Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

(art by Ponderosa121)

If these scars could speak
You would hear my hell
And all the lies I use to save myself
If these scars could speak
You would know my pain
And all the demons hiding in my rage
If These Scars Could Speak – Citizen Soldier

Chapter One

Malcolm reclined on his couch, tablet in hand as he read over the endless emails, half of which were spam that he deleted, several times accidentally taking out something he wanted to see in his rapid-fire trash canning of everything else. His hand ached from the tablet’s heft, reminding him that he might be out of the cast but the damaged tissues in his hand could take months to fully heal especially the ligaments he’d hammered through. It was ridiculous that the hand hurt more than his gut ever did. The stabbing was like a sharp punch, the horror more from knowing how much metal had been inside him than from the actual pain of it.

Sunshine dove from her spot on the stairs, flew through the pale last vestiges of daylight filtering through a window, and landed on his tablet, staring down at its lights. He stroked her soft feathers before extending a finger to her. She hopped on, and then popped up his arm to sit on his shoulder, trilling sharply in his ear. Malcolm turned his attention back to an email he’d received from one of his professors at Harvard, if he’d like to give a seminar to undergraduates about serial killers and profiling. It was like shooting fish in a barrel for him, but the students really went for that sort of thing. Of course, they did. There would be more than just criminal justice and psych majors in the seats. People were curious about serial killers, wanted to know how someone became so aberrant. He didn’t blame them. It was fascinating, if tragic.

He, Ainsley, and Mother had always refused to give interviews to anyone wanting to write books about The Surgeon. His mother always told prospective interviewers to talk to the family of the victims and make the story about them and not about the Whitlys. Truthfully, he and his family would not be wrong in including themselves amongst the victims of Martin Whitly, but they were rich and had been blind to his father’s actions. And more importantly, the idea of profiting from the things his father had done was just ugly to them. His mother also hated the idea of being considered a victim, and no one could ever accuse Jessica Whitly of playing the victim’s role. Malcolm hadn’t seen just how strong his mother was, not until these past several weeks where he stood in slight awe of her. Still, in years past, Malcolm had considered writing a book like that written by the daughter of the serial killer BTK, to talk about what it was like growing up knowing his father was a killer, but again he just wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do.

Of course, now he had new hurdles he was facing and they were threatening to overwhelm him in short order. His mother had been cleared of all criminal acts - his criminal acts – thanks to his father agreeing to lie about her being forced into stabbing him to save innocent lives. And if all he had to face was visiting his father to keep him quiet about the truth, Malcolm could live with that. However, Endicott had doubled down on the family trauma. It had taken time to pull out of the morass Endicott and his death had left his family in. Everyone involved had been shocked to see how many judges and lawyers the man had bought out. Last Malcolm heard, three of Endicotts judicial cronies had committed suicide rather than face what they’d done. Thankfully Mother’s army of lawyers along with some phone calls Gil made while he was still in the hospital helped to undo some of Endicott’s machinations. Malcolm was cleared and Martin Whitly was back in his posh cell at Claremont. He was under the watchful eye of Mr. David who had recently returned to his position. He had been poisoned so that Endicott’s assassin could take his place and have access to Martin. Luckily he had only been poisoned enough to make him severely ill but not dead. Malcolm would have felt miserable had the man been killed as part of this plot.

But now Malcolm had Ainsley living in his brain, and the memory of what his sister had done haunted him. He hadn’t slept now in over thirty-six hours as a terrible bout of memories lashed at him, Ainsley with the knife, Gil in the hospital bed paler than the sheets, Eve dripping water into Malcolm’s mouth as he slept tied down. His sister had been the one with the ankle monitor now, but allowed more freedom than he had been when he wore the leg iron. She was allowed to go to work, to their mother’s home and his, as well as her own, until she completed the court-mandated therapy. It had taken the Milton Lawyer Army to sweep aside murder or manslaughter charges and the D.A. had gone for justifiable homicide with the therapy condition. Besides, the D.A. had wanted to keep things as quiet as possible given all Endicott had done to buy the NYC’s legal system. They’d be retrying cases for years trying to undo all the damage.

As part of the court’s ruling, Ainsley was not allowed contact with their father for a year. Malcolm joined her once a week for a family therapy session. He knew Ainsley had been in a dissociative fugue that night, and he had made an official statement to that effect. Because of that coupled with what Endicott had done to Gil, to Malcolm and his mother, and so many others, the D.A. was in a hurry to make it all go away before the media pilloried the justice system more than it already had.

Somewhere deep inside him Malcolm had to admit he was afraid of his sister and had been worried about her long before she killed Endicott. She had broken his trust months before with the interview with their father, but in a way he didn’t blame her. She barely remembered their father. She had wanted to know him or at least that’s what Malcolm told himself. That was partially true, he was sure, but she had been career forward in doing it. He doubted she even realized she had damaged his career after throwing him under the bus. It was one of the reasons Gil hadn’t been able to put off his bosses when they demanded a psych eval of him, although circumstances led to that session being turned into a sting operation on the psychiatrist, Dr. Coppenrath. Malcolm ended up having to undergo a real psych eval after he had returned from his vacation, and he’d faked his way through that one.

Malcolm shook off the ugly thoughts. He’d never get any rest if he wasn’t able to put this all behind him. He should do the Harvard talk. He liked Dr. Antenucci and wanted to do her a favor. As a consultant, he had more free time. He’d put her off when she’d made previous requests because the FBI wasn’t nearly as flexible about allowing for time off as Gil, who was finally back to work. Malcolm had few friends but those he had outside of the team were in Boston. He still spoke to Jaylin who had been in his psych classes from his freshman year all the way through their accelerated masters. She and her wife, Suzume, texted or emailed him at least once a week but becoming friends with them seemed like something he forgot how to do so long ago. Being in D.C., being ostracized so badly by his fellow FBI agents, his self confidence in that area had withered. Jaylin and Suzume still lived in Boston in the house he owned, had lived in, and now rented to them. Bjørn and Star, the other good friends he had from his college days, had also remained in Boston. Ainsley had been wrong. The best, healthiest days of his life weren’t technically the decade he’d cut his father out of his life. Yes, those had been good years, but the FBI and how they treated him had kept those years from being as good as they should have been. Even visiting with his father, getting his head spun each and every time, and running to the Arroyos to love him past the pain, Malcolm counted college as his best days. He’d found people there who hadn’t cared who his dad was. Jaylin had found it fascinating, of course, being a psych major, and their mutual friend, Roisin had understood him like no one else had.

Except maybe Dani, he thought, toying with that random truth. Dani understood him, understood his moods, was willing to call him on his bullshit. Edrisa saw an idealized version of him, and he knew JT didn’t quite get him but had learned to like him enough to good naturedly tease him. There wasn’t any malice in the things JT said to him, not even in the early, far less accepting days. Even if that had been as good as it got, he’d still be better off here than he’d ever been with the FBI. That realization hurt. Damn if both his father and Gil hadn’t been right about him joining the FBI. Gil had based that on Malcolm’s personality – or maybe his arrogance because he knew he was guilty of it – and his father had said it because he knew they’d hold him against Malcolm. Both were right and he hated that too if only because he had been judged not on his own merits but by people’s preconceived notions of him.

Thinking of Dani brought up all the strain of the past several weeks. Now he had a killer sister to go with his serial killer father, and as far as Dani knew his mom was perfectly able to jam a shiv in someone like most everyone thought she had done to Martin. Had that impacted their friendship? Probably but certainly not more so than his own murder charge, or the way she treated him during that period in her attempt to remain detached and logical about it – at least that’s what he chose to believe had shaped her somewhat cool attitude toward him at the time. It had hurt down to the bone that Dani and JT could consider for a second that he’d been guilty. He’d forgiven her, naturally, right then and there as they waited to see if Gil would live or die but it left a scar that ached inside his chest. Worse, he had lied to her, and Malcolm knew that damaged her trust in him. But had she ever completely trusted him? Not just him on the job, because he knew she trusted him there, but had she trusted all of him?

I’m your friend. You wanted that. It had been a strange statement spoken there among the coffins at one weird convention, a statement he’d been too hurt, too panicked, too damn triggered to unpack at the time, waiting for his father to die at his hands, and turn him into a murderer. Did she not want to be his friend? He wanted her to be his friend but she made it sound like it was almost against her will, or maybe it was against her own pain. Someone had hurt her. Malcolm understood that on a deep level. She didn’t trust him with who or how her scars had been made but he hadn’t offered to listen either. He needed to do that. He expected to be shut down but he wanted her to know she could call him any time to just talk, that the offer was sans strings. He wanted no more than what she had offered.

Or are you lying to yourself? More could be nice, of course. He hadn’t had a good relationship in years. The thing with Eve hadn’t been a relationship. It had been a desperate attempt at forging a connection. He’d messed everything up, naturally. He had so wanted it to be a real relationship and yes, he’d felt something, but thinking it was true love, that part had been all inside his head where the spider webs lived. The sex had been nice. But truth be told, it happened soon after their first date and with a woman whose entire conversational orbit of him could be counted on four fingers and three of them were under five minutes of talk. Malcolm scowled. High risk behaviors, like sex with near strangers, was part and parcel of his mental health issues. He’d made an effort to take control of them but he obviously failed. Just one more thing to beat himself up about as if he needed any.

But Eve had come back. He’d thought it was because she felt something for him. Maybe she had but he now knew that wasn’t what had brought her back. She wanted to get to his father. That betrayal hurt, had sickened him, but not enough to make him let go. He had kept calling and texting her even though most people would have seen her leaving him in his loft that night after they had visited his father a second time as a very obvious goodbye. Part of him was glad he hadn’t let go because it had given him the final clue to finding her sister – and please, give me some peace, she’s alive, make her stop haunting me. I know she’s alive and well now. - but the larger part of him worried about his inability to accept being dumped, being used. He knew it was his mental issues at play and he’d spoken to Dr. Le Deux about it and to the new therapist he went to see with Ainsley. However, so far he was finding that recognizing his issues and doing something about them were two distinct things.

Just as he finished emailing Dr. Antenucci back saying he’d do the talk, Sunshine nipped his earlobe, making him yelp. “Sunshine!” He shooed her off his shoulder. She flew to her cage, perching on top of it, warbling at him. He wasn’t sure why she liked to nip every so often. He wasn’t entirely certain birds liked attention the way cats and dogs did but occasionally she did seem annoyed with him. He put her in her cage just as his phone rang. It was Dani as if his deep thoughts about her had summoned her. He glanced at the window. It was full on dark but that was crime’s favored time of day and he knew Dani wouldn’t be calling him late just to talk even though he wouldn’t mind it.

“Hello,” he said into the phone.

“Bright, you’re not going to like this,” she said without preamble.

Oh joy, he dreaded the answer to his next question. “Why not?”

“We have a case that Edrisa says looks just like the Ramble Rampager.”

Malcolm winced. “The names the media comes up with.”

“Take it up with your sister, though I suppose she would have been in high school when Archie Jackson was rampaging in the park.”

“More accurately he was eviscerating people and hanging their guts in the boughs of trees.”

“Because that’s not gross. You know where he’s at, don’t you?”

Malcolm shut his eyes. “Incarcerated with my father in Claremont. You’re right. I don’t like this.”

“Gil wants you out at the site. We’re already speculating that we’re going to have to go to Claremont to talk to Archie about his copycat. JT will be swinging by to get you.”

“I’ll be ready.” Malcolm signed off with a sigh. Cold dark crime scene, Claremont looming, intestines dangling from tree branches and a ride with JT. His night had just nosedived. Oh well, it wasn’t like he was going to sleep anyhow, not with Eve’s spirit pirouetting through a fountain of blood stabbed up by Ainsley. Malcolm hurriedly pulled on his suit and ran downstairs to wait for JT. He’d never hear the end of it if he kept him waiting.

Chapter Text

Chapter Two

(art by Ponderosa121)

The lights the forensic crew had brought were blinding as they lit up the trees around the crime scene. Malcolm knew that the team would do some collecting tonight, and some uniformed officers would end up standing guard until daybreak when they could see more clearly. A few feet of small intestine festooned the lower branches of a nearby tree, glistening under the harsh lights. The stench of blood and ruptured bowels assaulted his nose. His bad mood and lack of sleep clubbed him from behind, and he had to step away for a moment to try and relax just a bit. He was no good to them keyed up like this but ever since he was finally back to work, after the accusations, after nearly losing Gil, after everything with Ainsley, Malcolm found it harder and harder to let it go.

Steeling himself, he strolled up to the body next to Edrisa but not close enough to force her to shoo him back. He’d finally learned his lesson about not getting too close. Anyway, he didn’t need to be up close and personal with this kill. The woman had been split sternum to pubic bone, with her intestines in a tree. Something was in her hand.

“Is that…her spleen?” he asked slowly, in disbelief. That was new. The Ramble Rampager hadn’t done that.

Edrisa bobbed her head. “Good eye. She’s missing her uterus too. It’s not near the body but we might not know until tomorrow if it’s in the bushes or if he took it with him.”

“Shades of Jack,” Malcolm murmured, wondering if the killer had a motive to remove it or was something else at play.

“You okay, kid?”

Malcolm glanced over at Gil. He didn’t look that good himself, still wan. He’d lost weight during his convalescence, maybe a bit too much. He was looking his age more than he had in the past. He wondered if Gil was sleeping as badly as he was. He knew his mother was unless she took more pills than he was comfortable with, too much alcohol too. “Not sleeping.”

“Do you ever?” JT asked.

He shook his head. “Sleeping less than usual.”

Gil grimaced. The harsh light deepened the lines around his eyes. “If you need to…”

“I’m good to be here,” he interrupted quickly, maybe too quickly. “I was wondering if we have someone young and new who’s copying things trying to find what works for him, like the Rampager and the Ripper or if the killer had another reason to remove the uterus and used those kills to mask it.”

“Like what?” Dani made a face. “Like a pregnancy?”

“That’s a thought.”

“I can test for hormone levels.” Edrisa went into her kit and removed several syringes to pull some blood. She used one to withdraw urine from the exposed bladder and jabbed another into the eyeball. Malcolm couldn’t watch that one, his mind’s eye flooded by images of his father gleefully digging out the assassin’s – Eddie - eyeballs. “I’ll rush the beta-hCG test.”

“Thanks. Is there anything else missing?” Malcolm asked.

“Her liver isn’t missing but it is out of place,” Edrisa said. “I’ll know more when I can see under decent light.”

“Of course.”

“You’re thinking hard,” Dani said.

“This reminds me of something,” Malcolm said.

“It can’t possibly,” JT grumbled.

“You mean besides the Rampager,” Dani prompted.

Malcolm nodded. “I can’t put my finger on it.”

“No sleep will do that.” Gil shot him a look. Malcolm didn’t like it. He knew Gil too well. He was considering sitting Malcolm out of this and that wouldn’t do. He needed to be working but Gil wasn’t wrong. He wasn’t doing well. After everything with losing Eve, Endicott and Ainsley’s melt down, and nearly losing Gil, his head was spun. He hadn’t found his center. Hell, he thought it was too early for Gil to be back but selfishly had said nothing because he wanted to be working.

“Are we going to go to Claremont?” Malcolm asked. “Not now obviously but later.”

Gil shook his head. “Not immediately. I want to get a sense of this scene before we start overlying anything the Rampager did.”

Malcolm nodded. He should have considered that. He was too tired. “Yeah, that would be good. It’s hard to see everything we need to in the dark.”

“We’ll have to come back in the day,” JT said.

Malcolm nodded, unable to shake the feeling he recognized this and not just from the Rampager’s work. The problem was, he didn’t like his chances of getting some sleep and recharging his brain cells by morning.

X X X

Dani wanted to curl up under her desk and sleep for a day. The night had been long and they were all back out there at first light. Dani wasn’t sure it had added much to their understanding. Malcolm had been uncharacteristically quiet. He looked awful to the point she worried.

She glanced over to his desk. He sat hunched, his tie’s knot loose and a bit off center. That right there told Dani something was wrong. Bright didn’t walk around with a crooked tie. He fidgeted with a pencil as he scrolled through the photos collected from the scene. She wasn’t sure he was actually seeing any of them. Dani glanced at her computer, seeing it was nearly lunch so she got up and walked to his desk. “Do you want to take a break? I could use something to eat.”

Bright shook his head. “I’m missing something. It’s going to drive me nuts if I can’t figure it out.”

“You might need a little distance to see it more clearly,” she suggested.

He grunted but didn’t look up from the pictures. Dani left him there and crossed the bullpen to knock on Gil’s door frame. He beckoned her in. Dani took the time to close the door behind her. She bit her lip, hating that Gil looked fairly worn too. She was happy to have him back but at the same time worried he came back too soon, much like Bright had done after his own stabbing.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, sensing something was up, that this wasn’t an update about the case.

“I was wondering that very thing about Bright.” Dani glanced out the office window into the bullpen. “He looks awful, Gil and he’s actually quiet.”

Gil followed her line of sight and sighed. “I know. He’s not sleeping, majorly not sleeping.”

“He said,” she replied, but he shook his head.

“Not like his usual not sleeping. Earlier he told me he hasn’t been asleep in over two days. I tried to send him home but he got agitated so I let him be.” He thinned his lips. “If he’s like this tomorrow, I’m sitting him out.”

Dani took that as the warning it was. “Is there anything I can do?”

He spread his hands. “Talk to him, see if he’ll tell you what’s eating him. He’s been on edge and getting worse.” Something sparked in Gil’s eyes and Dani knew he wasn’t telling her everything. She decided it had to be personal. She knew Bright wasn’t dealing particularly well with what his sister had done to defend them against Endicott. Who could blame him? She’d seen the crime scene. Ainsley had slaughtered Endicott and afterward spent weeks in a lock down unit in a rich person’s mental hospital, the kind that didn’t have any indications outwardly that it was, in fact, a mental hospital. She had been cleared with self-defense being given as justification. Was it true? Dani didn’t want to know but if it wasn’t, she could see that weighing on Bright. But the way he kept secrets, he’d have blurted it out while Endicott’s body was still on the floor.

“I’m trying to get him to go for lunch. Think he might listen to you.”

Gil stood. “He might. He needs a reminder he has to leave early.”

Oh right, he went to family therapy once a week in the late afternoon. He’d probably try to worm out of it. She hoped not because seeing him slowly deteriorate was hard to watch. If she could do something, then she would. She just wished she knew what to do. She followed Gil back out to the desks.

“Bright,” Gil called, and he looked up, his eyes dim. “Time to take a break. Why don’t you go with Powell for lunch?”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Kid, we all need to take breaks.” This time Gil’s tone didn’t brook argument.

Bright sighed and put his pencil down, pushing away from his desk with enough violence both she and Gil took notice. “Fine.”

Great, she should have thought this through better. She now had to deal with a sleep deprived, punch drunk, and grumpy Bright who didn’t want to be lured away from his work. Dani steeled herself. She shouldn’t complain. Her friend was hurting and needed help. As a friend, you needed to be there for the bad times too. Dani tossed her hair back and summoned up a smile.

“I know a place,” she said. “The sandwiches are fantastic. I know, I know, you don’t eat much but how about we split one and get some soup. Their pastrami is amazing and stacked to the ceiling.”

He grinned weakly. “Okay, you’ve sold me.”

“Good.”

She led him to the deli, which was under two blocks away and he paid for the lunch over her protests. They found a table and she made sure he took half the sandwich. He cut it in half again and Dani fully expected him to sneak the quarter back onto her plate. At least he started in on the chicken soup.

“Want to tell me what’s going on with you?”

He shook his head. “I wish I knew. It’s not like I don’t have an inkling. It’s more like how do I narrow down everything I’ve been through in the last several months and pick the one thing that is really tossing me off center?”

Dani chewed on the huge pastrami bite of her sandwich, thinking that over. He’d been fired and forced to move, tossed into a new team that wasn’t keen on having him in the beginning, kidnapped by a serial killer and nearly died, was betrayed on a deep level by Eve only to lose her to an assassin, watched his father dig out someone’s eyes, framed for murder, nearly lost Gil, watched his sister kill someone, yes, where did someone start with any of that? “Do you need to pick which trauma is haunting you?”

He made a face. “Maybe. To break a mental loop, you need to confront the causes of the loop.”

“Your whole life is cause for a loop,” she replied, “And I’m not trying to make a joke there. I wish I could do something to help, Bright. You could call me and talk if you wanted to.”

He sighed and set aside his spoon. “I appreciate that but it’s hard at night. I don’t want to keep waking other people up. We all don’t get enough rest.”

“That’s true but the offer is still there. I’m worried,” Dani admitted, no longer that interested in her food. “I’ve seen this before, in someone else.” She worked her jaw, trying to determine how much to tell him. “I’ve lost someone to themselves once as it is, and I don’t really want to talk about it, but you’re worrying me. I’d much rather lose a night’s sleep than lose you.”

His nostrils flared and his eyes brimmed but the tears didn’t spill. “I’ve lost someone like that too,” was all he said. “I’m hanging on but it hurts Dani, and there isn’t a damn thing you or anyone can do. I’m taking my meds. I’m doing my at-home therapy, the yoga, the daily affirmations and whatever else they think will help me. I’m seeing a couple of therapists. I don’t know what more I can do. At least having a case gives me something more to focus on.”

Except he wasn’t focusing, and she knew it. And she knew he knew it but Dani decided to let it slide. Provoking him now might be the wrong move. “The case is strange and not really appetite- inspiring is it?” She pointed to his sandwich.

He dutifully took a bite.

“How is your mother by the way? You haven’t mentioned her in a while.”

“Trying to drink less, which is a big step for her.” Bright sighed. “Not sure why she picked now but I’m glad of it. She spends most of her time worrying about me or Ainsley so really I am glad you offered to listen to me if I need it. I might take you up on it. I usually call Gil but he’s not as recovered as he wants to pretend to be. I’d rather him get his rest, and I just can’t call Mother. She has enough issues of her own and right now, she’s hyper focused on Ainsley and that’s good. Ains has always thought Mother was more concerned with me and that she’s the tragic forgotten child,” he said bitterly, waving his spoon around before dipping it back in the soup. “That’s not fair of me. Mother did spend more energy on me because I was the broken child. Gil and Jackie poured all that love into me. Ainsley was never that interested in doing things with the Arroyos but maybe….”

“She thought no one had time for her?” Dani filled in for him.

“Yes, and maybe there’s some truth to it. Me and my problems cast a very big shadow. We didn’t see her troubles and maybe if we had….” He lost color, his hand shaking.

Dani reached across the table and took it, holding it tight. “She did what she did to keep you and her safe because that man was going to hurt you both.”

He nodded, squeezing her hand back. For several long moments, they didn’t eat or speak, just held hands until his trembling stopped. He finally eased his hand away. “Thank you.”

“Any time.”

Bright actually went back to eating, mostly just his soup but he did manage to get down that quarter of the sandwich. He gave the other quarter back as predicted and Dani had it bagged to go with another order of soup for later. He seemed a bit more relaxed as they headed back to the precinct so she was happy that she helped at least a little.

XXX

Malcolm followed Ainsley up to their mother’s home, his nerves frayed. The momentary feel-good he got when Dani held his hand at lunch left during the tough family therapy session he and Ains had muddled through tonight. He had been blind to so much growing up. Ainsley loved him. He knew that. She resented him too, feeling Mother – not to mention the Arroyos – made him central to everything and that she was on the fringes. What hurt worse was he couldn’t say she was wrong. It was hard for him to think that but there was precedence. Keeping him alive and sane, especially growing up, had been a full-time job. Mother had her own demons, and she was drunk often when they were young. All Ainsley had was her nanny.

The rest of the remaining Miltons hadn’t been much of a help, including their grandmother who had been filled with ‘I told you so’s.’ Malcolm hadn’t thought about her in a long while, not until Eve had asked him why his mother hadn’t returned to the Milton name following his father’s arrest and their subsequent divorce. Apparently Mother had told her that she’d done a lot of good as a Whitly and had been a Whitly longer than a Milton. Eve had done the math and knew there was no way it could be true. Malcolm told her how Grandmother hadn’t wanted his parents to marry in college, and that she thought Martin had been too poor for his mother. He hated that his family could be so classist, and that answer hadn’t impressed Eve much either. The truth was the Miltons wanted his mother to lie in the bed she made, and he resented most of them for that.

Ainsley paused with her hand on the front doorknob, looking a bit haunted. He felt it too, having had no idea just how many times she’d seen Watkins in the house as a child. It wasn’t just once or twice. That bastard had been in to see her several times that she was sure of. Ainsley cocked her head to the side, looking through him. “You don’t have to come in, Malcolm. I’m just running in to get the interview notes I forgot. You look awful. You can sit in the car.”

He shrugged. “I just want to see how Mother’s doing,” he replied, wishing he had taken an Uber home. He might need some space from his sister after the heated talks in the therapy session. Next time he would do that but would that hurt her feelings? He wished he knew.

“Okay, but I don’t want to be here long,” she said, opening the door.

Hell, he was sure that Ainsley didn’t want to be here. It had to be a nightmare reminder for her. “Will you be okay?”

“I can handle the house, Malcolm,” she said.

He wasn’t sure he could but maybe he was the weakest Whitly. That might be too harsh. More like the most exhausted one. Together they strode into the living room which hadn’t just been cleaned deeply; every last piece of it had been replaced unless it was some family heirloom. Mother sat on the new leather couch, arms wrapped around someone kissing him passionately. Hearing their footsteps, her head jerked up, her eyes widening when she saw it was her children. That’s when he saw she was with Gil and his world shifted. How could he have missed this?

“I’m a thousand percent done with this day,” he said, whipping around and leaving the room. It was childish, and he hated himself for it but he was so overwhelmed he didn’t know what to do. Malcolm got as far as the front staircase, started to climb as if to go to his room but then sagged down on a step. He bent over his knees, breathing deep, trying to calm himself. Malcolm understood the new neuroscience that suggested there truly was something settling with deep breathing, that it affected the neural circuitry. He heard Gil’s footsteps but didn’t look up.

“Malcolm, are you all right?”

He shook his head. “I’m sorry. That wasn’t about you and Mother. It’s…god.” Malcolm sighed, his chest heaving. “I’m sorry.”

Gil put a hand on Malcolm’s shoulder, and he looked up into Gil’s concerned face. “I feel like I need to worry here, Malcolm.”

“Please don’t.”

Gil sat on the step below Malcolm’s. “I’m listening.”

“I’m just tired and therapy today was hard.”

“You weren’t even honest with the therapist,” Ainsley said, heading his way with their mother following her.

“Oh, Malcolm,” his mother said, leaning on the newel post.

Malcolm glared at his sister. “Ains, half the point of therapy is that it’s confidential. And I was honest.”

“Do you think that I didn’t notice you danced around Dr. Karsak’s question about how long it’s been since you’ve slept?” Ainsley shot his hot look right back at him. “I keep telling you I’m good at my job. I’m observant.”

He sighed heavily. He didn’t like talking to someone other than Dr. Le Deux but she didn’t do group therapy and was not about to take on two or three adults at once. He imposed on her enough as it was with his solo therapy. And Dr. Shirahama, whom he liked very much as a therapist, was back in Virginia.

“Want to answer that now, kid?” Gil rested his hand on Malcolm’s knee.

No, he didn’t. He didn’t want Gil to forbid him to come to work. He also knew Gil wouldn’t let it go. “Over three days,” he whispered.

“Okay, why don’t you let Ainsley go do whatever else she has planned for the night, and I’ll take you home,” Gil shook Malcolm’s leg.

Malcolm squinched up his features. “No, I don’t want to take you away from your night, Gil. Ainsley can drop me off or I can get an Uber if she has plans. It’s fine.”

“And I want you to take care of yourself, Malcolm,” his mother said. “I’d rather Gil help you. I know you feel better when you two spend time.”

“I don’t want everything to be about me,” he protested, and Ainsley rolled her eyes. Of course, she had accused him of that just an hour ago in therapy. Well accused was a strong word for it but she wasn’t wrong. His pain and suffering had been made the center of the Whitly world. She’d been shunted to the side, deemed undamaged. “I’m fine. I promise. I’m just tired. I’ll go home and try to get some sleep.”

“Malcolm…”

“I will,” he interrupted his mother. “And again, I’m sorry. I’m just too tired and a little emotionally raw. I’m happy for you. You two mean the world to me. I want you to be happy.” He smiled faintly. “I remember a time when this was all I wanted.”

His mother made a soft noise and stared down at the runner leading to the stairs. “And I appreciate that but I’d feel better if Gil took you home.”

Malcolm opened his mouth to argue but just then Gil’s phone rang. He pulled it out, his crow’s feet deepening as he scowled. Malcolm knew it had to be the office.

“Captain Weatheroy, do we have another one?” Gil asked, and from the look on his face Malcolm knew they did. Gil pushed up to his feet. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. I’ll contact Tarmel and Powell.” He pocketed his phone, shooting Malcolm’s mother an apologetic look. She thinned her lips but nodded. Malcolm wondered if she could deal with this long term. He turned to Ainsley, “Can you get your brother home?”

“Not even going to tell me what this is?” She grimaced.

“No, besides, aren’t you anchoring now?” he asked.

“As a sub,” Ainsley replied bitterly. Malcolm knew of all the things his sister deeply regretted, it was that the station had put her in a more probationary position and put her back in the field as well, after everything with Endicott. Ainsley was lucky her career wasn’t entirely over. “Can’t you give me a hint?”

“Not now. Later, when we can, you’ll be the first to know,” Gil promised. “You take care of Bright.”

“No,” Malcolm protested. “You need me, Gil. If this is related to our current case, I need to be there.”

“And you’re exhausted.”

“Are you much better?” Malcolm knew Gil wasn’t nearly as tired as he was but he was tired. “Don’t waste the opportunity for me to see this in situ.”

Gil sighed. “Fine. Come on.”

“Gil,” his mother said in warning.

“He’s right, Jess. I’ll make sure he gets home once we’re done at the scene,” Gil promised. He didn’t enlighten her that it could be some time tomorrow morning when they all went home for a bare couple of hours of sleep, which would do little to bolster them through the day tomorrow. Malcolm hated this. They were going to fight more than once over him. Hell, they’ve been riling over him for twenty years but never as lovers. He’d hate himself if he was the reason it didn’t work.

“Fine but try to get some sleep, Malcolm. You have to. You can’t keep going like this,” she said.

He nodded. “I know, Mother. I know.”

He followed Gil out the door and into the night.
 

Chapter Text

Chapter Three

Malcolm had managed a bare hour and a half of sleep between the hours of five and seven, having crawled into bed with a wet head. He had tried to shampoo the smells of bile, blood and bowel out of his hair but he swore after four scrubbings the scent lingered. It was probably lodged in his sinuses. Breakfast had been coffee and part of the food truck breakfast burrito Dani had provided him when she picked him up. While she and JT made a lot of calls and followed up what few leads they had because they didn’t even know the first victim’s name yet, he sat in the war room, looking at the whiteboard which had barely nothing on it beyond the least disturbing pictures.

