Castle was hosting Dr. Henry Morgan, whom he hadn't seen in quite some time, along with Abraham, who looked more like Henry's father but was actually his adoptive son.
Dr. Henry Morgan, besides working as New York's Chief Medical Examiner, had been assisting Officer Joe Martinez from the 22nd Precinct in solving murder cases, much like Castle helped Beckett. Consequently, it had been a while since Castle had caught up with the immortal medical examiner. With Castle's recent move to Long Island, he hadn't even had time to visit Abraham's antique store. So, seizing a free day, he invited both Henry and Abraham to his estate for a tour and some much-needed time together.
"What did you say? Officer Joe Martinez transferred to the FBI's New York Division as the Command Center head? Are you joking?" Castle looked at Henry in shock, struggling to believe what he was hearing. He had just intended to discuss Henry's love life and tease him a bit, but this news was a surprise.
"Yes, she was recruited directly by the FBI. They originally planned to take your girlfriend, Beckett, as well, but either Beckett or the NYPD wasn't willing. So, in the end, only Joe was transferred to the Joint Operations Center at 26 Federal Plaza," Dr. Henry Morgan replied, impeccably dressed as always, seated across from Castle with his usual composed demeanor.
Abraham, however, smirked and nudged his friend Castle, saying, "Maybe it's Joe leaving the NYPD, or maybe something else, but Henry finally figured things out…"
At this, Castle perked up instantly, grinning, "Them…hee hee hee???"
Even after two centuries, Henry still found it draining to deal with these two. His refined manners prevented him from rolling his eyes, so he could only helplessly watch as Castle hopped over to sit next to Abraham, buzzing with excitement, diving eagerly into a gossip session about Henry's love life.
Compared to the typically reserved Henry, Abraham, being more outgoing, was a natural gossip partner. After Abraham's animated account (ignoring Henry's discomfort), Castle began to understand how his own recent activities in New York had impacted so many people.
For instance, Joe Martinez had been doing fine in the 22nd Precinct, with the occasional flirtation with Henry, the charming Englishman. However, after Castle and John Wick took down Vincent Adler—a target painstakingly tracked by the FBI—and managed to help Neil Caffrey obtain a pardon signed by the Attorney General, Hughes, the FBI's New York Division chief, felt increasingly outmatched. Later, the investigation into Bob Lee Swagger's involvement in the attempted assassination of Vice President Andrew brought another blow to the FBI, thanks to Beckett's 12th Precinct. This made Hughes realize just how much talent the NYPD actually had.
In particular, the NYPD seemed to have an impressive roster of female detectives.
Hughes had originally wanted to recruit Beckett, but everyone knew that Beckett and her 12th Precinct team were the pride of the NYPD. Their case closure rate and equipment were top-notch, and there was no way the NYPD would let Hughes simply poach them. So, Hughes set his sights on Joe Martinez, another strong female homicide squad leader from the 22nd Precinct.
After a closer look into Joe's record, Hughes discovered that the medical examiner often seen with her was none other than New York's renowned Chief Medical Examiner, a hidden gem in the field. Elated by this prospect, Hughes realized that recruiting Joe might also mean winning over the esteemed Chief Medical Examiner himself.
Thus, Hughes moved quickly, bending the rules to bring Joe into the FBI without the usual 50-week training program at Quantico.
Given the string of setbacks he'd experienced in clashes with the NYPD, Hughes knew he couldn't risk further stagnation. After all, his position depended on it. Successfully recruiting Joe Martinez, second only to Beckett among the NYPD's star detectives, was a huge gain for Hughes.
Castle listened intently to Abraham's account, piecing together the sequence of events. He suspected that his own rise in New York—first aiding Neil in leaving the FBI's White Collar Division, and later helping Beckett secure a key win in the assassination attempt case—had put pressure on Hughes. Thus, Joe's recruitment marked the beginning of what Castle suspected was the plot of a series he once knew, FBI, with main characters Maggie and O.A.
But what intrigued Castle even more was that Henry had finally taken the leap to start a relationship with Joe, an action that excited Abraham even more than it did the couple.
However, Henry was now wrestling with a dilemma: Should he reveal to Joe that Abraham, whom she assumed was his father, was actually his adopted son? And should he tell her about his own secret of immortality?
In truth, Henry was so conflicted that he had come to Castle's estate hoping for advice.
It was Henry's first time at Castle's new estate, and as Castle and Abraham launched into gossip, he wandered around, taking in the sheer grandeur. Castle had not only purchased a twelve-acre estate on Long Island's north shore but had also installed a personal supercomputer.
Just how wealthy was Castle?
Dr. Henry Morgan had come from a family with substantial wealth back in England before he became immortal after a musket ball wound to the chest. Though the family had made its fortune in the slave trade, he was still stunned by Castle's setup—a personal supercomputer and an AI-controlled mechanical lab.
Indeed, Henry and Abraham had learned of Castle's AI when he gifted them both smart bracelets connected to Jarvis upon their arrival. For both Henry, an old-timer oblivious to modern technology (he didn't even own a smartphone), and Abraham, a Jewish intellectual of over seventy whom Henry had rescued from a concentration camp, AI was hardly of interest. Had Castle not explained the advantages of the bracelets, they likely would have refused.
Later that evening, when Castle mentioned this to Beckett, she remarked, "Oh, so Joe is the person Deputy Chief Montgomery mentioned was recruited by the FBI?"
Busy with her workload over the past six months, Beckett hadn't had time to stay in touch with Joe. "That's great news for her!"
Castle chuckled, "Apparently, the FBI originally wanted to recruit you, but the NYPD firmly resisted, saying they'd retaliate if they tried. So Hughes eventually settled on Joe."
He added, "And Henry finally got the courage to start dating Joe, though she's currently tied up with some big case. That's why he had time to visit our estate today."
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Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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