"Can I help you?" the butler asked the group on the porch.
"Yes, we're here to speak with Mr. Landen," Brad said.
"I'm afraid Mr. Landen is busy at the moment, dining with his grandchildren and son," the butler replied. "I will tell-"
"We need to speak with him," Brad said firmly, showing his badge. "I'm Chief Davis from the Hamptons P.D."
"What's going on Stafford?" a young woman said, walking into the entry.
"Chief Davis from the police," the butler replied, stepping aside a little.
"I need to speak with your grandfather," Brad told the woman though he was a little questioning in his tone.
"Let me see if he'll speak with you now," another woman said, appearing behind the first.
"Stafford?" the first woman said. "I'll stay with them; you can head back to help with lunch."
"Of course ma'am," the butler said, bowing.
Turning to the group, the young woman had them walk inside before she said, "Oh, my grandfather will be happy to see you," spotting Skye before the investigator was responding.
"He's aware of me?" she asked.
"Yes," the young woman said, closing and locking the door. "And I am too." Seeing them looking at each other she said, "I'm Valentina Landen."
"You have a brother and a sister," Brad said.
"You're here for him, aren't you?" Valentina asked. She looked at one of the doorways that led into the room and said swiftly, "He's been acting weird since this morning, on the phone and jumpy."
"That doesn't mean much," Skye said simply.
"And then there's this," Valentina said, walking over to a cabinet. "This was the safest place to put what I found, it's just decoration." She pulled out a bag and said, "When I spotted it, I got that towel and picked it up." Handing it to the chief she asked, "Will it help?"
"It will," Brad said, letting the others see the mask that had been described on the person picking up Garrett. It was splattered with blood, and he tilted it before Darnley took it. "But we need to speak to your-"
"Grandpa wants to talk to them," the slightly older woman interrupted as she stepped into the entry.
"With everyone else?" Valentina asked.
Nodding briefly, the woman said to everyone, "I'm Manon Landen, he's this way with the rest of our family."
Stepping into a dining room, an older man stood at the group's appearance and was about to speak to Brad when he spotted Skye and smiled almost tearfully. "Investigator McDouglas," he told her, walking over to her with the help of a cane. "When Manon told me that you were here, I couldn't believe it. We were just about to have lunch and you… all of you are welcome to join us," he told her, shaking her hand and then gesturing to the table where his son and grandchildren were.
"Grandpa-" the third young woman there started to say.
"No, it's fine Delphine," Landen interrupted before the investigator was speaking calmly to the others of the family in the room.
"While we said we're here to speak too your father and grandfather," Skye began. "There's just one person we need to talk to."
"Me?"
"Maxim?" the son and then Landen said.
"Yes, your son," Brad said, stepping forward. "You're planning on selling your shares in your steel company?"
"I already have," Landen said, turning to his son. "We were all in agreement with that." He then froze and said, "Wait… why are you talking to him?"
"I want a lawyer," Maxim snapped, standing up. "You have nothing against me."
"Actually we do," Brad said, getting his handcuffs out. "There's a rental SUV impounded right now from a wreck this morning that you rented, speaking to the business we were told that you and our other suspect were there to rent the vehicle."
"That's ridiculous," Maxim said, waving his hand. "They were obviously mistaken."
"They may have been, but the security camera wasn't," Brad said firmly. "And the security footage at the Bay View Smithing company doesn't lie either."
"Bay View? I went there with him before," Maxim's son said.
"Shut up Niels," he hissed.
"Wait… does that have to do with your case?" Landen's grandson asked when he spotted the others looking at each other. "You're an idiot Dad."
"You-" Maxim said before Brad was taking his arm and twisting it. "Let me go!" he yelled. "He's my son and I'll take care of him."
"Pass," the chief said, getting the first handcuff on his arm though Maxim swung away.
"I'll help!" Niels exclaimed, rushing over.
"Get away from me, all of you," Maxim said before he turned towards the other three with the chief at movement out of the corner of his eye. When he saw the mask in the bag Darnley handed to Castle he hissed, "Who did this? Who-"
"I did," Valentina said immediately before her father could finish. "You killed those kids, didn't you?"
"And that reporter," Manon added, moving to stand with her sister. "He wrote about Grandpa selling his part of the company and that's how you found out."
"She's right," Niels said quickly. "He was pissed."
"Shut up, all of you," Maxim yelled at his kids.
"No, you murdered four kids," Niels said, his sisters nodding in agreement.
"And all because Cousin Garrett's great-great-grandfather took the steel company from our great-great-grandfather," Delphine said.
