[Central Park : BMX Bikers]
BMX Biker 1: Ah, dude! [The bikers see a corpse.]
BMX Biker 2 : Dude?
BMX Biker 1 : Dude.
[Castle’s Loft : Castle, Alexis and Martha]
[Castle sees a white rat running on its wheel in a cage.]
Castle : Aw. Science project?
Alexis : No, it's a pet. Say hello to Theodor, Dad. I'm rat-sitting him for Ashley.
Castle : Hello, Theodor. How goes the rat race?
Alexis : Did you know the average lifespan of a rat is two to three years? Ashley's had Theodor for five. And this is the first time he's left him with anyone.
Castle : Trusting you with a treasured pet. That's a big step in a relationship.
Alexis : Yeah. I guess it kind of is.
Martha : I must say, the little plague pusher is not very diligent about his exercise. You know, I-- I think it's just those beady little eyes
Castle : It's a rat, Mother. They all have beady eyes. That's where the phrase comes from.
Alexis : [Alexis grabs some of the veggies Alexis is chopping.] Dad, those are for Theodor. He has a very specific diet I'm supposed to follow.
Castle : Well, unless he's Ben, I'm sure he won't hold it against me. If anyone needs me, I'll be in the park with a dead body.
Alexis : Who's Ben?
Martha : Killer rat movie. Before your time.
[Central Park : Beckett, Castle and Lanie]
Castle : You know, I understand ferrets as a pet. Snakes, spiders, even a hairless mole, but a rat?
Beckett : Probably kids in the city who keep cockroaches as pets.
Castle : You're probably right. What's the strangest pet you ever had?
Beckett : You. Hey, Lanie.
Castle : Was this a hit and run?
Lanie : In a manner of speaking. Two BMX bikers rode over the body, then called it in. But the cause of death are the gunshot wounds. One to the chest, and two more in the back.
Beckett : So, he's wounded on both sides?
Castle : Maybe there were two shooters? He was caught in the crossfire?
Lanie : Won't know till I get him back to the lab.
Beckett : You got an ID?
Lanie : Leonard Levitt, Ozone Park, Queens. Wallet, cash, keys, everything's still here.
Beckett : Which means it wasn't theft.
Castle : No. Something much more nefarious. A feather.
Castle : [Castle pulls a feather out of the victim's front pocket.]Alternating stripes, uniform color...this is no ordinary pigeon feather. This...this is from a bird of prey.
Beckett : So, what are you suggesting, Castle? That a bird shot him three times?
Castle : Not just any bird. This is the calling card of a murderer known only as The Falcon Killer.
Beckett : Or, maybe before getting shot, he just bent down and picked up the feather.
Castle : See, that's why you'll never be a bestselling novelist. No sense of drama.
Beckett : I find that dead bodies are usually enough. Thanks, Lanie.
Lanie : Mmm.
[Police Department : Beckett, Castle, Esposito and Ryan]
Esposito : Yo. So, we ran background on your vic. It's pretty thin. He was a New York City Transit employee, worked in the subway out of the 116th Street station.
Beckett : He worked Uptown and he lived in Queens? Then what was he doing in the park? That's pretty out of the way.
Esposito : Well, we thought that he was looking to buy some weed or some love, but he has no drug history, no convictions of solicitation, no nothing.
Beckett : And what about his family?
Ryan : Both parents are deceased, guy never married, has no children. It's like he barely existed.
Castle : Making him the perfect victim. Mild mannered city employee lured into a conveniently wooded area, struck down by a murderer with the speed and cunning of a bird of prey
Beckett : Don't ask. You guys go to his apartment. Find out who he is and what he was doing in the park.
[Autopsy Room : Beckett, Castle and Lanie]
Lanie : Lividity and temperature puts time of death between 5 and 7 p.m. The victim also has a broken wrist, could be post-mortem from those BMX-ers playing X-games on his corpse.
Beckett : What about the gunshot wounds?
Lanie : All three entry wounds were made by the same weapon, a .45. There was only one shooter.
Beckett : So, the same person shot him in the front and then shot him in the back?
Lanie : Didn't make any sense to me either. So, I decided to take some measurements. Turns out, the wounds are of different depths. The one on his chest is very shallow, indicating the shot came from a distance.
Castle : How far?
Lanie : About 150 feet.
Castle : That's quite and accurate shot with a handgun.
Lanie : Yeah, I'd say your killer had some shooting experience. But the next two shots in the back were close range. Inside six feet, maybe.
Beckett : So, he got shot in the chest at long range, turned around to run--
Castle : But he's wounded. The killer goes after him to finish what he started with a double tap to the back.
Beckett : He wasn't just shot. He was hunted down and killed.
Castle : But why?
[Leonard Levitt’s Apartment : Esposio and Ryan]
Ryan : Ooh. What was this guy up to?
Esposito : No idea. What about that?
Ryan : Looks like some kind of counter.
Esposito : What do you think he was counting?
Ryan : Nothing good. Night vision, spotting scope, parabolic microphone. Top quality, too. What's a subway worker doing with all this?
Esposito : I don't know, but whatever he was into, it had something to do with the park. Look, this is right where his body was found.
Ryan : 5:26. That's around our time of death.
Esposito : Looks like he was tracking something or someone with the initials BHS.
Ryan : And it looks like that someone found him.
[Subway : Beckett and Castle]
Castle : Surveillance equipment, clandestine meetings, a professional hit. Mix in the subway, we're looking at The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3. Or, better yet, Money Train. Any one of these people could be secret accomplice. That's what I love about the subway. Down here, everyone's got a story.
