Castle "Almost Famous"

Introduction: Castle’s voice

There are two kinds of folks who sit around thinking about how to kill people:
Psychopaths and mystery writers. I'm the kind that pays better. Who am I?
I'm Rick Castle. Castle. Castle. I really am ruggedly handsome, aren't I?
Every writer needs inspiration. And I found mine.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Becket: Detective Kate Beckett. Beckett. Aah!

Castle: Beckett? Could you get some backup, please? And thanks to my friendship with the Mayor
I get to be on her case. Oh!
Castle: Do I look like a killer to you?
Becket: Yes, you kill my patience.
Castle: And together, we catch killers.
Becket: I hate this case.
Castle: I know. Isn't it great?

______________________________________________________________________________________
Police: Open up. I have an arrest warrant for Jamie Ruiz. NYPD.
Woman screams: Aah!
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Martha and Alexis: Ho-haw! Ma-ma-ma-maw! Ho-haw! Ma-ma-ma-maw! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! And relax. And relax.

Castle: I had a dream. I was floating on a Lily pad and the Swedish bikini team was reciting positive reviews of "Naked Heat."

Martha: Oh. Well, that must have been lovely.

Castle: Yeah.

Martha: Why are you telling us this?

Castle: Well, because of you, my Swedish paradise turned into a wailing cat shelter.

Martha: We're doing voice exercises to strengthen abdominal breathing.

Castle: At 5:00 A.M.?

Martha: Preparation is the foundation of an inspired audition. Ha ha!

Alexis: Mm. I mentioned to gram last night that I was thinking about trying out for "Grease" at my school.

Castle: Oh. The old "gram goes overboard because acting is in your bones" routine.

Alexis: Apparently.

Castle: Yeah, yeah. Rookie move, telling her about the audition.

Alexis: I wasn't sure I'd have time with all my other clubs, but I thought it might be fun. I didn't know she'd wake me up when it was still dark outside.

Castle:  I see.

Martha:  An actor learns to make sacrifices for his craft. Besides, we'll all have plenty of time to sleep when we're dead.
(Cell phone rings)

Castle: Oh, speaking of dead.  Nah. No, no, don't be silly. Of course I was up.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Castle: Jeez. What's the big hurry? Victim's not going anywhere, right?

Beckett: This one's different.

Lanie: Heard we got an officer down.

Beckett: Yep. That's the word.

Castle:  Who is it?

Beckett: Don't know, but a cab driver called 9-1-1 after he parked and stopped for a smoke.

Lanie:  Let's see. Single gunshot wound to the chest. And our guy isn't wearing his Kevlar.

Beckett: Mind if I step in there for a sec? It's from the 116 in Queens. This is an old-style badge, though.

Castle: Maybe he's old-school, didn't want to give up the badge he built his career on.

Lanie:  Castle, he's mid-20s.

Castle: You ever heard of a brilliant doctor named Doogie Howser?

Beckett:  It's fake.

Castle: That's Tequila.

Castle: That's cheap Tequila. And he needed a refill.

Beckett: So a squirt gun and an old badge clearly he's not a cop.

Castle:  maybe he was impersonating one to prey on vulnerable women.

Becket:Armed with a Tequila pistol?

LAnie:Actually, I think women were preying on him.

Castle:  Tear away pants?

Beckett: He's a stripper. I'm not finding any I.D.  He does have a car.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Castle: Of all the cases in the city, and it's a big city, you catch a male stripper.

Beckett: Yeah. Well, luck of the draw, I guess.

Castle: Yeah. I'm…I'm just sayin'. I'm just sayin'. Shotgun.
Becket: Castle, you're the only one here.

Castle: Yes. This place reminds me of my first dorm room.

Becket: Victim's name is Derek Brookner. He's 27.

Castle: Hey. He wrote an address on the back of this deposit slip. "423 West 59th. 4-B."
That's right around the corner.

Beckett: And his body was found halfway between that location and this car.

Castle: What do you want to bet that's where he was coming from?
________________________________________________________________________________________
(knocks on door)
Becket: NYPD. Open up!

Woman: Still sleeping. Go away.

Becket: Oh. Excuse me. Sorry.

(Laughs) Wow. Oh.
Wow.
(Door closes)
 (Laughs) Wow. Wow.

Castle: That they whoa. They make cakes in that shape? That…

Another woman: ooh! Another stripper? Whoo! Take it off!
Whoo! Take it off. Take it…mm-hmm.

Castle: Ladies, I am not a stripper, though I can understand how you'd make that mistake.

Beckett: NYPD…the ones with the real guns. We're here to investigate the murder of Derek Brookner.

Castle: We believe he was your entertainment for last night's soiree.

Woman: Oh, my God. Officer McNaughty?

Becket: I need to know the exact time that he arrived and left yesterday.

