Ripped By mstoll
What are you doing to my desk?
Oh. Uh, well, Gates is on vacation.
So, I figured, why not do my paperwork from home with my husband?
That is, if you want to play hooky with me.
Is it technically playing hooky if we're working?
Well, we could work for a bit, and then, maybe, take a nap.
Ooh.
I like naps.
Yeah, naps are good.
Hang on. Oh.
It's a call forwarded from the PI office.
Richard Castle Investigations.
Speaking.
Yes.
No. Great! I will see you in 20 minutes.
All right, bye.
Well, for once in the relationship, I'm the one getting the call.
I have a potential client.
Castle, that's fantastic!
No, it's not. No. I was gonna spend the day with you.
It's fine. It's not like I don't leave at a moment's notice
when there's a homicide.
Well, then, maybe if I'm done soon,
I'll swing by later for, you know, a nap.
If you do, you'll be napping alone.
'Cause if you're going to your office, then I'm going to mine.
- Oh. - Knock 'em dead, babe.
Hey.
Well, hello there.
You must be Mrs. Whitfield. I'm Richard Castle.
Ooh, ouch! What happened there?
Just cut myself.
Richard.
Really? Come on, Richard Rodgers, you really don't remember me?
Faircroft Prep, AP Chem. I used to cheat off of you.
- Eva? Eva Hendricks! - Eva, yeah.
Well, I'm Eva Whitfield now.
- Oh, yeah, I'm Richard Castle now. - I know.
I've read your books and followed your adventures with the NYPD.
I heard you were a PI. So, well, I, uh...
Uh, why don't we go inside and talk?
So, Eva, tell me, what can I do for you?
Um, it's my husband, Cole.
What about him?
He's a stockbroker.
He's, um... He's bright, he's handsome, charming.
We got married and it was so wonderful.
Um, but then, in the last few years, it's gotten so difficult.
I'm sorry.
Rick, I think he's cheating on me.
And what makes you think that?
The way he acts, um,
the hours he keeps.
I mean, I should've known it was coming. He insisted on a prenup.
I just... I have to find out the truth.
Can you help me?
I'm sorry, Eva. This is really not the kind of work I like to take on.
Please, Rick,
I just want to know if there's anything left in my marriage to fight for.
Please.
- Please? - Yeah, sure.
Yeah?
Um, I'll just need Cole's information, and a recent photo.
Okay. Thank you.
- That's ridiculous. - And completely...
No, I worked out this morning.
Are you even listening? I mean...
No, no, no.
What I'm talking about here is knowing about what you have,
and getting what's right for you.
Oh, oh, okay, okay.
But you do realize this could be a serious payday?
Please, it's chump change, Scott.
Now, don't be glib, Cole. It's a legitimate point.
- Scotty. - What?
Do you trust me?
Of course I trust you.
Robert?
Yes.
Then we're not selling the company.
At least, not at this time, and not at that price. Agreed?
- Agreed. - Agreed.
Thank you, gentlemen.
- Thank you. - All right.
Cole, you, uh, need a ride back to the office?
No, I have a doctor's appointment.
Okay, I will see you there. Robert.
Hey. So I've got this pain,
and, uh, I could either go see a doctor, or I could come see you.
Yeah. I like the sound of that.
Oh, I'm coming.
I'll see you soon.
So, her husband was having an affair,
and you caught him cheating?
Caught him red-handed and bare-bottomed.
Oh, poor Eva. Well, how's she taking it?
Not well. I spent the last half hour on the phone with her. Lots of crying.
She's packing up now to leave him.
She just wants me to drop these pictures by first.
Wait, tonight?
She wants to see first-hand that her marriage is over.
What am I going to tell her? No?
Just don't let her cry on your shoulder too long.
Beckett, remind me never to take this kind of case again.
Look, you're the one who said
that you're gonna have to pay your dues as a PI.
Yeah, that was before I knew what it meant.
Would it help at all if I cooked you dinner tonight?
Immeasurably.
Okay, what time can you make it home?
Uh, Westchester and back?
Factoring in time for shoulder crying, 8:30, 9:00?
I'll see you then. I love you.
- It's like you're not even trying. - Would you just... Hey.
- Hey. - What's going on with Castle's case?
No, don't try to change the subject.
I'm not talking about this anymore, bro.
What are you not talking about?
