Castle, dressed in an Elvis costume, gets dragged down a hallway by two bouncers. The doors open and the bouncers shove Castle inside. Turner stands there menacingly handling a baseball bat.
Charlie Turner: You were told what would happen if you came back here.
Turner smashes a lamp with the bat.
16 hours earlier...
Castle enters his living room to find Alexis reading Pride and Prejudice in her pajamas.
Castle: Aw, the last time I saw you in your P.J.s after 8:00 AM, I think you were four.
Alexis: We’re off today. Teacher’s retreat.
Castle: Hmm.
Alexis: I didn’t feel like getting dressed.
Castle: This wouldn’t have anything to do with Ashley, would it?
Alexis: Did I do the right thing? Breaking up with him?
Castle: Oh, sweetie, I don’t know. That’s something only you can answer.
Alexis: It sucks. I miss him a lot.
Castle: Yeah, well you’re not doing yourself any favours sitting around reading Pride and Prejudice. That’s just gonna make it worse. You might as well be listening to Adele.
Alexis: Hey, she totally gets it and so does Jane Austen.
Castle: You know what you need?
Alexis: A new life?
Castle: A distraction. And it just so happens I know the perfect post-breakup routine. Tonight, you and I go get chili-cheese dogs from Gray’s Papaya. We smuggle them in to a double feature at the Angelika.
Alexis: I know you mean well, but I don’t think going out with my dad is going to make me feel better.
Castle: Well, how about just a low-key evening with your girlfriends? You guys can have a John Hughes marathon and fill out a Cosmo quiz.
Alexis: Dad, the 80s just called, it wants its plan back.
Castle: Come on. Gram’s upstate, she’s doing some spa retreat, she’ll be out of your hair, and I can make myself scarce.
Alexis: A few of my friends have been suggesting a girls’ night. Maybe I’ll call them.
Castle: No maybe. You’re going to call them. And you’re going to have a great time.
Castle’s cell phone rings and Alexis reaches for it.
Castle: And if that’s the 80s, tell them they can have Cosmo, but I’m keeping John Hughes.
Alexis: And if it’s Beckett?
Alexis shows Castle his phone with Beckett's photo on it.
A gold SUV at the crime scene is labelled "Sapphire Coast Resort & Casino Where You're Always A Winner!"
Castle: Oh, The Sapphire! In Atlantic City? I love that place! All right, who’s our victim? Is it a show girl? Some big money high roller?
Beckett: No, our victim is Sam Siegel, co-owner of The Sapphire, where you’re always a winner.
Castle: Uh, not always, by the looks of things.
Lanie: Guy cashed in his chips between nine and eleven, took a small caliber to the chest. Muzzle flash burned his shirt at the point of entry.
Beckett: Shooter was standing close.
Lanie: Mm-hmm. Close enough to give him a bloody lip before pulling the trigger.
Castle: So, what’s a guy like Siegel doing in an abandoned delivery dock in New York City at that time of night?
Beckett: Must have been something important enough for him to drive down from Atlantic City.
Castle: You know, the man owned a casino. A guy like that, you’d think he’d have a driver.
Esposito: Especially since he was expecting trouble. He came heavy. It’s a .357 Magnum with all 6 still asleep in the cylinder.
Ryan: He didn’t even pull it out of the glove box. If he did, we’d be standing over the other guy.
Castle: Well, you gotta know when to hold ‘em. And know when to fold ‘em.
Esposito: Know when to walk away, and know when to run.
Lanie glares at Esposito.
Lanie: Detective Esposito, a little respect please? I mean, there is a dead body here.
Esposito: What’d I do?
Lanie turns away with a saucy/annoyed tilt of her head.
Castle: You broke up with her.
Esposito: We broke up with each other. That’s different.
Castle: Yeah, you think it’d be different, but no.
Esposito: What’d you tell him?
Beckett: No, I told you I’m staying out of this one. All right, guys. Call The Sapphire, get some background on Siegel, and look for surveillance cameras or security guards that might have seen something.
Esposito: Women. You sure you want to spend the rest of your life with one?
Ryan: Uh, yeah. Mine likes me.
Castle: Ooh! Speaking of Atlantic City… Perfect place for a bachelor party.
Esposito: Ooh, that’s what I’m talking about, bro. We could rent one of these right here, hit the casino, maybe the club.
Ryan: Uh, I was thinking more along the lines of… Camping trip.
Castle bursts out laughing, but Ryan looks serious.
Castle: Oh, you were… Oh.
Esposito: Uh, first of all, no. Second, it’s not up to you. The bachelor party is strictly best man territory. And, by the way, your big date is what? Like, two months away? So, you need to officially tell the guy so that he can start planning something.
Ryan: I still got some time. Um, I… I’m gonna go check on those cameras.
Ryan leaves.
Esposito: What the? Did you see that? He just sidestepped me. What’s that about?
Castle: It’s almost as though the thought of marriage fills him with an impending sense of doom. Oh, no, wait, that’s me.
Beckett and Castle check out the SUV. Beckett touches the GPS screen.
Castle: Nav system?
Beckett: Yeah, and it looks like Siegel made a stop just before he got here. 537 West End Avenue.
Castle: Looks like Sam’s got a friend here in Manhattan.
Beckett puts Sam Siegel's photo on the murder board.
Esposito: Sam Siegel, 46 years old, got his start in real estate development, and then he went on to launch The Sapphire Coast Resort and Casino in 1999.
Castle: You don’t come to be a casino owner without making enemies. Look at Moe Greene in The Godfather.
Esposito: And this guy seems to be a stand up citizen. He has a foundation that gives money to charities and public schools.
