[Castle’s Loft : Castle, Alexis and Martha ]
Alexis : What about Ashley? I mean, shouldn't I tell him?
Martha : Darling, in matters of the heart it's best not to over think things.
Castle : That's your advice, mother? With your track record? What chasm of doom has she led you to by way of her tips on romance?
Martha : As it happens, we were discussing secret admirer etiquette.
Castle : You have a secret admirer?
Alexis : I always thought it was silly, but now I'm kind of intrigued.
Martha : And there is no need to tell Ashley.
Castle : How exactly does a secret admirer express his admiration?
Alexis : He left a note in my locker. "As you walk down the hall, a shard of sunlight glanced off your rope of flaxen hair and set it aglow, and I was enchanted."
Martha : Oh, that's so poetic.
Alexis : I figure the rope of flaxen hair is my French braid, which I only wore after gym class, which means he saw me in the hall on the first floor between fourth and fifth period.
Castle : Wait a minute. What are you doing?
Alexis : Narrowing down the suspects.
Castle : You can't do that. No, you-- that'll ruin the secret. No, it's like a mystery novel. You don't just go to the last page, do you?
Alexis : Yes.
Castle : You do? Well, you shouldn't. It's not-- You can't... The--the joy doesn't come in knowing who did it. The joy comes in the journey and allowing the ending to blossom like some magnificent Himalayan blue poppy. Like--
Alexis : Okay. Kay. I'll let him stay secret.
Castle : Mark my words, you'll thank me.
Alexis : Hmm.
[The phone rings. Castle answers.]
Castle : Castle.
[Alleyway : Beckett, Castle and Lanie ]
Beckett : So, our victim is Linda Russo. She's a customer relations worker at a cable company.
Castle : Maybe someone was unsatisfied with their service.
Beckett : Yeah, that's what I was thinking.
Castle : You were?
[Beckett gives him a look.]
Castle : Oh.
Beckett : Sanitation workers found her body under a couple of boxes. She lives two blocks away over at 24th and 10th. Looks like she was on her way home. Hey, Lanie.
Lanie : Hey.
[Castle looks at the body in surprise.]
Beckett : What?
Castle : Uh... It's nothing.
Beckett : No, what?
Castle : Well, she just...looks so peaceful.
Lanie : There's nothing peaceful about what put her here. She's strangled.
Castle : With rope?
Lanie : So it appears.
Beckett : Castle, do you have a theory that you would like to share with the class?
Castle : Well, it's just that...pretty blonde girl, strangled, laid out like she was asleep.
Beckett : That was four years ago.
Castle : Yes, but he was never caught. This is his M.O. and she is certainly his type. I researched him for When It Comes To Slaughter.
Beckett : Yeah, well, then you should know that he killed his victims inside their apartments, not in alleyways. And he posed them in a funereal pose with their hands clasped in front of them.
Castle : Maybe he's switching up his act.
Beckett : Or this just could be a crime of opportunity where a young woman was murdered.
[Interview Room : Beckett and Angela Russo ]
Beckett : Mrs. Russo, did your daughter ever talk to you about being followed?
Angela Russo : No. Nothing like that.
Beckett : Can you think of anyone that might have wanted to harm her? Any relationship problems?
Angela Russo : She wasn't even dating. Pretty much all she did was work.
Beckett : At the, uh, cable company, right?
Angela Russo : Mm-hmm.
Beckett : Did she have any issues with anyone there?
Angela Russo : Uh...there was a man at her office.
Beckett : What was his name?
Angela Russo : She didn't say, but he stared at her a lot, like some pervert.
[Beckett's phone beeps and it's a 911 text from Lanie.]
[Autopsy Room : Beckett, Castle and Lanie]
Lanie : That was quick.
Castle : 9-1-1 has that affect on her.
Beckett : What'd you find?
Lanie : I pulled all the files on all his past murders just like you asked.
Castle : I… I believe that was my idea.
Lanie : Yeah, but I only listen when it comes from her.
Beckett : Anyway, you were saying?
Lanie : He choked them using a three-strand twisted quarter-inch rope. Based on the fibers found imbedded in the skin, we know that the rope is green and white nylon.
Castle : I don't remember that.
Lanie : Those details were never made public. Now check this out.
[They compare the old crime scene photos to the current victim's body]
Castle : The marks are identical.
Lanie : I found the exact same green and white fibers.
Beckett : It is him. The Triple Killer is back.
[Police Department : Beckett, Castle, Ryan and Montgomery ]
Montgomery : For those of you living in a cave four years ago, the Triple Killer, or 3XK, got his nickname by strangling three women in a week, dropping out of sight for a month, and then killing three more. Then he disappeared. I served on the task force that investigated those six murders. An FBI profile was as close as we came to ID-ing the suspect. Feds say he's a white male, 25 to 45 years old...
Castle : Could be me.
Montgomery : With a dysfunctional relationship with his mother...
Castle : Still me.
Montgomery : He has a menial, unimportant job.
Beckett : Definitely you.
Castle : Just for that, I base my next book on Esposito.
Montgomery : He'd learn their habits, and then gain access to their apartments by disguising himself as a security guard or a repairman, and then he strangled them and he posed their bodies as if they were lying in a coffin.