Women: It was dark.  And his dance was long. That's not all that was long.
 (Women laugh and groan)

Becket: All right, let's pack it up. I think a trip down to the station will jog everyone's memories.

Woman: Could we stop and get brunch on the way?
 (Retches)
(Vomiting)
 (Inhales deeply) Ohh.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Esposito: Ms. Lieberman, do you remember anything about last night?

(Vomiting)
________________________________________________________________________________________
Becket: Derek was still wearing his costume when was killed last night, and he never made it to his car, which makes your party the last place that he was seen alive.

Woman: Well, he seemed fine when he left, right?
- I mean...
- Yeah.
- Oh, thank you.
- Mm.

Becket: Were there any problems at the party, any jealous husbands or boyfriends that showed up?

Woman: No, it was…it was just the girls.

Castle: Who arranged the gig?

Woman: I did. Jam-Jamie's always had a thing for cops.

Castle: It might interest you to know, I'm an assistant volunteer Homicide Detective myself.

Becket: How'd you set it up?

Woman:  The same way you'd order a pizza. I called this place that I found online, Mucho Men, and gave my credit card. 300 bucks an hour to send my best friend off in style.

Castle: Did he mention where he was going after that?

Woman: We were all wasted by the time he showed up. I mean, he could've told me his life story, and I wouldn't remember.

Castle: Wait, a bachelorette party, male stripper, loads of alcohol... one of you had to be taking pictures.
 (Clicks)
________________________________________________________________________________________
Ryan: Well, here is the last one.

Woman: I figured Jamie could refer back to these... When she's old and bored of her marriage.

 (Keyboard keys clicking)
 (Clicks mouse)
 (Clicking)
(Woman laughs)
Oh. Tequila shots.

Esposito: They're treating him like a piece of meat.

Castle: It's okay.

Woman: It's what he's paid for. He had fun, too.
 (Laughs)
 (Chuckles)
(Clicking continues)

Becket: Wait, wait, wait. Stop on that one.
Castle: Well, it's a good thing you took 30 pictures of that one pose.

Becket: Can you enhance the background? Over there, behind the group.
 (Click) Who is that woman?

Woman: Uh, that's Camille. She's a friend of Jamie's from high school.

Castle: It looks as though she and Derek know each other.

Woman: She never mentioned anything.

Becket: Can you enhance her face? She wasn't at the apartment this morning. Where is she?

Woman: She left... Right after Officer McNaughty.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Esposito: Turns out... Camille Roberts has a record. Five years ago, an ex-boyfriend filed a restraining order against her after she threw all his stuff out the window.

Castle: Well, as a man who's dated several rabbit boilers, I can safely say, been there.

Becket: Yeah, but a restraining order doesn't mean that she's our killer.

Esposito: Yeah, except thather ex-boyfriend happens to be our vic.

_______________________________________________________________________________________
Ryan: Picked up Camille Roberts at a cafe where she waitresses. She's in interrogation room one.

Becket: All right. What did we find from Derek's apartment?

Ryan: Mostly just old movie posters and a bunch of Donald Trump books about finance.

Castle: Maybe Derek dreams about being an entrepreneur, or maybe he's just a fan of "Celebrity Apprentice."

Becket: Anything else?

Ryan: There was a day planner with nothing in it but a business card for a guy named Jesse Mandalay.

Becket: All right, run it. I'll talk to Camille.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Camille: This is like a bad dream. I can't believe he's dead.

Becket: Why did you leave the party right after Derek did?
Camile: I needed to get outta there.

Becket: And where did you go?

Camille: Home. I just wanted to be alone.

Becket: You didn't see him afterwards?

Camille:I turned the corner, and he was gone. Wait. You don't think I had something to do with this?

Becket: Camille, he had a restraining order against you.

Camille: That was years ago. It was just a big misunderstanding. Look, Derek broke my heart, but then I got over it.

Becket: This... doesn't look like the face of a person who got over it.

Camille: When he walked into the party and started ripping his clothes off, it upset me, but I didn't kill him.

Becket: Okay. Why don't we just go over the facts? You had a volatile relationship with him, you left the party the same time that Derek left, and then he turned up dead. So why don't you just tell me what was really going on?

Camille: Nothing. I just couldn't believe he was stripping.

Becket: And why was that a shock to you?

Camille: We met in acting class.
He was the one everyone thought was gonna hit it big. When I confronted him about giving up on his dream, he said he was stripping because he was so desperate for money.

Becket: Did he tell you why?
Camille: He had some other recurring gig, but... he said he had to quit because it was gonna kill him.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Becket: My instinct says it's not her.

Montgomery: Mine, too. But have C.S.U. check the clothes she was wearing for gunshot residue.

Becket: All right. Any luck tracking down the gig that he was telling Camille about?

