Castle s04e22 Episode Script
Undead Again
Dad What are you doing? You have 30 seconds to suit up.
I-- the game's afoot.
- Dad-- - Wait.
Let me savor this.
I haven't gotten the drop on you since you were 10.
Oh, this feels like victory.
Dad, look, I can't, okay? I have a big decision to make.
Well, have you at least narrowed it down? I made a list of all the classes and the extra curriculars.
And the best choices seem to be Oxford and Stanford.
What about Columbia, NYU, Vassar? They're all too close.
I'd come home all the time.
I want to challenge myself, and I'd get sucked in to things like this.
But then who's gonna play with me? I think it's time to holster the laser guns and be adults.
Game over.
Oh, darling, it's just a game.
No, it's not.
It's--it's a time-honored family tradition that we've been honoring since Alexis could wrap her little finger around a trigger.
First one to 1,000 points wins, and we were so close.
We laser tagged our way through her preteen years, and now suddenly, she's too old to play.
She's growing up.
Well, she doesn't have to.
Look at me.
Ah, well, it seems Detective Beckett is available for a play date.
Really? Beckett and I have not been exactly hitting it off lately.
And why do you think that is? Oh, I-I'm sorry.
Are you saying it's my fault? Cavorting with some awful gang detective, showing up at a crime scene with a stewardess-- if you want to punish Beckett, at least let her know why.
I'm not punishing her.
I'm Am I? Oh, darling, you're hurt.
I understand that.
But quite honestly, the two of you cannot go on like this.
You know what, mother? You're absolutely right.
Where are you going? To a crime scene to work my last case with detective Beckett.
You said you didn't like coffee.
I like vanilla lattes.
Hey, guys.
Hey.
Thanks for calling.
Sure.
So our victim is David Lock, 29.
He's a currency trader in a foreign exchange office upstairs.
Looks like he was heading into work when it happened.
His body was found by his boss at around 7:00 this morning.
Our intrepid heroes have arrived.
And Castle.
Ah, Perlmutter.
I will treasure these special moments we've shared.
So I take it that this is Mr.
Lock? It appears he was set upon by an unknown assailant.
Time of death was about 4:00 AM.
Cause of death? Well, probably blunt force trauma to the head where it hit the concrete.
Wallet and cash? Still intact, so it definitely wasn't a mugging.
A savage beating at 4:00 AM, there must be some motive.
Is this a bite mark on his arm? It's not just a bite mark.
Look at the skin.
You see how it's torn? The killer latched on and shook like a pit bull trying to tear off the flesh.
Thanks.
Think we got it.
Anything else? Just this.
It was, uh, found in our victim's hand.
It was probably torn off the killer's shirt during the struggle.
That's a lace cuff.
Hand stitched, pearl buttons-- I'd say this was circa 1870.
I did a lot of research on the era.
I was writing a book, a comedy about the Civil War.
Turns out not so funny.
You don't say? Who would beat a guy to death wearing a 150-year-old shirt? You know, the bigger question is, why was he attacked here where he worked? You might want to ask his boss-- Mike Matthews.
I can't believe it.
We think that David was killed around 4:00 AM.
Do you have any idea why he was here so early? David handled the Asian markets, so he usually got in by 4:00.
He was a terrific kid.
You know, he was hard-working, well-liked.
And was that the consensus? What do you mean? I mean, did he have any conflicts with anyone at work? Actually, yeah, there was an incident last week.
Someone keyed his car.
Who? David thought it was Charlie Coleman, one of my other traders.
Uh, the two of them were vying for a promotion, and I went with David.
Charlie didn't take it too well.
What time does Charlie usually show up for work? Look, Charlie's kind of an oddball, but I-I don't see him mixed up in this.
We're gonna need to talk to him anyway.
That's strange.
His car is right there next to David's.
Why is that strange? Because Charlie never came into the office this morning.
What's his address? That's a shame.
This case had some real promise.
Savage bite marks, reconstruction-era clothing-- we had some mystery here, a whiff of intrigue.
Now we're just slapping cuffs on some disgruntled employee.
I just wanted this one to be special.
Yeah, well, I'm sorry it's not entertaining enough for you, Castle.
Charlie Coleman, NYPD.
Open up.
Stay away! It isn't safe! Stand back.
It's for your own good! Don't come in! You can't come in here! Sorry, Charlie.
Charlie, are you okay? Anyone here? No, no, no, no.
Get back! Get away from me! Listen, we just gotta ask you a few questions.
You need to leave! You need to leave right now! It's not safe! Relax, Charlie.
Relax.
We're cops.
- You're a cop? - Yeah.
Is that your gun? Yeah.
You need to shoot me.
Do it now! Do it! Do it! Okay, Charlie, you feeling better? Uh, yeah.
Just gotta ask you a few questions about what happened this morning with you and David.
Did you see him in the parking structure? Yeah, he'd just pulled in.
I said hello.
He said hello.
The two of us aren't real friendly.
So we've heard.
What happened next? And then he stopped and he stared right past me with this weird look on his face, and then he said, "What the hell is that?" - What the hell was it? - I couldn't tell at first, 'cause suddenly, it was all over us.
Wait.
You were attacked, too? Yeah, but it was mostly after David.
I mean, it was just wailing on him.
I elbowed it in the head, and it didn't even slow down.
Okay, what do you mean by "it"? I called 9-1-1.
I told them.
They didn't believe me.
No one believes me.
Just tell us what you saw.
As long as you promise you'll believe me.
Yeah, fine.
I promise.
Promise that you will use your gun on me when I start to turn.
- Turn? - Yeah.
What do you mean, turn? The thing that bit me that killed David it was a zombie.
A z-zombie? It was a zombie.
A freakin' zombie! Sir, can you repeat that? A zombie.
The undead.
Oh, man with those dead eyes and flaps of rotting skin coming off its face.
Uh, sir, this line is for emergencies only.
Are you having an emergency? Yes! I am having a major emergency here.
Don't you get it? This thing just killed someone, and it bit me! I'm gonna turn! I'm next.
Now Charlie made this 9-1-1 call moments after the attack.
Does it sound like he's faking to you? It sounds like Charlie's having a psychotic break.
What if his guilt made him snap and he created a fantasy in which zombies killed David and not him? I'm not so sure.
I mean, his voice does have that authentic ring of pants-wetting terror.
You do not believe in Charlie's story.
I believe he believes it.
Okay, well, whatever you believe, all of the evidence points to the fact that Charlie Coleman is our killer.
Maybe not all the evidence.
CSU analyzed that bite mark on Charlie's arm.
Turns out that it matches the bite mark on our victim.
Maybe Charlie bit David and then he bit himself? I was thinking the same thing, but CSU also says that the bite marks weren't made by Charlie's teeth.
Oh, wait, um sorry.
Let me make sure I understand so that I might properly relish this moment.
You're saying the evidence shows that Charlie and the victim both were bitten by an as-yet unknown third party.
- That's what I just said.
- Perhaps even a mindless shuffling undead third party.
Castle, just stop.
There's no such thing as a zombie.
Guys uh, you gotta see this.
So I was combing through security cam footage near the parking garage, and I found this.
Time stamp's 4:06 AM, which fits time of death.
That's our guy.
Yeah, but that's not Charlie.
Wait.
What is he wearing? That looks like an old-fashioned suit.
Circa 1870 and his shirt's missing a cuff.
He almost got hit by that taxi.
He didn't even flinch.
