"Are you trying to see the Vernons?" the woman on the porch there called.
"Yes, I'm Chief Davis," Brad answered.
"Are they okay?" the woman asked in concern.
"I'm afraid Mr. Vernon was murdered this morning," Brad said, not surprised when the woman gasped and put her hand to her mouth. "We need to get inside to find out if there was a break in. Would you mind answering a few questions for us?"
"No, wait," the woman said tearfully, saying the last in a rush while her voice shook. "Eileen gave me a key for when they were gone on vacation."
"Any idea who she is?" Castle asked his wife.
"No," Beckett said. "Rebecca might. Do you want me to call her?"
"Hold off on that," Brad said since the neighbor was making her way out of the house.
"Actually, I know who she is," Castle said, the woman near enough for him to tell. "That's Mia Harrington."
"The Harrington heir?" Brad asked, speaking quickly since the woman was getting closer.
"Not the heir anymore, she owns that house and the land the others were built on," Castle said before they were turning their attention to Harrington.
"Sorry, I almost couldn't find the key," Harrington told them. Shaking her head to calm down she added, "I had friends over and they must have moved them over with their purses. Do you want to head inside?"
"Yes, but remain here while we look," Brad said while the woman was unlocking the door.
"Sure," Harrington replied before she pushed the door open.
"Stay here," Brad said when the woman was gagging and staggering back at the stench hitting them instantly. He looked at Castle and when the writer inclined his head once he was stepping inside with Beckett and Darnley while they had their weapons drawn.
"I think it's in the office," the carpenter said.
"Yeah, I see legs," Brad replied before they headed over to the room.
"Oh god," Beckett said. "It's Eileen," she told the two men.
"You're sure?" Brad asked. At her nod he said, "Alright, head out and tell Harrington, question her Beckett."
"Me?" Darnley asked.
"Stay with me and look around the room alright?" Brad said. "Beckett," he called since she was just about to reach the front door.
"Yeah?" Beckett replied, looking at him.
"Call the ME," Brad said.
"I was planning on it," Beckett said with a nod before she stepped out onto the porch. She was momentarily surprised when her husband was with Harrington further down the path and she walked up to them just as the woman was speaking.
"Please tell me that wasn't Eileen," Harrington said, her eyes filled with tears. The writer was hesitating and she burst into tears saying, "Oh no, please… she…"
"Ms. Harrington," Castle said, reaching for the woman when she was about to collapse. He helped her stand straight and then said, "Do you need to sit?" When she nodded he looked around and saw a planter towards the side of the front yard and started to lead her there.
"She was fine, nothing was wrong," Harrington said, sobbing a little.
"You don't need to speak to us yet," Beckett reassured the woman. "Take your time." She and her husband were watching the woman sob a little longer before she was calming down and drying her eyes with a handkerchief.
"I… I'm okay," Harrington finally said, looking up at the pair.
"How well did you know the Vernons?" Beckett asked.
"Oh… Bernard," Harrington gasped. "Their entire family," she then said as her face seemed to crumple and she was crying again.
Looking to the street, Castle wasn't surprised when there was a cruiser pulling up and he saw it was Rice. Feeling someone grabbing his arm he turned and looked at his wife.
"Call the ME, I forgot," Beckett told him in a rush. She watched her husband nodding before he hurried away and she was turning her attention back to Harrington since her sobs were slowing down again.
"I'm sorry, they were all they had," Harrington replied when she could speak though her breath was hitching. "We were… good friends. I've lived here all my life so I was here when Bernard moved in and when he married Eileen a year later and she moved in. We'd have dinner on Thursday nights, taking turns between our houses when I was still living there with my grandfather. And then when I was on my own we did it Wednesdays and Thursdays, my house first and then theirs."
"What about the problems they were having with their marriage?" Beckett asked as her husband was walking back over to them.
"Problems?" Harrington asked in confusion.
"Mr. Vernon wasn't living here," Castle said, startled when the woman scoffed.
