Castle s06e03 Episode Script
Need to Know
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Hey, pal, you can't cut through here.
It's private property.
Sorry about that.
Oh, my God.
Oh, Castle, I wish we could stay like this all morning.
Yeah.
Among other positions.
Do you know what my favorite position is? In person.
Yeah, mine, too.
You know what? Maybe I can fly up this weekend if there's no new cases.
I would so make it worth your while.
Oh, no.
It's the office.
I have to call in.
And there goes our weekend tryst.
No, maybe not.
Maybe it's not a case.
Oh, it's always a case.
Hey, maybe, uh, don't you want to take a quick shower before work? Maybe you could take the phone in with you.
It is waterproof.
Maybe later.
I'll hold you to that.
Okay.
Pi.
Morning, dad! I hope Pi and I didn't wake you.
We're making smoothies.
And yet for me, not so smooth.
I'll whip one up for you.
Good morning, all! Good morning.
Ah! Pi, I'll have my usual.
Anti-aging.
You got it, Mrs.
R.
Thank you.
Darling, couldn't you just pretend to appreciate Pi's efforts? What efforts? Half the time, I don't know if I'm smelling our new compost bin or my daughter's rotting ambition.
Oh, Richard, she's 19 years old, and that boy is just--look.
It's good.
She'll get it out of her system.
I just wish she would get it out of her system faster, and out of my house.
Maybe I should just put my foot down, show her my stern disapproval.
Please.
Alexis will just rebel, and she'll want to be with him even more.
So then I should approve? No, no, no.
That'll just cement the relationship.
She'll be sleeping on the couch with him.
So what am I supposed to do? Drink your kale blast.
And just ride it out, kiddo.
At the reconstruction site Is that Charlie Reynolds? Turn that up.
Police are currently investigating.
Reynolds was an actor, best known as the star of the '90s TV comedy "2 Cool For School," where he played lovable nerd Dewey Hancock.
Oh How awful.
I did a guest spot on that show.
That was a simpler time, when Dewey's catchphrase, "Hubba, hubba," passed as sparkling dialogue.
In a bizarre twist, the body was found hanging from the hook of a construction crane.
Oh, gruesome.
Yes.
If by "gruesome," you mean awesome.
Look.
That's Esposito and Ryan.
This is exactly what I need.
Former child star literally getting the hook.
Hoisted on his own petard.
Hung out to dry.
Okay, I get it.
Did you see that? He just declined my call.
Looks like Charlie isn't the only one hung out to dry.
Okay.
Hey, I was-- Uh, sorry.
Only N.
Y.
P.
D.
past this point.
You must be new here.
I'm actually-- I know exactly who you are.
Like I said, only N.
Y.
P.
D.
past this point.
That's--th-there-- right there.
Those are my people right here.
Hey, guys-- It's okay, Sully.
We got it.
All right.
Thanks.
Hey, Castle.
Who's that guy, right? Uh, that is Detective Grant Sullivan.
As much as we miss Beckett, it's nice to have a new guy to boss around.
Thanks.
What you doing here, bro? Well, you would know if you would have answered my call.
I must not have heard it ring.
You rejected it.
On live television.
Look, guys, look, I am big enough to overlook that and still offer to help you guys out.
Help us out? This is a high-profile case, and I am willing to let you guys exclusively benefit from my out-of-the-box crime-solving mind.
And what do you get? Escape from the life at the loft.
Ah.
Sorry, Castle.
If Gates were to find out Yeah.
She won't! She won't find out.
I happen to know she's she's at a conference in Florida, so you won't even know I'm here.
A washed-up sitcom star dangling from a hook? Does it get any better? I grew up watching that show.
Charlie Reynolds is highly underrated as an actor.
"2 Cool For School" is a timeless gem.
I seriously doubt that.
Not that I've ever watched it.
Mr.
Castle, you're back.
But not by popular demand.
Good to see you, too, Perlmutter.
Do you have a time of death for us? Uh, between 7:00 P.
M.
and 2:00 A.
M.
The cause is obvious.
He plummeted off the roof and landed on the hook.
Possible suicide? Based on the crane's distance from the building and signs of struggle on the roof he was pushed.
What was Charlie Reynolds doing on the roof in the first place? That's a good question.
He actually owns an apartment in the building, but he wasn't living here.
Every unit's been stripped down to the studs, so he was staying in a sublet.
Any family or next of kin? On the TV show, yes.
In real life, not so much.
Well, whatever he was doing here, I've got unis canvassing to see if anyone saw him or anyone else last night in the area.
I wonder what this means.
Nine digits.
Well, given he was pushed off a roof and landed on a hook, I'm saying that is not his lucky number.
Yo, Sully.
Yeah? Check out this number and see how it connects with our victim, and let's start piecing together where he was before he wound up here.
I'm on it.
In the meantime, I checked his voicemail, and he had a bunch of angry messages yesterday from some chick.
Said she would kill him if he didn't call her back.
Said she would not be ignored.
Aha.
A classic rabbit boiler.
Stalker, gentlemen.
An obsessed fan.
Do we know who the caller is? Uh, I traced the number to an address downtown.
Uh, name is, uh Geraldine Powers.
Ger-Geraldine Powers.
Yeah.
I bet she even has a creepy shrine to him.
I did not kill Charlie Reynolds! But you did threaten to kill him.
Repeatedly.
And you do seem to have more than a casual interest in him.
Well, of course I do.
I'm the one who kept his show on the air for six seasons.
Are you taking any medication? I am not delusional.
I am Charlie's agent, nitwit.
His agent? Yeah.
I've been running the shows nonstop since I got the news.
I signed Charlie back in '92 when he was on "2 Cool For School.
" What do I do? Play it cool.
Chicks dig mystery.
Mystery Oh, here she comes.
After the show was canceled, the phones stopped ringing.
Most agents would have dumped his ass, but me? I stuck with him.
Oh, this is the scene! This is where history was made.
Hey, Lisa Hubba, hubba! A timeless gem? Really? Eh that was a very nuanced performance.
Nothing you're telling me is explaining why you threatened Charlie Reynolds.
Charlie moved into a sublet while his building was being rehabbed.
And a few days ago, some of his mail got forwarded here by mistake.
His bank statement showed that he had just made a deposit for 125 grand.
Charlie could barely cover his rent with the jobs I booked.
So where'd he get the cash? Only thing that makes sense is that he booked a gig on the side and cut me out of my commission.
Do you have any idea what that gig was? No, but for him to pull in that kind of money it had to be something big.
The key here is that mystery gig.
A down-on-his-luck actor barely scraping by? Maybe he got involved in some shady deal that cost him his life.
Or someone recognized his true acting talent and gave him a job.
Like some C-list "Where Are They Now?" reality show where he has to mud-wrestle Danny Bonaduce and Webster just to get a job with Donald Trump.
Wh-what happened to Beckett's desk? That's Sully's desk now.
Oh, uh, Mr.
Castle, sorry if I came on a little strong back at the scene.
I'm still trying to get the lay of the land here.
Detective Beckett left some big shoes to fill.
Yeah, she did.
I see you filled her desk.
Mr.
Castle, what are you doing here? Captain Gates, I'm--I-I-- I-I thought you were at a conference.
It ended a day early.
But you wouldn't even know that unless you were checking up on me.
Oh.
I see what's happened here.
This man has insinuated himself into the Charlie Reynolds investigation, hasn't he? And you let him.
Well, news for you, Mr.
Castle.
You are not N.
Y.
P.
D.
and you no longer have a reason for being here.
This is our murder case.
Not anymore.
Beckett.
This is our case now.
I have a letter from the Attorney General authorizing our taking point on this case.
May I see that, please? Wh-- what are you doing here? Me? What am I doing--what are you doing here? Why didn't you tell me you were coming to town? I was gonna surprise you.
Well done.
Then perhaps you should brief the team.
Good morning.
I am Agent McCord.
Of course you know Agent Beckett.
We are joining this investigation, so we need access to all information regarding Charlie Reynolds' death.
Which is fed speak for you're pushing us out.
No, you'll continue to work the case.
You'll just be reporting to us.
Uh, why is the murder of an ex-sitcom star a federal case? We're not at liberty to say.
No--wait, let me get this straight.
You want us to continue investigating, report everything to you, but you're not going to tell us why you're here? It's need-to-know.
