Castle (2009–2016): Season 4, Episode 17 - Once Upon a Crime - full transcript
Women are found dead, dressed as fairytale characters. An event years ago that led to a death connects all three women.
She screamed as the pain
ripped through her,
and in between each labored
breath, she thought,
there is no way in hell
I am having this baby
on a subway train in the Bronx.
Did you get all that?
So you actually gave birth
to your son on the Metro?
No.
She didn't.
She also didn't run a marathon
the week before she had me
or beat up a mugger while
nine months pregnant.
It's called dramatic
license, darling.
Actually, it's called
wild exaggeration.
Dramatic license
applies to writing.
And that's what I'm doing.
This is Marcus,
this fabulous young
playwright I told you about,
who's helping me put
together my one-woman show.
Mr. Castle, I'm a huge fan.
Just being in this office
is a dream come true.
For me, too. For me, too.
Only in my dreams, I'm...
usually by myself.
We just felt that this room
had the best creative juju.
Oh, it does. It does.
Yeah, I wrote 20 best
sellers in here.
Right, right.
I'd like to write another one.
Now.
Oh, can't it wait, dear?
We're just putting the
final touches on act one--
you know, where I overcome
the challenges of being
a single, working mother.
You know you're
writing a work of fiction, right?
Castle.
First Alexis is interning for Lanie.
Thank you.
Now my mother is
taking over my office.
I feel like my whole
life is being invaded.
You'll get used to it. I did.
It is not the same thing.
Okay, it's similar, just
much less invasive.
That's a good question.
I can tell you this much--
based on body temp and lividity,
our victim died between
10:00 and midnight.
Claw marks?
She was attacked by an animal?
Well, she was running
from something.
She's got dirt on her feet.
What animal in central park
could maul a person to death?
I'm not even sure
that's what happened.
These lacerations look
shallow, nonlethal,
but I won't know exactly
what killed her
until I get her
back to the morgue.
Do you have an ID?
No wallet or purse, so we
don't know who she is.
Isn't it obvious?
I mean, am I the only one seeing this?
What?
Red cloak, in the
woods, animal attack.
She's Little Red Riding Hood.
Great, Castle. I'll call in an APB
for the Big Bad Wolf.
You have a better theory?
Hey, Ryan.
Do you think you
could call dispatch,
see if there any reports
of a violent animal
running around the park?
Like a wolf, a big bad one?
Really?
That is exactly how
I pictured her.
It's freaky.
My older sister used
to read me that story.
Okay, when you're done reliving
your childhood memories,
do you also think that you
could canvass the area
for witnesses and anyone
that might know her name?
And I bet you it's not gonna
be Little Red Riding Hood.
On it.
"'All the better
to eat you with.
"No sooner had the
wolf said these words
"when he leaped up
and gobbled down
poor Little Red Riding Hood."
Well, the good news is,
the wolf can talk.
So if we can find him, we might
be able to get a confession.
Yeah, except in the
original story,
the wolf doesn't kill
Little Red Riding Hood.
The huntsman cuts her out
of the wolf's stomach,
and then she kills the wolf.
Someone's a Brothers Grimm fan.
Oh, yeah.
They didn't sugarcoat it.
They understood that fairy tales
are pretty much horror stories.
Exactly, which is why
we all need them
to grapple with the unknown,
which is why they tap
into our primal fears,
like being alone in the woods
or getting eaten by monsters.
They're not horror stories.
They're life lessons.
If you do the right thing, you get
to live happily ever after.
But only in fairy tales.
Speaking of fairy tales,
turns out that our victim
really was Red Riding Hood.
Are you drinking
Castle's kool-aid now?
No, I mean that she was
actually wearing a
Red Riding Hood costume.
It said so right on the label.
Oh, okay.
So then why was she wearing it
in the middle of the
woods at night?
On her way to
grandmother's house?
Mm. I doubt it.
Her grandmother lives
in Tallahassee.
Oh, great. So you got an ID ?
Yeah. Her prints popped
in the DMV database.
Her name's Amy Morgan.
Her sister Leslie's
on her way in.
I don't understand.
Are you saying Amy was attacked
by some kind of animal?
Do either of you have any
idea why she was in the park?
Amy never went there.
She didn't have time.
She was too busy.
Doing what?
Sh-she was an attorney
for Sampson-Briggs
litigation.
They worked her, like, a
hundred hours a week.
Did she have a boyfriend,
anyone that she would've
been with last night?
Amy's single.
She lives alone.
Um... she's very driven.
Was.
She was.
Do either of you know why
she would be wearing this?
What is it, a cape?
It's a Red Riding Hood cloak.
She was wearing that?
Hm-hmm.
I know Amy's closet.
This was not hers.
I mean, even her
sweatpants were Prada.
Well, maybe she was
going to a party.
Did she mention any parties?
I'm telling you, she would
never wear a thing like this.
Leslie, did your
sister ever tell you
about anything unusual going on
at work or in her personal life?
I don't know.
I hadn't heard
from her all week.
And was that out
of the ordinary?
Yes.
We usually talked every day,
and when she didn't
call, I just assumed
she was busy with a case
or something, but...
maybe there was something
else going on.
Okay, bye.
Hey. Thank you.
So that was Ryan.
He just left animal
control, and there was
only one recent report of an
animal loose in the park--
a Beagle named Fred.
Well, either Fred is
one vicious Beagle
or this mystery has
just deepened.
How does a high-powered lawyer
end up dead in a Red
Riding Hood costume?
Amy worked long hours under
high pressure, right?
What if she had a secret
way of letting off steam
that even her sister
didn't know about?
Like what?
There's this whole adult
role-playing subculture
obsessed with fairy tales.
No, not that kind
of adult role play,
although, there
is that one, too.
And you know this how?
Did a little research.
Bo peep.
Anyway, these people
get dressed in the outfits,
they play the characters,
they even reenact the stories.
Maybe that's what Amy was doing
when everything went horribly
and tragically wrong.
Castle, that is a
surprisingly reasonable
and grounded theory.
Yeah.
Frankly, I'm a little
disappointed in myself.
We all are, bro.
So I was going over
Amy's financials
for any unusual activity.
4 days ago, she took out $50,605
from her savings, all in cash.
$50,605?
That's an odd amount for a
withdrawal, especially in cash.
Yeah, not only that,
but the 50k, it's not
in her apartment,
and I can't tie it to
any recent purchases.
Contact her bank.
See if they know why she
made that withdrawal.
As you wish.
Oh, Lanie's got news for us.
Oh, I've got news, all right,
but I'm not sure
you're gonna like it.
I found hairs like this one
in a wound on the victim's arm.
It didn't come from
her, so I ran DNA.
Did we get a match?
The hair isn't human.
It's wolf hair.
Ooh.
Simmer down, Castle.
I'm not done with the story.
Sorry. What's the rest of it?
Well, from the depth and
the length of the gashes,
it looks like the marks
were made by only one claw.
A one-legged wolf?
I don't think it's
a wolf at all.
But the hair and the claw?
The killer wanted us
to think it was a wolf
to throw us off.
Which would explain why
there are no bite marks
on the body.
The gashes were inflicted by
a human killer using a wolf claw.
So then what's the
real cause of death?
Well, I found two
fresh needle marks,
both on the victim's back,
so she didn't put.
So she was drugged?
Is there any signs
of sexual assault?
No, but tox results
turned up ketamine
and oxycodone.
I'm thinking our guy sedated
her with the ketamine
then dressed her in the costume,
but the dose didn't
quite knock her out.
So she tried to run
away from her killer...
And when he caught her,
he dosed her with oxy,
and it was lights out.
The drugs, the claw--
this is murder, planned
and premeditated.
I mean, the killer
staged the crime scene
to evoke images of
Little Red Riding Hood.
Yeah, but why would he do that?
Well, I'm less
concerned about why.
What I'm wondering is who.
So the killer must have
lured Amy into the park.
Which means he's someone
that she knew and trusted.
Yeah, like Red Riding Hood
trusted her cute little granny.
Yeah. Ryan, what did Amy's
coworkers tell you?
Uh, that, uh, she definitely
wasn't herself lately.
Said she'd been acting
agitated since she missed
a mandatory 1:00 staff
meeting last Friday.
Said it was for
personal reasons.
That's the same time that Amy
stopped calling her sister.
Ryan, can you look into her
e-mails and phone calls?
I want to know what was
going on with her.
Yep.
Yo, Beckett.
There's something
you need to see.
Right over there.
Is that what I think
it is in her hand?
A poisoned apple.
She's Snow White.
It looks like we've got
a fairy-tale killer
on our hands.
Once Upon A Crim
season 4, episode 17
Yo, Beckett.
Excuse me.
Her medicalert bracelet
got us an ID.
She's Kristina Curtis, 25.
Lives on the Upper East Side.
Does she have next of kin?
Yeah, her husband.
His name's Noah Curtis.
Okay, I need you guys to
take point on the interview.
Find out what he
knows about this,
and let's see if Kristina was
connected to the other victim.
You know, if our killer's
dressing his victims
in these costumes,
I bet we can ID
the manufacturer
and find out where he got 'em.
