Castle (2009–2016): Season 3, Episode 6 - 3XK - full transcript

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.

Detective Kate Beckett.

Beckett.
Aah!

Beckett?
Could you get some backup, please?

And thanks to my friendship
with the Mayor,

I get to be on her case.
Oh!

Do I look like a killer to you?
Yes, you kill my patience.

And together,
we catch killers.

I hate this case.
I know. Isn't it great?

♪ Oh, God, baby ♪

♪ can't you see ♪

♪ I'm lonely without you? ♪

♪ I'd go crazy ♪

♪ if you leave ♪

♪ I'm nothing without you ♪

♪ I've been trying ♪

♪ to move on ♪

♪ I've been trying... ♪

What about Ashley?

I mean, shouldn't I tell him?

Darling, in matters
of the heart,

it's best
not to overthink things.

That's your advice, mother,
with your track record?

What chasm of doom
has she led you to

by way of her tips on romance?

As it happens,

we were discussing
secret admirer etiquette.

You have a secret admirer?

I always thought it was silly,
but now I'm kind of intrigued.

And there is no need
to tell Ashley.

How exactly
does a secret admirer

express his admiration?

He left a note in my locker.

"As you walked down the hall,

"a shard of sunlight glanced off
your rope of flaxen hair

and set it aglow,
and I was enchanted."

Oh, that's so poetic.

I figure the rope of flaxen hair
is my french braid,

which I only wore after gym
class, which means he saw me

in the hall on the first floor
between fourth and fifth period.

- Wait a minute. What are you doing?
- Narrowing down suspects.

No, you can't do that. No, you...
No, that'll ruin the secret.

No, it's like a mystery novel.

You don't just go
to the last page, do you?

Yes.

You do? Well, you shouldn't.
It's not... You can't...

The... the joy doesn't come

in knowing who did it.

The joy comes in the journey,

in allowing the ending
to blossom

like some magnificent
Himalayan Blue Poppy,

- like a...
- Okay.

Okay.
I'll let him stay a secret.

Mark my words.
You'll thank me.

Mm.

Castle.

So our victim is Linda Russo.

She's a customer relations
worker at a cable company.

Maybe someone was unsatisfied
with their service.

Yeah, that's what
I was thinking.

You were?

Oh.

Sanitation workers found her
body under a couple of boxes.

She lives 2 blocks away,
over at 24th and 10th.

Looks like she was
on her way home.

Hey, Lanie.

Hey.

What?

Uh...

It's nothing.

No, what?

Well, she just...
Looks so peaceful.

There's nothing peaceful
about what put her here.

- She was strangled.
- With rope?

So it appears.

Castle, do you have a theory

that you would like to share
with the class?

Well, I-I... It's just that,
pretty blonde girl, strangled,

laid out like she was asleep.

That was four years ago.

Yes, but he was never caught.
This is his M.O.

And she is certainly his type.

I researched him for
"When it Comes to Slaughter."

Yeah? Well, then you should know
that he killed his victims

inside their apartments,
not in alleyways.

And he posed them

in a funereal pose with their
hands clasped in front of them.

Maybe he's switching up
his act.

Or this just could be
a crime of opportunity

where a young woman
was murdered.

Mrs. Russo, did your daughter
ever talk to you

about being followed?

No. Nothing like that.

Can you think of anyone that
might have wanted to harm her?

Any relationship problems?

She wasn't even dating.

Pretty much
all she did was work.

- At the, uh, cable company, right?
- Mm-hmm.

Did she have any issues
with anyone there?

Uh... there was
a man at her office.

- What was his name?
- She didn't say.

But he stared at her a lot,
like some pervert.

- That was quick.
- 9-1-1 has that affect on her.

What'd you find?

I pulled all the files on all his
past murders, just like you asked.

I-I believe
that was my idea.

Yeah, but I only listen
when it comes from her.

Anyway, you were saying?

He choked them using

a 3-strand, twisted
quarter-inch rope.

Based on the fibers found
embedded in the skin,

we know that the rope
is green and white nylon.

I don't remember that.

Those details
were never made public.

Now check this out.

The marks are identical.

I found the exact same
green and white fibers.

It is him.

The triple killer is back.

For those of you
living in a cave four years ago,

the triple killer, or 3xk,

got his nickname by strangling
three women in a week,

dropping out of sight
for a month,

and then killing three more,
then he disappeared.

