At this realization, Beckett's gaze softened as she looked at Castle. She knew why he was doing all of this; Castle had never hidden his infatuation with her. Although they had never openly discussed it, Beckett was not a child; she understood the feelings Castle harbored for her, evident in the way he looked at her.
Previously, she had always avoided acknowledging Castle's feelings, thinking of him as someone who hadn't fully matured. But now, seeing how much he had done for her and how he unhesitatingly revealed the truth to her when she had questions (though it was all lies), Beckett felt deeply moved. Despite her sharpness and competence in investigating cases, she was still a woman, and women often lean more towards their emotions than logic. Having figured out the key issues, Beckett suddenly realized that Castle might indeed be a good guy, despite his occasional recklessness and immaturity. He had done many things for her behind the scenes.
Castle, seeing the sudden warmth in Beckett's eyes, felt alarmed rather than pleased. He had just fed her a story he had prepared in advance, intending to deceive her. After all, he couldn't tell her he was a time traveler, could he? Such an outlandish confession might land him in Bellevue (a renowned psychiatric hospital in New York)!
Having come to terms with her thoughts, Beckett dropped the stern act. She planned to address Castle's assistance and his feelings towards her more seriously. However, she had no idea that Castle was merely putting on a show for her and that the truly shocking revelation was yet to come.
Indeed, aside from the prepared story to placate Beckett, Castle intended to bring up the unsolved case of Beckett's mother's murder from ten years ago. Castle had deduced that Montgomery would likely get promoted soon, owing to his recent excellent performance. This promotion would likely position Beckett as the new captain of the 12th precinct. The murderer of Beckett's mother, Nick Coonan, could resurface at any time. In the original series, Beckett had cracked the case while still a detective, with Montgomery shielding her. If Montgomery were promoted, Beckett would confront Coonan as the precinct's captain, removing a layer of protection and potentially bringing them face-to-face with the powerful mastermind, Senator William Bracken. Although Castle knew Montgomery had evidence to bring down Bracken and his cronies, he had vowed to ensure a good ending for Montgomery, who had protected Beckett for ten years. Therefore, he planned to have Montgomery reveal the evidence later, avoiding Montgomery's involvement at this stage.
Castle's current aim was to use this opportunity, under the guise of an accidental discovery, to warn Beckett about her mother's case, preventing her from being caught off guard if Nick Coonan's case resurfaced unexpectedly. Beckett had long been tormented by the unresolved case of her mother's murder. If she learned that Coonan was the killer, her reaction could be unpredictable, especially considering the dangerous forces behind the case.
Castle knew this was a crucial moment to prepare Beckett mentally. He couldn't guarantee he would always be there to protect her. Although he had entrusted surveillance of Vincent to his chubby friend and the drone negotiations to Moz, the future was uncertain, and plans could change.
After discussing this matter with Henry earlier, Castle had been waiting for the right moment to disclose it to Beckett. Now seemed like the perfect time. Beckett already trusted his intelligence sources and was on the cusp of a significant promotion. Disclosing the information now would only benefit her.
Castle understood that Beckett might still be angry, as she was in the original series, for investigating her mother's case without her knowledge. But he had prepared a good excuse for this. His main concern was whether Beckett could handle the truth. So, Castle decided to reveal only part of the truth to pique Beckett's interest, leaving the rest to be revealed gradually. The matter involving Senator William Bracken could wait until Beckett officially assumed her new role. This would allow her to seek revenge and prove herself, benefiting her politically.
Seeing Beckett's demeanor soften, Castle decided to proceed with his plan.
"What I'm about to tell you might upset you. Promise me you won't react until I've finished," Castle said seriously, which was unusual for him and caught Beckett off guard. She sensed something was off.
"Go ahead. Is it something important?"
Castle took a deep breath and began, "When I first started working with you, I was curious about you. As you know, I intended to use you as a model for my new novel, so I conducted a thorough investigation into your background, not just a superficial one."
Beckett looked puzzled, not understanding Castle's point.
"…During my investigation, I came across the case of your mother's murder from ten years ago," Castle continued, watching as Beckett's expression changed from a slight smile to a grim one. He pressed on.
"I didn't think much of it at the time; it was just part of my character research. But then, I accidentally discovered something that made me take your mother's case seriously."
Beckett's eyes reddened, and she stood up, staring at Castle. "What did you find? Tell me!"
Castle responded calmly, "I stumbled upon something in the archives while looking for interesting cases. Before your mother was killed, three other people died under similar circumstances. The coroner at the time, for reasons unknown, didn't link these cases together."
"You know I know Henry, one of the best coroners in New York. After discovering that these three victims were somehow connected to your mother, I asked Henry to help me re-examine the cases. He confirmed that all four victims died in the same way: from shock and blood loss after being stabbed in the kidney with a serrated knife. The other stab wounds were just to cover up the real cause of death."
Beckett, now struggling to contain her anger, asked, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
Castle remained calm. "At the time, I couldn't be sure of the connection. It wasn't until later that I discovered the same coroner handled all four cases. Unfortunately, he died four years ago, so we can't ask him what happened."
"But by some stroke of luck, I've recently found a new lead on the killer. I haven't verified it yet, which is why I'm telling you now. You decide what to do next."
________________________
Easter Discount on Patreon
From Thursday to Sunday, I'm offering a 33% discount on all Patreon tiers.
Just use this code when you sign up: 7DC41
If you'd like to support the project and get early access to chapters, now's a great time to join or upgrade.
The offer is only available for those four days.
Thank you for your support.www.p@treon.com/Mutter]