That's a good idea.
You run with it.
Huh, here it is. "White as snow,
red as blood, black as ebony."
This guy is quoting directly
from Grimm's original
"Snow White."
So our victims aren't
reenacting the fairy tales,
the killer is.
Only this woman didn't die
from a poisoned apple.
She has the same injection
marks as Amy Morgan.
Do you have time of death?
Between 5:00 and 7:00 am this morning.
So he kills Red Riding Hood,
then six hours later,
he strikes again?
That's a pretty
quick turnaround.
It's all the markings
of a serial killer.
Yeah, but technically,
you have to murder three
times to be a serial killer.
Yeah, well, let's make
sure he never gets there.
When did you last see
your wife, Mr. Curtis?
Just before 5:00 am, when she--
she left for her jog.
She--she gave me
a kiss good-bye.
That was the last
time I saw her.
I-I-I can't-- I can't
believe she's gone.
Mr. Curtis, this run she took,
who else knew she was going?
Other joggers in
the park, I guess.
She--she went every morning,
even in the snow.
She--she never missed a day.
She have problems with any
of the other joggers?
No, not that she told me.
Did she ever mention being
followed or watched?
Are you saying someone
was stalking her?
Under the circumstances,
this doesn't look
like a random attack.
What did your wife
do for a living?
She owned an art gallery
on Fifth Avenue.
It was family owned.
She took it over from her dad.
Did you ever see
this woman before
or heard the name Amy Morgan?
No, I don't think so.
Why? Who is she?
She's another victim,
Mr. Curtis.
Could she be an
acquaintance of Kristina's?
I don't recognize her.
I'm sorry.
Did you notice anything unusual
about Kristina lately,
her--her state of mind, maybe
something she said or did?
There was something
strange last week.
We were supposed to
have lunch on Friday.
But she didn't show.
She called later to say she
went to the art gallery
for a last-minute emergency.
Last Friday?
Was your lunch at 1:00 pm?
Yeah. Yeah, it was.
W-why?
Kristina lied to her husband
about why she
missed their lunch.
She wasn't at the art
gallery last Friday.
They don't know where she was.
Okay, so both of our victims
were unaccounted for
at exactly the same time shortly
before they got killed.
So where did they go?
Yeah, still working on it.
Excuse me.
Yeah, Ryan here.
Maybe they knew each other.
No, their family said they
didn't know each other.
They had completely
different careers,
and they lived in
different parts of town.
It seems like their lives
never really intersected.
Mm, until they both died at
the hand of the same killer.
So why these two women
and why fairy tales?
Did the killer have some
kind of a random obsession
or was there a deeper
meaning behind all of it?
Well, I think he's trying to
tell a story with these bodies.
I just don't know
what it is yet.
Maybe it's about money.
Turns out Kristina raided
her trust account.
Guess how much she took out?
$50,605.
So both victims
go AWOL on Friday
and both pull out the exact
same amount of cash.
That's not a coincidence.
That is a connection.
Can you get ahold of
Kristina's family,
see if they know why she might
have needed that money?
Yeah, I'll reach out
to the husband.
Thanks.
Ryan, what did you find out?
I think I might have found
the pathway to our killer.
Those Snow White and Red
Riding Hood outfits--
they were made by the
same manufacturer.
Do you know where
they were sold?
I'm still waiting for
a list of stores
that carry the costumes, both
online and brick and mortar.
We should have some
answers by the morning.
Move that chair over there.
Oh, Richard.
Your timing is perfect.
We could use your help.
Moving my furniture where
I don't want it to go?
It's just temporary.
We're having a staged
reading of my one-woman show,
here, tomorrow night.
Ah, it's too bad you don't
have an acting studio
to do this kind of thing in.
Oh, wait. You do.
The Little Black Box Theater
is not right for this, dear.
It needs something
much more intimate.
It'll be very avant-garde.
Exactly.
Now I think this chair
should be here, Marcus.
I want to create a...
Sweetie, couldn't you
have done something
to discourage this?
I tried, dad, but she
made me stage manager.
Look, it's not as
bad as you think.
- Just 20 or 30 people...
- Ah--
And we'll put everything back.
This play means a lot to gram,
and it's actually really good.
Now I understand things about
her I never did before,
and about you, too.
About me?
No, no, no, no.
This--this space
needs to be bigger.
An actor needs space.
"Richard always had
a dark imagination.
"He was destined either
to become a serial killer
or a mystery writer."
Mother, really?
Oh, it's just a
slight exaggeration.
And according to this, you're
responsible for launching
my writing career by...
You slept with my
first publisher?
Mr. Castle, I'm sure your talent
would've gotten you
there eventually.
My talent did get me there.
I didn't get published
because of her.
Technically, I slept with him
after your book was out.
This is just to be
more salacious.
Wasn't he practically my age?
Honey, you know I've
always loved younger men.
They have so much energy,
enough to keep up with me...
most of the time.
I'm gonna...
erase that image from my mind
with a bottle of scotch.
Oh, darling,
I invited Beckett to the
reading tomorrow night,
so you two might want
to make a date of it.
What was I supposed to do,
say no?
Yes.
Why are you so against
your mom's play?
Because she's rewriting history--
my history.
Trust me, I lived through it.
She's making it sound like it's
her own personal fairy tale.
Oh, so you don't like
it when someone writes
their own version of your life?
Interesting.
Okay, are you referring
to the Nikki Heat books?
Because this is
completely different.
How is it different?
Well, for one thing,
I'm not claiming
that what I write
is actually true.
Well, I don't think
she is either.
Come on, Castle, you
said so yourself,
everyone needs a fairy tale.
What's the harm in letting
your mom have one of her own?
Okay, let's--let's
change the subject
to something less likely
to give me an ulcer.
How about that
mysterious $50,605?
Okay.
Um, well, we talked to
pretty much everyone
close to Amy and Kristina,
and no one seems to know why
they pulled out that money.
What about where they were
at 1:00 pm on Friday?
Nothing popped on Amy's e-mail
or phone calls,
and the techs are still going
through Kristina's computer.
Hey, guys.
I think we might
have caught a break.
We tracked down that web
site that sold the costumes.
The Red Riding Hood cloak
and the Snow White dress
worn by our victims were
shipped out eight days ago.
To whom? Do you have a name?
Yeah, Jamie Isaacson.
Lives at 11th Street
and 7th Avenue.
And he didn't just
order two costumes.
There was a third in
the shipment as well,
for Sleeping Beauty.
Sleeping Beauty?
He's gonna kill again.
Not if we get to him first.
Jamie Isaacson, NYPD.
Open up.
- Kick it.
- Yeah.
Go, go, go, go!
Room clear.
Room clear.
All these freaky dolls--
just how I pictured
this guy's lair.
Ever since Chuck
I haven't been able
to look at a doll.
Detectives!
Did you have to
knock down my door?
Ma'am, we announced ourselves.
I was coming.
I don't move as
fast as I used to.
Ma'am, do you know
a Jamie Isaacson?
Of course I know a
Jamie Isaacson.
I'm Jamie Isaacson.
Y--
Candy? It's very good.
No, thanks.
Mrs. Isaacson, does
anyone else live here?
No, dearie, nobody
else lives here,
just me and my friends.
Do you have any family
who checks on you,
health care workers?
Other more, um, human friends?
Well, mostly, it's just us. Why?
Did you receive a package
in the mail last week,
Mrs. Isaacson?
Oh, I receive packages
all the time.
Molly and Abigail
are new arrivals.
Aren't they gorgeous?
Yes, they are.
What about a delivery
of fairy-tale costumes?
Fairy-tale costumes?
According to our records,
you ordered three from
a web site last week.
Well, that's just ridiculous.
What would I do with
fairy-tale costumes?
Can't imagine.
So you didn't order any
costumes from the internet?
Do I look like someone
who's in the habit
of wasting money?
I-I'm on a fixed income.
Well, I happened to notice
that you don't have
a doorman for this building.
So where are your packages left?
By the mailbox in the lobby.
Mrs. Isaacson,
did you notice any,
uh, unusual charges
on your credit card?
Anyone have access to it?
Well, not unless they're
digging for gold.
Can't be too safe these days.
Yeah.
So, UPS confirms that
a package of costumes
was dropped off
at Mrs. Isaacson's lobby,
but nobody signed for it,
per buyer's instructions.
Here's some more bad news--
no security cameras inside
the lobby or outside.
And from what we could tell,
the building's not
terribly secure.
Our killer probably knew that.
That's why he used it
as a delivery drop.
Well, if he knew the old
lady's credit card number,
maybe he knew her.
Could be. Could be he just found
her credit card
statements in the trash.
It's old school, but
it's effective.
You guys, for all we know,
he's targeting Sleeping
Beauty as we speak.
Yo. I got something.
That missing hour of Kristina's
at lunch time last Friday?
Tech found a map search on her
tablet that day at 12:50 pm--
walking directions
to Glassman's Cafe
on the Upper West Side.
Okay, great.
You guys go to the cafe.
See if you can figure out
who she was meeting with.
On it.
In the meantime, I'm gonna
get ahold of uniforms
and ask them to double
foot patrols in parks.