Beckett : What do you think that's all about?
Montgomery : After he was done...
Castle : Probably re-enacting some terrible early trauma.
Beckett : Hmm.
Montgomery : Two final points. The Triple Killer seems to be back after four years. There must be a reason. Maybe he just got out of prison, or returned to town. He may have altered his M.O. But let's assume that he's working under the same clock. Three murders, one week. Based on Linda Russo's time of death, we're already into day three. Let's move on this, people.
Ryan : Hey. That perv the mom told us about, Linda's colleagues knew who he was right away. Paul McCardle. He works at her office as a horticultural technician.
Beckett : A what?
Ryan : You know, he's the guy who waters the plants, dusts the fake ficus, or at least he was until he quit yesterday.
Beckett : That's interesting timing. I see domestic complaints by the double digits
Castle : Filed by his wife.
Ryan : Ex-wife. They were divorced last month after being married for four years.
Beckett : So, in a way he did just get out of prison.
Ryan : It gets even better. Linda's neighbors said they remember seeing red Sentra parked outside of her apartment a few days ago, the same vehicle McCardle has.
Beckett : Let's get him in here.
[Interrogation Room : Beckett, Castle and Paul McCardle ]
Paul McCardle : So, what's this about?
Beckett : Linda Russo. Where were you two nights ago between six and midnight?
Paul McCardle : Um, I was bowling with some buddies at, uh, Galaxy Lanes.
Castle : So, why did you decide to abandon your career as a horticultural technician?
Paul McCardle : I just wanted to move on.
Beckett : Because you used that job to watch Linda, to stalk her. And once she was dead, why stick around?
Paul McCardle : That is not true. I'm innocent here.
Beckett : Well, you don't look innocent.
Castle : No. As a matter of fact, you give new meaning to the phrase "sweating a suspect."
Paul McCardle : Okay, yeah, I perspire a lot. Okay, I have a medical condition.
Beckett : Well, that's the least of your problems, Mr. McCardle. Your fixation with Linda Russo was well known, as was your history of violence against women. Your car was seen outside of her apartment, and now she's dead.
Paul McCardle : I never touched her. I had a thing for Linda, okay? I had a thing for Linda and I parked out in front of her place. But I haven't been anywhere near there in three days, okay? Not since that guy threatened me.
Beckett : What guy?
Paul McCardle : I…I got rousted by some security guy and--and he told me to move on and it really freaked me out, and I haven't been back there since. I swear, that's the truth.
[Police Department : Beckett, Castle, Esposito and Montgomery]
Esposito : So, Sweat Von-Sweats-a-lot, his alibi's holding. The manager of Galaxy Lanes has him throwing gutter balls from five until close.
Beckett : What about the security guard?
Esposito : Ryan checked into that. Turns out that there's only one building on Linda's block that uses guards. According to the security company, no incident report was ever filed against McCardle or his vehicle.
Castle : So, McCardle was lying.
Beckett : Maybe not. You know, in the past the Triple Killer posed as a security guard. Maybe our guard wasn't a guard after all. Maybe it was the Triple Killer moving McCardle off of his turf.
Montgomery : Well, whoever he is, he's sticking to his schedule. We have a second victim.
[OPENING]
[Kim Foster’s Apartment : Beckett, Castle, Esposito and Lanie]
Lanie : Her name's Kim Foster, 28. An interior designer. Same rope marks on her neck, same everything.
Beckett : When did she die?
Lanie : Uh, based on liver temp, I'd say sometime last night, probably early evening.
Esposito : Neighbors saw a gas repair man leave at 7:45.
Castle : No doorman on the building, so Triple Killer calls Kim Foster on the intercom, says he wants to check a gas leak, she buzzes him in.
Esposito : Let me check the incoming caller IDs.
Beckett : I don't get it. Why did he return to the old M.O.?
Castle : Nostalgia.
Beckett : He killed Linda Russo in an alley. She didn't have a doorman either. Why didn't he just kill her in her apartment like all the others?
Castle : Well, maybe she was special somehow.
Esposito : Vic's last incoming call was at 7:35 from the front door. She must have let him in and, boom, he just overpowered her.
Castle : Maybe it wasn't that easy. Look at those throw pillows.
Esposito : What's wrong with them?
Castle : Well, Kim Foster's an interior designer. These pillows have been arranged with a barbarian-like gracelessness.
Beckett : Like a man would do it. So, she put up a fight.
Castle : They struggled right here on the couch.
Beckett : And then he reset the pillows to cover it up.
Castle : He's out of practice, so he's not so neat. Oh!
Beckett : What?
Castle : Found a penny. Under the circumstances, is this still lucky?
Beckett : Wait, I think I found something, too. [Beckett pulls out a name tag.]
Castle : Vince. Think it belonged to the killer?
Beckett : Or maybe it's been here for weeks. I'm gonna have to get CSU to process this area.
[ Montgomery’s Office : Ryan, Montgomery and Cal Townsend]
Ryan : Sir, a Mr. Townsend wants a word.
Montgomery : Bring him in. Cal, good to see you. How's Marie?
Cal Townsend : Uh, she's okay. We're split up now.
