Moment in Time Part 3
Chapter 55
And Justice for All
Part 6
Esposito angrily flicks a photograph on the murder board. "So far, we have no physical evidence linking Marco Sutton to Eddie's murder. Did you get anything from your FBI buddies, Captain?"
"Only that Napier specializes in fraud and financial crimes."
"Since when does fraud trump homicide?" Rick wonders.
"Never as far as I'm concerned," Kate declares.
"Who is the sexiest digital investigator alive?" Vikram asks, approaching from behind the gathering.
"I'd go with Daisy Johnson from Agents of Shield," Rick replies.
Vikram shakes his head in disgust. "A non-fictional one."
"No way you're going to get me to say it's you," Esposito responds.
Kate suppresses a smile. "OK. What have you got?"
Vikram attaches another photo to the murder board. "Anita Rodriguez, and she's alive. She's in a private detention center in Texas awaiting deportation."
Rick blows out a breath. "Thank God. But how do you know it's Eddie's Anita Rodriguez? There must be hundreds, thousands of them out there."
Vikram grins. "What do you think makes me so sexy? I found a record of her fingerprints. And the paper trail for how she got shipped off to Texas is pretty thin."
"Intentionally so?" Kate wonders.
Vikram shrugs. "Maybe. But there was one name I could track: Judge Jason Caldwell. He signed the deportation order, and from his record, there's nothing he likes better than deporting foreigners."
"That doesn't prove he had anything to do with Eddie's murder," Kate points out.
"No, but I have more that's pretty incriminating. I need to show you something." Vikram leads the way back to Tech, where a video is paused on the screen. "The day before the murder, Eddie got into a shoving match with Judge Caldwell at the courthouse."
"It's all about Eddie's search for justice, especially when immigrants are ripped off," Rick asserts. "Somehow, Eddie must have connected the judge to Marco's extortion scheme and confronted Caldwell over it. That must be what he meant when he told his classmates there was a conspiracy."
"And if Eddie threatened to expose him, Judge Caldwell would have a strong motive to kill him," Kate adds.
"But what were the judge's financial incentives for deportation?" Rick queries. "Shaking down immigrants scrubbing floors couldn't net much. And unless he was taking money, there was no crime Eddie could hang on him."
"I think I can answer that," Vikram replies. "I dug into Judge Caldwell's financials. He's getting huge kickbacks from a company that runs detention centers. He gets paid for every bed he fills."
"So Marco Sutton shakes down undocumented immigrants for money. And when he's squeezed them dry, he turns them in, and Caldwell deports them," Rick assumes.
"And collects his fee," Kate interjects.
"Thirty pieces of silver. I hate that guy!" Rick exclaims.
Esposito starts for the door. "Me too. Let's bring him in."
"No, hold it, you guys," Kate cautions. "Caldwell's a federal judge. If we go after him and can't make a case… Wait, Vikram, run that security footage again. Look at the janitor. He's wearing an earpiece."
"So's the guy on the bench," Esposito notes.
"Which means the FBI's surveillance team is following the judge," Kate realizes.
Rick nods. "He's the real target."
Kate absently chews her lip. "But if Napier's on top of Caldwell, we can't go after him. Napier told us not to step on his investigation, and after two years, he's not about to give Caldwell up. The NYPD can't barge in on his operation."
"The NYPD can't, but I can," Rick proclaims. "Richard Castle Investigations is on the case."
"Who's your client?" Esposito asks.
"Aida, Achmed, the whole ESL class. Take your pick. I promised to help, and that's what my intrepid team and I are going to do."
Napier follows Caldwell with his eyes. "Gavel is on the move, headed to the courthouse."
Achmed suddenly shoves his hotdog cart into Napier's path. "So sorry. A thousand pardons."
Napier scowls impatiently as his distance from Caldwell increases. "Just get out of the way."
As Napier begins to move again, Kim and Aida pretend to be proud mamas. "Your baby is so adorable."
"So is yours."
"Excuse me," Napier pleads, trying to get around them.
The agent spies Caldwell crossing the street at a pedestrian light. He hurries to enter the crosswalk before the red hand replaces the walk signal, but a Ronnie's Chicken delivery van cuts him off. "Team two, I've lost visual contact," Napier announces. "Gavel should be coming your way."
Holding up a giant map, Alistair blocks the other FBI agents' sight. "How man. Had ya Pash. Divvin' be a workyticket."
An agent pushes past him. "Can't help you."
As Caldwell approaches the elevator in the courthouse, Diego points to an out-of-order sign. "Service elevator through door down hall."
Caldwell nods. "Thank you."
As soon as Caldwell is behind the door, Diego removes the sign and starts mopping the floor.
"Did the judge go up in the elevator?" Agent Napier asks as he arrives with his team.
Diego shrugs. "No entiendo."
"Damn it," Napier mutters as he ushers his agents into an elevator car.
Castle times his entrance into the hallway where Diego directed Caldwell, to meet up with the judge. "After you," Rick invites as they simultaneously reach a door marked service elevator.
"Thank you," Caldwell acknowledges. He gazes around as they enter another hallway. "This can't be right."
"Where's the service elevator?" Rick asks.
As both men turn back the way they came, Hayley lunges in front of them, waving a gun.
Rick slaps a hand over his mouth. "Oh my God!"
"You killed my fiancé!" Hayley accuses, pointing the weapon at the judge.
"Hold on!" Caldwell protests. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"You are Judge Caldwell. You murdered my fiancé Eddie Ramirez," Hayley insists.
"I have no idea who that is," Caldwell claims.
Hayley spits at him. "Stop telling lies. I know you are the one who did it."
"Lady, listen. You don't want to do this, all right? He's not worth it," Castle interjects.
Rage filling her face, Hayley shoots Rick. Remembering Martha's instructions about stage falls, he collapses to the ground.
Caldwell stares horrified at the red stain spreading on Rick's shirt. "All right. I knew Eddie Ramirez, but I promise I didn't kill him. I didn't have to."
"What do you mean you didn't have to?" Hayley demands.
"He was a cop. And the enemy of my enemy is my…." Caldwell stops short as he spots the wire used to activate the squib on Rick's chest. "What is this, some kind of setup? Who are you people?"
Hayley tries to press on, waving her gun again. "You better tell me who killed Eddie, or I'll shoot you too."
"The hell you will!" Caldwell throws back. He strides past her and back to the courthouse lobby.
Rick pushes himself up from the floor. "Just let him go, Hayley. The FBI could be on us any second. We need to get out of here. Damn! We were so close! I knew I should have had a stunt guy check my rig. Esposito only deals with real gunshot wounds."
"Do you think Caldwell was lying about not killing Eddie?" Hayley asks.
"I don't know. But I'm damn sure that Kate's going to check his alibi. And if he didn't do it, I bet he knows who did. Still, with the FBI on his ass, I don't know how we'll get another crack at him."