Of course, Beckett and the others had no choice but to take this approach. After all, relying solely on the small resources of the 12th Precinct of the NYPD was simply not enough to counterbalance the power that Senator William Bracken wielded. Trying to go after him with just that would likely alert him and cause him to slip away. Let's not forget, William Bracken is a New York State Senator. While he might seem weak and helpless when up against the independent New York District Attorney's office or, even more so, the Department of Justice, in New York, he's a force to be reckoned with. Compared to him, Beckett is truly the underdog.
Moreover, if Beckett were to use only police resources to investigate this guy, it's unclear where the NYPD would stand. There are still four officers within the New York police force who are working for William Bracken. So, the best solution for Beckett right now is to hand over the evidence she has to the independent Department of Justice and the New York District Attorney's office.
The only thing that makes Beckett uneasy about this plan is that once she hands over the evidence, she might lose control over the case. After all, Beckett's goal is to bring William Bracken down herself and avenge her mother!
She expressed this concern openly, hoping that Castle could come up with a solution.
To her surprise, Castle laughed after hearing her worries: "You're overthinking this. If you want to personally arrest Nick Coonan and William Bracken, you can. Just make that a condition when you negotiate with the Department of Justice and the District Attorney's office. Tell them that you'll only hand over the evidence if they agree to let you lead the investigation. Isn't that simple?"
Beckett, who was too caught up in the situation, hadn't thought of this approach, unlike the more clear-headed Castle. She had only been worried that she would lose control of the case after handing over the evidence, not realizing that she could negotiate her terms before doing so. And for the Department of Justice and the District Attorney's office, they might not care as much about who leads the investigation. Beckett has a deep personal grudge against William Bracken and wouldn't let him off easily.
From the perspective of the Department of Justice or the District Attorney's office, just being involved in bringing down a sitting senator would be enough to make an impact and showcase their power. So, it's very likely they would agree to Beckett's terms, allowing her to lead the investigation.
The two of them then planned out in detail how to communicate with the Department of Justice and the District Attorney's office. They decided to put things on hold for a few days and have Beckett, in her capacity as a precinct captain, meet privately with the Chief Prosecutor of the New York District Attorney's office. After that, they would discuss contacting the Department of Justice. After all, the combined force of the 12th Precinct and the District Attorney's office alone would not be enough to bring down a powerful sitting senator like William Bracken. They would need the backing of the Department of Justice.
After discussing all this, Beckett did not keep the folder Castle had brought with him but asked him to take it back. This was to avoid the risk of it being stolen if it stayed with her and to prepare for the possibility that things could get intense. If that happened, Beckett would be in the spotlight, while Castle, who wasn't a police officer, would attract less attention. Beckett felt more secure keeping the evidence in Castle's hands.
After finishing their discussion, Castle was about to joke with his newly-minted girlfriend when he got a call from the kid: "Uncle Rick, the guy you had me keep an eye on, Vincent Adler, has planned to kidnap Neal. He'll probably carry it out this afternoon. It seems like he can't contain his excitement about that submarine anymore. Mozzie told me to notify you immediately. He's on the phone with Neal, preparing him for the kidnapping. Should you head back to the Long Island estate now?"
Castle was a bit surprised that Vincent was acting so quickly. He had thought Vincent would wait a few more days, but it seemed that the excitement of finding and recovering the submarine had overwhelmed the fifty-something-year-old Vincent Adler. He couldn't even wait two days?
But this could work to his advantage. The sooner they dealt with Vincent, the sooner Castle could focus on helping Beckett with the senator.
After hanging up, Castle had to lie to his girlfriend again: "Harry has some urgent business. It's about those two drones. I almost forgot to tell you, Northrop Grumman is interested in them, and we might be negotiating a technology transfer deal soon. I need to head to Long Island now. You can go ahead and meet with the Chief Prosecutor of New York. If anything comes up, let me know immediately!"
Beckett, already aware of Castle's involvement with the kid who was kidnapped that night, didn't doubt him. She nodded and let him handle his business. She needed to think carefully about her next steps, particularly the private meeting with the Chief Prosecutor. Beckett believed she had to be fully prepared and make sure she retained control over the case.
Castle didn't waste any more time at Beckett's office. They had already discussed everything, and the next steps depended on how Beckett's meeting with the Chief Prosecutor went. Now, Castle's priority was dealing with Vincent Adler. If everything went according to plan, the Ponzi scheme king who shook Wall Street a decade ago would soon be brought down. Castle didn't want to miss out on such an interesting event, so he quickly said goodbye to a confused Esposito and Kevin before rushing out of the 12th Precinct and driving to Long Island.
When he arrived at the estate, Castle went straight to the kid's small building but found that Gianna and John weren't there. Only the kid was obediently sitting at the drone control console, keeping the drone hovering above the warehouse Vincent had rented, maintaining surveillance. Mozzie was lounging on the sofa, holding a glass of Gianna's prized wine and leisurely watching the drone footage on the wall.
Castle was a bit surprised: "Mozzie, where's Gianna?"
Mozzie lazily explained: "Those treasures you brought back include a few family heirlooms that Gianna recognized as belonging to some French family. Now, she's in contact with them. Apparently, this family has close ties with the D'Antonio family. When they found out that Gianna had inadvertently recovered two of their paintings and a sculpture that were stolen during World War II, they went crazy. They're preparing to come to New York to reclaim their family's treasures.
But Gianna isn't going to let them get away that easily. According to what she said last night, she's going to make them pay a price, even though this family has close ties with the D'Antonio family. After all, it was only because of you that these items were recovered, so Gianna is negotiating with her father about what price this French family should pay to get their things back.
Looks like Gianna really considers you a friend!"
Castle didn't pay much attention to Mozzie's teasing and instead shifted the topic to what the kid had mentioned on the phone: "The kid said you guys intercepted a message that Vincent Adler is planning to kidnap Neal?"
Before Mozzie could respond, the kid at the drone control console turned around and said: "Yes, Uncle Rick. About an hour and a half ago, we intercepted Vincent's order to his men to find an opportunity to kidnap Neal. Vincent also specifically instructed his men not to kidnap Peter, who's always by Neal's side. Uncle Rick, your plan has a flaw. Vincent has realized he can't let the FBI know about this, so he's being careful. What's your next move?"
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