Castle (2009–2016): Season 3, Episode 7 - Almost Famous - 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?

NYPD. Open up.

I have an arrest warrant
for Jamie Ruiz.

NYPD.

Aah!

Ho-haw! Ma-ma-ma-maw!

Ho-haw!

Ma-ma-ma-maw!

Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!
Ha! Ha!

And relax.

And relax.

I had a dream.

I was floating
on a Lily pad,

and the Swedish bikini team

was reciting positive reviews
of "Naked Heat."

Oh. Well,
that must have been lovely.

Yeah.

Why are you
telling us this?

Well, because of you,
my Swedish paradise

turned into
a wailing cat shelter.

We're doing voice exercises

to strengthen
abdominal breathing.

At 5:00 A.M.?

Preparation is the foundation
of an inspired audition.

Ha ha!

Mm.

Oh. The old
"gram goes overboard

- because acting is in your bones" routine.
- Apparently.

Yeah, yeah.

Rookie move, telling her
about the audition.

I wasn't sure I'd have time
with all my other clubs,

but I thought
it might be fun.

I didn't know she'd wake me up
when it was still dark outside.

I see.

An actor learns to make
sacrifices for his craft.

Besides, we'll all have
plenty of time to sleep

when we're dead.

Oh, speaking of dead.

Castle.

Nah. No, no, don't be silly.
Of course I was up.

Jeez.
What's the big hurry?

Victim's not going anywhere,
right?

This one's different.

- Lanie.
- Heard we got an officer down.

- Yep. That's the word.
- Who is it?

Don't know, but a cab driver
called 9-1-1

after he parked
and stopped for a smoke.

Let's see.

Single gunshot wound
to the chest.

And our guy isn't wearing
his Kevlar.

Mind if I step in there
for a sec?

It's from the 116 in Queens.

This is an old-style badge,
though.

Maybe he's old-school, didn't
want to give up the badge

he built his career on.

Castle, he's mid-20s.

You ever heard of a brilliant
doctor named Doogie Howser?

It's fake.

That's Tequila.

That's cheap Tequila.

And he needed a refill.

So a squirt gun
and an old badge--

clearly he's not a cop.

Maybe he was impersonating one
to prey on vulnerable women.

Armed with
a Tequila pistol?

Actually, I think women
were preying on him.

Tear away pants?

He's a stripper.
I'm not finding any I.D.

He does have a car.

Of all the cases in the city,
and it's a big city,

you catch a male stripper.

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

Yeah. I'm--I'm just sayin'.

I'm just sayin'.
Shotgun.

Castle,
you're the only one here.

Yes.

Ew.

This place reminds me
of my first dorm room.

Victim's name
is Derek Brookner.

He's 27.

Hey. He wrote an address on
the back of this deposit slip.

"423 West 59th. 4-B."

That's right around
the corner.

And his body
was found halfway between

that location and this car.

What do you want to bet
that's where he was coming from?

NYPD. Open up!

Still sleeping. Go away.

Oh.

Excuse me. Sorry.

Wow.

Oh.

Wow.

Wow. Wow.

That--they--whoa.

They make cakes in that shape?
That--

ooh!

Another stripper?

Whoo! Take it off!
Whoo!

Take it off. Take it--
Mm-hmm.

Ladies, I am not a stripper,
though I can understand

how you'd make that mistake.

NYPD--the ones
with the real guns.

We're here to investigate
the murder of Derek Brookner.

We believe
he was your entertainment

for last night's soiree.

Oh, my God.
Officer McNaughty?

I need to know

the exact time that he arrived
and left yesterday.

- It was dark.
- And his dance was long.

That's not all
that was long.

All right, let's pack it up.
I think a trip

down to the station
will jog everyone's memories.

Could we stop
and get brunch on the way?

Ohh.

Ms. Lieberman,

do you remember anything
about last night?

Derek was still wearing
his costume

when was killed last night,
and he never made it to his car,

which makes your party the last
place that he was seen alive.