Montgomery : I'm sorry to hear that.
Cal Townsend : Um...reporters. They keep coming to my door and asking me how I feel about the man who killed my daughter and might be on the loose again and, um, you know. After Sarah died and all through the investigation, you were always straight with me, and I just need to know, you know? I mean, what they're saying. Is it true? I mean, is he back?
Montgomery : Yes. Cal, we got leads. We got good leads, and we're--we're doing all we can to chase them down. I we make an arrest, you'll be the first to know. I promise you.
Cal Townsend : Sarah would have been 29 next week. Don't let him do this to another family.
[Police Department : Beckett, Castle, Esposito and Montgomery]
Castle : Hey.
Beckett : Hey. There's no news from CSU on the nametag. Not that I was expecting any.
Castle : Makes you wonder why he didn't pull that old gas leak routine on Linda Russo.
Beckett : I know why. The answer's in here.
Castle : A transcript?
Beckett : From four years ago. I took a look at calls made to the Triple Killer tip line and this one stood out for me. It's from May 21, 2006, which was a week after the sixth murder. A woman called and left a message, but she was too afraid to leave her name. But she did mention that she lived at 24th and 10th.
Castle : Same corner as Linda Russo.
Beckett : She was riding an elevator with a cable repairman who so creeped her out that she got off a floor early just to get away from him.
Castle : Yeah, but cable guy and creepy, that's a job requirement.
Beckett : Except, he wasn't a cable guy. She said he wasn't carrying the right tools.
Castle : And working for a cable company, Linda Russo would know that.
Beckett : Which is why I took a look at Linda Russo's phone records from four years ago. She's the one who made the call to that tip line.
Castle : So, Linda Russo was special.
Beckett : When she got off a floor early, he knew that she made him, so he dropped out of sight.
Castle : Which also explains why he attacked her outside. He knew there was no way she'd let him into her apartment.
Beckett : Linda Russo saw his face, and he came back four years later. That's a special kind of ruthlessness.
Esposito : Yo. CSU just got a partial on that nametag. We got a match.
Beckett : The man that we're looking for is Marcus Gates. 42, six-foot tall, 180 lbs, with light brown hair. He also has a snake tattoo running down his left arm. A print match ties him to Kim Foster's murder. Now, a prison psych evaluation calls Gates a brutal, highly intelligent sociopath. He's done time for manslaughter and attempted murder. His last conviction was for breaking a bottle over a man's head in a bar, almost killing him, for which Gates served four years in Sing Sing. He just got out last month. No known address, no family. His mother died when he was four years old, and he was placed in a series of foster homes since then, so he will not be easy to find.
Montgomery : Listen, four years ago this guy took the lives of six women because we didn't stop him. We know who the Triple Killer is. We know he's out there targeting his third victim. Let's get him before he gets her.
[Castle’s Loft : Castle and Alexis ]
Alexis : Hey, Dad.
Castle : Hey.
Alexis : Must be quite a case if it's keeping you out this late.
Castle : Oh, you know, someone died, someone else did it. Secret admirer? [Castle points to the rose on the table in front of Alexis.]
Alexis : As a matter of fact, it is.
Castle : Figure out who it is yet?
Alexis : I took your advice and decided it's better not knowing. And he left another note in my locker. He said, if I like the rose, I should show him by wearing it at school tomorrow. Isn't that sweet?
Castle : Well, is that a good idea? What would your boyfriend Ashley think?
Alexis : I get a feeling it's not Ashley who has the problem.
Castle : I'm just not sure it's smart to go wearing some flower when you don't know who it's from. Your…your school is not exactly Fort Knox, alright? Anyone could have put that note in your locker. Your secret admirer could be some pervert watching you from afar with high-powered binoculars.
Alexis : I'm going to bed now. Goodnight.
Castle : Goodnight. Could you lock your windows for me, please?
Alexis : Yes.
Castle : Please? I'm gonna check, make sure they're locked.
[Police Department : Beckett, Castle, Esposito, Ryan and Sing Sing]
Ryan : No. I had it all set up. It was in this pile.
Esposito : I don't understand your system
Ryan : You're messing up my system.
Castle : Hey, guys. Any news on Gates?
Ryan : My system is efficient.
Esposito : And dumb. I already went through this one. It's on your stack.
Ryan : It's part of my system.
Esposito : Your system is dumb.
Castle : So, nothing?
Beckett : No. We tracked down an uncle in Jersey, but he hasn't seen Gates in twenty years. So, I'm on the phone with Sing Sing to chase down prison associates.
Sing Sing: (on speaker phone) : Detective Beckett, you still there?
Beckett : [Beckett picks up the phone.] Yes, I'm still here. Okay, and is he still doing time? First time drug offender, got it. Thanks. [Beckett hangs up and Castle reads her notes.]
Castle : "Jelly Tyson"?
Beckett : It's Jerry, Castle. When Gates got released, he gave all of his stuff to Jerry Tyson, a fellow inmate. So, if the two of them were friends, Jerry might be able to tell us where we can find Gates.
[Beckett leaves and Castle gets up to fix her notes before following her.]
Castle : Now it's Jerry.
