"You fuckers didn't tell me I was stealing from Daniel Adler."
The safecracker stood near the door, anger barely concealing the fear in his eyes.
"You told me this was some rich asshole's second apartment. You didn't say it was his."
The man across from him remained calm.
"You did your part."
He placed a thick stack of cash on the table and pushed it forward.
"There's the rest of your payment. You can take the rest from the half million you found in the safe."
The safecracker stared at him. He picked up the money but did not move.
"Adler is dangerous. He has..."
The man's expression hardened.
"You were paid to steal a ring, not offer opinions."
The safecracker looked toward the other side of the room.
Another man sat on the couch with the engagement ring resting in his palm. The red diamond caught the light whenever he turned it, throwing faint crimson reflections across his fingers.
The safecracker swallowed.
"You people are insane."
"Then you should leave."
He did.
The door closed behind him.
For a moment, neither of the remaining men spoke.
Then the first man turned toward the couch.
"We're almost out of money."
The other man continued staring at the ring.
"The former assistant demanded double after the news broke. She said keeping quiet wasn't part of the original price."
"We paid her."
"With nearly everything we had left."
He crossed the room and stood in front of the couch.
"But we have it now. We sell the ring quickly, take whatever we can get, and disappear. Even after paying everyone, we should clear five million. Maybe more."
There was no answer.
"That's enough to get us back on our feet."
"No."
The first man frowned.
"What?"
"NO."
"We discussed this."
"I agreed to nothing."
"We agreed to steal the ring and sell it."
The man on the couch closed his fingers around the diamond.
"I SAID NO."
The other man's frustration broke through.
"Come on. We talked about this. The plan was to sell it, split the money, and rebuild."
"That would be an insult."
"An insult?"
"Five million dollars after everything he took from us?"
The man holding the ring rose and stepped closer.
"No. We can get far more from that brat."
The other man's expression changed.
"He is where we should have been."
His voice was quiet at first.
Then it rose.
"HE HAS THE MONEY. THE INFLUENCE. EVERYTHING WE ONCE DREAMED WOULD BE OURS."
"Calm down, Ja..."
"NO."
His hand tightened around the ring.
"I DID MY WAITING. A DECADE OF IT."
His voice cracked.
"A DECADE WATCHING HIM BECOME EVERYTHING WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN."
"HE STOLE OUR FUTURE."
"We made a bad decision," the man said, trying to reason with his friend.
The other man struck the table with his free hand.
"HE STEPPED OVER US!"
The sound echoed through the room.
"Everything he has now exists because he humiliated us, took what belonged to our families, and ruined us."
The first man watched him carefully.
This had stopped being about money years ago.
"We are going to make him pay," the other man continued. "Not five million. Not whatever some fence is willing to give us. Everything we are owed."
He opened his hand and looked at the ring again.
"He will pay."
.
.
.
Jackson studied the file while Angela Lopez drove toward the former assistant's address.
"So this is her," he said. "Megan Gellar. She leaked information to TMZ while Margot Robbie was filming, got caught, and was fired."
"Correct."
Jackson turned a page. "Why do we think she's involved in the burglary?"
"We don't," Angela said. "Not yet."
She changed lanes and continued toward West Hollywood.
"But she had access to Robbie's private life. Schedules, travel plans, staff names. If our suspects wanted information, someone like Gellar would be useful."
Jackson nodded and looked back at the file.
"That seems like a lot of trust to place in a temporary assistant."
"Celebrities have too many people moving through their lives. Assistants, drivers, stylists, publicists, security, cleaners. You only need one person willing to sell something."
The radio crackled inside the car.
"Seven-Adam-Nineteen, Seven-Adam-Seven, are you on the Adler case?"
Angela recognized Bradford's voice and picked up the radio.
"Seven-Adam-Nineteen. We're heading to interview a former assistant. How are things on your side?"
Lucy's laughter came through before Bradford could answer.
Jackson looked toward the radio. "What happened?"
Bradford spoke first. "We've spent the morning chasing crazies."
Lucy cut in. "The last guy was convinced Daniel Adler was his son."
Jackson blinked.
"He also claims he's planning to sue him for unpaid child support."
Jackson laughed.
Bradford's voice returned. "Before him, we had another guy run out the back of his house screaming that Adler had sent us to assassinate him."
Angela raised an eyebrow. "Did he do anything?"
"Nothing happened," Bradford said. "He ran into a trash can and fell over. These people are all crazy."
"Relax," Angela said. "You only have, what, five people?"
"There were forty-seven names in the priority file, and thankfully, we only need to find five of them."
Lucy said, "And those are only the people his security team thinks might actually do something."
Jackson leaned closer to the radio.
"At least this could help Adler. You know, get some of these idiots away from him before something happens."
Bradford answered immediately. "Maybe you should apply to his security team, West."
"I'm just saying."
