The group's return to the precinct was a disappointing low compared to the hopeful high everyone was on as they left for Terkowich's apartment. Shaw retreated to the conference room to see what kind of progress her team was making on the files from the past cases. She announced to the roomful of agents, "What can you guys tell me about our friend Mr. Tyson that I don't already know?"

The first agent began, "His first eight kills were attractive blonds, strangled with a three strand twisted quarter-inch green and white nylon rope. First three were killed in a week, each killed in their apartments in buildings with no doormen, then he took a month off before killing the next three. Each woman was posed like they were in coffins with hands clasped."

Another agent picked up the story. "When the locals were closing in on him he got himself sent to prison on a first-time felony drug possession charge and served four years. Victim number seven, a Linda...Russo, was killed two blocks away from her apartment and *not* posed."

"Why the differences?" asked Shaw.

"Linda Russo had called into a tip line during the time of the first six murders," Beckett chimed in, "she witnessed Tyson coming out of the apartment of number six, Sara Townsend. Russo was killed on the street because Tyson knew she wouldn't have let him into her apartment."

"Four years after the night in question..." Shaw considered the information she was getting in light of what she knew about the current murders. "So we know he holds on to old grudges for extended periods of time...continue."

Agent Avery corrected Beckett's facts. "Technically...victims seven and eight could be considered the work of a copycat. Tyson had a partner, a...Marcus Gates, who committed the two murders while Tyson was still in prison."

Shaw commented, "Partner, huh?" It seemed like she was slightly surprised by the idea.

"Partners usually have some level of codependent relationship between them," Castle explained to no one in particular. Turning his attention to Shaw, he added, "but Tyson's partners weren't so much partners as they were pawns, people he used to create alibis, et cetera."

Avery continued forward with his narrative, ignoring Castle. "Gates had also been hired by Tyson to murder Donna Gallagher during that time, but he was arrested while making the attempt and Gallagher went into witness protection. Gates later confessed to being 3XK and taking credit for all eight murders. Tyson then negotiated a deal for early release in exchange for his testimony against Gates."

"What did Gates get for his efforts?" asked Shaw.

"$100,000. The money went to pay for a heart valve surgery for his foster brother, Paul McCardle," replied Ryan.

Shaw immediately picked up on that piece of information. "So Tyson has access to large amounts of cash...continue."

Agent Avery did as he was told. "Tyson was about to leave protective custody and go into the wind when, apparently, Mr. Castle over there fingered Tyson as the real Triple Killer. Tyson knocked Detective Ryan unconscious, stealing his service weapon, then tied up Mr. Castle and escaped."

"That's why he's carving Detective Beckett's badge number into these women's wrists," Shaw realized, explaining her theory to Castle, "he blames you for us knowing who he is, and he knows that the way to get to you...is through her."

Avery continued forward. "Jerry Tyson doesn't to seem to have much love for *anybody* connected to the 12th precinct. Tyson gave detective Ryan's stolen service weapon to one Philip Lee, an old prison associate, who used the gun to murder one Jane Herzfeld. I'm guessing that he was hoping that Detective Ryan would get fingered for the murder. And then almost a year later, Tyson framed Mr. Castle for the murder of a...Tessa Horton. His goal, apparently, was to have Castle murdered behind bars by another prison associate. When his plan failed, Tyson faked his death by diving off a bridge after being shot by Detective Beckett and Mr. Castle."

"Which is when he skipped town, changed his MO and set up shop in Philadelphia," Shaw concluded.

Avery had one last piece of information to pass along to his boss. "Once Tyson was presumed dead, Donna Gallagher asked to be taken out of witness protection and allowed to return to New York. That's why she was around to be Tyson's second victim this time around."

"Okay..." Commented Esposito, "but why did Tyson come back *here*? He wouldn't have known Donna Gallagher had left Witsec, so he didn't come back for her..."

"He came back for me," Castle stated simply. "First he just wanted me dead because I identified him. Then he wanted to ruin me so I knew what it felt like for him. Now..."

"Now he wants to go after the one thing he believes you care about more than anything else," Shaw concluded. Castle nodded in agreement, so the agent continued to add on to her theory, talking as she thought it through. "In a city of eight million people, there's no way that Tyson would have known his ex had left Witsec and come back. Donna Gallagher had to be a crime of opportunity. He ran into her on the street, recognized her, then followed her back to her apartment to kill her there. And we already know that Annemarie O'Dowd was a crime of opportunity because of where she was found. Which means that there's been only one woman among the women he's killed this time that he stalked prior to her death...Madeline Strimp."

"It makes sense," added Beckett. "Maddie Strimp worked at an ultra-exclusive VIP lounge called the Red Dragon. Tyson has means, maybe he was a client of hers?"