We'll be setting up in the conference room.
We'll need any preliminary reports and all of Reynolds' personal electronics-- phones, iPads, computers.
Thank you for your cooperation.
We'll use the victim's phone and computer data to reconstruct what he was up to in his last 24 hours.
And by the way, D.
C.
made it clear that they want us to send it to them.
Why do they want the data? They didn't say.
They rarely do.
That's got to bother you.
We don't always get the whole picture.
Comes with the territory.
Maybe we should go over there and just invite 'em in for some coffee, you know? We are not serving them coffee.
You bought this espresso machine for the N.
Y.
P.
D.
This is N.
Y.
P.
D.
coffee only.
Come on, guys.
That's a little harsh.
Harsh? Beckett's a Judas.
Her and her partner just hijacked our case.
Whose side are you on? Your side.
Guys, I'm I'm on your side.
Hey, Ryan, isn't it a little weird that Castle shows up the same day that Agent Beckett takes over? Yes.
It's quite a coincidence.
No.
It's not.
It's not a coincide--that-- yeah, well no, actually, yes, it's a coincidence.
Maybe you and Beckett are in on this together.
Maybe what? You are her inside man.
You are Judas' Judas.
No--guys--no, I swe-- I swear.
Come on.
You know me.
I'm watching you, Castle.
Perlmutter's got something for us.
Let's go.
Yeah.
After a complete examination, I was able to narrow time of death to between 11:30 and 1:30.
And perimortem bruising on the arm and shoulder is consistent with signs of a struggle.
So Charlie fought back before he was thrown off the roof? Yes.
But the most fascinating discovery resides in here.
Which is? An unusually large quantity of fresh bird excrement that I extracted from the tread of the victim's shoes.
Uh, no I'll take your word for it.
Okay, so he stepped in some pigeon-- Sure.
Only it didn't come from pigeons.
A painstaking analysis proves that this is none other than chicken poop.
Not a lot of that in Manhattan.
Maybe Charlie's mystery job had something to do with chickens? Well, after "2 Cool For School," almost anything is a step up.
Hey, now-- what else you got for us? I'm afraid that's all I'm authorized to tell you at this time.
I can't believe it.
Even Perlmutter's answering to the feds now.
We're being iced out of our own case.
Guys, maybe there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for all this secrecy.
That's-- you guys are right.
This is outrageous! Hey, yo, Sully, any leads on Charlie's mystery job? Nothing that explains that 125 grand.
The only thing I've been able to dig up so far are some personal appearance trips to Russia over the last few years.
Russia? Oh, yeah.
"2 Cool For School" is huge over there.
Dewey is to Russia what David Hasselhoff is to Germany.
Oh, I-I did catch a break off his credit card.
I got a line on a cab that picked Charlie up the day he got killed.
Where'd it take him? His sublet.
But here's the kicker.
Another dude hopped in the backseat, and the two of them got in a huge fight.
Did you get a description? Uh, no.
Better.
I got a name.
His former co-star--Ramon Russo.
Oh, yeah.
He played the jock--Marco--right? Yeah.
Oh.
So you have seen the show.
Just caught it by accident once.
It was Oh.
Well, then as you might know, not only did Ramon play Marco, but word is, they hated each other.
Maybe that feud led to murder.
It was an accident.
I tried to walk away, but he pushed me first.
I didn't mean to kill him, I swear.
Ramon Russo? My apologies, you guys.
I'm telling you, this happens to me all the time, whether I'm out there on the street, or here teaching class.
So, how can I help you fellas? You want a an autographed picture, what? How about some of your time? Maybe even decades of it.
I'm telling you, Charlie's death is a personal tragedy for me and a huge loss for the acting community, and I'll do anything I can to help you find whoever did this to him.
We understand you shared a cab ride with him yesterday.
That's right.
We we left work together.
Oh.
You worked with him? On what? And did it involve chickens? Chickens? No! We were doing "2 Cool For School.
" But that show's been off the air for 20 years.
No, man.
We're doing a reunion movie.
You are? Yeah.
I mean, this is just the first we're hearing of it.
It's on the down-low.
You know, we all had to sign those confidentiality agreements.
Right.
But to be honest I had a lot of other projects in the works.
Charlie begged me to do it.
He said, you know, it'd be fun to get the old gang back together, you know? Even with all the bad blood between you two? I mean, wasn't your character-- Marco-- originally supposed to be the star of the show? And then Dewey caught fire, stole the spotlight.
Stole your spotlight.
We were kids back then.
I mean, that show did a lot of great things for all of us.
Whatever issues we had, we buried the hatchet a long time ago.
Not according to your cabbie.
He said the two of you got into a big fight.
Yeah, I lost my temper because he was wasting my time.
He was disrespecting the craft.
Charlie didn't know any of the lines.
I mean, I'm telling you, he was never like that.
He was--he was always real good with that kind of stuff, you know? You're saying there was something going on with Charlie.
Definitely.
It started a couple days ago.
He started showing up anxious and tired.
And I asked him what was wrong, but he wouldn't say.
Where were you last night between 11:30 and 1:30? So Ramon's girlfriend Yasmine confirms the story.
He was home all nights running lines with her.
Lines like, "I'm the biggest deal to ever walk these halls.
" Ramon slipped me a signed copy of the script-- "Those who can't, teach.
" Really? Well--well, what's the storyline? Dewey and Marco are back at Bayview High as faculty.
Dewey is the brainy science teacher, while Marco is reliving his glory days as the football coach.
Oh, no.
When Dewey runs into the sexy German teacher-- Mrs.
Pozman-- in the break room, he says "Hubba, hubba.
" "Hubba, hubba.
" "Hubba, hubba.
" Anyway, I, uh, talked to the office staff at the movie set, and not only has Charlie been acting weird lately, but two days ago, he sweet-talked the accountant into letting him look over the books.
Why would the star care about the budget of the show? I don't know, but the accountant told me that Charlie said he'd found irregularities.
And get this.
He made her swear not to tell the film's producer Hank Harper that he'd been poking around.
Hank Harper? I've heard of him.
Rumor was he chased a director off set with a baseball bat.
Check this out.
Though he's never been convicted, Hank Harper has faced numerous charges of embezzling money from the films that he's worked on.
If Charlie would have found out that Hank was skimming money from the movie Then maybe Hank gave Charlie the hook.
According to the production office, Hank Harper's somewhere here on this set.
What could they even be filming if the star is dead? Probably the scenes without Dewey.
Or scenes that explain why he's not in the whole movie.
Or he's back from the dead.
The zombie apocalypse version.
Now that I would watch.
No, look, right there.
There's another one.
They must be re-casting the part.
What? There's only one Dewey Hancock.
Yeah? Tell him that.
Action! Dewey, thanks for giving up a Friday night to chaperone the dance with me.
I'll see you there.
Hubba, hubba.
No, no, no! "Hubba, hubba" is not just a catchphrase, it is the essence of your character.
"Hubba, hubba" comes from here, not here.
And, Svetlana, make him work for the "Hubba, hubba.
" No! No! Forget it.
Please.
Come on.
You tried this before.
The answer's no.
Hank Harper.
It's too late, pretty boy.
We already cast the muscular P.
E.
teacher.
N.
Y.
P.
D.
We're here about Charlie Reynolds.
I'm gonna have to call you back.
Charlie was a great kid, a real pro.
Working with him reminded me of the pictures I did with Pacino.
You worked with Al Pacino? Barry Pacino.
No relation.
Every bit as talented, and taller.
If you have such a high opinion of Charlie, how come you're already replacing him? Look, you gotta understand, there's a lot of money at stake here.
The show must go on.
Ah! I've been there.
My book "Nikki Heat" got made into a movie a few years back.
Didn't that go straight to DVD? There were script issues.
And casting issues and directing issues.
Did Charlie have any problems with anyone on set? Not that I'm aware of.
Everybody loved him.
What's not to love? He took a look at the accounting books recently.
Any idea why? Can't imagine.
Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa.
Easy.
Well, we might.
Maybe Charlie thought somebody was skimming money.
Yes, we heard about your penchant for creative bookkeeping.
Wait.
You think I killed him? Well, if Charlie found out that you were up to your old tricks, it would be motive.
First of all, I was here all night doing script changes.
Plus I may have been caught with my hand in the cookie jar in the past, but I'm not stupid enough to steal from the Russians.