Beckett : See, that's the difference between you and me, Castle. You see the subway as a place to pick up dialogue for your novels.
Castle : Or the occasional investment banker on her way to the gym.
Beckett : I, on the other hand, see it as a way of getting from point A to point B
[Subway : Beckett and Mario Rivera]
Mario Rivera : "Light Bulb" Len's dead, huh?
Castle : "Light Bulb" Len?
Mario Rivera : Yeah, it was his job to change in the stations and tunnels all over New York. I figured something was wrong. It's the first time he's missed work in 22 years.
Beckett : Mr. Rivera, Len was found shot to death at the park. Any idea what he was doing there?
Mario Rivera : The guy changed light bulbs for a living. You know, a job like that, it's not for the social. I mean, in the twelve years I was a supervisor, I don't think we ever had one personal conversation. But you know who you should talk to?
Beckett : Who?
[Subway, Tunnel : Beckett, Castle and Arthur Sansone]
Beckett : Mr. Sansone! Arthur!
Arthur Sansone : I'm sorry. It's just-- why would anybody want to shoot him?
Beckett : Well, we were hoping that you could tell us that.
Arthur Sansone : Well, the guy was one of the unsung heroes of this city. He saved a lot of lives.
Castle : I'm sorry. I thought… I thought he changed light bulbs.
Arthur Sansone : Bad things happen in darkness, Mr. Castle, dimly lit tunnels, darkened stairwells. If Len heard about a blown bulb before shift end, he would stay late on his own time to fix it. And, of course, there was his response to the Abe Lipchitz tragedy. 1989? Electrocution of a bulb changer at the Brighton Beach station? This is a circuit interrupter switch. Shuts down all the power inside a tunnel so that electrical maintenance could be performed safely. Down here, it's called the Lenny box, because it took a visionary like Len Levitt to design it and force the transit authority to install one in every station in this city.
Beckett : What about high tech gear? Did Lenny ever use any night vision or microphones for his work?
Arthur Sansone : No. Why?
Castle : How about the initials BHS? Does that mean anything to you? Maybe someone or something that Len was keeping tabs on?
Arthur Sansone : The only thing Len Levitt ever kept tabs on was every single bulb he ever changed.
Beckett : Did he have any enemies that you know of?
Arthur Sansone : You don't make waves without making a few enemies. Because of Len, we're in the middle of a system wide changeover from incandescent to compact florescence. New technology comes in, the city ends up with a warehouse full of old bulbs. That makes some guy in a suit at the old bulb factory very unhappy. You ask me, corporations conspired to take Lenny out.
[Police Department : Beckett, Castle, Esposito and Ryan]
Esposito : Lenny Box. So, the guy's an inventor.
Castle : Apparently, he was an underground renaissance man.
Esposito : I guess that explains all the electronics.
Castle : And the counter in his apartment. All the light bulbs he changed.
Esposito : Seriously? I this guy changed over a million light bulbs?
Castle : The man was an unsung hero, alright? Cut down by the forces of Big Bulb.
Esposito : Big Bulb?
Castle : The industrial complex.
Beckett : Lenny's buddy is delusional if he actually thinks that Lenny was killed by a light bulb conspiracy.
Ryan : I wouldn't dismiss our subterranean friend just yet. I was running through Len's phone records and one jumped out.
Beckett : The outgoing call to the New York City Employee tip line?
Ryan : It's where you go to rat out your co-workers.
Castle : Must "rat" always be used in the pejorative? In the Chinese zodiac, the rat is a--
Beckett : What was the tip?
Ryan : Well, all those incandescent bulbs they're replacing? Levitt claims that he had evidence his supervisor was stealing them and then re-selling them on the black market.
Beckett : You mean, Mario Rivera?
Ryan : The same. If the charges pan out, the guy could lose his job and his pension. Oh, and get this, before he was in the transit authority, Mario was in the Marine Corps for eight years where he won a weapons medal for sharpshooting.
[OPENING]
[Interrogation Room : Beckett, Castle and Mario Rivera]
Beckett : Where were you last night between 5 and 7 p.m.?
Mario Rivera : Working.
Beckett : We checked. You clocked out at 4:34.
Castle : You, uh, hopped the B or the D down to 59th Street. The express only takes, what, ten minutes? Plenty of time to get to the park, kill Len.
Mario Rivera : Why would I kill Len?
Castle : Because he filed a report against you with the transit authority when he found out about Costa Rica.
Mario Rivera : What the hell are you guys talking about?
Beckett : These are e-mails that were sent from you to your contact in Costa Rica.
Mario Rivera : These are my private e-mails.
Beckett : Sent from a workplace computer, which means we can look.
Mario Rivera : So? I was thinking about taking a vacation down there.
Castle : Yeah. Drink a few cervezas, maybe go parasailing on the beach, sell some light bulbs to some locals.
Beckett : The city has a warehouse full of old incandescent light bulbs that you figured no one would miss. So, you sold them to a wholesaler in Costa Rica for twenty cents a pop. That's a hundred grand.
Castle : Only someone did miss them. Someone with the word "light bulb" in his name. When you found out Len was onto you, you realized you could lose your job and your pension. You couldn't afford to let him go to the transit authority with what he knew.
Mario Rivera : I didn't kill nobody.
Beckett : Well then, why don't you just come clean with what you did last night between five and seven? The thing about murderers, Mario, is they tend to not have solid alibis
Castle : Generally because they're murdering somebody.
