[Funeral Home : Rabbi, Tova and Many People]
Rabbi : Ephraim Mankowski, or simply Mank, as he liked to be called, lived a fruitful life. A proud father of ten wonderful children. Mank was so very, very blessed.
[The pallbearers struggle with the creaking coffin until it breaks and two bodies topple out: Ephraim and a young blonde woman.]
Tova : Who's the shiksa?
[Castle’s Loft : Castle, Alexis, Martha and Gina]
[Alexis and Martha pick out nail polishes while Castle reads in the living room.]
Alexis : I'm thinking Bubblegum Fantasy...
Martha : Mm-hmm.
Alexis : Or maybe Frosted Iris.
Martha : I'm thinking Tickle The Toe Red. It's my go-to color.
[The door buzzes.]
Martha : Oh.
Castle : Are you expecting someone?
Alexis : Gina got promotional freebees at a new spa and asked us if we wanted to go get manies, petties, and massages.
Castle : And you're going?
Martha : When it comes to your ex-wife, darling, perks outweigh personal considerations.
Gina : Hello.
Martha : Hello.
Gina : You look great.
Martha : Thank you
Castle : Uh, am I invited?
Gina : Uh, no. It's a girls' day out. I want to spend time with Martha and Alexis.
Castle : Uh, but I love massages, and I don't want the three of you conspiring.
Alexis : Don't worry, Dad. We've got a lot of other stuff to talk about.
Gina : I want to hear all about Alexis's new boyfriend from her point of view. Did you know that they have a song?
Castle : You have a song?
Alexis : Yeah. Taylor Swift's "Mine." It was playing the first time Ash and I kissed.
Castle : [Castle covers his ears.] Lalalalala! I don't want to hear that.
Alexis : That's why I wanted those tickets so badly. Taylor's playing an exclusive acoustic show on Tuesday and I wanted to take Ash, but it was sold out before we could get tickets.
Martha : Well, have you checked on eBay, or your father's ticket broker?
Alexis : The only ones available would've cost Ash and I six years of allowance...
Martha : Oh, well.
Alexis : ...each.
Gina : Do you remember our song?
Castle : ACDC's "You Shook Me All Night Long"?
[Martha and Alexis cover their ears.]
Alexis : Lalalalala! Don't want to hear it!
Castle : You girls have a great day. Remember, it won't be the same without me. [Castle's cell rings.]
Gina : Hmm. Looks like you have plans anyway.
[Funeral Home : Beckett, Castle, Esposito, Lanie and Tova]
Castle : Don't we usually get to the victim before the funeral?
Beckett : What have we got?
Esposito : Mourners found a body in the casket.
Castle : And that's unusual how?
Esposito : Well, the family was bidding a fond farewell to Mr. Mank here and discovered that he wasn't going to the grave alone.
Castle : Is it just me, or is Mr. Mank smiling?
Lanie : Our stowaway is Dr. Valerie Monroe, an attending intern in Saint County Hospital.
Beckett : A doctor. Any connection to the deceased?
Esposito : Ryan's talking to the family now.
Beckett : Cause of death?
Tova : Liver failure. He drank like a fish.
Lanie : We may know what killed Mr. Mank, but your dead doctor here's more of a mystery. No bullet holes, stab wounds, or ligature marks. She has a perimortem bruise on the back of her neck here, but it wasn't severe enough to have been fatal. Lividity indicates she died sometime between seven and nine last night. But until I can perform an autopsy, cause of death is unknown.
Beckett : Well, what we do know is that somebody was trying to get rid of her body.
Lanie : Along with her purse and her phone.
Castle : You know, it's kind of brilliant when you think about it. Disappearing a body in an already occupied coffin. And because Jewish tradition demands that you bury the body right away, there's less time to get caught
Esposito : If it wasn't for the pallbearers' fumble, the good doctor would have disappeared forever.
Beckett : Aright, talk to the funeral director. See if anyone had access to this coffin in the last 24 hours.
[Funeral Home : Esposito and Funeral Director]
Funeral Director : I'm telling you, I don't know her. I've never seen her before, and I have no idea how her body got in that casket. This morning when I came in, I found one of my back windows smashed.
Esposito : So, you're saying somebody broke in here and stashed a body in one of your coffins?
Funeral Director : I called the police, but since nothing was missing, you guys didn't bother showing up. Maybe if you had, I wouldn't have Mr. Manks out for my blood.
[Police Department : Beckett, Castle, Esposito and Ryan]
[Beckett hangs up the phone. Castle fiddles with the victim's phone.]
Beckett : So, according to County Hospital, Dr. Monroe finished her shift at 6 p.m. last night, which is about an hour or two before she was murdered. So, hopefully, her colleagues will be able to tell us where she was headed. Castle, stop playing with her phone.[Beckett snatches the phone away from Castle.]
Castle : I wasn't playing.
[She gives him a dubious look.]
Castle : I wasn't. The last web searches on her phone were after 6 p.m. yesterday. She was looking for a hotel in Katonah, New York, I thought it might be relevant.
Beckett : [Beckett looks down at the phone and sees the Katonah web search.] Oh. [Beckett hands the phone back to Castle.]
Castle : She also has the new slot card app. So, I'm thinking maybe she has friends or family in Katonah. Or perhaps she was planning a liaison with her lover, her boyfriend found out and killed her in a jealous rage.