I served on the task force

that investigated
those six murders.

An FBI profile was as close as
we came to I.D.'ing a suspect.

The Feds say he's a white male,
25 to 45 years old...

Could be me.

With a dysfunctional
relationship with his mother.

Still me.

He has a menial,
unimportant job.

Definitely you.

Just for that, I base my next book
on Esposito. He'd learn their habits,

and then gain access
to their apartments

by disguising himself
as a security guard

or a repairman,
and then he strangled 'em.

Then he posed their bodies as if
they were lying in a coffin.

What do you think
that's all about?

Probably reenacting
some terrible early trauma.

Hmm.

Two final points...
The triple killer

seems to be back
after four years.

There must be a reason.
Maybe he just got out of prison

or returned to town.
He may have altered his M.O.

But let's assume that he's
working under the same clock...

Three murders, one week.

Based on Linda Russo's
time of death,

we're already into day three.

Let's move on this, people.

Hey. That perv the mom
told us about?

Linda's colleagues knew
who he was right away.

Paul McCardle.

He works at her office
as a horticultural technician.

A what?

Uh, you know, he's the guy
who waters the plants,

dusts the fake ficus,
or at least he was

until he quit yesterday.

That's interesting timing.

I see domestic complaints
by the double digits.

Filed by his wife.

Ex-wife. They were
divorced last month

after being married
for four years.

So in a way, he did
just get out of prison.

It gets even better.

Linda's neighbors said
they remember seeing

a red Sentra parked outside
her apartment a few days ago...

The same vehicle McCardle has.

Let's get him in here.

So what's this about?
Linda Russo.

Where were you 2 nights ago
between 6:00 and midnight?

At home. I was bowling with some
buddies at, uh, Galaxy Lanes.

So why did you decide
to abandon your career

as a horticultural technician?

I-I just wanted to move on.

Because you used that job
to watch Linda, to stalk her.

And once she was dead,
why stick around?

That is not true.
I'm innocent here.

Well, you don't look innocent.

No, as a matter of fact,
you give new meaning

to the phrase
"sweating a suspect."

Okay, yeah,
I perspire a lot, okay?

I have a medical condition.

Well, that's the least of
your problems, Mr. McCardle.

Your fixation with Linda Russo
was well known,

as was your history
of violence against women.

Your car was seen
outside of her apartment,

and now she's dead.

I never touched her.

I had a thing for Linda, okay.
I had a thing for Linda,

and I parked
out in front of her place.

But I haven't been anywhere
near there in three days, okay?

Not since
that guy threatened me.

What guy?

I-I got... I got rousted
by some security guy,

and... and he told me to move on.
And it really freaked me out,

and I haven't
been back there since.

I swear. That's the truth.

So Sweaty von Sweats-a-lot?
His alibi is holding.

The manager of Galaxy Lanes
has him throwing gutter balls

from 5:00 until close.

What about the security guard?

Ryan checked into that.
Turns out that there's

only one building on
Linda's block that uses guards.

According to
the security company,

no incident report
was ever filed

against McCardle
or his vehicle.

So McCardle was lying.

Maybe not.
You know, in the past,

the triple killer
posed as a security guard.

Maybe our guard
wasn't a guard after all.

Maybe it was the triple killer
moving McCardle off of his turf.

Well, whoever he is,
he's sticking to his schedule.

We have a second victim.

♪ Castle 3x06 ♪
3XK
Original Air Date on October 25, 2010

Her name's Kim Foster...
28, an interior designer.

Same rope marks on her neck,
same everything.

- When did she die?
- Uh, based on liver temp,

I'd say sometime last night,
probably early evening.

Neighbors saw a gas repairman
leave at 7:45.

No doorman on the building,

so triple killer calls
Kim Foster on the intercom,

says he wants to check
a gas leak, she buzzes him in.

- Let me check the incoming caller I.D.s.
- Ah.

I don't get it. Why did
he return to the old M.O.?

- Nostalgia.
- He killed Linda Russo in an alley.

She didn't have a doorman
either. Why didn't he

just kill her in her apartment
like all the others?

Well, maybe she was
special somehow.

Vic's last incoming call was
at 7:35 from the front door.

She must have been let him in,
and boom, he just overpowered her.

Maybe it wasn't that easy.
Look at those throw pillows.

What's wrong with 'em?

Well, Kim Foster's
an interior designer.

These pillows
have been arranged

with a barbarian-like
gracelessness.

