Chapter 246: Case Closed

The following events unfolded naturally. Upon learning that his trusted lieutenant, with the assistance of the police department's super mascot, Richard Castle, had solved a previously baffling murder case within a single day, Captain Foyle was overjoyed. Without hesitation, he granted Beckett's request for an arrest warrant for the true culprit, Karl Borg, the owner of New York Recycling Company. With the warrant in hand, Beckett, along with Esposito and Ryan, wasted no time heading to New York Recycling Company to apprehend Karl Borg, who believed he had severed all ties to his crime.

Faced with the evidence, Mr. Borg couldn't hold out for long and confessed to murdering Sam Park to cover up the truth.

He also admitted that he knew Sam Park, who had applied to his company under the alias Jack Holland, was there to spy on him from the moment Sam started working. Borg then arranged for a woman named Lauren Branston, posing as Sarah De, the company's chief technical researcher, to interact with Sam. Her task was to pass false technical information to Sam, who would then relay it to his original employer, Connecticut Environmental Company, thereby misleading them with fake data and causing their downfall due to exorbitant experimental costs.

Due to this scheme, Connecticut Environmental Company, where Sam previously worked, fell into a huge financial trap, leading to its collapse. Although Sam's former boss had decided to terminate this unreliable espionage plan, Sam revealed in his last conversation that he had discovered a major secret about New York Recycling Company, asking for more time to secure this information.

Unbeknownst to Sam, his fiancée Sarah was actually Borg's plant. When Sam inadvertently revealed his findings to her, Borg, who had been closely monitoring Sam, could no longer remain calm. Borg, knowing his company did not possess any advanced battery recycling technology and was simply dumping toxic waste into the ocean while profiting from it, decided to eliminate Sam to protect his fraudulent operation.

Borg followed Sam to his apartment in Connecticut and shot him. However, after killing Sam, he realized Sam had already secured evidence exposing his scam. In a panic, he sent Sarah to Sam's Connecticut home to retrieve the evidence, but her efforts were thwarted by Sam's wife's call to the police and the timely arrival of Beckett and her team.

Ultimately, faced with a mountain of evidence, Borg confessed to the murder of Sam Park.

Sarah Reed, or rather Lauren Branston, was not involved in Sam's murder but played a crucial role in misleading Connecticut Environmental Company by pretending to be attracted to Sam and using him to pass false information. Although she did not kill Sam, her betrayal led directly to Borg's decision to murder him.

In this case, no one was truly innocent. Sam was a corporate spy, Borg a murderer and fraud, and Lauren a deceitful accomplice. Even Connecticut Environmental Company was complicit, having sent Sam to infiltrate New York Recycling Company.

After the case was fully resolved, neither Castle nor Beckett felt much satisfaction. They were left contemplating the complex nature of the people involved.

Castle, having received a random system reward, left the precinct and headed home, exhausted from the day's events, including a trip to Connecticut. He planned to relax, take a bath, and start modifying drones for his friend Harry the next day, as Beckett would be busy with paperwork.

Returning home near midnight, Castle found Alexis and Martha already asleep. After a quick shower, he collapsed into bed and slept until morning.

Waking up refreshed, Castle began preparing a loving breakfast for his daughter, Alexis.

"Dad, good morning! Did you go to the precinct again yesterday to investigate a murder case with Detective Beckett?" Alexis asked energetically as she came downstairs.

"Come have breakfast. Yesterday, I helped Beckett solve a case as soon as I arrived. Pretty impressive, huh?" Castle responded, focusing on the frying pan.

"Really? You solved a case in one day? What happened?" Alexis asked, curious.

Castle served her breakfast and explained the case briefly, ending with, "We caught the murderer, Karl Borg, the owner of New York Recycling Company! How's that for impressive?"

Alexis was genuinely surprised. Her usually carefree father had once again played a crucial role in solving a complicated case within a day. It seemed her seemingly unreliable dad might indeed have a detective's potential.

___________________

Read Ahead

P@treon.com/Mutter