Castle s03e18 Episode Script
One Life to Lose
Joseph, this is the last time we can do this.
What are you talking about? I'm going back to my husband.
Alfonso? I'm sorry.
Angie, baby, what about us? Oh, my God.
Oh, my God, that's him.
He's home early.
Angela, are you upstairs? - Hide in the closet.
Now.
- My coat, my coat.
All right.
What's going on, fellas? What, the gag reel getting a little thin? Oh, my God.
It's Sarah! They killed Sarah.
I know you aren't cooking breakfast, so what is all this? Spring cleaning.
Ooh! Well, Mother, I am shocked that you even know how to operate a sponge.
I have cleaned before.
Well, I've supervised cleaning before.
And what has prompted this sudden burst of domestic devotion? The space for my acting school won't be ready for another month, Alexis is all busy with her AP tests.
- My lunch date canceled.
- Oh.
And if I don't do something productive, I'm gonna tear my hair out.
So out of my way.
All right, then.
Oh! Speaking of hair.
Hello, Beckett.
Yes.
177721 st Street.
All right, I'll meet you there.
Did you say 177721 st Street? Yeah.
There was a murder there.
Why? I know that address.
That's Gemstar Studios.
That's where they film Temptation Lane.
The soap opera you used to be on.
I hope it's nobody that I know.
Maybe I should go with you.
It's a crime scene, Mother.
For trained professionals.
Richard Castle, you are neither trained nor a professional.
I'll text you with updates.
Victim's name is Sarah Cutler.
Looks like she was killed last night and stuffed into a closet on set.
Was she a part of the production? Yeah.
Let me guess, the diva actress that everyone hated? Actually, Castle, she was a writer.
A writer? Why would anyone wanna kill a writer? So many reasons.
Or maybe, Sarah discovered that Greek billionaire Mikkos had invented a machine that could cause blizzards, that would plunge the entire world into an ice age.
Really? You're gonna go with a evil weather machine? It already happened.
On General Hospital.
Look, bear in mind, we're entering into a world of epic drama with larger-than-life characters, each one teeming with twisted secrets and personal intrigue.
It stands to reason that the motive for this murder will be worthy of a soap opera.
Castle, even in a world of epic drama, the motives are usually quite ordinary.
Now, does this look ordinary to you? The victim with an ax in her back on the set of her own show.
Odds are the killer walks amongst us on this very soundstage.
So, what have we got? Her spinal cord was severed with the ax.
Upon contact, her lungs filled with blood, causing her to drown.
I can put the time of death in a four-hour window, somewhere between 7:00 and 11:00 p.
m.
last night.
And where did this ax come from? It's the fire ax on the stage.
Crew members think it might be symbolic.
Symbolic? When Ms.
Cutler took over writing the show, first thing she did was kill off one of the main characters with an ax.
It helped save the show, but some of the fans were unhappy.
You damn right we were unhappy.
Ashley Conrad was the matriarch of Temptation Lane for 30 years, and then, all a sudden Lanie.
Right.
Based on the CSU sweep, she was killed right here.
The killer wiped up the blood spatter and shoved her in the closet.
Which means they knew there was a closet to shove her into, suggesting someone familiar with the layout.
An insider, perhaps.
I just checked with security.
They're on high alert now, but as you can tell, things aren't exactly buttoned up around here.
And what about the cameras? Only one at the main entrance.
But no one was manning the entrance to this soundstage.
Oh! So it is possible that someone from the outside got in.
Have you talked to next of kin? Husband was on set when the body was discovered.
Turns out he's one of the directors.
Okay.
So, why don't you guys get statements from the actors that found her? Castle and I'll talk to the husband.
Right.
It's tragic, really.
Sarah was a gem.
Supremely talented, too.
It all begins with the words.
But it's also how you say them.
So true.
My performance brings Angela Cannon to life.
Without Sarah's words, I'd just an incredibly gorgeous woman named Mandy Bronson.
She really understood Joseph Fox.
My character.
He's very complicated.
Complicated? A five-year-old could write him.
I'd be insulted if you actually knew anything about acting.
Ms.
Bronson, what time did you leave the studio last night? We wrapped at 6:00 and I went straight home.
I drew a bath, poured a glass of wine, put on a little John Legend.
Then I slipped out of my silk robe and let the bubbles soak every inch of my body.
Wow.
Dude.
- Dude.
- Dude.
I was just - Mr.
Hastings, how about you? - Ditto.
You also drew a bubble bath and listened to some John Legend? No, I left right after we wrapped.
And when did you last see Sarah? She came down to the set right before we shot a love scene.
More like a torture scene with me getting smothered by his bulk.
Why don't get your ass to the gym? I'll go to the gym if you pop a Tic Tac the next time we have to kiss.
Can we get back to Sarah for just one more moment? Did she have any enemies in the production? No, no.
Sarah was wonderful.
Everybody loved her.
Yeah, she treated everyone with respect.
I can't imagine who would do this.
Mr.
Powers, when was the last time you heard from your wife? I spoke with Sarah last night.
Right here, right where we're standing right now.
And what did the two of you talk about? End of the day, just touching base.
What time was that? Maybe a little after 6:00.
Didn't you find it strange that Sarah didn't come home last night? I'm used to it.
Sarah's the head writer.
Long hours writing scripts kind of comes with the territory.
She have any trouble with cast or crew? Well, everybody here has an agenda and Sarah had to make a lot of tough decisions, but nobody here would actually hurt her.
I mean, we're like a family.
And what about anyone outside the show? No, not that - Wait.
- What? FoxCanLover.
"FoxCanLover"? About a week ago, Sarah had this crazy, obsessed fan kicked off the set.
She writes an unofficial blog about the show.
She's a shipper who goes by the screen name "FoxCanLover.
" A "shipper"? Yeah.
It's a person who invests in the relationships of a show.
In this case, it would be Joseph Fox and Angela Cannon, hence "FoxCan.
" Exactly.
But when she gets here, she loses it, goes crazy.
Threatens Sarah.
Security has to escort her off.
Do you know the lady's name? No, I don't, but Sarah's assistant would.
Reese Harmon.
Is it true? I'm so sorry.
My baby's gone.
I'm sorry.
This is Sarah's mom, Gloria Chambers.
Detective Beckett is investigating Sarah's murder.
It's so unfair.
I just got her back and now she's gone.
Mrs.
Chambers, were the two of you estranged? We had been for years.
I gave her up for adoption when I was young.
What kind of a monster would do this? We don't know just yet, but we're gonna do everything we can to bring them to justice.
You better, or I will sue the entire city for every nickel it's worth.
I understand being upset, but threatening to sue? Yeah, well, everybody processes their grief differently.
Yes, unless she's a gold-digging opportunist who's insinuated herself back into her daughter's life, because she'd in need of a heart transplant and Sarah is the only compatible donor.
Sure.
Maybe on Temptation Lane, not in the real world.
- Speaking of which, "FoxCan"? - Mmm-hmm.
Joseph Fox and Angela Cannon.
How did you know their names? One of the uniforms briefed me.
Oh.
And "shippers"? Relationship fans? Castle, I do read, you know.
Cool.
Excuse me, are you Reese Harmon? FoxCanLover's real name is Carrie Edwards.
She won the set visit from a literacy charity that Sarah supported.
She paid $ 1,000 for it.
Everything was fine at first, but when she saw Sarah, she got in her face and started yelling, "You ruined everything.
" Did she ever send Sarah any threatening letters? Anything that you might have on file? No, but she did write some pretty awful things on her blog.
I'll show you that.
If Sarah was working late, why weren't you here? You're her assistant.
I usually stay, but Sarah wouldn't let me.
Why not? One of her passions was helping young writers.
She got me a position at the network fellowship program.
We had a mixer last night.
She was supposed to come, but she never showed.
When was the last time you saw her? Around 6:30.
I brought her a coffee and scone.
Here it is.
Last week, the day of the set visit, look at what she wrote.
"Made it onto the set, but didn't complete the mission.
" Look at the most recent post.
"Last time, I failed.
This time, I will succeed.
"She's been stabbing us loyal fans in the back.
"Now it's our turn to take her down.
" "It's time to give her the ax.
" - She's dead? - Yeah.
Sarah Cutler is dead? This is the best news ever.