Esposito: Derek has a low-rent Theatrical Agent, says he hasn't booked anything in over a year.

Ryan:He just e-mailed Derek's acting reel. Here's a taste of his illustrious career.
(Keyboard key clicks)
(Video: Hey, there. I'm just stopping a few couples to see if they've ever heard of a product called Prolong.
 Are you kidding? We just started using Prolong. Now... Things are really...looking up. Prolong…now available a prescription.)

Ryan: He also did serious work.

(Video: Give me all your money and whatever parts you got out there in that garage, and I'll consider not putting one in your noggin'. Billy Grimm is the leader of the Visi Goth motorcycle gang. If you or anyone has any information on this dangerous criminal, please contact your local authority.)

Montgmery: Damn. I could see why the guy had to strip to pay his bills.
Becket: Well, I guess it's safe to say that the gig that he was telling Camille about had nothing to do with his acting pursuits, so you guys head off to Mucho Men.

Ryan: Mucho Men?

Becket: That's the place that booked him for the bachelorette party. See if he had any regular stripping gigs... (Cell phone rings) Or troubles there.
Beckett.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Castle:He's not that handsome. You want my opinion? 300 bucks an hour--little steep.

Laine: As the person in this room that's seen everything under the sheet... (Whispers) Bargain.

Becket: What else did you find?

Laine: Take a look.

Becket: A hair?

Laine: Your vic has hair that's been recently dyed gray. Looks like temporary hair dye that hasn't completely washed out yet.

Becket: Well, most men color their hair to cover the gray.
Castle: Well, some women want Officer McNaughty, and some want an older guy who knows mutual funds. You know, daddy issues.

Becket: It's more likely he was coloring it for an audition.

Laine: Speaking of hair, this is the more important hair that I found on your vic's clothing. That could belong to our killer.

Becket: A long, blonde hair. Well, this could've come from one of the women at the bachelorette party.

Laine: That's what I thought until I had it tested, came back positive for testosterone and anabolic steroids. Your Blondie is a man.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Man: Listen, Stu, you want my guys oiled up in euro booty shorts for the montage pool deck launch, you're gonna need to meet me halfway here, buddy. Hey, be my guest. Shop around. It's a fair rate. (Clears throat) Listen, I gotta go. I got guys here. My apologies. Promoters are always a pain in my ass.

Esposito:  Lloyd Saunders?
Man: I'm already up to my ears in A-Rods.But, uh, your friend here-- I got women requesting that skinny "Twilight" dude like crazy. They're one size fits all. We can pad if need be. Bathroom's down the hall if you're shy.

Esposito: Hey, NYPD. We have some questions about Derek Brookner.

Man; My mistake. We're doing open auditions today.

Ryan; I can assure you, this would fit.

Man: That's what they all say. What about Derek?

Ryan: Well, he was murdered.

Man: Wow. Derek was one of my best guys.

Ryan: We think he took a job that might have got him into trouble. What kind of work did you book for him in the last month?
Man: He did the occasional, uh, "handsome guest" at rich people parties. Other than that, it was all, uh, bachelorette or rowdy birthday party stuff.

Esposito: What about any male parties?

Man: Nah. Derek was a women-only guy.

Ryan: He had contact with a blond-haired man who was on steroids the night he was killed. Any idea who
that might be?

Man: Well, it could've been someone at his other job.

Esposito: What other job?

Man: In addition to the private gigs, he also danced at a club called The Package Store a couple nights a week. Most of those guys are juicing.

Ryan: Anyone he didn't get along with?

Man: People think women are catty, but, uh, from what Derek said, those guys would make "Showgirls"
look like after-school special.

Ryan: Thanks for your time.

Man: Hey, if, uh, you change your mind, I'll provide fangs and some hair gel.

Ryan: Eh…

Radio voice: (Man with european accent) you like my sexy abs? Come see me at The Package Store…

Esposito: All of 'em are buff enough to be juicing, but none of 'em have long hair.

Ryan: Certainly not long blond hair.

Becket: Well, maybe these are old photos.

Ryan: It's possible they change their style based on the latest trend. The booking Agent mentioned the
"Twilight" look is big right now.
(Turns off sound) Maybe the Fabio look's making a comeback.

Becket: Well, there's one surefire way to find out. Oh, Castle.

Castle: I can't believe you got dressed up for this. Tell me again why Ryan and Esposito couldn't come with you?

Becket: We all agreed, as volunteer assistant Homicide Detective, you could really sink your teeth into this avenue of investigation. And they called "not it."

Castle: You know, ever since I've been following you, I've been dreaming of the day that you'd say, "let's go to the strip club and get this dirtbag." I just never imagined it would feel like this.

Becket: Let me know if you need any singles.
(Smack)
Ryan: It's sad, really. Guy comes to town looking for his big break, dreams of making it in The Apple.

