"As you can see this is Sonia Gage, I was told by one of the founders of the troupe when I arrived that she seemed to go into shock," Brad said, nodding to her name plate on the door. "So I'm not sure about her condition."

"I see now why you were waiting for me," Beckett commented. She then glanced at the door and said, "Should I go in on my own?"

Shaking his head immediately Brad said, "I'll head in, but you should take point of course."

"Of course," Beckett said. She turned to the door and then asked the chief, "You're ready?"

"Yeah," Brad said, watching her knock softly on the door.

"Who, who is it?" a voice said.

"It's the Hamptons police ma'am," Beckett said, looking at the chief as he was nodding to her. "We need to speak to you about what happened." She heard the woman whisper for them to come inside and opened the door.

Looking up, Gage's eyes widened in surprise before she said, "You're… you're the writer."

"I am, do you mind if I speak with you? Along with Chief Davis," Beckett said, indicating him.

"No, please I… I want to find out what happened to Matthias," Gage whispered, holding her tissue up to her face as she nearly started to cry. She took a moment to calm down before she told the two, "Please… please sit," before the chief was speaking first.

"Can you tell us what happened?" Brad asked.

Sniffing, Gage said, "Matthias and I were doing our usual routine. We were in an apartment in Paris; it was supposed to be. We would pose, hold it and the curtain would close. Then we'd move while the curtain was covering us to get into the next until we were undressed."

"You and Mr. Waller were dating," Beckett stated instead of asking. "I'm sorry," she added quickly as the woman started to sob.

"No… it's okay, I know you h-have to ask," Gage whispered while she did her best to calm down. When she had she murmured, "We fell in love doing what we were doing. We've come to hate having sex in front of people but…" She trailed off as tears filled her eyes but quickly said, "We were in love."

Beckett glanced at Brad next to her, seeing he was frowning slightly before he faintly gestured to her. She inclined her head once before she turned her attention to Gage and waited for her to calm down again. "Was anything wrong with him this morning?" she asked once she could.

"He had a headache, he took a lozenge for it and seemed to recover," Gage replied. She sniffed and dried her eyes before she said, "That was about an hour before we had to get ready."

Beckett realized she wasn't sure when exactly the show had been but pushed that aside as she then asked, "Would you be able to walk us through the performance at all?"

"Yes," Gage said, though she nearly began to cry again. She took a moment and talked about her and her boyfriend getting on the couch and beginning to have sex. "It wasn't that long after we started, around a minute if that I would say," she began. "And he started to slow down… thrusting. I asked him what was wrong and… he started to throw up and wouldn't stop until he collapsed on me. I tried to ask him what was wrong, but he wouldn't move and I knew… he was dead."

Letting the woman cry again, Beckett stood up slowly and said to Brad under her breath, "What time was that?"

"Twenty minutes ago," Brad said. When the writer leaned back to look at him in surprise he nodded and was about to speak to Gage when she was speaking through her tears.

"Please… I…" Gage started to say before she turned away.

"We just need to know one more thing," Brad said gently but firmly. "Do you think anyone would have wanted to hurt Matthias?"

"N-no," Gage replied, shaking her head. "He was new to the troupe and… we took a break for Christmas, so it wasn't that long to make anyone mad."

"What about before that?" Brad said. "I know he left the Troupe de Amor; how did he leave that group?"

"He never talked about it," Gage said. "We focused on this group and what we needed to do."

Seeing the woman was obviously about to start crying, Beckett squeezed Brad's arm and she said, "Did he speak to you about any family?"

"He has a mom," Gage managed to say before she burst into tears again and didn't hear the two saying they were sorry again and leaving her dressing room.

"I was almost about to suspect her," Brad confessed while he closed the door behind them.

"Do you really think she would do that?" Beckett asked. "While they're having sex?"

"The host, Antoine Aumont, said he heard Gage hissing at Waller when he was slowing down," Brad replied.

"You've fully interviewed him?" Castle asked, leaving the room he and Hutchinson had been conducting their interview in.

"I did, he basically told me what Gage did," Brad said, looking past his friend.

"What did they tell you?" Darnley asked as he walked up to the three.

