For Jack, New York had plenty of places worth exploring. There was the military museum built from an aircraft carrier on the Hudson River—the Intrepid, the same one Will Smith practiced golf on in I Am Legend. Jack had even made a list, planning to visit these famous movie spots once his workload eased up.
When he arrived at the gala, he was right on time. Hannah, in a flowing blue gown, was chatting with Alexis, who was dressed in burgundy. The two women, one young and one older, were both strikingly beautiful with sweet smiles, easily catching everyone's attention.
"Apologies, princesses, for being late," Jack said as he walked over to them, lifting both arms. The two ladies exchanged smiles, each taking one of his arms.
"Is the case wrapped up?" Hannah asked.
"Yes," Jack replied. "At the hearing this afternoon, the DA's office submitted new evidence. Now, he'll be extradited to Florida, where I'm sure the locals will give him a warm welcome."
Seeing Alexis's curiosity, Jack briefly explained the Donald Benz case.
"That sounds even more intriguing than a story about a dashing private eye taking on a femme fatale. Are you going to put it in one of your novels?" Alexis asked, intrigued.
"Maybe," Jack replied. "When I was with the BAU, we handled a lot of fascinating cases. But if I write about them, your dad might feel left out," he said, unable to keep from smiling.
"Why do I get the feeling you're more of the star tonight?" Castle teased, walking up to the group and flexing his wrist, sore from signing autographs for his fans. Even though signing chests was his favorite, doing it over and over wore him out.
"Dad," Alexis mumbled, letting go of Jack's arm to cling to Castle's, trying to hide her embarrassment after talking about him behind his back.
"So, is it true that you're really ending the Derrick Storm series?" Jack asked, impressed. "There's speculation that you'll bring him back to life, like Conan Doyle did with Sherlock Holmes. I hear some readers are even sending you threatening letters."
Jack admired Castle for this. After all, his Derrick Storm series had earned him four to five million dollars, yet he was willing to kill off his cash cow because he felt uninspired. It was hard to say if that was foolish or truly artistic.
"Absolutely not! Derrick Storm is as dead as can be. His death was brutal, with a hole blown right through his head. But don't worry—he wasn't my only golden goose." Castle tapped his head. Then, looking at Jack with a mix of excitement and nerves, he asked, "So, Jack, did you bring good news tonight?"
Jack considered teasing him but decided against it. Unlike Castle, he wasn't one for childish games.
"Chief Reagan has agreed."
Before Jack could finish, Castle grabbed him in a bear hug, overjoyed. "Oh, fantastic! I thought—"
Jack, nearly sneezing from the overpowering cologne, pried Castle off him and added, "But you'll have to sign a ton of liability waivers. And don't forget to give Detective Beckett a heads-up. Otherwise…"
"Otherwise what? I think I heard my name mentioned." Kate Beckett, as sharp and composed as ever, appeared beside them, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, Detective Beckett! Are you a fan of my books too?" Castle replied, nervously laughing as he reached out to shake her hand, casting a pleading glance at Jack.
"Uh…we were just discussing a recent case that involved you, Detective Beckett," Jack said, not really helping Castle as he didn't want Beckett knowing he had a part in this.
After all, no detective liked the idea of having an observer constantly shadowing them and noting down their every move—especially when dealing with dangerous suspects.
Ignoring Castle's outstretched hand, Beckett greeted Hannah and Alexis, then shook hands with Jack before turning her serious gaze on Castle, flashing her badge.
"I need to ask you a few questions regarding a homicide that occurred earlier this evening. Please come with me to the station, Mr. Castle."
With Beckett leading a bewildered Castle away, the three remaining looked at each other in surprise.
"Was my dad just arrested?" Alexis asked, though her amused expression betrayed her lack of concern.
"Looks like he's just being brought in for questioning. It's possible there's something connecting him to the case," Hannah said, patting Alexis on the head.
"Interested in watching your dad handle an interrogation?" Jack asked with a mischievous smile. With the gala's main attraction gone, there wasn't much else to do, so they might as well go see how this played out.
"Really? Can we?" Alexis's eyes widened with excitement.
The glint in Hannah's eyes matched hers. "Absolutely. You're standing with two FBI agents, after all."
Unlike Danny Reagan, a senior detective in the NYPD's Major Crimes Division, Beckett was just a detective in the NYPD's 12th Precinct. What Jack didn't know, though, was that in his original world, the NYPD's 12th Precinct no longer existed. The former 12th Precinct office had been turned into an NYPD museum.
As a result, many NYPD-themed shows and movies referenced precincts like the 12th—units that had been disbanded.
But in this world, it was different. Not only the 12th, but also the 15th and 22nd Precincts all still existed.
Captain Roy Montgomery, a serious-looking middle-aged Black man, was the commanding officer of the 12th Precinct and Beckett's direct superior. When he heard of the two FBI agents' interest, he didn't think much of it and casually summoned a passing officer to lead them to the interrogation room.
In both the NYPD and LAPD, the layout of interrogation rooms was fairly standard—a soundproof, two-way mirrored room separated the main room from the observation room, where conversations from the other side could be clearly heard through speakers.
Arriving at the station close behind Beckett and Castle, the group slipped into the observation room. Once they'd sent away the curious officer, the conversation in the interrogation room began.
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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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