The Russians? Yeah, they're financing this picture.
They want to make this into a franchise.
This is my meal ticket! So if there's anything hinky with the books, it's not 'cause of me.
Yeah, well, we're not gonna take your word for that.
We're gonna need to see those books.
Oh, oh, yeah.
They're all yours.
Thanks.
We're gonna need one of these hats, too.
You know what I don't get? You're wearing that hat.
There's a lot you don't get.
Let's say Hank did embezzle money and killed Charlie to silence him.
Why are the feds involved? Maybe it has something to do with the Russians.
Well, if we knew the feds' angle, we'd have a leg up on solving this.
Sorry, guys, I have yet to come up with a crazy genius theory yet.
You don't need to, not when you can go directly to the source.
Get Beckett to give us the lowdown.
Okay, wait a minute-- We get much-needed case information, you get to clear up any lingering doubts about your loyalty.
Everybody wins.
Okay, guys, no, I can't do that, all right? After D.
C.
, we promised we wouldn't-- We did you a solid getting you on this case, Castle.
It's time to pay up.
Guys Okay? What does it say about our future if I keep pushing the boundaries? Castle, your whole relationship is built on a foundation of your boundary pushing.
Good point.
I got your text.
Hey.
I just wanted to check in with you.
You know, it must be weird for you being back here at the precinct, working a case.
Yeah.
Yeah, it is.
Yeah.
Especially since McCord's little gag order prevents you from accessing your most effective investigative tool me.
Yeah, you are a tool, all right? Wow.
So, uh she's not here right now, so what's the harm in giving me a little tidbit? This is a bribe.
Castle, you're bribing me with a latte? No, I am not.
Come on.
Don't be ridiculous.
This is low, even for you.
Look, I can solve this.
I just need a little more to go on.
Castle you're not gonna Castle me on this one.
Okay, she's coming.
Just nod once if it's about the Russians, twice if it's about something else.
Twice.
About something else.
Three times.
What's-- what does th-- what does that mean? What--how come-- I don't know what that means.
Beckett.
Hmm? We got a lead.
Let's go.
See you, Castle.
What does th-- what does three nods mean? Well? I tried, but she won't talk to me about the case.
Well, where did the two of them go just now? Yeah, she wouldn't tell me that, either.
Hey, I was just-- I can't even look at you right now.
Hey, guys, I think we found something in these books Charlie was looking into.
I went over them, and there's no signs of any financial shenanigans.
The balance sheet seems kosher, but, um, check out this ledger entry.
That is the number we found in Charlie's pocket.
This must be that irregularity that Charlie was talking about.
But what does it mean? Well, it corresponds to an invoice number for a shipment of camera equipment for the movie sent over from Russia.
What makes that an irregularity? Well, for one thing, it'd be a lot cheaper just to rent cameras here.
Not only that, but the shipment was sent to a warehouse in Brooklyn which happens to be right next to a chicken processing plant.
Which explains the poop on Charlie's shoes.
Charlie went to that warehouse right before he was killed.
Maybe whoever killed him came from there.
Looks deserted.
Yeah, that doesn't mean that it is.
This place could be teeming with bloodthirsty cossacks.
Do you have an extra gun? Not for you.
At least we know we're in the right place.
I definitely stepped in something.
Hey, guys, I found it.
I found the shipment.
Same invoice number.
It is just camera gear.
Wait a minute.
It's a false bottom.
All right.
Oh! My mother always said that the film business was tough.
That's why the Russians are financing that dumbass movie.
They're using the production to smuggle in illegal weapons.
It's like "Argo," but with guns.
Put the gun down and show me your hands! Now turn around slowly.
What the hell are you guys doing here? We're finding the guns you're looking for.
What guns? You didn't know about the guns? We came here to observe and report.
We don't know any more about this case than you do.
Well, then how did you guys get here? By retracing our victim's movements.
He came here the day he died.
He must have come across these guns.
I'll contact the A.
T.
F.
, have them secure the weapons.
Not so fast, Clarice.
We're the ones who found 'em, so N.
Y.
P.
D.
's gonna be the one booking these into evidence.
That's where you're both wrong! These guns aren't going anywhere.
Put your weapon down now.
You're the jogger.
The guy who found the body.
Just put the gun down.
We're federal agents.
I'm a federal agent, too.
Name's Ethan Wright.
I'm C.
I.
A.
Have Mario Lopez here make the call.
Assuming you are who you say you are, why would the C.
I.
A.
be involved? Charlie Reynolds was working for us.
I recruited him two years ago.
Dewey was a spy? We used him to infiltrate the family of Anton Renkov.
Anton Renkov? I know that name.
He's the most notorious gangster in all Russia.
He's also a major fan of "2 Cool For School.
" That's why Charlie was taking all those trips to Russia.
That's right.
They love him there, so I approached him about using those trips to gather intel on Renkov and his organization.
Charlie didn't hesitate.
He was good.
Turned out he was a better actor than most people gave him credit for.
That's what I've been saying.
Yo.
This guy checks out.
Thank God.
My arm.
So Anton Renkov was using the movie as a front to smuggle arms into the U.
S.
For the Russian mob, and Charlie's job was to find those guns.
More or less.
He contacted me a couple of days ago.
He told me that he'd located the shipment.
We set up a meet so we could get him a G.
P.
S.
tracker to attach to the guns.
When he didn't call, I started looking for him.
Would have been nice if you told us sooner.
What can I say? It was need-to-know.
We needed you to monitor the investigation so N.
Y.
P.
D.
didn't get too close to the Russians to compromise our operation.
We also figured you might lead us to the weapons, which you did.
So what happens now? We hope that Renkov sends the guns on to wherever they're going so we can track them.
And you guys walk away.
I can't believe Charlie was spying on Anton Renkov and his organization.
Any of them look familiar? Yeah.
I saw about three of those Russians on the movie set.
Mm-hmm.
And according to interpol, all of them got criminal records back in the motherland-- assault, murder, all kinds of bad stuff.
I bet one of them found out that Charlie was a spy, and they killed him.
Especially since we know that Charlie was followed to the warehouse.
Based on what? We tracked Charlie's movements by triangulating the cell towers that his phone pinged off, and then we used that time stamp to pull satellite footage of the warehouse.
How'd you guys get there? Chicken poop.
Oh.
Well, whatever works.
Point is, someone was following him.
That's what I'd investigate.
Actually, we need to hit pause on the investigation.
Word just came down from D.
C.
Why? C.
I.
A.
doesn't believe Renkov knows Charlie was a mole.
They think the Russians would have moved the weapons if they knew.
Well, we're not interested in the weapons.
We just want to solve his murder.
And D.
C.
has a problem with that.
You talk to these Russians, it could kick up some dust, set off their alarms about Charlie Reynolds and jeopardize the C.
I.
A.
operation.
Okay.
So by "pause," what you really mean is "stop.
" I know how you feel, but this case intersects with national security issues.
I'm sorry, but it's over.
Hey.
Got your text.
What time's your flight? Tomorrow morning.
So listen.
I'm, uh, sorry about that whole bribe thing.
I should have known you were incorruptible.
Yeah, I wouldn't say that.
Hmm.
Well, then allow me to try and corrupt you a little later at my place, where we can finally have some alone time.
And by "alone time," I mean you and me and My mother and Alexis and Pi.
That that sounds crowded.
Yeah.
You know what? Why don't you just give me a call after you guys have solved the case? Didn't you hear McCord? The case is wrapped.
Is it? This whole "greater good" thing blows.
Charlie died serving his country.
He deserves justice.
What happened to Beckett? She used to understand that.
I think she still does.
This must be the satellite footage Beckett was talking about.
And there's Charlie entering the warehouse.
Uh, gentlemen? I take it you're finishing up paperwork on the case that you are no longer investigating? You bet.
Yes, sir.
Absolutely.
Good.
Carry on.
Okay.
You see him? Beckett was right.
Charlie was followed.
And look, he's wearing a baseball cap to be incognito.
Not incognito enough.
Check out the design on that hat.
Just like the "2 Cool For School" crew hat that I got.
The one you made fun of.
So whoever followed Charlie came from the movie set.
Thanks for your time.
Guys, nobody at the production office saw Charlie being followed.
But soon as he was done filming for the day, a P.
A.
gave him a ride to a bodega in Brooklyn.
