Castle s05e04 Episode Script
Murder, He Wrote
Isn't this exciting? It's just a weekend, mother.
Dad, it's your first romantic weekend away with Beckett.
It's a big deal.
Okay, well, no pressure, and let's just hope it happens.
catch a murder by 5:00, we are in the clear.
So what do you have planned? - I what do you mean? - You don't have a plan? - The plan is to do nothing, to relax.
- Richard that's not a plan.
Women don't like it when men don't have a plan.
Hey, I'm in college now.
I'm living in the world.
Plus, I read a lot of magazines.
Not planning is really bad.
Okay she's right.
A man says, "so what are we gonna do for dinner?" Pfft.
He's dead to me.
Okay.
I will make reservations.
Somewhere romantic.
Right.
And classy, because Kate Beckett is a classy kind of gal, you know? Right.
Under the stars would be nice.
Oh, and you know what else you can do under the stars Okay.
La LA LA LA LA LA LA T minus one minute and counting.
Castle, what are you doing here? You were supposed to wait around the corner so that nobody'd see us.
I know, but I thought it would be fun to be here with you when the clock strikes 5:00.
You know, just like new year's Eve, except without the kissing for obvious reasons.
But there will be plenty of that this weekend.
Can you just shush? No one is going to hear me.
Look around you.
You are in a room full of detectives And not one of them has a clue.
Wow, Castle.
Thank you for reminding me that I'm lying to a bunch of people that I really care about so I don't get fired on an ethics violation 'cause I'm dating you.
Well, you can put all that out of your mind in three Two one.
No murder.
There.
Wasn't that fun? Okay, fine.
I will go.
And no will even know I was Hey, Castle.
What you doing here, bro? I was just on my way to the Hamptons to write for the weekend, and and I thought I'd drop by, see if we caught a murder.
Wow.
Anything to avoid writing, huh? Exactly.
Hey, did you hear about Beckett's weekend? No.
Big plans? She's going away with her boyfriend.
A boyfriend? Beckett! Really? Who is the lucky guy? For some reason, she's not telling.
Okay, seriously, guys? Actually, I for one am offended that you're not sharing with us.
Mm-hmm.
After all we've been through.
Yeah, I think we deserve better.
You know, I have a couple of ideas about what you guys deserve.
Come on, Beckett.
Just give us something.
Is he handsome? Yeah, I-is he handsome? Or is he more of a badass? Yeah, is that it, Beckett? Is he, like, a bad boy? James Dean, huh? Is he a desperado? I'm gonna Let me holla at you.
Why would Beckett be holding out on us? Maybe there's something wrong with the guy.
Maybe he's bad news.
Well, then as her partners, it's our obligation to find out who this guy is.
And what kind of partners would we be if we didn't? Her safety could be at stake.
Exactly, and with no active murder case going on, I say we use this time to find him.
And here we are.
Oh, my goodness, Castle.
Wow.
So, um are you rich or something? Well, I'm not James Patterson rich, but I do okay.
- Come on.
I'll show you around.
- Yeah.
After I finished remodeling the kitchen, I swore I was done, but then my designer called.
She said I had to tie in the living room, so I did that, too.
That led to the second floor, and then the basement.
I had to stop taking her calls or I'd have another wing.
You coming? Yeah.
This is actually my favorite part.
The sound of the ocean, complete privacy oh, the serenity.
The pool is right down here.
Most people find it magical.
Everything okay? Yeah.
It's, um It's spectacular, Castle.
And is that a problem? It's just, I can't help wondering how many other girls have gotten this tour.
Right.
Well, I'm not gonna deny that I've brought other women up here.
But, um None of them were you.
You want to, um, go and check out that pool? Yeah? I'm sure you will find the temperature suitable Mm-hmm.
But if you would like it any warmer, I can change the temperature or I could just Stop talking.
You forgot your suit.
I know.
Oh! What? Somebody's coming.
What? Oh.
Call 9-1-1.
Ya think? Yeah, he came stumbling up from the beach, uh, just after 10:15.
Uh, collapsed into the pool.
I tried to revive him, but were you here as well, ma'am? Yeah.
Name, please.
Um, Katherine Beckett, but do you think we could keep that out of the public record? Of course.
Not that we're doing anything wrong.
I j right.
What's that supposed to mean? Don't worry.
It's the Hamptons.
We'll be discreet.
We're we're not interested in your arrangement.
- Arrangement? - Chief, Chief, uh, I'm I'm not I don't she's not a I'm not a prostitute.
Oh, I'm sure.
So is there anything you'd like to add to Mr.
Castle's statement, madam ma'am? Yes.
Only that we didn't hear any gunshots, so that probably means that the killer used a silencer.
Watch a lot of cop shows, do we? Y uh, do we know who the victim is yet? Uh, Randall Franklin.
He's a weekender, out here from Manhattan.
All we know is that he was at a party up the beach at Douglas Shapiro's house earlier this evening.
Hey, Chief! We got him.
Excuse me.
We got him.
Name's Casius McMurray.
Local meth user.
Found him asleep in the tall grass couple hundred yards to the east with the victim's wallet.
Guy's out of it, high as a kite.
That's unbelievable.
What's that? Meth.
These rich kids, they're into everything these days.
Drug arrests have doubled in the last six months.
Okay.
Well Thanks for your help.
Uh, what about blood spatter? Did you find any on the beach or on the suspect? No.
But w-why would I even look? K? I mean, we got the guy.
Yeah, I-I'm sure we will.
He had the victim's wallet.
Right.
Y-you know, he could've found that wallet on the beach.
Are you questioning my judgment, Mr.
Castle? I Think we got the guy.
Right.
Good night.
Good night.
All right.
Come on.
Let's go.
Move.
What kind of cold-blooded killer takes a nap on the beach after shooting someone? Castle, I'm on vacation.
If I wanted to investigate a murder, I would've stayed in the city.
The guy died in my backyard.
It's not our case.
Still, you have to admit, as cases go, it's pretty weak.
It's still not our case, and if you keep obsessing over this, it's gonna ruin the weekend.
So what do we do? Maybe we just try putting it out of our minds, hmm? Yeah, but what about the gun? They would've found the gun on him.
Castle, that's not putting it out of your mind.
You're right.
I'm sorry.
I'm obsessing.
Yeah.
I won't obsess.
Okay.
Except you said it yourself about not hearing the shots.
What kind of meth head who obviously doesn't know what planet he's on carries a gun with a silencer? Which, by the way, indicates premeditation.
We're not gonna get on with our weekend until you've gotten some answers, are we? I'll get the coffee.
All right, thank you, Dougie.
And I'm sorry I missed the party.
I heard it was killer.
Yeah, sorry.
Gotcha.
Okay, last time shapiro saw Franklin alive was at his party at 8:15.
That's two hours before he was killed.
Right.
He was on the beach having an argument with a woman in a white dress, but because it was already dark, shapiro couldn't tell who it was.
He knew it wasn't Franklin's wife, because she was still back in the city.
Any luck finding a reason why someone would want Franklin dead? As a matter of fact, he was a banker at Lehman Brothers And he was involved in an insider trading scandal before they went belly up.
He cut a deal for his freedom by testifying against his colleagues.
Rachel Rosenberg, Jeff Forshim, Emily Monroe, Angela Colabro, and Aaron Lerner.
Well, they all did time, but now that they're out, any one of 'em could have wanted revenge.
And three of them could've been our mystery woman.
We need to talk to Franklin's wife, find out if he had any enemies.
No.
We just got here.
I am not going back to the city.
Well, fortunately, we don't have to.
I know just who to call.
Beckett's boyfriend? Don't you two have something better to do? Actually, no.
We figure Beckett must have started up with the guy during her suspension.
Pretty emotional time for her.
I bet she needed a shoulder to lean on.
An ex.
It would explain why she's too embarrassed to tell us who it is.
It makes her look weak.
We're thinking the most likely scenario is that it was the last guy that she was with.
Dr.
Joshua Davidson.
Mm-hmm.
It's him, isn't it? Okay, I get that you don't have a life, Javi, but you're married, Kevin, so what's your excuse? I whoever Beckett's boyfriend is is none of your business.
Come on, Lanie.
You must know who it is.
She went back to Josh, didn't she? Is this how you interrogate people? 'Cause you ain't doing nothing but pissing me off.