Ryan is all up on my back because I'm not dating anyone right now.
- Tell her why. - Okay, so...
Look, a while ago, we buy this couples' weekend ski trip.
And it's next month.
Oh, except Lanie and Espo have broken up
- yet again. Yeah. - Yeah.
What? You guys have. Come on.
Yeah, but that's no reason for him and Jenny to think
I can't find anyone else to take. I mean, come on.
I have no problem getting girls.
But that's the thing, you don't have to get one.
Jenny and I already have... We have a friend...
Wait. Are you talking about a blind date? Oh, hell no!
Espo, just hear him out.
Her name is Stacy. She's fantastic.
She runs a music store. She's into sports.
And we told her all about you.
- She wants to meet. - Hmm.
Take a look at her picture.
Come on, man.
Hey...
She's all right.
"She's all right"?
Espo, she's stunning. And you won't even meet with her.
Okay, maybe I will.
But only because she's so excited to meet me.
And you know I don't like to disappoint the ladies.
Nice. Good job.
Thank you.
Oh, my God!
Hey! Hey, stop!
Hey, you're on your way home?
Beckett, he killed her!
- Castle... - He killed her. He...
Beckett, can you hear me?
Damn it.
He took my car.
Damn it!
Castle, where are you?
Beckett, she's dead. She's dead.
Wait, slow down. What's going on?
Eva was murdered by her husband.
He killed her, and I couldn't...
I couldn't stop it. I couldn't...
Detective Neely, as I already told you, I followed Cole Whitfield up here.
He must have knocked me out, because when I came to,
he was gone and so was my car.
And why did you go to his house in the first place?
To give the photos to Eva.
That's when I heard the screaming.
And I saw him dragging her body through the kitchen.
Before I could do anything, he drove off with her.
Mr. Castle, it says here you only got your PI license a month ago.
Yes, so?
So, are you sure about what you saw?
Of course, I'm sure! I...
Detective, I know Castle. If he says it happened, it did.
Part of his story checks out.
We found his car parked on an access road about 100 yards from here.
Whitfield must have hidden Castle's car in order to make his getaway.
Detective, I am not making this up.
The Whitfield house is a crime scene.
If we go to that kitchen, we will find blood.
Eva's blood.
I'm Detective Neely. Do you have a few minutes to talk?
Yeah. Come on in.
So, what is this all about?
What can I do for you folks?
Mr. Whitfield, is your wife Eva home?
No. Why?
Do you know where she is?
No, I don't. I got home about 20 minutes ago.
Found this lovely note from Eva.
She figured out I'm having an affair and she left me.
She left him? I can't believe this guy. He forged that note.
I can't even get in touch with her.
I tried calling her, and I tried calling her,
the phone just goes straight to voicemail.
Do you drive a black Model S?
No, that's...
No, that's, uh, Eva's car.
Has something happened to Eva?
We're not quite sure.
But you're saying you only got home 20 minutes ago?
Yeah, right, uh, around 9:30.
And where were you at 7:45 tonight?
I was, um... I was still in the city. I was at work.
You know what? I think I need a refill. Excuse me.
He's lying. He's lying about everything.
If you're right, there should be blood evidence in the kitchen.
It was here. It happened right here. He must have cleaned it up.
Why else would he invite us so freely into his house?
If he did, he did a hell of a good job of it. UV shows no sign of residue.
- Castle... - Kate, I know what I saw.
There! There! See? I knew it!
Knew what? What is going on?
Sir, there's blood residue here.
Mr. Whitfield, do you know where this came from?
Yes.
My wife is a klutz.
She broke a jar and cut her hand cleaning it up.
Bled everywhere until she finally bandaged it.
Why? Why are you looking for blood residue?
Are you suggesting that I did something to my wife?
No, we're not suggesting, Mr. Whitfield.
Get out. Get out of my house.
Get out, now!
Hey, how long have you been up?
He probably came home, saw that Eva was about to leave him,
and killed her in a fit of rage.
I told her everything was gonna be all right.
I promised her.
I'm sorry, babe.
Have you heard from Detective Neely?
She said that search teams didn't find anything in the woods.
Yeah. That's because Cole knew he couldn't leave her out there,
not once I was onto him.
So he put her back in the car,
dumped it and the body someplace else.
Westchester has got a BOLO out on Eva's car.
And they've flagged her credit cards.