Can I send a quick tweet? Not cool? I'll wait.
Must've been difficult not to blog about it last night.
Yeah, how would I know? Wait.
You guys think I had something to do with this? Well, I mean, your blog clearly spells out your determination to take out Sarah.
But everybody talks tough on the Internet.
You wrote, "It's time to give her the ax" the day she was killed with an ax.
Okay, no.
I can explain this.
We already figured it out.
You bought the set visit to get closer to Sarah.
Your visit was cut short.
You came back last night when no one was around, and then you remembered there's an ax on the soundstage.
No, no, no.
I bought the set visit because she was being swayed by the CanFonsos.
Who? The CanFonsos.
The opposition.
They believe that Angela Cannon should be together with Alfonso Dominguez.
I was trying to convince her that Angela belongs with Joseph! With an ax? Yes! Wait, no.
I was organizing a protest, okay? We were gonna send a whole bunch of axes to the head of the network, demanding that Sarah be fired.
I've got everybody on my website doing it.
We want them to know that we think Sarah's ruining the show! Where were you last night between 7:00 and 11:00? I was chatting with the other FoxCans.
Wild guess.
Alone? No.
No, and I can prove it.
Mary and Dennis were home.
And those are your roommates? No, my parents.
I just don't see that girl swinging an ax, let alone leaving her house.
What's the matter? A homicidal fan not soapy enough for you? You know, when you say "soapy," I conjure up images Castle, focus.
I am.
- On our suspect.
- Oh.
I mean, you saw how obsessive she was.
She invests in these fictional relationships.
She cares if Angela gonna get back together with Alfonso, if Marguerite's gonna survive her cancer scare.
Oh, my God.
What? You watch Temptation Lane.
What? No.
No one said anything about Marguerite's cancer scare.
You know a lot about shippers, you know about FoxCans.
You are a fan.
A big fat Temptation Lane fan.
Okay, maybe I watched it, like, once or twice.
It's just so delightfully not you! So says the guy who rattles off plot points from General Hospital.
That is completely different.
That is for research.
What was for research? - Nothing.
- Nothing.
Mary and Dennis confirmed that blogger chick was in her room all night.
What about the cast and crew? So far all their alibis checked out.
But I was looking over Sarah's schedule.
Last week, there were a couple of appointments that just say "M.
" Then there was another one the day before the murder, and then one scheduled for tomorrow.
So? So her assistant didn't schedule these, which means it was personal.
And her husband didn't know about them either.
With Sarah's workload, it must've been important for her to make time.
Exactly, and her husband and assistant both say that when she came back from these appointments, she was upset.
All right, let's see what we can dig up from that.
Hey, Beckett.
Hey.
What'd you find at the apartment? Her husband's stuff.
His clothes are gone and only her stuff is in the bathroom.
So I talked to the doorman, and he said that Vince hasn't lived there in almost two months.
They've been separated.
Funny he didn't mention that earlier.
Looks like someone's hiding something on Temptation Lane.
Look, I knew if I told you that my marriage was in trouble, that I would be suspect number one.
Maybe.
But now that we know that you lied, it makes you look even worse.
Why did you separate? Everything changed after Sarah got the big promotion.
If I wanted to spend time with my own wife, I had to schedule an appointment.
It wasn't working, so I moved out.
You know, there's another version of this story where your wife kicked you out and then she demanded a divorce.
Only this way, you don't have to worry about splitting your assets.
I didn't kill my wife.
Well, then, where were you the night that she was killed? I was at the hotel.
I went there immediately after we wrapped here.
And can anyone vouch for that? Come on, Vince.
Tell us you were alone.
It'll make arresting you that much easier.
I I wasn't alone.
I'm gonna need a name.
Mandy Bronson.
Mandy Bronson? As in Angela Cannon? As in star of Temptation Lane? Yes.
That Mandy Bronson.
Just checking.
Did she stay the night? No.
We ordered room service and about 7:00, she got an e-mail from Sarah and she went running off.
So the night that your wife was killed, she e-mailed your mistress, and you didn't think that that was important to mention? It wasn't a big deal.
I asked Mandy about it.
Well, she got some new script pages that Sarah wanted her to look over, so she went home to memorize them.
Were you alone the rest of the night? Yes.
Yes.
I cracked the mini-bar, I ordered pay-per-view.
You can check.
I will.
It can't be the husband.
Well, he's got motive.
Yeah, but marriage on the rocks, killing for money? It's just so Ordinary.
We need to focus on Mandy Bronson, home-wrecking diva engaged in a torrid affair with the victim's husband.
She fled their illicit love nest after a mysterious e-mail from Sarah on the eve of her murder.
Yeah, but we don't even know if there was an e-mail.
I mean, Vincent could have been lying.
But you are right, Mandy Bronson does have some explaining to do.
"Esplanie.
" - What? - Lanie and Esposito.
Like "FoxCan.
" We can call them "Esplanie.
" Which is perfect, because they're always explaining things.
- Mother.
- Hi.
Martha, what a surprise.
Yes, what an unexpected surprise.
What are you doing here? Grieving.
You didn't even know the victim.
Darling, a loss for a show like this is a loss for anyone who was ever part of its history.
And I think I can be of help here.
I think I could be your inside source.
I can get the scoop on what's really going on here.
And what better place to start than Lance Hastings.
You know him? He was my love interest 30 years ago.
On screen.
And off.
After my character married his character, Joseph Fox, she was kidnapped, buried alive, trapped in a cave with bears, kidnapped again, and held hostage in the sewers of Paris.
How long were you on the show? Three weeks.
Gotta go.
Excuse me.
My mother gives new meaning to the word "transparent.
" - Martha.
- Lance.
Darling, I know There's her account.
What are you looking for? An e-mail that Sarah sent before she died.
There it is.
"Meet me at the office ASAP.
" So Sarah had Mandy meet her here that night.
You think she found out about the affair, planned to confront her? I don't know.
There's an attachment.
It's a script for an upcoming episode.
The characters are vacationing in Pamplona.
- Oh, my God.
- Oh, my God.
Mandy Bronson's character is gored to death while running with the bulls.
Sarah brought her here to tell Mandy she was writing her off the show.
It looks like Mandy wrote her off first.
Castle.
Come here, come here.
Dude, I know she's a murder suspect, but you gotta admit, she is smoking hot.
Agreed.
So hot, in fact, it led to a torrid affair with Sarah's director husband.
Sarah found out about it, decided to kill off Mandy's character.
It doesn't get any soapier than that.
Obviously, you haven't seen Chiquitas.
As in bananas? No, as in the telenovela.
I used to watch it growing up with my grandmother.
Bro, there was this one episode where Gabriela discovered that her husband was sleeping with her evil twin sister, Teresita, only to later find out that she had multiple personality disorder.
Wait, does that even qualify as cheating? - Dude.
- What? Don't over-think it.
Ms.
Bronson, I'm curious how you felt when you found out that Sarah was gonna kill off your character.
Kill off my character? That's ridiculous.
I'm the reason the ratings were up.
Well, then why did she write this scene where Angela Cannon has an unfortunate encounter with a bull? Sarah probably writes a death scene for every character on the show.
To keep the actors in line.
She wrote those particular pages the night that she was murdered.
While you were with her husband.
He told us that you left right after you got an e-mail from Sarah.
But you didn't go home, did you? You went to go and confront her.
Sarah wanted to save her marriage.
She thought the way she could do that was to get me out of the picture.
And you wanted to urge her to reconsider, and when she didn't, you killed her.
I admit, I went to see the bitch.
I told her Angela Cannon is the heart and soul of the show, but when I saw she wouldn't back down, I left.
I didn't need to kill her.
And why is that? Because I still had a hand to play.
Everybody thinks Sarah calls the shots at Temptation Lane.
But the second in command, Peter Connelly, he's the one the network really trusts.
What is this other hand that you had to play? I did what any industrious actress would do.
I went to his apartment straight from the studio and used my powers of persuasion to get him on my side.
When did you leave? The sun was up.
And my character is still alive.
Yeah, she showed up at my apartment last night.
She was wearing a fur coat.
So? Just a fur coat.
And I nearly had a heart attack when she let it slip open.
Years of fantasizing, and there she was, standing right in front of me.
And what did she want? She was all fired up about Sarah wanting to write her off the show.