Like a man would do it.

So she put up a fight.

They struggled
right here on the couch.

And then he reset the pillows
to cover it up.

He's out of practice,
so he's not so neat.

- Hup!
- What?

Found a Penny.

Under the circumstances,
is this still lucky?

Wait. I think
I found something, too.

Vince. You think it belonged
to the killer?

Or maybe it's been here
for weeks.

I'm gonna have to get C.S.U.
to process this area.

Sir... a Mr. Townsend
wants a word.

Bring him in.

Cal.

Good to see you.

Hey.

How's Marie?

Uh... she's okay.

We're split up now.

I'm sorry to hear that.

Um...

Reporters...

They keep coming to my door

and asking me
how I feel about...

The man who killed my daughter,

and he might be on the loose again,
and, um, you know...

After Sara died and all through
the investigation,

you were always straight with me,
and I just need to know, you know...

I mean, what they're saying,
is it true?

I mean... is he back?

Yes.

Cal, we got leads.
We got good leads.

And we... we're doing all we can
to chase 'em down.

If we make an arrest,
you'll be the first to know.

I promise you.

Sara would've been 29
next week.

Don't let him do this
to another family.

Hey.

Hey.
There's no news from C.S.U.

on the nametag,
not that I was expecting any.

It makes you wonder
why he didn't pull

that whole gas leak routine
on Linda Russo.

I know why.
The answer's in here.

- A transcript?
- From four years ago.

I took a look at calls made
to the triple killer tip line,

and this one stood out for me.

It's from May 21, 2006,

which was a week after
the sixth murder.

A woman called
and left a message,

but she was too afraid
to leave her name.

But she did mention that
she lived at 24th and 10th.

Same corner as Linda Russo.

She was riding an elevator
with a cable repairman

who so creeped her out

that she got off a floor early
just to get away from him.

Yeah, but cable guy and creepy...
That's a job requirement.

Except he wasn't a cable guy.

She said he wasn't carrying
the right tools.

And working for a cable company,
Linda Russo would know that.

Which is why I took a look

at Linda Russo's phone records
from four years ago.

She's the one who made
the call to that tip line.

So Linda Russo was special.

When she got off a floor early,
he knew that she made him,

so he dropped out of sight.

Which also explains
why he attacked her outside.

He knew there was no way she'd
let him into her apartment.

Linda Russo saw his face,

and he came back
four years later.

That's a special kind
of ruthlessness.

Yo. C.S.U. just got
a partial on that nametag.

We got a match.

The man we're looking for
is Marcus Gates...

42, 6-foot tall, 180 pounds,
with light brown hair.

He also has a snake tattoo
running down his left arm.

A print match ties him
to Kim Foster's murder.

Now a prison psych evaluation
calls Gates "a brutal,

highly intelligent sociopath."

He's done time for manslaughter
and attempted murder.

His last conviction
was for breaking a bottle

over a man's head in a bar,
almost killing him,

for which Gates served
four years in Sing Sing.

He just got out last month.

No known address, no family.

His mother died
when he was 4 years old,

and he was placed in a series
of Foster homes since then,

so he will not be easy to find.

Listen, four years ago, this guy
took the lives of six women

because we didn't stop him.

We know
who the triple killer is.

We know he's out there
targeting his third victim.

Let's get him

before he gets her.

Hey, dad.

Hey.

Must be quite a case if it's
keeping you out this late.

Oh, you know, someone died,
someone else did it.

Secret admirer?

As a matter of fact, it is.

You figure out who it was yet?

I took your advice and decided
it's better not knowing.

And he left another note
in my locker.

He said if I like the rose,
I should show him

by wearing it
at school tomorrow.

Isn't that sweet?

Well...
Is that a good idea?

W-what would
your boyfriend Ashley think?

I get a feeling it's not Ashley
who has the problem.

I'm just not sure it's smart
to go wearing some flower

when you don't know
who it's from.

Your... your school is not exactly
Fort Knox, all right?

Anyone could've put
that note in your locker.

Your secret admirer could be
some... pervert

watching you from afar
with high-powered binoculars.

I'm going to bed now.

Good night.

Good night.

Could you lock
your windows for me, please?

Yes.
Please.

I'm gonna check
and make sure they're locked.

No, I had it all set up.
It was in this pile.

I don't... I don't understand your system.
You're messing up my system.

Hey, guys.
Any news on Gates?

