Castle (2009–2016): Season 4, Episode 2 - Heroes and Villains - full transcript
The corpse of sex offender ex-con Tyler Faris is found on the street, cut in half by a sword. Faris' victim claims that a man in a superhero uniform saved her. Even Castle doesn't recognize...
(WOMAN PANTING)
Come on, baby, where you going?
But the party's just getting started.
Help! Somebody help me!
Hey! Come here!
- Get off me, you son of a bitch!
- Shh!
I'II teach you to run from me.
MAN: Leave the girl alone.
Why don't you get Iost,
before I take you down.
(WOMAN GASPS)
(GROANING)
(SCREAMS)
Mother, prepare to feast
on the finest omelet in the Iand
before you join the convent.
No, I am making costumes
for my Shakespeare class.
So, what do you think?
I seem to remember asking you
to make me an E.T. Halloween costume
and you told me
you didn't know how to sew.
Details.
Besides, you were 32 at the time.
The point is, proper wardrobe
helps an actor connect to the words.
So, Lady Macbeth, I presume?
Desdemona.
Oh, Desdemona.
ALEXIS: Yeah, me, too.
No, you hang up first.
No, you. It's your turn.
Stanford sounds so amazing.
I can't wait for January.
- January?
- When I Ieave. For Stanford.
What?
AIexis applied for spring admission.
You remember.
Yeah, I just thought...
Well, you haven't talked about it
for a Iong time, so I thought...
Because every time I did,
I saw the Iook on your face.
That Iook, right there.
No... Honey, it's just that
Stanford is a big decision.
I mean, you should think it over.
I did, and there's no downside.
It's a great university.
Ashley's there. I mean, I'II have
enough credits to graduate early.
Yeah, but don't you want to finish
off senior year with your friends?
Right? And prom?
Don't you want to go to prom?
Ashley just gave me his password so
I can go check out his classes online.
(CELL PHONE RINGS)
Lady Beckett, My Lord.
Richard, are you crying?
No, it's the onions.
Okay, I'II admit, it wasn't just
the onions, not completely.
I mean, she's gonna be gone
in a few months, my Iittle girl.
Yeah, but she's growing up, Castle,
and she's going to a great school.
- That's what you want, isn't it?
- Yes, I'm just not ready.
Okay, well, she is. So you two
are just not on the same page.
- So what do I do?
- Let her go.
Trust me, if you hold on too tight,
you'II just drive her away.
REPORTER: Detective!
Detective, Detective.
What can you tell us
about this homicide?
Uh, no comment. Excuse me.
CASTLE: Wow.
For a murder in an alley, really?
Officer Hastings,
what's this all about?
You should see for yourself,
Detective.
(CAMERAS CLICKING)
- Oh!
- Yeah, tell me about it.
BECKETT: Uh, so he was...
Split right down the middle,
from the top of his head,
- all the way down to his...
- (EXCLAIMS)
PIease, the guy was sliced in two.
I'd say his unit
is the Ieast of his problems.
Then you do not understand the sacred
bond between a man and his unit.
Okay, so what was the murder weapon,
guillotine?
A sword.
The tip broke off in the body.
BIood spatter indicates that the killer
first Iopped off the victim's hand,
then took the big swing.
Single-edged blade,
some kind of saber.
Man, a sword.
That is so Game of Thrones.
BECKETT: Esposito, this Iooks Iike
it might have been a ritual killing,
so Iet's get photos of all the bystanders
in case the killer came back.
ESPOSITO: On it. Meanwhile,
vic's name is Tyler Faris,
just got out of Sing Sing a year ago
for sexual assault.
Okay, we got any witnesses?
Yeah. The girl he was in the middle
of assaulting, a Marie Marcado.
I met him Iast night at Matt's Bar,
around the corner.
He seemed Iike a nice enough guy.
Talking all big
about his ship coming in.
Anyway, it got Iate, I Ieft with him.
But that's when he started getting
all super aggressive.
I took off running. He caught me.
I mean, God knows
what he would've done if...
If Conan the Barbarian
hadn't shown up?
What did the killer Iook Iike?
It was so dark,
I didn't really get to see his face.
You didn't catch anything? Ethnicity?
Age? Weight? Height?
She's holding out on us.
Well, Conan probably saved her Iife.
She doesn't want
to throw him under the bus.
Or under a Ben-Hur style chariot.
Yeah, but she saw the killer.
Isn't she afraid for her Iife?
She probably knows
he wasn't after her.
A career felon smited in two?
It's very OId Testament.
This plays Iike a vigilante killing.
Think Dirty Harry, with a sword.
Who just happens to be in the alley
when Faris is committing a felony.
The timing is a Iittle suspicious.
The killer probably
followed him from the bar.
With a sword?
Touch?.
Let's talk to the next of kin.
Mrs. Faris, we're very sorry
for your Ioss.
Don't sweat it.
Pardon me?
These things can happen.
Not in this century, they don't.
Oh, don't get me wrong.
I never expected my boy
to end up in two hunks,
but I always knew one day
he'd end up there, Iaying on a slab.
And why is that?
Because Tyler was a no-good Ioser.
He made one dumb-ass mistake
after the next.
I see. Do you know
if he was involved in anything
that might have gotten him killed?
Well, I certainly expect so.
He told someone that his ship
was coming in. What does that mean?
His ship was always coming in. That
was Tyler. AIways working an angle.
Ma'am, I'II need the names of all
the enemies your son may have had.
You're gonna need a bigger pad.
Larceny, assault, fraud.
You name it, Tyler Faris has done it.
Still, nobody deserves
ending up Iike that.
He got what was coming to him.
Dude, that's for the criminal
justice system to decide.
Maybe a sword is a justice system.
Yeah, if you're
Quentin Tarantino, maybe.
He made Iots of calls to an untraceable
burner phone in the past six months.
Behavior consistent
with a criminal dirtbag.
Check this out.
Tyler Faris got into an altercation
at a bodega three days ago.
He was gone
by the time the cops showed up,
but the shopkeeper says that he was
fighting with some other guy
over money.
This other guy have a name?
Yeah. Tony Valtini.
This guy's got a record, too.
Damn right, he does.
I remember Valtini from back in
Narcotics. Guy is totally mobbed up.
You know what else? His family owns
this meat-packing plant out in Jersey.
Tony's nickname, Tony the Butcher.
I bet he's split a few sides of beef
in his day.
TONY: Yeah, I had words with Faris.
He used to work for me
at Tony Valtini Enterprises.
Which division? Drug sales
or distribution of stolen property?
I am a Iegitimate businessman.
Faris sucked at his job,
so I canned him.
He thought I owed him back pay.
We settled it Iike gentlemen.
Hey, you don't believe me,
go ask him.
We'd have to hold a s?ance.
He's dead?
Let's just say Tyler Faris
is half the man he used to be.
A man divided?
Split personality? Really, nothing?
He was cleaved. In two. With a sword.
A sword?
Much Iike the Iong knives
used at a meat-packing plant.
Oh, hey, it wasn't me!
I had nothing to do with it,
but I know who did.
It was that guy.
That nut-job vigilante
who attacked me.
You never reported an attack.
I don't Iike to be a burden
on Iaw enforcement.
Bottom Iine is, I'm Ieaving my
warehouse one night, two weeks ago.
AII of a sudden,
here comes this guy with a sword.
He accuses me of criminal conduct,
unjustly, by the way.
Then he threatens to kill me
if I don't Ieave town.
And then, you know what he does then?
What does he do then?
He cuts me. Look at this.
You see that? See that scar there?
Looks Iike an "L."
Mr. Valtini, could you please
put your pants back on?
He did that to me! He did that,
with his sword, to me. Okay?
What did this man Iook Iike?
You wouldn't even believe me
if I told you.
Okay?
But I got cameras in my warehouse.
When he ran off,
I caught him on video.
The time code Iines up with the night
that Valtini said he was attacked.
RYAN: And according to E.R. records,
he was admitted that night
with knife wounds to the buttocks.
The sword of justice, bro.
(SIGHS)
Wait, is that...
CASTLE: No.
It can't be.
It is.
Our killer is a superhero!
Really? A superhero?
Yeah, our witness
from the alley confirms
that she saw this man
kill Tyler Faris.
Why didn't she say that before?
She didn't think
that we'd believe her.
And quite frankly, she's right.
A masked vigilante on the Ioose,
hacking people up.
Tell me what your plan is
to apprehend this individual.
We're Iooking for murders
with the same M.O.
We're also checking into enemies
that Tyler Faris and Tony Valtini
might have had in common.
And finally, we're trying to track down
where that suit and sword came from.
Reach out to Bellevue. They probably
admitted our suspect before.
- He's clearly delusional or psychotic.
- Yes, sir.
- Keep me apprised, Detective.
- Yes.
Don't waste your time on Bellevue.
You were eavesdropping?
Can I help it if I have superhuman,
Daredevil-Iike hearing?
Our killer is not crazy.
He cut a man in two, and he's running
around wearing a superhero suit.
I know costumes.
That one is not commercial.
He probably designed it himself,
which means he's highly functional.
You know what I would Iove right now,
is if somebody would come here
and give me a theory
that would actually help me
solve this case.
I've got one.
Every superhero has a persona,
a mission, origin story.