Have they pinged her cell phone?
They tried. But it's either off or dead.
Yeah, I wanna go with dead.
What about his alibi?
Well, he wasn't at work like he said.
His business partner said that he left at 6:00 p.m., not at 8:00.
Plenty of time to get back to Westchester by 7:45.
But when Detective Neely confronted him about it, he revised his story.
He said that he was with his mistress,
Taylor McKinley, that woman that you took pictures of,
until 8:00 p.m.
We need to talk to her.
Castle, I don't have any jurisdiction. This isn't my case.
Yes, but it's my case.
Eva hired me.
She was my friend,
and he killed her right in front of me.
Okay. I'll talk to the mistress.
But just me.
Not you. You're too close to this. Okay?
So? We had an affair and his wife left.
What's the big deal? That stuff happens every day.
Except wives don't go missing every day.
It's a little soon to say she's missing, isn't it?
I'm sure she'll be back.
Um, Ms. McKinley, how long have you known Mr. Whitfield?
Since he started my yoga class a year ago.
And when did the affair begin?
About a week later.
What?
He's hot. And rich.
What time did he come to your apartment last night?
Like I told the other detective,
he showed up right around 6:00, and he left just after 8:00.
So, the two of you were in the apartment the whole time?
Yep.
Well? What did you think?
She was confrontational, and a little too ready with her answers.
You think she's lying?
Go down to her building,
see if anyone else saw Cole Whitfield there last night.
And let's look into Mr. Whitfield, find out what else he's hiding from us.
Yep.
What's in the bags, Cole?
And where are you taking them?
- The hell are you doing? - I was...
You accuse me of murder, then you come stalking around my home?
What the hell is your damage, man?
- My damage? - Yeah.
I'm not the one who killed my wife.
You're insane, you know that? Eva's alive.
She just called me 20 minutes ago.
- You're a liar. - Yeah, I wish.
Because she told me to go screw myself,
and that she cleaned out our joint bank accounts.
Yeah, you don't believe me? You can check with my bank.
While you guys were searching my house,
the bitch stole $ 7.4 million from me.
Mr. Whitfield, is there a problem?
Yes, this man is harassing me.
Hey, you'll never prove a thing.
He...
Are you crazy? What were you thinking?
You saw him last night. He's cocky.
And what do all cocky men do?
Make mistakes.
Exactly.
Wait. You're talking about me now, aren't you?
You're the only witness, and you are ruining your credibility
when I'm trying to help you.
What if this gets back to Gates?
I'm just trying to find some proof.
Right now, the proof lies with Cole.
Eva's phone records confirm a call to him at 9:35 this morning,
and there's also that $ 7.4 million-dollar transfer
to a Swiss bank account last night.
Yes! He's creating reasonable doubt.
Building a narrative that she stole from him, that she's on the run.
That's why we can't find the body. That's his plan!
Yo, I just got back from the mistress's apartment building.
No one remembers seeing Whitfield at all last night.
Proving he wasn't there.
Proving that no one saw him.
Without a body, we're gonna need something more solid than that.
Hey, guess what.
Turns out Whitfield was married before, in Los Angeles.
Mallory Whitfield.
She had an inheritance worth several million dollars.
- Had? - Yeah.
She died in a hiking accident in Angeles National Forest.
Fell into a ravine. Guess who the only witness was.
Her husband, Cole.
Bingo. The cops tried to make a murder case against him,
but he had all the answers.
They could never make any of the charges stick.
Her entire estate went to Cole,
which he used to start his business and build his fortune.
So he got away with it before, and now he's trying to do it again.
This was no crime of passion. He planned the whole thing.
So, Cole's first wife dies suspiciously,
and then the second one disappears.
No way that's a coincidence. This guy's a black widow.
Or rather, black widower.
Only this time there's no body.
He's trying to create the illusion that Eva is still alive.
Yeah, and he's going to some major trouble
to make that illusion seem real.
Castle, you've said that Cole Whitfield
was at home in Westchester this morning, right?
That's right, he never left.
Well, I just got the data back from Eva's phone.
The call to Cole pinged off a tower in Manhattan.
He must have had someone use Eva's phone to make that call.
He's got an accomplice.
And whoever that is made that call somewhere near 31 st and 4th.
That's where I took those photos. His mistress Taylor lives on that block.
