The next morning, Castle walked into the twelfth precinct with a paper bag in hand and two cups of coffee, stepping into the office he hadn't visited for several days.
Espo was the first to spot him. "Yo, Castle, I heard you disappeared because you went to France and didn't bring us back any gifts. What brings you here today?"
Beckett and Ryan watched from the side, chuckling at Espo's teasing.
Setting down the non-fat latte he had brought for Beckett, Castle was quick with a retort: "Espo, you got it all wrong. Look, didn't I bring gifts? I said I flew back, but the gifts came by ship. I just received them yesterday and brought them for you guys today. Still going to rib me? Still want the gifts?"
As he spoke, Castle opened the paper bag and pulled out two gold-plated Eiffel Tower models, handing one to Ryan and another to Espo.
After distributing those gifts, he took out two shiny Arc de Triomphe models for Beckett and Lanie. "One for each of you!"
Lastly, Castle took out a miniature model of Notre Dame and stepped into Captain Roy Montgomery's office. "Captain Roy, this is a souvenir I brought back from Paris for you. I hope you like it!"
The pleasantly surprised Captain stood to receive the model from Castle. "I get one too? Thank you, Mr. Castle.
By the way, about that case a couple of days ago, you mentioned you were going to look for clues on your own. How did that go?"
Castle launched into his spiel: "I got something. Dr. Henry Morgan, the chief medical examiner, and I discovered a clue at the New York Public Library based on evidence left at the scene. However, since we lack the authority to investigate, we haven't been able to confirm it, so we're not completely sure yet.
Dr. Morgan will be joining us soon to discuss it further; you might want to listen in!"
Captain Roy was just relieved that Castle hadn't ventured out alone like he had during the bank robbery case. Hearing that Castle had collaborated with the medical examiner, he felt reassured and let Castle leave his office.
Beckett knew that Detective Jo Martinez and Dr. Morgan were coming to exchange information about the case, so she wasn't in a rush to grill Castle about his recent activities. Instead, it was Espo and Ryan who approached Castle, now curious about his new book and character planning.
"Castle, make sure you write some good stuff about me and Ryan in your book, huh..."
The three of them, having nothing urgent at hand, gathered around Beckett's desk and fell into casual conversation.
"Hey, Castle, do you remember that female robber we bumped into over a month ago?"
Suddenly, Ryan remembered something.
"Yeah, that was when Beckett, a friend, and I went to investigate in Secaucus. The leader was named... what was her name again? Oh right, Vanessa. What about her? Why bring her up now?"
Castle was puzzled. He hadn't had any dealings with the robbers since that case and thought they had all been prosecuted.
"Yesterday afternoon, on a highway from California to Texas, there was an attack on a prisoner transport vehicle. The robbers mainly aimed to free a getaway driver named Dominic Toretto from an FBI vehicle, but Vanessa Lopez, who was also on the transport, was freed by them as well. You won't believe this, but the leader was a former FBI agent, Brian O'Conner. He fell in love with Dominic's sister Mia and gave up his badge for her. Oh, love…"
Ryan shared the juicy FBI gossip, clearly enjoying the schadenfreude.
Espo, Ryan, and Beckett, all NYPD officers, naturally had their differences with the federal-level FBI, often clashing over jurisdiction on cases. Now seeing the FBI embarrassed, especially when led by their own former agent, delighted them. They, along with other local law enforcement officers across the country who didn't get along with the FBI, were enjoying the show, metaphorically grabbing popcorn and beverages to watch the drama unfold.
Rather than immediately following the FBI's orders to apprehend the fleeing Dominic Toretto and his crew, they chose to watch from the sidelines, eager to see how the FBI would handle the mess.
This mentality was typical for them, treating the FBI's misfortune as a source of entertainment.
"Wait, isn't Fast Four over? With Dominic being freed, doesn't that just set up Fast Five?"
Castle didn't need Ryan to fill him in on the details. In fact, he was probably the most informed person about this whole affair, knowing the causes, the developments, and even future prospects of these events as if he had a god's eye view.
Now, Brian freeing Dominic was due to Brian's boss at the FBI reneging on a deal. They had promised
Dominic immunity if he helped to take down a notorious drug lord, Braga. After a harrowing adventure that nearly cost them their lives, Brian's superior turned his back on the agreement, leading to Dominic's heavy prison sentence. This betrayal ignited Brian, who was already ridden with guilt over Dominic's situation and harboring unfulfilled feelings for Mia. The former FBI agent and street racing aficionado hatched a plan.
He rallied his ex-girlfriend Mia, using just three cars (Mia still driving a humble Honda—talk about a low budget!), and managed to free Dominic as he was being transported to a high-security prison.
But now, because of Castle's meddling, the queenpin Gi, who had also been captured due to his interference, ended up on the same transport as Dominic and was also freed. They were undoubtedly headed to Brazil—Gi's home country—a perfect hideout, and the next step was clear: they would be racing to haul a massive vault through the streets of Rio.
Hmm… Should he find an excuse to go to Brazil and enjoy the spectacle?
As Castle was daydreaming about his potential trip, Detective Jo Martinez arrived with Dr. Morgan, both smiling. Beckett, seeing Dr. Morgan had arrived, decided it was time to press Castle on exactly what he had been up to. With a smile, she approached the still daydreaming Castle.
"Castle, Dr. Morgan and Detective Martinez are here. Let's go to the conference room. I want to know what you've been up to these past few days."
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