Well, he seemed fine
when he left, right?

- I mean...
- Yeah.

- Oh, thank you.
- Mm.

Were there any problems
at the party,

any jealous husbands
or boyfriends that showed up?

No, it was--
it was just the girls.

Who arranged the gig?

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

It might interest you to know,

I'm an assistant volunteer
Homicide Detective myself.

How'd you set it up?

The same way
you'd order a pizza.

I called this place
that I found online,

Mucho Men,
and gave my credit card.

300 bucks an hour to send
my best friend off in style.

Did he mention where
he was going after that?

We were all wasted
by the time he showed up.

I mean, he could've told me
his life story,

and I wouldn't remember.

Wait, a bachelorette party,
male stripper,

loads of alcohol... one of you
had to be taking pictures.

Well, here is the last one.

I figured Jamie could
refer back to these...

When she's old
and bored of her marriage.

Oh. Tequila shots.

- They're treating him like a piece of meat.
- It's okay.

It's what he's paid for.
He had fun, too.

Wait, wait, wait.
Stop on that one.

Well, it's a good thing

you took 30 pictures
of that one pose.

Can you enhance
the background?

Over there,
behind the group.

- Who is that woman?
- Uh, that's Camille.

She's a friend of Jamie's
from high school.

It looks as though
she and Derek know each other.

She never
mentioned anything.

Can you enhance her face?

She wasn't at the apartment
this morning. Where is she?

She left...

Right after Officer McNaughty.

Turns out...
Camille Roberts has a record.

Five years ago,
an ex-boyfriend

filed a restraining order
against her

after she threw all his stuff
out the window.

Well, as a man who's dated
several rabbit boilers,

I can safely say,
been there.

Yeah, but a restraining order

doesn't mean
that she's our killer.

Yeah, except that
her ex-boyfriend

happens to be our vic.

Picked up Camille Roberts
at a café where she waitresses.

She's in
interrogation room one.

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

Mostly just old movie posters

and a bunch of Donald Trump
books about finance.

Maybe Derek dreams about
being an entrepreneur,

or maybe he's just a fan
of "Celebrity Apprentice."

Anything else?

There was a day planner
with nothing in it

but a business card for a guy
named Jesse Mandalay.

All right, run it.
I'll talk to Camille.

This is like a bad dream.
I can't believe he's dead.

Why did you leave the party
right after Derek did?

I needed
to get outta there.

And where did you go?

Home. I just wanted
to be alone.

You didn't see him
afterwards?

I turned the corner,
and he was gone.

Wait. You don't think I had
something to do with this?

Camille, he had
a restraining order against you.

That was years ago. It was
just a big misunderstanding.

Look, Derek broke my heart,
but then I got over it.

This... doesn't look like
the face of a person

who got over it.

When he walked into the party

and started ripping
his clothes off, it upset me,

but I didn't kill him.

Okay. Why don't we just
go over the facts?

You had a volatile relationship
with him,

you left the party
the same time that Derek left,

and then he turned up dead.

So why don't you just tell me
what was really going on?

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

And why was that
a shock to you?

We met in acting class.

He was the one everyone thought
was gonna hit it big.

When I confronted him about
giving up on his dream,

he said he was stripping

because he was so desperate
for money.

Did he tell you why?

He had some other
recurring gig,

but... he said he had to quit
'cause it was gonna kill him.

My instinct says it's not her.

Mine, too. But have C.S.U. check

the clothes she was wearing
for gunshot residue.

All right. Any luck
tracking down the gig

that he was
telling Camille about?

Derek has
a low-rent Theatrical Agent,

says he hasn't booked anything
in over a year.

He just e-mailed
Derek's acting reel.

Here's a taste of his illustrious career.

Hey, there.
I'm just stopping a few couples

to see if they've ever heard
of a product called Prolong.

Are you kidding?
We just started using Prolong.

Now...

Things are really...
Looking up.

Prolong--now available
without a prescription.

