The patrol car rolled through the sunlit streets, the summer afternoon quiet and almost suspiciously beautiful. John Nolan drove with one hand on the wheel while his training officer, Talia Bishop, watched the city pass outside her window.
Nolan glanced at the nearly empty road ahead.
“It’s kind of quiet, isn’t it?”
Bishop sighed loudly.
Nolan looked at her, then quickly returned his attention to the road.
“What?”
She turned toward him. “You really had to say that?”
“What did I say?”
“You said it was quiet.”
“It is quiet.”
“You never say that.”
Nolan frowned. “Why not?”
Bishop sighed again.
Then she raised one hand between them and began counting down with her fingers.
Three.
Two.
One.
The radio crackled.
Bishop slowly looked at Nolan.
Nolan kept his eyes on the road.
Neither of them said anything.
“Seven-Adam-Fifteen, respond to a possible residential burglary. Reporting parties have returned home and discovered property missing. The suspect is no longer believed to be on the scene. No injuries reported.”
Nolan reached for the radio.
“Seven-Adam-Fifteen, copy. Show us responding.”
“Seven-Adam-Fifteen, respond to Twelve Hundred Aurelius Plaza, Penthouse One. Building security is standing by. Be advised, the reporting parties are high-profile public figures.”
Bishop picked up her radio.
“Copy that. Any suspect description?”
“Negative. Reporting parties advise the residence appears clear.”
The transmission ended.
Nolan looked at Bishop.
“Who?”
She shrugged. “Dispatch didn’t say.”
“I wonder who it is.”
There was enough excitement in his voice that Bishop immediately noticed.
She gave him a warning look.
“What?”
“This is Los Angeles,” Bishop said. “You’re eventually going to get called to a celebrity’s house.”
“You have?”
“Several times.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Anyone I would know?”
“Eyes on the road.”
“They are on the road.”
“Keep them there. And let’s hope this isn’t one of the crazy ones.”
Nolan turned toward Aurelius Plaza.
The address was in one of the most expensive parts of the city, home to a collection of luxury towers with private entrances and residences that cost more than most people earned in several lifetimes.
Aurelius Plaza stood taller than the surrounding buildings, its dark glass exterior reflecting the afternoon sun. A uniformed valet stood near the entrance. Two doormen watched the street while several members of building security moved between the lobby and the underground garage.
A second security team was also present.
They wore dark suits and discreet earpieces. They were not with the building’s security team. Nolan could see that immediately.
Nolan parked near the entrance.
“Top-notch place,” he said as he stepped out.
Bishop looked toward the private security team.
“And everyone’s on high alert.”
Nolan studied them.
“The suits aren’t building security.”
“No.”
“They belong to our victims.”
“Probably.”
Bishop adjusted her duty belt.
“Let’s go.”
They crossed the entrance plaza and entered the lobby.
The interior was all polished stone, dark wood, and carefully arranged lighting. There was no traditional front desk. Instead, a concierge station sat beneath an enormous modern sculpture that Nolan did not understand but assumed cost more than his buddy’s house, where he was currently staying.
A thin, sharply dressed man hurried toward them.
“Officers, thank God.”
Bishop raised a hand slightly.
“You called?”
“Yes. My name is Clive Pembroke. I’m the resident director.”
He spoke quickly, his accent refined enough that Nolan could not immediately place it.
Pembroke gestured toward a private bank of elevators.
“This way, please. This is a truly terrible incident. Nothing like this has ever happened at Aurelius Plaza. Never. Our security is among the finest in the city, and now this, of all things. To Mr. Adler, of all people.”
Bishop slowed.
“Take a breath. What exactly happened?”
“Mr. Adler and Ms. Robbie returned this afternoon and discovered that their residence had been entered.”
Nolan looked at him.
“Adler? Daniel Adler?”
Pembroke nodded gravely.
“Yes, Mr. Daniel Adler and his fiancée, Ms. Margot Robbie.”
Nolan looked at Bishop.
She gave him a look that told him not to say anything stupid.
Pembroke used a keycard to open the private elevator.
“Somehow, the knave managed to bypass our security, enter Mr. Adler’s residence, and burglarize it.”
Nolan stepped into the elevator beside Bishop.
He silently mouthed, “Knave?”
Bishop’s mouth twitched.
Pembroke entered with them and selected the top floor.
“Oh, this is a disaster,” he muttered as the doors closed. “A complete disaster.”
Nolan looked at Bishop.