If Taylor lied about his alibi, she might have made that phone call.
Why don't you guys go and pick her up?
Oh, damn! That means I'm gonna have to cancel that lunch date with Stacy, bro.
No, no, no, don't. You can't.
You have to make a good first impression.
Oh, for heaven's sake! You know what? Go enjoy your date.
Ryan and I will go and get her.
I already answered all your questions.
And now we have more.
Because new information has come to light.
What new information?
Before we get to that,
I'd like to revisit something that you said at our last meeting.
You said
that Cole was at your apartment between 6:00 and 8:00 last night.
Are you still saying that now?
Yep.
None of your neighbors saw him.
Well, he's very discreet.
Did he tell you to say that he was at your apartment?
No.
Did he ask you to call him from someone else's cell phone?
Taylor, don't say another word.
Aubrey Haskins, attorney for Ms. McKinley.
Wait, who are you?
It's okay. Cole sent me.
I'm general counsel for his company. Just let me do the talking.
Taylor, listen to me, if you provided a false alibi,
that makes you an accomplice. That means jail.
Accomplice to what, exactly?
The murder of Eva Whitfield.
Eva's not dead. Cole spoke with her this morning.
Or he spoke to someone using her cell phone.
That call pinged off of a tower
right next to your apartment building at 9:35 a.m.
Detective, unless you have proof...
Wait. Are you accusing me of making that call?
I was at work at 9:35 at the yoga studio.
Taylor, I've got your schedule. You don't work in the mornings.
No, but I got called in to cover for another instructor who was sick.
I was there from 9:30 a.m. To 11:00. You can check that.
We're done here, Detective.
That was a crafty move.
Cole sent his in-house lawyer to silence his girlfriend.
He's keeping this thing contained, in the family.
Yeah, but now that Taylor's lawyered up, how are we gonna break her?
By digging into her story. I'll call her work, check into her alibi.
Hey.
Hey, partner, how'd the date go?
Can we talk about it out here?
Oh.
What did you think of Stacy?
- Oh, man, she was great. - Yeah.
Until I started getting a stalker vibe from her.
- What? - Yeah.
We were right in the middle of appetizers,
and that's when she told me that
the blue shorts I was wearing during the triathlon
made my legs look sexy.
- Which is true, but... - Right.
...how did she even know I competed,
never mind what color shorts I was wearing?
And that's when she told me that she saw the photo on my profile.
Oh. This is funny to you?
You signed me up for Match. Com behind my back?
Well, technically Jenny did. I've only been managing your profile.
Did you think I wouldn't find out? I almost arrested that girl.
Well, we were hoping that you'd be so into her that you'd just let it go.
What the hell is wrong with you? I can find my own dates.
I know. But you haven't.
And the ski weekend is coming up. So, look, look, look,
we were just trying to help.
I don't need your help.
This isn't over.
Nah.
The manager at the yoga studio
verified that Taylor was at work from 9:30 till 11:00 a.m.
Then the manager's lying.
Castle, she had a classroom full of 30 people.
She didn't make that call.
But whoever did made sure to do it right by Taylor's building.
Which means someone wants us to believe it was Taylor.
And we would've if she didn't get called into work.
Called into work?
Of course!
Taylor getting called into work
is the one thing the person behind this couldn't have foreseen.
- That person being Cole. - No.
- No? - No.
Beckett, the murder was staged.
This whole thing, it's a work of fiction.
It's a Hitchcock movie with me cast as the witness.
I'm Jimmy Stewart in Vertigo.
The reason we haven't found a body is because there is no body.
Eva's still alive!
Eva is alive? Castle, that's not what you believed a moment ago.
Didn't hit me until just now.
Eva is the one person who would want Cole to look like a murderer,
and his mistress an accomplice.
Wait. You saw Cole kill Eva. I mean, you did, didn't you?
I saw what she wanted me to see.
That's why she wanted me to drop off the photos that night.
Eva's been behind this from the start. And I'm the gullible PI that fell for it.
Why would she go to that length?
Because Eva wanted more than just out of the marriage.
She wanted Cole to suffer.
She set him up.
He swore that she called him because she did call him.
She also transferred the $ 7.4 million
to the Swiss bank account.
It's her walking-away money.
I'm telling you, Beckett, I am right about this.
Beckett.
When?
Okay, thanks.
Castle, I'm sorry, but...