He also
did serious work.

Give me all your money

and whatever parts you got
out there in that garage,

and I'll consider not
putting one in your noggin'.

Billy Grimm is the leader

of the Visi Goth
motorcycle gang.

If you or anyone
has any information

on this dangerous criminal,

please contact
your local authority.

Damn. I could see why the guy
had to strip to pay his bills.

Well, I guess it's safe to say

that the gig that he was
telling Camille about

had nothing to do with his
acting pursuits,

- so you guys head off to Mucho Men.
- Mucho Men?

That's the place that booked him
for the bachelorette party.

See if he had any regular stripping gigs...

Or troubles there.
Beckett.

He's not that handsome.

You want my opinion?
300 bucks an hour--

little steep.

As the person in this room

that's seen everything under
the sheet... Bargain.

What else did you find?

Take a look.

A hair?

Your vic has hair that's been
recently dyed gray.

Looks like temporary hair dye

that hasn't completely
washed out yet.

Well, most men color
their hair to cover the gray.

Well, some women want
Officer McNaughty,

and some want an older guy
who knows mutual funds.

You know, daddy issues.

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

Speaking of hair, this is
the more important hair

that I found
on your vic's clothing.

That could
belong to our killer.

A long, blonde hair.

Well, this could've come

from one of the women
at the bachelorette party.

That's what I thought
until I had it tested.

Came back positive
for testosterone

and anabolic steroids.

Your blondie is a man.

♪ Castle 3x07 ♪
Almost Famous
Original Air Date on November 1, 2010

Listen, Stu,
you want my guys oiled up

in euro booty shorts for
the montage pool deck launch,

you're gonna need to meet me
halfway here, buddy.

Hey, be my guest. Shop around.
It's a fair rate.

Listen, I gotta go.
I got guys here.

My apologies. Promoters are
always a pain in my ass.

- Lloyd Saunders--
- I'm already up to my ears in A-Rods.

But, uh, your friend here--

I got women requesting

that skinny "Twilight" dude
like crazy.

They're one size fits all.
We can pad if need be.

Bathroom's down the hall
if you're shy.

Hey, NYPD.

We have some questions
about Derek Brookner.

My mistake. We're doing
open auditions today.

I can assure you,
this would fit.

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

Well, he was murdered.

Wow. Derek was
one of my best guys.

We think he took a job that
might have got him into trouble.

What kind of work did you book
for him in the last month?

He did the occasional, uh,

"handsome guest"
at rich people parties.

Other than that, it was all,
uh, bachelorette

or rowdy birthday party stuff.

What about
any male parties?

Nah. Derek was
a women-only guy.

He had contact with
a blond-haired man

who was on steroids
the night he was killed.

Any idea who that might be?

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

What other job?

In addition to the private gigs,
he also danced at a club

called The Package Store
a couple nights a week.

Most of those guys are juicing.

Anyone he didn't
get along with?

People think women are catty,
but, uh, from what Derek said,

those guys
would make "Showgirls"

look like
an after-school special.

Thanks for your time.

Hey, if, uh,
you change your mind,

I'll provide fangs
and some hair gel.

Eh...

(Man with european accent)
You like my sexy abs?

Come see me
at The Package Store...

All of 'em are buff enough
to be juicing,

but none of 'em have long hair.
Certainly not long blond hair.

Well, maybe these are
old photos.

It's possible
they change their style

based on the latest trend.
The booking Agent mentioned

the "Twilight" look is big right now.

Maybe the Fabio look's
making a comeback.

Well, there's one
surefire way to find out.

Oh, Castle.

♪ Here now I like to stay ♪

♪ 'Cause here now
I like to stay ♪

♪ 'Cause here now
I like to play ♪

I can't believe
you got dressed up for this.

Tell me again why Ryan and Esposito
couldn't come with you?

We all agreed, as volunteer
assistant Homicide Detective,

you could
really sink your teeth

into this avenue
of investigation.

And they called "not it."