Well, maybe this is why.
Look what we get from the other angle.
My friends that is a zombie.
Our killer's a zombie.
Corrections by Alex1969 Well, you're rather upbeat considering you said this was your last case with Beckett.
That's because I am going out with a bang.
I have one word for you, mother Zombie.
- Too much makeup? - You look lovely.
I'm referring to our victim being killed by one of the walking undead.
And I mean that literally-- a zombie.
Security camera caught him in all his putrefying glory.
I don't suppose you downloaded this video by chance? Absolutely not.
That video's police property.
It would be very, very wrong of me to get a screen grab of it and e-mail it to myself.
Ooh.
Well, it'll be our little secret, darling.
I'm actually surprised at your interest in this case, mother.
Well, I really do know the difference between a first-rate makeup job and actual decay.
You want to see some real zombies, check out the red carpet at the Tony Awards.
I thought I I thought I put this away.
Where is she? Where is she? You were a fool to buy my act yesterday.
And now you've fallen right into my trap.
You will pay dearly for your treachery.
Et tu, mother, for luring me here.
Why, whatever do you mean? That's my girl.
So what's this about a zombie? Oh, my God.
I told you people.
That's him.
Oh, so vile and disgusting-- that's the zombie that I saw.
Well, we're not exactly sure that he's a-- What do you mean, you're not sure? What else could he be? The point is, this puts you in the clear.
We're releasing you.
I'm not sure that's a good idea.
Charlie, if you were going to turn, you would have done it by now.
This thing, have you caught it? Not yet.
Rest assured, we will.
I'll just stay here.
He won't leave? Charlie's pretty convinced about this whole zombie thing.
Yeah, but that's just-- that's ridiculous.
Or is it? Charlie has not been wrong yet.
Maybe our killer is patient zero, out there right now on the streets of New York, building an army of the undead.
Castle, what we are looking for is not a zombie, but a very smart criminal who murdered David Lock and is now making our only witness look crazy, and he also dressed up in makeup and a costume to hide his identity.
Unless that's not a costume or makeup.
I mean, he does look like a real zombie.
A real zombie? I'm embarrassed for you, bro.
Okay, then explain this-- why would a zombie go after a currency trader at This one's easy.
The more intelligent the victim, the more delicious the brains.
So returning to the land of facts, what did you find at the crime scene canvass? Nada.
Only in New York could some guy dress like a friggin' zombie and walk down the street unnoticed.
Oh, I did find a gap in our timeline before the murder.
What do you mean? Well, according to the doorman, the victim left his apartment at 2:00 AM and he never came back.
He was killed at 4:00 AM.
What was he doing for 2 hours? I don't know, but he drove there.
His credit card showed that he gassed up on Houston at 2:44 AM.
All right.
Let's figure out where he went.
Trouble might have followed him to the garage.
Or a zombie did.
I'll tell you where he went.
Booty call.
Tech guys pulled a text message off David's phone.
He sent it to a chica the night he died wanting to hook up with her.
Does she have a name? Greta Mastroianni.
Look, I-- I don't understand.
Who would do something like this to David? Did you see him that night? We know that he texted you wanting to come over.
No, I-I called him and told him not to.
I split up with David about a week ago.
Um, he was still trying to hold on.
Why'd you two split up? I'm engaged, um to Tom-- Tom Williams.
We've been together five years.
How did David figure in? I met him when I was 21, visiting a cousin in LA.
We had an intense couple of weeks, you know, then three months ago, I ran into him at a coffee shop.
And did your fiance know about this affair with David? Yeah, he found, uh, e-mails on my computer last week.
And how did he react to that? He was hurt, he threatened to leave me, and that's when I realized what I was about to lose, so I broke it off with David and begged Tom to give me another chance.
And he did.
So where was Tom that night? Home.
We went to bed around 11:00.
And he was there all night? Greta where was Tom at 4:00 AM.
? Look, I don't know, okay? I woke up around 2:30, and he wasn't there.
I figured he was watching TV in the living room, but when I got up in the morning-- He wasn't in the apartment.
So where was he all night? I see what you're getting at with this, okay? But Tom had nothing to do with it.
Did David e-mail you from his office account? Yeah.
Why? Because that means that your fiance knew where David worked.
Look, I can't say I feel bad this guy is dead.
But I had nothing to do with it.
Even though he was trying to snake your fiancee? He was out of the picture.
Greta made her choice, and she picked me.
Yeah, except he wouldn't take no for an answer.
You know, I bet you found out that he was texting her, and you decided to make him stop texting her permanently.
Well you're wrong.
I never touched the dude.
I never even met him.
Yeah, but it had to have made you angry.
I-I won't lie to you.
This whole thing has been tough.
But Greta and I are building a life together, and I think we're gonna come out of it stronger-- Tom, about how tall are you? About 6'? So about the same height as this guy, right? What the hell is that? Come on.
That's not me.
When you left the apartment that night, where were you for the next hour and a half? David was missing for the same amount of time-- A-at the Hudson Law Library studying.
You were at the library at that hour? It's open 24/7 during finals.
You can ask the librarian and the ten other people who were studying there.
I will.
Tom's alibi checks out.
He was at the law library between 3:00 and 6:00 AM.
I really thought that he was our man.
And it's not like David Lock has any other enemies.
I mean, we already confirmed that with his friends and coworkers.
What about recently deceased friends and coworkers? Okay.
Well, whatever or whoever this is, can we at least agree that he looks like a zombie, he dresses like a zombie, and he acts like a zombie? And that helps us how? We're looking at standard motives here.
But our killer isn't driven by revenge, greed, or power, not if he thinks he's a zombie.
So then by that line of thinking, his motive is a primal urge to kill? Regardless of who the victim is, he kills at random.
Precisely.
Then how do you propose that we find a random killer in a city of eight million people? Maybe we start with where the victim went during those missing two hours.
Do tell.
Well, the lab ID'ed a chemical found recently deposited under the bottom of David Lock's shoes.
What kind of chemical? Uh, I won't even begin to try to pronounce it, but it is used in three factories in New York and New Jersey.
The night that David was killed, he went to a gas station on Houston.
Which one of those factories is closest to Houston? The one on the Lower East Side, but it's been closed for over a year.
Let's go.
Well, we know now this is, in fact, an abandoned factory in a desolate, godforsaken alley.
Imagination getting the better of you, Castle? No, no.
Of course not.
Just wish we had more to show for our efforts.
That's all.
The thing that I don't get is, why would a currency trader like David Lock come down here? It just doesn't make any sense.
Unless he had a dark side we know nothing about.
Like what? All I know is that normal people don't come to places like this at 2:00 AM in the morning.
In fact, I think I've seen enough.
Haven't you? Wait.
Do you hear that? I'm not falling for that.
No, no, no, I'm serious.
Listen.
- Footsteps.
- Yeah.
Lots of 'em.
Oh, my God! They're after us! They're after us! Who is? What are you people doing? Don't just stand there! Run! Come on! What the hell is going on? That's--that's a zombie-- that's a zombie horde.
There's no such thing as zombies.
I'm sure I don't have to tell you to aim for the head.
Beckett, they're behind us.
We're surrounded.
Oh, jeez.
Oh, jeez.
You don't have enough bullets.
It's ground zero for world war Z.
Get behind me.
We'll have to fight our way out.
This is so not cool.
There's no way this is real.
NYPD! Stop moving now.
And stop pretending to be zombies.
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.
Take it easy.
