Castle s03e11 Episode Script
Nikki Heat
Game over, and you lose, Tom.
Drop it! Put down the gun or I swear I'll blow his head off! You know I can't do that, Tom.
You think I'm kidding around here, Detective Heat? No, I don't! I think you feel trapped and you're serious as hell! But right now, I need you to think about the people who love you, and they need you to put down that gun.
I can't take it anymore.
The character of Nikki Heat is a smart, complicated detective with enormous depth.
And then, the studio goes and casts the braless co-ed in blood-soaked T-shirt from Knife Two? Knife Two made a lot of money, honey.
Thanks in no small part to Natalie Rhodes.
And your books are not exactly Shakespeare.
Thank you.
I was just hoping to elevate their stature by not casting the chainsaw-wielding hooker from Hallowscream.
Hey, I liked that movie.
If I had seen it, which I haven't.
Look, this is an audition tape.
Give the girl a chance.
According to Us Weekly, for her movie Hell's Crawlspace, she actually lived in her house's crawlspace for a week to prepare for the role.
Well, you gotta admit, that's dedication to the craft.
How about that dialogue? I mean, how hacky is that? All right, "Right now you need to think about the people who love you.
" Like that's gonna stop a murderer? That screenwriter needs to spend a week in a crawlspace.
Okay, darling, enough with the complaining.
It's Beckett.
She is gonna hate the idea of Natalie Rhodes.
Pick it up, Dad.
A murder will make you feel better.
What up, boys? Excuse me.
Hey, Castle.
How's it going? Good.
What's up? Ryan.
I don't know what to say.
I mean, I'm flattered, but Oh, come on.
It's nice, right? Right? Jenny is a lucky girl.
So, how you gonna pop the question? Hot air balloon? Skywriter? JumboTron! I thought I'd just ask.
No, no, no.
You can't just ask.
You gotta make a statement.
It's gotta be big.
Helicopter ride.
Actually, most girls prefer something a little more intimate.
What, so, he's just supposed to be boring and ask, "Will you marry me?" And helicopter rides are intimate.
Yeah, sure.
If you wanna share the most romantic moment of your life with Reggie the chopper pilot.
Helicopter ride.
Our victim is Stacey Collins.
She's 45.
According to her business card, she's a high-end matchmaker.
Like Millionaire Matchmaker.
Without the reality show.
Or pulse.
That, too.
Defensive wounds indicate that she was attacked.
We found her purse with wallet, credit card and cash inside.
But the thing that was missing were her keys.
Uniforms are on their way to her apartment and office to see if our killer decided to use them.
Yo! So apparently our victim was at a surprise party thrown in her honor last night by all the happy couples that she'd matched up.
Where was the party? Oscar's Grill.
That's only seven blocks from here.
Collins left the party just before 10:00.
M.
E.
estimates the time of death between 10:00 and 11:00.
Killer could've been at the party and followed her.
Gosh! You think a married person killed the woman who gave them such happiness, do you? Yeah, I'll start on bringing them in.
Surprise visit from the Mayor? Better.
Holy smoke! That's Natalie Rhodes! Sure is.
Apparently, she is playing Nikki Heat.
What? That's awesome.
Yeah, it's awesome.
What is she doing here? She called and asked if she could shadow me for a little while.
She wanted to get an authentic feel for what it's like to be Nikki by following the person who inspired Nikki.
- And you said yes? - Yeah.
Detective Beckett? My God! You are exactly what I imagined Nikki Heat would look like.
Natalie, this is Richard Castle and this is Detective Javier Esposito.
Hey.
Just so you know, Detective, I'm very method, so it's all about getting inside of you, which starts with observing and noting.
Okay, well, observe and note away.
I'm already used to it.
I'm sorry, I don't think you heard.
I'm Richard Castle.
Great.
I wrote Heat Wave.
Oh, I thought your name sounded familiar.
Hey, I just got off the phone with the guys at the Hi.
Natalie, this is Detective Kevin Ryan.
Uh Hi.
Ryan! The call? Yeah, looks like our killer took our victim's keys for a reason.
Uniforms just got to her office.
Place has been tossed.
You guys go to the office, see what the killer was after.
We'll go interview party guests, and see if we can shed some light on what this was all about.
Right.
Come on.
Hello, I'm your creator.
Who would want to kill a matchmaker? Well, that's what we have to find out.
And the first 48 hours are the most critical.
After that, evidence gets corrupted, witnesses get less reliable.
And, oh I'm so sorry everyone is staring.
I already talked to them, but it's just It's not every day we get someone famous in here.
Listen up, everybody.
This is Natalie Rhodes.
She will be shadowing me for a little while, so if you want to gawk, just get it over with so we can all get back to work.
And if anyone wants a picture and autograph, just come on over.
I can't believe you said it was okay for her to tail us without asking me first.
Not us, Castle.
Me.
Oh, my God.
You like her, don't you? Yeah.
So? So, was it her work in Mutilation High that changed your life? Or perhaps Demon Patrol? Well, the way that she beheaded those zombies with the samurai sword was pretty cool.
Yes, it was cool.
But that does not make her Nikki Heat.
Nikki Heat is classy, she's complicated.
She's a thinking man's cop.
No, we can't judge a book by its cover.
Yes, actually.
Yes, I can, when it's my book.
And she's a civilian.
I mean, aren't you afraid she's going to get in the way and mess up the case? You're kidding, right? Hey, Natalie.
Want to join in on your first interview? Yep, be right there.
Our killer was definitely after something.
"Pleased to meet you, Ms.
Rhodes.
" How hard is that to say? Now she thinks I'm an idiot.
Yeah, probably.
Great.
And she's on my list.
My Freebie Five.
You know, celebrities you're allowed to make an exception with if you ever got the chance.
Jenny even knows.
I wouldn't worry about it, bro.
Oh, my God! What happened? And you are? Julie Taylor.
I work here.
For Stacey Collins.
I'm afraid we have some bad news for you, Ms.
Taylor.
Well, I hope we were helpful.
Wow! Are all the folks you interview always that unhelpful? It's a numbers game.
You talk to enough people, something usually shakes out.
That is going in the movie.
Yeah, being a cop, it's kind of like being a prospector.
Gotta sift through a lot a rock before you finally hit gold.
No.
Her line was better.
"Usually shakes out.
" Besides client files, was there anything of value here? Did she keep cash on hand? No.
I mean, especially not lately.
Business is way down.
Did you guys take a hit from the economy? Mostly it was Stacey.
She kept turning down clients.
Why would she do that? All I know is, two months ago she started rejecting applications.
And here we are, barely making it.
We think the killer may have followed her from the event.
Did she have issues with any of the guests? Oh, no.
Those were her success stories.
Sixty happy couples.
They put the party together in her honor.
They wanted her to see how many lives she'd touched.
You know what's so sad? I don't think that Stacey ever found a soul mate for herself.
That's crazy.
Without her, we wouldn't even be together.
How can she be dead? Was there anyone acting strangely at the party? Not that we noticed.
What about after the party, did you see Stacey leave? Actually, yeah.
Someone picked her up.
- Any idea who? I didn't see.
The car's windows were tinted.
- What - What kind of vehicle was it? A sports car.
It was a Boxster.
A silver Boxster.
Did she have any enemies? Anybody who might have wanted to do her harm? - Oh, man.
- What? Brad Williams.
Stacey's boyfriend, until yesterday.
What happened yesterday? When I came in in the morning, they were fighting.
- About what? - I don't know.
But they were both pretty upset.
Brad was screaming, and Stacey just told him to leave.
I think I heard him say he wanted her to give him something back.
Do you have any idea what? No.
Excuse me.
Did Brad know about the party? He was gonna be there.
But then, when they split up, I had to un-invite him.
Ms.
Taylor, does anyone in Stacey's life drive a silver Boxster? Yeah.
Brad does.