That bodega-- five blocks from the warehouse.
This is the security cam footage from outside the bodega.
And based on the time stamp, this is when the P.
A.
dropped Charlie off.
That's him.
There he is.
Okay And There's our guy in the crew hat.
I can't quite make out his face.
Try a different angle.
Ah, I'm gonna try zooming in.
That's the actress from the movie.
Wait a minute.
She's not just an actress.
She's also Svetlana Renkov.
She's Anton's niece.
Hubba, hubba.
So basically your people did exactly what I told them not to do? You put us in a difficult spot when you decided that the C.
I.
A.
's agenda was more important than solving a murder? I didn't decide anything.
Orders came down.
This is not my first rodeo dealing with the folks down in D.
C.
Soon enough, the name "Charlie Reynolds" will be a distant memory for you.
But not for us.
He may not have had a grieving mother or a wife waiting for him, but his killer should not go unpunished.
Regardless, I can't let you take a run at Svetlana Renkov.
Look, the whole reason the C.
I.
A.
is shutting this case down is because they are convinced that the Russians didn't realize that Charlie was a spy.
But Anton's niece following Charlie seems to contradict that.
And if the Russians did get on to Charlie, wouldn't the C.
I.
A.
want to know that their mission is compromised? Okay.
In the spirit of containment let's talk to Svetlana.
You followed him.
You followed him to the warehouse.
Yes.
Why did he go there? He was looking for guns.
And that was when you realized he was about to betray your family, and so you told them.
I told no one.
You didn't even tell your Uncle Anton or your other relatives? No.
I knew Charlie was a spy, but I never said so to my family.
I would die first.
We were in love.
I'm sorry.
What? I can show you our love letters.
You mock Dewey, but not only was he a secret agent, look at that.
He was a stud.
It's Romeo and Juliet with a nerdy Romeo.
And a smokin'-hot Russian Juliet.
We fell in love the moment we met.
For two years, I only saw Charlie when he came to Anton's parties in Russia.
He knew I wanted to get away-- away from that life.
So when Anton paid for the movie, Charlie said it was a-a perfect chance for me to come here, for us to be together.
Okay, if all of that's true, then why did you trail him to the warehouse? To beg him not to look for those guns.
I was afraid my family would find out.
And did they? No.
If they knew, I would be dead, too.
I told him to stop, but Charlie wouldn't listen to me.
He said he had to finish this one last mission before we disappeared.
What do you mean, disappeared? We were going to run away and start over.
We were supposed to leave today, get away from my family, get a fresh start.
Charlie wanted to leave everything behind-- the spying, the acting, the stupid character of Dewey.
What about his apartment? He just spent a lot of money renovating it.
He was leaving that, too.
I mean, he could have gone to the roof for one last look at the place, say good-bye.
He didn't have to.
He knew it was in good hands.
He was giving it to a friend.
That's why he was there that night.
Who's the friend? I can't believe it.
It's not who I would have expected.
_ He was hiding in plain sight this whole time.
Ramon.
You're under arrest.
Now, Ramon, you told us that you had other projects in the works, that you did the reunion move as a favor to Charlie.
For old times' sake.
That's what friends are for.
That doesn't make me a killer.
Yeah.
Well, we looked into these, um, other projects, and, well, this is what we found.
You've been working the graveyard at global east security for four years.
Yeah.
Well, you know, acting has its, uh, ups and downs, you know? I knew I'd get back in the game soon enough.
Yeah.
Especially if playing the football coach on "2 Cool For School" turned out to be a recurring gig.
Plan was to make sequels, but if Charlie bailed, there wouldn't be any.
Yeah.
You'd be back to working security.
I didn't hurt Charlie.
I have an alibi.
Well, yeah not anymore.
See, your girlfriend admitted to us that she lied for you.
She also mentioned that you borrowed her credit card that night.
Yeah, it turns out that you used it to charge a cab ride to Charlie's building.
You never told us that Charlie was gonna let you stay at his apartment, because you knew it connected you to the crime scene.
I can explain, okay? I can explain everything, all right? It's over, Ramon.
No, no, no, no, no.
Look.
He was doing a scene, and after that, he told me he was leaving.
And I don't mean just for the day.
He was leaving for good.
He wanted a fresh start.
He had been out of work as long as me.
And now we had a shot at doing these movies.
You don't walk away from that kind of opportunity, that kind of money! How did you end up on the roof? 'Cause he asked me to meet him there! So I thought maybe he'd changed his mind, so I went.
So there we were, looking at the great view.
And he's saying to me that I can stay at his place for free.
I don't want no charity! I don't want to be house-sitting.
I wanted my career back, and he ruined it! So you just snapped.
You know, when I was on the show, I had money--for girls, for cars, for clothes, for whatever, and then, bam, all it's gone.
And nobody tells you how it feels when it's gone, you know? Plenty of people around you to help you spend it, though.
I just wanted my old life back.
We're getting a full confession, thanks to you, in large part.
Don't be a stranger, Agent Beckett.
Drop by and see us sometime.
Thank you, sir.
I will.
Why is Svetlana still here? The C.
I.
A.
asked us to hold her.
Svetlana, this is your opportunity to honor Charlie's memory, to carry on his work.
You are asking me to spy on my family? You have unprecedented access to Anton Renkov and his organization.
That is extremely valuable to us.
Do you know what they will do to me when they learn of this? They could learn of this right now.
If word somehow got out that Charlie was C.
I.
A.
, your family would ask some pretty tough questions.
You would do this to me? Not if you help us.
He's bluffing.
C.
I.
A.
's not gonna just expose her like that.
Yeah, well, I wouldn't bet on it.
The man that she loved was murdered, and he's gonna send her on a suicide mission? Like I said, we don't always see the whole picture.
I think this one's pretty clear.
Yeah, looks good.
You know? Hey, yo, Sully, nostalgia file.
Hey.
Thanks, Ryan.
I'm off.
Hey.
I just thought I'd say bye.
Good to see you.
Yeah.
You think McCord is gonna miss us? Oh, yeah, desperately, but I'll be there to pick up the pieces.
Is that C.
I.
A.
spook really forcing Svetlana to take Charlie's place? That's not right.
Yeah, but, you know, there's not much that we can do about it, but, I mean, what I'm gonna clean that up, I swear.
No.
No.
This is your desk now.
And, uh from what I can tell, you earned it.
Well, thanks.
That means a lot coming from you.
Police have arrested Check this out.
Former "2 Cool For School" star Ramon Russo for the murder of Charlie Reynolds.
Sources close to the case say Russo's motive may be tied to Reynolds' relationship with co-star Svetlana Renkov, who is currently under investigation for her alleged ties to Russian organized crime.
Whoa.
Whoa.
Where'd they get that? Svetlana's not under investigation.
Maybe someone fed them a bad tip.
You know, once that news hits her family, they're gonna cut ties with her.
She'll be no good to the C.
I.
A.
, huh? Too bad.
Playing the anonymous source card? I mean, that is pure genius.
It it actually makes me love you more.
Well, she's filing for asylum, and the state department is gonna help relocate her, so hopefully that'll keep her safe.
Yeah, but even working for the feds, you-- you found the ultimate way to honor the victim.
Charlie died trying to get Svetlana away from her dangerous family.
You completed his mission.
Yeah, but you would have done the same thing, Castle.
Yes.
Yes, and I would love me more for doing it, too.
Hey.
Listen.
We really have to talk about something.
Okay.
We've been doing this long-distance thing for months, and, uh I mean, we never see each other, and when we do, it's a-- it's a day here, it's a-a weekend there, and let's face it, I-it's not working.
I I know, Castle, but I don't-- I don't know how to f-fix this.
I do.
What is that? Well, it's a key to our D.
C.
apartment.
I mean, the truth is, I can-- I can write from anywhere, so I found a place with a little home office.
Listen, if you don't like it when you see it, we can-- No.
I don't need to see it.
I love this.
Hold that thought.
Okay.
I bought mother, Alexis, and Pi a overnight yoga retreat.
They should not be home early.
Oh.
Hey.
Hey.
I thought our flight was at 8:00 in the morning.
It is.
They know it was you that tipped off the press.
A part of me really admires you for the choice that you made, maybe because I'd like to think there was a time that I would have done it.
But the people we answer to don't feel that way.
Rachel, I-I-- Kate, you're one of the best agents I've ever worked with.