What he knew: the person wasn’t biting or attempting to eat the victims, at least it did not appear that way from the condition of the external anatomy. He couldn’t speak to the missing parts. They had found nothing in the woods at the first site. JT was still waiting to hear back from the crime scene unit that had been dispatched at dawn to thoroughly go over the second site. Both victims were women. Both had been eviscerated and an attempt had been made to mimic the Ramble Rampager.

Another thing he knew - that the Rampager, Archie Jackson, had been so agitated at the idea that the police were coming to visit him he had to be sedated. It might be impossible to see him. Malcolm knew what came next. Talk to your dad. See what he knows about Archie. Can he talk to Archie? Gil wouldn’t ask directly. He’d hint around as would the others. It’s not like he hadn’t already promised to visit his father more in return for his silence on who stabbed him. That had been such an idiot decision. What was wrong with him some days? Why did it not occur to him to fake stabbing his father and lure the killer – Cory Wheaton - out that way? He should have been better. Now his father had him over a barrel.

He also knew that there was something familiar about this case beyond the Rampager part. He still had no idea how or why but it was there in the back of his mind nagging him. Maybe he needed to talk it over with Edrisa. That might help him focus on it.

Someone knocked on the edge of his desk, nearly sending him out of his skin. He whipped his head up to see Gil who spread his hands.

“Sorry, didn’t realize you were completely lost in your head. Edrisa has something. Want to come with?”

“Of course. I was just thinking that I needed to talk to Edrisa. I’m stuck on something but I have no idea what I’m stuck on. It’s like an impression that I can’t remember something I should be able to remember.”

“You need to recharge that brain of yours.”

“I am literally out of neurotransmitters,” he agreed, falling into step with Gil. Dani joined them on the way to the morgue. She said nothing, looking as tired as he felt. This case was going to drain them all.

Gil let the comment go as they made their way to the morgue. Edrisa stood at the workspace along the wall, bent over working on something. She peered at whatever it was through a hand lens.

“Edrisa,” Gil called to her.

Her head snapped up and she nearly lost the hand lens. She had been as lost in her task as Malcolm had been in his musings. She smiled seeing them. “Oh, good, come here and see this. It’s strange.”

Malcolm hurried over, curious as to what Edrisa might find strange. She tapped what looked like blood-soaked paper. A pile of cotton balls rested next to her hand.

“Put on some gloves,” she invited him. “You can help me try to soak up this blood. Dab not rub. I found this paper pinned with toothpicks to the liver.”

“That’s weird,” Dani said.

“Right? It seems like it has writing on the paper but there’s so much blood it might all be lost if we’re not fast. It’s already been soaking overnight.”

“It could already be too late,” Gil said as Malcolm gloved up.

Edrisa nodded. “I’m afraid the ink eluted overnight from the body fluids.”

Dani squinted at her. “So, you’re saying we can’t read it even if you get the blood off.”

“Possibly but it’s worth a try.”

She and Malcolm blotted up blood. The blood had been too thick, there too long. All they had was stained paper and smeared ink. Edrisa cocked her head studying the artifact. “I don’t think this was ever writing, more like a drawing.”

“Of what?” Dani asked.

Edrisa shook her head. “Not a clue.” She stepped aside so Dani could study it herself.

Malcolm didn’t surrender his place to Gil who could see it over his shoulder anyhow. “This is still somehow familiar. Why can’t I remember?” He slapped his hand down on the table and Edrisa jumped. “Sorry, it’s just…”

“You need sleep?” Dani interjected and he didn’t think it was a question.

“Yes,” he admitted because there was no one in the room who would believe the lie. “The liver, was it out of place again, Edrisa?”

“Yes, and like I said last night, the uterus was taken again. You have to wonder why he’s taking them.”

“I’d rather not,” Dani said. “Even though I know we need to figure it out. Any thoughts on that, Bright?”

“Thoughts, yes. Anything useful, I don’t know. It’s possible that it represents their femininity and he wants to destroy that or possess it. I’m actually more interested in the liver because that’s something that makes little sense. Why pull it out of place? Why tack on paper with something drawn on it? I don’t have any idea but I can’t escape the feeling that I should know.”

“It is strange,” Edrisa agreed. “I don’t have the lab work done yet on the first victim so I don’t know if she was pregnant but with a second victim with the same mutilation it seems less likely. That aside, we pulled fluids for the test. Haven’t heard back on the prints for either woman.”

“It’s possible they weren’t prostitutes or otherwise in the system,” Gil said. “Just because they are the usual low hanging fruit for serial killers doesn’t mean that’s what we’re seeing.”

“My father generally did not go for them,” Malcolm replied, trying not to think hard on the type of people his father preyed on because in general it could have been anyone. The Surgeon had liked the challenge.

“And I think you might be right about that,” Edrisa said. “These two women are well nourished. I would be surprised if they had been on the street. If they were it wasn’t for long. There are not really any signs of sexual activity but there was so much trauma it’s hard to be sure. Still waiting on the drug panel too. But there is something.”

“Oh?” Gil put his hands on his hips, giving her a hurry up look.

“It was hard to tell in the night but with the first victim I felt something was off. By the second, I was sure. I don’t think they were killed where we found them.”

Malcolm’s shoulders slumped as dawning overcame him. How had he missed that? “Not enough blood was there?”

Edrisa shook her head. “No, there wasn’t. It was hard to tell in the dark of course.”

“Not to mention the park has its own police division. Maybe that’s what’s been bothering me,” he mused. It was part of it but there was something more. “That paper…I’m not sure it could have been done in the dark unless it was drawn somewhere else first.”

“So, what are you suggesting? That they were killed somewhere else and then brought into the park?” Dani made a face. “You have a point. There’s a police presence but the park is immense. While it might be possible to do, would someone really gut these two women elsewhere and then risk being caught to put them in the park? What would be the motive?”

She and Gil both looked right at him for an answer. Edrisa was always looking at him. The only problem was he didn’t have an answer, at least not yet. “I wish I knew. But to do what this killer did to those women took time, did it not, Edrisa?”

“I would say so. The wounds aren’t ragged and torn, not like they were in the Rampager’s case. Archie Johnson was a monster. This killer is still monstrous but the knife work is much more precise. Johnson tore out the intestines,” Edrisa said and Dani flinched. Gil hunched up his shoulders. “These were cut. It might take too much time to have been done at the park.”

“A van,” Malcolm said, surprising even himself. “A panel van. That would make for a nice workspace in the back but you can’t drive in the park. So, if he is doing the work in something like a van or a food truck outside the park, how is he getting the person into the park?”

“It’s not like he could carry them in,” Dani said, “but you wouldn’t pay much attention to a bike or one of those rickshaw bikes.”

Malcolm wagged a finger at her. “I like that, Dani. A horse carriage, a rickshaw, if he’s a driver he could strap her into it with a little plastic drop cloth around her and a lap blanket over it. It’s dark with nothing but the streetlamps. That park is open until 1 AM; it would be good cover.”

“All right, I’ll get on that with JT, see if we can find someone who owns one or owns the company. That might be a place to start,” she said.

“Good catch, Edrisa,” Gil said. “Call me as soon as you get the labs.”

“Will do, sir. And Malcolm, are you okay?” Edrisa rested a hand on his arm. “You’re sort of wobbling on your feet.”

“I am very tired but I’ll be okay. Thanks, Edrisa….and I think we’re still missing something. I’m not sure what though. It’s going to make me nuts.”

“Come on, kid, let’s see if JT has anything for us.”

Malcolm followed them back to the bullpen, mulling over this mini-break through. He was still missing something. He also almost missed a step and thumped up against the hand rail. Gil shot him a look. Malcolm tried to shake it off. “Tripped over my own feet.”

“Uh –huh.” Dani rolled her eyes. Neither of them believed him.

Gil’s expression was highly critical. “Did you eat today?”

“Does half a breakfast burrito count?”

“Half? Try three bites,” Dani countered.

“No, Bright, it doesn’t come close. Get something out of the vending machine or run out to a food truck or something,” she ordered him.

He didn’t answer the challenge. JT met them as they came into the bullpen, his eyes animated.

“I think I’ve found the first victim,” he said.

“How? Edrisa said there’s not been a hit on the fingerprints,” Gil replied.

“I overheard Wehr and Morrison talking. They had a missing person’s case and she sounded like our victim.” JT handed over a picture to Gil. Malcolm and Dani peered around him to get a look too.

“That does look like her,” Gil agreed.

“Who is she?” Dani asked.

“Julie Beldon, a nursing student. She left the hospital she was doing clinicals at and hasn’t been seen since. I was about to see if she was fingerprinted. I’m not sure if nursing students need to be fingerprinted before going into a hospital.”

“I don’t know either, worth a check,” Dani said.

“Wasn’t there a serial killer who liked nurses, Bright?” JT asked.

He nodded. “Richard Speck. It’s more common to see nurses to be the killer than the target though. Do we have any idea if other nursing students have gone missing?”

“I was about to check that too,” JT replied, his head jerking up and he stared at something over Malcolm’s shoulder.

Malcolm turned and spotted Ainsley heading his way. Perplexed, he pulled out his phone. Had he missed a call or text? No, nothing. “Ainsley?”

“Hello.” She smiled, radiating energy that he envied. Somehow she still managed to sleep.

“Did we have plans that I’ve forgotten?”

She flapped a hand at him. “I’m actually here to talk to Gil but you can sit in if you want.”

Gil widened his eyes, obviously not expecting Ainsley either. “Okay, come on into the office. Dani, help JT.”

She nodded and Malcolm followed his sister into the office. Gil opened his desk drawer and handed Malcolm a container of wasabi almonds.

“Eat some,” he demanded and then waved to a chair. “Have a seat, Ainsley. What can I do for you?”

She sat, tossed her hair back and smiled that smile Malcolm knew was trouble. “It’s the other way around, Gil. A Claremont representative reached out to my boss. Archie Johnson wasn’t willing to talk to you but he wanted what Tevin wanted, to be on TV. My boss has visions of a whole serial killer series and trending with the hot serial killer hashtag.” She rolled her eyes and Gil made a face.

“Ew,” Malcolm couldn’t quite keep that in.

“Trust me, I agree but if this gets me back in their good graces and anchoring full time…” Ainsley shrugged. “But the reason I’m telling you this is that I talked to my boss and we might be able to bring you in as part of the interview team. I don’t know if we can get all of you in and we’d have to be honest about who you are…”

“I appreciate that, Ainsley. That would be helpful.”

“And maybe you and I can revisit our arrangement.” Ainsley smiled at him.

Gil shook his head. “I appreciate your help, Ainsley but you know that it can’t change. There are simply things we can’t put out there. We have to keep details back but you know you’ve always been the first call when we have permission to do press conferences. And Malcolm, you’re not eating.”

“I’m too disturbed by hot serial killers. Tell me that wasn’t a hashtag after your interview with Dad.”

She flashed him one of her fake sweet smiles, the one she usually reserved for the arrogant women in their circle after they slighted her or their mother. “Wish I could.”

“Ew, that is so wrong.”

“You’re starting to sound like JT.” Gil pointed to the can and gave him a look.

Sighing, Malcolm popped a few of the nuts into his mouth. They burned his tongue. “So hot! Damn it, Gil.”

“Okay if you’re swearing, I know you’re too tired to be here.” Gil narrowed his eyes but gestured to the coffee pot on the table. “Have some. And Ainsley if there can only be one of us in the room with you, take your brother. He’s not a cop and Archie might be more likely to talk to him, especially if your father has been talking about Malcolm to the others.”

“Because that worked so well with Tevin,” Malcolm said, filling a mug with left over coffee. “But I’m willing.”

“But are you able?” Ainsley eyed him. “You look even worse than yesterday, both of you.”

“We were at the crime scene most of the night. When will this interview happen?” Malcolm dumped sugar into the coffee. It didn’t help. “This is worse than the nuts.”

“If you’re going to be picky…” Gil scowled.

“And tomorrow. I know you’ll be fine with the short notice,” Ainsley said.

“Not a problem,” Malcolm assured her before Gil could. He ate a few more nuts in spite of the wasabi burn and sipped the strong enough to eat the mug coffee Gil had brewed.

“Maybe you ought to go home now, get some sleep,” she suggested and he barely kept himself from slamming the mug down.

His sleep-deprived temper was the last thing anyone needed but he felt it welling up. Maybe Endicott was right. He was his Mother’s son. That was mostly true but he had his father’s temper. “I have work to do. I’ll go home after that.”

“If not sooner,” Gil gave him another look.

Ainsley rolled to her feet and clapped a hand to his shoulder. “How about I go grab you something to eat from that food truck down the street?”

“You don’t have to,” he said at the same time Gil said ‘yes.’ Malcolm sighed and sank onto the couch. “You know what I can eat, Ains. Thanks.”

“I’ll keep it simple,” she promised and walked to the door.

“Thank you, Ainsley,” Gil said. “For keeping us in the loop.”

“You’ve always done it for me.” She smiled softly. “It’s the least I can do.”

“Still, it’s appreciated.”

Malcolm watched his sister go. He put his hands over his face, letting his head dropped back onto the couch pillows.

“Kid?

Malcolm dropped his hands. “Gil, can I bring Sunshine over and put her in the back room for a few days?”

Gil sat down next to him on the couch rubbing the back of Malcolm’s neck. “Of course. You can stay as long as you need.”

He nodded. He knew Gil understood he couldn’t be alone right now. “I wasn’t sure. Things are different now.”

Gil’s hand stilled and he twisted on the seat so he could look at Malcolm more directly. “Things will never be that different, Malcolm. Your mother would never put anything we had planned over your mental health and neither would I. You know this.”

Malcolm scrubbed a hand over his face. “I know. Sorry. Nonsense is spilling out of me. I need sleep.”

“No argument. When we’re done here, I’ll take you home so you can get some stuff and collect Sunshine. You can tell your mother if you want.”

“I think I should all things considered.”

Before Gil could answer, JT knocked on the door frame. “Boss, we think we have an idea who the other victim is.”

“We’ll be right there.”

Malcolm took a deep breath to steady himself and then launched himself back into work.

Chapter Text

Chapter Four

“All right, we’re going to all be able to get in,” Ainsley said, handing Dani the camera. “Dani, you’ve had the crash course in how to work this thing.”

Dani’s gaze cut over to Ava, Ainsley’s new camerawoman, who stood talking to a talk blonde that Ainsley said was interning at the station and who was very disappointed she couldn’t come in too. Dani nodded. Gil barely could keep his mind on it. He’d been up since three in the morning. Every part of him hurt, his head, his arm, his heart. Malcolm looked even worse. Part of Gil wanted to be anywhere but here. Of course, if they were back in his home, he’d still be debating what to do with Bright: care for him himself if he could or pull the trigger on getting him professional help. But if he put him into a mental hospital on a seventy-two hour hold it would be a matter of record. He didn’t want to do that to him unless he was sure Bright was a danger to himself. Three in the morning had him ninety percent convinced Bright was. Both of them had come away from last night’s, or more accurately, this early morning’s episode bearing painful wounds, physical and otherwise.

“I’ve got it,” Dani assured her.

“I’ve got your list of questions.” Ainsley tapped her phone as they headed for Claremont’s front door. “Malcolm should get to ask some, if he doesn’t keel over first.” She eyed her brother who curled his lip at her. “Sorry Gil, you and JT will have to be my protectors. Jackson’s psychiatrist thought he might go for that, make him feel a little dangerous and appreciated as a threat.”

“That we can be in the room at all is a bonus,” Gil said, dragging inside the building.

By the time they had cleared with the administration and Richard, one of the orderlies, had escorted them through the building, Gil wanted nothing more than to sleep. They ran into a hitch. Archie Jackson wasn’t in the meeting room. Richard led them to a group therapy room, leaving them outside but Gil spotted Martin Whitly in the room. He snuck a glance at the siblings. Ainsley was looking at her notes on her phone but Malcolm hadn’t missed seeing his father. Gil could tell.

Richard chivvied them away from the door as the other orderlies started to take their charges back to their cells. They stood along the wall as the inmates exited the room. It didn’t take long for Dr. Whitly to make his appearance.

“My boy!” Martin warbled as Mr. David ushered him out, and then he spied Ainsley. “And my girl! How nice to see you both. To what do I owe this visit?’’

“We’re actually here to see Archie Jackson,” Malcolm replied deadpanned.

Gil watched Whitly’s face fall. He wasn’t happy that he wasn’t central to their attention. Martin turned to face him, stopping dead. He earned a prod from David for it.

“And Gil, you brought the whole team. I should have known there was an ulterior motive.” Whitly held on to his upbeat tone but his gaze went reptilian.

“Hey, that shrimp is your kid, the one you always make me role play?” A tall thin, shave-headed man howled. He lunged for Whitly who smiled at the aggression and the man’s orderly jerked him back.

The dark look on Whitly’s face as he hissed the name “Hector,” made Gil instinctively reach for his gun, which was now back in the administrator’s safe. All any of them had, including the siblings because Gil demanded it, were the single-shot stun guns the orderlies carried.

“My son isn’t a shrimp.” Whitly’s vicious grin made Gil’s hair stand up on his arms. Malcolm mouthed ‘role play?’ at him.

“Keep walking, Dr. Whitly,” Mr. David said, giving him a push. Gil realized Ainsley and Malcolm moved in step with their father as he started walking again. Gil urged Dani and JT to follow.

Suddenly the alarm went off. Orderlies swore. Inmates cheered. Gil wished he was anywhere else. He was too exhausted for this.

“Move fast,” David told Whitly. “Malcom, bring your group with us. You can’t get out the front door now, and we can’t stay in the halls.”

“What is even happening?” JT asked as they jogged along. David hustled Whitly to the stairs and up them. Martin didn’t hesitate or seem to try to make a break for it. Malcolm had said Rikers frightened his father. Whitly was not going to give anyone reason to taser him and send him back.

“Shut that door hard behind you,” David called as he all but dragged Whitly even faster to the next door. He left it open so he could chain Whitly to the wall but Martin’s hands remained free. The team and Ainsley spilled into the cell and David locked up while talking on his phone. Just what Gil needed, an hour of paperwork explaining to whoever needed to hear it that exigent circumstances had led to Ainsley being in breach of the court-mandated no visitation rule.

“What is happening?” JT asked again.

“Two of the inmates tried to make a break. They didn’t make it out but we’re not sure where they are,” David said.

“Don’t look at me. I had no idea,” Whitly said sounding actually honest.

“This time,” Malcolm said, and his father shot him a sour look. “Ains, are you okay?”

“Can’t say I like being here with that alarm going off again.” She stared up at the ceiling. “But at least this time we’re all armed and three of us are cops.”

“Lucky,” Whitly said, eyeing his children. “You’re looking well, Ainsley. Malcolm you look like hell. I’ve never seen you so exhausted.”

“How many days without sleep are you up to now?” Ainsley asked.

Malcolm sighed. “I got a little sleep last night but Gil and I have been up since three in the morning and the whole team had been out until five in the morning yesterday and back in the office by eight.”

Gil knew Malcolm had to be so beyond tired to let it slip he’d been at his house. He had been adamant, even as a young man, that Martin not be told he was still in contact with Gil. He definitely hadn’t wanted his father to know about him spending days, sometimes weeks, with him and Jackie. The slip hadn’t flown past Whitly either.

“Why were you there?” Whitly’s eyes didn’t leave Gil’s, boring into him.

Malcolm cocked his head, almost as if he didn’t know what his father was talking about. Then realization dawned. He turned pasty. “Sometimes it’s easier if we’ve been out at a crime scene all night and have to be back at work in a few hours,” he lied with such ease it probably should worry Gil. He just hoped it wasn’t showing on JT or Dani’s faces because they didn’t know about the arrangement or that Ainsley wouldn’t add to the narrative.

“Mr. David,” Gil said quickly, interrupting the possibility of more questions. “May Malcolm borrow your chair for a moment? His sister is right. He absolutely needs some rest.”

David nodded. “I have to keep watch anyhow.”

“Gil,” Malcolm whined.

“It’s the chair or the floor.” Gil pointed at the corner furthest from where Whitly stood behind his line watching their interactions, drinking them in, drawing conclusions, probably correct ones because he was deadly perceptive. Whitly had picked up on his fatherly feelings toward Malcolm instantly the last time Gil had come to Claremont.

Malcolm sat down as Dani hefted the camera. “Ainsley, can I put this down somewhere?”

She nodded, taking it from Dani. She set it in the corner and Gil was just as glad she wasn’t trying to record this. Had she learned something from last time? Was this a reflection of how she’d been changed by everything with Endicott? Ainsley turned to her father. “Do you know Archie Jackson besides seeing him at…was that group therapy?”

Whitly strolled over to the end of his tether. Gil wanted to back Ainsley away from the line but kept out of it. He didn’t think Whitly would hurt her if he could somehow get hold of her. “They make us go. Some of us find it useful.”

“Role playing?” Malcolm piped up.

“You should shut your eyes, son. Listen to Gil and get some rest.” Whitly’s gaze flicked over to him, colder than Maine in winter. Gil ignored him but Malcolm didn’t. He shut his eyes.

“But to answer your question, Ainsley, no one really knows Archie. He’s strange, even for this place. He doesn’t talk to many of us.”

“That’s disappointing.” Ainsley canted her gaze back to the ceiling and the claxon going off. “You just know that they won’t let us talk to him once this is over. It’s not Archie on the run is it, Mr. David?”

He shook his head. “It’s not him.”

“That’s probably a good thing, given how Archie takes his pleasure. So, you have another eviscerator?” Whitly asked.

“We have a killer in the park,” Gil replied, giving Ainsley a look, hoping she wouldn’t divulge what details they had to tell her.

“Is that so, Ainsley?” Whitly hit her name hard, dismissing Gil entirely.

She nodded, taking out her phone, staring at a text. “That’s about all I know. They can’t tell the press much…and I don’t have time for this today, Mother.” She texted something back.

“I’ll assume it bears some resemblance to Archie’s crimes or you’d have little interest in him.” Whitly studied Ainsley. “Well, maybe you might have, Ainsley but them not so much.”

Ainsley rolled her eyes. They all stood in the alarm-echoing room for a few minutes, free of conversation with nothing but Ainsley texting back and forth with her mother or so Gil assumed.

“My girl, you shouldn’t ignore your mother.”

“She just wants me to tell him, he’d better show up at the upcoming charity dinner.” She jerked a finger back at Malcolm.

“He is out cold,” JT muttered. “How can he sleep with all this noise?”

“He’s had about eight hours of sleep in the last five days,” Gil said. “He’s running on fumes.”

“He can not keep up like that,” Whitly said.

“He knows. That’s why he went to Gil’s,” Ainsley replied.

“What is so special about Gil’s?” The vicious undercurrent in that question made Gil’s skin prickled.

“Um, Gil,” Dani interrupted, nodding toward Malcolm whose head jerked back and forth. His hand trembled, and he murmured something in his sleep that sounded suspiciously like ‘no eyes.’

“Malcolm, wake up,” Gil called, taking a few steps toward him.

Malcolm shrieked, throwing himself out of the chair and raced across the room. Gil caught him before he could end up across the line on the floor. He hauled him back, calling his name, trying to wake him. Malcolm flailed, attacking something in his sleep.

“Malcolm, stop, wake up,” Gil said, earning himself a fist in the eye. Unexpected, it caught him hard and they both ended up on the floor. Gil pinned Malcolm’s arm, his own aching.

Malcolm’s eyes cleared as he woke. An odd hiccupping sound echoed out of his throat just ahead of a keening noise as he threw his arms around Gil’s shoulder, clinging on for dear life. They squirmed around as he nearly grappled Gil into some contorted pose, pressing his face into the crook of Gil’s neck. Out of the corner of his eye, Gil saw the expression on Whitly’s face, one of deep concern, shocking him, and hate, which didn’t.

“M-Malcom,” Ainsley stammered, trying to get close but nearly got kicked. “Gil?”

“I have him,” he assured her. “It’s all right, Malcolm. Just breathe.”

Malcolm’s cries blended with the horrible cacophony of the alarm but slowly faded. Gil rubbed his back.

“Can you try a calming pose? Let yourself relax. Here, let’s get this off you.” Gil tugged at Malcolm’s jacket, seeing blood running down his fingers and knew he’d busted open the damage from earlier in the morning. No sense in ruining the jacket.

Ainsley helped him slid it off Malcolm and Bright let him go, rolling onto his knees. He extended his arms in front of him, resting his head on them.

“Is it always that bad?”

Whitly’s question startled Gil but Ainsley answered before he could. “Not always this bad but often enough.” She looked between her father and brother before her eyes met Gil’s. “Gil, your eye.”

“It’s fine, Ainsley,” he lied even though he felt it swelling.

“Is he okay, Gil?” JT nodded to Malcolm.

He nodded, slipping his own jacket off. Malcolm’s arm wasn’t the only one bleeding. “That’s the child pose. It’s part of his yoga practice.”

Malcolm made a soft sound and rolled onto his side, and then onto his back into something Gil knew as the corpse pose. Jackie had been the first to get Malcolm into yoga. Gil wasn’t good at it but Malcolm had taken to it. Malcolm flexed his fingers, groping for Gil’s hand. Gil put his hand over Malcolm’s. Was his lips bluish?

“Ainsley,” Whitly said, coming up to the line. “Give this to your brother. He looks shocky.” He held out the blanket from his bed.

Ainsley took it before Mr. David could intervene, and she draped it over Malcolm. He let go of Gil’s hand long enough to pull it up over his head. Gil reached over and dragged Malcolm’s jacket to him. He folded it and put it under Malcolm’s head.

“You’ve done this before.” Resignation and worry shook Whitly’s voice.

“More times than I can remember,” Gil replied. “It was a bad night last night. Being here, not helping. Mr. David, there’s no way for them to get up here is there?”

He shook his head. “I’m going to call base. You’d think they’d have tracked them by now.” He stepped out into the corridor to use the phone.

Ainsley jumped as her phone chimed. She pulled it out and sighed.

“Mother?” Malcolm’s voice was muffled by the blanket.

“Yes.”

He peeked out from under the blanket but didn’t get up, his color only slightly improved. “The charity dinner?”

“Are you in any shape to hear this?”

“Could you possibly make this worse?”

“Did you really just jinx things?” JT asked.

“This day can’t get more jinxed.” Malcolm sat up but kept the blanket wrapped around him. He leaned his shoulder against Gil’s. “What does Mother want, Ains?”

“If you don’t have a date, she’d like you to take Shannon Palys.” Ainsley grinned broadly.

Malcolm canted his gaze up to her, his mouth gaping open. “Is she drunk?”

“Malcolm, that isn’t nice,” Whitly scolded, and Malcolm whipped his head over to face his father.

“She has to be or crazy if she thinks I’m taking Shannon anywhere. Tell Mother I have a date,” he instructed.

“Palys? The auto empire family?” Whitly asked.

“You’re saying no to a rich girl?” JT asked.

“She’s dumb. She’s pretty yes but so dumb.”

“That’s also mean,” Dani said.

“She thought New Mexico was a city in Mexico,” he replied.

“She thinks limes, tangerines, oranges and grapefruits are all the same thing just picked at different times,” Ainsley added.

“She thought the Titanic was just a movie and argued for an hour with me once when I tried to explain it really happened.”

“She thinks the moon is a reflection of the sun and they’re the same thing,” Ainsley shook her head.

“Okay, maybe a little mean but really honest.” Dani snorted.

“And Mother’s calling your bluff,” Ainsley said, looking at her phone. “She wants to know who you’re taking. And since you know all of two women in New York, you’re screwed, brother.”

“Three. I know JT’s wife which, who knows? She might like a fancy dinner and dancing at the house in the Hamptons safe with the understanding I’ll be the perfect gentleman because her husband knows where I live and has a gun.” Malcolm managed a smile, his mind seeming to settle a bit with something to distract it from whatever poisoned it when he slept.

JT wagged his head. “Actually, she might love that. That said, try harder, dude.”

“Dani, would you like to go to a fancy dinner with pretty much the same parameters only you have your own gun and don’t need anyone riding to your rescue.”

Gil shook his head as Dani made an exasperated sound. He was more interested in Whitly who took it all in like it was a soap opera. He went to his desk that had an old computer resting next to it on a cart. He fired it up.

“How about Edrisa? You know she’d love it,” Dani suggested.

“True, if you’re sure you don’t want to go.” Malcolm pulled his phone out.

“Either one of them would make Great Aunt Audrey have a fit.” Ainsley made a face. “Good.”

“Audrey is still alive?” Whitly sat forward on his chair. “How…disappointing. Guess the old joke is true, god doesn’t want her and the devil is afraid she’ll take over.”

Everyone stared at him. Whitly spread his hands, smiling.

“Great Aunt Audrey is racist?” Dani asked.

“Name a negative ism and Audrey practices it,” Whitly said. “She hates men especially, hated Malcolm and me long before all this.”

“He’s right. She’s awful,” Malcolm said, “but that’s not why I asked you. I thought you’d like it. Here, this is one of the guest rooms.” He held his phone out to her. “You can have it.”

“And Malcolm never stays long at these parties. You can expect to eat, maybe dance if you’re lucky and he usually escapes out to the beach for a long walk if the party is at the Hamptons,” Ainsley put in.

“This bedroom is bigger than my apartment. Is there a bookcase in this guest room?”

“Uh-huh, keep scrolling. There’s a picture of the en suite on there too.”

“Is that a soaking tub?” Dani’s eyes widened.

“Big enough for two and it has jets but it’s all yours, no strings attached.”

“I trust you, Bright. That’s not a problem.” Dani scowled. “It sounds boring even without the awful aunt attached.”

“It is but the escape to the beach is usually nice.” He rolled his shoulders. “It’s okay. I’ll go with Shannon. I’m sure I can find something to talk about with a woman who thinks that the yeast in bread and yogurt is from vaginal infections.”

Ainsley sputtered. “I remember that conversation. No one could move her off that.”

“See? Edrisa would be perfect to help with that.” Dani grinned.

“She has a conference that weekend,” Gil replied. “She’ll be heartbroken.”

“Hmm,” Dani tapped her chin. “That tub is nice. I’m sure this is not merely to irritate your aunt because I know you’re not like that.”

“No, if that was my only goal, I’d ask JT to go as my date. That would give her a heart attack.” Malcolm’s eyes glinted.

“You absolutely have to sleep, bro. You’re getting delusional.” JT eyed him.

“Yes, you couldn’t pull off being in love with me. Dani at least has undercover experience. She could probably fake it.”

