Castle: Like he was doing something he was ashamed of.

Beckett: Mm-hmm.

Ryan: Okay. Neighbours confirm Barbara Mann's story. One of them saw Bobby leave her apartment at 1:15 a.m.

Beckett: That's outside of our kill zone, which means we need to figure out where he went to next. Let's canvass all the garages in the area, see if we can find Mann's car. And let's also look into his financials for the usual secrets, drugs, gambling, prostitution.

Ryan: Yeah.

Beckett: Okay.

Castle's cell rings.

Castle (on cell): Hello? Ellie, hi.

Castle covers the phone and whispers to Beckett.

Castle: Ellie Monroe, from the show. (on cell) Yeah. No, I know. I understand. No, I think that's a-- a great idea. Yeah. Okay, I'll meet you there. Bye.

Beckett: Ellie Monroe, huh?

Castle: Yeah. She's pretty upset about this whole Bobby Mann thing, that we were his last guests. She thinks it would be comforting if we were to be together.

Beckett: "Comforting." Is that what the cool kids call it these days?

Castle: Wow. You are so cynical. You know, sometimes, after a tragedy, two human beings just need to… To be with each other, just for no other reason than to show each other some understanding and support.

Ellie kisses Castle as she shoves him through his bedroom door and rips open his shirt.

Castle: I'm just glad I can be comforting.

Near the bullpen.

Castle: Good morning, Detective.

Beckett: Really?

Castle: What?

Beckett: Lose the "I just got laid" voice, alright?

Castle: What are you talking about?

Beckett: I am a trained detective, so don't bother denying it.

Castle: Okay, fine.

Beckett: Oh, so now you're not denying it?

Castle: You just told me not to.

Esposito and Ryan walk past.

Beckett: Hey, guys, any news on the car?

Esposito: Nothing at any of the garages near Barbara Mann's building.

Ryan: So, we checked restaurant valets in the area. Bobby paid the guy at Mozart's a hundred bucks to keep it close while he ran up to his ex. Witness says he left a little before 1:30.

Beckett: 61st and Central Park West. Where did he go after that?

Esposito: Maybe check traffic cams in the area. A guy in a sports car like that might have blasted through some red lights.

Beckett: Yeah, it's a bit of a Hail Mary, but it's worth a try.

Castle: Maybe we don't need traffic cams. Why not just the man on the street? I mean, a celebrity in a Bugatti Veyron? Come on. People aren't just going to notice that, they are going to talk about it. Or, more specifically, tweet. And, boo-yah.

Beckett: "1:37 a.m. Bobby Mann FTW! Just saw him driving some spaceship car into a garage at Broadway and 57th."

Ryan: On it.

Beckett: "FTW"?

Castle: "For the win." Means, uh, "My tweet kicks your tweet's butt." Come on, Beckett. You got to keep up, hang with the cool kids.

Castle's phone starts playing a love song and Beckett's eyebrows go up as she see the photo of Rick and Ellie on the screen.

Beckett: I believe this is for you.

He chuckles nervously.

Castle: Um... I'll just...I'll just... I'm just gonna take that. I'll only be a second. (on cell) Hey, Ellie. Yes, yes, last night was great, wasn't it? Yeah, I'd love to. Tonight, sure. Alright, I'll see you then.

Beckett: More comforting?

Castle: Uh...

Ryan: Parking garage at 1525 Broadway confirms Bobby Mann pulled in at 1:37 a.m. and he never came back for his car.

Beckett: And what's at 1525 Broadway?

Ryan: The park view penthouse of Mickey Reed, the gregarious and affable host of Late Talk.

Castle: Oh, Mickey, not so fine.

Ryan: Doorman let Bobby up to his place at 1:45 a.m. Neighbours complained of a loud argument. Bobby left a little after two.

Beckett: So, Mickey lied to us. He saw Bobby somewhere right in the middle of our kill zone.

Castle: You think he was a good host, offered Bobby a drink?

At Bobby Mann’s Studio.

Mickey Reed: This set looks like an old-age home. Everything needs to be updated. No purple, no suede, no faux finish. And get rid of this stupid thing.