We're just zombie walking here.
You're what? Z-zombie walking.
It's like an amped up form of tag.
We--we dress up like zombies, and we chase the normals.
That would be us.
Yeah, yeah, if we tag'em, we turn 'em, and then they become zombies, too.
Look, if this is because we didn't get a permit, I-- It's not! You're all coming with me.
Now.
How did I not know about this?! This is outstanding.
Did you do this yourself? Being a fan of zombie lore, I get it.
But what's the appeal of being a zombie? Like look at this guy.
Who would want to be alive in a decayed, mindless state? Being a vampire-- that I understand.
That's the romantic route to immortality.
The, uh, gentlemen's monster, as it were.
Speaking of monsters, none of these zombies match the photo of our killer.
Maybe he's trying out a new look.
How about you? If you could be any supernatural creature, what would it be? Van Helsing.
No question.
Monster slayer.
Befitting.
And imagine, the monster that we are hunting might be in this very room.
All right, ladies, thanks for your help.
I don't know about those shoes with that top.
I'm just sayin'.
I'd have went open-toed.
Are you guys having more luck than we are? Not at all.
Oh, and guess what.
None of these knuckleheads are real zombies.
I think what my colleague means to say is that no one recognized our zombie from the video or our victim David Lock.
If David wasn't a part of the zombie crowd, then what was he doing down there? He definitely wasn't part of our group, I can tell you that.
What about you? Do you recognize him.
What? Paul, are you high right now? Whoa.
Whoa.
Hey now.
Uh where's that coming from? No.
No, of course not.
Hello.
Right.
Um Yeah, yeah, I-I don't know this dude.
He's not a-a zombie or a-a normal.
Listen, will this take much longer? I have a class in the morning.
- You're a student? - A teacher.
Really? Assistant professor of anthropology.
I believe our fascination with zombies is a cultural phenomenon, a commentary on the inner numbness of modern life.
Yeah, okay.
Do either of you recognize this, uh, zombie? That's Kyle.
Kyle Jennings.
NYPD! Kyle Jennings! Is that him? Yeah, that's him.
Kyle.
He's dead.
So do we have cause of death? I assume by "we," you mean me.
I'll have answers after I cut him open.
Charming.
We're all meat, Castle.
Get over it.
What I can tell you is, his teeth match the bite marks, and the blood on his clothes came from the victim.
Kyle Jennings is your killer.
Well, the question is, who killed him? Isn't that always the question? Uh, you know, just-- What is it, Castle? No, I was just wondering, before this man died, he was behaving exactly like a zombie.
Is there any medical way to determine if he actually was one? W-w-why is he in my morgue? There are no zombies, Castle.
This is a man.
He was a live man.
Now he's a dead man.
End of story.
It's undead! Castle, call for backup! How--how do I-- Is there a police code for zombie on the loose? So based on the latest report from the ER, Kyle Jennings was transferred up to ICU.
He is stable but under sedation.
I'm telling you, that guy was dead.
Remind me never to choke on a chicken bone in front of you.
Hey, you checked that guy.
So did the paramedics.
Whoa.
You guys, I'm sure that there's a medical explanation for it.
Oh, there's an explanation, all right.
Besides that one.
Come on.
You were there.
You saw it.
He rose from the dead.
He didn't rise from the dead, Castle.
He wasn't dead in the first place.
Yeah, he's not a zombie, Castle.
He's just a murderer.
Well, then what was his motive for murder, detective Esposito? Kyle sold insurance.
He had no criminal record.
There's no evidence he even knew our victim.
He's a human killer with a human motive.
Or he's a zombie killer with a zombie motive.
Beckett.
Tasty brains.
You know, Castle, do you really believe in all this zombie stuff, because I-- I would swear on my nana's grave that Kyle Jennings was dead.
No.
You know what I do believe in? Driving Beckett crazy.
I have to say, it's good to see you guys hitting it off again.
Well, Castle, looks like we will get our motive straight from the source.
Mr.
Kyle Jennings is officially awake.
Kyle, I'm detective Beckett.
This is Mr.
Castle.
What am I doing here? Why are there cops outside? No one's telling me anything.
What, was I mugged or something? We need to ask you a few questions about David Lock.
- Who? - This man.
I don't know him.
Two nights ago, he went on a zombie walk.
Did the two of you meet there? I'm telling you, I've never seen the guy before.
What is this about? He was murdered.
Beaten to death.
What happened at that zombie walk? I can't remember.
Well, what's the last thing you do remember? Uh, I got dressed to head over there.
The next thing I know, I woke up in the morgue.
Did you drink or do drugs that night? I don't do that stuff.
Look I didn't hurt anyone, okay? I would never do that.
I just-- I don't remember anything.
Well, the victim's blood was found on your clothes, bite marks match your teeth, the cuff of your shirt was clutched in his hand, and a security camera caught our killer on tape.
Is that you, Kyle? Yes.
That's me.
I think you're gonna need a lawyer.
So Kyle killed someone he never met for no reason.
Is that what we're supposed to believe? Well, isn't that what you said zombies do? It is with a sad heart, I say that that man is no zombie.
Oh, even though he rose from the dead? It's common knowledge, when you turn into a zombie, you cannot turn back.
So you concede to the fact that there's a medical explanation to all of this? I concede to nothing except that Kyle is not telling us the whole story.
You think he remembers? When a life-altering moment occurs, people remember.
Well, maybe it's too big to deal with.
Maybe he can't face it just yet.
Well, you think he ever will be? Hopefully, if he feels safe.
Perlmutter? What are you doing here? I came to tend to one of my patients--Kyle Jennings.
Do you think that's a good idea? I'll have you know, I'm perfectly capable of treating living patients.
I simply prefer not to.
I made an exception here because the results of his blood work are quite unusual.
What do you mean? Kyle Jennings had scopolamine in his system, which, in small doses, is used to treat motion sickness.
In larger doses, it acts on the central nervous system to promote compliant and suggestible behavior.
Exactly how suggestible? You'll basically do whatever you're told.
It's like a date-rape drug, only the victim remains conscious.
And when the drug wears off, you have no recollection of what happened.
Is it possible somebody slipped Kyle that drug? I think it's highly probable that they did.
What time do you think he was given the scopolamine? Between 2:45 and 3:45 the night of the murder.
That's when he was on that zombie walk.
Someone on the zombie walk drugged Kyle and sent him after David.
Kyle's innocent.
Far from a random act of zombie mayhem, this murder was fiendishly deliberate.
It was meticulously planned By someone with a powerful motive With access to those drugs Who was also at our zombie walk.
But we interviewed those people.
There's no evidence that David knew any of them or had anything to do with the zombie scene.
Well, we know he was down there.
He had to have gone there for a reason.
Maybe our best bet is to work this through the drug angle.
Uh, I got started on that, and I did some research on scopolamine.
- Nice.
- Quite the list of side effects, including drowsiness, confusion, slurred speech, death.
Is it available on the street? It's uncommon, but it's out there, and get this-- users refer to it as "the zombie drug.
" And I know just the zombie to tell us all about it.
Hey, what is this? I answered all your guys' questions.
When you were here last time, what were you on? On? What do you-- what do you mean? You were under the influence, Paul.
Heavily under the influence.
Was it scopolamine? Whoa.
What now? Do you use the zombie drug? I suppose that's possible.
Do any of the other zombies use it? Some do.
Some say it enhances the zombie experience.