"Is that what the local gossip told you?" Harrington asked.
"Gossip? Just one?" Beckett said, picking up on the lack of a plural to what the woman had said.
"Yeah, Helga Eaton," Harrington said. "Though I don't think it's really a gossip thing for that, she's always had a thing for Bernard."
"She lives in the neighborhood?" Castle asked.
"Yeah… right across the street," Harrington answered, nodding in that direction. "In the cranberry house."
Easily spotting the abode in that hue, Beckett said, "Did she tell you that?"
"Yeah, every time Bernard went into the city, she would tell Eileen he was going to see someone," Harrington said in obvious annoyance. "That it wasn't for his work, which it was."
"Then when was the last time you saw him here with his wife?" Beckett asked.
"Two days ago, they came over to say goodbye," Harrington said. She sighed and said, "They'd told me they were going to the Bahamas for the holidays early the next morning so I was going to be on my own for dinners now. But I didn't mind."
Since the woman was speaking rapidly, Beckett held her hand out to the woman to calm her down before she saw a van pulling up. Hearing Harrington whimpering, she told her husband, "Ask Brad if she needs to stay."
Nodding rapidly, Castle hurried to the porch when his friend was stepping out onto it and he said, "We need to talk to their neighbor," explaining what Harrington had told them as swiftly as he could.
"Okay, you better let her go back to her house," Brad said, getting one of his cards. "I don't think she's involved since the guard said I could have access to the cameras on the streetlights. If she went to their house whenever Mrs. Vernon was murdered she'll show up. Give her this and tell her to call me if she thinks of anything else. Wait," he added when Castle started to leave. "Did Beckett ask if anyone would want to hurt them?"
"She didn't," Castle said before he glanced at his wife and the neighbor. "She could have now, I'll see." After Brad nodded to him he headed back down the yard to his wife and Harrington in time to hear the neighbor answering his wife's question.
"They were well liked, I mean Eileen worked with charities and you know from Rebecca Foster nothing really… negative happens there," Harrington was saying. She then sighed and said, "It could be something from Brendan's work but he never mentioned anything."
"And your neighbor?" Beckett said, gesturing across the street.
"I… well Helga flirted but I don't see her as doing anything violent," Harrington said. She then looked at Beckett and asked, "You know she has prosthetics, right?"
"We know," Castle said, getting her attention. "But that doesn't mean she couldn't do anything. Is there anyone else?"
Harrington obviously thought that over before she shook her head and told them, "I'll think about it."
"Chief Davis wants you to call him if you can think of anything in the future that might help us with this case," Castle said, handing her the card he still held.
"I will, can I… go please?" Harrington asked.
"Of course," Beckett said, though she knew Thayer and the rest of his team wouldn't be leaving from the house with Mrs. Vernon's body just yet. She and her husband watched them go and said, "What do you think?"
"One woman is lying," Castle replied. "Either Harrington or Eaton." He wasn't surprised when she was nodding in agreement and was about to ask her if she thought they should question the other neighbor when she was speaking first.
"I would ask Brad about questioning Eaton but I think he'll want to take care of that himself," Beckett commented before she was waving to Darnley who was stepping out of the house to get his attention.
"Brad told us we're heading back to the station," the carpenter said.
"Why?" Castle couldn't help asking.
"He wants us to start looking into the two vics," Darnley replied. "But I'm sure you're not surprised by that."
"Not really, but what about the neighbor across the street?" Castle asked.
"He's going to talk to her with Rice," Darnley said.
"We're leaving now?" Castle said before they saw the chief leaving the house.
"Hey, did Darnley tell you?" Brad was asking them once he'd reached them.
"He did, are you sure you don't want us to look inside the house at all?" Beckett inquired.
Hesitating for a moment, Brad told them, "It would help, it's a huge house."
"Oh, you should, with five of us we'll get it finished quickly," Darnley said. "There's just one thing."
"What?" Brad, Beckett and Castle asked him at the same time.