Beckett: Measuring drapes already, Mr. Reed?

Mickey Reed: Like it or not, Detective, the network wants me to take over Bobby's timeslot next week, right after the tribute. I know it seems callous, but it's what Bobby would've wanted.

Castle: Even over his dead body.

Mickey Reed: Excuse me?

Beckett: Why did you lie to us about seeing Mann the other night?

Mickey Reed: Okay, look, I'm sorry. But I lied because I didn't want it getting out.

Castle: That you two were fighting?

Mickey Reed: It's hard enough filling the man's shoes around here. I don't need the tabloids writing about us getting into it on the night he died. So, I lied. So what?

Beckett: So, you lied to a cop.

Mickey Reed: Let's be realistic. The guy died from a heart attack, right? What?

Beckett: It was a heart attack that was a result of toxins in his system. Toxins that he ingested somewhere around the time that you saw him.

Mickey Reed: So, you guys are saying that I killed Bobby? Why?

Castle: Well, it's no secret you were supposed to get his 11:30 slot, but Bobby extended his contract. Maybe you couldn't wait.

Mickey Reed: You sound as demented as Bobby.

Beckett: What do you mean?

Mickey Reed: The last time I saw him, we're best of pals, right? The other night, he comes over, he's ranting and raving, talking about what a disloyal punk I'd been.

Beckett: Why?

Mickey Reed: Man, I don't know. All he kept saying was he knew things. And I'm like, "Bobby, what are you talking about?" He storms out, saying I knew what I'd done.

Near the bullpen.

Beckett: CSUs at Mickey's apartment, running a sweep for our toxin.

Castle: Killing the King of Late Night to take his throne. It's very Richard III . It appeals to the writer in me. Did you want a bite of this?

Howard Weisberg: ... The White House on speed dial. Hell, I'll sic God on you!

The furious Weisberg exits Montgomery's office in front of Castle.

Howard Weisberg: And you. I don't ever want to see you on my network again. You're banned. And you! I don't know you. You're all a bunch of nobodies. I could buy this precinct!

Montgomery: Howard Weisberg, president of the network. He just found out about the search warrant for Mickey Reed. He also found out that we think Bobby Mann was murdered.

Beckett: How?

Montgomery: Breaking news. On a different network. The guy got scooped on his own star's murder.

Beckett: So much for keeping the press out.

Montgomery: You two better be right about all this.

Castle's phone beeps. He reads the text and chuckles.

Beckett: Text-giggling, really?

Castle: It's Alexis. She just saw a loon feeding.

Castle takes a bit of his food.

Beckett: It's funny, so did I.

Ryan: Hey, so Mann's Bugatti is still in the garage. They won't let us touch it without a search warrant.

Esposito: $2 million car. Apparently, it's worth more than their insurance policy.

Castle: You sure they aren't joyriding?

Beckett: Alright, check with the judge.

Esposito: Okay.

Castle: If his car's still in the garage, where'd he go after Mickey's place?

Beckett: It couldn't have been very far. Hey, Ryan, did Mickey's doorman mention what direction Mann was headed when he left?

Ryan: Uh...

Esposito: South.

Beckett: South.

Castle: South on Broadway from 57th. That's the theatre district.

Beckett: At two in the morning. There's nothing playing then.

Castle: Well, there's diners, there's clubs, there's restaurants.

Beckett: Well, other than the poison and the gum, we know he didn't eat or drink anything.

Castle: Maybe "… Tory" is a place he went. Uh, conservatory. Inventory. Purgatory.

Beckett: Factory! The Comic Factory. Mann was a comedian. He went to a comedy club.

Castle: Comic Factory is on, uh, 55th and Broadway. That's two blocks south. He put his gum in a… In a piece of paper from a Comic Factory flyer. You're right.

Beckett: And then, from the forensics, we know he didn't have the cranberry or the balsamic before he spit it out.

Castle: So, he was poisoned either at or after the club.