I was in love with Stacey.
What makes you think I could possibly kill her? If you were so in love with her, why did you have a screaming match in her office yesterday? We argue.
I'm a passionate person.
Obviously.
And then after she dumped you, you couldn't handle the rejection and so you killed her.
That's not true.
When you and Stacey fought, you said you wanted something back.
- What was it? - My dignity.
You trashed her office looking for your dignity? I didn't kill her and I didn't trash her office.
Stacey stepped out on me.
That's why we broke up.
And that gives you even greater reason to have killed her.
She's amazing! Look at her eye contact.
The way she won't let go.
I love that.
So what did you think of Heat Wave? Are you kidding? I love it.
Spike Rosenberg is one of my favorite screenwriters.
You know, he did the un-credited final pass on Hell's Crawlspace.
Yeah.
Not the script.
The book.
The real Heat Wave.
I haven't read it.
You took the part of Nikki Heat without even reading the book? Well, Spike made a lot changes in the screenplay.
I didn't want to confuse the character in my head.
Changes? What changes? And then two months ago, she started to pull away.
Next came some phone calls at odd hours from some guy.
She wouldn't say who.
I mean, the signs were all there.
I just didn't wanna see them.
Well, just because she was getting phone calls, doesn't mean that she was having an affair.
I followed her last week.
Saw her meet the guy.
A real low-life.
When I confronted her, she denied everything.
I called her a liar.
And now she's dead.
And then prior to her death, she was seen getting into your car.
After the party, I offered her a ride, thinking we could talk.
- Where did you go? - Nowhere.
She was barely in the car when he called again.
I started to get upset, she just got out.
Then where'd you go after you dropped her off? I didn't go anywhere.
Then noticed I was in front of the Nautilus Diner, I went in and was there until after midnight.
The hostess at Nautilus confirms Brad's story.
Has him there from a few minutes after 10:00 till about midnight drowning his sorrows in five orders of baklava.
Ooh! I love their baklava.
The honey actually oozes out of the sides.
But the salient point here is that Brad Williams just alibied out.
Check into Stacey's phone records.
Let's see if we can find that new boyfriend.
All right.
CSU found a key hidden under the ceiling tile.
They say there's no lockbox in Stacey's office and her assistant doesn't recognize it.
So CSU is running it down.
Well, maybe that's what the killer was looking for.
Maybe it's the key to unlocking the mystery of Stacey's murder.
So what're you thinking about right now, Detective? What's our next move? I'm thinking I need a cup of a coffee.
Me, too! God, we are so in sync.
Hey, hey, Castle.
So I booked that chopper ride.
We're even gonna fly over K.
J.
McDoogals'.
It's the bar where Jenny and I met.
And then tomorrow I'm going out to Flushing to ask her parents for her hand.
I told Jenny I'm playing darts with Esposito.
All right.
Well, you're all set.
Um, I still need to pick a romantic restaurant that's near the West Side Heliport.
Any ideas? Does she like Italian? You are amazing.
In fact, I've already picked up on a couple of your little secrets.
Oh, really? Like what? That thing you do.
Pushing your hair back behind your ear.
It's a device to distract whomever you're talking to.
Gives you an extra few seconds to think about what to say.
Huh! Really? I did not know that.
Yeah, and then there's those crazy four-inch spike heels.
God, they must be hell to run in.
You know, you wouldn't admit it, but it's tough being an attractive woman in such a testosterone-fueled profession.
The heels give you stature.
When guys have to literally look up to you, it gives you a psychological edge.
Well, you're right about the heels and the stature.
But it's not because I need it.
I just like it.
Yo, Beckett.
We got something.
Brad was right.
Stacey did get a call just before she was killed, from one Duke Jones.
Guy's got a sheet that reads like a primer on small-time crookery.
Got B-and-Es, racketeering and assault.
What's a high-class matchmaker doing with a guy like that? Whatever it is, I'm guessing that it's complicated.
According to Stacey's bank records, she was making weekly payments of $5,000 to the guy for the last two months.
Anyone else notice that "two months" has been a recurring theme? - What was the money for? - I don't know.
Neither does her boyfriend or her assistant.
Well, looks like we'll have to ask him ourselves.
- Ready to hit the bricks, Natalie? - Yeah.
Just have to put on your basic famous person disguise so I'm less distracting.
Does that really fool people? Yeah, works in L.
A.
What about you? Do you do anything to hide your fame? Doesn't really come up that much.
Hi.
Can I help you? Yeah, we're looking for Duke Jones.
Who's looking for the Duke? Detective Beckett, NYPD.
Oh.
Chloe, why don't you get some air? We're investigating the death of Stacey Collins.
Stacey's dead? She was murdered.
What was the nature of your relationship? I work as a P.
I.
She hired me to run background checks on potential clients.
Five grand a week? Seems pretty steep.
Especially considering business was down.
Hey.
You get what you pay for.
And what was that exactly? Let's just say I'm not afraid to go deep to find out who someone really is.
And why would Stacey need your services all of sudden? So she could vet her clients.
She made a bad call on one of them and it came back to bite her in the ass.
- Did she tell you who? - Nope.
- Nature of the ass-biting? - Not that either.
You called Stacey 20 minutes before she was killed.
What was it about? I'd finished a background check.
Was just giving her the down-low.
And where were you last night between 10:00 and 11:00? Ooh! I was banging my neighbor.
She can vouch for me.
Great.
We'll be sure to talk to her.
So you think this ass-biting client might actually have something to do with Stacey's death? Well, a recent conflict in the victim's life, it's definitely a red flag so we gotta look into it.
Excuse me, guys.
Esposito? Yeah, I need you to look into a couple of Stacey's clients.
She is crazy-smart.
You know, sexy, commanding.
God.
On a good day, maybe, I'm one out of three.
That's why you're here, isn't it? To learn the ways of Beckett? I'm trying.
You know, Nikki is such a complex, juicy character.
I just really wanna get her right, you know? Is it true you lived in your house's crawlspace for a week to prepare for Hell's Crawlspace? No.
A month.
I told the tabloids a week 'cause I didn't want them to think I was obsessive.
Really? Okay, thanks.
So CSU had a hit on Stacey's hidden key, the one they found in her office.
What's it for? All right.
Stop there.
Odd place to store luggage.
Whoa! That's a lot of cash.
It's gotta be at least a couple hundred grand.
Now we know what our killer was looking for.
So according to Stacey's assistant, the business barely had any money, let alone 250 grand.
And as for this Berglin-Eklof bag, it's definitely not Stacey's.
Our vic was a Tumi girl.
Well, maybe the money belongs to the person who owns the bag.
Yeah, good luck finding that person.
You can't pull prints off of this kind of material.
You can just check the registry.
Registry? That's a $6,000, hand-crafted German bag.
All Berglin-Eklofs are signed and numbered.
When you buy it, you register with the company in case you lose it or it gets stolen.
What kind of an idiot would pay six grand for this bag? I have a full set.
There should be a number sewn in there somewhere.
So a guy from Munich with a Colonel Klink accent just e-mailed over the bag registration.
The owner of this bag is Tonya Wellington.
You know, you might have just cracked this case wide open.
- Seriously? - Yeah.
It's addictive, right? That rush you get from solving a crime.
Yeah.
I didn't get that from the script.
Yeah.
You should really read the book.
I definitely will.
I knew that name was familiar.
Tonya Wellington and her husband Bill were invited to Stacey's surprise party.
But we talked to all the guests.
I don't remember that name.
They were invited, but they declined.
Let's see if they'll accept an invitation to my interrogation party.
- So uncanny.
- Spooky.
Sexy.
Are you doing me? I'm just working on your posture.
You know, it changes depending whether you have a suspect or not.
Really? Like I said.
Getting inside your head.
When I'm done, I'll do you better than you.
Tonya Wellington.
Now.
Yep.
You were a client of Stacey Collins.
