The elevator dinged and a young man stepped out of it. He wasn't overly well dressed but he wasn't slovenly either, Dark jeans with a dark t-shirt and a hoodie. It was clear that he was nervous, but also determined. He walked up to the first person at a desk he saw, Castle. "Excuse me, but I was told I could talk to Detective Beckett up here." His nerves were getting the better of him and it showed.
Castle looked up at this young man and nodded. "Whom can I tell her is here?" He eyed around for Kate and spotted her in the break room, grabbing another coffee. He had been trying to figure out whom the iPod belonged to without actually seeing it, only the pictures.
The young man swallowed hard. "My name is Jonathon Wiltner, my girlfriend said that she may want to talk to me about why Monica's boss died." He was slowly relaxing, getting his story out. "I figured it was better to come here myself than have to be brought down." He looked around and saw the board; he was slightly fascinated by it. It wasn't something a normal person saw every day.
Rick smiled. "Of course. Hold on." He got up and went into the break room. Leaning against the counter he casually spoke. "You'll never guess who just showed up of his own free will." He was watching her try not to burn her coffee. "I could do that for you." He offered, knowing she would get stubborn and not let him.
"No thanks," Beckett grunted. "I got it." She finished her coffee and looked at Castle. "So, who is it?" She didn't sip yet, mostly cause she knew it was scalding hot. Looking expectantly at Castle she waited impatiently.
He sneaks a peek out to the board and back to her. "The boyfriend, Jonathon Wiltner. He says that he figured it was better to come down than be brought down." He grinned like a schoolgirl. Stepping closer to her, Rick then asks the question. "So, we gonna grill him?"
Beckett smiled slyly. "Not grill, question. Thanks for the heads up." She steps out of the break room and heads for her desk. "Mr. Wiltner, to what do we own this pleasant surprise?" She says casually as she sets her cup down. Stepping to the side of her desk she waits, watching him and the board.
Jonathon jumps slightly as he hears his name called out. "Uh, Monica, my girlfriend, said you might have some questions for me. I thought coming down here would be better for me. Cooperate quick and painlessly." He laughed nervously. Waving a hand at the board. "Mr. T was a hard ass, but I still can't believe he's gone." There was obvious respect in Jonathon's voice.
Kate nodded. "Can we take this into another room? So I can let the rest of my team work without the distraction that is." She picked up her notes and nodded towards Ryan who was on the phone. She heard Castle come out of the break room with his unique walk. She half turned. "Castle wanna sit in?" She was now picking up her coffee mug and walking towards not the interrogation room but a small room just off the break room.
Jonathon followed Detective Beckett easily. He wanted to get this over with. He had nothing to hide even.
Castle nodded as Detective Beckett asked if he wanted to join her. This was one of their suspects and he came to them. Reversing his steps he held the door for both Beckett and Wiltner. As Kate sat down, Castle closed the other door. "Can I get you something to drink?" He asked just before he sat down.
"Bottled water would be great." Jonathon said as he sat. Laying both hands on the table, palms up, he waited. In a brief time, he smiled. "Thanks. So Detective, is it true? Did Mr. Traylor die because of chocolate?" There was a tinge of horror in his voice as he spoke, as if he didn't want to know the truth but yet needed to.
Detective Beckett smiled. "You're well informed Mr. Wiltner. Who told you that?" She uncapped her pen and began taking notes on this meeting. She discreetly pulled out the sketch the homeless man did and took a look at it and the suspect in front of her. No Match.
Jonathon swallowed. "My girlfriend Monica Castillo is his secretary. She told me that the cops came and took the last couple pieces of chocolate I made for her. It's not rocket science to know it has something to do with her bosses' death." He opened and took a drink of his water. "Actually I need to say something about that. Monica thinks I made those chocolates for her but really my boss made some of them and I did some. It's just easier to tell Monica that I did them all, saves us from a fight ya know?"
Pieces were falling into places for Beckett. "You're boss is Joanna Watts, right? She helped you make some of the chocolates." Writing her notes and suspicions down she waited for his answer.
"Well, it's kind of odd. I had told Joanne that I wanted to make some chocolates for Monica as an anniversary gift. Six months last week." He said by way of explaining. "Joanne asked what kind and told her Monica's favorite was dark. The next morning I came in and Joanne had started the batch without me. Now I know I'm only an apprentice chocolatier and I shouldn't question the master, but it was odd. Joanne never started without my help before." His nerves were quickly going away. Either we would prove himself innocent or guilty but either way he'd tell the truth. "When I asked she said that she had been making some for a friend of hers as well and figured that she might as well start on some of Monica's for me. Molded chocolates take forever to set correctly and I know that so, even thought it was odd, I said thank you and made some very special pieces myself." Jonathon took another drink of water.
Detective Beckett could tell he wasn't completely done with his story but she had a few questions. "So, even though it was odd that she started without your help, you went along with it? Was anything else odd about that morning?" She was taking notes on things to check on with others but also wanted to know what was going on.