But I'm here to tell you you're fired.
It's private property.
Sorry about that.
Oh, my God.
Oh, Castle, I wish we could stay like this all morning.
Yeah.
Among other positions.
Do you know what my favorite position is? In person.
Yeah, mine, too.
You know what? Maybe I can fly up this weekend if there's no new cases.
I would so make it worth your while.
Oh, no.
It's the office.
I have to call in.
And there goes our weekend tryst.
No, maybe not.
Maybe it's not a case.
Oh, it's always a case.
Hey, maybe, uh, don't you want to take a quick shower before work? Maybe you could take the phone in with you.
It is waterproof.
Maybe later.
I'll hold you to that.
Okay.
Pi.
Morning, dad! I hope Pi and I didn't wake you.
We're making smoothies.
And yet for me, not so smooth.
I'll whip one up for you.
Good morning, all! Good morning.
Ah! Pi, I'll have my usual.
Anti-aging.
You got it, Mrs.
R.
Thank you.
Darling, couldn't you just pretend to appreciate Pi's efforts? What efforts? Half the time, I don't know if I'm smelling our new compost bin or my daughter's rotting ambition.
Oh, Richard, she's 19 years old, and that boy is just--look.
It's good.
She'll get it out of her system.
I just wish she would get it out of her system faster, and out of my house.
Maybe I should just put my foot down, show her my stern disapproval.
Please.
Alexis will just rebel, and she'll want to be with him even more.
So then I should approve? No, no, no.
That'll just cement the relationship.
She'll be sleeping on the couch with him.
So what am I supposed to do? Drink your kale blast.
And just ride it out, kiddo.
At the reconstruction site Is that Charlie Reynolds? Turn that up.
Police are currently investigating.
Reynolds was an actor, best known as the star of the '90s TV comedy "2 Cool For School," where he played lovable nerd Dewey Hancock.
Oh How awful.
I did a guest spot on that show.
That was a simpler time, when Dewey's catchphrase, "Hubba, hubba," passed as sparkling dialogue.
In a bizarre twist, the body was found hanging from the hook of a construction crane.
Oh, gruesome.
Yes.
If by "gruesome," you mean awesome.
Look.
That's Esposito and Ryan.
This is exactly what I need.
Former child star literally getting the hook.
Hoisted on his own petard.
Hung out to dry.
Okay, I get it.
Did you see that? He just declined my call.
Looks like Charlie isn't the only one hung out to dry.
Okay.
Hey, I was-- Uh, sorry.
Only N.
Y.
P.
D.
past this point.
You must be new here.
I'm actually-- I know exactly who you are.
Like I said, only N.
Y.
P.
D.
past this point.
That's--th-there-- right there.
Those are my people right here.
Hey, guys-- It's okay, Sully.
We got it.
All right.
Thanks.
Hey, Castle.
Who's that guy, right? Uh, that is Detective Grant Sullivan.
As much as we miss Beckett, it's nice to have a new guy to boss around.
Thanks.
What you doing here, bro? Well, you would know if you would have answered my call.
I must not have heard it ring.
You rejected it.
On live television.
Look, guys, look, I am big enough to overlook that and still offer to help you guys out.
Help us out? This is a high-profile case, and I am willing to let you guys exclusively benefit from my out-of-the-box crime-solving mind.
And what do you get? Escape from the life at the loft.
Ah.
Sorry, Castle.
If Gates were to find out Yeah.
She won't! She won't find out.
I happen to know she's she's at a conference in Florida, so you won't even know I'm here.
A washed-up sitcom star dangling from a hook? Does it get any better? I grew up watching that show.
Charlie Reynolds is highly underrated as an actor.
"2 Cool For School" is a timeless gem.
I seriously doubt that.
Not that I've ever watched it.
Mr.
Castle, you're back.
But not by popular demand.
Good to see you, too, Perlmutter.
Do you have a time of death for us? Uh, between 7:00 P.
M.
and 2:00 A.
M.
The cause is obvious.
He plummeted off the roof and landed on the hook.
Possible suicide? Based on the crane's distance from the building and signs of struggle on the roof he was pushed.
What was Charlie Reynolds doing on the roof in the first place? That's a good question.
He actually owns an apartment in the building, but he wasn't living here.
Every unit's been stripped down to the studs, so he was staying in a sublet.
Any family or next of kin? On the TV show, yes.
In real life, not so much.
Well, whatever he was doing here, I've got unis canvassing to see if anyone saw him or anyone else last night in the area.
I wonder what this means.
Nine digits.
Well, given he was pushed off a roof and landed on a hook, I'm saying that is not his lucky number.
Yo, Sully.
Yeah? Check out this number and see how it connects with our victim, and let's start piecing together where he was before he wound up here.
I'm on it.
In the meantime, I checked his voicemail, and he had a bunch of angry messages yesterday from some chick.
Said she would kill him if he didn't call her back.
Said she would not be ignored.
Aha.
A classic rabbit boiler.
Stalker, gentlemen.
An obsessed fan.
Do we know who the caller is? Uh, I traced the number to an address downtown.
Uh, name is, uh Geraldine Powers.
Ger-Geraldine Powers.
Yeah.
I bet she even has a creepy shrine to him.
I did not kill Charlie Reynolds! But you did threaten to kill him.
Repeatedly.
And you do seem to have more than a casual interest in him.
Well, of course I do.
I'm the one who kept his show on the air for six seasons.
Are you taking any medication? I am not delusional.
I am Charlie's agent, nitwit.
His agent? Yeah.
I've been running the shows nonstop since I got the news.
I signed Charlie back in '92 when he was on "2 Cool For School.
" What do I do? Play it cool.
Chicks dig mystery.
Mystery Oh, here she comes.
After the show was canceled, the phones stopped ringing.
Most agents would have dumped his ass, but me? I stuck with him.
Oh, this is the scene! This is where history was made.
Hey, Lisa Hubba, hubba! A timeless gem? Really? Eh that was a very nuanced performance.
Nothing you're telling me is explaining why you threatened Charlie Reynolds.
Charlie moved into a sublet while his building was being rehabbed.
And a few days ago, some of his mail got forwarded here by mistake.
His bank statement showed that he had just made a deposit for 125 grand.
Charlie could barely cover his rent with the jobs I booked.
So where'd he get the cash? Only thing that makes sense is that he booked a gig on the side and cut me out of my commission.
Do you have any idea what that gig was? No, but for him to pull in that kind of money it had to be something big.
The key here is that mystery gig.
A down-on-his-luck actor barely scraping by? Maybe he got involved in some shady deal that cost him his life.
Or someone recognized his true acting talent and gave him a job.
Like some C-list "Where Are They Now?" reality show where he has to mud-wrestle Danny Bonaduce and Webster just to get a job with Donald Trump.
Wh-what happened to Beckett's desk? That's Sully's desk now.
Oh, uh, Mr.
Castle, sorry if I came on a little strong back at the scene.
I'm still trying to get the lay of the land here.
Detective Beckett left some big shoes to fill.
Yeah, she did.
I see you filled her desk.
Mr.
Castle, what are you doing here? Captain Gates, I'm--I-I-- I-I thought you were at a conference.
It ended a day early.
But you wouldn't even know that unless you were checking up on me.
Oh.
I see what's happened here.
This man has insinuated himself into the Charlie Reynolds investigation, hasn't he? And you let him.
Well, news for you, Mr.
Castle.
You are not N.
Y.
P.
D.
and you no longer have a reason for being here.
This is our murder case.
Not anymore.
Beckett.
This is our case now.
I have a letter from the Attorney General authorizing our taking point on this case.
May I see that, please? Wh-- what are you doing here? Me? What am I doing--what are you doing here? Why didn't you tell me you were coming to town? I was gonna surprise you.
Well done.
Then perhaps you should brief the team.
Good morning.
I am Agent McCord.
Of course you know Agent Beckett.
We are joining this investigation, so we need access to all information regarding Charlie Reynolds' death.
Which is fed speak for you're pushing us out.
No, you'll continue to work the case.
You'll just be reporting to us.
Uh, why is the murder of an ex-sitcom star a federal case? We're not at liberty to say.
No--wait, let me get this straight.
You want us to continue investigating, report everything to you, but you're not going to tell us why you're here? It's need-to-know.
We'll be setting up in the conference room.