Learning who he is as a hero,
what drives him,
that will Iead us to the man
behind the mask.
Castle, what good
is comic book mythology
when our killer is not a superhero?
What if he is a superhero?
Like this one, who operates out
of Queens. Meet the Red Marune.
Red Marune? Isn't that redundant?
Don't worry, ma'am, Red Marune,
protector of all, beholden to none.
Sir, this is clearly not your purse.
I demand that you unhand it.
Ma 'am, are you all right?
Ow! Ahh!
Wow.
Impressive crime fighting skills.
What do you think?
Mutant powers or years of training?
Yes, well, sometimes
the runner stumbles.
The point is, there is a subculture
of real-Iife superheroes
that actually exists out there.
People crusading for the public good.
Yes, and usually, they get their
asses kicked, just Iike this guy.
I think our vigilante is one of them.
Castle, if he's a crusader
for the public good,
then why did he partition
Tyler Faris?
Because, tragically,
his pursuit of justice
has Ied him
down the path of the dark side.
That is a fate that has befallen
many a hero.
- Cheers.
- Thank you.
Trust me, I am onto something
with this superhero angle.
My Spidey-senses are tingling.
What's with him?
Something about Spidey-senses
and tingling.
Photos from the alley?
We may have a suspect.
Tech says that, that guy matches
the height and build
of the guy in the suit.
Not only that, when he saw the cops
taking his pictures, he ran.
AII right, have uniforms circulate
his photo. I want to know his name.
AII right.
You know, Castle might be right
about this guy being a superhero.
I talked to a buddy of mine
in Narcotics.
He said he heard rumors about a guy
on the streets
rousting drug dealers
and dumping their stashes.
A masked man with a sword.
Yes, it is a samurai sword.
So we're checking specialty stores
and martial arts suppliers.
And what about the costume?
Not available in any stores.
Just Iike Castle said.
Speaking of costumes,
I know who the killer is.
Behold.
A photo of our masked vigilante
juxtaposed with issues
from my own Marvel collection.
You have Avengers #1?
And there's more
where that came from.
You're welcome
to peruse my issues any time.
PIease note how the killer
has drawn inspiration
from costumes of other superheroes.
For example, the color scheme
evokes Spider-Man.
The horned helmet,
obviously an homage to Daredevil.
The sword and scabbard, Deadpool.
A high collar,
just Iike BIack Panther.
Now, what do these characters
all have in common?
They're make-believe.
They're driven by the death
of a father figure or Ioved one.
Exactly.
I believe that our killer
shares a similar backstory,
which is why he's been inspired
by these characters' costumes.
Furthermore, out of costume,
these heroes tend to be unassuming.
So Iet's add mild-mannered
to our profile.
Mr. Castle,
so this is you working a homicide.
A superhero who's mild-mannered
and someone killed his parents?
Isn't that all of them?
How can any of this produce
even one useful conclusion?
Let me direct your attention
to the golden belt
worn by our masked vigilante.
Based on the golden belt worn
by Iron Man
in only 11 original issues in 1963.
Which proves what, exactly?
Our killer collected comic books.
Which means there is one place
in this city he would definitely go.
You know, Castle, you might wanna
tone down the theories
until Gates warms up to you.
Oh, I plan to melt Captain Permafrost
by solving this case.
Yeah? Well, good Iuck with that one.
Whoa!
You smell that?
Wafting scent of printed pages?
Comicadia beckons.
This place is the premiere
comic book shop.
It's the Vatican to a Catholic,
it's Mecca to a pilgrim,
it's upstream to a spawning...
I know, Castle. I bought
my first comic here when I was 14.
Sin City: A Dame To Kill For.
Hardcore! Okay, wait, okay.
If you could be any comic book
character in the world,
who would you be?
EIektra.
Oh, ruthless assassin
who hides from her emotions.
No, maybe it's because
she's got badass ninja skills.
What about you?
Iron Man? Spider-Man?
No, wait, I know, Annoying-Man.
Try billionaire industrialist Bruce
Wayne, a.k.a. the Dark Knight.
He's brooding, he's handsome
and he has all the coolest toys.
Wow, digging deep on that one.
And did I mention what discerning
taste they have here at Comicadia?
Mr. Castle?
- And you're Kate Beckett, right?
- Mmm-hmm.
Mike Hoover. Sir, I am a huge fan.
It is such an honor to meet you.
Oh, the honor is mine.
We just got your Derrick Storm
graphic novel.
I mean, the art, the writing,
it is, in a word, awesome.
Tell me, what's your favorite part?
You don't have
to answer that question.
His ego does not need
any more feeding.
Definitely where Derrick Storm escapes
from the two bad guys by crashing the...
- Taxicab.
- ...taxicab.
Oh, I'm sorry, Detective Beckett.
I should have said "spoiler alert."
Oh, no, that's okay,
I won't be reading it.
Really? I saw your name on our Iist.
You pre-ordered a copy.
- Did she now?
- I was just being supportive.
Anyway, we're not here about that.
We need to ask you a few questions.
Yes, we do. I don't suppose you know
of any collectors of early Iron Man.
I'm sorry, Mr. Castle.
I can't share customer information.
Mike, do you recognize this man?
Uh, no. He doesn't Iook familiar.
What about this one?
Yeah, him I know.
- You do?
- Yeah.
- Really?
- Yeah.
The sword, the suit...
That's our vigilante.
Lone Vengeance.
That explains the "L" he carved
into Tony Valtini's backside,
but Sword of Lone Vengeance?
How come I've never seen this?
Oh, it's online only. It's kind of
fringe, but it has a following.
A guy named Sean EIt writes it.
Looks Iike you put more thought into
the killer's costume than he did, Castle.
It's a direct copy
out of the comic book.
I've seen that before.
The knuckle plates? Where?
On the ground, at the crime scene.
I thought it was a button.
But this is it, that's what it was.
It fell off of his suit.
If we can find that, if it's still there,
it could Iead us to the killer.
RYAN: Uniforms widened their canvass.
Still can't find anyone
who knows our mystery man.
Yeah, whoever he is, I can't
connect him to any swords either.
I pray we nail this dude,
before I have to call every store
on that Iist.
I thought you were kind of
rooting for this guy.
That's when he was Joe Citizen,
taking it to the bad guys.
Now he's just some nimrod in a suit.
Mmm. You gotta give him props
for spirit, though, right?
I mean, haven't you ever wanted
to be a superhero?
Going out there, prowling the city,
knocking some heads?
I do that now. Yeah, I'm still here.
You did? When?
I'II be right there.
Jake's Pawnshop sold a samurai sword
to some guy two hours ago.
They say he matches
our photo of our mystery man.
Maybe he's replacing the one
he broke off in Tyler Faris.
It was here. I know it was here.
Well, maybe somebody picked it up,
or maybe it was a button.
No, it's a... Ah! A-ha!
There it is! That is no button!
That is a piece of his costume.
You're right. Castle, I think
there's a partial print on it.
- (GROANS)
- Whoa!
Police! Stop!
(TIRES SCREECHING)
- How cool was that!
- Which part?
That that was our murderer?
Or that he just got away?
Gotta call in an APB.
(RINGING)
Espo, I gotta call you back.
Whoa, whoa, wait,
you're gonna want to hear this.
Yeah, we just saw our suspect.
He fled the crime scene.
Yeah, and I know where to find him
because I know who he is.
What? How?
Well, he bought a samurai sword
at a pawnshop today.
And now get this,
he paid for it with a check.
His name is Chad Hockney.
And his photo matches
the mystery man from the crime scene.
What's his address?
NYPD! Do not move a muscle.
Unless you can move faster
than a speeding bullet.
This man?
He's our killer?
Well, to be fair, he was a Iot more
imposing in a dark alley.
- With a sword.
- Uh-huh.
Yeah, he Iives four blocks away
from the crime scene,
and CSU's going through his apartment
right now, to find
evidence to Iink him to the murder.
Tie this up in a bow, Detective.
Get me a confession.
Take a seat, Mr. Hockney.
Look, this is just
a big misunderstanding.
I mean, I'm on your guys' side here.
Our side doesn't execute criminals.
See? Yeah, neither do I.
Except for Iast night's episode
of Two Half-Men.
We have a witness, Chad.
She saw you kill Tyler Faris.
And then Iike a moth to a flame,
you were inexorably drawn back
to the scene of the crime.
Which is when you realized
you Iost part of your suit.
So you came back to get it.
Or, rather, take it from us.
This is all about your father,
isn't it?
You're driven by his death.
My father's in Miami. I don't know
what you people are talking about.
So you're saying
you weren't in the alley,
slapping my hand with your sword,
and you didn't kill Tyler Faris?
No! I would never kill anyone.
I mean, neither would Lone Vengeance.
- Aren't you Lone Vengeance?
- Not the real one.
The real one
being the comic book character?
Comic book characters
aren't real, okay?
I mean the guy who assumed the
persona of the comic book character.
And who is that?
No one knows. But he is a Iegend
in the superhero community.
I dreamed of being him
when I was Red Marune.
"Protector of all, beholden to none"?
You've heard of me?
We saw the purse-snatching video.
Yeah. That. Ugh.
That hit the web and pretty much
turned Red Marune into a joke.
Those were dark days.
I was about ready to hang up
my tights for good.