Beckett : Yeah. No visible marks on her body other than a small bruise on the back of her neck, that sounds like a jealous rage to me.
Uniform : Castle. [A uniform hands him a package.]
Castle : Oh! Yes! Thank you.
Beckett : Are you getting mail here now?
Castle : Only when I don't want my daughter to see it. [Castle pulls out a pair of tickets.] La!
Beckett : You're a Taylor Swift fan?
Castle : They're for Alexis.
Beckett : Oh.
Castle : Cost me an arm and a leg, but Alexis will be thrilled. Apparently, she and Ash have a song.
Beckett : Yeah, well, we have a song as well.
Castle : We do?
Beckett : Mm-hmm. "You Talk Too Much" by Clarence Carter.
Ryan : Hey. Funeral director's story checked out. Somebody did break in.
Beckett : Did you get any foreign prints on the casket or the window?
Ryan : Sorry, struck out.
Esposito : But we may have another at bat. Dr. Monroe's financials, and I found something unusual. Almost every morning, she bought coffee.
Ryan : Doctor who buys coffee. Wow, that is unusual.
Esposito : It is. If the coffee shop is twenty blocks from her apartment
Castle : Maybe it was on her way to work?
Esposito : Nope. Complete opposite direction.
Castle : Boyfriend in the neighborhood?
Esposito : On my way to find out.
Ryan : Oh, great. Now he 's mad at me.
Beckett : (answers phone) Beckett.
[Autopsy Room : Beckett, Castle and Lanie]
Lanie : I found these on the victim's clothes and hair. Grey nylon.
Beckett : Carpet fibers?
Lanie : Sent them over to the lab to see if they could determine the manufacturer.
Beckett : How about cause of death?
Lanie : Well, that's where things get a little interesting. The bruise on her head. Was made with a blunt object.
Beckett : Mm-hmm.
Lanie : May have knocked her out, but, as I suspected, it's not what killed her. I found a needle mark on the side of her neck. She was injected with a syringe.
Beckett : She was poisoned?
Lanie : Not exactly. The killer inserted the needle of an empty syringe into Dr. Monroe's carotid artery, then pushed the plunger forcing air directly into the brain, causing a fatal.
Castle : Air aneurism.
Lanie : Gold star for Castle. And judging by the skill of the injection, I'd say it was done by a medical professional
Beckett : Like one of her colleagues at County Hospital.
Castle : Looks like someone gave her 20 CCs of death.
[OPENING]
[Hallway in the County Hospital : Beckett, Castle and Jerry Camden]
Woman : (on intercom) Dr. Cooper to Trauma One.
Beckett : You know, with the state of health care and how stressful this can be for families and for patients, I'm surprised that more medical professionals aren't killed every day.
Castle : Yeah. Not to mention the betrayal, the lust, the bed hopping. I've watched enough medical dramas to know that doctors are notorious for sleeping with each other. I bet, as we speak, in this hospital two doctors are in a break room doing it. And by "it" I mean--
Beckett : I know what "it" means, Castle, and that is just a fantasy. Four out of five doctors prefer sleeping with someone outside of their profession.
Castle : Four out of five?
Beckett : Mm-hmm.
Castle : How many of them like detectives?
Beckett : One that I know of.
Castle : Whoa. You mean, motorcycle boy is a doctor?
Beckett : Man, Castle. Motorcycle man.
Castle : Fine. But he's a doctor?
Beckett : Yeah, he is.
Castle : Ah. What kind of doctor? Urologist? Proctologist? Don't tell me he's a gynecologist.
Beckett : He's a cardiac surgeon.
Castle : Oh. Cardiac surgeon. Wow, that's--
Beckett : Impressive. Yes, it is. In fact, he did an emergency bypass on someone this morning. Saved the patient's life. What'd you do this morning, Castle?
Castle : Made waffles.
Jerry Camden : A patient could be terminal and would suddenly just smile every time Dr. Monroe walked into a room. It's a huge, huge loss for us
Beckett : Did she have any family
Jerry Camden : Uh, a brother, I think, in San Diego.
Castle : Boyfriend?
Jerry Camden : Not that she ever mentioned. She used to always say that the hospital was her family.
Beckett : Was there any friction with any of her colleagues?
Jerry Camden : Well, yesterday just before the end of her shift Dr. Monroe had a private meeting with one of our nurses
Castle : Is that unusual?
Jerry Camden : No, but, um...the nurse came out of the meeting looking shaken. I asked Dr. Monroe about the meeting, and she said that it was a personal situation that she was looking into and trying to solve.
Beckett : I'll need to speak with that nurse.
Jerry Camden : Nurse McClintock. Of course.
[County Hospital : Beckett, Castle, Greg McClintock, Lissa Akerman and Imani Phelps]
Castle : Personal situation with a nurse. You thinking what I'm thinking?
Beckett : Probably not.
Castle : Hospital love triangle. Check it out. Our dead Dr. Monroe, she is hot and heavy with her manly McDreamy until she catches him in the on-call room with his scrubs around his ankles. Shagging naughty nurse McClintock. Then the inevitable catfight ensues between said nurse and Dr. Monroe. Catfight to the death. Ooh, that's a good title for something. Catfight To The Death.
Beckett : How much TV do you actually watch?
Castle : Enough to know that this Nurse McClintock will probably be super hot.
Nurse Greg McClintock : Detective? You wanted to see me?
Castle : And you are?