Beckett:

Then Mickey Reed didn't kill Bobby. He's not our guy. Hey, guys. How do you feel about going to see a little comedy?

Ryan and Esposito talk to the club owner in her office while Angel Santana performs on stage.

Angel Santana: ... And so my man...

Esposito: The guy's got the most recognizable face in comedy.

Patty Deluca: Yeah, I know. Look, I got a call on the club phone, and caller ID's from Bobby's show. A guy asks about one of my comedians. Couple hours later, a guy shows up to see that comedian, but he's got a funny-looking mustache and he's wearing a baseball cap. He looked like Bobby.

Esposito: Did he talk to anyone? Did he have a drink?

Patty Deluca: No. He sat in the back, left his drink ticket and bolted out the side after watching the comedian he came to see.

Ryan: Anything special about this particular comedian?

Patty Deluca: Angel Santana? The proverbial rising star? I'm assuming you know about the incident that night.

Esposito: What incident?

Angel Santana: I'm Angel Santana. Good night, y'all.

Esposito: Ms. Santana, I'm Detective Esposito, this is Detective Ryan.

Angel Santana: Oh, hey. Thanks for coming. The officer I talked to did not instill a lot of confidence.

Esposito: You want to tell us about it?

Angel Santana: Not much to tell. During my set that night, someone smashed my bike's tail light, banged up the fenders and scratched "late night bitch" into the tank. I mean, what does that even mean?

Ryan: Actually, we're not here about your bike.

Esposito: Ms. Santana, did you know Bobby Mann?

Angel Santana: You mean personally? No. Why?

Ryan: Well, because he came to see your act on the night he was killed. Any idea why?

Angel Santana: Wow. He probably trashed my bike. I've heard stories about him. I know guys he's blackballed just because they did his competitor's show.

Esposito: Is there any reason why he might have wanted to come after you?

Angel Santana: His producer tried to book me on his show last month, but Mickey Reed wanted me, too. I had to pick. Mickey felt more like my vibe.

Near the bullpen.

Esposito: Club owner said Bobby left at 2:30 and the bartender confirms he didn't drink anything.

Beckett: Which leaves us two hours left to account for. And a whole lot of strange behaviour. Why would Bobby go see a comedian who didn't want to do his show, and then bust up her bike?

Ryan: Aren't famous people crazy and narcissistic?

Beckett: I don't know. Go to ask Castle.

Esposito: Where is Castle, anyway?

At Castle’s loft, Ellie kisses Castle as she shoves him through his bedroom door and rips open his shirt. Again.

Castle: Gonna need some new shirts.

Ellie Monroe: No shirts.

Near the bullpen.

Castle: Good morning.

Beckett: It's okay, Castle. You don't have to pretend to not be in a good mood for my sake.

Castle: Why should I be in a good mood? I mean, I'm a writer. We famously brood. I should brood more.

Beckett: You want to brood? Forensics on Angel Santana's motorcycle are a bust. There's no fingerprints. Nothing. We have no idea where Mann was after 2:30.

Castle: What about his car?

Beckett: Ryan and Esposito got a warrant this morning. But, seeing that he was poisoned after he parked it, chances are we won't find anything. And his financials were clear. He pays more in alimony in a day than I make in an entire year. There's no red flags on his phone records, and I re-interviewed all of his colleagues. No one has any idea why he was acting so paranoid.

Castle's cell rings.

Castle: You're not paranoid if someone's actually trying to kill you. (on cell) Hey, Tony. How's my favourite movie mogul? Yes! Right? She'd be perfect for Nikki. Yes, perfect. Thank you. That the Heat Wave producer.

Beckett: That wasn't about Ellie Monroe, was it?

Castle: Yeah. Why?

Beckett: Oh.

Castle: What?

Beckett: That's why she was throwing herself at you. She wanted you to recommend her for the part.

Castle: What?

Beckett: Oh, and for the record, she's nothing like Nikki Heat.

Castle: Oh, you just can't stand it that a beautiful actress is actually interested in me.
Beckett: Why would I care?

Castle: Exactly. That's a good question. Why would you care?

Beckett: I don't.