Only he's not gonna strike
at a park this time.
In the Grimm stories, Red
Riding Hood and Snow White
were found in the woods,
but Sleeping Beauty...
Was found in her bedroom.
Right.
Great. So that narrows it down
to several million apartments,
and that is just in Manhattan.
It doesn't make sense.
What doesn't make any sense?
His motive.
All serial killers
are expressing
some psychological impulse.
Somewhere deep down,
there's a twisted logic
to their insanity.
Okay. Keep going.
In the original Grimm's tales,
Red Riding Hood, Snow
White, Sleeping Beauty--
they all end up near death,
but were saved at
the last minute.
It's like he's trying
to take away our
victims' happy endings.
Right. Not only that, but he
could've ordered any costume,
but he picked these.
He took great care
in the details--
the wolf's claw, the apple.
He chose these
characters for a reason.
He chose these women
for a reason.
I just...
haven't figured it out yet.
Well, whatever it is,
it has to be connected
to the cash that they withdrew.
Maybe he's choosing women
with healthy bank accounts.
Bank.
Sorry?
Kristina and Amy both withdrew
the same amount of money.
Maybe our Sleeping
Beauty did as well.
The IRS requires banks
to report any transactions
over $10,000,
- so they would have a record of it.
- Exactly.
Yeah, she was here.
It was last Friday,
during the lunch rush,
right after I spilled
ketchup on my new jeans.
They were 70% off--
amazing sale.
Was she by herself?
No, it was a party of three.
Three? Do you remember
who else she was with?
Two other women.
I've never been questioned
by cops before.
You mind if I tweet about this?
Uh, yeah, yes, we-- we do mind.
This one of the women?
Yeah.
Are they criminals or something?
'Cause I was getting more
of an Upper East Side vibe.
No, but this third woman
may be in danger,
so we need to identify her
as soon as possible.
Do you remember if she maybe
paid with a credit card,
maybe you caught her name?
Nope. They paid cash.
Was anyone else
with them, a-a man?
No.
Did you notice anyone
watching them?
Some of the other customers,
- but only because they were arguing.
- About what?
I don't know.
I kind of tried to eavesdrop,
but every time I
went over there,
they gave me the death stare.
Whatever they were
talking about,
they didn't want me to hear.
Okay, so the IRS search
reveals ten different
cash transactions
between $50,000 and
$60,000 for that day.
Two belong to our Red
Riding Hood and Snow White.
That leaves us eight.
Five of them were made by males,
leaving...
three women.
Jessica Harper, Charlotte Boyd,
and Dana Wilson.
Well, Harper and Wilson
are in their 50s.
They don't fit the profile.
Which leaves us...
Charlotte Boyd.
Beckett.
Hey, we were able to confirm
that Kristina was
here with Amy Morgan
and a third woman last Friday.
We think she might be our
killer's third target.
We didn't get an ID,
but we did get a pretty
good description.
Let me guess--in her 20s,
brown hair, brown eyes,
- exotic looking.
- Yeah. How'd you know?
Charlotte isn't answering.
Her name's Charlotte Boyd.
Ryan, I'm gonna text
you her address.
Just meet us over there.
Beckett!
Castle?
Call an ambulance.
She's still alive.
Okay, yeah.
Just keep me posted on her status.
Thanks.
So that was the ER.
Charlotte is stable but
still unconscious.
Ketamine and oxycodone?
Yeah, and with that treatment,
her heart could've stopped.
The doctor said we got
there just in time.
Just like in the fairy tale.
So, what, you're
Prince Charming now?
Well, if the shoe fits...
Nah.
I'm just glad we had
a happy ending.
Well, it won't be a happy
ending until evil is vanquished
and locked in the dungeon.
We're closing in on him.
Yeah, but he's still
a step ahead.
I'm hoping that he left some
kind of evidence behind.
Yo.
We've done a full sweep.
No sign of the $50,605.
A luxury condo and
that much money--
what does this girl
do for a living?
She worked for a
real estate firm
as a high-end broker.
If you didn't have $10 mil to
plunk down on an apartment,
she wasn't your girl.
Okay, so we got three women,
all in their 20s,
all successful,
all have a secret
meeting last Friday
and then pull the exact same
amount of cash out of the bank.
Maybe they were going in
on something, pulling the money.
I think we can safely
rule out lotto tickets.
No, there's gotta be something
that we're missing.
There's something that links
the three of them together.
Hey, guys. Look at this.
I found it at the bottom of
one of Charlotte's drawers.
We got our connection.
Amy, Charlotte, and Kristina--
our three victims.
All dressed as
fairy-tale characters.
Yeah, dressed as the
same characters
that our killer dressed them as.
Check out the date.
"05/06/05."
That's seven years ago.
Yeah, it's also the amount
of money they withdrew.
Yeah, 50,605 bucks.
Yeah, and, uh, check
out the back.
"Who's the guiltiest
of them all?
If you pay, you'll live
to see another day."
They were being blackmailed?
Okay, so something
happened on that date
that connects them all.
Something that led
to their murders.
So who's the guy
taking the photo?
Maybe he can tell
us what happened.
CSU only found one set
of prints on the photo--
Charlotte's-- but they
were able to determine
that it was developed
within the last two weeks.
How can they do that?
Well, it's machine processed,
like, you know,
from a drug store?
And there's a control code.
Can we use the code to figure
out where it was processed?
Yeah, already on it.
Hopefully, that'll get us
who ordered the prints.
This photo was taken
seven years ago.
Why is it surfacing now?
Yo. You were right
about the date.
Something did happen that night.
There's even a police report.
I don't suppose the report
IDs our Prince Charming.
Sure does.
His name's Owen Thomas.
But he can't be our suspect.
He's dead.
He was killed 7 years
ago-- May 6, 2005.
5/06/05.
The night that the
photo was taken.
It's also the same night
that Owen attended
an underground rave,
fairy-tale themed.
He was last seen alive at 10:45.
But this picture was
taken at 11:23.
How did he die?
Internal bleeding complicated
with high doses
of ketamine and oxycodone.
That explains our killer's m.o.
Okay, so he's high
on club drugs,
but what caused the
internal bleeding?
A car.
His body was found on
the side of the road.
ME wrote it up as
a hit and run.
There were no witnesses,
so the trail went cold,
they never solved the case.
It's "I know what you
did last summer."
"Who's the guiltiest
of them all?"
The killer thinks that
one of these women
is responsible for his death.
Maybe they are.
This photo proves that they were
the last ones to see him alive,
yet none of them gave
statements to the cops.
But why are the murders
happening now,
- seven years later?
- Well, maybe after all these years,
someone found this photo.
Esposito, can you look into
Owen's family and friends?
Someone might be trying to
get payback for his death.
You got it.
Beckett.
Yeah. We'll be right there.
Sleeping Beauty just woke up.
Charlotte?
I'm detective Beckett.
This is Mr. Castle.
Do you feel well enough to
answer a few questions?
Yeah.
What can you tell us
about the attack?
I was at my computer,
just listening to music,
and... the next thing you know,
I'm being pushed to the floor.
Did you see who did it?
No.
They're saying--they're
saying I was drugged.
Why would someone do this to me?
Charlotte, I think you know why.
All three of you received
a copy of this photo.
Amy and Kristina weren't
as lucky as you.
They didn't make it.
Oh, my God.
But we did what he asked.
We paid him.
What does he have on you?
What happened to Owen
that night?
Charlotte?
It was just some stupid...
fairy-tale rave.
Um, we were just looking to dance and...
have fun.
And Owen had scored
some "Special K."
That hit is pretty hard,
but Kristina had some
of her mom's oxy
and said it would even us out.
Somehow we ended
up in Amy's car,
and that's where this
picture was taken.
How did Owen end up on
the side of the road?
He was having some seriously
bad hallucinations,
just...
screaming and--and grabbing us.
So we pulled the car over,
and we made him get out.
We just figured, he'd
walk back to the rave.
But it was all over the
news the next morning
that...
that there had been a hit and run
and that he'd been killed.
And why didn't you come forward?
Oh, we were just kids then.
We were scared out of our minds.
You--
you have to understand,
we had a lot to lose.
We came from good families, we'd
been accepted into college,
we... we made a pact
and we said, we--
we wouldn't tell anyone
what happened that night.
And that we'd never
see each other again.
Look, I'm not excusing
how we handled it.
We were... stupid,
but... we didn't do anything.
Well, someone thinks you did.
What did you do with the money?
The note said to put
it in a dumpster
at Bleecker and Thompson.
We didn't want some scandal
messing up our lives,
so we did it.
We paid.
So why did he come after us?
Okay, the corner of
Bleecker and Thompson--
there are no security
cameras at the drop site,
and so far, no witnesses.
He covered his bases.
I know. It's really
starting to piss me off.
Yeah, and you get cute
when you get angry.
But not when you
get angry with me.
Yo.
So I took a look Owen's family.
I think I found
someone with motive.
Turns out he has
an older brother,
and apparently, they were close.
Any connection to our victims?
Oh, yeah
see for yourself.
Wait.
That's Leslie's husband, Darren.