Mario Rivera : Look, those old light bulbs were just gonna get destroyed and end up in a land fill. I was doing the city a favor. So I make a little extra, so who gets hurt?
Castle : Uh...I'm gonna go with Len.
Beckett : Last chance, Mario.
Mario Rivera : After work I went up to the Grand Concourse to pack up a shipment of light bulbs. They went out to Costa Rica last night. You can check. I was there.
[Police Department : Beckett, Castle, Esposito and Ryan]
Esposito : (on cell) Thanks. (hangs up) He's telling the truth. Len's call to the tip line? Turns out that the transit cops had him under surveillance all last week. His tail has him in the Bronx last night, just like he said.
Beckett : Call the transit cops, and tell them that we just closed their case for them.
Esposito : Right.
Castle : So, if light bulbs didn't get Lenny killed, then what did?
Beckett : You know, it can't be a coincidence that he was killed right there at about the same time that he has written down.
Castle : And what does BHS stand for? Bronx High School.
Beckett : Hm.
Castle : Big Honkin' Stereo. Boys Have Shoes?
Ryan : Try Byron H. Singer. Found a small vendor decal on the side of the parabolic microphone we found at his apartment. So, I called the vendor to find out if he knew why Len bought the equipment. Turns out, Len didn't buy it at all. It was purchased two months ago by an insurance actuary named Byron H. Singer.
Beckett : (amplified by microphone)BHS! Sorry.
[Interrogation Room : Beckett, Castle and Byron H. Singer]
Beckett : Mr. Singer, thank you for coming down.
Byron H. Singer : They said it was important.
Beckett : Do you know a man named Len Levitt?
Byron H. Singer : What did that bastard tell you?
Beckett : He didn't tell us anything.
Byron H. Singer : Good. Because he's a liar. He thought he knew better than me. He thought he knew better than everybody.
Beckett : Mr. Singer…
Byron H. Singer : I don't care if he didn't believe me. I don't care how much it hurt him. I know what I saw.
Beckett : And what did you see?
Byron H. Singer : The two of them together in the park, like a pair of lovebirds. But he accused me of making the whole thing up. I mean, why would I make something like that up? Why would anybody?
Beckett : Mr. Singer, what exactly did you see in the park?
Byron H. Singer : I saw enough. And, believe me, I was pretty shocked to see them together. I knew I had to tell Len before somebody else did.
Castle : Len must've been very angry when you told him.
Byron H. Singer : Very angry and jealous. But I had followed them and found their secret spot and I told him where and when to find them. I even lent him some of my equipment so he could spy on them himself.
Castle : So, Len goes to the park and he sees for himself.
Beckett : And then he confronts them in a jealous rage, and they kill him.
Byron H. Singer : They do what now?
Castle : They kill him. The cheating girlfriend and the lover.
Byron H. Singer : What are you talking about?
Beckett and Castle : What are you talking about?
Beckett : Who did you see in the park that night?
Byron H. Singer : The red-tailed hawks. There haven't been a nesting pair in the park for forty years.
Beckett : You mean, this is about birds?
Byron H. Singer : Not just birds, the red-tailed hawks. Len oversees the log in the Central Park boat house where all the sightings are officially recorded, but he refused to acknowledge my sighting. So I told him, if he didn't believe me, he should go out to the park and see for himself. They nest at dusk.
Beckett : Mr. Singer, were you in the park yesterday between 5 and 7 p.m.?
Byron H. Singer : Usually I am, but yesterday I was in my office working.
Beckett : And can any of your colleagues verify that?
Byron H. Singer : I'm sure they can. But about the hawks, and I want this on the official record, I would never exaggerate or fabricate a bird sighting. It's unthinkable! They're there, and I saw them first.
Castle : I'm putting that in the official record.
[Police Department : Beckett and Castle]
Beckett : So, the equipment, the park, the feather, and BHS. Looks like we've explained everything
Castle : Yes, except why he was killed.
[Castle’s Loft : Castle, Alexis and Martha]
Castle : Morning, Mother.
Martha : Morning.
Castle : So, why is Gram on the table and why are you on the floor?
Alexis : Dad, he's gone.
Castle : Theodor?
Alexis : When I fed him his Kimo salad with wheat berries I must not have closed the cage door all the way and now he's gone and Ashley's going to hate me.
Castle : Oh, he's not going to hate you. He'll understand.
Alexis : No, he won't! I…he trusted me and I let him down.
Castle : No, not yet, you haven't. We'll find him. Have you looked in your room?
Alexis : And in Gram's too.
Martha : If that creature entered my room, I'm going to need a new bed. And wardrobe.
Alexis : Dad, what if he got out? Like, "out" out?
Castle : Alright, Theodor's an Uptown rat. He's here someplace. Okay, to find a rodent, you have to think like a rodent. [Castle starts a meditative breathing exercise and Alexis joins in.] You are Theodor. What do you want?
Alexis : Food.
Castle : Eh, you got a personal chef, you're not hungry.
Alexis : Warmth. I'd want to stay warm and safe.
Castle : Yeah, cozy, quiet place out of the way where no one's going to step on you...
Alexis : Front hall closet!
Castle : Nice.
[Alexis checks the closet.]
Castle : You see him?
Alexis : No. He's not here.
Castle : [Castle sees a camera hanging up in the closet.]He's not here.
Alexis : What? You need to go?
Castle : And leave you rat-less?
Alexis : It's my responsibility, Dad. Not yours. I'll find him.
Castle : Are you sure?
Alexis : Yeah.