Is that correct, Ms.
Wellington? Yes.
She introduced me to my husband, Bill.
But you didn't go to her party last night.
Why is that? But you didn't go to her party last night.
Why is that? That was a great Beckett.
Yeah, almost creepy-great.
Not that you're creepy.
Just, great.
Ms.
Wellington, we found a Berglin-Eklof bag registered to you, containing $250,000 hidden in Stacey Collins' office.
Can you explain where that came from? I'm afraid Ms.
Wellington chooses not to answer that question.
Did you give Stacey that cash? What was it for? Ms.
Wellington, who else knew that she had it? Again, my client's asserting her right to not answer.
And I will remind your client that this is a murder investigation and I believe that that bag and money are at the heart of this case.
Tread lightly, Detective.
My client's here as a courtesy.
And her husband, Bill Wellington, is a powerful man.
Ms.
Wellington, what happened two months ago? This meeting's over.
Drop it! Put down the gun, or I swear I'll blow his head off! You know I can't do that, Tom.
You think I'm kidding around here, Detective Heat? No, I don't.
Torturing yourself? I think you feel trapped and you're serious as hell.
Reconsidering, actually.
I think there's more to her than I thought.
I think she might surprise you.
She did this great emotional scene in Knife 3-D.
It was actually pretty moving.
If I'd seen it, which I haven't.
Thanks, Castle.
That's I was Uh You're welcome.
So, where are we? Ryan and Esposito are digging into Tonya Wellington.
What about Duke Jones? His neighbor confirm his romantic evening? - He - So did a couple other neighbors who complained about the noise.
So it looks like Duke Jones alibis out.
What she said.
- Can we talk for a second? - Sure.
She took my coffee, Castle.
It's just coffee.
Then what's next? My soul? Everything I do, she does.
Even when I'm thinking, I can feel her in my head like some kind of a brain-eating parasite from one of her movies.
She's a dedicated actress.
She just wants to do a good job.
Hey.
No update on what the 250 K was for.
But I think we found that bad client that Duke Jones mentioned.
It's Tonya's husband, Bill Wellington.
Turns out, Tonya's wife number three.
Bill divorced the other two just before their pre-nups expired, leaving them without a dime.
And get this, he was about to do the same to Tonya.
He filed for a divorce two months ago.
So, that's why Stacey became more selective with her clients.
She knew Tonya would be left with nothing.
Not exactly nothing.
The Wellingtons' pre-nup has an infidelity clause, which Bill violated.
He owes Tonya 100 million bucks for cheating on her.
She even has the boudoir shots to prove it.
You have the photographs? From where? Her divorce file.
Pretty salacious, too.
Can I see, for a minute? Castle, we're looking into a murder, not dirty photos.
Or maybe we can do both! Look familiar? That's Chloe, Duke Jones's assistant.
The 250 grand? That was a payment to Stacey to break up Tonya's pre-nup.
So Stacey hired Duke in order to get photographic evidence.
Mmm-hmm.
Duke's assistant Chloe, here, was the bait.
And then they honeytrapped Bill Wellington to break up the pre-nup, costing him $ 100 million.
Man, if I were him, I'd be out for blood.
Let's bring him in.
You have copies of that file? Oh, I copy everything.
That guy looks like a pit bull.
I could see him sticking someone through a wrought-iron fence.
Yeah.
Stacey must've felt incredibly guilty putting Tonya in a relationship with him.
So she decided to level the playing field.
Legally, does it matter to the case why Stacey did what she did? No.
But that's what makes Beckett such a great detective.
She invests in the victim.
You think I did this to Stacey Collins? What's my motive? Because of what she did to your marriage.
It's not like she put a gun to my head and said, "Marry the beast.
" Well, that's very big of you, Mr.
Wellington.
We also know that you were having an affair with this woman.
What does my personal business got to do with the murder of Stacey Collins? I will be asking the questions, Mr.
Wellington.
How did you meet Chloe? At the bar at II Mulino.
She liked my watch and I liked her eyes.
She had a suite at the Beaumont Hotel.
It used to be, a guy could get a little on the side without worrying about some moron with a camera ruining his life.
Expensive affair.
I understand that it cost you $ 100 million.
You must've been pretty angry when you discovered Stacey Collins engineered the whole thing in order to break your pre-nup.
That bitch did what? Mr.
Wellington Are you telling me that this piece of tail worked for Stacey? And that Stacey and my wife arranged all this? Cost you 100 million bucks.
I've seen people kill for far less.
Now you listen to me, Detective.
I had nothing to do with that murder.
Because had I known? I would've killed Stacey and Tonya! Both! Where were you last Sunday night, Mr.
Wellington? Hong Kong? He was there for a week.
His jet touched down at Westchester County Airport yesterday afternoon.
Maybe he hired someone.
We should re-check his financials.
Beckett.
Just got back from Duke's.
The entire place is cleaned out.
There's no files, no computers, not even a paper clip.
Checked his home address, too.
No sign of him.
He's gone.
What about our honeytrap Chloe? No Chloe Graves matching her description in the Tri-State area.
And Stacey's assistant, Julie, never heard of her or Duke or honeytrapping.
With her and Duke gone, there's no way to track 'em down.
So either Stacey's murderer has spooked them both and they got out of Dodge or Or they killed Stacey and now they're on the run.
Wellington said Chloe had a suite at the Beaumont Hotel.
You guys see what you can dig up.
We'll run background and see what we can find on Duke.
Right.
Natalie Rhodes? Yes! Thank you.
What did you get? Just a little something to help with my research.
Where's the ladies room? Yeah, just by the elevator.
Great.
Thanks.
Yeah.
I know her.
That's Greta.
- Greta? - Greta Morgan.
She stayed here about three weekends ago, is that right? Yes, and checked out last Monday.
Two week stay, huh? Did you notice anybody with her? This guy, perhaps? Yeah.
Yeah, he met her in the lobby a couple of times.
She must really be in big trouble, huh? Why's that? There was a cop here the other day asking all the same questions.
Duke's assistant, Chloe? Greta Morgan.
Former exotic dancer.
Picked up a couple of times for solicitation.
Probation and time served.
Looks like she decided to go a little more upscale.
You know, given how much Tonya paid Stacey and how little Stacey paid Duke, looks like money is our motive.
Maybe.
APBs are out on Greta, and I contacted other precincts to find out who else is investigating her and for what.
Talk to enough people, something usually shakes out.
Just like I dreamed it.
Did I say that out loud? Here you go, Beckett.
Thanks, Johnson.
It's Johnson, isn't it? It's Velazquez.
And you are not me.
No.
But I'm getting warmer.
You certainly are.
Okay.
So, the word's out on Greta and we're already tracking Duke's credit cards.
Why don't we just call it a night? What? But it's still early.
Yeah.
Yeah, well, it's a high stress job.
And I wouldn't want anyone to get burnt out.
All right.
I'll go pack up my things.
You cannot tell me that that is normal.
She's just committed to the role.
You should be flattered.
Yeah, sure.
Until she steals my boyfriend and kills me in my sleep.
Let me carry that for you.
Thank you.
Oh, look at me.
All dressed up and no crime to solve.
Yeah.
And I had my heart set on doing research tonight.
So, what do you think? Am I everything you imagined Nikki would be? Uh-huh.
You know, I read Heat Wave last night.
Really? You're right.
It was so much better than the screenplay.
I went right out and read Naked Heat.
You know, I realized the character of Jameson Rook is based on you.
Well, yeah, I guess I drew on my relationship with Detective Beckett.
Even the sex scenes? No.
That was just Fantasy? Like me, now? Well, you wanna give the audience what they want.
Oh, yeah.
You know, the script is so much about the passion between Nikki and Rook.
And if I'm going to play Nikki right, I gotta feel that heat.
Natalie, I'm Not Natalie.
Nikki.
Good morning, Castle.