[Sing Sing Correctional Facility : Beckett, Castle and Jerry Tyson]
Jerry Tyson : I got three months left in this hell hole. All I want to do is to do my time, get out and go to see my girl, and it's never going to happen if Gates gets wind that I talked to cops.
Beckett : He won't.
Jerry Tyson : You don't know that. He's got reach in here. He'll have me taken out.
Beckett : Here's the deal, Jerry. Whether you talk to us or not, I am willing to sit here all day. So, it's gonna look like you were spilling your guts to us.
Jerry Tyson : Alright, I want to be back in my cell in two minutes.
Beckett : Fair enough. Were the two of you friends?
Jerry Tyson : I guess. Whatever that means in here. I work in the kitchen. I snuck him food so he could make pruno.
Beckett : And in return he agree to protect you?
Jerry Tyson : And now he's gone, and I'm in here going it alone.
Beckett : Every con I've ever known dreams of what he'll do and where he'll go once he gets out. Gates ever talk to you about that?
Jerry Tyson : I remember him talking about some strip clubs and, um, there's a place he liked to go drinking, um, in the meat packing district.
Castle : What was it called?
Jerry Tyson : Hog something. Something about hogs.
[Hogsneck Tavern : Castle, Esposito, Ryan and Montgomery]
Esposito : I just did some recon. He's at the bar nursing a beer.
Montgomery : How many in there?
Esposito : Five total. Gates with the bartender, waitress, two drunks.
Montgomery : He may be armed. We take him quick. Don't give him a chance to take any hostages.
[Gates walks out of the bar.]
Esposito : It's him! Let me see your hands!
Ryan : Let me see your hands! Let's see your hands right now! Let me see your hands! NYPD!
Montgomery : Hands up! Put your hands up!
Ryan : Hands in the air right now!
Castle : You heard the man! Put your hands in the air, and get on your knees while you're at it!
Gates : Wow. Brought out the old guy, huh? Can only mean one thing, you want me in a bad way, right?
Esposito : Shut up.
Gates : Hey, don't forget to read me my rights. Be a shame to get turned loose on a technicality.
Esposito : Let's go.
[Observation Room : Castle, Esposito, Ryan (on cell) and Montgomery / Interview Room : Beckett and Gates]
[Castle and Montgomery watch Gates wait in Interrogation.]
Castle : Cold, implacable, the Triple Killer remains at ease. Calm in the lair of his enemy with the resting heart rate of 50. Set to match wits with his interrogators. I just wanted to bring a literary flare to the moment, you know?
Beckett : The bartender told us where Gates lives. He's had to put him in a cab on more than one occasion. Ryan's got a warrant and he's searching his place right now.
Montgomery : We can't count on circumstantial evidence to carry this case. We need to get this guy to run his mouth. The only hard evidence we have on him is Kim Foster's murder. Pin him down on where he was when she died.
[Beckett leaves to enter Interrogation, Castle turns to follow her.]
Montgomery : Castle. Not this time.
Beckett : Mr. Gates, I'm Detective Beckett.
Gates : Not my type. But I would make an exception.
Beckett : Do you know a Kim Foster?
Gates : Doesn't ring a bell.
Beckett : Have you ever seen this woman before?
Gates : Mmm. She has nice hair.
Beckett : Have you or haven't you seen her?
Gates : New York city is a big place. I mean, I could've passed her on the street, I guess.
Beckett : I'm actually talking about a more intimate interaction. Have you ever been in her apartment?
Gates : I've been to a lot of apartments.
Beckett : This building is at 35th and 8th. She lived in 301. Were you ever in that particular unit?
Gates : No.
Beckett : Well, then perhaps you can explain to me how we found this name tag with your fingerprint on it lying next to her body.
Gates : As a matter of fact, I can.
Esposito : Can't wait to hear this.
Gates : I work at the Empire Prop House.
Beckett : And?
Gates : And they rent props for movies and TV shows.
Beckett : I know what a prop house is.
Gates : So, that's my job. I stock props. Tons of name tags just like this one. I bet I've touched a hundred of them.
Montgomery : Run that down, see if he's for real.
Esposito : On it.
Beckett : There's no record of you having this job.
Gates : They pay me under the table. Oh. Maybe you can get me for tax evasion.
Beckett : This prop house where you say you work, do they have uniforms there?
Gates : Sure.
Beckett : Like gas company uniforms?
Gates : Any kind of uniform you can think of, they got it.
Beckett : And have you ever taken any of these uniforms home? Do you have any in your possession?
Gates : Are you guys searching my place?
Beckett : Yes. So, if there are any uniforms there, you may as well tell me.
Gates : Wow. I'm gonna want to see the search warrant.
Beckett : What for?
Gates : It's my legal right. And I'm done talking till you show it to me. So, you better get with affirmative action back there and come up with a new game plan.
Beckett : He wants the search warrant to get a peek at our cards.
Castle : How is that giving him a peek?
Montgomery : The warrant lists ropes, uniforms, and other personal effects belonging to Kim Foster, Linda Russo, and the other six Triple Killer victims. By looking at the warrant, he can gauge where we are in our investigation
Castle : That's not giving him a peek, that's showing him our whole hand. He'll know we think he's the triple killer.
