"(JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING)" "Wait, we didn't approve this poster." "No, Sid Ross did." "What Sid wants, Sid gets." "(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)" "He doesn't care what the network thinks." "WOMAN: (SIGHS) Then what's the point of discussing cast changes with him?" "He's just gonna do what he wants, regardless." "As always." "(ELEVATOR CREAKING)" "(BOTH SCREAMING)" "MARTHA:" "Is he dead?" "Is he dead?" "(SIGHS)" "Is he dead?" "Is he dead?" "Hey, good morning, Martha." "Is he dead?" "Is who dead?" "No, I'm just..." "Is he dead?" "Is he dead?" "Is he dead?" "Castle, something's wrong with your mother." "You're just realizing this now?" "No, no, no." "Listen." "Is he dead?" "Is he dead?" "Oh!" "She's doing "48-hour first line."" "Oh, that's right, you haven't lived here while Mother is preparing to open in a play." "This, believe it or not, is her little ritual for getting into character." "Is he dead?" "(LAUGHS)" "Okay, so this is normal?" "She's an actor." "What's normal?" "I call it "48-hour first line"" "because for the two days prior to opening night, she will say nothing but her character's first line of the play." "Okay, that's unique." "Mmm." "Is he dead?" "But doesn't her play open next month?" "That's right." "It's previews that are two days away." "Well now, that is odd." "(CELL PHONE VIBRATES)" "Oh, Castle, there's been a homicide." "Is he dead?" "Yes, unfortunately, Martha..." "Right." "Never mind." "Be honest, when you vowed "for better or for worse,"" "you really had no idea what you were agreeing to, did you?" "(CHUCKLES)" "# Is he dead?" "Is he dead?" "#" "CASTLE:" "See you, Mother." "# Is he dead?" "Is he dead?" "(DOOR OPENS) # Is... # (SUSTAINING NOTE)" "We can stay at a hotel." "That way, you don't have to listen to her say that line over and over again." "No, it's okay." "I mean, we're gonna manage." "It's just, your mom's kind of..." "Annoying?" "Yeah, I know." "Trust me, we're getting off easy." "One time, her opening line was," ""Come on, baby, I'll make it worth your while."" "(CHUCKLES) Oh, I see what you mean." "Yeah." "Most awkward parent-teacher conference ever." "BECKETT:" "Hey, Lanie." "Good morning, you two." "This is..." "CASTLE:" "Sid Ross!" "The creator of Saturday Night Tonight." "Yeah, not to mention all the movies he produced." "The man's a mogul." "So, what happened?" "He was strangled with his own tie, and then thrown down that elevator shaft from the SNT Studios on the 7th floor." "His body was on the roof of that elevator for hours before the panel gave way, and Sid popped out." "Like some jack-in-the-box from hell." "Time of death?" "Based on lividity, between 11:00 p.m." "And 2:00 a.m. (CELL PHONE VIBRATING)" "Looks like Sid was burning the midnight oil." "(CELL PHONE VIBRATING) Let's check with security, see if they know if anyone else was in the building with him." "(CELL PHONE BEEPS)" "Considering where we are, maybe one of Sid's employees killed him." "Yeah, well, Ryan and Esposito are bringing his wife in now." "Maybe she knows who would've done this to him." "MRS. ROSS:" "Everyone was scared of Sid." "But they didn't know him like I did." "They thought he was just a cold, tyrannical dictator." "Sounds like he had enemies." "Well, after 35 years of making and breaking careers, you..." "You're bound to piss off a few people." "Anyone at Saturday Night Tonight Studio?" "Yeah, was he having trouble with any of his employees there?" "I don't know." "Maybe." "I..." "Sid called me last night." "It was odd." "Uh, he said he was going to be working late." "And that's unusual?" "No, he was a workaholic." "The odd part was his tone, it was anxious." "He said someone was out to get him and he needed to handle it." "Any idea who that someone might be?" "Well, I just assumed it was one of his big business deals." "Is there anyone else who might know what Sid was involved in?" "Yes, the head of his production company, Gene Vogel." "Mr. Vogel is right over here." "Chad..." "It's Chad, right?" "Mmm-hmm." "Are these, uh, cast photos from all 35 seasons of the show?" "Yep, every performer who has ever been on SNT." "Oh, I liked him." "He played Fluffy the Space Puppy." "That was my favorite." "You know, majority of this nation's comedy was born in the minds of these geniuses." "Except for this season." "Those guys sucked." "Yeah, they were terrible." "Oh, this guy, uh, Ned what's-his-name." "He played, uh, Dr. Finger!" "(IN GERMAN ACCENT) "I'm sorry, sir, it's necessary." ""I must probe you."" "(NORMAL VOICE) How can you not like Dr. Finger?" "Because, Castle, I wasn't a 13-year-old boy." "Probe you." "That's Mr. Vogel." "He's the president of Mr. Ross' production company." "GENE:" "Gather round, please." "Thank you, everybody." "As tragic as Sid's death is, the network has asked us to go on with tomorrow night's show as a tribute." "Would