Castle (2009–2016): Season 3, Episode 18 - One Life to Lose - full transcript
A writer of a popular soap opera is found dead. Castle and Beckett come across cheating husbands, mistresses, backstabbers and a con artist to find the killer.
Joseph... this is the
last time we can do this.
What are you talking about?
I'm going back to my husband.
Alfonso? I'm sorry.
Angie, baby, what about us?
Oh, my God. Oh, my God. That's him.
He's home early.
Are you upstairs?
The closet.
Mi bello!
Alright...
What's going on fellas,
the gag reel getting a little thin?
Oh, my God.
It's Sarah.
They killed Sarah.
I know you aren't cooking breakfast, so...
What is all this?
Spring cleaning.
Oh. Well, mother, I am, I am shocked.
That you even know how to operate a sponge.
Oh, I have cleaned before.
Well, I've supervised
cleaning before.
And what has prompted this sudden
burst of domestic devotion?
The space for my acting school
won't be ready for another month,
Alexis is all busy
with her A.P. tests,
my lunch date canceled... Oh.
And if I don't do something productive,
I'm gonna tear my hair out,
so out my way. Pardon.
Oh.
Speaking of hair.
Hello, Beckett.
Yes. 1777 21st Street.
All right. I'll meet you there.
Did you say 1777 21st Street?
Yeah. There was a
murder there. Why?
Oh, I know that address.
That's Gemstar Studios.
That's where they film
"Temptation Lane."
The soap opera you used to be on?
Oh, I-I hope it's
nobody that I know.
Maybe I should go with you.
It's a crime scene, mother.
We're trained professionals.
Richard Castle,
you are neither trained
nor a professional.
I'll text you with updates.
Victim's name is Sarah Cutler.
Looks like she was
killed last night
and stuffed into a closet on set.
- Was she a part of the production?
- Yeah.
Let me guess. The diva
actress that everyone hated.
Actually, Castle, she was a writer.
- A writer?
- Mm-hmm.
Why would anyone want
to kill a writer?
Oh, so many reasons.
Or maybe Sarah discovered
that Greek billionaire
Mikkos had invented a machine
that could cause blizzards,
that would plunge the entire
world into an ice age.
Really? You're gonna go with a
evil weather machine?
It already happened.
On "General Hospital." Look, bear in mind,
we're entering into a
world of epic drama
with larger-than-life characters,
each one teeming with twisted secrets
and personal intrigue.
It stands to reason that
the motive for this murder
will be worthy of a soap opera.
Castle, even in a
world of epic drama,
the motives are usually
quite ordinary.
Now does that look ordinary to you?
The victim with an ax in her back
on the set of her own show...
Odds are, the killer walks amongst us,
on this very soundstage.
So what have we got?
Her spinal cord was severed with the ax.
Upon contact, her lungs filled with blood,
'causing her to drown.
I can put the time of
death in a 4-hour window,
somewhere between 7:00
and 11:00 P.M last night.
And where did this ax come from?
It's the fire ax from the stage.
Crew members think it might be symbolic.
Symbolic?
Well, when Ms. Cutler took
over writing the show,
first thing she did was kill off
one of the main characters with an ax.
Now it saved the show, but some of
the fans were unhappy.
You damn right we were unhappy.
Ashley Conrad was the matriarch of
"Temptation Lane"
For 30 years, and then
all of a sudden - Whap!
Lanie.
Right.
Based on the C.S.
U sweep, she was killed right here.
The killer wiped up
the blood spatter
and shoved her in the closet.
Which means they knew there was a closet,
to shove her into,
Suggesting someone familiar with the layout.
- An insider, perhaps?
- Well, I just checked with security.
They're on high alert now,
but as you can tell,
things aren't exactly
buttoned up around here.
And what about the cameras?
Only one at the main entrance,
but no one was manning the
entrance to this soundstage.
Oh, so it is possible that
someone from the outside got in?
Have you talked to next of kin?
Husband was on set when
the body was discovered.
Turns out, he's one of the directors.
Okay, so why don't you guys
get statements from the
actors that found her?
- Castle and I will talk to the husband.
- Right.
It's tragic, really.
I mean, Sarah was a gem.
Supremely talented too.
It all begins with the words.
- But it's also how you say them.
- So true.
My performance brings Angela Cannon to life.
Without Sarah's words, I'd just be
an incredibly gorgeous
woman named Mandy Bronson.
She really understood Joseph Fox.
My character.
He's very complicated.
Complicated? A 5 year old could write him.
You know, I'd be insulted
if you actually knew anything about acting.
Ms. Bronson,
What time did you leave
the studio last night?
We wrapped at 6:00,
and I went straight home.
I, um... I drew a bath,
poured a glass of wine,
put on a little John Legend,
Then I slipped out of my silk robe
and let bubbles soak every inch of my body.
Dude.
Dude. Dude.
- I'm just...
- Mr. Hastings, how about you?
Ditto. You also drew a bubble bath
and listened to some John Legend?
No, I left right after we wrapped.
- And when did you last see Sarah?
- She came down to the set
- right before we shot a love scene.
- Ha! More like a torture scene,
with me getting smothered by his bulk.
Why don't you get your ass to the gym?
I'll go to the gym if you pop a tic tac
the next time we have to kiss.
Can we get back to Sarah
for just one more moment?
Did she have any enemies in the production?
No, no, Sarah was wonderful.
Everybody loved her.
She treated everyone with respect.
I can't imagine who would do this.
Mr. Powers, when was the last
time you heard from your wife?
I, um, spoke with Sarah... last night,
right...right here,
right where we're
standing right now.
And what did the two
of you talk about?
- End of the day, just touching base.
- What time was that?
Maybe a little after 6:00.
Uh, didn't you find it strange
that Sarah didn't come home
last night? I'm used to it.
Sarah's the head writer.
Long hours writing scripts
kind of comes with the territory.
She have any trouble
with cast or crew?
Well, everybody here has an agenda,
and Sarah had to make a
lot of tough decisions,
But nobody here would
actually hurt her.
I mean, we're like a family.
What about anyone outside the show?
No, not that I... Wait.
What? Fox can lover.
Fox can lover?
About a week ago,
Sarah had this crazy, obsessed fan
kicked off the set.
Sh-she writes an unofficial
blog about the show.
She's a shipper who goes by
the screen name FoxCanLover.
- A shipper?
- Uh, yeah, it's a person who invests
in the relationships of a show.
In this case, it would be
Joseph Fox and Angela Cannon,
Hence FoxCan.
Exactly, but when she gets here,
she loses it,
goes crazy, threatens Sarah.
- Security has to escort her off.
- Do you know the lady's name?
No, I-I don't, but Sarah's assistant would.
Reese Harmon.
Is it true? Oh. It's true.
I'm so sorry. My baby's gone.
I'm sorry. This is, um,
this is Sarah's mom,
Gloria Chambers.
Detective Beckett is
investigating Sarah's murder.
It's so unfair.
I just got her back,
and now she's gone.
Mrs. Chambers,
were the two of you estranged?
We had been for years.
I gave her up for adoption when I was young.
What kind of monster would do this?
We don't know just yet, but we are gonna do
everything we can to bring them to justice.
You'd better, or I will sue the entire city
for every nickel it's worth.
Well, I understand being upset,
but threatening to sue?
Yeah, well, everybody processes
their grief differently.
Yes, unless she's a gold-digging opportunist
who's insinuated herself
back into her daughter's life
because she's in need of a heart transplant,
and Sarah is the only compatible donor.
Sure, maybe on "Temptation Lane",
not in the real world.
- Uh speaking of which, FoxCan?
- Mm-hmm.
Joseph Fox and Angela Cannon,
how did you know their names?
Uh, one of the uniforms briefed me.
Oh. And shippers relationship fans?
Castle, I do read, you know? Cool.
Excuse me.
Are you Reese Harmon?
FoxCanLover's real name
is Carrie Edwards.
She won the set visit
from a literacy charity
that Sarah supported.
She paid $1,000 for it.
Everything was fine at first,
but when she saw Sarah,
she got in her face
and started yelling,
"You ruined everything."
Did she ever send Sarah
any threatening letters,
anything that you
might have on file?
No, but she did write some
pretty awful things on her blog.
I'll show you that. Mm-hmm.
If Sarah was working late,
why weren't you here?
You are her assistant?
I usually stay,
but Sarah wouldn't let me.
Why not?
One of her passions was
helping young writers.
She got me a position
at the Network Fellowship Program.
We had a mixer last night.
She was supposed to come,
but... she never showed.
When was the last time you saw her?
Around 6:30.
Brought her her coffee and scone.
Here it is. Last week,
the day of the set visit,
look at what she wrote.
"Made it onto the set,
but didn't complete the mission."
Look at the most recent post.
"Last time, I failed.
This time I will succeed.