"First I'll tell you what Aumont said," Brad replied before he relayed the information from the host and the man who had thought up the troupe in the first place. He wasn't surprised when Castle and Beckett shared a look before the former was speaking slowly.

"That means we have two troupes to look into," he said.

"It does," Brad said. "And I'd like you three to head back to the station and take that on if you don't mind."

"You're going around with Wade and Hutchinson?" Beckett asked.

"Yeah, the rest of the people here probably won't have anything Aumont and Gage haven't told us already," Brad replied. "Go to my office, I'll e-mail you the list of everyone here and Bernier will have the list of people from the other troupe."

"Speaking of them…" Darnley said.

"I'll be calling them once I get back," Brad said. "Just have everything ready for me."

"We will," Beckett said before they were heading back out to the stage. Seeing the couch was empty, she said to the two men with her, "I'm not sure where to start with this one."

"I'm surprised this is legal," Darnley said. "They have a gay couple and a lesbian couple," not surprised when his friend looked at him with wide eyes before her husband spoke.

"He's right, Miss Fairclough is part of the lesbian couple, who Hutchinson and I talked to," Castle said. "But they're not dating. You didn't talk to part of the gay couple?"

"No," Darnley said. "Mr. Masterson is one of the makeup artists. But he mentioned the vic and his girlfriend were the only ones dating and working in this troupe."

"Okay, I'll ask about the other troupe," Brad said a little absently. "See if he was dating anyone since I heard from Aumont that they started dating a month into touring. Go ahead and start on the names, we'll talk to everyone and get back to the station as fast as we can."

"We'll have some kind of information for you," Beckett said before she was leaving with her husband and friend. When they were outside, she said, "What do you think?"

"Well, I don't think you want to hear what I think," Darnley replied.

"That it was accidental?" Beckett said.

"An allergic reaction," Darnley corrected.

"Possible, but all Brad needs to do is ask his girlfriend if he had before," Castle said, on his phone.

"Are you texting him?" Darnley asked.

"I am," Castle replied. When he got his answer he told the others, "He'll try, she might still be upset."

"She's not a suspect?" Darnley asked Beckett.

Shaking her head she said, "Not the way she was crying… unless she's the greatest actress on earth."

"I'm not sure," Castle commented when his wife had looked at him. "I would have had to see her." He waited to get into the car and said, "I should have Mother talk to her." He looked at Beckett and asked, "No?"

"No," she said, starting the car and backing out of the space she'd parked at. Heading to the highway back to the station, Beckett said, "What do you think?"

"Poisoning," Castle said, glancing back at Darnley. "The vomiting is kind of…"

"Telling? I'm just keeping that option open," the carpenter said. "But I'm sure Thayer will confirm the poisoning. I wonder if the other troupe we saw has any recordings of Waller performing," he added, not surprised Beckett was responding to that immediately.

"What would that do?" she asked in confusion.

"To be honest it'd let us see how he is in these performances," Darnley said. "We need to know more about him."

"If he lives in the city, we might have to ask the boys to look at his apartment," Castle told his wife.

"Are you sure he lives there?" Darnley asked.

"Not really, I'm sure we're all in agreement we're looking at him first," Beckett said. She smiled while her husband and friend quickly said yes to that and focused on getting to the station. As soon as they were inside, she called to Bernier who waved to them before getting off the phone.

"Great timing," the officer replied with a smile. "I just got the names of the Troupe de Amor; you don't need any help?"

"No, just a laptop," Darnley said while Beckett was taking the pad of paper.

"It's on the Chief's desk," Bernier replied, nodding to the office.

"Thank you," Castle said before they walked inside together. "So what am I going to do?"

"Wait for me to look into Waller," Beckett said simply. "You too," she said to Darnley.

"Yeah, I figured," the carpenter said in a rush. He and Castle sat in front of the chief's desk before he glanced at the writer as he was speaking to his wife.

"This feels weird," Castle said.

"I'm not the chief," Beckett said firmly, typing on the computer quickly. She glanced at her husband and said, "Good thing." She looked back at the screen, missing the slight frown on her husband's face and said, "Okay, well he doesn't live in the city. It says here Waller lives in Oyster Bay."