you care to say a few words?" "Check it out!" "That's..." "Danny Valentine!" "Danny Valentine!" "He's our guest host this week." "I remember when Sid asked me to host the pilot of this crazy show. (CHUCKLES)" "Everybody said, "Turn him down, show's a dud."" "Well, 35 years later, it's still going strong!" "We honor Sid by honoring his creation." "So, let's put on a show!" "MAN:" "Yeah." "WOMAN:" "Yes." "Mr. Vogel?" "Excuse me, I'm..." "Detective Kate Beckett!" "And you're Richard Castle!" "Hi, I'm Liz Bell." "I'm the head writer for SNT, and I absolutely adore you." "And you." "Especially you." "What?" "Me?" "Really?" "Well, I..." "Oh, of course." "I mean, I followed your career." "I wanted to be a cop, but ended up a writer." "I know, it's pathetic." "(CHUCKLES)" "Excuse me?" "So, I've seen footage of you at crime scenes and I have to ask, how do you fight crime and keep your hair like that?" "And do it in high heels?" "(GENE CLEARS THROAT)" "Detective, I assume you're here about Sid's death." "How can I help?" "Well, uh, we checked with security, and I understand that most employees enter and exit through the front door." "But apparently, there's also a private VIP entrance?" "That's right." "Sid had it installed for the actors so they could come and go with more privacy." "Are there any security cameras on that private entrance?" "(CHUCKLES) They're actors." "So they also use it to do other things, like..." "Sid opted not to have surveillance." "So, there's no way of telling who came in or out of the private entrance?" "I'm afraid not." "Was anyone working here last night between 11:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m.?" "(CHUCKLES) Oh..." "Yes, all the writers and actors." "Thursday is rewrite night, so most of them were here until sunup." "Of those people, did anyone have a problem with Sid?" "Who?" "(WHISTLING)" "Sorry, sir, we're not quite open yet." "I record all of our rehearsals." "This took place yesterday evening." "Dude, why are you wearing armor?" "Because this sketch sucks and I'm trying to save it." "(LAUGHS) Mickey Franks is hilarious." "Yes, well." "Just watch." "WOMAN:" "Mickey, you can't do this." "Sid already approved the sketch." "You know, screw Sid!" "Screw Sid!" "You wanna know what I think of Sid?" "Look, that's what I think of Sid!" "Sid's dead, that's what he is!" "He's dead to me!" "I'll kill him!" "(WOMAN SHRIEKS)" "He's dead!" "He's dead!" "He's dead!" "He's dead!" "He's..." "Over the season, Mickey's become more and more unstable." "Mood swings, outbursts, talks to himself." "And to people who aren't there." "But that was the first time he ever went this far." "Well, did he have a reason to be angry with Sid?" "Aside from the lame sketch?" "GENE:" "Actually, yes." "I talked to Sid yesterday morning." "He said he was planning to fire Mickey." "How can he fire his star?" "Ah." "He's volatile." "Unpredictable." "He's become more and more of a liability." "Mr. Vogel, did Sid break the news to Mickey last night?" "I don't know." "But he might have." "Well, Mickey wasn't at the gathering for Sid." "Is he in the building?" "If he is, he'll be in the wardrobe and props room." "He hangs out there to develop new characters." "Hello?" "Anybody there?" "I'm really hoping Mickey's not the one behind this." "I mean, the man is just so damn funny on the show." "Even the crappy episodes." "Guy's hysterical." "And quite possibly suffering a psychotic break." "Yes, the fine line between genius and madness." "(METAL CREAKING)" "Mickey Franks, is that you?" "MICKEY:" "I'm sorry." "You must've mistaken me for another suit of armor." "Now, if you'll excuse me." "NYPD." "We need to talk." "You'll never take me alive, copper!" "(GRUNTING)" "Oh!" "My pancreas!" "(CASTLE LAUGHING)" "You see what I'm saying?" "Even arrested, he's hilarious!" "(LAUGHING)" "Mr. Franks, you're a comedic genius." "I'm a huge fan." "(LAUGHING) It's his face!" "Mr. Franks." "Please direct all your questions to my personal attorney." "Mickey, don't say another word." "I am lead counsel for Mr. Franks." "Uh, Mr. Franks, you made some threats against Sid Ross last night." "You're damn right, I..." "Don't answer that!" "Detective, address your questions to me, please." "Thank you." "Uh, where were..." "Where was your client between 11:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. last night?" "He was minding his own damn business!" "My client is an upstanding citizen and a pillar of the community, not to mention, he's also one funny mother-fudgsicle..." "Hey, watch your language!" "That's just..." "What happened, Mickey?" "Did Sid tell you that you were fired, so you snapped and killed him?" "Hold on." "What?" "Sid..." "Sid's dead?" "(STAMMERING) Whoa!" "Hey, I..." "I didn't kill him." "I notice you're no longer seeking counsel from your attorney." "Yeah, no, that's, uh, just an act." "I mean, I'm not crazy." "I've