Nurse Greg McClintock : Nurse McClintock.
Beckett : Care to revise your theory?
Castle : Not what I was expecting, but no, I'll stand by it.
Dr Lissa Akerman : Hey, Greg.
Nurse Greg McClintock : Hey, Dr. Akerman. So, what can I do for you?
Beckett : Well, we're here about Dr. Monroe's murder.
Nurse Greg McClintock : Yeah, it's pretty awful.
Castle : We understand that you had a meeting with her right before her shift ended last night.
Nurse Greg McClintock : Yeah, I saw her. I love the way your hair frames your face. Do you always wear it like that?
Beckett : Uh, for work, yeah, but, uh, so, about Dr. Monroe?
Dr Imani Phelps : Hey, Greg.
Nurse Greg McClintock : Hey, Dr. Phelps.
Castle : You seem, uh, pretty popular around here. Though, from what we've heard, maybe not so much with Dr. Monroe.
Beckett : What did you meet with her about last night?
Nurse Greg McClintock : Nothing, really. It's just, she thought I was too flirty with her female residents
Castle : Imagine that.
Nurse Greg McClintock : What's wrong with being friendly?
Beckett : So, what happened afterwards?
Nurse Greg McClintock : I walked her to the ambulance dock and promised to keep my distance from her residents. She thanked me and then headed off with some guy I'd never seen before.
Castle : Hmm. So, you walked Dr. Monroe out, and then conveniently saw her with some mystery man.
Nurse Greg McClintock : That's what happened.
Beckett : Where were you last night between seven and nine?
Nurse Greg McClintock : Are you asking for my alibi? Seriously?
Beckett : Seriously.
Nurse Greg McClintock : Seriously?
Beckett : Seriously.
Nurse Greg McClintock : Seriously?
Castle : Seriously.
Nurse Greg McClintock : Okay. Uh... I was...getting coffee with Imani. I mean, Dr. Phelps. No, wait. At that time, I was with Rhonda. Dr. Chimes. You can ask her. She'll verify where I was.
[Police Department : Beckett, Castle, Ryan and Montgomery]
Ryan : Dr. Rhonda Chimes, who's smoking hot, by the way, confirms his story. She went on and on about how Greg's such a great listener and brings her all these cute "thinking of you" gifts.
Castle : Well, I knew my homicidal hospital love triangle theory had weight. That makes Greg McDreamy.
Ryan : See, that's what I thought. But Dr. Chimes says the relationship was strictly platonic. So, I spoke to more members of the staff, and that's when I found the others.
Castle : The others?
Ryan : The other women in what I call "The Galaxy of Greg." Each one of these women orbits Greg and considers him to be their special friend.
Castle : Well, that totally makes him McSteamy.
Ryan : Nope. Spoke with all the planets in the Galaxy and none of them are sleeping with him. And CSU did a sweep of the facility; none of their carpeting matches the fibers they found from the body.
Castle : No. Makes no sense. Why spend all that time listening to women and buying them things if you're not going to try to and sleep with them? Beckett's here.
Ryan : Maybe Greg is gay.
Beckett : With the way he was hitting on me? No. He's so not gay.
Castle : Well, he's working an angle or he's hiding something.
Beckett : He's not the only one. Our victim's student loans. Since graduating med school, Dr. Monroe has been regularly making minimum amount payments on her $440,000 student loan.
Ryan : That's how much it costs to become a doctor? Glad I became a cop.
Beckett : And without any increase in pay at the hospital, six months ago she started paying $10,000 a week.
Castle :
Forty grand a month? Any idea where the money was coming from?
Beckett : Not from a bank account. From money orders.
Castle : So, someone was making the payments on her behalf.
Montgomery : Just got a fax from hospital security. They got this off the ambulance dock camera. Your boy Greg was telling the truth. Dr. Monroe did head out with another guy. Security showed this photo around, but no one recognized him.
Beckett : Well, whoever this man is, he might have been the last one to see Dr. Monroe alive.
Castle : Especially if he killed her.
[Castle’s Loft : Castle, Alexis and Gina]
[Castle enters his apartment with the Taylor Swift tickets behind his back.]
Castle : I'm home, and guess what I--
Alexis : Dad, Gina got tickets for Taylor Swift!
Castle : What?
Alexis : They're front row center and come with backstage passes! We're going to meet her!
Castle : That's great!
Gina : We just made a deal for her autobiography. It's no big deal.
Alexis : I got to call Ash, he's gonna be so excited!
Castle : I can't believe you did that.
Gina : What?
Castle : I got tickets. I mean, you didn't even call me to ask me if it was okay?
Gina : I didn't imagine that you would disapprove, and Alexis was delighted.
Castle : No, that's not the point.
Gina : No, it's not. The point is that I was trying to do something nice for Alexis, and apparently all you can see is that I stole your hero moment.
Castle : That's not...
Gina : Goodnight.
[Police Department : Beckett, Esposito and Montgomery]
Montgomery : Any luck on the mystery guy?
Beckett : No, sir. Nothing yet.
Montgomery : Listen, go on home. You can start fresh in the morning.
Beckett : Uh, no.
Esposito : I wouldn't leave just yet.
Montgomery : Where you been?
Esposito : Getting coffee.
Montgomery : All day?
Esposito : Dr. Monroe's coffee shop. Turns out it's right next to the Faircross Hotel. I showed the manager Dr. Monroe's picture.
Beckett : And?