Beckett : He already knows.
Esposito : Yo. Empire Prop confirmed that Gates works in their warehouse and had access to those tags. He clocked out at 7:02 the night of Kim Foster's murder. Now, Empire is in Lincoln Square, which means that he had enough time to get to her apartment and push the intercom button by 7:35.
Montgomery : Show him the warrant. Odds are he will lawyer up, but try to stop him.
Castle : How's she supposed to do that?
Montgomery : I don't think she can.
Gates : Turns out you got a lot more on your mind that just Kim Foster. I see the names of seven other women here.
Ryan : (on cell) Ryan.
Montgomery : (on cell) Tell me you got something.
Ryan : (on cell) Not so far. No rope, no uniform, nothing that ties him to any of the victims.
Montgomery : (on cell) Keep looking.
Gates : The thing is, this name tag is the probable cause for bringing me in. But I've explained the fingerprint, and by now I'm sure you've checked out my story.
Beckett : Actually, we're still verifying that.
Gates : I know how this works. You do not have probable cause to hold me.
Castle : Is that right? Can we hold him?
Montgomery : Only in the movies.
Castle : So, he can just walk out of here?
Montgomery : Unless she catches him in a lie and gives a cause to keep him.
Gates : I want to leave now.
Beckett : Okay, fine. You can do that. The second that you lawyer up and leave, you become the focus of a major investigation. It will disrupt your life in ways you can't even imagine.
Gates : I'm already the focus.
Beckett : Yeah, well, you don't have to be. Look, the truth is we don't have any evidence that connects you to those murders. It all boils down to Kim Foster. Even if these fingerprints got on this nametag by accident, with your record you still look like a suspect to us. So, Kim Foster's a problem for you, but you can get that problem out of your way. You said you've never been to her apartment. Where were you at 7:35 last night?
Gates : What's in that for me?
Beckett : If your alibi checks out, then we move on. We go after the real killer.
Gates : I left work at seven. I walked home like I always do. I got home maybe 7:30, and I stayed in all night.
Beckett : And you're sure about that?
Gates : Absolutely.
[Police Department : Beckett, Castle, Esposito and Montgomery]
Esposito : This is off of a traffic cam across from Gates' apartment.
Beckett : Well, this is it. This will prove that he was lying. At 7:35 he was on his way to Kim Foster's apartment.
Castle : Wait. Whoa, whoa, ba…stop. Stop right there.
Montgomery : That's him. 7:31.
Beckett : No, that can't be.
Esposito : It is. Look. Same sideburns. And there's his snake tattoo.
Beckett : Well, then he slipped out the back and went to Kim's.
Castle : How would he get to 101st to Midtown and change clothes in four minutes?
Beckett : I don't know, but he did it. Can we enhance this video?
Montgomery : You can enhance it all you want. Doesn't change the facts we got to cut him loose.
Beckett : Sir, I just…
Montgomery : I don't like this any more than you, Detective. But he alibis out.
[Police Department : Beckett and Gates]
Beckett : Well, it looks like we got it all wrong. You're free to go.
Gates : With this Triple Killer fella running around, you all better keep your loved ones close. Sure hope you catch him.
Beckett : Put a surveillance detail on him. I don't want that son of a bitch out of our sight.
[Castle’s Loft : Castle, Alexis and Martha ]
Castle : Oh, don't you look adorable this morning.
Alexis : I meet my secret admirer today.
Castle : Oh, I can just picture the scene. You and your secret admirer agree to meet in the cafeteria. You scan the array of pimply faces. Which one is his? Your secret admirer uses the prearranged signal of a double helping of mashed potatoes on his plate. He's handsome. Charming in an asexual, non-threatening kind of way.
Alexis : Nice try. But it'll be so much more mysterious. Listen to this. "If you want to meet, I'll be at Strawberry Fields at five o'clock. I hope you'll be there, too."
Castle : No. No, no, no. No, you're not going.
Alexis : Before, you were practically forcing me to find out who it is.
Castle : Not in the park. Not by yourself.
Alexis : But I've been there a million times.
Castle : Whoa, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. The first note you got...rope of flaxen hair? Rope? Flaxen? Flaxen is blonde.
Alexis : Dad, I'm a redhead. You're totally overreacting. I'm meeting my secret admirer, and that's all there is to it.
Martha : Richard, darling, she's right. You are being utterly irrational. It's like when I was doing, uh, Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf and I thought my understudy was trying to poison me.
Castle : Oh, yeah. The daily blood tests I paid for. Wait, she did poison you. The Swiss chocolate she gave you was a laxative.
Martha : Added a certain urgency to my performance. But, the point is, you indulged my paranoia. So, therefore I am going to be in the park, five o'clock, at a discrete distance to make sure that Alexis's secret admirer is not an axe murderer.
Castle : Thank you.
Martha : Welcome.
Castle : (answers cell) Tell me you're arrested Gates.
Beckett : (on phone) Not even close. I mean, I don't know how, Castle, but he killed Kim Foster, and he's gonna do it again.
Castle : (on phone) There's been no developments? Usually you call me with news. You called to seek my counsel.
Beckett : (on phone) I wouldn't say it exactly like that.