You know, ever since
I've been following you,

I've been dreaming of the day
that you'd say,

"let's go to the strip club
and get this dirtbag."

I just never imagined
it would feel like this.

Let me know if you need any singles.

♪ I like to stay ♪

♪ 'Cause here now
I like to play ♪

♪ 'Cause here now
I like to play ♪

♪

It's sad, really.
Guy comes to town

looking for his big break,

dreams of making it
in The Apple.

What does he get
for his trouble?

The city chews him up
and spits him out.

Doesn't seem right, man.

Damn right,
it doesn't seem right.

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

It's all about respect,
bro.

Just trying
to make ends meet,

he ends up face down
in a stairwell...

Wearing a g-string.

Hmm.
All right. Here you go.

What the hell
are you doing?

Up to his ears
in A-Rods?

I got an A-Rod
for that son of a bitch.

Three years varsity ball,

two years
Special Forces triathlon,

and NYPD Police Calendar,
2007.

- What?
- It was a group photo.

- I got letters.
- Yeah, three, two of 'em from your mom.

- One of 'em was from my mom.
- Sure.

"Twilight" my ass.

♪ Yep, yep, yep, yep, yep ♪

♪

Castle?

Hey, honey.

Oh, you found me.

I was just telling Denise here
about you.

This is, uh, my girlfriend,

whose idea it was
to come here tonight.

She's very adventurous.
You have no idea. There's...

♪

Thank God you found me.

Oh, my God. These women
are like piranha.

So listen, I just talked
to one of the bartenders,

who confirms
the booking Agent's story

that Derek was having troubles
with one of the other dancers.

Apparently some guy named Hans
was upset

that Derek was getting
the headliner shift.

That gives us evidence
and motive.

Let's go backstage.
Grab us some Hans.

No need to, honey.

He's in the next act.

♪ hot in, hot in ♪

♪ hot in, hot in ♪
♪ so hot in herre ♪

Firemen, really?

That's not a little cliche?

♪ Oh! It's getting hot
in herre ♪

♪ so hot ♪
♪ so take off all your clothes ♪

♪ I am getting so hot ♪
♪ unh, unh ♪

♪ I wanna take
my clothes off ♪

♪ oh! ♪

Oh, God.

Haven't these guys
got the memo

about the correlation between
suntanning and skin cancer?

Can you just relax, Castle?

We gotta figure out
which one is Hans.

♪ I am getting so hot ♪
♪ unh, unh, unh ♪

♪ I wanna take my clothes off ♪
♪ why you at the bar if you
ain't poppin' the bottles? ♪

♪ what good
is all the fame... ♪

Yeah.

♪ And I be down, do 100,
top down and goggles ♪

NYPD.

Please come off the stage.

Uh-huh.
No, no. Not you. Just Hans.

Guys, knock it off, okay.
I'm a cop. A real cop.

Yeah, baby.

Look, it's not funny.
Now cool it.

♪ Warm, sweatin',
it's hot up in this joint ♪

Too much?

Derek...
Was a little bitch.

Do you know how many hours
he spent rehearsing

our Privates of the Caribbean
routine? Hmm?

Zero.

He was all artsy-fartsy

with his acting auditions this
and play rehearsals that.

Hans von Mannschaft is the one

doing the real work out there
every night.

Hans von Mannschaft?

That's a hell of a stage name.

I'll have you know
I come from a long line

of proud von Mannschafts.

And have any of them
served time for murder?

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Murder?

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

This place is about fantasy.
Women come here to escape.

This is part of the act.

Does that include getting rid
of the competition?

Derek was found shot and killed
last night,

and we found one of your hairs
on his clothes.

And you just admitted that
the two of you were rivals.

Rivals?
Lady, I spend my days

with women shoving bills
down my shorts.

Do you really think
I'd kill somebody over that?

That doesn't change the fact,
we can place you

at the scene of the crime.
Because of my hair?

All that proves is that
we keep our costumes

in the same big closet
backstage.

