'Okay. I'll talk.'

Beckett eased back slightly. 'All of it, no bullshitting or record be damned, things will get rough in here.'

'I'll talk,' Elliott repeated; sweat was visibly running down his pasty skin in small rivers as he watched Beckett sit back down across from him, her dark eyes never leaving his face.

'Let's start with Records at the seven-two. Why are there two full boxes with murders spanning twenty years in a single box with the same file code?'

'They're all related.'

'How do you know that?'

Elliott sighed, shook his head and to Beckett's surprise his eyes filled. 'I can't tell you that, I'm a dead man if I do.'

'You're a dead man if you walk out of here to begin with, you already know that George. Out with it.'

'Okay, there's a couple of guys I know from back before I was a desk jockey, they pulled down some major cases and would come to me, saying can you file this special for me in case something goes missing.'

'That sounds pretty sketchy to me, George.'

'Tell me about it,' Elliott scoffed, then felt the spit dry up in his mouth when Beckett blinked; it made him think of a deadly and regal lady cobra about to strike.

'Now tell me the truth.'

'Huh?'

'Man, you really are the weak link if you think I'm going to buy that. My men and I went through all the files in there and they are all murder cases. The biggest unit out of the seven-two is narcotics and those files span over decades of murders, so you tell the truth right now.'

'What you think you're going to get out of this? Huh?' Now Elliott's tone was weary. 'Even if you get me to spill my guts you don't got the balls to get the others.'

'Watch me. Spill it, Elliott, or I'll go get my bad cops. I'm a kitty-cat compared to them.'

'Okay, okay, okay!'

Beckett watched him straighten his collar, then lean back. He was no longer trying to figure out the angle how to play her but trying to figure out how to simply stay alive without pissing off an already irate cop.

'Listen, it's...it's complicated and it's a long story.'

'I've got time, but that story can wait. Right now I want to know everything you know about Officer Matthew Montrose's murder.'

'Montrose?' Elliott shook his head like a dog coming out of the water. 'What's he got to do with John's murder?'

'Everything. Tell me what you know.'

'Only a little bit. That mope they pinned it on was a patsy, he had nothing to do with anything except following Montrose around like a little puppy dog and that's why he was set up.'

'Who really pulled the trigger on Montrose?' Beckett asked bluntly.

'I don't know, I swear I don't. All I know is that Spitzer, Cowlan and Raglan said that Montrose recognized their cars once too often in the neighbourhood and they said Montrose had to go or it would blow the whole thing sky-high.'

'What whole thing?'

'Their dirty money scam, what else?'

'Is that what you mean when you said 'Camilla' to Spitzer? You were reaping the benefits of the money scam?'

Beckett held her breath, wondered if George was going to freeze up and suddenly cry lawyer once more. To her utter relief, he didn't do a damn thing except continue to sing better than Inva Mula.

'Yeah, but why they called it that, I don't know.'

'How did they get you involved?'

'After I got shot, when we went to take down Julio Robinson, I was lain up in the hospital, and Cowlan was sitting beside my bed. I was in a private room and he told me my bill was covered and I'd pay him back in time, and Julio Robinson would pay what he owed me. I had no idea what he meant until one day I was in physio, and he passed me a little slip of paper, said this would make the rainy-days better.'

'The codes for the Switzerland accounts?' Beckett asked, then rose and knocked on the glass, signaling for her men. 'How do those work?'

'Honestly, I barely touch mine, but I like knowing it's there. Now, Mikey, he was dumb, he would dip in at the wrong times.'

Beckett answered the knock on the door, took the file Ryan passed her. She scanned the page, then sat back down. 'Would that be account Foxtrot-Alpha-two-one-two-Delta-seven-seven-Sierra-Romeo-eight-nine-Echo-Charlie?'

'English?'

'F-A-two-one-two-D-seven-seven-S-R-eight-nine-E-C. Is that the account?'

'That's Mike's account. Mine is F-A-two-one-four-D-seven-seven-S-R-eight-nine-E-C. Passcode is umbrella.'

'Tell me something George.' Beckett wrote it down, then looked at him. 'Did you pool money with Spitzer, Raglan, Mike, and Cowlan?'

'Mike wasn't part of your mom's deal.'

'Were you?'

Eliott hung his head. 'Yes,' he told the floor. 'We all pooled our money, paid that son of a bitch to get her out of the way, her and the other nosy asshole who had no right doing what they were doing. Only...only Dick Coonan said he knew who we were and we had to double his fee so he wouldn't blab who we were.'

'What about the guy who pumped Matthew Montrose full of lead? Was that Coonan too?'

'No, like I said I had no idea who that really was. If you're so keen to know, go find Spitzer and he can tell you.'

'Okay. You're going in now George.'

'Wait, that's it?'

'What do you mean that's it?' Beckett looked at him, and was stunned to find he was actually relieved. 'You just admitted to a whole host of crimes, not the least of which is conspiracy to murder and racketeering. You'll be lucky if you ever breathe natural air again.'

Beckett rapped the glass with her fist, and Julian and another officer came into the room to escort Elliott back to Holding where he would be processed for his lifetime of misdeeds. 'He does not get moved from here until we bring in the others.'

'Good luck, Detective Beckett,' Elliott called over his shoulder, 'you're going to need it.'

Beckett watched him escorted off, then blew out a breath as the rest of her team joined her out of Observation. She closed her eyes when she felt the pat of Captain Montgomery's hand on her shoulder. 'Sir,' was all she said.

'I think there's times when I've been prouder of you Kate, but I can't think of them just now,' he said softly, then checked his watch. 'It's only an hour until end of shift. Go home, spend some time with Rick.'

'I believe I will.'

Montgomery looked at them all. 'Same goes for the rest of you. Adam, if you like, my missus said you're invited for dinner to our house tonight.'

'Thank you sir.' Despite wanting a night alone, given that Adam saw the others order their families out of the city for their own protection he knew it would be a better idea to be around people than on his own and vulnerable. 'I appreciate the offer when you've done so much for me already.'

'You've proven your mettle, Adam, it's the least I can do for you.'

The look of gratitude and humility on Adam's face stayed with Beckett as she drove home, her radar still up as she made her way there. The moment she was through the door, she wasn't surprised to find Shane, Jim, and Martha all waiting with her husband; when they fired off questions at her like machine gun bullets, Beckett simply held her hands up.

'I will tell you exactly what happened, as soon as I get out of my boots and someone gets me a drink.'

'Here.' Castle passed her a glass of red wine. 'Alexis called, she said that RJ and Jojo are very excited to have their very first grown-up bros-and-sisters only trip but it would be more fun with Shane there.'

'We can't risk it,' Beckett said.

'What the hell is going on?' Martha demanded, and her diva-like sensibilities faded as Beckett told her about Goddard and his threats to her outside Rikers. When she'd finished, Martha's eyes went hard and bright. 'You did the right thing, darling and if he eve nthinks of sniffign around here to hurt you or my son, or anyone else I love, they are in for a world of hurt.'

Beckett could only laugh at such fierce determination. 'Oh, Martha, you would have made an ace in Interview.'

'I need a moment with Kate,' Castle told them all, and took her wineglass as they dispersed. 'Kate, you did the right thing,' he said quietly when they had a little more privacy.

'I know. It's the hardest thing I've ever had to do but no-one is getting their filthy hands on my babies. All three of them.'