Then I decided to seek out
Lone Vengeance's counsel.
What did he say?
To stay the hell away from him.
But that only steeled my resolve.
I mean, I made this costume,
I got a sword.
I was about to go out on patrol
when you guys busted in.
How do you find him?
I heard that Lone Vengeance
frequented Lower Manhattan.
I roamed the streets,
night after night, Iooking for him.
I finally ran into him
near Beekman and Theatre AIIey.
I want to be his disciple.
Maybe his partner.
It's my destiny.
He doesn't want a partner.
How do you know?
Lone Vengeance.
Lone.
What do you mean,
you can't make a case against him?
He's wearing the same suit.
Yeah, well, apparently,
he's not the only one.
Chad Hockney was in his apartment
making that suit the night of the murder.
In fact, neighbors were complaining
about the noise
from the sewing machine.
I told the mayor we had our man.
Yeah, well,
you shouldn't have done that.
Perhaps what I shouldn't have done
was place my faith in you, Detective.
Guys, where are we on the motorcycle?
Checking registrations
on silver Kawasakis.
We're also
canvassing around Beekman
for other sightings of Lone Vengeance.
Okay, Iet's put in a court order for
the names of all of the people
who downloaded
the Lone Vengeance comics.
One of them might be our murderer.
To the untrained eye,
this might Iook Iike a grown man
reading comic books, but...
I've been thinking about this, Dad.
I think you should be happy for me.
I am.
I am. I'm just gonna miss you,
that's all.
Me, too. But this is what I want.
Come. Tell me about your classes.
What will you be taking in January?
Intro to Statistics,
Microeconomic Theory.
The Economic Theory
of the Islamic Middle East.
Isn't Ashley an economics major?
Are you just taking his classes?
This way we can spend more time
together. What's wrong with that?
To quote Spider-Man,
"With great power
comes great responsibility."
Not a Iot of people get a chance
to go to a school Iike this.
You need to think about your dreams,
and what you want.
This is what I want.
This is what Ashley wants.
This wasn't even his idea,
it was mine.
Well, this can't be all about Ashley,
AIexis.
What if you guys break up?
What then?
We're not gonna break up.
Why are you trying
to talk me out of this?
I'm not. I'm just trying to stop you
from making irrational choices.
Why does everything I do
have to make sense?
Why can't I just do what I want
every once in a while?
That's all you ever do.
(SIGHING)
(DOOR SLAMS)
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
(BREATHING HEAVILY) Hey.
I should have called.
Yoga, Castle. I was doing yoga.
- Come on in.
- Gotcha.
I found something
that will shock and amaze you.
I downloaded
all of the Sword of Lone Vengeances.
- That's not shocking or amazing.
- You didn't Iet me finish.
I was Iooking for clues as to the
killer's identity in the comic books.
I didn't find any.
But check out what I did find.
Take a Iook at these panels.
A hoodlum Ieaves his warehouse.
Lone Vengeance swoops in,
and then carves the Ietter "L"
in his right cheek.
Who does that remind you of?
Tony the Butcher.
I checked the dates on the issue,
it came out
after Lone Vengeance attacked him.
These panels emulate that event.
The only other person
who was there was our vigilante.
- So then, you're saying that...
- It has to be.
Our killer is the writer
of this comic book. Sean EIt.
BECKETT: Okay, thank you.
Sean EIt doesn't exist.
His name is an alias.
Or a nom de plume, as we writers say.
Though why anyone would choose
Sean EIt...
Wait a minute.
It's an anagram.
Change the Ietters around
and you get...
Stan Lee. Comic book genius.
Trust me, he is no Stan Lee.
He's not even Sean EIt.
RYAN: Yeah, all right.
Thanks, Bill, maybe next time.
So, no help from Tech
on the real name.
The Lone Vengeance website
is registered solely to Sean EIt.
Well, whoever he is, he put more than
Tony the Butcher in his comics.
I found two more real-Iife incidents
that wound up as storylines.
Lone Vengeance
shook down a drug dealer,
and here, he set a truck full
of flat screens on fire.
BECKETT: Okay,
pull up the two police reports.
Let's see
if they have anything in common.
- I'm on it.
- Thanks.
Something doesn't add up.
Lone Vengeance stamps out crime,
both in the comics and in real Iife.
He's into this vigilante-style
ass-kicking.
Or in Tony's case,
ass-carving. But, never murder.
So why would he suddenly kill
Tyler Faris?
And why in such a brutal way?
Sword of Lone Vengeance:
This Time It's Personal?
That has to be it.
Tyler Faris must have known Sean EIt.
He didn't, as best I recall.
I never heard of no Sean EIt.
Did your son ever hang out
with the comic book crowd?
Was he into comics?
Just those slutty schoolgirl ones.
Oh, but Iately he'd gotten all into...
What was it?
Sword of Lone Vengeance.
Did he ever mention
the writer of that comic?
Was he hanging out with anyone
out of the ordinary Iately?
Somebody mild-mannered perhaps?
Actually, I saw him talking on the
stoop to a guy a few days back.
He was different. Wore a suit.
As in mask and cape?
Jacket and tie.
I overheard Tyler saying,
"I know the truth.
I know who you really are."
Do you think you could describe him?
Uh, fair-haired, young-ish,
with a beard.
Oh, and he wore one of them
plastic ID cards. A green one.
Fair-hair with a beard.
A green press badge.
BOTH: The reporter
from the crime scene.
Our suspect is one Paul Whittaker.
Former graphic artist
who works the crime beat
for the New York Ledger.
He's also a no-show at work,
and he's not at home, either.
We put out an APB
and we flagged his credit cards.
CASTLE: Actually, it makes
perfect sense. As a crime reporter,
Paul would see first-hand how
Iawlessness would
ravage a community.
Compelled to do more than
just write about it,
he would don a mask
and form-fitting tights
to become Lone Vengeance.
But his plan to purge the streets
hit a snag
when Tyler Faris threatened
to reveal his secret identity,
causing Lone Vengeance to cut him
down in a single fearsome blow.
What?
The student has become the master.
Or at Ieast, he tried. Actually,
for a truly Castle-esque theory,
it has to be fully thought-through.
- Since when?
- I did think it through.
Really? Then how did Tyler Faris know
that Paul Whittaker
was Lone Vengeance?
I've got that one.
I just got off with the Ledger.
Turns out that our reporter,
Paul Whittaker,
has a burner cell phone that he uses
to talk to confidential sources.
It's the same number
that Tyler Faris made calls to.
So Faris was a source
or a paid informant.
So that's how they knew each other.
And so maybe
Faris was tipping off Paul about crimes
going down in the neighborhood,
but Lone Vengeance
kept showing up instead.
And that is how Faris found out that
Lone Vengeance was actually Paul.
He confronted Paul,
threatened to expose him...
So Paul Whittaker killed him
to hide his identity
as a half-assed superhero?
(PHONE RINGS)
Beckett.
Actually,
it's perfect superhero psychology.
It's symbiosis.
See, Lone Vengeance
is a part of Paul Whittaker.
Yin and yang.
One can't exist without the other.
BECKETT: Okay, seal off the area.
Paul Whittaker just maxed out
his ATM at Seventy-First and Seventh.
Hmm, that is one block away
from Comicadia.
- Mmm.
- Mmm.
Two grand for all this?
Man, you got a Hulk 181 here.
That alone is worth, Iike...
I just need the money.
In cash.
Look,
I'm in a bit of a hurry here, so...
BECKETT: Really?
Where are you off to, Mr. Whittaker?
Or should we say, Lone Vengeance?
Really? Our killer is a writer?
Well, writers can be men of action.
I've yet to see that, Mr. Castle.
So he's a journalist,
Iike Peter Parker.
Actually,
Peter Parker was a news photographer.
Yeah, our guy's a Iittle more
Iike CIark Kent.
And he's mild-mannered,
just Iike I predicted.
Detective,
I'd Iike to call the mayor,
Iet him know
that we caught our killer.
- Try to get a confession this time.
- Yes, sir.
- I think she's warming up to you.
- Mmm.
We're searching your apartment now,
Paul. We found this artwork there.
We know you were behind
Sword of Lone Vengeance.
Well, there's no Iaw against that,
is there?
Except you took it a Iot farther
than just making a comic book.
It's only a matter of time before we find
the suit and the murder weapon.
Lone Vengeance stands
for all that is good and virtuous.
An army of one at war against crime,
a defender of the innocent.
(CLEARS THROAT)
But it's just a character I created,
it's not someone real.
According to this,
you were mugged Iast year,
outside an abandoned
tenement building.
Well, it's New York.
People get mugged.
Only, the mugger got the worst of it.
You ended up with a few stitches,
the mugger ended up in the hospital.
And cops say that
you were non-compliant.
There's a critical moment
in the arc of every superhero.
An awakening that transforms him,
that drives him to embrace his destiny.
For you, the mugging was that moment.
That's when Lone Vengeance was born.
And then you used
the Sword of Lone Vengeance
as your comic book diary.
We know you killed Tyler Faris, Paul.
Your Iife is over.
Both of your Iives.
You're going to prison.
What do you think those cons
are gonna do when they find out
that you ran around in tights?
If you help us,
if you confess,
I will keep you safe.
I will get you placed
in segregated housing.
Now, that is a good deal, Paul.
