As the couple arrive on the 4th floor of the 12th precinct they come face to face with Tori, the tech specialist. as she is exiting the computer center
"Hey guys" she begins
"What do you have for me?" Beckett asks
"We have a little problem with the video, but I am working on it"
"What's the problem? Not a good recording?" Beckett asks
"No. The video recording we were given was made using a codex that I don't have a copy to use to decode and look at the image"
"Is that a problem?" Castle questions
"It is when the software was written by the video store owner and he is not willing to just give us a copy. He said he will be happy to sell us one…for a price"
"A large price, I am sure" Beckett responds
"OH yes" Tori explains "He is marketing this as the latest and greatest video codex. He claims it will render all other software obsolete. He says it will even improve older recordings and make them look better"
"But he is not willing to let us see the recording he made or render it unless the department buys a copy of the software?"
"Right" the technical specialist responds
"Alright then" Beckett comments "Castle and I will go over to the store and see how he likes being in discussions about obstruction of justice"
Castle looks at his wife "Can you do that? He wasn't involved in the murder. He is just trying to sell his product"
She looks at her husband "I am not sure how the DA will look at it, but I am going to try"
The pair move to the murder board and as she glances over to the white plastic she speaks to her partners "Before we go see the video store guy, what do you two have?"
Ryan starts out with the financials "She was past broke. She was working for just over minimum wage at the chicken store. She took this job originally to fill in for a little mad money…She was going to school on her daddy's dollar, but then her family cut her off with nothing"
"Do you know why they did that?"
Esposito answers that question "Her father is actually on the board of regents for the school. He found out his daughter was sleeping with one of the professors and told her that it was damaging to his reputation and his responsibility to the school so she had to stop"
"I gather she refused?" Castle asks
Esposito nods his head. "She told her parents she was not going to stop…"
Beckett finishes "And they cut her off."
"Yeah" Ryan continues
Kate looks at Rick "Why would she do that? I mean…a coed sleeping with a professor has never worked out"
Kate gets an evil smile on her face and te look on Castle's face tells her that he is thinking about what they did in his office a few days ago and what he said about it then. She glares toward him "Shut up"
"I didn't say a word"
"Fine!" Kate responds "Look. While Castle and I are at the video store, call Sexton and Bryan over at the 54th and you guys compare notes. I will call you when we get the codex that Tori needs"
As Rick and Kate enter the elevator and the doors close she leans onto his shoulder and lets out a sigh
"What is it?" He asks
He cannot see her smile and she softly answers "Nothing…nothing at all. Just I needed to touch you. That's all"
He wraps his arm around her and holds her tight "Touch all you want"
Kate reaches his arm and gives him a gentle squeeze. When the doors open Beckett begins walking the opposite direction from her cruiser
Castle seems confused "Kate…where are you going?"
She does not answer as she takes out a key and opens the locked storage room door. She turns to her husband and pulls him inside "You remember this room?" she closes the door behind them and locks it
Castle has a definite knowing smile "The day I flew to Dallas for my book signing. We had just been married for a week when I had to leave and we came in here before I flew out"
Beckett's eyebrows rise as she continues the thought "And I didn't want to spend a long time away from you"
"I think that was a mutual feeling…and if I remember correctly we were worried that Gates was going to catch us"
Kate takes her jacket off and wraps her arms around Rick "I have the only key to this closet"
"Really?" Castle can feel his heart race
"Really" she responds
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
When they pull up in front of the video store and exit the cruiser, they see the owner of the shop talking to a man in an expensive silk suit
Castle comments as they approach "Lawyer!"
"Yeah. That's what I think as well"
Stepping up to the two men Kate presents her credentials "I am Captain Beckett of the special case squad and this I my associate, Mr. Castle, we are looking for the owner, Sal Marcos"
The man dressed in the silk suite responds "I am Andrew Chapman. I am Mr. Marcos' attorney. And just to let you know, I have advised my client to not answer any of your questions"
Beckett was not expecting this type response at the moment. She is beginning to believe there may be something else going on than just the store owner holding out for money
"Mr. Chapman, are you aware that your client has information critical to our investigation…our MURDER investigation? And he refuses to release it to us?"
"I now my client owns some intellectual property that he wishes to protect his rights over"
"We are NOT interested in his intellectual property. We only want the video evidence that he is refusing to turn over"
"Captain. My client has, in fact, turned over a copy of the recording of the evidence in question"
"He has turned over a worthless recording while at the same time being able to provide a view able image"
"As I said, Captain. He has turned over the recording. The ability to view the recording is dependent on other factors"
"What other factors?"