We'll need any preliminary reports and all of Reynolds' personal electronics-- phones, iPads, computers.
Thank you for your cooperation.
We'll use the victim's phone and computer data to reconstruct what he was up to in his last 24 hours.
And by the way, D.
C.
made it clear that they want us to send it to them.
Why do they want the data? They didn't say.
They rarely do.
That's got to bother you.
We don't always get the whole picture.
Comes with the territory.
Maybe we should go over there and just invite 'em in for some coffee, you know? We are not serving them coffee.
You bought this espresso machine for the N.
Y.
P.
D.
This is N.
Y.
P.
D.
coffee only.
Come on, guys.
That's a little harsh.
Harsh? Beckett's a Judas.
Her and her partner just hijacked our case.
Whose side are you on? Your side.
Guys, I'm I'm on your side.
Hey, Ryan, isn't it a little weird that Castle shows up the same day that Agent Beckett takes over? Yes.
It's quite a coincidence.
No.
It's not.
It's not a coincide--that-- yeah, well no, actually, yes, it's a coincidence.
Maybe you and Beckett are in on this together.
Maybe what? You are her inside man.
You are Judas' Judas.
No--guys--no, I swe-- I swear.
Come on.
You know me.
I'm watching you, Castle.
Perlmutter's got something for us.
Let's go.
Yeah.
After a complete examination, I was able to narrow time of death to between 11:30 and 1:30.
And perimortem bruising on the arm and shoulder is consistent with signs of a struggle.
So Charlie fought back before he was thrown off the roof? Yes.
But the most fascinating discovery resides in here.
Which is? An unusually large quantity of fresh bird excrement that I extracted from the tread of the victim's shoes.
Uh, no I'll take your word for it.
Okay, so he stepped in some pigeon-- Sure.
Only it didn't come from pigeons.
A painstaking analysis proves that this is none other than chicken poop.
Not a lot of that in Manhattan.
Maybe Charlie's mystery job had something to do with chickens? Well, after "2 Cool For School," almost anything is a step up.
Hey, now-- what else you got for us? I'm afraid that's all I'm authorized to tell you at this time.
I can't believe it.
Even Perlmutter's answering to the feds now.
We're being iced out of our own case.
Guys, maybe there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for all this secrecy.
That's-- you guys are right.
This is outrageous! Hey, yo, Sully, any leads on Charlie's mystery job? Nothing that explains that 125 grand.
The only thing I've been able to dig up so far are some personal appearance trips to Russia over the last few years.
Russia? Oh, yeah.
"2 Cool For School" is huge over there.
Dewey is to Russia what David Hasselhoff is to Germany.
Oh, I-I did catch a break off his credit card.
I got a line on a cab that picked Charlie up the day he got killed.
Where'd it take him? His sublet.
But here's the kicker.
Another dude hopped in the backseat, and the two of them got in a huge fight.
Did you get a description? Uh, no.
Better.
I got a name.
His former co-star--Ramon Russo.
Oh, yeah.
He played the jock--Marco--right? Yeah.
Oh.
So you have seen the show.
Just caught it by accident once.
It was Oh.
Well, then as you might know, not only did Ramon play Marco, but word is, they hated each other.
Maybe that feud led to murder.
It was an accident.
I tried to walk away, but he pushed me first.
I didn't mean to kill him, I swear.
Ramon Russo? My apologies, you guys.
I'm telling you, this happens to me all the time, whether I'm out there on the street, or here teaching class.
So, how can I help you fellas? You want a an autographed picture, what? How about some of your time? Maybe even decades of it.
I'm telling you, Charlie's death is a personal tragedy for me and a huge loss for the acting community, and I'll do anything I can to help you find whoever did this to him.
We understand you shared a cab ride with him yesterday.
That's right.
We we left work together.
Oh.
You worked with him? On what? And did it involve chickens? Chickens? No! We were doing "2 Cool For School.
" But that show's been off the air for 20 years.
No, man.
We're doing a reunion movie.
You are? Yeah.
I mean, this is just the first we're hearing of it.
It's on the down-low.
You know, we all had to sign those confidentiality agreements.
Right.
But to be honest I had a lot of other projects in the works.
Charlie begged me to do it.
He said, you know, it'd be fun to get the old gang back together, you know? Even with all the bad blood between you two? I mean, wasn't your character-- Marco-- originally supposed to be the star of the show? And then Dewey caught fire, stole the spotlight.
Stole your spotlight.
We were kids back then.
I mean, that show did a lot of great things for all of us.
Whatever issues we had, we buried the hatchet a long time ago.
Not according to your cabbie.
He said the two of you got into a big fight.
Yeah, I lost my temper because he was wasting my time.
He was disrespecting the craft.
Charlie didn't know any of the lines.
I mean, I'm telling you, he was never like that.
He was--he was always real good with that kind of stuff, you know? You're saying there was something going on with Charlie.
Definitely.
It started a couple days ago.
He started showing up anxious and tired.
And I asked him what was wrong, but he wouldn't say.
Where were you last night between 11:30 and 1:30? So Ramon's girlfriend Yasmine confirms the story.
He was home all nights running lines with her.
Lines like, "I'm the biggest deal to ever walk these halls.
" Ramon slipped me a signed copy of the script-- "Those who can't, teach.
" Really? Well--well, what's the storyline? Dewey and Marco are back at Bayview High as faculty.
Dewey is the brainy science teacher, while Marco is reliving his glory days as the football coach.
Oh, no.
When Dewey runs into the sexy German teacher-- Mrs.
Pozman-- in the break room, he says "Hubba, hubba.
" "Hubba, hubba.
" "Hubba, hubba.
" Anyway, I, uh, talked to the office staff at the movie set, and not only has Charlie been acting weird lately, but two days ago, he sweet-talked the accountant into letting him look over the books.
Why would the star care about the budget of the show? I don't know, but the accountant told me that Charlie said he'd found irregularities.
And get this.
He made her swear not to tell the film's producer Hank Harper that he'd been poking around.
Hank Harper? I've heard of him.
Rumor was he chased a director off set with a baseball bat.
Check this out.
Though he's never been convicted, Hank Harper has faced numerous charges of embezzling money from the films that he's worked on.
If Charlie would have found out that Hank was skimming money from the movie Then maybe Hank gave Charlie the hook.
According to the production office, Hank Harper's somewhere here on this set.
What could they even be filming if the star is dead? Probably the scenes without Dewey.
Or scenes that explain why he's not in the whole movie.
Or he's back from the dead.
The zombie apocalypse version.
Now that I would watch.
No, look, right there.
There's another one.
They must be re-casting the part.
What? There's only one Dewey Hancock.
Yeah? Tell him that.
Action! Dewey, thanks for giving up a Friday night to chaperone the dance with me.
I'll see you there.
Hubba, hubba.
No, no, no! "Hubba, hubba" is not just a catchphrase, it is the essence of your character.
"Hubba, hubba" comes from here, not here.
And, Svetlana, make him work for the "Hubba, hubba.
" No! No! Forget it.
Please.
Come on.
You tried this before.
The answer's no.
Hank Harper.
It's too late, pretty boy.
We already cast the muscular P.
E.
teacher.
N.
Y.
P.
D.
We're here about Charlie Reynolds.
I'm gonna have to call you back.
Charlie was a great kid, a real pro.
Working with him reminded me of the pictures I did with Pacino.
You worked with Al Pacino? Barry Pacino.
No relation.
Every bit as talented, and taller.
If you have such a high opinion of Charlie, how come you're already replacing him? Look, you gotta understand, there's a lot of money at stake here.
The show must go on.
Ah! I've been there.
My book "Nikki Heat" got made into a movie a few years back.
Didn't that go straight to DVD? There were script issues.
And casting issues and directing issues.
Did Charlie have any problems with anyone on set? Not that I'm aware of.
Everybody loved him.
What's not to love? He took a look at the accounting books recently.
Any idea why? Can't imagine.
Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa.
Easy.
Well, we might.
Maybe Charlie thought somebody was skimming money.
Yes, we heard about your penchant for creative bookkeeping.
Wait.
You think I killed him? Well, if Charlie found out that you were up to your old tricks, it would be motive.
First of all, I was here all night doing script changes.
Plus I may have been caught with my hand in the cookie jar in the past, but I'm not stupid enough to steal from the Russians.
The Russians? Yeah, they're financing this picture.