I would take it if I were you.
Okay. Okay, okay.
It's me. I'm Lone Vengeance.
And Tyler Faris found out.
Yeah, he threatened to expose me,
so I killed him.
I'm gonna need you
to write that down, Paul.
You said Lone Vengeance stands
for all that is good.
So he has a code.
So killing someone,
even someone Iike Tyler Faris,
violated that code.
In a typical superhero,
that would trigger a crisis of faith.
You must have been conflicted.
How did you feel
when you killed Tyler Faris?
Well, I felt bad. I felt really bad.
Paul, why did you chop off Tyler's
hand after you killed him?
I don't know, I just did.
Can I write my confession now?
Is that okay?
Are you sure he didn't do it?
Yeah, Faris' hand was chopped off
before he was killed.
Paul didn't know that.
Then why did he confess?
Because Paul is protecting
the real killer.
Paul is the writer.
Lone Vengeance is the subject.
That's their relationship.
It's you and me, all over again.
But I'm Paul,
and you're Lone Vengeance.
Really, Castle? Is that how you see me,
Iike a sword-wielding killer?
- Depends. Will you be scantily clad?
- In your dreams.
Not to rain
on your comic book fantasy,
but if Paul is not Lone Vengeance,
it puts a whole new spin
on his mugging.
That's right, it does. I bet Paul
didn't beat up that mugger.
I bet that was Lone Vengeance.
That's probably how they met.
Wait a minute.
That abandoned tenement building
where Paul was mugged, where is that?
Near Beekman and Theatre AIIey.
That's the same place where
Chad Hockney found Lone Vengeance.
So, either that's a coincidence...
Or that's where he hangs out.
An abandoned tenement building.
Perfect place for a superhero Iair.
Are you sure this is the place?
Yeah, the power company said that
unit 209 is the only one
with electricity.
Somebody tied it up to the pole.
Okay, if this is a Iair,
can I just say, "Disappointing."
Where's the mood Iighting?
The glass case
with 50 samurai swords?
(WHISPERING) Castle.
(EXCLAIMS IN DELIGHT)
AII right, it's a modest Iair,
built on a budget.
I wonder what else he's got hidden
around here.
ESPOSITO ON RADIO:
Beckett. Got a guy
on the fire escape, heading your way.
I think it's him.
- (COCKS GUN)
- NYPD. Do not move.
I wouldn't do that if I were you.
There are cops everywhere downstairs.
Now, very slowly, take off that mask.
Officer Hastings?
I did not see that coming.
RYAN: Can you believe it?
Lone Vengeance.
Sword-wielding killer
ends up being one of our own.
I don't know.
Maybe she had her reasons.
Whoa. "Maybe she had her reasons"?
What happened to "nimrod in a suit"?
That's before I knew she was a cop.
CSU is going over your suit, Ann.
They're Iooking for Tyler Faris' blood.
They won't find any.
Yeah, well,
you would know how to clean it up.
I always admired you, Detective.
The kind of cop that you are.
It made me want to get to know you.
You could've been that kind of a cop.
Awards, first-rate evaluation.
Why'd you Iet it go?
My father owned a dry cleaners
in the neighborhood.
It got held up by some junkie,
probably.
Shot dead over 80 bucks.
The day after I buried him,
I applied to the academy.
So then you decided to take the Iaw
into your own hands.
Being a cop wasn't enough?
Someone killed my dad.
Nothing will ever be enough.
But doing what I do
makes me feel better.
We arrested Ann.
I just thought you should know.
(SIGHS)
You're probably wondering
why I confessed then.
You're in Iove with her.
You crossed the Iine, Ann.
Don't pretend
Iike we're so different.
Let's talk about Tyler Faris.
Didn't you Iose your mom?
We're not here to discuss that.
Didn't you shoot the guy who killed
her right here in this precinct?
The bullet that you took, isn't that
connected to her murder, too?
Because that's the rumor.
I am not Iike you.
I didn't chop a man in half.
Neither did I.
Yes, you did, and you've got Paul
Whittaker so turned around over it,
that he tried to confess
to your murder.
Paul? Why would he do that?
Damn it, I told him to Ieave town
until I got this sorted out.
Well, you got it sorted out now.
I did not kill Tyler Faris.
I threw up my breakfast
when I saw that body.
You were in the alley with me, Ann.
You took that piece from your suit.
It wasn't from my suit.
And the only reason I wanted it
was to figure out who's behind this.
Do you actually expect me
to believe you?
It's true.
I saw that disk at the crime scene.
I knew it wasn't mine.
But before I could get it,
I got sent off to canvass.
So I came back for it.
And, yes, I took it from you.
And what did you do with it?
I had a friend in the crime Iab
run it for prints.
It came back with a partial, but
it wasn't in the criminal database.
Look, if you don't believe me,
ask him. He still has it.
So somebody else dressed up as
Lone Vengeance and killed our victim?
It's the only thing that makes sense.
How does that make sense?
Because it wasn't me!
I came across something
when I canvassed Matt's Bar,
where Tyler Faris came from.
He was a creature of habit.
He drank there every night.
He'd always Ieave
between 1:00 and 2:00
and take the back door to the alley.
Usually with a girl.
So you're saying that the killer knew
Faris was gonna show up in that alley.
Well, she didn't kill Tyler Faris.
- How do you know?
- I just...
I know.
Well, if she didn't do it
and Chad Hockney didn't do it,
then we're Iooking
at a third Lone Vengeance.
A clever imposter.
Okay. So, Iet's suppose
that our killer is an imposter.
That would mean that
he targeted Tyler Faris
and wore a costume
either to make sure
that nobody could identify him...
Or to make sure
he would be identified
and frame Lone Vengeance
for the murder.
And Tyler Faris
was the perfect victim.
CASTLE: Yeah, he shows up
in a dark alley Iike clockwork.
He even brings his own witness.
Okay, so, then,
maybe our killer was a criminal
who wanted Lone Vengeance
off the streets.
Criminal who wanted vengeance
against Lone Vengeance
and Tyler Faris.
Someone who knew Tyler
and his habits.
Someone who had experience
wielding a blade.
Someone who pointed us
to Lone Vengeance in the first place.
You think I killed Tyler Faris?
Come on. You're dreaming.
We know you wanted Lone Vengeance
off the streets.
He was costing you money.
We read the comics.
Lone Vengeance was shaking down
your dealers, burning your trucks.
So when Faris thought that
he figured out
Lone Vengeance's true identity,
he knew you'd pay top dollar for it.
AII right, even if this were true,
which it's not,
I got no motive for murder.
You had to be asking yourself,
all these times Lone Vengeance
was harassing your people,
how did he know where to go?
Who was tipping him off?
BECKETT: It had to have been someone
from the inside.
Someone with an ax to grind.
Someone just Iike Tyler Faris.
CASTLE: So, you figured, why not kill
two birds with one stone.
Get rid of Faris and hang the murder
on Lone Vengeance.
And that's it?
That's all you got?
(LAUGHING)
You guys call yourselves cops?
You ought to be embarrassed.
Here's your problem,
you got no proof.
BECKETT: Actually, we do.
It's from your outfit.
We matched the partial print
to your cousin, Ernesto.
CASTLE: The tailor.
I've heard great things
about his custom-made shirts.
But he also confessed to making
a Lone Vengeance outfit for you.
I want a Iawyer.
And you will need one.
Those are your personal effects.
You probably want to make sure
everything's there.
Thanks, Detective Beckett.
Ann, you're a good cop.
And you've got somebody
who cares about you.
Don't be so driven by the past
that you throw away your future.
Take care.
CASTLE: A murder solved,
and a notorious hoodlum
off the streets for good.
I call that a solid win.
I agree. AII because of the hard work
and dedication of this team.
Thank you, Captain. That means a Iot.
Of police officers.
Team of police officers, Mr. Castle.
Detective, about Officer Hastings,
she fled the alley
when you ordered her to stop.
Some reason
you're not pressing any charges?
I...
Think that given the number of folks
wearing that costume,
we can't prove
that it was her in the alley.
Or anywhere else, for that matter.
Exactly, sir.
GATES: She's a promising officer.
That said, it'd be bad for all of us
if Lone Vengeance were to show up
ever again.
I don't think that
that will be a problem, sir.
Well, Iet's make sure it isn't.
Either she just grew a heart...
Or she's worried about
how it would Iook
if the press found out that
Lone Vengeance was one of our own.
(ELEVATOR DINGS)
A writer and his muse,
fighting crime.
- Just Iike us.
- Mmm.
So, tomorrow?
Mmm-hmm.
Ah! Ah!
Oh, hello, Mother.
Ah, Falstaff.
- Really? It's King Lear.
- Oh.
Ugh!
I have work to do.
Hey. What's up?
Uh, Skyping with Ashley.
But we just finished.
You know,
even when you were a Iittle girl,
you were a serious person.
I think I've just gotten used to you
being sensible and mature.
Even more than me sometimes.
Sometimes?
Point taken. The thing is, AIexis,
I know there are other sides to you.
Impulsive sides,
romantic sides.
And I don't want you to deny them.
You were right.
With great power
does come great responsibility.
I've always been good
at doing what I'm supposed to.
But college is about
doing what you want.
You know, following your passion.
I'm picking my own classes.