Now I don't know who it is, and I respect Beckett's privacy, but I do know it's not Josh because he's been in the Amazon setting up free clinics for the last year.
Are you sure about that? I think she's sure.
Yeah.
Hey, Castle.
Yeah, I'm gonna put you on speakerphone so you can weigh in on this.
Weigh in on what? Well, we're in the morgue with Lanie trying to figure out who Beckett's boyfriend is.
I have nothing to do with this nonsense.
Yeah, until you're bagging their mangled bodies when Beckett finds out.
Pfft.
Like we're afraid of Beckett.
Besides, how's she gonna find out? Anyway, I need your guys' help.
There has been a homicide out here in the Hamptons in my backyard.
Seriously, Castle? What, are you in in an episode of "murder, she wrote"? More like "murder, he wrote," but unfortunately, unlike Jessica Fletcher, the local police Chief not a friend of mine, and I think he may have the wrong guy, so I need you guys to question the victim's wife in the city, find out what she knows.
Mm.
That's a pretty big favor to ask, Castle.
We're gonna need something in return.
- The Ferrari.
- For a weak.
- Each.
Seriously? Guys.
Mm.
Guys.
I don't understand.
They already caught the guy, didn't they? I'm told he was some kind of drug addict.
Well, with all due respect to the Hamptons P.
D.
, we would like to make absolutely sure.
We know your husband testified against several colleagues at Lehman.
Has he been in contact with any of 'em? Why are you asking? Maybe one of them came after him for revenge.
No.
He left banking after the crash and never looked back.
Got into commercial real estate.
That's how we managed to stay afloat.
Mrs.
Franklin, your husband was seen arguing with a woman on a beach a couple of hours before he was killed.
Do you have any idea who it could have been? No.
But if I were to guess, I'd say it was his girlfriend.
Girlfriend? He was having an affair? With a Natalia Roosevelt.
She's a local.
The wife got wind of it, sent him up here to break it off.
It's probably your typical tawdry Hamptons story.
Weekender meets local beauty, the elixir to his stressful city life.
Whirlwind romance ensues But then the wife gets wind of it, forces him to end it, and that's when the elixir becomes a poison With a gun, only I'm gonna have to work on that last part.
No, it's a great story, but how do we prove that it was her that he was arguing with on the beach? Well, the first step is to determine whether she was at the party.
I'll check the E-vite.
And there she is Natalia Roosevelt In the "yes" column.
And, ooh, looking every bit the femme fatale.
Castle, she was a Hamptons town councilwoman and the owner of the Hamptons sand bar.
That is a popular local watering hole.
Can I buy you a drink? There she is Our lady in the white dress.
Only now she's looking dazzling in blood red.
So what's our play? Just keep it light, Castle.
Find a natural way of bringing up the murder.
See how she reacts.
I know just what to do.
Hey, I recognize you.
You were at Douglas Shapiro's party last night.
Ah, who wasn't? Right? But I saw you on the beach.
Weren't you arguing with Randall Franklin? Light, Castle.
I said light.
What are you implying? Nothing, no.
Only it must be weird for you.
You had to be the last person to see him alive.
Hey, uh, Chief.
Yeah, Natalia.
- Come here.
- Oops.
- Yeah.
- Do you know these guys? Because they are practically accusing me of murder.
Castle, what are you doing here? Uh, just having a conversation.
About Franklin's murder? Hey, you got a problem with the way I do my job? Uh now I would never use those words exactly.
Oh, well, how about these words? You and your hooker friend are under arrest for interfering with my murder investigation.
Turn around.
Ah.
Thanks for the drink.
Cheers.
I cannot believe I let you talk me into getting involved in another department's murder investigation.
Oh, like I needed to twist your arm.
And at least we know we were right about this guy.
I mean, does he look like he has a guilty conscience to you? He's sleeping like a little baby.
More like a baby chainsaw.
Castle, Beckett, Chief Brady wants to see you.
Chief.
Hey, thanks, Jones.
Hi, guys.
You want some coffee? It's fresh.
Yeah, thanks.
So I googled you, Ms.
Beckett.
I didn't realize you were a homicide detective.
I've never actually worked a homicide before.
Other than drug arrests, I deal mostly with folks complaining about their neighbor's dog pooping in their garden.
I've never even pulled my gun.
I'm sorry.
Uh, why are you telling us this? Because you were right about the meth addict.
The lab results came back negative for gunshot residue, which means that the killer is still at large.
Look I'm getting a lot of pressure from the mayor.
Rich weekender getting murdered, not exactly good for business.
Still not getting why you're telling us this.
Okay.
I will drop the interference charge if you help out with the investigation.
Sounds good to me.
Y excuse me for a second.
Sounds good? We just spent two hours of our vacation in lockup.
Isn't that enough? Well, do you really think we'll be able to relax without getting any answers Without getting justice? Fine.
As long as word doesn't get back to my precinct that I'm doing this.
Works for me.
So what do we do next? Did you get ballistics back? Oh, yes.
Uh Let's see.
Bullets pulled from the victim were 30 caliber.
pretty rare, aren't they? Yeah, that's usually used for hunting small game.
Can I see the M.
E.
'S report on Franklin's body? It has not come in yet.
Then I suggest you pressure the M.
E.
To get it back.
In the meantime, we should interrogate Natalia Roosevelt.
Oh, I already spoke to her.
She has no motive for killing Franklin.
And did you ask her about being his mistress? No.
She didn't mention that.
Yeah.
Suspects tend to hold back on stuff like that.
Mmm.
Flavor country.
I thought you arrested these guys, John.
Um, that's that's Chief Brady to you, Ms.
Roosevelt, and shouldn't you be more concerned about the fact that you lied to him about your affair with Randall Franklin? I didn't lie to him.
Chief Brady never asked me about it.
Didn't Randall break up with you on the beach last night? So what if he did? So that gives you motive, Ms.
Roosevelt.
Look I am not denying that I was fighting with Randall.
I accused him of Using me to get my council vote.
Your vote on what? His beloved helipad.
He put the thing in his backyard six months ago.
But he needed a variance.
We approved it last week.
Next thing you know, he dumps me.
Then he was shot and killed two hours later.
Two hours later, I was back at my bar.
Look, the last time I saw him was on that beach.
We were still arguing when he got a text and he suddenly ran off.
And what time was that? Which way did he go? Up the beach.
Okay, then.
Hey.
So I tracked down that text that Franklin got before leaving Ms.
Roosevelt on the beach.
Couldn't get the content, but it was sent from a burner phone.
Whoever sent it wished to remain anonymous.
Maybe it was about bad business deals.
That's what got him in trouble with his colleagues in the past.
The past does have a funny way of repeating itself.
Speaking of which, I have calls into my sources at robbery to try to link Beckett to her old beau Detective Demming.
Demming? Come on.
Beckett could do so much better.
Uh, thank you for the update.
I gotta go.
Why are you even helping them? Well, come on.
The good news is, they're completely fooled about us.
Yeah, well, I don't understand why they even care.
Ah, why do people care about Brangelina? Oh, so we're Brangelina now? No.
No, no.
We're Rickate.
No, we're Kate-ick.
Mm.
Cas-kett? - Ooh, that's good 'cause of the whole murder thing casket.
- Mm-hmm.
So Natalia Roosevelt has a solid alibi.
Three patrons of her bar confirmed she was there by 9 o'clock last night.
Long before Franklin was shot.
I got deputy Jones canvassing the houses along the beach in the direction she said Franklin went.
Just deputy Jones? It's the Hamptons.
We don't have a lot of resources.
Oh, by the way.
I know you wanted to see this.
It's the M.
E.
Report.
Uh, F-Franklin's lungs were full of saltwater.
Meaning he almost drowned.
That's strange.
And based on the condition of the gunshot wounds, he was in the ocean at least Okay, so In the ocean for 20 minutes, no one heard the shots being That's why no one heard the shots.
He was shot off a boat, "godfather" style.
And the saltwater slowed down his bleeding, giving him enough time to make it to shore.
So what, we should try and figure out which boats were in the vicinity at that time? Yeah.
So Do we have a witness who we know was on the beach last night? You mean someone like Our favorite meth addict McMurray?! Seriously? The guy was whacked out on meth.
Yeah, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't remember what he saw.
Yeah, I saw a boat About 100 yards off the beach.
Okay, great.