"The office, that was obviously Mr. Vernon's," Darnley explained. "Are we going to look into his papers?"
"I have to make some phone calls for that," Brad answered. "And I'll be taking care of that myself. But if you could look upstairs I'd appreciate it."
"Main bedroom?" Castle asked.
"You can, unless there's a safe or something like that," Brad answered. "Then leave it for me."
After they'd assured him they would, Castle and Beckett led the way to the house where they went up the staircase to the second floor.
"Are we splitting up?" Darnley asked the writers.
"I think so," Castle said though he was looking at his wife.
"We have to remember Brad said we needed to split it up with Wade and Hutchinson," Beckett was telling them though she was turning to look at the staircase.
"We're here, we were making sure Chief didn't want us to stay outside," the former said first.
"I think there are enough of us here to see if anything happens outside," Castle said.
"How many bedrooms are there?" Hutchinson asked.
"Six," Castle replied. "And they're mostly empty."
"They never tried to have kids?" Darnley inquired.
"I have no idea," Beckett said. "I knew Eileen, I wasn't a good friend."
"We'll have to talk to Rebecca?" Castle asked her hesitantly.
"I'll talk to her, once we're back at the station," Beckett said before they were dividing the rooms and splitting up to head into each one but the main bedroom.
"You're extremely lucky I could meet you guys for lunch," Rebecca said while she sat at the table Castle, Beckett and Darnley were sharing.
"We appreciate you could," Castle said firmly before the lawyer was responding with a slight frown.
"That sounds bad, what's going on?" Rebecca asked.
"Did David call you at all about our case?" Beckett said, not surprised when her husband and friend were looking at her to tell the lawyer.
"Yes, Bernard," Rebecca replied. "I can't believe it."
"We… unfortunately found his wife at their home," Beckett then said.
"Eileen?" Rebecca asked, her eyes widening. At the others' nods she looked away from them and took a moment to compose herself and then said, "You don't… suspect me do you?"
"We don't," Castle said in a rush.
"He's right," Beckett said when the relief was obvious on the lawyer's face. "We need to talk to you about them both or just Eileen."
"Anything you can tell us," Darnley then told her.
"It might not be much, I was a friend but I didn't know her extremely well," Rebecca replied. "Did you try Mia Harrington? She's their neighbor and she was closer to them both," she said.
"We did a preliminary interview with her," Beckett said.
"Preliminary," Rebecca stated instead of asking.
"Brad spoke to her after he searched the office," Castle said. "At the Vernon home."
"I'm guessing I can't ask the reason for that," Rebecca said.
"I can tell you after but right now just tell us what you know about them both, anything," Beckett told her.
"Okay, they've been married for fourteen years," Rebecca said. "Bernard is a year younger than me and Eileen is three years younger… I guess I should say was."
"It doesn't matter," Beckett commented.
"He had a lot of money, he inherited it from his family," Rebecca continued. "You know they're the Wall Street Vernons," she explained.
"I thought that was a rumor," Castle said, frowning. "A lot of rumors going around about these two."
"We'll ask you about it after," Beckett said swiftly when Rebecca was opening her mouth to speak.
"Okay, they're from that family," the lawyer replied. "Since he had a lot of money, or I'm assuming since I had no idea how much it was, Eileen was free to do what she wished. And luckily it was to help us with some of the charities in the city."
Beckett nodded and said, "You might be asked to take over for her."
Sighing Rebecca said, "I've always had that in mind."
"What about your job?" Darnley asked in confusion.
"She doesn't need to work, you know they have money," Castle said, not surprised at the carpenter's immediate response.
"But if she still wants to?" Darnley said.
"Guys?" Beckett asked them. When they were looking at her she said, "Why not ask her what she might do?"
"I would retire," Rebecca said. "But I need something to do."
"You're an artist," Darnley immediately told her.
Laughing, since she had bonded with the carpenter's husband about them both being artistically inclined, Rebecca said, "I am, but let me and my husband decide… mostly me."