Where did you get it? A guy down there sells the stuff.
Who? What's his name? I don't know.
I never asked.
Well, describe him.
Dark hair, tall, over 6'.
Is this him? Yeah, that's him.
Thanks for coming in again, Tom.
Sure.
Though I'm not sure what I can do.
I heard you caught the guy.
Yeah, well, we just needed you to help us tie up a few loose ends.
So this is our suspect-- Kyle Jennings.
Yeah, I remember from last time.
Now you said that you've never seen him before.
Well he'd be hard to miss, right? Yeah, that's funny, 'cause Kyle said he saw you.
Yeah, he says you were at the zombie walk.
You never told us that you were a part of the zombie subculture.
Detective, I'm pre-law.
I-I have no time for regular culture, let alone subculture.
Oh, Tom, you're too modest.
A number of zombies sang your praises.
Yeah, apparently, you're the go-to guy for the real zombie experience with the scopolamine.
The what? You're a kid from Ridgewood, Tom.
You don't even have a job.
And yet, you manage to afford a really nice apartment and you're able to pay your tuition.
I-I took out student loans.
Look I'm--I'm--I'm not a drug dealer.
You're trying to get ahead.
You know, make a life with Greta.
And then she steps out with some Wall Street douche who just would not let her go.
David wanted to see Greta the night that he was killed.
She said no.
We canvassed the area.
He was seen sitting in his car outside of your apartment.
When you left that night, he followed you to the zombie walk.
I'm betting he told you he was gonna fight for Greta.
He was handsome, he had money, the two of them had a history.
I mean, you knew you couldn't compete.
Yeah, especially if David told Greta you're nothing but a low-life drug dealer.
You had to take matters into your own hands.
Or more specifically, Kyle's hands.
So you had this brilliant plan.
You dosed Kyle with scopolamine, told him to kill David, thinking, nobody will ever figure it out.
Actually, that last part didn't work out so well.
Yeah.
All you have is the word of a few whacked out zombies.
That's not even close to probable cause.
Yeah, well, it's all I need to keep you here for 24 hours.
And by then, I will have my proof.
No, you won't.
He's right.
We've got nothing.
"Nothing" is a strong word.
The only person that can link Tom to the killing is Kyle, and he doesn't remember anything.
And on top of all of that, the evidence shows that Kyle alone committed the murder.
Well, when you put it like that yes, it sounds a little bleak.
Maybe this is it, what every homicide cop fears.
The perfect murder.
No.
This is not the perfect murder.
- Can't be.
- It happens.
Not to me.
Not unless I've written it.
No, we're just missing something.
Like proof.
Without it, we did the only thing we could.
We went at Tom head-on.
He didn't blink.
We're out of moves.
We got one move left.
We went at Tom head-on.
Now we need to go at him sideways.
And I know just what to do.
Greta, I know how you feel.
You're in love with Tom, and you want to see the best in him.
But you have to look at the facts what you're saying isn't true.
Okay? None of it is.
Well, then take the money.
How is he able to pay for an apartment in Manhattan? Not being a drug dealer, I'll tell you that much.
What about that engagement ring? How can he afford that? He--he said it was his grandmother's.
Greta, you are my last chance.
If you don't help me, an innocent man is gonna go to prison for life for David's murder.
No.
Tom's the innocent one.
Okay? You got your killer, and it's not my fiance.
I'm still waiting on that proof of yours.
No? Nothing? Well, thanks for the hospitality.
Is there a comment card I could fill out about the level of service I received? You're free to go.
Take advantage while you can.
Yeah, Greta told me about your little conversation.
That was your big play, to use my own fiancee against me? She's gonna figure out who you are sooner or later, so what are you gonna do about it then? Kyle Jennings made bail.
Got released a couple of hours ago.
Wait.
Kyle is out? His bail was set at $1 million.
Where'd he get the money? Turns out he's got an uncle who's got some serious dough.
I'd steer clear of him if I was you.
What kind of lies did you tell him? We didn't tell him anything, but Kyle's a smart guy.
He's gonna do the math.
I want police protection.
I thought you didn't do anything wrong.
I didn't, but thanks to you, Kyle thinks that I did, and now he's out there.
Y-you're releasing me with knowledge and forethought that he could attack me.
If he does, think about the lawsuit I'll file against you.
Detective Esposito, please process Mr.
Williams and then escort him to his apartment, make sure it's clear, and then after that, you are on your own.
I'll be sure to check "excellent service" on that comment card.
I want a patrol car outside the building.
Yeah, well, that's not gonna happen.
I'm gonna come over and let you-- Aah! Get down! Stay in the car.
NYPD! Drop that bat and show me your hands.
I know what you did to me.
No, I didn't.
I-I didn't.
You made me kill a man and now I'm gonna do the same to you! Kyle, no, please.
I I'm very sorry.
You're lying.
No, I am.
I swear.
He was gonna take Greta away from me.
I had to do something.
I'm sorry I used you.
Just please don't please don't-- don't hurt me.
Okay.
Enough.
Good actor, huh? I had you going.
Tom Williams, you are under arrest for the murder of David Lock.
Wait.
Hang on a second.
Just--Kyle.
What--Kyle? Sorry.
Kyle couldn't make it.
But he, uh sends his regards.
Turn around.
Turn around.
I'm gotta tell you, bro, you coming at me like that you almost made me a believer.
Stop it.
Don't do that.
You're creeping me out.
Ah, you really nailed it, Kyle.
Your costume is what sold that bit.
Yeah, and by helping us, you've actually helped yourself.
The DA is looking into dismissing the charges against you now that he has Tom's confession.
Detective, Mr.
Castle, I-I don't know how to thank you-- Uh, let me borrow the zombie outfit for another day, we'll call it even.
You know what? Keep it.
My zombie walking days are over.
I just want to put all this behind me.
How does somebody put something like that behind them? He's gonna need therapy.
It helps.
At first he won't even be able to deal with it.
It's gonna take everything that he's got to just put one foot in front of the other and get through the day.
I didn't know you were seeing a therapist.
Yeah, well, I didn't want to make any excuses.
I just wanted to put in the time and do the work.
But I think I'm almost where I want to be now.
And where is that? In a place where I can finally accept everything that happened that day.
Everything.
I think I understand.
And, um, that wall that I was telling you about I think it's coming down.
Well, I'd like to be there when it does.
Yeah, I'd like you to be there, too.
- Only without the zombie makeup.
- I don't know.
I kind of think that the zombie makeup suits you, Castle.
Yeah, I make it work.
Tomorrow? Tomorrow.
Victory is mine.
points.
And that is the icing on the cake that has been my day.
That's it? It's over? What? Come on, Alexis.
It's just a game.
A game we started when I was 5, and it's over.
And I'm going to graduate, leave for college, and I'll be there and you'll be here, and we can play at Christmas and during the summer, but it won't be the same, will it? No.
But you know what? Things change.
And change is good.
I can't do it.
Do what? Go that far away.
I want to go away, but not that far.
And I hate myself for it, because my personal motto is, "do the thing that you fear the most," but every time I get ready to hit the send button on my acceptance to Oxford or Stanford, I I get all sick inside.
Well, you follow your heart.
Follow your heart, you can't go wrong.
And my heart is telling me go to Columbia.
But here's the other thing-- if I do this, you have to promise not to drop in on me.
If I do this, you have to give me my space.
Do you think you can do that? I think I can give a sincere and solemn oath to try.
Then best two out of three.