Can you describe it? Maybe it's size.
Nah.
All I remember is, it was being attacked.
Attacked? Yeah, by a shark.
A red shark with red eyes.
Okay, maybe you are right about him.
Maybe not.
Yeah, I know that boat.
It's just this way.
Owned by Aaron Lerner.
Aaron Lerner.
That's one of the guys Franklin sent to prison.
Do you know if that boat went out last night? Yeah, I saw it pull away around 9:30.
Yeah.
That's an hour after Franklin left Natalia Roosevelt on the beach.
That's plenty of time for him to get here.
If the boat left here by 9:30, it could've easily made it to the water off my house by 9:45.
Red shark.
Shark attack.
Oh, watch your step.
Ohh! Damneded weekend boater.
Castle blood spatter.
Franklin was shot right there.
Hey, Lerner.
Killer boat.
It's the lab report on the blood splatter we found on the deck, Mr.
Lerner.
It's a match to Randall Franklin.
Meaning he was shot on your boat.
No, that's not possible.
He wasn't even on it.
How did it get there? I have no idea.
We have a witness who saw your boat leaving the marina at 9:30 last night.
Where did you go? I didn't take it out last night.
Lerner, come on.
We know Randall Franklin was guilty of breaking all the same laws you broke, but he got off scot-free because he ratted you out.
It's understandable you'd want a little payback.
Wait.
All right.
Sure.
Yeah, I held a grudge.
Who wouldn't? But you know something? I met him on the beach a few months ago, and we buried the hatchet.
I've even had dinner at his house a couple times.
And exactly where were you Group.
W a weight-loss group at the rec.
What? Look, you want to catch the guy who actually killed him, check out his neighbor.
I'm sorry.
His neighbor? Oh, yeah.
This guy's a scary bastard.
I'm having dinner at Franklin's a week ago, right? Neighbor comes over, starts banging on the front door.
Franklin wouldn't tell me what it was about, but this guy was threatening him with all kinds of violence.
Okay, thanks.
Well Lerner's alibi checks out.
He was at the weight-loss group from 8:30 to 10:00 last night.
Meaning someone else took out his boat, killed Franklin, and then brought it back without Lerner learning.
I'll have Jones canvass the marina.
Meantime, do we know who this neighbor is? Yeah.
It's just a property dispute.
They're a dime a dozen around here.
Yeah, but the way that Lerner describes it, it sounded like it was something pretty heated.
Well, the neighbor's a bit of a hothead, but, um, I'm telling you, it is not a motive for murder.
Shouldn't we at least talk to this guy? Okay, look, it's not just any guy.
It's Vincent Cardano.
Vinnie "the scar" of the Cardano crime family? That would explain the "godfather" style of the boat shooting.
I'm friends with his cousin sal.
He's been trying to get us together for years.
And what better time than the present? We could bring him over and ask him what he did last night.
Whoa.
Okay.
No.
I am not going at Cardano without proof.
Look, I gotta run.
I gotta go reroute traffic for the bridgehamptons polo semifinals.
But remember we'll finish this later.
I call the shots.
No contacting Vinnie the scar.
I'm glad we could finally get together, Ricky.
Salud.
I'm sure that sal told you I'm a big fan of your work.
- So to new friends.
- Yes.
- Hear, hear.
Cheers.
Ah, sweetie.
This meat sauce is to die for.
Thank you, Vinnie.
Actually, it is excellent.
I didn't know you could cook.
You should pay a little more attention, Castle.
Ooh, see, that's the difference between Castle and me.
You've had my complete attention since I've been here, sweetheart.
Whoa, whoa.
Watch it, Vinnie.
Don't make me have to do to you what someone did your neighbor.
Oh, you heard about that, huh? Heard about it? The guy ended up in my pool.
Yeah.
Well, you know, I gotta admit, I'm not gonna shed any tears over that guy.
Oh, so you knew him, huh? Ah, the guy was a real bastard.
Uh, he builds a helicopter pad in his yard not 50 feet from my house.
Every Tuesday around midnight, he buzzes right past my bedroom.
The balls on that guy.
Yeah, so so I complain, but the town council, they approve it anyway.
I know for a fact that guy greased palms.
Oh-ho, I wanted to kill him.
I bet.
So where were you when you found out about it? I don't know.
What's it matter? Well, it's just, a guy you wanted killed ends up killed? How often does that happen? I don't know.
What are you saying, Castle? Hmm? You think I killed the guy? Well, n-no.
Vinnie, no.
We're just talking here.
No, sit down.
Have some more wine.
No, we're finished here.
And frankly, I am offended that you think I would do such a bush-league hit.
If I had whacked that guy, nobody'd ever find the body.
Don't make me wanna do a demonstration.
He makes a valid point.
Dead bodies, meth heads, and mobsters wow.
Is that what you mean by a romantic weekend? May I remind you that it was murder that brought us together in the first place? Oh.
Hello.
What did I tell you, Castle? I was crystal clear.
I said no contacting Cardano! What? Oh, that was just a friendly meal.
Actually, we have some linguine left if you'd like to come over.
You accused him of murder! And now he thinks I put you up to it.
On the bright side, we can rule him out as a suspect.
He was never a suspect in the first place.
Bottom line is, the killer's still out there.
No.
No, no, no.
The bottom line is that after what you just pulled, I will find him myself, without any more of your help.
Look, Chief and if I catch you guys anywhere near this case again, I swear I will out the two of you.
So I guess it's a "no" on the linguine.
No.
He, uh said he already ate.
Shall we? Oh.
Hey.
So I took a closer look at Randall Franklin's real estate investments.
The guy was buying up distressed properties in dying neighborhoods and turning 'em into condos.
Sounds like smart investments.
Yeah, but he wasn't renovating 'em.
He wasn't leasing 'em out, nothing.
So he was carrying the mortgage, but the buildings weren't throwing off any income? And his wife said that the real estate investments were keeping them flush.
It doesn't add up.
You're right.
Has to be something going on in those buildings.
Only one way to find out.
Ugh.
Franklin definitely didn't put any money into renovating this dump.
Place is deserted.
He's definitely not making any money here.
Yeah, so where's it coming from? I don't know.
Oh.
Really? You're checking your text messages right now? It's about Beckett, bro.
Ah! She's not with Demming.
Morales in robbery says that he's been dating a vice detective For the last four months.
Shh.
You hear that? Yeah.
I don't like this, bro.
No, me neither.
No way we're knocking on that door.
Okay.
Well, the building owner's dead, and the wife is down with us investigating, so NYPD! Up against the wall right now! Move! Move! Move! Move! Move it! Move it! Move it! Ah.
Ah.
Looks like Franklin found a way to monetize his investment after all making crank.
Yeah.
This is definitely a meth lab.
So Franklin was a meth kingpin, huh? Turns out, all of his properties housed meth labs, which makes sense for someone who Used to cook the books.
That's why he was killed.
It's a dangerous business.
Mm.
Well, it's all about New York now.
The boys can take it from here yeah.
And we can pick up right where we left off before this whole thing came to us.
Yeah, but why did it come to us? Uh the universe has a sense of humor, I suppose.
No, no, I mean, if this is about meth, then why wasn't he killed in New York? Maybe the killer likes the beach.
No, I think there's gotta be more to it, Castle.
I mean, they knew about Lerner's boat.
You know what? I'm sure the boys will figure it out.
And that requires an intimate knowledge about Franklin's life.
That's local knowledge.
Right, right, right.
Well, maybe the killer just did his homework.
Yeah, but why would they go to all of that trouble? I mean, if he was a kingpin in New York City, why would they kill him out here? Um Unless part of the drug business was out here.
That explains the helicopter.
He needed the helicopter to transfer the drugs out here.
And why he slept with Natalia and greased palms.
He needed approval to get the helipad.
Yes, much less risky to move your product in a helicopter rather than boat or car.
No cop is gonna pull you over.
You know, Chief Brady said that the drug problem has doubled over the past six months.
Exactly when Franklin started using his helicopter.
I'm sorry, Castle.
But I think you should probably Call Ryan and Esposito.
Yeah.
Looks like Castle was right.
His helicopter's flight plans coincide with when the shipments left the meth labs.
Huh.
They also coincide with the late-night landings that his neighbor was complaining about.
So now we know how Franklin was moving his product.
But it still doesn't tell us who killed him.