Beckett: All right, check with the staff at the casino, see if he had any meeting here in Manhattan, and find out what time he left Atlantic City.
Esposito: All right.
Esposito exits.
Castle: You know, if someone asks to meet me at an abandoned warehouse in the dead of night? I pass. I’ve written that scene enough times to know how it ends.
Ryan enters.
Ryan: Hey, that address that was on Siegel’s GPS? Turns out it’s a building where his ex-wife, Rebecca, lives.
Beckett: How long have they been divorced?
Ryan: About six months.
Castle: Recent enough for there to still be hard feelings.
Ryan: Hmm. Well, according to neighbours, very hard feelings. There was a report of a very loud argument last night and neighbours said they saw Siegel leaving her place just after 8:30.
Beckett: That’s just before he was killed.
In the interrogation room.
Rebecca Siegel: Yeah, we argued, but I didn’t kill him.
Castle: Was it normal for him to come and see you after the divorce?
Rebecca Siegel: No. In fact, I hadn’t seen him in months. We don’t really get along anymore.
Beckett: What were the two of you fighting about?
Rebecca Hesitates.
Beckett: Ms. Siegel?
Rebecca Siegel: He said he was in trouble.
Beckett: What kind of trouble?
Rebecca Siegel: He wouldn’t say. But he wanted me to sign over an investment property that was still in both of our names, a building here in Queens, just a store and some apartments. I don’t know why, but he was very worked up about it. He offered me $1.5 million for my share, which is as much as the whole place was worth. He said his life depended on it.
Castle: So, this building… He offered you full price of $1.5 million, instead of half, and you still said no?
Rebecca Siegel: I didn’t know. I thought he was working an angle. I told him I couldn’t sign anything without my lawyer.
Beckett: And after Sam left your place last night what’d you do?
Rebecca Siegel: I was in my apartment for the rest of the evening.
Near the bullpen.
Beckett: So, the doorman confirms the ex-wife’s story. She was in her apartment all night.
Gates exits her office.
Gates: Detective Beckett, I just received a call from the mayor of Atlantic City. Mr. Siegel’s death is front page news. They’re asking about suspects.
Beckett: Yes, sir, so are we.
Gates: Well, how about the property he asked his ex to sign over to him? Anything on that?
Beckett checks her file.
Beckett: Um, just that the victim purchased it a year and a half ago and paid cash for the full amount.
Castle: Yeah, the real estate agent was surprised anyone bought it. It had been on the...
Gates shoots Castle a look.
Castle: M… Market for quite a while...
Ryan enters.
Ryan: Just got off the phone with Sam Siegel’s office. Apparently, he didn’t leave Atlantic City alone last night.
Esposito: There was no indication of a passenger in his car.
Ryan: Not a passenger. A driver. Around 6:30, one of Sam’s regular drivers, Ralph Marino, picked him up in front of the casino and drove him to New York City.
Beckett: And where is he now?
Ryan: No one knows. He didn’t show up for work today.
Castle: Which means he’s either floating in the Hudson…
Beckett: Or he’s involved.
Gates: Well, what do we know about Mr. Marino?
Ryan: Well he’s no boy scout, that’s for sure. Background check shows felony racketeering and assault charges.
Gates: Put out an all points on Ralph Marino. I’ll have our brethren in Atlantic City do the same. You boys head down to Atlantic City to Siegel’s casino. Talk to Marino’s friends and coworkers and see if any of them can shine some light on his whereabouts. Meanwhile, Beckett, you run point from here. Get unis canvassing for Marino, and figure out why in the hell Siegel was so desperate to get control over that property in Queens.
Castle starts to leave with Ryan and Esposito.
Beckett: Yes, sir. Come on, Castle.
Castle stops and turns around.
Castle: Oh, uh, Captain Gates said the boys are going to Atlantic City.
Beckett: Yeah, I don’t think she meant you.
Gates: Actually, that’s my call. You’re with them.
Gates sends Castle with the boys. He nods solemnly and turns to leave, then grins mischievously and hurries to the elevator.
Gates: Besides, Detective. I’m looking forward to seeing what you can do without him.
Castle stops the elevator from closing.
Esposito: What are you doing?
Castle: What does it look like? D’you think I was gonna pass up a road trip to the Boardwalk Empire? The east coast epicenter of dancing, gambling, showgirls, and sin?
Ryan: You do realize we’re going there to investigate a murder, don’t you?
Castle: Gentlemen, if I have learned one thing, it’s to not let a little thing like murder get in the way of having a good time. Oh, and also… Shotgun.
Esposito drives them to Atlantic City.
Castle: Hey, Alexis, I hope you’re not answering because you are busy planning your girls’ night. Anyway, I’m going out of town on a case and we may just be spending the night. So, I’ll call and I’ll check on you. Love you! Bye!
Castle hangs up. Ryan pipes up from the back seat.
Ryan: Come on, Castle, we are not spending the night.
Castle: How can you say that? And maybe Ralph Marino will be very difficult to find, and I think we should start looking at the craps tables.
Esposito: Yeah.
Ryan: Ah… I’m starting to understand why you ditched Beckett. A… And for the record, the one guy in this car who’s not a real cop is not allowed to call shotgun.
Castle: Called it fair and square.
Esposito: Maybe Castle’s right. I mean, since we’re gonna be there, we might as well consider The Sapphire as a potential bachelor party venue.
Castle: I’m so happy you said that, because there are a number of establishments down there that cater to bachelor party events. I think maybe we should take a little sampling.
Ryan: No, no, no. We are not “sampling” any clubs.