My system is efficient.

And dumb.

- I already went through this one.
- It's on your stack.

- It's part of my system.
- Your system is dumb.

So... nothing?

No. We tracked down
an Uncle in Jersey,

but he hasn't seen Gates
in 20 years.

So I'm on the phone
with Sing Sing

to chase down
prison associates.

Detective Beckett,
you still there?

Yes, I'm still here.

Okay. And is he still
doing time?

First-time drug offender.
Got it. Thanks.

"Jelly Tyson"?

It's "Jerry," Castle.

When Gates got released,

he gave all of us stuff
to Jerry Tyson, a fellow inmate.

So if the two of them
were friends,

Jerry might be able to tell us
where we can find Gates.

Now it's "Jerry."

I got three months left
in this hellhole.

All I want to do is do my time,

get out, and go see my girl,

and it's never gonna happen
if Gates gets wind

that I talked to cops.

He won't.

You don't know that.

He's got reach in here.

He'll have me taken out.

Here's the deal, Jerry...
Whether you talk to us or not,

I am willing
to sit here all day.

So it's gonna look like...

You were spilling
your guts to us.

All right. But I want to be
back in my cell in two minutes.

Fair enough.
Were the two of you friends?

I guess.
Whatever that means in here.

I work in the kitchen. I snuck him
fruit so he could make pruno.

And in return,
he agreed to protect you?

Yeah. Now he's gone, and I'm
in here, going it alone.

Every con I've ever known
dreams of what he'll do

and where he'll go
once he gets out.

Gates ever talk to you
about that?

I remember him talking about
some strip clubs, and, um,

there's a place
he liked to go drinking. Um...

In the meatpacking district.

What was it called?

H-hog something.

Something about hogs.

♪ I wore a tie
to the corporate feast ♪

♪ I worked in the belly
of the fiscal beast ♪

♪ I toed the line
for a 401♪

♪ I've been deceived
in a million ways... ♪

I just did some recon.
He's at the bar nursing a beer.

- How many in there?
- Five total...

Gates, the bartender,
a waitress, and two drunks.

He may be armed.
We take him quick.

Don't give him a chance
to take any hostages.

It's him!

Let me see your hands!
Let me see your hands right now!

Let's see your hands right now!
Right now, let's see your hands! NYPD!

Hands up! Put your hands up!
NYPD! Hands in the air right now!

You heard the man!
Put your hands in the air

and get on your knees
while you're at it!

Wow. You brought out
the old guy, huh?

That can only mean one thing.
You want me in a bad way, right?

- Shut up.
- Hey, don't forget to read me my rights.

Be a shame to get
turned loose on a technicality.

Let's go.

You have the right to remain
silent. Anything you say...

Cold, implacable...

The triple killer remains
at ease,

calm in the lair of his enemy,

with a resting heart rate
of 50,

set to match wits
with his interrogators.

I... just wanted to bring

a literary flair
to the moment, you know.

The bartender told us where Gates lives.

He's had to put him in a cab
on more than one occasion.

Ryan's got a warrant, and he's
searching his place right now.

We can't count on circumstantial
evidence to carry this case.

We need to get this guy
to run his mouth.

The only hard evidence we have
on him is Kim Foster's murder.

Pin him down on where he was
when she died.

Castle...

Not this time.

Mr. Gates,
I'm Detective Beckett.

Not my type.

But...

I would make an exception.

Do you know Kim Foster?

Doesn't ring a Bell.

Have you ever seen
this woman before?

Mm.

She has nice hair.

Have you
or haven't you seen her?

Uh, New York City

is a big place.

I mean, I could've passed her
on the street, I guess.

I'm actually talking about
a more intimate interaction.

Have you ever
been in her apartment?

I've been to
a lot of apartments.

This building
is at 35th and 8th.

She lived in 301.

Were you ever
in that particular unit?

- No.
- Well, then perhaps you can explain to me

how we found this nametag

with your fingerprint on it
lying next to her body.

As a matter of fact,
I can.

Can't wait to hear this.

- I work at the Empire Prop House.
- And?

And they rent props
for movies and TV shows.

I know what a prop house is.

So that's my job.
I stock props.

There's tons of nametags
just like this one,

and I bet I've touched
a hundred of 'em.

- Run that down. See if he's for real.
- On it.

There's no record
of you having this job.

They pay me
under the table.

Oh. Maybe you can get me
for tax evasion.