"What else do you know about the Vernons?" Beckett asked to bring the conversation back to the investigation.
"I would honestly look at the museum," Rebecca said. "Though I don't know why Eileen would be killed for that reason."
"There are possibilities," Castle told her, thinking of the idea of Mrs. Vernon being murdered to get something from her husband.
"Why the museum?" Beckett asked, giving her husband a look.
"David and I represented Bernard," Rebecca said. "Fifteen years ago and it was because there was a dispute about the sale of the land the warehouse the museum was eventually housed in."
"Are you able to tell us?" Castle asked since they'd cleared the city council by then.
"Yes, Owen Corwin tried to insist that the land was his," Rebecca replied.
"It was sold to him," Darnley stated.
Shaking her head, Rebecca corrected him saying, "He said it was his, his family's land and that he owned it. He said he had a deed but it was easily proved a forgery."
"And he was angry when the decision was handed down?" Beckett asked.
"He wasn't there," Rebecca replied. "And we never really heard anything from him because Dave told Corwin's lawyer that we'd talk to the police about forgery. Bernard was aware we were doing that; he wasn't there either; and he was fine with it because everything was wrapped up and he could get the museum finished. But then the problem with the Phantom started."
"Problem?" Castle and Beckett asked at the same time in obvious surprise.
"Corwin, three years after I think," Rebecca started to say before she became thoughtful. "Yeah, it was three. He tried to claim Bernard's most prized possession at the museum was his."
"But he wasn't successful," Castle commented.
Snorting Rebecca shook her head and then said, "Not even close. He tried to sue Bernard but the judge immediately tossed the case out."
"Has he tried anything else since then?" Beckett asked him.
"No," Rebecca replied. "Though of course I don't keep up on Corwin so who knows."
"I'll call Brad," Castle said, moving to slide off of his and Beckett's side of the table. He paused once he was standing and asked the lawyer, "Did you invite your husband?"
"Oh, he made it," Rebecca said happily, hurrying to stand up. She went to her husband and hugged the mayor tightly before she led him back to the table.
"You know what? I think I'd heard about him trying to take the Phantom," Brad was saying to Castle on the phone.
"Me too," the writer replied. Castle then said, "We'll have to find him."
"You mean I will," Brad said firmly.
"Yeah, no we'll stay," Castle said. "David got here not too long ago."
"If he gives you anything else call me back," Brad replied immediately.
"Sure, if you find Corwin and talk to him let us know what he said," Castle responded immediately.
"I will, enjoy the rest of your lunch," Brad said.
"Sorry I don't have anything else," David was saying at the table.
"It's alright, I didn't think you would," Beckett replied before looking at her husband when he was rejoining them.
"Brad's going to talk to Corwin," Castle said. "He told me to stay here, us I mean."
"I'm not surprised," Beckett said with a smile. She then said, "We did forget to clear something with you," directing that to Rebecca.
"What?" the lawyer asked immediately.
"Their relationship," Castle said before his wife could speak. He wasn't surprised when Beckett nodded and he said, "She's right, we heard the rumor that they were having difficulties."
"Yeah, I never got that," David said before his wife could speak.
"He's right there always seemed to be a lot of stuff about them not lasting but I never saw much evidence of anything," Rebecca added. She smiled a little sadly and said, "I did ask Eileen about it and she just said they wanted to gossip about people from two of the oldest families in the Hamptons."
"Was there anything wrong with them being together?" Castle asked.
"Not that I can think of," David said, looking at his wife. When she shook her head he then said, "But I've told you how things have gone with the old families."
"True, but would it go that far someone would kill?" Castle asked.
"It never did before," David said. "And believe me, my dad and grandfather knew a lot about the history." He frowned and then said, "They should have written a book." He shook his head and then said to Castle and Beckett, "Plus there is gossip about people in the old families too."
"What old families are they again?" Darnley said. When the other four were looking at him he said, "I've been here even less than you guys, I want to make a note of the names. Just in case," since he had his notepad and pen.