So Owen's brother is married
to our first victim's sister?
What are the odds, right?
Maybe Darren somehow found
out that his wife's sister
was responsible for his
brother Owen's death.
Well, maybe the families just
knew each other socially.
It doesn't mean that
Darren's our killer.
Oh, that doesn't,
but this might.
CSU tracked down where
the photo was processed.
It's from a roll of film,
and the guy who dropped it
off had three copies made.
And does the guy's
description match Darren's?
Even better.
They had security cameras.
It's him.
I got here as fast as I could.
So is there any news?
Did you find out who
did this to my sister?
Uh, first let me ask,
what was Amy's relationship
with your husband's brother--
Owen?
They were high school friends.
We all were.
What does this have
to do with Amy?
Owen died years ago.
You ever see this before?
No.
That's Amy,
and that's Owen.
These two I don't know.
It's from the night
that he was killed.
Okay.
Your husband Darren had it
printed up two weeks ago.
Do you have any
idea how he got it?
Last month,
we were cleaning
out my dad's attic
and found a camera with
a roll of film inside.
Darren thought it would be
fun to see what was on it.
You--you don't think he had
anything to do with Amy...
Do you?
I don't know what you
guys are talking about.
I didn't blackmail anybody.
All right, so then you don't
recognize this photo?
Absolutely not.
And then...
this isn't you, is it, Darren?
I can only imagine how
you must have felt.
After all these years, realizing
your own sister-in-law
might be involved in
your brother's death.
We found the cash in your
storage locker in Queens--
$151,815.
Which, by wild coincidence,
is exactly $50,605 times 3.
Owen was high.
He was messed up.
They knew that, and
what did they do?
They left him there.
They left him
and he died like roadkill.
You could've gone to the police.
Because they did
such a bang-up job
the first time around?
I just wanted them to pay
something for what they did.
I was even gonna use the money
to set up a scholarship
fund in Owen's name.
Really, a scholarship fund?
And what's your spin on murder?
The money wasn't enough.
You wanted revenge.
You wanted them to die
like your brother,
dressed in fairy-tale costumes,
ODing on the same drugs he did.
What? No.
I don't know who killed
them, but it wasn't me.
That's gonna be tough
to believe, Darren.
You had motive, you blamed
them for Owen's death,
and you just admitted
to blackmailing them.
I want a lawyer.
Of course you do.
Darren doesn't need a lawyer.
He needs a miracle.
His wife told Ryan that
he wasn't at the house when
the murders were committed.
So that's it then.
Yeah, for this case.
We did everything but tie
a bow on it for the DA.
Right this way, Ms. Morgan.
Is it true, Darren?
Is it true?
Look me in the eyes and
tell me it's not true!
No, babe. I didn't hurt anyone.
You blackmailed my sister!
- You lied to me. You--
- No, l-listen.
I'm telling you the truth, okay?
I didn't kill anyone.
I just wanted them to pay.
Who would do it then?
You had the picture.
- No, no! Babe, I swear--
- Oh, my God. It was you!
- I swear. I swear. Babe--
- You know what?
You need to get away
from me...
- Babe--
- Right now!
Listen!
- Les--
- Stay away.
Murder does more damage to
the living than to the dead.
Yeah, all because of
a terrible secret.
Well, secrets are
like time bombs.
Yeah, eventually, they...
explode.
You know, Castle, I'm not saying
that I condone what Darren did,
but I do understand it.
Yeah. No, I understand
wanting revenge.
The way he went about it
doesn't add up, though.
What do you mean?
Well, blackmail
is revenge from a distance.
Murder is up close and personal.
It doesn't make sense
he would do both.
Don't underestimate him.
I mean, the only reason
that he copped to blackmail
was to avoid murder charges.
And like any psychopath,
he's a great actor.
- Oh, speaking of...
- Psychopaths or actors?
- I-I was thinking about your mom.
- Oh, so a little of both.
I think we can make the play.
Really?
So you want to venture into
the dark, scary woods?
Don't worry, Castle.
I got a gun.
I'll protect you from
the big bad wolf.
You'd use your gun on my mother?
I'm touched.
Thank you.
Ah, thank you.
Oh, wow, Castle.
This is quite the soiree.
Yeah, it's a family trait.
We tend to go big. Cheers.
Cheers.
- Would you excuse me a moment?
- Yeah.
Hey.
Hey. You came.
Oh, it means so much
to me, darling.
She was worried you
wouldn't make it.
Break a leg, mother.
We have a schedule to keep.
Curtain in two minutes.
I can't get this bow straight.
Allow me. Allow me.
Oh, maybe I should
have Alexis do it.
I mean, how many bows have
you tied in your lifetime?
Well, I tie my shoes every day.
If you remember, you taught me.
Yeah, yeah, true.
The bow.
The bow was tied incorrectly.
Well, I told you, we
should've had Alexis do it.
Not your bow. The other bow.
The one on her costume.
We arrested the wrong man.
What? I-I don't understand.
So you're saying
Darren didn't do it?
Well, he's guilty of blackmail,
but that's as far as it goes.
So what if the killer's
still out there?
What if he comes after me?
He won't.
We have officers outside 24/7.
We'll find him, Charlotte.
We just, um,
we need a bit of your help.
Of course. Whatever I can do.
Well, we think that the key
to finding the real killer
is through understanding
exactly what happened
the night of Owen's death.
Can you answer a few questions?
Y-yeah. I mean, I guess so,
though I'm pretty sure I
told you everything I know.
Well, last time we spoke,
you said that everyone
was in Amy's car?
Right.
And who was driving?
She was. Why?
Well, we did a little checking.
The day after Owen died,
Amy brought her car
to a body shop.
She had a broken grille
and a dented bumper.
Any idea how she
got those dents?
Charlotte, what really
happened that night?
Did Owen try to get
back into the car?
Maybe Amy panicked,
accidentally hitting
him as she drove away?
Charlotte?
I begged Amy to go back.
Kristina and I both did.
We begged her, but she
just kept driving.
She didn't mean to hurt him.
It was just an accident.
That's the truth.
That's what really happened.
Is it?
Take a look
at how the bows
are tied on the victims' costumes.
What about them?
Well, the killer tied these bows
after the victims were drugged.
See how they look,
how the loops are
pleasingly horizontal?
Now... look at the bow on
your Sleeping Beauty outfit.
See how the loops are vertical?
It's a little weird.
I mean, if the killer
tied all three bows,
why would yours be different?
It's because you tied
all three bows.
This one is different because
you tied it on yourself
behind your back.
No. I was attacked.
I am a victim.
Yet, your doctor
said you received
half the dose of oxy that
the other girls got,
a nonlethal dose.
How soon after we pulled up
outside of your building did
you give yourself that shot?
This is crazy.
Why would I fake an
attack on myself?
So no one would suspect you
of silencing the only two
witnesses to your crime.
What are you talking about?
At the time, Kristina and Amy
were willing to
bury your secret,
but then...
this photo showed up.
I mean, how long could
you expect them
to keep the secret,
especially since
you were at fault?
All you could think
about was the scandal--
jail, how it would
ruin your life--
all because Kristina and
Amy knew the truth.
Charlotte,
you were behind the
wheel in Amy's car.
It was you
that hit and killed Owen.
No, Amy was driving. I told you.
Then why did you pay
for the car repairs?
We have the receipt.
You don't know what
happened that night.
You can't prove that I hit Owen,
and you can't prove that I
killed Amy or Kristina.
Yes, I can.
Your firm handled the
reverse mortgage
of an old woman named
Jamie Isaacson.
She paid closing costs
with her credit card.
That's the same credit card
that you used to pay for
all three costumes.
Charlotte Boyd, you
are under arrest
for the murders of Amy Morgan...
Kristina Curtis,
and the wrongful death
of Owen Thomas.
The bows?
Seriously?
She's actually the perfect
fairy-tale villain.
Like the big bad wolf,
she disguised herself
as an innocent,
but like Snow White's
evil stepmother,
she was willing to do
anything, even kill,
to protect her image.
After all these years,
maybe Owen's family can have
some closure about his death.
Yeah, but at what cost?
Two women are dead,
Darren's still being
charged with blackmail,
and I'm sure his
marriage is over.
Well, and that's why
we need fairy tales
in the face of too much reality,
to remind us that happy
endings are still possible.
All right.
See you in the morning.
- Later.
- Vale.
Speaking of fairy tales,
my mother is ready to give
her encore performance.
Time to go back into the woods?
Still got your gun?
It was the opportunity
of a lifetime--
the chance to originate the role
of the Wicked Witch on Broadway.
But it would mean
being away from home
six nights a week, two matinees.
Huh. What was I to do?
Realize that none of
it ever happened?
Francis Bacon once wrote,
"He that hath children
hath given hostages to fortune."
Well, if I was a hostage,
then my son Richard
was my captor,
my enslaver.
Hey, I'm right here.
I turned down the role,
turned my back on fortune.
And...
it was the best career
move I ever made,
for an even greater
role came my way.
A part--
perhaps the greatest role
that I have ever played--
that...
of mother.
That's sweet.
You're right. That is sweet.
Shh.
Sorry.
