Shortly after arriving at the latest crime scene, the CSI team reported back with fingerprint results: the prints belonged to a man named Kyle Capote.
Detective Kate Beckett led a squad to apprehend him, and it was nearly a textbook case of being caught red-handed.
Kyle Capote was found hiding in a closet, and his home contained incriminating evidence: the blood-stained clothing of the second victim, Allison Tisdale; a 9mm handgun; every one of Castle's novels; numerous sketches and drawings; photos of all three victims; and a collection of newspaper clippings about Castle.
Kyle's medical records revealed he had a history of pervasive developmental disorder (P.D.D.) and delusional disorder, perfectly matching Beckett's profile of the suspect.
Further investigation showed that the second victim, Allison Tisdale, was Kyle's social worker, while the other two victims were regular customers at the restaurant where Kyle worked part-time.
At this point, Alexis raised her hand like a diligent student. "Question: what is P.D.D.?"
"Pervasive developmental disorder," Jubal answered quickly, drawing everyone's attention. He offered an awkward smile. "I've been brushing up on criminal psychology lately."
Jubal explained that P.D.D. was a broad term encompassing various developmental disorders, including autism, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and Asperger's syndrome. He also mentioned that individuals with P.D.D. often exhibited obsessive behaviors, which, combined with delusional tendencies, explained Kyle's extreme fixation on Castle.
While everyone pondered this, Linda shrugged in confusion. "So that's it? The case is solved? No wonder you envied the FBI's case—this seems way too straightforward. Sure, the crazy fan angle is flashy, but it's hardly inspiration for a new story, right?"
"Aha." Castle pointed dramatically at Danny, but before he could elaborate, Jack interrupted.
"Let me guess. After you arrested Kyle Capote, he refused to say a word. While Detective Beckett was ready to close the case, our brilliant writer found the real killer?"
The group's eyes darted from Jack to Castle, whose exaggeratedly wounded expression made them burst into laughter.
"That's not fair! You must've deduced it from my face. If you'd been there—" Castle's attempt to build suspense was thoroughly undermined, and he pouted in mock indignation.
"It wasn't hard to guess," Hannah chimed in support of Jack. "One of the hallmarks of P.D.D. is difficulty with communication. That alone would make Kyle Capote the perfect scapegoat—he couldn't effectively defend himself."
Jack continued seamlessly. "Exactly. Whoever framed him banked on his condition to ensure he couldn't explain or refute the charges."
"Wait, I'm confused. Why would you think Kyle Capote was a scapegoat? The evidence was all there in his apartment," Linda asked, nudging Danny for clarification.
Danny opened his mouth but didn't have an answer. Though his instincts usually served him well, he hadn't been involved in this case and hadn't considered such twists.
Jack stepped in to clarify. "True, P.D.D. aligns with the profile of an obsessive fan. But since Kyle wasn't identified through evidence at the crime scenes but rather through fingerprints on a fan letter, that's suspiciously convenient."
Noticing their lingering doubts, Jack offered a hypothetical scenario.
"Imagine a crime novel that opens with a famous author. A madman starts recreating murders from the author's books, leaving no fingerprints or DNA at the scenes. But this lunatic sends a fan letter covered in his prints, leading police straight to his apartment, where they conveniently find enough evidence to convict him. How does that sound?"
"Terrible."
"Wouldn't sell a single copy."
The group grimaced, clearly grasping Jack's point.
"Still, this kind of case is actually common," Danny interjected. "When someone's caught holding the smoking gun over a body, they're usually the killer."
"But since our esteemed writer thought this case was worth discussing, it must've been anything but common. Right?" Jack opened a few bottles of Guinness, handing them around except to Alexis.
"If I were writing this story, the protagonist would be the great author, convinced of Kyle Capote's innocence. He'd dig deeper until he unearthed the truth," Jack said, passing the narrative back to Castle.
Castle beamed at the praise. Taking a swig of beer, he launched back into his story.
"So, the next day, I went back to the precinct and got hold of the crime scene reports for all three murders. Then I went to the library to investigate further—"
"Hold on," Hannah interrupted, catching Alexis giggling in the corner. "If the police considered the case closed, those reports would've been locked away as evidence for the D.A. How did you take them out of the precinct?"
Castle froze mid-sentence, while Alexis gleefully spilled the beans.
"He stole them. He pretended to give Detective Beckett a farewell gift and swiped the reports from her desk. But he got arrested soon after, and Grandma and I had to bail him out. Beckett and Captain Montgomery let him go after we pleaded with them."
"Alright, fine, I stole them. But I found discrepancies at the crime scenes, which led Beckett to overturn the original conclusions!" Castle defended himself.
"Honestly, I'm more curious about how you stole from Kate's desk. I mentioned you to her yesterday when I invited her shopping, and she said she's still fuming about you," Hannah teased.
"Uh..." Castle's eyes darted nervously, but under the group's expectant gazes, he caved.
"I kissed her on the cheek as I was leaving. She was so stunned she didn't notice anything missing."
Danny nearly choked on his beer, coughing violently as everyone else laughed.
Unfazed, Castle carried on. "I noticed discrepancies at the second victim Allison Tisdale's scene. The rose petals used weren't right. My book specified grandifloras, but the scene had hybrid teas.
"The first victim, Fiske, should've been suffocated with a plastic bag, not strangled with a tie. And the third victim, Kendra's dress was the wrong color—it was supposed to be blue, not yellow."
The group turned back to Jack for an explanation, and he obliged.
"If the killer were truly a superfan, they wouldn't have made these mistakes. Details like these are precisely what mystery fans obsess over. That's why our detective here believed only one of the three victims was the killer's actual target—the other two were decoys."
"Bingo!" Castle clapped his hands excitedly. "Exactly! So, who do you think the real target was?"
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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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