Chapter 180: Simple

Seeing that his best subordinate had chosen to fully support Richard Castle, Captain Montgomery naturally had to show the same support. Nodding, he said, "Alright then, I hope Mr. Castle's assumptions will justify the trust you're placing in him. You can go now. After your meeting with Blake Wellesley tomorrow morning, promptly update me with the latest situation and progress!"

"Yes, sir..." Beckett saluted the compromising Captain Montgomery and then left his office.

Castle, who had been waiting outside, immediately approached with a grin on his face. "How did it go? The Captain didn't get mad, did he? Did he say you were being reckless?"

Beckett shot an annoyed glance at the oblivious troublemaker. "I explained the pros and cons to the Captain and mentioned that it was you who used personal connections to set up the meeting with Blake. So, he didn't get too worked up, but he's definitely concerned! By the way, are you really confident about this?"

Castle had already arranged the meeting with Blake, and Beckett had no choice but to go along with it at this point. However, she still felt uneasy since Castle's reasoning seemed rather far-fetched.

Castle flashed a toothy smile and thumped his chest. "Relax, I've got this! I'm heading home now. We'll meet at the precinct tomorrow morning and then go talk to the current head of the Wellesley family together. Let's call it a day. Need a ride home?"

Beckett gave Castle a disdainful look. "You go on ahead. I need to review the Olivia case files. Thanks to you, I'm on edge, feeling like you're hiding something from me again!"

Castle, accustomed to Beckett's sharp intuition, just grabbed his coat and headed towards the elevator. As he walked, he teased Beckett over his shoulder, "Tsk tsk... Volunteering for overtime? I'm heading home now, see you tomorrow..."

Watching Castle leisurely step into the elevator, Beckett couldn't help but smile and shake her head. She couldn't understand how someone who always seemed so laid-back could have such a frightening talent and ability for solving cases. Yet, Castle seemed indifferent to his talent, treating it more like a game.

The thought startled Beckett, but upon reflection, it seemed quite accurate. Castle claimed he was at the precinct to gather material for his books, but in many sudden cases, he often acted as if he already knew what was going to happen. He would suddenly suggest a direction or hypothesis when everyone else was clueless, and his ideas would almost always be proven right. How did he do it? Beckett's curiosity about Castle was growing stronger.

She hadn't realized that her increasing curiosity about Castle was making her more attracted to him. If Castle knew that his tendency to reveal critical insights to help Beckett solve cases was leading to this, he'd probably laugh out loud. Unfortunately, Castle wasn't adept at planning relationships, nor was he aware that his standing in Beckett's eyes had improved significantly. In terms of relationship dynamics, Beckett had been won over, but neither she nor Castle was aware of it. So, their romantic entanglement remained at its initial stage.

Castle, unaware of these thoughts, had completely set aside the case matters after getting home. After dinner with his daughter, they watched two movies in the living room before retiring to their bedrooms.

The next morning, Castle woke up early, whistling a tune as he made breakfast for his daughter. Feeling confident and relaxed, he arrived at the precinct with two cups of coffee.

Handing Beckett a non-fat latte he had specifically bought for her, Castle addressed her obvious concern. "Alright, stop worrying. I know you're anxious that my hypothesis might be wrong and we'll have to face the powerful Wellesley family. But trust me, I'm prepared for today!"

Beckett, still uneasy, took a sip of her coffee. "Alright, tell me, what makes you so confident? What preparation have you done?"

Knowing he needed to give Beckett some reassurance, Castle revealed part of his plan. "Last night, after getting home, I did some digging. Since the death of the previous head, Caspar Wellesley, the family has two key figures: Blake Wellesley, the current head, and his brother, Winston Wellesley, who is gay. Do you see where this is going?

There's a rumor among New York's elite that during Caspar Wellesley's Senate campaign, someone in the second generation had an affair with a woman working on the campaign. If Winston is gay, then who else could it be but Blake?"

Castle's words piqued Beckett's interest. "Wait, what? You're saying Winston Wellesley is gay? And you managed to find out this kind of secret? Are you sure the woman in the rumor was Olivia's mother?"

Castle wasn't about to admit everything so bluntly. Shaking his head, he pretended to be embarrassed. "No, I couldn't confirm whether Olivia's mother was the woman in the rumor. But think about it—if there's only Blake and Winston, and Winston's gay, then Blake is the prime suspect. When we meet him later, I'm planning to directly ask about it and watch his reaction."

Beckett almost fainted at the simplicity of Castle's plan. "Are you crazy? Blake Wellesley may not have become a Senator, but he's still a highly influential figure in New York politics. You can't just walk up to him and question him about a past affair! Aren't you worried he'll react badly?"

Castle remained unconcerned by Beckett's objections. "No, you're wrong. If he did have a relationship with Olivia's mother, then Olivia's lineage becomes significant. I'm going to directly tell him about Olivia and see how he reacts. Think about it—if you found out you had a daughter with someone you once loved, only to learn she was murdered just after you discovered her existence, wouldn't you be enraged?

We need him to be angry. His fury will allow us to use him as leverage to dig deeper into what happened to Olivia."

Beckett sighed, holding her head in her hands. "Why did I let you talk me into this meeting with Blake today? You're planning to stir things up! Can't we reconsider? I still think your straightforward approach might not be the best."

Castle, having everything planned, wasn't about to reconsider. He pulled Beckett to her feet. "Come on, we have an appointment with Blake Wellesley soon, and we can't be late. Don't worry, I'm prepared and won't do anything reckless to get us or the police in trouble. Think about it—if I wasn't sure, would I risk provoking a high-ranking political figure in New York for no reason?"

---

___________________

Read Ahead

P@treon.com/Mutter