He was experienced in the art of concealing his true self underneath the mask he wore for his undercover moments. Hours of smiling differently, using his facial expressions in another way, the way he acted, the way he spoke even the way he did his hair.
He did it all differently.
Sometimes, whenever people look at his face as an agent there is always that hint of recognition but then the rest doesn't make sense in their head. They ask questions and he gives them answers that will lead nowhere.
It was a curious case, his Castle pictures were edited to look slightly off, to mess with someone's head when he is seen as an agent, even. "Where did you get your scars from?" Esposito asked, looking closely at them.
Rodgers looked at the detective with slightly narrowing eyes. "Tours in Afghanistan." He cleared his throat, "Taken hostage once, they don't have friendly masks to make you shut up." He motioned to the scars from over his nose, and down to his cheeks, in the form of a mask.
Esposito nodded, "An army man." He said with respect. "What branch were you in-"
"Ransom call!" Ryan called out and the two men snapped back into it. His team stood around the phone with the technology and a notepad to advise them on what to say. It was tense and the lights were low. The agent took off the sunglasses and put them in his inside pocket of his suit jacket.
They listened closely to the voice, distorted to be untraceable. His team looked at each other, then the mother started talking, pleading for her daughter. The demand for three quarters of a million, giving them only twenty-four hours.
With the click of the phone, they finally felt like they could breathe. "They used an Internet Voice over IP service." His team member said and Rodgers grimaced, that was certainly a hinder to their investigation and search for the girl.
He looked over at the parents, "Can you raise the ransom made?" He asked softly, knowing that it was hard for a parent, with any status, to raise that much money at such a short notice.
"It's everything we have." The mother stuttered out. Then the father called out that they would do anything and his heart ached for them. His profession had forced him to harden his heart but at the end of the day it is empathy that drives them to finish the job.
"You should start getting your financial records together." Rodgers wanted to frown how Soreson said that to the parents but he kept his facial features together. Seeing the expression on Beckett's face they had heard the same tone as well.
"Mrs. Candela, is there anyone that could help you? An accountant, or someone that works at your firm? Anything that can be a help to you, they could be an asset in finding your daughter."
"Nina could help." The husband stated and Rodgers kept his chin up.
"Nina?" Beckett continued to further question it.
"My sister. She's a CPA." He shared looks with his team, they were all wondering the same thing. Why would the husband recommend his in-law earlier than his wife would? They could be reading into it, but any thought was a lead that could be worth following.
"How can we be sure we'll get her back?" Alfred asked quietly. Soreson opened his mouth to answer but all the agent could do was glance in Beckett's direction.
"Hope." Agent Rodgers said as he looked at the distraught parents, "You imagine her walking through those doors." He motioned over to their front door, right to the side where her height was being measured, black lines and stickers that she had stuck on herself. "Your little girl needs you, to have faith and to keep it together. She needs a family to come home to." He said and then motioned Sorenson over to the kitchen.
"Stay professional, Agent Sorenson." His stance became defensive. "You were looking at detective Beckett instead of the parents." The agent looked like they wanted to argue but the senior agent narrowed his eyes at him. "I acknowledge that she's the best in the city, but what you had done was still unprofessional, requesting her for the task force." He said quietly. "Next time you reach out to her on your own time, not the little girls."
He walked out of the kitchen, leaving Soreson to think about his actions. "Candelas have pulled their financials, her sister is on the way. Found anything on the transcripts."
Agent Rodgers nodded. "The ransom is significant. They know enough to know what they are worth." They stepped back into the living room, near the hall and away from the parents. "Our profile indicates that they're close to the family."
Beckett nodded and Rodgers wanted to reach out, apologize for Soreson's behavior but it wasn't his place to do so. He had already told the agent off. "You don't do your circus act anymore? Haven't seen a lot of playboy millionaires around anymore." She said softly, indicating that she knew and that she had recognized him.
"Why? Were you waiting for him to do something irresponsible?" He smiled at her before looking back at the family. She chuckled softly. "You're good for recognizing the difference."
"Your laugh is the same." Beckett pointed out, "When you genuinely laughed last time you were in the precinct, and today, you laughed exactly the same." He had never worked out of laughing at jokes the same way that he did.