“I don’t have to fake liking you, Bright. I’ll go.”

“And we don’t have to worry about Malcolm giving Audrey a heart attack. Mother showing up with Gil will do that.” Ainsley rolled her eyes. “So, I can text Mother you have a date.”

“So, you’re still hoping my wife will be seen with you out of pity?” Whitly sneered

“Do not engage,” Malcolm hissed to Gil, who shrugged. He wasn’t about to be baited.

“Is Audrey going to be a problem?” Dani asked having obvious second thoughts.

“She’s in her nineties. She’ll just say nasty things. We wouldn’t have her there except the Milton money has a lot of weird legal and family ties on it.” Malcolm sighed.

“She isn’t shy about telling it to your face though. She called my kind untrustworthy and devious and had no idea why I was allowed in the house and said this right to my wife,” Gil said, “though she probably thought Jackie was overdressed help.”

“I can’t believe Jackie let that slide,” Dani replied.

“I had to convince her she couldn’t beat the old lady up without Jessica’s help because I know she would want in.” Gil snorted.

“Your wife? I knew there was something different about you, Gil, other than you might have an infraorbital fracture now.” Whitly grinned gesturing to Gil’s swollen eye. “You’re not wearing your wedding ring. Did she get tired of you sniffing around Jessie or maybe couldn’t handle the violence of your job. I did hear about Endicott having you stabbed, lucky man.”

Gil bit the inside of his lip, feeling Malcolm press harder against his shoulder in warning. He let his breath out before answering. “Jackie died three years ago.”

Whitly’s eyes betrayed him if only for an instant, letting his surprise show. “And you still wore her ring? You’re sentimental.”

“Jackie was wonderful,” Malcolm murmured.

“And he misses her a lot.” Ainsley shot her father a warning look. “Probably not the best topic for Malcolm in this state.”

“Yes, of course.” Whitly held up a hand, and Ainsley glanced at her phone again.

“She wants to know if you asked Dani.” Ainsley smiled. “She knows you don’t know other women.”

“I do too. Mother just thinks Dani is my best friend.” Malcolm wrinkled his nose. “Actually, there’s truth in that.”

Dani raised her eyebrows. “And after what Audrey said to Gil, I think we can go a ways convincing your ugly aunt we’re more than that.”

Malcolm perked up, Gil watching the change slip over him like a new skin.

“That is not a smile you trust,” JT shook his head. “I’d watch out for him, Dani. Last I saw, he emotionally gutted Eve, and she still came back. I swore it was dark magic until I learned that she had ulterior motives.”

“I’m not entirely hapless with women,” Malcolm said.

“That’s news,” Ainsley teased, and he favored her with a sour look just as her phone rang. “Oh, no, Mother.” She declined the call.

A few moments later, Malcolm’s phone rang and he did the same. Each declined a second call before Gil’s rang. He sighed and answered to the sibling chorus of ‘no!’

“Hello, Jess. Yes, I know where Malcolm is and as to why he’s not answering calls, I have thoughts. Here, let me put you on speaker and you can talk to them.”

“Gil!” Malcolm whined.

“They’re together? What are they…what is that horrible noise?” Jessica asked.

“Hello Jessie,” Whitly called merrily.

“Gil! What are you all doing there?”

“My team was accompanying Ainsley into an interview with the Ramble Rampager and then there was an escape attempt so we were herded here.” Gil snapped his head up as the siren ended. Mr. David slipped from the room. “But it sounds like we might get to leave soon.”

“Good. Well, if my children are done ignoring me, tell Malcolm that he had best buy the lovely Detective Powell a dress for the occasion.”

“I can hear you, Mother, and so can Dani.” Malcolm rolled his eyes.

“Good, then be kind to Dani. Gil, I have a question for you.”

“Have any for me Jessie?” Whitly interrupted.

“Burn in hell, Martin and do me a favor, shut up,” she snapped. “Gil, I’ve ordered dinner, from Arcilla’s, and I hope I got things that are good. I don’t know Filipino food. I ordered lumpia, pancit bihon, some kind of juice called Calamansi and Halo-Halo, which sounded like a fun dessert.”

“It is. Malcolm loves it, that’s all fine. Thank you.” Gil didn’t know what else to say. He’d tried over the years to get Jessica to try Filipino food but she hadn’t been interested. He didn’t know why the turnaround now but he appreciated her making the effort.

“Bring the whole team to dinner. If Detective Tarmel would like to bring his wife, that would be lovely.”

“What time would you like us at your home barring anything new calling us out,” Gil asked.

“And I work tonight, Mother. I can’t be there,” Ainsley said.

“I’m sorry to hear that, and I’m not at my home,” Jessica replied.

“Are you in my loft?” Malcolm’s features pinched.

“No, I’m at Gil’s because you’re staying another night, aren’t you?”

Gil nearly dropped the phone. His eyes had to be as wide as both Malcolm’s and Martin’s. “You’re at my house?”

“Yes. Your team knows how to get here, right?”

Gil couldn’t have imagined his day getting any more surreal but there it was. “They do. All right, if you’re there, Jess, go to the fridge and take two bags of chicken adobo from the freezer and put them in the sink to defrost.”

“What does it look like?”

“It’s written on the freezer bags. We’ll add that as another option for dinner tonight.”

“All right. See everyone tonight.”

She ended the call and he stared at his phone in disbelief. Gil canted his gaze to Malcolm. “Your mother is in my house.”

Malcolm burst out laughing and flopped back down on the ground, head on his jacket. “That is hysterical! I told you to change the security codes to the alarm.”

“If I had, it would have gotten that much more exciting.”

“She already has the key to your house? Doesn’t that seem a little early?” Whitly asked bitter as bile.

“Not by Malcolm’s standards.” Ainsley chortled, and Malcolm narrowed his eyes at her.

Gil stared at Martin, debated saying anything but since the cat was well out of the bag, there was no point in hiding anything. “She’s always had the key ever since Malcolm was a kid. Jackie and I had jobs with erratic hours and I didn’t want Jessica sitting on the driveway if she had brought Malcolm for a visit and we were hung up at work. I gave her the current codes when Malcolm was recovering from what Watkins did to him and he was staying with me for a few days. I didn’t expect this.”

“She does it to me all the time. Only Ainsley is immune because she’s perfect.”

“Did she actually tell you that? She lets herself into my place too,” Ainsley said.

Malcolm rolled his eyes. “This just keeps getting funnier.”

“And you two are fine with this relationship,” Whitly couldn’t demonstrate his disappointment and disapproval more loudly if he hired a church choir to sing it.

“I’m fine with it,” Malcolm replied.

“I’m pretty sure it’s what Mother’s always wanted,” Ainsley added making her father go red-faced with fury.

Gil’s text chime sounded, breaking into the tension. He looked and rolled his eyes.

Malcolm raised his eyebrows. “What?”

“Your mother says I’m out of bourbon and that the cats are staring at her.”

“Does your mom not know how cats work?” Dani nudged Malcolm’s back with her toe.

“Apparently not.” Malcolm smirked. “And so, she’s not just planning dinner for us, she’s into the liquor cabinet.”

“You say that like you’re surprised,” Ainsley said, and he shrugged.

“You seem to always be making yourself central and interfering in my family’s life, Gil,” Whitly said, leaning forward on his knees. “Going as far as you can to replace me.”

“Not interfering,” Malcolm’s reply sliced like a machete as Dani took a protective step toward Gil. “Helping. If we wanted it, if we asked.”

“That’s true,” Ainsley backed him up, surprising Gil. She had always been slower to ask for help than her brother, needed him and Jackie less. “He never lets Malcolm hang out to dry, or me. He’s always made sure I got the first call and exclusives if the crime was in my coverage area. However, he doesn’t budge when I ask for special treatment.” She shot him a fond look. “But I never expect him to, even though I ask every time. And he’s always there when we need him. That was the hardest part of after everything with Endicott. We’d usually reach for Gil to help make things right but he was fighting for his own life.”

From the look of distilled hate, Gil wished Ainsley would stop singing his praises. He appreciated her fondness for him, but Whitly might chew through his tether if she kept it up. It was bad enough Jess had said she was at his house on the speaker phone and he’d done nothing to deny it. It was a good thing they kept Whitly chained to the damn wall.

“However, he will not cover for you even if you ask him to.”

“She’s still mad about that time when she was fifteen,” Malcolm translated for the others. Gil knew exactly what transgression he still wasn’t forgiven for.

“What did you do to my daughter?” Whitly growled.

“He could have not pointed out to Mother I was sneaking into the house at two in the morning. She didn’t see me!” Ainsley made a face. “I still have no idea why you, Mother and Jackie were outside in the house at that time of night.”

Malcolm glanced up at her sharply. “Really? Mother never told you?”

Ainsley shrugged one shoulder. “I assumed they had been at one of the hundred holiday parties Mother was hosting.”

“So, what were you doing at my wife’s house so late.”

Gil returned Whitly’s hostile look with a smug one of his own. “Jess called me because she heard noises from the yard behind the house. I told her to call the police if she was worried but she had several relatives staying the night along with some extremely elitist friend who complained about the noise but didn’t want anything as pedestrian as cops to bother his night. She begged Jackie and I to check it out so we did.”

“You can leave the story right there.” Malcolm slashed his hand in the air, and then winced as his injury from the morning reminded him it was there.

The gesture made Gil lightly press his fingers to his swelling eye to test how bad it was. He weighed Malcolm’s discomfort against the truth before deciding Ainsley deserved an answer. “I left Jackie with Jess up at the house so I could check out the yard and in ten seconds I learned exactly where Malcolm gets his complete disregard for following rules and self-preservation.”

Malcolm huffed at him, nudging his shoulder. “And again, you can stop the story.”

“Okay, I get it now. Malcolm was up to something in the yard behind the house weren’t you.” Ainsley gave him a look.

“Gil has to finish the story,” Dani interjected.

“No, he really doesn’t.” Malcolm wore a piteous expression.

“Like Ainsley said, it was the holidays and this one was in town from Harvard with his girlfriend and for some reason didn’t want to stay inside the house.” Gil patted Malcolm’s shoulder.

“Oh god, I think I get where this is going,” JT moaned. “Maybe the story should stop before we’re all picturing it. I can see from his face Gil’s already scarred for life because of it.”

“Were you and Roisin having sex in her car?” Ainsley poked her brother with the tip of her high heel.

“Bet that was a sight you didn’t want to see.” JT shook his head and Gil grimaced at the memory.

“I fear to ask what you told his mother.” Whitly smirked.

“We could still stop this story.” Malcolm begged.

“The genie isn’t going back in the bottle. And it was something along the lines of you have two problems, Jess. Your son is naked in the car and your daughter is staggering her way to the house right over there. So good news, no prowler. I’m going home.”

“Wait, that house is so big. How noisy were you two?” Dani blurted out.

“Now you know why they were in the car and not the house,” JT said.

“We were in the car because Wayland wouldn’t leave Roisin alone and was hanging around in the hall and in retrospect should have gone to a hotel.” Malcolm scrubbed a hand over his red face.

“Wayland?” Dani asked.

“Great Aunt Audrey’s grandson, and he’s a creep.” Ainsley shuddered.

“There are a lot of branches in our family tree that need pruning. His would be one of them.” Malcolm made a face.

“Agreed. Jackie laughed at me all the way home, just so you know, and pointed out Jess would want me to have a talk with you about this sort of bad behavior.”

“Surely my wife knew better than that.” Whitly thumped his fist on the desk.

Gil lifted his chin defiantly. “She actually asked me to talk to both of them and I said pick the one you want to talk to the least. So naturally I had to talk to Malcolm about his foolishness.”

Ainsley snickered. “That had to have been awkward.”

“He said I don’t want to be here. You don’t want me to be here so tell your mother we had a good talk and never speak of it again.” Malcolm glared at Gil. “He forgot that last part apparently.”

Gil lifted his eyebrows. “Keep it up and maybe your mother hears all the other things that were never to be spoken of again.”

Malcolm pursed his lips slowly shaking his head. “That’s going to be the worst part of you dating Mother.”

“No, the worst part for you is Gil will have to decide ‘do I cover for Malcolm or risk Mother’s wrath’.” Ainsley laughed.

“And she is very accurate when she throws her heels, just warning you.”

“Your mother took both Watkins and Endicott to the ground with one hit. You don’t have to tell me how tough she is,” Gil replied.

“She did what?” Whitly perked up, curious in spite of himself.

“She knocked Watkins down to save me and was going to carve him up with scissors if she could,” Ainsley said.

“And after she saw Endicott’s man stab Gil, she bashed Endicott in the head, got in Gil’s car, rammed Endicott’s lackey’s car and got Gil to the hospital,” Malcolm said.

“She saved my life,” Gil replied, and Martin ran a hand through his thick curly hair, dumbstruck.

“And between her and Malcolm, we Whitlys shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near your cars.” Ainsley snorted, and JT chuckled softly.

“I can imagine having nearly bled out inside a car would ruin it,” Whitly said, and Gil rested his hand over the scars he’d bear for the rest of his life. “But what did you do, son?”

“I accidentally destroyed his favorite car when I…ah, fell on it?” Malcolm tried to look innocent. He failed and Gil lowered his eyes, a moment of mental silence for his lost Le Mans.

“Wait? In that terrible camera phone footage they put on the news from your intriguing Count of Monte Cristo case, I saw you get blown out of a three-story window and land on a muscle car.” Whitly’s eyes twinkled as he smirked. “Figures you’d have one of those, Gil. Overcompensating, are we? Though son, what in the world was that white suit?”

“Mother’s idea of what I should wear on vacation, which was where Gil was taking me until our little detour. It should have been a quick looksee and not end up with me holding a bomb and talking to you on the phone.”

“Yes, I should be flattered you chose to speak to your father knowing you could die at any moment. But how did going on vacation end with you swan diving out a window?” Whitly parted his lips, musing on the possibilities.

“Oh, that’s easy. Mother ask Gil to ensure Malcolm got to the airport. Malcolm whined and wheedled and Gil caved in and took him to the crime scene because that’s how it works. And he didn’t even rat Malcolm out to Mother.” Ainsley narrowed her eyes. “Which again still didn’t happen when I called you at seventeen.”

“You were still underaged and I assumed that Malcolm had told Jess he’d missed his plane until I realized he wanted Jessica to think he was in Tahiti and out of reach so she wouldn’t finish what the fall started,” Gil replied just as his phone chimed again and Malcolm shoved him lightly.

“It’s okay, Gil. I get it now and I’m glad you were there when I called. Was that Mother again?” Ainsley gestured to his phone.

He pulled out his phone, saw a surprising selfie of Jess on the couch with his cats but shook his head. “Work.”

“Ah, well like I said, I was glad you where there but I just wished you would have covered for me more, like when I called you that night and thought you would cover for me,” Ainsley said.

“What could you have been doing that you needed a cop to cover for you?” her father asked.

“I went out with friends to a club and they left me there. They were drunk and wanted to go off with some guys. I didn’t. I went to the bathroom and came back to find them gone with my purse so it wouldn’t get stolen.” Ainsley rolled her eyes. “Thankfully I had my phone with me so at least I could call for help because…alone at a club at closing time.”

“That’s a dangerous situation,” Dani said.

“But you called him and not your mother.” Whitly tilted his chin to Gil.

“I didn’t want her to know I was drunk at a bar at seventeen and I thought Gil would keep quiet. In retrospect, only a drunk teen would think that.” She smiled.

“Pretty much,” Malcolm agreed.

“You could have been seriously hurt. I suppose in that situation I should be happy you’re always around, Gil.”

Gil could almost believe Whitly meant it. Realizing Gil saw a weakness in him for his daughter, Whitly turned his gaze to his computer, tapping on a few keys. Suddenly, he sat up straighter staring at the computer.

Malcolm hitched himself up. “What’s wrong? What’s on that computer?”

“Nothing…no, that’s a lie. This isn’t right.”

It took Gil a moment to realize Whitly was rattled.

“What is it?” Malcolm insisted.

“The email claims it’s from Mercy Hospital but…” Whitly’s jaw worked as if he were warring with himself. “It has multiple video files and text that simply says, Malcolm isn’t worthy to be your heir. Let me prove it.”

The room went deadly silent and all Gil could think was ‘what fresh hell was this?’
 

Chapter Text

Chapter Five

Malcolm stared at his father, transfixed. Next to him Gil twitched as if he wanted to jump to his feet and cross Whitly’s cell to see what the hell he was talking about.

“What?”

Before his father could answer Mr. David reentered the cell carrying a canvas bag. He handed Gil a cold pack. “Here. I had them send up a medical kit. They’ve got the two escapees back under control. I’m sorry Ms. Whitly, they’re not going to let you interview Mr. Jackson today.”

Ainsley held up a hand. “I figured that much but thanks, Mr. David.”

“And thank you for the med kit,” Gil said, pressing the cool gel pack to his eye. “Malcolm,” he added lowly.

Malcolm waved him off, ignoring the medical kit. He couldn’t worry about that right now. He had to know what this email was about. In the back of his mind he knew his father no doubt got correspondence from serial killer fans but the mere thought of it made his skin goose pimple. That his father received something about him was enough to make his hand shake slowly. “We need to see that email.”

His father studied him. “Maybe you should use the kit. I can smell the blood from here.”

Malcolm blinked, glancing down to his arm. His shirt bore a large blood spot on his forearm. “It’s fine, just an injury from earlier. What is this email? Mr. David, could I see that computer?”

“You could just ask me, Malcolm.” His father managed to appear wounded. He nudged the cart the computer was on. “Let him see, Mr. David.”

Malcolm almost popped up but Gil held him down and said, “Ainsley, can you position the cart so we all can see and open the first video if you please. JT, Dani, watch this with us.” He studied Malcolm for a moment. “If that’s okay with you.”

“Why would someone send this? Why would anyone care if I’m a worthy successor to The Surgeon? And video? What kind of videos? Where would they have gotten video?” Malcolm mused. “Is someone stalking me? I’d have thought I’d have noticed.”

“Let’s see what this actually is before we speculate,” Gil said. “I ask again, are you okay with it?”

“Agreed, but it’s ominous.” Malcolm rolled his shoulders. He couldn’t know what was on those videos but had he done anything he wouldn’t trust with his friends? Probably not but what if…well, what if what? The only thing he had never told anyone other than Ainsley, which he regretted telling her, was he had stabbed his father. He hadn’t even told Gil that and he knew it wasn’t recorded. His other big secret no one knew was he had let Sophie go after she had admitted to him that she killed Eddie, and there were no recordings of that either. “If I’m not, I’ll stop the video.”

“This is definitely creepy,” Ainsley said, clicking on the first of the videos. Her father moved as close to the line as he could so he could get an eyeful of what was intended for him alone.

A home filled the screen. Surrounded by trees, the enormous red-bricked Tudor style house with its many-peaks roof had enough of a lot to be considered generous by city standards.

“Malcolm, that’s your Cambridge place,” Ainsley said as a woman’s voice said, “Here’s the house, it’s spacious.”

“And that’s Jaylin’s voice,” he replied overtop the answer, ‘It’s amazing, almost Addams Family gothic.’ “And Suzume. Oh! Ains, pause this,” he added stretching up and Gil planted him again to keep him out of JT and Dani’s line of sight.

“Malcolm, we’ve only seen ten seconds of this. Are you sure you want to stop already?” Gil looked puzzled.

“But…this is when Suzume came to live with us,” Malcolm said weakly. He knew exactly what came next. Should he trust them with this? Yes, of course he could. Dani wouldn’t judge him, not for what he knew came next. His father on the other hand…

“And what don’t you want us to see?” his father asked, spying the weakness and worry like a hawk and a mouse.

“It’s not that.” Malcolm looked up at his father, wondering if he should stand up now, face him squarely. He was in a subordinate position sitting on the floor. Oh, the hell with it, the hell with all of it, he decided. He had so many secrets from this man and the weight of them exhausted him. This couldn’t hurt him now.

“It’s absolutely that.” Ainsley read his face, no doubt saw the determination and she unpaused the recording.

They watched the camera pan to a slender African American woman who grinned at the lens as she extolled the virtues of the house from the covered porch with its cushy chairs and porch swing. She opened the door and they walked into the home where the camerawoman, Suzume, panned up the elaborately carved late 1800s staircase to the gorgeous stained glass windows on the landing. They strolled through the foyer and into the living room which boasted floor to ceiling windows on one wall and a massive marble fireplace with built in cabinets and bookcases on either side of it. Malcolm sat on a plush leather couch with a tall, shapely young blonde. They had tumblers of scotch and the bottle on the table in front of them, sitting next to a decorative blue glass hookah. Malcolm’s eyes went wide, smoke trickling out of his mouth as the two women caught them getting high.

Ainsley paused the video and whipped around, glaring down at her brother. “You hypocrite!”

“What?”

“Mom made you sit me down and do the ‘don’t smoke pot’ lecture.” Ainsley narrowed her eyes at him.

“It wasn’t my idea, and what was my advice? ‘Don’t get caught.’ ”

Ainsley grimaced. “I guess that is all you said.”

“So, bro, when the FBI asked if you ever did drugs you lied your butt off?” JT shot Malcolm an amused look.

“Without a hint of guilt about it,” Malcolm volleyed back and gestured to Ainsley.

She flipped it back on.

JT reached around and turned it off. “Have your nightmares always been as bad as it was just now?”

Malcolm hunched his shoulders. His partners knew about his night terrors. His father knew and still he stared at the floor and lied. “Not always…mostly not.”

Gil side eyed Malcolm. “Really? I know you haven’t forgotten last night, especially not three in the morning.”

“Last night was bad…and you could have let me lie.”

“Right now, until we figure out why someone would send this to your father, maybe honesty is best,” Gil replied.

“Last night was bad,” Malcolm repeated. “I did wake up three times.”

“How’d you fit in that many night terrors?” Ainsley asked.

“I was tired, fell asleep at nine, was up by ten. And then again at midnight and then three was…Gil’s has no sound proofing and he has neighbors.”

“Someone heard?” Dani sounded horrified.

“I didn’t mean for that to happen.” Malcolm wilted. His nightmares last night were more embarrassing than anything he knew to be on that recording. He didn’t care if his partners learned about his friends and his father couldn’t hurt Roisin. Gil knew all this already.

“Three in the morning and there’s a knock on my door and all I can think is ‘damn it someone called the cops’, ” Gil said.

His father snorted. “There’s some irony for you.”

Gil glared. “Luckily I convinced them it was fine.”

At Malcolm’s finger point, Ainsley turned the recording back on to Jaylin explaining that both Malcolm and Roisin had night terrors and to not let them fall asleep in the common rooms.

They walked past a dining room rich with wood wainscoting and a butler pantry. From her expression Malcolm guessed Dani was salivating over it before the spacious kitchen came into view. Malcolm remembered how much Jackie had loved that kitchen with its stove ‘big enough to roast a whole cow at once,’ according to her.

On the recording, his expression was one of caged rage and Malcolm remembered he’d been upset at being caught out smoking a little pot as if every college kid didn’t indulge from time to time.

JT burst out laughing over top of the recording.

“Don’t you dare,” Malcolm hissed.

“I’m sorry. I have to use that some time,” JT said and Malcolm shot him a withering look though in the back of his mind he was a little grateful for the break in tension.

JT stopped the recording again. “You’ve woken up with a knife in your hand? When was the last time that happened?”

Malcolm hunched in on himself, misery etched into his face. He could just not answer and give his father ammunition. On the other hand, if his partners understood him better maybe they wouldn’t have been so quick to think he murdered Eddie. “I’d like to say it was back then in Harvard, and that was the last time until that night after playing pool with you and Eve when she came back to my place. We fell asleep on the floor.”

“Wait, you and Eve had sex? After one date that was an absolute disaster? That is dark magic,” JT interrupted.

“I was going to say, you were on the floor when that big bed couldn’t be more than ten feet away,” Dani eyed him.

“That’s your takeaway?” Ainsley asked. “Not what was he thinking?”

“I figured what he was thinking was obvious.” JT rolled his eyes.

“Are you three done?” Malcolm glowered. “Anyhow the night terror with the knife is why Eve ghosted me.”

“And yet she came back.” JT shook his head. “Dark magic. Keep your eye on him at that charity dinner, Dani.”

“He’ll behave but speaking of wielding knives in your sleep.” Gil pulled the ice pack off his eye and pushed the medical kit to Malcolm again.

“I’m not the only one who needs it.” Malcolm eyed him knowingly.

“As I’ve already said, I was wondering if you were going to stop your bleeding.” His father nodded to his bloodstained sleeve.

Malcolm sighed and opened his cuff, jerking the sleeve up. “Mr. David, could I have a trash can please?”

“Of course.” Mr. David put a small one next to him. “Here.”

“Thank you.” Malcolm peeled the tape off his arm and let the blood-soaked gauze fall into the trash, revealing an inch-long gash in his arm near the elbow.

“Malcolm! That looks awful,” Ainsley said. “You actually stabbed yourself flailing around with a knife?”

“It’s shallow.” He rooted around for some antibiotic ointment. Dani knelt down and dug up the tape and gauze for him. She held out a square for him to put the ointment on. He did and held the gauze to his wound as she taped him back up. “And Gil….” Malcolm offered the tube to Gil.

He took it and rolled up his own bloodied sleeve as Malcolm pushed him the garbage can. He pulled off his own gauze pads, grimacing as they stuck to the knife wound that ran almost the entire length of his forearm. He winced in pain.

“Gil! That’s horrible.” Dani took hold of his hand, rotating his arm to get a better look.

“Now that might be in need of stitches.” His father smiled as he said that.

“I’m aware.”

“How’d you let him slice you like that? Why didn’t you go to the ER?” Ainsley asked.

“Because if he does, your brother either goes to jail for assault with a deadly weapon or to a place like this.” His father gestured to the walls.

Malcolm grunted and Gil sighed. “It’s not easy to disarm a knife-wielding man, Ainsley. It added extreme excitement when the cops showed up after the neighbors heard Malcolm screaming. They’re at the door. My kitchen looks like an abattoir, blood everywhere, mine, his. At least I convinced them it was just a night terror and they never went further than the living room. It took an hour to clean it all up, well the blood. The turmoil took longer.”

“Here.” Malcolm pinched Gil’s skin closed and Dani bandaged his arm in and around Malcolm’s fingers.

“Go ahead and start that recording again.” Gil gestured to the computer. “Other than embarrassing Malcolm with the hookah, I don’t see why this was sent to you, Dr. Whitly.”

He shook his head as JT restarted it. “I don’t either.”

They watched a little bit more, saw a jump in the time code and they were back in the living room and Jaylin was explaining what was in the basement.

JT slammed his finger down on the pause. “Okay Hannibal’s creepy kid, what’s in the damn basement?”

Malcolm squared his jaw. He’d been expecting this, knowing it was on the table because in spite of being a bit high and drunk, he remembered most of this day. He’d come to a conclusion about what needed to be said about this. “None of your business, that’s what’s in that basement.”

“And I’m a vegan, the furthest thing from a cannibal,” his father protested.

JT widened his eyes. “Really?”

“Eh.” Malcolm shrugged.

“What’s in the basement?”

“Not bodies.”

“That doesn’t tell me what is there.”

“You going to tell me what JT stands for? Trade you that for what’s in the basement.” Malcolm smirked. He wasn’t shamed of what was in the basement but it wasn’t something a person talked about with their parents, and he included Gil in that, in spite of the fact Gil knew exactly was what was in the basement.

JT eyed him. “Sure it’s not bodies?”

“Pretty sure, Jerome Thomas.”

JT grinned. “Sex dungeon?”

“Turn the recording back on, Joshua Terrance.”

“I can’t even imagine my brother knowing what a sex dungeon’s like.” Ainsley laughed, and Gil rolled his eyes in concert with Dani.

“Pot farm?” JT struggled not to laugh.

“Guess again, Jerry Tobias.”

“Porn studio?”

“Are you out of your mind, Josiah Tyler?”

“Wine cellar?” Dani asked.

“Actually yes, there was one down there, and a damn good one but that was actually something Mother had put in.”

“Lucky guess but that’s not what he’s hiding from his mother.” JT turned the recording back on.

“Hey!” Ainsley protested, and Malcolm smirked.

“She’s very pretty. How tall is she?” JT eyed him.

“Roisin is half Irish, half Norwegian but she definitely got the Viking height.” Malcolm grinned. “And to answer your question, nearly six foot two.”

“So…half a foot taller than you.” JT flashed him a feral smile, stopping the recording again.

“Unkind and yes.”

“Is this the girl you had car sex with, and how did you even manage that?” JT shot him a skeptical look.

“We were in the way back.”

“I’m not even sure how this works between you… you know.” JT provided a suggestive hand gesture.

“The height thing doesn’t matter when you’re horizontal,” Malcolm protested.

“Are you sure?” Dani asked.

“He obviously wanted to live dangerously,” Ainsley said.

“Ainsley, be nice to your brother,” his father said.

Ainsley rolled her eyes and hit play.

“So what’s why you sleep in your clothes,” Dani said overtop of Suzume’s “good point.”

Malcolm nodded. “All I need is some sex offender charge for being naked on the street if I manage to get out the door sleepwalking.”

He watched his father’s face contort as he listened to this. He hoped he was beginning to grasp what he’d done to him. More importantly, he hoped it impacted him.

Dani pushed stop. She glanced down at Malcolm. “Why do I know that name?”

“He was the Framingham Fiend,” he replied.

“The serial pedophile who trafficked kids all over?” Dani’s voice cracked.

Malcolm nodded. “He started raping Roisin when she was about four so yeah, there were issues.”

“What the hell, dude?” JT thumped Malcolm’s shoulder. “Was there a contest? Who has the worst bad dad?”

“No!” Malcolm said as his father glared at JT. He’d have to tell JT to be careful. He didn’t think his father could be a threat but why risk it? JT had already spoiled his father’s fun with Eddie.

“Did you put out an ad? Your trauma has to be at least this bad.”

“No! Jaylin introduced us on a ghost tour of Salem. She thought we’d hit it off.”

“Jaylin was also studying for her doctorate in psychology,” Ainsley said. “Are you sure this wasn’t an experiment for class?”

“No…maybe.” He glared. “Can you not?”

“Ghosts of Salem, oh, she’s that girl.” His father slapped a hand on his knee. “This girl…surgical nurse or is she in medical school?”

“Medical school.” Malcolm eyed his father warily.

“She’s the one who changed you, that time you showed up to visit with your hair all artfully disarrayed and wearing that Dropkick Murphys T-shirt.” His father beamed and Malcolm lost color.

“I can’t believe you remember that.”

“Of course, I do, son. You were an entirely different person and you did not like me noticing that. I even listened to the Dropkick Murphys though I can’t say I’m a fan. Did she make it through medical school with that sort of background?”