So then I had to listen to Mandy summarize every Soap Digest article praising her performance.
Just to make her stop, I agreed that I would talk to Sarah.
Only now, you don't have to.
Reese! Grab your laptop and join the group.
We're all hands on deck.
You mean it? I'm not gonna ask you twice.
Sounds like you're pretty desperate.
Mr.
Castle, you publish, what, one book a year? Give or take.
In that same time period, we produce 250 episodes.
I'm down a writer.
Reese wrote some script about horses that Sarah actually liked.
So, yeah, I'm gonna take the extra help where I can get it.
Unless, of course, you'd like to jump in.
You know what's interesting? With Sarah out of the way, Mandy gets to stay on the show and you get promoted.
Hey, I'm a professional.
Mandy's staying because Angela Cannon is the heart and soul of this show.
Well, where have I heard that before? We'll keep in touch.
Beckett.
So, the hotel confirmed that the time sensors in Vince's mini-bar were activated till 11:30 p.
m.
So I guess our deadly love triangle wasn't so deadly after all.
Not on his side, anyway.
But the hot news is, Ryan got a hit on those mystery appointments that Sarah was going to.
He found credit card charges that matched up time and date to the meetings.
And where was she going? To a coffee shop on 7th.
And according to her calendar, her next meeting is in about an hour.
Castle, you up for a coffee break? Here you go.
Thanks.
Can I help you? Yes, I hope so.
Do you recognize this woman? Yeah.
Why? She can't be dead.
She can't be dead.
She can't.
I'm so sorry, Ms.
Goldberg.
It's not fair.
It is so not fair.
What am I supposed to do? Did the two of you know each other very well? Actually, I didn't know her at all.
Then why would you be so upset? Well, because she promised she would read my screenplay, and if she liked it, she would help me find an agent.
Who would she meet when she came here? What's it matter? She's dead.
I lost my chance.
I'll tell you what.
I'll make you a deal.
If you tell us what happened after that, I'll read your script, and if I like it, I'll give it to my agent.
Really? Really.
She met with a guy and they sat at a table in the corner.
Do you remember what he looked like? Like him.
Exactly like him.
Give me a double espresso, will you? What about my script? I'll come back and get it when we're done.
Do I know you? I'm a friend of Sarah Cutler.
Yeah? You bring my money? What money? Look, I did what she asked.
And now I want what I'm owed.
And, what is it that she asked you to do? None of your damn business.
Who the hell are you? NYPD.
Sarah's dead, so it is my business.
Now, who the hell are you? Johnny Dimes.
I'm a P.
I.
Sarah Cutler was a client.
What do you mean, she's dead? She's dead.
Only really has the one meaning.
Did she hire you to follow her husband? Husband? No.
She hired me to investigate Gloria Chambers.
The mom.
I knew it.
Was she involved in organ harvesting? That didn't really come up.
But I can tell you this, Gloria Chambers isn't her real birth mom.
She's a fake.
Oh The mom isn't really the mom? Does it get any soapier than that? Ooh! Is that the P.
I.
's file on Sarah's faux-mother? Yeah.
Apparently, Gloria showed up three years ago claiming to be Sarah's birth mom, and Sarah got suspicious, so she hired a P.
I.
in order to look into Gloria's history.
What nefarious scheme has Gloria set into motion? Perhaps she planned on replacing Sarah with a clone.
She wanted Sarah's money.
Money? Yeah.
Sorry to burst your bubble, Castle, but Gloria's got a history of insurance scams, and husbands with empty bank accounts.
- Are we bringing her in? - We're trying.
We've put out an APB.
Her apartment's empty, and the doorman saw her leave with a suitcase this morning.
Ooh! So, maybe Dimes tells Sarah about Gloria.
Sarah confronts her, and then Gloria kills Sarah in order to avoid exposure.
And after playing the role of grieving mother on set, Gloria knew enough to get the hell out of Dodge.
Yo! Look who got caught trying to buy a ticket to The Bahamas at JFK.
Gloria.
Everything in New York reminded me of Sarah.
I needed to distance myself from the agonizing truth that she's dead.
Now, if denial is a crime, I plead guilty.
Good to know.
Now, how do you plead on murder? Gloria Chambers, also known as Charlene Sellars.
You have been a very busy woman.
Yours is a real rags-to-riches story.
Only trouble is, the riches never seem to be yours.
Fraud in Florida, embezzlement in North Carolina.
I served my time for those prior misunderstandings.
And then you latched on to your next meal ticket, Constantine Pirelli.
After him, it was Ernesto Cruz.
I hear they're very anxious for you to come back with their money.
I was married to those men.
It was our money.
I can tell you, I earned every penny.
But as usual, you blew it all, and so you looked for your next ticket, which you found in Sarah Cutler.
You heard an interview where she mentioned being adopted.
You did a little research, and then showed up as the long-lost mother.
Sarah might have been under the impression that she was my daughter.
But I didn't kill her.
And in my own way, I was I was fond of Sarah.
Fond enough that you were able to masquerade as her mother.
You had motive to kill her, that's why you tried to flee the country.
What motive? Her will shows that she planned to leave you $300,000.
She's a generous girl, my Sarah.
She's not your Sarah.
And that's not your money.
You knew she wrote you into her will.
In fact, you probably planned it all along.
So when she confronted you, you knew that you had a narrow window within which to kill her before she wrote you out.
Here's your problem.
I am not your killer.
If I were you, I'd look into the other man in her life.
What other man? The one that gave her the two-karat Arthur Klein earrings just the other day.
Does this other man have a name? Well, Sarah didn't tell me that.
But whoever he was, they must have just split up because he was trying to win her over.
Really? You're gonna point us to a mysterious stranger? It's the truth.
Coming from a professional liar.
I was nowhere near this godforsaken soap set when she died.
I was doing something useful with my time.
Reading to the blind? Mmm.
Close.
I was donating to the ponies.
Oh.
OTB receipts in Gloria's purse put her betting on races until 10:00 p.
m.
And our time of death is estimated at 11:00 on the outside, and we don't have anything to tie her to the studio.
I thought fake mom was a lock.
It's starting to look less that way by the minute.
I found the earrings that Gloria talked about in Sarah's apartment.
Fancy! Yeah, over 10 grand worth of fancy.
Those are worth over 10 grand? For these? Lanie loves diamonds.
"Diamonds are forever, like my devotion to you.
" Who writes notes this cheesy? Well, not the husband.
I checked on his financials.
He didn't buy them.
Okay, so maybe Gloria was telling us the truth.
Maybe Sarah was having an affair.
Well, that makes perfect sense.
Sarah was separated from her husband, Vince.
And after long, grueling days at work, she'd go home to a cold, empty apartment.
Feeling lonely, betrayed, she seeks comfort in the arms of this mystery man.
And she decides that she wants her husband back, so she writes his mistress, Mandy Bronson, off the show in order to save their marriage.
And her next step would be to get rid of the other man.
So maybe the other man didn't go off quietly into the night.
Do you two practice this when we're not around? These earrings are exclusive to Arthur Klein's boutique in Chelsea.
Let's find out who bought them.
Okay, so, Gloria is in the clear.
Uniforms showed her photo at the OTB, and a bartender there remembers seeing her at 11:15.
You know, I can see why she fell for Gloria's con.
Sarah was motherless, childless.
She was taking young writers under her wing.
She was looking for family.
Wow, Castle.
That's a refreshingly down-to-earth theory.
Just trying to keep you on your toes.
Hey! So, we ran down purchases at Klein's boutique and guess who popped? - Lance Hastings? - Lance Hastings.
That's not all.
I ran Lance's credit card activity to confirm the purchase, and something else caught my eye.
Lance charged a cab ride to the studio the night of the murder.
Yeah, when we interviewed him, he said he went straight home at 6:00 p.
m.
The cab company drove him back to the studio around 8:00.
Okay, so, that falls right within the window of our time of death.
Go pick him up.
Yeah, we already sent a uniform.
He's not home and he's not answering his phone.
My mother was speaking to him earlier on set.
Hi, sweetie.
Is Gram there? I need to talk to her.
What's wrong? I know where the killer is.
He's with my mother.
Castle, it's okay.
I'm sure your mom's not in any danger.
Yeah, you're probably right.