This prop house
where you say you work,

do they have uniforms there?

- Sure.
- Like gas company uniforms?

Any kind of uniform
you can think of, they got it.

And have you ever taken
any of these uniforms home?

Do you have any
in your possession?

Are you guys
searching my place?

Yes, so if there are
any uniforms there,

you may as well tell me.

Wow. I'm gonna want to see
the search warrant.

What for?

It's my legal right.

And I'm done talking
till you show it to me.

So you better get with
affirmative action back there

and come up
with a new game plan.

He wants
the search warrant

to get a peek at our cards.

- How is that giving him a peek?
- The warrant lists ropes,

uniforms, and other personal
effects belonging to Kim Foster,

Linda Russo, and the other six
triple killer victims.

By looking at the warrant, he can gauge
where we are in our investigation.

That's not giving him a peek.
That's showing him our whole hand.

- He'll know we think he's the triple killer.
- He already knows.

Yo.

Empire Prop confirmed that Gates
works in their warehouse

and had access to those tags.

He clocked out at 7:02 the night
of Kim Foster's murder.

Now Empire is in Lincoln Square,
which means

that he had enough time
to get to her apartment

and push the intercom button
by 7:35.

Show him the warrant.

Odds are he will lawyer up,
but try to stop him.

How is she supposed to do that?

I don't think she can.

Turns out you got
a lot more on your mind

than just Kim Foster.

I see the names
of seven other women here.

Ryan.

- Tell me you got something.
- Not so far.

No rope, no uniform,

nothing that ties him
to any of the victims.

Keep looking.

The thing is, this nametag

is the probable cause
for bringing me in.

But I've explained
the fingerprint

and by now, I'm sure you've
checked out my story.

Actually, we're still
verifying that.

I know how this works.

You do not have
probable cause to hold me.

Is that right?
Can't we hold him?

Only in the movies.

So he can just walk outta here?

Unless she catches him in a lie

and gives her cause
to keep him.

I want to leave now.

Okay. Fine.

You can do that.

The second that you lawyer up
and leave,

you become the focus
of a major investigation.

It will disrupt your life
in ways you can't even imagine.

I'm already the focus.

Yeah? Well, you don't
have to be.

Look, the truth is,
we don't have any evidence

that connects you
to those murders.

It all boils down
to Kim Foster.

Even if your fingerprints got on
this nametag by accident,

with your record, you still
look like a suspect to us.

So Kim Foster's a problem
for you.

But you can get that problem
out of your way.

You said you've never been
to her apartment.

Where were you
at 7:35 last night?

What's in that for me?

If your alibi checks out,
then we move on.

We go after the real killer.

I left work at 7:00.
I walked home like I always do.

I got home, maybe 7:30,
and I stayed in all night.

And you're sure about that?

Absolutely.

This is off of a traffic cam
across from Gates' apartment.

Well, this is it. This will
prove that he was lying.

At 7:35, he was on his way
to Kim Foster's apartment.

Wait. Whoa. Whoa.

Back... Stop. Stop. Stop there.

That's him. 7:31.

No, that can't be.

It is. Look.
Same sideburns...

And there's his snake tattoo.

Well, then he slipped out
the back and went to Kim's.

How would he get from 101st
to Midtown

and change clothes in...
Four minutes?

I don't know, but he did it.
Can we enhance this video?

You can enhance it
all you want.

Doesn't change the facts.
We gotta cut him loose...

Sir, I just--

I don't like this any more
than you, Detective,

but he alibis out.

Well, looks like we had it all wrong.
You're free to go.

With this triple killer fella
running around,

you all better keep
your loved ones close.

I sure hope you catch him.

Put a surveillance detail
on him.

I don't want
that son of a bitch

out of our sight.

Oh, don't you look adorable
this morning?

I meet my secret admirer today.

Oh, I can just picture
the scene.

You and your secret admirer
agree to meet in the cafeteria.

You scan the array of pimply
faces. Which one is his?

Your secret admirer uses
the prearranged signal

of a double helping
of mashed potatoes on his plate.

He's... handsome,

charming in an asexual,
nonthreatening kind of way.

Nice try, but it'll be
so much more mysterious.

Listen to this.

"If you want to meet, I'll be
at Strawberry Fields at 5:00."

"I hope you'll be there, too."

No. No, no, no.
No, you're not going.

Before you were practically
forcing me to find out who he is.