Castle : Alright. Call me if you need anything.
Alexis : Okay.
Martha : Just so you know, I'm checking into the Plaza, and you're paying.
[Central Park : Beckett and Castle]
Beckett : Okay, Castle, I'm here. What was so important?
Castle : Your first clue is, the curious incident of the dog in the nighttime.
Beckett : Oh, geez, Castle, I haven't even had my coffee yet.
[Castle hands her a coffee cup.]
Beckett : Thank you.
Castle : From the Sherlock Holmes story Silver Blaze, Holmes unmasks the murderer because of what didn't happen. The dog didn't bark. That's how he knew the dog must've known the killer.
Beckett : Okay, yes. I remember the story.
Castle : Then you know that the hardest form of detection is looking for the thing that isn't there. Byron said that Len was going to verify the hawks. "Verify" as in, "provide proof." Which means...
Beckett : He would've had a camera.
Castle : Which we didn't find. And if he was taking pictures--
Beckett : We should be able to figure out what he was up to.
Castle : We found the body here, where he took the last two bullets.
Beckett : Running away from his killer.
Castle : He had a broken wrist.
Beckett : From the BMX guys riding over his body.
Castle : Or he fell from a tree. This tree. There's a fresh divot.
[They look up and see a camera hanging in the tree.]
[Police Department : Beckett and Castle]
[Beckett and Castle look over the camera photos on the computer.]
Beckett : It's all birds.
Castle : Hmm. Red-tailed hawks. Looks like Byron Singer was telling the truth after all.
Beckett : Yeah, remind me to notify the bird police. But I doubt it was the hawks that killed him. [Beckett clicks to the next photo. It's a man pulling a kid out of a car at gunpoint.]
Castle : Whoa.
Beckett : "Light Bulb" Len witnessed a child abduction.
[Beckett clicks to the next photo. It's the killer pointing his gun at the camera with the flash of the gunshot obscuring his face.]
Castle : And the last thing he saw was his killer.
[Police Department : Beckett, Castle, Ryan and Montgomery]
Beckett : We don't know his name or age, but we're estimating between ten and twelve years old. He has brown hair, hazel eyes. He was last seen wearing shorts, sneakers, and a gray and white jacket. Now, our kidnapper is male, brown hair, between 5'10" and 6'. He was carrying a Glock .45, which matches the size of the slugs that we found in our victim's body. Now, both photos have timestamps on them, so we know that the abduction took place at 5:12 p.m. on Tuesday.
Montgomery : After 48 hours, the chances of finding a child abduction victim alive go way down. The only thing that matters is finding that kid.
Castle : If he's been missing for 36 hours, how come his parents haven't reported it?
Beckett : They might not know. Or they might be under duress.
Castle : He was wearing shorts, which probably means he knew he was going to the park.
Beckett : Well, he wasn't lured there. Maybe he knew his kidnapper.
Castle : Well, then why would the kidnapper need a gun?
Ryan : I e-mailed the photo to the New York State police in the parole division. They're looking into any kidnappers with this abduction M.O., and Esposito is canvassing that part of the park looking for any witnesses.
Castle : What about schools? If the boy goes to a local school, they'd know he was absent.
Beckett : Have uniforms fax his photo to all schools in the five boroughs.
Ryan : Done.
Castle : That car looks to be like a compact or a subcompact. Can we get the make or model?
Beckett : Lab's already looking into it.
Ryan : We're pulling video from all traffic cameras on streets leading in and out of the park on Tuesday evening. Maybe we'll catch the license plate.
Beckett : Or the driver's face.
Castle : What if we were to enlarge this part of the photo? Not the face, just this part of the window.
Beckett : Are you thinking of the reflection?
Castle : I'm wondering if maybe we can see the kidnapper's face in that side-view mirror.
Beckett : It's worth a shot. (picks up phone) I need a CSU photo tech up here now.
[Central Park : Esposito and Pretzel Vendor]
Esposito : You sure you haven't seen him?
Pretzel Vendor : Man, I see so many kids every day, I couldn't tell one from the next.
Esposito : What about a blue car around the same time somewhere in this area?
Pretzel Vendor : Tuesday about five?
Esposito : Yeah.
Pretzel Vendor : Yeah, as a matter of fact, a blue Saturn.
Esposito : You sure?
Pretzel Vendor : Yeah. People I forget. Things that get in my way, I remember. It was parked right in front of my regular spot. Instead, I gotta set up at the edge of the roadway. I almost get clipped by a cab.
Esposito : Anybody inside?
Pretzel Vendor : No, because I would've yelled at the driver if there was. I don't know what's wrong with people in the city
Esposito : Yeah. Thanks.
Pretzel Vendor : Yeah.
[Police Department : Beckett, Castle, Ryan and CSU photo Tech]
Beckett : (hangs up)Our pretzel vendor ID-ed the kidnapper's car as a blue Saturn sedan anywhere from '97 to '02. The problem is, there are 6,000 blue Saturns registered in the tri-state area alone. Ryan, where are we on the traffic cams?
Ryan : The make and model will help narrow it down, but there's a lot of footage. There's also no central database for school absences. We can't sort by grade or gender, and there's a bad cold making the rounds. So, more kids are out than usual.
Castle : What about State police?
Ryan : Whole lot of nada. And nothing popped on paroles with the same kidnapping M.O. (into phone) Yes, I'll continue to hold.
CSU Photo Tech : Detective, enhanced and enlarged.
[The tech hands Beckett a file folder of the photos.]
Beckett : Thank you.
