Chapter 173: Murky

After handing over the task of collecting clues at the crime scene to the crime scene investigation team that arrived later, Beckett, Castle, and Esposito returned to the precinct to start investigating the package that Caleb Szymanski was delivering when he was killed. They needed to find out why someone would intentionally kill a mere bicycle courier—perhaps it had something to do with a secret within the package he was carrying.

Beckett went to Captain Montgomery's office to brief her superior on the newly taken case. Esposito and Ryan were already contacting the victim's courier company to get the tracking number and the sender's information sent to the precinct. This left Castle alone at Beckett's desk, recalling the origin and outcome of this case.

In fact, this case was a real tragedy. The package that the bicycle courier was delivering contained evidence proving that a murderer named Brady had taken the fall for someone else ten years ago. Brady had arranged for his aunt to mail out this evidence, hoping to inform Detective Roy Montgomery of the Twelfth Precinct that he wasn't the true perpetrator of the crime he was convicted for. Brady had taken the fall in exchange for monthly payments of $7,000 to treat his critically ill son.

However, Brady didn't know that the real killer had been monitoring him all along. The true killer had bribed the prison guards to eavesdrop on Brady's communications. Upon learning that Brady's aunt was sending out the evidence this morning, the true killer stole a car, killed the courier delivering the package, and stole the evidence that Brady had been keeping for ten years to clear his name.

This was just the beginning of the case, which also involved a murder from ten years ago. The victim was a girl named Olivia Debisch. The case was complicated, involving many people, including a member of a political family who had run for the Senate ten years ago but failed.

Therefore, Castle didn't want to reveal everything directly as he usually would. He couldn't explain how he got the information, and besides, he had promised to let Beckett lead the investigations. So, he quietly reviewed the case in his mind and decided to stay low-key, intervening only with critical hints to guide Beckett in solving the case.

When Beckett finished briefing Captain Montgomery and stepped out of his office, she ran into Esposito, who had just received information about the package's sender. As in the original show, Esposito misread the sender's name. The sender, an elderly black lady named Sally Niedermayer, was mistakenly identified as Shakira Nidal-Meta.

Coincidentally, Shakira Nidal-Meta was listed as a dangerous terrorist by the Department of Homeland Security. Upon realizing this, Esposito reported it to Beckett and Captain Montgomery, causing an uproar at the precinct. A known terrorist sending a package that gets stolen was a major incident.

Castle couldn't just watch them scare themselves into a frenzy. Lazily standing up, he addressed Captain Montgomery, who was issuing orders for the capture of Shakira. "Captain, don't you think you might be overreacting? Esposito, are you sure the sender's signature was Shakira Nidal-Meta? Could it be that the sender's sloppy handwriting made you misread it?"

Beckett immediately stood by her subordinate. She glanced disdainfully at Castle, whom she saw as an outsider with no real understanding. "If you don't know, don't speak nonsense. Whether that person is a terrorist or not, we must be fully prepared. This isn't like writing a book, where you can delete and rewrite. Opportunities favor the prepared, and our job is to be fully prepared."

Esposito, familiar with Castle, didn't mind his questioning. He smiled and explained, "Castle, you need to understand that terrorists are different from other criminals. They're often desperate and dangerous. If we aren't prepared and it really is Shakira, we need to ensure we have the upper hand."

Castle agreed with Beckett and Esposito's cautious approach, even though he knew the sender was actually an elderly lady relying on a breathing apparatus. He wisely stayed silent, knowing Beckett and Esposito would soon realize this was a false alarm.

As expected, when Esposito led a heavily armed team to break down the door, they found only Sally Niedermayer, an elderly black lady, sitting on the couch. They had indeed been misled by the messy handwriting on the shipment form.

After assuring Sally they would fix her door, Beckett sat down to question her. Sally explained that she sent the document because her nephew Brady had called her that morning, asking her to send it. She didn't know the contents but knew it was addressed to Detective Roy Montgomery at the Sixty-Fourth Precinct.

Hearing this, everyone except Castle was puzzled. They didn't understand why Brady, who confessed to killing a girl named Olivia Debisch ten years ago, would send a document to the officer who arrested him. This indicated that the stolen package was highly significant.

Castle, the only one knowing all the details, kept his promise and remained silent, even as Beckett struggled to understand Brady's motives.

With the new information from Sally, Beckett returned to the precinct to ask Captain Montgomery why Brady would send him a document after ten years. Meanwhile, Esposito and Ryan would go to the prison to investigate Brady's intentions.

Captain Montgomery did remember Brady. Ten years ago, following the murder of Olivia Debisch, the police received an anonymous tip that led to Brady's arrest. Brady confessed to the crime, making it an open-and-shut case. Montgomery had no idea why Brady would send him a document now, especially one leading to the death of a courier.

Esposito, tasked with investigating at the prison, rushed into Montgomery's office, looking alarmed. "Brady was stabbed to death in prison shortly after making a phone call this morning. The prison authorities have no leads on the killer."

Beckett frowned. "Was Brady a troublemaker in prison?"

Esposito shook his head. "No, according to the prison records, Brady was a model inmate, never involved in conflicts. I suspect his death is related to that package."