Esposito: What? Come on, bro. Why are you stallin’ us on this?
Ryan: Look, Javier, I… I… I got some bad news. I had to ask Jenny’s half-brother, Nelson, to be my best man.
Esposito: Nelson? That guy I met at your birthday party? Sixteen with braces? Couldn’t stop talking about being a mathlete?
Ryan: It was a family thing. I… I didn’t have a choice.
Esposito: Yeah, you did.
Castle: No, actually, when it comes to weddings, uh, you don’t. Trust me, you do not want to start a marriage with a family feud.
Esposito: This sucks.
Ryan: I know.
Esposito: And I was gonna give you an awesome sendoff, bro.
Ryan: Ugh, I know.
Castle: Well, boys, I’m sorry. I’m sorry it had to come to this. I didn’t want it to, but it looks like we have no choice. There is no other way. I.B.P.W.O.C. Impromptu Bachelor Party While On Case!
At the sapphire.
Castle: Ah… Smell that? That is the smell of hopes, dreams, and endless opportunities.
Ryan: Not to be confused with cigarette smoke, day drinking, and desperation.
Castle: Well, that’s the great thing about casinos. No clocks, no windows, and no judgments.
The boys pass a hot waitress and both Castle and Esposito turn their heads to watch her walk by.
Esposito: How you doin’? Maybe we should stay the night.
Ryan clears his throat.
Esposito: What?
They approach the main desk and Ryan holds up his badge.
Ryan: Detective Ryan, NYPD. I’m here to investigate Mr. Siegel’s death.
Employee: The concierge is right over there. Nadine!
Ryan shows his badge as they approach her.
Nadine Espinoza: Gentlemen, welcome to The Sapphire. I’m Nadine, the personal concierge. We we’re all devastated to learn about Sam.
Esposito: We’re supposed to meet Sam’s business partner, Charlie Turner. We need to talk to him about one of your employees.
Nadine Espinoza: He asked me to escort you to his table. Follow me. And if you have any other questions about the hotel, don’t hesitate to ask.
Castle: Uh, actually, now that you mention it, I’m curious… Who’s playing on the main stage? Just in case we have time to squeeze in a show.
Nadine Espinoza: Well, we’re hosting an Elvis impersonators’ convention this weekend, so we’re only featuring Carrot Top.
Castle: Carrot Top! I haven’t seen him perform since his crazy makeover. It’ll be like a new show.
Beckett checks her cell and Gates pops her head out of her office.
Gates: Well?
Beckett: Uh, no luck so far on Marino. ACPD said that he’s not at his apartment and nothing turned up on the canvass.
Gates: What about the building in Queens?
Beckett: Well, online search shows that there’s no liens or lawsuits, so there doesn’t seem to be anything unusual about it.
Gates: Keep digging.
Beckett: Mm-hmm.
Beckett nods and turns to her desk.
Gates: Uh, look, Detective, I know you’re probably thinking that I have you here as some kind of punishment. You’re a good cop. But I think you can be better if you minimize the distractions.
At the Sapphire.
Charlie Turner: Hell of a thing, losing Sam. You know, he and I started out in this business together? We built this place from the ground up.
Esposito: Do you have any idea what Sam was doing in New York?
Charlie Turner: Wasn’t like him. He hated the city.
Turner sees a customer pass by.
Charlie Turner: Yo, Tommy! Good to see you back. Anything you need, let me know.
Tom Moretti: You know what I need? I need my luck to change.
Charlie Turner: I’m sure it will. Big whale, lots of dough.
Ryan: What about Sam’s driver last night, Ralph Marino? What can you tell us about him?
Charlie Turner: Not much. He drove me a couple times. Here’s his personnel file, like you asked. Honestly, after what happened between them, I don’t know why Sam kept him around.
Esposito: Well, what happened?
The security tech approaches the table.
Daniel Sullivan: Mr. Turner, sorry to interrupt. Facial recognition got a hit on a card counter, table six, purple shirt.
Charlie Turner: Gentlemen, I’d like you to meet my security tech, Daniel Sullivan. Same software you guys use to track terrorists, we use to track low-life thieves… Security escort, table number six, purple strip shirt, guy’s counting cards.
The security tech leaves.
Castle: Wow. Looks like you run a tight ship.
Charlie Turner: Everybody thinks they can beat the house. If you don’t lay down the law, they‘ll rob you blind.
Esposito: Well, you said something happened between Ralph and Sam. What was that?
Charlie Turner: Ah, about a week ago the two of them had a scuffle at the bar.
Castle: About what?
Charlie Turner: Sam asked this dancer to, uh… Blow on his dice. Turns out, she was Ralph’s girl.
Castle: Oops.
Charlie Turner: Yeah, Sam was always a ladies’ man and a lot of those ladies were already spoken for. It seems like he was on a little hot streak lately, but that’s the thing about luck.
Bells go off as someone wins at a slot machine.
Charlie Turner: It changes.
Esposito: Thank you very much, Mr. Turner. We may need to interview some of your staff while we’re here.
Charlie Turner: Of course. Nadine can help you with whatever you need.
Esposito: All right. Thanks.
Turner leaves. Ryan looks over a document.
Ryan: Guys. Ralph listed, as his emergency contact, his cousin. Guess where he lives.
Esposito: Where?
Ryan: New York City, eight blocks from our crime scene.
Esposito: Great place for Ralph to hide out.
Marino exits his apartment with a travel bag and a gun in the back of his jeans. Beckett steps around the corner.
Beckett: Going somewhere, Mr. Marino?
Marino tries to run from her.
Beckett: Hey!
Another cop blocks the other end of the hallway, both of them have their guns raised.