Esposito : Pay dirt. Several nights a week, our victim was spending the night in a suite belonging to a permanent resident. One Cesar Calderon.
Montgomery : The drug lord?
Esposito : Mm-hmm.
Montgomery : Called him El Diablo, The Devil. See, Calderon was responsible for half the coke on the streets in the '80s, but he was so big, no one could touch him.
Beckett : So, what was our saint of a doctor doing spending the night with a drug lord?
Montgomery : Nightly visits, mystery cash gifts. Sounds like Valerie Monroe was The Devil's mistress.
[Hallway in the Faircross Hotel : Beckett, Castle, Cesar and Manuel Calderon]
Castle : A known criminal living in a swanky hotel. Very Al Capone. A murdered mistress, a brutal Columbian drug lord. What do you think? Revenge from a rival cartel? A drug deal gone wrong? Maybe murder is simply Calderon's way of saying, "I'm just not that into you."
Beckett : I don't know. And air aneurism doesn't exactly strike me like a drug lord's M.O.
Castle : Unless...Calderon did that on purpose to throw suspicion towards the hospital staff on the off chance the body was found
Beckett : The thing I don't get is how a respected doctor could literally get into bed with a known drug lord.
Castle : Eh, ladies love the bad boys.
Beckett : Mmm.
Castle : See it's our "El Diablo" Calderon. Ultimate bad boy. I mean, who knows what kind of twisted, depraved, unholy world we're about to step into.
[Manuel Calderon answers the door.]
Beckett : Sir, I'm Detective Kate Beckett. This is Richard Castle. We need to speak with Cesar Calderon.
Manuel Calderon : I'm sorry. I think you have the wrong room. I don't know anyone named--
Cesar Calderon : Richard Castle? The Richard Castle? Let them come, Manolo. Let them in.
[ Cesar Calderon’s Hotel Room : Beckett, Castle, Cesar and Manuel Calderon]
Cesar Calderon : Welcome. Welcome.
Beckett : Mr. Calderon, I'm Detective Kate Beckett.
Cesar Calderon : Pleasure. And you, sir, need no introduction. I am a huge admirer of your fictions. Whenever I desire a taste of my old, grittier life, I call upon your works. My favorite is Nikki Fuego.
Castle : Nikki F...Oh. You mean Nikki Heat.
Cesar Calderon : No, I mean Nikki Fuego. I only read the Spanish translations. Have you read your novels in Spanish?
Castle : No.
Cesar Calderon : Oh, you should. Everything is better in Spanish. Please.
Castle : Thank you.
Beckett : Thank you.
Cesar Calderon : So, a bestselling novelist and a gorgeous detective have come to pay me a visit. Why?
Castle : We're investigating a murder.
Cesar Calderon : Ah. How exciting. Who's the victim?
Beckett : Dr. Valerie Monroe.
Cesar Calderon : Valerie Monroe? No. Valerie is dead?
Beckett : What was your relationship with Dr. Monroe?
Cesar Calderon : She, uh... she was my, uh...my...private physician. I have a bad heart. Six months ago I had a heart attack. My brother Manuel took me to the hospital. Valerie was there and she took care of me. I offered her a position as my concierge physician. Two nights a week my brother is my care giver. The other five, Valerie.
Castle : That explains the money.
Beckett : So, she was just your doctor?
Cesar Calderon : No. She was my...my miracle worker. She gave me back my strength. Valerie forced me back into the world. She made me walk beside her. At night, sometimes we would drive into the park. Whoever did this evil must be punished.
Beckett : We intend to do just that, Mr. Calderon. Where were you between seven and nine last night?
Cesar Calderon : I was right here. I ordered room service. The hotel staff can attest to that.
Castle : Carpet's brown, not grey. She wasn't killed here.
Beckett : Do you recognize this man? [Beckett hands Cesar the ambulance dock surveillance photo.]
Cesar Calderon : No. Is he the one who killed her?
Beckett : All we know is that he was with her just before she died.
Manuel Calderon : I've seen this man before. A few times. Valerie had me drop her off at a diner by her place. This man was sometimes waiting.
Beckett : Do you remember the name of the diner.
[Crime Scene : Beckett, Castle and Leonard Maloney]
[Castle waits by the car as Beckett exits Amelia's Cafe.]
Beckett : The wait staff said he's a lunch regular, but he hasn't been in yet today. They don't know his name.
Castle : Well, maybe he killed Dr. Monroe and then got out of dodge.
Beckett : Maybe. Let's just wait here, though.
Castle : Calderon's alibi?
Beckett : The hotel staff confirmed it. How'd Alexis's surprise go?
Castle : Turns out surprise was on me. Gina got her tickets, too. Front row, backstage access.
Beckett : You say that like it's a bad thing.
Castle : Well, she should've checked with me first.
Beckett : Maybe, but at least it means she cared enough to do it, right? [Beckett sees a man step out of a cab.] There he is. Excuse me, sir. NYPD. We need to ask you a few questions about Dr. Valerie Monroe.
Leonard Maloney : You want to talk about Valerie, call my office.
Beckett : If you don't cooperate, I'm gonna be forced to arrest you. [Beckett sees him reaching into his coat and she draws her gun.] Hey, drop it!
Leonard Maloney : No, you drop it. [He shows her his badge.] Leonard Maloney, Attorney General's office. What the hell's going on?
Beckett : We're investigating the murder of Dr. Monroe.