“You know, a friend of mine works at the construction company that built Daniel Adler’s house.”
Bishop turned toward him.
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah. It was a big project. He even met Margot Robbie once.”
Pembroke looked at Nolan as though that were somehow relevant.
Nolan continued, “Why are they staying here instead of at the house?”
“This was Mr. Adler’s primary residence before they moved,” Pembroke explained. “They still use it from time to time. Their current home is undergoing renovations, so they planned an extended stay here.”
Bishop nodded.
“That gives us a reason someone might know they were back.”
Pembroke looked even more distressed.
“I assure you, information regarding our residents is treated with the utmost confidentiality.”
The elevator slowed.
The doors opened onto a private foyer.
Bishop stepped out first.
“So this is it?”
Pembroke gestured toward a set of double doors.
“Yes. This entire floor, as well as the level above, forms the residence.”
Nolan looked around.
The foyer alone was larger than his living room.
Pembroke opened the doors and led them inside.
The apartment extended toward enormous floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the skyline. The furniture was expensive without appearing staged, and the space felt lived-in despite its size. Photographs sat on shelves. Books were stacked on tables. A pair of shoes had been left near the sofa.
A woman rose as they entered.
Margot Robbie.
Nolan recognized her immediately.
Of course he did. He felt the brief, instinctive shock of seeing someone he had only ever watched on a screen standing a few feet away. He kept his expression professional, though he was suddenly very aware of every crease in his uniform.
“Officers,” she said, walking toward them. “Thank you for coming.”
Then she looked directly at Nolan. Her eyes widened slightly.
Bishop stepped forward and showed her badge.
“Officer Talia Bishop. This is Officer John Nolan.”
Margot nodded, still looking at Nolan with a faint crease between her eyebrows.
“Thank you for coming.”
“Tell us exactly what happened,” Bishop said.
Margot folded her arms, not out of defensiveness, but because she looked as though she needed something to hold on to.
“Daniel and I came back a little while ago. We had been out most of the day. The apartment door was slightly open when we arrived, but nothing inside looked disturbed.”
“You both entered?” Bishop asked.
“Yes. Daniel checked the living room and kitchen. I went into the bedroom.”
Her voice tightened.
“The bookcase was open. So was the safe.”
“What was taken?”
“My engagement ring.” Margot swallowed. “And almost half a million dollars.”
Nolan kept his reaction off his face.
Bishop did not.
“Half a million dollars?”
“In cash,” Margot said.
“And nothing else appears to be missing?”
“Nothing at all. I mean, Daniel had an expensive Rolex sitting right there on the table. It was still there.”
“Where is Mr. Adler now?”
“He’s speaking with his lawyer.”
Nolan moved farther into the apartment while Bishop continued speaking with Margot.
“We need to see the safe,” Bishop said.
Margot nodded and turned toward the hall.
Before she could lead them there, the apartment door opened and Daniel Adler walked inside.
Nolan recognized him immediately. He was younger in person than Nolan had expected, but he also looked tired. There were dark shadows beneath his eyes, and the controlled expression on his face did not hide his anger.
He pocketed his phone as he approached them.
“Mr. Adler, I’m Officer Bishop,” Bishop said. “Are you certain nothing else was stolen?”
“Nothing that we’ve found. Just what was inside the safe.”
“An engagement ring and...”
“Almost half a million dollars in cash.”
Bishop studied him.
“Half a million?”
“Yes.”
“Why was that amount of cash inside your apartment?”
Daniel hesitated.
“Just some money I withdrew from the bank.”
Nolan watched him carefully. The pause was small, but it was there. He was not giving them the full answer.
“There are no signs of forced entry or any other disturbance,” Nolan said. “They went directly to the bedroom and knew exactly where the safe was.”
Daniel turned toward him.
Then he did a double take.
“Castle?”
Nolan frowned.
“Excuse me?”
Daniel stared at his face.
“I’m sorry. You look exactly like Richard Castle.”
There was a brief silence.
Nolan had no idea who Richard Castle was.
“Never heard that before.”
He extended a hand.
“Officer John Nolan.”
Daniel shook it automatically, though he continued looking at Nolan in a way that became slightly unnerving.
Officer Bishop cleared her throat.
“Getting back to the safe, Mr. Adler. Who else knew it was here?”
“Margot and me. No one else. We only put the ring and money inside this morning.”
“Who has access to the bedroom?”
“The cleaning staff don’t enter unless one of us is home.”
“Building employees?”
“Not without permission.”