"She's been stabbing us
loyal fans in the back.
Now it's our turn
to take her down..."
"It's time to give her the axe."
She's dead? Yeah.
Sarah Cutler's dead?
This is the best news ever.
Can I send a quick tweet?
Not cool?
I'll wait. Must have been
difficult not to blog
about it last night.
Yeah. How would I know?
Wait.
You guys think I had
something to do with this?
Well, I mean,
your blog clearly spells out
your determination
to take out Sarah.
But everybody talks
tough on the Internet.
You wrote, "It's time
to give her the ax"
The day she was killed with an ax.
Okay, now I can explain this.
We already figured it out.
You bought the set visit
to get closer to Sarah.
Your visit was cut short.
You came back last night
when no one was around
and then you remembered,
there's an ax on the soundstage.
No, no, no. I bought the set visit
because she was being
swayed by the CanFonsos.
Who?
The CanFonsos, the opposition.
They believe that Angela Cannon
should be together with Alfonso Dominguez.
I was trying to convince her
- that Angela belongs with Joseph.
- With an ax?
Yes.
Wait. No.
I was organizing a protest,
okay? We were gonna send
a whole bunch of axes to
the head of the network,
demanding that Sarah be fired.
I've got everybody on
my web site doing it.
We want them to know that we
think Sarah's ruining the show.
Where were you last night
between 7:00 and 11:00?
I was chatting with
the other FoxCans.
Wild guess, alone?
No. No, and I can prove it.
Mary and Dennis were home.
And those are your roommates?
No. My parents.
I just don't see that
girl swinging an ax,
let alone leaving her house.
What's the matter, homicidal
fan not soapy enough for you?
You know, when you say soapy,
- I conjure up images.
- Castle, focus.
I am. On our suspect.
Oh. I mean, you saw
how obsessive she was.
She invests in these
fictional relationships.
She cares if Angela is gonna
get back together with Alfonso,
if Marguerite's gonna
survive her cancer scare.
Oh, my God.
What?
You watch "Temptation Lane."
What?
No.
No one said anything...
About Marguerite's cancer scare.
You know a lot about shippers,
you know about FoxCans
you are a fan, a big,
fat "Temptation Lane" fan.
Okay, maybe I watched it like once or twice.
It's just so delightfully not you.
So says the guy who
rattles off plot points
from "General Hospital."
Oh, that is completely different.
- That is for research.
- What was for research?
Nothing.
Mary and Dennis confirm
that blogger chick was
in her room all night.
What about the cast and crew?
So far, all their
alibis checked out.
But I was looking
over Sarah's schedule.
Last week, there were a
couple of appointments
that just say "M."
And there was another one,
the day before the murder,
then one scheduled for tomorrow.
So her assistant
didn't schedule these,
which means it was personal,
and her husband didn't
know about them either.
With Sarah's workload,
It must have been important
for her to make time.
Exactly, and her husband
and assistant both say that
when she came back from these
appointments, she was upset.
All right, let's see what
we can dig up from that.
- Hey, Beckett.
- Hey, what'd you find at the apartment?
Her husband's stuff.
His clothes are gone,
and only her stuff is in the bathroom,
so I talked to the doorman,
and he said
that Vince hasn't lived
there in almost two months.
They've been separated.
Funny he didn't
mention that earlier.
Looks like someone's hiding
something on "Temptation Lane."
Look, I knew if I told you that
my marriage was in trouble,
that I would be suspect number one.
Maybe, but now that
we know that you lied,
it makes you look even worse.
Why did you separate?
Everything changed after
Sarah got the big promotion.
If I wanted to spend
time with my own wife,
I had to schedule an appointment.
It wasn't working, so I moved out.
You know, there's another
version of this story,
where your wife kicked you out,
and then she demanded a divorce.
Hmm. Only this way,
you don't have to worry
about splitting your assets.
I didn't kill my wife.
Well, then where were you the
night that she was killed?
I was at the hotel.
I went there immediately
after we wrapped here.
And can anyone vouch for that?
C'mon, Vince.
Tell us you were alone.
And it will make arresting you,
that much easier.
I, um...
I wasn't... alone.
I'm gonna need a name.
Mandy Bronson.
Mandy Bronson?
As in Angela Cannon,
as in star of "Temptation Lane"?
Yes, that Mandy Bronson.
Just checking.
Did she stay the night?
No. We ordered room service,
and, um...
At 07:00, she got
an e-mail from Sarah
and she went running off.
So the night that
your wife was killed,
she e-mailed your mistress,
And you didn't think that
that was important to mention?
It wasn't a big deal.
I asked Mandy about it.
She got some new script pages
that Sarah wanted her to look over,
So she went home to memorize them.
Were you alone the
rest of the night?
Yes. Yes. I cracked the minibar,
I ordered pay-per-view.
You can check.
I will.
It can't be the husband.
Well, he's got motive.
Yeah, but marriage on the rocks,
killing for money?
That's just so ordinary?
We need to focus on Mandy Bronson
home-wrecking diva engaged
in a torrid affair
with the victim's husband.
She fled their illicit love nest
after a mysterious
e-mail from Sarah
on the eve of her murder.
Yeah, but we don't even
know if there was an e-mail.
I mean, Vincent could've been lying.
But you are right.
Mandy Bronson does have
some explaining to do.
"Esplanie." What?
Lanie And Esposito. Like FoxCan.
We can call them Esplanie, which is perfect,
because they're always
esplaining things.
Mother?
Hi. Martha, what a surprise.
Yes, what an unexpected surprise.
What are you doing here? Grieving.
You didn't even know the victim.
Darling, a loss for
a show like this
is a loss for anyone who was
ever part of its history.
And...
I think I can be of help here.
I think I could be
your inside source
and get the scoop on what's
really going on here.
And what better place to
start than Lance Hastings?
You know him?
He was my love interest
30 years ago, onscreen...
And off.
After my character married
his character, Joseph Fox,
she was kidnapped, buried alive,
trapped in a cave with bears,
and held hostage in the sewers of Paris.
How long were you on the show? Three weeks.
Gotta go. Excuse me.
My mother gives new meaning
to the word "Transparent."
There's her account.
What are you looking for?
An e-mail that Sarah
sent before she died.
There it is.
"Meet me at the office ASAP."
So Sarah had Mandy meet her here that night.
You think she found
out about the affair,
planned to confront her? I don't know.
There's an attachment.
Oh, it's a script for
an upcoming episode.
The characters are
vacationing in Pamplona.
- Oh, my God.
- Oh, my God.
Mandy Bronson's character is gored to death
while running with the bulls.
Sarah brought her here
to tell Mandy she was
writing her off the show.
Looks like Mandy
wrote her off first.
Castle. Come here. Come here. Come here.
I know she's a murder suspect,
but you gotta admit,
she is smokin' hot.
Agreed. So hot, in fact,
it led to a torrid affair
with Sarah's director husband.
Sarah found out about it,
decided to kill off
Mandy's character.
Doesn't get any soapier than that.
Well obviously you haven't seen Chiquitas.
- As in bananas?
- No, as in the telenovela.
Oh. I used to watch it growing
up with my grandmother.
Bro, there was this one episode
where Gabriela discovered that
her husband was sleeping with
her evil twin sister Teresita,
only to later find out that she had
multiple personality disorder.
Wait. Does that even
qualify as cheating?
Dude. What?
Don't overthink it.
Ms. Bronson,
I'm curious how you felt,
when you found out,
that Sarah was gonna
kill off your character?
Kill off my character? That's ridiculous.
I'm the reason the ratings were up.
Well, then why did
she write this scene
where Angela Cannon has
an unfortunate encounter
with a bull?
Sarah probably writes a death scene
for every character on the show...
To keep the actors in line.
She wrote those particular pages
the night that she was murdered
while you were with her husband.
He told us that you left
right after you got
an e-mail from Sarah.
But you didn't go home, did you?
You went to go and confront her.
Sarah wanted to save her marriage.
She thought the way
she could do that,
was to get me out of the picture.
And you wanted to urge
her to reconsider,
and when she didn't,
you killed her.
I admit, I went to see the bitch.
I told her Angela Cannon is the
heart and soul of the show.
But when I saw she
wouldn't back down, I left.
I didn't need to kill her. And why is that?
Because I still had a hand to play.
Everybody thinks
Sarah calls the shots
at "Temptation Lane."
But the second in command,
Peter Connelly,
he's the one the
network really trusts.
What is this other hand
that you had to play?
I did what any industrious actress would do.
I went to his apartment
straight from the studio
and used my powers of persuasion
to get him on my side.
When did you leave?
The sun was up.
And my character is still alive.
Yeah, she showed up at
my apartment last night.
She was wearing a fur coat. So?
Just...
A fur coat.
And I nearly had a heart attack
when she let it slip open.
Years of fantasizing,
and there she was,
standing right in front of me.