I don't know which ones yet.
But no economics.
And you know what? Even if
you're not in classes with Ashley,
you still will see each other plenty.
I know.
Especially if we move in together.
Come on, baby, where you going?
But the party's just getting started.
Help! Somebody help me!
Hey! Come here!
- Get off me, you son of a bitch!
- Shh!
I'II teach you to run from me.
MAN: Leave the girl alone.
Why don't you get Iost,
before I take you down.
(WOMAN GASPS)
(GROANING)
(SCREAMS)
Mother, prepare to feast
on the finest omelet in the Iand
before you join the convent.
No, I am making costumes
for my Shakespeare class.
So, what do you think?
I seem to remember asking you
to make me an E.T. Halloween costume
and you told me
you didn't know how to sew.
Details.
Besides, you were 32 at the time.
The point is, proper wardrobe
helps an actor connect to the words.
So, Lady Macbeth, I presume?
Desdemona.
Oh, Desdemona.
ALEXIS: Yeah, me, too.
No, you hang up first.
No, you. It's your turn.
Stanford sounds so amazing.
I can't wait for January.
- January?
- When I Ieave. For Stanford.
What?
AIexis applied for spring admission.
You remember.
Yeah, I just thought...
Well, you haven't talked about it
for a Iong time, so I thought...
Because every time I did,
I saw the Iook on your face.
That Iook, right there.
No... Honey, it's just that
Stanford is a big decision.
I mean, you should think it over.
I did, and there's no downside.
It's a great university.
Ashley's there. I mean, I'II have
enough credits to graduate early.
Yeah, but don't you want to finish
off senior year with your friends?
Right? And prom?
Don't you want to go to prom?
Ashley just gave me his password so
I can go check out his classes online.
(CELL PHONE RINGS)
Lady Beckett, My Lord.
Richard, are you crying?
No, it's the onions.
Okay, I'II admit, it wasn't just
the onions, not completely.
I mean, she's gonna be gone
in a few months, my Iittle girl.
Yeah, but she's growing up, Castle,
and she's going to a great school.
- That's what you want, isn't it?
- Yes, I'm just not ready.
Okay, well, she is. So you two
are just not on the same page.
- So what do I do?
- Let her go.
Trust me, if you hold on too tight,
you'II just drive her away.
REPORTER: Detective!
Detective, Detective.
What can you tell us
about this homicide?
Uh, no comment. Excuse me.
CASTLE: Wow.
For a murder in an alley, really?
Officer Hastings,
what's this all about?
You should see for yourself,
Detective.
(CAMERAS CLICKING)
- Oh!
- Yeah, tell me about it.
BECKETT: Uh, so he was...
Split right down the middle,
from the top of his head,
- all the way down to his...
- (EXCLAIMS)
PIease, the guy was sliced in two.
I'd say his unit
is the Ieast of his problems.
Then you do not understand the sacred
bond between a man and his unit.
Okay, so what was the murder weapon,
guillotine?
A sword.
The tip broke off in the body.
BIood spatter indicates that the killer
first Iopped off the victim's hand,
then took the big swing.
Single-edged blade,
some kind of saber.
Man, a sword.
That is so Game of Thrones.
BECKETT: Esposito, this Iooks Iike
it might have been a ritual killing,
so Iet's get photos of all the bystanders
in case the killer came back.
ESPOSITO: On it. Meanwhile,
vic's name is Tyler Faris,
just got out of Sing Sing a year ago
for sexual assault.
Okay, we got any witnesses?
Yeah. The girl he was in the middle
of assaulting, a Marie Marcado.
I met him Iast night at Matt's Bar,
around the corner.
He seemed Iike a nice enough guy.
Talking all big
about his ship coming in.
Anyway, it got Iate, I Ieft with him.
But that's when he started getting
all super aggressive.
I took off running. He caught me.
I mean, God knows
what he would've done if...
If Conan the Barbarian
hadn't shown up?
What did the killer Iook Iike?
It was so dark,
I didn't really get to see his face.
You didn't catch anything? Ethnicity?
Age? Weight? Height?
She's holding out on us.
Well, Conan probably saved her Iife.
She doesn't want
to throw him under the bus.
Or under a Ben-Hur style chariot.
Yeah, but she saw the killer.
Isn't she afraid for her Iife?
She probably knows
he wasn't after her.
A career felon smited in two?
It's very OId Testament.
This plays Iike a vigilante killing.
Think Dirty Harry, with a sword.
Who just happens to be in the alley
when Faris is committing a felony.
The timing is a Iittle suspicious.
The killer probably
followed him from the bar.
With a sword?
Touch?.
Let's talk to the next of kin.
Mrs. Faris, we're very sorry
for your Ioss.
Don't sweat it.
Pardon me?
These things can happen.
Not in this century, they don't.
Oh, don't get me wrong.
I never expected my boy
to end up in two hunks,
but I always knew one day
he'd end up there, Iaying on a slab.
And why is that?
Because Tyler was a no-good Ioser.
He made one dumb-ass mistake
after the next.
I see. Do you know
if he was involved in anything
that might have gotten him killed?
Well, I certainly expect so.
He told someone that his ship
was coming in. What does that mean?
His ship was always coming in. That
was Tyler. AIways working an angle.
Ma'am, I'II need the names of all
the enemies your son may have had.
You're gonna need a bigger pad.
Larceny, assault, fraud.
You name it, Tyler Faris has done it.
Still, nobody deserves
ending up Iike that.
He got what was coming to him.
Dude, that's for the criminal
justice system to decide.
Maybe a sword is a justice system.
Yeah, if you're
Quentin Tarantino, maybe.
He made Iots of calls to an untraceable
burner phone in the past six months.
Behavior consistent
with a criminal dirtbag.
Check this out.
Tyler Faris got into an altercation
at a bodega three days ago.
He was gone
by the time the cops showed up,
but the shopkeeper says that he was
fighting with some other guy
over money.
This other guy have a name?
Yeah. Tony Valtini.
This guy's got a record, too.
Damn right, he does.
I remember Valtini from back in
Narcotics. Guy is totally mobbed up.
You know what else? His family owns
this meat-packing plant out in Jersey.
Tony's nickname, Tony the Butcher.
I bet he's split a few sides of beef
in his day.
TONY: Yeah, I had words with Faris.
He used to work for me
at Tony Valtini Enterprises.
Which division? Drug sales
or distribution of stolen property?
I am a Iegitimate businessman.
Faris sucked at his job,
so I canned him.
He thought I owed him back pay.
We settled it Iike gentlemen.
Hey, you don't believe me,
go ask him.
We'd have to hold a s?ance.
He's dead?
Let's just say Tyler Faris
is half the man he used to be.
A man divided?
Split personality? Really, nothing?
He was cleaved. In two. With a sword.
A sword?
Much Iike the Iong knives
used at a meat-packing plant.
Oh, hey, it wasn't me!
I had nothing to do with it,
but I know who did.
It was that guy.
That nut-job vigilante
who attacked me.
You never reported an attack.
I don't Iike to be a burden
on Iaw enforcement.
Bottom Iine is, I'm Ieaving my
warehouse one night, two weeks ago.
AII of a sudden,
here comes this guy with a sword.
He accuses me of criminal conduct,
unjustly, by the way.
Then he threatens to kill me
if I don't Ieave town.
And then, you know what he does then?
What does he do then?
He cuts me. Look at this.
You see that? See that scar there?
Looks Iike an "L."
Mr. Valtini, could you please
put your pants back on?
He did that to me! He did that,
with his sword, to me. Okay?
What did this man Iook Iike?
You wouldn't even believe me
if I told you.
Okay?
But I got cameras in my warehouse.
When he ran off,
I caught him on video.
The time code Iines up with the night
that Valtini said he was attacked.
RYAN: And according to E.R. records,
he was admitted that night
with knife wounds to the buttocks.
The sword of justice, bro.
(SIGHS)
Wait, is that...
CASTLE: No.
It can't be.
It is.
Our killer is a superhero!
Really? A superhero?
Yeah, our witness
from the alley confirms
that she saw this man
kill Tyler Faris.
Why didn't she say that before?
She didn't think
that we'd believe her.
And quite frankly, she's right.
A masked vigilante on the Ioose,
hacking people up.
Tell me what your plan is
to apprehend this individual.
We're Iooking for murders
with the same M.O.
We're also checking into enemies
that Tyler Faris and Tony Valtini
might have had in common.
And finally, we're trying to track down
where that suit and sword came from.
Reach out to Bellevue. They probably
admitted our suspect before.
- He's clearly delusional or psychotic.
- Yes, sir.
- Keep me apprised, Detective.
- Yes.
Don't waste your time on Bellevue.
You were eavesdropping?
Can I help it if I have superhuman,
Daredevil-Iike hearing?
Our killer is not crazy.
He cut a man in two, and he's running
around wearing a superhero suit.
I know costumes.
That one is not commercial.
He probably designed it himself,
which means he's highly functional.
You know what I would Iove right now,
is if somebody would come here
and give me a theory
that would actually help me
solve this case.
I've got one.
Every superhero has a persona,
a mission, origin story.
Learning who he is as a hero,
what drives him,
that will Iead us to the man
behind the mask.
Castle, what good
is comic book mythology
when our killer is not a superhero?
What if he is a superhero?