Not in the park.
Not by yourself.

But I've been there
a million times...

Well, wait, wait, wait,
wait, wait.

The first note you got...

"Rope of flaxen hair."

"Rope"? "Flaxen"?
Flaxen is blonde.

I'm a redhead.
You're totally overreacting.

I'm meeting my secret admirer,
and that's all there is to it.

Richard, darling, she's right.

You are being
utterly irrational.

It's like when I was doing,

uh, "Who's Afraid
of Virginia Woolf?"

And I thought my understudy
was trying to poison me.

Oh, yeah. The daily blood tests
I paid for.

Wait. She did poison you.

The swiss chocolate she gave you
was a laxative.

It added a certain urgency
to my performance.

But the point is,
you indulged my paranoia.

So therefore, I am going to
be in the park, 5:00,

at a discreet distance
to make sure

that Alexis' secret admirer
is not an ax murderer.

Thank you.
You're welcome.

Tell me you've arrested Gates.
Not even close.

I mean,
I don't know how, Castle,

but he killed Kim Foster,
and he's gonna do it again.

There's been no developments?
Usually you call me with news.

You called to seek my counsel.

I wouldn't say it
exactly like that.

No, no, no.

You were hoping
I had some wild theory,

some sort
of penetrating insight

that would lead us
to a breakthrough.

Well... do you?

Nah! I got nothin'.
I just need some piece of evidence.

I mean, someone that
he talked to, anything.

What if Gates confided in Jerry
about the previous murders?

Yeah, well, Jerry's not
gonna talk to us.

He got beaten up
in the prison yard this morning,

and he thinks that Gates
had something to do with it.

Sounds like Gates is afraid
of what Jerry Tyson knows.

Get the hell away from me.

Listen, Jerry, we just need
a little more information

on Marcus Gates.

Don't you guys get it?

I'm a dead man thanks to you.

Not if we get you out.

The D.A. has agreed
to get you an early release

and police protection.

Gates knows about
my girlfriend...

Donna Gallagher.
He could get to her, too.

Well, then we'll make sure
he doesn't.

We gotta move on this, Jerry.

Last chance.

Okay.

I'll do it.
I'll take the deal.

We need to know...

Did Gates ever talk to you
about attacking women?

There was this one time.

He told me about this chick,
um, Sara... down in Soho.

That could be
Sara Townsend.

He told me about how he
busted into her place

and things got outta control,
but it musta been pretty bad,

'cause Gates said he was worried
that the cops were after him,

so he busts a bottle
over this guy's head

to get himself locked up.

That way, he'd be
under the radar for a while.

That's a good start.

My name's Detective Ryan.

I'm your new best friend.

This motel's
under surveillance.

For your own safety, you cannot
leave or use the phone.

Right now, you and I

need to go over everything
Gates ever said to you,

even if it seems stupid
or unimportant.

Jerry's story
squares with the facts.

Sara Townsend
was Gates' sixth victim,

and she lived in Soho.

What about assault
with a deadly bottle?

That fits, too. It came
a week after Sara's death.

Looks like Gates sent himself
up the river on purpose.

It's still not enough
to arrest him, is it?

No, but if Jerry has
more tidbits like that,

it may help us get there.

Yo, we can't locate
Donna Gallagher,

and she's not
picking up her cell.

Sir, where is Gates now?

At his apartment.
Surveillance says

he hasn't left the building.

Contact Donna's
friends and family.

Find out where she is.
I told Jerry we'd keep her safe.

All right.

Can't you
just arrest this guy?

I mean, you know he did
these things.

He has an alibi. We can't
put him at the murder scene.

He used partners sometimes.
You know that, right?

Partner?

We never ran across anything
about a partner.

Oh, yeah. He said a-a partner
helps him get away with things.

Though I-I get the idea

he never used
the same partner twice.

Jerry said
that Gates used a partner.

A partner.
That's why he has an alibi.

Tell your guys to arrest Gates.

- I know how he killed Kim Foster.
- Okay.

Gates said

he walks home every night
at the same time, right?

So this traffic cam footage
from the day be...

Wait. There he is.
There he is.

Okay. That's Gates on the right
the night of Kim Foster's murder.

On the left, Gates from
a night earlier.

What's wrong with this picture?
He's too short.

So either Gates shrank...

Or this is his partner.
He wore Gates' clothing.

Gates would've had access to wigs
and disguises from the prop house.