just spent a year of my life convincing people that I was." "Yeah, and you've done a pretty good job of it." "I'm an actor, okay?" "(CHUCKLES NERVOUSLY)" "I am an actor that's tied to a long-term contract that's, uh, not exactly covering his expenses." "Are you were saying you were trying to get fired?" "I'm saying, Sid controls my career." "Because of him, I'm missing out on major movie roles." "That's why I attacked you guys." "I figured maybe if you 5150'd me on a Bellevue psych hold, he would finally cut me loose." "Okay, look, crazy or not, you still made some pretty serious threats against Sid, and hours later he ended up dead." "Okay, you're asking my whereabouts, right?" "Mmm." "Okay, I was upstairs at the rooftop bar, getting wasted all night." "And I stumbled down to the wardrobe and props room at about 3:00 a.m." "And passed out." "I had just woken up when you guys came in." "Plus, I had no idea Sid was even dead, so how could I have had anything to do with it?" "BECKETT:" "Okay." "Look, I might know who did." "Okay." "We're listening." "Look, at around 9:00 p.m. last night, I did go to Sid's office to beg to be let out of my contract." "But I never went in, because I heard him on the phone." "He was yelling at someone." "Who was he yelling at?" "MICKEY:" "I don't know." "But it had something to do with a deal that was going down around midnight." "Midnight?" "Did he say what the deal was?" "No." "But Sid told that person on the phone they'd better stick to the agreement, or else." "Can I call my real attorney?" "The bartender confirmed Mickey's alibi." "He's not our killer." "Well, then we can assume Mickey was telling the truth about the phone call he overheard Sid making." "Yeah, but what kind of deal would Sid be making at midnight?" "Whatever it was, it went down in the middle of his time-of-death window." "CASTLE:" "So this deal could be connected to his death." "We need to figure out who Sid was talking on the phone with." "Well, that's easier said than done, I just got Sid's phone dump." "That 9:00 p.m. phone call came from an untraceable burner phone." "You know what?" "Why don't we a hold of Sid's associates, see if any of them know what this deal was?" "And I know exactly who to start with." "Right after that mystery call," "Sid phoned none other than Danny Valentine." "If anyone knows about that deal, it's Valentine." "Detective, I have no idea what you're talking about." "Look, buddy, I'm a cop and a model, so I know when someone's lying to me." "And when their outfit is clashing." "Now, stand back." "This could be dangerous." "DANNY:" "Don't worry." "My experience writing crime novels has prepared me for danger." "Plus, I have my vest." "TINA:" "Look out, bad guys, here we come!" "Uh..." "Model cop down." "I broke a heel!" "And scene!" "Great job, guys." "Okay, well, I don't know whether we should be flattered or offended." "Who cares?" "Danny Valentine's playing me!" "Well?" "What do you think?" "Um, about the sketch?" "It's cute." "Danny Valentine's playing me." "Yeah. (CHUCKLES)" "Speaking of Mr. Valentine, we need to talk to him." "Oh." "Uh, Danny." "DANNY:" "Ah-ha!" "The real police." "Here to give us some pointers?" "Mr. Valentine, Richard Castle, I'm a big fan..." "Yeah, what about you, Detective?" "Are you a fan?" "(CHUCKLES NERVOUSLY)" "Uh, Mr. Valentine, we need to talk." "Sure." "Let's go to my dressing room." "Surely you've seen some of my work." "Star Fleet?" "Family Practice?" "My, uh, car-rental commercials?" "Uh..." "Yeah, well, (STAMMERING) I did catch my fair share of Hot Suspect reruns in college." "(LAUGHS) I knew it!" "The cop watched the cop show." "Come on, I inspired you to become a detective, didn't I?" "Huh?" "Maybe a little bit." "(LAUGHS)" "We're investigating a murder." "Right?" "Right, yeah." "Uh..." "So, we checked Sid's phone records, and apparently, he called you at 9:03 last night." "Can you tell us why?" "Yeah, I was supposed to have drinks with Sid and his ex, Evelyn." "But Sid called last minute to cancel." "You and Sid were going out with his ex-wife?" "Isn't that a little odd?" "Not for us." "Sid and Evelyn split 20 years ago, but we were all still close friends." "Did he say why he was canceling?" "Afraid not." "Anything about a deal at midnight?" "No, but he was going somewhere, because while we were on the phone," "I literally bumped into him leaving the building from the private entrance." "Wait." "Sid was leaving the building the night of his murder?" "Mmm-hmm." "Uh, Mr. Valentine, did he mention meeting with someone?" "Please, call me Danny." "And, no, Sid didn't say where he was going." "But I did see something strange." "He went into the subway on the corner." "And why was that strange, Danny?" "Well, he had an around-the-clock driver, so why would he take mass transit?" "Unless it was a secret rendezvous." "(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)" "Well, wherever