Esposito: What does he get for his trouble?

Ryan: The city chews him up and spits him out. Doesn't seem right, man.

Esposito: Damn right, it doesn't seem right.

Ryan: You know, all I think he wanted was a little respect.

Esposito: It's all about respect, bro.

Ryan: Just trying to make ends meet, he ends up face down in a stairwell... Wearing a g-string. Hmm. All right. Here you go. What the hell are you doing?

Esposito: Up to his ears in A-Rods? I got an A-Rod for that son of a bitch. Three years varsity ball, two years Special Forces triathlon, and NYPD Police Calendar,2007. What?

Ryan:  It was a group photo.

Esposito:  I got letters.

Ryan: Yeah, three, two of 'em from your mom.

Esposito: One of  them was from my mom.

Ryan: Sure.

Esposito: "Twilight" my ass.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Becket: Castle?

Castle: Hey, honey. Oh, you found me. I was just telling Denise here about you. This is, uh, my girlfriend, whose idea it was to come here tonight. She's very adventurous. You have no idea. There's... Thank God you found me. Oh, my God. These women are like piranha.

Becket: So listen, I just talked to one of the bartenders, who confirms the booking Agent's story that Derek was having troubles with one of the other dancers. Apparently some guy named Hans was upset that Derek was getting the headliner shift. That gives us evidence and motive.

Castle: Let's go backstage. Grab us some Hans.

Becket: No need to, honey. He's in the next act.

Castle: Firemen, really? That's not a little cliche? Oh, God. Haven't these guys got the memo about the correlation between sun tanning and skin cancer?

Becket: Can you just relax, Castle? We gotta figure out which one is Hans.

Castle: Yeah.

Becket: NYPD. Please come off the stage. Uh-huh. No, no. Not you. Just Hans. Guys, knock it off, okay. I'm a cop. A real cop. Look, it's not funny. Now cool it.
Castle: Too much?
________________________________________________________________________________________
Hans:  Derek... Was a little bitch. Do you know how many hours he spent rehearsing our Privates of the Caribbean routine? Hmm? Zero.He was all artsy-fartsy with his acting auditions thisand play rehearsals that. Hans von Mannschaft is the one doing the real work out there every night.
Hans von Mannschaft? (Laughs) That's a hell of a stage name. I'll have you know I come from a long line of proud von Mannschafts.

Becket: And have any of them served time for murder?

Hans: Whoa, whoa, whoa. Murder?

Castle: Careful, Hans. Your New Jersey is starting to show.

Hans: This place is about fantasy. Women come here to escape. This is part of the act.

Becket: Does that include getting rid of the competition? Derek was found shot and killed last night, and we found one of your hairs on his clothes. And you just admitted that the two of you were rivals.
Hans: Rivals? Lady, I spend my days with women shoving bills down my shorts. Do you really think I'd kill somebody over that?

Castle: That doesn't change the fact, we can place you at the scene of the crime.

Hans:  Because of my hair? All that proves is that we keep our costumes in the same big closet backstage. Hell, I'm using minoxidil twice a day just to keep it on my head.

Becket: Where were you last night?

Hans: I was onstage doing shows from 8:00 till 1:00. There are over 100 women who witnessed it.

Castle: His alibi is as hard as his abs.
Hans: Did you talk to his girlfriend?

Castle: What girlfriend?

Hans: Some rich cougar who was obsessed with him. It was obvious Derek was using her for the money, but I guess he got fed up with her and kicked her to the curb.

Castle: How do you know that?

Hans: She always sent expensive bouquets to his dressing room.
And then last week, for the first time in months, no flowers.

Esposito: Yo, what's up? You run outta singles?

Ryan: Hey, Hans was right. We found a flower shop that confirmed weekly deliveries for the past four months.

Castle: I knew if we beat on Mannschaft, something would pop.

Becket: Who were they sent to?

Ryan: They were charged to an Amex belonging to Rebecca Dalton, 48. She lives at 63rd and Madison.
Esposito: Yo. Check this out. Fortune 500 lists Rebecca Dalton's husband as having a publishing empire in 2005. It says here that Rebecca used to be a runway model.

Castle: She's married. Juicy.

Esposito: Mnh-mnh. Not anymore. Her husband died a couple of years ago. Left his entire fortune to his grieving wife.

Castle: Even more juicy. Rebecca marries young, spends her 20s and 30s under the thumb of a rich yet domineering husband. Well, he dies, leaving our aging beauty finally freed from the shacklesof a loveless marriage. One night she's out with her ex-model posse. She meets the very charming, very handsome Derek. Well, for the first time in years, she feels... (Inhales deeply) Alive again. The relationship reaches its inevitable conclusion when Derek meets someone closer to his own age. Well, the--the heartache has Rebecca so distraught that she kills Derek in a jealous rage. If she couldn't have him... Well, then no one could.