Shaw seemed to make a decision as Beckett was talking. "Then let's go pay a visit to the Red Dragon, see if anybody recognizes him."

"There...there's one small problem with that," countered Beckett.

Shaw frowned at Beckett, clearly confused. "What would that problem be, detective?"

"The Red Dragon is owned by Philip Lee's father, Clifford Lee. He's...not a big fan of mine."

Shaw understood immediately. "Because you helped put his son behind bars." Undaunted, the agent continued to get her coat and pull herself together to go out. "In that case, it's probably better if you don't go with me. Just point me in the direction of the place. I'm sure I can handle it."

Ryan seemed to be inspired by Shaw's idea to head back to the Red Dragon. "I'll go with you," he volunteered.

Bro, Esposito countered through the mind-link, are you sure that's a smart thing to do? Clifford Lee's not a real big fan of you, either...

True, Ryan agreed, but things have...changed since then. The detective had to resist the urge to crack a smile. I have a feeling Mr. Lee might be a little more...open to talking this time.

Esposito, in turn, had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. Okay, but if Lee ends up howling like a monkey, you're the one who's going to have to explain it to the FBI...


Agent Shaw took in her surroundings as she walked through the bustling central corridor of the Red Dragon. "So this is an ultra-VIP lounge?"

Ryan could only shrug, this having been his first time to the club as well. "From what I hear it's much more impressive at night."

The pair caught up with the club's owner as he was signing for an incoming liquor delivery. "Clifford Lee?" asked Shaw.

Lee looked up from the clipboard and smiled. "Detective Ryan! So good to see you. Tell me, did you stop by because you lost another service weapon, perhaps?" His tone quickly turned bitter. "Sorry, but I don't have another son for you to frame with your missing gun..."

Shaw pulled out her identification quickly, trying to diffuse the situation before Ryan had a chance to respond. "Mr. Lee, I'm Agent Jordan Shaw. We're here about Madeline Strimp."

Ryan took the edge off of Lee's anger, ignoring the jibes. Let them do their jobs and get it over with...he projected in Lee's voice.

Lee seemed to stare them down with glaring skepticism before reluctantly relenting. "What do you need?" he grumbled.

"We believe the man who killed Madeline Strimp was a client," Ryan told him. "We'd like to show his picture around to the hostesses, see if any of them recognize him."

Shaw handed Lee a picture of Tyson, which he studied carefully. Ryan caught the flash of recognition in Lee's mind as he looked at the photograph.

Agent Shaw caught it as well. "Do you recognize this man, Mr. Lee?" she asked.

Lee hesitated, clearly unwilling to give up on the confidentiality he knew his clients prized. Ryan...encouraged him to get over it. Answer her.

"David Terkowich," Lee spat out before he realized what he was doing. "His name is David Terkowich."

Shaw's eyes widened as her mind made the connection immediately. "Are you *sure*?" she asked him. Lee nodded.

Ryan then remembered something that Beckett had told him about Lee's level of involvement in the club. "You don't know him as a client, do you?" He reached into Lee's mind, finding his connection to Tyson almost immediately. Tell them, he projected into Tyson's mind.

Lee hesitated, unwilling to shame himself by admitting how he knew the man he knew as David Terkowich. "You are certain this man killed Madeline Strimp?"

Shaw nodded. "And almost two dozen other women."

Lee let out a low whistle, impressed by the number even as he was repulsed by the idea of killing a woman. Ryan pressed further to get Lee to publicly admit the connection between the two men. "How do you know David Terkowich?"

Lee sighed, relenting under the constant stream of thoughts Ryan was pushing into the man's mind. "David is my business partner. He helped me build this club."

"We're going to need any information you have on Mr. Terkowich," Shaw insisted. Lee nodded at Ryan's urging, grabbing pen and paper from behind the hostess station and writing down the contact information before he had a chance to think about it.

Shaw was on the phone the second they were out of the club. "Avery, we need to get everything we can on a David Terkowich, including financials. Yes, the guy from the apartment. He apparently swapped identities with Tyson. Terkowich is his new partner. You'll have everything when I get back to the precinct? Good. See you then." Once she ended the call, Shaw turned her attention to her current 'partner'. "Nice work in there, detective. I'm impressed that you didn't let Lee's greeting get to you."

Ryan blew off the compliment, "Yeah, well..."

He never got a chance to finish the statement. Ryan's eyes rolled back in his head, collapsing on the ground just outside the Red Dragon. Shaw was on her phone again in an instant, checking for a pulse as she dialed 911. "I have an officer down! Repeat, I have an officer down at Pell and Doyers...I don't know, he just collapsed..."


I refuse to apologize for the cliffhanger ending. You'll just have to chew me out in the comments...:-D