“Yes, Roisin was smart as hell, and she’s the one who stopped her father too, also when she was ten…with a knife to the groin.” Malcolm rolled his eyes expansively.

“Given that option, I’m glad you chose Gil as your weapon when it was your turn to play Judas.” His father narrowed his eyes at them. Gil put a hand on the back of Malcolm’s neck, no doubt feeling the tension there.

“Roisin said I would regret not simply stabbing you.”

“Don’t worry, son. You might get a chance to rectify that.” His father cocked up his eyebrows.

Malcolm curled his lip at his father. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gil’s expression. God, he knew. Gil knew exactly who had stabbed his father. Malcolm suspected Gil had always known but he did what he always did: he protected the family. Malcolm nudged Dani. “Turn it back on.”

Dani complied.

From the sidelines, his father glowered at him but Malcolm ignored him. Next to him, Gil tried to hide his smirk.

“He doesn’t poke through the house like Mother does,” Malcolm retorted over the girl’s laughing.

“Oh, he did laugh,” Gil said. “Jackie and I laughed a lot when you told us Suzume moved in too.”

Malcolm leaned forward and turned off the recording. “You did not.”

“Hard.” He chuckled at the memory. “Then Jess came over for drinks, and we were all in hysterics predicting things that were going to happen to you.”

“That is not funny.” Malcolm pouted.

“And when we got home and told your mother how utterly desperate you were to have another man to talk to, I don’t think she stopped laughing for days.” Gil grinned softly.

Malcolm gave him stink eye and slapped his hand down on the controls to start the video again.

“And things are getting clearer,” JT muttered, and Malcolm tossed him a sharp look.

“This is the type of girl you let my son date?” His father directed that to Gil and Malcolm glared.

“There was nothing wrong with Roisin as a girlfriend. She was different, sure, but so am I,” Malcolm protested.

“I’d call her a dubious choice, son.”

“That’s the story of his life with us,” JT added. “Bright is all about the dubious life choices.”

“Him putting a needle of poison to his own wrist to stop a serial killer,” Dani said.

“Him ignoring Gil and running into a building only to get bit by a venomous snake,” JT added.

“Him ignoring Gil and following me into a club and getting a pound of drugs exploded in his face,” Dani replied.

“Him not calling for backup and following a serial killer into an abandoned subway tunnel and getting popped like bubble wrap,” Gil chimed in.

“Him going to the same serial killer’s grandmother’s house without calling for backup and getting kidnapped.” Dani shot him a hot look.

“What are you even doing, son?” His father’s expression wavered between concerned and baffled.

“Wondering when people started keeping track!” Malcolm looked at them sourly. “I don’t make dubious choices. Fine, I do but Roisin wasn’t one of them.”

“Maybe not but we’ve talked about getting a shock collar for you,” Dani smiled to take the sting out of her words. “For when you start doing something reckless.”

“I…” Malcolm made a face but then the naughty little monkey in his head whispered things to him. Dani had no idea what she said had a second meaning to him but they were about to find out if he didn’t stop this now. He could. He should. To hell with it, maybe his father would be so disappointed in him, he’d not want him to visit anymore and that would be to his benefit even if it hurt. He hated that it would hurt. In the end, wasn’t this why the recordings had been sent? To disillusion his father? “Maybe that would work. Turn it back on.” He pointed to the computer.

Dani reached over and thumbed it back on.

“Yep, it’s a sex dungeon in the basement.” JT chuckled even as Malcolm blushed again in the here and now.

“Hush, Jean-Thierry.” Malcolm skinned his lips back off his teeth but JT’s expression almost made him laugh. It probably was funny from the outside perspective but the scandalized look on his father’s face said not. Now that amused the hell out of him.

“I’m just saying I’m rethinking that shock collar.” JT replied as Jaylin moved off camera as the doorbell rang.

“Definitely a sex dungeon.”

“What was that, Joaquin Tomás?”

“Your girlfriend couldn’t be more clearly a dominatrix.”

“He has a point son,” his father said over top of the recorded question of ‘what cases are we seeing today?’

Malcolm ignored him.

“What the hell?” JT asked at the same time as Malcolm did on camera.

“Okay, fine! It is a sex dungeon in the basement!” He threw his hands up. “Happy now?”

“No!” his father exclaimed.

“You don’t get a vote.” Malcolm snarled. “Yes, Roisin was a professional dominatrix. No, she didn’t sleep with the clients and that generally included me because that wasn’t what I was looking for in a session, but you don’t need to know about that. Otherwise we were a normal couple as far as relationships and sex were concerned.”

“Highly doubtful. I’m rethinking that shock collar idea,” JT said.

“It’s really not that big of a surprise, given everything we’ve seen you do,” Dani said, and the others all turned to look at her. “What? He knew what kind of rope burns Berkhead’s victims had, I mean down to the type of rope and diameter. That was our first clue. And he seemed to know way too much about how Berkhead was feeling but I chalked that up to him being good at his job.”

“And he was pretty good with working through that pied-a-terre case, which should have been a clue. He knew a guy, granted it was Nico from the Berkhead case whose hand he lopped off with an axe.” JT stared down at Malcolm. “And he didn’t seem to hate it when Simone slapped him hard in the face.”

Malcolm held up a hand. “I actually didn’t like that. I don’t like being hit in the face.”

“About a thousand things about you just clarified in one fell swoop,” JT said. “I notice you don’t seem surprised, Gil.”

“I knew what was in the basement,” Gil said, looking unhappy he’d encouraged Malcolm to view the recording here.

“You told Gil?” His father clenched his fists, his knuckles going white.

Malcolm shook his head. “No, I was wrong about him poking around the house.”

“I wasn’t poking. Jackie spilled something on her clothes, you weren’t home so she went to do laundry. Next thing I know is she’s telling me I need to have to talk with you. My thought was I’d already had more than enough with whatever a Whitly had going on in a basement.” Gil rolled his eyes, and Malcolm nudged him hard.

“Might as well turn it back on. It can’t get any worse now.” Malcolm wondered what would happen if he allowed this. Everyone would see what he was like with that particular type of cord around his wrist. Was he ready for that? Maybe he should say no? Well, they had obviously already filled in so many details about him, some of them inaccurate like the blow to the face. Better they understood him even if it might give his father a myocardial infarction.

“Are you sure?” Dani asked but backed it up a few seconds before hitting play.

JT paused it yet again, not surprising Malcolm in the least. He figured this was coming. “That’s it, no shock collar for you.”

Malcolm turned sad puppy eyes on him. “Why?”

“Because it was meant to punish bad behavior not get you off,” JT replied as Dani wagged her head and Malcolm grinned because he couldn’t stop himself. He was lost in a quick fantasy and he knew exactly who should have his violet ray wand.

“You’re thinking of it in the wrong way. Rather than punishment, you could get a small dog shock collar, put it around his wrist and use it to reward good behavior.” Ainsley suggested.

JT mulled it over. “Fine, but Dani gets the controller.”

“Hey!” Dani shot him a sharp look.

Ainsley glanced at Malcom but he could barely shake himself free of the idea of Dani and his Zeus violet wand to even pay attention to his sister. “My brother does not hate that idea.”

“It’s going to be a fun charity dinner for you,” JT said to Dani who crinkled up her features and punched play.

“Did I see a purple hearse with skull headlights?” Dani asked.

“You did.” JT said. “But why send any of this to Dr. Whitly?”

“To embarrass me,” Malcolm said. “I’m not exactly thrilled to be outed like that but I’m not ashamed of how I live my life.”

“You shouldn’t be,” Dani said. “But why embarrass you?”

Malcolm turned his gaze to his father. “I think this person wants Dr. Whitly to consider someone else as an heir to his legacy.”

“Wait, we could be looking at the opening salvo of a new serial killer?” JT asked.

“Could our new case somehow tie into this? It’s what brought us here,” Dani said.

“It’s something to consider,” Malcolm said and his father smiled that horrible knowing smile at him.

“And we need to get the lab techs on this to see if they can track who sent it,” Gil said. “We should go now.”

“I’m assuming I won’t be seeing my computer for a while. I do have patients to consult on,” his father said.

“You will be able to,” Malcolm said. “Just maybe not today.”

“You could go or you could stay and see that attachment that says morally corrupt. You don’t really want the lab techs viewing that do you, son?” His father smiled.

Gil sighed in Malcolm’s ear, knowing the answer to that one. Malcolm clicked on the second video.

Chapter Text

Chapter Six

Gil wished Malcolm hadn’t turned on the second video, hadn’t let his father goad him into it. Martin caught Gil’s gaze, his blue eyes, the ones he shared with his son, glittered. He knew just how to manipulate Malcolm and Martin wanted Gil to know how well he understood Bright. Malcolm should have known that Gil wouldn’t leave the viewing to techs, they could have sat in private to see these, with maybe Dani or JT whoever Malcolm trusted with this. Though at this point, Gil assumed Malcolm trusted them both.

This time the video opened to the living room again where Malcolm was stretched out on the couch reading a psychology journal. Jaylin was with a group close to the door as if they had just come in. Gil recognized two of them as her siblings. Another young woman, with her back to the camera, danced to music coming from the belly dance video on the TV. Jaylin’s brother, Chris, and three of his male friends – or Gil assumed they were his friends – watched her intently. Roisin wasn’t in view.

“Okay, she’s hot,” JT said. “Don’t tell me you were living with four pretty women, bro.”

“That’s Estrella, well she prefers Star and no, she didn’t live with us. She was Roisin and Bjørn’s friend. Bjørn is Roisin’s baby brother before you ask,” Malcolm said. “Star went to school for art, owns a tattoo parlor in Boston now.”

With the amount of inked swirls looking like scales over her arms, that probably surprised no one, Gil thought.

“Ugh, Vic. I had hoped to forget him,” Malcolm muttered, staring at the computer screen. “One of Jaylin’s brother Chris’s friends. I had to ban Vic from the house.”

“Did you break up with your Valkyrie, you know the one big enough to tear your head off for cheating on her?” JT smirked at Malcolm.

“No. Star’s just making a point for Vic.”

“What am I? The boogeyman to your friends?” Martin snapped at his son who gazed back impassively. Pride at him not letting Whitly under his skin bubbled up in Gil.

“Are you not?” Malcolm leaned forward and stopped the recording. “I was fine with using my reputation to scare him off. I should have done more but I was young and not experienced enough to know where Vic would end up. Chris broke off the friendship thankfully but a few years later Vic was arrested for raping a couple of girls. I still feel guilty about not seeing what he was and doing more.”

“And I’ve told you many times you need to let that go because you’re right, you didn’t have enough experience and how often did you see Vic? A handful of times for a very limited number of minutes,” Gil said in gentle reprimand. He knew it would sink in about as well as it had the last dozen times they’d had the conversation.

Malcolm made a derisive noise and hit play.

“And now we know why this one is labeled morally corrupt.” JT side eyed Bright.

JT took a step back. “Yikes, you don’t see that every day.”

This time Ainsley stopped the recording. “I’ve never met this Star. Betting Mom doesn’t know about her.”

“And that needs to continue,” he replied. “Star’s fine, just different. She loves her funky contacts.”

“Is this what you meant when you said you liked snakes?” Dani crinkled her eyes at him.

“No! And Star’s a dragon.”

“Uh-huh.” Dani pushed play.

“Speaking of things you don’t see every day,” Whitly mumbled. Gil concurred and he’d met Star. He’d assumed she had a sexual relationship with Malcolm at one point but he hadn’t thought they were a threesome. In retrospect Jackie had but he’d ignored her.

“Okay, she just doesn’t seem your type,” Ainsley said over Vic’s next misogynistic remark. “So, I’m surprised, Malcolm. Why? And it better not be that banana thing.”

Malcolm stared up at her, momentarily speechless. Ainsley swatted his shoulder. “Hey!”

“You hesitated. It was the banana thing.”

“I didn’t say that!”

Ainsley narrowed her eyes as the front door opened on the recording and a huge young man with long golden hair and a well-trained beard walked in instantly shutting Vic up when he spotted him. “You were thinking it.”

“I didn’t say that either,” Malcolm replied, testy as Dani paused the video. Gil was amused that he was okay with them knowing about the bondage but seemed completely embarrassed about the idea of a blow job. Of course who the hell wanted to talk sex in front of their family?

“You were thinking it,” Dani echoed the sentiment. “Tell me about Thor!” She pointed to the screen.

“That is one big dude,” JT said.

“He is a large specimen, related to your girlfriend, son?” Whitly asked.

He nodded. “That’s her kid brother, Bjørn. He got the Norwegian name while Roisin got the Irish one.”

“So not only could your girl tear your head off without trying hard, her brother could pulverize you with a finger.” JT chuckled.

“He’s attractive,” Dani said, going to push play again but Gil stopped her.

“We can end this now, take it back with us to the station,” he told Malcolm.

He shrugged. “At this point, does it matter? I had fun at college. Isn’t that what we’re supposed to do? Go ahead play it.”

Dani complied.

Dani paused it again and stared at Malcolm who favored her with that petulant look Gil knew all too well. He was building up to some major sass. Of course, he was staring at Malcolm too. He hadn’t known about the orgies but wasn’t taken by complete surprise either.

“What?”

She crossed her arms. “You know what.”

“I told you I’ve had plenty of sex.” He huffed trying to look nonchalant but he was pink to his hair line. His hands fluttered and Gil regretted not buying up a bunch of those fidget things before the fad faded. Malcolm could use one now.

“That’s not the same as an orgy!” Dani sounded like she could use a shot of bourbon right about now.

JT looked between them. “And when did this come up?”

“I was going to ask how is depression and PTSD linked to that sort of sexual behavior and also do I even know you, brother?” Ainsley arched an eyebrow at Malcolm, a mannerism echoed by their father. Malcolm busily ignored them, staring at the computer.

“Not the parts I wanted to keep secret and I have to figure out how anyone other than Suzume and Jaylin have access to this.” Malcolm shook his head, fury radiating off him. “No one should have this.”

“Would Suzume sell it for some reason? I know she’s a friend but bad things happen,” Gil said.

“No, never. She wouldn’t. And JT, since you asked, it came up because after the snake bite, Ativan and bourbon combo took me out and Dani saw my restraints, she asked what did I do when I have company and my toxin addled brain said, ‘I don’t sleep with people’.”

JT snorted and Dani said, “And he got very flustered and cute as he tried desperately to convince me he wasn’t a virgin.”

“I bet.” Ainsley smothered a giggle.

“And I’m going to point out there’s a difference between I’ve had plenty of sex, and I’ve been to orgies.” Dani widened her eyes at Malcolm.

He looked up at her. “But is there really?”

“Yes!”

“I don’t see it, and since you asked, Ainsley, the unsafe sexual behaviors isn’t part of PTSD or anxiety, it’s part of a different problem you don’t know I have.”

“Why wouldn’t you tell me?”

“Because you don’t keep my secrets.” A world of weariness threaded itself through those words.

Ainsley reared back, fury flashing in her eyes. “That’s not fair.”

“You told Mother immediately that I took a job with Gil. You told your entire viewing audience that I have complex PTSD, night terrors and anxiety,” Malcolm snapped, rocking up to his knees. “Do you know what Gil had to go through to keep me employed after that? You didn’t need to know about the borderline-personality disorder.”

Gil pulled him down and rubbed Malcolm’s back. He couldn’t believe Malcolm had blurted that out. He’d made a grave mistake in not shutting this down. Malcolm was too tired to make good decisions. Hell, for that matter so was he and now they were in this mess. Just comforting Malcolm in front of Whitly was a mistake. “Shh.”

Malcolm tore his hands through his hair. “Sorry. I try to control it. I do.”

“You’re overly tired and someone just exposed far too many of your secrets. We should shut this down now,” Gil said, noticing JT had his phone out scrolling.

He shared it with Dani. Malcolm watched them intently.

“Dude, this is you,” JT said. “No judgement or anything, but this….a lot of things fell into place.”

“How so?” Ainsley peered over Dani’s shoulder.

“Fear of abandonment leading to making rapid intimate connections and cutting them off just as quickly, difficulties with trust, inappropriate anger,” JT said.

“This is more important, impulsive, dangerous behaviors, self-harm and suicidal thoughts,” Dani tapped his phone. “How many times have you done impulsive crazy things?”

“You made a good case with him following John alone,” Martin said, and Malcolm favored him with a withering expression.

“And that’s the tip of the iceberg. We didn’t even touch on him letting himself get kidnapped with Vijay by a vicious gang of thieves,” JT said.

“Or frying his brain with ECT,” Dani said.

“You did what?” That snapped out, almost a bellow as Martini jerked on the end of his tether trying to get to Malcolm. “You have to know what that does to your mind.”

Malcolm tensed, his jaw muscles flexing. “I do.”

“And he tried to do it again to himself,” Dani said, hesitantly unsure if she should.

“You wouldn’t have been able to let go of the electrodes,” Whitly said, horror and fear in his eyes, mirroring what Gil had seen there when he told him about Watkins having Malcolm. “You could have died.”

Malcolm returned his father’s gaze, “I know.”

The silence descending on the room weighed too much, crushing them. Malcolm finally leaned forward and touched the play button. Gil tried to stop him but Malcolm shook him off. Fine if he wanted it all out there…Gil just hoped he knew what he was doing.

“Bet that has daddy issues written all over it,” JT muttered, and Malcolm rolled his shoulders.

The recording time jumped to Chandra’s arrival. The elderly yoga instructor put Star, Roisin and Malcolm through a grueling flow.

“I am impressed with your control, son,” Whitly said.

“I was thinking more along the lines of does Bright have a spine?” JT said, watching the trio do a deep bending scorpion position. “Or if he can kiss his own butt.”

“No but I can invite-”

“Bright!” Gil broke in before his children started squabbling. Everyone was wound too tight. He needed to stop this but Malcolm pulled his hand back when he went to turn it off.

The recording time jumped again to a different day. Suzume settled the camera on a table for a party where she, Jaylin and several other women were examining sex toys like it was Tupperware. Malcom and Roisin came into frame, stopped dead and stared.

JT stopped it and made eye contact with Malcolm. “That purple hearse is hers?”

He nodded and Gil said, “She took it to car cruises. I went with her a few times with the LeMans.”

“That’s the car you caught them in? That had to be extra scarring.” JT shuddered.

“You have no idea,” Gil replied, and Malcolm glared. He dead-eyed all of them and slowly pressed play.

Dani stopped it, turning wide eyes on Bright. “Coffin?”

“It’s not…okay it’s what you think.”

“I have to say, son, this has been an enlightening day.” Martin smirked.

“I can’t even…” Malcolm shook his head. “Just no, nothing out of you.”

“No wonder you think married sex is boring,” JT said.

“I never said that. I said it had less cuddling,” Malcolm protested.

“And can’t compare with freaky coffin in a hearse sex.” JT grinned.

“Don’t forget the shock glove,” Dani said.

“I’d love to,” JT muttered and pushed play again.

The recording time jumped. They were all outside on the back porch. Gil assumed they were looking into the camera on the tripod, recording something for Suzume’s class because he didn’t know why else they would be talking about traditional heteronormative expectations in just those exact terms.

It was Ainsley who stopped it this time but Whitly asked before she could, “You didn’t do that, did you?”

“If I did?” Malcolm quirked up his eyebrows.

“It would be a foolish thing to do and for what?” Martin demanded to know and Gil rested his hand on Malcolm’s arm. He’d known Malcolm’s thoughts on this having been the one Malcolm turned to so he could discuss if he were making the right choice. He could see Malcolm hadn’t remembered this conversation or he would have stopped it. He clearly didn’t want his father to know but now that it was out there, he was going to bull his way through, not giving an inch.

“Because Roisin is right. It’s better we don’t have kids. I’m in no condition to have kids. They don’t need my trauma,” Malcolm snarled out, and Gil wished he could help him but there wasn’t anything to be done for this. “But no, there was an intervening event and it didn’t happen. There never seemed to be time when I was with the F.B.I. but now, as a consultant with more free time, I’m considering it again.” He turned to his sister. “You can’t tell Mother.”

She held up her hands. “I don’t want in the middle of that.”

Malcolm unfolded from the floor and pushed the computer cart away. “We’ll need to take this out of here, Mr. David.” He turned to his father. “You’ll need to give us your email’s password.”

“And if I don’t? There are HIPAA protected emails in there, that’s what most of them are.” His father lifted his chin defiantly.

“We have no desire to read any of that but we need to find who sent you these,” Gil said as Malcolm started texting someone. “You’ll get your computer privileges back faster if we don’t have to waste time breaking into your email.”

Whitly’s gaze whipped to him, his lip curling but the hostility eased when Malcolm said, “It would help me. I just texted Jaylin and Suzume to see if they had been approached for these videos. We might have to ask Boston’s PD computer crimes to look into this, Gil.”

“I know a few people there. I’ll call it stalking and if Jaylin and Suzume cooperate, it should be easy. We will need to decide who is going to watch all of this and if it can be balanced with the other case…and if they’ll let us even keep this case.”

“We have to.” Malcolm’s hand shook. “I can’t have everyone looking at my life, and I can provide context.”

Gil patted his back. “I’ll deal with it.”

“We’ve got your back, dude. And I want to meet this Roisin. She has to be a blast.” JT chuckled.

Malcolm shook his head and Gil cupped the back of his neck, knowing what was going through his mind. “Ah, Jaylin said they had no idea they had been hacked,” Malcolm stared at his phone just before it rang. “Hello, Jaylin…. We don’t know what is going on… no, you don’t have to come down…okay you can come, of course. I’d love to see you but you don’t have to…Suzume’s calling Bjørn? Don’t upset him. He might do something rash….he wants to come too. How about we put a pin in all that? We have a potential serial killer on the loose and my time’s taken up with that. Yes, I’m very familiar with how they are. I’m sitting with one now…Yes, I’ll have a song picked out. Maybe World War Me or My Little Secret. Call you later, okay? I’m on the case right now.”

Malcolm sighed, “Sorry, about that.”

“Still using me to frighten your friends.” Whitly lifted his bushy eyebrows.

“I am sitting with a serial killer, am I not?”

“I’m more curious about the song you picked out,” Dani said.

“Mmm, we all did karaoke nights to unwind. It’s soothing but the caveat was the songs had to represent our truth or one our friends needed to hear.” Malcolm rolled his shoulders.

“Somehow I can’t picture this,” she replied.

“Neither can I and I’ve seen him in a bar.” JT smirked.

“It’s true. I can’t say I’m great at karaoke but we always had fun. All right, can we go, watch more of this at the station, do what we need to?” Malcolm rubbed his forehead.

Gil nodded. “I’ll call the computer gurus from the car, let them dig into this, see if they can trace where the emails are from and whose computers have been broken into, yours, the ladies. Which of them do you want to view the rest of this?” He pointed to Dani and JT.

“I don’t care if they hear it but aren’t I going to be there to give context to this?”

“You’re going home, and you’re getting sleep.”

“Gil! I have to-”

“And you will but not immediately. This isn’t negotiable, Bright.”

“Are you going to let him talk to you like that, son?” Whitly narrowed his eyes at Gil.

“I have no choice. He’s my boss and he’s not wrong. I just…I don’t like this, using Roisin against me especially after so many years.”

“Why did you break up?” Dani asked.

“It wasn’t so much a break up as I was headed to Quantico and she went to her residency here in the city. We were simply in two different places. We figured we’d get back to each other down the road.”

“But she met someone?” Dani put a hand on his shoulder.

Malcolm shook his head, his throat working hard. Gil wanted to reach out and protect him from this but they needed to know. However, he’d let Malcolm deal with it in his time.

“When did she kill herself, Malcolm?” His father’s voice almost sounded as if he was sympathetic and concerned, but of course he could pull on that sheep’s clothing easily. It’s what had made Whitly such a good serial killer.

“Four years ago. It was a horrible time. Roisin died. A few months later Jackie was sick. A year later she was gone.” Malcolm shuddered, his whole body picking up a fine tremor, his voice cracking.

“I’m sorry,” Dani said in concert with his father.

Malcolm dragged in a ragged breath. “I wish you could have met Roisin, JT. You would have liked her. I wish she were here today because, whoever this is trying to humiliate me, she’d help us kick him straight in the crotch. I wish…I should have been there to help her.”

“You can’t take that on, Malcolm,” Ainsley said. “It wasn’t your fault.”

He looked at her, eyes brimming with pain. Gil had had his conversation more than once and it always ended badly. It was guilt Malcolm didn’t know how to put down. “She called me that night but I had my phone off. I was out on a case. I called her back that night with no answer. The next day the police called me before Bjørn or my friends could. Do you get it, Ains? She reached out before she did it, and I wasn’t there to help her. I wasn’t there when she lost her fight, and I should have been.”

Ainsley’s eyes glistened wetly. JT shook his head and said, “You can’t bear that burden, Bright.”

“I have to because she was there when I lost my fight. She’s the reason I’m still here.” Malcolm broke. Gil watched him shatter. They all did. Martin was on his feet, lunging to the end of his tether, stumbling to a stop. He couldn’t speak. For an instant he seemed as fractured as his son.

“What are you saying?” Ainsley whispered.

“That can’t be true,” Whitly finally managed to find his words.

“It’s true.”

“How could you have hidden this from me?” Ainsley’s tone went strident

“You were young, Ains. Mother and I didn’t want you to be constantly worried about me. You didn’t need that stress. I had Mom, Jackie and Gil with me. That’s why I was always so center to Mom’s world and I know you had to feel left out sometimes. I’m sorry for that. I had them. I had Roisin and the others. I wasn’t alone that time.”

“That time? How many times were there?” Martin asked before Ainsley or any of the others could.

Malcolm sighed and held up three fingers. “The time Roisin saved me was the last attempt. I swallowed all my pills with a good amount of scotch. After that I was in The Respite by the Sea for a few weeks again.”

“I’ve heard of that place. I was mad because you went from that resort to a trip with Gil and Jackie after and I was jealous.” Ainsley looked abashed.

“It’s not a resort, it’s an exclusive mental health facility,” Whitly said. “Again?”

“I was there two other times…probably a fourth time if I don’t turn around soon.” Malcolm sighed, taking a step closer to Dani who put a hand on his shoulder. “Roisin saved me. I failed to save her.”

“You were several states away on a child trafficking case,” Gil said. “You weren’t to blame, Malcolm.”

“Are you okay now?” Dani took his shaking hand. “I want to be shocked by this but I’m not. I saw you on our first case with Berkhead. You nearly let him inject you with that same paralytic your dad used. You were willing to let him kill you to keep me safe, and you barely knew me. You told me you weren’t really going to let him do it. I didn’t believe you. I was sure you were going to do it, and it scared me. It’s one of the reasons I insisted Gil tell us exactly who you were and why he brought you in.”

“The other reason being I outed myself as Malcolm Whitly.” He made a face.

“That too.” Dani let him go as he gently pulled away. “In the kitchen this morning…”

“It wasn’t a suicide attempt…but there was talk,” he admitted. “That’s why Gil and I never went back to sleep. He sat up with me until it was time to come to work.”

“You’ve done that before, haven’t you?” Whitly demanded to know.

“Many times.”

“Didn’t you go to the Respite when you were a kid?” Ainsley asked. “Right before you went to Gil and Jackie’s for a few weeks.”

“You remembered that?” Malcolm sighed. “Yes. I was twelve. I took all of Mom’s pills that time. I didn’t want to go back to boarding school that semester. Afterwards Mother wanted me to be somewhere I was happy so I went with Gil and Jackie. She had the tutors come to Gil’s.”

“Jackie and I arranged our work schedules so I was on days and she on nights so we’d be there,” Gil said.

“The middle attempt was the worst.”

“It terrified me,” Gil admitted now that Malcolm had brought it up.

Malcolm shook harder now. “I am sorry about that. You shouldn’t have had to see that.”

“You weren’t in your right mind, kid. I don’t blame you. You and Jess had gone to Hawaii Ainsley, and Malcolm was sixteen. He insisted he could stay home alone. Jess begged me and Jackie to go to the house to be sure he wasn’t having parties. I didn’t want to because I didn’t think he would be. He didn’t have that many friends at that school, and if he was, it’s sort of a rite of passage.” Gil shrugged. “But Jess was very worried because he wasn’t answering the phone.”

“He found me in the basement.” Malcolm tugged up his sleeve. “The plastic surgeon did an amazing job. You can barely see the scars.”

“I’m really over what a Whitly has done in the basement,” Gil said, meaning it whole heartedly. “Jackie was a surgical nurse. We got him bandaged up and to the hospital. That’s twice you nearly bled out in that damn basement.”

“It wouldn’t have been in a basement had things gone as planned the last time I had decided to do it,” Malcolm said, his tone flat, robotic. He faced Dani and JT. “I owe you thanks in a way for serving that ridiculous no-knock warrant as if I wouldn’t have come to the station if you had just asked me to. I had decided to kill myself that night. I had had enough. I was done. Done with hallucinating, done with being haunted by everything, just done.”

“Bright.” Dani reached for him but he jerked out of reach.

“Being falsely accused gave me reason to go on, got me out of that bad headspace. No way I was dying with that hanging over me,” Malcolm growled.

“Are you going to be able to handle this?” Ainsley slapped her hand down on the computer.

“I don’t have a choice. It’s about me. I just…I need some sleep. I don’t care if Dani and JT watch it without me or want to wait until tomorrow to finish going over this. We have an actual murder case to deal with. Someone stalking me is low on the list of things I need to be worried about. It can wait.”

“We’ll wait for you,” JT said. “And you get it, right? That you can always call me if you’re losing that fight. I don’t care what time of night it is.”

“Me too,” Dani said.

Malcolm swayed on his feet. “I appreciate that. Can we go now? I think I need to go.”

“Of course. Ainsley, want to walk your brother to the car? Dani can bring the camera. Mr. David, who do we have to talk to get this computer released into police custody?” Gil put a hand in the small of Bright’s back, steadying him but also giving him a slight push toward the door.

“I’ll walk it down to the administration center,” he said.

“Okay, thank you.”

JT and Ainsley escorted Malcolm out the door after Mr. David and the computer cart. Dani hefted the camera and followed them with Gil on her heels. Malcolm didn’t even say goodbye to his father.

“Gil, a moment if you will,” Whitly said. “We need to talk.”

Malcolm stopped and turned at that, giving his father a look. Gil gave him a gentle push toward his sister. He shut the door and faced Whitly. He couldn’t even guess what this was about but he’d find out fast.

Chapter Text

Chapter Seven

Gil crossed his arms. “Yes?”

“He tried to kill himself,” Whitly said, more to himself than to Gil. The fearful expression on his face affected Gil more than he wanted it to. He felt no joy in seeing Whitly frightened, no matter that he probably deserved it. “More than once. He might have died if you hadn’t intervened.”

