Chapter 155: Collapse

Cameron's outburst was more a venting of his fear at having his secret exposed. However, to the experienced Beckett, Dr. Cameron Talbot's shout seemed more like a desperate attempt to cover up.

But Beckett faced a dilemma. She couldn't arrest Cameron solely based on her suspicions, as American law operates on the presumption of innocence. Even if Beckett had concrete evidence proving Cameron was Aeslica's murderer, she would still need to apply for an arrest warrant from the district attorney before arresting Cameron. Arresting him based only on suspicions and indirect evidence would be considered a procedural error, giving Cameron's lawyer a loophole to exploit. This could even make it impossible for the district attorney to successfully prosecute Cameron. Unless Cameron confessed right then, Beckett couldn't do much.

Furthermore, Beckett currently lacked strong evidence linking Cameron directly to Aeslica's death. She was acting on Castle's hypotheses and judgment, which had allowed her to secure a limited court order. Due to the stringent child protection laws in the US, even to obtain Zane's DNA, Beckett needed the Talbots' consent. The US laws on protecting minors are notoriously stringent.

So, despite Cameron's behavior indicating a close connection to Aeslica's murder, the restrictive laws meant Beckett couldn't arrest him without a confession.

Castle's anger, however, wouldn't be quelled by Cameron's bluster. When Cameron's shout scared Zane, who was playing on the carpet, and Mrs. Talbot hurried to comfort her crying son, Castle ignored Cameron's fierce expression and continued his story:

"But fate had other plans. Years later, the father who switched his son with the Czech couple's child encountered the mother whose child he had swapped. He knew his biological son had already died from Niemann-Pick disease. This woman had left her husband due to the trauma of losing her child and found a job as a cleaner in the apartment where this man lived…"

Hearing this, Mrs. Talbot, who was comforting her child, looked at her husband, sitting on the sofa in disbelief. "Cameron… you…"

Dr. Cameron Talbot, deflated like a punctured balloon, covered his face with his hands. "There's no need to continue. I admit it. I killed Aeslica, who was secretly comparing Zane's DNA with hers. I also switched her child with mine in the hospital years ago. You're right. Zane isn't my son but Aeslica's…"

Cameron's admission stunned everyone. Mrs. Talbot, in particular, was shocked as she learned of a secret even she hadn't known.

Esposito and Ryan were equally astonished. They never expected Castle's seemingly wild conjectures to be true and lead to Cameron's confession. This felt surreal. If every investigation could be resolved with Castle's words, what would be the need for detectives?

Beckett, however, remained unperturbed. She had anticipated this outcome. She decided not to have Cameron detail his crimes in front of the nearly five-year-old Zane. His psychological defense had collapsed; they could get the full story back at the station. Beckett stood up and formally addressed Cameron. "Dr. Cameron Talbot, you are under arrest for the murder of Aeslica Sokol. You have the right to remain silent…"

Watching Beckett recite the Miranda rights while handcuffing Cameron, Castle smiled, satisfied. Though he had once again gone against his decision to stay out of Beckett's investigations, he felt justified. Aeslica's wrongful death and Hayek's grief made him believe he had done the right thing.

In truth, it wasn't Castle's words alone that broke Cameron; it was his guilty conscience. Cameron had no idea that the police had no solid evidence against him, only Castle's insights. Even if Cameron had resisted, he wouldn't have escaped, as Zane's DNA would have eventually confirmed everything.

Seeing Beckett handcuff Cameron, Castle quickly moved to block Zane's view, not wanting the child to see his 'father' being arrested. This considerate action warmed Mrs. Talbot's heart, knowing he was trying to protect her son from trauma.

As Beckett and Esposito prepared to take Cameron out, Castle seriously addressed Mrs. Talbot. "Mrs. Talbot, I know you're in turmoil right now, but I must tell you that Zane's biological father, Theodore Hayek, is waiting for an update at the station. Can you let him meet his son? He is Zane's real father. This is just a suggestion, and the decision is yours."

Despite the turmoil, Mrs. Talbot remained remarkably calm, likely due to her maternal instincts. She agreed to Castle's suggestion but requested a delay, given the recent arrest of her husband. She needed to care for Zane and contact a lawyer to see if she could help her husband. They arranged for Zane to meet Hayek another day, and Castle took his leave.

Esposito and Ryan had already taken Cameron downstairs, leaving Beckett waiting for Castle at the door. As soon as Castle stepped out, she, with arms crossed and a stern look, asked, "Don't you think you owe me an explanation for how you knew about the case?"

Castle grinned. "If I said I was just guessing and bluffing, would you believe me?"

Seeing Castle's cheeky smile and reluctance to share the details, Beckett didn't press. Castle's mysterious ways had long been a source of unanswered questions for her. Though his interventions usually helped, she didn't feel the need to dig deeper.

The charming detective simply smiled, "Alright, if you don't want to tell me now, I won't push. But thanks for today. Even without your accusations, Cameron would have faced justice eventually, but you saved us a lot of time. Keep it up!"

After a small compliment, Beckett stepped into the elevator. Castle, caught off guard by her praise, stood there momentarily stunned.

"Are you coming or not? The elevator is going down…"

Beckett's impatient voice snapped Castle out of his daze, and he quickly joined her in the elevator.

Once downstairs, the two headed straight to their car. Esposito and Ryan had already secured Cameron in another vehicle. When Beckett and Castle were seated, both cars turned on their sirens and lights, heading back to the station with Cameron in custody.

Upon their return, Captain Montgomery was already waiting, having heard the news. Standing by the elevator, he eagerly awaited Beckett and her team. As Beckett stepped out, Montgomery, beaming with pride, approached her.

"You did well, Detective Beckett. I didn't expect you to solve this case so quickly, just from checking the victim's work situation. Excellent work! Now, conduct a preliminary interrogation, and then report to me in detail about the investigation. I'll contact the district attorney's office. Once you've taken his statement and secured the evidence, we'll move forward with the prosecution."

Beckett, slightly overwhelmed by Montgomery's enthusiasm, quickly intervened. "Sir, we actually don't have solid evidence against him yet. All we have is his confession. Don't rush to contact the DA. Let me interrogate him first, then we can proceed."

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