No, Beckett. I know it sounds crazy, but Eva is still alive.
No, she's not.
They found her body in the Hudson. Eva's dead.
There is no way Eva is really dead.
In a classic Hitchcockian twist, it won't be her body. Mark my words.
Then who did we pull out of the river?
Someone who can pass for Eva.
Okay, we'll run her prints.
That should clear up whether it's Eva or not.
Except her prints will be altered. Her face, unrecognizable.
All part of Eva's plan to commit the perfect crime.
You'll see.
Whoa.
She looks just like Eva.
That's because it is Eva.
Her prints match. This is your girl.
No, it can't be.
I checked her dental records, too, Castle. It's her.
I wish I could tell you it wasn't.
I take it that the cause of death is blunt force trauma?
It looks like a massive skull fracture in the parietal region.
But she just came in, so I've only done a preliminary exam.
Once I've finished my autopsy, I'll give you a call.
Okay.
Castle, I'm sorry about your friend.
Yeah, me, too.
Now that we have a body, maybe that will give us some leverage.
Taylor, we need to talk.
My lawyer said not to speak with you.
Fine, then just listen.
I don't know what Cole told you, but his wife is dead.
Her body was found less than two hours ago.
Oh, my God.
Listen, Taylor, if you want to stay out of prison,
now's the time to tell us the truth.
Ms. Haskins, welcome back.
You seem to be representing everyone in this matter.
Before we begin,
Mr. Whitfield is here only because
you said you have information on his wife's whereabouts.
Cole, you said that you spoke with Eva this morning.
What did she say?
She said it was over and that she was leaving town.
Detective, did you find Mrs. Whitfield or not?
Oh, we found her.
In the Hudson. Murdered by you.
That's a lie.
Taylor gave you up.
She said that you weren't with her last night.
You spoke to my client without me?
She waived her right.
Mr. Whitfield, if you weren't with Taylor last night, then where were you?
Don't answer that.
Are you pressing charges?
Inevitably, yeah.
Cole, let's go.
- Hey. - Hey!
- I know you did it. - Do not speak to my client.
You killed her. I saw you.
Castle. Castle, hey.
Detective, what the hell kind of precinct is this?
Just take your client and go home.
We'll be coming back for you soon enough.
Let's go.
Castle, what was that?
I know, I know. I'm sorry.
Castle, you're stressed. Go home and try to relax.
- I'll be fine. - I know you will.
But right now, you just need to walk away.
Yeah. Yeah, you're right.
Okay.
Lanie, what do you got?
During the autopsy, I discovered
that Eva's fingernail on her left index had been split down the middle.
Wedged in that crack were these three hairs.
These hairs must have gotten transferred during the struggle.
Most likely.
Lanie, how fast can you test these?
Cole's DNA is still on file
from when he was suspected of murdering his first wife.
I already ran them, and they're a match.
Cole Whitfield is your man.
Mr. Whitfield!
Mr. Whitfield, we have a warrant for your arrest!
No answer. Not at the front or the back.
His SUV is in the driveway.
Should we take the door?
There's no need.
Mr. Whitfield?
Show yourself.
Let's not make this harder than it has to be.
Are you doing okay?
I just never thought the story would end like this.
Yeah, I bet Cole didn't either.
Yeah, but suicide? What did the ME say?
That it looks like he wrapped the cord around his neck
and stepped off the balcony.
Look, I'm sorry.
I know that this isn't how you wanted it to end.
Beckett?
Beckett, are you still awake?
No.
Good. Something's bothering me.
Yeah? Something's bothering me, too.
Why would a guy like Cole commit suicide?
Because a guy like Cole didn't think he could face going to prison.
As wealthy and connected as he was? Would he even have gone to prison?
The case against him was circumstantial.
He could have beaten it in court.
Well, evidently, he didn't think so.
It's too clean.
Castle, stop chasing the mice in your head.
What if they're leading me to the truth?
Then we'll deal with it in the morning. Mmm.
Castle?
Hey, I brought you some coffee on my way to...
Wow.
You definitely don't need any more coffee. Hey.
What is this?
Uh, timeline. Eva is red, Cole is green, and Taylor is blue.
A timeline for a case that's closed?
Not yet. Cole didn't kill himself.
Based on what?
Based on his personality.
Cole is cocky, he's entitled,
and he's far too much of a narcissist to commit suicide.