“There’s no might about it. He’s had very close calls, too damn close. Usually he’s…well not good but he’s not normally overwhelmed. Malcolm tries very hard. He takes his meds. He goes to a therapist. He does his cognitive therapy, his yoga daily. He reaches out, usually to me and Jackie when she was still with us.”

“Not his mother?”

Gil shook his head. “She would be there in a heartbeat, of course, but she’s never understood what makes Malcolm tick. You have a better handle on that.” He hated saying that but it was true. Let Whitly have that. Provoking him would only translate into him making Malcolm upset later.

Whitly paced on his carpet. “He has never said a word to me about his struggles and obviously not to his sister.”

“He didn’t want to worry her.” Malcolm hadn’t lied. He loved his sister but didn’t entirely trust Ainsley, even before Endicott. She had always been quick to rat him out to their mother. “And I doubt he’d want to seem weak in your eyes. He was fine with all the alternative sex stuff but you saw how fast he shut this down when it touched on suicide and when you disapproved of his choices.” Because, Gil knew that was the real reason Malcolm stopped it. He didn’t want to have to defend his choice to not have kids.

Whitly sighed, seeming to collapse in on himself. “It’s you he reaches out to when he’s hurting. That was clear today as well.”

Gil steeled his jaw, debating how much he should hand to Whitly. It would all be weaponized no doubt but he was also right. Malcolm couldn’t have been clearer about where he sought a comforting shoulder. “He does. Jaylin too now that Roisin is gone. Jay’s a psychologist as well. She’s good at handling him. I hope he talks to her some tonight because I don’t want to have to take him back to The Respite or at least, let him go on his own so there’s no police record of an involuntary commitment.”

“So, you think he belongs in a place like this?” Martin huffed, his gaze penetrating.

“You know The Respite by the Sea isn’t like Claremont, and I want him to get the help he needs. I don’t want him to go there but if it’s that or death….” Gil spread his hands.

Whitly looked away, his gaze dropping to the floor. “I want you to do something for me.”

Gil went to fidget with his wedding band out of habit only to feel skin. “I’m listening.”

“Keep my son alive, no matter how you have to do it.” The request was so quiet Gil almost missed it.

“I always will. You don’t have to ask me that.”

“And yet I did.”

They regarded each other. Gil gave him a short, sharp nod. “Malcolm is well cared for, more than he knows. The team will help me. Jess and Ains are always there for him even if he’s hesitant to reach out to them. He’ll stay with me until he feels comfortable on his own.”

“Even if he apparently stabs you and blackens your eye?”

Gil touched his swollen eye. “Even so. Is there anything else? I want to get him home.”

“No, just keep him alive.” Whitly grimaced.

“I will.” Gil started to let himself out.

“And stay away from my wife.”

Jessica probably wouldn’t approve, but his response would have been Jackie’s answer. Gil gave him the finger and slammed the door shut behind him. By the time he got to the administrative center, Ainsley was talking to her camerawoman who had waited there, but she was also hovering close to Malcolm as if afraid he’d do something if he was out of her sight. Dani and JT were in talks with the administrator about the computer. Gil joined them and a few minutes later they walked out the door with the computer even though he didn’t think they’d need it. Most likely there was nothing interesting on it, other than the email sent to Whitly.

“What did my father want?” Malcolm asked as Ainsley watched her camerawoman stow the camera in their vehicle.

“It was nothing,” Gil said, wondering if he said anything about the real reason would it make things worse. Malcolm gave him a look and Gil sighed. “He wanted to warn me away from your mother.”

“No surprise there.”

“And he asked me to keep you alive.” Gil watched Malcolm’s expression morph from uninterested to confused to disbelieving.

“He did not. He doesn’t care about us, no matter how well he fakes it,” he protested, but he couldn’t keep the disbelief out of his tone. Ainsley walked over, curious. She looked ready to protest her brother’s statement.

Gil dropped his gaze to the asphalt of the parking lot.

“What?” Malcolm demanded.

“I didn’t want to tell you this but maybe it was wrong to hide it. I don’t know.” Gil ran his hand through his hair. “When I came here to ask your father where Watkins would have taken you, he didn’t believe you were alive. He was convinced that John wouldn’t have wasted time killing you. He had a panic attack that made yours today look like nothing.”

Malcolm shook his head and started to argue. He clamped his jaw shut, glanced at Ainsley and then back to Gil. “Really?”

“I don’t know if he loves you and Ainsley. I do know he feels something. I didn’t tell you before because…well you damn near died thanks to Watkins and no one needed to hear about this then. I put it mostly out of mind since then. And I don’t know what you’ll do with that information.”

“You don’t want Malcolm coming here,” Ainsley accused, a disapproving expression on her face.

“I never have but it’s not my place to stop him or you if that’s what you want.” Gil wished it were. Malcolm would never have seen his father again if he had anything to say about it. At least the courts were prohibiting her from social calls for a year. “I also don’t want Malcolm making a huge deal of this information in his head but he’ll probably do that too.”

Malcolm grunted. “Let’s just go home.”

“Get in the car then,” JT said. “Do you want me to just drop you off at your house, Gil? Or do you want to go to the station first?”

“I’ll call in sick. You and Dani can handle getting the tech guys on this and follow up with our actual case.” Gil opened the passenger door as Malcolm said goodbye to his sister and dropped into the back seat. “Swing past the nearest liquor store. If I come back without bourbon…”

“You’ll be in trouble,” Ainsley said. “Take care of him, Gil.”

“I will,” Gil said as Dani got in the back with Malcolm. “Maybe we’ll get to try this interview with Jackson tomorrow.”

“I’m going to push for it,” she replied. “We’ll see.”

Gil hoped they would. Both he and Malcolm were nearly asleep in the car by the time JT pulled up to his home. He chivvied Malcolm inside, gently prodding him with the end of the bourbon bottle as Malcolm seemed to want to linger and talk about the case and no doubt avoid having to face his mother once she saw what he and Gil looked like. Once inside he heard the TV on.

“You should go upstairs,” Gil said. Could Bright actually sleep in the early afternoon?

Malcolm nodded but he plodded into the living room anyhow, probably wanting to see with his own eyes his mother sitting with the cats. Jess rested, stretched out on the couch more casual than Gil had seen her in ages. Two of his pride were curled up with her and abandoned her as soon as Jess started to sit up when she spied them. Her happy expression crumbled instantly as she took in their appearance. She rolled to her feet, racing over to them in her stockings.

“What happened?” She demanded to know.

Gil set the bourbon on the table. “It was a rough night.”

“And you blackened your eye somehow?” Jess ghosted her fingers just under his eye.

“That happened at Claremont,” he replied. “We both need a nap.”

Jessica turned to Malcolm taking him by the arm and making him wince. “What’s wrong?”

“There might have been some knife damage last night,” Malcolm said and hurriedly added when her color fled, “It’s superficial. We’re fine. I’m going up to bed. A nap is what we both need.”

Malcolm didn’t wait for a protest. He hustled up the steps. Jessica rounded on Gil.

“He’s not okay.”

“Not in the least. He actually fell asleep for less than ten minutes and had a night terror at Claremont.”

Jessica drew her arms close to her chest. “He has to hate Martin saw that.”

“I’m sure.”

“A knife, Gil?”

“He tagged us both with it.” He ran a hand down her arm. “Can we talk about this later?”

She kissed his cheek. “Go on, get some sleep. I’m fine down here by myself.”

Gil didn’t argue. He went upstairs, peeked through the crack in the guest bedroom’s door, left open for the cats to come in and out, and saw Malcolm was already in bed, mostly dressed but in his restraints. Gil went to his own room, kicked off his shoes and collapsed into bed. He was getting too old for all this. He went out like a candle in a windstorm.

X X X

Gil woke, surprised to see he’d slept nearly three hours and it was nearly five o’clock. Groggy and guilty for leaving Jess alone that long, he shooed Picard off his bed and staggered into the bathroom. After taking care of business, he walked into the hallway and peeked into Malcolm’s room shocked he was still sound asleep, apparently peacefully as Janeway slept curled up on his chest.

He left them sleeping and tried to make as little noise as possible as he walked downstairs. Jessica was still in the living room with Sisko and Kirk. She smiled as he crossed the room and sat next to her.

“You look a little better but your eye.” She touched his cheek. “Malcolm did this?”

“When he freaked out at Claremont. He didn’t mean to. It’ll be fine.”

Jessica shook her head. “I’m not sure it will be. He’s struggling, Gil.”

“He is and he knows it. He’s trying to help himself, Jess. We need to do whatever it is he feels necessary to keep hanging on.”

She let out a long, low breath. “I don’t know if he knows what that is.”

“Maybe not but he has us and he has the team.”

“Does he?” She shot him a sharp look. “They were quick to arrest him.”

“They didn’t have much choice, Jess. We’ve talked about this.”

She threw up her hands. “I know. You were trying to control the investigation, keep him as safe as you could so another team who didn’t know him, who didn’t care wouldn’t take over and just take the easy path and be done with it. He’s hurting, Gil. He lost his best friend when Dani didn’t entirely believe he was innocent.”

“I’m sure they’ve made up, at least enough for him to ask her to the charity dinner. You need to let those two sort it out on their own. It’s not something we can fix for them.”

Jessica melted against him. “I know that too. I’m just glad you woke up without me having to come get you. She’ll be here soon.”

Gil made a face. “She who?”

“The concierge doctor. You’ll love her. Dr. McElroy is on retainer with me. She’ll be at the house shortly.”

“Uh, okay,” he said unsure what else to say. He couldn’t imagine having a doctor on retainer who did house calls at your beck and call. Gil mulled over what he was doing here with Jess. He cared about her. He always had but when she had shut him out all those years ago, telling him they were from two different worlds – even though she said that was a mere shield for her own feelings of unworthiness – it hadn’t been a lie. They were. He’d never been comfortable with her wealth, and he knew no matter what, people would think he was after her money. Not everyone, not the people who mattered most to him, but enough would. It gave him pause, whispered doubt into his head.

“You look…upset.”

“Sorry, I’m just thinking about something that happened today that you know nothing about yet and it should probably wait until Malcolm’s awake.”

She took his hand, squeezing it hard. “That just scared the hell out of me.”

“Maybe it should. Jess, did Malcolm ever send you any videos from his days in Harvard?”

She arched an eyebrow at him. “No. He sent pictures of course, and I met his friends but he’s never shared a lot of his free time there. He always had reasons for my not coming to visit. He was growing into himself and no doubt doing all the things boys do that they don’t want their mothers knowing about. I understood that and didn’t press him hard about it. Why?”

“Someone, we don’t know who, has video of Malcolm from his college days and they sent it to Martin,” he said, rethinking his stance on waiting. Malcolm might be sleeping for hours yet if he was lucky.

“Why would they do that?”

“We think to embarrass him or…it just occurred to me, this person might be courting Martin.”

Jessica huffed and screwed up her face. “Why?”

Gil shrugged. “It happens. Serial killers have their own fans. I don’t get it but it’s true. A lot of them are women. Some of them even marry these guys. I know you’ve only been back in contact with Martin in that last few months so you probably aren’t aware of half of what goes on there.”

A strange guilty expression slipped over her face and Jessica glanced away. “Do not tell my son, but Mr. David keeps me appraised of things, especially if Malcolm is there.”

“Jess…”

She grimaced, the dimple on her chin deepening. “Don’t you start. He’s my son, and I need to protect him from himself if need be.”

Gil let it go. He knew that Mama Bear tone. He wasn’t going to win this fight. “Anyhow, much like Bundy, Martin has a certain charm about him and he was recently on TV.”

“Thanks for nothing, Ainsley.” Jessica sighed.

He rolled his eyes. “I wonder if Malcolm knows…”

“Knows what?” Malcolm startled them. Had he channeled the cats, and somehow gotten down the stairs noiselessly?

“If your father gets any fan mail.”

Malcolm scrubbed a hand over his face. “I thought about that. No, I don’t know but I will ask.”

“Do you have to? That sounds sordid.” Jessica brushed back her hair, giving them a look. Gil wished he could make her happier than she was now but she was about to get a lot less happy.

“He does, probably. We need to check on the details of his father’s incarceration because Claremont might be able to seize any notes or allow searches without the need of a warrant.” Gil rolled his shoulders. “But it might be quicker to just ask. Martin does seem to want to keep Malcolm more or less happy.”

“I’m still working on what he asked you to do. It doesn’t make sense.”

Jessica turned to Gil, her eyes narrowing. “What did Martin ask?”

“To help Malcolm hold on and keep him here with us,” Gil said and she went gray, fumbling for his hand. Malcolm ducked his head, making a face.

“What aren’t you two telling me?”

Malcolm launched into some of the details about the videos sent to Martin and Gil watched Jessica’s building fury. There was nothing he could do to help other than hope this was nothing but some serial killer fan trying to get Martin’s attention. That was bad enough but it was better than some of the other ugly scenarios running through his head.

XXX

Gil followed Jadzia upstairs, wondering where Jess had gotten off to. He knew Malcolm had gone up to bed. It had been a busy night after Dr. McElroy had patched him and Bright up with nice neat little stitches. Food had arrived just ahead of the Tarmels. Dani showed up a few minutes later. Jessica asked them not to talk about the case over dinner, and they let her have that respite. She’d been cute, trying all the new-to-her Filipino foods. Jessica had taken to his homemade chicken adobo with surprising praise, and her watching Malcolm and JT tackling the halo-halo had made Gil laugh. She had probably never seen her son aggressively go after food, at least not since he was a young child. JT learned not to get between Malcolm and sweets.

Hearing voices he saw Jess in Malcolm’s room apparently annoying him, being overly motherly. He slipped back downstairs to let them battle it out in private. The tension boiling in her all night was probably at a head now as she fought to tuck Malcolm in. Gil was sure that Malcolm knew his mother feared losing him especially after he had confessed how he and Gil had ended up so wounded. He’d fuss at her but in the end, he’d let Jess have her way. Gil poured himself a little bit of bourbon and waited in the living room, leaving the bottle open in case Jessica wanted some.

Several minutes later he heard her come downstairs. She peeked around the corner at him, and he pointed at the bottle. She nodded, and he poured a couple fingers worth for her and brought it over to her.

“He looks better now, don’t you think? Then when you came back at least.” The desperation in Jessica’s tone made him ache.

“Yes, tonight was good for him.” It had been so he could forgive Jessica for breaking into his house. Tonight was not the night to discuss that with her.

She sipped the bourbon. “I hope he sleeps the night. I’ve called Adolpho to take me home so you don’t have to.”

Gil took her hand. “I wouldn’t have minded.”

“You’re exhausted too and if he does wake up, I’d rather it wasn’t to an empty house.” Jessica sighed and polished off the whiskey in one long swallow. “I thought about staying but…. Do you think it upsets him? Us?”

“No. Not at all but it’s probably a little weird at the same time. He’s had enough drama for one day.”

Jess thinned her lips, mulling over something. “What if this person means him harm?”

“Malcolm can take care of himself, Jess, and he has me and the team.”

“And yet he manages to get hurt often.”

Because he didn’t follow protocol, because he didn’t listen to reason, because he’d been so ostracized for so long Malcolm had forgotten how to trust the people around him. He didn’t share these thoughts. “It’s a dangerous business,” he said and that was dicey enough.

Jessica frowned. “It makes him happy. I want to hate that but I can’t.”

“I’m glad you understand that now. Tell him so. It’ll make him happy.”

“I will,” she promised. Gil hoped so. Malcolm needed to hear it. When Adolpho finally arrived, he watched Jess go until he couldn’t see the taillights anymore. Gil turned in early himself, hoping the household would stay quiet until morning.

Chapter Text

Chapter Eight

Malcolm had brushed his teeth vigorously with Sunshine chirping in his ear. He had brought her cage into the bathroom for a while so she could get out and pop around in a room easy to corral her again. Otherwise she was spending her time in Gil’s other guest bedroom. In spite of two brushings, he was sure he still had cat hair in his mouth. He’d woken up feeling very rested but also with the supremely fluffy Jadzia draped over him, half of her bulk on his face.

He made his way downstairs, thoughts rolling like thunderclouds in his brain. He’d thought he’d dream awful things after his mother’s confession last night but he hadn’t. Roisin had filled his head with peaceful, sweet memories, bittersweet now in the light of day because he missed her. Shockingly he hoped his Boston friends did come to the city for a visit. He should never have let this much time go between seeing them.

Smells of chocolate drew him into Gil’s kitchen, knowing what Gil had made for breakfast. Arguments that Gil need not cook for him would fall on deaf ears so Malcolm didn’t bother. He sat himself at the kitchen table, wondering what his mother would think of eating in a kitchen versus a formal dining room. Did she have a clue what she was letting herself in for in dating Gil?

Gil turned as Malcolm entered the kitchen, halting when he saw how swollen Gil’s black eye was. It looked horrid in the light of day but neither of them said a word. Gil slid a bowl of champorado in front of him. Malcolm smiled, eager to dive into the chocolate rice porridge. Gil took great pride in his heritage and cooked from both sides of his family. It could have just as easily been a full Irish breakfast as it was the Filipino dish he’d just been served but Gil knew the overload of food on the full Irish would never get eaten.

“You slept the night.” Gil took stock of him. “You look good this morning.”

“I feel good. I also feel like I have a mouthful of cat hair.”

Gil snorted, sitting down himself with a bowl of champorado. “You probably do.”

“Gil, can we have a serious talk?” Malcolm spooned up a mouthful of the rich chocolatey breakfast. He closed his eyes briefly savoring it and opened them to Gil’s distressed expression. “It’s not about me. Not that.” Not suicide, not this time.

“All right,” Gil replied guarded.

“Mother apologized to me last night.”

Gil’s dark eyes narrowed. “What for?”

“For messing up all those years ago. Is it true? Were you and Mother involved when I was a kid?” Malcolm knew he probably didn’t have the right to pry but Gil would have no problem telling him to mind his own business.

“Yes and no. The potential was there but she pulled away.”

“Told you that you weren’t from her world.” Malcolm muttered, thinking on what his Mother had told him. “That had to hurt.”

“It’s true. That hasn’t changed in twenty years. What hurts is she thought she’d mess things up and I would leave you,” Gil said, and Malcolm bobbed his head. Mother had been honest with him last night. Good. “Your mother doesn’t see she’s at heart a good person.”

“I know. My father broke her as badly as he broke me but she’s the one who had to be strong enough to hold us together.” He sighed, letting his spoon sink into the porridge.

“I don’t blame her obviously, and I met Jackie. I could never regret that.”

“I’ve always wondered why Mother was always so alone. I thought part of it was no one in her circle wanted anything to do with her, thanks to my father and that’s partly true.” Malcolm wished he hadn’t brought this up at breakfast. Sometimes he was an idiot. “And I thought that she was so often jealous of Jackie because she thought I preferred Jackie as a mother to her. Some of that is true too but I get it now. She was all those things plus she still carried a torch for you.”

“I didn’t realize it either, kid. Don’t feel bad.”

But he did. He felt awful because he’d thought bad things about his mother for her actions. He still hated that she hadn’t even acknowledged Jackie’s passing. He hadn’t found the way to forgive that yet. “The thing is she was right. It would never have worked back then, even though it was what I wanted. You have no idea how much I wanted you to marry Mom when I was a kid.”

Gil’s smile was so gentle it nearly provoked tears. “I had a fair idea.”

“But Grandma was alive then. If she didn’t approve of Dad who came from a good family of doctors for being not good enough, I could just imagine what she would have said to a cop.” His job and middle-class status wouldn’t have been the only things his grandmother would have held against Gil. She might not have been quite the bigot her sister Audrey was but a biracial man would never have done in her eyes, probably as she protested she wasn’t racist. “Grandma might have cut Mother out of the family fortune.”

“I wouldn’t have let that happen,” Gil replied. “I know your mother might think some things matter more than money but she probably could never have adjusted to having just my salary. She’s had some things to say about that once you came to work for me.”

Malcolm scowled. “I just bet.” He forced himself to eat another mouthful. Gil had woken up early and thoughtfully made him a meal. The least he could do was try to eat it. “I hope you both know what you’re doing. I get that it’s not my business.”

“Of course, it is. You’re not an outsider in this.”

Malcolm spread his hands. “I just mean that there really are two different worlds going on here. You’re probably going to hate going to charity functions and hearing snotty things said about you and Mother. Does she know the cats sleep with you?”

Gil’s cheeks pinked up. “That hasn’t come up.”

Malcolm thought as much. If they had slept together at this point, it would have been at Mother’s. She liked being in control. She hated that his father had ripped away her control. She despised it when Endicott had done the same. To that end, she’d had tossed out her bed and gotten a new one after Endicott and probably would have gotten rid of everything he’d touched if she could – aided by the fact that his blood was soaked into the formal living room. What she couldn’t discard was that both she and Gil knew she’d slept with that man. He couldn’t get past Endicott throwing it in his face, so very crass. Even before they knew what sort of man Endicott was, he’d paraded his conquest of Jessica to both him and Ainsley over breakfast even telling them Jessica hadn’t wanted him to interact with them. He and Ains should have said something to her then. Maybe things would have gone a little differently. No they wouldn’t have. Mother would have gone to him to bargain for Malcolm’s freedom regardless. He had no one but himself to blame for Gil’s injuries.

“Are you trying to tell me you don’t want me dating your mother?” Gil laid it out bare.

Malcolm waved his hands. “No, that’s not what I’m getting at. I just don’t…” he sighed. “I don’t want either of you to get hurt, Gil. You have an idea of how nasty some of these people can be and you’re getting yourself into it. Mother is never going to step far away from that world. I don’t think she knows how. No matter what she thinks, the Milton lifestyle is important to her.”

He sighed. “I know that, too.”

“But maybe…Mother drinks too much. Maybe having someone she can lean on, she’ll find reasons not to.” Malcolm bit the inside of his lip for a moment, thinking. “I know that’s a lot of pressure.”

Gil rolled his shoulders. “Your mother has used alcohol as a crutch as long as I’ve known her.”

“I think it’s getting worse.” Malcolm pushed his bowl away. This was an idiotic way to start his day. “Her and I…I don’t know if we can ever be better.”

“I don’t believe that but believe me, I don’t want to hurt your mother or get hurt.”

Malcolm wondered if Gil realized he’d involuntarily touched his gut. “I know. It’s just…honestly I don’t know what it is. I shouldn’t have brought it up. I think my brain is just playing worst case scenarios and we all end up very unhappy.”

“I’m familiar with how your brain works, kid. Loving someone leaves you open to getting hurt. It’s part of the deal. I don’t have to tell you that.”

Malcolm frowned so hard at the champorado he was shocked the porridge didn’t boil from the heat of it. He knew that better than anyone. He loved his father and look how that turned out? He cared about Eve and she had lied to him, betrayed him, used him, and he still hadn’t been prepared to let her go. He still smarted over how Dani and JT had treated him after Eddie’s murder, how only Edrisa seemed to believe in him. He’d forgiven them, understood why it went how it did and yet, the pain lingered. He loved his sister and she betrayed him so many different ways, and he wasn’t even sure she knew it. She’d looked shocked when he said it yesterday. “I should have kept quiet.”

Gil reached across the table and patted his wrist. “You can always talk to me, Malcolm, even if it’s not easy. You’re protective of your mother, I get that. Hell, you’re protective of me. It doesn’t translate well into you listening to me when you should but that’s you. You’ve gotten too used to doing everything yourself. You’ve forgotten how to trust others.”

“I don’t meet many people who can be trusted. I trust you,” he said, knowing it wasn’t needed. Gil knew. “I trust the team but you’re right, I have a decade of bad habits formed in the FBI.”

“Let’s see if we can work on that,” Gil suggested mildly, pushing away from the table. “Your sister called. We need to be at Claremont within the hour. Archie agreed to the interview again in spite of yesterday.” He put a baggie of what looked like little spring rolls on the table. “Turon for later. I knew you’d never eat all your breakfast.”

“Gil…”

He snapped up his hand. “No argument. Try to eat some more and you’re taking the snack. Just put it in your jacket. They won’t be warm but they’ll still give you energy.”

“Thank you,” he said, not wanting to be insulting. He liked turon and Gil knew it. “Ainsley did good in talking them into letting this happen.” Malcolm pulled his bowl back and managed a few more bites in spite of the fact he didn’t feel like eating.

“Your sister is good at her job.”

“Frighteningly so,” Malcolm agreed. “It’s almost a shame she didn’t follow me into law enforcement. She’d make a good detective but…after what happened with Endicott.”

Gil rubbed Malcolm’s shoulder. “Try to put that out of your head if you can.”

He doubted Gil believed that was possible but Malcolm took comfort it in it regardless. “I’m assuming we’re playing the roles we agreed on yesterday before we were derailed.”

“As far as I know.” Gil pointed to the bowl again.

Malcolm shook his head. “I’m sorry. I appreciate the effort but I’ve done as much as I can.”

“Redefined as four spoonfuls.” Gil raised his eyebrows and Malcolm sighed. He powered through two more spoonfuls. “Kid, do we need to have a more serious talk about all this?”

Malcolm bit his lip. Gil was thinking of sidelining him. He could see it. Or worse, putting him in for some supervised care. “What can I say, Gil? I’m already in so much therapy. I’m drugged up to my eyeballs.”

“Were you this bad when you were in Virginia?”

Malcolm shoved his hand under the table so Gil couldn’t see it betray him. This wasn’t fair. He had a good night. He wanted a good morning but he had opened the wounds first. “No one cared and obviously I was bad enough to be fired but you know me, Gil. You know I do better when I’m working.”

And I know nothing’s been right since you’ve come home. There’s no shame in that, Malcolm. You’ve been through too much. And you’re right, I should have known better than to bring you into the mess with Berkhead. The reason why it hurt so much when you said that is because it’s true. But I don’t blame you for thinking it. You know that.”

Malcolm shook his head, thinking about that day brought back all the things Coppenrath had dragged out of him even though he knew his team was listening to it. “I shouldn’t have said that. You told me not to go back to my father.” But he’d known Malcolm would. Gil had known what he was asking, what damage he could be doing. He probably thought he could keep Malcolm from going under. He might have been wrong. “I don’t want to talk about this now, Gil. I had a good night. I want to try and have a good day.”

Gil nodded. “Okay. Put the turon in your jacket pocket.”

“I will.” He would because Gil was likely to ask for one later in the day just to check to see if he was eating. Gil already knew all he needed to about the ugly topic. The night before, after the knife play, he’d told Gil all about how much he was afraid for his sister and of her if he were honest. He wanted to save her from herself but he didn’t know if he could. He wanted to keep his mother safe but wasn’t sure he could do that either. He didn’t know if he could keep going because it was getting so hard. He was so tired. The idea of resting forever had appeal. Today, in a better frame of mind, Malcolm concentrated on how much pain his suicide would cause and that gave him an odd strength. He pictured the pain and guilt Roisin’s death caused. He didn’t want that for Dani, JT, and Edrisa.

Trying to press all the pain out of his mind, Malcolm cleaned up his breakfast dishes and went up to dress, hoping today was more productive than yesterday.

XXX

Martin could barely fake paying attention in the post-breakfast group therapy. He did usually like to mine the talk for nuggets he could use down the road even though he did find it all rather pointless. He didn’t need therapy. He wasn’t insane, not that he’d ever say that out loud, especially after his time in Riker’s. Martin knew this deal that Endicott helped to arrange was sweet as Moscato wine and had been grateful they didn’t look too hard at it once Jessie, Malcolm and the damnable NYC justice system started tearing into the things Endicott had done to subvert the law. The last thing he needed was for anyone to examine his deal and decide he was sane and end up in Rikers again or somewhere worse. It might help to keep him looking insane if he started adding things to his therapy conversations, borrowing his boy’s nightmares and hallucinations. He might not be able to fake the former but a few of the latter might work.

Martin wrinkled his nose. It would probably end up with him on so many benzos he couldn’t think, and then he’d be useless as a consultant. His ability to help save lives even from here was a point of pride for him. Why shouldn’t he be allowed to take a few lives here and there since he saved so damn many? No one ever mentioned all the good he did when they tried to interview him or write another book about his deeds. Even his own daughter hadn’t been interested and that hurt. Sure Malcolm would say that he didn’t really care about the people he saved, that he did it to massage his own ego. Maybe that was true but those people he consulted on were alive because of him and no one could take that from him.

He sighed and Hector glanced his way. Martin tried to not to scowl at him. He hadn’t, wouldn’t, forgive Hector saying his son was short. Certainly Malcolm didn’t have the tall stature Martin hoped he would. Jessica was tall like him but both of their children had ended up shorter than both of them, breaking the laws of average. Hector’s cruel taunts aside, Martin liked keeping him happy because he knew just how much it annoyed the man to embody Malcolm in their roleplaying sessions. He drank that up like a Domaine Leroy Musigny Grand Cru, and it probably tasted better.

Of course, Hector was a force to reckoned with. He’d been a collector, eyes mostly and he was incredibly artistic. He could paint pictures that made people think, make them weep, make them smile. Too bad he had also picked one too many victims from his models, which is how they caught him. At least he didn’t have a son that felt it was better to betray his father than to obey him. Where Malcolm got that moralistic streak Martin would never know.

When the ordeal that was group therapy was over, Martin paused in front of Dr. Higa, nearly making Mr. David collide with him. “Stanley, I have a question, doctor to doctor.”

Higa’s eyebrows climbed. “Oh?”

“What can you tell me about borderline personality disorder?” Martin hated that he knew so little about psychology beyond the basics. He understood how serial killers thought but had never read up heavily on psychology. His understanding was on the gut level. He’d seen the diagnosis before. Chikatilo had been called a borderline. But Martin had never delved deep into psychology in medical school. Cardiology had been his passion.

Higa studied him. Martin knew the man was more intelligent than he let on. He wondered why Higa was here. Was he an idealist who thought he could save everyone? Was this punishment for some transgression? Maybe he had flamed out or slept with a patient and this was all he could get? He’d wondered this often. Altruistic work had never been his thing. He went along with Jessie’s charity functions because it was important to her and keeping her happy and in the dark was important to him.

“Why do you want to know, Martin? That’s not part of your diagnosis.”

“I realize that. I’m curious and I’m bored. I thought, why not learn something new? It seemed like an interesting topic.” Martin glanced at Mr. David out of the corner of his eye wondering if he’d speak up about hearing his son admit to that yesterday but his face was as impassive as usual.

Higa inclined his head and indicated for Martin to sit back down. David stood close as if expecting him to do something to Higa with no one else around to witness it. Martin had other plans. He needed to know more about his son. This was something he hadn’t had a clue about and even if they hadn’t confiscated his computer, he wasn’t allowed to do random searches.