Well, maybe it does, but where are you going? To meet an FBI buddy of mine to see if Beckett's back with her old flame Sorenson.
Why? The flight manifest for Tuesday it includes a guest.
Someone else was with him.
All right, I'm on Sorenson.
You go get helicopter boy.
So I got a ride on Franklin's helicopter.
So what? That doesn't prove my client was trafficking drugs with him.
True.
These do.
Signed affidavits from the meth lab workers that you picked up product every Tuesday, Lerner.
You went from making bank to making crank.
I didn't kill Franklin.
A-and Chief Brady already confirmed my alibi in the Hamptons.
Well, maybe you hired someone to kill him.
See, I think you never got over your grudge against Franklin.
I think that you partnered with him, but you always planned to knock him off and take over the business.
Am I getting close? Yeah, yeah, you're close, but you just got the wrong guy.
What do you mean? Just last week, Franklin was complaining about a local.
A local drug dealer? Yes.
Seems he didn't appreciate us moving in on his business.
Who? Give me a name.
I don't know a name, but Franklin seemed really spooked.
What else did he tell you about him? That's all I know.
Everything else I told to Brady and his two consultants.
Two consultants? Yeah, yeah, the writer Castle and his girlfriend.
Girlfriend? Wh-wh-what do you mean, girlfriend? What does that matter? Hey! Hey! I'll ask the questions here, pal.
Are you telling me that Richard Castle brought his girlfriend in your interrogation? Yeah.
What was her name? I don't remember.
Well, then describe her.
Describe her, Lerner! Now! Okay! Tall, uh, uh, medium length hair.
What's this about? What color? G-give me a hair color.
Uh, uh, brown.
Brown.
Brown eyes, too, I think.
Really pretty.
Body type? Awesome.
I mean, awesome.
She was, like, thin, gorge she was hot.
She was really hot.
Kate! Name was Kate! Son of a You were right, Castle.
Franklin was using his helicopter to move meth to the Hamptons.
Looks like you blew this case wide open.
Guess you can get back to your writing now, huh? Well, there's still the matter of finding out who the killer is.
Yeah, well, I think Brady knows what he has to do.
I already told him to look for a local drug dealer who would've been feeling squeezed by Franklin's expanding operation.
Well, that's a great theory.
Nice work.
Oh, thanks, but, uh, it's not my theory.
Aaron Lerner gave it up when I interrogated him this morning.
Aaron Lerner? Aar uh So you interrogated Aaron Lerner, too? Yeah, he's back in the city.
Turns out he was Franklin's partner in crime.
Wow.
What do you know? Castle, not good.
I know.
Relax.
Relax? How can I relax? You still there, Castle? Yeah.
Still here.
Uh, what else did Aaron Lerner say? Did he say anything else about anything else? Oh, you know, the usual.
"I didn't do it, you got the wrong guy.
" I'm pretty sure he told me everything he knows.
Everything? Everything, huh? That's good.
Yeah.
Good luck with the writing.
Thanks.
Chief Brady.
What did I do now? Nothing.
Uh, I just wanted to let you know, I talked to detective Ryan.
Really? So what did he say? Well, he got us on to the idea of a local drug dealer.
So we talked to McMurray the meth addict from the beach and he coughed up the name of the local supplier of meth.
Marty Bentley.
- Oh.
- The marina operator? Yeah, but that makes sense.
I mean, he would know Aaron Lerner's schedule and when he could take the boat out.
Right.
So we got a warrant to search his apartment and found the burner cell phone that sent the text summoning Franklin to the marina.
Hmm.
Good.
Well, that's great.
Congrats.
Thanks.
Hey, I couldn't have done it without the two of you and your resources in New York.
Um I'd be honored if you came to the arrest.
No.
Well, how can we say no? Police! Down! Get down! Police! Police! So Chief Brady's first time pulling his gun.
Oh, Castle.
Maybe I should go in there.
You don't have a gun.
Yeah, but that never stops you.
Well, I'm lucky.
We got him.
Oh.
Cabin secured.
Nice one, Chief Brady.
- Thank you, detective.
- Yeah.
Just like out of one of your books, huh, Castle? Yeah.
Uh, marina owner with side meth business kills competition.
Call it "Hamptons heat," and if I ever write it, I'll be sure to include a gutsy Chief Brady character.
That's not mine.
Look, I'm telling you, I didn't do anything.
You got the wrong guy.
Chief, so far I found baggies of meth and an Automag III .
30 carbine.
Which shoots 30-caliber bullets just like the ones that we pulled out of our victim.
That's our murder weapon.
Well, I guess that seals it.
Good good work, deputy.
This is ridiculous.
I didn't kill anybody.
You got the wrong guy.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
This way.
Watch your step.
Officer, hold on a second there.
What is it, Castle? This knot.
Both of these knots.
That's a perfect figure eight with an underhand, neatly flemished.
Did you tie these, Bentley? Of course I did.
It's my boat.
What about it, Castle? Well, it's beautiful.
I mean, it's perfect.
That knot could be in a book of nautical knots.
What does that have to do with anything? Everyone agrees that the killer is the same person who stole Aaron Lerner's boat.
That person had to tie the boat to the dock, but that knot was sloppy.
I even tripped over it.
Whoever tied these figure eights is an experienced boatman.
Tying knots would be their second nature.
They'd be incapable of tying a sloppy knot.
Bentley can't be the killer.
But we found the burner phone that placed the call to Franklin in Bentley's apartment.
How do you explain that? Well, that's easy.
It was planted.
Just like Bentley's boat here had the meth and the gun, which I'm sure forensics will show is the actual murder weapon.
And just who do you think planted it? Well, you tell me.
Uh, Chief Brady, who got the information from McMurray on Bentley? Jones.
It was deputy Jones.
Okay, okay, get back! Everybody stay back! Take it easy, Jones.
We don't want anybody to get hurt.
You rich weekenders, you think you're so smart.
Meantime, you you pollute our beaches, you throw your money around like you're better than us.
I don't think I'm better than you.
Oh, shut up.
I didn't care about that.
But then Franklin's city money wasn't good enough for him.
He had to move in on my side business.
So I did what I had to do aah! Aah! Ohh.
Ah! Got it.
Nice! There's a "Hamptons Heat" twist I did not see coming.
Sorry about the whole "accusing you of murder" still buddies? Yeah.
So it turns out that Jones paid McMurray 500 bucks to point a finger at Bentley.
Wow.
$500 to ruin a man's life, huh? And not to sound all Scooby, but he might have gotten away with it if not for you, Castle.
Well, I'm always glad to help out my friends in law enforcement.
Speaking of which, I would like to make a toast.
Chief Brady, not everyone could've handled themselves the way you did on the dock today.
You're a good cop.
Chief Brady.
Here's to you.
Thank you, detective Beckett.
Yeah.
And you can rest assured, your secret is safe with me.
Oh.
Thank you.
Yeah, thank you.
I shot the bad guy.
You did.
Yeah, you did.
Nice.
Yeah.
Ohh.
Whew.
I should go.
- Oh, of course.
- Oh, no.
Find a new deputy.
I yeah, you do.
It was so great to meet you.
You too.
Yeah.
Bye.
Bye.
Let's go.
Please.
Well, the case in the Hamptons has been solved, but the case of the secret boyfriend remains open.
Turns out Beckett's FBI ex has been stationed in Europe for six months.
Huh.
What? You got anything? Nah.
No, I was just thinking, maybe we should drop it.
You know, let Beckett's private life stay private.
What, you mean give up? A real detective never gives up on a case, bro.
You know it's not a real case, right? You're gonna tell me what a real case is? Uh, last time I checked, it's when there was a murder.
Oh, there's been a murder all right.
Your spirit.
- Wow.
- Yeah.
Your dignity, too.
Huh.
Well, you know what? Just for that, the first round's on you.
Yeah, good luck with that.
Bruce.
Bruce.
You know what's funny? My cover was that I was coming out here to write, and I actually got an idea for a book.
Oh.
"Hamptons heat.
" So you're serious about that, huh? Well, I already have the story.
That's the hardest part.
So do you have an ending yet? Oh, well, I had some ideas, but, uh, I'm open to suggestions.
How about this? The weekend hadn't turned out exactly as detective heat had imagined, but now nothing Not even another murder on the beach could stop her from getting exactly what she desired Most.
Oh, that's good.