That's how Gates can be at
two places at once.

Wait.

What's that?

Uh, it's a reflection from...

from s... from sweat! From sweat!
That's Sweaty von Sweats-a-Lot!

That's Paul McCardle. That's why
he was watching Linda Russo.

He's the partner.
He was working with Gates.

- I'm gonna put an A.P.B. out on McCardle.
- You better add Marcus Gates to that list.

- Sir?
- When officers busted in to his place,

all they found was a rope ladder going
down to the rooftop

of the building next door.
Gates is gone.

Got uniforms
searching the area.

- No sign of Gates.
- Maybe he's going after Donna.

- That way he could punish Jerry, too.
- We got any leads on her whereabouts?

Esposito's talking
to her friends right now,

but she's still in the wind.

So is Paul McCardle.
His car is gone, and he is, too.

Ex-wife has no idea
where he is either.

But I did find out
how he and Gates are connected.

- They were in a Foster home together.
- So McCardle could be with Gates.

Get photos of Gates and McCardle
to airport, bus, and train stations.

Beckett.

One of Donna's neighbors just told me
she's house-sitting at her cousin's.

Do you have an address?

Yeah, but so does Gates.
Some guy dressed as a messenger

- said he had a delivery for Donna.
- Get there now.

NYPD!

Get off! Get off her!
Aah!

I'd like to see you talk
your way out of this one.

I'll try not to disappoint you.

We found the same kind of rope in your
pocket as was used by the triple killer.

Last I checked, a man's
allowed to carry rope.

I think you wanted
to get caught, Marcus.

There's nothing left for you out here,
but in prison, people fear you.

You're a shot caller.

And you wanted
to be king again.

All's that left for you
to do is to clear the air

of all these murders and
be done with it all.

Nice try.

- This guy is never gonna give it up.
- Sir, I need leverage and I don't have any.

There's no witnesses.

There's no proof that connects
him to any of the murders.

The only thing that I've got him on
is an assault charge.

Hey, we just got a hit on McCardle's A.P.B.

- He's at St. Benjamin's hospital.
- Maybe Gates got to him.

- Sir, if I can get McCardle to roll...
- Go!

Yeah.
Uh, hey, um...

Okay, fine, Castle, go.
Just stay out of his way.

And, Ryan...

Get me something
I can break him with.

Excuse me.

I'm Detective Ryan. We'd like
a word with Mr. McCardle.

You can't have one.
He just got out of heart surgery.

- What for?
- A congenital valve defect.

Would that cause excessive
sweating, by any chance?

Well, among other,
more serious symptoms.

He's been in dire need
of surgery for over a year.

- So why get it now?
- Well, he finally came up with the money.

It's kind of
a costly procedure.

- How costly?
- About $100,000.

Uh...
Who footed the bill?

That's
confidential information.

You spoke to his ex-wife. She
didn't even know he was here.

She hated the guy.
So who sent the flowers?

Beckett.

McCardle's surgery had
nothing to do with Gates.

In fact, Gates sent him
get-well flowers.

Which means he cares about
his Foster brother.

That's your leverage.

You still need us to wait
and talk to McCardle?

No. Tell Jerry
his girlfriend's fine,

and he doesn't have to worry
about Gates anymore.

You keep coming back for more.

I look for that in a woman.

We found Paul.
He's at St. Benjamin's.

We know that he pretended to be you
the night of Kim Foster's murder,

and I'm gonna get him
to testify against you.

You don't know Paul.

Well, then we'll go
another way.

I'll charge him with accessory
to murder.

- You can't do that.
- Actually, we can.

Sing Sing might have been
a picnic for you,

but how long do you think
Paul is gonna survive in there?

Paul didn't know
what was going on.

He only did what I told him.

The only way to prove that
is by telling me the whole story.

Only if Paul gets immunity.

And I want that in writing.

Is that him?

That's him.

Mr. Gates, did you kill
Kim Foster?

Yes. I killed all of them.

I want their names.

Linda Russo, before that,
it was Sara Townsend,

and five others.

Gates confessed
to everything.

We get to chalk one up
for the good guys.

Why the long face?

Because if this were a book,
I still wouldn't understand the operation.

Valve replacement. It's no
big deal. My dad had one.

Yeah, it is if you don't have the money.
Who paid for it?

I'm guessing Gates did. Maybe he stashed
away some money from before prison.