Angela glanced at Jackson.
"The guy does make good movies."
Bradford sounded betrayed. "Really? You too?"
"I like horror movies, and he makes good horror movies."
Jackson nodded enthusiastically. "Exactly. The Thing was great."
"It was very disturbing," Lucy said.
"That's why it was great."
Bishop's voice joined the channel.
"Are all of you using the channel to hold a Daniel Adler fan club meeting?"
"For the record, I'm not part of it," Bradford said.
"You were defending him yesterday," Bishop replied.
Angela picked up the radio again.
"Bradford, you really don't like any movies made by the Prince of Hollywood?"
"Does he call himself that?"
"No," Jackson said. "That's what people who are jealous of him call him."
Angela glanced at him.
Bradford said, "No. I don't follow his work."
Nolan's voice came through.
"You told me last month that you liked Game of Thrones."
"Wait. Adler made Game of Thrones?"
"Yes."
"Yeah."
"Yup."
Everyone answered at once.
Bradford exhaled loudly over the radio.
"Can we get back to the actual investigation?"
"Please," Bishop said.
Bradford continued. "Bishop, I have a hunch. Push Adler on where the money came from."
Nolan sounded doubtful. "Why?"
"Because half a million dollars in cash was stolen only hours after it entered the apartment. That is worth looking into."
"The ring is worth millions," Nolan said. "Nobody goes through this much planning for half a million dollars if they know an eight-million-dollar diamond is in the same safe."
"You're assuming they knew about the ring."
"And you're assuming they knew about the money."
Bradford paused.
Angela smiled slightly. Nolan had him there.
Bradford tried a different angle.
"Maybe Adler arranged to have the ring stolen."
Everyone on the channel went quiet for a second.
Then Lucy laughed.
Angela joined her.
Jackson stared at the radio.
"You think Daniel Adler staged a burglary for the insurance money?"
"It happens," Bradford said.
Nolan answered, "He's a billionaire."
"So?"
"So I don't think he needs to commit insurance fraud to get by."
Bradford refused to yield.
"There was a jewelry store owner last year who burned down his own business."
"He was bankrupt," Angela said. "Adler basically runs a quarter of Hollywood. I think he also owns TikTok."
Bishop cut through the conversation.
"We're going back to the apartment now. We'll ask him about the money."
"Push him on it," Bradford said. "He lied about withdrawing it from a bank. Find out why."
Nolan answered, "Copy."
==========
Nolan and Bishop returned to Aurelius Plaza less than an hour later.
The security presence had increased since the previous afternoon. Daniel's people controlled the lobby entrance, the underground garage, and the private elevators. Building security had also added two guards to the concierge station.
A broad-shouldered man in a dark suit stopped them before they reached the elevator.
Bishop showed her badge.
"Official police business. We need to speak with Mr. Adler and re-interview several employees."
The man touched his earpiece and spoke quietly.
Nolan looked around the lobby. The paparazzi were gone from the entrance, but he doubted they had moved far. There were probably cameras waiting at every exit.
The guard listened for a moment, then stepped aside.
"You can go up."
"Thank you," Bishop said.
The private elevator carried them to the penthouse.
They spent the first hour speaking with the household staff again. A cleaner confirmed that she only entered the bedroom when Daniel or Margot was home. A driver knew they had temporarily returned to the apartment but had not known about the safe. Daniel's security chief admitted that several members of his team knew the couple's movements, though all of them had been accounted for during the burglary.
Nothing immediately stood out.
Bishop asked for copies of the security schedules and staff access records. Then she and Nolan went looking for Daniel.
A guard directed them toward a sitting room near the rear of the apartment.
Nolan entered behind Bishop and stopped.
Daniel stood near the windows with another man.
Daniel saw him and pointed.
"There he is."
The other man turned.
Daniel looked triumphant.
"Castle, it's you, but as a real police officer…."
Nolan stared at the stranger.
So this was Richard Castle. It was like looking in a mirror.
Bishop looked from Castle to Nolan, then back again.
"Mr. Adler," she began, "we're here to ask you a few more questions."
"One moment, Officer Bishop."
Daniel took Castle by the arm and moved him closer to Nolan.
"Look at them. They're basically twins."
Castle examined Nolan.
Nolan examined Castle.
Bishop studied both men.
For one quiet moment, the three of them shared the same thought.
"No," they said together.
Daniel's face fell.
"What?"
"They don't look the same," Bishop said.
"We do not look the same," Nolan agreed.
Castle nodded. "I don't see it."
Daniel looked between them in disbelief.
"What do you mean, you don't see it? You have the same face. You're basically twins."
Nolan considered Castle again.
"Maybe a little."
Daniel's expression brightened.
"I mean, Mr. Castle is a handsome man," Nolan continued.
Castle smiled.
"And you, Officer Nolan, are no slouch yourself."