Cop: Hold it!
Marino reaches for his gun.
Beckett: Hey! Show us your hands. Now.
Marino drops his bag and raises his hands.
Beckett enters in the interview room.
Ralph Marino: I know how it looks, but I swear to God and my mother I didn’t kill him.
Beckett: That’s why you run away from me with a nine millimeter tucked in your pants? Because you’re innocent? Come on, Ralph. We know that you and Sam weren’t on the best of terms.
Ralph Marino: He and I were square. I would never hurt him. Look, all I did was drive him. I wasn’t there when he was shot.
Beckett: Why not? You were his driver. So, what’d you do? Go for a midnight stroll?
Ralph Marino: As a matter of fact, yeah. After he spoke to his ex, he told me to take him out to this abandoned warehouse on the other side of town, said there was someone he needed to meet. He said he needed to meet him alone.
Beckett: Who?
Ralph Marino: Don’t know. Sam gave me five-hundred bucks, told me to find my own way home. So I… I crashed at my cousin’s place. And this morning I… I hear what happened on the radio. I figured, with my record, folks’d be looking at me.
Beckett: Did you see anybody else there before you left?
Ralph Marino: A black SUV drove up to the dock just as I was leaving, but I didn’t see who was inside.
Beckett: Ballistics is checking your nine, you better hope it’s not a match.
Gates and Beckett looks at Marino through the one-way glass.
Gates: What do you think?
Beckett: I think he’s not stupid enough to kill Sam knowing it’ll just point right back at him. So, Sam drove up to New York to secure the property in Queens from his ex-wife, and then went to the docks to meet with someone.
Gates: Sounds like someone was expecting the property and when Sam couldn’t deliver, they killed him.
Beckett: Why? What’s so special about that property?
Castle finishes talking with some stage girls in costume. He holds up three tickets.
Castle: Ladies, thank you so much. You have no idea. These will not go to waste. Thank you.
Castle rushes over to Ryan and Esposito.
Castle: All right, all right! It was not easy, but I did it. I managed to get three front row seats to the burlesque show at the Borgata. Also, reservations at a premium table at the X Club, with bottle service.
Esposito: Sweet.
Castle: What’d you guys come up with?
Ryan: Well, Sam’s assistant didn’t know anything about the property in Queens, but she did remember something odd about yesterday.
Esposito: Apparently, Sam followed his usual morning routine. He had a massage in the hotel, then a meeting with his casino manager. Then after lunch he came back with a bloody lip.
Castle: How’d he get it?
Ryan: Well, Sam was evasive, but his assistant said it looked like someone hit him.
Castle: So, Sam gets punched and soon after he rushes off to New York, frantically trying to get that property.
Esposito: Then he’s shot dead.
Castle: Well, it’s gotta be connected.
Ryan: The problem is, we don’t know who threw that punch.
Castle: I think I know how we can find out.
Castle looks up at the security cameras lining the ceiling.
The security tech does a facial recognition search for Sam Siegel.
Daniel Sullivan: You said yesterday at 2:00 PM?
Ryan: Yeah, that’s correct.
Daniel Sullivan: It’ll take a second for facial recognition to pick out Mr. Siegel on all the footage.
Castle: Do you keep former guests in the system?
Daniel Sullivan: Sure do. Yeah, that’s how we flag gamblers with priors.
Castle: What about me?
Daniel Sullivan: Let’s see. Richard Castle.
Sullivan pulls up Castle’s security file.
Castle: Oh.
Daniel Sullivan: Resident of New York City.
Castle: Mm-hmm.
Daniel Sullivan: Disorderly conduct, resisting arrest in 2003 and, uh… Wow. Apparently the last time you were at The Sapphire you accidently set a mattress on fire and the drapes were covered in jam.
Castle: That was a fun night. Jam.
Daniel Sullivan: Ah, here he is. That’s Mr. Siegel leaving the elevator, 2:00 PM.
They watch the security footage.
Esposito: He already has a blood lip. Can you back that up to earlier?
Sullivan rewinds the video.
Beckett knocks on Gates’s door.
Beckett: Sir, am I interrupting?
Gates: Just running background on the tenants in the Queens building.
Beckett: I… I think I might know why someone wanted Sam dead. According to his bank, Sam wired over ten million dollars out of The Sapphire’s business account yesterday, wiping it clean.
Gates: Ten million? Wh… Where did he transfer it to?
Beckett: To an offshore account in the Caymans.
Esposito’s cell rings; he checks the caller ID.
Esposito: Beckett.
Esposito steps aside to answer it. The others watch the security footage.
Daniel Sullivan: So, here he is, parting ways with the pit boss at one of the tables.
Ryan: No bloody lip yet. Let it play, please.
Charlie punches Sam in the video.
Castle: Ooh.
Daniel Sullivan: Wow.
Castle: Is there another angle on that?
Sullivan pulls up another camera's footage to see who's punching Siegel.
Ryan: That’s Charlie Turner, Sam’s business partner. Why would Charlie attack Sam?
Esposito hangs up.
Esposito: I think I know. That was Beckett. Sam Siegel’s been embezzling from the casino. He’s ripped them off for millions.
Ryan: Looks like Sam was trying to beat the house.
Castle: And Charlie laid down the law.
The boys show Turner a photo of him punching Siegel.
Esposito: Something you forgot to tell us, Charlie?
Charlie Turner: Business partners have disputes. It doesn’t mean anything.
Ryan: What was it about?
Charlie Turner: The thread count on the new sheets.
Esposito: Not the ten-plus million that Sam stole from the casino?
Castle: You knew he was embezzling.