Ryan: Did you go home and watch "Sunset Boulevard" before your little trip to The Package Store?

Becket: Thank you for your always entertaining stories, but I think we will get a lot closer to the truth if we just ask Rebecca a few questions tomorrow morning.

Castle: It was good, though, right?

Ryan: Yeah, I liked it.

Castle: Mm-hmm. Yeah.It was, yeah.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Castle:  Hey. Are you guys celebrating with root beer floats, and nobody told me?

Alexis: I wish. They narrowed the part of Sandy down to Kelly Burton and yours truly. We're taking a little break, but I'm really nervous.

Martha: That's why we're running lines in costume. Tomorrow it'll be second nature.

Castle: Well, I see you've dug up your time capsule to resurrect those pants.

Martha: I will have you know, I had some of my best memories happen in these pants.

Castle: And ew.
Cha.

Alexis: I'm off to bed. Big day tomorrow.

Martha: Okay, darling.

Alexis: Thank you.

Martha: Sleep well. Oh. Whatever happens, I am so proud of her. She is fearless.

Castle: You know, mother, I think you're a really good influence on Alexis.

Martha: what's with you, kiddo? Fever, delirium?

Castle: No, no, no, I'm serious. You have always been... Dedicated, and that--that can't have been easy.

Martha: Well, yeah, it hasn't always been days of wine and roses. I had to take a lot of less-than prestigious jobs to ply my craft.

Castle: such as?

Martha: Oh, lord. I played an elf. Ugh. Santa's village. Uh, Lady Liberty. Lady Liberty outside some low-rent tax service, and then--oh, no. The worst job-- the worst job I ever had-- I was terrible at it, they hated me, it just-- I-I was--it was absolutely the--just completely--

Castle: What was it?

Martha: Secretary.

Castle: You'd be terrible at that.

Martha: Awful.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Castle: Oh, I'm sure many a pretty boy have walked this hall. Doesn't take them long to realize that they're trapped in the strangling embrace of an aging spinster.

Becket: Maybe we should talk with her Before  you start writing the Lifetime Movie.

Castle: Ooh. Quick casting idea-- Ashton and Demi.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Becket: NYPD. We're here to speak with Rebecca Dalton.

Man (attorney): Please come in. I'm Ms. Dalton's attorney, Michael Grant. I'll be sitting in on the interview.

Woman: I bumped into Derek at a fund-raiser. He later admitted that he had been hired by the host to mingle and encourage people to bid on the silent auction. But it was too late. I already liked him.

Castle: And when you found out he was a stripper?

Woman: I never found out. He told me. He never hid any of that from me. It gave him the freedom to pursue his acting career, audition during the day, and I respected his tenacity.

Becket: What caused the breakup?

Woman: The relationship had run its course.

Becket: That sounds like something that you would say when you're lying, either to yourself or to us.

Woman: You don't really think I had anything to do with his death?

Becket:  I just find it curious that right after you've split up, he's found dead.

Castle: Who broke it off?

Man (attorney) My client did.
Becket: Why?

Man (attorney): Last week, he asked my client to borrow $25,000.

Woman: I've learned, it's never a good idea to mix relationships with money. Intentions get foggy.

Becket: And why did he need the money?

Woman: He wouldn't say. And to make matters worse, he seemed distant.

Castle: You thought he was cheating.

Woman: It occurred to me, and I'm not proud of it, but I had Michael hire a private investigator. I had to know.

Man (attorney): When my client saw the photographs, she realized Derek was mixed up with some disreputable people.

Becket: And what made you think it was a bad element?

Woman: Because Derek didn't hang out with people like that. He was a good kid from Michigan. If they had something to do with his murder, I'd have taken my decision back and given him the money in a heartbeat.

Becket: I'm gonna need to see those photos.

Ryan: The P.I. took a picture of Derek talking to this woman, and then he followed her to the next location.

Castle: So Derek is outside his apartment talking to bombshell McGee. What's so dangerous about that?

 Becket:Wait a minute. Ryan, can you pull up Derek's acting reel?

Ryan: Man, once was bad enough.

(Video: Give me all your money and whatever part you got out there in that garage, and I'll consider not puttin' one in your noggin'.

 (Man) Billy Grimm is the… (computer chirps)

Becket: That's the same guy as the mug shot.

Montgomery: Billy Grimm-- leader of the Visi Goths motorcycle gang.
______________________________________________________________________________-
Esposito: Billy Grimm's rap sheet.

Montgomery: Extortion, assault with a deadly weapon, armed robbery.

Esposito: When Derek's episode of "America's Most Dangerous Criminals" aired, Grimm had an attempt murder warrant out. Apparently some guy owed him money, so he chained him to the back of his bike and dragged him down the L.I.E.

