After listening to Castle, Beckett, as expected, found herself in a dilemma.
If left to her own devices, Beckett would undoubtedly prefer to personally apprehend Nick Coonan, the man who had murdered her mother ten years ago. But the current situation was extremely delicate. If she could set aside her personal vendetta and anonymously tip off Congressman Gavin about Coonan's presence in Peanston, along with the reason for his presence, there was a good chance it could provoke Gavin's fury, causing him to confront her biggest enemy, Senator William Bracken.
This move would allow her to keep her covert investigation into the senator under wraps for a longer period. Moreover, if Congressman Gavin did indeed go after Senator Bracken, it would also give Beckett more time to prepare and secretly capture Vulcan Simmons. Simmons, who had been laundering drug money for Senator Bracken, was a crucial witness. His testimony could be the evidence needed to bring down Senator Bracken. Combined with the evidence Castle had about Bracken's past involvement with corrupt cops extorting gangs, Beckett was confident she could finally bring her greatest nemesis to justice.
However, Beckett had to make a tough decision: should she forgo the chance to personally arrest Nick Coonan in favor of warning Congressman Gavin, thereby preventing Coonan from completing or even attempting the assassination planned by Senator Bracken?
Castle understood Beckett very well, and after a long internal struggle, her sense of duty as a police officer wouldn't let her sit idly by while Coonan lay in wait to kill Congressman Gavin. Moreover, as Castle had pointed out, if she anonymously tipped off Gavin, not only could he arrest Coonan, but he could also learn the true nature of Senator Bracken, possibly sparking a fierce battle between the two. In that case, the slight disappointment of not apprehending Coonan herself wouldn't sting as much.
Sitting across from Beckett, Castle noticed the moment her furrowed brow relaxed. He immediately stopped her from voicing her decision. After all, Beckett was an active-duty NYPD officer, and some things were better left unsaid. Castle could tell what she had decided from her expression, and as her partner, he felt it was his responsibility to take on this burden.
Beckett quickly understood why Castle had stopped her from speaking. She shot him a loving glance, her heart swelling with affection for this man who was sometimes as clever as a fox and other times as childish as a boy. She knew that, as a police captain, there were things she could know but couldn't say. There were actions she had to pretend not to be aware of to avoid any repercussions.
Knowing Beckett's decision, Castle wasted no time. He stood up, ready to leave. This was a police station, after all—certain things couldn't be said or done here. It was better to head home and contact Congressman Gavin from there.
After arranging for Beckett to come to his place after work to further discuss the matter and spend the night together, Castle left her office feeling quite satisfied. He exchanged some gossip with Esposito on his way out before driving home.
Once back in his study, Castle first called his tech-savvy friend to confirm through Nick Coonan's phone signal that he was still in Peanston, hiding out in the same spot. Satisfied with the confirmation, Castle picked up a burner phone he'd bought on the way home, attached a voice changer, and dialed Congressman Gavin's office in Peanston.
Castle had opted not to send an anonymous email to Gavin, worried that the congressman might not see it in time or that the situation could change before he read it. After weighing the risks, Castle decided that a direct phone call would be more effective, allowing him to gauge Gavin's reaction to the news that his supposed ally, Senator Bracken, had actually sent a hitman to kill him. Castle wanted to see if this would push Gavin into a rage, possibly leading him to clash openly with Bracken.
With a mischievous glint in his eye, Castle found the congressman's office number online and managed to convince the receptionist to put his supposedly urgent call through to Gavin.
Sure enough, when Castle confirmed that the person on the other end was indeed Congressman Gavin, he started the conversation with, "Do you know that Senator William Bracken has already sent a hitman to Peanston to kill you?" The statement shocked Gavin, and the congressman, being no fool, quickly realized that the caller wasn't someone to be trifled with and was likely trying to provoke a confrontation between him and Bracken.
Suspecting the call was from a political enemy trying to drive a wedge between him and Bracken, Gavin's skepticism grew until Castle casually provided the exact location of Nick Coonan in Peanston. With this concrete detail, Gavin, who already harbored some mistrust toward Bracken, began to consider the possibility that Bracken might indeed be out to kill him.
The realization that Bracken had decided to eliminate him before he could be captured by the FBI and potentially expose their shared secrets filled Gavin with anger. Although Gavin didn't know who was on the other end of the line, he decided it would be wise to send his people to capture Bracken's hitman first.
Gavin had initially planned to rely on Bracken's influence as a senator to escape his predicament, but that plan was clearly out the window. Thankfully, Gavin had multiple contingency plans, and now that Bracken had sent an assassin to kill him, there was only one option left: go to war with Bracken. Gavin hoped that by showing his party leaders his resolve—like a mad dog clamping down on Bracken, who was a potential presidential candidate for the opposition—they might save him.
Castle, sensing the shift in Gavin's mindset during the call, calmly provided Coonan's exact location in Peanston before hanging up, ignoring Gavin's frantic demands to know his identity. Castle then turned off the burner phone.
Having done his part, Castle now awaited Gavin's response. Whether to verify the information or to use it as a card against Bracken, Nick Coonan wouldn't escape. After all, Peanston was Gavin's stronghold. If Coonan managed to slip away, Castle would seriously doubt Gavin's chances of taking on Bracken.
Back in Peanston, Congressman Gavin was seething with rage after hanging up the phone. "Damn you, William Bracken! You made promises to help me, but you turned around and sent a hitman to finish me off before the FBI could catch me? This is beyond unforgivable! Do you really think I'm some pushover?"
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