"Maxim… how could you?" Landen breathed.
"Because it was ours! All that money, the business, it should have been ours, we have the direct line," Maxim said. "You knew it was ours and you never fought for it. I had to!"
"By killing kids," Beckett couldn't help saying.
Smirking for a moment Maxim said, "Had to destroy him first," before the investigator his father had greeted was responding.
"You had no guarantee of getting Eris," Skye said. "And that story Kipling wrote wasn't going to make it a lie by killing him."
"He knows how to fly model planes," Manon commented.
"Puts them together too," Niels replied.
"Stay still," Brad said angrily to Maxim when the man began to struggle against him. Darnley was assisting him and with his help he was able to make the man stay still long enough for him to say, "Maxim Landen, you're under arrest for the six murders that took place over the last three days. And I'm sure the FBI will have a lot more to charge you with."
"A lot more," Skye said, watching him and Darnley taking their killer out of the room. Turning to Landen she saw he'd sat on the chair where his oldest granddaughter had been seated and said, "I'm so sorry."
Shaking his head Landen replied, "It's my fault, my grandchildren warned me he wasn't going to like the news… But that wasn't even what I did."
"What do you mean Grandpa?" Niels asked, frowning.
"I wasn't going to sell the shares to anyone," Landen replied. "I was going to divide them between you… based on your reactions." He smiled when his granddaughters rushed him and said, "You four will get them," before Valentina was responding.
"You don't have to you know," she said.
"Yeah, the money's great but we all have jobs," Niels said.
"Is there a way to keep my son from my house?" Landen asked after hugging his grandchildren.
"You can get an emergency restraining order," Beckett answered. "If you want the full one, you'll have to go to the courthouse."
"I will," Landen said before he turned to Skye. "How many did he kill on those planes that crashed?"
"You heard of them?" Skye asked, frowning when the man nodded. "It doesn't matter," she told him firmly. "What does is the fact we've caught the culprit and planes the parts are from are being searched."
"What parts?" Manon asked.
"Brackets-" Skye said before she was interrupted by the four grandchildren sucking in breaths of air loudly.
"Does that have any significance to you?" Beckett said, hearing footsteps behind her. She was thankful to glance over her shoulder and see it was Brad, Darnley and Aspinall, having the feeling the parts were of some importance to their killer.
"Two years ago Grandpa was in a plane crash," Valentina said first.
"I was flying my Piper and lost control of it," Landen said. "The slat on the left wing nearly broke off, but I was lucky it didn't fully since it ripped partially in such a way that I managed to get the plane under control and land. The bracket that held I learned later was from Eris."
"Did your son know that?" Castle asked.
"I never told him," Landen said slowly.
"I told him," Niels said, appearing suddenly stricken. "I had no idea until he yelled at me the connection to our family. But when I talked to Grandpa, he said everything was legit."
"It was," Aspinall said. "I just received a call from D.C. that there really was no reason for your son to think your family would be able to obtain Eris. It was all four CEOs, not just Mr. Garrett."
As the agent waked over to the patriarch and shook his hand Brad murmured to the others, "Wade took him to the jail, I'm not bothering to try holding him at the station."
"Is that your way of saying we're done with the case?" Castle asked.
"Yes," Brad replied firmly. "Go home and I'll have you come in tomorrow or I'll just bring the paperwork to your house. All of you, head home," he said, adding the last when Skye was about to speak.
After they had said their goodbyes to the Landen family and were outside walking back to their cars Beckett asked, "What do you need to do?"
"I need a ride to Rutherford," Skye said. "I have to see what Trevor might need from me but at this point all my work needs to be done at West." She took off her NTSB jacket and said, "Excuse me."
Castle was about to ask where she was going when the investigator walked swiftly away from them and put the folded dark blue jacket over her mouth before she screamed. He was about to go over to her when his wife was stopping him, and he hung back with Darnley though he wondered if Skye would be alright.
"I apologize," the investigator said when Beckett walked up to her. "But that whole screaming as therapy does work sometimes." She shook out her jacket in a smart snap before telling her friend, "I wanted to punch his face."
"I don't blame you," Beckett replied, taking her arm and leading her over to the car. "I would have liked to have done that several times."
With a brief nod Skye said as she moved to get into the back with her, "And Mary and I can go home."
"We all can," Castle couldn't help saying.
"We'll leave tomorrow if it's alright," Skye said, smiling at the way he blanched at his words. When the writers said it was up to her and Mary she then said, "We might have an early flight if I can manage it. Would you mind if we stayed at the loft overnight?"
