Esposito smugly shared the latest gossip he'd picked up from Lanie with his partner: "I heard from Lanie that apparently, Castle used... and then... eventually, Beckett just couldn't resist Castle's sweet talk and completely fell for him..."
Just as Esposito was relaying this juicy tidbit, Beckett stepped out of the captain's office, looking for the two of them to assign some tasks. Hearing their chatter behind her back, Beckett, already in a foul mood, quietly walked up behind the two men who were enthusiastically gossiping, and in a chilling tone, said, "Esposito, your intel is very detailed. How about I transfer you to the intelligence unit?"
Startled by Beckett's sudden appearance, both men jumped up from their chairs, awkwardly facing their boss, who was now glaring at them with a frosty expression. After giving them a good scolding with her eyes, Beckett coldly ordered, "Follow me. I have something for you two to handle."
The two, realizing they'd been caught red-handed gossiping about their boss's love life, exchanged helpless glances and reluctantly followed Beckett into the captain's office.
They entered, bracing themselves for a reprimand, thinking for sure they were in trouble for talking about Beckett's private life behind her back. But to their surprise, after they closed the door on Beckett's instruction, she adopted a serious expression and revealed the true reason she had called them in.
"Gentlemen, what I'm about to tell you is highly confidential. You must promise that no one else will hear a word of this."
Esposito and Kevin exchanged a glance. Their instincts as seasoned detectives told them that whatever Beckett was about to reveal would be incredibly significant. They spoke in unison: "No problem. Just tell us what you need, and we'll get it done!"
Beckett gestured for them to sit down and began explaining the real purpose behind their recent operations targeting Johnny Wong and later Nick Kunan: "In truth, when I led you to arrest Johnny Wong, who was smuggling drugs from Hong Kong to New York, and then Nick Kunan, it wasn't just about the drug trafficking. There's a deeper motive at play, and the ultimate target is none other than New York State Senator William Bracken, who is currently making headlines and preparing to run for president."
Both Esposito and Kevin were left speechless. They had no idea that what they had previously dismissed as a meddlesome investigation into a drug case actually had such terrifying implications.
Seeing her two subordinates caught off guard, Beckett didn't hold back. She explained her long-standing vendetta against Senator William Bracken, detailing the history between them. After all, Beckett was about to formally initiate an investigation into the powerful senator. As the newly appointed captain, she couldn't be directly involved in every aspect like she had been as the head of the Homicide Squad. Instead, she would have to oversee operations from the precinct, much like Captain Montgomery had done before her. Therefore, Esposito and Kevin would be the ones leading the investigation. If she didn't explain the situation clearly, they might be reluctant to go after such a powerful figure.
Beckett then retrieved the case files from her office safe, including the details of her mother's murder ten years ago, as well as the other three related victims. She handed the documents to Esposito and Kevin, allowing them to read through everything. Meanwhile, she explained why she had focused her investigation on Senator William Bracken.
After reviewing the files, Esposito and Kevin finally understood that Castle had been secretly assisting Beckett with this case all along. It was also because of Castle's help that Beckett was able to quickly identify Nick Kunan as the hitman who killed her mother and connect him to his mastermind—none other than New York State Senator William Bracken.
Esposito, still puzzled, asked, "According to your and Castle's investigation, there's an unknown number of police officers involved in this organization led by Senator Bracken. Your mother was killed because she uncovered information on these corrupt cops. Doesn't that mean some of them might have risen to high positions within the department? How can we keep this investigation secret from them?"
Beckett chuckled, "You forget that when we arrested Nick Kunan, we didn't ask him anything about the case from ten years ago. We only charged him with drug smuggling from Hong Kong to New York. I can assure you, that arrest didn't raise any red flags. In fact, it probably confused him even more. So, our upcoming secret investigation won't face any direct interference.
But this also means that we must maintain absolute secrecy as we move forward."
Understanding the gravity of the situation, Esposito and Kevin sat up straight and replied with determination: "Yes, we will keep it confidential."
Beckett allowed them to relax a bit before revealing Castle's cover story. "Castle is currently undercover, investigating this case for us. Once he gathers the necessary evidence against William Bracken, we'll initiate a formal investigation. So, in the next few days, stay on high alert, got it?"
Kevin chimed in with a question, "But didn't William Bracken just announce his run for president? Are we really going to investigate him?"
Beckett dismissed Kevin's concern without hesitation: "So what if he's running for president? Does that erase his past crimes? Besides, the funds for his campaign are dirty money from drug trafficking. Would you want someone like that as president?
And if we succeed in taking him down, not only will we avenge my mother, but the 12th Precinct will also make a name for itself. Remember, even though he's running for president, he has rivals. While we might face some obstacles, we'll also get support from his opponents. And let's not forget, this guy has plenty of skeletons in his closet just waiting to be exposed!"
Esposito and Kevin's eyes lit up with excitement. Taking down a presidential candidate would be the highlight of their careers. They were all in.
After emphasizing the importance of confidentiality one more time, Beckett dismissed the two from her office. Feeling uneasy, she decided to call Castle.
At that moment, Castle, along with Mozzie and Gianna, was begrudgingly inventorying the items they had retrieved from the submarine Vincent had painstakingly salvaged from the sea. Receiving Beckett's call was a relief for Castle—it gave him an excuse to escape the basement, where Mozzie had been constantly mocking his lack of artistic knowledge.
Beckett kept the conversation brief, inquiring about the progress of Castle's investigation. Confident after obtaining solid evidence from Montgomery's safe, Castle assured her he would quickly gather and organize the evidence against William Bracken and his corrupt cops, promising to deliver it to her as soon as possible. However, he mentioned that he was currently tied up with another valuable lead.
Beckett didn't suspect Castle's deception, truly believing he was on the trail of an important clue. She had no idea he was lying and that he'd actually spent the previous night playing thief. After reminding Castle to stay safe and to take his time if needed to avoid alerting the targets, Beckett hung up and turned her attention back to the pile of documents on her desk. Only now did she realize how challenging it was to run a precinct. It was nothing like her previous role as head of Homicide.
Back then, all she had to do was investigate cases. Now, she had to oversee every aspect of the precinct's operations, from coordinating different departments to directing investigations—tasks she had never dealt with before. Fortunately, Captain Montgomery had trained her for a while before his departure, and she was already familiar with the precinct, so she wasn't completely overwhelmed. However, she knew she wouldn't have many chances to hit the front lines like she used to.
After hanging up with Beckett, Castle had no intention of returning to the basement to endure Mozzie's jabs. Instead, he wandered into the main house's parlor, where John was quietly sipping tea alone...
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