I'm sorry, my dear, but after everything I've told you, I can't let you leave this room alive.
Lance, think about what you're doing.
I'm thinking about it.
Think about us! I can't let you live! - Can't you Drop the knife! Drop the weapon! Wait a minute, wait a minute.
Wait, wait! Richard! What are you doing? Nothing.
Just saving your life.
That's all.
She said drop the knife! The only thing that knife could kill is butter.
What are you talking about? It's a prop.
We were just working on a scene.
Guys, it was completely my idea.
You know, the actor's version of "show me your golf swing.
" The knife may be fake, but the ax you put into Sarah's back was real.
You lied to Detectives Ryan and Esposito regarding your whereabouts the night of the murder.
You want the truth? That would be a great place to start.
You can't handle the truth! Sir, I am not interested in your Jack Nicholson impressions.
We know that you went back to the studio the night of the murder.
And what I'm asking is why.
It was a friendly conversation between colleagues.
A friendly conversation in which she told you she was going to go back to her husband? What the hell are you talking about? Why would she do that? Because she was breaking up with you.
Is that what you think is going on here? You think that Sarah and I were lovers? Did you or did you not buy an expensive pair of diamond earrings for her? Yes, but not to woo her.
It was to encourage Sarah to let me out of my contract for a movie role.
A movie role? Yes.
The Coen brothers have asked me to play Matt Damon's half-wit dad in their new movie.
It's a role of a lifetime.
It has nominations written all over it.
But that still doesn't explain why you went back to the studio that night.
I went to thank Sarah in person, because my agent had called me that evening to tell me that she had agreed to let me out.
The reason I didn't mention any of this is I didn't want to risk missing work on the movie.
Why didn't you just call her? I wanted her to know how much I appreciated it.
So you went back to thank her and that's it? No.
Not exactly.
When I got there, she was reading a script, and she seemed upset.
I asked her why, and she said somebody had betrayed her.
Who? At first I thought it was me for taking the movie role.
But then, she said that someone wasn't who she thought they were.
And she didn't let on as to who this person was? No.
I didn't wanna give her the opportunity to change her mind about the movie, so I exited stage left.
Okay, found the deal memo that Sarah signed in order to get Lance out for his movie.
He wasn't lying.
My mother is never gonna let me forget this.
Come on, Castle.
She'll probably think it was sweet that you were concerned about her.
This is Martha Rodgers we are talking about.
I intruded on her "moment.
" No, I will pay dearly.
When Lance came here, Sarah told him that someone wasn't who she thought they were.
Who do you think that was? How about the woman who makes my mother look like a saint? Yeah, but Sarah already cut Gloria out of her life.
Maybe Maybe it was her cheating husband.
Except Lance met with Sarah after Mandy Bronson.
By the time Mandy showed up, Sarah had already decided what she wanted to do with her marriage.
Yeah, but even if Sarah decided that she was gonna get back together with Vince, it doesn't mean that she didn't have doubts.
No, no, you're right.
Except he has an alibi.
Everyone has an alibi.
Yeah, well, somebody out there doesn't, and we are gonna find them.
Maybe we should sleep on it.
Separately.
Katherine Beckett, I never Hello, ladies.
Hey, Dad.
Gram told me how you went all Jason Bourne on her date.
Come on, I think I deserve some kudos for my selfless courage in the face of perceived danger.
Think what you will.
I have taken the liberty of selecting an apology gift.
Page 47, dog-eared for your convenience.
- The dress? - Uh-huh.
And the shoes.
Oh! And the purse.
Where did you get this, darling? From a woman I met on the case.
She's an aspiring writer.
In a moment of weakness, I told her I'd read it.
It's really pretty good.
She's got very vivid characters, well-plotted.
Pleasantly salacious.
Great.
That's what I'll tell her.
No, no, no.
You said you would read it, honey.
You.
I will.
I just have to do a little more thinking on the case.
He's procrastinating.
- No, I am not.
- I know! I am just about to solve a critical piece of our mystery.
Now that you've determined that Lance is not the ax murderer.
So, what's the critical piece of evidence, Dad? Shortly before she died, Sarah Cutler said that someone had betrayed her.
I think that person is our killer.
Well, then it could be anybody, darling, because betrayal is a way of life on a soap opera.
And let me tell you, Temptation Lane is like this seething cauldron of sordidness and treachery and naked ambition.
And you know which people are the most manipulative and devious? I do.
I know who betrayed Sarah.
There's nothing in my contract that says that I have to be I've got to rehearse.
- Off the phones, please.
- Let's go.
Okay, Castle.
Let's go.
No, wait, no.
Hang on.
I just wrote my first soap scene, which they are about to shoot.
Well, I'll catch it on TV.
We've got an arrest to make.
No, no, no, wait.
This scene is going to expose the killer.
"The play's the thing "wherein we'll catch the conscience of the king.
" Hamlet.
"We already know who the killer is, so you're wasting my time.
" Me.
Not if it gets us a confession.
Places, please.
- They're starting.
Let's go.
Okay, no.
Send it back.
Yeah.
All right, thanks.
Hey, come on in, guys.
Thanks.
Castle, what are Yeah, just Just watch.
Just watch.
Can we close the down-stage door to get better eyes on Mandy, please? And clear the set.
Here we go, everybody.
In five, four, three, two Two's on the line.
Can't you at least knock? I'm changing.
Nothing I haven't seen before.
And enjoyed immensely.
Really? It's a soap opera.
I had to honor the form.
What are you doing here, Joseph? If this is about our relationship No, it isn't.
It's about your research paper.
The one I had you submit for the Montenegro Journalism Fellowship.
Is there news about the winner? The thing about the fellowship is that it can open doors.
It launches careers.
That's why I recommended you.
Over to one.
So, did I win? Three.
I went to the coffee shop this morning, and a barista there asked me to read an article that she had written for her college paper.
Oddly enough, it was identical to yours.
There must be some mistake.
No, just the one you made in assuming that you could pass off somebody else's material as your own.
You are a fraud, Angela.
And I am going to call the fellowship and let them know that exactly.
And by the way, you're fired.
And cut.
Nice job, people.
I don't understand.
This is This is not the scene that we worked on yesterday.
We made some adjustments.
And yet, it has an oddly familiar ring to it.
Reading other people's scripts is a part of your job, isn't it? What are you accusing me of? Did you not see the scene? If you're going to be a writer, you have to have a better grasp of subtext.
Look, I I might have mixed up some of the scripts, but I was at the fellowship mixer the night that Sarah died.
Nobody there remembers seeing you after 8:00 p.
m.
Sarah was killed with an ax, Reese.
Whoever killed her got blood on their clothes and on their shoes.
Some of it invisible to the naked eye.
But it doesn't matter how much you try to wash it, it's still there.
I have officers at your apartment.
You have no idea what I did for her.
Picking up her dogs, picking up her dry cleaning.
The late nights, the weekends, no vacation.
You try writing a script with all of that going on.
I worked too hard to let it end that way.
I deserved that opportunity.
And I could not let her take that away from me.
It was never yours to begin with.
Killing Sarah to keep a lid on her plagiarism? That's cold.
And pretty ordinary, as far as motives go.
She didn't want to put in the work, so she took a shortcut.
Only there are no shortcuts in writing.
Nope, but there is to our favorite bar.
I found a new route that'll get us to the Old Haunt in eight minutes.
You up for a beer? Come on, I know the owner.
Yeah, I'm down, bro.
How about you, Castle? Right behind you.
What? Got you a present.
A signed cast photo from Temptation Lane.
How did you even get this? I know people who know people.
Okay.
I was nine, and I had to get my tonsils taken out and I was miserable.
And so my mom took time off of work, and stayed with me and cuddled up in front of the TV on the couch, and we would watch episodes of Temptation Lane.
So every time I see it now, it just It makes me feel like home, and safe.
So there you go.
Judge away.
My DVR would make yours look like Masterpiece Theatre.
But I am glad to know this about you.
I'll leave you to it.
Hey, Castle, thank you for the photo.
I'll see you.
Hey! After all these years, all the times I could've been holding you in my arms.
Then let's not waste more time with words, let's just let our lips do the talking.
You two running lines again? Oh! Well, no, no! We were just You know, talking.
Oh.
