บท 173: Chapter 173: Murky
After handing over the task of collecting clues at the crime scene to the crime scene investigation team that arrived later, Beckett, Castle, and Esposito returned to the precinct to start investigating the package that Caleb Szymanski was delivering when he was killed. They needed to find out why someone would intentionally kill a mere bicycle courier—perhaps it had something to do with a secret within the package he was carrying.
Beckett went to Captain Montgomery's office to brief her superior on the newly taken case. Esposito and Ryan were already contacting the victim's courier company to get the tracking number and the sender's information sent to the precinct. This left Castle alone at Beckett's desk, recalling the origin and outcome of this case.
In fact, this case was a real tragedy. The package that the bicycle courier was delivering contained evidence proving that a murderer named Brady had taken the fall for someone else ten years ago. Brady had arranged for his aunt to mail out this evidence, hoping to inform Detective Roy Montgomery of the Twelfth Precinct that he wasn't the true perpetrator of the crime he was convicted for. Brady had taken the fall in exchange for monthly payments of $7,000 to treat his critically ill son.
However, Brady didn't know that the real killer had been monitoring him all along. The true killer had bribed the prison guards to eavesdrop on Brady's communications. Upon learning that Brady's aunt was sending out the evidence this morning, the true killer stole a car, killed the courier delivering the package, and stole the evidence that Brady had been keeping for ten years to clear his name.
This was just the beginning of the case, which also involved a murder from ten years ago. The victim was a girl named Olivia Debisch. The case was complicated, involving many people, including a member of a political family who had run for the Senate ten years ago but failed.
Therefore, Castle didn't want to reveal everything directly as he usually would. He couldn't explain how he got the information, and besides, he had promised to let Beckett lead the investigations. So, he quietly reviewed the case in his mind and decided to stay low-key, intervening only with critical hints to guide Beckett in solving the case.
When Beckett finished briefing Captain Montgomery and stepped out of his office, she ran into Esposito, who had just received information about the package's sender. As in the original show, Esposito misread the sender's name. The sender, an elderly black lady named Sally Niedermayer, was mistakenly identified as Shakira Nidal-Meta.
Coincidentally, Shakira Nidal-Meta was listed as a dangerous terrorist by the Department of Homeland Security. Upon realizing this, Esposito reported it to Beckett and Captain Montgomery, causing an uproar at the precinct. A known terrorist sending a package that gets stolen was a major incident.
Castle couldn't just watch them scare themselves into a frenzy. Lazily standing up, he addressed Captain Montgomery, who was issuing orders for the capture of Shakira. "Captain, don't you think you might be overreacting? Esposito, are you sure the sender's signature was Shakira Nidal-Meta? Could it be that the sender's sloppy handwriting made you misread it?"
Beckett immediately stood by her subordinate. She glanced disdainfully at Castle, whom she saw as an outsider with no real understanding. "If you don't know, don't speak nonsense. Whether that person is a terrorist or not, we must be fully prepared. This isn't like writing a book, where you can delete and rewrite. Opportunities favor the prepared, and our job is to be fully prepared."
Esposito, familiar with Castle, didn't mind his questioning. He smiled and explained, "Castle, you need to understand that terrorists are different from other criminals. They're often desperate and dangerous. If we aren't prepared and it really is Shakira, we need to ensure we have the upper hand."
Castle agreed with Beckett and Esposito's cautious approach, even though he knew the sender was actually an elderly lady relying on a breathing apparatus. He wisely stayed silent, knowing Beckett and Esposito would soon realize this was a false alarm.
As expected, when Esposito led a heavily armed team to break down the door, they found only Sally Niedermayer, an elderly black lady, sitting on the couch. They had indeed been misled by the messy handwriting on the shipment form.
After assuring Sally they would fix her door, Beckett sat down to question her. Sally explained that she sent the document because her nephew Brady had called her that morning, asking her to send it. She didn't know the contents but knew it was addressed to Detective Roy Montgomery at the Sixty-Fourth Precinct.
Hearing this, everyone except Castle was puzzled. They didn't understand why Brady, who confessed to killing a girl named Olivia Debisch ten years ago, would send a document to the officer who arrested him. This indicated that the stolen package was highly significant.
Castle, the only one knowing all the details, kept his promise and remained silent, even as Beckett struggled to understand Brady's motives.
With the new information from Sally, Beckett returned to the precinct to ask Captain Montgomery why Brady would send him a document after ten years. Meanwhile, Esposito and Ryan would go to the prison to investigate Brady's intentions.
Captain Montgomery did remember Brady. Ten years ago, following the murder of Olivia Debisch, the police received an anonymous tip that led to Brady's arrest. Brady confessed to the crime, making it an open-and-shut case. Montgomery had no idea why Brady would send him a document now, especially one leading to the death of a courier.
Esposito, tasked with investigating at the prison, rushed into Montgomery's office, looking alarmed. "Brady was stabbed to death in prison shortly after making a phone call this morning. The prison authorities have no leads on the killer."
Beckett frowned. "Was Brady a troublemaker in prison?"