“The term borderline is under some debate especially with the way the media and Hollywood have used it to stigmatize sufferers,” Higa said, “Not everyone with BPD are violent but rage can be part of this disorder. They often have very intense and sometimes uncontrollable emotional responses to things, often disproportionate to the situation. Often their interpersonal relationships are a shambles because of this.”

Martin considered that. He’d seen the rages from time to time. When he taunted Malcolm, trying to get him to stab him; the look in his eye when he mocked him ‘come on boy,’ that was the rage. “I heard they also have impulsive behavior issues.”

“Very much so and that can run the gambit from binge eating to unsafe sex and gambling to drug abuse.”

Martin scowled. The few videos they had watched of Malcom ticked too many of these boxes. “Is that as bad as it gets?”

“No, it’s not uncommon for them to suffer from depression and anxiety, leading to self-harm and suicidal ideation,” Higa replied, putting Xs in a few more of the boxes. “They often do splitting, which is black and white thinking, sometimes manifesting as either you’re with me or you’re the enemy or thinking very highly of someone and being deeply disappointed if they somehow fail them.”

Martin stared at his hands. Certainly, that codified Malcolm’s relationship to him. “What causes this?”

Higa smiled faintly. “Many psychiatric disorders aren’t as clear cut as cardiovascular ones, Martin. Childhood trauma is a common trigger.”

But of course, it was. Malcolm no doubt blamed him. “Then it’s fairly common.”

“Common enough but since you asked, there are multiple underlying genetic, neurophysiologic and brain anomalies that play into it. We can also see it in conjunction with PTSD and other comorbidities. If you’re truly interested, I can give you a few books on it.”

He nodded his head. “Thank you, I’d like that. Is it treatable?”

“It is, cognitive and behavioral therapies are often used but it can be tricky.”

Martin considered what that damnable detective had said. Malcolm took his meds, put up with counseling and did his cognitive therapies and from what little he could see his son looked exhausted and unhappy. He wanted to die, at least occasionally and he had horrible taste in surrogate fathers. “Genetic you said?” Was this his fault? Oh definitely Malcolm would blame him. He loved doing that but what if it was true? He’d read an article recently about child abuse literally damaging DNA and it could be seen in descendants. The things done to him…did both of his children have to worry about their genes? Martin, for his part, only thought about the darkness inside him in the abstract. Occasionally he wished he were ‘normal’ so to speak but in a superficial sort of way. He didn’t do a lot of navel gazing when it came to his desire to take people apart and see how they worked. He didn’t think Ainsley did either. He knew what he’d read, that she had gone into a dissociative fugue. It was certainly the story Malcolm was selling. Had she? Was she more like him? Part of him hoped so because putting his money on Malcolm had definitely been backing the wrong horse.

Higa nodded. “Why don’t I hunt down a few books for you? I know I have some in my office. They would be able to answer your questions. You might like the works of Dr. Marsha Linnehans. She pioneered dialectic behavioral therapy, calling on many tenants of Buddhism as well which I do like. Though I would say, there is no one size fits all therapy. I know one of the books I have definitely details the changes in the amygdala and hippocampus in borderlines.”

Martin grunted. Emotional memory and the center for memory conversion. He knew what the amygdala did when people had been presented with him and the knowledge he was about to kill them. That’s what had made him stop and listen to Sophie. She hadn’t shown the proper level of fear in him. It had rankled him that Endicott frightened her more than he had but in the end it had been a story that saved her life even though she might have been able to recognize and ruin him. Why had he taken that risk? Probably because he knew Malcolm had seen Sophie and had the potential to betray him and he had, if not come to peace with it, realized that he couldn’t kill his son to save himself nor let John do it for him. He’d been so hopeful when Malcolm had shivved John, that maybe his boy would share his fascination with the insides of humans, with the blood that spilled. His taking off screaming into the woods had put a damper on things. “I’d appreciate that, Stanley. There’s nothing worse than letting one’s mind go stale. I’m always eager to learn new things.”

“Not a problem, Martin. I know you’ll take good care of the books,” Higa replied and Martin nodded. He shared a respect for books with Higa.

“Also if you can help me, I know Mr. David has put in a request, but if I could have a replacement computer for this afternoon, that would be wonderful. I have a couple of consultations and I’d hate to miss them. I didn’t even get the chance to email them and say I might have to decline. The detectives whisked my computer out of here too quickly.”

“Ah, it shouldn’t be a problem if all you need is email access. I can ask Detective Arroyo if that is acceptable.”

“He might be too busy to take your call.” Knowing him, he’d take a page out of Malcolm’s book and just decline and ignore calls from Claremont on his behalf.

“He’s here talking to Archie at the moment with his team.”

Martin brightened at that news. No one in group must have known why Archie was missing this morning or they would have gossiped like old hens. What the hell else did they have to do? “Really? Is Ainsley here as well?”

“Yes but you know you can’t have any contact with her. Yesterday was an exception because of the emergency. There was paperwork enough documenting that.” Higa shot him a look.

Martin tried to raise his hand but Mr. David caught his wrist. “I understand of course. I was just hoping she got to do the interview. She takes her job seriously. I’m quite proud of her.”

“Naturally.” With that Higa exited the room and Mr. David prodded Martin along.

He walked to his room wondering if his boy would pay him a visit afterward. If Arroyo was here, that meant Malcolm hadn’t been a problem in the night, no visits to psych wards as an emergency. He’d ask them for a computer directly. Martin wondered had he received more emails and if he’d be allowed to see them. What might he learn about his son this time? He grinned in anticipation.

XXX

Malcolm walked down the hall, raising a hand to Mr. David who was waiting for him. He’d found the interview with Archie Jackson almost pointless. There was little he hadn’t already known about the man’s crimes. Jackson had elucidated nothing as to why he had eviscerated his victims no matter how hard he and Ainsley tried. He was gaining a new respect for his sister’s abilities as a detective but in the back of his mind he heard the whispers of ‘is she just like dad, going for the vulnerabilities because she sees them and knows she can exploit them?’ Of course, was he any better?

Gil and the others would catch up with him. He was sure Gil wanted to watch Ainsley get in the news van and go. Neither he nor Gil trusted that she wouldn’t break the limits of her release given the opportunity. All the Whitlys, including the one by marriage, had a tendency to act spontaneously without thinking it through all the way. Besides, Malcolm wanted some alone time with his father, as dangerous as that might be. “Good morning, Mr. David.”

“He just got back from group therapy,” Mr. David said allowing Malcolm in.

He nodded but his gaze had already slipped from the guard to his father who stood at the line, a big smile on his face. He must have known who was coming for a visit but then again, who else came but him?

“You look so much better my boy.” He made an abortive move to throw open his arms welcomingly but Mr. David had him shackled up. “Apparently sleep-overs with the good detective do you wonders.”

Oh the bitterness in his words hung in the air like three day old coffee. “It was a good night,” he replied blandly. “I got some sleep, woke up under a cat.”

Martin snorted. “They used to think cats sat on people’s chests as they slept and sucked their life force from them.”

“Jadzia is nearly thirty pounds. I feel appropriately crushed dry of life force.” Malcolm smirked.

“So, is this a social call or work?”

“Work. We didn’t get much from Archie.”

His father shrugged. “I didn’t think you would. Archie doesn’t understand Archie. He had no real insights into why he did the things he did.”

Malcolm nodded, having come to the same conclusion. “But he does enjoy the attention.”

“Don’t we all? So are you going to tell me about your new case? I’m assuming evisceration plays a role. I do listen to the news and I can also hear what they’re not saying.”

“I don’t have enough information yet to make any decisions about what we’re facing but yes.”

“After watching your videos yesterday I would have said you are good at deciding what various cues means,” his father said, testing him. Malcolm knew it and refused to rise to the bait.

“About what exactly? There was no talk about killers yesterday aside from teenaged me occasionally using you to scare people who are bothering me.” He rolled his shoulders, not really ready to deal with any of what he expected to happen once his father got on a roll on the topic of those recordings.

“I would have said you seemed awfully sure you know who to blame for you being a sexual submissive.”

Malcolm gritted his teeth hearing the martyr on the cross tone his father employed. Naturally he would. He remembered the tone of voice when his father talked about Berkhead whipping a submissive. That was beneath him and now his son was no better. “Do you really want to talk to me about this? Because I don’t want to talk about my sex life with you or anyone else for that matter.”

“Not even Daaaaaani?” His father drew out the name into a sing song.

“No, she and JT knew better than to bring it up.”

“Probably because you couldn’t hide how interested you’d be in her holding your leash.” He rolled his eyes. “You scared her off by being over eager.”

Malcolm couldn’t prevent the heat rolling up his cheeks. That barb sank in. Had Dani noticed? Probably. “Again, I really do not want to talk about this. We can extend that to the orgy too but if you force me to I will give you so many details you will regret ever bringing it up.”

His father crossed his arms and tapped his toes. “All right then, tell me, did your mother have a sleep over at Gil’s too?”

Malcolm knew if looks could kill, his father would be on the way to crematory and to the grossest toilet in Penn Station if Mother was good to her word. “No, she did not.”

His father studied him for a moment before saying, “It doesn’t bother you, does it? That she is taking up with someone so far below her station.”

Boom. That pulled the trigger on his temper. Malcolm sucked in a deep breath, fought it back because he didn’t want his father to have the satisfaction. “Honestly, this is exactly what eleven year old me wanted more than anything in the world. And Gil is the best man either of us know. And let’s face it, the last time she tried someone in her world, Endicott nearly took us all down.”

Martin curled his lip at him. “I suppose you have a point. But this is not good for her or you.”

“Mother hasn’t been happy in years, thanks to you. She’s smiling now, and I would never get in the way of that. I am very happy for her. But I don’t want to talk about this either.”

“You don’t want to talk about anything. I’m not sure why you’re here.”

“I can leave,” Malcolm said, feeling like he was being petulant. Of course threats to remove attention always worked with narcissists and his father was being just as fractious.

“Don’t be childish.” When Malcolm took a step toward the door, his father backed down. “You obviously came here for a reason.”

“I wanted to know why you asked Gil to look after me.”

Martin’s head snapped back and he regarded Malcolm as if he were somehow completely lost. “You’re my son. I love you,” he said and sensing it wasn’t convincing, “I don’t want to see you hurt and I truly do mean that.”

“Even though you tried to kill me.”

The anger flared in his father’s blue eyes, so like his own at times. “You are never going to let that go.”

“Should I?”

“I told you what you wanted to hear. You should know by now John Watkins is on the delusional side of things. Honestly I’m surprised he hasn’t been transferred here but I suppose they wouldn’t trust the two of us in the same place. You believed him.” His gaze flicked to the door. Mr. David was on the other side of it talking on the hall phone. “You also didn’t have the nerve to stab me and spare your mother that pain. I told you I tried to kill you because it was the only way to light a fire under you and get you past that big stumbling block of yours.”

Malcolm swallowed hard. He could almost believe that. He wanted to believe it but he didn’t. Oh, he believed his father had used it to anger him, to set him off like TNT but he also believed he’d been taken to the woods to be killed. There would have been no other reason for Watkins to attack him and force his hand. He hadn’t stabbed Watkins for the fun of it. He’d been terrified and even though he still didn’t have a full clear picture of that in his mind, Malcolm knew he had reacted to save his own life. That made sense. “You took me there for me to meet with an accident. I’m sure you would have looked appropriately distraught when you made it home to Mother.”

Martin sighed melodramatically. “Fine, believe what you want. Believe Watkins over me.”

“You might have wanted to push me into doing…what I did,” he hedged, not sure that Mr. David couldn’t hear from where he was. “But you did it using the truth. We both know it.”

“So, you aren’t going to listen to reason but believe this, I don’t want you to kill yourself. I love both of my children, and I want the best for you and Ainsley.”

Because a narcissist couldn’t admit he’d fathered children mentally unstable enough to self-terminate, Malcolm thought but saying it would get him nowhere. “I am feeling better today,” he said because he didn’t know where to take this conversation, and he’d already shut down every other topic of conversation.

“As I said, you do look better. I can’t say I’m happy with your choice in surrogate fathers and role models.”

“You abdicated your rights to say word one about that twenty years ago. Leave Gil alone.”

His father chuckled, the wickedness in his eyes chilling Malcolm to the core. “Just what do you think I can do from in here, son?”

“I put nothing past you. They do allow you consultations after all. I don’t want to know the price of your medical services. Gil is important to me. Yes it’s true, and yes I’ve hidden it for years. I didn’t want you to know for the obvious reasons. He has been there for me and the rest of the family with the expectation of nothing in return.”

“No, you’re wrong. He has what he wanted. He has you. No one is that selfless, not even your precious Gil. He wanted a son and now he has one. Granted, one he’s stolen.”

Malcolm knew he should go out the door for real but he had to confront his father on this. He could not let him keep the upper hand. “Not stolen. He worked very hard to help me when I needed him most. If not for him, who knows how long it would have taken for me to start talking again after what I went through, between you and what Detective Shannon and his partner did to me to try and make me say I helped you kill those people.”

His father lurched to the end of his tether. “And you want to be one of them. They’re bullies.”

“Not all of them, not the best of them. Gil put me back together and if he sees himself as a second dad, then fantastic because that’s how I see him and I always have. I always will and how that make you feel is irrelevant because you made yourself irrelevant to me. I can’t live my life worrying about if it upsets you.”

His father narrowed his eyes. “But it does worry you. I can see the fear in you.”

“I almost lost him so yes, I suppose I am worried about Gil,” Malcolm said, hating that to his father, he was a new pane of glass. “And if you were truly concerned about my mental health would you be pushing me to the edge like this?”

“That wasn’t much of a push, son.”

“It is when you’re balancing on a tightrope.” He shouldn’t have admitted that either. He was handing his father a loaded gun but what else could he do? Just coming here always seemed to rip off the scabs and leaving his wounds open and bleeding. He checked his armor at the door. He should never have opted to view the videos here. He deserved whatever he got in return.

“Did you do your yoga this morning?”

The change in topic left Malcolm’s head spinning. “I…no, I slept in. I knew we had to get here on time. I missed it.”

“But you took your meds.”

He nodded. If he missed those, he was likely to start hallucinating as he descended into withdrawal. “I did. Why all these questions?”

“As I said I’m concerned about you.”

“No, this is something else,” Malcolm shot him a suspicious look and he remembered his half asleep, completely wired slip up yesterday. He told his father the diagnosis he’d kept hidden. His father was poking around the edges of that, the bastard.

“Does it have to be?”

“Probably. But none of this is why I’m here.”

“Fine, I’m tired of dancing around it myself. Why are you here if you won’t talk about yourself or the case,” he said as Mr. David opened the door.

Malcolm glanced over his shoulder to see his team there. Gil looked to him and then to his father and frowned, probably disappointed he hadn’t asked his father for what he’d come here for. Mr. David had another computer on a push cart.

“For you, Dr. Whitly,” he said. “Detective Arroyo said it was fine.”

“Did you now, Gil? I suppose I should thank you.”

“So you know, the techs are monitoring your emails as they come in. All the medical ones will be looked at by one of our doctors,” Gil replied, cold and perfunctory.

“You have doctors?”

“Our medical examiner. She’ll not read the whole thing but put them in a folder within your email for you. Naturally anything of personal nature will be read by the techs and our team.”

“It seems like a lot to put on the shoulders of an overworked m.e.”

“Dr. Tanaka is a friend of your son’s. She’s more than happy to help.”

Malcolm just bet she was. He hadn’t been part of that discussion but Gil no doubt assumed he wouldn’t mind. He didn’t. He trusted Edrisa, and in theory she’d only be sorting the emails not watching the videos.

“Has anything new come in?” his father asked as Mr. David positioned the cart next to his desk.

“Not as of when we left this morning.” Gil glanced back at Malcolm again and raised his eyebrows.

“Dr. Whitly, we need to see any paper correspondence you might have received,” Malcolm said finally getting to the actual reason for his visit, and his father scowled at him.

“Why?”

“You know why.”

“If I thought someone was stalking you, my boy, I’d have said so. How many times do I have to tell you I love you and care about what happens to you?”

“At least a few more times before I believe it,” Malcolm said, feeling the weight of JT and Dani’s stares right between his shoulders. “I know you’re aware we can have Mr. David remove you from the room and just take any of it ourselves but we rather not have it come to that. It would be much more pleasant all around if you just turn it over.”

He twisted his shackled hands. “You’ll have to come across the line to get it. I’m a little tied up at the moment.” His father smiled such a ‘gotcha smile’ at him, Malcolm wished he could slap it clean off his face.

He turned to Gil and together they nodded. Gil said, “Mr. David, you can remove the shackles and allow Dr. Whitly to retrieve the correspondence.”

Mr. David shrugged and removed the hand cuffs. His father rubbed his wrists and tugged his cardigan down over his wrists as if to hide the irritation there. Malcolm was well aware of that maneuver. He had done it countless times after sessions with Roisin and any time his night terrors had left marks on him, even though the wide leather cuffs were designed to be gentler on his skin.

Dani moved so she was next to him, providing him silent support, which he appreciated as he watched his father dig though his file box and come up with a folder. He handed it over the line to Malcolm who went to take it.

His father jerked it back against his chest, eyeing him. “I’m not sure I’m comfortable with you reading this, son.”

“One of the team can do it,” he replied, gesturing to Dani. He’d read them. He’d force himself to choke down every horrible letter his father had kept. Who knew what strangeness he’d see there?

“This folder is filled with all the death threats I’ve gotten. You can see it’s rather large. That’s just from this year. I suppose you want the other sort of correspondence too.”

Malcolm fought to keep his face neutral. “Yes, you know we do. The person sending you videos of me isn’t out to kill you. They’re currying favor. They most likely want your approval.”

“Well I do not approve of them stalking my son.” His father returned to the file box and brought out another file folder, which was just as fat at the death threat one. Malcolm lost a bit of faith in humanity at the thought of what was in that file. He did a lot of research into serial killers. He could understand an interest in them but not writing to them to try and set up a personal relationship with them. He couldn’t wrap his head around that. “And if any of these had said anything about you, I’d have said so but find out for yourself.”

Malcolm took the folder and stepped back. “We will. Thank you.” He might as well keep his father happy. There was nothing to gain by antagonizing him on this.

“I don’t think you will find what you want in there but you’re welcome to it. Will I get them back?” his father asked because of course he would. These were about him and his ego would want to keep them where he could dive into them whenever he wanted to.

“Not any that might relate to the stalker,” Gil answered.

His father shrugged. “To be expected I suppose. Do you mind?” He pointed to the computer. “I have some consultations I need to attend to.”

Gil waved a hand to it and his father sat at the computer. “We have what we need. Keep in mind, Dr. Whitly, the techs will be watching your account. Do not attempt to erase any correspondence especially the ones pertaining to whomever this is sending you these videos.”

“Understood and in the spirit of that.” His father pushed the cart so they could see the screen. “There’s another one.”

Malcolm felt his stomach drop. “Are you serious?”

His father rolled his task chair back and pointed. “Just came in three minutes ago.”

Gil immediately called the techs, nodding at Malcolm.

He sighed. “I know I’m going to regret this but go ahead and open the email.”
 

Chapter Text

Chapter Nine

Malcolm held his breath trying not to look at Dani or JT as his father opened the email. He couldn’t read the text from this distance. “What does it say?”

“I’m surprised you didn’t answer my first email, Dr. Whitly. I was sure you’d be so appreciative of me showing you the hard truth about your son. I suppose that truth can be harsh but I didn’t mean to hurt you with it. It’s simply something you need to know. Of course, I have to realize that you might not have email privileges every day. It is a shame to have a mind like yours caged up in a place like Claremont.” His father looked over his shoulder with a smile. “I have to agree with this person. I’m going to have to respond to this email.”

“Like hell. You will not answer this person,” Malcolm snapped.

“They obviously expect an answer,” his father said, twisting in his chair. He widened his eyes, giving Malcolm a knowing look. “Ah, you’re going to pretend to be me.”

“Yes I am.” Malcolm began running possible answers through his mind. “You cannot answer them. Don’t give us reason to have them cancel your internet privileges.”

The heat of his father’s anger could be felt deep to his bones. “Fine. Do you want me to finish this?”

“Please.”

“The techs have it and are already downloading the videos,” Gil interjected.

Malcolm nodded.

His father turned back to the screen. “I am hoping that you will take my offerings in the spirit they are meant. Knowing what your son is does not mean you love him less. You simply understand him better. He is a deeply flawed man-child who is not worthy of succeeding you.”

“That is very hurtful,” Malcolm muttered.

“I will say the man-child comment is uncalled for. You have always been mature,” his father said.

“And I have no desire to succeed you.” Malcolm wished he knew if his sister had any designs on that. “Does this person mention Ainsley?”

“No.”

“Strange. What happened with her was news. I wonder if that was the impetus for this.” Malcolm steeled himself. “What are the videos entitled?”

“There’s Betrayal, Family Replacement, and Pathetic. I know which one I want to see first.”

His father clicked on Family Replacement before Malcolm could protest. He wasn’t surprised to see it was family replacement. What was surprising was the opening scene. It was in the Cat and String bar in Boston. Suzume, of course, was behind the camera, focusing tight on he and Roisin seated at the mostly empty bar with Jaylin on one side of him and Gil and Jackie on the other. His breath caught seeing her and he heard Gil’s breathing hitch as well. Jackie was beautiful in a brightly colored peasant dress as she perched on the bar stool with her walnut hair spilling around her shoulders. He was used to seeing it up for work.

His father stopped the recording, making Malcolm blink. He pointed at the screen. “I remember her, Jackie Tirado.” He swept his gaze over Gil who returned it. “Your Jackie?”

Gil nodded. “That’s my Jackie.”

“Wait? You know her?” Malcolm’s voice cracked. “How?”

“You surely know she was a surgical nurse. She was just starting out of course. I met her a few times at one of the hospitals I worked at. I wouldn’t say I knew her. She was a lovely woman, hard to forget.” His father squinted at Gil. “What is it about you that make beautiful women want to be with you?”

Malcolm raised a finger to him but turned to face Gil, the question on his face.

“She didn’t want you to know that she knew your father. She was afraid you’d have questions she couldn’t answer.” Gil shrugged. “Like he said, she knew him more by reputation more so than the few times she’s scrubbed into his surgeries.”

“I wish she had told me.” Malcolm tried to shake off the hurt, failed. “Turn it back on.”

“Where are we?” His father asked.

“The Cat and String in Boston. It’s an Irish bar Roisin and I hung out at. I know this one. We were there before opening so Bjørn could try out for the house band. You wouldn’t think it to look at him but he can play the fiddle very well.”

“Of all things you could have said about him, that wasn’t even on my radar,” Dani said, her eyes bright, obviously eager to see Bjørn again.

“Just listen.” He pointed at his father who hit play.

“He’s even taller now,” JT said. “How big is this dude?”

“Six seven,” Malcolm replied. “And a good two hundred and some pounds of muscle.”

“So, a full foot and a hundred pounds on you.” JT smirked.

“I weigh more than a hundred pounds,” Malcolm huffed over the sounds of them warming up to play.

“Preparation for you hiring him,” JT ad libbed, and Gil snorted.

and the recording ended.

“As if you have any say in how my son grew up.” His father’s glare rightfully should have ignited Gil’s clothing.

“I pointed that out to my mother several times. As far as she was concerned, Malcolm is an honorary Sullivan in spite of his obviously English blood but she could overlook that on a one-time basis,” Gil replied.

“Maybe you should have had children of your own to give her something to worry about rather than stealing mine,” his father replied and Malcolm sighed. This was going to spin out of control. He knew it. “Or aren’t you capable?”

Gil’s face flushed and Malcolm was glad that expression wasn’t settled on him. “I can have children. Jackie had leukemia when she was ten and again at twenty-one. She couldn’t have children and we decided between the dangers of my job and the possibility she could come out of remission, adopting a child might be…unfair.”

“And you already snagged Malcolm.”

Gil put a hand on Malcolm’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “He needed someone and yes, Jackie thought of him as a son, and if something had happened to either of us, he still had his family.”

His father hushed for a moment. Malcolm wished someone would say something to break the tension, but he couldn’t find his words and Dani and JT had been silent through much of this so far as if wanting as much distance between themselves and the nonsense as they could.

“Her leukemia did come out of remission again,” his father said with that certainty he had when he knew he’d read someone right.

Malcolm’s gut clenched at the memory and Gil nodded. “Unfortunately.”

His father shook his head. “The third time, it’s rare for someone to survive that.”

“She didn’t,” Malcolm whispered.

“It’s a hard death,” his father said and Malcolm jerked. “I’m sorry you had to see that, my boy. It’s not easy to watch someone you care for die like that. Did you throw yourself into your work, Gil?” There was no pity there, just the twist of the knife. He might pity Malcolm just a little but never Gil.

“No. I took family leave time. I took care of her those last months,” Gil said, his tone somehow even and calm. “With help of nurses from her hospital and the actual home health nurse. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do.”

“And wore her ring for three years after.”

Gil touched his bare finger but didn’t answer.

“She wrote Ainsley and I notes in case we didn’t make it home to see her. Ainsley was studying abroad. I was in D.C. at the time,” Malcolm said. “I made it back.” He scrubbed a hand over his eyes, not wanting to think about it. Jackie lying there in the bed, her beautiful hair gone, her honey-brown skin dull and grey. He couldn’t shut out the memory of the tight skin over bone appearance but her kindness had been unfazed. The cancer couldn’t steal that from her. “Three days I spent there with her. Gil and I went to dinner and when we got back she had passed in her sleep.”

“She was waiting for you. That was all she wanted in the end.” Gil rubbed Malcolm’s back but he barely felt it. Dani taking his hand, however, made him jump.

“In her sleep or did she…”

“You don’t get to ask that,” Malcolm snapped and his father held up his hands.

“We don’t know. I let the nurse clear out the medication so I wouldn’t be tempted to look,” Gil said. “But if Jackie had taken too much of her medication I would never have blamed her. No one should die like that.”

“And I’m still furious Mother never came to the funeral.”

“You need to let that go,” Gil said.

“You obviously have,” his father said bitterly.

“I don’t even know why you two started speaking again after so many years.” Malcolm stared at the floor, fighting for control. “I’m sure it was because of me.”

“She came to ask me to fire you but opened it with condolences three years late,” Gil said.

“Fire me? Really?” He made a face. “I’m surprised she didn’t just try to bribe you.”

Gil shifted his weight, not quite meeting his eye.

“Oh my god, she did!”

“She offered you money, Gil? And you didn’t take it?” JT turned to Malcolm and then back to Gil. “I saw her throw a million dollars on the ground. How much was she willing to give you to toss him?”

“JT.” Dani let go of Malcolm’s hand to shove JT’s arm.

“What? I’m just saying if she is throwing around that kind of money, I’d have taken it and retired somewhere if I were Gil.”

“She didn’t offer me a million dollars,” Gil said and Malcolm stared at him until he raised his hand showing three fingers.

“Three million? I’m glad she was really ready to go all in on you firing me.”

“And you didn’t take it? Seriously, Gil. His crazy ass isn’t worth turning down that kind of dough,” JT said.

“Even I would have taken the cash, sorry Bright.” Dani patted his arm.

“I’ve never wanted Jessica’s money and she knows it. She never expected me to agree to it,” Gil said. “It does her good to hear no every so often.”

“Oh, she does not take to that well.” His father laughed. “So why did she stop talking to you, Gil? Did she get tired of sharing her son?”

“No, she thought I was the reason he joined the FBI.” Gil rolled his eyes. “I always said…”

“He had no business in the FBI,” Gil said at the same time as Martin. They regarded each other. Gil made a face. “That will be the one thing we’ll ever agree on.”

“No doubt.”

“She still should have come to the funeral. Jackie was nothing but kind to her,” he said but thoughts of what his mother had confessed to him last night had put another spin on his mother’s motivations. “Or at least called you or sent flowers, anything.”

“You really are furious still,” his father said.

“I am. After what you did, all of Mother’s friends left her. Jackie might not have been in her social circle but she was more than willing to help Mother out, to sit with her when she cried and to just be her friend. She deserved better than to go unacknowledged in the end.”

“Malcolm, it’s okay.” Gil patted his arm.

Malcolm stared him, not sure how he could be okay with it. He knew Gil had gotten over it, forgiven this but he couldn’t tell how or why. “Is it?”

“Your mother remembered Jackie in her own way. She did send something.”

Malcolm made a face. “You never said that.”

“Well it was anonymous.”

“Then how are you so sure?”

“Someone paid Jackie’s entire medical bill.”

Malcolm blinked. Why hadn’t he ever thought to ask about that? He knew better.

“It would have to have been astronomical,” his father said.

“It was over eight hundred thousand and the only person I know who could have done that was your mother, kid. She knew I’d have lost the house and just about everything else trying to pay that off. It’s complicated and not a conversation we need to get into deeply here.” Gil’s gaze cut to Malcolm’s father and that was something else Malcolm should have known better about.

“I don’t get why this was so bad that Dr. Whitly had to see it,” Dani said.

“It just shows how close I am to the Arroyos,” Malcolm said. “It wasn’t just Gil who welcomed me in. Jackie saw me as good as her son. His parents loved me. His mom still invites me around for Sunday dinner from time to time. Of course, she invites mom too but Mother has only gone a few times, usually at the holidays.”

“Let’s see if that changes,” his father said.

Malcolm shot him a look. “Let’s not worry about that. Betrayal, cue that one up.”

His father shrugged and turned it on. Their home in the Hamptons came into view. It took only a few moments for him to realize this wasn’t a video any of the nannies took which was what Malcolm worried about as soon as the home had come into view. That would have been worse for his father to have seen. This was from college. Jaylin, Suzume, and Roisin sat with his mother on the back patio overlooking the sea. He remembered this vaguely. One of Mother’s staff probably had Suzume’s camera so she could be in the picture too. The ladies were enjoying a pitcher of sangria.

The camera panned back to capture him, Bjørn and Gil running up the beach. Bjørn lagged behind. He might be fit but he’d never been a runner. Gil had to be thanks to the job and Malcolm had taken after him for the same reason. That said, he’d never really liked running. He much preferred his yoga for exercise. They jogged up to the patio and collapsed down in the chairs. They were all breathing hard. Malcolm took in the scene missing days like this. Jackie and Roisin’s absence left a huge hole in his heart, one he could never fill. Seeing them here alive and vibrant was too hard. Yesterday he’d been too exhausted to fully process what he was seeing. Today it was somehow worse.

Jackie was beautiful in her electric blue swim suit against her tanned skin as she poured Gil a sangria. Roisin in her two piece had the ability to rob him of his breath even now. Bjørn had captured Dani’s attention again, he noticed. It was hard not to see why. Tall, handsome, just a hint of danger in all those muscles and tattoos, he was striking.

“You and Jackie had just gotten back from the Philippines in this hadn’t you?” he asked over the uninteresting conversation they had about the weather and their run.