Oh! Um I'm gonna I'll just I'll go to the
What are you talking about? I'm going back to my husband.
Alfonso? I'm sorry.
Angie, baby, what about us? Oh, my God.
Oh, my God, that's him.
He's home early.
Angela, are you upstairs? - Hide in the closet.
Now.
- My coat, my coat.
All right.
What's going on, fellas? What, the gag reel getting a little thin? Oh, my God.
It's Sarah! They killed Sarah.
I know you aren't cooking breakfast, so what is all this? Spring cleaning.
Ooh! Well, Mother, I am shocked that you even know how to operate a sponge.
I have cleaned before.
Well, I've supervised cleaning before.
And what has prompted this sudden burst of domestic devotion? The space for my acting school won't be ready for another month, Alexis is all busy with her AP tests.
- My lunch date canceled.
- Oh.
And if I don't do something productive, I'm gonna tear my hair out.
So out of my way.
All right, then.
Oh! Speaking of hair.
Hello, Beckett.
Yes.
177721 st Street.
All right, I'll meet you there.
Did you say 177721 st Street? Yeah.
There was a murder there.
Why? I know that address.
That's Gemstar Studios.
That's where they film Temptation Lane.
The soap opera you used to be on.
I hope it's nobody that I know.
Maybe I should go with you.
It's a crime scene, Mother.
For trained professionals.
Richard Castle, you are neither trained nor a professional.
I'll text you with updates.
Victim's name is Sarah Cutler.
Looks like she was killed last night and stuffed into a closet on set.
Was she a part of the production? Yeah.
Let me guess, the diva actress that everyone hated? Actually, Castle, she was a writer.
A writer? Why would anyone wanna kill a writer? So many reasons.
Or maybe, Sarah discovered that Greek billionaire Mikkos had invented a machine that could cause blizzards, that would plunge the entire world into an ice age.
Really? You're gonna go with a evil weather machine? It already happened.
On General Hospital.
Look, bear in mind, we're entering into a world of epic drama with larger-than-life characters, each one teeming with twisted secrets and personal intrigue.
It stands to reason that the motive for this murder will be worthy of a soap opera.
Castle, even in a world of epic drama, the motives are usually quite ordinary.
Now, does this look ordinary to you? The victim with an ax in her back on the set of her own show.
Odds are the killer walks amongst us on this very soundstage.
So, what have we got? Her spinal cord was severed with the ax.
Upon contact, her lungs filled with blood, causing her to drown.
I can put the time of death in a four-hour window, somewhere between 7:00 and 11:00 p.
m.
last night.
And where did this ax come from? It's the fire ax on the stage.
Crew members think it might be symbolic.
Symbolic? When Ms.
Cutler took over writing the show, first thing she did was kill off one of the main characters with an ax.
It helped save the show, but some of the fans were unhappy.
You damn right we were unhappy.
Ashley Conrad was the matriarch of Temptation Lane for 30 years, and then, all a sudden Lanie.
Right.
Based on the CSU sweep, she was killed right here.
The killer wiped up the blood spatter and shoved her in the closet.
Which means they knew there was a closet to shove her into, suggesting someone familiar with the layout.
An insider, perhaps.
I just checked with security.
They're on high alert now, but as you can tell, things aren't exactly buttoned up around here.
And what about the cameras? Only one at the main entrance.
But no one was manning the entrance to this soundstage.
Oh! So it is possible that someone from the outside got in.
Have you talked to next of kin? Husband was on set when the body was discovered.
Turns out he's one of the directors.
Okay.
So, why don't you guys get statements from the actors that found her? Castle and I'll talk to the husband.
Right.
It's tragic, really.
Sarah was a gem.
Supremely talented, too.
It all begins with the words.
But it's also how you say them.
So true.
My performance brings Angela Cannon to life.
Without Sarah's words, I'd just an incredibly gorgeous woman named Mandy Bronson.
She really understood Joseph Fox.
My character.
He's very complicated.
Complicated? A five-year-old could write him.
I'd be insulted if you actually knew anything about acting.
Ms.
Bronson, what time did you leave the studio last night? We wrapped at 6:00 and I went straight home.
I drew a bath, poured a glass of wine, put on a little John Legend.
Then I slipped out of my silk robe and let the bubbles soak every inch of my body.
Wow.
Dude.
- Dude.
- Dude.
I was just - Mr.
Hastings, how about you? - Ditto.
You also drew a bubble bath and listened to some John Legend? No, I left right after we wrapped.
And when did you last see Sarah? She came down to the set right before we shot a love scene.
More like a torture scene with me getting smothered by his bulk.
Why don't get your ass to the gym? I'll go to the gym if you pop a Tic Tac the next time we have to kiss.
Can we get back to Sarah for just one more moment? Did she have any enemies in the production? No, no.
Sarah was wonderful.
Everybody loved her.
Yeah, she treated everyone with respect.
I can't imagine who would do this.
Mr.
Powers, when was the last time you heard from your wife? I spoke with Sarah last night.
Right here, right where we're standing right now.
And what did the two of you talk about? End of the day, just touching base.
What time was that? Maybe a little after 6:00.
Didn't you find it strange that Sarah didn't come home last night? I'm used to it.
Sarah's the head writer.
Long hours writing scripts kind of comes with the territory.
She have any trouble with cast or crew? Well, everybody here has an agenda and Sarah had to make a lot of tough decisions, but nobody here would actually hurt her.
I mean, we're like a family.
And what about anyone outside the show? No, not that - Wait.
- What? FoxCanLover.
"FoxCanLover"? About a week ago, Sarah had this crazy, obsessed fan kicked off the set.
She writes an unofficial blog about the show.
She's a shipper who goes by the screen name "FoxCanLover.
" A "shipper"? Yeah.
It's a person who invests in the relationships of a show.
In this case, it would be Joseph Fox and Angela Cannon, hence "FoxCan.
" Exactly.
But when she gets here, she loses it, goes crazy.
Threatens Sarah.
Security has to escort her off.
Do you know the lady's name? No, I don't, but Sarah's assistant would.
Reese Harmon.
Is it true? I'm so sorry.
My baby's gone.
I'm sorry.
This is Sarah's mom, Gloria Chambers.
Detective Beckett is investigating Sarah's murder.
It's so unfair.
I just got her back and now she's gone.
Mrs.
Chambers, were the two of you estranged? We had been for years.
I gave her up for adoption when I was young.
What kind of a monster would do this? We don't know just yet, but we're gonna do everything we can to bring them to justice.
You better, or I will sue the entire city for every nickel it's worth.
I understand being upset, but threatening to sue? Yeah, well, everybody processes their grief differently.
Yes, unless she's a gold-digging opportunist who's insinuated herself back into her daughter's life, because she'd in need of a heart transplant and Sarah is the only compatible donor.
Sure.
Maybe on Temptation Lane, not in the real world.
- Speaking of which, "FoxCan"? - Mmm-hmm.
Joseph Fox and Angela Cannon.
How did you know their names? One of the uniforms briefed me.
Oh.
And "shippers"? Relationship fans? Castle, I do read, you know.
Cool.
Excuse me, are you Reese Harmon? FoxCanLover's real name is Carrie Edwards.
She won the set visit from a literacy charity that Sarah supported.
She paid $ 1,000 for it.
Everything was fine at first, but when she saw Sarah, she got in her face and started yelling, "You ruined everything.
" Did she ever send Sarah any threatening letters? Anything that you might have on file? No, but she did write some pretty awful things on her blog.
I'll show you that.
If Sarah was working late, why weren't you here? You're her assistant.
I usually stay, but Sarah wouldn't let me.
Why not? One of her passions was helping young writers.
She got me a position at the network fellowship program.
We had a mixer last night.
She was supposed to come, but she never showed.
When was the last time you saw her? Around 6:30.
I brought her a coffee and scone.
Here it is.
Last week, the day of the set visit, look at what she wrote.
"Made it onto the set, but didn't complete the mission.
" Look at the most recent post.
"Last time, I failed.
This time, I will succeed.
"She's been stabbing us loyal fans in the back.
"Now it's our turn to take her down.
" "It's time to give her the ax.
" - She's dead? - Yeah.
Sarah Cutler is dead? This is the best news ever.
Can I send a quick tweet? Not cool? I'll wait.
