On the way to Councilman Horn's house to notify his family, Castle remained silent. Beckett, puzzled by the usually talkative Castle's unusual behavior, glanced at him curiously and asked.
"What's wrong with you? Why aren't you talking? Did you think of something?"
Castle, momentarily lost in thought, snapped back. "Oh, nothing. I wasn't thinking about anything in particular. I was just wondering if you and Joe verified the lead Henry and Martinez found at the New York Public Library this morning, about the guy posing as the detective who solved the Jack the Ripper case?"
"Joe and I spent the whole day chasing that lead, but the signature is very old. Plus, the library only has one surveillance camera at the entrance, and the footage from that time has been overwritten. This lead is essentially a dead end.
Captain Montgomery and Joe's supervisor discussed it this afternoon and decided that without new evidence to support our investigation, we have to put this copycat Jack the Ripper case on hold. Now we can only hope the killer leaves another clue or makes a mistake. Otherwise, there's nothing more we can do. The existing clues are too few to continue the investigation..."
Beckett's mood dropped as she spoke about the case.
Castle, secretly pleased, outwardly expressed empathy: "Don't be discouraged, Beckett. At least we know part of this killer's profile. A psycho like this won't suppress their urge to kill for long. Once they strike again, we'll catch them..."
"I'm sorry, but you're destined to be disappointed with this case!"
Castle mentally apologized to Beckett while comforting her, finding his own duality amusing.
"I'm fine. I've been a cop long enough to know not every case gets solved. Let's not talk about that. What do you think about tonight's case?"
Beckett quickly adjusted her mood and asked Castle about the current case.
"It's too early to say. We need to talk to his family first, find out if he had any enemies in his personal or professional life, or if he was involved in something that got him killed. All we know now is that he was murdered, and wrapping his body in the rug was clearly an attempt to dispose of it. The killer probably hoped the trash collectors would take it as a discarded rug, dispose of it at a landfill, and make the councilman disappear. But they didn't expect it to be picked up by those two movers and discovered.
We don't know the motive yet, so it's too soon to draw conclusions."
Despite knowing the storyline, Castle didn't have a reasonable explanation to convince Beckett that the killer was the councilman's wife and campaign manager. He decided to wait until after talking to the family.
Beckett agreed with Castle's viewpoint, so she focused on driving to the victim's home on the Upper East Side.
The victim's wife had been notified by the police and was tearfully waiting for Beckett and Castle in the living room. Castle observed her quietly, without saying a word.
Following standard police procedures, Beckett asked Mrs. Horn if her husband had any enemies or conflicts at work or in his personal life. As Castle expected, Mrs. Horn mentioned the conflict between her husband and his opponent, Jason, in the re-election campaign.
During this conversation, Beckett glanced at Castle several times, puzzled by his unusual silence and lack of questions. She decided to ask him about it later, in a more suitable setting.
After finishing the questioning and assuring Mrs. Horn that the police would solve the case quickly, Beckett and Castle left the house.
As soon as they got downstairs, Beckett couldn't contain her curiosity. "Castle, why were you so quiet today, and why didn't you say anything? Is something bothering you?"
Beckett's question was just what Castle needed. He had been struggling to find a way to express his suspicions about Mrs. Horn.
"No, Beckett, I wasn't quiet on purpose. I was observing Mrs. Horn's behavior while you questioned her."
Beckett was puzzled by Castle's response. "What do you mean? Why observe the victim's family? Do you suspect Mrs. Horn?"
Castle organized his thoughts before responding to Beckett's confusion. "I'm not sure how to explain it, but my intuition tells me that Mrs. Horn's sadness wasn't as genuine as she wanted us to believe. Of course, this is just a suspicion without any evidence. We'll see if we find more clues tomorrow."
Castle's words made Beckett realize that he might have noticed something she hadn't. She admired his ability to pick up on case details, something she always envied.
There's no need to push Castle now. Better to take him home and discuss this further tomorrow at the precinct. He won't be able to resist showing off his insights.
"Alright, it's been a long day. I'll take you home first. We'll talk about any new ideas or findings tomorrow at the precinct, okay?"
Castle smiled. "I support that plan. Let's go..."
Relaxed, Castle enjoyed a nice bath and a good night's sleep. Henry didn't call, likely trusting Castle's ability to handle things or having been informed by Abraham that everything was sorted out.
The next morning, refreshed and holding two cups of coffee, Castle walked into the 12th precinct.
Handing Beckett a skim latte, he asked, "Are we going to talk to Councilman Horn's opponent today?"
"Yes. Mrs. Horn mentioned that her husband's only rival was that candidate. Horn's death certainly benefits him! We need to investigate such an obvious motive."
Beckett found Castle's question odd, not understanding why he might have a different perspective.
Castle smiled lightly. "It seems the opponent has a clear advantage now, with Horn gone. But what if Mrs. Horn decides to run in her husband's place? She could gain sympathy votes and potentially win."
Beckett was startled by Castle's suggestion. "Castle, do you realize what you're implying? Do you think..."
Castle interrupted her with a mysterious smile. "Let's wait and see, won't we?"
___________________
Read Ahead
P@treon.com/Mutter