Chapter 60: The Reveal

Fortunately, Adam was a slim man, not very tall and weighing less than 120 pounds. Including his suitcase, the total weight was probably no more than 130 pounds. It wasn't exactly easy for Richard Castle, but it wasn't too difficult either, as he handed down the suitcase containing Adam to Henry and his son Abraham.

Henry and Abraham easily caught the suitcase and secured it in the trunk of the car. Henry looked up at Castle and said, "Rick, we'll wait for you at the junction ahead. Make sure you follow us as soon as you're done!"

Castle smiled slightly and nodded in agreement, "Alright, I'll be done here soon. You don't need to wait at the junction, head straight to the forest in New Jersey. Be careful on the road, and make sure the patrol doesn't spot you! I'll clean up here and follow shortly."

Poor Adam, he had planned to deliver a gift called 'Black Dahlia' to Henry today, but unfortunately, he didn't foresee that he would be fatally misled by Castle and fall into the hands of Henry, who he had hoped to win over but who despised him intensely.

Castle didn't ask Henry to wait at the junction partly because he needed to clean up all traces of himself in Adam's office, but also because he was worried that having Adam in the trunk might attract police attention if discovered. Hence, he directed Henry to take Adam straight to the secluded forest in New Jersey where they had found Abigail.

After ensuring that there were no traces left in Adam's office that could prove he had been there, Castle was satisfied with deleting the hospital server's appointment records and maliciously planted a Trojan virus set to activate at midnight, intending to stir the waters even more.

After finishing everything, Castle left Adam's office through the emergency exit on the side of the building, leisurely exiting the Seventh Psychiatric Hospital.

Once in his car, Castle hacked into the hospital's surveillance system one last time, erasing the footage of his departure from the building.

"All clear now. Henry and Abraham have taken Adam to New Jersey. Now, should I take this opportunity to search Adam's house? I remember Adam had found the dagger that killed him years ago, the only weapon that can nullify his immortality and truly finish him off. Should I search his house now, or should I first check out Henry's revenge scene?"

Sitting in the car, Castle stroked his chin, weighing the pros and cons in his mind, and finally decided to head to New Jersey first to witness Henry's revenge, confident that as long as Adam wasn't killed but was incapacitated with an air embolism causing thrombosis, he couldn't escape, and Castle would have plenty of time to search his house later.

Thinking of witnessing 'Henry's Revenge,' Castle couldn't wait any longer, quickly started his car, and headed to New Jersey to enjoy the drama!

Meanwhile, at the Twelfth Precinct, Beckett stood in front of her famous, large whiteboard, scrutinizing the current data the police had and the forensic photos from the Dorsett brothers' butcher shop crime scene. She had a nagging feeling that she had missed something crucial, possibly key to solving the case.

"Detective Beckett, any progress these last couple of days?"

Accompanying the question was Detective Joe Martinez, whose coroner had suddenly taken leave and vanished, and whose boss had also tasked him to collaborate with Beckett on this copycat Jack the Ripper murder case, prompting him to come from his precinct to see if she had any new leads.

"Oh, hi, Joe," Beckett turned to face the detective whose demeanor closely resembled her own.

"Call me Joe, all my friends do! So, what do you think about this case?"

Beckett, not mincing words, shared her recent doubt, "Joe, I was just thinking if I might have overlooked something, although it's just a gut feeling and not fully confirmed yet."

Martinez smiled slightly, "Right, and what about the writer who was with you? Didn't you say he found the clue left by the killer? Does he have any more brilliant ideas?"

Martinez's comment sparked a realization in Beckett's mind; she had indeed overlooked Richard Castle.

In this case, Castle's behavior had been unusually offbeat.

Snapping back to reality, Beckett quickly asked Martinez, "Has Dr. Morgan appeared in the last couple of days?"

Martinez realized what Beckett was hinting at and opened his mouth in surprise, "You don't mean…"

"Yes, if it were just Dr. Morgan alone, I wouldn't think so much. But add Castle to that equation, and it's a definite clue!

They must have discovered something while we were at the crime scene and didn't tell us. Both have been missing these past few days, and knowing Castle, he must be with Dr. Morgan right now!

To confirm my guess is simple…"

Be

ckett grabbed the phone from the desk before she could finish and dialed Castle's number.

"Hello, Officer Beckett, missing me?"

As soon as the call connected, Castle's cheeky voice came through the speakerphone.

"Castle, are you with Dr. Morgan right now?"

Beckett was furious, knowing Castle had definitely discovered a clue she was unaware of, and had gone to join forces with Henry Morgan, the coroner. It wasn't jealousy or anything else bothering her; it was purely that Castle had once again taken matters into his own hands, this time dragging Dr. Morgan into it too.

It was clear from their time together that Beckett had gradually come to understand Castle; her guess about this situation was not far off!

Castle, who was driving, was momentarily stunned by Beckett's direct question; how did she know he was with Henry? Right, in his rush to help Henry capture Adam, he hadn't covered his tracks well, and now he was in trouble. How would he bluff his way out of this?

Seeing that the phone had gone silent since her question, Beckett was convinced Castle was indeed conducting his investigation secretly. In a fit of rage, she couldn't hold back any longer, "Richard Castle, do you remember what you promised me? Are you investigating this case on your own again? And you've dragged Dr. Morgan into this too, haven't you?"

"Ah, right, Beckett just thinks I'm privately investigating the case. She can't possibly know I'm involved with Henry in kidnapping Adam. What am I scared of?"

Hearing Beckett's furious questioning, Castle realized he was just being paranoid. He quickly reassured her over the phone, "Beckett, I'm not with Dr. Morgan. I'm on my way to New Jersey for some personal matters. How about this? Once I'm done, I'll come back to the precinct and explain everything to you?"

"Castle, I hope you know what you're doing…"

Beckett didn't continue her tirade over the phone, simply responding with a calm statement before hanging up.

Martinez, watching Beckett angrily end the call, couldn't help but laugh, "Detective Beckett, I completely understand your feelings, as Henry has been exactly the same during our cases together!"

Beckett, a bit incredulous that the sophisticated-looking Dr. Morgan could be as problematic as Castle, saw Martinez's belief in his statement and felt even more aligned with him…

And Castle, having been hung up on by Beckett, wasn't anxious to return and explain himself. Right now, more importantly, he was off to enjoy the drama; as for later at the precinct, handling Beckett, Castle felt that was no issue at all!!!

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