Shared Obsession Chapter 190
In an office at the Wilder Building, the words of a weeping Rebecca Strong flow into a wad of sopping tissues. "What is she saying?" Castle queries Beckett.
"What was I thinking? I should have stayed out of it," Kate translates. "That's cry talk. There's not a girl alive who hasn't heard it from a sobbing, heartbroken girlfriend. What should you have stayed out of, Rebecca? Blackmail?" Kate continues to interpret as Rebecca's torrent of tears goes on. "You tried to do the right thing. They wouldn't listen.
"Wait! Who wouldn't listen?" Kate suddenly queries. "Did you have an accomplice?"
Rebecca lifts her tear-stained face, allowing Castle to finally make out her confession. "It was just me."
"Then what is this all about?" Kate asks.
"Benzohyphosopheme."
Kate lays her hand on Rebecca's arm. "I'm sorry I didn't get that."
"Benzohyphosopheme," Rebecca repeats.
"That's not cry talk," Castle realizes. "It sounds like the name of a chemical compound."
"You work in product testing, right? Were they using benzohyphosopheme in a company product?" Kate questions.
"Is there some kind of problem with it?" Castle asks. "Is that what the blackmail was about?"
"So then when you said you were trying to do the right thing did you approach your superiors about the problem?" Kate probes.
"Yes," Rebecca hiccups.
"And did Wilder do anything about it?" Kate presses.
"No."
"He came out with a product that has benzohyphosopheme in it anyway," Castle assumes.
"Exactly," Rebecca confirms.
"How bad is this stuff?" Castle asks.
"It can cause capillary damage if you use it long enough," Rebecca explains.
"So then you figured, if they weren't going to listen to you, why not cash in on it?" Kate concludes. "And then you threatened to make it public if Wilder didn't give you $75,000."
"Yes," Rebecca agrees.
"Well, you were in over your head, Rebecca," Kate says.
"I know," Rebecca acknowledges, "and I want to make things right if I can."
Kate grimly shakes her head. "It's too late for that now."
"What if I give it back?" Rebecca proposes.
"You killed a man," Kate retorts.
"I still have the money," Rebecca says.
"You still have the money?" Kate echoes.
"I killed a man?" Rebecca questions as Kate's statement sinks in.
"Damian Wilder," Kate says.
"I didn't kill Mr. Wilder," Rebecca declares.
Kate and Castle exchange confused looks. "You still have the money?" she asks.
"It's still in the duffel bag that I got from under the bed."
Kate stares at the teary tech. "Wait, the money from the motel room?"
Rebecca nods. "Seventy-five thousand dollars."
Kate gazes back at Castle. "Then the $75,000 that Benny found…."
"Where did it come from?" Castle wonders.
Ryan drops a Wilder duffel bag on the table in the conference room. "Seventy-five thousand dollars, just where Rebecca said it would be."
Castle regards the bag. "Two blackmail payoffs? I don't get it."
"Rebecca must have missed the second bag under the bed when she went to pick up the money," Kate figures.
"Which is how Benny found it there later," Castle says.
"Esposito, you went through Wilder's financials with a fine tooth comb. Was there anything in there to suggest he pulled that kind of cash?" Kate inquires.
"Nothing," Esposito says.
"Nada," Ryan chimes in.
Castle strokes the stubble starting to form along his jawline. "So, if Wilder hadn't paid the blackmail, the capillary damage caused by the benzohyphosopheme would have been public. But we know it isn't. So the money to pay Rebecca came from somewhere. But where? And who left the 75 grand that Benny found? Ooh! Wait! What if the financials were right and the money didn't actually come from Wilder? What if he was willing to let the benzohyphosopheme problem go public as part of making amends for the animal testing thing, even if it meant a huge financial hit and possible litigation?"
"Then anyone with a financial stake in the company would have incentive to keep that from happening," Kate says.
"Yes!" Castle agrees. "And the surest way to do that would be to kill Wilder and pay off the blackmailer."
"Blake Wilder said he lent Damian the money to start the company. He'd probably have a huge financial stake," Kate realizes. "But the timeline doesn't work."
"And sometimes executives, especially at startups, get stock options," Castle offers. "Lisa Jenkins would be first in line for that kind of perk. But the timeline doesn't work out for her to be the killer either."
Kate's eyes widen with sudden inspiration. "Then our timeline has to be wrong." She runs out the door to the murder board, then points at the start of the kill zone. "Look, I just shot Damian Wilder in the chest. He's unconscious, bleeding out. I sop up some of the blood and head over here." She points to a photo of the message on the mirror. I start to write 'MURDERER' but it takes more time than I thought. I have to keep going back to get more blood. Then suddenly I hear a noise out back. If I'm discovered, it's all over. I have to get the hell out of there."
A smile begins to spread across Castle's face. "Lanie told us the bullet missed Damian's heart and that it took him a while to die. So when the shooter hotfoots it out of there leaving the phony clue unfinished, killer number two arrives. Meanwhile, killer number one races across the street and hails a cab. It's about 10:40. Killer number two socks Damian with the vase then executes the second piece of misdirection. He breaks into the climate-controlled display cases and steals the books. He's out the back door at 10:52. But he can't be caught with the books, so thinking he's unnoticed, he dumps them to be picked up as trash in the morning. But he doesn't count on our vegan environmentalist retrieving them to sell at his regular spot in the park."
"And our first killer has more than enough time to get home where her arrival can be recorded by a security camera," Kate picks up. "And the second killer would appear to be uninvolved by buying a pack of cigarettes."
Castle's eyebrows ripple. "Smoking those things will catch up with you sooner or later. So Lisa and Blake separately went to kill Damian and inadvertently alibied each other out. They both knew it was their only chance to stop him before he stepped forward. The press conference he called wasn't about a donation to animal rights, it was to announce a product recall. The murderous pair just didn't count on the skills of the city's greatest homicide detective."
"Or her partner and crew," Kate adds, suddenly modest.
"And remind me to thank Alexis for keeping me away from Wilder's products. I checked. That benzohyphosopheme is an ingredient in the hot shaving cream I wanted. We'll have an extra celebration during our holiday trip to the Hamptons."
"Wow!" Kate exclaims. I should have just enough time to get Lisa and Blake rounded up, get my report written, and pack before we leave."
"I can lend my wordsmithing skills to helping you with the report," Castle offers. "And you won't have to pack that much. Just a swimsuit and a few other, uh, play clothes."
"Alexis will be there," Kate reminds him.
"She's at the loft too and has amply displayed her ability to knock. Also, I plan to get her a reward that will keep her busy. But I have another little thing I want to look into before we go."
"What thing?"
"I'll tell you if it works out. But right now I'm starving. What if I order a moveable feast for us and the boys while you send out the troops to corral the murderous duo?"
"Sounds perfect."