Sid went, he obviously didn't want anyone to know about it." "Oh, come on, Castle!" "He was flirting with me." "I can't control that." "But you were flirting right back!" "Yeah, but what was I supposed to do?" "He's Danny freaking Valentine!" "(GASPS)" "Espo." "Hey." "You find out where Sid went on that subway ride?" "Not yet, but I spoke to Gene Vogel from Sid's company." "The only deal that he knew about was one that hasn't been officially announced yet." "Apparently, Sid was gonna sell 49% of his company to an equity firm." "Could that be the deal Sid was talking about?" "ESPOSITO:" "Doesn't look like it." "The terms of the sale would've been settled weeks ago, there was nothing left to negotiate." "Hey, guys, you're gonna wanna see this." "So, Sid paid for his MetroCard in cash, but I was able to use security cams to track him all the way to Grand Army Plaza subway station." "He got off there at 11:30 p.m." "In Brooklyn?" "What was he doing in Brooklyn?" "You know, I wondered the same thing, so I checked with the 87th Precinct." "Apparently, they responded to a 911 call in that area." "About what?" "Well, check it out." "Officers used traffic-cam footage, and they caught the tail end of it." "This is about a block away from where Sid got off the subway." "Now, keep your eye on that alley right there." "Were those gunshots?" "RYAN:" "Fits with the 911 call." "It was a report of "shots fired." Now, watch what happens next." "BECKETT:" "That's Sid." "You guys, look at the time stamp." "It's from just after midnight." "CASTLE:" "This must be the deal he was talking about." "And judging by the speed his 60-year-old legs are moving," "I would say he's in danger." "Who's that?" "I don't know, but he's got a gun." "And he's wearing a mask." "CASTLE:" "And, hours later, Sid gets thrown down an elevator shaft?" "What the hell was Sid mixed up in?" "You guys, is it just me or does none of this make sense?" "I mean, Sid was a multi-millionaire." "Guys like that don't make shady deals in the middle of dark alleys." "Or if you do, you have someone else do it for you." "Yeah, and take a look at our suspect there." "I mean, what is this?" "A deal gone wrong, or a failed hit?" "So, uh, what are we saying here?" "That the masked man followed Sid back to the SNT building and killed him?" "Well, with a private entrance with no surveillance cameras, it's possible, right?" "But after an apparent attempt on his life, why would Sid just go back to the office?" "And if Sid really was in danger, why didn't he call security?" "Well, we may find some answers in that alley." "Let's go check it out." "Okay, Castle and I are gonna scrub traffic cams, maybe we'll find the shooter there." "Anything yet?" "No." "No blood, no shell casings, no nothing." "Hey, doesn't this remind you of, uh, that sketch from Saturday Night Tonight where, uh, Mickey Franks plays Sherlock Holmes' wacky cousin?" "No, I don't watch that stupid show, bro." "You don't?" "No." "Hell no." "The sketches never have any endings." "It's a big waste of time, just like searching this alley is." "You know, Javi, I think that you need to find a way to be more positive." "No, I don't." "And you need to stop saying "no" all the time." "Instead, why don't you try saying, "Yes, and..."" "What the hell are you talking about?" "Oh, I learned it in a SNT -sponsored improvisation class that I took in college." "See, by simply substituting "no" with "yes, and,"" "partners can't deny one another's progress, moving forward in a scene and accomplishing goals." "(SHOPPING CART CREAKING)" "Yo, that guy might've been here last night." "Yes, and he might have seen the exchange between Sid and the gunman." "See what you can accomplish by saying "Yes, and", hmm?" "Yes, and you need to shut the hell up." "Hey!" "Martha, you okay?" "Oh, yeah, yeah." "Just a little tired, that's all." "Shall we?" "Hey." "(WHISPERS) Something's wrong with your mom." "I thought we already covered that." "No, no, no, she's not repeating the line." "Something else is going on." "Can't we just be happy that she stopped?" "Castle, I have to go to the precinct." "Will you just talk to her and meet me over there?" "Yeah." "Okay." "Bye." "Bye, Martha." "Bye, honey." "So, previews tonight." "(DOOR CLOSES)" "Pretty exciting, huh?" "Come on. "Is he dead?"" "(CHUCKLES) Wrong question." "Am I dead?" "You know, I don't know what I'm thinking." "Eight performances a week, major play." "On Broadway." "You've been on Broadway before." "Well, (SCOFFS) not since the Clinton administration." "And now, it's all viral." "Bloggers." "Tweeters." "You know, people actually come to the previews, record the show on their phone, put it online, and make comments." "And you don't feel your performance is ready?" "Well, (STAMMERING) I'm still honing my performance." "That's what a..." "That's what previews are for!" "And