Good morning, Detective.
Is that for me or for the fictional version of me? Or have you already taken care of her this morning? What is What is that supposed to mean? - I Jenny! Jenny.
Wait! Could Excuse me.
Jenny! Could you please Sweetie, could we just talk about this? - Jenny, please - No, I hate you, Kevin Ryan! Ooh! That was dramatic.
What happened? I accidentally left my phone at home, and she brought it to me.
And while she was here, she asked Javier how darts was last night.
Oh! Your cover story for going to see her parents.
You should've told me, bro.
She thought you lied to her.
Yeah.
And then she found out I was working with you, which I hadn't told her.
What's the big deal about that? You're on my list.
What list? My list.
My Freebie Five.
The five celebrities you can sleep with if you had the chance to And now she thinks that last night that we And I should probably stop talking right now.
I should call her is what I should do.
Excuse me.
Freebie Five, huh? I wonder what number I am.
Why does that not surprise me? So any update on our honeytrapper? Yeah.
I heard from all of the other precincts.
And none of the other cops were looking for a Chloe GraveslGreta Morgan at the Beaumont.
Someone was.
What about Duke? Any sign of him? Well, we are looking into his credit cards and his phone, but so far, no hits.
Maybe not on Duke's cards, but I just found something on Greta's.
She put holds on rooms at two other pricey hotels within the last week.
The charges were reversed and the rooms were ultimately paid for on another credit card.
A corporate card belonging to a Stacey Collins, our victim.
The last week? That was long after they'd gotten the evidence they needed on Bill Wellington.
They were honeytrapping other men.
So one of the other men finds out he's being set up.
He follows Greta from the Beaumont Hotel back to Stacey.
He confronts her, they get into an argument, in a rage he kills her.
Taking her keys to get rid of any incriminating evidence of the affair at her office.
Check the other hotels.
Let's see what we can find on Greta.
- Right.
Thanks.
I'm gonna check on Ryan.
Great.
Can I ask you a question? Sure.
Is Castle gay? I'm sorry, what? No.
No.
Then you two are an item, but you're sworn to secrecy, right? No, we are not an item.
Why? Last night, I invited him back to my place, and he said something to me I have never heard from a man before.
What? "No.
" No? I don't get it.
He's into you, but you're determined not to give in to these feelings that you clearly have for him.
So he fantasizes about you through his writing.
It's literally verbal masturbation.
Yeah Okay.
So what does this all have to do with me? I am not wearing this get-up for my health.
You're Nikki Heat.
He's Jameson Rook.
I need to sleep with him in the name of character research.
Can you talk to him? And say what? I don't know.
Give him permission or something.
I need to go over there.
Everything okay? Do I really do that? Yes, and it's adorable.
If it's so adorable why didn't you sleep with me? Her-me, not me-me.
Well, a fictional character that I wrote based on you played by Natalie Rhodes? It's just way too meta.
Meta? We really should have a code word so we all know which Beckett to kill when her clone army attacks.
Unless we make a preemptive strike.
Get through to Jenny yet? Still not picking up.
Don't worry.
You'll be laughing about it soon enough.
- We are.
- Thanks.
So I've been running through all of Stacey's client files.
Three couples have filed for divorce within the last month.
Can you believe that? You marry the love of your life, the next thing you know they're cheating on you.
- It's not even - Ryan.
Sorry.
Anyway, two of the guys have rock-solid alibis for the time of Stacey's murder and the third divorce had nothing to do with cheating.
- What are you guys doing? - Hiding from creepy Beckett.
We're not Did you find anything on Greta Morgan? Yeah.
I found something pretty interesting at The Meritage Hotel.
What? Greta Morgan.
I didn't kill her.
I told you where I was that night.
People saw me.
Doesn't matter.
We already have you on prostitution and extortion.
So you're looking at ten years.
But if you decide to help us find the truth, I might be inspired to recommend that the D.
A.
give you a suspended sentence.
What do you want to know? Were there any other marks besides Bill Wellington? Stacey hated that because of her, these women were in relationships with bad men.
She felt an obligation to give them a way out with dignity The others.
How many were there? Two.
I'm going to need their names.
Their names, Greta.
Now! Rich Weiss and Scott Donner.
Tall with dark hair.
They both match the description of the guy who was sniffing around the Beaumont Hotel.
We talked to both of those guys.
You're saying one of them might be the killer? Yeah, but which one did it, and how do we prove it? By figuring out which cheater went home with his wife.
And which one stayed behind to commit murder.
So it comes to this: two phone calls to two wives.
One of whom has been sleeping with a cold-hearted killer.
See, this should totally be in the movie.
No twisty this, no melodramatic that.
People love twisty thises and melodramatic thats.
They love what's real.
You know, less is more.
The hardest thing to perform as an actor? Doing nothing.
Just being still.
Being quiet.
Yeah, I'd love to see that.
So Rich's wife confirms that after the party, the two of them went straight home.
Yes, thank you.
Scott's wife confirmed that the two of them went straight home as well.
But then Scott went back out and met his cousin Benjamin for a drink.
Only Benjamin doesn't remember having that drink.
Turns out Scott and his wife left the party an hour before Stacey left, giving him plenty of time to get back there and follow her.
So what do you say, Natalie? You wanna join us on your first arrest? Hell, yeah.
Let's take that cheating dirt-bag down.
Too much? I just usually say, "Let's go.
" See.
Less is more.
Mr.
Donner.
Detective Beckett, NYPD.
We're here about Stacey Collins' murder.
I don't understand.
I told you everything I know down at the station.
Yes, but you didn't tell us where you were when she was murdered.
We know you weren't with your wife.
Or with your cousin having a drink.
You lied about that.
So where were you? I was What did you stand to lose? Thirty, 40 million after the divorce? You confronted Stacey, and you asked her for those photos.
She refused and then you killed her.
No! No! No.
- Mr.
Donner, you're under arrest for - No! - Gun! - Hey! You stay back, all of you! You do not need to do this, Scott.
Give me the gun.
No! I didn't mean to kill her! I just wanted the pictures! She tried to break away.
I didn't even see the gate there.
And those spikes Okay, fine.
It was an accident.
What does it matter? It's all over for me.
Scott, give me the gun and I promise you, you will get a fair trial! You think I'm fooling around here, Detective? No, I don't.
I think you feel trapped and you're serious as hell.
But right now, you need to think about the people who love you.
And they need you to put down that gun.
Guess that script wasn't so hacky after all.
You know, it's tragic, really.
All Stacey wanted was to help save these women from getting screwed in their divorces.
Instead she winds up getting killed.
Well, thanks to you, we only have one death on our hands.
I'm just glad it all worked out.
But I could have used another take.
I should have added a beat in that last line.
Instead of, "Put down that gun," I should have said, "Put down "that gun.
" Hear the difference? Totally adds layers.
Sounded good to me.
Sounded just like me.
Thanks for everything, Kate.
I'll try to do you and Nikki justice.
Even if I didn't get to do all the character research I'd hoped.
Visit me on set, Castle? I wouldn't miss it.
I wouldn't.
Natalie Rhodes.
And I thought it was cool working with you, Castle.
Nice.
- Hi, guys.
- Hey.
- Jenny! - Hey.
Jenny.
I am so glad to see you.
I just wanted to tell you all, I'm sorry about before.
I made a scene and Jenny, it's okay.
No.
You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Kevin.
And I want you to know that I trust you, and I love you.
I'm sorry.
No, I Yeah.
No, I'm the one who's sorry because I lied to you.
But I'm gonna set the record straight, right now, because you deserve the truth.
So wait here just one second? What is he doing? Shh! I didn't play darts with Javier last night.
I went to go see your parents because I had a question for them.
Jennifer Scout Duffy-O'Malley, will you make me the happiest guy in the world and marry me? Oh, my God.
Yes.
Yes! Yes! Yes? Oh, my God.