“Your own security?”
“Only in an emergency.”
Nolan wrote the answers down, still aware of Daniel glancing at him.
Seriously, who the hell was Castle?
“Is there a problem, sir?” Nolan asked.
“No.”
Daniel said it too quickly.
Bishop continued before he could explain.
“We’ll follow the usual procedure. We’ll review the building’s security footage, speak with the staff, examine entry records, and check whether anyone unusual was observed near the apartment.”
She looked between Daniel and Margot.
“Given your public profiles, I assume you’ll be asking for discretion.”
“Of course,” Daniel said.
“We’ll do what we can.”
“Do you have experience with cases involving celebrities?”
“Unfortunately,” Bishop said. “Enough.”
She glanced toward the windows, where the city stretched beneath them.
“I’m also sure at least one paparazzo has already noticed the patrol cars outside.”
Daniel exhaled through his nose.
Bishop opened her notebook again.
“For now, I need both of you to check the apartment carefully and make sure nothing else has gone missing.”
Daniel nodded and placed a hand against Margot’s back.
Bishop and Nolan followed them into the bedroom.
The false bookcase stood open against the wall, revealing the safe behind it. Nolan crouched in front of it while Bishop photographed the room and marked the areas no one should touch.
The safe door had been left open.
A single sheet of paper sat inside.
Someone had drawn a smiling face on it in black ink.
Nolan looked at the edges of the lock, then leaned closer.
There were faint marks around the keypad, small enough that most people would miss them. A thin line of metal dust had collected near the bottom hinge.
“Someone worked on this,” he said.
Bishop moved beside him and examined the safe. They both left the room and returned to the living room.
The apartment door opened again a few minutes later.
Two more uniformed officers entered.
Tim Bradford walked in first, followed by his rookie, Lucy Chen.
Chen took two steps into the apartment and stopped when she saw Margot standing with Daniel near the living room.
Her eyes widened.
“Oh my God,” she whispered. “That’s Margot Robbie.”
Bradford did not break stride.
“Calm yourself and be professional.”
She looked again.
“And Daniel Adler too. Wow.”
Nolan nodded before he could stop himself.
“I know, right?”
Bishop looked at both of them.
“Glad everyone’s enjoying the tour.”
Nolan straightened.
“Just acknowledging the situation.”
“Professionally,” Chen added.
Bradford looked unimpressed.
Bishop handed him the initial notes.
“Detective Ortega from the Burglary Unit is on her way. She wants us to secure the building, interview the staff, and begin the initial canvass.”
Bradford sighed.
“I remember the last time something like this happened with a celebrity. Their security team spent half the night telling us how to do our jobs.”
He glanced toward the men in dark suits stationed near the private foyer.
“Come on, Boot.”
Chen followed him toward the elevator, though she looked back once more at Daniel and Margot.
Bradford noticed.
“Eyes forward.”
“I was checking the room.”
The elevator doors closed behind them.
Bishop moved toward the windows and looked down at the street.
“Looks like the parasites have arrived.”
Nolan joined her.
Several black vehicles had stopped near the entrance. Photographers and reporters were gathering behind the building’s security line, their cameras already pointed at the doors.
“Holy moly,” Nolan said. “That’s a lot.”
“Adler and Robbie are big stars. Adler especially.”
Nolan glanced at her.
“Are you a fan?”
“I like Game of Thrones.”
Detective Lena Ortega arrived shortly afterward.
She was a compact woman in her forties who wore a dark suit and practical shoes. She had the look of someone who had already decided she disliked everyone involved.
She inspected the safe, reviewed Bishop’s notes, and agreed with Nolan’s assessment.
“This was professional,” she said. “No forced entry, no search, and no wasted movement. They knew where they were going.”
She ordered the building’s keycard logs preserved, all security footage copied, and a list compiled of every employee and contractor who had entered the upper floors during the previous month.
For the next two hours, Nolan and Bishop worked their way through the apartment and the building.
They questioned Daniel and Margot again, separately this time. Their accounts matched. They checked closets, offices, storage rooms, and the upstairs level. Nothing else appeared to be missing.
Bradford and Chen interviewed the doormen, concierge, valet, maintenance staff, and Daniel’s private security team. A camera facing the private elevator had gone offline for eighteen minutes during the likely window of the burglary.
That was not a coincidence.
Nolan photographed the safe and the paper without touching either. Ortega bagged the note herself.
By the time they finished, dusk had settled over the city.
The press crowd outside had tripled.
