Home Is Where the Heart Stops

Home Is Where the Heart Stops
Season 1, Episode 7
Air date	April 20, 2009
Written by	Will Beall
Directed by	Dean White
Episode guide
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Home Is Where the Heart Stops is the seventh episode of the first season of Castle.

Summary

When jewelry robberies start escalating in violence and a woman is killed, Castle and Beckett must pair up for a social event and scout the higher society for clues.

Recap

On a breezy night, a feather falls into a pool of blood and a painting on the wall swings open to reveal a wall safe with a woman's body stuffed inside and her left ring finger cut off.

At the Castle home, Martha is playing on the piano while Castle and Alexis fence together. During their duel, Castle baits his daughter into admitting she has her eye on a boy at school named Owen, but she herself isn't sure how she feels about him, and this is the reason she hasn't admitted her interest to Owen. A phone call from Beckett ends their conversation.

At the crime scene, Ryan's allergies are triggered by the numerous goose down feathers which cause Lanie to playfully warn him not to contaminate the scene. Esposito informs Castle and Beckett that the victim was found by her daughter, Joanne Delgado, after the building doorman found the door to the residence open. Moving to where Lanie is collecting evidence, the doctor informs the new arrivals that the victim was shot once before being stuffed into the safe. Esposito explains that this crime could be related to others of a similar nature that have been growing more violent as he details that a previous male victim was beaten to death and a man's wife's arms were broken when he tried to stand up to the robbers. Figuring that the feathers strewn about are the result of a pillow being used as a silencer, Lanie reveals no casings were found and a bolt cutter was most likely used to remove the woman's finger, possibly from not wanting to give up her wedding ring since her husband passed a few years earlier.

At the station, the group is going over how all of the robberies took place in different high-end parts of the city where thousands of dollars' worth of jewelry was taken. This leads them to realize that the one committing the crime knew exactly what they were after. With the earliest crime dated to three months earlier, Castle points out how the suspect seemed to know exactly what the victims had that was worth robbing. Ryan appears to support this theory when he adds that each party involved had different insurances, security companies, and safes. This makes Castle suggest that the suspect possibly knew the targeted people. Now any potential clues will be sought from Joanne.

Castle and Beckett begin speaking with Joanne who confirms she and her mother were very close, and she knew many of her mother's friends. Unfortunately, Joanne doesn't think any of those friends would commit such an act and she is not familiar with any of the other victims. At hearing how long the crimes have been going on, Joanne becomes furious that the suspect has not been caught, thinking it could have prevented her mother's death. However, in her fury, her guilt begins to emerge when it's revealed part of her anger stems from her mother having called her the night of the murder to bake together, but Joanne was unable to attend because she was too busy and now feels immense guilt at not being able to go.

Seeing how badly the daughter before her is hurting and relating to her pain, Beckett tells Joanne that no matter how many times she tells herself "If only", it will not change what happened and the only ones to blame and feel guilty are the people who killed her mother. Beckett promises that she will do everything she can to find out who committed the crime and bring them to justice. After the talk, Castle praises Beckett for how she spoke to Joanne and begins to wonder what would happen if Alexis were in that situation as he fears Meredith would just promote a fun, party life since she is the less responsible parent.

Later, Montgomery is asking for an update on the case. With Beckett finishing up the canvas, Esposito informs the captain that none of the other victims knew each other. Lab results have returned and show that brass shavings were found outside the front door, revealing the suspect did not use a bump key. This was most likely because several of the residence locks were special brands that render a bump key useless.

Esposito hints at a possible person of interest when he states how he caught a man, Evan Mitchell, a while back who specializes in bump keys while not being afraid to use violence. Montgomery knows Evan through his father and grandfather who were well known criminals themselves. With Evan reported to have been released after a five year sentence just two weeks before the first robbery took place, Montgomery orders he be brought in and questioned.

Evan is brought in and placed in interrogation while Ryan hands Beckett an evidence bag holding a gun with signs of tampering to remove any way for it to be traced. In Evan's police record, it's shown that Evan has actually not served as much time as he should have. After Ryan and Esposito get into a battle of nicknames used to label suspects, Beckett leads Castle into interrogation.

Evan right away claims he will not talk until a lawyer is present but also claims to be innocent of whatever it is they suspect he did while offering the names of people who can verify his alibi even though Beckett believes those witnesses have records like his. When Castle questions if Evan may have connections, Evan right away makes a sexist jab at Beckett thinking she needs the writers help since she can't do the job on her own. Beckett immediately proves otherwise when she slams the table into Evan and heavily suggests that she can pin the murders on him. Evan doesn't fall for her tactic but will continue to be held since he had the gun. Montgomery delivers another blow when he tells Beckett that Evan had been arraigned on another burglary charge on the same day as one of the other robberies.