Castle : The enhancement only increased the pixilation on all these. You can't even see there's a side-view mirror.
Beckett : Well, it's not like on 24, Castle. In the real world, zoom and enhance can only get us so far.
Castle : But… you can't even s… there's no reflection. There's just mush. [Castle sits down roughly in frustration and Beckett looks at him.]
Beckett : Are you okay?
Castle : Yeah. No. God, this kid isn't that much younger than Alexis.
Beckett : Don't worry. We'll find him.
Castle : Alexis.
Beckett : What?
Castle : I've seen this before.
Beckett : You've seen what?
Castle : This mark on his sock. Alexis used to get these when she played soccer. They're cleat marks from when other kids kick her in the shins.
Beckett : If he was playing soccer in the park, he might be part of an organized team or a league.
Castle : And youth leagues have websites that you can go to. The parents and kids can track scores and standings.
Ryan : I spoke to the league commissioner and only one ten to twelve year old team practice on Tuesday. The Wildcats. [Ryan goes to the team photo page and scrolls through the player photos.]
Beckett and Castle : There!
Ryan : Tyler Donegal. He's twelve.
Beckett : Ryan, let's get everything we can on this kid. The clock is ticking and we got to bring him back alive.
[Police Department : Beckett, Castle, Esposito, Ryan and Montgomery]
Beckett : Tyler Donegal lives with his mother in Westchester. Court records show that the parents' divorce was finalized two months ago.
Montgomery : You reach the parents?
Ryan : Just got off with the mother, Mirielle Lefcourt. She moved out of the city last year, got remarried to an anesthesiologist last month. She says she has no idea that her son is missing. He was spending two days with her ex. She's on her way in now.
Montgomery : If the father had custody, where the hell is he and why didn't he report the boy missing?
Ryan : We're working on that, sir. The father's a maintenance supervisor at a high-rise on West Broadway and Canal. He lives six blocks from Central Park.
Esposito : Yo. Donegal called in sick for work yesterday and today.
Montgomery : Divorced parents, one child, one spouse remarries quickly,
Castle :
Beckett : So, she dumps the janitor in the city for doctor in the 'burbs.
Montgomery : All the father has left is his son. It's got all the hallmarks of a custodial abduction.
Beckett : You got a photo?
Esposito : I'll get one.
[LATER]
Esposito : Dean Donegal. 5'10", 175, brown hair.
Beckett : All the vitals match.
Castle : Yeah, but why do you need a gun to kidnap your own son? You just put him in the car, tell him you're going for ice cream. What's he doing?
Ryan : Hey, Beckett? The mother's here.
Beckett : Alright, Ryan, you go to Dean's office. Esposito, you check out his apartment, maybe something else is going on with that family.
Esposito : Right.
[Interview Room : Beckett, Castle, Montgomery, Mirieille Lefcourt and Dr. Elliot Lefcourt]
Mirielle Lefcourt : Where's my son?
Beckett : That's what we're trying to determine, Ms. Lefcourt. When was the last time that you spoke with him?
Mirielle Lefcourt : Uh, two days ago when I dropped him off at his father's.
Dr. Elliot Lefcourt : He was supposed to be with Dean. Have you talked to Dean?
Beckett : We're trying to locate him now.
Mirielle Lefcourt : He's not at work? He never misses work.
Beckett : Can you tell me about the divorce? How did Dean take that?
Mirielle Lefcourt : Um, not well. He was very bitter and angry.
Beckett : Does he own a gun?
Mirielle Lefcourt : A handgun. Yes. There were break-ins in his building.
Beckett : Do you know what kind?
Mirielle Lefcourt : Why are you asking me about a-- a gun? Was somebody shot? Was my son shot?
Beckett : No. Nobody was shot, Ms. Lefcourt. It's just, the man who took your son was carrying a gun. Now, I'm gonna have to show you this photograph. Do you recognize this man?
Mirielle Lefcourt : I don't know. Is that Dean?
Beckett : I was hoping that you could tell me. What about this car? Is that his car?
Dr. Elliot Lefcourt : No, Dean doesn't own a car. He-- he rents one as he needs one.
Mirielle Lefcourt : A Glock. Dean's gun. It's a Glock. We had to itemize our property for the divorce.
Beckett : Ms. Lefcourt, does Dean have a place that he like to take Tyler? Any, um, favorite hangouts?
Dr. Elliot Lefcourt : As far as I know, he's never taken him anywhere.
Mirielle Lefcourt : That's not true. Dean's family has a cabin in the Poconos.
Beckett : Pennsylvania State police are on their way to the cabin. With any luck, we'll find Tyler. You okay?
Castle : Can't imagine how Tyler's mother feels.
Beckett : Yeah, me neither.
Castle : When Alexis was four, we went Christmas shopping at some mall in-- in White Plains. I was trying on some...charcoal fedora. I turn around, she is gone. Vanished. I looked everywhere. So did mall security, so did the police. We searched for an hour. You have to be a novelist to think of all the worst case scenarios.
Beckett : Where'd you find her?
Castle : Behind a rack of winter coats. She got bored. She crawled underneath there an went to sleep. To this day, I still dream about that.
Montgomery : Just got off with Esposito. Looks like Dean's on the move.
Beckett : What did they find?
Montgomery : It's what they didn't find. No tooth brush, no deodorant, no shampoo in the shower.
Beckett : I'll run his credit card for anything that indicates he's traveling.
[Dean’s Workplace : Ryan, Teresa De La Torre and Man]
Ryan : Dean's desk?
