Chapter 191: Encouragement

Detective Joe Martinez rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on. "So, should we shut down this clinic immediately?" she asked.

Henry shook his head. "No, we don't have enough evidence yet. Even if we contact the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), they might not take immediate action. Right now, all I have is a preliminary analysis of the brain tissue from Bill Sayles. Moreover, this virus isn't highly contagious unless someone actively ingests it. However, we can reach out to the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) right away. This falls under their jurisdiction since it's related to drug regulation. I'm sure they'll be very interested, especially since this Rejuvenation Elixir likely hasn't gone through any FDA approval or testing processes. They'll certainly want to investigate.

Our main priority is to trace the source of the human brain tissue used in this elixir. Only by identifying the source can we effectively halt the spread of this prion."

At that moment, Castle turned to Lucas, who had been nervously fidgeting in the background, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. Castle gave him a knowing smile, which only confused Lucas further. Castle then addressed Henry, Joe, and Hansen: "The source of the pituitary glands used in this elixir is simple. They're stealing unclaimed bodies from morgues and extracting the pituitary glands to make this so-called Rejuvenation Elixir. And how do they steal bodies from morgues? Well, ask this nervous fellow here, and you'll find out."

Everyone was stunned as Castle pointed to Lucas, who was standing behind Henry. Henry's voice trembled as he asked, "Lucas, did you..."

Castle chuckled and clarified before any more misunderstandings arose: "No, he's not a thief; he's the one who lost the bodies. Lucas, how many unclaimed bodies have gone missing from your care recently?"

Lucas looked at Castle with a mixture of gratitude and frustration, unsure whether to thank him for proving his innocence or resent him for exposing his failure to hide the truth. Ultimately, he knew Castle was helping him. By shifting the blame to a thief, Lucas would face minimal consequences. With Henry's support, his punishment for negligence would likely be light, and he could keep his job.

Taking a deep breath, Lucas finally admitted, "Three bodies have gone missing from my section recently. And I found out that in Brooklyn and Queens, a total of twelve bodies have disappeared over the past few weeks."

Henry couldn't believe it. "Three bodies? Missing from this very medical examiner's office?" He glared at Lucas with a mix of disappointment and disbelief. "Why didn't you report this earlier?"

Lucas, looking downcast, defended himself: "I... I didn't know. I only discovered it over the past couple of days. Normally, unclaimed bodies are kept in our storage for a while before being sent for cremation if no one claims them. Who could have known they'd go missing when they were just fine a few days ago?"

Castle interjected again to help the sweating Lucas: "Lucas, can you remember when the most recent body went missing?"

Lucas, prompted by Castle, tried to recall the events: "It was Monday morning. I noticed the count of unclaimed bodies was off, and then I..."

Lucas's attempt to remember triggered Henry's own recollection: "Lucas, on Monday morning, I saw you with sugar on your hands. Were you eating a donut?"

Detective Joe Martinez, puzzled by the question, asked Henry, "What's the deal with Lucas eating a donut?"

Henry explained, "Lucas rarely eats donuts..."

With Henry's hint, Lucas remembered, "Yes, I had a donut. You don't know how perfect that donut was—light and fluffy, paired perfectly with my Colombian black coffee. Oh, and it was a special treat from a small shop on Brighton Beach..."

Henry cut off Lucas's tangential reminiscence and got straight to the point: "You don't live near Brighton Beach. That donut wasn't something you bought yourself, was it?"

Lucas finally recalled the crucial detail: "Right, the donut was given to me by Anton. He's a driver who transports bodies to various morgues. And now I remember, every time Anton comes here, he brings me one of those delicious Brighton Beach donuts..."

The pieces started to fall into place for everyone except the oblivious Lucas. It seemed Anton, the driver, was the one stealing bodies under Lucas's nose. He used a simple trick to distract Lucas with donuts while he made off with the unclaimed corpses. This method might also explain the disappearance of twelve bodies from various morgues.

With this lead, Joe and Hansen prepared to head back to the precinct to investigate Anton and eventually arrest him. They were now confident that Anton was responsible for the missing bodies in New York City's morgues. According to Henry's examination and Castle's deductions, Anton was likely supplying the human tissue for the Rejuvenation Elixir. Catching Anton could cut off the supply of materials for the elixir and lead them to the people behind its production.

Joe, who shared Beckett's no-nonsense approach, quickly led Hansen into the elevator, ready to investigate Anton. Castle, always the instigator, whispered to Henry: "Buddy, this is your chance to make an impression. Why aren't you going with Joe? Don't just stand here! I'm starting to lose faith in you!"

Henry, seeing Castle's exaggerated gestures, sighed deeply. He knew exactly why Castle wanted him to follow Joe. Ignoring Castle's antics, Henry turned to reassure Lucas: "Lucas, this isn't your fault. Don't worry, I won't punish you. But you need to be more vigilant in the future. Understood?"

Feeling like he had been given a second chance, Lucas breathed a sigh of relief. With tears of gratitude in his eyes, he looked at Henry, who had shown him leniency, and at Castle, who had spoken up for him. Just as Lucas was about to express his thanks, Castle waved him off, cutting short any emotional outburst.

With Lucas out of the room, Castle seized the moment alone with Henry to lecture him: "What are you thinking? Such a perfect opportunity, why didn't you go with her?"

Henry, looking at Castle as if he were insane, replied: "Why should I go? They're off to investigate, and they don't need a medical examiner. Besides, you're still here. Should I just leave you alone and follow Joe?"

Castle, feigning righteous indignation, responded: "Of course! It's completely normal to prioritize a romantic interest over a friend. For the sake of getting you, the lonely bachelor, out of your solitude, I'm willing to make a small sacrifice. I don't mind!"

Henry was both amused and exasperated by Castle's persistence. Yet, deep down, he appreciated the pure friendship Castle offered, free of ulterior motives. However, Castle's and Abraham's constant scheming to push him towards a relationship with Joe was wearing him down.

Feeling drained, Henry realized he couldn't match Castle's relentless determination and finally sighed in defeat: "Alright, I admit, I'm interested in this case. Once you leave, I'll go upstairs and join Joe in the investigation. Happy now?"

Castle, having achieved his goal, didn't care about Henry's excuse of being interested in the case. All that mattered was that Henry was going to spend more time with Joe. Castle believed that if Henry and Joe got used to each other's presence, it would eventually lead to something more. And who knows, the plan he and Abraham had concocted about slipping them some love potion might even come into play someday.

After all, one should always have dreams, right? Because who knows when they might come true?

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