Back in the privacy of their car, they drove in silence less than a mile before stopping alongside the road to ponder what the hell just happened. Kate was the first to speak. "God, Castle, can you believe what we just heard. If the Feds had those records then, you can be sure they have them now. Pull that string, and the whole Bracken empire will collapse". Kate was gleeful at the prospect, and the case of Emma Rains was hardly mentioned on their return trip to the precinct.
Castle's response was much more muted. "Kate, this definitely is a solid lead, but we need to be extremely careful in how we use it. I doubt he has any inkling of this, and we need to keep it that way. He is still dangerous particularly if he thinks you are on to something. Innocent lives could be ruined if we do anything that attracts attention. Time is on our side. We need to play the long game here so that his downfall comes from so far afield he will never see it coming."
Back at the precinct, Lara and Kevin gave them their rundown on David Wilburn. Worked at the same bank until two years ago and left rather abruptly. Bought a modest townhouse and got a low stress job at a local big box store. Financials showed a man of modest means. Checking, savings, and retirement accounts offered no red flags. That left them back at square one, and Beckett was not happy about sharing that unfortunate update with the Captain.
The only odd sock left was Wilburn's vague suggestion that there was some mystery person in her life. With little else to go on, Beckett decided that Kevin, Lara, and Tori would scour video from around her building in the evening to see if any consistent discrepancies turned up in her daily return commute. It would, of course, take time, but it might demonstrate a pattern worthy of more probing with her coworkers. Three days later, Wednesdays were the obvious choice. Most other nights she was home within an hour of quitting time, but Wednesdays, things were clearly different. Castle quipped, "She might just be celebrating hump day." Beckett, Tori, Kevin, and Lara all thought hump might have a different meaning.
Now that a day of the week looked promising, it was time to sweat all her co-workers. Lara and Kevin got the women, and Kate and Rick met with the men. Kate was adamant, "It is time to dig deep. Someone must have seen or surmised something odd about Wednesdays. Our job is to find that nuance- no matter how obscure." It came out of blue from an intern new to the office. She had been there for about four weeks, and Emma took perverse pleasure in piling on the workload particularly on Wednesday mornings. "She seemed obsessed about leaving on time. Kept checking my progress like a mother hen - not at all like that on other days."
Lara then asked the key question. "Did she give anyone special attention that day? Was there any pattern that seemed unusual?" The answer brought them to Marie Day who was a rising star that was never satisfied with the work product of anyone but herself. Kevin and Lara opted to do their homework before the interview. The doorman recognized Emma and reported the visits had gone on for months. The news was shared with Beckett and Castle, and much to their surprise, they chose to observe rather than take point on the interrogation. What neither understood was that both were consumed with how their new bank information might be surreptitiously used to put Bracken in the cross-hairs of law enforcement.
Lara stayed late that night, and Dale got a rare honest explanation for her tardiness. He took it all in stride, and she was ever so grateful for his trusting nature. The next morning, Ms. Day arrived with a confrontational attitude like many before her, and Kevin and Lara began to slowly unpack her denials. First, she admitted to knowing Emma in more than a professional capacity. Then she caved to a torrid romantic involvement with Emma. When they brought up Wilburn, she grew testy about him and his desire for Emma to join him in the sticks.
When they informed her that her cellphone whereabouts for the night of the murder were pending, the dam of her denials seemed to shatter. Yes, she confessed they had had a heated meeting in the park that night and a hastily acquired rock had done the deed. Lara and Kevin left her writing up her rather sordid confession, and Beckett rewarded Lara with the cheerful task of informing Gates of the new developments. The Captain was effusive in her praise, and Lara knew Dale was in for a very rewarding evening.
The next morning a very sated Lara arrived to even more happy news. Alice, from the Senator's office, had called to inform them of a final press conference early the next week. It seemed all the disputes were settled, and this was the last time he would deal with this distraction. None except Lara was happy about this little assignment. Kate and Castle were especially concerned. Any nuance of change in their demeanor could ignite suspicions they certainly did not want. Their plan was to remain far in the background and let Kevin and Lara take the lead. If things went as expected, Lara could stay and clean up any embarrassments that might arise. Lara was quite happy with the plan. Last night Dale had exceeded expectations for the first time, and perhaps it was time to consider cooling things with the Senator.
The press conference took a bit over an hour to conclude. Kate and Castle were seen, but neither actually spoke with the Bracken. Happily, the Senator, the press, and the gawkers were all cooperating that morning. After it ended, he spent about a two hours with staff, his lawyers, and few in the press to thank them for persevering with him through this trying time. While the celebrants were thrilled to be included in this little impromptu part, he was much happier about something totally different. That morning, his pollster had called to gleefully report that there was little change in how his constituents viewed his job performance. He had weathered a potentially very messy patch and come out on the other side relatively unscathed. It was the perfect setup for his next act.
After the little shindig kind of died out, he and Lara adjourned to his apartment where clothes were quickly discarded for a more intimate celebration. After three rounds, things quieted down as they partook of some wine and snacks he had ordered for just this occasion. Lara could get used to being pampered like this. The conversation was relaxed, and the Senator was in a mood to take stock of things now that his personal woes were over. The conversation did not go the way Lara would have liked. His summation about the future included the phrase, 'no rings, no restraints, and no commitments'. She felt relegated to a New York diversion - probably one of many. That lack of any consideration for her left her disenchanted with the whole arrangement. His selfishness was on full display and likely not to change. In comparison, ordinary Dale was now looking pretty special.
She was also sure Beckett was taking a shine to her and assumed the Captain would follow suit. Yes, the future was looking bright for the promotion she coveted, and all that might be needed was one last romp with the Senator. If he could be so selfish, she could be too. That night Lara returned home on time and proceeded to prepare a sumptuous meal for the entire family. Dale was a contented man clearing the dishes, but that was just the beginning of the delights to come once the baby monitor was switched on.
Meanwhile, Kate decided to press her luck with the Captain. The idea came from Castle, but she had to admit it was deviously clever. Her recent successes with the Rains case and the Senator would put Gates in a very receptive mood for a very un-Beckett like request. It would take another week to finalize the plan, but there was no turning back.
A/N Who should win?