They want to make this into a franchise.
This is my meal ticket! So if there's anything hinky with the books, it's not 'cause of me.
Yeah, well, we're not gonna take your word for that.
We're gonna need to see those books.
Oh, oh, yeah.
They're all yours.
Thanks.
We're gonna need one of these hats, too.
You know what I don't get? You're wearing that hat.
There's a lot you don't get.
Let's say Hank did embezzle money and killed Charlie to silence him.
Why are the feds involved? Maybe it has something to do with the Russians.
Well, if we knew the feds' angle, we'd have a leg up on solving this.
Sorry, guys, I have yet to come up with a crazy genius theory yet.
You don't need to, not when you can go directly to the source.
Get Beckett to give us the lowdown.
Okay, wait a minute-- We get much-needed case information, you get to clear up any lingering doubts about your loyalty.
Everybody wins.
Okay, guys, no, I can't do that, all right? After D.
C.
, we promised we wouldn't-- We did you a solid getting you on this case, Castle.
It's time to pay up.
Guys Okay? What does it say about our future if I keep pushing the boundaries? Castle, your whole relationship is built on a foundation of your boundary pushing.
Good point.
I got your text.
Hey.
I just wanted to check in with you.
You know, it must be weird for you being back here at the precinct, working a case.
Yeah.
Yeah, it is.
Yeah.
Especially since McCord's little gag order prevents you from accessing your most effective investigative tool me.
Yeah, you are a tool, all right? Wow.
So, uh she's not here right now, so what's the harm in giving me a little tidbit? This is a bribe.
Castle, you're bribing me with a latte? No, I am not.
Come on.
Don't be ridiculous.
This is low, even for you.
Look, I can solve this.
I just need a little more to go on.
Castle you're not gonna Castle me on this one.
Okay, she's coming.
Just nod once if it's about the Russians, twice if it's about something else.
Twice.
About something else.
Three times.
What's-- what does th-- what does that mean? What--how come-- I don't know what that means.
Beckett.
Hmm? We got a lead.
Let's go.
See you, Castle.
What does th-- what does three nods mean? Well? I tried, but she won't talk to me about the case.
Well, where did the two of them go just now? Yeah, she wouldn't tell me that, either.
Hey, I was just-- I can't even look at you right now.
Hey, guys, I think we found something in these books Charlie was looking into.
I went over them, and there's no signs of any financial shenanigans.
The balance sheet seems kosher, but, um, check out this ledger entry.
That is the number we found in Charlie's pocket.
This must be that irregularity that Charlie was talking about.
But what does it mean? Well, it corresponds to an invoice number for a shipment of camera equipment for the movie sent over from Russia.
What makes that an irregularity? Well, for one thing, it'd be a lot cheaper just to rent cameras here.
Not only that, but the shipment was sent to a warehouse in Brooklyn which happens to be right next to a chicken processing plant.
Which explains the poop on Charlie's shoes.
Charlie went to that warehouse right before he was killed.
Maybe whoever killed him came from there.
Looks deserted.
Yeah, that doesn't mean that it is.
This place could be teeming with bloodthirsty cossacks.
Do you have an extra gun? Not for you.
At least we know we're in the right place.
I definitely stepped in something.
Hey, guys, I found it.
I found the shipment.
Same invoice number.
It is just camera gear.
Wait a minute.
It's a false bottom.
All right.
Oh! My mother always said that the film business was tough.
That's why the Russians are financing that dumbass movie.
They're using the production to smuggle in illegal weapons.
It's like "Argo," but with guns.
Put the gun down and show me your hands! Now turn around slowly.
What the hell are you guys doing here? We're finding the guns you're looking for.
What guns? You didn't know about the guns? We came here to observe and report.
We don't know any more about this case than you do.
Well, then how did you guys get here? By retracing our victim's movements.
He came here the day he died.
He must have come across these guns.
I'll contact the A.
T.
F.
, have them secure the weapons.
Not so fast, Clarice.
We're the ones who found 'em, so N.
Y.
P.
D.
's gonna be the one booking these into evidence.
That's where you're both wrong! These guns aren't going anywhere.
Put your weapon down now.
You're the jogger.
The guy who found the body.
Just put the gun down.
We're federal agents.
I'm a federal agent, too.
Name's Ethan Wright.
I'm C.
I.
A.
Have Mario Lopez here make the call.
Assuming you are who you say you are, why would the C.
I.
A.
be involved? Charlie Reynolds was working for us.
I recruited him two years ago.
Dewey was a spy? We used him to infiltrate the family of Anton Renkov.
Anton Renkov? I know that name.
He's the most notorious gangster in all Russia.
He's also a major fan of "2 Cool For School.
" That's why Charlie was taking all those trips to Russia.
That's right.
They love him there, so I approached him about using those trips to gather intel on Renkov and his organization.
Charlie didn't hesitate.
He was good.
Turned out he was a better actor than most people gave him credit for.
That's what I've been saying.
Yo.
This guy checks out.
Thank God.
My arm.
So Anton Renkov was using the movie as a front to smuggle arms into the U.
S.
For the Russian mob, and Charlie's job was to find those guns.
More or less.
He contacted me a couple of days ago.
He told me that he'd located the shipment.
We set up a meet so we could get him a G.
P.
S.
tracker to attach to the guns.
When he didn't call, I started looking for him.
Would have been nice if you told us sooner.
What can I say? It was need-to-know.
We needed you to monitor the investigation so N.
Y.
P.
D.
didn't get too close to the Russians to compromise our operation.
We also figured you might lead us to the weapons, which you did.
So what happens now? We hope that Renkov sends the guns on to wherever they're going so we can track them.
And you guys walk away.
I can't believe Charlie was spying on Anton Renkov and his organization.
Any of them look familiar? Yeah.
I saw about three of those Russians on the movie set.
Mm-hmm.
And according to interpol, all of them got criminal records back in the motherland-- assault, murder, all kinds of bad stuff.
I bet one of them found out that Charlie was a spy, and they killed him.
Especially since we know that Charlie was followed to the warehouse.
Based on what? We tracked Charlie's movements by triangulating the cell towers that his phone pinged off, and then we used that time stamp to pull satellite footage of the warehouse.
How'd you guys get there? Chicken poop.
Oh.
Well, whatever works.
Point is, someone was following him.
That's what I'd investigate.
Actually, we need to hit pause on the investigation.
Word just came down from D.
C.
Why? C.
I.
A.
doesn't believe Renkov knows Charlie was a mole.
They think the Russians would have moved the weapons if they knew.
Well, we're not interested in the weapons.
We just want to solve his murder.
And D.
C.
has a problem with that.
You talk to these Russians, it could kick up some dust, set off their alarms about Charlie Reynolds and jeopardize the C.
I.
A.
operation.
Okay.
So by "pause," what you really mean is "stop.
" I know how you feel, but this case intersects with national security issues.
I'm sorry, but it's over.
Hey.
Got your text.
What time's your flight? Tomorrow morning.
So listen.
I'm, uh, sorry about that whole bribe thing.
I should have known you were incorruptible.
Yeah, I wouldn't say that.
Hmm.
Well, then allow me to try and corrupt you a little later at my place, where we can finally have some alone time.
And by "alone time," I mean you and me and My mother and Alexis and Pi.
That that sounds crowded.
Yeah.
You know what? Why don't you just give me a call after you guys have solved the case? Didn't you hear McCord? The case is wrapped.
Is it? This whole "greater good" thing blows.
Charlie died serving his country.
He deserves justice.
What happened to Beckett? She used to understand that.
I think she still does.
This must be the satellite footage Beckett was talking about.
And there's Charlie entering the warehouse.
Uh, gentlemen? I take it you're finishing up paperwork on the case that you are no longer investigating? You bet.
Yes, sir.
Absolutely.
Good.
Carry on.
Okay.
You see him? Beckett was right.
Charlie was followed.
And look, he's wearing a baseball cap to be incognito.
Not incognito enough.
Check out the design on that hat.
Just like the "2 Cool For School" crew hat that I got.
The one you made fun of.
So whoever followed Charlie came from the movie set.
Thanks for your time.
Guys, nobody at the production office saw Charlie being followed.
But soon as he was done filming for the day, a P.
A.
gave him a ride to a bodega in Brooklyn.
That bodega-- five blocks from the warehouse.