"Not a problem," Castle said immediately. "But you'll stay until after dinner, right?"
"Sure," Skye said, leaning back with a sigh. She felt Beckett squeeze her hand and said, "Almost a year."
"And now it's done," Beckett said. She squeezed again when Skye merely smiled at her, letting her go to look out the window to see when they would reach the airport and begin finalizing their investigations for good.
"I hope this isn't making it seem like we're racing to leave," Mary said to the family while they were leaving the game room.
"If you'd been running, I get the feeling it would look like that," Louis said in amusement.
"Good point," Skye said with a laugh. It was later that evening, after dinner, and she and Mary were preparing to drive their rental to the city for their flight at eight the next morning. They'd eaten dinner and were beginning to say their goodbyes to the family though she and her wife were immediately going to Alexis first. They laughed together at the coincidence before Mary was speaking.
"I think we want to make sure you realize we're eager to hear about these two once they decide to come," the doctor was saying, gently touching her stomach.
"I figured," Alexis replied. "And you'll see them at Christmas," she added.
"We're still coming," Skye said.
"Definitely," Mary added, giving the young woman a brief hug before stepping aside for her wife.
"Make sure you do only as much as your body allows," Skye said.
Smiling, Alexis nodded and then said, "I'm not surprised. But I'll be careful."
After hugging the young woman, Skye turned to the others in the family with her wife and they were saying goodbye to everyone until they reached Castle and Beckett. "No?" she asked in surprise since she'd been about to embrace the former.
"We're going to walk you two out," Castle said, showing her his coat he was holding.
"Oh, well that's it then," Skye said. "We'll be back before you know it though," she directed to the rest of the family. "So until then Happy Halloween and Happy Thanksgiving." After her wife had told them the same and they responded, she waited for the writers to open the front door and they walked out to their car.
"Is there anything special we need to know for the loft?" Mary asked.
"Not really, just don't throw a party," Beckett said before her husband could answer. When he gave her a look she smiled and told the women, "You'll be fine staying there," turning to her husband when he began speaking quickly.
"She's right, though stay out of our room," Castle said, ending in a mock irritated tone.
"Believe me, we're not going near it," Skye said. "We'll stay in Martha's old room," she added since she was well aware the writers had turned it into a guest room.
"Text us when you get back to LA," Beckett said then while her husband was sharing a brief embrace with the two women after they'd gotten their bags into the car.
"We will… though you guys won't be napping or anything will you?" Skye asked.
"No," Castle said. "Josie will but we'll probably be working on our books."
"Books?" Skye asked in surprise, hesitating for a moment.
"We need to see where we are," Beckett explained. "But I still want the text."
"And you'll get one," Skye said with a smile while her wife was embracing Mary. She moved to do the same with Beckett and said, "Thank you for everything on this one."
"Same to you," she replied, smiling when the investigator nodded. "Safe flight."
"Thank you," Skye said. "And whenever the babies are born call us… or text if it's early in the morning."
"We will," Beckett promised. "We'll see you in December."
"Of course, tell everyone we'll miss them," Mary said, her wife agreeing with her before they moved to get into the car.
Waving to the McDouglas women as the car drove out of the front of the house, Castle took his wife's hand once they were returning to the porch. "I'm really looking forward to relaxing," he said as he opened the door for her. He was a little surprised when she didn't respond and became even more so when she was speaking in Irish after they'd hung their coats.
"Are you that tired?" Beckett asked him.
"No," Castle said. "Though we do have a while."
"We do," Beckett said simply before she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him to her. They were kissing deeply before they were slowly parting and after they had done so she smiled and murmured against his lips, "But keep that in mind."
"Oh believe me, I will," Castle said, moving to kiss her again. He did so gently before they were letting go of each other and he reached for her hand. After he'd taken it, they began walking down the hall while he was entwining their fingers. Feeling his wife squeezing at him in response he smiled briefly at her before they were heading to where their family was to spend the rest of the evening in the game room.
"Okay," Skye said, walking down the stairs. "I'm ready for tomorrow."
"Where's your jacket?" Mary asked, handing her the mug of tea that she'd made.
"Packed away, I told you I'm not expected until Friday," Skye replied. "Thank you," she added after she tested the heat of the drink. When her wife didn't say anything, she couldn't help telling her in slight amusement, "I'm serious, I won't be working until then. And once I do, I'm racing to finish."
"Don't make any mistakes," Mary said while they moved to leave the kitchen.
"I won't, I want to wash my hands of everything," Skye said.