I just..." "I just don't want to be humiliated." "When I got this part, I thought, "Well, hey!" ""There's a chance, you know?" "This could be my second act!"" "It is." "No, it isn't." "It isn't." "I'm not gonna have a second act." "I... (SIGHS)" "I think what I need to do is just drop out, let my understudy take over." "She's very..." "Oh, absolutely not." "You will not, and do you know why?" "Because you're a fighter." "What have you always told me?" "No one will give you anything in this life." "You must earn it." "And look at you, almost 20 years later, and you're back on Broadway?" "You have earned this." "I have, haven't I?" "You have." "Please don't let some idiot with a cell phone take that away from you." "Do you want me to come to tonight's show?" "Just for moral support?" "I want you to come to the opening, kiddo." "Just like you always do." "All right." "But if I have to wait, at least let me hear that sweet first line one more time." "Okay." "Um..." "Is he dead?" "But with feeling!" "(GROANS)" "(SIGHS)" "Is he dead?" "One more, for the cheap seats." "(LOUDLY) Is he dead?" "He's so dead!" "Ah." "And, bow." "(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)" "Hey." "So what'd you guys get from the homeless man?" "Well, he didn't witness the exchange between Sid and our masked gunman." "However, he did hear the gunshots, and then a few minutes later he saw a black Explorer speeding away." "Did he get a plate?" "Yeah." "The last four numbers, which got us a match to an SUV rented by this guy." "Kurt Van Zant." "Just did a 35-year stretch in Folsom for drug trafficking, but he was just released." "Is there any connection between Sid and this ex-con?" "Oh, yeah." "Uh, while he was in prison, Van Zant filed a lawsuit claiming that he financed the pilot for Saturday Night Tonight and that Sid screwed him out of all the profits." "Wait a minute." "You're telling me that a drug kingpin bankrolled that comedy show?" "Yeah, I know, it sounds like one of their comedy sketches, right?" "So, a show that brought joy, laughter and Judge Booty to people everywhere may have been built on drug money?" "RYAN:" "Yeah, but the lawsuit was thrown out, so while Sid was getting rich, Van Zant was rotting in prison." "You know, maybe Van Zant was who Sid was talking about when he told his wife someone was after him." "Makes sense, right?" "Van Zant felt that Sid owed him a share of the profits from the show, maybe he came to collect." "And when Sid didn't wanna go along," "Van Zant opted for revenge instead." "Where is Van Zant now?" "He's registered at a hotel up in Queens." "Yo, I sent Van Zant's photo to security at SNT." "Asked if anybody saw him last night." "No one did." "However, 30 minutes ago, Van Zant entered the building on a day pass called in from someone at the show." "Kurt Van Zant?" "You've got to be kidding me." "Yeah, do you know him?" "No, but Sid told me all about him." "He's dangerous." "You're telling me he's here, in the studio?" "Do you know who called in his pass?" "No, but I can find out." "Follow me." "Um..." "Can I help you?" "Oh, no, it's fine." "You just have a very bizarre gait." "Um, I'm sorry, what?" "I'm sorry, what?" "Nailed it." "(SCOFFS)" "Castle, please tell me I don't move like that." "I mean, do I?" "Is this a trick question?" "What answer is not gonna have me sleeping on the couch tonight?" "Chad, find out who called in a day pass for a Kurt Van Zant." "You're looking at him, sir." "Wait a minute." "You called in the pass?" "Why?" "I was told to." "By Mr. Valentine." "Danny Valentine?" "Danny Valentine?" "Oh, I knew it." "That smug, no-talent playboy is up to his neck in this." "DANNY:" "Hey!" "Hey!" "Hey, help!" "Help!" "He's gonna kill me!" "Hey, help!" "BECKETT:" "NYPD!" "DANNY:" "Help!" "Help!" "(GRUNTING)" "Let him go!" "What?" "No!" "Pull him in, Van Zant." "Now." "Hey, lady, relax." "Come on, let me see your hands." "Thanks." "Guy's a psychopath!" "Then why did you give him a pass to get on?" "He left a note at my hotel." "He said he had information about Sid's murder." "You're saying you don't know this man?" "I never met him before today." "Listen, this whole thing is a big misunderstanding." "I'm sure it is." "Come on." "So what information did he have about Sid's murder?" "Nothing!" "This was a shakedown." "He claimed Sid owed him money for Saturday Night Tonight." "But since Sid didn't pay, he wanted me to sign over my shares of the show." "You own a piece of the show?" "5%." "Sid needed a celebrity "get" for the pilot, so he gave me a piece of the back end." "It was the best deal of my life." "So, Van Zant wanted his cut, but with Sid dead, his only option was to come after yours." "I refused." "I said, "Hey, that's show business, baby."" "But that's when he started shoving me out the window." "Thirty-five years in Folsom." "That's a long time to hold a grudge, Mr. Van