Castle

You got in late last night. Catch a case?

Yeah.

Actually, it was this one.

Someone blew up an apartment downtown.

Seriously? And you didn't call me?

Castle, you said you had a chapter due.

Yes, which is writer speak for "all procrastination's welcome."

So what was it, a terrorist plot, a meth lab?

The canvass turned up a description of a guy

fleeing the scene in a silver hatchback.

And we called in for traffic cam footage.

Which is probably already in, so I gotta get going.

Or... you could have Esposito check that out.

He's very good at it. I feel like I haven't seen you in days.

You know, I really do have to get going, but--

But you're powerless to resist me. You always have been.

Really?

Do you remember when we first met? I kinda thought you were an ass.

Oh, I know you pretended you thought that. But come on.

We're together now. You can admit it.

You fell for me the first moment you saw me.

- No, I didn't. - Please. You did.

- You believe that, don't you? - It's true.

Oh, hold on.

Beckett.

Okay. I'll be right there.

Traffic cam footage turned up a match to the plates.

- We got him. - Nice.

Wait. Wait, wait, wait.

- Did you see the hearts? - Let's go, Castle.

Took me, like... six minutes.

The car's license plate was registered to Archibald Fosse.

He lives alone in a fourth-floor apartment.

This isn't his first rodeo, either.

He got in trouble playing the ponies

so he took out his bookie with a car bomb six years ago.

Six years and he's already out?

Well, he was supposed to do 20 years to life.

But his case got overturned on appeal three months ago.

Any idea about the motivation for last night's bombing?

No, we just ID'ed him 20 minutes ago.

There's a lot we have to learn about him yet.

Yo, Beckett. This is Diego Jiminez.

Uniforms intercepted him on his way up to pay Mr. Fosse a visit.

How do you know him?

I don't, really. I've never even met him.

We connected on-line. I'm a collector.

He said he had some baseball cards from the '30s he wanted to sell.

That's all.

Well, we know this much.

If Diego had an appointment, Fosse's probably in there.

Police! Move! Move! Go! Go! Go!

NYPD!

Ryan, Espo, he's coming your way.

Freeze! NYPD!

Let me see your hands.

Drop it! Drop it now!

What is that? Why is it flashing?

Answer me! Answer me!

Baseball cards, just like he said.

Beckett, Castle, get outta there now.

The suspect had some kind of device in his pocket.

I think he armed something.

Copy that. Everyone out now. Let's go. You guys, out.

What was that?

Castle...

I think I'm standing on a bomb.

how long do you think we'll have to stand here?

Once Bomb Disposal finishes their sweep,

we'll know if there are any other bombs you could step on,

or if I'm standing on the only one.

We don't know that you're standing on a bomb. It could be nothing.

It didn't feel like nothing. Something gave way under my feet.

It felt like a trigger plate.

Could be a wonky floorboard.

With a metallic click?

Loose nail. That's how floorboards get wonky.

Well, I hope you're right.

I'm right. I mean, think about it.

Who puts a live bomb in their own apartment?

It makes no sense.

You hungry?

Why?

Because any minute, someone's gonna come through that door

and give us the all clear.

And there is an amazing diner not three blocks from here.

Yeah? Well, I did miss my breakfast this morning.

Yeah.

They make these incredible, foamy lattes--

cups as big as your head--

and a goat cheese omelet to die for.

Which would be a poor choice of words

if you were standing on a bomb, but guess what.

You're not.

You know, if I have to be, uh, stuck...

not standing on a bomb, then I'm glad I'm stuck with you.

I know.

Captain Mahoney, Bomb Disposal Unit.

Which one of you is Detective Beckett?

I'm Detective Beckett. This is Castle.

Castle, you can relax.

We've X-rayed the entire apartment from the floor below.

There are no other explosives.

No other explosives? So...

Detective, I'm afraid you've stepped on

a sensor plate wired to a detonator.

Depressing that plate was sort of like cocking the hammer of a gun.

You take your weight off there, it's like pulling the trigger.

So it's very important that you don't move

until we figure out how to disarm it.

BDU just confirmed it.

Beckett's standing on a bomb.

Trace detection estimates 10 kilograms of RDX.

Enough to take out the whole building.

So what's the plan?

Sir, tell me there's a plan.

They're working on it. What do we have on that bomber?

Looks like his motive was revenge.

Kelly Runther, the woman he blew up last night,

testified against him at his arson trial six years ago.

Then why would he booby-trap his own apartment?

The defense at his trial centered on allegations

of evidence tampering by police, so...

He's got a vendetta against cops.

Yes, Sir. He wanted this to happen.

Well, we're not gonna let it.

You get him in the box.

I want to know how to deactivate that bomb.

What makes you think it can be deactivated?

You better pray that it can, because the person standing on it,

she's a friend of mine.

Not for long.

That's where you're wrong.

See, you're gonna help us. You know how the bomb is made.

The detonator, the fuse, all the other little parts--

if they can stop any one of those parts from working, the bomb fails.

It's not gonna fail. I'm not done yet.

None of this is over.

Well, then you're going back to jail a cop killer,

and there's not a prison around that's gonna--

You want to save your friend? I want a lawyer.

Now.

We're estimating the trigger plate is about 3 feet by 3 feet.

So no one crosses this line.

And the disarming process, how long does that usually take?

Well, that depends on the bomb.

We still don't know what kind of device we're dealing with.

So what are we supposed to do in the meantime,

just--you can't have her just stand there.

I'm okay, Castle.

No, you're not okay. You're standing...

Look, you said, uh, stepping on the plate was like cocking the hammer.

Stepping off the plate was pulling the trigger.

What if we replaced Beckett with something of equal weight?

You know, just the old Indiana Jones bag of sand/golden idol trick.

Remember how that turned out?

Look, the plate she's standing on can sense

even minor fluctuations in pressure.

You try to transfer the weight, you'll set off the bomb.

Put any kind of protective gear on her, you'll set off the bomb.

She shifts too quickly from one foot to the other--

Set off the bomb. I-I get it. Thank you. I'm sorry I asked.

So what are we supposed to do, just stand here?

Not you, Mr. Castle.

All nonessential personnel must evacuate.

Oh, no. I am essential personnel.

Castle, it's okay.

We'll take good care of her.

I got guys downstairs right now figuring this out.

Meantime, Detective, sit tight. I'll check back with you soon.

I appreciate it. I'm staying.

Castle, please. There is no reason to put yourself in danger.

There's nothing that you can do here.

Nothing? Excuse me. Who's gonna be your bomb buddy?

My bomb buddy?

You heard what he said.

You're gonna be standing here, maybe for hours.

If I don't stay, who's gonna keep your spirits up?

Who's gonna take your mind off of getting tired?

Castle, I'm gonna be fine. I feel fine.

That would be great if you were a reliable judge of your own feelings,

which clearly, you're not.

What does that mean?

I'm sorry. Exhibit "A"-- according to you,

you felt nothing for me when we first met,

- which we both know.. - Are you act--oh, I get it.

- I know what you're doing. - What?

You know what, Castle? Forget it.

I'm not going down that path. You can just go now.

Fine, I'll leave if you admit to me

you had feelings for me when we first met.

Fine. I did have feelings for you when we first met.

I couldn't stand you.

Do you even remember what you were like in the beginning?

Well, apparently, I was irresistible.

Irresistible? Are you joking?

Richard Castle, you are under arrest for obstruction of justice.

You forgot making you look bad.

- Cuff him. - Come on.

Bondage. My safe word is "apples."