Teresa De La Torre : You can't miss it, right? Pictures everywhere. He calls it Tyler-palooza.
Ryan : Is this his only work area?
Teresa De La Torre : Yeah, uh-huh.
Ryan : How'd he sound when he called in sick? Did he sound stressed?
Teresa De La Torre : To tell you the truth, Detective? Dean didn't call in sick. I covered for him.
Ryan : Why?
Teresa De La Torre : His ex-wife got remarried to some rich doctor, like, five minutes after the divorce was final. He had legal bills up the ass. I figured he just to spend a little time with his son. So what if he didn't call in sick? I had his back. That's how we do it down here.
Man : Hey, Teresa!
Teresa De La Torre : Alright, already!
[Teresa leaves and Ryan sees looks at Dean's computer.]
Ryan : Ooh.
[The computer has flights pulled up for Indianapolis.]
Ryan : What's in Indy, Dean?
[Police Department : Beckett, Castle, Esposito and Montgomery]
Castle : Maybe he's got family in Indianapolis? A friend? Somebody he can trust? Someone who can hide him.
Beckett : Yeah, but there weren't any airline tickets purchased in his name or in Tyler's.
Esposito : Yo. The cabin's empty. PA State Troopers say it looks like there hasn't been anyone there in months.
Montgomery : I just got a hit on Dean Donegal's financials. An hour ago, he booked a motel room in Jamaica, Queens.
Castle : That's not far from the airport. He might still be trying to get Tyler out of town.
Beckett : If we're lucky.
Montgomery : He shot someone, he's on the run, he's under extreme duress. Let's get him before this ends bloody for everyone.
[Dean’s Hotel Room : Beckett, Castle, Esposito, Ryan and Dean Donegal]
Ryan and Esposito : NYPD!
Esposito : Tyler!
Beckett : Hands!
Esposito : Tyler, you here?
Beckett : Show me your hands!
Esposito : Tyler?
Ryan : Tyler?
Esposito : The bathroom's clear.
Ryan : He's not here.
Beckett : Where's Tyler?
Dean Donegal : I don't know. They told me to check into a motel and wait for further instructions.
Castle : Who did?
Dean Donegal : I don't know. All I know is they took him. And if I help you, they'll kill my son.
[Interrogation Room : Beckett, Castle and Dean Donegal]
Beckett : Where is Tyler, Dean?
Dean Donegal : I told you. I don't know.
Castle : Why were you going to Indianapolis?
Dean Donegal : Indian…what are you talking about?
Castle : We know you were checking on airfares.
Dean Donegal : I was researching a trip for the holidays. What? You think I took my own son?
Beckett : You were in a hotel by the airport.
Dean Donegal : That's where they told me to go.
Beckett : Who?
Dean Donegal : Please, they said if I talk to the cops, he's dead.
Beckett : Dean, if your son is in danger, then you need to tell us what you know.
Dean Donegal : I went to pick him up after practice. When he wasn't at the usual spot, I figured he must have walked home. When I got back to my apartment, that phone was on my doormat. It had a text on it.
Beckett : [Beckett pulls out the phone to read the text.] "We have your son. Tell no one. Use only this phone. Contact the police and Tyler dies. Standby. We will tell you where to go and what to do. Tell no one. Your son's life depends on it."
Castle : What do they want from you?
Dean Donegal : I have no idea.
[Observation Room : Beckett, Castle, Ryan, Montgomery and Dean Donegal]
[Montgomery's watching the interrogation as Ryan enters with Dean's gun in an evidence bag.]
Ryan : Dean's Glock is a 9mm.
Montgomery : Right make, wrong model. "Light Bulb" Len was killed with a .45.
Ryan : The SIM card from his cell phone is a burner, and the text messages aren't coming from another phone. They're coming from an internet texting service based in the Ukraine. No IP address, untraceable.
Montgomery : Track the SIM. And I want a printout of every text message. And get the electronic serial number off that phone. I want to find out where it was purchased, and by whom.
Ryan : You got it, sir.
Castle : What did they want from you? Are they after ransom?
Dean Donegal : (scoffs/laughs) You're kidding. I'm forty grand in debt after my divorce. I'm looking up at broke.
Beckett : What about your ex-wife's new husband? He has money.
Dean Donegal : They're not calling him. They're calling me. What if they find out I'm here? I just want my son back.
Beckett : Then your best option is to work with us. Let us help you.
Dean Donegal : I need to get some air.
[Police Department : Beckett, Castle, Montgomery, Dean Donegal, Mirielle Lefcourt, Dr. Elliot Lefcourt and Tyler Donegal (on video) ]
[Dean sits down on a bench and Beckett crouches down next to him.]
Beckett : Look, I know that this is hard, but you have to trust us. We will find him.
Dean Donegal : Okay. Don't let 'em hurt my boy.
Mirielle Lefcourt : Where is he? Where's Tyler? You should have been there to pick him up at soccer practice!
Dean Donegal : We're doing everything we can. It's just--
Mirielle Lefcourt : This is why I should have never agreed to joint custody!
Dean Donegal : It's going to be alright.
Dr. Elliot Lefcourt : How could you let this happen?
Dean Donegal : Stay out of this, you're not family.
Dr. Elliot Lefcourt : He's my boy, too!
Dean Donegal : Sit down!
Montgomery : That is enough! I need everyone to calm down. Cooperate and think. Dean, you notice anyone unusual hanging around your son? Anything out of the ordinary going on in his life?
Dean Donegal : No. I mean... I don't think so.