That was big.
And intimate.
Drop it! Put down the gun or I swear I'll blow his head off! You know I can't do that, Tom.
You think I'm kidding around here, Detective Heat? No, I don't! I think you feel trapped and you're serious as hell! But right now, I need you to think about the people who love you, and they need you to put down that gun.
I can't take it anymore.
The character of Nikki Heat is a smart, complicated detective with enormous depth.
And then, the studio goes and casts the braless co-ed in blood-soaked T-shirt from Knife Two? Knife Two made a lot of money, honey.
Thanks in no small part to Natalie Rhodes.
And your books are not exactly Shakespeare.
Thank you.
I was just hoping to elevate their stature by not casting the chainsaw-wielding hooker from Hallowscream.
Hey, I liked that movie.
If I had seen it, which I haven't.
Look, this is an audition tape.
Give the girl a chance.
According to Us Weekly, for her movie Hell's Crawlspace, she actually lived in her house's crawlspace for a week to prepare for the role.
Well, you gotta admit, that's dedication to the craft.
How about that dialogue? I mean, how hacky is that? All right, "Right now you need to think about the people who love you.
" Like that's gonna stop a murderer? That screenwriter needs to spend a week in a crawlspace.
Okay, darling, enough with the complaining.
It's Beckett.
She is gonna hate the idea of Natalie Rhodes.
Pick it up, Dad.
A murder will make you feel better.
What up, boys? Excuse me.
Hey, Castle.
How's it going? Good.
What's up? Ryan.
I don't know what to say.
I mean, I'm flattered, but Oh, come on.
It's nice, right? Right? Jenny is a lucky girl.
So, how you gonna pop the question? Hot air balloon? Skywriter? JumboTron! I thought I'd just ask.
No, no, no.
You can't just ask.
You gotta make a statement.
It's gotta be big.
Helicopter ride.
Actually, most girls prefer something a little more intimate.
What, so, he's just supposed to be boring and ask, "Will you marry me?" And helicopter rides are intimate.
Yeah, sure.
If you wanna share the most romantic moment of your life with Reggie the chopper pilot.
Helicopter ride.
Our victim is Stacey Collins.
She's 45.
According to her business card, she's a high-end matchmaker.
Like Millionaire Matchmaker.
Without the reality show.
Or pulse.
That, too.
Defensive wounds indicate that she was attacked.
We found her purse with wallet, credit card and cash inside.
But the thing that was missing were her keys.
Uniforms are on their way to her apartment and office to see if our killer decided to use them.
Yo! So apparently our victim was at a surprise party thrown in her honor last night by all the happy couples that she'd matched up.
Where was the party? Oscar's Grill.
That's only seven blocks from here.
Collins left the party just before 10:00.
M.
E.
estimates the time of death between 10:00 and 11:00.
Killer could've been at the party and followed her.
Gosh! You think a married person killed the woman who gave them such happiness, do you? Yeah, I'll start on bringing them in.
Surprise visit from the Mayor? Better.
Holy smoke! That's Natalie Rhodes! Sure is.
Apparently, she is playing Nikki Heat.
What? That's awesome.
Yeah, it's awesome.
What is she doing here? She called and asked if she could shadow me for a little while.
She wanted to get an authentic feel for what it's like to be Nikki by following the person who inspired Nikki.
- And you said yes? - Yeah.
Detective Beckett? My God! You are exactly what I imagined Nikki Heat would look like.
Natalie, this is Richard Castle and this is Detective Javier Esposito.
Hey.
Just so you know, Detective, I'm very method, so it's all about getting inside of you, which starts with observing and noting.
Okay, well, observe and note away.
I'm already used to it.
I'm sorry, I don't think you heard.
I'm Richard Castle.
Great.
I wrote Heat Wave.
Oh, I thought your name sounded familiar.
Hey, I just got off the phone with the guys at the Hi.
Natalie, this is Detective Kevin Ryan.
Uh Hi.
Ryan! The call? Yeah, looks like our killer took our victim's keys for a reason.
Uniforms just got to her office.
Place has been tossed.
You guys go to the office, see what the killer was after.
We'll go interview party guests, and see if we can shed some light on what this was all about.
Right.
Come on.
Hello, I'm your creator.
Who would want to kill a matchmaker? Well, that's what we have to find out.
And the first 48 hours are the most critical.
After that, evidence gets corrupted, witnesses get less reliable.
And, oh I'm so sorry everyone is staring.
I already talked to them, but it's just It's not every day we get someone famous in here.
Listen up, everybody.
This is Natalie Rhodes.
She will be shadowing me for a little while, so if you want to gawk, just get it over with so we can all get back to work.
And if anyone wants a picture and autograph, just come on over.
I can't believe you said it was okay for her to tail us without asking me first.
Not us, Castle.
Me.
Oh, my God.
You like her, don't you? Yeah.
So? So, was it her work in Mutilation High that changed your life? Or perhaps Demon Patrol? Well, the way that she beheaded those zombies with the samurai sword was pretty cool.
Yes, it was cool.
But that does not make her Nikki Heat.
Nikki Heat is classy, she's complicated.
She's a thinking man's cop.
No, we can't judge a book by its cover.
Yes, actually.
Yes, I can, when it's my book.
And she's a civilian.
I mean, aren't you afraid she's going to get in the way and mess up the case? You're kidding, right? Hey, Natalie.
Want to join in on your first interview? Yep, be right there.
Our killer was definitely after something.
"Pleased to meet you, Ms.
Rhodes.
" How hard is that to say? Now she thinks I'm an idiot.
Yeah, probably.
Great.
And she's on my list.
My Freebie Five.
You know, celebrities you're allowed to make an exception with if you ever got the chance.
Jenny even knows.
I wouldn't worry about it, bro.
Oh, my God! What happened? And you are? Julie Taylor.
I work here.
For Stacey Collins.
I'm afraid we have some bad news for you, Ms.
Taylor.
Well, I hope we were helpful.
Wow! Are all the folks you interview always that unhelpful? It's a numbers game.
You talk to enough people, something usually shakes out.
That is going in the movie.
Yeah, being a cop, it's kind of like being a prospector.
Gotta sift through a lot a rock before you finally hit gold.
No.
Her line was better.
"Usually shakes out.
" Besides client files, was there anything of value here? Did she keep cash on hand? No.
I mean, especially not lately.
Business is way down.
Did you guys take a hit from the economy? Mostly it was Stacey.
She kept turning down clients.
Why would she do that? All I know is, two months ago she started rejecting applications.
And here we are, barely making it.
We think the killer may have followed her from the event.
Did she have issues with any of the guests? Oh, no.
Those were her success stories.
Sixty happy couples.
They put the party together in her honor.
They wanted her to see how many lives she'd touched.
You know what's so sad? I don't think that Stacey ever found a soul mate for herself.
That's crazy.
Without her, we wouldn't even be together.
How can she be dead? Was there anyone acting strangely at the party? Not that we noticed.
What about after the party, did you see Stacey leave? Actually, yeah.
Someone picked her up.
- Any idea who? I didn't see.
The car's windows were tinted.
- What - What kind of vehicle was it? A sports car.
It was a Boxster.
A silver Boxster.
Did she have any enemies? Anybody who might have wanted to do her harm? - Oh, man.
- What? Brad Williams.
Stacey's boyfriend, until yesterday.
What happened yesterday? When I came in in the morning, they were fighting.
- About what? - I don't know.
But they were both pretty upset.
Brad was screaming, and Stacey just told him to leave.
I think I heard him say he wanted her to give him something back.
Do you have any idea what? No.
Excuse me.
Did Brad know about the party? He was gonna be there.
But then, when they split up, I had to un-invite him.
Ms.
Taylor, does anyone in Stacey's life drive a silver Boxster? Yeah.
Brad does.
I was in love with Stacey.
