Esposito brought the car to a complete stop, and he, Ryan and Castle undid their seat-belts. Ryan got out, dragging out his police vest with him and buckling it on. Castle turned to do the same, but Esposito's hand on his arm stopped him.
Castle looked back...Esposito was holding out a 9mm Glock.
"What's this?" he asked.
"It's my back-up piece. You might need it."
Castle looked at it for a moment, then shook his head. "Keep it."
Esposito held it up. "Bro, this guy is a killer. You need to be armed for a raid like this."
Castle shook his head. "Seriously...I won't need it."
He got out of the car and buckled on his 'Writer' vest, and Esposito followed, slipping his back-up pistol back into his ankle holster.
Once all three had their vests on, Esposito took over.
"Castle, you've had the lead until now, but this is official police business...I need you to follow along like you always do."
Castle nodded. "I understand. You're in charge here, I'm just a shadow."
"Castle, you know I'd let you lead in from here if I could, but NYPD is pretty particular about civilians leading assaults like this."
Ryan put his arm on Castle's shoulder. "You got us here Castle, let us do the rest. Beckett will know who got her out..."
Castle smiled again. "Guys, it's okay! I understand completely."
Pistols drawn, Ryan and Esposito moved out, Castle following along.
...
Beckett and Gates were dazzled as the lights came on. David Pool stood there, a rag in one hand, a bottle in the other.
"Ladies...," he said. "I think you have an appointment with destiny.
Both of the police officers looked him over. Other than the bottle and rag, he had a big revolver shoved into his belt, a .357 by the look of it.
Overkill, thought Beckett. He's massive, we're totally helpless, and that's probably chloroform...why does he need a gun that big?
Gates broke the silence. "Before you kill us Mister Pool, may I at least ask why?"
Pool looked at her a moment, then shrugged. "I always hated those dolls..."
"Why those dolls in particular?" Gates continued.
"After my wife died..."
There was a banging, as someone pounded a door. Both of them recognised Esposito's voice. "NYPD! Open up!"
Pool drew his pistol and held it up to his lips for silence.
"Not a sound ladies. I'd hate to have to shoot you both..."
He left the room, closing the door behind him.
Beckett and Gates sat in silence, listening. There was a scrape of furniture. A slammed door. A crash.
Then a violent exchange of pistol shots.
Then silence.
They both sat there, wondering what had happened. Not afraid to call out, but not wanting to know if their friends and colleagues had been wounded or killed in the gun battle.
The door opened, slowly.
And Ryan and Esposito rushed in, guns and torches drawn.
Beckett and Gates let out their held breath, relieved that Pool hadn't won, as Ryan and Esposito moved quickly to untie them.
"Where's Pool?" Gates asked.
"Dead," Ryan replied, "Caught a bullet between the eyes when he wouldn't surrender".
Beckett suddenly realised that someone was missing.
"Where's Castle?!"
Esposito looked up from untying Captain Gates. "He's fine. He held back until the shooting had stopped. You know what he's like, probably looking Pool over."
Gates stood up, shaking the remaining ropes from her. "At least he has the good sense to stay out of a gunfight..."
...
Beckett's team stood outside Gates' office, filling the Captain in on the missing pieces.
"Looking at the timeline," Castle said, "Pool must have hatched his plan just after the time of his wife's death. He faked the theft of the dolls, and faked their sale, to give himself an alibi."
"He was using his job as a gym supplier to cover his steroid business, which is how he got to know the guards at the Terminal and learn about their security systems. The guy traveled interstate by bus every week." Esposito added."
"And looking at his wife's notes, the Veraccis were the last dolls she bought," Ryan continued, "which is why he was fixated on those."
"Both victims had articles about them in the New York Times, which is where he picked me," said Beckett. "And you sir, for that matter, after that piece on the 12th after you took over from Captain Montgomery."
Gates took it all in. "So Pool was just lashing out because of his wife's death?"
Castle shook his head. "That would make it nice and simple I guess."
"Oh?" asked Gates, "you have another theory Mr Castle?"
Castle nodded. "Yep. Just a craaaazy doll person"
Gates raised an eyebrow. "Really Mr Castle?"
Beckett signaled to stop him, but Castle didn't notice and kept going.
"Studies show that people who fixate on dolls tend to disassociate with the real world. They collect dolls like they want to collect people. Makes them hard to deal with, and in Pool's case he just went too far."
Ryan and Esposito backed away from Gates, who was starting to seeth with anger. Only Castle didn't see it.
"Yep, you ask me, Pool was just another crazy doll freak waiting to explode, like all the others."
Gates glared at him...then stormed into her office and slammed the door.
Beckett and Castle watched her go, then moved back to the murder board. After a moment, Beckett smiled at him.
"Thanks again Castle, that's another one I owe you," she said.
Castle smiled back. "That's okay detective, I stopped keeping score a while ago."
She leaned towards him, her lips inches from his ear. "I'll make it up to you tonight, I promise...", she whispered.
"I know," he whispered back. "You always do...in fact, after last night, I think you're a few rescues in credit."
Beckett had the good grace to blush, then turned away and headed for the elevator. Castle waited a moment then followed.