"Road trip?" Darnley asked.

"We'll have to let Brad know," Beckett replied. "And he and Gage were moving fast."

"She was living with him?" Castle asked. When his wife nodded, he said, "That is fast, so we might not have a road trip."

"It would depend on whose house it is," Beckett said. "Their names are both here."

"Good point," Darnley replied. "Though that might be a motive."

"We hadn't thought of asking about an ex," Beckett said since both her husband and friend were looking at her. "But she was so distraught I don't know if she would have answered."

"If it is murder," Darnley said. He smiled briefly when she shot him a look and glanced at Castle, seeing him looking down. He frowned a little and then said, "Should we start now?"

"Yes," Beckett said, ripping the paper with the list of the troupe off. She gave her friend the pad of paper and told him, "Note down whatever you can."

"Will do," Darnley replied, saluting her.

Getting up from his chair, Castle went around to his wife and said, "Do you think we should start the murder board?"

"A second one," Beckett said, looking up at him and studying him. "Since we're going to have a lot of names." She watched him getting a second board and once it was by her, she said, "Hopefully he won't mind you doing that," not surprised when he was responding absently while he was writing on the board.

"I'm hoping he won't, I figured he'd like this to be organized," Castle told her. He finished and said, "You know, since there are so many names now."

"And this might not even have anything to do with the troupes," Darnley commented. "Do you want me to tell you stuff to write?"

Since Castle was looking questioningly at her, Beckett said, "We'll have to take turns."

"I can flip this board," Castle told her.

"Alright," Beckett said. "But you might want to start with Waller." She smiled when he hurried over to what would be the main murder board and waited for him to put the vic's picture up.

"They're efficient here," Darnley said, watching as well since Bernier had gotten the photo ready for them.

"They are," Beckett said with a nod. She then began telling her husband the information about their vic while Darnley settled back to research the first person on his list.


"Hey, you guys have been hard at work," Brad said, stopping at the entrance to his office. He was startled seeing how much was on the board and said, "You've gotten the Troupe de Amor?"

"And the Troupe du Désir," Castle added, flipping around the board.

Breathing out a little Brad said, "Great."

"Did you pick up anything from that troupe?" Beckett asked, walking from around his desk.

"No, they didn't know him well enough to be aware anyone wanted him dead from before he joined them," Brad replied. "I spoke with Miss Gage again, I asked her about any of her exes or his and she gave me a name of one of hers and then one of his. I'll look at that first."

"What about-" Castle started to say before the phone on the desk rang and his friend was reacting quickly as he rushed to get the call.

"That better be Thayer, I need confirmation this is a murder and what it was," Brad said. "Hello?"

Watching the chief with her husband and Darnley, Beckett wasn't surprised when Brad was keeping it brief and not speaking much before he hung up. "I think we can guess the first," she told him when he looked to the three of them.

"It was murder," Castle commented.

"It was," Brad said, nodding his head. He then sighed and said, "It's going to take a little longer to figure out if it was poison for sure and then what kind of poison. But he told me one of his workers would be calling the lozenge maker to check on their process."

"You're going to need to look into it aren't you?" Castle asked.

With another nod of his head, Brad went over to the main murder board and wrote down the time Gage had guessed Waller had taken the lozenge at before he was calling the ME on his phone. After he'd told the man that time he said, "Okay, then seven to seven fifteen. Great." Hanging up he said, "He needed to know about that."

"To get the exact poison?" Darnley asked.

"Yeah, he's narrowing it down between cyanide or an overdose of a liquid epilepsy medication," Brad said. He wasn't surprised when the others looked startled and explained, "He's sure it's cyanide, the epilepsy medication is from a company in Tampa and still being tested."

"But the reaction is the same," Castle stated.

"Basically," Brad replied. "Okay… Oyster Bay," he said, not making that a question as he was startled reading it off the board before Beckett was responding.

"We thought there could be something at his home, but Gage lives with him," she said.

"She does," Brad said in surprise. When the others nodded, he breathed out and said, "I'm not sure if I want to head there… I mean I should."

