Nick Coonan's thoughts were understandable. Although the police had arrested him with a warrant, it didn't mean he had to plead guilty. He was aware that his transportation channel had been compromised, but the key point was that the police only had Johnny Wang's testimony and the laundry detergent found in his warehouse, hidden in DVDs from Hong Kong. They couldn't definitively prove those things belonged to him.
Moreover, the police couldn't convict him; only a court could. So, as long as his lawyer arrived, he could easily refute the police's accusations and secure his release on bail.
After all, he had a powerful senator backing him. Sitting in the interrogation room, Nick Coonan felt neither fear nor anxiety, but rather a sense of ease.
Meanwhile, Beckett and Castle, watching the relaxed Nick Coonan from behind the one-way glass, were discussing the tactics needed for interrogating this cunning individual.
Castle was advising Beckett not to reveal all their cards today. They should focus solely on Nick Coonan's drug trafficking activities. Today was meant to be a warning. Nick Coonan, though the murderer of Beckett's mother ten years ago, was just a small fry. Behind him were bigger fish like Vulcan Simmons and their ultimate target, New York State Senator William Bracken.
It wasn't time for the final showdown yet. This was merely a preliminary skirmish. They didn't want their enemies to realize they were investigating something far more dangerous than drug trafficking—something that could potentially bring them down.
Castle emphasized that Beckett needed to suppress her personal emotions and conduct the interrogation professionally, focusing solely on the smuggling of laundry detergent from Hong Kong.
Beckett knew Castle's suggestion was right, but facing her mother's murderer made it difficult to stay calm. At Nick Coonan's company earlier, she had restrained herself from punching him due to the presence of onlookers. Now, in the police station, she had to muster all her strength to avoid the impulse to shoot him.
Castle understood Beckett's feelings well. He remembered how emotional she had been when he first revealed the truth to her at her apartment. If not for her sudden composure, Castle might have deepened their relationship that night. However, Beckett had pushed him out the door at the last moment, leaving him to return home with a sense of longing.
Now, Beckett's emotions were even more intense. She had become a cop to uncover the truth about her mother's murder, never believing the forensic analysis or the conclusions drawn by the police back then. Her persistence was proven right.
Seeing her nemesis just a wall away in the interrogation room, how could she not be emotional?
Despite her turmoil, Beckett acknowledged Castle's wisdom. They couldn't play all their cards now. The suffering she had endured for ten years had to be slowly inflicted upon Nick Coonan, breaking him down step by step until he experienced true despair.
After calming her desire to kill Nick Coonan, Beckett joined Castle with a stack of documents and entered the interrogation room.
Unfortunately, just as they began questioning the arrogant Nick Coonan, his lawyer arrived. Under American law, the lawyer had the right to be present during questioning, forcing Beckett to follow standard procedures and ask some perfunctory questions. Questions like whether Nick Coonan knew Johnny Wang—yes, he did. But when Beckett asked if he had instructed Johnny Wang to smuggle laundry detergent from Hong Kong, the lawyer intervened. Everyone knew this was just a formality. Without catching Nick Coonan red-handed, the police had little more than a battle of words.
From now on, Nick Coonan would be closely monitored by the police, but he didn't mind. Like Vulcan Simmons, he no longer needed to get his hands dirty. As a mid-level member of a drug cartel, Nick Coonan was confident.
Beckett and Castle wanted Nick Coonan to maintain this mindset. Today's arrest was just the beginning and a prelude for future investigations. Beckett had no illusions about their powerful enemies and treated them with due seriousness. Today's outcome was within her expectations; she wasn't disappointed by failing to secure Nick Coonan's immediate conviction.
Beckett's acting was superb, successfully deceiving Nick Coonan and his lawyer into thinking today's arrest was merely due to a transportation mishap. When the lawyer secured Coonan's bail, they believed the police had nothing substantial.
Watching Nick Coonan smugly leave the police station, Castle reassured Beckett with a sinister smile: "We've managed to deceive him without revealing our true intentions. Now he's stuck in New York, and we have plenty of time to deal with him and his powerful backers. Don't worry, he won't escape. The next time we bring him in, he won't be leaving the station ever again."
Castle's words brought a smile to Beckett's face as she watched Nick Coonan's retreating figure: "Thank you. Without you, it might have taken me much longer to find my mother's killer. Now that our target is clear and deceived by our performance, we can destroy them once Captain Montgomery is promoted."
Feeling a bit down despite her smile, Beckett gave Castle an opportunity to further their relationship. Seeing her emotional state, Castle seized the chance to suggest she take the rest of the day off and let him take her somewhere to relax and share a little secret about himself.
Intrigued by Castle's offer to share a secret, Beckett agreed and left the rest of the paperwork to her team. She followed Castle's suggestion and took the rest of the day off.
Castle took Beckett to the warehouse where he had previously built drones. The place still had tools and unused parts. Castle planned to reveal his drone project to Beckett. With the negotiations with the Italian aircraft company complete and the first installment of the technology transfer fee in his account, he felt it was time to share this achievement.
Soon, Mozzie would complete the negotiations with Northrop Grumman, bringing in a significant amount of money. Castle could then declare his financial independence. Additionally, Vincent's submarine contained billions of dollars worth of valuable artifacts and artworks, providing a perfect explanation for his wealth. This was a chance to divert Beckett's attention and, hopefully, deepen their relationship.
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