"Thank you."
"I think that's what Daniel is seeing. Our combined handsomeness."
Nolan nodded thoughtfully. "That could be it."
Daniel stared at them for another second before walking over to the couch and sitting down.
"You're all fucking with me."
Castle sat across from him, still smiling.
Bishop remained standing.
"Mr. Adler, this is important. We need a truthful answer about the money."
Daniel's amusement faded.
"What about it?"
"Yesterday, you said it came from a bank withdrawal."
"Yes."
"Did it?"
Daniel glanced at Castle.
Castle raised both hands.
"Don't look at me."
Daniel leaned back.
"Fine. Castle here invited me to a private poker game in New York."
Bishop's expression did not change, though Nolan noticed the brief pause before she wrote it down.
"Who attended?"
"Very important people."
Castle added, "He won most of the night."
"I did well."
"You took almost half a million dollars from people who do not enjoy losing."
Daniel looked at him.
"That's why you're not invited back."
Bishop looked between them.
"You transported the cash from New York to Los Angeles?"
"Yes," Daniel said. "It wasn't a big deal."
"It becomes a big deal when it is stolen the next morning."
Daniel's expression tightened.
"You think someone was after the money?"
"We're considering every possibility."
Castle leaned forward.
"I don't think the money was the target."
Bishop looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because this was too elaborate. Someone bypassed building security, disabled the cameras, and cracked a concealed safe. You don't take that kind of risk for half a million dollars."
"That is still a lot of money," Nolan said.
"To normal people, yes."
Daniel nodded toward Castle.
"He's right."
Castle smiled. "Thank you."
"I'm sure this is about the ring," Daniel said. "The cash may have been a bonus. Like Castle said, no one plans something like this for half a million dollars."
Before Bishop could answer, Daniel's phone began to ring.
He glanced at the screen and frowned.
"It's my assistant. Excuse me."
He stood and walked toward the other side of the room, answering as he went.
Nolan watched him disappear through the doorway, then turned back toward Castle.
"So."
Castle smiled.
"So."
Nolan gestured between them. "I'm freaking out a little now."
"Me too, but don't tell Daniel." Castle gave Nolan a quick wink.
Nolan understood.
Bishop looked between the two men.
"So why are you messing with him again?"
Castle put a hand to his chest.
"Officer Bishop, I would never."
Nolan tried not to smile.
Bishop studied their faces. "Actually, are you sure you two weren't separated at birth or something?"
Castle's amusement faded slightly.
"Well, you know what they say. Everyone has about seven people who look like them somewhere in the world."
"Is your father still in your life?" Bishop asked.
Castle blinked at the abrupt question.
"My mother raised me."
"No father?"
"Not really."
Bishop slowly looked toward Nolan.
"Nolan here has a very absent father."
Nolan and Castle turned toward each other.
Their eyes widened at almost the same moment.
Bishop pressed her lips together to stop herself from laughing.
"Interesting," Nolan and Castle said at the same time.
Daniel returned, and the change in him was immediate.
The irritation and amusement were gone. His phone remained clenched in one hand, and his face had lost its color.
Everyone in the room noticed.
Daniel stopped near the couch.
"Okay," he said. "We have a situation."
"What happened?" Bishop asked.
"My assistant just called. A package was delivered to the Midas offices."
Bishop's posture sharpened. "What kind of package?"
"No return address. It was addressed directly to me. Security opened it."
Daniel held out his phone.
"There was a letter inside."
Bishop took the phone while Nolan moved closer. Castle stood behind them, reading over Nolan's shoulder.
The photograph showed a plain sheet of white paper lying on a conference table.
The message had been printed in block letters.
YOU TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME. NOW I WANT WHAT I AM OWED.
$30,000,000.
NO POLICE.
YOU HAVE FORTY-EIGHT HOURS.
YOUR FIANCÉE GETS HER RING WHEN WE GET WHAT BELONGS TO US.
MORE INFORMATION WILL FOLLOW.
No one spoke for several seconds.
Castle's expression had become serious.
Nolan read the first line again.
You took everything from me.
This was not a professional burglary that happened to target a famous couple.
It was revenge.
"Tell your security team not to move or touch anything from now on," Bishop said.
She began calling it in.
Daniel looked at them. "I can pay it."
"No," Bishop said.
"It's thirty million dollars."
"If paying gets the ring back, then I'll pay."
Nolan stepped in before Daniel could continue.
"You don't know that they'll return it. If you pay once, they can ask for more. Or they can keep the ring and disappear."
Daniel's jaw tightened.
"They gave me forty-eight hours."
"And now we use those forty-eight hours to find them," Bishop said.
Daniel looked down at the photographed message.
"This changes the case," Bishop said.
Castle glanced at her. "Because of the ransom?"
"Because this is no longer only a burglary. It's extortion."