Montgomery:  Why isn't this psycho Grimm in jail?
Esposito: He was, as a matter of fact, he was caught because of Derek's reenactment on the show. But the guy he chained to hisbike had a change of heart, refused to testify, so Grimm was recently released from jail.

Becket: Well, if this guy was such a whack job, what was Derek doing talking to one of the members of his gang?

Ryan: I think I can answer that. When Grimm was arrested, a reporter asked him how he felt about being brought to justice by a TV show. He swore vengeance against those who put him jail,especially--and Grimm says, "that actor that made me look like a clown."

Esposito: I can tell you this about Visi Goths from my gang task force days-- they're serious about their colors. These patches they wear on their vests? They're not varsity letters. They gotta spill blood to get them. And some guy wearing  them on national TV?

Becket: So she was setting him up... For murder.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Becket: Relax, Castle. It's on a chain.

Becket: NYPD.

Man: This your old lady?

Billy Grim: This is a private establishment.
 Becket: Well, then we'll try to keep this private. Billy Grimm. Bobby!
Yo!

Becket: I need to ask you a few questions about your association with Derek Brookner.

Billy: Never heard of the guy.

Becket: I make one phone call, and auto theft detail is down here checking VIN numbers. They find so much as a stolen taillight, you're violated. You remember him now?

Billy: (laughs) You know, I do. He seemed like a good kid.

Becket: He's dead, and I'm willing to bet that you had something to do with it.

Castle: Derek wore the colors, and you got popped because of the show.

Becket: That's why you put a contract out on him.

Billy: Well, I might have been a little pissed off. But the kid came with respect. He brought a donation.

Becket: A donation? What are you, The Salvation Army?

Billy: Well, I was surprised, too, but I guess Derek felt 25 g's might help bring down my overhead.

Becket: Do you really expect me to believe that a struggling actor had enough money to give you 25 grand outta nowhere?



Beckett: Do you really expect me to believe that a struggling actor had enough money to give you 25 grand outta nowhere?

Billy Grimm: That's what happened.

Castle: Where did he get the money?

Billy Grimm: I didn't ask to see his friggin' tax return.
Ain't my business how he got the money.
He brought the cash, and that was good enough.

Beckett: Aren't you forgetting the part about the extortion,
the part where you asked your girlfriend to deliver a message
that Derek had to pay you 25 grand?
You gave him a week to do it.
He couldn't scrape together the money, and so you killed him.

Billy Grimm: Babe, what is this?

Babe: I can explain.

Billy Grimm: What the hell were you doing
talking to that bitch?

Babe: Listen,
when you got outta jail,

I got nervous you were
gonna do something stupid,

so I went to talk to the kid,
told him if he didn't want

any trouble, he'd bring you
a preemptive donation.

Billy Grimm: So you warned him?
That's why he showed up here?

Babe: I couldn't stand the thought
of losing you again.

The only way you're going back
to jail is over my dead body.

Billy Grimm: Pookiebear...

That is the most romantic thing
I've ever heard, baby.

Come here.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Kevin: Hey. Billy's alibi
checked out.

Bartender confirmed that he was
shooting pool till close.

Javier: Yeah, and we talked to
our C.I., and there's no word

of our victim hitting up
any of the usual loan sharks.

Beckett: You know what I want to know
is how a stripper comes up

with that kind of cash
in such a hurry?

Castle: Cash-n-Gold.

Beckett: Castle, you watch
way too many infomercials.

Kevin: We also checked his account
at JLP Bank Corp.

He never carried
an account balance

of more than
a couple thousand dollars.

Castle: Wait a minute. If Derek had
an account with JLP Bank Corp.,

why was there a deposit slip
from Rampart Federal in his car?

Beckett: Let's run down withdrawals
for 25 grand

from Rampart Federal branches

for the day
that Derek paid Billy.

Kevin: I don't know
how you missed that.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Javier: Yo.
Rampart Federal on 93rd
posted a transaction that size,

made by a Jesse Mandalay
at 11:53 A.M. that day.

Kevin: Derek had a card

for Jesse Mandalay
tucked inside one of his books.

I called the number.
It was disconnected.

Montgomery: It's possible that Mandalay

was the one
that loaned Derek the money.

Castle: Maybe Derek thought he was on
a flexible payment plan,

needed more time,
and Mandalay killed him for it.

Javier: Well, the bank is sending over
the surveillance footage

of Mandalay right now.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Javier: Here we go. There's Mandalay
taking the cash.

 Montgomery: Yeah,
by the looks of that suit,

the loan business
must be pretty lucrative.

Beckett: Okay, let's see
this guy's face.

Wait, wait, wait.

That's not Jesse Mandalay.
That's Derek with gray hair.

Jesse Mandalay is Derek.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Beckett: The branch manager said
that Derek withdrew money

from an account
called Sunfire Limited.