And what did she want?
She was all fired up
about Sarah wanting to
write her off the show.
So then I had to listen
to Mandy summarize
every "Soap Digest"
article praising her performance.
Just to make her stop...
I agreed that I
would talk to Sarah.
Only now you don't have to.
Reese. Grab your laptop
and join the group.
We're all hands on deck.
You mean it?
I'm not gonna ask you twice.
Sounds like you're
pretty desperate.
Mr. Castle, you publish,
what, one book a year?
Give or take.
In that same time period,
we produce 250 episodes.
I'm down a writer. Reese wrote
some script about horses
that Sarah actually liked,
so, yeah,
I'm gonna take the extra
help where I can get it.
Unless, of course,
you'd like to jump in.
You know what's interesting?
With Sarah out of the way,
Mandy gets to stay on the show,
and you get promoted.
Hey, I'm a professional.
Mandy's staying
because Angela Cannon
is the heart and soul of this show.
Well, where have I
heard that before?
Uh, we'll keep in touch.
Beckett.
So the hotel confirmed that the time sensors
in Vince's minibar were
activated till 11:30 P.M.
So I guess our deadly love triangle
wasn't so deadly after all.
Not on his side anyway.
But the hot news is, Ryan got a hit,
On those mystery appointments
that Sarah was going to.
He found credit card charges
that matched up time and
date to the meetings.
And where was she going?
To a coffee shop on 7th,
and according to her calendar,
her next meeting is
in about an hour.
Castle, you up for a coffee break?
There you go. Thanks.
Can I help you?
Yes. I hope so.
Do you recognize this woman?
Yeah.
Why?
She can't be dead.
She, can't be dead. She can't.
I'm so sorry, Ms. Goldberg.
It's not fair. It is so not fair.
What am I supposed to do?
Did the two of you know
each other very well?
Actually, I didn't know her at all.
Then why would you be so upset?
Well, because...
She promised she would
read my screenplay,
And if she liked it...
She would help me find an agent.
Who would she meet
when she came here?
What's it matter? She's dead.
I lost my chance.
I'll tell you what
I'll make you a deal.
If you tell us what
happened after that,
I'll read your script,
and if I like it,
I'll give it to my agent.
Really?
Really.
She met with a guy,
and they sat at a table in a corner.
Do you remember
what he looked like?
Um... like him. Exactly like him.
Uh, give me a double
espresso, will ya?
What about my script? I'll come
back and get it when we're done.
I'll come back and we'll
get it when we're done.
Oh.
Do I know you?
I'm a friend of Sarah Cutler.
Yeah? You bring my money?
What money?
Look, I did what she asked,
and now I want what I'm owed.
And, um, what is it that
she asked you to do?
None of your damn business.
Who the hell are you?
NYPD.
Sarah's dead, so it is my business.
Now... who the hell are you?
Johnny Dimes. I'm a P.I.
Sarah Cutler was a client.
What do you mean, she's dead?
"She's dead" only really
has the one meaning.
Did she hire you to
follow her husband?
Husband? No.
She hired me to investigate Gloria Chambers.
The mom.
I knew it. Was she involved
in organ harvesting?
That really didn't come up,
but I can tell you this.
Gloria Chambers isn't her real birth mom.
She's a fake.
Ohh. The mom isn't really the mom?
Does it get any soapier than that?
Ooh.
Oh, is that the P.
I's file on Sarah's faux mother?
Yeah, apparently Gloria
showed up three years ago
claiming to be Sarah's birth mom,
and Sarah got suspicious.
So she hired a P.I. in order
to look into Gloria's history.
What nefarious scheme has
Gloria set into motion?
Perhaps she planned...
on replacing Sarah with a clone.
She wanted Sarah's money.
Money?
Yeah. Sorry to burst your bubble, Castle,
but Gloria's got a history
of insurance scams
and husbands with
empty bank accounts.
- We bringing her in?
- Yeah, we're trying.
We put out an A.P.B.
Her apartment's empty,
and the doorman saw her leave
with a suitcase this morning.
Ooh.
So maybe Dimes tells Sarah about Gloria,
Sarah confronts her,
And then Gloria kills Sarah
in order to avoid exposure.
And after playing the role
of grieving mother on set,
Gloria knew enough to get
the hell out of dodge.
Yo. Look who got caught
trying to buy a ticket
to the Bahamas at J.F.K.
Gloria.
Everything in New York reminded me of Sarah.
I needed to distance myself
from the agonizing truth that she's dead.
Now if denial is a crime...
I plead guilty.
Good to know.
Now how do you plead on murder?
Gloria Chambers,
also known as Charlene Sellars.
You have been a very busy woman.
Yours is a real
rags-to-riches story.
Only trouble is, the riches
never seem to be yours.
Fraud in Florida,
Embezzlement in North Carolina
I served my time for those
prior misunderstandings.
And then you latched on
to your next meal ticket,
Constantine Pirelli.
After him, it was Ernesto Cruz.
I hear they're very anxious
for you to come back...
With their money.
I was married to those men.
It was our money.
I can tell you,
I earned every penny.
But as usual, you blew it all,
and so you looked for
your next ticket,
which you found in Sarah Cutler.
You heard an interview where she mentioned
being adopted,
did a little research,
and then showed up as the long-lost mother.
Sarah might have been under the impression
that she was my daughter,
but I didn't kill her.
I mean, in my own way, I was
I was fond of Sarah.
Fond enough that you were able
to masquerade as her mother.
You had motive to kill her.
That's why you tried
to flee the country.
What motive?
Her will shows that she
planned to leave you $300,000.
Mm. She's a generous girl, my Sarah.
She's not your Sarah.
And that's not your money.
You knew she wrote
you into her will.
In fact, you probably planned it all along.
When she confronted you,
you knew that you had a narrow window
within which to kill her
before she wrote you out.
Here's your problem
I am not your killer.
If I were you, I'd look into
the other man in her life.
What other man? The one that gave her
the 2-karat Arthur Klein
earrings just the other day.
Does this other man have a name?
Sarah didn't tell me that,
But whoever he was,
they must have just split up,
because he was trying
to win her over.
Really, you're gonna point us
to a mysterious stranger?
- It's the truth.
- Coming from a professional liar.
I was nowhere near this
godforsaken soap set.
When she died, I...
I was doing something useful with my time.
Reading to the blind.
Hm, close. I was donating.
To the ponies.
OTB receipts in Gloria's purse put
her betting on races till 10PM.
And our time of death is estimated
at 11:00 on the outside,
and we don't have anything to tie
her to the studio.
I thought fake mom was a lock.
It's starting to look less
that way by the minute.
I found the earrings
that Gloria talked about
- in Sarah's apartment.
- Fancy.
Yeah, over 10 grand worth of fancy.
Those are worth over 10 grand?
Please. Lanie loves diamonds.
"Diamonds are forever,
like my devotion to you."
Who writes notes this cheesy? Well,
not the husband.
I checked on his financials.
He didn't buy them.
Okay, so maybe Gloria was
telling us the truth.
Maybe Sarah was having an affair.
Well, that makes perfect sense.
Sarah was separated
from her husband Vince,
and after long,
grueling days at work,
she'd go home to a cold,
empty apartment.
Feeling lonely, betrayed,
she seeks comfort
in the arms of this mystery man...
and she decides that she
wants her husband back,
so she writes his mistress, Mandy Bronson,
off the show, in order
to save their marriage.
And her next stop would be
to get rid of the other man.
So maybe the other man didn't
go off quietly into the night.
Do you two practice this
when we're not around?
These earrings are exclusive
to Arthur Klein's
Boutique in Chelsea.
Let's find out who bought them.
Okay, so Gloria is in the clear.
Uniforms showed her
photo at O.T.B.,
And a bartender there
remembers seeing her at 11:15.
You know, I can see why
she fell for Gloria's con.
Sarah was motherless, childless,
she was taking young writers under her wing.
- She was looking for family.
- Wow, Castle.
That's a refreshingly down-to-earth theory.
Just trying to keep you on your toes.
Hey, so we ran down purchases
at Klein's Boutique,
and guess who popped.
- Lance Hastings?
- And that's not all.
I ran Lance's credit card
activity to confirm the purchase
and something else caught my eye.
Lance charged a cab
ride to the studio
the night of the murder.
Yeah, when we interviewed him,
he said he went straight home at 6:00 P.M.
Cab company drove him back
to the studio around 8:00.
Okay, so that falls right within the window
of our time of death. Go pick him up.
Yeah, we already sent a uniform.
He's not home, and he's
not answering his phone.
My mother was speaking
to him earlier on set.
Hi, sweetie. Is Gram there?
I need to talk to her.
What's wrong?
I know where the killer is.
He's with my mother.
Castle, it's okay. I'm sure
your mom's not in any danger.