Bishop and Nolan left through the main entrance while building security tried to create a path through the photographers.
Questions came from every direction.
“Officer, what happened?”
“Did someone die upstairs?”
“Was Daniel Adler attacked?”
“Did Adler hurt Margot Robbie?”
“Was this a domestic violence call?”
“Did Margot attack him?”
“Are they both alive?”
Nolan kept moving, saying nothing.
One reporter shoved a microphone toward Bishop.
“Officer, can you confirm whether Mr. Adler is under investigation?”
“No comment.”
Detective Ortega stepped outside behind them and raised her voice.
“There was a residential burglary. No one was injured, and there is no threat to the public. That is all we are confirming at this time.”
The questions grew louder, but Ortega refused to answer anything else.
Bishop and Nolan finally reached their patrol car.
Nolan looked back at the building as photographers continued to crowd the entrance.
The case had started as a routine burglary call.
It did not feel routine anymore.
He climbed into the driver’s seat, already wondering what the next morning would bring.
One other thing was still bothering him.
“Who the hell is Castle?”
Bishop shrugged.
===========
Nolan entered roll call the next morning and took his usual seat.
Jackson West arrived a few seconds later, looking more animated than anyone had a right to look before the start of a shift. He dropped into the chair beside Nolan and leaned closer.
“So, you actually met Daniel Adler?”
Nolan glanced at him. “Yes, I met him.”
“That is so cool.” Jackson caught himself. “I mean, not the robbery. Obviously, that part isn’t cool. I just can’t believe you met him.”
“You sound like a big fan.”
“Of course I’m a fan. Who my age isn’t?” Jackson lowered his voice, though not by much. “It’s Daniel fucking Adler. We grew up reading his books and watching his movies. Toy Story, Percy Jackson, the DCU. Hello? The man is like a god. A movie god.”
“All right. I get it.”
“He wrote The Dark Knight, you know.”
“You sound like my son when I told him.”
Jackson smiled. “Exactly. So, what was he like?”
“Seemed like a nice enough guy.”
“That’s it?”
“He also thought I was someone else.”
Jackson looked at Nolan for a moment.
“Nathan Fillion?”
Nolan’s expression tightened.
“What?”
“You do look like Nathan Fillion.”
“I do not.”
“You kind of do.”
“Some parts, maybe. He’s more handsome.”
Lucy Chen arrived before Jackson could continue and took the seat in front of them.
“Are you talking about Adler?”
Jackson nodded. “Nolan met him.”
“I was there too,” Lucy said. “And I saw Margot Robbie up close.”
She turned around in her seat.
“She thanked me.”
Jackson looked impressed. “For what?”
“For doing my job.”
Lucy’s excitement faded a little.
“She seemed really sad, though.”
Nolan nodded. “Her engagement ring was stolen.”
Lucy’s eyes widened. “I read about that ring this morning. It’s supposed to be worth eight million dollars or something.”
“Do you think that’s what they were after?” Jackson asked.
“I don’t know,” Nolan said. “She only put it in the safe that morning. If the thieves knew it was there, they had access to information they shouldn’t have had.”
Lucy turned farther around in her chair.
“What did you find during the canvass?”
“Not much. The camera near the private elevator was disabled for eighteen minutes. We caught someone in a hoodie on another camera, but the angle was terrible.”
“The staff?”
“So far, everyone checks out. Building security keeps records of nearly everything. Employees, contractors, delivery people. Nobody admitted to seeing anything unusual.”
“Which means someone knew exactly how the building worked,” Jackson said.
“Or had help,” Nolan replied.
The room quieted as Sergeant Grey entered with Captain Andersen and Detective Lena Ortega.
Grey walked to the front.
“All right, settle down.”
Conversations stopped. The officers faced forward.
Grey looked around the room.
“As most of you already know, yesterday afternoon, officers from this station responded to a high-profile residential burglary. The victims were Daniel Adler and Margot Robbie.”
A few officers shifted in their seats. Jackson sat up straighter.
Grey noticed.
“Yes, West. They’re just movie people. Don’t get too excited.”
A few officers laughed.
Grey’s expression remained flat.
Captain Andersen stepped forward.
“This has attracted attention far beyond what we would normally see in a property crime. Since last night, I have received calls from LAPD command, the mayor’s office, and the governor’s staff.”
Nolan glanced at Lucy.
“Wow,” he mouthed.
Lucy nodded.
Andersen continued.