Can I get a writer's credit? - We'll talk.
- Okay.
Dad, it's your first romantic weekend away with Beckett.
It's a big deal.
Okay, well, no pressure, and let's just hope it happens.
catch a murder by 5:00, we are in the clear.
So what do you have planned? - I what do you mean? - You don't have a plan? - The plan is to do nothing, to relax.
- Richard that's not a plan.
Women don't like it when men don't have a plan.
Hey, I'm in college now.
I'm living in the world.
Plus, I read a lot of magazines.
Not planning is really bad.
Okay she's right.
A man says, "so what are we gonna do for dinner?" Pfft.
He's dead to me.
Okay.
I will make reservations.
Somewhere romantic.
Right.
And classy, because Kate Beckett is a classy kind of gal, you know? Right.
Under the stars would be nice.
Oh, and you know what else you can do under the stars Okay.
La LA LA LA LA LA LA T minus one minute and counting.
Castle, what are you doing here? You were supposed to wait around the corner so that nobody'd see us.
I know, but I thought it would be fun to be here with you when the clock strikes 5:00.
You know, just like new year's Eve, except without the kissing for obvious reasons.
But there will be plenty of that this weekend.
Can you just shush? No one is going to hear me.
Look around you.
You are in a room full of detectives And not one of them has a clue.
Wow, Castle.
Thank you for reminding me that I'm lying to a bunch of people that I really care about so I don't get fired on an ethics violation 'cause I'm dating you.
Well, you can put all that out of your mind in three Two one.
No murder.
There.
Wasn't that fun? Okay, fine.
I will go.
And no will even know I was Hey, Castle.
What you doing here, bro? I was just on my way to the Hamptons to write for the weekend, and and I thought I'd drop by, see if we caught a murder.
Wow.
Anything to avoid writing, huh? Exactly.
Hey, did you hear about Beckett's weekend? No.
Big plans? She's going away with her boyfriend.
A boyfriend? Beckett! Really? Who is the lucky guy? For some reason, she's not telling.
Okay, seriously, guys? Actually, I for one am offended that you're not sharing with us.
Mm-hmm.
After all we've been through.
Yeah, I think we deserve better.
You know, I have a couple of ideas about what you guys deserve.
Come on, Beckett.
Just give us something.
Is he handsome? Yeah, I-is he handsome? Or is he more of a badass? Yeah, is that it, Beckett? Is he, like, a bad boy? James Dean, huh? Is he a desperado? I'm gonna Let me holla at you.
Why would Beckett be holding out on us? Maybe there's something wrong with the guy.
Maybe he's bad news.
Well, then as her partners, it's our obligation to find out who this guy is.
And what kind of partners would we be if we didn't? Her safety could be at stake.
Exactly, and with no active murder case going on, I say we use this time to find him.
And here we are.
Oh, my goodness, Castle.
Wow.
So, um are you rich or something? Well, I'm not James Patterson rich, but I do okay.
- Come on.
I'll show you around.
- Yeah.
After I finished remodeling the kitchen, I swore I was done, but then my designer called.
She said I had to tie in the living room, so I did that, too.
That led to the second floor, and then the basement.
I had to stop taking her calls or I'd have another wing.
You coming? Yeah.
This is actually my favorite part.
The sound of the ocean, complete privacy oh, the serenity.
The pool is right down here.
Most people find it magical.
Everything okay? Yeah.
It's, um It's spectacular, Castle.
And is that a problem? It's just, I can't help wondering how many other girls have gotten this tour.
Right.
Well, I'm not gonna deny that I've brought other women up here.
But, um None of them were you.
You want to, um, go and check out that pool? Yeah? I'm sure you will find the temperature suitable Mm-hmm.
But if you would like it any warmer, I can change the temperature or I could just Stop talking.
You forgot your suit.
I know.
Oh! What? Somebody's coming.
What? Oh.
Call 9-1-1.
Ya think? Yeah, he came stumbling up from the beach, uh, just after 10:15.
Uh, collapsed into the pool.
I tried to revive him, but were you here as well, ma'am? Yeah.
Name, please.
Um, Katherine Beckett, but do you think we could keep that out of the public record? Of course.
Not that we're doing anything wrong.
I j right.
What's that supposed to mean? Don't worry.
It's the Hamptons.
We'll be discreet.
We're we're not interested in your arrangement.
- Arrangement? - Chief, Chief, uh, I'm I'm not I don't she's not a I'm not a prostitute.
Oh, I'm sure.
So is there anything you'd like to add to Mr.
Castle's statement, madam ma'am? Yes.
Only that we didn't hear any gunshots, so that probably means that the killer used a silencer.
Watch a lot of cop shows, do we? Y uh, do we know who the victim is yet? Uh, Randall Franklin.
He's a weekender, out here from Manhattan.
All we know is that he was at a party up the beach at Douglas Shapiro's house earlier this evening.
Hey, Chief! We got him.
Excuse me.
We got him.
Name's Casius McMurray.
Local meth user.
Found him asleep in the tall grass couple hundred yards to the east with the victim's wallet.
Guy's out of it, high as a kite.
That's unbelievable.
What's that? Meth.
These rich kids, they're into everything these days.
Drug arrests have doubled in the last six months.
Okay.
Well Thanks for your help.
Uh, what about blood spatter? Did you find any on the beach or on the suspect? No.
But w-why would I even look? K? I mean, we got the guy.
Yeah, I-I'm sure we will.
He had the victim's wallet.
Right.
Y-you know, he could've found that wallet on the beach.
Are you questioning my judgment, Mr.
Castle? I Think we got the guy.
Right.
Good night.
Good night.
All right.
Come on.
Let's go.
Move.
What kind of cold-blooded killer takes a nap on the beach after shooting someone? Castle, I'm on vacation.
If I wanted to investigate a murder, I would've stayed in the city.
The guy died in my backyard.
It's not our case.
Still, you have to admit, as cases go, it's pretty weak.
It's still not our case, and if you keep obsessing over this, it's gonna ruin the weekend.
So what do we do? Maybe we just try putting it out of our minds, hmm? Yeah, but what about the gun? They would've found the gun on him.
Castle, that's not putting it out of your mind.
You're right.
I'm sorry.
I'm obsessing.
Yeah.
I won't obsess.
Okay.
Except you said it yourself about not hearing the shots.
What kind of meth head who obviously doesn't know what planet he's on carries a gun with a silencer? Which, by the way, indicates premeditation.
We're not gonna get on with our weekend until you've gotten some answers, are we? I'll get the coffee.
All right, thank you, Dougie.
And I'm sorry I missed the party.
I heard it was killer.
Yeah, sorry.
Gotcha.
Okay, last time shapiro saw Franklin alive was at his party at 8:15.
That's two hours before he was killed.
Right.
He was on the beach having an argument with a woman in a white dress, but because it was already dark, shapiro couldn't tell who it was.
He knew it wasn't Franklin's wife, because she was still back in the city.
Any luck finding a reason why someone would want Franklin dead? As a matter of fact, he was a banker at Lehman Brothers And he was involved in an insider trading scandal before they went belly up.
He cut a deal for his freedom by testifying against his colleagues.
Rachel Rosenberg, Jeff Forshim, Emily Monroe, Angela Colabro, and Aaron Lerner.
Well, they all did time, but now that they're out, any one of 'em could have wanted revenge.
And three of them could've been our mystery woman.
We need to talk to Franklin's wife, find out if he had any enemies.
No.
We just got here.
I am not going back to the city.
Well, fortunately, we don't have to.
I know just who to call.
Beckett's boyfriend? Don't you two have something better to do? Actually, no.
We figure Beckett must have started up with the guy during her suspension.
Pretty emotional time for her.
I bet she needed a shoulder to lean on.
An ex.
It would explain why she's too embarrassed to tell us who it is.
It makes her look weak.
We're thinking the most likely scenario is that it was the last guy that she was with.
Dr.
Joshua Davidson.
Mm-hmm.
It's him, isn't it? Okay, I get that you don't have a life, Javi, but you're married, Kevin, so what's your excuse? I whoever Beckett's boyfriend is is none of your business.
Come on, Lanie.
You must know who it is.
She went back to Josh, didn't she? Is this how you interrogate people? 'Cause you ain't doing nothing but pissing me off.
Now I don't know who it is, and I respect Beckett's privacy, but I do know it's not Josh because he's been in the Amazon setting up free clinics for the last year.