Yeah, you're probably right.
I'm sorry, my dear,
but after everything I've told you,
I can't let you leave
this room alive.
Lance, think about
what you're doing.
I am thinking about it.
I can't let you live! Think about Sarah!
Drop the knife! What?
Drop the weapon. W-w-w-wait a minute.
Aah!
Richard, what are you doing?
Oh, nothing. Just saving
your life. That's all.
She said drop the knife!
The only thing that knife
could kill is butter.
What are you talking about?
It's a prop.
We were just working out a scene.
Guys, it was completely my idea.
You know, the actor's version of
"Show Me Your Golf Swing."
Well, the knife may be fake,
but the ax you put into
Sarah's back was real.
You lied to detectives Ryan and Esposito,
regarding your whereabouts
the night of the murder.
You want the truth?
That would be a great
place to start.
You can't handle the truth.
Sir, I am not interested in
your Jack Nicholson impressions.
We know that you went back to the studio.
The night of the murder.
And what I'm asking is why.
It was a friendly conversation
between colleagues.
A friendly conversation
in which she told you
she was going to go back to her husband.
What the hell are you talking about?
Why would she do that?
Because she was breaking up with you.
Is that what you think is going on here?
You think that Sarah and I were lovers?
Did you or did you not
buy an expensive pair of
diamond earrings for her?
Yes, but not to woo her.
It was to encourage Sarah,
to let me out of my
contract for a movie role.
A movie role?
Yes, the Coen brothers have asked me to play
Matt Damon's half-wit
dad in their new movie.
It's a role of a lifetime.
It has nominations
written all over it.
But that still doesn't explain
why you went back to the studio that night.
I went to thank Sarah in person,
because my agent had called me that evening
to tell her that she had agreed to let me out.
Reason I didn't mention any of
this is I didn't want to risk
missing work on the movie.
Why didn't you just call her?
I wanted her to know how
much I appreciated it.
So you went back to thank her,
and that's it?
No, not exactly. Uh...
When I got there, she was reading a script,
and she seemed upset.
I asked her why, and...
She said somebody had betrayed her.
- Who?
- Well, at first, I thought it was me,
for taking the movie role,
but then...
she said that someone wasn't who...
she thought they were.
And she didn't let on as
to who this person was?
No. I didn't want to
give her the opportunity
to change her mind about the movie,
So I exited... Stage left.
Okay, found the deal memo that Sarah signed
in order to get Lance out for his movie.
He wasn't lying.
My mother is never gonna let me forget this.
Oh, come on, Castle. She'll probably think
it was sweet that you
were concerned about her.
This is Martha Rodgers we are talking about.
I intruded on her "Moment."
No, I will pay dearly.
When Lance came here, Sarah told him
that someone wasn't who
she thought they were.
Who do you think that was?
How about the woman who makes
my mother look like a saint?
Yeah, but Sarah already cut
Gloria out of her life.
Maybe... Maybe it was her cheating husband.
Except Lance met with
Sarah after Mandy Bronson.
By the time Mandy showed up,
Sarah had already decided
what she wanted to do with her marriage.
Yeah, but even if Sarah decided
that she was gonna get
back together with Vince,
it doesn't mean that she didn't have doubts.
No. No, you're right.
Except he has an alibi.
Everyone has an alibi.
Yeah, well, somebody out there doesn't,
and we are gonna find them.
Well, maybe we should sleep on it.
Separately.
Katherine Beckett, I never.
Hello, ladies.
Hey, dad. Gram told me
how you went all Jason Bourne on her date.
I think I deserve some kudos
for my selfless courage
in the face of perceived danger.
Ah, think what you will.
But I've taken the liberty
of selecting an apology gift
page 47, dog-eared for your convenience.
- The dress?
- Uh-huh. And the shoes.
Oh! And the purse.
Where did you get this, darling?
Oh, from a woman I met on the case.
She's an aspiring writer. Oh.
In a moment of weakness,
I told her I'd read it.
Oh, it's really pretty good.
She's got very vivid characters,
well plotted, pleasantly salacious.
Great. That's what I'll tell her.
No, no, no, no. You said you
would read it, honey. You.
I will
I just have to do a little
more thinking on the case.
He's procrastinating.
I know. I know. No, I am not.
I am just about to solve a
critical piece of our mystery.
Now that you've determined that
Lance is not the ax murderer?
So what's the critical
piece of evidence, dad?
Well, shortly before she died,
Sarah Cutler said that
someone had betrayed her.
I think that person is our killer.
Well, then it could
be anybody, darling,
because betrayal is a way
of life on a soap opera.
And let me tell you,
"Temptation Lane"
is like this seething cauldron
of sordidness and treachery
and naked ambition.
And you know which people
are the most
manipulative and devious?
I do.
I know who betrayed Sarah.
Look, there's nothing
in my contract
that says that I have to
be a cop all of a sudden.
I-I-I've gotta rehearse.
Get off the phone. Let's do this. Let's go.
Okay, Castle. Let's go. Oh, wait.
No, hang on. I just wrote
my first soap scene,
which they are about to shoot.
I'll catch it on TV.
We've got an arrest to make.
No, no, wait. This scene is
going to expose the killer.
"The play's the thing
wherein we'll catch
the conscience of
the King": Hamlet.
We already know who the killer is,
- So you're wasting my time: me.
- Not if I get us a confession.
Places, please. They're starting. Let's go.
Okay. No, send it back.
Yeah. All right, thanks.
Hey, come on in, guys. Thanks.
Castle, what are we..? Ah, shh, shh.
Just watch, just watch.
Can we close the downstage door
to get better eyes on Mandy,
please? Close those doors!
And clear the set. Here we go, everybody.
In five... four...
Three... two...
Two's on the line.
Can't you at least knock?
I'm changing.
Nothing I haven't seen before...
and enjoyed immensely.
Really?
It's a soap opera. I had to honor the form.
What are you doing here, Joseph?
If this is about our
relationship. No, it isn't.
It's about your research paper.
The one I had you submit
for the Montenegro
Journalism Fellowship.
Is there news about the winner?
The thing about The
Fellowship is that
it can open doors,
it launches careers.
That's why I recommended you.
Over to one. So did I win?
Three.
I went to the coffee
shop this morning,
and a barista there asked
me to read an article
that she had written for her college paper.
Oddly enough,
it was identical to yours.
There must be some mistake.
Just the one you made in
assuming that you could
pass off somebody else's
material as your own.
You are a fraud, Angela.
And I am going to
call The Fellowship
and let them know that exactly.
Oh, and by the way...
you're fired.
And cut. Nice job, people.
Um...
I don't understand. This is...
This is not the scene that
we worked on yesterday.
We made some adjustments.
And yet, it has an oddly
familiar ring to it.
Reading other people's scripts
is a part of your job,
- isn't it?
- What are you accusing me of?
Did you not see the scene?
If you're going to be a writer,
you have to have a better grasp of subtext.
Look, I'm...
I might have mixed up some of the scripts,
but I was at The Fellowship mixer
the night that Sarah died.
Nobody there remembers
seeing you after 8:00 P.M.
Sarah was killed
with an axe, Reese.
Whoever killed her,
got blood on their clothes
and on their shoes.
Some of it invisible
to the naked eye,
but it doesn't matter how
much you try to wash it,
it's still there.
I have officers at your apartment.
You have no idea
what I did for her.
Picking up her dogs,
picking up her dry cleaning,
the late nights, the weekends,
no vacation.
You try writing a script
with all of that going on.
I worked too hard
to let it end that way.
I deserved that opportunity,
and I could not let her
take that away from me.
It was never yours to begin with.
Killing Sarah to keep a
lid on her plagiarism?
That's cold.
And pretty ordinary as far as motives go.
She didn't want to put in the work,
so she took a shortcut.
There are no shortcuts in writing.
Nope, but there is
to our favorite bar.
I found a new route that'll get us
to the Old Haunt in eight minutes.
You up for a beer? Come on.
I know the owner.
Yeah, I'm down, bro. How 'bout you, Castle?
Right behind you.
What?
Got you a present.
A signed cast photo from
"Temptation Lane."
How did you even get this?
I know people who know people.
Okay.
I was 9,
and I had to get my tonsils taken out.
And I was miserable.
And so my mom took time off of work
and... stayed with me
and cuddled up in front of the TV
on the couch,
and we would watch episodes of
"Temptation Lane."
So every time I see it now,
it just...
It makes me feel like
home and... safe.
So there you go. Judge away.
My DVR...
Would make yours look like
"Masterpiece Theater."
But I am glad to
know this about you.
I'll leave you to it.
Hey, Castle. Thank you for the photo.
I'll see you.
Hey.
After all these years,
all the times I could've been
holding you in my arms...
then let's not waste
more time with words.
Let's just let our
lips do the talking.
You two running lines again?
Oh. Well, no, no.