Zant." "Lady, I didn't kill Sid." "And yet, you were seen fleeing the alley where those shots were fired." "It's not hard to imagine that you would follow Sid and finish off the job." "Look." "You got this all wrong." "When I got paroled, I went straight to Sid." "We had it out, and he apologized." "Except now he's dead." "Why would I move on him?" "He agreed to give me a major chunk of change of an upcoming sale of shares to some equity group." "So, we were good." "That doesn't square with you shooting at him in the alley." "That wasn't me." "I swear!" "If it wasn't you, then who was it?" "I don't know." "Sid called me and told me the paperwork for my stake in the show was ready, but he wouldn't sign off unless I brought him something." "Okay, fine, I'll play along." "What did Sid want you to bring?" "An unregistered gun." "Why would Sid want a gun?" "Wait, no." "Let me guess, he didn't tell you." "It's true." "He just told me to meet him near that alley at 11:30." "So I did." "I gave him a .38" "Special and he told me I could pick up the signed papers in the morning." "And then he told me I should take a hike." "But you didn't." "Well." "A man asks for a gun, he's looking to dance with danger." "I thought it wise to protect my investment." "So you're saying that you stuck around just to see what would happen?" "Yep." "Saw Sid go down the alley and hide in a doorway." "Twenty minutes go by, then some dude in a mask shows up." "Opens the dumpster, pulls out a green duffel bag." "And what was in the duffel bag?" "Hell if I know." "But that's when Sid jumps out with the gun, screaming, "You got what you wanted, now where is she?"" "Who is "she"?" "I have no idea." "But the masked man got the drop on Sid." "They wrestled for the gun, and then... (MIMICS GUNSHOTS)" "Shots go off in the air." "You know what?" "If you were protecting your investment, then why didn't you help him out?" "Well, Sid ran off." "And the guy in the mask wasn't giving chase, so I figured, well, I'm on parole," "I need to bug out before the cops show up." "And that's all you did?" "I drove to Sid's building to see if I could catch him and ask him what the hell he got me into!" "But he never showed up." "Next thing I know, he's dead." "ESPOSITO:" "I think he's telling the truth." "Security video outside of Sid's apartment shows Van Zant waiting out front, in his car, from 12:30 a.m. to 3:30 in the morning." "That's on the other side of town from the studio." "Yeah, Van Zant couldn't have done it." "Okay, that dumpster that you searched." "There was no duffel bag?" "The guy in the mask must've taken it." "Which means that Sid must've been the guy who dropped it off." "This had to be the deal that Sid was talking about." "And that duffel bag was the payoff." "Yeah, it sure was." "I spoke with the business manager." "He just discovered that on the day he was murdered," "Sid made a huge bank withdrawal." "How huge?" "$4 million in non-sequential bills." "BECKETT:" "Non-sequential bills?" "You guys, this was a ransom gone wrong." "That's why Sid asked, "Where is she?"" "Some woman in his life was kidnapped." "Yeah, but who?" "That's what we gotta find out." "'Cause whoever took her might be our killer." "The cast and crew of Saturday Night Tonight are all at the studio, no one is missing." "So we've covered Sid's wife, his family, his friends, and now his job." "Everyone's accounted for." "Uh, actually, not everyone." "Evelyn Ross, Sid's first wife." "She's missing?" "RYAN:" "Well, I followed up with Sid's son, and he said that she hadn't returned any of his phone calls." "So I spoke with her doorman." "He said Evelyn went on her usual 6:00 a.m. run two days ago, and he hasn't seen her since." "She's gotta be our kidnap victim." "Yes, and I was able to ping her cell phone." "Yes, and." "I wasn't doing that." "No, you did it just now." "ESPOSITO:" "Anyway, uniforms found the phone dumped in a trash can near a bodega in the Bronx." "Probably tossed there by her kidnapper." "(SIGHS) Something's not right here." "Starting with our victim's behavior." "You're Sid, your ex-wife gets kidnapped, the deal in the alley to get her back goes south." "(CELL PHONE CHIMES)" "At that point, why wouldn't you go to the police?" "Why do you go back to your office?" "Well, I'll circle back with Sid's office, see what I can find out." "Yo, unis just arrived with Evelyn's phone." "WOMAN:" "This is Evelyn's cloud account." "It's synced to her cell phone." "Map My Jog." "That's a fitness app." "Can you click on it?" "WOMAN:" "Mmm-hmm." "ESPOSITO:" "Looks like it's been running this whole time." "BECKETT:" "I've seen this app before." "They use GPS to calculate a jogger's distance and pace, and most importantly, their route." "Can you replay Evelyn's last path?" "(BEEPING)" "ESPOSITO:" "That's her leaving her building." "Okay, so she jogged to the park." "ESPOSITO:" "Wait." "Is this