After discussing their plan with the Chief Assistant DA of New York, Beckett made a copy of the evidence and handed it to him. He needed this to justify to the Department of Justice and Congress that launching an investigation into a sitting senator was both reasonable and lawful. Beckett, holding the other copy, rushed to NYPD headquarters to formally submit it to Internal Affairs, planning to take down William Bracken's four corrupt cops by the end of the day.
Once Beckett and the Chief Assistant DA left the Twelfth Precinct, Moz finally sat down in front of Castle, who hadn't accompanied Beckett to NYPD headquarters. "Rick, I really didn't expect this whole situation to explode because of your bold move. What were you thinking?"
Now that the Chief Assistant DA had assured him he wouldn't face any charges for the shooting outside the precinct, Castle lounged on the precinct's sofa, a smug grin on his face. "I just wanted to shift some of William Bracken's attention away from Beckett and onto me, while also sending a clear message to that fool who relies too much on his muscle. Not everyone is going to be an easy target for his assassins!"
Moz chuckled, "Last night, Gianna's allies on the Donkey side quietly informed her that they'd be sending someone to meet with Beckett today. I guess you already knew about this, which is why you decided to force the issue, didn't you?"
Castle nodded seriously, "Yes, I realized that this back-and-forth with Bracken had dragged on for too long. I didn't want to continue with this slow, drawn-out battle. I wanted to end it all at once. I have solid evidence that this senator, who pretends to be a decent man in front of the public, is anything but. Plus, with the Donkeys promising their support, why should I drag this out?
With someone like Bracken, you either go all in and destroy him, or you risk endless repercussions..."
Moz understood Castle's reasoning and nodded in agreement. "Yes, I support your approach. And with the evidence we have, there's no way the senator can escape. Well, I should get going. I originally came here as your lawyer to help you beat those charges, but it turns out your captain girlfriend is so powerful that she took care of it all on her own. If anything comes up, give me a call..."
As Moz got up to leave, Castle suddenly remembered that another friend of his, who had a deep grudge against a different senator, had been out of contact for some time. He asked casually, "What's up with Neal lately? Why haven't I seen him around?"
Moz turned back with some difficulty, "He's gone to Rhode Island to verify something very important. Rick, you should brace yourself. You'll understand when Neal gets back."
Castle wanted to laugh, knowing full well what Moz and Neal were up to. They were likely gearing up to go after that other New York senator, Pratt. Castle knew all about the backstory, including where Neal's Aunt Ellen had hidden the evidence years ago.
But Castle decided not to press Moz for details. If Moz wasn't ready to share, it was probably for the best. After agreeing to stay in touch, Castle let Moz leave the precinct.
Castle then remembered that he had pushed Beckett into taking the evidence they had stolen from Montgomery's house to NYPD Internal Affairs to arrest Bracken's corrupt cops. He hadn't yet communicated with Montgomery about this. What would Montgomery's reaction be when he found out that the evidence Beckett presented was the same evidence he had kept hidden? Just as Castle was pondering how to reach out to Montgomery, his phone rang.
When he saw who was calling, he wasn't surprised—it was Montgomery. So, he knows already?
With these thoughts running through his mind, Castle answered the phone, and Montgomery's emotionless voice came through, "Castle, come to my house. I'm sure you know the address. I'll be waiting..." With that, Montgomery hung up.
Castle knew immediately that Montgomery had realized the evidence he had kept hidden was now in Castle's hands. Castle didn't try to deny it, but he also didn't feel guilty. He had removed any incriminating evidence related to Montgomery from the files. He hadn't forgotten his goal of ensuring Montgomery, who had protected Beckett for ten years, would have a peaceful ending. Now that Montgomery had called him directly, there was no need to come up with excuses.
Castle got up and left the Twelfth Precinct without telling anyone. The federal agents Jones and Diana, who had been watching him, had already left to report back to the FBI. This meant Castle was free of any tails as he headed to Montgomery's home.
Arriving at Montgomery's house, Castle was calm. With the war against Bracken now officially underway, whatever Montgomery intended to do, it was already too late.
Montgomery wasted no time after letting Castle inside. "Castle, how did you know I had the evidence that could bring down Senator William Bracken and those four corrupt cops?"
Castle sat on the sofa and decided to lay everything out. "Captain Montgomery, when I began secretly investigating Beckett's mother's murder, I noticed someone was quietly protecting her. After ruling out everyone else around Beckett, I focused on you..."
Montgomery remained expressionless. "You still haven't explained why you sent someone to my house to steal that evidence."
Castle didn't hold back. "After realizing you were the one protecting Beckett, I started investigating. I discovered that ten years ago, Beckett's mother wasn't the victim of a random robbery; she was murdered. I figured you had something that the mastermind feared, otherwise Beckett wouldn't have been safe for the past ten years as a cop.
So, I asked a friend to check your safe and found the evidence that could bring down Bracken and his cronies.
And, Captain Montgomery, out of respect for you and gratitude for your ten years of protecting Beckett, I destroyed any evidence that implicated you. You're completely clean in all of this. Am I clear?"
Montgomery smiled bitterly, "So you knew about my connection to those four dirty cops all along?"
Castle nodded seriously, "Yes. I understood the difficult position you were in back then, which is why I destroyed any evidence linking you to them. As we speak, Beckett should already be at NYPD headquarters with Internal Affairs, arresting those four corrupt cops. I don't know if you're aware, but we not only have the evidence from your house, but we also have Nick Coonan, Bracken's hitman who murdered Beckett's mother ten years ago, under our control. The DA is already taking the evidence to the Justice Department and Congress. Once they approve the investigation, Beckett will officially lead the NYPD and the DA's office in a criminal investigation against Senator William Bracken.
But you're absolutely safe. Even if those four dirty cops try to implicate you, there's no evidence left. This is my way of thanking you for protecting Beckett all these years."
At this point, Montgomery realized he had completely lost control of the situation. The protégé he had always believed in had now officially declared war on Senator William Bracken. But he still had concerns.
"Have you thought about how to handle the backlash from the Elephant Party? You do know that Bracken is their political star, their presidential hopeful for the next election, right?"
Castle was unfazed. "This morning, someone representing a major figure in the Donkey Party reached an agreement with Beckett. We're going to use the evidence we have to launch a legitimate investigation into William Bracken. The Donkeys will be the bait to distract the Elephants.
With the evidence we have, Bracken is finished."
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