We were just, uh... You know, talking.
Oh.
Oh.
Um... I'm gonna
I'll just...
Go to the...
last time we can do this.
What are you talking about?
I'm going back to my husband.
Alfonso? I'm sorry.
Angie, baby, what about us?
Oh, my God. Oh, my God. That's him.
He's home early.
Are you upstairs?
The closet.
Mi bello!
Alright...
What's going on fellas,
the gag reel getting a little thin?
Oh, my God.
It's Sarah.
They killed Sarah.
I know you aren't cooking breakfast, so...
What is all this?
Spring cleaning.
Oh. Well, mother, I am, I am shocked.
That you even know how to operate a sponge.
Oh, I have cleaned before.
Well, I've supervised
cleaning before.
And what has prompted this sudden
burst of domestic devotion?
The space for my acting school
won't be ready for another month,
Alexis is all busy
with her A.P. tests,
my lunch date canceled... Oh.
And if I don't do something productive,
I'm gonna tear my hair out,
so out my way. Pardon.
Oh.
Speaking of hair.
Hello, Beckett.
Yes. 1777 21st Street.
All right. I'll meet you there.
Did you say 1777 21st Street?
Yeah. There was a
murder there. Why?
Oh, I know that address.
That's Gemstar Studios.
That's where they film
"Temptation Lane."
The soap opera you used to be on?
Oh, I-I hope it's
nobody that I know.
Maybe I should go with you.
It's a crime scene, mother.
We're trained professionals.
Richard Castle,
you are neither trained
nor a professional.
I'll text you with updates.
Victim's name is Sarah Cutler.
Looks like she was
killed last night
and stuffed into a closet on set.
- Was she a part of the production?
- Yeah.
Let me guess. The diva
actress that everyone hated.
Actually, Castle, she was a writer.
- A writer?
- Mm-hmm.
Why would anyone want
to kill a writer?
Oh, so many reasons.
Or maybe Sarah discovered
that Greek billionaire
Mikkos had invented a machine
that could cause blizzards,
that would plunge the entire
world into an ice age.
Really? You're gonna go with a
evil weather machine?
It already happened.
On "General Hospital." Look, bear in mind,
we're entering into a
world of epic drama
with larger-than-life characters,
each one teeming with twisted secrets
and personal intrigue.
It stands to reason that
the motive for this murder
will be worthy of a soap opera.
Castle, even in a
world of epic drama,
the motives are usually
quite ordinary.
Now does that look ordinary to you?
The victim with an ax in her back
on the set of her own show...
Odds are, the killer walks amongst us,
on this very soundstage.
So what have we got?
Her spinal cord was severed with the ax.
Upon contact, her lungs filled with blood,
'causing her to drown.
I can put the time of
death in a 4-hour window,
somewhere between 7:00
and 11:00 P.M last night.
And where did this ax come from?
It's the fire ax from the stage.
Crew members think it might be symbolic.
Symbolic?
Well, when Ms. Cutler took
over writing the show,
first thing she did was kill off
one of the main characters with an ax.
Now it saved the show, but some of
the fans were unhappy.
You damn right we were unhappy.
Ashley Conrad was the matriarch of
"Temptation Lane"
For 30 years, and then
all of a sudden - Whap!
Lanie.
Right.
Based on the C.S.
U sweep, she was killed right here.
The killer wiped up
the blood spatter
and shoved her in the closet.
Which means they knew there was a closet,
to shove her into,
Suggesting someone familiar with the layout.
- An insider, perhaps?
- Well, I just checked with security.
They're on high alert now,
but as you can tell,
things aren't exactly
buttoned up around here.
And what about the cameras?
Only one at the main entrance,
but no one was manning the
entrance to this soundstage.
Oh, so it is possible that
someone from the outside got in?
Have you talked to next of kin?
Husband was on set when
the body was discovered.
Turns out, he's one of the directors.
Okay, so why don't you guys
get statements from the
actors that found her?
- Castle and I will talk to the husband.
- Right.
It's tragic, really.
I mean, Sarah was a gem.
Supremely talented too.
It all begins with the words.
- But it's also how you say them.
- So true.
My performance brings Angela Cannon to life.
Without Sarah's words, I'd just be
an incredibly gorgeous
woman named Mandy Bronson.
She really understood Joseph Fox.
My character.
He's very complicated.
Complicated? A 5 year old could write him.
You know, I'd be insulted
if you actually knew anything about acting.
Ms. Bronson,
What time did you leave
the studio last night?
We wrapped at 6:00,
and I went straight home.
I, um... I drew a bath,
poured a glass of wine,
put on a little John Legend,
Then I slipped out of my silk robe
and let bubbles soak every inch of my body.
Dude.
Dude. Dude.
- I'm just...
- Mr. Hastings, how about you?
Ditto. You also drew a bubble bath
and listened to some John Legend?
No, I left right after we wrapped.
- And when did you last see Sarah?
- She came down to the set
- right before we shot a love scene.
- Ha! More like a torture scene,
with me getting smothered by his bulk.
Why don't you get your ass to the gym?
I'll go to the gym if you pop a tic tac
the next time we have to kiss.
Can we get back to Sarah
for just one more moment?
Did she have any enemies in the production?
No, no, Sarah was wonderful.
Everybody loved her.
She treated everyone with respect.
I can't imagine who would do this.
Mr. Powers, when was the last
time you heard from your wife?
I, um, spoke with Sarah... last night,
right...right here,
right where we're
standing right now.
And what did the two
of you talk about?
- End of the day, just touching base.
- What time was that?
Maybe a little after 6:00.
Uh, didn't you find it strange
that Sarah didn't come home
last night? I'm used to it.
Sarah's the head writer.
Long hours writing scripts
kind of comes with the territory.
She have any trouble
with cast or crew?
Well, everybody here has an agenda,
and Sarah had to make a
lot of tough decisions,
But nobody here would
actually hurt her.
I mean, we're like a family.
What about anyone outside the show?
No, not that I... Wait.
What? Fox can lover.
Fox can lover?
About a week ago,
Sarah had this crazy, obsessed fan
kicked off the set.
Sh-she writes an unofficial
blog about the show.
She's a shipper who goes by
the screen name FoxCanLover.
- A shipper?
- Uh, yeah, it's a person who invests
in the relationships of a show.
In this case, it would be
Joseph Fox and Angela Cannon,
Hence FoxCan.
Exactly, but when she gets here,
she loses it,
goes crazy, threatens Sarah.
- Security has to escort her off.
- Do you know the lady's name?
No, I-I don't, but Sarah's assistant would.
Reese Harmon.
Is it true? Oh. It's true.
I'm so sorry. My baby's gone.
I'm sorry. This is, um,
this is Sarah's mom,
Gloria Chambers.
Detective Beckett is
investigating Sarah's murder.
It's so unfair.
I just got her back,
and now she's gone.
Mrs. Chambers,
were the two of you estranged?
We had been for years.
I gave her up for adoption when I was young.
What kind of monster would do this?
We don't know just yet, but we are gonna do
everything we can to bring them to justice.
You'd better, or I will sue the entire city
for every nickel it's worth.
Well, I understand being upset,
but threatening to sue?
Yeah, well, everybody processes
their grief differently.
Yes, unless she's a gold-digging opportunist
who's insinuated herself
back into her daughter's life
because she's in need of a heart transplant,
and Sarah is the only compatible donor.
Sure, maybe on "Temptation Lane",
not in the real world.
- Uh speaking of which, FoxCan?
- Mm-hmm.
Joseph Fox and Angela Cannon,
how did you know their names?
Uh, one of the uniforms briefed me.
Oh. And shippers relationship fans?
Castle, I do read, you know? Cool.
Excuse me.
Are you Reese Harmon?
FoxCanLover's real name
is Carrie Edwards.
She won the set visit
from a literacy charity
that Sarah supported.
She paid $1,000 for it.
Everything was fine at first,
but when she saw Sarah,
she got in her face
and started yelling,
"You ruined everything."
Did she ever send Sarah
any threatening letters,
anything that you
might have on file?
No, but she did write some
pretty awful things on her blog.
I'll show you that. Mm-hmm.
If Sarah was working late,
why weren't you here?
You are her assistant?
I usually stay,
but Sarah wouldn't let me.
Why not?
One of her passions was
helping young writers.
She got me a position
at the Network Fellowship Program.
We had a mixer last night.
She was supposed to come,
but... she never showed.
When was the last time you saw her?
Around 6:30.
Brought her her coffee and scone.
Here it is. Last week,
the day of the set visit,
look at what she wrote.
"Made it onto the set,
but didn't complete the mission."
Look at the most recent post.
"Last time, I failed.
This time I will succeed.
"She's been stabbing us
loyal fans in the back.
Now it's our turn
to take her down..."
"It's time to give her the axe."
She's dead? Yeah.