"Don't you mean we?" Castle asked.

Beckett was surprised when the chief shook his head and she said, "You're not that worried about the council are you?"

"David suggested I ease up on how much I use you guys for now," Brad replied.

"Councilwoman Lamont?" Castle said. When his friend nodded, he said, "I don't blame you. So you're going now?"

"Once I see what you have here," Brad replied, reading the rest of the information about Weller. "I called his mother before I left the warehouse. We might have another troupe."

"Another?" Darnley asked in obvious shock.

"Last summer, between the Troupe de Amor and this one," Brad started to say. "He was touring with another company; they would perform different plays. Just three months."

"We'll have to get the names?" Castle asked.

"No," Brad replied. "Bernier will, I'm going to take Hutchinson and Wade with me."

"What do you want us to do?" Beckett asked.

"Take a lunch break," Brad said. "And I'm serious, go to lunch and I'll call you back once we're back."

"That's a long break," Castle commented doubtfully.

"There'll be three of us there you know," Brad told him.

"As opposed to it being four of us," Darnley commented. He felt guilty seeing the expression on the chief's face and hurried to say, "It's alright, we wouldn't want the council to find a reason to stop us from consulting with you on cases."

"I know, I just hope she won't be able to convince the others you're not needed," Brad said when Wade was knocking on the doorway before he spoke.

"I got the list of actors," the officer said.

Motioning him in, Brad took the paper and said, "No names on the other two lists. I was hoping. Thank you Wade." When the officer had left, he said, "Do you guys mind doing the same thing again?"

"No," Castle said, taking the list.

"Do you recognize any names?" Beckett said as they were all watching her husband.

"No, I'd ask Mother but I'm getting the feeling there wouldn't be much with this group," Castle replied.

"If there had been a name from these two love troupes there would have been," Darnley said.

"Love troupes?" Brad and Beckett said at the same time.

Sharing a look with the writer, Brad said, "Just say troupes. And that reminds me, would you erase that 'cast of characters' you wrote?"

"It seemed appropriate," Castle commented as the chief was talking to him.

"Not really," Brad said. "So until Thayer tells us about the poison, we're just looking at this as a murder. The motive… I'd like to set that aside for now. What I want is to check if anyone would want to kill our vic."

"Gage didn't say there was anyone," Beckett pointed out.

"No, but then again they haven't been dating for so long she'd know about anyone outside the troupes," Brad replied. "I'd like you to look at his work history, criminal-"

"She already did," Castle and Darnley said at the same time.

"Just a few speeding tickets," Beckett said.

"No DUIs?" Brad asked.

"He didn't drink," Castle said. "The guy I spoke with Hutchinson said he would have juice at after parties."

"The guy?" Darnley asked.

"Sorry, I wanted to erase just the title," Castle said. He then turned to his friend and said, "You're talking to someone right now," the chief responding shortly after he'd spoken.

"The leader of the Troup de Amor," Brad said. "I need you to start on those names though."

"We'll be out at our desk," Beckett said, taking her husband's arm

"Thank you, I'll call you guys in when I'm done," Brad said gratefully.

Beckett walked out first and turned to see her husband and friend closing the doors behind them before she said, "Will you take notes?"

"Sure," Castle said, since she'd been talking to him.

"I'll listen in," Darnley said when both writers turned to him. "So I can corroborate."

Beckett shook her head in amusement; her husband smiling; and they sat down together before they began searching each name. They were at the halfway point, she had just entered the name of one of the male actors, when she heard a door opening and turned with the men to see Brad was stepping out.

"We have someone who might be able to tell us more about our vic," the chief said. "Weller was having a secret relationship with a woman in the summer troupe named Agnes Hicks. He doesn't know how the relationship went but it was obviously over."

"What're you going to do?" Beckett asked.

"Talk to her over the computer," Brad said.

"That's right," Castle said when Darnley looked surprised. "The troupe headed to Jersey City for their next set of performances. The tour ends the last week of next month in Washington DC. So they're not suspects unless someone left."