Charlie Turner: Okay, I knew. So?
Ryan: So, it’s ten million motives for murder.
Charlie Turner: You know, you may have noticed we have a few cameras here at the casino. Take a look. I was here, not in New York killing my partner.
Esposito: Really? ‘Cause that right hook? Kind of looks like a warning to me.
Charlie Turner: Yeah, you know, this town, if you’re not careful, it corrupts your soul. Sam and I were partners twenty years and still he thinks it’s okay to steal from me? When I saw he transferred the ten million out, I found him on the casino floor and he denied even knowing about it. Can you believe it? So, I punched him and I told him, friend or no friend, he better have that money back in my account or he’d never walk again. So, I must have scared him, because I got a call a few hours later and he said that he’d have the money back in my account today. And now it’s today and my friend is dead and the money’s still gone.
Near the bullpen.
Beckett: So, the boys checked security footage and they said that Charlie was on the casino floor the whole night.
Gates: He could have paid someone.
Beckett: Yeah, but why would he kill Sam before he got his money, and if Sam actually stole something, why wasn’t he on a plane to Barbados? Why was he wasting his time coming up to New York?
Gates: And how is all this connected to the property in Queens?
Beckett: I think we’re missing something. There’s some piece of the puzzle that’ll help make all of Sam’s seemingly random actions make sense. Actually, that’s something that Castle’s pretty good at. Taking a look at what we have and then helping to find that piece.
Gates: Mr. Castle likes to throw a whole lot of crazy theories against the wall. Real detectives don’t have that luxury. It’s our job to look at the facts.
Gates reads from a bank report.
Gates: The bank report indicates that Sam moved the money at 9:47AM via electronic transfer on their website. Now, if we can find out who Sam talked to or met with right before that, we could maybe figure out what’s going on.
Beckett: 9:47?
Gates: Yes.
Beckett picks up a file.
Beckett: Sam’s assistant has him… At a massage.
In a massage room.
Amber: Yeah. Mr. Siegel had an hour session yesterday at nine. Why?
Ryan: Well, we need to know if Sam made or received any phone calls or perhaps any visitors during his session.
Amber: No. He was very focused on the service.
Esposito: Amber. We know he went online at 9:47. We just need to know if he made contact with anybody right before or right after.
Amber: I told you, he wasn’t on the phone and he wasn’t online.
Castle: Well, what with mobile devices being so small and slim, perhaps he had it in his hand.
Amber: His hands were otherwise occupied.
Castle: Oh! Oh, I get it. That kind of massage.
Esposito: So then, Sam didn’t make the transfer. He didn’t steal the money. Somebody stole it from him.
Ryan: Uh, Amber, we need to know if, um, perhaps there was anything, uh, maybe unusual about the appointment.
Amber: The only thing that seemed odd was that Nadine called that morning to confirm the appointment.
Castle: Nadine, the personal concierge?
Amber: Mm-hmm.
Ryan: And why was that unusual?
Amber: Mr. Siegel’s assistant usually books the appointment. This was the first time Nadine ever called.
The NYC and Atlantic city teams have a conference call.
Gates: Wait a minute. Did you say her name was Nadine Espinoza?
Ryan: Yeah, the concierge. That name mean anything to you?
Gates: Uh...
Beckett hands Gates a file.
Gates: Espinoza is the last name of one of the tenants in Sam’s building in Queens. Uh… Teresa and Juan. They run the bodega on the ground floor. And they have a daughter named Nadine.
Beckett: That’s our connection.
Gates: Ryan, bring her in.
At the Sapphire.
Ryan: Yes, sir.
Ryan hangs up as Esposito approaches.
Esposito: Nadine’s supervisor said she left her office ten minutes ago, claimed she needed to go home sick.
Ryan: Then there’s a chance we can catch her outside.
Esposito: Let’s go.
They exit the casino.
Esposito: There she is.
Nadine seems them as she's walking towards the casino and turns around to runaway. A black van screeches to a halt in front of her and men in masks grab her as Ryan and Esposito run up.
Ryan: Stop! Hey!
The men force Nadine into the van.
Esposito: Hey! Hey!
The van drives off. Ryan picks up a briefcase that Nadine dropped.
Castle: We’re not gonna be seeing Carrot Top tonight, are we?
At the Sapphire and Castle’s loft.
Castle: Yeah, so, honey, it turns out I am going to be stuck here for the rest of the night.
Alexis: Well, is everything all right?
The door buzzes in the loft.
Castle: Yeah, yeah, just the case just got a little… Complicated. But I want you to have a great time tonight with your girlfriends.
Alexis: I will. If you promise to be safe.
Castle: Deal. Love you.
Alexis: Love you, too.
Alexis hangs up and opens the door.
Alexis: Hey, Jules, come on in.
Jules: I’ve got my fave get-over-breakup snack and a kick ass chick flick. Bridesmaids, of course.
Alexis: Okay. Uh, the girls are on their way and it turns out my Dad’s out of town, so we have the whole place to ourselves.
Jules: Cool! By the way, Mina said her boyfriend might swing by and drop off her jacket.
Alexis: Isn’t he friends with Brian from homeroom?
Jules: Hot as hell Brian? Yeah, I think they’re doing a bros’ night at the movies.
Alexis: Well, maybe we can invite them over, too. All watch a movie here.
Jules: Brian?
Alexis: Yeah.
Jules: He’s like a total jock, completely the opposite of your type.
Alexis: I know. He’s so…not Ashley.
Jules: I’ll text Mina.
At the Sapphire.
Esposito: So, Beckett says plates on the SUV came back stolen.