Esposito shook his head. "No, according to the prison records, Brady was a model inmate, never involved in conflicts. I suspect his death is related to that package."
บท 174: Chapter 174: Enigmatic
Beckett concluded resolutely, "This was definitely not an accident, and there's definitely more to it. Brady called his aunt to send a mysterious document to Captain Montgomery. Shortly after, the cyclist courier delivering the document was killed by a mysterious assailant, who stole the document. Then Brady himself was murdered in prison. It's clear this was all to silence Brady. All these events are connected!
We can deduce that the document Brady had his aunt send to Captain Montgomery today is likely the key to all this. We need to find out what's in that document that made someone kill a courier in broad daylight to obtain it.
Captain, do you remember if Brady had any other relatives besides his aunt? Was he married?"
Montgomery furrowed his brow, recalling carefully before saying, "I remember Brady was married when he was arrested, and he even had a child. Get the case files from back then. Let's review them thoroughly."
Esposito promptly headed to the records room to retrieve Brady's case files from ten years ago, hoping to find some clues, or at least locate his wife to see if she knew anything the police didn't. Esposito quickly returned with the case files. After verifying that Brady indeed had a wife raising their child alone, Beckett immediately sent Esposito and Ryan to bring Brady's wife in for questioning.
Beckett stayed at the precinct with Captain Montgomery to review the case files. Montgomery remarked, "I actually never thoroughly reviewed Brady's case files because shortly after the crime, we received an anonymous tip that led us directly to Brady. He confessed within half an hour at the station, so I never really looked into the case in detail."
Castle, who was going through the files with Beckett and Montgomery, suddenly spoke up, "Do you think it's possible that Brady wasn't the real culprit, but took the fall for someone else? Maybe he decided he couldn't keep up the charade anymore, which is why he had his aunt send you the evidence proving his innocence. The real perpetrator then killed the courier to retrieve the evidence and had Brady murdered in prison to silence him for good?"
Castle's shocking theory left Montgomery and Beckett stunned. They didn't want to believe it, but all signs pointed to Castle's theory being plausible. After a brief moment of shock, Beckett, who knew Castle well, realized he might be onto something. Castle wouldn't say this without reason, especially after promising to hand over the lead in the investigation to her.
Beckett, eager and excited, turned to Castle, "What other thoughts do you have? Share them all. It doesn't matter if they're right or wrong, at least it's a lead!"
Montgomery, though rarely directly involved in Beckett's investigations, knew Castle's unorthodox methods often significantly increased their case-solving efficiency. Intrigued, he also looked at Castle, indicating his support.
Castle, however, after making a grand statement, seemed to run out of steam. "That's all I've got for now. But didn't you send Esposito to find Brady's wife? She might know if Brady really committed the crime or took the fall. Be patient, wait for Esposito to bring her in, and your doubts will be resolved."
Beckett found Castle's nonchalance both frustrating and amusing. She was convinced Castle was hiding something, possibly due to his recent promise to hand over the lead in investigations. But he had a point: these were just his theories without concrete evidence. It was better to wait for Esposito to bring in Brady's wife for more information.
However, Esposito returned with bad news: Brady's wife had left early in the morning with their son and a lot of luggage, and her whereabouts were unknown. Worse, neighbors reported she had left with a significant amount of baggage.
Prison records showed that Brady made two calls that morning. The first, at 7:23 AM, was to his Aunt Sally, where he repeatedly insisted she send the document from ten years ago to Detective Roy Montgomery. After receiving her assurance, he made a second call to his wife, telling her, "Today's the day, it'll all be over soon," before hanging up.
The precinct was baffled by Brady's cryptic message to his wife. It was evident, however, that his wife's departure around 8 AM, with their child and luggage, indicated a prearranged plan, suggesting a signal was given. But why?
Perplexed, Beckett recalled Castle's theory and found it increasingly plausible. She turned seriously to Castle, "I know you have more thoughts on this. Now's not the time to worry about who's leading the investigation. You should know I don't mind any help if it means solving the case. Tell us what you're thinking."
Beckett's bluntness caught the attention of everyone present, revealing the reason behind Castle's odd behavior lately. Montgomery, quick to respond, supported Beckett, "Mr. Castle, our collaboration has always been smooth and pleasant. While your approach is unconventional, it often yields results. In our current lack of leads, any of your insights could point us in a new direction."
Castle, unable to hold back any longer, saw the clear invitation to share his thoughts and decided to speak up. "I just didn't want to mislead you with baseless speculations..."
Seeing Castle's hesitation, Beckett insisted, "We're capable of discerning truth from speculation. Just tell us what you think!"
Castle, urged by Beckett, smiled awkwardly, "I think you're overcomplicating things. If we follow my earlier theory, Brady's actions today are traceable!"
Beckett frowned, "You mean your theory that Brady wasn't the killer ten years ago, but took the fall for someone else?"
Castle beamed, "Exactly!"
___________________
Read Ahead
P@treon.com/Mutter
สถานะพลังงานรายสัปดาห์
200+ การจัดอันดับด้วยพลัง 
24 หินพลัง 
ความคิดเห็นย่อย