"Well, obviously there are the Vernons," David said. "Even though Bernard's sort of an offshoot of the city ones they were here. Then there's Eileen's family, the Van Wieren's. And here it turns into the more Dutch names since you know the history of the state. The Drees, Koopmans, Holsts, Assenbergs, Peeters, Batts, Sessions, Thayers, Ivers and you know Corwin is the last."
"The East End dozen," Castle said. When the pair across the table were looking at him he said, "I've heard of them but wasn't sure about their names."
"You said Thayer," Darnley said, having been scribbling down the names as fast as he could.
"I did, the ME isn't related," David replied. "I think he's from Virginia?" he asked Castle.
He nodded in agreement and was about to speak before he paused before he said, "Though what if he was related?"
"That might not apply to our case," Beckett commented to her husband.
"I thought of that too," Castle said, nodding his head. He then said, "I wasn't trying to think wrong of him or anything."
"No," Beckett replied reassuringly as she gently squeezed at his hand. Their waiter was coming over to them with their food and she said, "What about Helga Eaton?" startled when the lawyer was sighing and sharing a look with her husband.
"She's… eccentric," Rebecca said. "She used to work on charities here but she and Eileen butted heads and she stopped."
"What about the Vernon's neighbor-" Darnley started to say.
"Mia? She's close with them," Rebecca said. "She was…" she said slowly. She shook her head and then continued saying, "She's a loner but Eileen managed to become really good friends with her and helped her when she inherited her family's wealth."
"She's not part of the group you mentioned?" Darnley asked in confusion.
"No, the next oldest group but that's a lot bigger… thirty families I think," David replied. "And they're mostly British and Irish families." He paused and then said, "Mainly British but you have a few Irish," before he was looking back across the table at Beckett when she was asking about Harrington.
"And Harrington? She wasn't looked down on? Were the Vernons since they were friends with her?" Beckett asked.
"Well, Bernard wasn't exactly of the old money," David said. "So I don't know if people really cared." He then frowned for a moment and said, "I really don't know why anyone would want to kill Bernard and Eileen. But one person would be Corwin."
"Rebecca told us," Beckett said with a nod.
"I stressed to Brad that he might want to look a lot closer at him," Castle commented before they were turning their attention to their food.
"You know," Darnley eventually said after they'd been eating for a while. "If Mrs. Vernon hadn't been killed too this would have been a lot more straight forward."
"I still think it has something to do with the museum," Castle said. "If not the Phantom."
"Is the car that important?" Rebecca asked.
"This particular one," Beckett said. She smiled at her husband while he was drinking his iced tea. "Rick explained to me that it's worth over a million and rare."
"She's right, but that car in the museum isn't moving anywhere," Castle said.
"I almost forgot," David said, pointing to the writer in realization. "Bernard took the engine out, I heard that caused a scandal." He paused and then asked, "That can't be a motive for murder can it?"
"I doubt it, but again, we'll look into everything we can," Beckett said.
"Question," Darnley said when they were finishing a little later. "What about the engine?" He wasn't surprised when he got some confused looks and clarified what he meant telling them, "Where is it?"
"No idea," Castle said, looking at his wife.
"It could be at their house," Beckett said. "There was a large garage in the back."
"Just checking," Darnley commented before they were leaving.
"If you guys can think of anything else-" Beckett started to say before her friend was interrupting her.
"We'll call you," Rebecca said with a smile, putting on her coat.
"And if you hear anything too," Beckett added.
"Fair enough," Rebecca said before her smile was dropping off her face. "I hope you find out who did this to them."
"We will," Beckett assured her friend before she watched her leaving with David. Feeling a hand touching her back she turned to her husband and asked, "Are we going?"
"We are, Patrick offered to bring the car back to the station," Castle said.
"I honestly did," Darnley said in a rush when his friend was looking at him pointedly. "Though are you okay with wanting to walk in this cold?"
"We are, and you can join us," Beckett said, looking at her husband with her eyebrow raised before he was responding with an exaggerated sigh.