"Do you reckon your fellow detectives will find out?" He asked.
"Of course," She said and glanced over at the two partners. "They're detectives, they detect. Espo is already suspicious of your stance, too straight for an author that should be hunched over writing his book. Ryan had read your books, seeing your cover on the back constantly. Even his girlfriend would be reading your books and he'd be looking at you if he'd look in her direction."
He let out an amused breath. "You must wonder why a famous author would have been a smart choice for an undercover identity." The detective looked over and raised an eyebrow at him. "It's for connections, as a crime writer egotistical gangsters let you in, thinking that you'll write about them."
"I guess in a way that you did write about them."
"In my reports yeah." He nodded and chuckled softly, looking over at her. "You know Jason Clarke Battle?"
"That cop who shoots people and then calls for back up after?" She hummed and nodded before looking over at him. "No way, you're kidding? You caught him?"
"Me and my team had him, actually." He looked over at his technical analyst. "It was personal ever since he had attacked a member of my team. He had stalked her after she was released from the hospital. Tried to break into her home, killing a cop. Was pushed out because one of our own had scared him off with return of fire" He said quietly and stopped. "I'm distracting you, sorry."
"It's fine." She took in a sharp breath, "These cases get tough and I just need a distraction." He looked over at her and saw her bite the inside of her cheek, she was contemplating something. "How about-"
"The sister is here!" His agent had signaled him over. Rodgers let out a breath and smiled at the detective.
"Duty calls." He said and walked over to the dining table where Theresa and Nina were setting out their financial statements. The special agent stood while the detective sat down at eye-height of the mother and aunt of their victim. "How does it look?"
"It's doable."The aunt said and held tighter onto her sister's hand. "We'll market the stocks tomorrow and we have no choice but to wipe out the retirement account along with both pensions, you'll have to pay penalties."
"I don't care, whatever it takes." She said and her voice quivered as she said it. The sound of paint splatters filled his eyes and he looked up from the two sisters to look at the painting man.
"Does he always paint when he's stressed?" The agent that saw the many more paintings around the used canvas. "Does he sell much?"
"Some." Thereasa answered and her sister quietly shook her head. "Excuse her." She was tense but by the way she immediately ran a hand through her hair and balling up her hand, she was frustrated. The agent just nodded before Sorenson spoke up.
"Mrs. Candela, because of the specific amount of the ransom demand, suggests that the kidnapper had knowledge of your finances."
"Anyone with a grudge against you? Someone close who desperately needed the money." Beckett continued the line of questioning and his team motioned over to him. He left Beckett and Soreson's side and walked over to his technical analyst.
"Agent Lamberts?" He questioned and the tech just motioned over to the screen. He raised an eyebrow at the information and softly whispered to his team. "This is all circumstantial. We need to wait for them to slip up."
After the piece of information that was highly susceptible they followed the NYPD on their wild goosechase, not telling anyone the piece of information that they had discovered. It was likely that the iceberg went deep on the case.
They bring in a man that used to be connected to Therasa's former law firm, he had threatened her, blamed her for his divorce and the loss of his custody battle of two little girls. His team had stayed in the breakroom after that, following leads on the information that they had dug up while Richard had participated in their case, to not make them suspicious of it.
Sorenson was a candidate for a position in his team and what he saw was disappointing. How he had dropped all of his professionalism for a woman he had dated in the past. He was stubborn and not open to all the options around.
The NYPD and Soreson followed after leads, keeping Ellers on ice until they were able to trace his morning. She went with Will to the Candelas', to profile all of their associates. "You want to come with Agent Rodgers?" Beckett had asked before she picked up her jacket from her chair.
He gave her a small smile, "Can't do that detective, need to make a few phone calls for my nanny." She raised an eyebrow at him and nodded eventually. "Keep me updated?"
She smiled at him, "Always agent Rodgers." She said and picked up her jacket, Soreson followed promptly like a lost puppy after her. He watched the two of them walk away, chuckling like old friends.
"Now don't be jealous, chief." Min laughed as she saw her boss' face. "He doesn't even stand a chance, you though?" Richard scoffed and sat down with his arms crossed.
"Continue the analysis of his accent." He ordered and the group shared a look before chuckling.