"I checked, they're staying at a hotel and there are security cameras in the lobby and exits out," Brad said. "I asked Fox and Gulland to look at it for anyone from the troupe at about… four to five leaving."

"That might be easy, who'd be leaving that early?" Darnley said.

"Do you want us there while you talk to this woman?" Beckett asked as she was watching the chief.

"Listening," Brad said.

"We're… in front of the desk?" Darnley murmured to Beckett while they were going after Castle and Brad into the office. At her nod he did the same himself before they were sitting down in the chairs and waiting for the chief to call the woman, soon hearing her voice on the other end of the computer.

"Hello?" the woman said.

"Yes, Miss Hicks," Brad said. "This is Chief Brad Davis from the Hamptons PD; I'd like to ask you some questions."

"O…kay," the woman said slowly.

"This in reference to a murder that occurred this morn-" Brad started to say.

"I'm in Jersey City; have been since last Friday; with the troupe I'm acting in," Hicks interrupted. "They're-"

"I'm aware of where you are ma'am," Brad interrupted then. "I'm not questioning you because I think you're a suspect, but because you knew our vic."

"Who is it?" Hicks asked, her concern ladening her tone.

"Someone I've been told you were dating, a Matthias Waller," Brad said.

"He's dead?" Hicks said. When the chief affirmed that, she gasped and began to cry though she knew she was likely going to be asked more questions.

"Miss Hicks," Brad said eventually when it sounded like she'd calmed down. "I'm sorry but I was told that you'd been dating Mr. Waller. I need to know if anyone was jealous of him, or of you. Someone who might want to harm him."

"I…" Hicks started to say. "To be honest not really. We were very secretive and that's why we broke up a month after we started. Plus he had wanted to leave. He saw this other troupe that was doing sex shows and he wanted one of the female performers badly."

"While he was dating you," Brad said, looking at his consultants and seeing Castle looked like he'd been about to speak. He smiled at Beckett briefly since he knew she'd stopped her husband, turning his attention back to the computer when she was speaking again.

"No, we'd broken up by then for a few days," Hicks said. "We went to see the troupe. Our boss, Baldwin Snell, wanted us to see if they were competition."

"Where were you during your tour?" Brad asked.

"St. Louis," Hicks said. "We went to see them, and he saw the woman and the next thing I knew he was quitting our troupe. I have no idea what happened after he joined the other troupe so…"

"Okay," Brad said, aware the woman didn't really have much else to tell them. "Then I'll let you go, but I'd like you to take down my information so you can contact me if you're able to remember anything else."

"Of course," Hicks replied.

Turning to his wife, Castle murmured, "The other ex?"

"I know, but let's see what he wants to do now," Beckett replied.

After he'd hung up the phone, Brad was about to speak before his desk phone rang and he frowned before picking it up. "Davis," he said.

"It's Thayer," the ME said on the other end. "And I've gotten confirmation; it was cyanide."

"Okay, but via the lozenge?" Brad said, looking at the three sitting in front of him.

"I would think so, if that was all he had before the show," Thayer replied. "My best guess would be the lozenges were dipped in the cyanide."

"But the taste," Beckett said.

"I spoke with the company that makes them," Thayer said. "And they admitted that if a lozenge is melted it can recoat another."

"Why did they know that?" Darnley asked in obvious confusion.

"During their testing one of the workers in the lab discovered it, as a kind of cost saving method," Thayer replied. "They don't do that now, just found out they could."

"Okay, then that would be enough to disguise the taste of the poison?" Brad asked.

"It would," the ME replied.

"Thank you for the call," Brad said after writing on a piece of paper. He then said goodbye to Thayer and hung up the phone before watching Castle jump up and begin writing on the main board. "I might send you guys to lunch now," he said before his friend was turning to him to speak.

"Are you going to Oyster Bay?" Castle asked.

"I'll have Hall search for the other ex," Brad said. "And we'll go from there."

"We have a ton of people," Darnley said after the chief had left them.

"I know," Beckett said. "But it seems like they're clearing."

"Phone records?" Castle suggested.

"I bet that's what we'll be doing when we come back," Darnley said.

"After a long lunch," Castle reminded him.