Now if Richard
had only been able to
embrace the role of son
with the same level
of commitment.
And into the woods we go.
ripped through her,
and in between each labored
breath, she thought,
there is no way in hell
I am having this baby
on a subway train in the Bronx.
Did you get all that?
So you actually gave birth
to your son on the Metro?
No.
She didn't.
She also didn't run a marathon
the week before she had me
or beat up a mugger while
nine months pregnant.
It's called dramatic
license, darling.
Actually, it's called
wild exaggeration.
Dramatic license
applies to writing.
And that's what I'm doing.
This is Marcus,
this fabulous young
playwright I told you about,
who's helping me put
together my one-woman show.
Mr. Castle, I'm a huge fan.
Just being in this office
is a dream come true.
For me, too. For me, too.
Only in my dreams, I'm...
usually by myself.
We just felt that this room
had the best creative juju.
Oh, it does. It does.
Yeah, I wrote 20 best
sellers in here.
Right, right.
I'd like to write another one.
Now.
Oh, can't it wait, dear?
We're just putting the
final touches on act one--
you know, where I overcome
the challenges of being
a single, working mother.
You know you're
writing a work of fiction, right?
Castle.
First Alexis is interning for Lanie.
Thank you.
Now my mother is
taking over my office.
I feel like my whole
life is being invaded.
You'll get used to it. I did.
It is not the same thing.
Okay, it's similar, just
much less invasive.
That's a good question.
I can tell you this much--
based on body temp and lividity,
our victim died between
10:00 and midnight.
Claw marks?
She was attacked by an animal?
Well, she was running
from something.
She's got dirt on her feet.
What animal in central park
could maul a person to death?
I'm not even sure
that's what happened.
These lacerations look
shallow, nonlethal,
but I won't know exactly
what killed her
until I get her
back to the morgue.
Do you have an ID?
No wallet or purse, so we
don't know who she is.
Isn't it obvious?
I mean, am I the only one seeing this?
What?
Red cloak, in the
woods, animal attack.
She's Little Red Riding Hood.
Great, Castle. I'll call in an APB
for the Big Bad Wolf.
You have a better theory?
Hey, Ryan.
Do you think you
could call dispatch,
see if there any reports
of a violent animal
running around the park?
Like a wolf, a big bad one?
Really?
That is exactly how
I pictured her.
It's freaky.
My older sister used
to read me that story.
Okay, when you're done reliving
your childhood memories,
do you also think that you
could canvass the area
for witnesses and anyone
that might know her name?
And I bet you it's not gonna
be Little Red Riding Hood.
On it.
"'All the better
to eat you with.
"No sooner had the
wolf said these words
"when he leaped up
and gobbled down
poor Little Red Riding Hood."
Well, the good news is,
the wolf can talk.
So if we can find him, we might
be able to get a confession.
Yeah, except in the
original story,
the wolf doesn't kill
Little Red Riding Hood.
The huntsman cuts her out
of the wolf's stomach,
and then she kills the wolf.
Someone's a Brothers Grimm fan.
Oh, yeah.
They didn't sugarcoat it.
They understood that fairy tales
are pretty much horror stories.
Exactly, which is why
we all need them
to grapple with the unknown,
which is why they tap
into our primal fears,
like being alone in the woods
or getting eaten by monsters.
They're not horror stories.
They're life lessons.
If you do the right thing, you get
to live happily ever after.
But only in fairy tales.
Speaking of fairy tales,
turns out that our victim
really was Red Riding Hood.
Are you drinking
Castle's kool-aid now?
No, I mean that she was
actually wearing a
Red Riding Hood costume.
It said so right on the label.
Oh, okay.
So then why was she wearing it
in the middle of the
woods at night?
On her way to
grandmother's house?
Mm. I doubt it.
Her grandmother lives
in Tallahassee.
Oh, great. So you got an ID ?
Yeah. Her prints popped
in the DMV database.
Her name's Amy Morgan.
Her sister Leslie's
on her way in.
I don't understand.
Are you saying Amy was attacked
by some kind of animal?
Do either of you have any
idea why she was in the park?
Amy never went there.
She didn't have time.
She was too busy.
Doing what?
Sh-she was an attorney
for Sampson-Briggs
litigation.
They worked her, like, a
hundred hours a week.
Did she have a boyfriend,
anyone that she would've
been with last night?
Amy's single.
She lives alone.
Um... she's very driven.
Was.
She was.
Do either of you know why
she would be wearing this?
What is it, a cape?
It's a Red Riding Hood cloak.
She was wearing that?
Hm-hmm.
I know Amy's closet.
This was not hers.
I mean, even her
sweatpants were Prada.
Well, maybe she was
going to a party.
Did she mention any parties?
I'm telling you, she would
never wear a thing like this.
Leslie, did your
sister ever tell you
about anything unusual going on
at work or in her personal life?
I don't know.
I hadn't heard
from her all week.
And was that out
of the ordinary?
Yes.
We usually talked every day,
and when she didn't
call, I just assumed
she was busy with a case
or something, but...
maybe there was something
else going on.
Okay, bye.
Hey. Thank you.
So that was Ryan.
He just left animal
control, and there was
only one recent report of an
animal loose in the park--
a Beagle named Fred.
Well, either Fred is
one vicious Beagle
or this mystery has
just deepened.
How does a high-powered lawyer
end up dead in a Red
Riding Hood costume?
Amy worked long hours under
high pressure, right?
What if she had a secret
way of letting off steam
that even her sister
didn't know about?
Like what?
There's this whole adult
role-playing subculture
obsessed with fairy tales.
No, not that kind
of adult role play,
although, there
is that one, too.
And you know this how?
Did a little research.
Bo peep.
Anyway, these people
get dressed in the outfits,
they play the characters,
they even reenact the stories.
Maybe that's what Amy was doing
when everything went horribly
and tragically wrong.
Castle, that is a
surprisingly reasonable
and grounded theory.
Yeah.
Frankly, I'm a little
disappointed in myself.
We all are, bro.
So I was going over
Amy's financials
for any unusual activity.
4 days ago, she took out $50,605
from her savings, all in cash.
$50,605?
That's an odd amount for a
withdrawal, especially in cash.
Yeah, not only that,
but the 50k, it's not
in her apartment,
and I can't tie it to
any recent purchases.
Contact her bank.
See if they know why she
made that withdrawal.
As you wish.
Oh, Lanie's got news for us.
Oh, I've got news, all right,
but I'm not sure
you're gonna like it.
I found hairs like this one
in a wound on the victim's arm.
It didn't come from
her, so I ran DNA.
Did we get a match?
The hair isn't human.
It's wolf hair.
Ooh.
Simmer down, Castle.
I'm not done with the story.
Sorry. What's the rest of it?
Well, from the depth and
the length of the gashes,
it looks like the marks
were made by only one claw.
A one-legged wolf?
I don't think it's
a wolf at all.
But the hair and the claw?
The killer wanted us
to think it was a wolf
to throw us off.
Which would explain why
there are no bite marks
on the body.
The gashes were inflicted by
a human killer using a wolf claw.
So then what's the
real cause of death?
Well, I found two
fresh needle marks,
both on the victim's back,
so she didn't put.
So she was drugged?
Is there any signs
of sexual assault?
No, but tox results
turned up ketamine
and oxycodone.
I'm thinking our guy sedated
her with the ketamine
then dressed her in the costume,
but the dose didn't
quite knock her out.
So she tried to run
away from her killer...
And when he caught her,
he dosed her with oxy,
and it was lights out.
The drugs, the claw--
this is murder, planned
and premeditated.
I mean, the killer
staged the crime scene
to evoke images of
Little Red Riding Hood.
Yeah, but why would he do that?
Well, I'm less
concerned about why.
What I'm wondering is who.
So the killer must have
lured Amy into the park.
Which means he's someone
that she knew and trusted.
Yeah, like Red Riding Hood
trusted her cute little granny.
Yeah. Ryan, what did Amy's
coworkers tell you?
Uh, that, uh, she definitely
wasn't herself lately.
Said she'd been acting
agitated since she missed
a mandatory 1:00 staff
meeting last Friday.
Said it was for
personal reasons.
That's the same time that Amy
stopped calling her sister.
Ryan, can you look into her
e-mails and phone calls?
I want to know what was
going on with her.
Yep.
Yo, Beckett.
There's something
you need to see.
Right over there.
Is that what I think
it is in her hand?
A poisoned apple.
She's Snow White.
It looks like we've got
a fairy-tale killer
on our hands.
Once Upon A Crim
season 4, episode 17
Yo, Beckett.
Excuse me.
Her medicalert bracelet
got us an ID.
She's Kristina Curtis, 25.
Lives on the Upper East Side.
Does she have next of kin?
Yeah, her husband.
His name's Noah Curtis.
Okay, I need you guys to
take point on the interview.
Find out what he
knows about this,
and let's see if Kristina was
connected to the other victim.
You know, if our killer's
dressing his victims
in these costumes,
I bet we can ID
the manufacturer
and find out where he got 'em.
That's a good idea.
You run with it.
Huh, here it is. "White as snow,
red as blood, black as ebony."