Must've been difficult not to blog about it last night.
Yeah, how would I know? Wait.
You guys think I had something to do with this? Well, I mean, your blog clearly spells out your determination to take out Sarah.
But everybody talks tough on the Internet.
You wrote, "It's time to give her the ax" the day she was killed with an ax.
Okay, no.
I can explain this.
We already figured it out.
You bought the set visit to get closer to Sarah.
Your visit was cut short.
You came back last night when no one was around, and then you remembered there's an ax on the soundstage.
No, no, no.
I bought the set visit because she was being swayed by the CanFonsos.
Who? The CanFonsos.
The opposition.
They believe that Angela Cannon should be together with Alfonso Dominguez.
I was trying to convince her that Angela belongs with Joseph! With an ax? Yes! Wait, no.
I was organizing a protest, okay? We were gonna send a whole bunch of axes to the head of the network, demanding that Sarah be fired.
I've got everybody on my website doing it.
We want them to know that we think Sarah's ruining the show! Where were you last night between 7:00 and 11:00? I was chatting with the other FoxCans.
Wild guess.
Alone? No.
No, and I can prove it.
Mary and Dennis were home.
And those are your roommates? No, my parents.
I just don't see that girl swinging an ax, let alone leaving her house.
What's the matter? A homicidal fan not soapy enough for you? You know, when you say "soapy," I conjure up images Castle, focus.
I am.
- On our suspect.
- Oh.
I mean, you saw how obsessive she was.
She invests in these fictional relationships.
She cares if Angela gonna get back together with Alfonso, if Marguerite's gonna survive her cancer scare.
Oh, my God.
What? You watch Temptation Lane.
What? No.
No one said anything about Marguerite's cancer scare.
You know a lot about shippers, you know about FoxCans.
You are a fan.
A big fat Temptation Lane fan.
Okay, maybe I watched it, like, once or twice.
It's just so delightfully not you! So says the guy who rattles off plot points from General Hospital.
That is completely different.
That is for research.
What was for research? - Nothing.
- Nothing.
Mary and Dennis confirmed that blogger chick was in her room all night.
What about the cast and crew? So far all their alibis checked out.
But I was looking over Sarah's schedule.
Last week, there were a couple of appointments that just say "M.
" Then there was another one the day before the murder, and then one scheduled for tomorrow.
So? So her assistant didn't schedule these, which means it was personal.
And her husband didn't know about them either.
With Sarah's workload, it must've been important for her to make time.
Exactly, and her husband and assistant both say that when she came back from these appointments, she was upset.
All right, let's see what we can dig up from that.
Hey, Beckett.
Hey.
What'd you find at the apartment? Her husband's stuff.
His clothes are gone and only her stuff is in the bathroom.
So I talked to the doorman, and he said that Vince hasn't lived there in almost two months.
They've been separated.
Funny he didn't mention that earlier.
Looks like someone's hiding something on Temptation Lane.
Look, I knew if I told you that my marriage was in trouble, that I would be suspect number one.
Maybe.
But now that we know that you lied, it makes you look even worse.
Why did you separate? Everything changed after Sarah got the big promotion.
If I wanted to spend time with my own wife, I had to schedule an appointment.
It wasn't working, so I moved out.
You know, there's another version of this story where your wife kicked you out and then she demanded a divorce.
Only this way, you don't have to worry about splitting your assets.
I didn't kill my wife.
Well, then, where were you the night that she was killed? I was at the hotel.
I went there immediately after we wrapped here.
And can anyone vouch for that? Come on, Vince.
Tell us you were alone.
It'll make arresting you that much easier.
I I wasn't alone.
I'm gonna need a name.
Mandy Bronson.
Mandy Bronson? As in Angela Cannon? As in star of Temptation Lane? Yes.
That Mandy Bronson.
Just checking.
Did she stay the night? No.
We ordered room service and about 7:00, she got an e-mail from Sarah and she went running off.
So the night that your wife was killed, she e-mailed your mistress, and you didn't think that that was important to mention? It wasn't a big deal.
I asked Mandy about it.
Well, she got some new script pages that Sarah wanted her to look over, so she went home to memorize them.
Were you alone the rest of the night? Yes.
Yes.
I cracked the mini-bar, I ordered pay-per-view.
You can check.
I will.
It can't be the husband.
Well, he's got motive.
Yeah, but marriage on the rocks, killing for money? It's just so Ordinary.
We need to focus on Mandy Bronson, home-wrecking diva engaged in a torrid affair with the victim's husband.
She fled their illicit love nest after a mysterious e-mail from Sarah on the eve of her murder.
Yeah, but we don't even know if there was an e-mail.
I mean, Vincent could have been lying.
But you are right, Mandy Bronson does have some explaining to do.
"Esplanie.
" - What? - Lanie and Esposito.
Like "FoxCan.
" We can call them "Esplanie.
" Which is perfect, because they're always explaining things.
- Mother.
- Hi.
Martha, what a surprise.
Yes, what an unexpected surprise.
What are you doing here? Grieving.
You didn't even know the victim.
Darling, a loss for a show like this is a loss for anyone who was ever part of its history.
And I think I can be of help here.
I think I could be your inside source.
I can get the scoop on what's really going on here.
And what better place to start than Lance Hastings.
You know him? He was my love interest 30 years ago.
On screen.
And off.
After my character married his character, Joseph Fox, she was kidnapped, buried alive, trapped in a cave with bears, kidnapped again, and held hostage in the sewers of Paris.
How long were you on the show? Three weeks.
Gotta go.
Excuse me.
My mother gives new meaning to the word "transparent.
" - Martha.
- Lance.
Darling, I know There's her account.
What are you looking for? An e-mail that Sarah sent before she died.
There it is.
"Meet me at the office ASAP.
" So Sarah had Mandy meet her here that night.
You think she found out about the affair, planned to confront her? I don't know.
There's an attachment.
It's a script for an upcoming episode.
The characters are vacationing in Pamplona.
- Oh, my God.
- Oh, my God.
Mandy Bronson's character is gored to death while running with the bulls.
Sarah brought her here to tell Mandy she was writing her off the show.
It looks like Mandy wrote her off first.
Castle.
Come here, come here.
Dude, I know she's a murder suspect, but you gotta admit, she is smoking hot.
Agreed.
So hot, in fact, it led to a torrid affair with Sarah's director husband.
Sarah found out about it, decided to kill off Mandy's character.
It doesn't get any soapier than that.
Obviously, you haven't seen Chiquitas.
As in bananas? No, as in the telenovela.
I used to watch it growing up with my grandmother.
Bro, there was this one episode where Gabriela discovered that her husband was sleeping with her evil twin sister, Teresita, only to later find out that she had multiple personality disorder.
Wait, does that even qualify as cheating? - Dude.
- What? Don't over-think it.
Ms.
Bronson, I'm curious how you felt when you found out that Sarah was gonna kill off your character.
Kill off my character? That's ridiculous.
I'm the reason the ratings were up.
Well, then why did she write this scene where Angela Cannon has an unfortunate encounter with a bull? Sarah probably writes a death scene for every character on the show.
To keep the actors in line.
She wrote those particular pages the night that she was murdered.
While you were with her husband.
He told us that you left right after you got an e-mail from Sarah.
But you didn't go home, did you? You went to go and confront her.
Sarah wanted to save her marriage.
She thought the way she could do that was to get me out of the picture.
And you wanted to urge her to reconsider, and when she didn't, you killed her.
I admit, I went to see the bitch.
I told her Angela Cannon is the heart and soul of the show, but when I saw she wouldn't back down, I left.
I didn't need to kill her.
And why is that? Because I still had a hand to play.
Everybody thinks Sarah calls the shots at Temptation Lane.
But the second in command, Peter Connelly, he's the one the network really trusts.
What is this other hand that you had to play? I did what any industrious actress would do.
I went to his apartment straight from the studio and used my powers of persuasion to get him on my side.
When did you leave? The sun was up.
And my character is still alive.
Yeah, she showed up at my apartment last night.
She was wearing a fur coat.
So? Just a fur coat.
And I nearly had a heart attack when she let it slip open.
Years of fantasizing, and there she was, standing right in front of me.
And what did she want? She was all fired up about Sarah wanting to write her off the show.