"True," Darnley said.

"You can text Trevor," Beckett said with a smile while she was watching him.

"I'll wait until I know for sure," Darnley said, starting to take his phone out of his pocket before he paused. He smiled at his friend and said, "You could go home."

"I don't think so," Castle said while his wife was shaking her head.

"We do want Josie to have a chance to get out of the house," Beckett added. "German?" she asked her husband.

"Oh, that sounds good," Darnley immediately said. When the couple looked at him, he paused and then said, "Uh… you should have a lot of fun there."

"You can come if you'd like," Beckett said.

"Well… Keo and Maddy will be there so…" Darnley said.

"Come with us, because I know Kate wants you to go now the idea is out there," Castle said in amusement.

"Alright… I should text Trev," Darnley said.

Watching him leaving, Beckett looked at her husband and asked, "You don't mind?"

"We weren't going to have lunch alone," Castle said. He wasn't surprised when she was looking at him pointedly and asked, "Tomorrow?"

Beckett couldn't help laughing briefly and she squeezed his hand before saying, "If it works out; I'd love to. But Patrick…" trailing off before her husband quickly responding.

"We'll see what happens," Castle said. "But if it needs to be the three of us that's fine. Though I kind of get the feeling he'd want to go back to his house or another restaurant to be with Trevor."

"What? You want to be with Trev?" Darnley asked jokingly as he came back in hearing the end of that.

"No," Castle said laughingly. "We were talking about having another lunch on our own, maybe this week or something."

"Sounds good," Darnley replied, looking out of the office.

Following his gaze, Beckett saw Brad was walking back hurriedly and she stood at the same time as her husband asking, "We're leaving?"

"Not you three," Brad replied. "I just found out that Gage's ex is in the hospital; has been since yesterday afternoon. His name is Arlo Ray, and he was hit by a car in the city, he's been in surgery since his left leg was shattered. So it's definitely not him and I need to get to Oyster Bay."

"Are you sure we're not going," Castle said to his friend.

"I'm sure," Brad replied. "But I'll tell you if we find anything."

"Is there anything we can do? Lunch won't take that long, but you might," Castle pointed out.

Sighing, Brad looked at the murder boards and then said, "I'd appreciate if you could look at the financials and phone records of our vic."

"We can do that," Darnley said quickly because the chief sounded apologetic.

"He's right," Castle said hurriedly. "We don't mind, and it'll let us continue the case while you're out."

"I really hope the council decides soon and lets me get back to taking you guys," Brad said, sounding annoyed before he looked at Beckett when she was speaking gently to him.

"David said this week," she told him. "And you know he spoke for you."

"I know, I just feel bad you guys need to stay," Brad replied, getting his coat.

"Well, we're taking this positively," Castle said. "At least we can spend time with our families."

"True," Brad said before he realized something. "Try not to take longer than an hour and a half," he said. "I should be back in about two, two and a half myself."

"We'll be looking at the information once you're back," Castle promised.

Seeing the other two nodding, though Beckett and Darnley were on their phones, Brad said, "I'll call you guys if there's anything at the apartment. Have a great lunch."

"What about you?" Beckett then asked.

"I've got a sandwich I can eat on the way," Darnley said. "So don't worry."

"Hutchinson and Wade?" Darnley then said.

"I'll talk to them," Brad said. "But I better go."

After saying goodbye to the chief, Castle said, "Have they answered back."

"They did, they're going to start getting ready right now," Beckett said pocketing her phone. "What about you?"

"Trev is getting Keo and Maddy, but his parents are staying at the house to eat," Darnley said in surprise.

"Maybe she was already starting it," Beckett said.

"Your dad won't feel like the odd one out?" Darnley asked.

"No," Beckett said with a smile. "So don't worry."

"Okay, then this will be an interesting lunch," Darnley said.

"Very, hopefully Josie will enjoy having friends there," Castle said.

"I think she will; Keo and Maddy too," Beckett said, laughing softly in amusement while he and her friend were laughing together. She followed her husband to the door outside, Darnley walking after so they could reach their car and head down the street to the restaurant to stay warm in the chilly early afternoon air.