This isn't over.
This isn't over.
Corrections by Alex1969
I-- the game's afoot.
- Dad-- - Wait.
Let me savor this.
I haven't gotten the drop on you since you were 10.
Oh, this feels like victory.
Dad, look, I can't, okay? I have a big decision to make.
Well, have you at least narrowed it down? I made a list of all the classes and the extra curriculars.
And the best choices seem to be Oxford and Stanford.
What about Columbia, NYU, Vassar? They're all too close.
I'd come home all the time.
I want to challenge myself, and I'd get sucked in to things like this.
But then who's gonna play with me? I think it's time to holster the laser guns and be adults.
Game over.
Oh, darling, it's just a game.
No, it's not.
It's--it's a time-honored family tradition that we've been honoring since Alexis could wrap her little finger around a trigger.
First one to 1,000 points wins, and we were so close.
We laser tagged our way through her preteen years, and now suddenly, she's too old to play.
She's growing up.
Well, she doesn't have to.
Look at me.
Ah, well, it seems Detective Beckett is available for a play date.
Really? Beckett and I have not been exactly hitting it off lately.
And why do you think that is? Oh, I-I'm sorry.
Are you saying it's my fault? Cavorting with some awful gang detective, showing up at a crime scene with a stewardess-- if you want to punish Beckett, at least let her know why.
I'm not punishing her.
I'm Am I? Oh, darling, you're hurt.
I understand that.
But quite honestly, the two of you cannot go on like this.
You know what, mother? You're absolutely right.
Where are you going? To a crime scene to work my last case with detective Beckett.
You said you didn't like coffee.
I like vanilla lattes.
Hey, guys.
Hey.
Thanks for calling.
Sure.
So our victim is David Lock, 29.
He's a currency trader in a foreign exchange office upstairs.
Looks like he was heading into work when it happened.
His body was found by his boss at around 7:00 this morning.
Our intrepid heroes have arrived.
And Castle.
Ah, Perlmutter.
I will treasure these special moments we've shared.
So I take it that this is Mr.
Lock? It appears he was set upon by an unknown assailant.
Time of death was about 4:00 AM.
Cause of death? Well, probably blunt force trauma to the head where it hit the concrete.
Wallet and cash? Still intact, so it definitely wasn't a mugging.
A savage beating at 4:00 AM, there must be some motive.
Is this a bite mark on his arm? It's not just a bite mark.
Look at the skin.
You see how it's torn? The killer latched on and shook like a pit bull trying to tear off the flesh.
Thanks.
Think we got it.
Anything else? Just this.
It was, uh, found in our victim's hand.
It was probably torn off the killer's shirt during the struggle.
That's a lace cuff.
Hand stitched, pearl buttons-- I'd say this was circa 1870.
I did a lot of research on the era.
I was writing a book, a comedy about the Civil War.
Turns out not so funny.
You don't say? Who would beat a guy to death wearing a 150-year-old shirt? You know, the bigger question is, why was he attacked here where he worked? You might want to ask his boss-- Mike Matthews.
I can't believe it.
We think that David was killed around 4:00 AM.
Do you have any idea why he was here so early? David handled the Asian markets, so he usually got in by 4:00.
He was a terrific kid.
You know, he was hard-working, well-liked.
And was that the consensus? What do you mean? I mean, did he have any conflicts with anyone at work? Actually, yeah, there was an incident last week.
Someone keyed his car.
Who? David thought it was Charlie Coleman, one of my other traders.
Uh, the two of them were vying for a promotion, and I went with David.
Charlie didn't take it too well.
What time does Charlie usually show up for work? Look, Charlie's kind of an oddball, but I-I don't see him mixed up in this.
We're gonna need to talk to him anyway.
That's strange.
His car is right there next to David's.
Why is that strange? Because Charlie never came into the office this morning.
What's his address? That's a shame.
This case had some real promise.
Savage bite marks, reconstruction-era clothing-- we had some mystery here, a whiff of intrigue.
Now we're just slapping cuffs on some disgruntled employee.
I just wanted this one to be special.
Yeah, well, I'm sorry it's not entertaining enough for you, Castle.
Charlie Coleman, NYPD.
Open up.
Stay away! It isn't safe! Stand back.
It's for your own good! Don't come in! You can't come in here! Sorry, Charlie.
Charlie, are you okay? Anyone here? No, no, no, no.
Get back! Get away from me! Listen, we just gotta ask you a few questions.
You need to leave! You need to leave right now! It's not safe! Relax, Charlie.
Relax.
We're cops.
- You're a cop? - Yeah.
Is that your gun? Yeah.
You need to shoot me.
Do it now! Do it! Do it! Okay, Charlie, you feeling better? Uh, yeah.
Just gotta ask you a few questions about what happened this morning with you and David.
Did you see him in the parking structure? Yeah, he'd just pulled in.
I said hello.
He said hello.
The two of us aren't real friendly.
So we've heard.
What happened next? And then he stopped and he stared right past me with this weird look on his face, and then he said, "What the hell is that?" - What the hell was it? - I couldn't tell at first, 'cause suddenly, it was all over us.
Wait.
You were attacked, too? Yeah, but it was mostly after David.
I mean, it was just wailing on him.
I elbowed it in the head, and it didn't even slow down.
Okay, what do you mean by "it"? I called 9-1-1.
I told them.
They didn't believe me.
No one believes me.
Just tell us what you saw.
As long as you promise you'll believe me.
Yeah, fine.
I promise.
Promise that you will use your gun on me when I start to turn.
- Turn? - Yeah.
What do you mean, turn? The thing that bit me that killed David it was a zombie.
A z-zombie? It was a zombie.
A freakin' zombie! Sir, can you repeat that? A zombie.
The undead.
Oh, man with those dead eyes and flaps of rotting skin coming off its face.
Uh, sir, this line is for emergencies only.
Are you having an emergency? Yes! I am having a major emergency here.
Don't you get it? This thing just killed someone, and it bit me! I'm gonna turn! I'm next.
Now Charlie made this 9-1-1 call moments after the attack.
Does it sound like he's faking to you? It sounds like Charlie's having a psychotic break.
What if his guilt made him snap and he created a fantasy in which zombies killed David and not him? I'm not so sure.
I mean, his voice does have that authentic ring of pants-wetting terror.
You do not believe in Charlie's story.
I believe he believes it.
Okay, well, whatever you believe, all of the evidence points to the fact that Charlie Coleman is our killer.
Maybe not all the evidence.
CSU analyzed that bite mark on Charlie's arm.
Turns out that it matches the bite mark on our victim.
Maybe Charlie bit David and then he bit himself? I was thinking the same thing, but CSU also says that the bite marks weren't made by Charlie's teeth.
Oh, wait, um sorry.
Let me make sure I understand so that I might properly relish this moment.
You're saying the evidence shows that Charlie and the victim both were bitten by an as-yet unknown third party.
- That's what I just said.
- Perhaps even a mindless shuffling undead third party.
Castle, just stop.
There's no such thing as a zombie.
Guys uh, you gotta see this.
So I was combing through security cam footage near the parking garage, and I found this.
Time stamp's 4:06 AM, which fits time of death.
That's our guy.
Yeah, but that's not Charlie.
Wait.
What is he wearing? That looks like an old-fashioned suit.
Circa 1870 and his shirt's missing a cuff.
He almost got hit by that taxi.
He didn't even flinch.
Well, maybe this is why.
Look what we get from the other angle.