Castle: Most likely the same SUV that was spotted coming out of that abandoned warehouse where Sam was killed.
Esposito: If it’s the same car, why would they want Nadine?
Ryan enters.
Castle: Because whatever this is, Nadine is knee deep in it.
Ryan: Try neck deep. ACPD let me check into that laptop in Nadine’s work bag. I checked her browser history. Guess who paid a visit to the New Reserve Bank website yesterday at 9:47 AM?
Esposito: Nadine’s our thief?
Ryan: Yep. Our concierge pulled quite a score. She logged in with Sam’s account information and transferred the ten mil.
Castle: So, whoever took her is after the money. They tried to get it from Sam. When that didn’t work, they killed him. And now they’ve gone for Nadine.
Ryan: Okay, but we still don’t know who “they” are.
Castle: There’s only one person who makes sense. The guy whose money it is.
At Charlie Turner’s office.
Charlie Turner: Why would I kidnap my own concierge?
Castle: Because you found out she was the one who stole your money.
Charlie Turner: Nadine stole my money?
Ryan: You can stop the theatrics. We know you know.
Esposito: Mr. Turner, your casino maintains a fleet of black SUVs to shuttle around your high rollers.
Charlie Turner: All the casinos do. It doesn’t prove anything.
Esposito: Well then, you won’t mind if we inspect them. Just to make sure they’re all accounted for.
Turner stands up from his desk.
Charlie Turner: We’re done here.
Ryan: Excuse me?
Charlie Turner: You people are here from another state. You have no jurisdiction and you have no warrant and I believe I’ve tolerated your presence long enough. Get out of my casino.
Castle: Are you kidding?
Charlie Turner: Do I look like I’m kidding? I want you to leave, now.
Castle: Can he do that?
The bouncers literally throw the three of them out.
Near the Bullpen and the Sapphire.
Beckett: What? How did you guys get kicked out?
Ryan: Turns out Charlie’s version of full cooperation isn’t all that full.
Esposito: The only reason he kicked us out is because he’s behind the whole thing.
Beckett: Yeah, but kidnap somebody right in front of his casino? That’s a bit bold. If he knew it was her, why would he wait? Why didn’t he just grab her in the casino while she was on shift?
Castle: Yeah. I mean, he did seem genuinely surprised when we told him it was Nadine. Maybe he didn’t know.
Esposito: Yeah, but he’s the only one with motive.
Castle: Well, not necessarily. What if someone else knew what Nadine did and wanted the money?
Esposito: How would they find out?
Beckett: Maybe Nadine told them. I mean, that would explain the phone records.
Ryan: How so?
Beckett reads from a file.
Beckett: Listen, I pulled her phone history. She called a number inside the casino immediately before and after making that transfer at 9:47. I tracked down the extension to a… A Daniel Sullivan.
Ryan: Daniel? That’s Charlie’s security guy.
Castle: That would explain how Nadine got a hold of Sam’s passwords. Daniel was her partner. He’s got eyes and ears all over that casino.
Beckett: All right, see what he knows.
Esposito: We can’t. He’s inside the casino, and their security won’t let us back in.
Beckett checks for Gates.
Beckett: Okay, sit tight. I’m driving down.
Castle: No, no…!
Ryan: Beckett, we… You don’t have to do that. We have…
Esposito: No! We’ve got… No, we really…
Castle: …we got it.
Ryan: Yeah, she’s gone.
At Castle’s loft.
Brian: So, I told coach if I’m open on the three point, guard better feed me.
Alexis: That’s really interesting. But did you have to invite half the team over?
Brian: I like your hair. It’s… Red.
Someone makes a mess with the blender.
Alexis: Will you excuse me for a sec?
Jules intercepts Alexis on her way to the kitchen.
Jules: Hey! I need to talk to you.
Alexis: Can it wait a second? I think someone just broke the blender. Who are all these people?
Jules: Jamie Cruz just posted an update on Facebook that you’re having a party.
Alexis: What?
Jules: He’s kind of a loser, though, so I… I’m sure he doesn’t have that many friends.
Alexis: Yeah. I mean, how many people are just sitting at home waiting to hear about a party?
Jules chuckles. The door buzzes. Someone opens the door and a new batch of people enter to Alexis's horror.
At the Sapphire.
Castle: This is the worst Impromptu Bachelor Party While On Case ever.
Esposito: This is humiliating. We’re homicide detectives with the NYPD.
Ryan: Unfortunately, we’re in New Jersey. At least we’re not on a ticking clock because a woman’s been kidnapped. Oh! Wait. We are. There’s got to be some other way we can get in.
Castle sees a bellhop push some costumes into the casino and he smirks.
Castle: What if I told you I could get us back in the hotel, past security, all while circumventing facial recognition?
Ryan: How the hell are you gonna do that?
Castle smirks.
The boys enter the casino as Elvis impersonators. Castle passes a showgirl and they catch each other's eye. She inspect his outfit.
Showgirl: Very nice.
Castle: Thank you. Thank you very much.
Castle turns back around.
Esposito: How do you know she wasn’t talking to me?
Castle: Well…
Castle indicates his costume.
Esposito: What? Elvis can’t be brown? I’m Elvez.
Esposito turns around and struts off. He nods to some strangers nearby.
Esposito: Hey! How you doing?
The boys pass security personelle.
At the Sapphire, the boys enter in their costumes and Sullivan looks up.
Daniel Sullivan: What the hell?
Ryan: We’d like a word about Nadine.
Daniel Sullivan: You’re joking, right?
Castle: Does it look like we’re joking?
Daniel Sullivan: Okay. So, why you guys dressed like that?