“Mr. Adler has not personally requested special treatment. Unfortunately, everyone who wants something from him appears determined to request it on his behalf.”
Bradford leaned back in his chair.
“So they’re sucking up to him.”
Andersen looked at him.
Bradford did not retreat.
“I mean, that’s what it is.”
“That may be,” Andersen said, “but our responsibility remains the same. We investigate the crime, protect the victims, and avoid turning this station into another source of gossip.”
Smitty raised a hand from the back.
“I heard he has a harem.”
Several officers laughed.
Andersen stared at him.
Smitty lowered his hand.
“You heard what?” Grey asked.
“You know. Actresses. Models. All the biggest and most beautiful ones. Charlize Theron too, from what I heard. Lucky bastard.”
Nolan tried not to laugh and failed.
Andersen waited for the room to settle, her eyes fixed on Smitty as he sank lower in his seat.
“This is exactly what we need to avoid. We will be under more scrutiny than usual, from the department, the press, and people with political influence. Keep comments like that to yourselves.”
She glanced toward Smitty.
“Especially comments involving imaginary harems.”
Smitty nodded solemnly.
“Understood, Captain.”
Detective Ortega stepped forward and placed a folder on the lectern.
“The break-in was professional,” she said. “The thief did not know the safe combination. Someone bypassed the lock mechanism using specialized equipment.”
She looked toward Nolan.
“Officer Nolan noticed the initial tool marks. Forensics confirmed his assessment this morning.”
Nolan felt several people look at him.
Bradford gave him a small nod of approval.
Ortega continued.
“We believe this crime required advance knowledge of the apartment, access to the building, an experienced safecracker, and confirmation that both victims would be absent.”
She turned to the board behind her, where several photographs had been placed.
One showed the building’s entrance. Another showed the open safe. A third showed the smiling face drawn on the sheet of paper.
“The thief had an eighteen-minute window. During that time, the elevator camera was disabled, electronic access records were partially disrupted, and the apartment was entered without obvious force.”
She pointed toward a grainy security image.
“This is the only unidentified person captured near the building during the relevant period. Hooded jacket, average build, no visible face. We have no confirmation that this individual was involved.”
“What about the employees?” Lopez asked.
“We’ve found nothing suspicious yet. No unexplained absences, no obvious financial problems, and no one who admits knowing the victims were temporarily staying there. That does not clear them. It means we need more information.”
Ortega closed the folder.
“My unit is leading the investigation. Captain Andersen has been directed to provide additional personnel because of the scale and sensitivity of the case. You will work under my team and report anything you find directly to me.”
She paused.
“One more thing. The official statement will say that a large amount of cash and personal property were stolen. It will not identify Ms. Robbie’s engagement ring.”
A few officers exchanged looks.
“That isn’t usually how we describe stolen property,” Bradford said.
“No, it isn’t,” Ortega replied. “The ring is unique, worth several million dollars, and is also a family heirloom belonging to Mr. Adler. For reasons known only to him, he does not want too many eyes on it.”
She glanced toward Andersen.
“Our superiors have informed us that we are not to reveal any information about it to the public.”
Andersen added, “Mr. Adler’s public relations team will use the same language. Cash and personal property. Nothing more.”
“So we’re helping them hide it?” Bradford asked.
“We are protecting investigative information,” Andersen said. “There is a difference.”
“What happens when the press finds out anyway?”
“Then they find out. They will not hear it from anyone in this room.”
Grey stepped forward again.
“If I see one anonymous-source quote that sounds like it came from this station, everyone will spend the next year directing traffic.”
That silenced the room.
Ortega began handing assignments to the training officers.
“Bishop and Nolan, I want you to focus on who knew Adler and Robbie had returned to the apartment. Start with building management, drivers, household staff, and anyone involved in moving them back into the residence.”
Bishop nodded.
“You’ll also re-interview the resident director. He claims no one outside senior management knew they were staying there. I don’t believe him.”
Nolan thought of Clive Pembroke and his repeated insistence that nothing like this had ever happened at Aurelius Plaza. He doubted the man would enjoy being questioned again.
Ortega looked toward Bradford and Chen.
“You two are reviewing threats against both victims, especially three individuals who were recently spotted in the area.”
She handed Bradford a file.
“That list was compiled by Adler’s security team.”
Bradford looked down at it.
“How long is the full list?”
“Long enough.”
Ortega turned toward Lopez and Jackson.
“You’re interviewing a former assistant who briefly worked for Ms. Robbie.”
Lopez accepted the address.
“Why her?”