My friends that is a zombie.
Our killer's a zombie.
Corrections by Alex1969 Well, you're rather upbeat considering you said this was your last case with Beckett.
That's because I am going out with a bang.
I have one word for you, mother Zombie.
- Too much makeup? - You look lovely.
I'm referring to our victim being killed by one of the walking undead.
And I mean that literally-- a zombie.
Security camera caught him in all his putrefying glory.
I don't suppose you downloaded this video by chance? Absolutely not.
That video's police property.
It would be very, very wrong of me to get a screen grab of it and e-mail it to myself.
Ooh.
Well, it'll be our little secret, darling.
I'm actually surprised at your interest in this case, mother.
Well, I really do know the difference between a first-rate makeup job and actual decay.
You want to see some real zombies, check out the red carpet at the Tony Awards.
I thought I I thought I put this away.
Where is she? Where is she? You were a fool to buy my act yesterday.
And now you've fallen right into my trap.
You will pay dearly for your treachery.
Et tu, mother, for luring me here.
Why, whatever do you mean? That's my girl.
So what's this about a zombie? Oh, my God.
I told you people.
That's him.
Oh, so vile and disgusting-- that's the zombie that I saw.
Well, we're not exactly sure that he's a-- What do you mean, you're not sure? What else could he be? The point is, this puts you in the clear.
We're releasing you.
I'm not sure that's a good idea.
Charlie, if you were going to turn, you would have done it by now.
This thing, have you caught it? Not yet.
Rest assured, we will.
I'll just stay here.
He won't leave? Charlie's pretty convinced about this whole zombie thing.
Yeah, but that's just-- that's ridiculous.
Or is it? Charlie has not been wrong yet.
Maybe our killer is patient zero, out there right now on the streets of New York, building an army of the undead.
Castle, what we are looking for is not a zombie, but a very smart criminal who murdered David Lock and is now making our only witness look crazy, and he also dressed up in makeup and a costume to hide his identity.
Unless that's not a costume or makeup.
I mean, he does look like a real zombie.
A real zombie? I'm embarrassed for you, bro.
Okay, then explain this-- why would a zombie go after a currency trader at This one's easy.
The more intelligent the victim, the more delicious the brains.
So returning to the land of facts, what did you find at the crime scene canvass? Nada.
Only in New York could some guy dress like a friggin' zombie and walk down the street unnoticed.
Oh, I did find a gap in our timeline before the murder.
What do you mean? Well, according to the doorman, the victim left his apartment at 2:00 AM and he never came back.
He was killed at 4:00 AM.
What was he doing for 2 hours? I don't know, but he drove there.
His credit card showed that he gassed up on Houston at 2:44 AM.
All right.
Let's figure out where he went.
Trouble might have followed him to the garage.
Or a zombie did.
I'll tell you where he went.
Booty call.
Tech guys pulled a text message off David's phone.
He sent it to a chica the night he died wanting to hook up with her.
Does she have a name? Greta Mastroianni.
Look, I-- I don't understand.
Who would do something like this to David? Did you see him that night? We know that he texted you wanting to come over.
No, I-I called him and told him not to.
I split up with David about a week ago.
Um, he was still trying to hold on.
Why'd you two split up? I'm engaged, um to Tom-- Tom Williams.
We've been together five years.
How did David figure in? I met him when I was 21, visiting a cousin in LA.
We had an intense couple of weeks, you know, then three months ago, I ran into him at a coffee shop.
And did your fiance know about this affair with David? Yeah, he found, uh, e-mails on my computer last week.
And how did he react to that? He was hurt, he threatened to leave me, and that's when I realized what I was about to lose, so I broke it off with David and begged Tom to give me another chance.
And he did.
So where was Tom that night? Home.
We went to bed around 11:00.
And he was there all night? Greta where was Tom at 4:00 AM.
? Look, I don't know, okay? I woke up around 2:30, and he wasn't there.
I figured he was watching TV in the living room, but when I got up in the morning-- He wasn't in the apartment.
So where was he all night? I see what you're getting at with this, okay? But Tom had nothing to do with it.
Did David e-mail you from his office account? Yeah.
Why? Because that means that your fiance knew where David worked.
Look, I can't say I feel bad this guy is dead.
But I had nothing to do with it.
Even though he was trying to snake your fiancee? He was out of the picture.
Greta made her choice, and she picked me.
Yeah, except he wouldn't take no for an answer.
You know, I bet you found out that he was texting her, and you decided to make him stop texting her permanently.
Well you're wrong.
I never touched the dude.
I never even met him.
Yeah, but it had to have made you angry.
I-I won't lie to you.
This whole thing has been tough.
But Greta and I are building a life together, and I think we're gonna come out of it stronger-- Tom, about how tall are you? About 6'? So about the same height as this guy, right? What the hell is that? Come on.
That's not me.
When you left the apartment that night, where were you for the next hour and a half? David was missing for the same amount of time-- A-at the Hudson Law Library studying.
You were at the library at that hour? It's open 24/7 during finals.
You can ask the librarian and the ten other people who were studying there.
I will.
Tom's alibi checks out.
He was at the law library between 3:00 and 6:00 AM.
I really thought that he was our man.
And it's not like David Lock has any other enemies.
I mean, we already confirmed that with his friends and coworkers.
What about recently deceased friends and coworkers? Okay.
Well, whatever or whoever this is, can we at least agree that he looks like a zombie, he dresses like a zombie, and he acts like a zombie? And that helps us how? We're looking at standard motives here.
But our killer isn't driven by revenge, greed, or power, not if he thinks he's a zombie.
So then by that line of thinking, his motive is a primal urge to kill? Regardless of who the victim is, he kills at random.
Precisely.
Then how do you propose that we find a random killer in a city of eight million people? Maybe we start with where the victim went during those missing two hours.
Do tell.
Well, the lab ID'ed a chemical found recently deposited under the bottom of David Lock's shoes.
What kind of chemical? Uh, I won't even begin to try to pronounce it, but it is used in three factories in New York and New Jersey.
The night that David was killed, he went to a gas station on Houston.
Which one of those factories is closest to Houston? The one on the Lower East Side, but it's been closed for over a year.
Let's go.
Well, we know now this is, in fact, an abandoned factory in a desolate, godforsaken alley.
Imagination getting the better of you, Castle? No, no.
Of course not.
Just wish we had more to show for our efforts.
That's all.
The thing that I don't get is, why would a currency trader like David Lock come down here? It just doesn't make any sense.
Unless he had a dark side we know nothing about.
Like what? All I know is that normal people don't come to places like this at 2:00 AM in the morning.
In fact, I think I've seen enough.
Haven't you? Wait.
Do you hear that? I'm not falling for that.
No, no, no, I'm serious.
Listen.
- Footsteps.
- Yeah.
Lots of 'em.
Oh, my God! They're after us! They're after us! Who is? What are you people doing? Don't just stand there! Run! Come on! What the hell is going on? That's--that's a zombie-- that's a zombie horde.
There's no such thing as zombies.
I'm sure I don't have to tell you to aim for the head.
Beckett, they're behind us.
We're surrounded.
Oh, jeez.
Oh, jeez.
You don't have enough bullets.
It's ground zero for world war Z.
Get behind me.
We'll have to fight our way out.
This is so not cool.
There's no way this is real.
NYPD! Stop moving now.
And stop pretending to be zombies.
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.
Take it easy.
We're just zombie walking here.
You're what? Z-zombie walking.
