Neal moved quickly and called Castle within a day, asking him to come over. After chatting with Castle the previous morning, Neal was eager to repay him. So, taking advantage of an evening walk, he visited Montgomery's house. For the world-renowned master thief Neal Caffrey, cracking the safe of the current chief of the 12th Precinct was too easy. Originally, Neal only intended to scout Montgomery's house but ended up finding and taking the evidence that could bring down Senator William Bracken.
Neal, understanding the rules, didn't peek into the file that Castle had specifically asked him to retrieve. The next day, he called Castle to come to his house and collect the sensitive file.
Castle, who was bored at the precinct, was overjoyed when he received Neal's call. He quietly found Beckett, who was busy reviewing the testimonies of Johnny Wong and the files on Nick Kunan and Vulcan Simmons. After whispering with Beckett for a while, they left the precinct with smiles on their faces and headed straight to Neal's luxurious home on Canal Street.
Recently, Neal, for some reason, hadn't been attending his consultant duties at the FBI. Lounging in his silk pajamas on the rooftop, reading a newspaper, he looked relaxed. Castle, seeing Neal's leisurely attitude, couldn't help but feel envious of his lifestyle.
"Neal, why haven't you been going to the FBI lately?" Castle finally asked his burning question.
"Oh, Peter went to Quantico to evaluate some new recruits. His team needed to bring in some rookies, so I had nothing to do. And because of this thing on my ankle, I can only sunbathe at home!" Neal lazily replied, not even bothering to stand up as Castle entered. The file from Montgomery's safe was sealed on the table, showing that Neal hadn't looked inside.
Castle, being straightforward, thanked Neal and left quickly. He was eager to go home and examine the evidence, curious about what could bring down a sitting senator.
Holding the file that had caused so many deaths, including Montgomery, his friend, Beckett's mother, and three colleagues, Castle rushed home. With Alexis at school and the house empty, it was the perfect time to delve into the contents of the file.
After categorizing and organizing the documents, Castle understood why Montgomery had the confidence to stand against those who wanted to eliminate Beckett. The file contained records of blackmail and extortion by high-ranking corrupt cops, with irrefutable evidence linking Senator William Bracken to the crimes. It also held original bank account details used by these corrupt cops to store the extorted money.
No wonder Bracken was so desperate to find this file after Montgomery's death. In the original series, Beckett and her team had arrived too late, only finding the remnants of the burned file, which eventually led them to uncover Bracken's crimes after much effort.
But now, with all the evidence in his hands, Castle knew Bracken's downfall was imminent. He was curious to see what lengths Bracken would go to retrieve the file. With Martha and Alexis under constant protection by Sean's bodyguards, Castle wasn't worried about them. Sean, realizing his son's knack for getting into trouble, had ensured their safety. Sean knew Castle could take care of himself, so there was no need to worry about him.
After thoroughly examining the file, Castle photographed everything as a backup before storing the originals in the safest place he knew—his personal space. With all preparations complete, he relaxed on his sofa.
"Now, it's just a matter of waiting for Montgomery to be promoted to deputy chief and Beckett to be announced as the new chief of the 12th Precinct. Once Beckett's promotion is confirmed, we can arrest Nick Kunan," Castle mused.
The only problem left was how to explain the origin of the documents to Beckett. Lying was not an option; the truth was the only way. Beckett had a right to know about her mother's murder, even if it meant revealing Montgomery's secret. Castle decided to tell Beckett the truth, as hiding it would only complicate things.
With that decision made, Castle resumed his carefree demeanor and started preparing dinner. He had told Beckett he wouldn't be at the precinct for a few days to gather more dirt on Bracken. Now that he had the evidence, he planned to visit the D'Antonio family estate in Long Island the next day to check on the progress of retrieving the submarine.
The next morning, after sending Alexis off to school, Castle drove his silver Mercedes-Benz to Long Island. Skipping the main house where John and the pregnant Gianna were, he went straight to the command center, where Mozzie was leisurely sipping expensive wine. It was clearly from Gianna's stash, as Mozzie wouldn't touch anything less than the best.
Little Harry was gorging on a sumptuous breakfast, barely acknowledging Castle's arrival. Mozzie, looking ready to nap, greeted Castle.
"Rick, care for a glass? This 1996 Lafite is just as good as the legendary 1982 vintage!" Mozzie offered, but Castle declined.
"Mozzie, I heard Vincent Adler's salvage operation is progressing rapidly. What's the situation?" Castle asked as he sat at the drone control station. Little Harry was too busy eating to be of any use.
_________________________
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! Only $5 per novel or $15 for all!!] [www.p@treon.com/Mutter]
[+50 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[+5 Reviews = +1 Extra Chapter]