Montgomery : What about you two?
Dr. Elliot Lefcourt : Nothing comes to mind.
Dean Donegal : No.
Montgomery : Now, this abduction was clearly planned. So, the kidnapper had to know where Tyler was gonna be.
[Beckett gets a text on the burner phone.]
Beckett : Sir, this is a message. It's from the kidnapper. There's a video attached.
Tyler Donegal : (on video) Hi, Dad. I know you're worried, but I'm okay. They say if you do what they ask, everything will be fine. Just don't go to the police. I'll see you soon and don't forget to feed Ace.
Mirielle Lefcourt : Oh, thank God he's alive!
Beckett : There's a time stamp on it. 1:31 a.m. That was sent eight minutes ago.
Montgomery : It's a good thing Mrs. Lefcourt. It's called a proof of live video. The kidnapper sent it to prove your son's alive and that you do exactly what they ask.
Mirielle Lefcourt : You will do exactly what they ask you to, do you understand?
Dean Donegal : Wait. Play that last part again.
Tyler Donegal : (on video) Don't forget to feed Ace.
Dean Donegal : Who's Ace? I don't know any Ace.
Dr. Elliot Lefcourt : We don't have any pets.
Castle : He's sending us a message.
Dean Donegal : He's a smart boy.
Castle : Uh, Ace could refer to a person or a business.
Beckett : Sir, there's another text. "> 680 Canal Street. Thirty minutes."
Dean Donegal : That's the building where I work.
Castle : Well, what's there? A jewelry store? A bank?
Dean Donegal : No, just offices.
Beckett : Why you? What's so special about that building that they need you?
Dean Donegal : Uh... Oh, god. Because I have elevator access to all the floors in the building.
Castle : You're a human key.
[ Montgomery’s Office : Beckett, Castle and Montgomery]
Beckett : Sir, I just talked to the building's owner. He's e-mailing blueprints and a tenant list for 680 Canal, including the secure floors.
Montgomery : Ryan and Esposito are with me. We'll take Dean to the building. I've arranged to have an ESU team standing by in striking distance
Beckett : Sir, you can't take Dean to that building. It is way too dangerous.
Castle : He's a father who loves his son. You're not going to be able to stop him.
Montgomery : And, until we find the boy, we don't have any other choice. Scrub the video. Look for anything that could lead us to him.
Beckett : Yes, sir.
[Stakeout Van : Beckett, Castle, Esposito, Ryan, Montgomery and Dean Donegal]
Esposito : Alright. We're a block away.
Ryan : We'll be able to see and hear everything that's happening, okay? And we cloned your phone, so we'll be able to read your texts in real time.
Montgomery : You follow the kidnapper's instructions to the letter. No cowboy stuff, you understand me?
Dean Donegal : Yes.
Tyler Donegal : (on video) Hi, Dad. I know you're worried, but I'm okay. They say if you do what they ask, everything will be fine. Just don't go to the police. I'll see you soon and don't forget to feed Ace.
Beckett : There are no identifying markers in the background. It's all black. I don't know if we're going to find him in time.
Castle : The video was taken at 1:31 a.m., but they didn't send it till 1:39.
Beckett : Yeah, well, sometimes it takes awhile for a text to go through.
Castle : Yeah, but eight minutes? You want Dean to do something for you. You make a proof of life video, but you wait eight minutes to send it. Why?
Beckett : Well, maybe there wasn't a signal or not enough bars.
Castle : Yeah. Maybe they had to walk a long way to get a signal. Maybe they were under a... underground. Ace! It's not Ace. It's A-C-E. A, C, and E subway lines.
Beckett : They're holding Tyler in the subway. He must have spotted a sign.
Castle : There's half a dozen stations for the A, C, and E stop. Too many to search.
Beckett : Yeah, but the last stop for all three lines is on Canal Street and West Broadway. That's…
Castle : Right under Dean's building. They've been holding him under everyone's nose.
Beckett : Let's go.
[Subway : Beckett, Castle and Uniforms]
[Beckett and Castle rush down into the subway with four Uniforms.]
Beckett : Check every room on the east end of the station. You guys check ticket booths on both ends. Go.
Male Uniform : Right.
Female Uniform : Got it.
Beckett : Castle, what are you thinking?
Castle : The only reason to keep him here is for a quick getaway, which is helped by the fact that 680 Canal Street has its own entrance to the subway. If it were me, I'd keep close enough to hook up with my partners, but far enough that I would be out of the way.
Beckett : Which means he's holding Tyler on the West end of the tunnel.
Castle : West end of the tunnel... [Castle looks over blueprints of the subway and 680 building.]
Castle : This room.
Beckett : Alright, you should stay back.
Castle : No chance.
[Stakeout Van : Ryan, Montgomery and Dean Donegal]
[Dean gets a text from the kidnappers.]
Ryan : Go to the 37th floor now.
Dean Donegal : They said 30 minutes. It hasn't been 30 minutes yet.
Montgomery : They're changing their time table in case you went to the cops. What's on the 37th floor?
Dean Donegal : Nothing. It's vacant. It's not even secure.
Montgomery : Try Beckett.
[Esposito picks up his cell to dial Beckett.]
[Subway West Tunnel : Beckett, Castle, Esposito, Montgomery and Dean Donegal]
[Beckett and Castle find a door and Beckett kicks it in, gun ready.]
Beckett : Nothing.
Esposito : It's going straight to voicemail. She must already be in the subway.
Dean Donegal : I gotta go.