It's like an amped up form of tag.
We--we dress up like zombies, and we chase the normals.
That would be us.
Yeah, yeah, if we tag'em, we turn 'em, and then they become zombies, too.
Look, if this is because we didn't get a permit, I-- It's not! You're all coming with me.
Now.
How did I not know about this?! This is outstanding.
Did you do this yourself? Being a fan of zombie lore, I get it.
But what's the appeal of being a zombie? Like look at this guy.
Who would want to be alive in a decayed, mindless state? Being a vampire-- that I understand.
That's the romantic route to immortality.
The, uh, gentlemen's monster, as it were.
Speaking of monsters, none of these zombies match the photo of our killer.
Maybe he's trying out a new look.
How about you? If you could be any supernatural creature, what would it be? Van Helsing.
No question.
Monster slayer.
Befitting.
And imagine, the monster that we are hunting might be in this very room.
All right, ladies, thanks for your help.
I don't know about those shoes with that top.
I'm just sayin'.
I'd have went open-toed.
Are you guys having more luck than we are? Not at all.
Oh, and guess what.
None of these knuckleheads are real zombies.
I think what my colleague means to say is that no one recognized our zombie from the video or our victim David Lock.
If David wasn't a part of the zombie crowd, then what was he doing down there? He definitely wasn't part of our group, I can tell you that.
What about you? Do you recognize him.
What? Paul, are you high right now? Whoa.
Whoa.
Hey now.
Uh where's that coming from? No.
No, of course not.
Hello.
Right.
Um Yeah, yeah, I-I don't know this dude.
He's not a-a zombie or a-a normal.
Listen, will this take much longer? I have a class in the morning.
- You're a student? - A teacher.
Really? Assistant professor of anthropology.
I believe our fascination with zombies is a cultural phenomenon, a commentary on the inner numbness of modern life.
Yeah, okay.
Do either of you recognize this, uh, zombie? That's Kyle.
Kyle Jennings.
NYPD! Kyle Jennings! Is that him? Yeah, that's him.
Kyle.
He's dead.
So do we have cause of death? I assume by "we," you mean me.
I'll have answers after I cut him open.
Charming.
We're all meat, Castle.
Get over it.
What I can tell you is, his teeth match the bite marks, and the blood on his clothes came from the victim.
Kyle Jennings is your killer.
Well, the question is, who killed him? Isn't that always the question? Uh, you know, just-- What is it, Castle? No, I was just wondering, before this man died, he was behaving exactly like a zombie.
Is there any medical way to determine if he actually was one? W-w-why is he in my morgue? There are no zombies, Castle.
This is a man.
He was a live man.
Now he's a dead man.
End of story.
It's undead! Castle, call for backup! How--how do I-- Is there a police code for zombie on the loose? So based on the latest report from the ER, Kyle Jennings was transferred up to ICU.
He is stable but under sedation.
I'm telling you, that guy was dead.
Remind me never to choke on a chicken bone in front of you.
Hey, you checked that guy.
So did the paramedics.
Whoa.
You guys, I'm sure that there's a medical explanation for it.
Oh, there's an explanation, all right.
Besides that one.
Come on.
You were there.
You saw it.
He rose from the dead.
He didn't rise from the dead, Castle.
He wasn't dead in the first place.
Yeah, he's not a zombie, Castle.
He's just a murderer.
Well, then what was his motive for murder, detective Esposito? Kyle sold insurance.
He had no criminal record.
There's no evidence he even knew our victim.
He's a human killer with a human motive.
Or he's a zombie killer with a zombie motive.
Beckett.
Tasty brains.
You know, Castle, do you really believe in all this zombie stuff, because I-- I would swear on my nana's grave that Kyle Jennings was dead.
No.
You know what I do believe in? Driving Beckett crazy.
I have to say, it's good to see you guys hitting it off again.
Well, Castle, looks like we will get our motive straight from the source.
Mr.
Kyle Jennings is officially awake.
Kyle, I'm detective Beckett.
This is Mr.
Castle.
What am I doing here? Why are there cops outside? No one's telling me anything.
What, was I mugged or something? We need to ask you a few questions about David Lock.
- Who? - This man.
I don't know him.
Two nights ago, he went on a zombie walk.
Did the two of you meet there? I'm telling you, I've never seen the guy before.
What is this about? He was murdered.
Beaten to death.
What happened at that zombie walk? I can't remember.
Well, what's the last thing you do remember? Uh, I got dressed to head over there.
The next thing I know, I woke up in the morgue.
Did you drink or do drugs that night? I don't do that stuff.
Look I didn't hurt anyone, okay? I would never do that.
I just-- I don't remember anything.
Well, the victim's blood was found on your clothes, bite marks match your teeth, the cuff of your shirt was clutched in his hand, and a security camera caught our killer on tape.
Is that you, Kyle? Yes.
That's me.
I think you're gonna need a lawyer.
So Kyle killed someone he never met for no reason.
Is that what we're supposed to believe? Well, isn't that what you said zombies do? It is with a sad heart, I say that that man is no zombie.
Oh, even though he rose from the dead? It's common knowledge, when you turn into a zombie, you cannot turn back.
So you concede to the fact that there's a medical explanation to all of this? I concede to nothing except that Kyle is not telling us the whole story.
You think he remembers? When a life-altering moment occurs, people remember.
Well, maybe it's too big to deal with.
Maybe he can't face it just yet.
Well, you think he ever will be? Hopefully, if he feels safe.
Perlmutter? What are you doing here? I came to tend to one of my patients--Kyle Jennings.
Do you think that's a good idea? I'll have you know, I'm perfectly capable of treating living patients.
I simply prefer not to.
I made an exception here because the results of his blood work are quite unusual.
What do you mean? Kyle Jennings had scopolamine in his system, which, in small doses, is used to treat motion sickness.
In larger doses, it acts on the central nervous system to promote compliant and suggestible behavior.
Exactly how suggestible? You'll basically do whatever you're told.
It's like a date-rape drug, only the victim remains conscious.
And when the drug wears off, you have no recollection of what happened.
Is it possible somebody slipped Kyle that drug? I think it's highly probable that they did.
What time do you think he was given the scopolamine? Between 2:45 and 3:45 the night of the murder.
That's when he was on that zombie walk.
Someone on the zombie walk drugged Kyle and sent him after David.
Kyle's innocent.
Far from a random act of zombie mayhem, this murder was fiendishly deliberate.
It was meticulously planned By someone with a powerful motive With access to those drugs Who was also at our zombie walk.
But we interviewed those people.
There's no evidence that David knew any of them or had anything to do with the zombie scene.
Well, we know he was down there.
He had to have gone there for a reason.
Maybe our best bet is to work this through the drug angle.
Uh, I got started on that, and I did some research on scopolamine.
- Nice.
- Quite the list of side effects, including drowsiness, confusion, slurred speech, death.
Is it available on the street? It's uncommon, but it's out there, and get this-- users refer to it as "the zombie drug.
" And I know just the zombie to tell us all about it.
Hey, what is this? I answered all your guys' questions.
When you were here last time, what were you on? On? What do you-- what do you mean? You were under the influence, Paul.
Heavily under the influence.
Was it scopolamine? Whoa.
What now? Do you use the zombie drug? I suppose that's possible.
Do any of the other zombies use it? Some do.
Some say it enhances the zombie experience.
Where did you get it? A guy down there sells the stuff.
Who? What's his name? I don't know.