Castle: Fine. I'm going to go get some coffee.

Beckett: Fine. I've got work to do.

They turn and walk away from each other. Then stop and turn around.

Castle: Break room's that way.

Beckett: Desk.

Esposito: Beckett. Castle. Check this out. We just finished the sweep of Bobby's car. First off, the Bugatti? Holy shift! When you start this thing, you can feel it right in...

Ryan: But as exciting as the car is, I think we figured out why Bobby Mann was so tweaked. Found this in his glove compartment.

It's a blackmail photo of Bobby with a young woman.

Castle: That's Kayla. She's an intern at Bobby's show.

Ryan: Looks like she was doing more than interning.

Esposito: You should check out the back.

Castle: "If they find out, you're dead." Blackmail, death threats, and scandal.

Beckett: That explains why his behaviour was so erratic.
Castle: And probably why he was killed.

In the interview room.

Kayla: It was last week. I stayed late to help Bobby with some bits.

Beckett: Do you have any idea who took that, Kayla?

Kayla: Must be someone who works on the show.

Beckett: Who just happened to have a camera and managed to catch the two of you in the act? Or were they tipped off, maybe?

Kayla looks confused.

Beckett: Were you blackmailing Bobby?

Kayla: Oh, my god, no.

Castle: He's three times your age and you are an intern on the show. That adds up to embarrassment and scandal, which I'm sure he's pay a lot to avoid.

Kayla: No, I would never do that. We were in love.

Beckett: In love? Really? And how long were the two of you together?

Kayla: Three weeks this past Monday.

Castle: Um, who else knew?

Kayla: No one. Bobby and I kept it a secret. We didn't want my mom to find out.

Castle: Your mom?

Beckett: Who's your mom?

At Bobby Mann’s studio.

Janine Marks: He was banging my daughter right under my nose? I will kill him!

Castle: He's already dead.

Janine Marks: Well, I will kill him again! I don't care! Where's the corpse?

Beckett: Ms. Marks, we just...

Janine Marks: Kayla! My office! Now! Move it!

Kayla: Mom, you don't...

Janine Marks: Move it!

Hank Mcphee: You realize if this gets out it'll destroy Bobby's reputation.

Beckett: We're not trying to add to an already difficult situation, we're just trying to find the killer.

Hank Mcphee: Bobby wasn't an angel, but you look at the man in his entirety, he deserves to be remembered with grace. This business gets clouded by money, fame, ambition. The only thing that Bobby really cared about was making people laugh.

Beckett: Well, whoever took this either works for this show or had access to this building. And maybe it was someone in a financial jam who was looking to score a quick buck, or maybe it's someone with a grudge against Bobby.

Hank Mcphee: I can't imagine anyone doing that. He was a great boss. Everyone loved him.

Castle: Yeah. And apparently, he loved them back.

Hank Mcphee: Okay, uh, Janine can get you a list of everyone on the crew once she's done yelling at Kayla. Poor kid. Who knows, she might've ended up being number seven.

Beckett's cell rings.

Beckett: Beckett.

Near the bullpen.

Beckett: What have we got?

Ryan: Well, once we suspected blackmail, I ran through his financials again.

Beckett: I thought they were clean.

Ryan: Well, they were. But going back, we found this.

Beckett: He spent a hundred grand on a kitchen reno.

Ryan: Totally legitimate. But we searched his brownstone.

Castle: And he wasn't renovating his kitchen.

Beckett: So, who was on the receiving end of the hundred grand?

Ryan: Zack Robinson.

Castle: Ooh. Good bad-guy name. Snaky "Z," hard "K." Even has "rob" in it.

Ryan: Good bad-guy rap sheet, too. Former lowlife private investigator.

Beckett: I remember this guy. He had some celebrity clients back in the day. He was known for digging up dirt on folks and turning it into a personal payday.

Ryan: Did a nickel on multiple counts of extortion, wiretapping, racketeering, and blackmail.

Beckett: Well, Robinson must've gotten the picture from somebody on the inside.

Castle: Sure, figured it's worth a fast buck. But if Bobby paid, why would he kill him?