This guy is quoting directly
from Grimm's original
"Snow White."
So our victims aren't
reenacting the fairy tales,
the killer is.
Only this woman didn't die
from a poisoned apple.
She has the same injection
marks as Amy Morgan.
Do you have time of death?
Between 5:00 and 7:00 am this morning.
So he kills Red Riding Hood,
then six hours later,
he strikes again?
That's a pretty
quick turnaround.
It's all the markings
of a serial killer.
Yeah, but technically,
you have to murder three
times to be a serial killer.
Yeah, well, let's make
sure he never gets there.
When did you last see
your wife, Mr. Curtis?
Just before 5:00 am, when she--
she left for her jog.
She--she gave me
a kiss good-bye.
That was the last
time I saw her.
I-I-I can't-- I can't
believe she's gone.
Mr. Curtis, this run she took,
who else knew she was going?
Other joggers in
the park, I guess.
She--she went every morning,
even in the snow.
She--she never missed a day.
She have problems with any
of the other joggers?
No, not that she told me.
Did she ever mention being
followed or watched?
Are you saying someone
was stalking her?
Under the circumstances,
this doesn't look
like a random attack.
What did your wife
do for a living?
She owned an art gallery
on Fifth Avenue.
It was family owned.
She took it over from her dad.
Did you ever see
this woman before
or heard the name Amy Morgan?
No, I don't think so.
Why? Who is she?
She's another victim,
Mr. Curtis.
Could she be an
acquaintance of Kristina's?
I don't recognize her.
I'm sorry.
Did you notice anything unusual
about Kristina lately,
her--her state of mind, maybe
something she said or did?
There was something
strange last week.
We were supposed to
have lunch on Friday.
But she didn't show.
She called later to say she
went to the art gallery
for a last-minute emergency.
Last Friday?
Was your lunch at 1:00 pm?
Yeah. Yeah, it was.
W-why?
Kristina lied to her husband
about why she
missed their lunch.
She wasn't at the art
gallery last Friday.
They don't know where she was.
Okay, so both of our victims
were unaccounted for
at exactly the same time shortly
before they got killed.
So where did they go?
Yeah, still working on it.
Excuse me.
Yeah, Ryan here.
Maybe they knew each other.
No, their family said they
didn't know each other.
They had completely
different careers,
and they lived in
different parts of town.
It seems like their lives
never really intersected.
Mm, until they both died at
the hand of the same killer.
So why these two women
and why fairy tales?
Did the killer have some
kind of a random obsession
or was there a deeper
meaning behind all of it?
Well, I think he's trying to
tell a story with these bodies.
I just don't know
what it is yet.
Maybe it's about money.
Turns out Kristina raided
her trust account.
Guess how much she took out?
$50,605.
So both victims
go AWOL on Friday
and both pull out the exact
same amount of cash.
That's not a coincidence.
That is a connection.
Can you get ahold of
Kristina's family,
see if they know why she might
have needed that money?
Yeah, I'll reach out
to the husband.
Thanks.
Ryan, what did you find out?
I think I might have found
the pathway to our killer.
Those Snow White and Red
Riding Hood outfits--
they were made by the
same manufacturer.
Do you know where
they were sold?
I'm still waiting for
a list of stores
that carry the costumes, both
online and brick and mortar.
We should have some
answers by the morning.
Move that chair over there.
Oh, Richard.
Your timing is perfect.
We could use your help.
Moving my furniture where
I don't want it to go?
It's just temporary.
We're having a staged
reading of my one-woman show,
here, tomorrow night.
Ah, it's too bad you don't
have an acting studio
to do this kind of thing in.
Oh, wait. You do.
The Little Black Box Theater
is not right for this, dear.
It needs something
much more intimate.
It'll be very avant-garde.
Exactly.
Now I think this chair
should be here, Marcus.
I want to create a...
Sweetie, couldn't you
have done something
to discourage this?
I tried, dad, but she
made me stage manager.
Look, it's not as
bad as you think.
- Just 20 or 30 people...
- Ah--
And we'll put everything back.
This play means a lot to gram,
and it's actually really good.
Now I understand things about
her I never did before,
and about you, too.
About me?
No, no, no, no.
This--this space
needs to be bigger.
An actor needs space.
"Richard always had
a dark imagination.
"He was destined either
to become a serial killer
or a mystery writer."
Mother, really?
Oh, it's just a
slight exaggeration.
And according to this, you're
responsible for launching
my writing career by...
You slept with my
first publisher?
Mr. Castle, I'm sure your talent
would've gotten you
there eventually.
My talent did get me there.
I didn't get published
because of her.
Technically, I slept with him
after your book was out.
This is just to be
more salacious.
Wasn't he practically my age?
Honey, you know I've
always loved younger men.
They have so much energy,
enough to keep up with me...
most of the time.
I'm gonna...
erase that image from my mind
with a bottle of scotch.
Oh, darling,
I invited Beckett to the
reading tomorrow night,
so you two might want
to make a date of it.
What was I supposed to do,
say no?
Yes.
Why are you so against
your mom's play?
Because she's rewriting history--
my history.
Trust me, I lived through it.
She's making it sound like it's
her own personal fairy tale.
Oh, so you don't like
it when someone writes
their own version of your life?
Interesting.
Okay, are you referring
to the Nikki Heat books?
Because this is
completely different.
How is it different?
Well, for one thing,
I'm not claiming
that what I write
is actually true.
Well, I don't think
she is either.
Come on, Castle, you
said so yourself,
everyone needs a fairy tale.
What's the harm in letting
your mom have one of her own?
Okay, let's--let's
change the subject
to something less likely
to give me an ulcer.
How about that
mysterious $50,605?
Okay.
Um, well, we talked to
pretty much everyone
close to Amy and Kristina,
and no one seems to know why
they pulled out that money.
What about where they were
at 1:00 pm on Friday?
Nothing popped on Amy's e-mail
or phone calls,
and the techs are still going
through Kristina's computer.
Hey, guys.
I think we might
have caught a break.
We tracked down that web
site that sold the costumes.
The Red Riding Hood cloak
and the Snow White dress
worn by our victims were
shipped out eight days ago.
To whom? Do you have a name?
Yeah, Jamie Isaacson.
Lives at 11th Street
and 7th Avenue.
And he didn't just
order two costumes.
There was a third in
the shipment as well,
for Sleeping Beauty.
Sleeping Beauty?
He's gonna kill again.
Not if we get to him first.
Jamie Isaacson, NYPD.
Open up.
- Kick it.
- Yeah.
Go, go, go, go!
Room clear.
Room clear.
All these freaky dolls--
just how I pictured
this guy's lair.
Ever since Chuck
I haven't been able
to look at a doll.
Detectives!
Did you have to
knock down my door?
Ma'am, we announced ourselves.
I was coming.
I don't move as
fast as I used to.
Ma'am, do you know
a Jamie Isaacson?
Of course I know a
Jamie Isaacson.
I'm Jamie Isaacson.
Y--
Candy? It's very good.
No, thanks.
Mrs. Isaacson, does
anyone else live here?
No, dearie, nobody
else lives here,
just me and my friends.
Do you have any family
who checks on you,
health care workers?
Other more, um, human friends?
Well, mostly, it's just us. Why?
Did you receive a package
in the mail last week,
Mrs. Isaacson?
Oh, I receive packages
all the time.
Molly and Abigail
are new arrivals.
Aren't they gorgeous?
Yes, they are.
What about a delivery
of fairy-tale costumes?
Fairy-tale costumes?
According to our records,
you ordered three from
a web site last week.
Well, that's just ridiculous.
What would I do with
fairy-tale costumes?
Can't imagine.
So you didn't order any
costumes from the internet?
Do I look like someone
who's in the habit
of wasting money?
I-I'm on a fixed income.
Well, I happened to notice
that you don't have
a doorman for this building.
So where are your packages left?
By the mailbox in the lobby.
Mrs. Isaacson,
did you notice any,
uh, unusual charges
on your credit card?
Anyone have access to it?
Well, not unless they're
digging for gold.
Can't be too safe these days.
Yeah.
So, UPS confirms that
a package of costumes
was dropped off
at Mrs. Isaacson's lobby,
but nobody signed for it,
per buyer's instructions.
Here's some more bad news--
no security cameras inside
the lobby or outside.
And from what we could tell,
the building's not
terribly secure.
Our killer probably knew that.
That's why he used it
as a delivery drop.
Well, if he knew the old
lady's credit card number,
maybe he knew her.
Could be. Could be he just found
her credit card
statements in the trash.
It's old school, but
it's effective.
You guys, for all we know,
he's targeting Sleeping
Beauty as we speak.
Yo. I got something.
That missing hour of Kristina's
at lunch time last Friday?
Tech found a map search on her
tablet that day at 12:50 pm--
walking directions
to Glassman's Cafe
on the Upper West Side.
Okay, great.
You guys go to the cafe.
See if you can figure out
who she was meeting with.
On it.
In the meantime, I'm gonna
get ahold of uniforms
and ask them to double
foot patrols in parks.
Only he's not gonna strike
at a park this time.