Like this one, who operates out
of Queens. Meet the Red Marune.
Red Marune? Isn't that redundant?
Don't worry, ma'am, Red Marune,
protector of all, beholden to none.
Sir, this is clearly not your purse.
I demand that you unhand it.
Ma 'am, are you all right?
Ow! Ahh!
Wow.
Impressive crime fighting skills.
What do you think?
Mutant powers or years of training?
Yes, well, sometimes
the runner stumbles.
The point is, there is a subculture
of real-Iife superheroes
that actually exists out there.
People crusading for the public good.
Yes, and usually, they get their
asses kicked, just Iike this guy.
I think our vigilante is one of them.
Castle, if he's a crusader
for the public good,
then why did he partition
Tyler Faris?
Because, tragically,
his pursuit of justice
has Ied him
down the path of the dark side.
That is a fate that has befallen
many a hero.
- Cheers.
- Thank you.
Trust me, I am onto something
with this superhero angle.
My Spidey-senses are tingling.
What's with him?
Something about Spidey-senses
and tingling.
Photos from the alley?
We may have a suspect.
Tech says that, that guy matches
the height and build
of the guy in the suit.
Not only that, when he saw the cops
taking his pictures, he ran.
AII right, have uniforms circulate
his photo. I want to know his name.
AII right.
You know, Castle might be right
about this guy being a superhero.
I talked to a buddy of mine
in Narcotics.
He said he heard rumors about a guy
on the streets
rousting drug dealers
and dumping their stashes.
A masked man with a sword.
Yes, it is a samurai sword.
So we're checking specialty stores
and martial arts suppliers.
And what about the costume?
Not available in any stores.
Just Iike Castle said.
Speaking of costumes,
I know who the killer is.
Behold.
A photo of our masked vigilante
juxtaposed with issues
from my own Marvel collection.
You have Avengers #1?
And there's more
where that came from.
You're welcome
to peruse my issues any time.
PIease note how the killer
has drawn inspiration
from costumes of other superheroes.
For example, the color scheme
evokes Spider-Man.
The horned helmet,
obviously an homage to Daredevil.
The sword and scabbard, Deadpool.
A high collar,
just Iike BIack Panther.
Now, what do these characters
all have in common?
They're make-believe.
They're driven by the death
of a father figure or Ioved one.
Exactly.
I believe that our killer
shares a similar backstory,
which is why he's been inspired
by these characters' costumes.
Furthermore, out of costume,
these heroes tend to be unassuming.
So Iet's add mild-mannered
to our profile.
Mr. Castle,
so this is you working a homicide.
A superhero who's mild-mannered
and someone killed his parents?
Isn't that all of them?
How can any of this produce
even one useful conclusion?
Let me direct your attention
to the golden belt
worn by our masked vigilante.
Based on the golden belt worn
by Iron Man
in only 11 original issues in 1963.
Which proves what, exactly?
Our killer collected comic books.
Which means there is one place
in this city he would definitely go.
You know, Castle, you might wanna
tone down the theories
until Gates warms up to you.
Oh, I plan to melt Captain Permafrost
by solving this case.
Yeah? Well, good Iuck with that one.
Whoa!
You smell that?
Wafting scent of printed pages?
Comicadia beckons.
This place is the premiere
comic book shop.
It's the Vatican to a Catholic,
it's Mecca to a pilgrim,
it's upstream to a spawning...
I know, Castle. I bought
my first comic here when I was 14.
Sin City: A Dame To Kill For.
Hardcore! Okay, wait, okay.
If you could be any comic book
character in the world,
who would you be?
EIektra.
Oh, ruthless assassin
who hides from her emotions.
No, maybe it's because
she's got badass ninja skills.
What about you?
Iron Man? Spider-Man?
No, wait, I know, Annoying-Man.
Try billionaire industrialist Bruce
Wayne, a.k.a. the Dark Knight.
He's brooding, he's handsome
and he has all the coolest toys.
Wow, digging deep on that one.
And did I mention what discerning
taste they have here at Comicadia?
Mr. Castle?
- And you're Kate Beckett, right?
- Mmm-hmm.
Mike Hoover. Sir, I am a huge fan.
It is such an honor to meet you.
Oh, the honor is mine.
We just got your Derrick Storm
graphic novel.
I mean, the art, the writing,
it is, in a word, awesome.
Tell me, what's your favorite part?
You don't have
to answer that question.
His ego does not need
any more feeding.
Definitely where Derrick Storm escapes
from the two bad guys by crashing the...
- Taxicab.
- ...taxicab.
Oh, I'm sorry, Detective Beckett.
I should have said "spoiler alert."
Oh, no, that's okay,
I won't be reading it.
Really? I saw your name on our Iist.
You pre-ordered a copy.
- Did she now?
- I was just being supportive.
Anyway, we're not here about that.
We need to ask you a few questions.
Yes, we do. I don't suppose you know
of any collectors of early Iron Man.
I'm sorry, Mr. Castle.
I can't share customer information.
Mike, do you recognize this man?
Uh, no. He doesn't Iook familiar.
What about this one?
Yeah, him I know.
- You do?
- Yeah.
- Really?
- Yeah.
The sword, the suit...
That's our vigilante.
Lone Vengeance.
That explains the "L" he carved
into Tony Valtini's backside,
but Sword of Lone Vengeance?
How come I've never seen this?
Oh, it's online only. It's kind of
fringe, but it has a following.
A guy named Sean EIt writes it.
Looks Iike you put more thought into
the killer's costume than he did, Castle.
It's a direct copy
out of the comic book.
I've seen that before.
The knuckle plates? Where?
On the ground, at the crime scene.
I thought it was a button.
But this is it, that's what it was.
It fell off of his suit.
If we can find that, if it's still there,
it could Iead us to the killer.
RYAN: Uniforms widened their canvass.
Still can't find anyone
who knows our mystery man.
Yeah, whoever he is, I can't
connect him to any swords either.
I pray we nail this dude,
before I have to call every store
on that Iist.
I thought you were kind of
rooting for this guy.
That's when he was Joe Citizen,
taking it to the bad guys.
Now he's just some nimrod in a suit.
Mmm. You gotta give him props
for spirit, though, right?
I mean, haven't you ever wanted
to be a superhero?
Going out there, prowling the city,
knocking some heads?
I do that now. Yeah, I'm still here.
You did? When?
I'II be right there.
Jake's Pawnshop sold a samurai sword
to some guy two hours ago.
They say he matches
our photo of our mystery man.
Maybe he's replacing the one
he broke off in Tyler Faris.
It was here. I know it was here.
Well, maybe somebody picked it up,
or maybe it was a button.
No, it's a... Ah! A-ha!
There it is! That is no button!
That is a piece of his costume.
You're right. Castle, I think
there's a partial print on it.
- (GROANS)
- Whoa!
Police! Stop!
(TIRES SCREECHING)
- How cool was that!
- Which part?
That that was our murderer?
Or that he just got away?
Gotta call in an APB.
(RINGING)
Espo, I gotta call you back.
Whoa, whoa, wait,
you're gonna want to hear this.
Yeah, we just saw our suspect.
He fled the crime scene.
Yeah, and I know where to find him
because I know who he is.
What? How?
Well, he bought a samurai sword
at a pawnshop today.
And now get this,
he paid for it with a check.
His name is Chad Hockney.
And his photo matches
the mystery man from the crime scene.
What's his address?
NYPD! Do not move a muscle.
Unless you can move faster
than a speeding bullet.
This man?
He's our killer?
Well, to be fair, he was a Iot more
imposing in a dark alley.
- With a sword.
- Uh-huh.
Yeah, he Iives four blocks away
from the crime scene,
and CSU's going through his apartment
right now, to find
evidence to Iink him to the murder.
Tie this up in a bow, Detective.
Get me a confession.
Take a seat, Mr. Hockney.
Look, this is just
a big misunderstanding.
I mean, I'm on your guys' side here.
Our side doesn't execute criminals.
See? Yeah, neither do I.
Except for Iast night's episode
of Two Half-Men.
We have a witness, Chad.
She saw you kill Tyler Faris.
And then Iike a moth to a flame,
you were inexorably drawn back
to the scene of the crime.
Which is when you realized
you Iost part of your suit.
So you came back to get it.
Or, rather, take it from us.
This is all about your father,
isn't it?
You're driven by his death.
My father's in Miami. I don't know
what you people are talking about.
So you're saying
you weren't in the alley,
slapping my hand with your sword,
and you didn't kill Tyler Faris?
No! I would never kill anyone.
I mean, neither would Lone Vengeance.
- Aren't you Lone Vengeance?
- Not the real one.
The real one
being the comic book character?
Comic book characters
aren't real, okay?
I mean the guy who assumed the
persona of the comic book character.
And who is that?
No one knows. But he is a Iegend
in the superhero community.
I dreamed of being him
when I was Red Marune.
"Protector of all, beholden to none"?
You've heard of me?
We saw the purse-snatching video.
Yeah. That. Ugh.
That hit the web and pretty much
turned Red Marune into a joke.
Those were dark days.
I was about ready to hang up
my tights for good.
Then I decided to seek out
Lone Vengeance's counsel.
What did he say?
To stay the hell away from him.
But that only steeled my resolve.
I mean, I made this costume,
I got a sword.