Castle: And his alter ego
Jesse Mandalay?

Beckett: Was the signatory,
but the rest is a mystery.

Sunfire is linked
to an offshore account,

and the only person that they
can trace it to is Mandalay.

Javier: A money trail that leads back
to a man who doesn't exist.

Castle: Derek was dyeing
his hair gray,

wearing fancy suits
to look more distinguished,

and he was reading books
on finance and investment

so that he could play the role
of Jesse Mandalay for someone.

Javier: But why hire a struggling actor
to play a businessman?

Castle: I did some research on
Chinese companies that would,

uh, sometimes hire
a-a white man

to pose as an executive at, uh,
ribbon cutting ceremonies,

uh, shareholder meetings,

just to instill confidence
in investors.

Likewise, a college student
seeking Venture Capital

will sometimes hire
an older-looking shill,

you know, someone who looks
more, uh, distinguished

to help them secure money.

Beckett: So if Derek was hired to be
the face of the company,

then whoever hired him
was the person
behind the bank account.

Let's see if we can
track down any checks

that were deposited
into Sunfire Limited recently.

If we can trace the money,
maybe we can figure out

if Jesse Mandalay
was a role to die for.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Lombardo: Yeah. That's Mandalay.
100%. Why?

Beckett: Miss Lombardo, we need to know
about the $10,000 check

that you wrote him
a couple of days ago.

Lombardo: Sure.
Best money I ever spent.

Castle: What was the money for?

Lombardo: An exciting
investment opportunity.

My girlfriend Sammi heard from
her boyfriend Ronni

who heard
from his cousin Pauly

about Mr. Mandalay's
presentation.

Beckett: And what was the sales pitch?

Lombardo: The beautiful Braverman Lofts
in idyllic riverfront Hoboken.

Castle: And Mandalay
was there himself?

Lombardo: He gave us the awesome news

that if we put down
the $10,000 that day,

we could purchase a loft
for $400,000.

Beckett: A riverfront loft?

Lombardo: I know. Amazing, right?

Castle: Uh, um... amazing is--
is one word for it, yes.

Lombardo: Yeah, you have to be, like,
a freakin' bonehead

to pass up
on a deal like that.

Beckett: Did anyone else
at the presentation hand over

a check to Mandalay that day?

Lombardo: Uh, everyone.
My dad was pretty butt sore

that I took the money
out of my college fund,

but when I explained
that it would fold

into the purchase price,

he recognized that business
smarts runs in our family.

Castle: Let me guess.

The, uh, the contract
is in the mail, right?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Beckett: Yeah, this is it.
The Braverman Lofts.

And that must be
the showroom.

Castle: Oh.
$400,000 for one of these?
I'll take 2.

Beckett: Castle, let's go.

Excuse me.

Bert Kramer: Can I help you?

Beckett: NYPD. Who's in charge here?

Bert Kramer: I am. I'm the developer--
Bert Kramer.

Beckett: We're here about Jesse Mandalay.
Do you know him?

Bert Kramer: Unfortunately, and if I ever
see that guy again, I'm gonna

bust him in the jaw for all
the crap he put me through.

Castle: Let me guess.

Bert Kramer: He took advantage of you.
- Damn right.

He tried to sell my friggin'
property like it was his.

Showed up here claiming to be
a real estate Agent,

and he had this rap about
all these properties he's sold.

Beckett: And you gave him access
to the building?

Bert Kramer: Well, he wanted to bring
a caravan of clients through,

and he insisted
it be on a Sunday,

so I gave him
the lockbox codes.

Castle: How did you find out
he wasn't legit?

Bert Kramer: Ever since that day,

I got people showing up saying
they got the Mandalay deal

and threatening to sue.

Beckett: Well,
we have reason to believe

that Mandalay was working
with a partner.

Did anyone else contact you?

Bert Kramer: Uh, no.

And when the tents folded up,
it was radio silence.

But I did call
some of the other developers,

and sure enough,
this Mandalay guy,

he brought caravans
to their properties.

Now they're dealing
with the same mess.

Beckett: Do you have any brochures?

I'm looking for a place.
Mine blew up.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 Castle: 10 grand a pop

all over Jersey.

That adds up quick.

Beckett: I don't understand
why Derek was still working

as a stripper
the night that he was killed

if he was involved in a scam

that was raking in
that much money.

Castle: Because he wasn't the one
raking in all the dough.

He was just the actor,
hired for his looks

and his personality
to charm the investors.

Beckett: So all along, Derek sees his partner
taking the money to the bank...


Castle: And when he gets in trouble
with the bikers

and suddenly he needs cash...

Beckett: He raids the bank account for
the 25 grand that he needs,

and his partner
figures it out.

