857. Chapter 857

After Under the Influence

Episode 5.11

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: My playlist does not include Castle. Rating: K Time: See above.

Author's note: Later today I'll be off to the Mill Valley Film Festival to see Rendezvous, starring Stana Katic! WHEE!

"What the hell happened to you?" Detective Esposito demanded, pushing his way into Joey Malone's apartment.

Joey shrugged. "My suite at the Ritz-Carlton wasn't ready yet."

Espo pushed Joey down onto the couch in the cramped one room apartment. "Don't wise off to me, Joey. You were doing good. You were staying in school, getting….well, okay grades. You even were making some money as a DJ. Why did you throw it all away?"

"Maybe I got tired of being poor. It happens, you know. You see all the dudes around here with nice clothes, nice cribs, nice cars and nice women, and you know they ain't getting rich on the old nine to five. So, I took a chance."

"You robbed a drug dealer. Your pal Ruiz got a 9mm in the back of his head and you got two years in the joint. The only reason you didn't end up dead is because Darryl Moore, the guy you robbed, got himself killed while you were waiting for your trial. Otherwise he'd have paid some lifer to shank you in Attica. Didn't you learn a damned thing?"

Joey smiled. "Sure I did. Attica is like college. You learn all sorts of stuff. I have me a PhD now."

"So that's it? You're going to be a thug all of your life? What's left of it?"

Joey shrugged. "Live fast, die young, leave a good looking corpse."

Espo looked around. The apartment was a dump, but Joey had a big screen TV and a game console. "You've been out for less than a week. How did you get this stuff?" He gestured to the electronics.

"It came with the place. The manager is a really good guy."

"Bullshit." Espo said. "Are you determined to ruin your life? To end up dead by the time your thirty or spending your whole life in and out of prison?"

"I am what I am, Detective. Now, if you would, I'd like you out of my place. Or do you have a warrant?"

Espo shook his head. "I thought you were smart, Joey. And you have talent. You don't have to be like this."

Joey smiled. "I do have talent." He said as Espo left.

"Did you see him?" Captain Beckett asked.

Espo nodded and sat down in front of her desk along with Castle and Ryan.

"It did no good. He's determined to fuck up his life. I can't see any way to stop him. Anyone have any ideas?"

All three looked around, then Kate shook her head. "We'll have to put this one in the loss column, Espo. I'm sorry."

Espo shook his head angrily. "He's a smart kid. Talented, too. He could have done better than being some dumb assed gang banger. Now, he's lost."

Two weeks later, Espo came into the bullpen. Before he could sit down. Beckett called him into her office and shut the door. "Where were you two nights ago, at about nine PM?"

"Why?" He asked, wondering why it sounded like he needed an alibi.

"Just answer the question."

"I was at home. I had a headache when I got home, so I took something and laid down. I fell asleep and got up about midnight. I ate something, played some games and then went back to bed. Why are you asking me this?"

"Did anyone see you? Did you call anyone or anyone call you? Are there any security cameras or traffic cams by your place?"

"No. I can't prove I was at home if that's what you're getting at. What is this?"

"Do you remember Shane Winters?"

"Sure. What about him?"

"He was murdered two nights ago. A double tap to the chest and one to the head once he was down. He had left New York for Miami after the murder of Holly Rhodes. But, apparently he got in the way of some bad people down there and came back to New York about six months ago. Still at his old tricks, getting kids to do the dirty work. He told everyone that you threatened to kill him if he ever went after another kid again, but bragged he wasn't afraid of you. Did you threaten to kill him?"

Espo looked at Beckett and then nodded. "Damn straight I threatened him, but I didn't kill him."

Late shook her head. "Someone from IA is coming over to talk to you. I've asked that someone from the police union be here for you."

"Beckett, I don't need any…"

"Yes you do. And you will sit there and not say a word, not one word, unless the union rep tells you it's okay. Do you understand that?"

Espo nodded.

"Espo, do you understand that?" Kate demanded.

"Loud and clear."

Lieutenant Michaels wore the blue power suit and disapproving expression that seemed to go with every IA cop. Casmir Pontiakowski of the police union wore a rumpled brown suit and exuded an air of quiet confidence. The interview took place in Beckett's office with just her and Espo there from the 12th.

"Detective Esposito, "Michaels began, "the deceased claimed before witnesses that you threatened to kill him. Is that correct?"

Pontiakowski spoke before Espo could. "We all know that criminals, and Winters was a career criminal, like to brag about how tough they are and how the police don't scare them. Did anyone hear this alleged threat by my client?"

Michaels shook his head. "No."

"So this is all hearsay."

"This is not a court, I can listen to hearsay. Detective Esposito, did you ever threaten Mr. Winters?"

"I told him that if he kept breaking the law, he'd be in trouble." That had the benefit of being true, if incomplete.

"Mr. Winters was shot with a double tap to the chest and a round to the head. That's the sort of shooting that both the military and the police are familiar with. Is it not?"

Pontiakowski took out a piece of paper. "It's also familiar to millions of people who have access to a computer or a TV. There was a program on Navy SEAL training on several weeks ago. That method of killing was shown and described. There are dozens of web sites telling people how to best kill someone."

"Detective Esposito?" Michaels asked.

"I was trained to double tap to the chest and one to the head. Along with several million people who've been in the military and police."

Michaels looked at his notes. "The bullets used were unusual. The slugs were drilled out and mercury poured into the slug, then sealed with resin. That's something that…"

"Is on forty seven web sites that I found just last night." Pontiakopwski handed over a list.

"The witness to the shooting described the shooter as tall, heavily built, dark complexioned and with short hair."

"A description that fits several million men in the Tri-State area." Pontiakowski.

"Is it true that you have no alibi for the time of the murder, Detective?"

"He doesn't and neither do I." Pontiakowski snapped. "Do you have an alibi?"

Pontiakowski looked around the room. "I don't see that there is any actual evidence linking Detective Esposito to anything. Does anyone see anything?"

Michaels nodded and got up. "I'll send you a copy of my report when it's done, Captain Beckett."

When Javier left the precinct that night, he knew exactly where to go. As soon as Joey opened the door, Espo pushed his way in. "Why the hell did you kill Shane Winters?"

Joey laughed. "You have proof of that, Officer?"

"Regina Cane killed Holly Rhodes, you know that, don't you?"

"And Regina claimed self defense and got away with it, after all, she's a pop star with a ton of lawyers. And Shane put Holly in a position to get killed."

"And so you killed him?"

"Whoa, there big fellow. I never said I killed anyone."

Espo glared at Joey who just smiled. "So you learned a lot in prison. The double tap, Dum Dum bullets, and….I'll bet you figured how to get rid of a gun permanently."

Joey frowned in fake concentration. "I remember some guy saying you should toss your piece into battery acid. Won't take too long to reduce it to nothing."

"You got it all figured out, don't you? Is that what you're going to do now? Kill people?"

"Like I said, I never killed anyone. Do you have any evidence I did?"

"So you're going to be nothing but a thug."

"No, I'm going to work for a thug. Mother Thug hired me yesterday for her tech crew. It seems it's good for her street cred to have ex-cons on the payroll. Now, if you'll excuse me, Detective Esposito, I have to get ready for work." Joey leaned in to Espo. "I did change, you know. Just not as much as you'd hoped."