So then I had to listen to Mandy summarize every Soap Digest article praising her performance.
Just to make her stop, I agreed that I would talk to Sarah.
Only now, you don't have to.
Reese! Grab your laptop and join the group.
We're all hands on deck.
You mean it? I'm not gonna ask you twice.
Sounds like you're pretty desperate.
Mr.
Castle, you publish, what, one book a year? Give or take.
In that same time period, we produce 250 episodes.
I'm down a writer.
Reese wrote some script about horses that Sarah actually liked.
So, yeah, I'm gonna take the extra help where I can get it.
Unless, of course, you'd like to jump in.
You know what's interesting? With Sarah out of the way, Mandy gets to stay on the show and you get promoted.
Hey, I'm a professional.
Mandy's staying because Angela Cannon is the heart and soul of this show.
Well, where have I heard that before? We'll keep in touch.
Beckett.
So, the hotel confirmed that the time sensors in Vince's mini-bar were activated till 11:30 p.
m.
So I guess our deadly love triangle wasn't so deadly after all.
Not on his side, anyway.
But the hot news is, Ryan got a hit on those mystery appointments that Sarah was going to.
He found credit card charges that matched up time and date to the meetings.
And where was she going? To a coffee shop on 7th.
And according to her calendar, her next meeting is in about an hour.
Castle, you up for a coffee break? Here you go.
Thanks.
Can I help you? Yes, I hope so.
Do you recognize this woman? Yeah.
Why? She can't be dead.
She can't be dead.
She can't.
I'm so sorry, Ms.
Goldberg.
It's not fair.
It is so not fair.
What am I supposed to do? Did the two of you know each other very well? Actually, I didn't know her at all.
Then why would you be so upset? Well, because she promised she would read my screenplay, and if she liked it, she would help me find an agent.
Who would she meet when she came here? What's it matter? She's dead.
I lost my chance.
I'll tell you what.
I'll make you a deal.
If you tell us what happened after that, I'll read your script, and if I like it, I'll give it to my agent.
Really? Really.
She met with a guy and they sat at a table in the corner.
Do you remember what he looked like? Like him.
Exactly like him.
Give me a double espresso, will you? What about my script? I'll come back and get it when we're done.
Do I know you? I'm a friend of Sarah Cutler.
Yeah? You bring my money? What money? Look, I did what she asked.
And now I want what I'm owed.
And, what is it that she asked you to do? None of your damn business.
Who the hell are you? NYPD.
Sarah's dead, so it is my business.
Now, who the hell are you? Johnny Dimes.
I'm a P.
I.
Sarah Cutler was a client.
What do you mean, she's dead? She's dead.
Only really has the one meaning.
Did she hire you to follow her husband? Husband? No.
She hired me to investigate Gloria Chambers.
The mom.
I knew it.
Was she involved in organ harvesting? That didn't really come up.
But I can tell you this, Gloria Chambers isn't her real birth mom.
She's a fake.
Oh The mom isn't really the mom? Does it get any soapier than that? Ooh! Is that the P.
I.
's file on Sarah's faux-mother? Yeah.
Apparently, Gloria showed up three years ago claiming to be Sarah's birth mom, and Sarah got suspicious, so she hired a P.
I.
in order to look into Gloria's history.
What nefarious scheme has Gloria set into motion? Perhaps she planned on replacing Sarah with a clone.
She wanted Sarah's money.
Money? Yeah.
Sorry to burst your bubble, Castle, but Gloria's got a history of insurance scams, and husbands with empty bank accounts.
- Are we bringing her in? - We're trying.
We've put out an APB.
Her apartment's empty, and the doorman saw her leave with a suitcase this morning.
Ooh! So, maybe Dimes tells Sarah about Gloria.
Sarah confronts her, and then Gloria kills Sarah in order to avoid exposure.
And after playing the role of grieving mother on set, Gloria knew enough to get the hell out of Dodge.
Yo! Look who got caught trying to buy a ticket to The Bahamas at JFK.
Gloria.
Everything in New York reminded me of Sarah.
I needed to distance myself from the agonizing truth that she's dead.
Now, if denial is a crime, I plead guilty.
Good to know.
Now, how do you plead on murder? Gloria Chambers, also known as Charlene Sellars.
You have been a very busy woman.
Yours is a real rags-to-riches story.
Only trouble is, the riches never seem to be yours.
Fraud in Florida, embezzlement in North Carolina.
I served my time for those prior misunderstandings.
And then you latched on to your next meal ticket, Constantine Pirelli.
After him, it was Ernesto Cruz.
I hear they're very anxious for you to come back with their money.
I was married to those men.
It was our money.
I can tell you, I earned every penny.
But as usual, you blew it all, and so you looked for your next ticket, which you found in Sarah Cutler.
You heard an interview where she mentioned being adopted.
You did a little research, and then showed up as the long-lost mother.
Sarah might have been under the impression that she was my daughter.
But I didn't kill her.
And in my own way, I was I was fond of Sarah.
Fond enough that you were able to masquerade as her mother.
You had motive to kill her, that's why you tried to flee the country.
What motive? Her will shows that she planned to leave you $300,000.
She's a generous girl, my Sarah.
She's not your Sarah.
And that's not your money.
You knew she wrote you into her will.
In fact, you probably planned it all along.
So when she confronted you, you knew that you had a narrow window within which to kill her before she wrote you out.
Here's your problem.
I am not your killer.
If I were you, I'd look into the other man in her life.
What other man? The one that gave her the two-karat Arthur Klein earrings just the other day.
Does this other man have a name? Well, Sarah didn't tell me that.
But whoever he was, they must have just split up because he was trying to win her over.
Really? You're gonna point us to a mysterious stranger? It's the truth.
Coming from a professional liar.
I was nowhere near this godforsaken soap set when she died.
I was doing something useful with my time.
Reading to the blind? Mmm.
Close.
I was donating to the ponies.
Oh.
OTB receipts in Gloria's purse put her betting on races until 10:00 p.
m.
And our time of death is estimated at 11:00 on the outside, and we don't have anything to tie her to the studio.
I thought fake mom was a lock.
It's starting to look less that way by the minute.
I found the earrings that Gloria talked about in Sarah's apartment.
Fancy! Yeah, over 10 grand worth of fancy.
Those are worth over 10 grand? For these? Lanie loves diamonds.
"Diamonds are forever, like my devotion to you.
" Who writes notes this cheesy? Well, not the husband.
I checked on his financials.
He didn't buy them.
Okay, so maybe Gloria was telling us the truth.
Maybe Sarah was having an affair.
Well, that makes perfect sense.
Sarah was separated from her husband, Vince.
And after long, grueling days at work, she'd go home to a cold, empty apartment.
Feeling lonely, betrayed, she seeks comfort in the arms of this mystery man.
And she decides that she wants her husband back, so she writes his mistress, Mandy Bronson, off the show in order to save their marriage.
And her next step would be to get rid of the other man.
So maybe the other man didn't go off quietly into the night.
Do you two practice this when we're not around? These earrings are exclusive to Arthur Klein's boutique in Chelsea.
Let's find out who bought them.
Okay, so, Gloria is in the clear.
Uniforms showed her photo at the OTB, and a bartender there remembers seeing her at 11:15.
You know, I can see why she fell for Gloria's con.
Sarah was motherless, childless.
She was taking young writers under her wing.
She was looking for family.
Wow, Castle.
That's a refreshingly down-to-earth theory.
Just trying to keep you on your toes.
Hey! So, we ran down purchases at Klein's boutique and guess who popped? - Lance Hastings? - Lance Hastings.
That's not all.
I ran Lance's credit card activity to confirm the purchase, and something else caught my eye.
Lance charged a cab ride to the studio the night of the murder.
Yeah, when we interviewed him, he said he went straight home at 6:00 p.
m.
The cab company drove him back to the studio around 8:00.
Okay, so, that falls right within the window of our time of death.
Go pick him up.
Yeah, we already sent a uniform.
He's not home and he's not answering his phone.
My mother was speaking to him earlier on set.
Hi, sweetie.
Is Gram there? I need to talk to her.
What's wrong? I know where the killer is.
He's with my mother.
Castle, it's okay.
I'm sure your mom's not in any danger.
Yeah, you're probably right.