Gil nodded but his attention never left Jackie. This had to be even harder on him. He loved Jackie so deeply.

“Is that where your father is from?” his father asked.

“Yes. He had lived in the states since college though. He was an electrical engineer,” Gil replied, not looking at him. “He went back home every year. Sometimes I went with him.”

“I went once,” Malcolm said. “For Grandpa Arroyo’s ninetieth birthday.”

His father paused it. “Your mother went to the Philippines with him?” He jutted his furry chin toward Gil.

“No. She and Ains had gone on some shopping trip in Milan. I was so uninterested in that I assured her I would die if I was forced to go.”

JT snorted at that. “Understandable.”

“And I was fourteen so you know how that is. What boy wants to go shopping with his mommy?” Malcolm rolled his eyes. “Jackie and Gil were gracious enough to spare me that and took me to the Philippines which was…eye opening that’s the word for it. I never knew some place could be so hot and humid and beautiful all at the same time.”

Gil chuckled. “You did pretty well.”

“Is that where you learned to like the Filipino food your mother ordered?” His father asked.

“No, Gil and his Dad made it for me long before that.”

“Speaking of which, have you had your snack yet?” Gil shot him a knowing look.

“No.”

“Bright…”

“Fine.” He pulled out the bag of turon and offered them to JT and Dani who both took one with the certainty of someone who had these before. “Mr. David, would you like one? It’s a turon, street food from the Philippines.”

“What’s in it?” Mr. David eyed it suspiciously.

“Rice, bananas and jack fruit,” Gil replied. “In a spring roll wrapper.”

He shrugged and took one.

“May I?” His father asked. “Sounds vegan.”

Malcolm shrugged and handed one over the line.

Gil rolled his eyes. “If you’re done giving them away, eat one of them.”

Malcolm did to make him happy.

“I cannot imagine going on a long flight with teenaged him.” JT nodded to Malcolm. “I’ve been with adult him on a stake out.”

“Nearly twenty-four hours to get there,” Gil said. “His mother was good at giving Jackie his travel meds which I’m assuming were valium at this point. He slept half the way. And once we were there, he had a blast. My grandfather loved him.”

“And I liked him except he kept trying to get me to eat street food.”

“Why is that a problem? This is actually quite tasty. Do you cook all the time, Gil? It’ll serve you well because Jessie doesn’t know one end of a spatula from the other.” His father smirked at Gil.

“I enjoy cooking.”

“And I was fine with that. It was balut that upset me. But Grandpa Arroyo was kind. He even left me a kali knife, one of the first knives in my collection,” Malcolm said. “It was lovely, wooden, old.”

“It was in the family for years,” Gil said as JT looked up something on his phone. “I have the other. No one else in the family was interested in them so Grandfather willed it to Malcolm.”

“Balut is just a hard-boiled egg, what’s the big deal?” JT asked.

“Read closer. It’s a fertilized egg,” Malcolm countered, gagging a little

“A what?” Dani made a face and JT’s eyes widened as he pulled up a picture.

“Oh, hell no!”

Malcolm clenched his jaw as the turon tried to make a comeback appearance. “I know,” he said through a tight throat.

“That is not particularly appetizing,” his father said.

“Probably the less said about it the better or Malcolm’s touchy stomach will be set off,” Gil warned, and Malcolm bobbed his head.

“Just hit play,” he begged, memories of Gil’s relatives munching down on the tiny bird fetuses swimming in his mind’s eye.

His father was remarkably merciful for once and he put the recording back on. Malcolm concentrated on how dark Jackie and Gil were from the two weeks in the hot Filipino sun. It was easy here in the city to forget how Gil’s color faded when he didn’t get out into the sun. That was often with his job. Malcolm wished they could just all escape to somewhere nice all together again, odd given how hard he’d fought going to Tahiti. He just wanted the impossible, to have Jackie and Roisin back in his life. While he was at it he might as well wish his father had been a normal man and then he wouldn’t be standing here in the ugliest of places wondering what sort of person was currently living to make him look horrible in his father’s eyes.

Jaylin put on some music and dragged Suzume just off the edge of the porch to dance. Roisin grabbed his hand and took him out onto the sand so he could prove that while he was good at ballet and waltzes he was never going to quite get how to follow club music. Jackie had no problems convincing Gil to join them on the beach. Even as Bjørn put his hand out to see if Malcolm’s mother wanted to dance, Malcolm spotted why this video had been sent and labeled betrayal. It wasn’t just that he had invited the Arroyos so deeply into his life. The undisguised hunger in his mother’s eyes as she watched Gil dance could have been seen from space.

Malcolm grabbed the computer cart, yanking it away from his father’s reach, nearly bashing his father’s knee in the process. He shut the video off. “Enough of that one.”

“Yes, quite.” The venomous look his father shot Gil sickened Malcolm like some form of collateral poisoning.

“We don’t have to watch any of this here,” Gil reminded him. “We have what we came for.”

“I know,” Malcolm replied and hit Pathetic anyhow, mostly because he just couldn’t stop himself. He rationalized it as he needed to see his father’s face as whatever this was played out. If he were to answer as his father would then he needed to be sure. It was an excuse for putting himself in pain, as if he expected it, deserved it. However it was partly true, too. The unsub sending them this would expect Martin Whitly to answer so whatever response was sent would have to look enough like what his father would reasonably say all the while actually be what Malcolm wanted to convey in order to manipulate the suspect.

The scene opened late night in their Cambridge living room. He was curled up on the couch with Roisin as Jaylin and Suzume entered. Jaylin was dancing back and forth, walking backwards, showing something to the camera. She looked drunk and happy and Malcolm had no memory of this, at least not a clear one.

“How high were you?” Dani asked, a tight almost angry expression on her face. The color of her irises almost swirled with a mix of confusion and disappointment and understanding.

“I wasn’t. I wasn’t taking anything and I’ve never taken anything more than pot. I can just imagine how it would not play well with my meds.” Malcolm stared at the scene which had changed to him still on the couch but the time stamp said the next day. He knew what was coming next. This part he remembered. He’d been in no state to remember the night before. He should stop it but he needed them to understand better why he did some of the things he did. He couldn’t guess at his father’s reaction here; and so long as he convinced the sender he was his father when he went to respond to his email, he wouldn’t need to. Nevertheless, he let it run anyhow.

It was, Malcolm thought but he didn’t remember being angry. He didn’t look angry on the recording. He knew it hadn’t been intentional.

Malcolm held up a hand to JT when he saw the words ‘nude beach’ forming on his lips. He shot a look at his father who seemed ready to ask the same thing.

JT snorted, nudging Dani who rolled her eyes.

“She’s not the only one,” Dani muttered, and he nodded.

JT reached around him and shut the recording down. “You don’t do this anymore, do you? I have never seen you look as mellow as you do on that recording.”

He shook his head. “I meant what I said. I would have to completely trust someone. I couldn’t do what Nico’s clients did for example. I couldn’t just hire someone. I know how wrong a session could go. There are only a handful of people I trust in this city, and I’m related to most of them, which is so not conducive to me getting into sub space.” He put his hand on JT’s shoulder. “And you’re not what I’m looking for in a dom.”

“I will say several halleluiahs for that one, thanks.” JT snorted and all eyes swiveled to Dani who wore a deer in the headlights look.

Instead of making her more uncomfortable, Malcolm started the recording again.

His father made a soft sound jerking Malcolm’s attention away from the video. He studied his father’s face but it was inscrutable. That comment about time meant something to him but Malcolm had no way of knowing. He’d have to ask but not in front of everyone because he doubted his father would answer.

Malcolm paused the recording. He traced Roisin’s face on the screen, barely hearing JT say, “Does sugar do the same thing? Is that why you’re always eating candy?”

Malcolm slowly shook his head. “No, the candy is something else.”

Gil reached around him and closed the browser. He put a hand on the back of Malcolm’s neck. “That’s far more than we needed today. I know you miss her. You okay, kid?”

He shook his head again. “I’m done here. Let’s go back. We have to process Archie’s interview. Ains might have it ready for us to have a copy.” Malcolm pulled out of Gil’s grip, trying to firm up his failing control on his emotions. He faced his father. “Do not try to answer this person.”

“Mr. David has been instructed to watch you while you’re on the computer, Dr. Whitly,” Dani said. “The administration was more than willing to suspend your internet privileges if you attempt to contact whoever this is.”

His jaw flexed and Malcolm swore he heard the grit of teeth just before the tension was schooled away and pleasant Dr. Whitly resurfaced on his father’s face. “Of course. Wouldn’t dream of it. Though I’m curious how my boy plans to handle this as I would.”

Malcolm forced a grin. “I don’t have to handle it exactly as you. I just have to be believable. This person most likely has no prior contact with you. You don’t get many visitors.”

“Sadly.”

He clenched his fists. “My point is, I don’t have to be perfect. I’m quite sure I know exactly how you feel about any of the recordings that revolve around Gil. It’s how you feel about my sexuality that’ll be trickier. Obviously, whoever this is, they don’t approve, and they expect you to feel the same.” Malcolm looked deep into his father’s eyes. “I’m not entirely sure you do. Certainly, you’re not happy about some of it so I have enough to make an informed answer. My fear isn’t that this person won’t buy into it. I’m afraid…”

He dropped his gaze, his throat constricting.

“You okay?” JT asked.

Malcolm held out a hand, taking a few deep breaths. “No, but I don’t have the luxury to not be . What I’m afraid of is this person has thrown Mother under the bus too. I have to word my response so that whatever comes from this stalker, it all falls on me. I can’t let this person go after Mother.”

A shadow floated over Gil’s face. “No.”

“I have to. I’m the one this person thinks is wrong, is a disappointment. Let me take the brunt, not you, and definitely not Mother. I’m the failed heir, and that’s what we’re going to do, make them believe I’m the one they need to concentrate on.”

“That’s a bad idea,” Gil said, at the same time his father said, “You can’t do that.”

His father traded looks with Gil. “That’s one more thing we agree on, Gil.”

Gil narrowed his eyes. “Protect your mother. We agree with that but you have to address the videos dealing with her and me. Put that blame on me.”

“You heard him, son. Put the blame on him.” His father shot Gil a look that said he’d dissect the man with a butter knife if he could reach him.

“I made you a target when I sent you to rescue Mother from Endicott, and you nearly died. I’m not doing that again.”

“Good thing you’re not the one who gets to make that call then. You don’t send anything until the whole team sees it and Bright, that’s not negotiable.” Gil held up a finger as Malcolm started to protest. “Or you don’t write it at all. You’re not the only one who knows how your father thinks.”

Malcolm’s tremor climbed up his arm.

“You can’t ask Ainsley,” Malcolm argued, and Gil’s brow furrowed. “Fine, you’ll get final approval. We still have a lot to do before I write this, like view those last videos. I just don’t want to do it here.”

“We’re going,” Gil assured him. “Mr. David, thank you for your assistance on this.”

“You’re welcome,” he said though Malcolm doubted he was thrilled to have to watch over his charge’s shoulder the whole time he was on consultations.

JT and Dani wasted no time slipping out the door. Gil gave Malcolm a gentle push to the door.

“A moment if you will, Malcolm,” his father said.

He and Gil looked back in concert. He couldn’t read his father’s face but he nodded to Gil who left him there.

“Yes?”

“Are you still all right?”

Malcolm decided to treat that like true concern. “No but I’m not in any danger either. I would have told the Team - my friends - had they asked about my tastes but who really does that? I’m not happy that everyone has to see these videos but better them than strangers. And I’m very unhappy this person chose to include Mother and Gil in this. I could better handle it if it had just been me.”

“You are protective of them…of him.” His father shook his head. “I don’t understand it.”

“I don’t expect you to.”

“And he is protective of you and your mother as if he has any right to be,” his father grumbled.

“Gil is that type of man. I don’t have time for this right now. Is there something else you wanted?”

“Yes,” his father replied.

But of course he did Malcolm thought. He always sought to drag out their visits far past any comfort Malcolm might have found in them, as toxic and co-dependent as that was.

“I’m listening.”

“I do not actually care about whatever group experimental sexual thing you got yourself into. A Bacchanalia probably does a young man some good.” His father snorted. “Understanding the biochemistry behind your other…predilections shall we say, that was actually quite interesting. That said, I do not care for it. It isn’t what I would have wanted for you, and naturally you blame me for it.”

Malcolm shrugged. “I tell people that because it’s easy. They believe it and stop asking me why. I will never know if I would have always been that way. It’s entirely possible. I miss it, and that’s about all I really want to say about it.”

“Are you planning to ever ask the lovely Dani if she’d like to be on the other end of your whip?”

Malcolm refused to let him get under his skin. “I’m not talking about that with you. But thank you for giving me what I need to fill in that part of my response.”

“Don’t forget that I am not best pleased with your plans to sterilize yourself.” His father cocked his head, arching an eyebrow at him.

“Yes, I got that part. It doesn’t matter to me. It’s my choice, and on that note, I have to catch up with the others.” Malcolm doubted they were further than the end of the hall but he wasn’t going to say that.

“Just make sure I sounded flattered by their attention and the videos.” He smiled widely. “But of course, I’m deeply concerned too,” he added, echoing that first conversation they had in more than a decade.

Malcolm could smell the gas light from where he stood. “I’m sure you are, Dr. Whitly.”

Malcolm pulled the door open and his father added, “That you can answer this person proves my point. We’re the same.”

Malcolm slammed the door harder than necessary and stomped off, letting his father have the last word.

Chapter Text

Chapter Ten

Dani spotted Bright in their meeting room, hunched up and looking miserable. He had been quiet since they had left him alone with his father. Gil couldn’t get it out of him as to why and had hinted that maybe she could do better. He hadn’t needed to. Dani already planned on asking Bright what had gotten under his skin. He needed to eat but she wasn’t sure she could talk him into food yet again.

He caught sight of her, straightened up, smiling a bit. “Dani, good, I wanted to talk to you.”

She sat on the table, looking down at him. “What’s up? You’ve been quiet. I’m sorry that this guy is exposing all your secrets. Honestly if you want to watch the recording with just Gil I won’t be offended, and I know JT won’t be either.”

He shook his head. “I don’t mind if you two know. I would have told you if the subject of sex lives ever came up.”

“Really? Even the orgy?” She smiled softly to take out the sting.

“Well, maybe not that part but I’m not upset you know that I’m a submissive. I am upset that my father insinuated that I wanted you to be my dominatrix.”

Dani bit the bottom of her lip, weighing her words. “You didn’t say no.”

His cheeks turned rosy. “I hadn’t given it any thought, not really. You and I aren’t in a relationship that lends me to think you’d be interested or that we’re somewhere I could ask if you were interested.” He glanced at the open door to the bullpen area where other cops went about their business. “Certainly not a conversation to have here. Like I said, it’s a matter of trust.”

She cocked her head, a little hurt for a moment. “I thought you trusted me.”

“I do,” he said hurriedly. “You know I do.”

Did she? There was something in his tone that made her wonder. Dani thought about Eddie’s death and the look in Bright’s eyes when she arrested him more than once. Could he still trust her after that? Should he?

“I told you trust beats fear,” he continued as if reading her doubts. Knowing him, he had. “I trust you but we’re not in that sort of relationship. If we were, I’d trust you but that’s not what you’re into, I don’t think.”

Dani rolled her shoulders. “Never thought about it.”

“So, I’m sorry to put you in such an awkward position.”

“Not your fault,” she assured him but he had definitely considered it. She’d nearly drowned in his gaze when the topic had come up in his father’s cell. He couldn’t hide his interest. It had surprised her, not that there was a spark of something between them. She knew that was there even if they kept dancing around it. She hadn’t known this amount of detail about Malcolm’s life until now.

She didn’t know if that sort of play intrigued her. No one had ever brought it up. She couldn’t imagine her past partners being into the scene. While there were days she could easily kick Malcolm in his backside, she had no idea if she really had a desire to hit him for his own pleasure. Now was not the time to think about it.

“That’s what you wanted to talk to me about?”

“That and I wanted to say you don’t have to go with me to the charity dinner.”

Dani pushed back on the table, blinking. She hadn’t really wanted to go but being told no actually stung a little. “Why not?”

“I shouldn’t have ambushed you with that. I’m sorry about that too. You obviously were taken by surprised, and I didn’t mean to do that. I don’t want you to feel obligated. I don’t have to take anyone.”

“And make small talk all night with that girl your mother wants you to take.”

“I’ll survive or I could not go.”

Dani wet her lips. “But if I wanted to go?”

He jerked his head up, looking at her. “Would you really want to?”

“I’ve never been to a house in the Hamptons though I’ve been to a few charity dinners. I’m sure nothing this fancy.”

“What charities?”

Dani relaxed a bit, realizing it wasn’t her he was rejecting, just the idea he’d twisted her arm into it. And he wanted to know what was important to her. “Domestic violence prevention ones.”

“Ah, then you will want to talk to my mother. She’s built or refurbished several battered women’s shelters. It means a lot to her. If you have a charity that matters to you, have them talk to her.”

“I will. They could always use some help.”

“It’ll probably have to be an anonymous donation. So I guess maybe talk to my mother’s money managers is more like it. No one ever wants her money when they find out where it’s coming from.” He sighed, his body slumping.

Her breath caught, feeling the pain he felt at that. “I’ll ask.”

“She’ll give anonymously. She usually does.” Malcolm shook himself. “You want to be my date?”

“I do. You still sound hesitant.”

“I can’t promise you there won’t be some of that upstairs downstairs crap going on. I don’t want you to be insulted. Gil too for that matter. Mother and I aren’t impressed with outright classism at our functions so you can tell us if someone is bother you, not that you need me fighting your battles.”

“But I also don’t want to upset your mother or her friends.”

“Then if someone is giving you problems let me know and I’ll deal with them. Trust me, I know how to shut most of them up without causing too much of a scene. You still want to do this?”

“I can put up with some stuck-up rich folk for a night. You did say there was dancing. I saw how you danced with Roisin.” Dani grinned. “Are you going to do any better?”

“Yes, because it’ll be waltzes and things like that. I know how to do those sorts of dances. You know, things that were important for gentlemen a hundred and fifty years ago.” He laughed and pulled out his phone. He texted someone. “Mother has texted me three other women she wants me to meet and consider after I told her I was going to let you out of your obligation.”

“Will this be a problem for her?” Dani could see how it would be. She was definitely ‘downstairs’ in comparison to any of the women Mrs. Whitly wanted Bright to meet. On the other hand, his mother seemed to like her, or at least thought she was Bright’s closest friend. At this point, Dani knew that to be true.

He shook his head. “Mother likes you. She wants me to be happy. That’s her only goal; well that and grandkids but she’s going to be sorely disappointed about that one.”

Dani hoped her frown didn’t show. She hated that he felt so unworthy of being a father that he wanted to take permanent steps to keep from becoming one, but maybe she had the wrong end of the stick there. She could understand not wanting to bring someone into the world with the stigma he carried and either way it wasn’t her business.

Bright shifted chairs to sit in front of the computer they’d put in here so they could watch the videos without other detectives looking over their shoulders and nosing into Bright’s business. He opened a browser and went not to his father’s email but to his own.

“Can you talk about what happened?” she asked.

“What do you mean?”

“You were in a good mood this morning. You went quiet after we saw your father. If there’s anything I know, it’s that you being quiet isn’t a good thing.”

He turned to face her. “It’s nothing.”

“Liar.” She nudged his knee with her toe. “You know you can tell me.”

Malcolm ran his hands through his hair, staring at the table she perched on. “My father basically said that I am able to successfully pose as him and write this response email to whoever it is on the other end without them becoming suspicious because he and I are the same.”

“You’re not,” she said quickly.

He wilted. “You don’t understand. When they took him out in cuffs from our home, that was the last thing he said to me. ‘Remember son, we’re the same.’ And he smiled this self-satisfied smile that has haunted me ever since, Dani. I see it in my nightmares. And in spite of the fact he asked Gil to keep me from hurting myself – which is probably more for his own ego than my sake – he had to get that barb in. He can’t help himself. And I let it get under my skin even though I know that’s what he’s doing.” He sighed.

Dani pushed off the table and patted his shoulder. “Ignore him the best you can, Bright. You know damn well you’re not the same. I’ve never met a man with more empathy than you. You even spare it for the criminals. Your father isn’t capable of that. You are more than he’ll ever be”

Bright gazed up at her, a watery smile on his lips and in his eyes resided all the emotions he couldn’t hide. “Thanks,” he said, barely more than a choked whisper.

“What are you doing?” She nodded to the computer to offer him a distraction, let him calm himself.

“Oh, Mother said she sent me an email for you.”

Dani wrinkled her nose. “For me?”

He clicked on it and downloaded a zip file. “She didn’t entirely believe me when I said I was going to let you go and come to the party solo. Dresses. She wants you to pick one,” he said, stunning her just as JT poked his head in.

“Problem?” she asked, hopefully. She didn’t want to go dress shopping on Bright’s dime again.

JT shook his head and sauntered in with his coffee. “Still waiting on that report about rickshaw and carriage drivers, at least the legit ones. You okay, bro? You looked upset.”

“I’m fine.” Bright abandoned his seat and motioned for Dani to take it.

“I don’t want you buying me another dress, Bright. I can wear the red one from the Taylor wedding.” Dani had planned to return it but found out that boutique didn’t do returns and she had no idea where she would ever wear something that elegant.

“You can’t and I’m not buying it. Mother is. It’s non-negotiable Dani. Trust me. Mother is a force of nature. The reed that bends and all that.” He shrugged one shoulder. “And she reminded me I need to speak to Gil.”

“I’ll go get him,” JT volunteered and peeled out rather fast as if expecting a huge kerfuffle over the dress.

Dani looked at the dresses just to make him happy. She wished Mrs. Whitly hadn’t included the buy links because just knowing what these cost made her so uncomfortable. She knew that if she picked the cheapest Bright was likely to be offended so what could she do?

“You wanted to see me, Bright?” Gil swooped in as if worried there was a problem with his boy. Dani didn’t blame him. Gil had been on edge for days now and she knew exactly why. These last several weeks had revealed a lot to her about his and Bright’s relationship.

“You didn’t answer Mother’s texts about the fitting tonight. Now she’s pestering me.”

Gil narrowed his eyes. “Really? That’s what you wanted to say?”

“He has me looking at dresses.”

“She will show up with a tailor, here if you don’t comply. That is not an empty threat for either of you. Time is short and you know how Mother gets Gil, which is why you dating her is going to be endlessly funny for me.”

Gil’s heated expression did nothing to chase the mischievous devil out of Bright’s eyes.

“You’re not the only one.” JT chuckled and earned his own sharp look.

“Also, she sent me a text to be sure you know which way the pleats on a cummerbund go.”

“Tell your mother I know how to dress myself,” Gil huffed.

“I wish I did. How am I supposed to choose between these dresses?” Dani sighed. “Which one do you like, Bright?”

“I know you all think I’m clueless about dating…”

“You asked me what to do on a date, bro. Did you learn nothing from Roisin?” JT widened his eyes at him.

“I know enough not to fall into the ‘what will I look like in this dress’ trap, and Roisin and I never dated in the traditional sense,” Malcolm replied, dragging Dani’s attention to him.
“I suppose a paddling horse and a ball gag aren’t your usual date night fair,” JT replied.

“No horse and I have other gag types I prefer.”

“Please, tell me. I’ll go buy it in bulk if you agree to wear it to work.”

“JT,” Dani said in warning.

“Are you three about done?” Gil asked. “If we have nowhere new to go on the evisceration case, we should finish looking at those videos.”

“I’m good.” JT grinned.

“This one.” Dani decided. It wasn’t the cheapest dress and it was a beautiful deep blue that should look good on her. “Can I try that one?”

Bright nodded. “I’ll tell her. Also, since you did ask, that one and the forest green one would have been the ones I’d have suggested.”

Dani was just glad to be done with it. “That one is nice too. You never actually went out on date with Roisin? How did you meet?”

“No, not until after we were already a couple did we go out on a more traditional date. I met her after Jaylin and I went to Salem for a weekend. She said a friend wanted to join us and would I mind? I said no and Roisin showed up on a ghost tour we took. We hit it off.”

“Are you sure your sister isn’t right about Jaylin conducting a psychological experiment?” JT asked.

“No!”

“I remain unconvinced. Do you want me to head off while you watch this last one?” JT gestured to the computer.

Dani surrendered it back to Malcolm who logged out of his email and logged into his father’s.

“I’m fine with everyone seeing this. I really am. You’re my friends and I trust you.” Malcolm pulled up the last of the new videos thrilled nothing more had come in in the interim. Fickle opened at a bar with Bjørn and his Irish band playing. Bright immediately turned it back off. “I know this one. I know why it was sent.”

“I thought you were okay with this,” Dani said.

“I am. Honestly, this is something…” Bright trailed off, shaking his head. “Well, if my friends do come here, you’ll find out. I think you’ll be all right with this.”

“It’s not about if we’re all right with it,” Dani said. “It’s about what you’re comfortable exposing about your private life. If you don’t want to run with this one, don’t.”

“I thought Suzume erased this because it was terribly awkward. I was an absolute mess. It was Roisin’s first birthday after her death, a celebration of life. I’d just come out of a bad case with the FBI. Jackie had started to fail, and I almost didn’t go to this. And I learned on this recording that I don’t always see all the signs, which I know you might think is good for me.”

Dani flinched when he said that to her. Yes, she had said a couple times it might do him good to be wrong. Maybe it had come across as more hurtful than she had meant it to be. She should have guessed it might as horrible as Swanson had been about Bright and right to his face. He was used to people telling him he was wrong and reveling in it if he actually was. “That’s not what I meant…”

“It’s okay, Dani. I know I can be a little arrogant about my work. It’s probably how the FBI came to misdiagnose me as the same sort of narcissistic psychopath as my father.”

“I didn’t mean it that way.”

He shook his head. “It’s okay,” he repeated. “Anyhow, this whole thing turned into a debacle. I wish Suz had destroyed this one.”

Gil rested a hand on Bright’s shoulder. “We can leave it, kid.”

Bright shrugged and hit play.

He stopped the recording. “I’m sure that’s what we were meant to see. I’m not fickle by the way but I didn’t realize Bjørn felt that way about me.”

“That’s awkward,” Dani said, regret nibbling at her. Maybe all of them should be protesting a little harder about Bright sharing these videos.

“His family didn’t have appropriate boundaries and his father actively encouraged his sons to rape Roisin, their cousins too and that included Bjørn who was only seven and had no idea what the hell was going on. That’s when his father burned him with cigarettes, Roisin too.” Bright sighed.

“Everything about this is tragic,” Dani said.

“It was. Some of their tattoos were to hide the scars. I felt bad because I hadn’t realized I wasn’t just Bjørn’s friend but someone he cared too much for. I know some people have gone from one sibling to another but that’s not me. Even though Roisin’s gone I just can’t, you know?”

“Yes, of course. You have things you feel strongly about and you obviously cared about her,” Dani said, wishing she could take any some of the anxiety she saw tightening his body.

“I did and I care about him too.”

“But you’re still friends,” she said.

Bright nodded. “We are. We talked it out off camera. Bjørn understands how I feel and I know he’s moved on, which is good because I want him happy. It just wasn’t going to be with me.”

“But that’s not the first guy you’ve kissed,” JT said. “It certainly didn’t look like it.”

Dani shot him a withering glance but Bright merely shrugged.

“Are you asking if I’m bi, JT?”

“Oh.” The sound of Edrisa’s voice made them all jump. She stood in the doorway with a file and an embarrassed look. “I should have knocked but I thought you’d want to see the lab reports on the blood draws and the pregnancy tests.” She squirmed, maybe I should have called.

“No, Edrisa, it’s fine.” Bright waved her in. “But shut that door, please. Were either of them pregnant?”

She handed the file to Gil. “No, sorry but there was a sedative in both of their blood draws. They couldn’t have fought back.”

“Are the drugs hard to find?” Gil asked.

Edrisa shook her head. “No, Trazadone and Lorazepam.”

“Sounds like they were in my loft,” Bright tried to joke but Dani didn’t find it funny. “I’m assuming in very high concentration.

She nodded. “Extremely, almost to the level of overdose.”

“Thank you, Edrisa. This opens up a few more avenues for us,” Gil said. Dani wished he weren’t mostly just soothing Edrisa’s embarrassment for barging in. With HIPAA, it wouldn’t be easy to get prescription information on any potential suspects.

“Good. Sorry for interrupting.”

“It’s fine,” Bright said. “You’re helping with my case. I’m thankful you’re sorting the emails for us, and I appreciate you not opening the videos in the process.”

“That would be intruding,” Edrisa said in a tone that said he should know better.

“Someone is intruding and I appreciate all of your help finding out who.” Bright sank a bit into himself, fussing with his tie. He glanced up at JT.

“If that look is was I asking are you bi? Yes, you didn’t want us to see this because you don’t know how we’d feel about that.” JT shrugged. “The police force hasn’t had a great track record with gay cops nor has the military.” He thumped his chest. “I could care less about that.”

“What he said.” Dani inclined her head to JT and Edrisa nodded.

“I don’t want this to be common knowledge so I’m glad I didn’t open this recording at Claremont. I’m not ashamed or anything like that it’s just…like I said I had three texts in the last hour about women I should meet. If Mother knew I would be happy with either, I’d never have any peace.” He paced the room. “Does that make me selfish?”

“You don’t owe explanations about your love life to anyone, not even your mother, not unless you want to,” Dani replied.

A faint smile flickered across his face. “Thank you. I know I should tell her but…anyhow now you all know. And somehow I have to figure out what she wants by sending all these recordings to my father and write a response.”

“She?” Gil caught a hold of Bright’s arm. “You think this is a woman?”

“I think it’s possible. The way that second email was worded. It was emotional, conciliatory. There is something in it that seems female,” Bright said.

Gil let go. “Makes sense.”

“I don’t want to make things worse,” Edrisa said, already accomplishing it with that apology. “But when I was sorting through some of them before, there was one that wasn’t pretending to be from a hospital like the ones I was told about.”

“Did you read it?” Bright asked.

“Just a little, trying to determine what folder to put things in. It was…disturbing.” Edrisa shuddered slightly.

Bright swept his hand toward the computer. “Which one is it?”

Edrisa sat. “I made another subfolder. I put most of the emails in the hospital folder because they were legitimate consultations with Dr. Whitly. I agreed with Detective Arroyo to not have anything to do with any of the ones that are pretending to be with a hospital but have the videos. I left them in the main email but I made another folder here for ones that didn’t fit either category. Here you go.” She clicked on it.

“Read it please, Edrisa,” Bright said.