So, if he didn't kill himself, that means he was murdered.
Castle, that's a pretty big "if."
It changes everything.
Because if Cole didn't kill himself, it follows that he didn't murder Eva.
Someone else did.
That's why it was staged to look like a suicide.
So the police would conclude that he was the guilty party.
Then whoever killed Cole also killed Eva.
- And who would that be? - The man I saw attacking her.
Whoever hit me in the woods.
Who you said was Cole.
He wanted me to believe he was Cole. It was just all theater.
Okay, Castle, let's say for a second
that someone snuck into the house disguised as Cole and attacked Eva.
How could they possibly know that you were gonna be there to witness it?
Well, he had to have been in on it with Eva.
If Eva is a part of the setup, then why is she in the morgue?
Because, in classic Hitchcock fashion, her co-conspirator double-crossed her.
"The Articles of Incorporation for Whitfield and Galloway."
Cole's company?
It took me two boxes of Cronuts to get that out of the County Clerk's office.
See, Cole and his partner Scott Galloway
were in business together.
But in that document, it says if anything happens to one of them,
the other one gains control of the company.
You're suggesting that Scott Galloway was Eva's co-conspirator.
I listened to the recording I made of their lunch.
This could be a serious payday.
Please, it's chump change, Scott.
Now, don't be glib, Cole.
They were getting a major offer to buy out their firm,
an offer that Cole was against.
So I did a credit check on Scott Galloway.
He was in massive debt.
A buyout would've fixed all that.
But in order for that to happen, he needed control of the company.
Eva wanted out of her marriage and she wanted Cole punished.
So they teamed up to take Cole out of the picture.
Castle, there is no evidence that supports this.
It was Scott Galloway. It has to be.
Beckett, would you please just check Scott's alibi?
Would you do that for me?
I will. But listen to me.
Eva was your friend.
She came here, to this very office, and asked for your help.
And now she's dead and you feel responsible.
And that can make you see ghosts.
Wait. We're looking into Scott Galloway now? Why?
I thought everything pointed to Cole Whitfield being our killer?
It does.
You believe this theory of Castle's?
I believe that he's been right too many times not to consider it.
Yeah.
Hey, I was just about to call you.
Listen, I've been thinking about it.
And with the benefit of hindsight, uh, you're right.
I can see how I might have tumbled down the rabbit hole.
Scott Galloway probably has nothing to do with this.
No, he doesn't. His alibi checks out.
But you were right, Castle. We found proof that Cole didn't kill Eva.
And I know who did.
Scott Galloway is in the clear.
At 7:45, when Eva was supposedly attacked,
he was at his son's basketball game.
But you said you had proof that Cole didn't kill Eva. What is it?
Your theory about Scott didn't pan out, but we did due diligence,
looked at other people in Cole's life.
And that's when we found this.
- Is that Cole's SUV? - It is.
Street cams show that Cole was in this house,
which is in Scarsdale, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Therefore Cole Whitfield could not have been the man that you saw attack Eva.
And here's another fun fact.
Cole visited that house on a regular basis between 6:00 and 8:00 p.m.
Whose house is that?
Robert James.
One of the other executives at Whitfield and Galloway.
He was at the lunch. But what was Cole doing
at Robert James' house?
Well, he wasn't there to see Robert James.
Turns out, he always worked late at the office.
But Mrs. James was there.
Are you kidding?
Cole was having a second affair with his colleague's wife?
Which is probably why he lied about where he was that night.
The wife confirmed the affair,
but she thought that nobody knew about it.
Can we put Robert James near the Whitfield house that night?
Damn right, we can.
Mr. James, uh, thank you so much for coming in.
Of course. Though, I'm not quite sure how I can help you.
Well, you can start by telling me where you were two nights ago at 8:00 p.m.
Well, I work late. I was at the office.
No, you weren't.
In fact, this is you at a tollbooth at 7:04 p.m.,
heading to Cole's house in Westchester.
There is no need for lying here.
When Eva found out that Cole was sleeping with your wife,
she came to you with a plan.
Yes.
He had betrayed the both of you. You wanted revenge.
The man looked me in the eye every day,
and then he went to my home, to my wife?
He deserved what he got.
So, you staged the attack on Eva in her house?
Yes, so that PI would see it, and the trail would lead straight to Cole.