This is the security cam footage from outside the bodega.
And based on the time stamp, this is when the P.
A.
dropped Charlie off.
That's him.
There he is.
Okay And There's our guy in the crew hat.
I can't quite make out his face.
Try a different angle.
Ah, I'm gonna try zooming in.
That's the actress from the movie.
Wait a minute.
She's not just an actress.
She's also Svetlana Renkov.
She's Anton's niece.
Hubba, hubba.
So basically your people did exactly what I told them not to do? You put us in a difficult spot when you decided that the C.
I.
A.
's agenda was more important than solving a murder? I didn't decide anything.
Orders came down.
This is not my first rodeo dealing with the folks down in D.
C.
Soon enough, the name "Charlie Reynolds" will be a distant memory for you.
But not for us.
He may not have had a grieving mother or a wife waiting for him, but his killer should not go unpunished.
Regardless, I can't let you take a run at Svetlana Renkov.
Look, the whole reason the C.
I.
A.
is shutting this case down is because they are convinced that the Russians didn't realize that Charlie was a spy.
But Anton's niece following Charlie seems to contradict that.
And if the Russians did get on to Charlie, wouldn't the C.
I.
A.
want to know that their mission is compromised? Okay.
In the spirit of containment let's talk to Svetlana.
You followed him.
You followed him to the warehouse.
Yes.
Why did he go there? He was looking for guns.
And that was when you realized he was about to betray your family, and so you told them.
I told no one.
You didn't even tell your Uncle Anton or your other relatives? No.
I knew Charlie was a spy, but I never said so to my family.
I would die first.
We were in love.
I'm sorry.
What? I can show you our love letters.
You mock Dewey, but not only was he a secret agent, look at that.
He was a stud.
It's Romeo and Juliet with a nerdy Romeo.
And a smokin'-hot Russian Juliet.
We fell in love the moment we met.
For two years, I only saw Charlie when he came to Anton's parties in Russia.
He knew I wanted to get away-- away from that life.
So when Anton paid for the movie, Charlie said it was a-a perfect chance for me to come here, for us to be together.
Okay, if all of that's true, then why did you trail him to the warehouse? To beg him not to look for those guns.
I was afraid my family would find out.
And did they? No.
If they knew, I would be dead, too.
I told him to stop, but Charlie wouldn't listen to me.
He said he had to finish this one last mission before we disappeared.
What do you mean, disappeared? We were going to run away and start over.
We were supposed to leave today, get away from my family, get a fresh start.
Charlie wanted to leave everything behind-- the spying, the acting, the stupid character of Dewey.
What about his apartment? He just spent a lot of money renovating it.
He was leaving that, too.
I mean, he could have gone to the roof for one last look at the place, say good-bye.
He didn't have to.
He knew it was in good hands.
He was giving it to a friend.
That's why he was there that night.
Who's the friend? I can't believe it.
It's not who I would have expected.
_ He was hiding in plain sight this whole time.
Ramon.
You're under arrest.
Now, Ramon, you told us that you had other projects in the works, that you did the reunion move as a favor to Charlie.
For old times' sake.
That's what friends are for.
That doesn't make me a killer.
Yeah.
Well, we looked into these, um, other projects, and, well, this is what we found.
You've been working the graveyard at global east security for four years.
Yeah.
Well, you know, acting has its, uh, ups and downs, you know? I knew I'd get back in the game soon enough.
Yeah.
Especially if playing the football coach on "2 Cool For School" turned out to be a recurring gig.
Plan was to make sequels, but if Charlie bailed, there wouldn't be any.
Yeah.
You'd be back to working security.
I didn't hurt Charlie.
I have an alibi.
Well, yeah not anymore.
See, your girlfriend admitted to us that she lied for you.
She also mentioned that you borrowed her credit card that night.
Yeah, it turns out that you used it to charge a cab ride to Charlie's building.
You never told us that Charlie was gonna let you stay at his apartment, because you knew it connected you to the crime scene.
I can explain, okay? I can explain everything, all right? It's over, Ramon.
No, no, no, no, no.
Look.
He was doing a scene, and after that, he told me he was leaving.
And I don't mean just for the day.
He was leaving for good.
He wanted a fresh start.
He had been out of work as long as me.
And now we had a shot at doing these movies.
You don't walk away from that kind of opportunity, that kind of money! How did you end up on the roof? 'Cause he asked me to meet him there! So I thought maybe he'd changed his mind, so I went.
So there we were, looking at the great view.
And he's saying to me that I can stay at his place for free.
I don't want no charity! I don't want to be house-sitting.
I wanted my career back, and he ruined it! So you just snapped.
You know, when I was on the show, I had money--for girls, for cars, for clothes, for whatever, and then, bam, all it's gone.
And nobody tells you how it feels when it's gone, you know? Plenty of people around you to help you spend it, though.
I just wanted my old life back.
We're getting a full confession, thanks to you, in large part.
Don't be a stranger, Agent Beckett.
Drop by and see us sometime.
Thank you, sir.
I will.
Why is Svetlana still here? The C.
I.
A.
asked us to hold her.
Svetlana, this is your opportunity to honor Charlie's memory, to carry on his work.
You are asking me to spy on my family? You have unprecedented access to Anton Renkov and his organization.
That is extremely valuable to us.
Do you know what they will do to me when they learn of this? They could learn of this right now.
If word somehow got out that Charlie was C.
I.
A.
, your family would ask some pretty tough questions.
You would do this to me? Not if you help us.
He's bluffing.
C.
I.
A.
's not gonna just expose her like that.
Yeah, well, I wouldn't bet on it.
The man that she loved was murdered, and he's gonna send her on a suicide mission? Like I said, we don't always see the whole picture.
I think this one's pretty clear.
Yeah, looks good.
You know? Hey, yo, Sully, nostalgia file.
Hey.
Thanks, Ryan.
I'm off.
Hey.
I just thought I'd say bye.
Good to see you.
Yeah.
You think McCord is gonna miss us? Oh, yeah, desperately, but I'll be there to pick up the pieces.
Is that C.
I.
A.
spook really forcing Svetlana to take Charlie's place? That's not right.
Yeah, but, you know, there's not much that we can do about it, but, I mean, what I'm gonna clean that up, I swear.
No.
No.
This is your desk now.
And, uh from what I can tell, you earned it.
Well, thanks.
That means a lot coming from you.
Police have arrested Check this out.
Former "2 Cool For School" star Ramon Russo for the murder of Charlie Reynolds.
Sources close to the case say Russo's motive may be tied to Reynolds' relationship with co-star Svetlana Renkov, who is currently under investigation for her alleged ties to Russian organized crime.
Whoa.
Whoa.
Where'd they get that? Svetlana's not under investigation.
Maybe someone fed them a bad tip.
You know, once that news hits her family, they're gonna cut ties with her.
She'll be no good to the C.
I.
A.
, huh? Too bad.
Playing the anonymous source card? I mean, that is pure genius.
It it actually makes me love you more.
Well, she's filing for asylum, and the state department is gonna help relocate her, so hopefully that'll keep her safe.
Yeah, but even working for the feds, you-- you found the ultimate way to honor the victim.
Charlie died trying to get Svetlana away from her dangerous family.
You completed his mission.
Yeah, but you would have done the same thing, Castle.
Yes.
Yes, and I would love me more for doing it, too.
Hey.
Listen.
We really have to talk about something.
Okay.
We've been doing this long-distance thing for months, and, uh I mean, we never see each other, and when we do, it's a-- it's a day here, it's a-a weekend there, and let's face it, I-it's not working.
I I know, Castle, but I don't-- I don't know how to f-fix this.
I do.
What is that? Well, it's a key to our D.
C.
apartment.
I mean, the truth is, I can-- I can write from anywhere, so I found a place with a little home office.
Listen, if you don't like it when you see it, we can-- No.
I don't need to see it.
I love this.
Hold that thought.
Okay.
I bought mother, Alexis, and Pi a overnight yoga retreat.
They should not be home early.
Oh.
Hey.
Hey.
I thought our flight was at 8:00 in the morning.
It is.
They know it was you that tipped off the press.
A part of me really admires you for the choice that you made, maybe because I'd like to think there was a time that I would have done it.
But the people we answer to don't feel that way.
Rachel, I-I-- Kate, you're one of the best agents I've ever worked with.
But I'm here to tell you you're fired.