Channeling her frustration at the firing range, Beckett tries to clear her mind when Castle arrives to ask her a favor and help calm her down. Trying to prove otherwise, Beckett has Castle take over firing. He misses his first two shots when he asks to borrow photos of the jewelry that was taken. Beckett agrees to do so only if Castle can get any of the next three shots in the center ring. Castle accepts the challenge and right away gets all three shots dead center, proving he was faking being a bad shot.

At home, Castle is looking at copies of the photos when his mother and daughter arrive. As he mentions that the jewels were taken by someone who would surely know and value their worth, Martha recalls their old acquaintance Powell whom Castle had unintentionally ruined his life by publicly thanking him in a previous book. Certain that Powell couldn't still be upset, Castle decides to visit him despite Alexis' pleas for him not to.

At a hideout, Castle enters a work space that show signs of a collector's presence. A sudden punch to the face knocks Castle to the ground and he is faced with Powell. A moment later the older man is pouring wine while stating that Castle had the hit coming. Powell then states that he is not too upset as he had been ready to retire when his cover was blown. Getting to business, Castle shows Powell the photos of the stolen jewelry. Powell describes the missing pieces as something one would wear during special occasions and not as an everyday accessory. Stating that the jewels need to first be seen, Powell comes to the same theory as Castle in that the thief may actually be among the victims and suggests a quick visit to the latest crime scene to get a better understanding of the suspect's mind.

At the Delgado scene, Powell effortlessly gets the two in while claiming the newer generation using bump keys is vulgar. When he spots the signs of Mrs. Delgado having been placed in the safe, he calls it an unnecessary move and done just for the sake of being brutal and become thrilled at the sight of blood. Labeling those involved as the type that Powell's generation would not like to meet in the dark, Powell states that the two generations do occasionally meet this way but would previously come to a gentleman's agreement under a code of conduct. Their talk is interrupted when they hear the door open. With Powell using his skills to quickly and quietly vanish, Castle is left alone when he is in Beckett's sight.

Back at the station, Beckett warns Castle to tell Powell to stay away from more crime scenes under threat of being tased. Castle asks if Evan had made bail and Beckett answers that he is still in custody since she is holding him more out of spite. Castle offers to speak with him since his talk with Powell caught his attention and he thinks Evan knows more than he was willing to say. Though Beckett is hesitant to do so, she agrees and Castle is falsely labeled as being arrested and is placed in the same holding cell with Evan. When Evan realizes that Castle wrote the Storm novels, he feels more comfortable and talkative when Castle steers the conversation about what he thinks a man of true evil would look like. Unaware that Castle is wearing a wire, Evan begins describing a real man that Beckett has a sketch artist work with to create a visual profile and hearing Evan admit that his skills had been sought out by someone earlier but Evan turned it down since he felt the people were too dangerous even for him to be involved with and gave them one of his bump keys just to be rid of them.

Once the sketch is done, they show it to Joanne, but she does not recognize the man. Castle then asks if Joanne's mother wore jewelry often. Joanne explains that her mother did not and only wore her jewelry to special events like charities, fund-raisers, and gala's. Now appearing Castle's theory of an inside job is true, Castle, Beckett, Ryan, and Esposito begin writing down the events all four victims were part of. They quickly determine that each family was part of the Metropolitan American Dance Theatre charity and this is where the suspect might be.

Heading to the organization, Castle and Beckette meet with Anne Greene, the company director. Anne reveals that she knows Castle from a friend they both have and mistakenly believes the two are romantically involved, which Beckett claims they never will be and Castle claims it is yet to happen. After giving Anne a brief summary of why they are there, Anne agrees to give them access to everyone involved who may be able to access donor record information but becomes hesitant when Beckett asks for the information of everyone who donates. While Anne has no problem with the information of those who donate publicly, it's the anonymous donors whom she claims she will not provide their information and will need a court order.

Returning to the station, Beckett immediately begins work for a court order, but Castle thinks it may be futile since there are many judges on the charity that would not grant the order. He offers a solution when he presents two tickets for that evening's event given to him to attend. He points out that the last event took place one week before the robberies began and all of the donors will be present wearing their jewelry, eliminating the need for a court order.