What makes you think I could possibly kill her? If you were so in love with her, why did you have a screaming match in her office yesterday? We argue.
I'm a passionate person.
Obviously.
And then after she dumped you, you couldn't handle the rejection and so you killed her.
That's not true.
When you and Stacey fought, you said you wanted something back.
- What was it? - My dignity.
You trashed her office looking for your dignity? I didn't kill her and I didn't trash her office.
Stacey stepped out on me.
That's why we broke up.
And that gives you even greater reason to have killed her.
She's amazing! Look at her eye contact.
The way she won't let go.
I love that.
So what did you think of Heat Wave? Are you kidding? I love it.
Spike Rosenberg is one of my favorite screenwriters.
You know, he did the un-credited final pass on Hell's Crawlspace.
Yeah.
Not the script.
The book.
The real Heat Wave.
I haven't read it.
You took the part of Nikki Heat without even reading the book? Well, Spike made a lot changes in the screenplay.
I didn't want to confuse the character in my head.
Changes? What changes? And then two months ago, she started to pull away.
Next came some phone calls at odd hours from some guy.
She wouldn't say who.
I mean, the signs were all there.
I just didn't wanna see them.
Well, just because she was getting phone calls, doesn't mean that she was having an affair.
I followed her last week.
Saw her meet the guy.
A real low-life.
When I confronted her, she denied everything.
I called her a liar.
And now she's dead.
And then prior to her death, she was seen getting into your car.
After the party, I offered her a ride, thinking we could talk.
- Where did you go? - Nowhere.
She was barely in the car when he called again.
I started to get upset, she just got out.
Then where'd you go after you dropped her off? I didn't go anywhere.
Then noticed I was in front of the Nautilus Diner, I went in and was there until after midnight.
The hostess at Nautilus confirms Brad's story.
Has him there from a few minutes after 10:00 till about midnight drowning his sorrows in five orders of baklava.
Ooh! I love their baklava.
The honey actually oozes out of the sides.
But the salient point here is that Brad Williams just alibied out.
Check into Stacey's phone records.
Let's see if we can find that new boyfriend.
All right.
CSU found a key hidden under the ceiling tile.
They say there's no lockbox in Stacey's office and her assistant doesn't recognize it.
So CSU is running it down.
Well, maybe that's what the killer was looking for.
Maybe it's the key to unlocking the mystery of Stacey's murder.
So what're you thinking about right now, Detective? What's our next move? I'm thinking I need a cup of a coffee.
Me, too! God, we are so in sync.
Hey, hey, Castle.
So I booked that chopper ride.
We're even gonna fly over K.
J.
McDoogals'.
It's the bar where Jenny and I met.
And then tomorrow I'm going out to Flushing to ask her parents for her hand.
I told Jenny I'm playing darts with Esposito.
All right.
Well, you're all set.
Um, I still need to pick a romantic restaurant that's near the West Side Heliport.
Any ideas? Does she like Italian? You are amazing.
In fact, I've already picked up on a couple of your little secrets.
Oh, really? Like what? That thing you do.
Pushing your hair back behind your ear.
It's a device to distract whomever you're talking to.
Gives you an extra few seconds to think about what to say.
Huh! Really? I did not know that.
Yeah, and then there's those crazy four-inch spike heels.
God, they must be hell to run in.
You know, you wouldn't admit it, but it's tough being an attractive woman in such a testosterone-fueled profession.
The heels give you stature.
When guys have to literally look up to you, it gives you a psychological edge.
Well, you're right about the heels and the stature.
But it's not because I need it.
I just like it.
Yo, Beckett.
We got something.
Brad was right.
Stacey did get a call just before she was killed, from one Duke Jones.
Guy's got a sheet that reads like a primer on small-time crookery.
Got B-and-Es, racketeering and assault.
What's a high-class matchmaker doing with a guy like that? Whatever it is, I'm guessing that it's complicated.
According to Stacey's bank records, she was making weekly payments of $5,000 to the guy for the last two months.
Anyone else notice that "two months" has been a recurring theme? - What was the money for? - I don't know.
Neither does her boyfriend or her assistant.
Well, looks like we'll have to ask him ourselves.
- Ready to hit the bricks, Natalie? - Yeah.
Just have to put on your basic famous person disguise so I'm less distracting.
Does that really fool people? Yeah, works in L.
A.
What about you? Do you do anything to hide your fame? Doesn't really come up that much.
Hi.
Can I help you? Yeah, we're looking for Duke Jones.
Who's looking for the Duke? Detective Beckett, NYPD.
Oh.
Chloe, why don't you get some air? We're investigating the death of Stacey Collins.
Stacey's dead? She was murdered.
What was the nature of your relationship? I work as a P.
I.
She hired me to run background checks on potential clients.
Five grand a week? Seems pretty steep.
Especially considering business was down.
Hey.
You get what you pay for.
And what was that exactly? Let's just say I'm not afraid to go deep to find out who someone really is.
And why would Stacey need your services all of sudden? So she could vet her clients.
She made a bad call on one of them and it came back to bite her in the ass.
- Did she tell you who? - Nope.
- Nature of the ass-biting? - Not that either.
You called Stacey 20 minutes before she was killed.
What was it about? I'd finished a background check.
Was just giving her the down-low.
And where were you last night between 10:00 and 11:00? Ooh! I was banging my neighbor.
She can vouch for me.
Great.
We'll be sure to talk to her.
So you think this ass-biting client might actually have something to do with Stacey's death? Well, a recent conflict in the victim's life, it's definitely a red flag so we gotta look into it.
Excuse me, guys.
Esposito? Yeah, I need you to look into a couple of Stacey's clients.
She is crazy-smart.
You know, sexy, commanding.
God.
On a good day, maybe, I'm one out of three.
That's why you're here, isn't it? To learn the ways of Beckett? I'm trying.
You know, Nikki is such a complex, juicy character.
I just really wanna get her right, you know? Is it true you lived in your house's crawlspace for a week to prepare for Hell's Crawlspace? No.
A month.
I told the tabloids a week 'cause I didn't want them to think I was obsessive.
Really? Okay, thanks.
So CSU had a hit on Stacey's hidden key, the one they found in her office.
What's it for? All right.
Stop there.
Odd place to store luggage.
Whoa! That's a lot of cash.
It's gotta be at least a couple hundred grand.
Now we know what our killer was looking for.
So according to Stacey's assistant, the business barely had any money, let alone 250 grand.
And as for this Berglin-Eklof bag, it's definitely not Stacey's.
Our vic was a Tumi girl.
Well, maybe the money belongs to the person who owns the bag.
Yeah, good luck finding that person.
You can't pull prints off of this kind of material.
You can just check the registry.
Registry? That's a $6,000, hand-crafted German bag.
All Berglin-Eklofs are signed and numbered.
When you buy it, you register with the company in case you lose it or it gets stolen.
What kind of an idiot would pay six grand for this bag? I have a full set.
There should be a number sewn in there somewhere.
So a guy from Munich with a Colonel Klink accent just e-mailed over the bag registration.
The owner of this bag is Tonya Wellington.
You know, you might have just cracked this case wide open.
- Seriously? - Yeah.
It's addictive, right? That rush you get from solving a crime.
Yeah.
I didn't get that from the script.
Yeah.
You should really read the book.
I definitely will.
I knew that name was familiar.
Tonya Wellington and her husband Bill were invited to Stacey's surprise party.
But we talked to all the guests.
I don't remember that name.
They were invited, but they declined.
Let's see if they'll accept an invitation to my interrogation party.
- So uncanny.
- Spooky.
Sexy.
Are you doing me? I'm just working on your posture.
You know, it changes depending whether you have a suspect or not.
Really? Like I said.
Getting inside your head.
When I'm done, I'll do you better than you.
Tonya Wellington.
Now.
Yep.
You were a client of Stacey Collins.
Is that correct, Ms.