when she got kidnapped?" "It's gotta be." "She's moving at 30 miles an hour." "ESPOSITO:" "She had to have been in a vehicle." "BECKETT:" "Yeah." "Can you fast forward, so that we can see where she ended up?" "(KEYBOARD KEYS CLACKING)" "WOMAN:" "So she was taken up to the Bronx." "Okay, looks like she stopped at this building." "Evelyn might still be in that building." "What do we know about that place?" "I don't know, we'll find out." "Okay." "(CELL PHONE VIBRATING) (KEYPAD BEEPS)" "Hey, Ryan, you find anything in Sid's office?" "Nah, just paperwork and spreadsheets." "So, nothing that speaks to a possible kidnapping?" "Pretty straightforward stuff." "But I'll bring it in so we can go through it with a fine-tooth comb." "(COMPUTER BEEPS) Beckett, we got something." "Okay, Ryan, I gotta go." "(KEYBOARD KEYS CLACKING)" "ESPOSITO:" "That building where Evelyn was taken is an abandoned warehouse." "It's the ideal location to hold someone hostage." "MALE OFFICER:" "NYPD!" "Go, go, go!" "ESPOSITO:" "There." "Over there." "Over here!" "Kick it!" "Evelyn, we're the police." "(WHIMPERING)" "You're safe now." "(WHISPERS) Oh, God." "EVELYN:" "I had just stopped to stretch, and the next thing I knew, there was a rag over my mouth, and, um, when I came to, I was in that warehouse." "At any point in time did you get a look at your kidnapper's face?" "He always wore a mask." "It was like a ski mask, but shiny, with a silver zigzag up the middle, and a gold headband." "A gold headband." "Are you sure about that?" "I'm pretty sure that's what it was." "And, uh, how about his clothes?" "Do you remember anything distinctive about them?" "No." "But he wore a ring." "A red and silver signet ring, on his right hand." "I remember that." "Evelyn, back to the mask." "Did it look anything like this?" "Yes!" "Exactly like that." "Is that from Saturday Night Tonight?" "It's from an obscure sketch they did two years ago called Lucha Libre Brunch Buffet." "So our kidnapper had access to the props and wardrobe room at the studio." "This was an inside job." "MAN:" "What do you mean, "A banana sandwich"?" "(PEOPLE LAUGHING)" "Carly!" "Carly Rae!" "Carly Rae Jepsen!" "I'm Rick!" "I'm Rick, this is Kate, we're huge fans." "Oh, thanks, that means a lot to me." "So nice to meet you." "Um, Castle, we really need to..." "Yeah." "Carly, quick question." "That one song, um, Call Me Maybe, what did you mean by the lyric..." "Carly?" "Two minutes." "Oh..." "I'm so sorry." "I have to go perform this song." "Oh, that's cool." "We gotta go solve a murder, so..." "Okay." "Nice to meet you!" "Okay, let's go." "Bye!" "Excuse me." "Someone recently checked out one of these masks." "And we need to know who." "Now?" "We're in the middle of a live show." "It was from the Lucha Libre Brunch Buffet sketch." "Yeah, that sketch sucked." "We haven't used those masks in years." "Well, is there a record of someone signing it out?" "Probably not, but I can check." "Could you give me, like, five minutes?" "Okay." "We'll be back." "We are so close." "(SIGHS)" "Yeah, but who would be so brazen, or so naive, as to use a mask from the show to perpetrate a kidnapping?" "Ladies and gentlemen, performing her hit single," "I Really Like You, Carly Rae Jepsen!" "(CROWD CHEERING WILDLY)" "(MUSIC PLAYING)" "This is for you, Sid." "(SINGING)" "(LAUGHING)" "Nice moves." "Hey, you guys want a better seat?" "There's nothing like watching the show from house seats." "Hey, it's cool." "You can stay here if you like." "Beckett, check out his ring." "Just like Evelyn described." "Hey, Chad, we've got a house seat for you." "Down at the 12th Precinct." "Let's go." "So, Chad, tell us." "How long have you been a page with SNT?" "Uh, five incredible years." "Why?" "Don't most pages quit if they don't get promoted after a year or two?" "Oh, for me it's worth the wait." "Any day now!" "Yeah, sorry, I don't buy it." "I think you got tired of waiting." "And after so many years, you wanted payback." "Payback?" "What do you mean, "payback"?" "I'm talking about the $4 million dollar kind." "You kidnapped Sid's ex-wife." "Wait, what?" "CASTLE:" "It was a pretty clever plan." "All except for that one tiny detail that you could not have foreseen." "Sid confronting you at the money drop." "He recognized your ring, didn't he?" "That was when you realized your only way out was to kill him." "You think I killed Mr. Ross?" "You can drop the act, we know what you did." "Even Evelyn saw your ring." "My... (STAMMERING) No, I bought this ring at the SNT gift shop." "Lots of people have it." "Yeah, except lots of people don't have evidence in their apartments." "What are you talking about?" "I didn't do anything!" "So then why don't you explain how detectives found a .38 revolver and a Lucha Libre mask under your bed." "(SHUDDERS) Um..." "Must've been an evil tooth fairy who put it there, 'cause it wasn't me!" "(LAUGHS