That night, Lanie is helping Beckett try to decide on a dress but eliminates everything Beckett presents. A sudden delivery is made and Beckett is presented with a new, formal dress. She arrives at Castle's ready to go but, while Martha gives her a necklace, Beckett lets slip where they are headed, much to Castle's dismay.

At the gala, Ryan and Esposito are keeping guard at the main doorway while Castle and Beckett enter the building. Inside, Castle introduces Beckett to the mayor who claims that he has heard a lot about her. As Castle moves to get drinks, he meets Rachel Maddox who had given him the tickets to attend in exchange for a signed first edition book. A book that Rachel's boyfriend, Paul Reynolds, is interested in but may not be able to afford. As he gets his drinks, Castle hears Rachel reveal that she knows him enough to know he has a daughter, part of her job of learning as much about donors to match them to certain events.

After getting an intercom upgrade from Esposito, Beckett is pulled into a dance by Castle who tells her about Rachel and that she may be a possible suspect. As they continue dancing, Castle spots Powell with Anne on his arm and suspects the two are the thieves working together but is quickly proven wrong when he suddenly hears his mother's voice announcing an auction with Castle's book the first item for bids with a romantic night out with the winner as a bonus; Powell's payback. As women and men both bid, Castle pleads for Beckett to win the auction with the promise of paying back whatever she offers. Beckett turns down the offer as she is too entertained watching him squirm.

Castle's attention is caught when he sees Paul taking pictures of the crowd with his phone. Regrouping with Ryan and Esposito, Castle theorizes that Paul ID's the jewelry and uses Rachel's resources to learn their addresses. Esposito approaches and reveals that Paul's real name is Chad Nellis and he has an extensive rap sheet. Paul is arrested and removed from the gala.

At the station, Beckett suspects that Paul is just a foot soldier and there may be someone else involved who is willing to take the risks of stealing the jewels. During the interrogation, Paul admits that he knows the man in the sketch Evan described and that they met in Green Haven prison. Paul received protection from the man and had been located by him after they each were released. Since Paul had already been dating Rachel at the time, the man saw a potential gold mine before him by pressuring Paul to provide information as payback for the protection he got in prison. Soon, the man became greedier and wanted even more. Paul had attempted to back out after the first male victim was beaten to death, but was unable to as he and Rachel were threatened.

Getting the man's address and heading there the next day, Beckett has Castle stay in the car because she does not want to risk his life or any of the others. Castle agrees and the officers head inside. Beckett, Ryan, and Esposito gain entrance to the suspects apartment. Although the man is not there, they find overwhelming evidence relating to past and potential future crimes along with Mrs. Delgado's finger in a jar.

As Castle begins playing around in the driver's seat, the trio spot their suspect who tries to get away. After momentarily losing the cops, the man falls onto the hood of the car Castle is in and tries to get the writer out. Castle uses the door to knock away the gun and begins wrestling with the man until Beckett ends it and the man is arrested.

At Mrs. Delgado's home, Joanne is moving things into storage when Beckett returns a locket that has a photo of the mother with her daughter. Joanne asks how long it takes to get over the pain. Beckett answers that one never does get over the pain but, as time goes by, it becomes easier to live with and gives Joanne her card in case she wants to talk.

Later, Beckett arrives at the Castle residence as breakfast is being made. Though she simply tries to return the jewelry Martha lent her, she is roped in to stay for a meal and to tell her version of the events that took place the previous night.

Cast

Main Cast

• Nathan Fillion as Richard Castle
• Stana Katic as Detective Kate Beckett
• Jon Huertas as Detective Javier Esposito
• Seamus Dever as Detective Kevin Ryan
• Tamala Jones as Dr. Lanie Parish
• Ruben Santiago-Hudson as Captain Roy Montgomery
• Molly Quinn as Alexis Castle
• Susan Sullivan as Martha Rodgers

Guest Stars

• Patrick Bauchau as Caine Powell
• Caterina Scorsone as Joanne Delgado
• Nick Chinlund as Evan Mitchell
• Joseph C. Phillips as Mayor
• Katie Lowes as Rachel Maddox
• Erik Van Wyck as Paul Reynolds
• Elizabeth Ann Bennett as Ruth (credited as Elizabeth Bennett)
• Angela Oh as Anne Greene
• Michael Papajohn as Karl Nadir

Quotes

Castle: It can't be random. How do they know what's in the safes? Safes...is that a word? Is it "saves"? That can't be right.

Esposito: And you write for a living?

Castle: Makes me think about Alexis. What would she do if something happened to me?