“She was dismissed six months ago for selling private information to a gossip site.”
Jackson’s interest sharpened.
“What kind of information?”
“Travel schedules, restaurant reservations, and the name of a hotel Ms. Robbie was using during a production.”
Andersen dismissed them, and the room filled with movement as officers stood, collected their folders, and separated into their assigned groups.
Bishop handed Nolan the list of building employees and contractors.
“We start with the resident director.”
“Pembroke.”
“You remember his name?”
“He called the thief a knave.”
Bishop almost smiled.
“Come on.”
They headed for the door while Bradford opened the threat file and began studying the names inside.
Lucy looked over his shoulder.
“This might take all day.”
Bradford closed the folder.
“Then let’s get to work.”
.
.
.
Daniel POV
“Jim, I’m telling you to cooperate with the police,” I said as I sat down on the couch.
The large man standing across from me looked deeply unhappy.
“We are cooperating, Mr. Adler. It’s just that this should never have happened.”
“No, it shouldn’t have.”
Jim had overseen my personal security for years. He treated every breach like a personal failure, even when it happened somewhere outside his direct control.
“But it did,” I continued. “Blaming yourself isn’t going to get the ring back. What matters now is finding it.”
His jaw tightened.
“As you know, sir, there are people who could look for it privately.”
I leaned back and studied him.
Jim was well connected, and not only in the respectable world of private security firms. He also knew people who operated closer to the criminal side of things. Informants, fences, brokers, men who would know if an expensive ring had recently entered their markets.
A red diamond like Margot’s could not simply be sold at a pawnshop. It was too rare and too recognizable. Anyone trying to move it would have to pass through a very small circle.
“Look into it,” I said. “Discreetly.”
Jim’s expression eased slightly.
“Yes, sir.”
“And cooperate with the police.”
“I heard you the first time.”
“I’m repeating it because I know you.”
A faint smile appeared on his face.
“I’ll keep you updated.”
He left the room.
“Damn it,” I muttered.
The whole situation sucked.
It sucked so fucking badly.
The missing money barely registered. It was replaceable. The ring was not.
Margot was staying at Mom’s place for the moment. I was considering sending her to Australia to spend some time with her family. Mom, Alice, and Nathan could go with her. They could stay at the estate there until this was resolved.
One of my security guards entered the room.
“Mr. Adler, were you expecting anyone?”
“No.”
He hesitated.
“Richard Castle is here.”
I straightened.
“Castle?”
“Yes, sir. Should we let him in?”
I had told my close friends about the robbery. Most of them had called or sent messages. Castle knew because I had seen him in New York the day before. He had texted me from Vegas, asking whether I wanted to come spend some of the poker money he had helped me win.
I told him the money was gone.
Apparently, his response had been to get on a plane.
“Let him in.”
A minute later, Castle walked into the apartment.
“Daniel.”
I stood, and he crossed the room to hug me.
“As soon as you told me what happened, I flew over.”
“Thanks, Castle. I could use a friend. Almost everyone else is out of the country.”
“Well, I’m here now.”
He stepped back and looked around the apartment.
“Now,” he said, “tell me everything that happened. Then we can start working the case.”
“Castle, you are not a cop. The actual police are already working on it.”
“Come on. I’m basically a cop after spending all these years with Beckett.”
“You are a novelist who is very lucky.”
“Exactly.”
I shook my head, then paused as something occurred to me.
Castle was here.
That meant there were now two people in the city with his face. It was exactly the kind of thing I needed to take my mind off everything.
Actually, there were three if Nathan was still in Los Angeles.
“Castle,” I said, “I found another doppelgänger of yours.”
He sighed immediately.
“Danny, no. I do not look like Nathan Fillion.”
“You absolutely do.”
“I don’t.”
“You have the same face.”
“Last time we had this argument, Beckett and Margot both agreed with me.”
“I still think all of you were fucking with me.”
Castle folded his arms.
“Who is it this time?”
“Not a celebrity. A cop. His name is John Nolan.”
Castle stared at me.
“A police officer looks exactly like me?”
“Yes.”
“Trust me, after you see him, you’ll start to think you’ve been Orphan Blacked.”
Before he could respond, the security guard returned.
“Mr. Adler, the two officers from yesterday are here again. Officer Bishop and Officer Nolan.”
I looked at Castle.
Then I laughed.
“Perfect.”
Castle looked less enthusiastic.
I pointed toward the entrance.
“Come on. Time to meet Officer Castle.”