Castle : (on phone) No, no, no. You were hoping I had some wild theory, some sort of penetrating insight that would lead us to a breakthrough.
Beckett : (on phone) Well? Do you?
Castle : (on phone) Nah! I've got nothing.
Beckett: (on phone) I just need some piece of evidence. I mean, someone that he talked to. Anything.
Castle : (on phone) What if Gates confided in Jerry about the previous murders?
Beckett : (on phone) Yeah, well, Jerry's not gonna talk to us. He got beaten up in the prison yard this morning, and he thinks that Gates had something to do with it.
Castle : (on phone) Sounds like Gates is afraid of what Jerry Tyson knows.
[Sing Sing Correctional Facility : Beckett, Castle and Jerry Tyson ]
Jerry Tyson : Get the hell away from me.
Beckett : Listen, Jerry, we just need a little more information on Marcus Gates.
Jerry Tyson : Don't you guys get it? I'm a dead man thanks to you.
Beckett : Not if we get you out. The D.A. has agreed to get you an early release and police protection.
Jerry Tyson : Gates knows about my girlfriend, Donna Gallagher. He can get to her, too.
Beckett : Well, then we'll make sure he doesn't. We got to move on this, Jerry. Last chance.
Jerry Tyson : Okay. I'll do it. I'll take the deal.
Castle : We need to know. Did Gates ever talk to you about attacking women?
Jerry Tyson : There was this one time he told me about this chick, um, Sarah down in Soho.
Castle : That could be Sarah Townsend.
Jerry Tyson : He told me about how he busted into her place and things got out of control. But it must've been pretty bad, 'cause Gates said he was worried that the cops were after him, so he busted a bottle over this guy's head to get himself locked up, that way he'd be under the radar for awhile.
Beckett : It's a good start.
[Motel : Ryan and Jerry Tyson ]
Ryan : My name's Detective Ryan, and I'm your new best friend. This motel's under surveillance. For your own safety, you cannot leave or use the phone. Right now, you and I need to go over everything Gates ever said to you, even if it seems stupid or unimportant.
[Police Department : Beckett, Castle, Esposito and Montgomery]
Montgomery : Jerry's story squares with the facts. Sarah Townsend was Gates' sixth victim and she lives in Soho.
Castle : What about assault with a deadly bottle?
Montgomery : It fits, too. It came a week after Sarah's death. Looks like Gates sent himself up the river on purpose.
Castle : It's still not enough to arrest him, is it?
Montgomery : No, but if Jerry has more tidbits like that, it may help us get there.
Esposito : Yo. We can't locate Donna Gallagher. She's not picking up her cell.
Beckett : Sir, where is Gates now?
Montgomery : At his apartment. Surveillance says he hasn't left the building.
Beckett : Contact Donna's friends and family. Find out where she is. I told Jerry we'd keep her safe.
Esposito : Right.
[Motel : Ryan and Jerry Tyson ]
Jerry Tyson : Can't you just arrest this guy? I mean, you know he did these things.
Ryan : He has an alibi. Can't put him at the murder scene.
Jerry Tyson : He used partners sometimes. You know that, right?
Ryan : Partner? We never ran across anything about a partner.
Jerry Tyson : Oh, yeah. He said a… a partner helps him get away with things. Though, I-- I get the idea he never used the same partner twice.
[Police Department : Beckett, Castle, Esposito and Montgomery]
[Beckett hangs up the phone.]
Beckett : Jerry said that Gates used a partner.
Castle : A partner. That's why he has an alibi. Tell your guys to arrest Gates. I know how he killed Kim Foster.
[Later.]
Castle : Gates said he walks home every night at the same time, right? So, this traffic cam footage from the day before-- Wait, there he is! There he is. Okay. That's Gates on the right, night of Kim Foster's murder. On the left, Gates from a night earlier. What's wrong with this picture?
Beckett / Esposito : He's too short.
Castle : So, either Gates shrank...
Beckett : Or this is his partner.
Castle : He wore Gates' clothing. Gates would have had access to wigs and disguises from the prop house. That's how Gates can be at two places at once.
Esposito : Wait. What's that?
Castle : Uh... It's a reflection from...from sweat! That's Sweaty VonSweats-a-lot!
Beckett : That's Paul McCardle. That's why he was watching Linda Russo. He's the partner. He was working with Gates.
Esposito : We're gonna put an APB out on McCardle.
Montgomery : You better add Marcus Gates to that list.
Beckett : Sir?
Montgomery : When officers busted into his place, all they found was a rope ladder going down to the rooftop of the building next door. Gates is gone.
[Police Department : Beckett, Castle, Esposito (on phone), Ryan and Montgomery]
Montgomery : Got uniforms searching the area. No sign of Gates.
Castle : Maybe he's going after Donna. That way, he could punish Jerry, too.
Montgomery : We got any leads on the whereabouts?
Beckett : Esposito's talking to her friends right now, but she's still in the wind.
Ryan : So is Paul McCardle. His car is gone, and [?] ex-wife has no idea where he is either. But I did find out how he and Gates are connected. They were in a foster home together.
Beckett : So, McCardle could be with Gates.
Montgomery : Get photos of Gates and McCardle to airport, bus, and train stations.