Sarah Cutler's dead?
This is the best news ever.
Can I send a quick tweet?
Not cool?
I'll wait. Must have been
difficult not to blog
about it last night.
Yeah. How would I know?
Wait.
You guys think I had
something to do with this?
Well, I mean,
your blog clearly spells out
your determination
to take out Sarah.
But everybody talks
tough on the Internet.
You wrote, "It's time
to give her the ax"
The day she was killed with an ax.
Okay, now I can explain this.
We already figured it out.
You bought the set visit
to get closer to Sarah.
Your visit was cut short.
You came back last night
when no one was around
and then you remembered,
there's an ax on the soundstage.
No, no, no. I bought the set visit
because she was being
swayed by the CanFonsos.
Who?
The CanFonsos, the opposition.
They believe that Angela Cannon
should be together with Alfonso Dominguez.
I was trying to convince her
- that Angela belongs with Joseph.
- With an ax?
Yes.
Wait. No.
I was organizing a protest,
okay? We were gonna send
a whole bunch of axes to
the head of the network,
demanding that Sarah be fired.
I've got everybody on
my web site doing it.
We want them to know that we
think Sarah's ruining the show.
Where were you last night
between 7:00 and 11:00?
I was chatting with
the other FoxCans.
Wild guess, alone?
No. No, and I can prove it.
Mary and Dennis were home.
And those are your roommates?
No. My parents.
I just don't see that
girl swinging an ax,
let alone leaving her house.
What's the matter, homicidal
fan not soapy enough for you?
You know, when you say soapy,
- I conjure up images.
- Castle, focus.
I am. On our suspect.
Oh. I mean, you saw
how obsessive she was.
She invests in these
fictional relationships.
She cares if Angela is gonna
get back together with Alfonso,
if Marguerite's gonna
survive her cancer scare.
Oh, my God.
What?
You watch "Temptation Lane."
What?
No.
No one said anything...
About Marguerite's cancer scare.
You know a lot about shippers,
you know about FoxCans
you are a fan, a big,
fat "Temptation Lane" fan.
Okay, maybe I watched it like once or twice.
It's just so delightfully not you.
So says the guy who
rattles off plot points
from "General Hospital."
Oh, that is completely different.
- That is for research.
- What was for research?
Nothing.
Mary and Dennis confirm
that blogger chick was
in her room all night.
What about the cast and crew?
So far, all their
alibis checked out.
But I was looking
over Sarah's schedule.
Last week, there were a
couple of appointments
that just say "M."
And there was another one,
the day before the murder,
then one scheduled for tomorrow.
So her assistant
didn't schedule these,
which means it was personal,
and her husband didn't
know about them either.
With Sarah's workload,
It must have been important
for her to make time.
Exactly, and her husband
and assistant both say that
when she came back from these
appointments, she was upset.
All right, let's see what
we can dig up from that.
- Hey, Beckett.
- Hey, what'd you find at the apartment?
Her husband's stuff.
His clothes are gone,
and only her stuff is in the bathroom,
so I talked to the doorman,
and he said
that Vince hasn't lived
there in almost two months.
They've been separated.
Funny he didn't
mention that earlier.
Looks like someone's hiding
something on "Temptation Lane."
Look, I knew if I told you that
my marriage was in trouble,
that I would be suspect number one.
Maybe, but now that
we know that you lied,
it makes you look even worse.
Why did you separate?
Everything changed after
Sarah got the big promotion.
If I wanted to spend
time with my own wife,
I had to schedule an appointment.
It wasn't working, so I moved out.
You know, there's another
version of this story,
where your wife kicked you out,
and then she demanded a divorce.
Hmm. Only this way,
you don't have to worry
about splitting your assets.
I didn't kill my wife.
Well, then where were you the
night that she was killed?
I was at the hotel.
I went there immediately
after we wrapped here.
And can anyone vouch for that?
C'mon, Vince.
Tell us you were alone.
And it will make arresting you,
that much easier.
I, um...
I wasn't... alone.
I'm gonna need a name.
Mandy Bronson.
Mandy Bronson?
As in Angela Cannon,
as in star of "Temptation Lane"?
Yes, that Mandy Bronson.
Just checking.
Did she stay the night?
No. We ordered room service,
and, um...
At 07:00, she got
an e-mail from Sarah
and she went running off.
So the night that
your wife was killed,
she e-mailed your mistress,
And you didn't think that
that was important to mention?
It wasn't a big deal.
I asked Mandy about it.
She got some new script pages
that Sarah wanted her to look over,
So she went home to memorize them.
Were you alone the
rest of the night?
Yes. Yes. I cracked the minibar,
I ordered pay-per-view.
You can check.
I will.
It can't be the husband.
Well, he's got motive.
Yeah, but marriage on the rocks,
killing for money?
That's just so ordinary?
We need to focus on Mandy Bronson
home-wrecking diva engaged
in a torrid affair
with the victim's husband.
She fled their illicit love nest
after a mysterious
e-mail from Sarah
on the eve of her murder.
Yeah, but we don't even
know if there was an e-mail.
I mean, Vincent could've been lying.
But you are right.
Mandy Bronson does have
some explaining to do.
"Esplanie." What?
Lanie And Esposito. Like FoxCan.
We can call them Esplanie, which is perfect,
because they're always
esplaining things.
Mother?
Hi. Martha, what a surprise.
Yes, what an unexpected surprise.
What are you doing here? Grieving.
You didn't even know the victim.
Darling, a loss for
a show like this
is a loss for anyone who was
ever part of its history.
And...
I think I can be of help here.
I think I could be
your inside source
and get the scoop on what's
really going on here.
And what better place to
start than Lance Hastings?
You know him?
He was my love interest
30 years ago, onscreen...
And off.
After my character married
his character, Joseph Fox,
she was kidnapped, buried alive,
trapped in a cave with bears,
and held hostage in the sewers of Paris.
How long were you on the show? Three weeks.
Gotta go. Excuse me.
My mother gives new meaning
to the word "Transparent."
There's her account.
What are you looking for?
An e-mail that Sarah
sent before she died.
There it is.
"Meet me at the office ASAP."
So Sarah had Mandy meet her here that night.
You think she found
out about the affair,
planned to confront her? I don't know.
There's an attachment.
Oh, it's a script for
an upcoming episode.
The characters are
vacationing in Pamplona.
- Oh, my God.
- Oh, my God.
Mandy Bronson's character is gored to death
while running with the bulls.
Sarah brought her here
to tell Mandy she was
writing her off the show.
Looks like Mandy
wrote her off first.
Castle. Come here. Come here. Come here.
I know she's a murder suspect,
but you gotta admit,
she is smokin' hot.
Agreed. So hot, in fact,
it led to a torrid affair
with Sarah's director husband.
Sarah found out about it,
decided to kill off
Mandy's character.
Doesn't get any soapier than that.
Well obviously you haven't seen Chiquitas.
- As in bananas?
- No, as in the telenovela.
Oh. I used to watch it growing
up with my grandmother.
Bro, there was this one episode
where Gabriela discovered that
her husband was sleeping with
her evil twin sister Teresita,
only to later find out that she had
multiple personality disorder.
Wait. Does that even
qualify as cheating?
Dude. What?
Don't overthink it.
Ms. Bronson,
I'm curious how you felt,
when you found out,
that Sarah was gonna
kill off your character?
Kill off my character? That's ridiculous.
I'm the reason the ratings were up.
Well, then why did
she write this scene
where Angela Cannon has
an unfortunate encounter
with a bull?
Sarah probably writes a death scene
for every character on the show...
To keep the actors in line.
She wrote those particular pages
the night that she was murdered
while you were with her husband.
He told us that you left
right after you got
an e-mail from Sarah.
But you didn't go home, did you?
You went to go and confront her.
Sarah wanted to save her marriage.
She thought the way
she could do that,
was to get me out of the picture.
And you wanted to urge
her to reconsider,
and when she didn't,
you killed her.
I admit, I went to see the bitch.
I told her Angela Cannon is the
heart and soul of the show.
But when I saw she
wouldn't back down, I left.
I didn't need to kill her. And why is that?
Because I still had a hand to play.
Everybody thinks
Sarah calls the shots
at "Temptation Lane."
But the second in command,
Peter Connelly,
he's the one the
network really trusts.
What is this other hand
that you had to play?
I did what any industrious actress would do.
I went to his apartment
straight from the studio
and used my powers of persuasion
to get him on my side.
When did you leave?
The sun was up.
And my character is still alive.
Yeah, she showed up at
my apartment last night.
She was wearing a fur coat. So?
Just...
A fur coat.
And I nearly had a heart attack
when she let it slip open.
Years of fantasizing,
and there she was,
standing right in front of me.
And what did she want?
She was all fired up
about Sarah wanting to
write her off the show.