It was all for show, of course.
Cole gets arrested, Eva gets his money and disappears.
So how did Eva end up dead?
I don't know.
I spoke to her the next morning. Eva was stressed out. Regretful.
Said the plan was never her idea in the first place.
- Whose plan was it? - I don't know.
But she was having second thoughts
about seeing Cole convicted for her murder.
And she was thinking about coming forward.
And that would've ruined you, which is why you killed her.
No, no, no. All I did was help Eva. I had nothing to do with her murder.
Yeah, Mr. James, when was the last time that you actually saw Eva?
After we got back from the woods, we cleaned up her house.
And then I gave her a key to one of the company's corporate apartments,
and I left.
Corporate apartment?
She needed a place to stay until she could get out of the country.
So, Robert James was nowhere near Westchester at the time of Cole's death.
That pretty much rules him out for both murders.
Could also mean he was telling the truth
that it someone other than Eva that planned the setup.
And I think I know who that is.
CSU checked into that corporate apartment.
They found Eva's fingerprints. But that's not all they found.
I'm just putting Cole's affairs in order.
I'm busy. Do you need something?
Ms. Haskins, you should know that Cole Whitfield's blood work came in
showing high levels of sedatives.
So high, in fact, he wouldn't have been able to hang himself.
We re-checked his phone records
and noticed that you called his house on numerous occasions.
Of course I did. I'm general counsel for Cole's company.
Yeah, but most of these phone calls came in after Cole was already at work.
Eva consulted with me as well.
That's how you found out her marriage was falling apart.
And about her prenup.
So you whispered in her ear,
told her how she could punish Cole
and make a little walking-away money in the process.
Really?
And why would I do that?
You know, we were surprised to learn that Cole's first wife, Mallory,
was a sorority sister of yours in college.
And you were devastated by her death.
We all were.
Yeah, but you were the one that told friends that he got away with murder.
So why, after all of these years,
would you leave a top-level law firm to join Cole's company?
Here's a theory.
You took the job to insinuate yourself into Cole's life,
searching for the right way,
the right moment to get revenge for Mallory.
And you found it with Eva.
That's absurd.
Is it? Eva called your cell phone from the corporate apartment landline
after she was already supposedly dead.
Eva got cold feet. She wanted to come forward.
But you couldn't have that. Not after all those years, after all that planning.
So you decided that Eva's fake murder would have to become a real one.
And killing Cole was just a way of tying up loose ends.
Wow.
That's an exciting story, Mr. Castle.
Maybe it will make a great book. But it doesn't make for much of a case.
We got a warrant.
We found Eva's blood and DNA in the trunk of your car.
It's over, Ms. Haskins.
I doubt it.
Well, we'll take it from here. Again, thanks for everything.
She wanted justice for one murder
and ended up committing two of her own.
Well, she was right about one thing.
This does have all the makings for one of my novels.
I just don't want to be the one to write it.
Come on, let's go home.
Hey, listen, Javi,
um, about that fake Match.com profile.
- Yeah. - I'm really sorry.
Yeah, I know you are, bro.
In fact, you're so sorry that you're gonna handle all the paperwork for this case.
Yeah, that's only fair.
Cool, 'cause I got a date.
Wait! Whoa, whoa, whoa! With Stacy?
Nah, nah, I wasn't feeling her.
But I logged on to my account, and I found that
there was this lovely girl named Trixie who wanted to meet me.
Trixie.
Uh, the spoken word poet/exotic dancer?
Yeah. Best of both worlds.
Um, Javi, see, Jenny and I, we purposely rejected her profile.
We didn't want the possibility of her going on
a weekend couples' ski retreat with us.
Yeah, well, sucks for you.
'Cause she'll be there.
Okay.
To closing the case.
You doing okay?
I got played. And now two people are dead.
That wasn't your fault. And because of you,
two victims have justice.
Still,
maybe being a private investigator...
There's too much, I don't know,
ambiguity.
Look, you let the case get under your skin, you know?
That happens.
Or maybe I'm just not cut out for this.
You know, you put a lot into becoming a PI.
Don't make any hasty decisions. Maybe you should just sleep on it.
You're probably right.
I should sleep on it.
Or perhaps I should nap on it.
Ah. Naps are good. I highly advocate naps.
Mmm. Ooh. Ooh.
What's, uh... Oh...
Mmm.
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