Beckett : (answers phone) Beckett.
Esposito : (on phone) One of Donna's neighbors just told me she's house sitting at her cousins.
Beckett : (on phone) Do you have an address?
Esposito : (on phone) Yeah, but so does Gates. Some guy dressed as a messenger said he had a delivery for Donna.
Beckett : (on phone) Get there now.
[Donna’s Cousin’s Apartment : Esposito, Gates and a woman]
Esposito : [Esposito busts through the door.] NYPD!
[Gates is strangling a struggling woman.]
Esposito : Get off! [Esposito grabs Gates and pins him to the floor and puts his gun in Gates' face.] Like to see you talk your way out of this one.
Gates : I'll try not to disappoint you.
[Interrogation Room : Beckett and Gates]
Beckett : We found the same kind of rope in your pocket as was used by the Triple Killer.
Gates : Last I checked, a man's allowed to carry rope.
Beckett : I think you wanted to get caught, Marcus. There's nothing left for you out here, but in prison people fear you. You're a shot caller and you wanted to be king again. All that's left for you to do is to clear the air of all those murders and be done with it all.
Gates : Nice try.
[Observation Room : Beckett, Castle, Ryan and Montgomery]
Montgomery : This guy's never gonna give it up.
Beckett : Sir, I need leverage and I don't have any. There's no witnesses. There's no proof that connects him to any of the murders. The only thing that I've got him on is an assault charge.
Ryan : Hey. We just got a hit on McCardle's APB. He's at St. Benjamin's Hospital.
Castle : Maybe Gates got to him.
Beckett : Sir, if I can get McCardle to roll.
Montgomery : Go!
Ryan : Yeah.
Castle : Uh-eh-um-eh...
Beckett : Okay, fine, Castle. Go. Just stay out of his way. And Ryan, get me something I can break him with.
[St Benjamin Hospital, McCardle Room : Castle, Ryan and Doctor ]
Ryan : Excuse me. I'm Detective Ryan. I'd like a word with Mr. McCardle.
Doctor : You can't have one. He just got out of heart surgery.
Ryan : What for?
Doctor : A congenital valve defect.
Castle : Would that cause excessive sweating, by any chance.
Doctor : Among other, more serious symptoms. He's been in dire need of surgery for over a year.
Castle : So, why get it now?
Doctor : He finally came up with the money. It's kind of a costly procedure.
Ryan : How costly?
Doctor : About $100, 000.
Ryan : Who footed the bill?
Doctor : That's confidential information.
Castle : You spoke to his ex-wife. She didn't even know he was here.
Ryan : She hated the guy. So, who sent the flowers?
[St Benjamin Hospital : Castle / Police Department : Beckett ]
Beckett : Beckett.
Castle : McCardle's surgery had nothing to do with Gates. In fact, Gates sent him "Get Well" flowers.
Beckett : Which means he cares about his foster brother.
Castle : That's your leverage. You still need us to wait and talk to McCardle?
Beckett : No. Tell Jerry his girlfriend's fine and he doesn't have to worry about Gates anymore.
[Interrogation Room : Beckett, Montgomery, Gates and Cal Townsend]
Gates : You keep coming back for more. I look for that in a woman.
Beckett : We found Paul. He's at St. Benjamin's. We know that he pretended to be you the night of Kim Foster's murder, and I'm gonna get him to testify against you.
Gates : You don't know Paul.
Beckett : Well, then we'll go another way. I'll charge him with accessory to murder
Gates : (scoff)You can't do that.
Beckett : Actually, we can. Sing Sing might have been a picnic for you, but how long do you think Paul is gonna survive in there?
Gates : Paul didn't know what was going on. He only did what I told him.
Beckett : The only way to prove that is by telling me the whole story.
Gates : Only if Paul gets immunity. And I want that in writing.
[Later.]
[ Montgomery and the father of the first 3XK victim.]
Cal Townsend : Is that him?
Montgomery : That's him.
Beckett : Mr. Gates, did you kill Kim Foster?
Gates : Yes, I killed all of them.
Beckett : I want their names.
Gates : Linda Russo. Before that, it was Sarah Townsend. Five other women.
[Motel : Castle, Ryan and Jerry Tyson]
Ryan : Gates confessed to everything. You get to chalk one up for the good guys, why the long face?
Castle : Because if this were a book, I still wouldn't understand the operation.
Ryan : Valve replacement. It's no big deal. My dad had one.
Castle : Yeah, it is if you don't have the money. Who paid for it?
Ryan : I'm guessing Gates did. Maybe he stashed away some money from before prison.
Castle : Yeah, but he was out of prison for a month . Why wait till now to do McCardle's operation?
Ryan : Well, he needed McCardle to help him with Linda Russo and Kim Foster.
Castle : I guess.
[Ryan and Castle enter Jerry's safe room.]
Ryan : Packing up?
Jerry Tyson : Oh, I was just getting stuff together.
Castle : All that stuff from prison?
Jerry Tyson : Well, you accumulate a lot of stuff, you know, even in the slammer.
Ryan : You were right about Gates. He did try to go after Donna, but she's okay.
Jerry Tyson : And Gates?
Ryan : He confessed. It's all over.