Beckett: Bobby figured out that Robinson was a blackmailer, and then he threatened to take him to the cops.

Castle: Bobby pushes, Robinson pushes back harder.

Beckett: Let's go pick him up.

Ryan: Easier said than done. Esposito already ran down his last known address. Robinson's in the wind.

Beckett: Well, let's keep looking.

At Castle’s loft.

Ellie Monroe: You are a bad man, Zack Robinson. A dirty, naughty, no-good blackmailer.

Castle: Do you do all your interrogations in bed, Detective Heat?

Ellie Monroe: You think this is funny, Robinson?

Castle: Okay, okay, no, I'll do whatever you want, Nikki.

Ellie Monroe: Okay, that's more like it.

Castle: Mmm.

Ellie Monroe: You are so sweet. And brilliant.

Castle: Guilty.

Ellie Monroe: What are you thinking?

Castle: Nothing. It's ridiculous.

Ellie Monroe: What? Come one, tell me. I want to know what goes on inside that incredible mind of yours.

Castle: Well ,since you put it that way. I have this friend at work who thinks that the only reason you're with me is, you know, for the part in the movie.

Ellie Monroe: Wow. Really? What does this friend of yours base that on?

Castle: You know what? I'm… I'm sorry, I shouldn't have repeated that.

Ellie Monroe: Does this friend know me?

Castle: No.

Ellie Monroe: Has he read anything about me that would make him think that I would prostitute myself for a role?

Castle: No, of course not. You know, I... He's an idiot.

Ellie Monroe: Do you have any idea how hard it is to be a woman in Hollywood?

Castle: Ellie...

Ellie goes to the other room to cry.

Castle (Whisper): Beckett!

In the observation room.

Castle: Oh, yeah. He looks like a Zack Robinson. Where'd you find him?

Beckett: The boys caught up with him at a craps table at Mohegan Sun.

Castle: Already gambling away his hard-earned blackmail money.

Beckett: So, how was your date with your little starlet?

Castle: How could you tell this time?

Beckett: Like I said, Castle...

She picks a hair off of his jacket.

Beckett: ... Trained detective.

Castle: Well, it went lovely. No thanks to you.

Beckett: What did I have to do with it?

Castle: Pulled your Jedi mind trick on me. Made me doubt Ellie's honesty. Foolishly, I told her what you said, made her cry.

Beckett: Castle, she's an actress. A professional liar. She's paid to cry on cue.

In the interview room.

Zack Robinson: No. I've never seen this picture before.

Beckett: Really? You sure you didn't use it to blackmail Bobby Mann?

Zack Robinson: Blackmail. Fishing in the wrong pond, Detective.

Beckett: What about the hundred grand from Bobby Mann in your bank account? Am I in the right pond now?

Zack Robinson: That was for services rendered.

Castle: I don't think Webster's defines blackmailing as "a service." More like a coercive threat, Mr. Rob-inson.

Zack Robinson: No, no. No, no. I never threatened Bobby. He hired me.

Beckett: To do what? My guys say that you don't have an alibi for the night that Mann was murdered.

Zack Robinson: You can't be serious.

Beckett: I guess it'll come out when we go to the murder trial.

Castle: Have a nice life... Sentence.

Zack Robinson: What? No, no. No, no. No, no, no, no, no. Look, he reached out to me. Said he needed some work done.

Beckett: What kind of work?

Zack Robinson: The kind that you get paid a lot extra to do.

Beckett: Something illegal.

Zack Robinson: Well... Okay, look, he thought that somebody was out to get him. He said he needed to know, and so he paid me to bug a guy's office.

Beckett: Who?

Zack Robinson: Howard Weisberg.

Castle: The president of the network?

Zack Robinson: Easy gig, too. Bobby got me into the building.

Beckett: When was this?

Zack Robinson: Week ago.

Castle: What did you do with the recordings?

Zack Robinson: I delivered the CDs to Bobby?

Beckett: When?

Zack Robinson: You know, morning before he died.

Castle and Beckett turn to each other and whisper.