In the Grimm stories, Red
Riding Hood and Snow White
were found in the woods,
but Sleeping Beauty...
Was found in her bedroom.
Right.
Great. So that narrows it down
to several million apartments,
and that is just in Manhattan.
It doesn't make sense.
What doesn't make any sense?
His motive.
All serial killers
are expressing
some psychological impulse.
Somewhere deep down,
there's a twisted logic
to their insanity.
Okay. Keep going.
In the original Grimm's tales,
Red Riding Hood, Snow
White, Sleeping Beauty--
they all end up near death,
but were saved at
the last minute.
It's like he's trying
to take away our
victims' happy endings.
Right. Not only that, but he
could've ordered any costume,
but he picked these.
He took great care
in the details--
the wolf's claw, the apple.
He chose these
characters for a reason.
He chose these women
for a reason.
I just...
haven't figured it out yet.
Well, whatever it is,
it has to be connected
to the cash that they withdrew.
Maybe he's choosing women
with healthy bank accounts.
Bank.
Sorry?
Kristina and Amy both withdrew
the same amount of money.
Maybe our Sleeping
Beauty did as well.
The IRS requires banks
to report any transactions
over $10,000,
- so they would have a record of it.
- Exactly.
Yeah, she was here.
It was last Friday,
during the lunch rush,
right after I spilled
ketchup on my new jeans.
They were 70% off--
amazing sale.
Was she by herself?
No, it was a party of three.
Three? Do you remember
who else she was with?
Two other women.
I've never been questioned
by cops before.
You mind if I tweet about this?
Uh, yeah, yes, we-- we do mind.
This one of the women?
Yeah.
Are they criminals or something?
'Cause I was getting more
of an Upper East Side vibe.
No, but this third woman
may be in danger,
so we need to identify her
as soon as possible.
Do you remember if she maybe
paid with a credit card,
maybe you caught her name?
Nope. They paid cash.
Was anyone else
with them, a-a man?
No.
Did you notice anyone
watching them?
Some of the other customers,
- but only because they were arguing.
- About what?
I don't know.
I kind of tried to eavesdrop,
but every time I
went over there,
they gave me the death stare.
Whatever they were
talking about,
they didn't want me to hear.
Okay, so the IRS search
reveals ten different
cash transactions
between $50,000 and
$60,000 for that day.
Two belong to our Red
Riding Hood and Snow White.
That leaves us eight.
Five of them were made by males,
leaving...
three women.
Jessica Harper, Charlotte Boyd,
and Dana Wilson.
Well, Harper and Wilson
are in their 50s.
They don't fit the profile.
Which leaves us...
Charlotte Boyd.
Beckett.
Hey, we were able to confirm
that Kristina was
here with Amy Morgan
and a third woman last Friday.
We think she might be our
killer's third target.
We didn't get an ID,
but we did get a pretty
good description.
Let me guess--in her 20s,
brown hair, brown eyes,
- exotic looking.
- Yeah. How'd you know?
Charlotte isn't answering.
Her name's Charlotte Boyd.
Ryan, I'm gonna text
you her address.
Just meet us over there.
Beckett!
Castle?
Call an ambulance.
She's still alive.
Okay, yeah.
Just keep me posted on her status.
Thanks.
So that was the ER.
Charlotte is stable but
still unconscious.
Ketamine and oxycodone?
Yeah, and with that treatment,
her heart could've stopped.
The doctor said we got
there just in time.
Just like in the fairy tale.
So, what, you're
Prince Charming now?
Well, if the shoe fits...
Nah.
I'm just glad we had
a happy ending.
Well, it won't be a happy
ending until evil is vanquished
and locked in the dungeon.
We're closing in on him.
Yeah, but he's still
a step ahead.
I'm hoping that he left some
kind of evidence behind.
Yo.
We've done a full sweep.
No sign of the $50,605.
A luxury condo and
that much money--
what does this girl
do for a living?
She worked for a
real estate firm
as a high-end broker.
If you didn't have $10 mil to
plunk down on an apartment,
she wasn't your girl.
Okay, so we got three women,
all in their 20s,
all successful,
all have a secret
meeting last Friday
and then pull the exact same
amount of cash out of the bank.
Maybe they were going in
on something, pulling the money.
I think we can safely
rule out lotto tickets.
No, there's gotta be something
that we're missing.
There's something that links
the three of them together.
Hey, guys. Look at this.
I found it at the bottom of
one of Charlotte's drawers.
We got our connection.
Amy, Charlotte, and Kristina--
our three victims.
All dressed as
fairy-tale characters.
Yeah, dressed as the
same characters
that our killer dressed them as.
Check out the date.
"05/06/05."
That's seven years ago.
Yeah, it's also the amount
of money they withdrew.
Yeah, 50,605 bucks.
Yeah, and, uh, check
out the back.
"Who's the guiltiest
of them all?
If you pay, you'll live
to see another day."
They were being blackmailed?
Okay, so something
happened on that date
that connects them all.
Something that led
to their murders.
So who's the guy
taking the photo?
Maybe he can tell
us what happened.
CSU only found one set
of prints on the photo--
Charlotte's-- but they
were able to determine
that it was developed
within the last two weeks.
How can they do that?
Well, it's machine processed,
like, you know,
from a drug store?
And there's a control code.
Can we use the code to figure
out where it was processed?
Yeah, already on it.
Hopefully, that'll get us
who ordered the prints.
This photo was taken
seven years ago.
Why is it surfacing now?
Yo. You were right
about the date.
Something did happen that night.
There's even a police report.
I don't suppose the report
IDs our Prince Charming.
Sure does.
His name's Owen Thomas.
But he can't be our suspect.
He's dead.
He was killed 7 years
ago-- May 6, 2005.
5/06/05.
The night that the
photo was taken.
It's also the same night
that Owen attended
an underground rave,
fairy-tale themed.
He was last seen alive at 10:45.
But this picture was
taken at 11:23.
How did he die?
Internal bleeding complicated
with high doses
of ketamine and oxycodone.
That explains our killer's m.o.
Okay, so he's high
on club drugs,
but what caused the
internal bleeding?
A car.
His body was found on
the side of the road.
ME wrote it up as
a hit and run.
There were no witnesses,
so the trail went cold,
they never solved the case.
It's "I know what you
did last summer."
"Who's the guiltiest
of them all?"
The killer thinks that
one of these women
is responsible for his death.
Maybe they are.
This photo proves that they were
the last ones to see him alive,
yet none of them gave
statements to the cops.
But why are the murders
happening now,
- seven years later?
- Well, maybe after all these years,
someone found this photo.
Esposito, can you look into
Owen's family and friends?
Someone might be trying to
get payback for his death.
You got it.
Beckett.
Yeah. We'll be right there.
Sleeping Beauty just woke up.
Charlotte?
I'm detective Beckett.
This is Mr. Castle.
Do you feel well enough to
answer a few questions?
Yeah.
What can you tell us
about the attack?
I was at my computer,
just listening to music,
and... the next thing you know,
I'm being pushed to the floor.
Did you see who did it?
No.
They're saying--they're
saying I was drugged.
Why would someone do this to me?
Charlotte, I think you know why.
All three of you received
a copy of this photo.
Amy and Kristina weren't
as lucky as you.
They didn't make it.
Oh, my God.
But we did what he asked.
We paid him.
What does he have on you?
What happened to Owen
that night?
Charlotte?
It was just some stupid...
fairy-tale rave.
Um, we were just looking to dance and...
have fun.
And Owen had scored
some "Special K."
That hit is pretty hard,
but Kristina had some
of her mom's oxy
and said it would even us out.
Somehow we ended
up in Amy's car,
and that's where this
picture was taken.
How did Owen end up on
the side of the road?
He was having some seriously
bad hallucinations,
just...
screaming and--and grabbing us.
So we pulled the car over,
and we made him get out.
We just figured, he'd
walk back to the rave.
But it was all over the
news the next morning
that...
that there had been a hit and run
and that he'd been killed.
And why didn't you come forward?
Oh, we were just kids then.
We were scared out of our minds.
You--
you have to understand,
we had a lot to lose.
We came from good families, we'd
been accepted into college,
we... we made a pact
and we said, we--
we wouldn't tell anyone
what happened that night.
And that we'd never
see each other again.
Look, I'm not excusing
how we handled it.
We were... stupid,
but... we didn't do anything.
Well, someone thinks you did.
What did you do with the money?
The note said to put
it in a dumpster
at Bleecker and Thompson.
We didn't want some scandal
messing up our lives,
so we did it.
We paid.
So why did he come after us?
Okay, the corner of
Bleecker and Thompson--
there are no security
cameras at the drop site,
and so far, no witnesses.
He covered his bases.
I know. It's really
starting to piss me off.
Yeah, and you get cute
when you get angry.
But not when you
get angry with me.
Yo.
So I took a look Owen's family.
I think I found
someone with motive.
Turns out he has
an older brother,
and apparently, they were close.
Any connection to our victims?
Oh, yeah
see for yourself.
Wait.
That's Leslie's husband, Darren.
So Owen's brother is married
to our first victim's sister?
What are the odds, right?