Wellington? Yes.
She introduced me to my husband, Bill.
But you didn't go to her party last night.
Why is that? But you didn't go to her party last night.
Why is that? That was a great Beckett.
Yeah, almost creepy-great.
Not that you're creepy.
Just, great.
Ms.
Wellington, we found a Berglin-Eklof bag registered to you, containing $250,000 hidden in Stacey Collins' office.
Can you explain where that came from? I'm afraid Ms.
Wellington chooses not to answer that question.
Did you give Stacey that cash? What was it for? Ms.
Wellington, who else knew that she had it? Again, my client's asserting her right to not answer.
And I will remind your client that this is a murder investigation and I believe that that bag and money are at the heart of this case.
Tread lightly, Detective.
My client's here as a courtesy.
And her husband, Bill Wellington, is a powerful man.
Ms.
Wellington, what happened two months ago? This meeting's over.
Drop it! Put down the gun, or I swear I'll blow his head off! You know I can't do that, Tom.
You think I'm kidding around here, Detective Heat? No, I don't.
Torturing yourself? I think you feel trapped and you're serious as hell.
Reconsidering, actually.
I think there's more to her than I thought.
I think she might surprise you.
She did this great emotional scene in Knife 3-D.
It was actually pretty moving.
If I'd seen it, which I haven't.
Thanks, Castle.
That's I was Uh You're welcome.
So, where are we? Ryan and Esposito are digging into Tonya Wellington.
What about Duke Jones? His neighbor confirm his romantic evening? - He - So did a couple other neighbors who complained about the noise.
So it looks like Duke Jones alibis out.
What she said.
- Can we talk for a second? - Sure.
She took my coffee, Castle.
It's just coffee.
Then what's next? My soul? Everything I do, she does.
Even when I'm thinking, I can feel her in my head like some kind of a brain-eating parasite from one of her movies.
She's a dedicated actress.
She just wants to do a good job.
Hey.
No update on what the 250 K was for.
But I think we found that bad client that Duke Jones mentioned.
It's Tonya's husband, Bill Wellington.
Turns out, Tonya's wife number three.
Bill divorced the other two just before their pre-nups expired, leaving them without a dime.
And get this, he was about to do the same to Tonya.
He filed for a divorce two months ago.
So, that's why Stacey became more selective with her clients.
She knew Tonya would be left with nothing.
Not exactly nothing.
The Wellingtons' pre-nup has an infidelity clause, which Bill violated.
He owes Tonya 100 million bucks for cheating on her.
She even has the boudoir shots to prove it.
You have the photographs? From where? Her divorce file.
Pretty salacious, too.
Can I see, for a minute? Castle, we're looking into a murder, not dirty photos.
Or maybe we can do both! Look familiar? That's Chloe, Duke Jones's assistant.
The 250 grand? That was a payment to Stacey to break up Tonya's pre-nup.
So Stacey hired Duke in order to get photographic evidence.
Mmm-hmm.
Duke's assistant Chloe, here, was the bait.
And then they honeytrapped Bill Wellington to break up the pre-nup, costing him $ 100 million.
Man, if I were him, I'd be out for blood.
Let's bring him in.
You have copies of that file? Oh, I copy everything.
That guy looks like a pit bull.
I could see him sticking someone through a wrought-iron fence.
Yeah.
Stacey must've felt incredibly guilty putting Tonya in a relationship with him.
So she decided to level the playing field.
Legally, does it matter to the case why Stacey did what she did? No.
But that's what makes Beckett such a great detective.
She invests in the victim.
You think I did this to Stacey Collins? What's my motive? Because of what she did to your marriage.
It's not like she put a gun to my head and said, "Marry the beast.
" Well, that's very big of you, Mr.
Wellington.
We also know that you were having an affair with this woman.
What does my personal business got to do with the murder of Stacey Collins? I will be asking the questions, Mr.
Wellington.
How did you meet Chloe? At the bar at II Mulino.
She liked my watch and I liked her eyes.
She had a suite at the Beaumont Hotel.
It used to be, a guy could get a little on the side without worrying about some moron with a camera ruining his life.
Expensive affair.
I understand that it cost you $ 100 million.
You must've been pretty angry when you discovered Stacey Collins engineered the whole thing in order to break your pre-nup.
That bitch did what? Mr.
Wellington Are you telling me that this piece of tail worked for Stacey? And that Stacey and my wife arranged all this? Cost you 100 million bucks.
I've seen people kill for far less.
Now you listen to me, Detective.
I had nothing to do with that murder.
Because had I known? I would've killed Stacey and Tonya! Both! Where were you last Sunday night, Mr.
Wellington? Hong Kong? He was there for a week.
His jet touched down at Westchester County Airport yesterday afternoon.
Maybe he hired someone.
We should re-check his financials.
Beckett.
Just got back from Duke's.
The entire place is cleaned out.
There's no files, no computers, not even a paper clip.
Checked his home address, too.
No sign of him.
He's gone.
What about our honeytrap Chloe? No Chloe Graves matching her description in the Tri-State area.
And Stacey's assistant, Julie, never heard of her or Duke or honeytrapping.
With her and Duke gone, there's no way to track 'em down.
So either Stacey's murderer has spooked them both and they got out of Dodge or Or they killed Stacey and now they're on the run.
Wellington said Chloe had a suite at the Beaumont Hotel.
You guys see what you can dig up.
We'll run background and see what we can find on Duke.
Right.
Natalie Rhodes? Yes! Thank you.
What did you get? Just a little something to help with my research.
Where's the ladies room? Yeah, just by the elevator.
Great.
Thanks.
Yeah.
I know her.
That's Greta.
- Greta? - Greta Morgan.
She stayed here about three weekends ago, is that right? Yes, and checked out last Monday.
Two week stay, huh? Did you notice anybody with her? This guy, perhaps? Yeah.
Yeah, he met her in the lobby a couple of times.
She must really be in big trouble, huh? Why's that? There was a cop here the other day asking all the same questions.
Duke's assistant, Chloe? Greta Morgan.
Former exotic dancer.
Picked up a couple of times for solicitation.
Probation and time served.
Looks like she decided to go a little more upscale.
You know, given how much Tonya paid Stacey and how little Stacey paid Duke, looks like money is our motive.
Maybe.
APBs are out on Greta, and I contacted other precincts to find out who else is investigating her and for what.
Talk to enough people, something usually shakes out.
Just like I dreamed it.
Did I say that out loud? Here you go, Beckett.
Thanks, Johnson.
It's Johnson, isn't it? It's Velazquez.
And you are not me.
No.
But I'm getting warmer.
You certainly are.
Okay.
So, the word's out on Greta and we're already tracking Duke's credit cards.
Why don't we just call it a night? What? But it's still early.
Yeah.
Yeah, well, it's a high stress job.
And I wouldn't want anyone to get burnt out.
All right.
I'll go pack up my things.
You cannot tell me that that is normal.
She's just committed to the role.
You should be flattered.
Yeah, sure.
Until she steals my boyfriend and kills me in my sleep.
Let me carry that for you.
Thank you.
Oh, look at me.
All dressed up and no crime to solve.
Yeah.
And I had my heart set on doing research tonight.
So, what do you think? Am I everything you imagined Nikki would be? Uh-huh.
You know, I read Heat Wave last night.
Really? You're right.
It was so much better than the screenplay.
I went right out and read Naked Heat.
You know, I realized the character of Jameson Rook is based on you.
Well, yeah, I guess I drew on my relationship with Detective Beckett.
Even the sex scenes? No.
That was just Fantasy? Like me, now? Well, you wanna give the audience what they want.
Oh, yeah.
You know, the script is so much about the passion between Nikki and Rook.
And if I'm going to play Nikki right, I gotta feel that heat.
Natalie, I'm Not Natalie.
Nikki.
Good morning, Castle.
Good morning, Detective.
