Chapter 120: Mansion

The "Nurse Maggie" handcuffed by the police glared furiously, screaming madly at the "Mouse Jimmy" who had just stopped her: "Jimmy, you can't escape, you will never escape..."

Beckett smiled faintly and gestured for her subordinates to take away the assassin who, on the verge of completing her mission, had been captured at the last moment and was now mentally unbalanced from the shock. With a smile on her face, she walked out of the examination room.

Castle, overjoyed, began to unwrap the layers of bandages around his head, grinning as he followed Beckett out of the examination room. "So, what did I tell you? My skills are pretty good, right? You never believe me. Now, I've proved it, haven't I?"

Beckett, in high spirits from solving the case and capturing the killer, turned to Castle. "Even if your skills are good, that doesn't mean you can directly participate in police operations. You should know that using you as bait this time was a huge responsibility for both Captain Montgomery and me. If it weren't for your persistent reasoning that convinced me, do you think I would have agreed so easily? Next time, don't even think about it!"

Castle paid no mind to Beckett's words. He knew Beckett was a typical tough-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside person, especially towards those close to her. It was hard for her to refuse requests from those around her. With the right attitude and a bit of persistence, she would eventually soften up.

Castle had realized this trait long ago, even back when he watched the original show in his past life. Now that he spent a lot of time with her, it was even more apparent. Beckett's attitude towards him had significantly improved since they first met. This improvement was partly due to Castle's continuous help in solving cases, which led Beckett to develop a certain dependence on him, and partly due to the trust that had grown between them over time.

The group split into several cars, transporting the captured assassin back to the police station from Dr. Joshua's clinic. On the way, Castle reminded Beckett to notify Federal Assistant District Attorney "Hard Candy" Candice Robinson, who had been keeping an eye on the case. He suggested Beckett inform Candice that they had successfully captured Dr. Joshua's murderer, who was likely sent by the Soprano family in a desperate move triggered by Mouse Jimmy's disappearance. Beckett followed Castle's suggestion and called Candice, clearly stating that while she aimed to solve Dr. Joshua's murder case, Candice might be able to turn the assassin into a witness against the Soprano family.

Candice, about to head to a safe house to meet Mouse Jimmy and fulfill her promise to Beckett, was overjoyed by the news. She eagerly said over the phone that she would rush to the station to join the interrogation of the assassin.

Castle's suggestion promised Beckett another favor and friendship from the Federal Assistant District Attorney. With this cheerful mood, they brought the killer back to the 12th precinct.

Captain Roy Montgomery, who had received the news, stood at the elevator entrance, looking pleased as his trusted subordinates quickly solved another murder case. Additionally, they were on the verge of gaining the Federal Assistant District Attorney's friendship. He smiled broadly as he watched Beckett escort the disguised nurse, Maggie Dawdy, into the interrogation room, then warmly praised Beckett once she emerged.

After witnessing the female assassin being taken into the interrogation room, Castle's system, which had been dormant recently, rewarded him with a random skill for helping Beckett solve the case. Not interested in the reward at the moment, Castle stored it in the system, hoping to exchange two random rewards for a skill he actually needed later. The last reward, a Sichuan cuisine skill, had backfired as his current Caucasian body couldn't handle the spices. After one meal of self-made Sichuan dishes, he and his daughter Alexis suffered for two days.

Seeing nothing more to do at the police station, Castle decided to leave. Beckett, busy preparing to interrogate the Soprano family assassin, didn't have time to thank Castle properly. So, letting him go home early seemed a good option.

Beckett simply waved Castle off, signaling he could leave, and then focused on how to get the assassin to talk.

Castle greeted Esposito and Ryan before swaggering towards the elevator, pulling out his phone to contact Mozzie. He wanted Mozzie to take him to Neal Caffrey's new apartment to see if he could trigger a side quest and meet Neal's friendly landlady, June.

After calling Alexis to tell her he wouldn't be home for dinner, Castle waited at a street corner near the 12th precinct for Mozzie.

Following Mozzie's lead, Castle arrived at Neal's new residence: an ancient castle-style mansion at 87 Riverside Drive in the heart of Manhattan.

Staring at the unbelievably valuable mansion, Castle, despite his wealth, was secretly astonished. This mansion was just a few hundred meters from Times Square, making it a prime Manhattan location. It was clear that Neal Caffrey was very charming; otherwise, how could June offer him the attic at such a surprising price?

The mansion had three floors, with Neal renting the top-floor attic, which included a private bathroom, washroom, dressing room, and even a small rooftop terrace for skyline views.

As Castle marveled at the familiar attic from the original show, Neal, already informed by Mozzie about Castle's help in finding his missing girlfriend Kate, rushed over to give Castle a big hug.

Previously, Neal had been restrained outside the FBI building due to the public setting, but now, at home, he showed his genuine gratitude.

As expected, when Neal hugged him, the system issued a side quest. But Castle ignored it for now, focusing on Neal's heartfelt welcome. The three of them, Castle, Neal, and Mozzie, moved to the terrace, sitting down to enjoy the view.

Neal poured the already decanted wine into glasses and handed them to Castle and Mozzie, then filled his own glass. After clinking glasses and taking a sip, Neal expressed his gratitude.

"Rick, thank you. Mozzie told me you could use Barry Street's intelligence network to help find Kate..."

Castle interrupted, "Neal, no need to thank me. You and Mozzie are my friends. Remember when I needed detailed forgery techniques for my book? You and Mozzie went out of your way to demonstrate. You asked me not to thank you in the book. Now it's my turn to help you!"

Neal, interrupted but not offended, smiled at Castle's heartfelt words. His genuine tone made the world-class con artist feel the sincerity. Neal, putting his gratitude into his heart, shifted the conversation to discuss how to find his missing girlfriend.

Mozzie, sipping wine, did not join the discussion, knowing Castle was no longer the reckless guy from four years ago. If Castle promised to contact KING for help, Mozzie believed he wouldn't fail.

After patiently listening to Neal's suspicions and explanations about Kate's sudden disappearance, Castle, already knowing the reasons but unable to reveal them yet, cautiously suggested, "Neal, from what you said, it seems you don't believe Kate left you willingly and vanished. Do you think someone or something threatened her, forcing her to disappear?"

___________________

Read Ahead

P@treon.com/Mutter