Hell, I'm using minoxidil
twice a day

just to keep it on my head.

Where were you last night?

I was onstage doing shows
from 8:00 till 1:00.

There are over 100 women
who witnessed it.

His alibi is as hard
as his abs.

Did you talk
to his girlfriend?

What girlfriend?

Some rich cougar
who was obsessed with him.

It was obvious Derek was
using her for the money,

but I guess he got fed up with
her and kicked her to the curb.

How do you know that?

She always sent expensive
bouquets to his dressing room.

And then last week,

for the first time in months,
no flowers.

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

Hey, Hans was right. We found
a flower shop that confirmed

weekly deliveries
for the past four months.

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

Who were they sent to?

They were charged to an Amex
belonging to Rebecca Dalton, 48.

She lives at 63rd and Madison.
Yo.

Check this out. Fortune 500
lists Rebecca Dalton's husband

as having a publishing empire
in 2005.

It says here that Rebecca
used to be a runway model.

She's married. Juicy.

Mnh-mnh. Not anymore.

Her husband died
a couple of years ago.

Left his entire fortune
to his grieving wife.

Even more juicy.

Rebecca marries young,

spends her 20s and 30s
under the thumb

of a rich
yet domineering husband.

Well, he dies,
leaving our aging beauty

finally freed from the shackles
of a loveless marriage.

One night she's out with
her ex-model posse.

She meets the very charming,
very handsome Derek.

Well, for the first time
in years,

she feels...
Alive again.

The relationship reaches
its inevitable conclusion

when Derek meets someone
closer to his own age.

Well, the--the heartache

has Rebecca so distraught

that she kills Derek
in a jealous rage.

If she couldn't have him...

Well, then no one could.

Did you go home and watch
"Sunset Boulevard"

before your little trip
to The Package Store?

Thank you for your
always entertaining stories,

but I think we will get
a lot closer to the truth

if we just ask Rebecca a few
questions tomorrow morning.

It was good, though, right?
Yeah, I liked it.

Mm-hmm. Yeah.
It was, yeah.

Well... Mm-hmm.
Hey.

Are you guys celebrating
with root beer floats,

and nobody told me?

I wish. They narrowed
the part of Sandy

down to Kelly Burton
and yours truly.

We're taking a little break,
but I'm really nervous.

That's why we're running lines
in costume.

Tomorrow
it'll be second nature.

Well, I see you've dug up
your time capsule

to resurrect those pants.

I will have you know,

I had some of my best memories
happen in these pants.

And ew.
Cha.

I'm off to bed.
Big day tomorrow.

- Okay, darling.
- Thank you.

Sleep well. Oh.

Whatever happens,
I am so proud of her.

She is fearless.

You know, mother,

I think you're a really good
influence on Alexis.

What's with you, kiddo?
Fever, delirium?

No, no, no, I'm serious.

You have always been...
Dedicated,

and that--that can't
have been easy.

Well, yeah, it hasn't always
been days of wine and roses.

I had to take a lot
of less-than-prestigious jobs

to ply my craft.
Such as?

Oh, lord. I played an elf.
Ugh.

Santa's village.
Uh, Lady Liberty.

Lady Liberty outside
some low-rent tax service,

and then--oh, no.

The worst job--
the worst job I ever had--

I was terrible at it,
they hated me, it just--

I-I was--it was absolutely
the--just completely--

What was it?

Secretary.

You'd be terrible at that.

Awful.

Oh, I'm sure many a pretty boy
have walked this hall.

Doesn't take 'em long to realize
that they're trapped

in the strangling embrace
of an aging spinster.

Maybe we should talk with her

before you start writing
the Lifetime Movie.

Ooh. Quick casting idea--
Ashton and Demi.

Mm.

NYPD. We're here
to speak with Rebecca Dalton.

Please come in.

I'm Ms. Dalton's attorney,
Michael Grant.

I'll be sitting in
on the interview.

I bumped into Derek
at a fund-raiser.