Leonard Maloney : Murder? Valerie's dead?
Castle : Exactly how did you know her?
Leonard Maloney : She was working for me. Undercover.
[Amelia’s Cafe : Beckett, Castle and Leonard Maloney]
Castle : It's like an Alfred Hitchcock movie. A beautiful professional goes undercover to trap an infamous drug lord?
Leonard Maloney : Drug lord?
Beckett : Cesar Calderon. The target of your investigation.
Leonard Maloney : (chuckles) Calderon? No. The investigation of Calderon's way above my pay grade. Besides, he's been out of the drug game for years.
Beckett : Well, then what was your target?
Leonard Maloney : County Hospital. The state comptroller was investigating misappropriations of funds, prescription fraud, and equipment theft.
Castle : Medical fraud?
Leonard Maloney : And we couldn't find the source, so uh, I asked Dr. Monroe to be our eyes and ears on the inside.
Beckett : And did she find anything?
Leonard Maloney : No. And then, uh, the day before yesterday, she calls me out of the blue and wants to meet.
Beckett : By the ambulance dock.
Leonard Maloney : When I got there, she said she was onto something that involved prescription fraud and a possible smuggling ring. But, um, she didn't want to point fingers until she had verified some things up north this weekend.
Castle : Up north. The searches on Dr. Monroe's phone. Katonah, New York.
[Police Department : Beckett, Castle and Montgomery]
Montgomery : What does a smuggling ring have to do with Katonah? It's basically a nothing town.
Castle : Three reasons why Katonah is awesome. One, gorgeous countryside. Two, it's where Doonesbury cartoonist Gary Trudeau went to school. And three, and perhaps most importantly, it's where Martha Stewart lives.
Beckett : You like Martha Stewart?
Castle : Doesn't everyone?
Montgomery : Yeah, I liked her. Till she went to prison for insider tra-- Wait a minute. Prison. Next to Katonah is Bedford Hills. And what's in Bedford Hill's, Detective?
Beckett :
There's a women's prison. Do you think she suspected someone there?
Castle : If we're talking about a field trip to a women's prison, I'm in.
Montgomery : Easy, Tiger. Listen, call the prison, have them fax over the visitors log for the past six months and an inmate list. See if anyone there connects to the hospital or our victim.
Beckett : Okay.
Castle : Uh, if we're talking about wading through hospital staff lists and prison logs, I'm out. Besides, I've got some amends to make. And it's going to take a little bribery.
[ Castle’s Loft : Castle and Gina]
Gina : Okay, Rick. I'm here. What's so important?
[Castle steps out with a large bunch of balloons.]
Gina : What is this?
Castle : Well, nothing says, "I'm an ass," like a bunch of helium filled rubber. (clears throat) And you're not smiling.
Gina : No, it's just, uh, that I have this sick feeling all day. I felt like we'd had this fight before, and then I remembered the doll debacle.
Castle : You bought a doll for Alexis for Christmas
Gina : And you already had one stashed away in the closet as a surprise.
Castle : And it was a battle deciding which one she would keep.
Gina : And you won. Like always.
Castle : But yours was so creepy. It's eyes followed you.
Gina : This is exactly what I'm talking about, Rick. Even when we were married, y--you built a wall around Alexis like you didn't want anyone else to be close to her. When it came to the two of you, I was on the outside looking in. I just...I don't want to feel like an outsider anymore.
Castle : She's growing up. She has a boyfriend now. You want to know the truth? I feel like an outsider, too. But you're very right. And I was wrong. And you should be the hero this time.
Gina : That's sweet. You're sweet.
[Police Department : Beckett, Castle and Esposito]
Castle : Hello.
Beckett : Yeah. So, how'd it go with the amends last night. Did bribery work?
Castle : That, and sincerity.
Beckett : Well, it's always a good combination.
Castle : How goes the haystack? Any needles?
Beckett : More like a pitchfork. There's no record of Dr. Monroe ever visiting the prison, but the logs do show that another member of the hospital staff was making weekly visits to Bedford Hills Prison Facility.
Castle : Anyone we know?
Beckett : Oh, yeah.
Castle : Nurse Greg? Seriously?
Beckett : Seriously. For the past three years, Greg has been making weekly visits to an inmate named Amy Porter, who is doing 30 years to Life for her role as a getaway driver in a failed robbery where a security guard was killed. So, I did a little bit of digging and, apparently, Greg was her character witness at her trial.
Castle : Amy is Greg's girlfriend.
Beckett : Mm-hmm.
Castle : Dr. Monroe was onto prescription fraud and a smuggling ring. She thought Greg was stealing meds from the hospital and smuggling them in to Amy.
Beckett : For her to distribute on the inside.
Castle : So, I was right. Greg was working an angle. He was friends with all these women so they would help him.
Beckett : Probably without any of them realizing it. So, I asked the prison warden to go and search Amy's cell and then bring her down here for questioning.
Esposito : Yo. I just got off the phone with the warden from Bedford Hills. Amy Porter suffered a stroke this morning.
Beckett : At 25?
Esposito : They sent her to County Hospital.
Castle : Here? Why not bring her to a hospital a little closer to the prison?
Esposito : Well, County is the nearest hospital with a secure ward.
Beckett : And that's also where Greg works.