Beckett: She still has her mom, right?

Castle: Meredith is more like a crazy aunt with a credit card. Of the two of us, I'm the more responsible one. Pretty sad, isn't it?

Beckett: Well, I wouldn't worry too much, Castle. After all, only the good die young.

Castle: Ouch!

(Speaking of a book review)

Beckett: I read that piece. And even you have to admit that it's more than a little hyperbolic. So how much did you pay the reviewer?

Castle: A case of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, but that's not the point. The point is, you read The New York Review of Books?

Beckett: Oh, so many layers to the Beckett onion. However, will you peel them all?

Castle: Good enough to be our perp?

Ryan: Why do you writers always call them perps?

Castle: Isn't that what you call them?

Ryan: Aah, we got a lot of names for 'em.

Esposito: Yeah.

Ryan: Pipehead, pisshead, ork, creep.

(Castle takes out a notepad and starts jotting down.)

Esposito: Crook, knucklehead, chucklehead.

Ryan: Chud, turd.

Esposito: Destro, skell.

Ryan: Skeksi, slicko, slick.

Esposito: Mope.

Ryan: Sleestak.

Castle: Slow down, slow down.

Beckett: Suspects. We call them suspects.

Roy: I'm old school. I like 'dirtbag'.

Castle: Classic.

(Castle accidentally discharges a round from his gun)

Castle: Whoa! Shot too soon.

Beckett: Yeah, well. We can always just cuddle, Castle.

Beckett: You brought a thief to a crime scene?

Castle: It was very helpful.

Beckett: It was criminal trespassing.

Castle: Tomay-to, tomah-to.

Beckett: Tell your friend to keep up his disappearing act, and the next time you show up at a crime scene without me, I'll show you how my taser works.

Castle: Promise?

(Castle and Beckett walk by on the red carpet)

Ryan: Nice dress.

Esposito: Yeah, what there is of it.

Beckett: I'd let you borrow it, Esposito, but you stretched out the last one.

Featured Music

• "Birds of a Feather" - The Rosenbergs
• "Wonderful Night" - Fatboy Slim
• "No Escape" - Civalias

Trivia

Storyline

• As Castle and Alexis are fencing, they both quote dialog from The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938).
• This is the second time Detective Ryan mentions Sleestaks, a creature from the 70s show Land of the Lost.
• Evan Mitchell has friends among the Westies, an Irish gang on the west side which appears again in Sucker Punch and Headhunters.
• Detective Beckett gets rough with a witness for the first time when she shoves the table into Evan Mitchell in the interview room.
• When shooting a pistol, Castle is cross-dominant (fires right handed but uses his left eye to sight the target) which occurs in only 12-15 percent of the population.
• Beckett refers to Castle as "Scaramouche", then corrects his stance as he is about to shoot. Scaramouche is a roguish clown character of the Italian theater that is known for entertaining the audience with his facial expressions and language. The character can be interpreted as clever or stupid, depending on how the actor portrays him.
• Based on their performance in the shooting range, Castle is actually a better shot than Beckett.
• Martha quotes Anaïs Nin with, "people living deeply have no fear of death." Nin was a French-Cuban author (1903-1977) and early writer of Western erotica.
• Powell mentions that his carpet is Turkish, mid-1600's, and that it was very valuable. Carpets from that region and time period often go for auction at prices exceeding one hundred thousand dollars.
• Caine Powell tells Castle, "Seeing comes before wanting, Rick." Besides being a psychological fact, this is also a quote stated by Dr. Hannibal Lecter in the movie The Silence of the Lambs.
• Mitchell mentions the "Glengarry leads". This is a reference to the Pulitzer Prize-winning play "Glengarry Glen Ross" by David Mamet, in which real estate salesmen are given "leads" in order to sell real estate developments.
• When Castle and Beckett arrive at the party, the mayor greets Castle with, "Why didn't you tell me you were gonna be at this shindig?" This is possibly a reference to Fillion's role in the Firefly episode "Shindig", in which Fillion's character went undercover to a fancy party.
• This marks the first time when Castle's "action theme" is used. Castle sings it a cappella in Beckett's car before and after his fight scene with Nadir at the end.
• Martha mentions that she had once been nominated for a Tony award.

Gaffes

• During the auction, the book being auctioned off alternates from being held by Martha to being held by Rachel and back to Martha.
• When Castle introduces Beckett to the Mayor at the party, the mayor says, "she's even prettier than you said" but if you watch his lips closely, you can tell that he originally said something else, and the line was dubbed in.