Jerry Tyson : Thank god.
Castle : Aren't you going to ask what happened? To your girlfriend, Donna. You didn't ask about her, you just asked about Gates. Doesn't make any sense. Unless... she was supposed to die.
Jerry Tyson : I… I don't know what you…
Castle : And McCardle didn't get the money from for the surgery until after you got out of prison. He's removing all evidence he was even there. It was him all along. He's the real Triple Killer.
[Ryan pulls his gun, but Jerry gets to him too fast, knocks Ryan out, takes the gun, and aims at Castle.]
Jerry Tyson : Guilty as charged.
[Police Department : Beckett and Montgomery]
Montgomery : Excellent work, Detective.
Beckett : Thank you, sir. And I hope you say the same to Castle. Where is he, by the way? I thought that they would be back by now.
Montgomery : Maybe he and Ryan went out for a cold one. After a day like today, that's what I'm doing. Care to join me?
Beckett : Yeah. Yeah, I'd love to.
Montgomery : Let's hit it.
[Motel Room : Castle, Ryan, Jerry Tyson and Martha on phone]
[Jerry ties up Ryan on the floor. Castle is already tied to a chair.]
Castle : That story about Gates getting arrested, that was your story, wasn't it? You were afraid you were gonna get caught, so you hid in prison.
Jerry Tyson : Too bad you didn't figure that out sooner.
Castle : Too bad you didn't leave sooner. Cops'll be here any minute.
Jerry Tyson : Looks like Detective Ryan called the precinct just before he got here. There won't be anyone missing me for a while. By the time they do, I'll be long gone.
Castle : You won't get far. They already have your name, know you face.
Jerry Tyson : Change those. Done that before. That's part of the fun of it.
Castle : Fun, like setting up Gates?
Jerry Tyson : Paul McCardle was the only person in the world that he cared about, and once I learned that, the rest was easy. You never know when you need one of these. [Jerry takes Ryan's badge.] Besides, Gates liked prison.
Castle : You taught Gates everything he needed to know to take the fall for the Triple Killer murders. After that, all you had to do was pay for Paul's surgery and you can walk away scot-free. That's a beautiful plan. Undone by a duffel bag.
Jerry Tyson : I'm not undone. I'm right here. I'll relocate. I'll start over. It must eat you alive knowing that you came so close to catching me. But this is a winner-take-all type of game. [Jerry reloads the gun.]
Castle : Ugh, Jerry, shooting? It's not your style.
Jerry Tyson : Oh, you really don't know me at all, do you?
Castle : Oh, it's not complicated. You were raised by a single mother. She was blonde. Oh, she was beautiful, but she never wanted you. When you were, what? Twelve, I'm guessing? She died suddenly. Let's say, drug overdose. You go into foster care. The bad kind. You have so much hate. So much hate towards your mother for abandoning you. But you kill these women to get back at her. But you leave them looking peaceful, because as much as you hated your mother, you loved your mother. Am I getting warm?
Jerry Tyson : You're drawn to death. You like to be around it, cause it thrills you. Now, where does that come from? Your own suppressed impulses? How close to death do you want to get? Huh?
[Castle's phone vibrates. Jerry shows Castle the photo of a young Martha Rogers on the screen.]
Jerry Tyson : Don't say anything you shouldn't.
Castle : (into phone) Hello?
Martha : (on phone at the loft) Darling, I just wanted you to know, your conspiracy theories are completely unfounded.
Castle : (on phone) My conspiracy theories?
Martha : (on phone) Uh-uh. Alexis's secret admirer is Ashley, her boyfriend.
Castle : (on phone) Aw, that's great, thanks.
Martha : (on phone) Yeah, and he's a very charming young man. so, anyway, no need to worry. All's well that ends well. Richard?
Castle : (on phone) I love you.
Jerry Tyson : I don't think there's anything more to say.[Jerry cocks the gun.]
[ Motel : Beckett, Castle, Esposito and Ryan]
[Jerry leaves the motel with his duffel bag. As he exits through the gate, cop cars pull up with sirens. Beckett and Esposito rush to the motel room. Beckett kicks in the door.]
Beckett : Castle!
Castle : It's clear. He's gone. I'm fine. Ryan needs an ambulance.
Ryan : No, I don't.
Esposito : Hey, what the hell happened here?
Beckett : I'm so glad that you're okay.
Castle : He's the Triple Killer. He set Gates up to be a copycat.
Beckett :
I know. I did the math when you and Ryan didn't come back from talking to Jerry.
Castle : How did you know to come here?
Beckett : Your mom called. She said that you told her that you loved her and she figured something must be terribly wrong.
Castle : I figured she might. Good girl.
[Motel : Beckett and Castle]
[Beckett sits down by the pool with Castle and hands him a coffee.]
Beckett : Here you go.
Castle : Thanks.
Beckett : Mm-hmm. Tell me something, Castle. Why did he let you live?
Castle : To punish me. Make me pay for ruining his plan. Now he's gonna kill again all because I couldn't stop him. And I feel so...
Beckett : [Beckett puts her hand on Castle's knee.] I know the feeling.
Castle : I know you do.
[Castle takes Beckett's hand.]