[Hallway in a County Hospital : Beckett, Castle and Imani Phelps]
Beckett : Dr. Phelps. Dr. Phelps, we understand that you're treating a patient named Amy Porter. She's a prison transfer
Dr Imani Phelps : I was. Unfortunately, she died while having an MRI.
Castle : She's dead?
Beckett : Where's the body?
[Morgue in a County Hospital : Beckett and Castle]
Beckett : Greg switched the body. This wasn't about smuggling something into jail.
Castle : It was about smuggling something out. Greg pulled a prison break.
[ Montgomery’s Office : Beckett, Castle, Lanie and Montgomery]
Montgomery : A prison break?
Beckett : Yes, sir. We swept the hospital, but we didn't find either of them.
Castle : Turns out Greg isn't McDreamy or McSteamy. He's McSchemey.
Montgomery : Do we know how he pulled this off?
Beckett : Well, sir, after reviewing the evidence, and also with Dr. Parish's expertise, we think that we figured it out. The key was forging friendships with specific doctors who could provide documents and drugs.
Castle : That's why he was just friends and not sleeping with them all. He was committed to Amy the whole time.
Lanie : Without knowing it, every woman in the Galaxy of Greg helped him with his escape plan. Signatures on death certificates, medical orders, body releases.
Montgomery : O--okay, but how did he fake Amy's death?
Lanie : Pharmacist Lissa Akerman gave Greg a container of acetyl hexapeptide three. It's a Botox-like topical cream, effective in small doses.
Castle : Akerman thought it was a gift for Greg's mother, but Greg instead smuggled it into Amy.
Lanie : Amy lathered half her face with it, temporarily diminishing her facial muscles' ability to contract.
Montgomery : Simulating a stroke.
Beckett : And then, according to prison protocol, Amy was sent to County to receive advanced medical treatment.
Lanie : And, like any good physician, Dr. Phelps immediately ordered an MRI.
Castle : Kicking Greg's plan into high gear.
Lanie : Greg used his connections at the ER to get both morphine and a naloxone. When he escorted Amy into the MRI, he gave her enough morphine to cause her vital signs to drop to where she had no recordable pulse.
Beckett : Creating the illusion of death. And since Amy had a do not resuscitate order...
Castle : Uh, courtesy of Dr. Zha.
Beckett : She was pronounced dead.
Castle : Not wanting to waste a second, Greg wheels Amy into the morgue.
Lanie : And then injects her with the naloxone, bringing her out of the O.D.
Castle : Very Pulp Fiction.
Lanie : And very dangerous. But effective.
Beckett : Greg had the morgue supervisor sign all of the documents necessary to release the body and then placed Jane Doe's body in Amy's bag.
Castle : Then, like other any couple in love, they walked arm in arm out of the hospital and into the sunrise.
Lanie : Risking everything for love. If it weren't for the fact that Dr. Monroe was killed, it'd be a pretty romantic story.
Montgomery : Hold on. Now, I thought Greg had a solid alibi for her murder.
Beckett : Well, sir, we think that an accomplice was helping him out. So, we're looking into known associates, and we've also got a team out at Greg's apartment looking to see if they can find any leads. We're also monitoring his credit cards, and we've issued APBs for the Tri-State area, but given all of the planning, they probably already had an escape route planned. But, if we're lucky, we'll catch a break.
Castle : I think we just did. Greg's letters to Amy. If they've been planning this for a long time, there's got to be a clue in the letters.
Montgomery : Call the crew over at Greg's. If we can find Amy's letters to Greg, then we'll have a full set.
Beckett : Yes, sir.
[Conference Room : Beckett and Castle]
[Castle and Beckett read through Greg and Amy's love letters.]
Beckett : Well, these are just love notes. There's nothing in here about the escape.
Castle : Well, then we have to look at these like a romance novel, not a murder mystery. These people are bearing their souls in these letters, and if we're lucky, we'll find our Saywatanayo. In the Shawshank Redemption, Andy was trying--
Beckett : No, I know what it is. I'm a cop, I've seen the movie. It's just, there's nothing about that in here. The only thing that Amy talks about is being innocent of the crime she was convicted of and how much she misses Greg.
Castle : Yeah, it's pretty clear Greg misses her, too. Listen to this, "The days without you grow longer, but my love for you grows..."
Beckett : Stronger?
Castle : "Harder." A poet he's not.
Beckett : Yeah, well, not everyone is a bestselling crime novelist. And it doesn't mean that their love was any less. Listen to what she wrote to him, "I can't bear to see you suffer. Make a new life with someone else. Just be happy. If anyone deserves it, it's you."
Castle : I think I have his response to that. "I don't believe in much, but I believe in us." I like this guy.
Beckett : Mm-hmm.
Castle : "And no matter the obstacles, no matter how hard you try, you'll never get rid of me. I love you." You're right, these are worthless.
Beckett : Uh, so, two lovers reunite after three years. Where would you go?
Castle : A motel.
Beckett : Really? That's what you call special?
Castle : Well, I'm assuming they're on a budget. Alright, where's the first place you'd go?
Beckett : I don't know. Someplace romantic, someplace with special meaning, maybe?
Castle : Like the first place they met? "I'll never forget the first time I laid eyes on you. That cold rainy night inside the Burgeropolis in Hillsdale." Hillsdale, New Jersey.
Beckett : Burgeropolis ? You think that's their special place?
Castle : Yeah. No. That's-- that's stupid.
Beckett : Maybe we'll get lucky with the APBs.