Beckett: Bobby's producer said he locked himself in his office that morning. He was listening to the recording.

Castle: And then, they said he started acting paranoid after that. So, what did he hear?

Zack Robinson: Am I good to go?

In the conference room.

Ryan: Found the recordings in Mann's office mixed in with his DVD collection.

Beckett: Heard anything yet that would explain why Mann was listening in on his boss?

Ryan: Nah. Just a bunch of talk about setting up breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and drinks with writers, actors, and directors.

Beckett: Where are we on the blackmail?

Ryan: Oh, we got uniforms running down all show employees who could've had access to the studio to take that photo.

Eposito: Yo. You guys are gonna want to hear this.

Esposito pulls off his headphones and plays the tape aloud.

Howard Weisberg (on recording): You know what? To hell with Bobby Mann. We're losing money on him every damn night. I want him out!

Man (on recording): Our hands are tied. You can't fire him. He's got five years left on his contract.

Howard Weisberg (on recording): What if he drops dead, huh? Seriously, the guy's got a bad heart. How hard would it be to make him go away? I mean, hell, I got Mickey Reed telling me every day he's ready to step in if we can just get Bobby Mann out the damn door.

Castle: Well, no wonder Bobby thought Mickey was disloyal.

Beckett: And no wonder he thought someone wanted him dead. Someone did.

In the interview room, Beckett and Castle play the recording for Weisberg and his attorney.

Howard Weisberg (on recording): What if he drops dead, huh? Seriously, the guy's got a bad heart. How hard would it be to make him go away?

writers, actors, and directors.

Beckett: Looks like you got your wish, Mr. Weisberg.

Burt: Detective, none of the recordings are admissible in court.

Howard Weisberg: Now, relax, Burt. I didn't kill anyone, okay? Save it for when I actually do. Detective, I wasn't serious.

Beckett: Bobby thought you were.

Howard Weisberg: Well, then maybe he shouldn't have been bugging my office. Hell, in private, I issue a dozen death sentences a day on underperforming, overpaid jackasses at my network. Now, what I wanted was Mickey Reed pulled to 11:30, but Bobby had an $80 million penalty on his contract.

Castle: Which still had another five years left on it.

Howard Weisberg: Yeah. Now, what I did was lean on Bobby for a few months to appeal to a younger audience. But the worst thing that I did was threaten to fire him and pay him the 80 mil.

Beckett: Mr. Weisberg, where were you between 1:30 and 4:30 a.m. the night of the murder?

Burt: You don't have to answer that.

Howard Weisberg: It's fine, Burt. Chill out. I was at the Essex House hotel.

Beckett: Were you with anyone?

Howard Weisberg: As a matter of fact, I was. This actress I was screwing wanted a part on one of my sitcoms. I met her after Bobby's show.

Beckett: I'm gonna need a name.

Howard Weisberg: Sure. Ellie Monroe.

Near the bullpen.

Beckett: Thank you for coming by, Ms. Monroe.

Ellie Monroe: Of course.

Ellie and Castle wave at each other before she leaves.

Beckett: Weisberg's alibi is good.

Castle: Well, go on, you can say it. "I told you so."

Beckett: No, thanks. I'm actually not in a gloating mood. His alibi sets us back to square one. Which means we have no idea who the blackmailer is, and we don't know why Mann went to the comedy club and trashed Angel Santana's bike. And we have no idea who the killer is.

Castle: Well, the good news is I can work all night. No plans.

Beckett: You know, it's late and I'm kind of tired. How about be pick this up in the morning?

Castle: All righty, then. And the boys'll be back on duty tomorrow, to coin a phrase, which would be inaccurate because you are not a boy.

Beckett: Is this some kind of a weird come-on?

Castle: I think I know what Bobby Mann was doing at that comedy club, I think I know why he thought he was an awful person, and I think I know who killed him.

At Bobby Mann’s studio.

Beckett: Mr. McPhee?

Hank Mcphee: Ah. I was just going over my notes for the tribute. Thirty-five years of friendship. It's kind of hard to find just the right story to tell. What can I do for you?

