Chapter 172: New Case

Determined to give his daughter a proper lesson in gourmet food from his motherland, Castle sat upright and seriously said to Alexis, "Sweetie, did you know that the cuisine from all the countries in the world combined can't compare to the eight major cuisines of that country? For example, you know tofu, right?"

"Oh, I know, Mapo Tofu!" Alexis responded cheerfully.

"Yes, the tofu used in Mapo Tofu. They can cut tofu into strands thinner than a hair, and then put it in broth where each strand remains intact and distinct. This is called 'Silken Tofu Shreds'!"

Castle spoke with pride.

"What? Thinner than a hair? Tofu? Are you kidding me?"

Alexis looked astonished, thinking her dad was exaggerating.

Castle's pride was about to overflow as if he could achieve such feats himself. "Of course, and that's just one dish from one of China's cuisines, the Huaiyang cuisine. I told you, there's a guy who vowed to taste all the Chinese delicacies. Several years have passed, and he's still wandering in Sichuan Province, not having finished even a single province's food! So, what do you say? Want to go to China with Dad for a month-long food tour?"

Castle wasn't just craving food; his proposal was also a precaution against Vincent. What if that unyielding maniac sent people to harm his family? Plus, with nothing pressing at the moment—his new book draft submitted—it was the perfect excuse to see how this life's China compared to his past life. So, he eagerly encouraged his daughter to travel to China with him.

Alexis found herself conflicted. She was genuinely tempted by the diverse Chinese cuisine her father described, but with school starting soon, she couldn't decide whether to embark on this culinary adventure or stay home and prepare for the upcoming term.

In the end, Alexis, the diligent student, reluctantly declined her father's enticing proposal, choosing to stay home and study. With less than a month until school started, she would be entering tenth grade, high school. As a top student, she couldn't tolerate her grades slipping right at the start.

"Dad, let's go to China another time. School starts next month, and I'll be in tenth grade. I want to use this month to prepare for my classes. Maybe we can go during Christmas?"

Alexis suggested with a mouthful of the Americanized Kung Pao Chicken.

Castle shrugged. "Alright, whenever you want to go, Dad will take you. You're right, school is important. Let's eat!"

The night passed uneventfully. The next morning, Castle enjoyed not having to wake up early to make breakfast for Alexis. She had already told him that she would be going to the New York Public Library early with friends and would eat breakfast with them.

With nothing to do, Castle slept in until 9:30 AM, when his phone rang, waking him up.

Seeing Beckett's name on the caller ID, Castle had a gut feeling: a new case!

Sure enough, as soon as he answered, Beckett's energetic voice came through. "Castle, there's been a murder near your place. I'm heading to the scene now. Are you coming?"

Bored at home, Castle perked up immediately. "I'll wash up and head out right away. Text me the address."

Castle quickly hung up, washed, dressed, and was out the door within five minutes, rushing to the scene.

The crime scene was indeed close, only three blocks away. When Castle arrived, Beckett had just gotten out of her car.

Seeing Castle holding two cups of coffee, Beckett remarked, "You're fast. I called you when you were still in bed, and not only did you get here quickly, you even had time to buy coffee?"

Handing Beckett the latte he bought for her, Castle boasted, "Of course, this is my turf! So, what's the case?"

Just then, Esposito, who had arrived earlier, approached to brief Beckett on the situation. Hearing Castle's question, he didn't hesitate and shared the details. "Thirty minutes ago, a black car hit and killed a bicycle courier. After the collision, a masked person got out of the car, took a package from the courier, Caleb Szymanski, and drove off. Szymanski died on the spot."

Castle immediately recalled the details of the case, thanks to his system's gift of clear memories from his past life's TV shows and movies. The courier was delivering a package to Roy Montgomery, the current head of the Twelfth Precinct, who had worked at the Sixty-Fourth Precinct back then.

Castle could identify the mastermind and the killer right away, but he couldn't blatantly reveal his knowledge. He had just promised Beckett that she would lead future investigations. He couldn't go back on his word immediately. So, Castle quietly listened to Esposito's briefing, deciding to keep a low profile and only offer hints when necessary.

Beckett, planning to seek Castle's opinion on the case, noticed his serious expression. Remembering his recent promise to let her lead investigations, she realized Castle was genuinely stepping back this time. Usually, Castle would already be sharing his thoughts on the case enthusiastically, but today he remained silent, seemingly attentive yet somewhat distracted. This suggested he had his own ideas but was restraining himself due to his promise.

Beckett wasn't stubborn, especially during an investigation. If it helped solve the case, she didn't mind Castle showing his insights. She sent Esposito to check the surrounding area for more clues, hoping that without Esposito around, Castle would feel more comfortable sharing his thoughts with her alone.

Standing in front of the seemingly distracted Castle, Beckett smiled and asked, "Did you figure something out? Don't worry about the promise to let me lead the investigation. Tell me, did you notice anything?"

Castle wasn't easily swayed by a few words. He was determined to keep a low profile, having been called a "shit-stirrer" by Winston at the Continental Hotel. If he promised to stay under the radar, he would. But Beckett's question couldn't go unanswered, so he calmly responded, "I think the person who hit the courier was after the package. The whole process described by the witnesses shows the perpetrator had a clear goal. We need to find out who the package's sender and recipient are. That might give us the motive and guide our investigation."

Castle's reasoning was sound but didn't surprise Beckett with any new insights. She glanced skeptically at Castle, feeling he might not be entirely truthful, yet his suggestion was the correct procedure for the current situation.

Suppressing her doubts, Beckett called Esposito and Ryan to investigate the package's sender and recipient, hoping to uncover more leads.