"Someone you wouldn't expect," he adds.
"Castle this is great, in theory, but you have no proof."
"I am so glad that you brought up the burden of proof. I have known you long enough to know that you would demand proof. Luckily for you there is evidence of the crime."
"What evidence?" she responds, skeptically.
He places his phone on the table. He cues the phone, and plays the recording. She listens carefully to the previously recorded conversation.
Javier stands in front of Johanna Beckett's head stone. He places flowers on her grave. He hears footsteps, and looks up at the person approaching him.
"I still don't understand why you wanted to meet me here."
"There are no cameras here. We can have privacy."
"I don't understand why you wanted to meet me at all."
"Because, detective Esposito I need you to do me a favor."
"Why would I do you a favor? I don't even know you. You're taking my partner away from me. I certainly do not owe you anything."
"Let me put it this way, if you don't do what I ask I will make it hurt."
"Are you threatening me?"
"I am just trying to offer some incentive."
Javier nods, "Incentive to do what?"
"Drive a wedge between Beckett, and Castle."
"What would ever possess me to do that?"
"I know that you are not afraid of bodily harm. You aren't scared of pain. You would lay down your life for your partner, for Beckett, even for Castle. You are dedicated to your country, and you would even offer your life for a principle. I know that. I am not threatening your life. I just want you to know that if you don't go through with what I am asking I will make sure that your love ones have some tragic accidents."
"Tragic accidents?"
"Maybe I'll start with the medical examiner, and then your partner. I'll save Castle as the fall guy. By then I'll make sure that there has been enough evidence fabricated to point right to him. You won't say a word, because you can't. By the time Beckett finally figures it out it will be too late."
"Why are you here? What is it that you want me to do?"
"I know that there are only two ways to separate Castle and Beckett. I also know that you would never kill one of them, so obviously that option is out."
"What is it that you want me to do?"
"They are both faithful. Their loyalty to each other is the basis for their entire relationship. I need you to strip them of their loyalties. I need you to pin them against each other. Together they are unstoppable, but separately they are weak."
"How do you suggest that I do that?"
"You are going to sleep with her."
"Excuse me?" He nearly chokes on his own saliva.
"An affair is the kind of betrayal that will rock their relationship to the core. It will tear them apart."
"Why do you want them apart so damn badly?"
"She has no idea that she has just walked into the lion's den. My hope is that she will never figure it out. With Castle out of the way, she won't."
"I'll convince her not to leave."
"Castle won't even be able to convince her what makes you think that you will?"
The recording ends, and Kate stares at Rick in disbelief.
"He recorded the entire conversation?"
"I know," his face lights up, like a kid's on Christmas morning.
"No one would be that..."
He cuts her off, "Power breeds arrogance. Arrogance only leads to carelessness."
"You are telling me that this recording is authentic?"
"Yes."
"How did you get Javi to give you this?"
"I didn't. I swiped his phone from him. I found the evidence, and sent it to myself, then I deleted the text messages to myself from his phone."
"So you didn't try to interrogate him?"
"That did not work."
She arches her eyebrow, "You tried to interrogate him?" She nearly smiles at the thought.
"To no avail. I knew that something wasn't right. I know you, and I know him. I knew in my heart that neither of you would ever do something like that."
"And you are skeptical, and stubborn, and completely incorrigible."
"I refused to stop until I figured it out."
"That doesn't prove that he didn't do it," she points out.
"Why do you always have to use logic to poke holes in my stories? It is just rude. Every once in a while can't you just thank me, and tell me that I am doing a good job?"
"That is all the proof that you have?"
"Did you recognize the voice?"
"I don't know."
"I have more proof," he reveals.
"What kind of proof?"
"It's a video."
He stares at the camera on his phone.
"It is three thirty in the morning," Esposito narrates, turning the camera towards her.
She begins to tug at her shirt.
"Beckett what are you doing?"
"Taking my clothes off."
"Why?"
"I told you it is hot in here."
"Kate leave your clothes on. What would Castle say if he walked in right now?"
"It's hot."
She tosses her shirt onto the floor.
"Hey leave the pants on," he advises.
"No," they end up on the floor near her shirt. She is down to her bra and panties. He turns the camera on himself.
"As you can see I am still fully dressed."
He points the camera at her, "Beckett how much have you had to drink?"
"Eight shots, maybe, could have been more," she answers.
"Tequila," he adds.
"I told you that I could drink more than you."
"Yes you did."
She begins to walk away.
"Where are you going?"
"To bed."
"You're just going to leave me here?"
"You can sleep on the couch. I have to go. I have a rule about leaving with my clothes on."
"I don't think that you're following it. Watch out for your shoes," he warns.
She trips, and lands on the floor. She lays there for a few seconds, and doesn't even attempt to get up.