NERVOUSLY)" "(STAMMERING) Please, I didn't do this." "All right, then where were you the night that Sid was murdered?" "At home." "BECKETT:" "Can anyone verify that?" "No." "Sid was a tough SOB, but he loved his job, and his job was to get us to make America laugh." "And tonight we honor him by doing just that." "Chad can't be the killer, can he?" "Well, it doesn't feel right." "But there is an abundance of evidence." "Yeah, it's too abundant." "The mask, the gun, the ring." "It's just too perfect." "So, what, you think he was framed?" "I think there's more to this story." "You know, it's possible that the killer wanted Evelyn to see the mask and the ring." "Chad is the perfect fall guy." "Okay, but if Chad didn't do it, then who did?" "Uh, I may have a line on that." "I figured out what Sid was doing in his office with those spreadsheets." "He was going over his corporate bank accounts." "Sid went from paying a kidnapper at gunpoint to checking his corporate financials?" "That's weird." "That's not the only thing that's weird." "Check out those expenses he highlighted." "Oh, these are weird." "Because?" "Because I called the bank in the Cayman Islands." "All of those expenses are bogus." "So, someone with access at Sid's company was embezzling money." "Almost $4 million, the exact amount of the ransom." "Wait, that's it!" "The embezzler was trying to replace the money he'd stolen from Sid." "I know who the killer is!" "I know who the killer is!" "Nice." "In fairness, though, I walked you right through that." "STAGE MANAGER:" "Places for the final sketch!" "Places for the final sketch!" "(SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)" "Oh." "Hi." "Is everything all right?" "Yes." "In fact we have some good news." "Great, let's talk after the show." "Actually, show's already over." "At least for you." "Excuse me?" "Drop the act, Mr. Vogel." "We know that you killed Sid." "That's insane." "CASTLE:" "Not really, not considering the partial sale of Sid's company was on the horizon." "A sale that would mean a review of the company's books." "Which would expose the $4 million that you embezzled." "What?" "Are you out of your mind?" "CASTLE:" "No, but you must've been." "Faced with the inevitability of being caught, you had to do something." "So you kidnapped and ransomed Evelyn in order to reimburse the money you'd stolen." "BECKETT:" "A duffel bag full of cash would be easy to deposit in the company's Cayman Island bank, where no questions are asked." "After that, all you'd have to do is falsify a few bank statements and you'd be in the clear." "How dare you?" "This is absurd!" "BECKETT:" "We followed the money, Gene." "You siphoned the $4 million to invest in a start-up company." "And when that company went belly-up, you could not get your money back." "Sid must've recognized you at the drop." "But he didn't confront you until after he discovered the faked expenses." "So you killed him?" "Gene, how could you?" "No!" "These are..." "These are baseless accusations." "They can't prove anything." "BECKETT:" "Actually, we can." "We went through your financials and found millions in undeclared deposits from Sid's company." "Oh, by the way, nice touch wearing the mask and SNT ring that Chad has." "Only problem with your frame job?" "You were witnessed hanging around outside his apartment this afternoon when you planted them." "Oops." "Gene Vogel, you're under arrest for..." "Model cop down!" "I broke a heel!" "Damn it!" "(CROWD CHEERING)" "Gene Vogel, you're under arrest for kidnapping and murder." "(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING)" "Beckett, that was a badass takedown tonight on that show." "It was strong, yet sexy." "Yeah, Beckett, the camera really loves you." "You guys, shut up, both of you." "What about me, guys?" "How did I look?" "Like you should stick to writing." "Yeah, I think so." "There's only one star in this family, kiddo." "Mother, how was your preview performance?" "Well, check out the, uh, Twitter-verse, as they say." "CASTLE:" "All righty." ""Martha Rodgers is a revelation."" ""Martha Rodgers gives a masterful performance."" ""A display of why theater is still a relevant art form."" ""Martha Rodgers is amazeballs!"" "MARTHA:" "Yeah, that, about that." "Is that amazeballs a good thing?" "Because..." "It sure is." "Congratulations." "Congratulations!" "Okay!" "Great!" "Then we can celebrate!" "I brought some champagne for everybody!" "If you'll open it." "CASTLE:" "Sure." "Do we have some glasses?" "Well, we don't do a lot of entertaining here, Martha." "But..." "Ta-da!" "Ah-ha!" "Here you go." "MARTHA:" "That'll work." "Thank you, thank you." "May I?" "ESPOSITO:" "Thank you." "Perfect." "Thank you, Detective Ryan." "BECKETT:" "Thank you." "Ladies and gentlemen, to my amazeballs mother." "The best second act on Broadway!" "Cheers." "Cheers!" "Well done." "Hear, hear!" "Congratulations."