I'm sorry, my dear, but after everything I've told you, I can't let you leave this room alive.
Lance, think about what you're doing.
I'm thinking about it.
Think about us! I can't let you live! - Can't you Drop the knife! Drop the weapon! Wait a minute, wait a minute.
Wait, wait! Richard! What are you doing? Nothing.
Just saving your life.
That's all.
She said drop the knife! The only thing that knife could kill is butter.
What are you talking about? It's a prop.
We were just working on a scene.
Guys, it was completely my idea.
You know, the actor's version of "show me your golf swing.
" The knife may be fake, but the ax you put into Sarah's back was real.
You lied to Detectives Ryan and Esposito regarding your whereabouts the night of the murder.
You want the truth? That would be a great place to start.
You can't handle the truth! Sir, I am not interested in your Jack Nicholson impressions.
We know that you went back to the studio the night of the murder.
And what I'm asking is why.
It was a friendly conversation between colleagues.
A friendly conversation in which she told you she was going to go back to her husband? What the hell are you talking about? Why would she do that? Because she was breaking up with you.
Is that what you think is going on here? You think that Sarah and I were lovers? Did you or did you not buy an expensive pair of diamond earrings for her? Yes, but not to woo her.
It was to encourage Sarah to let me out of my contract for a movie role.
A movie role? Yes.
The Coen brothers have asked me to play Matt Damon's half-wit dad in their new movie.
It's a role of a lifetime.
It has nominations written all over it.
But that still doesn't explain why you went back to the studio that night.
I went to thank Sarah in person, because my agent had called me that evening to tell me that she had agreed to let me out.
The reason I didn't mention any of this is I didn't want to risk missing work on the movie.
Why didn't you just call her? I wanted her to know how much I appreciated it.
So you went back to thank her and that's it? No.
Not exactly.
When I got there, she was reading a script, and she seemed upset.
I asked her why, and she said somebody had betrayed her.
Who? At first I thought it was me for taking the movie role.
But then, she said that someone wasn't who she thought they were.
And she didn't let on as to who this person was? No.
I didn't wanna give her the opportunity to change her mind about the movie, so I exited stage left.
Okay, found the deal memo that Sarah signed in order to get Lance out for his movie.
He wasn't lying.
My mother is never gonna let me forget this.
Come on, Castle.
She'll probably think it was sweet that you were concerned about her.
This is Martha Rodgers we are talking about.
I intruded on her "moment.
" No, I will pay dearly.
When Lance came here, Sarah told him that someone wasn't who she thought they were.
Who do you think that was? How about the woman who makes my mother look like a saint? Yeah, but Sarah already cut Gloria out of her life.
Maybe Maybe it was her cheating husband.
Except Lance met with Sarah after Mandy Bronson.
By the time Mandy showed up, Sarah had already decided what she wanted to do with her marriage.
Yeah, but even if Sarah decided that she was gonna get back together with Vince, it doesn't mean that she didn't have doubts.
No, no, you're right.
Except he has an alibi.
Everyone has an alibi.
Yeah, well, somebody out there doesn't, and we are gonna find them.
Maybe we should sleep on it.
Separately.
Katherine Beckett, I never Hello, ladies.
Hey, Dad.
Gram told me how you went all Jason Bourne on her date.
Come on, I think I deserve some kudos for my selfless courage in the face of perceived danger.
Think what you will.
I have taken the liberty of selecting an apology gift.
Page 47, dog-eared for your convenience.
- The dress? - Uh-huh.
And the shoes.
Oh! And the purse.
Where did you get this, darling? From a woman I met on the case.
She's an aspiring writer.
In a moment of weakness, I told her I'd read it.
It's really pretty good.
She's got very vivid characters, well-plotted.
Pleasantly salacious.
Great.
That's what I'll tell her.
No, no, no.
You said you would read it, honey.
You.
I will.
I just have to do a little more thinking on the case.
He's procrastinating.
- No, I am not.
- I know! I am just about to solve a critical piece of our mystery.
Now that you've determined that Lance is not the ax murderer.
So, what's the critical piece of evidence, Dad? Shortly before she died, Sarah Cutler said that someone had betrayed her.
I think that person is our killer.
Well, then it could be anybody, darling, because betrayal is a way of life on a soap opera.
And let me tell you, Temptation Lane is like this seething cauldron of sordidness and treachery and naked ambition.
And you know which people are the most manipulative and devious? I do.
I know who betrayed Sarah.
There's nothing in my contract that says that I have to be I've got to rehearse.
- Off the phones, please.
- Let's go.
Okay, Castle.
Let's go.
No, wait, no.
Hang on.
I just wrote my first soap scene, which they are about to shoot.
Well, I'll catch it on TV.
We've got an arrest to make.
No, no, no, wait.
This scene is going to expose the killer.
"The play's the thing "wherein we'll catch the conscience of the king.
" Hamlet.
"We already know who the killer is, so you're wasting my time.
" Me.
Not if it gets us a confession.
Places, please.
- They're starting.
Let's go.
Okay, no.
Send it back.
Yeah.
All right, thanks.
Hey, come on in, guys.
Thanks.
Castle, what are Yeah, just Just watch.
Just watch.
Can we close the down-stage door to get better eyes on Mandy, please? And clear the set.
Here we go, everybody.
In five, four, three, two Two's on the line.
Can't you at least knock? I'm changing.
Nothing I haven't seen before.
And enjoyed immensely.
Really? It's a soap opera.
I had to honor the form.
What are you doing here, Joseph? If this is about our relationship No, it isn't.
It's about your research paper.
The one I had you submit for the Montenegro Journalism Fellowship.
Is there news about the winner? The thing about the fellowship is that it can open doors.
It launches careers.
That's why I recommended you.
Over to one.
So, did I win? Three.
I went to the coffee shop this morning, and a barista there asked me to read an article that she had written for her college paper.
Oddly enough, it was identical to yours.
There must be some mistake.
No, just the one you made in assuming that you could pass off somebody else's material as your own.
You are a fraud, Angela.
And I am going to call the fellowship and let them know that exactly.
And by the way, you're fired.
And cut.
Nice job, people.
I don't understand.
This is This is not the scene that we worked on yesterday.
We made some adjustments.
And yet, it has an oddly familiar ring to it.
Reading other people's scripts is a part of your job, isn't it? What are you accusing me of? Did you not see the scene? If you're going to be a writer, you have to have a better grasp of subtext.
Look, I I might have mixed up some of the scripts, but I was at the fellowship mixer the night that Sarah died.
Nobody there remembers seeing you after 8:00 p.
m.
Sarah was killed with an ax, Reese.
Whoever killed her got blood on their clothes and on their shoes.
Some of it invisible to the naked eye.
But it doesn't matter how much you try to wash it, it's still there.
I have officers at your apartment.
You have no idea what I did for her.
Picking up her dogs, picking up her dry cleaning.
The late nights, the weekends, no vacation.
You try writing a script with all of that going on.
I worked too hard to let it end that way.
I deserved that opportunity.
And I could not let her take that away from me.
It was never yours to begin with.
Killing Sarah to keep a lid on her plagiarism? That's cold.
And pretty ordinary, as far as motives go.
She didn't want to put in the work, so she took a shortcut.
Only there are no shortcuts in writing.
Nope, but there is to our favorite bar.
I found a new route that'll get us to the Old Haunt in eight minutes.
You up for a beer? Come on, I know the owner.
Yeah, I'm down, bro.
How about you, Castle? Right behind you.
What? Got you a present.
A signed cast photo from Temptation Lane.
How did you even get this? I know people who know people.
Okay.
I was nine, and I had to get my tonsils taken out and I was miserable.
And so my mom took time off of work, and stayed with me and cuddled up in front of the TV on the couch, and we would watch episodes of Temptation Lane.
So every time I see it now, it just It makes me feel like home, and safe.
So there you go.
Judge away.
My DVR would make yours look like Masterpiece Theatre.
But I am glad to know this about you.
I'll leave you to it.
Hey, Castle, thank you for the photo.
I'll see you.
Hey! After all these years, all the times I could've been holding you in my arms.
Then let's not waste more time with words, let's just let our lips do the talking.
You two running lines again? Oh! Well, no, no! We were just You know, talking.
Oh.
Oh! Um I'm gonna I'll just I'll go to the