"He is the owner of a specific program that is required to view the recordings. He simply wants what is due to him for developing the software. My client has spent thousands of hours in writing the code for his software. He cannot just release it to anyone without getting proper remuneration"
Kate is not pleased where this conversation is going "Mr. Chapman, your client is…or rather was considered a material witness. Now however, his refusal to give us the evidence makes me believe we might need to change his status from witness to person of interest. Is that what you want? Because if it is, I will be going to get a subpoena to compel your client to release the software and in court, us having to force the data flies will probably weigh heavy on the jury"
"Captain Beckett we need to keep this civil" Andrew Chapman responds
"I began this interview very civil, yet your client's actions make me believe there is more to look into with him. Is that what you want?"
The owner of the store is beginning to not like what is being said by Beckett "Wait a minute captain" he looks at the attorney "Andy, this is not working" he looks back at Kate "listen I will give you the software, Andy here is an old college friend who told me that I could use this my advantage. By giving my software an advertising boost. You know, having the police need my program…great advertising. And free"
Beckett is glad this made the man understand
"Let me get a copy for you" he rushes back into his office
Beckett is looking at the Attorney "Mr. Chapman, I strongly suggest you pick your battles better. You made Sal look guilty instead of a talented software programmer
"Yes ma'am" he responds
"Understand, that by him providing a high quality video image will be well reported by the press. I am sure he will find his program in high demand"
He looks down "Yes ma'am" Chapman states just as Sal exits the office holding a CD and gives it to Beckett
"Thank you Mr. Marcos. The NYPD appreciates your assistance in this case "Her and Castle leave the store and walk back toward the cruiser
Just as they turn the proprietor of the beauty shop supply company on the other side of the chicken store rushes out her door "Are you the police?"
"Yes. Can I help you?" Kate responds
"I heard about the girl killed the other morning"
"Do you have some information that might help us?" Castle asks
"Well, I don't know it this might be important, but my security company sent me an e-mail about an alarm trigger that happened that morning. It was not an entry, it was just a sound trip. Something happened loud enough to alert the monitoring company but it was not loud enough to be an entry and they had no motion or door trips. That is why they didn't call it to the police"
Beckett is very interested "Can you get a copy of that audio?"
"Yes, they sent it to me in an e-mail, I made a copy" The woman hands a flash drive to Beckett
"Thank you." Kate comments
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Back at the 12th, Kate and Rick are heading toward Tori's area with the software package and the flash drive containing the audio from the security at the beauty shop
When they enter the room Beckett hands over the Cd and flash drive to the technical specialist.
"Let me know what you find. I hope the audio recording gives us a voice and with the video we get an image to go with it"
"I will see what I can do" Tori turns to the computers and begins her work
Back in the bull pen Beckett and Castle enter while the other two detectives are on the phone with the two detectives from the 54th
The voice of detective Sexton can be heard "we were able to separate the majority of fingerprints and determine the newest set"
Ryan asks "Whose it the most recent?"
The answer does not really surprise anyone at this time "It was Professor Jordan Bailey. His were the most recent and CSU seems to believe they were probably from the morning she was murdered"
Beckett looks at Castle as he comments "Maybe Bailey or his wife were not as open in the marriage as they claimed"
"I think we need to bring him in and his wife and do a little more interrogation" Beckett responds as she looks at Esposito
"Got it boss" he responds "We will go pick her up"
The voice of detective Bryon comes from the other end of the line "He should be in class right now and we will pick up him at the school"
"Great everyone. Keep me informed when you bring them in"
After the two men leave the floor, Kate looks at Rick "Infidelity in a marriage never works…even if they claim their relationship is open…jealousy will always come to the surface"
Castle takes his wife's hand. "That is why I would never stray"
She glances at the linked fingers then a smile crawls up her face then she looks up to her husband "That's good because I do carry a gun"
At this moment Tori rushes out of her room "Kate…you need to hear and see what I found"
Beckett and Castle get up and walk to the conference room. Tori seems very happy with the information she has to provide
"First off, the quality of the video is absolutely phenomenal. I have never seen a picture this clear, but not knowing the time of death I was going to have to watch possibility hours but…the audio gave me a time stamp"
"So you know what happened?"
"The audio is muffled due to the walls in between the stores but I could tell it was two women arguing. I ran the recording through a noise gate to change the noise floor and some digital suppression then ran the signal through a 1/32th octave EQ that changed the equalization to eliminate the background noises in very tight width, then I…"
"Tori, we know that you are the best. What did you get?"
"I was able to retrieve the words but by changing so many of the parameters the audio is not true to the voices"
"So what was being said?" Rick asks
"Woman number 1 was yelling at woman number 2 that she wanted her to stop sleeping with Jordan and woman 2 said she would not stop that she loved him and was happy. Woman 1 said he was just using Blair for sex from a coed. More yelling took place then I heard a scream and the sound that I think is Blair falling into the cooker"
"OK. You can't tell who the killer was by the audio but…?"
"I tied the audio time code to the video and this is who walked out front of the video store just seconds later"
The image of a woman crosses the camera and Kate and Rick both gasp in disbelief
Beckett makes the only remark "ARE YOU KIDDING ME? That's who killed Blaire Collins?"
