When two separate murders are committed on the same night, Castle wagers Ryan and Esposito that he and Beckett will solve theirs first. The frenzied race to catch their respective killers and win the bet leads each investigative duo to a likely suspect, only to find that they both have airtight alibis. But bizarre twists in both cases force the two teams to work together to unravel the mind-bending mystery behind each murder.

Castle has a new book agent, Paula Haas, but she talks with him when he has gotten an opportunity that may change his career. The downside is that taking the opportunity would mean the end of his relationship with Beckett. Meanwhile, an unidentified woman is found dead in a manhole.