Castle: Just came by to give you this. Bobby's idea book. We thought you might like it.

Hank Mcphee: Thanks.

Beckett: We did have a question about what he wrote on the last page.

Hank Mcphee: "The boys'll be back on duty tomorrow night."

Beckett: Actually, he crossed out "boys" and wrote "gang," "posse," and "crew." Any idea why?

Hank Mcphee: I guess we'll never know.

Castle: I wouldn't be too sure about that. The network was pressuring Bobby to make a change. They threatened to cancel him unless he did.

Beckett: And the night that he was murdered, he told Barbara that something awful was going on. He asked her if he was a good person. Why would he say that?

Hank Mcphee: Because of Kayla.

Beckett: Not Kayla, Hank, because of you. He knew that he had to fire you. He knew he needed to find someone younger and hipper if he was going to survive.

Castle: Someone like Angel Santana. Weisberg confirmed that she was on the network's shortlist. That's why it wasn't "boys" anymore, Hank. 'Cause Angel's a girl.

Hank Mcphee: This is ridiculous. Bobby would never fire me.

Castle: Then why did you kill him?

Hank Mcphee: I didn't!

Beckett: We ran your credit cards, Hank. The night that he was murdered, you went to a 24-hour grocery store and bought two things, cranberry juice and balsamic vinegar. It's time-stamped. 1:56 a.m.

Castle: And I'm betting if we test your keys, we'll find metal from Angel Santana's motorcycle, where you scratched in "late night bitch."

Hank Mcphee: He told me that night, just before he left the studio. How he's heard Weisberg say they were going to bury him unless he made a change. Thirty-five years I had his back, he was gonna toss me aside like one of his ex-wives. Humiliate me in front of the whole country. I knew it was coming. I saw the little signs, the awkward moments in the hall. I sent him that picture of him ad Kayla to remind him of all the secrets I kept. You know what he said? The scandal would only help his ratings.

Beckett: You bought your poison and you followed him to the club.

Hank Mcphee: I confronted him when he came out. I told him not to throw away everything we'd built. He told me he couldn't save me. Weisberg was going younger with or without him.

Castle: Well, if you knew he didn't have a choice, why did you kill him?

Hank Mcphee: Because he did have another choice! Go down with the ship! We both go out gracefully, and Bobby gets 80 million bucks. Instead of him continuing the show with some kid. I gave him over 4,000 shows, laughing at every lousy joke he cracked whether they were funny or not. Jeez...

Beckett: So, how did you manage it?

Hank Mcphee: When I knew I couldn't change his mind, I told him I understood. We walked over to the West Side Highway, sat on a bench, looked out at the water, talked about what a great run we'd had. Then, I offered him a drink. He was my best friend. You don't do that to your friend.

Near the bullpen.

Castle: Yet another example of why you shouldn't mix business with pleasure. Even show business.

Beckett: Are you talking about the case or yourself?

Castle: Yeah. Touché, Detective.

Beckett: So, you want to go for a victory lap and grab a burger?

Castle: Oh, Can't. Got to go. Big date.

Beckett: You're kidding, right? You're going out with Ellie Monroe even though you know the only reason that she was interested in you was for a part? Have you lost all sense of human decency and self-res... What?

Castle: My big date is with Alexis. She's getting back from her trip.

Beckett: Oh.

At Castle’s loft.

Castle: Right on time, Alexis. Oh, Sacagawea has returned!

Castle opens the door to find Ellie Monroe.

Castle: And you are not Sacagawea, but... Come in.

Ellie Monroe: Thanks. I'm headed back to LA, and I just wanted to say sorry.

Castle: Thanks. But the truth is, I've never had so much fun being used. You feel free to have at me anytime.

Ellie Monroe: Well, I guess you'll rescind your recommendation of me to your producers, and that is the least I deserve.

Beckett: No. Tony thinks you are great for it. And so do I. You are a better actress than I thought when I recommended you.

Ellie Monroe: Well, you should know I wasn't acting the whole time.

Castle: Me neither.