Chapter 182: Hints

Blake Wellesley had initially been furious, accusing Castle vehemently. But as Castle remained calm and composed, urging him to hear him out, Blake began to question his own hasty reaction. Castle hadn't actually accused him of anything. What was his real message?

Blake's demeanor visibly softened, though apologizing was out of the question. As a prominent figure in New York, he couldn't easily apologize to Castle or a mere detective. Instead, he gestured for Castle to continue.

Castle didn't mind. He knew Blake was also a victim in this matter. Beckett, on the other hand, was too anxious about Castle's audacious narrative to care about whether Blake was being polite. She was more worried about their story falling apart.

Noticing that Blake seemed to have connected some dots about his family's internal affairs, Castle felt a surge of satisfaction. Blake's gesture to continue was all the encouragement he needed. So, Castle picked up where he left off.

"As I mentioned, Brady, the man who took the fall for the real killer, was silenced in prison yesterday. The official report says he died in a brawl, but considering the evidence he was sending was stolen, it's clear he was killed by someone the real murderer had paid off. To find clues, we exhumed Olivia's coffin, hoping to find evidence on her body. However, to our shock, her body was not there. The killer had already moved it before we arrived.

Luckily, we found this photo in a drawer in Olivia's coffin. You know, Mr. Wellesley, there were rumors among New York's elite about your past during your father's Senate campaign. That's why we scheduled this meeting, hoping you could provide us with more information."

As Castle spoke, Blake's face grew increasingly somber. He listened without interrupting until Castle mentioned that Olivia's body had been removed from her coffin. His expression then shifted to one of confusion.

"You're saying that Olivia's body wasn't in her coffin. Does that mean she might still be alive?"

Castle brutally shattered Blake's hopeful speculation. "No, Mr. Wellesley, she is definitely dead. There's no doubt about that. The killer moved her body to prevent us from finding evidence that could link back to him."

Blake, now bewildered, asked, "Then what's your purpose today? Just to find out if Olivia's mother was my lover?"

Castle again dashed Blake's hopes. "No, Councilman Wellesley. Our main purpose today isn't just to confirm if Olivia's mother was your lover. We believe the killer is someone from within the Wellesley family."

Castle's words stunned both Blake and Beckett. Blake was shocked to think that someone in his own family could be responsible for Olivia's murder, while Beckett was flabbergasted by Castle's confident assertion. How could he be so sure the killer was from the Wellesley family? She had no idea.

Almost as if sensing Beckett's internal turmoil, Castle turned to her, giving a reassuring smile that seemed to say, "Trust me, I know what I'm doing." This calmed her a little as Castle addressed Blake with a serious tone.

"Yes, Councilman. After scheduling our meeting yesterday, we continued our investigation. Our findings suggest that when Olivia left her small town to come to New York ten years ago, she had already made contact with someone in the Wellesley family. However, since you were in the midst of a critical Senate campaign, that person chose to keep this information from both you and her."

Castle's words were earth-shattering, but Blake, now calm and clear-headed, realized that Castle's logic was sound. He had begun to transition from initial skepticism to a state of tentative belief in Castle's narrative. Eager to know the full truth, Blake remained silent, waiting for Castle to continue.

However, Castle had no intention of unveiling the entire mystery right then and there. As he had told Beckett the previous day, his goal today was to reveal just enough to gain Blake's trust and direct the investigation towards the true culprit without taking all the credit himself. He wanted Beckett's investigation to gain momentum and also hoped their interaction today would earn the NYPD and Beckett some valuable support and goodwill from Blake, which could benefit Beckett's career.

With this in mind, Castle subtly shifted gears. Instead of naming the real killer, Frank Davis, he steered the conversation to focus on the Wellesley family.

"After scheduling our meeting, we did not stop our investigation. We found that Olivia, after coming to New York, made contact with someone from the Wellesley family. But during your critical campaign period, this person decided to conceal the information from both of you."

Blake listened intently. Although Castle's words were shocking, they were also logical. Desperate for the truth, Blake did not interrupt. He wanted to hear everything Castle had to say.

But Castle wasn't ready to reveal that the actual mastermind behind Olivia's death was Blake's own mother, who had sought to protect the family's reputation during the Senate campaign. She had directed Frank Davis to "handle" Olivia, a command that Frank had interpreted as an order to kill.

Castle knew these revelations were too explosive and lacked supporting evidence. Moreover, he didn't want to overshadow Beckett's role in solving the case. So, instead of revealing the whole truth, Castle opted to nudge the investigation in the right direction.

"We believe that person's intention was to protect the family during the campaign by keeping Olivia's existence a secret. However, we cannot yet definitively identify the killer. All we know is that he—or she—is someone within the Wellesley family."

Castle's words led Blake into deep thought. Meanwhile, Beckett was fuming internally. She wanted to kick Castle for his audacity but couldn't risk giving any overt signs of her frustration in front of Blake. She could only watch as Castle continued to 'enlighten' Blake.

After a moment of contemplation, Blake raised his head. He was starting to understand Castle's strategy. "What do you need me to do?"

Castle saw his chance. Maintaining his calm demeanor, he responded, "We need your cooperation. Help us look into your family. There might be details or events that you know of, things that could give us clues or point us in the right direction. Any information, no matter how small it seems, could be crucial in identifying the real killer."

Blake nodded thoughtfully. "I understand. I will assist you in any way I can. If the killer is truly within my family, I want to see justice done, not just for Olivia but for the integrity of the Wellesley name."

Castle smiled, satisfied with Blake's response. "Thank you, Councilman. Your help could make all the difference. We'll keep you updated on our progress and might need to speak with you again as we gather more information."

As they concluded their meeting, Castle and Beckett left Blake's office. Beckett, still reeling from the rollercoaster of the conversation, looked at Castle with a mix of exasperation and admiration. Once they were out of earshot, she couldn't hold back any longer.

"Castle, what the hell was that? You nearly gave me a heart attack in there! How could you be so sure about everything you said?"

Castle shrugged with his usual nonchalance. "Trust me, Beckett. Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith. Blake needed to hear those things, and now, we have his support. This case is far from over, but we've just made a giant leap forward."

Beckett shook her head, a small smile creeping onto her face. Despite his unconventional methods, Castle had once again managed to steer them in the right direction. "Just don't make a habit of nearly giving me a heart attack, okay?"

Castle grinned, "No promises, Beckett. Where's the fun in that?"

And with that, they left the building, ready to tackle the next steps of their investigation with renewed determination.

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