Are you sure about that? I think she's sure.
Yeah.
Hey, Castle.
Yeah, I'm gonna put you on speakerphone so you can weigh in on this.
Weigh in on what? Well, we're in the morgue with Lanie trying to figure out who Beckett's boyfriend is.
I have nothing to do with this nonsense.
Yeah, until you're bagging their mangled bodies when Beckett finds out.
Pfft.
Like we're afraid of Beckett.
Besides, how's she gonna find out? Anyway, I need your guys' help.
There has been a homicide out here in the Hamptons in my backyard.
Seriously, Castle? What, are you in in an episode of "murder, she wrote"? More like "murder, he wrote," but unfortunately, unlike Jessica Fletcher, the local police Chief not a friend of mine, and I think he may have the wrong guy, so I need you guys to question the victim's wife in the city, find out what she knows.
Mm.
That's a pretty big favor to ask, Castle.
We're gonna need something in return.
- The Ferrari.
- For a weak.
- Each.
Seriously? Guys.
Mm.
Guys.
I don't understand.
They already caught the guy, didn't they? I'm told he was some kind of drug addict.
Well, with all due respect to the Hamptons P.
D.
, we would like to make absolutely sure.
We know your husband testified against several colleagues at Lehman.
Has he been in contact with any of 'em? Why are you asking? Maybe one of them came after him for revenge.
No.
He left banking after the crash and never looked back.
Got into commercial real estate.
That's how we managed to stay afloat.
Mrs.
Franklin, your husband was seen arguing with a woman on a beach a couple of hours before he was killed.
Do you have any idea who it could have been? No.
But if I were to guess, I'd say it was his girlfriend.
Girlfriend? He was having an affair? With a Natalia Roosevelt.
She's a local.
The wife got wind of it, sent him up here to break it off.
It's probably your typical tawdry Hamptons story.
Weekender meets local beauty, the elixir to his stressful city life.
Whirlwind romance ensues But then the wife gets wind of it, forces him to end it, and that's when the elixir becomes a poison With a gun, only I'm gonna have to work on that last part.
No, it's a great story, but how do we prove that it was her that he was arguing with on the beach? Well, the first step is to determine whether she was at the party.
I'll check the E-vite.
And there she is Natalia Roosevelt In the "yes" column.
And, ooh, looking every bit the femme fatale.
Castle, she was a Hamptons town councilwoman and the owner of the Hamptons sand bar.
That is a popular local watering hole.
Can I buy you a drink? There she is Our lady in the white dress.
Only now she's looking dazzling in blood red.
So what's our play? Just keep it light, Castle.
Find a natural way of bringing up the murder.
See how she reacts.
I know just what to do.
Hey, I recognize you.
You were at Douglas Shapiro's party last night.
Ah, who wasn't? Right? But I saw you on the beach.
Weren't you arguing with Randall Franklin? Light, Castle.
I said light.
What are you implying? Nothing, no.
Only it must be weird for you.
You had to be the last person to see him alive.
Hey, uh, Chief.
Yeah, Natalia.
- Come here.
- Oops.
- Yeah.
- Do you know these guys? Because they are practically accusing me of murder.
Castle, what are you doing here? Uh, just having a conversation.
About Franklin's murder? Hey, you got a problem with the way I do my job? Uh now I would never use those words exactly.
Oh, well, how about these words? You and your hooker friend are under arrest for interfering with my murder investigation.
Turn around.
Ah.
Thanks for the drink.
Cheers.
I cannot believe I let you talk me into getting involved in another department's murder investigation.
Oh, like I needed to twist your arm.
And at least we know we were right about this guy.
I mean, does he look like he has a guilty conscience to you? He's sleeping like a little baby.
More like a baby chainsaw.
Castle, Beckett, Chief Brady wants to see you.
Chief.
Hey, thanks, Jones.
Hi, guys.
You want some coffee? It's fresh.
Yeah, thanks.
So I googled you, Ms.
Beckett.
I didn't realize you were a homicide detective.
I've never actually worked a homicide before.
Other than drug arrests, I deal mostly with folks complaining about their neighbor's dog pooping in their garden.
I've never even pulled my gun.
I'm sorry.
Uh, why are you telling us this? Because you were right about the meth addict.
The lab results came back negative for gunshot residue, which means that the killer is still at large.
Look I'm getting a lot of pressure from the mayor.
Rich weekender getting murdered, not exactly good for business.
Still not getting why you're telling us this.
Okay.
I will drop the interference charge if you help out with the investigation.
Sounds good to me.
Y excuse me for a second.
Sounds good? We just spent two hours of our vacation in lockup.
Isn't that enough? Well, do you really think we'll be able to relax without getting any answers Without getting justice? Fine.
As long as word doesn't get back to my precinct that I'm doing this.
Works for me.
So what do we do next? Did you get ballistics back? Oh, yes.
Uh Let's see.
Bullets pulled from the victim were 30 caliber.
pretty rare, aren't they? Yeah, that's usually used for hunting small game.
Can I see the M.
E.
'S report on Franklin's body? It has not come in yet.
Then I suggest you pressure the M.
E.
To get it back.
In the meantime, we should interrogate Natalia Roosevelt.
Oh, I already spoke to her.
She has no motive for killing Franklin.
And did you ask her about being his mistress? No.
She didn't mention that.
Yeah.
Suspects tend to hold back on stuff like that.
Mmm.
Flavor country.
I thought you arrested these guys, John.
Um, that's that's Chief Brady to you, Ms.
Roosevelt, and shouldn't you be more concerned about the fact that you lied to him about your affair with Randall Franklin? I didn't lie to him.
Chief Brady never asked me about it.
Didn't Randall break up with you on the beach last night? So what if he did? So that gives you motive, Ms.
Roosevelt.
Look I am not denying that I was fighting with Randall.
I accused him of Using me to get my council vote.
Your vote on what? His beloved helipad.
He put the thing in his backyard six months ago.
But he needed a variance.
We approved it last week.
Next thing you know, he dumps me.
Then he was shot and killed two hours later.
Two hours later, I was back at my bar.
Look, the last time I saw him was on that beach.
We were still arguing when he got a text and he suddenly ran off.
And what time was that? Which way did he go? Up the beach.
Okay, then.
Hey.
So I tracked down that text that Franklin got before leaving Ms.
Roosevelt on the beach.
Couldn't get the content, but it was sent from a burner phone.
Whoever sent it wished to remain anonymous.
Maybe it was about bad business deals.
That's what got him in trouble with his colleagues in the past.
The past does have a funny way of repeating itself.
Speaking of which, I have calls into my sources at robbery to try to link Beckett to her old beau Detective Demming.
Demming? Come on.
Beckett could do so much better.
Uh, thank you for the update.
I gotta go.
Why are you even helping them? Well, come on.
The good news is, they're completely fooled about us.
Yeah, well, I don't understand why they even care.
Ah, why do people care about Brangelina? Oh, so we're Brangelina now? No.
No, no.
We're Rickate.
No, we're Kate-ick.
Mm.
Cas-kett? - Ooh, that's good 'cause of the whole murder thing casket.
- Mm-hmm.
So Natalia Roosevelt has a solid alibi.
Three patrons of her bar confirmed she was there by 9 o'clock last night.
Long before Franklin was shot.
I got deputy Jones canvassing the houses along the beach in the direction she said Franklin went.
Just deputy Jones? It's the Hamptons.
We don't have a lot of resources.
Oh, by the way.
I know you wanted to see this.
It's the M.
E.
Report.
Uh, F-Franklin's lungs were full of saltwater.
Meaning he almost drowned.
That's strange.
And based on the condition of the gunshot wounds, he was in the ocean at least Okay, so In the ocean for 20 minutes, no one heard the shots being That's why no one heard the shots.
He was shot off a boat, "godfather" style.
And the saltwater slowed down his bleeding, giving him enough time to make it to shore.
So what, we should try and figure out which boats were in the vicinity at that time? Yeah.
So Do we have a witness who we know was on the beach last night? You mean someone like Our favorite meth addict McMurray?! Seriously? The guy was whacked out on meth.
Yeah, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't remember what he saw.
Yeah, I saw a boat About 100 yards off the beach.
Okay, great.
Can you describe it? Maybe it's size.
Nah.
All I remember is, it was being attacked.