So then I had to listen
to Mandy summarize
every "Soap Digest"
article praising her performance.
Just to make her stop...
I agreed that I
would talk to Sarah.
Only now you don't have to.
Reese. Grab your laptop
and join the group.
We're all hands on deck.
You mean it?
I'm not gonna ask you twice.
Sounds like you're
pretty desperate.
Mr. Castle, you publish,
what, one book a year?
Give or take.
In that same time period,
we produce 250 episodes.
I'm down a writer. Reese wrote
some script about horses
that Sarah actually liked,
so, yeah,
I'm gonna take the extra
help where I can get it.
Unless, of course,
you'd like to jump in.
You know what's interesting?
With Sarah out of the way,
Mandy gets to stay on the show,
and you get promoted.
Hey, I'm a professional.
Mandy's staying
because Angela Cannon
is the heart and soul of this show.
Well, where have I
heard that before?
Uh, we'll keep in touch.
Beckett.
So the hotel confirmed that the time sensors
in Vince's minibar were
activated till 11:30 P.M.
So I guess our deadly love triangle
wasn't so deadly after all.
Not on his side anyway.
But the hot news is, Ryan got a hit,
On those mystery appointments
that Sarah was going to.
He found credit card charges
that matched up time and
date to the meetings.
And where was she going?
To a coffee shop on 7th,
and according to her calendar,
her next meeting is
in about an hour.
Castle, you up for a coffee break?
There you go. Thanks.
Can I help you?
Yes. I hope so.
Do you recognize this woman?
Yeah.
Why?
She can't be dead.
She, can't be dead. She can't.
I'm so sorry, Ms. Goldberg.
It's not fair. It is so not fair.
What am I supposed to do?
Did the two of you know
each other very well?
Actually, I didn't know her at all.
Then why would you be so upset?
Well, because...
She promised she would
read my screenplay,
And if she liked it...
She would help me find an agent.
Who would she meet
when she came here?
What's it matter? She's dead.
I lost my chance.
I'll tell you what
I'll make you a deal.
If you tell us what
happened after that,
I'll read your script,
and if I like it,
I'll give it to my agent.
Really?
Really.
She met with a guy,
and they sat at a table in a corner.
Do you remember
what he looked like?
Um... like him. Exactly like him.
Uh, give me a double
espresso, will ya?
What about my script? I'll come
back and get it when we're done.
I'll come back and we'll
get it when we're done.
Oh.
Do I know you?
I'm a friend of Sarah Cutler.
Yeah? You bring my money?
What money?
Look, I did what she asked,
and now I want what I'm owed.
And, um, what is it that
she asked you to do?
None of your damn business.
Who the hell are you?
NYPD.
Sarah's dead, so it is my business.
Now... who the hell are you?
Johnny Dimes. I'm a P.I.
Sarah Cutler was a client.
What do you mean, she's dead?
"She's dead" only really
has the one meaning.
Did she hire you to
follow her husband?
Husband? No.
She hired me to investigate Gloria Chambers.
The mom.
I knew it. Was she involved
in organ harvesting?
That really didn't come up,
but I can tell you this.
Gloria Chambers isn't her real birth mom.
She's a fake.
Ohh. The mom isn't really the mom?
Does it get any soapier than that?
Ooh.
Oh, is that the P.
I's file on Sarah's faux mother?
Yeah, apparently Gloria
showed up three years ago
claiming to be Sarah's birth mom,
and Sarah got suspicious.
So she hired a P.I. in order
to look into Gloria's history.
What nefarious scheme has
Gloria set into motion?
Perhaps she planned...
on replacing Sarah with a clone.
She wanted Sarah's money.
Money?
Yeah. Sorry to burst your bubble, Castle,
but Gloria's got a history
of insurance scams
and husbands with
empty bank accounts.
- We bringing her in?
- Yeah, we're trying.
We put out an A.P.B.
Her apartment's empty,
and the doorman saw her leave
with a suitcase this morning.
Ooh.
So maybe Dimes tells Sarah about Gloria,
Sarah confronts her,
And then Gloria kills Sarah
in order to avoid exposure.
And after playing the role
of grieving mother on set,
Gloria knew enough to get
the hell out of dodge.
Yo. Look who got caught
trying to buy a ticket
to the Bahamas at J.F.K.
Gloria.
Everything in New York reminded me of Sarah.
I needed to distance myself
from the agonizing truth that she's dead.
Now if denial is a crime...
I plead guilty.
Good to know.
Now how do you plead on murder?
Gloria Chambers,
also known as Charlene Sellars.
You have been a very busy woman.
Yours is a real
rags-to-riches story.
Only trouble is, the riches
never seem to be yours.
Fraud in Florida,
Embezzlement in North Carolina
I served my time for those
prior misunderstandings.
And then you latched on
to your next meal ticket,
Constantine Pirelli.
After him, it was Ernesto Cruz.
I hear they're very anxious
for you to come back...
With their money.
I was married to those men.
It was our money.
I can tell you,
I earned every penny.
But as usual, you blew it all,
and so you looked for
your next ticket,
which you found in Sarah Cutler.
You heard an interview where she mentioned
being adopted,
did a little research,
and then showed up as the long-lost mother.
Sarah might have been under the impression
that she was my daughter,
but I didn't kill her.
I mean, in my own way, I was
I was fond of Sarah.
Fond enough that you were able
to masquerade as her mother.
You had motive to kill her.
That's why you tried
to flee the country.
What motive?
Her will shows that she
planned to leave you $300,000.
Mm. She's a generous girl, my Sarah.
She's not your Sarah.
And that's not your money.
You knew she wrote
you into her will.
In fact, you probably planned it all along.
When she confronted you,
you knew that you had a narrow window
within which to kill her
before she wrote you out.
Here's your problem
I am not your killer.
If I were you, I'd look into
the other man in her life.
What other man? The one that gave her
the 2-karat Arthur Klein
earrings just the other day.
Does this other man have a name?
Sarah didn't tell me that,
But whoever he was,
they must have just split up,
because he was trying
to win her over.
Really, you're gonna point us
to a mysterious stranger?
- It's the truth.
- Coming from a professional liar.
I was nowhere near this
godforsaken soap set.
When she died, I...
I was doing something useful with my time.
Reading to the blind.
Hm, close. I was donating.
To the ponies.
OTB receipts in Gloria's purse put
her betting on races till 10PM.
And our time of death is estimated
at 11:00 on the outside,
and we don't have anything to tie
her to the studio.
I thought fake mom was a lock.
It's starting to look less
that way by the minute.
I found the earrings
that Gloria talked about
- in Sarah's apartment.
- Fancy.
Yeah, over 10 grand worth of fancy.
Those are worth over 10 grand?
Please. Lanie loves diamonds.
"Diamonds are forever,
like my devotion to you."
Who writes notes this cheesy? Well,
not the husband.
I checked on his financials.
He didn't buy them.
Okay, so maybe Gloria was
telling us the truth.
Maybe Sarah was having an affair.
Well, that makes perfect sense.
Sarah was separated
from her husband Vince,
and after long,
grueling days at work,
she'd go home to a cold,
empty apartment.
Feeling lonely, betrayed,
she seeks comfort
in the arms of this mystery man...
and she decides that she
wants her husband back,
so she writes his mistress, Mandy Bronson,
off the show, in order
to save their marriage.
And her next stop would be
to get rid of the other man.
So maybe the other man didn't
go off quietly into the night.
Do you two practice this
when we're not around?
These earrings are exclusive
to Arthur Klein's
Boutique in Chelsea.
Let's find out who bought them.
Okay, so Gloria is in the clear.
Uniforms showed her
photo at O.T.B.,
And a bartender there
remembers seeing her at 11:15.
You know, I can see why
she fell for Gloria's con.
Sarah was motherless, childless,
she was taking young writers under her wing.
- She was looking for family.
- Wow, Castle.
That's a refreshingly down-to-earth theory.
Just trying to keep you on your toes.
Hey, so we ran down purchases
at Klein's Boutique,
and guess who popped.
- Lance Hastings?
- And that's not all.
I ran Lance's credit card
activity to confirm the purchase
and something else caught my eye.
Lance charged a cab
ride to the studio
the night of the murder.
Yeah, when we interviewed him,
he said he went straight home at 6:00 P.M.
Cab company drove him back
to the studio around 8:00.
Okay, so that falls right within the window
of our time of death. Go pick him up.
Yeah, we already sent a uniform.
He's not home, and he's
not answering his phone.
My mother was speaking
to him earlier on set.
Hi, sweetie. Is Gram there?
I need to talk to her.
What's wrong?
I know where the killer is.
He's with my mother.
Castle, it's okay. I'm sure
your mom's not in any danger.
Yeah, you're probably right.
I'm sorry, my dear,
but after everything I've told you,
I can't let you leave
this room alive.