He later admitted that
he had been hired by the host

to mingle and encourage people
to bid on the silent auction.

But it was too late.
I already liked him.

And when you found out
he was a stripper?

I never found out.
He told me.

He never hid
any of that from me.

It gave him the freedom
to pursue his acting career,

audition during the day,
and I respected his tenacity.

What caused the breakup?

The relationship
had run its course.

That sounds like something
that you would say

when you're lying,
either to yourself or to us.

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

I just find it curious that
right after you've split up,

he's found dead.

Who broke it off?

My client did.

Why?

Last week, he asked my client
to borrow $25,000.

I've learned,
it's never a good idea

to mix relationships
with money.

Intentions get foggy.

And why did he need
the money?

He wouldn't say.

And to make matters worse,
he seemed distant.

You thought he was cheating.

It occurred to me,
and I'm not proud of it,

but I had Michael hire
a private investigator.

I had to know.

When my client saw
the photographs, she realized

Derek was mixed up with
some disreputable people.

And what made you think
it was a bad element?

Because Derek didn't hang out
with people like that.

He was a good kid
from Michigan.

If they had something to do
with his murder,

I'd have taken
my decision back

and given him the money
in a heartbeat.

I'm gonna need to see
those photos.

The P.I. took a picture

of Derek
talking to this woman,

and then he followed her
to the next location.

So Derek
is outside his apartment

talking to bombshell McGee.

What's so dangerous
about that?

Wait a minute.

Ryan, can you pull up
Derek's acting reel?

Man, once was bad enough.

Give me all your money
and whatever parts

you got out there
in that garage,

and I'll consider not puttin'
one in your noggin'.

Billy Grimm is the--

That's the same guy
as the mug shot.

Billy Grimm--

leader of the Visi Goths
motorcycle gang.

Billy Grimm's rap sheet.

Extortion, assault with
a deadly weapon, armed robbery.

When Derek's episode

of "America's Most Dangerous
Criminals" aired,

Grimm had an attempt murder
warrant out.

Apparently some guy owed him
money, so he chained him

to the back of his bike
and dragged him down the L.I.E.

Why isn't this psycho Grimm
in jail?

He was, as a matter of fact,
he was caught

because of Derek's reenactment
on the show.

But the guy he chained to his
bike had a change of heart,

refused to testify, so Grimm
was recently released from jail.

Well, if this guy
was such a whack job,

what was Derek doing talking to
one of the members of his gang?

I think I can answer that.
When Grimm was arrested,

a reporter
asked him how he felt

about being brought to justice
by a TV show.

He swore vengeance against
those who put him jail,

especially--and Grimm says,

"that actor that made me look
like a clown."

I can tell you this
about Visi Goths

from my gang task force days--

they're serious
about their colors.

These patches
they wear on their vests?

They're not varsity letters.

They gotta spill blood
to get 'em.

And some guy wearing 'em
on national TV?

So she was setting him up...

For murder.

♪

Relax, Castle.
It's on a chain.

NYPD.

This your old lady?

♪

This is
a private establishment.

Well, then we'll try to
keep this private.

Billy Grimm.

Bobby!

Yo!

I need to ask you
a few questions

about your association
with Derek Brookner.

Never heard of the guy.

I make one phone call, and auto
theft detail is down here

checking VIN numbers.

They find so much as a stolen
taillight, you're violated.

You remember him now?

♪

You know, I do.

He seemed like a good kid.

He's dead,
and I'm willing to bet

that you had something
to do with it.

Derek wore the colors,

and you got popped
'cause of the show.

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

Well, I might have been
a little pissed off.

But the kid came with respect.

He brought a donation.

A donation? What are you,
The Salvation Army?

Well, I was surprised, too,
but I guess Derek felt

25 g's might help
bring down my overhead.

Do you really
expect me to believe

that a struggling actor
had enough money

to give you 25 grand
outta nowhere?

That's what happened.

Where did he get
the money?