Attacked? Yeah, by a shark.
A red shark with red eyes.
Okay, maybe you are right about him.
Maybe not.
Yeah, I know that boat.
It's just this way.
Owned by Aaron Lerner.
Aaron Lerner.
That's one of the guys Franklin sent to prison.
Do you know if that boat went out last night? Yeah, I saw it pull away around 9:30.
Yeah.
That's an hour after Franklin left Natalia Roosevelt on the beach.
That's plenty of time for him to get here.
If the boat left here by 9:30, it could've easily made it to the water off my house by 9:45.
Red shark.
Shark attack.
Oh, watch your step.
Ohh! Damneded weekend boater.
Castle blood spatter.
Franklin was shot right there.
Hey, Lerner.
Killer boat.
It's the lab report on the blood splatter we found on the deck, Mr.
Lerner.
It's a match to Randall Franklin.
Meaning he was shot on your boat.
No, that's not possible.
He wasn't even on it.
How did it get there? I have no idea.
We have a witness who saw your boat leaving the marina at 9:30 last night.
Where did you go? I didn't take it out last night.
Lerner, come on.
We know Randall Franklin was guilty of breaking all the same laws you broke, but he got off scot-free because he ratted you out.
It's understandable you'd want a little payback.
Wait.
All right.
Sure.
Yeah, I held a grudge.
Who wouldn't? But you know something? I met him on the beach a few months ago, and we buried the hatchet.
I've even had dinner at his house a couple times.
And exactly where were you Group.
W a weight-loss group at the rec.
What? Look, you want to catch the guy who actually killed him, check out his neighbor.
I'm sorry.
His neighbor? Oh, yeah.
This guy's a scary bastard.
I'm having dinner at Franklin's a week ago, right? Neighbor comes over, starts banging on the front door.
Franklin wouldn't tell me what it was about, but this guy was threatening him with all kinds of violence.
Okay, thanks.
Well Lerner's alibi checks out.
He was at the weight-loss group from 8:30 to 10:00 last night.
Meaning someone else took out his boat, killed Franklin, and then brought it back without Lerner learning.
I'll have Jones canvass the marina.
Meantime, do we know who this neighbor is? Yeah.
It's just a property dispute.
They're a dime a dozen around here.
Yeah, but the way that Lerner describes it, it sounded like it was something pretty heated.
Well, the neighbor's a bit of a hothead, but, um, I'm telling you, it is not a motive for murder.
Shouldn't we at least talk to this guy? Okay, look, it's not just any guy.
It's Vincent Cardano.
Vinnie "the scar" of the Cardano crime family? That would explain the "godfather" style of the boat shooting.
I'm friends with his cousin sal.
He's been trying to get us together for years.
And what better time than the present? We could bring him over and ask him what he did last night.
Whoa.
Okay.
No.
I am not going at Cardano without proof.
Look, I gotta run.
I gotta go reroute traffic for the bridgehamptons polo semifinals.
But remember we'll finish this later.
I call the shots.
No contacting Vinnie the scar.
I'm glad we could finally get together, Ricky.
Salud.
I'm sure that sal told you I'm a big fan of your work.
- So to new friends.
- Yes.
- Hear, hear.
Cheers.
Ah, sweetie.
This meat sauce is to die for.
Thank you, Vinnie.
Actually, it is excellent.
I didn't know you could cook.
You should pay a little more attention, Castle.
Ooh, see, that's the difference between Castle and me.
You've had my complete attention since I've been here, sweetheart.
Whoa, whoa.
Watch it, Vinnie.
Don't make me have to do to you what someone did your neighbor.
Oh, you heard about that, huh? Heard about it? The guy ended up in my pool.
Yeah.
Well, you know, I gotta admit, I'm not gonna shed any tears over that guy.
Oh, so you knew him, huh? Ah, the guy was a real bastard.
Uh, he builds a helicopter pad in his yard not 50 feet from my house.
Every Tuesday around midnight, he buzzes right past my bedroom.
The balls on that guy.
Yeah, so so I complain, but the town council, they approve it anyway.
I know for a fact that guy greased palms.
Oh-ho, I wanted to kill him.
I bet.
So where were you when you found out about it? I don't know.
What's it matter? Well, it's just, a guy you wanted killed ends up killed? How often does that happen? I don't know.
What are you saying, Castle? Hmm? You think I killed the guy? Well, n-no.
Vinnie, no.
We're just talking here.
No, sit down.
Have some more wine.
No, we're finished here.
And frankly, I am offended that you think I would do such a bush-league hit.
If I had whacked that guy, nobody'd ever find the body.
Don't make me wanna do a demonstration.
He makes a valid point.
Dead bodies, meth heads, and mobsters wow.
Is that what you mean by a romantic weekend? May I remind you that it was murder that brought us together in the first place? Oh.
Hello.
What did I tell you, Castle? I was crystal clear.
I said no contacting Cardano! What? Oh, that was just a friendly meal.
Actually, we have some linguine left if you'd like to come over.
You accused him of murder! And now he thinks I put you up to it.
On the bright side, we can rule him out as a suspect.
He was never a suspect in the first place.
Bottom line is, the killer's still out there.
No.
No, no, no.
The bottom line is that after what you just pulled, I will find him myself, without any more of your help.
Look, Chief and if I catch you guys anywhere near this case again, I swear I will out the two of you.
So I guess it's a "no" on the linguine.
No.
He, uh said he already ate.
Shall we? Oh.
Hey.
So I took a closer look at Randall Franklin's real estate investments.
The guy was buying up distressed properties in dying neighborhoods and turning 'em into condos.
Sounds like smart investments.
Yeah, but he wasn't renovating 'em.
He wasn't leasing 'em out, nothing.
So he was carrying the mortgage, but the buildings weren't throwing off any income? And his wife said that the real estate investments were keeping them flush.
It doesn't add up.
You're right.
Has to be something going on in those buildings.
Only one way to find out.
Ugh.
Franklin definitely didn't put any money into renovating this dump.
Place is deserted.
He's definitely not making any money here.
Yeah, so where's it coming from? I don't know.
Oh.
Really? You're checking your text messages right now? It's about Beckett, bro.
Ah! She's not with Demming.
Morales in robbery says that he's been dating a vice detective For the last four months.
Shh.
You hear that? Yeah.
I don't like this, bro.
No, me neither.
No way we're knocking on that door.
Okay.
Well, the building owner's dead, and the wife is down with us investigating, so NYPD! Up against the wall right now! Move! Move! Move! Move! Move it! Move it! Move it! Ah.
Ah.
Looks like Franklin found a way to monetize his investment after all making crank.
Yeah.
This is definitely a meth lab.
So Franklin was a meth kingpin, huh? Turns out, all of his properties housed meth labs, which makes sense for someone who Used to cook the books.
That's why he was killed.
It's a dangerous business.
Mm.
Well, it's all about New York now.
The boys can take it from here yeah.
And we can pick up right where we left off before this whole thing came to us.
Yeah, but why did it come to us? Uh the universe has a sense of humor, I suppose.
No, no, I mean, if this is about meth, then why wasn't he killed in New York? Maybe the killer likes the beach.
No, I think there's gotta be more to it, Castle.
I mean, they knew about Lerner's boat.
You know what? I'm sure the boys will figure it out.
And that requires an intimate knowledge about Franklin's life.
That's local knowledge.
Right, right, right.
Well, maybe the killer just did his homework.
Yeah, but why would they go to all of that trouble? I mean, if he was a kingpin in New York City, why would they kill him out here? Um Unless part of the drug business was out here.
That explains the helicopter.
He needed the helicopter to transfer the drugs out here.
And why he slept with Natalia and greased palms.
He needed approval to get the helipad.
Yes, much less risky to move your product in a helicopter rather than boat or car.
No cop is gonna pull you over.
You know, Chief Brady said that the drug problem has doubled over the past six months.
Exactly when Franklin started using his helicopter.
I'm sorry, Castle.
But I think you should probably Call Ryan and Esposito.
Yeah.
Looks like Castle was right.
His helicopter's flight plans coincide with when the shipments left the meth labs.
Huh.
They also coincide with the late-night landings that his neighbor was complaining about.
So now we know how Franklin was moving his product.
But it still doesn't tell us who killed him.
Well, maybe it does, but where are you going? To meet an FBI buddy of mine to see if Beckett's back with her old flame Sorenson.