She looked at Nolan.
"That means Ortega is no longer in the lead."
Nolan nodded.
"RHD will take over now."
.
.
.
Daniel POV
"No, it's fine. It's being handled," I said into the phone. "We're going to get it back."
Margot did not answer immediately.
I could hear movement on her end, followed by her mother and mine speaking quietly in the background.
"Just try to relax, Mags," I continued. "I'll call you again tonight."
"I love you too. Bye."
I ended the call before she could hear how uncertain I sounded.
A burglary had become a thirty-million-dollar extortion case.
Whoever had taken the ring knew what it meant to me. They knew I could pay what they were asking, and they had chosen the one object they could use to make me cooperate.
The second message had made the threat clear.
Pay them, or they would destroy it.
I entered a conference room inside the police station, where the people now leading the investigation were waiting.
Captain Andersen stood near the head of the table with Sergeant Grey. Both had introduced themselves when I arrived. Detective Lena Ortega sat on one side of the table. She had led the burglary investigation until the ransom demand changed everything.
The man beside her was new.
He stood as I entered.
"Mr. Adler. Detective Edward Vale, Robbery-Homicide Division."
We shook hands.
Vale looked to be in his late forties. He wore a dark suit and had tired eyes.
I sat across from him.
"Look, I'm willing to pay."
Grey shifted slightly, but Vale did not react.
"The ring is basically priceless to me," I continued. "Thirty million is a lot of money, but I can handle paying it."
"That is why they took it," Vale said. "They know you can afford the demand, and they know the ring has emotional value. Let us do our jobs, and you may not have to pay anything."
"The second letter said they would destroy it."
My voice came out louder than I intended. I leaned back and forced myself to lower it.
"They said that if I involve the police or miss the deadline, they'll destroy the ring."
"We understand the threat," Ortega said. "But we are making progress."
"Are you?"
"We believe the safe was opened by a professional. Based on the model, the method, and the forensic evidence recovered from the lock, there are only five known people currently operating in the city who could have done it."
"Known to you," I said.
Ortega met my eyes.
"Yes. Known to us. Which is still five more suspects than we had yesterday."
Vale placed both hands on the table.
"The people behind this want you frightened enough to act without thinking. They expect you to believe the police will only slow things down."
"They gave me forty-eight hours."
"And every minute of that time is useful to us."
"Fine," I said.
Captain Andersen opened a file.
"There is another matter. Whoever planned this knew your exact movements. Until we know the extent of the breach, we believe you should have a police presence with you."
"I already have security."
"Your security protects you," Vale said. "The officer would protect the investigation. Any new call, message, or delivery needs to be preserved correctly."
I said nothing.
Andersen looked at me.
"Mr. Adler?"
"Fine. I'll take Detective Castle."
Everyone stared at me.
I realized what I had said.
"I mean Nolan. Officer Nolan."
Sergeant Grey's eyebrows rose.
"Officer Nolan is a rookie."
"I like him."
"That is not usually how assignments are made."
"He seems competent, and he worked well with my security people."
Grey looked toward Andersen.
I added, "You're assigning someone to follow me around. I should at least be able to tolerate him."
Andersen considered me for a moment.
"I'll inform Officer Nolan."
"Good."
I stood.
"Now please find my ring. If you can't, I'm paying them and getting it back."
Vale's expression hardened.
"Do not make any transfer without telling us."
"Like I said, if you can't find it."
I left before he could respond.
Castle was waiting outside near the car, leaning against the passenger door with his phone in one hand.
"How did it go?"
"Your twin is joining us."
"We don't look alike, Danny."
Castle opened the driver's door.
"This is good. Having an actual police officer around during our investigation could be useful."
I walked around to the passenger side.
"Finding someone who hates me enough to do this shouldn't be difficult. The list is long, but I think I can narrow it down to a few people."
"That's the spirit."
Castle climbed behind the wheel.
I got in beside him.
"Let's find my ring."
He grinned.
Then Castle lifted his phone.
"Sunglasses."
I smiled immediately.
"Oh, we're doing this?"
"We're absolutely doing this."
I pulled on my sunglasses as Castle did the same. He connected his phone to the car and raised one finger between us.
"One."
I leaned back, already trying not to laugh.
"Two."
We both turned toward the windshield with matching serious expressions.
"Three."
Castle pressed play.
The opening scream from Won't Get Fooled Again blasted through the speakers.
"YEAHHHHHH!"
Castle pulled away from the curb as we both broke into laughter.
It was stupid.
It was also exactly what I needed.
.
.
Next chapter:
Daniel burst into the room.
"It was Ryan Reynolds, Castle. I'm sure of it. He took the ring."
Castle stared at him.
"No, Daniel. It was not Ryan Reynolds."
"YES, IT WAS...DAMMIT..I NEED A WIN THIS WEEK CASTLE..."