Chapter 174: Enigmatic

Beckett concluded resolutely, "This was definitely not an accident, and there's definitely more to it. Brady called his aunt to send a mysterious document to Captain Montgomery. Shortly after, the cyclist courier delivering the document was killed by a mysterious assailant, who stole the document. Then Brady himself was murdered in prison. It's clear this was all to silence Brady. All these events are connected!

We can deduce that the document Brady had his aunt send to Captain Montgomery today is likely the key to all this. We need to find out what's in that document that made someone kill a courier in broad daylight to obtain it.

Captain, do you remember if Brady had any other relatives besides his aunt? Was he married?"

Montgomery furrowed his brow, recalling carefully before saying, "I remember Brady was married when he was arrested, and he even had a child. Get the case files from back then. Let's review them thoroughly."

Esposito promptly headed to the records room to retrieve Brady's case files from ten years ago, hoping to find some clues, or at least locate his wife to see if she knew anything the police didn't. Esposito quickly returned with the case files. After verifying that Brady indeed had a wife raising their child alone, Beckett immediately sent Esposito and Ryan to bring Brady's wife in for questioning.

Beckett stayed at the precinct with Captain Montgomery to review the case files. Montgomery remarked, "I actually never thoroughly reviewed Brady's case files because shortly after the crime, we received an anonymous tip that led us directly to Brady. He confessed within half an hour at the station, so I never really looked into the case in detail."

Castle, who was going through the files with Beckett and Montgomery, suddenly spoke up, "Do you think it's possible that Brady wasn't the real culprit, but took the fall for someone else? Maybe he decided he couldn't keep up the charade anymore, which is why he had his aunt send you the evidence proving his innocence. The real perpetrator then killed the courier to retrieve the evidence and had Brady murdered in prison to silence him for good?"

Castle's shocking theory left Montgomery and Beckett stunned. They didn't want to believe it, but all signs pointed to Castle's theory being plausible. After a brief moment of shock, Beckett, who knew Castle well, realized he might be onto something. Castle wouldn't say this without reason, especially after promising to hand over the lead in the investigation to her.

Beckett, eager and excited, turned to Castle, "What other thoughts do you have? Share them all. It doesn't matter if they're right or wrong, at least it's a lead!"

Montgomery, though rarely directly involved in Beckett's investigations, knew Castle's unorthodox methods often significantly increased their case-solving efficiency. Intrigued, he also looked at Castle, indicating his support.

Castle, however, after making a grand statement, seemed to run out of steam. "That's all I've got for now. But didn't you send Esposito to find Brady's wife? She might know if Brady really committed the crime or took the fall. Be patient, wait for Esposito to bring her in, and your doubts will be resolved."

Beckett found Castle's nonchalance both frustrating and amusing. She was convinced Castle was hiding something, possibly due to his recent promise to hand over the lead in investigations. But he had a point: these were just his theories without concrete evidence. It was better to wait for Esposito to bring in Brady's wife for more information.

However, Esposito returned with bad news: Brady's wife had left early in the morning with their son and a lot of luggage, and her whereabouts were unknown. Worse, neighbors reported she had left with a significant amount of baggage.

Prison records showed that Brady made two calls that morning. The first, at 7:23 AM, was to his Aunt Sally, where he repeatedly insisted she send the document from ten years ago to Detective Roy Montgomery. After receiving her assurance, he made a second call to his wife, telling her, "Today's the day, it'll all be over soon," before hanging up.

The precinct was baffled by Brady's cryptic message to his wife. It was evident, however, that his wife's departure around 8 AM, with their child and luggage, indicated a prearranged plan, suggesting a signal was given. But why?

Perplexed, Beckett recalled Castle's theory and found it increasingly plausible. She turned seriously to Castle, "I know you have more thoughts on this. Now's not the time to worry about who's leading the investigation. You should know I don't mind any help if it means solving the case. Tell us what you're thinking."

Beckett's bluntness caught the attention of everyone present, revealing the reason behind Castle's odd behavior lately. Montgomery, quick to respond, supported Beckett, "Mr. Castle, our collaboration has always been smooth and pleasant. While your approach is unconventional, it often yields results. In our current lack of leads, any of your insights could point us in a new direction."

Castle, unable to hold back any longer, saw the clear invitation to share his thoughts and decided to speak up. "I just didn't want to mislead you with baseless speculations..."

Seeing Castle's hesitation, Beckett insisted, "We're capable of discerning truth from speculation. Just tell us what you think!"

Castle, urged by Beckett, smiled awkwardly, "I think you're overcomplicating things. If we follow my earlier theory, Brady's actions today are traceable!"

Beckett frowned, "You mean your theory that Brady wasn't the killer ten years ago, but took the fall for someone else?"

Castle beamed, "Exactly!"

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