Chapter 424: Preparations

Castle, the "mastermind" behind the scenes, was fairly satisfied with the current situation. Although it didn't unfold exactly as he had planned, he still managed to achieve about eighty percent of his goals. The unexpected outcomes were largely due to his unfamiliarity with the internal workings and procedures of the FBI, and he hadn't anticipated Senator William Bracken's swift and decisive reaction. After being slightly threatened by Congressman Gavin, Bracken immediately sent Nick Coonan to eliminate Gavin before he could become a bigger problem. However, because of Castle's interference, Nick Coonan ended up being captured by Congressman Gavin, which inadvertently triggered the "Donkey" party's ambition. They now planned to use the captured assassin's testimony and the extensive dirt on Bracken to take down the prominent "Elephant" party senator, clearing the way for the upcoming presidential campaign.

The main reason this happened was that William Bracken had always maintained a spotless public image. The "Elephant" party had tirelessly promoted and nurtured him, leaving the "Donkey" party with few options to counter him. But then, out of the blue, they got their hands on a treasure trove of incriminating evidence against Bracken, along with the capture of the assassin he sent to kill a congressman. If they didn't seize this opportunity, the "Donkey" party leaders might as well jump into a river out of shame.

So, after Castle's continuous meddling, the situation had turned out to be highly favorable for both him and Beckett. If the "Donkey" party launched an attack on William Bracken, Castle and Beckett could quietly continue their investigation into Bracken's illegal activities without alerting the powerful senator, who had considerable influence in New York. Castle could secure all the evidence necessary to take Bracken down. Meanwhile, as the "Donkey" party moved against Bracken, Castle and Beckett could also comfortably apprehend the four corrupt NYPD officers who were Bracken's accomplices without worrying about interference from the senator.

Feeling increasingly excited, Castle sped back to the 12th Precinct to share the latest developments with Beckett, who had just finished communicating with the New York District Attorney's office.

"You mean to tell me that because you secretly tipped off that congressman about Nick Coonan, Gavin captured him and got him to spill all the dirty details about his work for William Bracken? And now the 'Donkey' party is planning to use this information to take Bracken down?" Beckett could hardly believe what her man had done to turn a relatively simple situation into something so complex.

Castle, eager for praise from his girlfriend, grinned and said, "Exactly! I initially just wanted to warn Gavin that Senator Bracken was planning to kill him, hoping that it would spark a conflict between them. Who knew Gavin was so effective? He managed to break Nick Coonan, and now the 'Donkey' party is ready to bury Senator William Bracken for good. Impressive, right?"

Beckett looked at him with a headache. "So what do we do now? Should we stick to the plan and arrest Vulcan Simmons first?"

Castle nodded confidently. "We'll act as if we don't know about the 'Donkey' and 'Elephant' conflict. Let's proceed as usual—arrest Vulcan Simmons first. Then, you can work with Internal Affairs to take down those four corrupt cops. With Bracken preoccupied and under scrutiny from the 'Donkey' party, he won't have the time or courage to interfere with your investigation into Simmons."

Beckett, revealing her model-like long legs as she paced around her office, carefully considered Castle's suggestion, ignoring his admiring glances at her legs. After thinking it over, she decided to follow through with the plan they had discussed. She would have Vulcan Simmons, the man who had been secretly funneling dirty money to Bracken, arrested first. Then, she would work with Internal Affairs to apprehend the four corrupt cops within the NYPD who were also Bracken's accomplices. Even if Bracken learned about it, he wouldn't dare obstruct the investigation with the "Donkey" party watching his every move.

Seeing that Beckett had made her decision, Castle was thrilled. He still needed to visit Dr. Henry Morgan's office. The coroner who had originally performed the autopsy on Beckett's mother had passed away, so Castle needed Henry to prepare a new autopsy report. This was the only way to overturn the ten-year-old report and expose the cover-up by those four corrupt cops.

After finalizing their plan, Castle left the 12th Precinct. Beckett needed to organize her narcotics team and coordinate with Esposito to begin surveillance on Vulcan Simmons. They aimed to arrest the drug lord as soon as they could track down his whereabouts. Meanwhile, Castle, no longer suited to accompany Esposito's team, had the task of visiting the New York Medical Examiner's office to see Dr. Henry Morgan, whom he hadn't seen in a while. Castle needed Henry to prepare new autopsy reports for Beckett's mother and her three colleagues, all of whom had been murdered by Nick Coonan.

When Castle arrived at Henry's office, the doctor was busy examining a body. Henry's assistant, Lucas, was the first to notice Castle standing outside the door and alerted Henry, who was in the middle of performing an autopsy.

Henry signaled Lucas to take Castle to his office, promising to speak with him after finishing his current task. Lucas, surprised by Castle's composure as he watched Henry dissect the body, led him into Henry's office. The slightly quirky assistant even asked Castle for an autograph before returning to assist with the autopsy.

About half an hour later, Henry strolled into the office, eyeing Castle. "Rick, you've been pretty busy lately. Abe's been complaining that you haven't been by to chat with him. What's the deal? Did you slack off after winning over Detective Beckett? I also heard you got involved in that shocking heist and bombing case in New York a while back."

This two-hundred-year-old man had been keeping an eye on Castle's activities, especially since he spent so much time with the statuesque female officer, Joe Martinez. It was easy to stay updated on Castle's recent exploits.

Castle chuckled at Henry's teasing. "Yeah, I've managed to win over Beckett. How about you? Still playing coy with Officer Joe Martinez?"

Henry couldn't help but smile wryly. "You know my situation. Ever since the Abigail incident, I've stayed away from getting involved with women."

Despite his centuries-long life, Henry only let his guard down around a few people, like Castle and his adopted son, Abraham. Castle had helped him take down Adam and recover the remains of his long-lost wife, earning Henry's deep trust.

Sensing the reluctance in Henry's voice, Castle laughed. "I don't believe for a second that you don't have feelings for Joe Martinez. I've even heard she likes you. Her partner Hanson mentioned it while chatting with Beckett's team. Henry, the past is behind you. You need to look forward. Sometimes, you're just too rational!"

Castle's advice, though well-meaning, had little impact on a seasoned veteran like Henry. The doctor deftly changed the subject. "We're on different timelines, Rick. Why start something destined to end in heartbreak? Anyway, what brings you here today?"

Seeing that Henry didn't want to discuss his love life, Castle got straight to the point, explaining why he needed Henry's help and recounting the significant events he had been involved in recently. Castle knew that Henry genuinely considered him one of his few close friends, so he felt safe sharing his activities without fearing any leaks.

Sure enough, Henry, usually unflappable, couldn't help but be amazed upon hearing how Castle had managed to pull off a heist under the noses of both criminals and the FBI. "You've got some guts, Rick, daring to play with fire between those outlaws and the FBI. Are those art pieces really that valuable?"

Castle boasted proudly, "Absolutely! You have no idea—these are treasures looted by the Nazis during World War II from across Europe. There are 21 paintings, including works by Titian, Monet, Van Gogh, and Picasso. The most valuable piece is a sculpture by Michelangelo himself, supposedly priceless… How about I show them to you someday?"

Henry chuckled. "Just don't let Abe find out. If he knew you had a Michelangelo original, he'd be all over you. He's quite the art fanatic, you know…"

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