Maybe Darren somehow found
out that his wife's sister
was responsible for his
brother Owen's death.
Well, maybe the families just
knew each other socially.
It doesn't mean that
Darren's our killer.
Oh, that doesn't,
but this might.
CSU tracked down where
the photo was processed.
It's from a roll of film,
and the guy who dropped it
off had three copies made.
And does the guy's
description match Darren's?
Even better.
They had security cameras.
It's him.
I got here as fast as I could.
So is there any news?
Did you find out who
did this to my sister?
Uh, first let me ask,
what was Amy's relationship
with your husband's brother--
Owen?
They were high school friends.
We all were.
What does this have
to do with Amy?
Owen died years ago.
You ever see this before?
No.
That's Amy,
and that's Owen.
These two I don't know.
It's from the night
that he was killed.
Okay.
Your husband Darren had it
printed up two weeks ago.
Do you have any
idea how he got it?
Last month,
we were cleaning
out my dad's attic
and found a camera with
a roll of film inside.
Darren thought it would be
fun to see what was on it.
You--you don't think he had
anything to do with Amy...
Do you?
I don't know what you
guys are talking about.
I didn't blackmail anybody.
All right, so then you don't
recognize this photo?
Absolutely not.
And then...
this isn't you, is it, Darren?
I can only imagine how
you must have felt.
After all these years, realizing
your own sister-in-law
might be involved in
your brother's death.
We found the cash in your
storage locker in Queens--
$151,815.
Which, by wild coincidence,
is exactly $50,605 times 3.
Owen was high.
He was messed up.
They knew that, and
what did they do?
They left him there.
They left him
and he died like roadkill.
You could've gone to the police.
Because they did
such a bang-up job
the first time around?
I just wanted them to pay
something for what they did.
I was even gonna use the money
to set up a scholarship
fund in Owen's name.
Really, a scholarship fund?
And what's your spin on murder?
The money wasn't enough.
You wanted revenge.
You wanted them to die
like your brother,
dressed in fairy-tale costumes,
ODing on the same drugs he did.
What? No.
I don't know who killed
them, but it wasn't me.
That's gonna be tough
to believe, Darren.
You had motive, you blamed
them for Owen's death,
and you just admitted
to blackmailing them.
I want a lawyer.
Of course you do.
Darren doesn't need a lawyer.
He needs a miracle.
His wife told Ryan that
he wasn't at the house when
the murders were committed.
So that's it then.
Yeah, for this case.
We did everything but tie
a bow on it for the DA.
Right this way, Ms. Morgan.
Is it true, Darren?
Is it true?
Look me in the eyes and
tell me it's not true!
No, babe. I didn't hurt anyone.
You blackmailed my sister!
- You lied to me. You--
- No, l-listen.
I'm telling you the truth, okay?
I didn't kill anyone.
I just wanted them to pay.
Who would do it then?
You had the picture.
- No, no! Babe, I swear--
- Oh, my God. It was you!
- I swear. I swear. Babe--
- You know what?
You need to get away
from me...
- Babe--
- Right now!
Listen!
- Les--
- Stay away.
Murder does more damage to
the living than to the dead.
Yeah, all because of
a terrible secret.
Well, secrets are
like time bombs.
Yeah, eventually, they...
explode.
You know, Castle, I'm not saying
that I condone what Darren did,
but I do understand it.
Yeah. No, I understand
wanting revenge.
The way he went about it
doesn't add up, though.
What do you mean?
Well, blackmail
is revenge from a distance.
Murder is up close and personal.
It doesn't make sense
he would do both.
Don't underestimate him.
I mean, the only reason
that he copped to blackmail
was to avoid murder charges.
And like any psychopath,
he's a great actor.
- Oh, speaking of...
- Psychopaths or actors?
- I-I was thinking about your mom.
- Oh, so a little of both.
I think we can make the play.
Really?
So you want to venture into
the dark, scary woods?
Don't worry, Castle.
I got a gun.
I'll protect you from
the big bad wolf.
You'd use your gun on my mother?
I'm touched.
Thank you.
Ah, thank you.
Oh, wow, Castle.
This is quite the soiree.
Yeah, it's a family trait.
We tend to go big. Cheers.
Cheers.
- Would you excuse me a moment?
- Yeah.
Hey.
Hey. You came.
Oh, it means so much
to me, darling.
She was worried you
wouldn't make it.
Break a leg, mother.
We have a schedule to keep.
Curtain in two minutes.
I can't get this bow straight.
Allow me. Allow me.
Oh, maybe I should
have Alexis do it.
I mean, how many bows have
you tied in your lifetime?
Well, I tie my shoes every day.
If you remember, you taught me.
Yeah, yeah, true.
The bow.
The bow was tied incorrectly.
Well, I told you, we
should've had Alexis do it.
Not your bow. The other bow.
The one on her costume.
We arrested the wrong man.
What? I-I don't understand.
So you're saying
Darren didn't do it?
Well, he's guilty of blackmail,
but that's as far as it goes.
So what if the killer's
still out there?
What if he comes after me?
He won't.
We have officers outside 24/7.
We'll find him, Charlotte.
We just, um,
we need a bit of your help.
Of course. Whatever I can do.
Well, we think that the key
to finding the real killer
is through understanding
exactly what happened
the night of Owen's death.
Can you answer a few questions?
Y-yeah. I mean, I guess so,
though I'm pretty sure I
told you everything I know.
Well, last time we spoke,
you said that everyone
was in Amy's car?
Right.
And who was driving?
She was. Why?
Well, we did a little checking.
The day after Owen died,
Amy brought her car
to a body shop.
She had a broken grille
and a dented bumper.
Any idea how she
got those dents?
Charlotte, what really
happened that night?
Did Owen try to get
back into the car?
Maybe Amy panicked,
accidentally hitting
him as she drove away?
Charlotte?
I begged Amy to go back.
Kristina and I both did.
We begged her, but she
just kept driving.
She didn't mean to hurt him.
It was just an accident.
That's the truth.
That's what really happened.
Is it?
Take a look
at how the bows
are tied on the victims' costumes.
What about them?
Well, the killer tied these bows
after the victims were drugged.
See how they look,
how the loops are
pleasingly horizontal?
Now... look at the bow on
your Sleeping Beauty outfit.
See how the loops are vertical?
It's a little weird.
I mean, if the killer
tied all three bows,
why would yours be different?
It's because you tied
all three bows.
This one is different because
you tied it on yourself
behind your back.
No. I was attacked.
I am a victim.
Yet, your doctor
said you received
half the dose of oxy that
the other girls got,
a nonlethal dose.
How soon after we pulled up
outside of your building did
you give yourself that shot?
This is crazy.
Why would I fake an
attack on myself?
So no one would suspect you
of silencing the only two
witnesses to your crime.
What are you talking about?
At the time, Kristina and Amy
were willing to
bury your secret,
but then...
this photo showed up.
I mean, how long could
you expect them
to keep the secret,
especially since
you were at fault?
All you could think
about was the scandal--
jail, how it would
ruin your life--
all because Kristina and
Amy knew the truth.
Charlotte,
you were behind the
wheel in Amy's car.
It was you
that hit and killed Owen.
No, Amy was driving. I told you.
Then why did you pay
for the car repairs?
We have the receipt.
You don't know what
happened that night.
You can't prove that I hit Owen,
and you can't prove that I
killed Amy or Kristina.
Yes, I can.
Your firm handled the
reverse mortgage
of an old woman named
Jamie Isaacson.
She paid closing costs
with her credit card.
That's the same credit card
that you used to pay for
all three costumes.
Charlotte Boyd, you
are under arrest
for the murders of Amy Morgan...
Kristina Curtis,
and the wrongful death
of Owen Thomas.
The bows?
Seriously?
She's actually the perfect
fairy-tale villain.
Like the big bad wolf,
she disguised herself
as an innocent,
but like Snow White's
evil stepmother,
she was willing to do
anything, even kill,
to protect her image.
After all these years,
maybe Owen's family can have
some closure about his death.
Yeah, but at what cost?
Two women are dead,
Darren's still being
charged with blackmail,
and I'm sure his
marriage is over.
Well, and that's why
we need fairy tales
in the face of too much reality,
to remind us that happy
endings are still possible.
All right.
See you in the morning.
- Later.
- Vale.
Speaking of fairy tales,
my mother is ready to give
her encore performance.
Time to go back into the woods?
Still got your gun?
It was the opportunity
of a lifetime--
the chance to originate the role
of the Wicked Witch on Broadway.
But it would mean
being away from home
six nights a week, two matinees.
Huh. What was I to do?
Realize that none of
it ever happened?
Francis Bacon once wrote,
"He that hath children
hath given hostages to fortune."
Well, if I was a hostage,
then my son Richard
was my captor,
my enslaver.
Hey, I'm right here.
I turned down the role,
turned my back on fortune.
And...
it was the best career
move I ever made,
for an even greater
role came my way.
A part--
perhaps the greatest role
that I have ever played--
that...
of mother.
That's sweet.
You're right. That is sweet.
Shh.
Sorry.
Now if Richard
had only been able to
embrace the role of son
with the same level
of commitment.
And into the woods we go.