Ryan: A better question is why did Nadine call you at 9:48 yesterday?
Daniel Sullivan: You know about that?
Esposito: We know you two were partners.
Castle: Who took her? Who was in the SUV?
Daniel Sullivan: I don’t know. That--this wasn’t supposed to happen.
Ryan: Are you guys saying that you accidentally stole ten million dollars from Charlie and Sam?
Daniel Sullivan: No, we didn’t steal it. We were… We were using it as leverage.
Castle: To get Sam to hand over that building in Queens for her parents.
Daniel Sullivan: Yeah. But it’s--it’s not why you think. Nadine and I started dating a few months ago. We’re in love. We wanted to start over, move somewhere, but Sam wouldn’t let her go.
Ryan: They were an item?
Daniel Sullivan: No, only in his mind. She refused all of his advances, but he wouldn’t stop.
Esposito: Why didn’t she report him?
Daniel Sullivan: Because this was his casino. Nobody would have taken her seriously. She tried to quit about a year ago. That’s when he bought her parents’ building and threatened to evict ‘em if she didn’t sleep with him. I had to do something to stop him.
Castle: So, you came up with a plan to hold the money hostage until he turned over the deed.
Daniel Sullivan: He was gonna sign it over as a quit-claim and I then was gonna transfer the money back. And then Nadine would be free.
Ryan: None of this explains who killed Sam.
Daniel Sullivan: Something about the money made Sam panic.
Castle: What do you mean?
Daniel Sullivan: When I called Sam to give him instructions about the deed, he told me I stole the wrong person’s money. And he told me when they found out, we’d all be dead.
Castle: Who was he talking about?
Daniel Sullivan: I don’t know.
The bouncers find them.
Esposito: Oh, hey, guys. Uh, we were just leaving.
Ryan: This isn’t the ballroom. Huh.
Ryan and Esposito exit, but the bouncers stop Castle from leaving.
Alexis opens the door for more people.
Alexis: Let me guess, Facebook?
Guy: Twitter. You might want to just leave this open, by the way. There’s, like, a whole bunch of people lining up for the elevator downstairs.
Alexis: Twitter?
The partiers make a mess. Alexis pulls Jules aside.
Alexis: Jules, this is a disaster.
Jules: Chill, it’s just a party. Have some fun for once.
Alexis: Fun? I don’t even know half these people.
Jules: Well, what about, um… Uh, Brian?
Alexis: He has the IQ of a squirrel.
Someone breaks a vase.
Alexis: Oh, God. My Dad’s gonna kill me.
Jules: Please, you have the coolest dad ever. If he were to walk in right now, I bet he wouldn’t care.
Alexis: You’re right. He probably wouldn’t care. The problem is, I do.
Alexis turns off the music and clears her throat.
Alexis: Everybody! Listen up! The party is over. Thanks for coming, thanks for spilling, thanks for telling every teenager with a pulse. Now, everybody out!
Security pushes Ryan and Esposito out the door.
Ryan: Really?
Esposito: Really? If it wasn’t illegal I’d kick your ass.
Ryan: I wonder where they took Castle.
Castle, dressed in an Elvis costume, gets dragged down a hallway by two bouncers.
The doors open and the bouncers shove Castle inside. Turner stands there menacingly handling a baseball bat.
Charlie Turner: You were told what would happen if you came back here. Now, I’m not stupid enough to beat on cops, but you, on the other hand, are a different story. I want my money, Mr. Castle, so you better tell me everything you know.
Castle: I know it’s not your money.
Charlie Turner: Hm. Would you excuse us?
The bouncers leave. Charlie swings the bat and shatters glass.
Charlie Turner: Who told you?
Castle: No one told me. I put the pieces together. Sam’s murder, Nadine’s kidnapping, none of it makes any sense if it was your money. You know what I think? I think the money Nadine stole from you actually belonged to someone else. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be so desperate. So, tell me Charlie, what happened? You and Sam take out a loan from an institution that doesn’t offer flexible payment plans? You borrowed money from the mob. That’s why you didn’t want us sniffing around here. What I can’t figure out is how could you be so stupid?
Charlie Turner: The banks weren’t lending. We needed a cash infusion or else we woulda had to fold. And now the money’s gone. You have any idea how bad it is to default on a loan from the mob?
Castle: How’d they find out about Nadine?
Charlie Turner: Hell if I know. Maybe Sam told them. All I know is that I need my money back.
Castle: I can get your money back for you. But I need you to do something for me. Who are they?
Charlie Turner: No. No way.
Castle: Come on, Charlie. They killed Sam, and unless they get their money back, they’re gonna kill Nadine and then you. Those are your cards. Is this really how you’re gonna play ‘em?
Beckett arrives to find Ryan and Esposito in their Elvis costumes.
Esposito: Oh...
Ryan: Um… Funny story?
Esposito: We, uh… Look, this is… We can explain.
Beckett: No, I’m not even sure I want to know.
Ryan And Esposito: It was Castle’s idea.
Castle exits the casino.
Castle: And it worked. I know who killed Sam.
Ryan, Esposito, & Beckett: Who?
Sullivan pulls up Moretti's security record.
Castle: Tommy Moretti. He made a hard money loan to The Sapphire six months ago and it’s due. It was his money that Nadine stole.
Beckett: Felony, assault, attempted murder, racketeering… The Feds have been trying to get him for years.
Ryan: He was at the bar earlier today. He told Charlie he needed his luck to change.
Castle: Probably a veiled threat.
Daniel Sullivan: What if he kills her?
Castle: No, he wants his money too much. Just stick to the plan. Charlie called Moretti, told him to meet him at the casino first thing in the morning when the banks open.