Nodding after the questions Jonathon continued. "It was totally odd. Joanne never washed the dishes, I mean never. Said she was the Master and didn't have to anymore, that it was the job of peons to do now. Besides her, there's only 3 of us who work there. There were dishes ready to go into the dishwasher when I got there. In fact I had to run them before I could start my half of the batch. It was just her and I so I know that she had to have done them." He shrugged out of his hoodie. "There was this odd residue in the pots too. Lots of white powder mixed in with the chocolate. It didn't look like something normal, so I grabbed a clear bag and got a sample. For something not to do if nothing else." He dropped his hand and took out the bag he had just described.
Kate gasped a bit as she took a look at the bag. It was clearly laced with something. "Castle, go grab an evidence bag would you? And have Ryan and Esposito come in here to collect it." She paused not knowing where to take this really. There was a huge chance that her killer was sitting across from her and just a huge a chance that his story would check out. As Castle left the room she prodded. "And how do I know you didn't plant this or make it yourself?"
Jonathon turned over the bag. On the back was a post-it note clearly labeled, Unknown substance in the chocolate, not "too much sugar". Juan says he found same on the beater. "Juan is the dishwasher and all round clean up guy. He came to me asking questions after I had this bagged. Juan Mendoza, he's at work by now but I'm sure he'll tell you the truth. Too much sugar is how Joanne explained it after I asked her." He took his hand off the bag. "Look Detective, I know right now it looks bad for me. Believe me I do, but I need to clear myself. I had nothing to do with Mr. Traylor's death. He treated Monica like gold, which is 100 times better than his partners did. In fact I made him some special chocolate as a thank you. Sugar free, which let me tell you, isn't easy. He was a diabetic, you know."
By this time the boys had come back into the room, Esposito had a pair of gloves on and picked up the bag. Placing it into an evidence bag he sealed then signed the bag. "We'll get this to the lab." He eyed Jonathon a bit then left with Ryan.
Kate smiled as the boys, aside from Castle, left. "We know he was diabetic. How did you know?" She had a clue as to the answer but wanted him to tell her.
"Nichelle told me," his hands moved again to open palm up as he spoke, "his wife. She had dropped by the shop to talk with Joanne about something and I asked her if there was any way I could thank Mr. T for being so cool with Monica. She said that if I could come up with a sugar free chocolate he'd love me forever." He laughed a bit at the memory. "She also said she couldn't do chocolate justice and had given up."
Kate nodded; this was exactly what they had heard from Mrs. Traylor herself. "Ok thank you Jonathon for coming down and being so candid today. I have to check out what you've told me so please don't leave town, you or Monica for that matter. When we know something concrete we should be able to let you know." Kate got up and closed her notebook. More pieces had fallen into place, now the picture was almost complete in her mind.
Jonathon smiled and sighed, obviously relieved. "We have no plans to go anywhere until this is all over. I hope this won't upset Nichelle's plans though. Her business was going to be my next step." He also got up and put his hoodie back on. He looked at the water for a bit. "Mind if I take this?" He pointed at the bottle.
Kate shook her head. "Go ahead, we don't need it." She then waved a hand back towards the elevator as he grabbed the bottle. "I'll show you out." Leading the way through the maze that was the bullpen, Kate got to the elevators quickly. "Thank you again Mr. Wiltner. You have helped a lot today."
Jonathon smiled briefly. "Mr. T could be a hard ass but he was always nice to Monica. I figured I owed it to his memory if nothing else." The elevator dinged and he got in. "Detective, please find whoever did this. Mrs. T and Mon… they are a mess over it."
"We will and with everything you've given us it might be that much easier to nail them quick." The doors closed and Kate let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding.
Castle came up behind her. "What do you think is in that bag?" He asked, knowing by her demeanor that Wiltner had not caused the death. Slowly they made their way back to the desk and board. He watched as Kate wrote something upon it. Bag of chocolate laced with unknown substance. Kate then erased Jonathon Wiltner's name from under the suspect list and wrote him on another part of the board with the label, did not cause death.
"Whatever it is," she said finally, "It probably killed our vic. My bet right now is on Aconite. The lab'll confirm it for sure." She then sat on the edge of her desk, looking at the board. "So, the wife didn't do it. The secretary loved him and her boyfriend did too. Our list of good suspects is growing rapidly, in the wrong direction." Her stomach growled loudly, she ignored it by opening her desk drawer and grabbing a packet of Peanut M&Ms.
Castle frowned a bit at her nonchalant-ness. "How can you eat chocolate at a time like this?" He took the bag and put it back in the depths of her desk. "Come on. We'll go to Remy's."
Before Kate could argue he had her coat off her chair and waiting for her. She sighed heavily. "Fine, but I'm getting a chocolate shake." She let him lead her out of the pen to dinner.