"Are you sure you're not needed anymore here?" Mary inquired before they were sitting on the couch.
"No, Trevor got everything ready for me to do," Skye answered. She took a sip of her tea and then said, "And I managed to complete it." They were both silent for a while and she then said, "I never really thought about the family of Garnett."
"Didn't you say you hadn't really found anything?" Mary asked.
"That was their predecessor's doing," Skye explained. "The name was changed to Garnett after the disagreement between the brothers in the later eighteen hundreds and the records obviously didn't go back that far."
"Who was Klerk to the killer?" Mary then said.
"Nothing really," Skye replied.
"Then he was just using her," Mary stated.
Nodding, Skye said, "She worked at the office of their company the melted metal was. A pin from Corporate Steel Trust and Klerk was his aide. She helped him build the mechanism; it's why she was able to explain it so easily."
"What about the actual Hopper?" Mary asked in confusion.
"There was none, turns out Maxim Landen used to be a hacker twenty years ago and he managed to manipulate everything he needed to get Klerk in. He couldn't forge for Agent Courtenay, so they decided to just throw her with Nagel," Skye said. She then looked pointedly at her wife and asked, "Anything else you want to know?"
"Yeah, the parts," Mary said.
"I've been getting updates from Doug, he says they're finding more but not as much as we were all afraid would be in the planes," Skye said. "And they've been checking maintenance bays and more parts have been found."
"So it would have been a ticking timebomb," Mary replied.
"To a degree," Skye said after a slight hesitation. "Maxim made a mistake in doctoring the iron. It was already brittle, and Riverside had marked it for disposal. When he took it he made it even more, so he sped everything up. We were just lucky there weren't more planes."
"You were," Mary said, reaching over and taking her wife's hand. She held it gently and then said, "They're gone?"
"They are," Skye said firmly since she had helped the five victims pass on outside the Castle home before they'd packed.
"And the parents?" Mary then inquired.
"Brad sent them home, but I think he said Mr. Garrett was talking to his wife about getting in touch with the rest of the Landens," Skye replied.
"You think he would?" Mary said in surprise.
"I do," Skye said. "It was a stupid feud, Garrett's… if I remember correctly, they said great-great-grandfather wanted to bow in before the government got them with anti-trust laws and Landen's didn't. Since he took his share of the company he was able to recover, Landen had a hard time and of course the Great Depression wiped out their fortune though they did start up the Trust company."
"And it seems like his descendants are a lot better in temperament," Mary stated.
"A lot, though Maxim seems to have inherited a little of Feldspar Landen's personality," Skye said.
"Feldspar?" Mary asked, her eyebrow raised.
"Yeah, his brother was named Lazur and their sister Opal… I'm sure their father liked geology," Skye explained.
"Well, again at least everything turned out right," Mary said. "And you can close this case."
"I can," Skye said. She smiled briefly and then said, "Kate told me she couldn't believe I'd been working on it for so long."
"You were good at hiding it," Mary said.
"That and I wasn't about to burden her with the investigations," Skye replied. She looked into her empty mug and told her wife, "I had a nightmare of this turning into my crash. She said she wasn't really surprised since she has that feeling every time she goes to a crime scene."
"Her mother's murder," Mary murmured.
"Not someone she loves being killed," Skye said quickly. "But more one that will be with her for years, unsolved and nearly pulling her back to how she was the first time she looked at her mother's case."
"Good point," Mary mused. "Though she doesn't let that stress her out."
"No, and I didn't either… that much," Skye said. When her wife raised her eyebrow at her she smiled and told her, "I had a lot of help for that. Thank you grá."
"You're very welcome," Mary told her seriously. They leaned into each other and kissed gently before she got up and took her wife's mug. "And now we have everything set we should head up to bed," she said before her wife's eyes were widening in surprise.
"Really? I'm not in the least bit fatigued," Skye told her.
"We will be home tomorrow night," Mary said.
Pausing for a moment, Skye then stood and said, "That's true."
"So you agree?" Mary asked. She expected her wife to respond immediately but when Skye reached for her, she was startled for a second before she was smiling and let the investigator kiss her. Responding eagerly she was pleased it lasted for some time before they were slowly pulling away so they could look at each other.
"I'll hold you to that grá," Skye said.
"Oh, I'm counting on you to," Mary replied.
Sharing an intense kiss, Skye and Mary reluctantly stopped when they needed to catch their breath for a little more than a few gasps. They walked together up to what would be their bedroom for the night, looking forward to returning home after the unwanted and lengthy amount of time away from their family.