Lance, think about
what you're doing.
I am thinking about it.
I can't let you live! Think about Sarah!
Drop the knife! What?
Drop the weapon. W-w-w-wait a minute.
Aah!
Richard, what are you doing?
Oh, nothing. Just saving
your life. That's all.
She said drop the knife!
The only thing that knife
could kill is butter.
What are you talking about?
It's a prop.
We were just working out a scene.
Guys, it was completely my idea.
You know, the actor's version of
"Show Me Your Golf Swing."
Well, the knife may be fake,
but the ax you put into
Sarah's back was real.
You lied to detectives Ryan and Esposito,
regarding your whereabouts
the night of the murder.
You want the truth?
That would be a great
place to start.
You can't handle the truth.
Sir, I am not interested in
your Jack Nicholson impressions.
We know that you went back to the studio.
The night of the murder.
And what I'm asking is why.
It was a friendly conversation
between colleagues.
A friendly conversation
in which she told you
she was going to go back to her husband.
What the hell are you talking about?
Why would she do that?
Because she was breaking up with you.
Is that what you think is going on here?
You think that Sarah and I were lovers?
Did you or did you not
buy an expensive pair of
diamond earrings for her?
Yes, but not to woo her.
It was to encourage Sarah,
to let me out of my
contract for a movie role.
A movie role?
Yes, the Coen brothers have asked me to play
Matt Damon's half-wit
dad in their new movie.
It's a role of a lifetime.
It has nominations
written all over it.
But that still doesn't explain
why you went back to the studio that night.
I went to thank Sarah in person,
because my agent had called me that evening
to tell her that she had agreed to let me out.
Reason I didn't mention any of
this is I didn't want to risk
missing work on the movie.
Why didn't you just call her?
I wanted her to know how
much I appreciated it.
So you went back to thank her,
and that's it?
No, not exactly. Uh...
When I got there, she was reading a script,
and she seemed upset.
I asked her why, and...
She said somebody had betrayed her.
- Who?
- Well, at first, I thought it was me,
for taking the movie role,
but then...
she said that someone wasn't who...
she thought they were.
And she didn't let on as
to who this person was?
No. I didn't want to
give her the opportunity
to change her mind about the movie,
So I exited... Stage left.
Okay, found the deal memo that Sarah signed
in order to get Lance out for his movie.
He wasn't lying.
My mother is never gonna let me forget this.
Oh, come on, Castle. She'll probably think
it was sweet that you
were concerned about her.
This is Martha Rodgers we are talking about.
I intruded on her "Moment."
No, I will pay dearly.
When Lance came here, Sarah told him
that someone wasn't who
she thought they were.
Who do you think that was?
How about the woman who makes
my mother look like a saint?
Yeah, but Sarah already cut
Gloria out of her life.
Maybe... Maybe it was her cheating husband.
Except Lance met with
Sarah after Mandy Bronson.
By the time Mandy showed up,
Sarah had already decided
what she wanted to do with her marriage.
Yeah, but even if Sarah decided
that she was gonna get
back together with Vince,
it doesn't mean that she didn't have doubts.
No. No, you're right.
Except he has an alibi.
Everyone has an alibi.
Yeah, well, somebody out there doesn't,
and we are gonna find them.
Well, maybe we should sleep on it.
Separately.
Katherine Beckett, I never.
Hello, ladies.
Hey, dad. Gram told me
how you went all Jason Bourne on her date.
I think I deserve some kudos
for my selfless courage
in the face of perceived danger.
Ah, think what you will.
But I've taken the liberty
of selecting an apology gift
page 47, dog-eared for your convenience.
- The dress?
- Uh-huh. And the shoes.
Oh! And the purse.
Where did you get this, darling?
Oh, from a woman I met on the case.
She's an aspiring writer. Oh.
In a moment of weakness,
I told her I'd read it.
Oh, it's really pretty good.
She's got very vivid characters,
well plotted, pleasantly salacious.
Great. That's what I'll tell her.
No, no, no, no. You said you
would read it, honey. You.
I will
I just have to do a little
more thinking on the case.
He's procrastinating.
I know. I know. No, I am not.
I am just about to solve a
critical piece of our mystery.
Now that you've determined that
Lance is not the ax murderer?
So what's the critical
piece of evidence, dad?
Well, shortly before she died,
Sarah Cutler said that
someone had betrayed her.
I think that person is our killer.
Well, then it could
be anybody, darling,
because betrayal is a way
of life on a soap opera.
And let me tell you,
"Temptation Lane"
is like this seething cauldron
of sordidness and treachery
and naked ambition.
And you know which people
are the most
manipulative and devious?
I do.
I know who betrayed Sarah.
Look, there's nothing
in my contract
that says that I have to
be a cop all of a sudden.
I-I-I've gotta rehearse.
Get off the phone. Let's do this. Let's go.
Okay, Castle. Let's go. Oh, wait.
No, hang on. I just wrote
my first soap scene,
which they are about to shoot.
I'll catch it on TV.
We've got an arrest to make.
No, no, wait. This scene is
going to expose the killer.
"The play's the thing
wherein we'll catch
the conscience of
the King": Hamlet.
We already know who the killer is,
- So you're wasting my time: me.
- Not if I get us a confession.
Places, please. They're starting. Let's go.
Okay. No, send it back.
Yeah. All right, thanks.
Hey, come on in, guys. Thanks.
Castle, what are we..? Ah, shh, shh.
Just watch, just watch.
Can we close the downstage door
to get better eyes on Mandy,
please? Close those doors!
And clear the set. Here we go, everybody.
In five... four...
Three... two...
Two's on the line.
Can't you at least knock?
I'm changing.
Nothing I haven't seen before...
and enjoyed immensely.
Really?
It's a soap opera. I had to honor the form.
What are you doing here, Joseph?
If this is about our
relationship. No, it isn't.
It's about your research paper.
The one I had you submit
for the Montenegro
Journalism Fellowship.
Is there news about the winner?
The thing about The
Fellowship is that
it can open doors,
it launches careers.
That's why I recommended you.
Over to one. So did I win?
Three.
I went to the coffee
shop this morning,
and a barista there asked
me to read an article
that she had written for her college paper.
Oddly enough,
it was identical to yours.
There must be some mistake.
Just the one you made in
assuming that you could
pass off somebody else's
material as your own.
You are a fraud, Angela.
And I am going to
call The Fellowship
and let them know that exactly.
Oh, and by the way...
you're fired.
And cut. Nice job, people.
Um...
I don't understand. This is...
This is not the scene that
we worked on yesterday.
We made some adjustments.
And yet, it has an oddly
familiar ring to it.
Reading other people's scripts
is a part of your job,
- isn't it?
- What are you accusing me of?
Did you not see the scene?
If you're going to be a writer,
you have to have a better grasp of subtext.
Look, I'm...
I might have mixed up some of the scripts,
but I was at The Fellowship mixer
the night that Sarah died.
Nobody there remembers
seeing you after 8:00 P.M.
Sarah was killed
with an axe, Reese.
Whoever killed her,
got blood on their clothes
and on their shoes.
Some of it invisible
to the naked eye,
but it doesn't matter how
much you try to wash it,
it's still there.
I have officers at your apartment.
You have no idea
what I did for her.
Picking up her dogs,
picking up her dry cleaning,
the late nights, the weekends,
no vacation.
You try writing a script
with all of that going on.
I worked too hard
to let it end that way.
I deserved that opportunity,
and I could not let her
take that away from me.
It was never yours to begin with.
Killing Sarah to keep a
lid on her plagiarism?
That's cold.
And pretty ordinary as far as motives go.
She didn't want to put in the work,
so she took a shortcut.
There are no shortcuts in writing.
Nope, but there is
to our favorite bar.
I found a new route that'll get us
to the Old Haunt in eight minutes.
You up for a beer? Come on.
I know the owner.
Yeah, I'm down, bro. How 'bout you, Castle?
Right behind you.
What?
Got you a present.
A signed cast photo from
"Temptation Lane."
How did you even get this?
I know people who know people.
Okay.
I was 9,
and I had to get my tonsils taken out.
And I was miserable.
And so my mom took time off of work
and... stayed with me
and cuddled up in front of the TV
on the couch,
and we would watch episodes of
"Temptation Lane."
So every time I see it now,
it just...
It makes me feel like
home and... safe.
So there you go. Judge away.
My DVR...
Would make yours look like
"Masterpiece Theater."
But I am glad to
know this about you.
I'll leave you to it.
Hey, Castle. Thank you for the photo.
I'll see you.
Hey.
After all these years,
all the times I could've been
holding you in my arms...
then let's not waste
more time with words.
Let's just let our
lips do the talking.
You two running lines again?
Oh. Well, no, no.
We were just, uh... You know, talking.
Oh.
Oh.
Um... I'm gonna
I'll just...
Go to the...