I didn't ask to see
his friggin' tax return.

Ain't my business
how he got the money.

He brought the cash,
and that was good enough.

Aren't you forgetting
the part about the extortion,

the part where you asked your
girlfriend to deliver a message

that Derek had to pay you
25 grand?

You gave him a week to do it.

He couldn't scrape together
the money,

and so you killed him.

Babe, what is this?

I can explain.

What the hell were you doing
talking to that bitch?

Listen,
when you got outta jail,

I got nervous you were
gonna do something stupid,

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

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

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

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

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

Pookiebear...

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

Come here.

Mm.

♪

mm.

♪

Hey. Billy's alibi
checked out.

Bartender confirmed that he was
shooting pool till close.

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

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

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

with that kind of cash
in such a hurry?

Cash-n-Gold.

Castle, you watch
way too many infomercials.

We also checked his account
at JLP Bank Corp.

He never carried
an account balance

of more than
a couple thousand dollars.

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

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

Let's run down withdrawals
for 25 grand

from Rampart Federal branches

for the day
that Derek paid Billy.

I don't know
how you missed that.

Yo.

Rampart Federal on 93rd
posted a transaction that size,

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

Derek had a card

for Jesse Mandalay
tucked inside one of his books.

I called the number.
It was disconnected.

It's possible that Mandalay

was the one
that loaned Derek the money.

Maybe Derek thought he was on
a flexible payment plan,

needed more time,
and Mandalay killed him for it.

Well, the bank is sending over
the surveillance footage

of Mandalay right now.

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

Yeah,
by the looks of that suit,

the loan business
must be pretty lucrative.

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

Wait, wait, wait.

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

Jesse Mandalay is Derek.

The branch manager said
that Derek withdrew money

from an account
called Sunfire Limited.

And his alter ego
Jesse Mandalay?

Was the signatory,
but the rest is a mystery.

Sunfire is linked
to an offshore account,

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

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

Derek was dyeing
his hair gray,

wearing fancy suits
to look more distinguished,

and he was reading books
on finance and investment

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

But why hire a struggling actor
to play a businessman?

I did some research on
Chinese companies that would,

uh, sometimes hire
a-a white man

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

uh, shareholder meetings,

just to instill confidence
in investors.

Likewise, a college student
seeking Venture Capital

will sometimes hire
an older-looking shill,

you know, someone who looks
more, uh, distinguished

to help them secure money.

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

then whoever hired him

was the person
behind the bank account.

Let's see if we can
track down any checks

that were deposited
into Sunfire Limited recently.

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

if Jesse Mandalay
was a role to die for.

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

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

that you wrote him
a couple of days ago.

Sure.
Best money I ever spent.

What was the money for?

An exciting
investment opportunity.

My girlfriend Sammi heard from
her boyfriend Ronni

who heard
from his cousin Pauly

about Mr. Mandalay's
presentation.

And what was the sales pitch?

The beautiful Braverman Lofts

in idyllic riverfront Hoboken.

And Mandalay
was there himself?

He gave us the awesome news

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

we could purchase a loft
for $400,000.

A riverfront loft?

I know. Amazing, right?

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

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

to pass up
on a deal like that.

Did anyone else
at the presentation hand over

a check to Mandalay that day?

Uh, everyone.
My dad was pretty butt sore

that I took the money
out of my college fund,

but when I explained
that it would fold

into the purchase price,

he recognized that business
smarts runs in our family.

Let me guess.

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

Yeah, this is it.
The Braverman Lofts.

And that must be
the showroom.

Oh.

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

Castle, let's go.

Excuse me.

Can I help you?

NYPD. Who's in charge here?

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

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

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

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

Let me guess.

He took advantage of you.
Damn right.

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

Showed up here claiming to be
a real estate Agent,

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

And you gave him access
to the building?

Well, he wanted to bring
a caravan of clients through,

and he insisted
it be on a Sunday,

so I gave him
the lockbox codes.