Montgomery : Remember, we can see and hear everything. Anything goes south, a hundred cops'll be on you inside a minute.
Dean Donegal : Not until you find my son.
[680 Building : Dean Donegal]
[Dean waves to the guard at the desk.]
Dean Donegal : Just my luck. Pulled graveyard tonight.
[Stakoutvan : Esposito, Ryan and Montgomery]
Montgomery : Alright, he's in.
Esposito : Not bad with the guard. Guy's alright.
Ryan : Camera and mic are all good.
[680 Building Elevator : Esposito, Ryan, Montgomery, Dean Donegal and Robert Kincaid]
[Dean steps into the elevator and presses the 37th floor. One floor up, the elevator stops and several men with guns enter the elevator.]
Ryan : Ooh.
Kidnapper : Take us to the 39th floor.
Dean Donegal : I want to see Tyler first.
Robert Kincaid : Just follow instructions and you'll see him soon enough.
Montgomery : What's on the 39th floor?
Ryan : A financial firm, Bresken and Wright.
Esposito : 37 was just a staging area.
Montgomery : They let him see their faces. As soon as they get what they came for, they're gonna kill him.
Esposito : Just like "Light Bulb" Len.
Ryan : Beckett's still going to voicemail. Castle, too.
Esposito : Sir, what do you want to do?
Montgomery : If we go in before we find the kid, we might lose them both.
[Subway West Tunnel : Beckett and Castle]
[Castle sees a light under a door.]
Castle : Beckett.
[They cross to the other side of the tunnel. Castle pulls out his phone, snaps a photo under the door.]
Beckett : One armed and the kid. If I go in, he'll kill him before I get a shot off.
Castle : He's holding a flashlight. If we kill the ambient light, he'll light up like a Christmas tree. We just… [Castle spots the "Lenny box."]
Castle : It's like it's mean to be.
Beckett : Maybe Lenny can prevent another tragedy. On my count. Three. Two. One.
[Castle flips the switch, Beckett kicks in the door and three shots are fired.]
[680 Building, Elevator : Montgomery, Kidnaper, Dean Donegal and Robert Kincaid ]
[The robbers nudge Dean back into the elevator on the 39th floor.]
Kidnapper : Hit P1. The subway.
Dean Donegal : I did what you asked. Now, where's Tyler?
Robert Kincaid : You'll see him in a minute.
[The elevator descends to the basement.]
Kidnapper : Sorry, Dean. Last stop.
Elevator Voice : Lobby.
[The L floor lights up.]
Robert Kincaid : We're supposed to go to Subway Level 1. Why are we stopping at the lobby?
[The elevator doors open and nobody's there.]
Kidnapper : Don't look at me.
Montgomery : No, look at me.
[A bunch of cops jump out from the their positions against the wall.]
Montgomery : I suggest you drop your weapons.
Dean Donegal : Where's Tyler?
[Police Department ]
[Dean waits in on a bench. Beckett and Castle come around the corner with Beckett holding Tyler's hand. Tyler runs to his dad and they hug.]
[Police Department : Beckett, Castle, Esposito and Montgomery]
Beckett : The ringleader was Robert Kincaid, former bond trader. He's the one who planned the entire operation. The economy might have collapsed, but he was still gonna get his payday. Most of them were ex-Wallstreeters. They knew that they needed biometric clearance in order to get on secure floors and they knew that Dean wasn't gonna help them. So, they took Tyler as leverage.
Esposito : But all they took were files.
Castle : Financial files containing unpublished earnings reports. To a savvy investor, they'd be worth millions.
Ryan : Would've worked, too, if "Light Bulb" Len hadn't been taking pictures in the park. He helped catch his own killer.
Castle : And foil the kidnapping. Kind of poetic. In an unspeakably tragic sort of way.
Montgomery : Guy you shot in the subway, a thug Kincaid hired to do his dirty work. He just confessed to kidnapping Tyler, murdering "Light Bulb" Len, and, no surprise, he ratted out Kincaid in two seconds flat.
Castle : Oh. Speaking of rats, I gotta… I gotta go.
[Castle’s Loft : Caste, Alexis and Ashley]
[Elaborate mouse traps are set up all over the living room. Alexis mopes on the couch.]
Alexis : I'm the worst person in the whole world.
Castle : No, you're not. You're wonderful, and you're kind, and you're sweet.
Alexis : I'm a rat killer.
Castle : You don't know that. You may just be a loser. An, uh-- a rat loser. This did not come out right. Look, if he cares, he'll understand.
Alexis : Yeah, he'll understand, alright. When he sees me in the halls at school, he'll think, "There's the awful girl that lost my best friend."
[The door buzzes.]
Alexis : It's him. [Alexis answers the door.] Hi.
Ashley : Hi. I missed you.
Alexis : I missed you, too.
Ashley : What's wrong?
Alexis : It's about Theodor. When I fed him, he must have got out of his cage and... and he's gone.
Ashley : He's gone?
Alexis : We looked everywhere, I swear. We turned this whole place upsidedown.
Ashley : How'd he get out?
Alexis : I must not have locked the cage right. Ashley, I'm so sorry. You've every right to hate me.
Ashley : Come on, Alexis. I'm… I'm upset, but I don't hate you.
Alexis : You don't?
Ashley : I mean, look at this place. Look at what you did to try to get him back. Who else would do that?
Alexis : But you cared about him a lot.
Ashley : Yeah, but...I care about you more. [Ashley leans in to kiss Alexis, but Martha screams up in her room.]
Castle : Found him.