I was about to go out on patrol
when you guys busted in.
How do you find him?
I heard that Lone Vengeance
frequented Lower Manhattan.
I roamed the streets,
night after night, Iooking for him.
I finally ran into him
near Beekman and Theatre AIIey.
I want to be his disciple.
Maybe his partner.
It's my destiny.
He doesn't want a partner.
How do you know?
Lone Vengeance.
Lone.
What do you mean,
you can't make a case against him?
He's wearing the same suit.
Yeah, well, apparently,
he's not the only one.
Chad Hockney was in his apartment
making that suit the night of the murder.
In fact, neighbors were complaining
about the noise
from the sewing machine.
I told the mayor we had our man.
Yeah, well,
you shouldn't have done that.
Perhaps what I shouldn't have done
was place my faith in you, Detective.
Guys, where are we on the motorcycle?
Checking registrations
on silver Kawasakis.
We're also
canvassing around Beekman
for other sightings of Lone Vengeance.
Okay, Iet's put in a court order for
the names of all of the people
who downloaded
the Lone Vengeance comics.
One of them might be our murderer.
To the untrained eye,
this might Iook Iike a grown man
reading comic books, but...
I've been thinking about this, Dad.
I think you should be happy for me.
I am.
I am. I'm just gonna miss you,
that's all.
Me, too. But this is what I want.
Come. Tell me about your classes.
What will you be taking in January?
Intro to Statistics,
Microeconomic Theory.
The Economic Theory
of the Islamic Middle East.
Isn't Ashley an economics major?
Are you just taking his classes?
This way we can spend more time
together. What's wrong with that?
To quote Spider-Man,
"With great power
comes great responsibility."
Not a Iot of people get a chance
to go to a school Iike this.
You need to think about your dreams,
and what you want.
This is what I want.
This is what Ashley wants.
This wasn't even his idea,
it was mine.
Well, this can't be all about Ashley,
AIexis.
What if you guys break up?
What then?
We're not gonna break up.
Why are you trying
to talk me out of this?
I'm not. I'm just trying to stop you
from making irrational choices.
Why does everything I do
have to make sense?
Why can't I just do what I want
every once in a while?
That's all you ever do.
(SIGHING)
(DOOR SLAMS)
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
(BREATHING HEAVILY) Hey.
I should have called.
Yoga, Castle. I was doing yoga.
- Come on in.
- Gotcha.
I found something
that will shock and amaze you.
I downloaded
all of the Sword of Lone Vengeances.
- That's not shocking or amazing.
- You didn't Iet me finish.
I was Iooking for clues as to the
killer's identity in the comic books.
I didn't find any.
But check out what I did find.
Take a Iook at these panels.
A hoodlum Ieaves his warehouse.
Lone Vengeance swoops in,
and then carves the Ietter "L"
in his right cheek.
Who does that remind you of?
Tony the Butcher.
I checked the dates on the issue,
it came out
after Lone Vengeance attacked him.
These panels emulate that event.
The only other person
who was there was our vigilante.
- So then, you're saying that...
- It has to be.
Our killer is the writer
of this comic book. Sean EIt.
BECKETT: Okay, thank you.
Sean EIt doesn't exist.
His name is an alias.
Or a nom de plume, as we writers say.
Though why anyone would choose
Sean EIt...
Wait a minute.
It's an anagram.
Change the Ietters around
and you get...
Stan Lee. Comic book genius.
Trust me, he is no Stan Lee.
He's not even Sean EIt.
RYAN: Yeah, all right.
Thanks, Bill, maybe next time.
So, no help from Tech
on the real name.
The Lone Vengeance website
is registered solely to Sean EIt.
Well, whoever he is, he put more than
Tony the Butcher in his comics.
I found two more real-Iife incidents
that wound up as storylines.
Lone Vengeance
shook down a drug dealer,
and here, he set a truck full
of flat screens on fire.
BECKETT: Okay,
pull up the two police reports.
Let's see
if they have anything in common.
- I'm on it.
- Thanks.
Something doesn't add up.
Lone Vengeance stamps out crime,
both in the comics and in real Iife.
He's into this vigilante-style
ass-kicking.
Or in Tony's case,
ass-carving. But, never murder.
So why would he suddenly kill
Tyler Faris?
And why in such a brutal way?
Sword of Lone Vengeance:
This Time It's Personal?
That has to be it.
Tyler Faris must have known Sean EIt.
He didn't, as best I recall.
I never heard of no Sean EIt.
Did your son ever hang out
with the comic book crowd?
Was he into comics?
Just those slutty schoolgirl ones.
Oh, but Iately he'd gotten all into...
What was it?
Sword of Lone Vengeance.
Did he ever mention
the writer of that comic?
Was he hanging out with anyone
out of the ordinary Iately?
Somebody mild-mannered perhaps?
Actually, I saw him talking on the
stoop to a guy a few days back.
He was different. Wore a suit.
As in mask and cape?
Jacket and tie.
I overheard Tyler saying,
"I know the truth.
I know who you really are."
Do you think you could describe him?
Uh, fair-haired, young-ish,
with a beard.
Oh, and he wore one of them
plastic ID cards. A green one.
Fair-hair with a beard.
A green press badge.
BOTH: The reporter
from the crime scene.
Our suspect is one Paul Whittaker.
Former graphic artist
who works the crime beat
for the New York Ledger.
He's also a no-show at work,
and he's not at home, either.
We put out an APB
and we flagged his credit cards.
CASTLE: Actually, it makes
perfect sense. As a crime reporter,
Paul would see first-hand how
Iawlessness would
ravage a community.
Compelled to do more than
just write about it,
he would don a mask
and form-fitting tights
to become Lone Vengeance.
But his plan to purge the streets
hit a snag
when Tyler Faris threatened
to reveal his secret identity,
causing Lone Vengeance to cut him
down in a single fearsome blow.
What?
The student has become the master.
Or at Ieast, he tried. Actually,
for a truly Castle-esque theory,
it has to be fully thought-through.
- Since when?
- I did think it through.
Really? Then how did Tyler Faris know
that Paul Whittaker
was Lone Vengeance?
I've got that one.
I just got off with the Ledger.
Turns out that our reporter,
Paul Whittaker,
has a burner cell phone that he uses
to talk to confidential sources.
It's the same number
that Tyler Faris made calls to.
So Faris was a source
or a paid informant.
So that's how they knew each other.
And so maybe
Faris was tipping off Paul about crimes
going down in the neighborhood,
but Lone Vengeance
kept showing up instead.
And that is how Faris found out that
Lone Vengeance was actually Paul.
He confronted Paul,
threatened to expose him...
So Paul Whittaker killed him
to hide his identity
as a half-assed superhero?
(PHONE RINGS)
Beckett.
Actually,
it's perfect superhero psychology.
It's symbiosis.
See, Lone Vengeance
is a part of Paul Whittaker.
Yin and yang.
One can't exist without the other.
BECKETT: Okay, seal off the area.
Paul Whittaker just maxed out
his ATM at Seventy-First and Seventh.
Hmm, that is one block away
from Comicadia.
- Mmm.
- Mmm.
Two grand for all this?
Man, you got a Hulk 181 here.
That alone is worth, Iike...
I just need the money.
In cash.
Look,
I'm in a bit of a hurry here, so...
BECKETT: Really?
Where are you off to, Mr. Whittaker?
Or should we say, Lone Vengeance?
Really? Our killer is a writer?
Well, writers can be men of action.
I've yet to see that, Mr. Castle.
So he's a journalist,
Iike Peter Parker.
Actually,
Peter Parker was a news photographer.
Yeah, our guy's a Iittle more
Iike CIark Kent.
And he's mild-mannered,
just Iike I predicted.
Detective,
I'd Iike to call the mayor,
Iet him know
that we caught our killer.
- Try to get a confession this time.
- Yes, sir.
- I think she's warming up to you.
- Mmm.
We're searching your apartment now,
Paul. We found this artwork there.
We know you were behind
Sword of Lone Vengeance.
Well, there's no Iaw against that,
is there?
Except you took it a Iot farther
than just making a comic book.
It's only a matter of time before we find
the suit and the murder weapon.
Lone Vengeance stands
for all that is good and virtuous.
An army of one at war against crime,
a defender of the innocent.
(CLEARS THROAT)
But it's just a character I created,
it's not someone real.
According to this,
you were mugged Iast year,
outside an abandoned
tenement building.
Well, it's New York.
People get mugged.
Only, the mugger got the worst of it.
You ended up with a few stitches,
the mugger ended up in the hospital.
And cops say that
you were non-compliant.
There's a critical moment
in the arc of every superhero.
An awakening that transforms him,
that drives him to embrace his destiny.
For you, the mugging was that moment.
That's when Lone Vengeance was born.
And then you used
the Sword of Lone Vengeance
as your comic book diary.
We know you killed Tyler Faris, Paul.
Your Iife is over.
Both of your Iives.
You're going to prison.
What do you think those cons
are gonna do when they find out
that you ran around in tights?
If you help us,
if you confess,
I will keep you safe.
I will get you placed
in segregated housing.
Now, that is a good deal, Paul.
I would take it if I were you.
Okay. Okay, okay.
It's me. I'm Lone Vengeance.
And Tyler Faris found out.