"Okay, I was trying to give us some time alone," Castle admitted to her.
"And you will have that," Darnley said. When his friend looked at him he smiled and said, "I'm not going to butt into that."
"Patrick-" Beckett began.
"No, no, it's not that far a walk so have fun," Darnley replied.
"We'll owe you," Castle told the carpenter seriously. He wasn't surprised when Darnley merely waved to them while he was going to the door and he then turned to his wife. "Mad?"
"No," Beckett replied wryly. "I expected this since it is the closest to the station."
"I do enjoy their focaccia sandwiches," Castle said.
"And you had a wrap," Beckett reminded him. She couldn't help smiling when he winced and she gently took his hand to squeeze it before they were getting on their scarves and gloves and heading outside. They were heading down the sidewalk in the direction of the station before her husband was stopping her. "Not right here," she immediately told him.
"Are you sure, because it would be quick," Castle told her swiftly.
Smiling Beckett replied, "Would it only be one?"
"It could be," Castle said before his wife was tugging on his hand and pulling her to him. He leaned into her swiftly and brushed his lips to hers twice in swift succession before he said, "I couldn't help myself."
Rolling her eyes Beckett said, "I'm not surprised," before she was pulling him into her for another kiss. After they had parted shortly after she told him, "Are you?"
"No," Castle replied firmly before he jumped slightly when his text alert sounded. "Crap," he said when he had it out of his pocket.
"Brad?" Beckett asked him, surprised at the frown that soon appeared on his face.
"He just texted me an address, said Corwin's… he says he's hiding out there," Castle said.
"Then we need to go," Beckett said, getting her phone out to call Darnley before they were turning at the sound of honking.
"He saved you the trouble," Castle told his wife as she was putting away her phone. "You heard from Brad?"
"I saw him leaving the station," the carpenter explained. "And he shouted at me to get you two and come right away." After the two had entered the car he said, "Where am I going?" Once he had the address he was heading down the street in the direction he needed before they were on their way and he said, "Now… why are we going?"
"He said Corwin is hiding there," Beckett explained.
"Do you know the address?" Darnley asked them.
"I think it's residential," Beckett said, looking at her husband.
"It is," Castle said. "But I have no idea what the neighborhood is like." When he saw they were near it he indicated that to Darnley before he said, "It's not a bad one."
"No, it's middle-class," Beckett told him.
"And it's not that bad," Darnley said. "Actually I'm not surprised he's hiding here, it's basic."
"It's not working," Castle said. "Brad was able to find him."
"I don't think it was that hard to," Darnley commented.
Looking out the window, Beckett immediately spotted what he was talking about and said, "Where is he now though?" since the garage door was open.
"Wait, Brad's pulled in up there," Castle said before Darnley was driving past the home and the older car just sticking out of the driveway. Once they were parked behind the chief he got out of the way and said, "Please tell me we're arresting him," not surprised when his friend was sighing before he responded.
"I have nothing on this guy," Brad said.
"Why are we here?" Beckett asked.
"It's only hearsay and I need to confirm it but we got a phone call to look at Corwin because he wasn't where he said he was last night," Brad replied.
"Do you have times of death?" Darnley asked.
"About four for Mr. Vernon," the chief answered. "And two days ago for Mrs. Vernon."
"So she was killed-" Castle started to say.
"After the guard saw her. That's what Thayer told us and I have Hall and Emerson tracking her last movements," Brad interrupted him. "For now we conduct an interview. You've met him."
"A few times, he's gone to polo matches and he's been at a few parties," Castle said.
"Okay, I want a familiar face," Brad said. "And you two are joining us for backup but no weapons drawn. Just be ready." At the nods from the other three he started down the sidewalk before they were nearing the home. "Mr. Corwin?" he called.
Castle wasn't surprised when the man didn't respond and he turned to Brad as he said, "Owen Corwin, I'm Chief-" cutting himself off before the man was racing through the garage to a door that was open in the back and they were all running after him at the same time.