[Police Department : Beckett, Castle, Ryan and Montgomery]
Beckett : (on cell) Well, let me know. (hangs up) Nothing from airports, bus or train stations. There's no credit card activity. Apparently Greg pulled all of his money out of his bank account a week ago. $8,000.
Castle : That's more than enough money to get out of the country. They're probably halfway to Canada by now.
Beckett : Well, we sent their photos to border patrol. So, if they try to leave, we'll catch them.
Ryan : Unless their hidden in the trunk of their buddy's car. Lab ID-ed those carpet fibers from Dr. Monroe's body. They're from the lining of a car trunk, a De Ville, manufactured within the last five years.
Castle : That's probably how the accomplice got the body to the funeral home.
Beckett : Alright. Check into surveillance cameras within the vicinity of the funeral home. Maybe we'll get lucky, get a license plate, and track down that accomplice.
Ryan : Yep.
Montgomery : Or you can just ask Greg who his accomplice is
Beckett : Sir?
Montgomery : Those Jersey state troopers you had staking out the Burgeropolis just pulled your fugitive lovebirds from the drive through and their bringing them in now.
Castle : You had Jersey troopers stake out the Burgeropolis?
Beckett : Yeah.
Castle : But you said that was stupid.
Beckett : No. You said it was stupid. And it looks like you were wrong.
Castle : No. No, no. I was right!
[Interrogation Room : Beckett, Castle and Greg McClintock]
Nurse Greg McClintock : I love her. What was I supposed to do? Leave her in that prison to rot? What would you have done? The love of your life stuck behind bars for a crime she didn't commit.
Beckett : That's not what this is about, Mr. McClintock.
Nurse Greg McClintock : Yes, it is. Amy didn't drive the getaway car in that robbery. Her car was stolen. She got screwed--
Beckett : Get focused, Greg. We're not interested in your girlfriend's crimes. We are here because of Dr. Monroe's murder.
Nurse Greg McClintock : What? I have an alibi, remember?
Beckett : We know you have an alibi. We also know that you have an accomplice.
Nurse Greg McClintock : I don't have an accomplice. I don't know anything about her murder.
Castle : Right. And Dr. Monroe really pulled you into that meeting to scold you for flirting with her residents. She was onto you. She knew about the drugs. She knew about the plan. She knew about Bedford Hills, and that's why you had her killed.
Nurse Greg McClintock : No. When she pulled me into her office, I knew she was onto me. I had to move fast before she ruined everything.
Beckett : So you killed her.
Nurse Greg McClintock : No! I didn't kill... All I did was change the date of Amy's escape. I had to get her out before Dr. Monroe found out everything.
Castle : Or maybe she already knew everything. Maybe she threatened to turn you in.
Nurse Greg McClintock : No. From her questions, I could tell she was fishing, trying to put the pieces together. She was off shift for the next two days. So I figured, if I could distract her and get the hell out of her office, our plan might still have a chance.
Beckett : What do you mean you distracted her?
Nurse Greg McClintock : You know, change the subject. I started asking her about this new bracelet she had and how it was a special gift from her boyfriend. Then a few minutes later, her phone rang and I got the hell out of there.
Castle : Well, that's a pretty good story.
Beckett : Hmm.
Castle : Only, Dr. Monroe didn't have a boyfriend.
Nurse Greg McClintock : No, I swear, the way she was talking about that bracelet, she definitely had a boyfriend.
[Police Department : Beckett, Castle and Ryan]
Beckett : In this whole investigation, there has not been one mention of a boyfriend.
Castle : Probably because he was lying. Look. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. See? No bracelet. [Castle indicates the three funeral home crime scene photos on the murder board.]
Ryan : Nearby bank cam caught a photo of a De Ville heading towards the direction of our funeral home shortly after our window for time of death. It was the only one that passed by that night.
Beckett : Well, is there a better angle so we could see the license plate or the driver?
Ryan : Nope. That's the best one.
Castle : Oh, look. He wasn't lying. She was wearing the bracelet right before she was killed.
Beckett : Well, where did it go?
Ryan : CSUs didn't find one in the coffin or anywhere else.
Castle : The killer took it.
Ryan : Why? It doesn't look like it was worth very much. And if it was about money, how come he didn't take her purse?
Castle : Because it wasn't about money. It was about passion. Do you recognize that bracelet?
Beckett : I've seen that design before.
[ Cesar Calderon’s Hotel : Beckett, Castle, Cesar and Manuel Calderon]
Cesar Calderon : Detective, Mr. Castle, have you made any progress finding Valerie's killer?
Beckett : We believe we have. Tell me, what was the exact nature of your relationship with Dr. Monroe?
Cesar Calderon : I told you already. She was my physician.
Castle : You said that before, but I'm confused. You see, unlike you, I don't take long romantic drives with my doctor. I do that with my girlfriend.
Cesar Calderon : We don't yet live in a world where passion is a crime, do we, Detective?
Beckett : No, but crimes of passion are. Especially murder.
Castle : That's a lovely necklace you're wearing, Mr. Calderon. May I?
Beckett : Yeah.
Castle : I couldn't help but notice, it bears a similar design to the bracelet that Valerie was wearing the night she was killed. [Castle hands Cesar the ambulance dock surveillance photo.]
Cesar Calderon : That's because I gave it to her as a token of my affection. It belonged to my mother. This belonged to my father. They're a set.