I never asked.
Well, describe him.
Dark hair, tall, over 6'.
Is this him? Yeah, that's him.
Thanks for coming in again, Tom.
Sure.
Though I'm not sure what I can do.
I heard you caught the guy.
Yeah, well, we just needed you to help us tie up a few loose ends.
So this is our suspect-- Kyle Jennings.
Yeah, I remember from last time.
Now you said that you've never seen him before.
Well he'd be hard to miss, right? Yeah, that's funny, 'cause Kyle said he saw you.
Yeah, he says you were at the zombie walk.
You never told us that you were a part of the zombie subculture.
Detective, I'm pre-law.
I-I have no time for regular culture, let alone subculture.
Oh, Tom, you're too modest.
A number of zombies sang your praises.
Yeah, apparently, you're the go-to guy for the real zombie experience with the scopolamine.
The what? You're a kid from Ridgewood, Tom.
You don't even have a job.
And yet, you manage to afford a really nice apartment and you're able to pay your tuition.
I-I took out student loans.
Look I'm--I'm--I'm not a drug dealer.
You're trying to get ahead.
You know, make a life with Greta.
And then she steps out with some Wall Street douche who just would not let her go.
David wanted to see Greta the night that he was killed.
She said no.
We canvassed the area.
He was seen sitting in his car outside of your apartment.
When you left that night, he followed you to the zombie walk.
I'm betting he told you he was gonna fight for Greta.
He was handsome, he had money, the two of them had a history.
I mean, you knew you couldn't compete.
Yeah, especially if David told Greta you're nothing but a low-life drug dealer.
You had to take matters into your own hands.
Or more specifically, Kyle's hands.
So you had this brilliant plan.
You dosed Kyle with scopolamine, told him to kill David, thinking, nobody will ever figure it out.
Actually, that last part didn't work out so well.
Yeah.
All you have is the word of a few whacked out zombies.
That's not even close to probable cause.
Yeah, well, it's all I need to keep you here for 24 hours.
And by then, I will have my proof.
No, you won't.
He's right.
We've got nothing.
"Nothing" is a strong word.
The only person that can link Tom to the killing is Kyle, and he doesn't remember anything.
And on top of all of that, the evidence shows that Kyle alone committed the murder.
Well, when you put it like that yes, it sounds a little bleak.
Maybe this is it, what every homicide cop fears.
The perfect murder.
No.
This is not the perfect murder.
- Can't be.
- It happens.
Not to me.
Not unless I've written it.
No, we're just missing something.
Like proof.
Without it, we did the only thing we could.
We went at Tom head-on.
He didn't blink.
We're out of moves.
We got one move left.
We went at Tom head-on.
Now we need to go at him sideways.
And I know just what to do.
Greta, I know how you feel.
You're in love with Tom, and you want to see the best in him.
But you have to look at the facts what you're saying isn't true.
Okay? None of it is.
Well, then take the money.
How is he able to pay for an apartment in Manhattan? Not being a drug dealer, I'll tell you that much.
What about that engagement ring? How can he afford that? He--he said it was his grandmother's.
Greta, you are my last chance.
If you don't help me, an innocent man is gonna go to prison for life for David's murder.
No.
Tom's the innocent one.
Okay? You got your killer, and it's not my fiance.
I'm still waiting on that proof of yours.
No? Nothing? Well, thanks for the hospitality.
Is there a comment card I could fill out about the level of service I received? You're free to go.
Take advantage while you can.
Yeah, Greta told me about your little conversation.
That was your big play, to use my own fiancee against me? She's gonna figure out who you are sooner or later, so what are you gonna do about it then? Kyle Jennings made bail.
Got released a couple of hours ago.
Wait.
Kyle is out? His bail was set at $1 million.
Where'd he get the money? Turns out he's got an uncle who's got some serious dough.
I'd steer clear of him if I was you.
What kind of lies did you tell him? We didn't tell him anything, but Kyle's a smart guy.
He's gonna do the math.
I want police protection.
I thought you didn't do anything wrong.
I didn't, but thanks to you, Kyle thinks that I did, and now he's out there.
Y-you're releasing me with knowledge and forethought that he could attack me.
If he does, think about the lawsuit I'll file against you.
Detective Esposito, please process Mr.
Williams and then escort him to his apartment, make sure it's clear, and then after that, you are on your own.
I'll be sure to check "excellent service" on that comment card.
I want a patrol car outside the building.
Yeah, well, that's not gonna happen.
I'm gonna come over and let you-- Aah! Get down! Stay in the car.
NYPD! Drop that bat and show me your hands.
I know what you did to me.
No, I didn't.
I-I didn't.
You made me kill a man and now I'm gonna do the same to you! Kyle, no, please.
I I'm very sorry.
You're lying.
No, I am.
I swear.
He was gonna take Greta away from me.
I had to do something.
I'm sorry I used you.
Just please don't please don't-- don't hurt me.
Okay.
Enough.
Good actor, huh? I had you going.
Tom Williams, you are under arrest for the murder of David Lock.
Wait.
Hang on a second.
Just--Kyle.
What--Kyle? Sorry.
Kyle couldn't make it.
But he, uh sends his regards.
Turn around.
Turn around.
I'm gotta tell you, bro, you coming at me like that you almost made me a believer.
Stop it.
Don't do that.
You're creeping me out.
Ah, you really nailed it, Kyle.
Your costume is what sold that bit.
Yeah, and by helping us, you've actually helped yourself.
The DA is looking into dismissing the charges against you now that he has Tom's confession.
Detective, Mr.
Castle, I-I don't know how to thank you-- Uh, let me borrow the zombie outfit for another day, we'll call it even.
You know what? Keep it.
My zombie walking days are over.
I just want to put all this behind me.
How does somebody put something like that behind them? He's gonna need therapy.
It helps.
At first he won't even be able to deal with it.
It's gonna take everything that he's got to just put one foot in front of the other and get through the day.
I didn't know you were seeing a therapist.
Yeah, well, I didn't want to make any excuses.
I just wanted to put in the time and do the work.
But I think I'm almost where I want to be now.
And where is that? In a place where I can finally accept everything that happened that day.
Everything.
I think I understand.
And, um, that wall that I was telling you about I think it's coming down.
Well, I'd like to be there when it does.
Yeah, I'd like you to be there, too.
- Only without the zombie makeup.
- I don't know.
I kind of think that the zombie makeup suits you, Castle.
Yeah, I make it work.
Tomorrow? Tomorrow.
Victory is mine.
points.
And that is the icing on the cake that has been my day.
That's it? It's over? What? Come on, Alexis.
It's just a game.
A game we started when I was 5, and it's over.
And I'm going to graduate, leave for college, and I'll be there and you'll be here, and we can play at Christmas and during the summer, but it won't be the same, will it? No.
But you know what? Things change.
And change is good.
I can't do it.
Do what? Go that far away.
I want to go away, but not that far.
And I hate myself for it, because my personal motto is, "do the thing that you fear the most," but every time I get ready to hit the send button on my acceptance to Oxford or Stanford, I I get all sick inside.
Well, you follow your heart.
Follow your heart, you can't go wrong.
And my heart is telling me go to Columbia.
But here's the other thing-- if I do this, you have to promise not to drop in on me.
If I do this, you have to give me my space.
Do you think you can do that? I think I can give a sincere and solemn oath to try.
Then best two out of three.
This isn't over.
This isn't over.
Corrections by Alex1969