Why? The flight manifest for Tuesday it includes a guest.
Someone else was with him.
All right, I'm on Sorenson.
You go get helicopter boy.
So I got a ride on Franklin's helicopter.
So what? That doesn't prove my client was trafficking drugs with him.
True.
These do.
Signed affidavits from the meth lab workers that you picked up product every Tuesday, Lerner.
You went from making bank to making crank.
I didn't kill Franklin.
A-and Chief Brady already confirmed my alibi in the Hamptons.
Well, maybe you hired someone to kill him.
See, I think you never got over your grudge against Franklin.
I think that you partnered with him, but you always planned to knock him off and take over the business.
Am I getting close? Yeah, yeah, you're close, but you just got the wrong guy.
What do you mean? Just last week, Franklin was complaining about a local.
A local drug dealer? Yes.
Seems he didn't appreciate us moving in on his business.
Who? Give me a name.
I don't know a name, but Franklin seemed really spooked.
What else did he tell you about him? That's all I know.
Everything else I told to Brady and his two consultants.
Two consultants? Yeah, yeah, the writer Castle and his girlfriend.
Girlfriend? Wh-wh-what do you mean, girlfriend? What does that matter? Hey! Hey! I'll ask the questions here, pal.
Are you telling me that Richard Castle brought his girlfriend in your interrogation? Yeah.
What was her name? I don't remember.
Well, then describe her.
Describe her, Lerner! Now! Okay! Tall, uh, uh, medium length hair.
What's this about? What color? G-give me a hair color.
Uh, uh, brown.
Brown.
Brown eyes, too, I think.
Really pretty.
Body type? Awesome.
I mean, awesome.
She was, like, thin, gorge she was hot.
She was really hot.
Kate! Name was Kate! Son of a You were right, Castle.
Franklin was using his helicopter to move meth to the Hamptons.
Looks like you blew this case wide open.
Guess you can get back to your writing now, huh? Well, there's still the matter of finding out who the killer is.
Yeah, well, I think Brady knows what he has to do.
I already told him to look for a local drug dealer who would've been feeling squeezed by Franklin's expanding operation.
Well, that's a great theory.
Nice work.
Oh, thanks, but, uh, it's not my theory.
Aaron Lerner gave it up when I interrogated him this morning.
Aaron Lerner? Aar uh So you interrogated Aaron Lerner, too? Yeah, he's back in the city.
Turns out he was Franklin's partner in crime.
Wow.
What do you know? Castle, not good.
I know.
Relax.
Relax? How can I relax? You still there, Castle? Yeah.
Still here.
Uh, what else did Aaron Lerner say? Did he say anything else about anything else? Oh, you know, the usual.
"I didn't do it, you got the wrong guy.
" I'm pretty sure he told me everything he knows.
Everything? Everything, huh? That's good.
Yeah.
Good luck with the writing.
Thanks.
Chief Brady.
What did I do now? Nothing.
Uh, I just wanted to let you know, I talked to detective Ryan.
Really? So what did he say? Well, he got us on to the idea of a local drug dealer.
So we talked to McMurray the meth addict from the beach and he coughed up the name of the local supplier of meth.
Marty Bentley.
- Oh.
- The marina operator? Yeah, but that makes sense.
I mean, he would know Aaron Lerner's schedule and when he could take the boat out.
Right.
So we got a warrant to search his apartment and found the burner cell phone that sent the text summoning Franklin to the marina.
Hmm.
Good.
Well, that's great.
Congrats.
Thanks.
Hey, I couldn't have done it without the two of you and your resources in New York.
Um I'd be honored if you came to the arrest.
No.
Well, how can we say no? Police! Down! Get down! Police! Police! So Chief Brady's first time pulling his gun.
Oh, Castle.
Maybe I should go in there.
You don't have a gun.
Yeah, but that never stops you.
Well, I'm lucky.
We got him.
Oh.
Cabin secured.
Nice one, Chief Brady.
- Thank you, detective.
- Yeah.
Just like out of one of your books, huh, Castle? Yeah.
Uh, marina owner with side meth business kills competition.
Call it "Hamptons heat," and if I ever write it, I'll be sure to include a gutsy Chief Brady character.
That's not mine.
Look, I'm telling you, I didn't do anything.
You got the wrong guy.
Chief, so far I found baggies of meth and an Automag III .
30 carbine.
Which shoots 30-caliber bullets just like the ones that we pulled out of our victim.
That's our murder weapon.
Well, I guess that seals it.
Good good work, deputy.
This is ridiculous.
I didn't kill anybody.
You got the wrong guy.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
This way.
Watch your step.
Officer, hold on a second there.
What is it, Castle? This knot.
Both of these knots.
That's a perfect figure eight with an underhand, neatly flemished.
Did you tie these, Bentley? Of course I did.
It's my boat.
What about it, Castle? Well, it's beautiful.
I mean, it's perfect.
That knot could be in a book of nautical knots.
What does that have to do with anything? Everyone agrees that the killer is the same person who stole Aaron Lerner's boat.
That person had to tie the boat to the dock, but that knot was sloppy.
I even tripped over it.
Whoever tied these figure eights is an experienced boatman.
Tying knots would be their second nature.
They'd be incapable of tying a sloppy knot.
Bentley can't be the killer.
But we found the burner phone that placed the call to Franklin in Bentley's apartment.
How do you explain that? Well, that's easy.
It was planted.
Just like Bentley's boat here had the meth and the gun, which I'm sure forensics will show is the actual murder weapon.
And just who do you think planted it? Well, you tell me.
Uh, Chief Brady, who got the information from McMurray on Bentley? Jones.
It was deputy Jones.
Okay, okay, get back! Everybody stay back! Take it easy, Jones.
We don't want anybody to get hurt.
You rich weekenders, you think you're so smart.
Meantime, you you pollute our beaches, you throw your money around like you're better than us.
I don't think I'm better than you.
Oh, shut up.
I didn't care about that.
But then Franklin's city money wasn't good enough for him.
He had to move in on my side business.
So I did what I had to do aah! Aah! Ohh.
Ah! Got it.
Nice! There's a "Hamptons Heat" twist I did not see coming.
Sorry about the whole "accusing you of murder" still buddies? Yeah.
So it turns out that Jones paid McMurray 500 bucks to point a finger at Bentley.
Wow.
$500 to ruin a man's life, huh? And not to sound all Scooby, but he might have gotten away with it if not for you, Castle.
Well, I'm always glad to help out my friends in law enforcement.
Speaking of which, I would like to make a toast.
Chief Brady, not everyone could've handled themselves the way you did on the dock today.
You're a good cop.
Chief Brady.
Here's to you.
Thank you, detective Beckett.
Yeah.
And you can rest assured, your secret is safe with me.
Oh.
Thank you.
Yeah, thank you.
I shot the bad guy.
You did.
Yeah, you did.
Nice.
Yeah.
Ohh.
Whew.
I should go.
- Oh, of course.
- Oh, no.
Find a new deputy.
I yeah, you do.
It was so great to meet you.
You too.
Yeah.
Bye.
Bye.
Let's go.
Please.
Well, the case in the Hamptons has been solved, but the case of the secret boyfriend remains open.
Turns out Beckett's FBI ex has been stationed in Europe for six months.
Huh.
What? You got anything? Nah.
No, I was just thinking, maybe we should drop it.
You know, let Beckett's private life stay private.
What, you mean give up? A real detective never gives up on a case, bro.
You know it's not a real case, right? You're gonna tell me what a real case is? Uh, last time I checked, it's when there was a murder.
Oh, there's been a murder all right.
Your spirit.
- Wow.
- Yeah.
Your dignity, too.
Huh.
Well, you know what? Just for that, the first round's on you.
Yeah, good luck with that.
Bruce.
Bruce.
You know what's funny? My cover was that I was coming out here to write, and I actually got an idea for a book.
Oh.
"Hamptons heat.
" So you're serious about that, huh? Well, I already have the story.
That's the hardest part.
So do you have an ending yet? Oh, well, I had some ideas, but, uh, I'm open to suggestions.
How about this? The weekend hadn't turned out exactly as detective heat had imagined, but now nothing Not even another murder on the beach could stop her from getting exactly what she desired Most.
Oh, that's good.
Can I get a writer's credit? - We'll talk.
- Okay.