Back in the day, Olivia Debussy, the victim in the case, had almost no direct family members left. According to the records, her burial was handled by a distant aunt, who wasn't even in New York at the time. Therefore, investigating this case through her family was essentially a dead end.
Beckett planned to look into Olivia's friends from that time, hoping to find clues in her social and interpersonal relationships that might shed light on the true reason behind her murder. After all, Brady's confession about accidentally killing Olivia during a botched robbery was clearly nonsense. It was evident he had taken the fall for someone else, spouting fabricated details about the murder, which would never have escaped Montgomery's scrutiny if not for some kind of cover-up.
Castle, however, had a different perspective. Knowing the story well, he understood that opening Olivia's coffin would reveal clues to her murder. The challenge was convincing Beckett to agree to the exhumation.
When Castle mentioned he had a different opinion, the room fell silent, with all eyes turning to him.
Castle, unfazed, stood up and addressed the group confidently, "I believe our discussion here isn't very productive. What we need to determine is how Olivia actually died. Brady's confession claims he killed her with a baseball bat to the head, but we know that's a lie. With the help of others, Brady took the fall. So, our priority should be figuring out the real cause of Olivia's death. We need to exhume her body for an autopsy!"
Castle's words caused a stir in the room. Beckett looked at him in shock, temporarily lost for words. Captain Montgomery's eyes flickered, feeling the weight of being among those 'deceived.' As the main officer handling Olivia's case at the time, it was under his watch that a completely innocent person had been framed. This mix of anger at being misled and a resolve to uncover the truth made him the first to support Castle's proposal.
"Alright, I'll authorize the exhumation. Get Olivia's body out, and give me a thorough investigation. I want to catch the real killer from back then!" Montgomery declared firmly.
"Yes, sir," Beckett, Esposito, and Ryan stood up, responding resolutely to their superior.
Castle, seeing the hope in Montgomery's eyes, solemnly assured him, "Don't worry, Captain. Once we determine Olivia's cause of death through the exhumation, Beckett and I will find the true culprit."
Pleased with their commitment, Montgomery left the room, leaving Beckett, Castle, and the team to continue their discussion. He headed off to secure the necessary permissions for the exhumation.
Once Montgomery was out of sight, Beckett turned back to Castle. "Why do I get the feeling that exhuming Olivia's body isn't just about finding her cause of death? You have another reason, don't you?"
Castle, prepared for Beckett's sharp intuition, didn't hide it. "Yes, I'm not just interested in her cause of death. I also want to see if there are any other clues on her body or in the coffin."
What Castle didn't share was the real reason for his confidence: Olivia's body wasn't in the coffin. It had been removed by the true murderer, Frank, the Welshley family driver.
Castle's half-truths were enough to partially satisfy Beckett's curiosity. Although she sensed he wasn't being completely honest, she had no immediate need to press for the full story. She nodded, indicating she accepted his explanation, and began preparations for the exhumation. With Montgomery handling the legalities, they needed to be ready to retrieve Olivia's coffin as soon as possible.
Montgomery moved quickly, driven by a desire to rectify his past oversight. Less than half an hour later, Beckett received authorization to exhume Olivia's body.
Without delay, Beckett, her team, and Castle headed to Olivia's burial site. After some effort, they transported the coffin back to the police forensics lab, where Lanie was already waiting, having been briefed about the situation.
"Hey, Castle, you've really given me a job here. You know this body has been buried for ten years, right? When we open that coffin, the smell will be awful," Lanie teased, wearing her light blue scrubs.
Castle, with his thick skin and knowing the coffin held no body, simply smiled. He was focused on retrieving a crucial piece of evidence hidden in the coffin—a photo that connected Olivia's mother to the Welshley family senator's campaign in the '70s. This would shift the investigation's focus onto the influential Welshley family, potentially exposing the real culprit.
Trying to clear his mind of the case's background, Castle centered his attention on the upcoming exhumation. Though he knew the coffin was empty, Beckett and Lanie didn't.
Lanie handed masks to Beckett and Castle, warning them about the stench they were about to face from a decade-old decomposing body.
Castle, taking the mask without comment, stood by Beckett as Lanie, with considerable effort, pried open Olivia's ornate coffin.
"What… what is this?"
Lanie was stunned to find several bags of soil inside the coffin instead of a body. She stared, confused, at the empty space. Castle wasn't surprised, but the discovery left Lanie and Beckett in shock. Olivia's body, which had been buried ten years ago, was missing.
Beckett's suspicions grew stronger. Olivia's murder had layers of complexity, and the culprit was likely someone with considerable power—someone who could afford the near-million-dollar payout to Brady over the years. There were no recent signs of disturbance at Olivia's grave, indicating meticulous planning and substantial influence behind the scenes.
Castle wasn't concerned about their surprise. His goal was to find the photo in the coffin that would lead them to the Welshley family. Only then could he steer Beckett and the police toward the truth about Olivia's murder and the involvement of the Welshley family's senator, who had mistakenly believed her driver would simply "handle" Olivia, not kill her. This driver's actions had led to today's unresolved case.
___________________
Read Ahead
P@treon.com/Mutter