Yeah, but he was
out of prison for a month.

Why wait till now to do
McCardle's operation?

Well, he needed McCardle to help him
with Linda Russo and Kim Foster.

Yeah, I guess.

Packing up?

Oh, just getting
my stuff together.

- All that stuff from prison?
- Well, you accumulate a lot of stuff,

you know, even in the slammer.

You were right about Gates.
He did try to go after Donna.

- But she's okay.
- And Gates?

He confessed.
It's all over.

Thank God.

Aren't you gonna ask
what happened?

To your girlfriend Donna...
you didn't ask about her.

You just asked about Gates.
Doesn't make any sense, unless...

She was supposed to die.

I-I don't know what y...

And McCardle didn't get the money for the
surgery until after you got out of prison.

He's removing all evidence
he was even there.

It was him all along.
He's the real triple killer.

Ohh!

Oh!

Guilty as charged.

- Excellent work, Detective.
- Thank you, sir.

I hope you say the same to
Castle. Where is he, by the way?

- I thought that they would be back by now.
- Maybe he and Ryan went out for a cold one.

After a day like today,
that's what I'm doing.

- You care to join me?
- Yeah. Yeah, I'd love to.

Then let's hit it.

That story about Gates getting arrested,
that was your story, wasn't it?

You were afraid
you were gonna get caught,

- so you hid in prison.
- Too bad you didn't figure that out sooner.

Too bad you didn't leave sooner.
The cops will be here any minute.

Looks like Detective Ryan called
the precinct just before he got here.

There won't be anybody
missing me for a while,

and by the time they do, I'll be long gone.

You won't get far.

They already have your name,
know your face.

I'll change those. Done that before.

That's part of the fun of it.

Fun like setting up Gates?

Paul McCardle was the only person
in the world that he cared about.

Once I learned that,
the rest was easy.

You never know
when you'll need one of these.

Besides, Gates liked prison.

You taught Gates everything
he needed to know

to take the fall
for the triple killer murders.

After that, all you had to do
was pay for Paul's surgery,

and you could
walk away scot-free.

That's a beautiful plan...
Undone by a duffel bag.

I'm not undone.
I'm right here.

I'll relocate.
I'll start over.

It must eat you alive,

knowing that you came so close
to catching me.

But this is
a winner-take-all type of game.

Oh, Jerry.

Shooting?

It's not your style.

Oh, you really don't know me
at all, do you?

Oh, it's not complicated.

You were raised
by a single mother.

She was blonde.
Oh, she was beautiful.

But... she never wanted you.

When you were, what,

12 I'm guessing,
she died suddenly.

Let's say drug overdose.

You go into Foster care,
the bad kind.

You have so much hate...

So much hate towards your mother
for abandoning you...

That you kill these women
to get back at her.

But you leave them
looking peaceful,

because as much
as you hated your mother...

You loved your mother.

Am I getting warm?

You're drawn to death.

You like to be around it
'cause it thrills you.

Now where does that come from?

Your own suppressed impulses?

How close...

To death...

Do you want to get?

Huh?

Don't say anything
you shouldn't.

Hello.

Darling,
I just wanted you to know,

your conspiracy theories
are completely unfounded.

My conspiracy theories?

Uh-huh.

Alexis' secret admirer

is Ashley, her boyfriend.

Oh, that's great. Thanks.

Yeah, and he's
a very charming young man.

So anyway, no need to worry.
All's well that ends well.

Richard?

I love you.

I don't think
there's anything more to say.

Let's go.
Brad, take the back!

On it!
Units, switch over to TAC-2.

Clear the alley!

Switch TAC-2. Copy.

Ma'am, stay in your room.
Everybody, go back!

- Castle?!
- Clear. He's gone.

I'm fine.
Ryan needs an ambulance.

- No, I don't.
- Hey, what the hell happened here?

I'm so glad that you're okay.

He's the triple killer.
He set Gates up to be a copycat.

I know. I did the math

when you and Ryan didn't come
back from talking to Jerry.

How did you know to come here?

Your mom called.

She said that you told her
that you loved her,

and she figured something
must be terribly wrong.

I figured she might.

Good girl.

Here you go.

- Thanks.
- Mm-hmm.

Tell me something, Castle.
Why did he let you live?

To punish me.

To make me pay
for ruining his plan.

Now he's gonna kill again,
all because I couldn't stop him.

And I feel so...

I know the feeling.

I know you do.