Yeah, he threatened to expose me,
so I killed him.
I'm gonna need you
to write that down, Paul.
You said Lone Vengeance stands
for all that is good.
So he has a code.
So killing someone,
even someone Iike Tyler Faris,
violated that code.
In a typical superhero,
that would trigger a crisis of faith.
You must have been conflicted.
How did you feel
when you killed Tyler Faris?
Well, I felt bad. I felt really bad.
Paul, why did you chop off Tyler's
hand after you killed him?
I don't know, I just did.
Can I write my confession now?
Is that okay?
Are you sure he didn't do it?
Yeah, Faris' hand was chopped off
before he was killed.
Paul didn't know that.
Then why did he confess?
Because Paul is protecting
the real killer.
Paul is the writer.
Lone Vengeance is the subject.
That's their relationship.
It's you and me, all over again.
But I'm Paul,
and you're Lone Vengeance.
Really, Castle? Is that how you see me,
Iike a sword-wielding killer?
- Depends. Will you be scantily clad?
- In your dreams.
Not to rain
on your comic book fantasy,
but if Paul is not Lone Vengeance,
it puts a whole new spin
on his mugging.
That's right, it does. I bet Paul
didn't beat up that mugger.
I bet that was Lone Vengeance.
That's probably how they met.
Wait a minute.
That abandoned tenement building
where Paul was mugged, where is that?
Near Beekman and Theatre AIIey.
That's the same place where
Chad Hockney found Lone Vengeance.
So, either that's a coincidence...
Or that's where he hangs out.
An abandoned tenement building.
Perfect place for a superhero Iair.
Are you sure this is the place?
Yeah, the power company said that
unit 209 is the only one
with electricity.
Somebody tied it up to the pole.
Okay, if this is a Iair,
can I just say, "Disappointing."
Where's the mood Iighting?
The glass case
with 50 samurai swords?
(WHISPERING) Castle.
(EXCLAIMS IN DELIGHT)
AII right, it's a modest Iair,
built on a budget.
I wonder what else he's got hidden
around here.
ESPOSITO ON RADIO:
Beckett. Got a guy
on the fire escape, heading your way.
I think it's him.
- (COCKS GUN)
- NYPD. Do not move.
I wouldn't do that if I were you.
There are cops everywhere downstairs.
Now, very slowly, take off that mask.
Officer Hastings?
I did not see that coming.
RYAN: Can you believe it?
Lone Vengeance.
Sword-wielding killer
ends up being one of our own.
I don't know.
Maybe she had her reasons.
Whoa. "Maybe she had her reasons"?
What happened to "nimrod in a suit"?
That's before I knew she was a cop.
CSU is going over your suit, Ann.
They're Iooking for Tyler Faris' blood.
They won't find any.
Yeah, well,
you would know how to clean it up.
I always admired you, Detective.
The kind of cop that you are.
It made me want to get to know you.
You could've been that kind of a cop.
Awards, first-rate evaluation.
Why'd you Iet it go?
My father owned a dry cleaners
in the neighborhood.
It got held up by some junkie,
probably.
Shot dead over 80 bucks.
The day after I buried him,
I applied to the academy.
So then you decided to take the Iaw
into your own hands.
Being a cop wasn't enough?
Someone killed my dad.
Nothing will ever be enough.
But doing what I do
makes me feel better.
We arrested Ann.
I just thought you should know.
(SIGHS)
You're probably wondering
why I confessed then.
You're in Iove with her.
You crossed the Iine, Ann.
Don't pretend
Iike we're so different.
Let's talk about Tyler Faris.
Didn't you Iose your mom?
We're not here to discuss that.
Didn't you shoot the guy who killed
her right here in this precinct?
The bullet that you took, isn't that
connected to her murder, too?
Because that's the rumor.
I am not Iike you.
I didn't chop a man in half.
Neither did I.
Yes, you did, and you've got Paul
Whittaker so turned around over it,
that he tried to confess
to your murder.
Paul? Why would he do that?
Damn it, I told him to Ieave town
until I got this sorted out.
Well, you got it sorted out now.
I did not kill Tyler Faris.
I threw up my breakfast
when I saw that body.
You were in the alley with me, Ann.
You took that piece from your suit.
It wasn't from my suit.
And the only reason I wanted it
was to figure out who's behind this.
Do you actually expect me
to believe you?
It's true.
I saw that disk at the crime scene.
I knew it wasn't mine.
But before I could get it,
I got sent off to canvass.
So I came back for it.
And, yes, I took it from you.
And what did you do with it?
I had a friend in the crime Iab
run it for prints.
It came back with a partial, but
it wasn't in the criminal database.
Look, if you don't believe me,
ask him. He still has it.
So somebody else dressed up as
Lone Vengeance and killed our victim?
It's the only thing that makes sense.
How does that make sense?
Because it wasn't me!
I came across something
when I canvassed Matt's Bar,
where Tyler Faris came from.
He was a creature of habit.
He drank there every night.
He'd always Ieave
between 1:00 and 2:00
and take the back door to the alley.
Usually with a girl.
So you're saying that the killer knew
Faris was gonna show up in that alley.
Well, she didn't kill Tyler Faris.
- How do you know?
- I just...
I know.
Well, if she didn't do it
and Chad Hockney didn't do it,
then we're Iooking
at a third Lone Vengeance.
A clever imposter.
Okay. So, Iet's suppose
that our killer is an imposter.
That would mean that
he targeted Tyler Faris
and wore a costume
either to make sure
that nobody could identify him...
Or to make sure
he would be identified
and frame Lone Vengeance
for the murder.
And Tyler Faris
was the perfect victim.
CASTLE: Yeah, he shows up
in a dark alley Iike clockwork.
He even brings his own witness.
Okay, so, then,
maybe our killer was a criminal
who wanted Lone Vengeance
off the streets.
Criminal who wanted vengeance
against Lone Vengeance
and Tyler Faris.
Someone who knew Tyler
and his habits.
Someone who had experience
wielding a blade.
Someone who pointed us
to Lone Vengeance in the first place.
You think I killed Tyler Faris?
Come on. You're dreaming.
We know you wanted Lone Vengeance
off the streets.
He was costing you money.
We read the comics.
Lone Vengeance was shaking down
your dealers, burning your trucks.
So when Faris thought that
he figured out
Lone Vengeance's true identity,
he knew you'd pay top dollar for it.
AII right, even if this were true,
which it's not,
I got no motive for murder.
You had to be asking yourself,
all these times Lone Vengeance
was harassing your people,
how did he know where to go?
Who was tipping him off?
BECKETT: It had to have been someone
from the inside.
Someone with an ax to grind.
Someone just Iike Tyler Faris.
CASTLE: So, you figured, why not kill
two birds with one stone.
Get rid of Faris and hang the murder
on Lone Vengeance.
And that's it?
That's all you got?
(LAUGHING)
You guys call yourselves cops?
You ought to be embarrassed.
Here's your problem,
you got no proof.
BECKETT: Actually, we do.
It's from your outfit.
We matched the partial print
to your cousin, Ernesto.
CASTLE: The tailor.
I've heard great things
about his custom-made shirts.
But he also confessed to making
a Lone Vengeance outfit for you.
I want a Iawyer.
And you will need one.
Those are your personal effects.
You probably want to make sure
everything's there.
Thanks, Detective Beckett.
Ann, you're a good cop.
And you've got somebody
who cares about you.
Don't be so driven by the past
that you throw away your future.
Take care.
CASTLE: A murder solved,
and a notorious hoodlum
off the streets for good.
I call that a solid win.
I agree. AII because of the hard work
and dedication of this team.
Thank you, Captain. That means a Iot.
Of police officers.
Team of police officers, Mr. Castle.
Detective, about Officer Hastings,
she fled the alley
when you ordered her to stop.
Some reason
you're not pressing any charges?
I...
Think that given the number of folks
wearing that costume,
we can't prove
that it was her in the alley.
Or anywhere else, for that matter.
Exactly, sir.
GATES: She's a promising officer.
That said, it'd be bad for all of us
if Lone Vengeance were to show up
ever again.
I don't think that
that will be a problem, sir.
Well, Iet's make sure it isn't.
Either she just grew a heart...
Or she's worried about
how it would Iook
if the press found out that
Lone Vengeance was one of our own.
(ELEVATOR DINGS)
A writer and his muse,
fighting crime.
- Just Iike us.
- Mmm.
So, tomorrow?
Mmm-hmm.
Ah! Ah!
Oh, hello, Mother.
Ah, Falstaff.
- Really? It's King Lear.
- Oh.
Ugh!
I have work to do.
Hey. What's up?
Uh, Skyping with Ashley.
But we just finished.
You know,
even when you were a Iittle girl,
you were a serious person.
I think I've just gotten used to you
being sensible and mature.
Even more than me sometimes.
Sometimes?
Point taken. The thing is, AIexis,
I know there are other sides to you.
Impulsive sides,
romantic sides.
And I don't want you to deny them.
You were right.
With great power
does come great responsibility.
I've always been good
at doing what I'm supposed to.
But college is about
doing what you want.
You know, following your passion.
I'm picking my own classes.
I don't know which ones yet.
But no economics.
And you know what? Even if
you're not in classes with Ashley,
you still will see each other plenty.
I know.
Especially if we move in together.