Is that for me or for the fictional version of me? Or have you already taken care of her this morning? What is What is that supposed to mean? - I Jenny! Jenny.
Wait! Could Excuse me.
Jenny! Could you please Sweetie, could we just talk about this? - Jenny, please - No, I hate you, Kevin Ryan! Ooh! That was dramatic.
What happened? I accidentally left my phone at home, and she brought it to me.
And while she was here, she asked Javier how darts was last night.
Oh! Your cover story for going to see her parents.
You should've told me, bro.
She thought you lied to her.
Yeah.
And then she found out I was working with you, which I hadn't told her.
What's the big deal about that? You're on my list.
What list? My list.
My Freebie Five.
The five celebrities you can sleep with if you had the chance to And now she thinks that last night that we And I should probably stop talking right now.
I should call her is what I should do.
Excuse me.
Freebie Five, huh? I wonder what number I am.
Why does that not surprise me? So any update on our honeytrapper? Yeah.
I heard from all of the other precincts.
And none of the other cops were looking for a Chloe GraveslGreta Morgan at the Beaumont.
Someone was.
What about Duke? Any sign of him? Well, we are looking into his credit cards and his phone, but so far, no hits.
Maybe not on Duke's cards, but I just found something on Greta's.
She put holds on rooms at two other pricey hotels within the last week.
The charges were reversed and the rooms were ultimately paid for on another credit card.
A corporate card belonging to a Stacey Collins, our victim.
The last week? That was long after they'd gotten the evidence they needed on Bill Wellington.
They were honeytrapping other men.
So one of the other men finds out he's being set up.
He follows Greta from the Beaumont Hotel back to Stacey.
He confronts her, they get into an argument, in a rage he kills her.
Taking her keys to get rid of any incriminating evidence of the affair at her office.
Check the other hotels.
Let's see what we can find on Greta.
- Right.
Thanks.
I'm gonna check on Ryan.
Great.
Can I ask you a question? Sure.
Is Castle gay? I'm sorry, what? No.
No.
Then you two are an item, but you're sworn to secrecy, right? No, we are not an item.
Why? Last night, I invited him back to my place, and he said something to me I have never heard from a man before.
What? "No.
" No? I don't get it.
He's into you, but you're determined not to give in to these feelings that you clearly have for him.
So he fantasizes about you through his writing.
It's literally verbal masturbation.
Yeah Okay.
So what does this all have to do with me? I am not wearing this get-up for my health.
You're Nikki Heat.
He's Jameson Rook.
I need to sleep with him in the name of character research.
Can you talk to him? And say what? I don't know.
Give him permission or something.
I need to go over there.
Everything okay? Do I really do that? Yes, and it's adorable.
If it's so adorable why didn't you sleep with me? Her-me, not me-me.
Well, a fictional character that I wrote based on you played by Natalie Rhodes? It's just way too meta.
Meta? We really should have a code word so we all know which Beckett to kill when her clone army attacks.
Unless we make a preemptive strike.
Get through to Jenny yet? Still not picking up.
Don't worry.
You'll be laughing about it soon enough.
- We are.
- Thanks.
So I've been running through all of Stacey's client files.
Three couples have filed for divorce within the last month.
Can you believe that? You marry the love of your life, the next thing you know they're cheating on you.
- It's not even - Ryan.
Sorry.
Anyway, two of the guys have rock-solid alibis for the time of Stacey's murder and the third divorce had nothing to do with cheating.
- What are you guys doing? - Hiding from creepy Beckett.
We're not Did you find anything on Greta Morgan? Yeah.
I found something pretty interesting at The Meritage Hotel.
What? Greta Morgan.
I didn't kill her.
I told you where I was that night.
People saw me.
Doesn't matter.
We already have you on prostitution and extortion.
So you're looking at ten years.
But if you decide to help us find the truth, I might be inspired to recommend that the D.
A.
give you a suspended sentence.
What do you want to know? Were there any other marks besides Bill Wellington? Stacey hated that because of her, these women were in relationships with bad men.
She felt an obligation to give them a way out with dignity The others.
How many were there? Two.
I'm going to need their names.
Their names, Greta.
Now! Rich Weiss and Scott Donner.
Tall with dark hair.
They both match the description of the guy who was sniffing around the Beaumont Hotel.
We talked to both of those guys.
You're saying one of them might be the killer? Yeah, but which one did it, and how do we prove it? By figuring out which cheater went home with his wife.
And which one stayed behind to commit murder.
So it comes to this: two phone calls to two wives.
One of whom has been sleeping with a cold-hearted killer.
See, this should totally be in the movie.
No twisty this, no melodramatic that.
People love twisty thises and melodramatic thats.
They love what's real.
You know, less is more.
The hardest thing to perform as an actor? Doing nothing.
Just being still.
Being quiet.
Yeah, I'd love to see that.
So Rich's wife confirms that after the party, the two of them went straight home.
Yes, thank you.
Scott's wife confirmed that the two of them went straight home as well.
But then Scott went back out and met his cousin Benjamin for a drink.
Only Benjamin doesn't remember having that drink.
Turns out Scott and his wife left the party an hour before Stacey left, giving him plenty of time to get back there and follow her.
So what do you say, Natalie? You wanna join us on your first arrest? Hell, yeah.
Let's take that cheating dirt-bag down.
Too much? I just usually say, "Let's go.
" See.
Less is more.
Mr.
Donner.
Detective Beckett, NYPD.
We're here about Stacey Collins' murder.
I don't understand.
I told you everything I know down at the station.
Yes, but you didn't tell us where you were when she was murdered.
We know you weren't with your wife.
Or with your cousin having a drink.
You lied about that.
So where were you? I was What did you stand to lose? Thirty, 40 million after the divorce? You confronted Stacey, and you asked her for those photos.
She refused and then you killed her.
No! No! No.
- Mr.
Donner, you're under arrest for - No! - Gun! - Hey! You stay back, all of you! You do not need to do this, Scott.
Give me the gun.
No! I didn't mean to kill her! I just wanted the pictures! She tried to break away.
I didn't even see the gate there.
And those spikes Okay, fine.
It was an accident.
What does it matter? It's all over for me.
Scott, give me the gun and I promise you, you will get a fair trial! You think I'm fooling around here, Detective? No, I don't.
I think you feel trapped and you're serious as hell.
But right now, you need to think about the people who love you.
And they need you to put down that gun.
Guess that script wasn't so hacky after all.
You know, it's tragic, really.
All Stacey wanted was to help save these women from getting screwed in their divorces.
Instead she winds up getting killed.
Well, thanks to you, we only have one death on our hands.
I'm just glad it all worked out.
But I could have used another take.
I should have added a beat in that last line.
Instead of, "Put down that gun," I should have said, "Put down "that gun.
" Hear the difference? Totally adds layers.
Sounded good to me.
Sounded just like me.
Thanks for everything, Kate.
I'll try to do you and Nikki justice.
Even if I didn't get to do all the character research I'd hoped.
Visit me on set, Castle? I wouldn't miss it.
I wouldn't.
Natalie Rhodes.
And I thought it was cool working with you, Castle.
Nice.
- Hi, guys.
- Hey.
- Jenny! - Hey.
Jenny.
I am so glad to see you.
I just wanted to tell you all, I'm sorry about before.
I made a scene and Jenny, it's okay.
No.
You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Kevin.
And I want you to know that I trust you, and I love you.
I'm sorry.
No, I Yeah.
No, I'm the one who's sorry because I lied to you.
But I'm gonna set the record straight, right now, because you deserve the truth.
So wait here just one second? What is he doing? Shh! I didn't play darts with Javier last night.
I went to go see your parents because I had a question for them.
Jennifer Scout Duffy-O'Malley, will you make me the happiest guy in the world and marry me? Oh, my God.
Yes.
Yes! Yes! Yes? Oh, my God.
That was big.
And intimate.