Esposito: Once you turn over the ten million, he’ll turn over Nadine.
Beckett: And then we’ll arrest him for Sam’s murder.
Daniel Sullivan: Well, what if he smells a trap?
Beckett: He won’t. We’ll be ready.
Ryan, Esposito, and Turner watch the game floor security feed.
Ryan: Here he comes.
Moretti approaches the table where Sullivan is sitting.
Charlie Turner: Tommy Moretti. The guy’s a sociopath. Problem is, with half the city on his payroll, no one can touch him.
Tommy Moretti: You’ve got some pretty big balls, kid, to steal from me.
Daniel Sullivan: I… I’m sorry, Mr. Moretti. I had no idea you were involved. I’ll log on and transfer the funds as soon as I see Nadine.
Tommy Moretti: You’ve got a lot of demands for a kid who’s lucky to be sucking down air right now.
Moretti's men bring Nadine into sight across the game floor. Sullivan transfers the money and closes the laptop.
Daniel Sullivan: You said you’d let her go.
After a tense pause, Moretti's men let Nadine go. Sullivan leaves to meet her. Moretti starts to get up from the table.
Ryan: Okay, here’s where it gets interesting.
Beckett and Castle stop Moretti from leaving.
Tommy Moretti: Bonnie. Somehow I figured I wasn’t done.
Beckett: Take a seat, Mr. Moretti. We got a few questions about Sam Siegel’s murder.
Beckett shows him her badge. Moretti motions for them to join him at the table.
Tommy Moretti: You caught me in a cooperative mood, Detective. Now that I got my money back, what can I do for you?
Beckett: The night of Sam’s murder you charged a meal at Carmine’s. That’s about a mile away from the crime scene. That’s a long way to go for good chicken parm.
Tommy Moretti: I had a craving.
Castle: For good Italian or for the ten million dollars Sam stole from you?
Tommy Moretti: Come on. If I killed Sam, you’d think you would ever have found the body? The guy you’re looking for ain’t me.
Beckett: But you were there.
Tommy Moretti: Sam called me. He said he was having trouble repaying the loan, so I arranged a meeting.
Castle: Yeah, at just the kind of place guys like you like to put bullets into guys like him.
Tommy Moretti: You can’t get money from a dead guy. I’d have broken his legs and taken his casino first. Now, see, I know all about the blackmail. Sam told me. He said I had nothing to worry about, because his ex-wife had signed over the property in Queens. The blackmailers were transferring the ten mil back. He was gonna drop off the money in the morning, so I gave him an extra 24 hours. It’s the last I saw of him.
Castle: Except, Sam lied. His ex-wife never signed.
Tommy Moretti: Yeah, she did! He showed me the signature himself. That’s the reason I gave him the extra time.
Beckett enters. Interview room.
Rebecca Siegel: I didn’t lie.
Beckett: So then, what happened to the paperwork after Sam left your apartment?
Rebecca Siegel: He took it with him.
Beckett: It’s odd. I would have thought I would have found it on his body. But we didn’t. Made me wonder where it was.
Rebecca Siegel: Maybe the person who killed him took it.
Beckett: Yeah, maybe she did.
Beckett shows Rebecca an evidence bag.
Beckett: So, uniforms found this in your apartment’s trash bin. It has your signature on it. You did lie.
Rebecca Siegel: He pleaded with me. Begged me, sign that form. And when I said no, he took out his gun, put it in my mouth, and told me, if I didn’t sign the form, he would paint the walls with my brains. The only reason I was able to get that divorce was because he said I’d gotten old. That he was done with me. And I was grateful. Grateful for a way out. But with a man like Sam…you’re never really out. So, when he told me that someone wanted him dead, I thought, “Here’s my chance.”
Beckett: So then, what happened?
Rebecca Siegel: He made a call from my phone about the meet. After he left, I took out the .38 that he gave me for our second anniversary, went out the service exit, and I hunted him down like the vicious animal he was.
Near the bullpen.
Gates: I’ve asked the D.A. to look into the mitigating circumstances. They’ll take her situation into account when they offer her a plea.
Beckett: Thank you for your help on this one.
Gates: I enjoy checking out the view from the trenches once in a while.
Gates sits down and takes some candy from Beckett's dish.
Beckett: Yeah, well, it helps to be surrounded by a good team.
Gates moves the candy dish directly in front of Beckett.
Gates: You mean Castle.
Beckett: You said it, not me.
Beckett takes some candy.
Gates: He’s not a cop.
Beckett: Yeah, but that’s what makes him so good.
Gates: Well, speaking of which, where are they?
Beckett: I gave them the afternoon off. Apparently, Ryan got stuck with an underage best man, so the boys are giving him the unofficial bachelor party.
Gates: I trust you’ll edit their side of the investigation in the report.
Gates leaves and Beckett smiles.
Alexis rushes to clean the loft. She hears Castle's keys and shoves the last garbage bag in the front closet and rushes to the living room to greet him. Castle enters with sunglasses and a hangover.
Alexis: Hey. What happened to you?
Castle: Nothing. Nothing. What…
Castle blinks at the sunlight as he removes his sunglasses.
Castle: What’s happened here?
Alexis: Nothing.
Castle: Where’s the, um… Where’s the little silver dog statue that’s usually on the back of the couch?
Alexis: Oh, I think Gram said she needed it for set dressing for her play.
Castle: Ah.
Alexis and Castle sit down on the couch and Castle puts the sunglasses back on. Alexis sits nervously on the couch until Castle leans his head back to relax. She breathes a sigh of relief.