Castle: Which leads
to a heated confrontation

where he admits
to borrowing the money,

but... but he says
he's pulling out of the scam.

Beckett: Got it. Thanks.
Ryan and Esposito did
a little bit of digging,

and they found the real owner
of the Sunfire account

that Derek used
to withdraw the money.

The Articles of Incorporation

were signed by our very own
orchid-loving widow--

Rebecca Dalton.

Castle: Shut the front door.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Montgomery: Beckett,
you sure about this?

Beckett: Sir, it's all right here
in black and white.

We tracked the money
from the real estate scam

to this offshore account
in the Cayman Islands.

Montgomery: So Derek decides he's done
playing the Mandalay role,

and because he knows too much,
the only option is to kill him.

Kevin: Hey. You were right.

I was able to confirm
Rebecca Dalton's whereabouts.

Beckett: Get a warrant to search
for the murder weapon.

Castle: As someone who's written just
about every ending in the book,

can I just say...
Amazing?

Beckett: You can say that
we get the confession.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Beckett: Ms. Dalton, we did a thorough
search of your finances.

You've lost quite a lot of money
since your husband passed away.

Montgomery: My client doesn't need
to defend her spending habits.

Beckett: She does if it's relevant
to my case.

Rebeca Dalton: What does my money have to do
with Derek's death?

 Castle: Everything, actually.

Beckett: Let's see, there is a clothing
line that never took off,

a, uh,
failed jewelry business.

I mean, should I go on?

Rebeca Dalton: That doesn't make me
a murderer.

Beckett: Well, it was
only a matter of time

until all the money was gone.

Castle: Derek was handsome,
he was charming.

You knew
he was a decent actor.

It made him the perfect guy
to present investors

Montgomery: with an opportunity
they couldn't refuse.

This is wildly speculative,

and your allegations
are baseless.

Beckett: Derek took 25 grand
from an account

that initially led us
in circles--

the Sunfire account.

Rebeca Dalton: Well, this isn't possible.
I didn't even sign this.

Rebecca, I'm advising you,
don't say another word.

Wait a minute.
September 29th?

I wasn't even
in the country.

Beckett: We know.

Castle: The date it was signed?

Smack-dab in the middle
of Paris Fashion Week.

Beckett: I knew that any former model

worth her salt
would've been there,

and of course,
after checking flight records,

you were in Paris.

Castle: Yes, and while you were
drinking champagne,

your lawyer was using
his access to your information

to create a scam
in your name.

Oh, he was also
stealing from you,

funneling the money
into his offshore account.

That's why
your businesses failed.

Beckett: He offered Derek a job
behind your back

to play Jesse Mandalay.

Castle: The money was decent,

but when the bikers came after
Derek, he needed more.

Rebeca Dalton: Oh, my God.
Michael, what did you do?

Beckett: When you found out that Derek
made an unauthorized withdrawal,
you confronted him,
but he knew that
you couldn't go to the cops,
so he told you
that he wanted out.

You couldn't afford him
exposing your fraud,

so you followed him
from his apartment,
and then killed him
that night.

Montgomery: I'm not saying
another word.

Castle: Do you want a lawyer...

Or do you want to hire an actor
to play one for you?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Marthe: So what happened with
your struggling actor case?

Castle: Well, they found
the murder weapon

at the lawyer's office.

He confessed in an effort
to cut a deal.

Martha: Oh, God. It's so sad.

The poor kid was just
trying to catch a break,

and he kept stepping
in the dog poo.

Castle: You should stitch that on to a pillow.

Oh! Hey, sweetie.

Do we have a Sandra Dee
in our midst?

Alexis: I didn't get the part.

Martha: Oh.

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,

oh, honey.

This is... the best thing
that has ever happened to you.

Wh-- rejection is the bedrock
of a great acting career.

Until an actor has suffered,
he hasn't really lived.

Alexis: Thanks, gram.

Martha: You're welcome.

And besides,
auditions are like men.

There's another one
right around the corner.

Yeah.

Castle: Where are you going?

Martha: Oh, we need ice cream
to ease the pain, stat.


I'm going to the corner store.

Castle: I am sorry, sweetie.

Alexis: Can I admit something?

Castle: Always.

Alexis: Going up against Kelly

made me realize, I didn't
really want the part.

I could see how hungry she was,

and I didn't want
to disappoint gram,

but I don't love it
the way she does.

Castle: Well, maybe it's not "in your
bones," as gram would say.

I am proud of you for trying.

Alexis: Thanks, dad.
And there's a silver lining.

After the announcement,

the drama teacher offered me
stage manager.

It's way more my style,

and I get to keep
all my after-school clubs.

Castle: My little overachiever.

Well, congratulations
on not getting the part.

Alexis: yes we will, yes we will ♪

mmm. What smells good?

Castle: Come help me. Wash up...