How did you find out
he wasn't legit?

Ever since that day,

I got people showing up saying
they got the Mandalay deal

and threatening to sue.

Well,
we have reason to believe

that Mandalay was working
with a partner.

Did anyone else contact you?

Uh, no.

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

But I did call
some of the other developers,

and sure enough,
this Mandalay guy,

he brought caravans
to their properties.

Now they're dealing
with the same mess.

Do you have any brochures?

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

10 grand a pop

all over Jersey.

That adds up quick.

I don't understand
why Derek was still working

as a stripper
the night that he was killed

if he was involved in a scam

that was raking in
that much money.

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

He was just the actor,
hired for his looks

and his personality
to charm the investors.

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

And when he gets in trouble
with the bikers

and suddenly he needs cash...

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

and his partner
figures it out.

Which leads
to a heated confrontation

where he admits
to borrowing the money,

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

Beckett.

Got it. Thanks.

Ryan and Esposito did
a little bit of digging,

and they found the real owner
of the Sunfire account

that Derek used
to withdraw the money.

The Articles of Incorporation

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

Rebecca Dalton.

Shut the front door.

Beckett,
you sure about this?

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

We tracked the money
from the real estate scam

to this offshore account
in the Cayman Islands.

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

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

Hey. You were right.

I was able to confirm
Rebecca Dalton's whereabouts.

Get a warrant to search
for the murder weapon.

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

can I just say...
Amazing?

You can say that
after we get the confession.

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

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

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

She does if it's relevant
to my case.

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

Everything, actually.

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

a, uh,
failed jewelry business.

I mean, should I go on?

That doesn't make me
a murderer.

Well, it was
only a matter of time

until all the money was gone.

Derek was handsome,
he was charming.

You knew
he was a decent actor.

It made him the perfect guy
to present investors

with an opportunity
they couldn't refuse.

This is wildly speculative,

and your allegations
are baseless.

Derek took 25 grand
from an account

that initially led us
in circles--

the Sunfire account.

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

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

Wait a minute.
September 29th?

I wasn't even
in the country.

We know.

The date it was signed?

Smack-dab in the middle
of Paris Fashion Week.

I knew that any former model

worth her salt
would've been there,

and of course,
after checking flight records,

you were in Paris.

Yes, and while you were
drinking champagne,

your lawyer was using
his access to your information

to create a scam
in your name.

Oh, he was also
stealing from you,

funneling the money
into his offshore account.

That's why
your businesses failed.

He offered Derek a job
behind your back

to play Jesse Mandalay.

The money was decent,

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

Oh, my God.
Michael, what did you do?

When you found out that Derek
made an unauthorized withdrawal,

you confronted him,

but he knew that
you couldn't go to the cops,

so he told you
that he wanted out.

You couldn't afford him
exposing your fraud,

so you followed him
from his apartment,

and then killed him
that night.

I'm not saying
another word.

Do you want a lawyer...

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

So what happened with
your struggling actor case?

Well, they found
the murder weapon

at the lawyer's office.

He confessed in an effort
to cut a deal.

Oh, God. It's so sad.

The poor kid was just
trying to catch a break,

and he kept stepping
in the dog poo.

You should stitch that on to a pillow.

Oh! Hey, sweetie.

Do we have a Sandra Dee
in our midst?

I didn't get the part.

Oh.

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

oh, honey.

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

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

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

Thanks, gram.

You're welcome.

And besides,
auditions are like men.

There's another one
right around the corner.

Yeah.

Where are you going?

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

I'm going to the corner store.

I am sorry, sweetie.

Can I admit something?

Always.

Going up against Kelly

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

I could see how hungry she was,

and I didn't want
to disappoint gram,

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

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

I am proud of you for trying.

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

After the announcement,

the drama teacher offered me
stage manager.

It's way more my style,

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

My little overachiever.

Well, congratulations
on not getting the part.

♪ yes we will, yes we will ♪

Mmm. What smells good?

Come help me. Wash up...