Castle : Well, considering it's an heirloom, no wonder you wanted it back.
Cesar Calderon : I don't know what you mean.
Beckett : It wasn't on her body when she was found. Someone removed it.
Castle : What happened? Did she reject you? Is that when the old Calderon returned? Not the, uh, cognac swirling renaissance man we see before us, but the ruthless killer?
Cesar Calderon : Be careful, Mr. Castle. This is not one of your fictions where people bleed ink. I loved her, yes. But I did not kill her. I was here.
Beckett : And you're wealthy enough to have bought that alibi.
Cesar Calderon : This is outrageous. I will not be slandered.
Beckett : It is not slander if there is proof. This is a photo from an ATM camera the night that she was killed, about a block and a half away from the funeral home where her body was dumped.
Castle : That's your car, Mr. Calderon. The same one you and Valerie used to take your long, romantic drives.
Cesar Calderon : No, no. You are mistaken.
Beckett : Save it, Calderon. We found nylon fibers on her body. Grey. Just like the color of the carpet on the back of your De Ville. So, what was her body doing stuffed in the trunk of your car?
Cesar Calderon : I was here. I...I...I remember the...I was here. But you. [Cesar turns to his brother.] You took the keys that night. Madre de Dios. It was you. I can see it in your eyes, Manolo. It was you.
Manuel Calderon : You don't understand, Hermano. I had to. I did it for you.
Cesar Calderon : WHY ?
Manuel Calderon : She was an informant, Cesar! When I saw her with that man at the diner, I followed him. And you know what I found? He worked for the Attorney General. She betrayed you!
Cesar Calderon : Why didn't you come to me?
Manuel Calderon : Because you were too blinded, brother. And when you gave her Mother's bracelet, I knew it was up to me to keep Valerie from hurting you.
Cesar Calderon : What did you do, Manolo?!
Castle : He hit her on the head, knocked her out. And then, using the syringe skills he developed caring for you, he injected her with air.
Beckett : Leaving no blood evidence. And then he stuffed her body into someone else's coffin so that you would never know.
Cesar Calderon : How could you do this?
Manuel Calderon : I made them disappear. Just like you taught me, Hermano. No body, no murder.
Beckett : Manuel Calderon, you're under arrest for the murder of Dr. Valerie Monroe.
Manuel Calderon : I couldn't let her hurt you.
Beckett : The fact is, she wasn't going to. She wasn't investigating your brother. She was looking into corruption at County Hospital.
Castle : You killed her for nothing.
Beckett : Let's go.
[Castle’s Loft : Castle, Alexis and Martha]
Martha : You know, that Nurse Greg fella? He impresses me. You know, someone willing to risk it all to break his lover out of the Big House. Ha-ha, we should all have that in our lives.
Castle : Yeah, we should.
[Alexis enters.]
Castle : Hey, you're home! How was it?
Alexis : Taylor was amazing. Ash and I held hands while she sang our song. It was so great. Thank you so much.
Castle : For what?
Alexis : It's okay. Gina told me. The tickets were from both of you. Goodnight.
Martha : Very considerate of Gina.
Castle : Yeah, it was, wasn't it?
Martha : Mm-hmm.
Castle : You're starting to like her, aren't you?
Martha : I stopped being emotionally invested in your girlfriends after you dumped that darling Lizzy in eleventh grade. Gina's very nice. She's a little over the top, but, you know, you're happy, I'm happy. But the question is this: when you come right down to it, would you be willing to break her out of prison? Because that, my boy, is true love.
[Police Department, Lockup : Beckett, Castle, Greg McClintock and Amy Porter]
Amy Porter : God, I love you so much.
Nurse Greg McClintock : I love you, too.
Amy Porter : I can't stand the thought of you getting locked up over me.
Beckett : Well, you might not have to.
Castle : After hearing all your, uh, claims of innocence, we decided to go over your arrest file. Turns out, there were a lot of discrepancies.
Beckett : So, we sent the files to Leonard Maloney over at the Attorney General's office, and he agreed.
Castle : Apparently, your public defender was a real hack. He overlooked several key pieces of evidence.
Beckett : Including a statement that was ignored because of the eyewitness's mental illness. So, Maloney has agreed to re-open your case, and he believes that you have cause to be hopeful.
Amy Porter : What about Greg?
Beckett : Well, in the spirit of justice, Maloney has said that, if you get exonerated, he will recommend that Greg gets probation.
Amy Porter : W--why are you doing all this?
Beckett : Because someone convinced me that a love story as good as yours deserves a shot at a happy ending.[Beckett nudges Castle.]
Castle : Oh. Um, we feel bad that the state troopers picked you up at Burgeropolis before you were able to relive your first date. So, until you do get out, we brought you this. [Castle pulls out a Burgeropolis meal] I, uh, told them to hold the onions.
[Police Department : Beckett, Castle and Esposito]
Esposito : That was a nice thing you guys did in there.
Castle : Ah, I just thought that, after everything Greg did for her, they deserved a chance. Besides, if it were you and I in Amy's shoes, we'd still be rotting in prison.
Esposito : Ha! Speak for yourself, bro. I'd escape.
Castle : What, you'd just leave me in there?
Esposito : It's the law of the jungle. I got to look out for numero uno.
Castle : Wow, nothing like a hypothetical prison term to let you know who your friends really are.
Beckett : Don't worry, Castle. I'd get you out. You coming?
Castle : Yeah.