“Dr. Whitly, I saw you on the news with your daughter’s interview. She was very mean to you, more than you deserve. Anyone can see by your face that you are not the monster they make you out to be. You have such a kind face, and you are plainly intelligent. It doesn’t hurt that your curly hair makes me want to run my fingers through it.” Edrisa pulled off her glasses, cleaning them nervously on the hem of her scrub top. “And it gets far more sexual after that. Do you want me to read that or can I be done?”

“Way done,” JT said.

“Agreed, thanks, Edrisa. That was…well you did warn me.” Bright snorted. He shook his head, his chest heaving. “I need to step out.”

“Are you okay?” Dani reached for him but didn’t take his arm.

“No, but also I’ve drunk a lot of coffee so.” He pointed to the door.

“Let the man pee, Powell.” JT chuckled, and Dani shot him a look.

Bright slipped out the door. Edrisa turned to Gil. “There are a few more new ones. Want me to put them in folders?”

“Yes, please and Edrisa, if you come across more like that one, let me know.” Gil scowled deeply. “I’m not sure how much of this Pandora’s box Bright should be poking his nose into. It’s not going to be good for his mental health.”

She looked at the door Bright had disappeared through and nodded. “I agree.”

“That is some crazy stuff,” JT said.

“And we haven’t even looked at the paper correspondence yet.” Dani sighed. Gil was right. Bright was putting on a brave face but this had to be like a death by a thousand cuts. “We need to decide who is going to wade through that.”

“For now, me,” Gil said. “You and JT need to check up on that list of rickshaw and carriage drivers. Snag Bright to help you when he’s done recycling that coffee.”

Dani nodded. She wanted to protect Bright from this stalker of his. She’d try but she doubted he would make it easy.

Chapter Text

Chapter Eleven

Malcolm hated that he was in Claremont three times in as many days. He regretted that they ever thought to question Archie Jackson who had come to enjoy the attention, sending word through the administration that he had more to tell them. It might have been more helpful if they hadn’t gotten called back into the park at four in the morning for a third victim and had been going ever since. He left the others as they wrapped up with Jackson who hadn’t much to offer. He was just jerking them around.

Mr. David let him into the cell and his father gazed at him in surprise over his breakfast. He wiped his mouth and set aside his fork.

“My boy, another visit? Be careful, this is becoming a habit, not that I’m complaining.”

“Archie had more for us but not really.” He stifled a yawn.

His father studied him in that way of his that made Malcolm feel invisible. “You are exhausted again.”

“We were called out before dawn.” And he hadn’t slept well prior to that. Malcolm had a stiff neck, and he wanted to just go lie down until it loosened up.

“Did you fall? You’re holding yourself so rigidly.”

“I was sleeping on the couch when I woke up. Don’t ask.” Malcolm took a print out of his pocket and strode up to the red line on the floor. He held it out. His father pushed aside his meal tray and stood. “It’s the response I wrote.”

“Ah, shall I see how you did?”

“I wasn’t going to let you see it but since we were here already, what do I have to lose?”

His father frowned at the dismissive tone but he took the paper. “That’s the spirit, son.”

“I don’t have much time. We need to get back to the station house.”

“Always in a rush.” Martin’s head jerked up as the rest of the team arrived at the door, and Mr. David let them in. “And you were sleeping on the couch?”

“I told you not to ask.”

“I’m just surprised because the last time you stayed at Detective Arroyo’s and you weren’t in your room, you stabbed him.”

“Didn’t plan on falling asleep on the couch. Gil and I were watching movies. Next thing I knew there was a phone call, and I had a cat in my lap, which was better than yesterday when I ended up with one on my face.”

“They love you,” Gil said. “Are you about done here, kid? Edrisa will be done with the autopsy soon.”

“I should be.” Malcolm shot his father a look.

His reward was for his father to sit down at this desk and take out a pen. “Let me fix this.”

“You know I am not likely to take any input from you at this point.”

“Oh, there isn’t much to do. You did quite well at capturing my voice. I think you might have undersold Gil’s input into all of this.” His father’s gaze should have flayed Gil to the bone.

“It’s in there. I have to go and check to see if any more has come in.” Malcolm glanced at Gil, picking up on the tension but Gil said nothing. “I’m assuming it’s too early for computer time for you.”

“It’s a bit early for everything, Malcolm,” his father said, handing the response back.

Malcolm didn’t give him the satisfaction of looking at it here. He folded it back into his pocket. “Thank you. That’s all I needed. We’ll let you get back to your breakfast, Dr. Whitly.”

“So soon?”

“I probably shouldn’t have stopped at all,” Malcolm said, knowing he was falling hard, right back into the toxic codependent relationship he had had with his father for years. Before he could leave or his father could respond, Gil’s phone rang.

He pulled it out of his jacket, looked at who was calling and answered. “What do you have for us, Edrisa? You’re on speaker.”

“I have something that really needed to be seen to be believed. I texted a picture to Bright. It’s amazing, and I wanted to see if he agrees with what I think that is.”

Malcolm scowled. He had turned the phone off last night, hoping to get good sleep. He hadn’t which is how he and Gil ended up on the couch watching movies. He’d forgotten to turn it back on. He opened the text and his jaw dropped. He showed it to Gil first and then to Dani and JT.

“Edrisa, where did you find that?” Malcolm stared at the stylized resin liver with multiple engravings into it. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and he took a step away from the red line, realizing his father was trying to see his screen.

“Inside the body. It was tucked up deep. It punctured the diaphragm and you already know that her liver was out and on top of her chest when we found her. Is that what I think it is?”

“If you think it’s a haruspex, I’d say you’re right on target,” Malcolm said, almost bouncing on his heels as he scrolled around the picture.

“Haru?” JT wrinkled his brow.

“It’s a form of augury, a way of telling the future that dates back to the ancient Romans,” Edrisa said.

“Actually, it goes back much further. The Etruscans were known to practice extispicy,” Malcolm argued.

“Please tell me you didn’t just say extra spicy.” JT took his phone so he could get a better look for himself.

“Extispicy, using animal entrails to do divination and it definitely goes back as far as the Mesopotamians and was a wide spread practice,” Malcolm replied.

“It’s in the Bible as well,” Edrisa added. “I think it was about the Babylonians now that you mention it.”

“And even Thomas Beckett was said to used haruspicy well into the middle ages.”

“My boy, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you this excited.” His father clapped.

“He and Edrisa can geek out like nobody’s business. I can’t even.” JT held up his hands.

“I can’t be certain but that looked like one that’s in the British museum, only a 3-D printed version.” Malcolm wanted to Google it right this second but restrained himself.

“Edrisa, we’ll be in soon. You’ll be our first stop. This is interesting.” Gil ended the call and gave Malcolm a look. “A haruspex?”

“Edrisa is going to be so excited.”

“And you aren’t?” Dani smiled.

“I’m very excited. This is fascinating.”

“It certainly is more interesting than Archie’s banality,” his father said.

“I hate to agree with you but you’re right,” Malcolm said.

“We’re going to need more coffee if we have to deal with him and Edrisa bouncing off the morgue walls.” JT said.

“Edrisa? Wasn’t that your other choice to go to your mother’s charity function?” His father asked.

Malcolm nodded. “Dr. Tanaka is our medical examiner.”

“The one that is poking through my emails.”

“The one we thought was going to give Bright the smartest, weirdest kids ever,” JT said. “I guess I better change my bet in the pool given what you said about kids.”

“Wait, there’s a pool?” Malcolm couldn’t imagine it and it stung a little.

“You should have mentioned that foolish choice of yours in your response. It was one of the things I added.”

Malcolm glared at his father. “My choices are my own. We need to go. I want to see this haruspex up close.”

“Of course, you do,” JT replied but he was the first through the door when Mr. David opened it.

“Have fun with this son. Even in your business you won’t see something like this every day.” His father called merrily.

“I’m should hope not,” Malcolm replied and followed the team out. He hated that his father was right. He was excited to see Edrisa’s discovery up close.

XXX

Malcolm couldn’t suppress his excitement once they arrived in Edrisa’s queendom. Oh sure, JT would poke fun at him but he knew it for what it was, good natured ribbing. It had none of the sting the snide comments at his expense like he often endured at the hands of his FBI colleagues. Maybe in the beginning there had been but that was over. He was just being overly sensitive after his father had seen straight through him. No one should be excited at the idea of someone being dead, and he wasn’t, not really. It was just fascinating to him that anyone could dig up such an ancient practice like haruspicy and most likely have it have meaning to them. Ideas percolated in his head as to what this meant for the investigation.

“I’m so glad you came to see this in person,” Edrisa told him. Okay, she told the whole team but everyone knew she meant him. Malcolm didn’t even wait to be asked to touch the haruspex. He pulled on the blue nitrile gloves and helped himself, standing shoulder to shoulder with Edrisa.

“Someone had to have 3-D printed this thing,” he said.

“The original would have been bronze. I don’t know if there is one on the British museum like you thought, Bright, but I think this one is modeled after the Liver of Piacenza which is in Italy. It’s Etruscan like you said.”

He nodded, running his fingers over one of the liver lobes marked with a sun and its rays dividing out that lobe of organ. Each pie shaped slice had Etruscan symbols engraved on it. “I wish I knew what this means. I can’t imagine we have translated all that much Etruscan, or have we, Edrisa?”

She shook her head. “I have no idea. We can look it up.”

Her ‘together’ went unspoken and Malcolm nodded. He held the cleaned-up relic to his team members. “Do you want a closer look?”

Dani scrunched up her features. “I’m good. It’s not like I know Etruscan!”

“Or want to,” JT grumbled.

“How does this work?” Gil gestured to the resin relic.

“A hepatomancer, usually a priest, would have gutted a sacrificial animal, usually a sheep,” Malcolm said.

“I hope they at least eat it afterward.” Edrisa made a face. “I’m vegetarian but if someone has to kill an animal, it shouldn’t be wasted.”

“Agreed and I don’t know the answer to that. They would look at the organs, the intestines and liver especially. They would look for anomalies. I don’t know what these symbols mean but they would have meant something to the hepatomancer using the haruspex. They would have believed whole heartedly that they could predict the future using this.” Malcolm tapped the haruspex. “I don’t know if this has been translated anywhere and if it has been, if our killer knows about it. I’d guess yes but it’s just as easily likely that he is reading it using his own ideas as to what the markings mean.”

“What does that mean for us?” Dani asked.

Malcolm shook his head. “I have no idea. Okay I have a few ideas.”

“Share them,” Gil said sternly with that look that said, keep it short and grounded kid as if he floated around in the atmosphere all the time.

Malcolm handed the haruspex back to Edrisa. “Show me where it was,” he said instead of answering Gil.

Edrisa put the liver back on the tray next to the actual organ, which rested in a basin and grabbed a disposable apron off the rack. She handed it to him. Malcolm put it on and leaned close to the victim’s body. He tried to follow where Edrisa was pointing. The rib cage had been reflected back and she pressed her arm deep into the thoracic cavity, outlining the damaged diaphragm where the haruspex had been shoved.

“We couldn’t see it in the dark this morning. The actual liver was cut free carefully. There’s not a nick on it.” Edrisa waved him back and she picked up the basin. “It was no doubt compared to the haruspex but I have no idea why they put it in the body.”

“I don’t either. It’s perplexing. The liver looks…actually that liver looks weird. It’s bumpy.”

“Cirrhosis, we’re still waiting on finger prints but unlike our first two victims, this poor woman is in bad shape. I’m betting there’ll be a finger print match. Her uterus is gone too and I know of no augury that uses that.”

Malcolm shook his head. “Me either. So, you’re thinking she was a sex worker.”

“Possibly but she was definitely using something that destroyed her liver, I’m thinking alcohol versus drugs or viral hepatitis because she has esophageal erosions and gastritis.”

“That’s a change,” Dani said.

Malcolm stripped off the apron and his gloves. “Maybe the healthy victims had livers without anything of interest to him. He could have picked someone sick because he knew it would be able to tell his future better. Okay, my ideas, one that it is a man but that could be me being biased on who could easily move someone around on a rickshaw or a carriage and who could lure a woman close.”

“I’ll buy that for now,” Gil said. “But we already suspected that.”

Malcolm held up a hand. “I know but now I think we should look for history majors. It’s not a major that’s easy to find work afterward, especially if you don’t go on to get the higher degrees. Not everyone is familiar with haruspicy or extispicy. It’s not an everyday thing.”

“I have heard of reading entrails though, from fantasy shows and things like that,” Dani said and off his surprised look she shrugged. “I like urban fantasy books.”

Malcolm grinned. “Now that I didn’t profile. That’s a pleasant surprise. I expected that to be your choice of reading material, Edrisa.”

She all but bounced in place. “I do enjoy those. You and I should do a book exchange, detective.”

Dani smiled thinly a hint of panic in her eyes. “Sure.”

“Anyhow, it would be a place to look, history majors, folklorists, maybe even authors who all have rickshaw or carriage rides as their day job.” Malcolm mulled it over. “I wonder if this could be someone younger, still a student but like Dr. Brown’s student, Dominic. Whoever he is, he’s lost in a psychosis. When we find him, he will truly believe that the augury is speaking truth to him. The thing that I haven’t been able to put my finger on is why humans versus animals. It was traditional to use animals. There is a huge leap here.”

“No kidding,” JT said. “But it does make sense, the idea that this guy studies history. I can start crossmatching the names of drivers we already have with that sort of information. It’ll be slow going. There are more of these drivers than you’d think.”

“I’d start with people under the age of thirty-five first. If this person is schizophrenic they tend to develop the disease in their twenties.” Malcolm scowled, wrapping his arms around himself.

“What is it?” Dani touched his shoulder.

Malcolm wagged his head. “It’s just that in our profession we always see the worst. Most schizophrenics are harmless. Sometimes it’s just exhausting to see someone with mental illness going to the top of our suspect list simply because they have a mental illness.” He knew that most of their cases had nothing to do with mental illness but some days it felt like every time he ran across the idea of mental illness it was in a deeply negative way. Going to Claremont would do that to a person.

“Of course, it is,” Dani said.

“You look like you could use some tea,” Edrisa said.

Malcolm offered up a thin smile. “I could but I think I’ll have to wait. Gil, you need to look over my father’s additions to my response. I don’t think you’re going to come out well.”

“I’m sure not.” He gestured to the door. “Thank you, Edrisa. This was an unexpected turn.”

“Fascinating really,” Malcolm added. “And I appreciate the offer of tea but I want to get this response to whoever it is trying to get my father’s attention. I’m afraid if we wait too long, this person will do something more drastic.”

“No one wants that,” Edrisa replied.

No one did, Malcolm knew, but he feared that reality. He wasn’t sure the response would be enough to stave the person off but right now that was all he had. He didn’t have much hope it would be enough.

XXX

Gil stretched his feet out in front of him on Jessica’s couch. They weren’t in the formal living room but some side room he wasn’t even sure the name of. Game room? Sitting Room? Parlor? She had more rooms in her house than he had names for. No one wanted to be in the formal living room, not after what Ainsley had done to Endicott there, in spite of the fact it had been redone from floor to ceiling to remove all traces of blood. It was as if it had left an evil residue there. He was just Catholic enough to believe in that sort of thing. He’d never admit it to his ever so logical ersatz son but he believed in ghosts too, and if any place were haunted it was this house.

Jessica would laugh at him or worse, be offended. She’d be equally offended if he fell asleep on her but that’s what he really wanted to do at the moment. He was getting too old to be up hours before dawn and just kept running all day. She had insisted on feeding him tonight and as much as he had wanted to merely go home, nuke something and go to bed, here he was. He was stuffed with some Greek food her cook had come up with for the evening and all that delicious souvlaki topped off with some honeyed dessert was threatening to drag him off to slumber before she got back with their cocktails. Maybe he shouldn’t have eaten quite so much but it had been good. Now if only Jess didn’t expect him to comply with a fitting for his tux. He didn’t want her to buy him one. She about lost her mind when he suggested renting one was perfectly fine. God he hoped he’d only have to own one and that it would do for all the functions she planned to drag him to.

Maybe Malcolm was right. This was going to be endlessly funny. He might be out of his mind trying to date Jessica. Watching her sashay across the room with two martini glasses in hand reminded him that there was a lot he had always loved about her. Not just her body – which was gorgeous no doubt of that – but her business sense and sharp wit and her kind heart. She never did see all the good in herself.

“You look exhausted,” she said, handing him the drink before sitting next to him, leaning on his shoulder.

“We were called out around three in the morning, and I haven’t had a break since.”

Jessica drew in a long, deep breath and slammed back a good third of her drink in one swallow. “I have to admit it, this was the one thing I worried about when I thought about us being…well us. I’m used to my son standing me up and blaming work if he offers an excuse at all. I’m not sure how to adapt to you being gone so much too. I….”

When she trailed off, he took her hand, giving it a squeeze. “It’s part of my job, Jess. I’m not ready for retirement.”

“I know. I just…” She shook her head. “Sorry, that’s not fair of me. I know it’s your job but Martin would blame his absences on work. While I thought he was out having affairs, we both know better. At least I know you’re not out there killing people.”

Gil snorted. “Just chasing after those who do.” He sipped his martini. She’d made it dirty with three olives floating in it. “This is very good. Thank you. Of course, it might make me fall asleep faster, which is what I don’t want to do.”

“I might take that as a challenge.” She grinned at him, a smile that promised she wanted to eat him alive. Gil thought that might be the best way ever to wake him up.

“I have no doubt.”

Jessica leaned in, kissing him. She tasted of honey, olives, and vodka. When she sat back, Gil definitely felt more awake. “Let’s not talk about your work because I’m already worried enough about this new stalker person.”

Gil nodded. She’d be even more worried if she knew Malcolm had served himself up with a side of Gil to the stalker in the form of his father’s response. They had incorporated a few of Martin’s comments into what Malcolm had drafted including a choice name he chose to call Gil. The bastard would probably be highly amused if either of them bothered to tell him. Of course, Malcolm might. “He’s being cautious Jess,” he lied, and the slight narrowing of her eyes suggested she might believe he wasn’t telling her the truth.

“Malcolm is never cautious.”

He was the one to drain a large amount of his drink in one swallow this time. “Well, as cautious as he can be. I think it’s in his genes to be a risk taker.”

“He was always adventurous, even before we knew what Martin was,” she agreed. “Is he still at your place?”

“No. He was last night but today he wanted to go home. JT swung him past my place to pick up Sunshine and dropped him off at the loft, complaining about feathers in his car. He’ll be lucky if that’s all that’s in his car.” Gil chuckled. “I need to get myself a new car. I’m really done with that boring rental I have.”

“I was willing to get you that car you were drooling over the last time you were here and looking on the computer while I finished up with Leonard. That young man, I swear…”

“I was looking at a Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing, Jess.” Gil rolled his eyes. “You cannot buy me that car.”

“It’s not as if I don’t have the money.”

Gil let go of her hand and raised a finger. “For one, it’s over a million dollars. Two, that’s why that car is never driven except maybe to car shows and three, I couldn’t begin to afford the insurance for it.”

“That’s what you said about that other car you loved,” she huffed at him.

“The Shelby Cobra? Well it’s not over a million but the rest holds. Yes, I want a muscle car but one that’s in the low end of the price range so I can actually drive it without worrying about the insurance or getting it stolen the moment I get out of it.”

“Do you want one like the one Malcolm landed on? I still haven’t forgiven either of you for that!” She pinched his side.

Gil caught her fingers again. “Trust me, I haven’t forgiven either of us myself. And no, if I get another Le Mans, all I’ll see is Malcolm in free fall. I’m not racing out to buy another Polara either after what happened to me and what you had to do to that car to save me. I was thinking of a vintage Mustang or Camaro though the Plymouth Barracuda or Road Runner would be nice too, and I can’t rule out a Chevy Nova SS.”

“You have lapsed into tongues.” Jessica tapped his chin.

“I am sure it sounds that way to you. That Barracuda is a sweet ride but that one might be one that will get stolen the moment my eyes are off it. I’d love to take it to a car cruise though.”

Jessica got a cute little wrinkle in her brow that he wanted to kiss. “That’s not what I think it is, is it?”

He highly doubted it would be. Jackie had loved going to the cruises with him. Okay not so much but she’d do it unless she’d sneak off with Malcolm to do a museum or something. Malcolm hated car shows. Oh, he tried to do it for Gil’s sake but he had no patience for sitting and talking to strangers about something he knew nothing about and had zero interest in. He was not a car guy, for all Gil had tried to lure him to the dark side. “You have a sea of cars and car nuts going around looking at them all.”

Jessica curled her lip. “I’m hoping I’m not going to this.”

“I’ll let you out of car shows if you let me out of the opera at least once or twice.”

Jessica set her drink on the table and took his from him. “It’s lucky you’re cute, Gil.”

She slid her arms around his neck pulling him into a kiss. Jessica tugged him down on the couch with her, her hand sneaking under his shirt. The warmth of it pressed into his still-tender belly.

“Mother! Is Vincenzo here yet?” Malcolm called from another room, much more loudly than his usual.

Gil appreciated him giving warning. He hated that Bright chose this moment to arrive. Way to ruin his fun. Jessica sighed and pushed Gil off her.

“He’s early,” he said, sitting back. He grabbed his drink and hoped he looked at least normal.

“He’s always late. Tonight he chooses to be early.” She got up and strode toward the door. “We’re back here, Malcolm and no, Vincenzo isn’t here yet. You’re early.”

“Sorry.” Malcolm peeked around the corner as if expecting people to be hastily redressing themselves. Well, if he had been two minutes later….

“Want a drink?” she asked.

He shook his head. “Should I go back and sit in Adolpho’s car for a while?”

Jessica shot him a withering look and pointed to the chair next to the couch.

“Are you going to be a smartass all night?” Gil asked.

Malcolm’s smug expression would have been just as at home on his father’s face. “Do you really have to ask?”

“Do I really need to kick your little butt?”

“Mother, I think I will have a drink. What are you having?”

“They’re dirty martinis. You should show Malcolm the cars you were talking about, Gil. Maybe he’ll understand it better.” Jessica went to the sideboard bar set and started to pour a martini for him.

“Have you met your son?” Gil asked.

“I talked cars with Roisin,” Malcolm protested.

Gil rolled his eyes. “No, Roisin talked and you listened with half an ear to be polite.” Or in hopes of being rewarded later but Gil wouldn’t say that with Jessica listening in. Malcolm nodded but his expression dissolved into a pale shadow of itself. “What’s wrong, kid?”

“Just thinking about Roisin a lot since this began,” he replied softly. “And how much I miss her.”

Jessica leaned over his chair, handing him his drink before hugging him tight, resting her cheek on the top of his head. “I’m sorry. I know you loved her.”

“Sometimes I wonder.” Malcolm sighed. “We parted so easily.”

“For your jobs. It happens. It doesn’t mean you didn’t care,” Jessica countered, giving him a squeeze before letting him go. She sat next to Gil. “I’m sorry this whatever it is has been bringing up bad memories.”

“It’s not really bad memories. They’re good ones but I miss those days. I should have gone to Boston. I haven’t seen Jaylin and Suzume’s daughter in two years, and if they do come, I hope they don’t bring her. It could be dangerous.”

“Suzume’s parents still live in Boston don’t they?” Gil asked.

Malcolm nodded. “They do and Jaylin’s parents are in Framingham so they have built in baby sitters relatively close. Arwen will have someplace to go.”

“Are they coming?” Jessica asked.

“I don’t know yet. They say they want to. I’d love to see them but on the other hand if this person is here in the city, I don’t want my friends here where there’s a danger to them.”

“Why would this person care about hurting them?”

“I don’t know that either, Mother. They seemed to think that my father would disapprove of some of my college life.” At her raised eyebrows, Malcolm averted his gaze. “I really don’t want to talk about that.”

“All right. I don’t want you upset because I know you’re going home alone tonight.” Jessica waved her hand. She glanced at Gil out of the corner of her eye and he suspected he’d get questions about this in private.

“What car were you looking at, Gil?” Malcolm was desperate to change the subject.

Gil pulled out his phone and brought up one of the sales ads. “Several but I did take this Barracuda for a test drive. It’s damn pricey but it is one I could drive and not just leave in a garage for special occasions.” He showed it to Malcolm. “It’s a 1970 Plymouth Cuda 440-6 pack, drop top with a V-8 engine, a sports hood and a Dana rear. It’s original blue fire metallic with a blue interior.”

“Still talking in tongues.” Jessica grinned, peeking at his screen.

“I suppose.” Gil brought up another one. “I’d probably be better off with this 1967 Mustang Convertible. It’s half the price and look how nice it looks in burgundy with a bronze and tan vinyl interior and that’s how it’s meant to be, Jess before you ask why isn’t it leather.”

She rolled her eyes and sipped her martini.

“It’s sweet. Bronze carpeting too, a 289 V-8 engine, rally gauges, multi-leaf suspension, four on the floor, and lots of chrome including the exhaust tips, front and rear bumpers and…you both truly do not care.” Gil sighed and went to put his phone away but Jessica took it from him.

“I like the color. Is this the color your friend had on her hearse?” Jessica displayed it for Malcolm.

He shook his head. “Not quite.”

“This is burgundy. Roisin had plum crazy,” Gil explained but he might as well have lapsed into tongues truly, judging by their expressions.

“It was pretty. I should have paid more attention.” Malcolm slumped in his chair.

“It’s hard to fake an interest,” Gil replied sympathetically. The last thing Malcolm needed was to add another regret and more guilt onto the mountain he already shouldered. “Roisin knew it wasn’t your thing. You shared other interests. I don’t expect you to sit through much car talk, Jess.”

“Smart man.” She smiled sweetly.

“I know but not smart enough to not end up jammed into a tux at a charity function.”

“The first of many,” she assured him.

“Endlessly funny.” Malcolm chuckled lowly, not fading one bit under twin stink eye from Gil and his mother.

“Have you checked the email?” Gil changed the subject to a dangerous one. Jessica tensed next to him.

“Before I came. Nothing. I’ll check it again shortly.”

“I hate this.”

“We all do, Mother,” Malcolm assured her as her housekeeper escorted Vincenzo and his assistant into the room.

Gil let Malcolm sit for his fitting first. Somehow he made it look easy to stand there and be a human pincushion as the tailor probed everywhere. Gil was going to hate this but Jessica wasn’t going to brook any argument. She’d been through so much, this was the least he could do to make her happy. They’d have to ruin her mood soon enough. They wouldn’t be able to shield her forever if the video sender was a true stalker. They would all be in this person’s sights. He and Malcolm would do anything to keep Jess safe. Gil hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

Chapter Text

Chapter Twelve

He woke up just as they reached the beach house but of course. If he were having a night terror, his broken brain made sure he relieved every ugly moment. Give him a beautiful dream and he didn’t even make it to the glorious ending. Sighing, Malcolm rubbed his eyes. He remembered that week in Martha’s Vineyard. They had made love many times and once they did have sex on the beach but on a blanket after midnight. He missed Roisin so much.

His heart wasn’t alone in that, judging by the circus tent effect of his sheets. Malcolm glanced at his phone to see what time it was. He’d made it all the way through the night, lucky him. He skimmed his hand down his belly. He had time enough to deal with the happy state he’d awoken in. His fingers had barely touched his hot flesh when his phone rang.

“No!” he told the phone. Seeing it was his mother, he declined the call. Undeterred, because of course she was, she called three more times, effectively killing his boner. She wasn’t always this persistent. What if it the stalker had made contact with her? Scowling, Malcolm answered the phone.

XXX

Dani’s greeting died when she saw JT’s expression as he hurried across the station’s bullpen. Instead, she merely held out the cardboard beverage holder. She’d sprung for tea. She had woken up in a great mood but she suspected that wouldn’t last. “I brought tea, two Lady Greys and two French blends. Have one.” She kept hold of one of the Greys.

“Thanks.” He picked up a French blend.

“Bright here yet?”

JT shuddered, pointing to Gil’s office. “He is on a rampage! I went to report on some promising potential suspects, took one look and decided it could wait. I have leads I can follow up on first. Even Gil doesn’t look like he wants to be in there but he’s trapped. I’ll report after tea.”

“What happened?” Dani dreaded the answer.

JT wagged his cup. “Not sure. Bright was making noises that could confuse bat sonar. I’ve never seen him so mad that he was having full body shakes. Tread lightly.”

She nodded. “Thanks. FYI, the tea isn’t sweetened.”

“Thanks for this.” JT headed for the break room.

Dani debated delivering her gift or if she should follow up on leads of her own and microwave the tea later once Bright calmed down, exploded or Gil medicated him into oblivion. She sighed. Gil needed rescuing. When she rapped on the door frame to his office, Bright’s face was a dangerous shade of red. He hadn’t that much fury in his eyes, not even when he was fighting to prove he hadn’t killed Eddie or arguing to save his sister from imprisonment.

“I brought tea,” she said quickly since Bright was busy panting and not yelling. “They need sugar though.”

Gil shot up and grabbed one. “Thanks, Dani.” He disappeared out the door with a Lady Grey so fast she was surprised he didn’t leave behind a Wile E. Coyote-like silhouette.

She put the container on his desk, throwing herself on the sword to give Gil a chance to regroup. “What happened?” If she had dreaded the answer when she asked JT, it was nothing compared to how she felt now.

Malcolm threw himself onto the couch, slamming his head back against the cushion. “After JT reminded my father yesterday about my plans for a vasectomy, my father called home just before breakfast. My mother never changed the old landline’s number. He told Mother about me wanting to ensure I had no children. She called me while I was still in bed to scream at me. After I hung up on her, she called back no less than six times, and when I wouldn’t pick up, she wrote me a War and Peace length series of texts to continue to tell me exactly what she thinks of my plans,” he snarled. Bright jammed his phone at her as if expecting Dani to read them.

Dani shook her head. “No one can make you crazier than family.”

The noise of disgust he made could be bottled and used to kill people’s souls. “No one’s crazier than my family.”

He had a point. “Sorry. I wish I could make it better.”

“Well, you can’t.” He cupped his hands over his face, dragging them upward and tore his fingers through his hair, leaving strands of it fluttering down onto his face in what would have been a cute disarray if he weren’t being so nasty. Bright sighed, brokenly, like an old car coughing to life. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. I have no right to take it out on you.”

“You’ve got that right.” Dani took a step back when his gaze snapped up to meet hers, expecting anger but seeing only pain. Off balance, she scrambled for what to say to him. “I get that you’re upset.”

“I am but I’m sorry for snapping. I know you’re trying to help.”

Dani held up a hand. “It’s all right. Why don’t you cool off for a moment, and I’m going to go get some sugar for the tea. Do you want some?”

He nodded slightly and Dani slipped out of Gil’s office, hoping he’d calm his ass down before she came back. JT had disappeared from his desk and Gil was still nowhere to be seen. Dani grabbed several sugar packets, napkins, and some stirs before making her way back to the office. Bright’s rage had left him. He looked closed to tears, and that might be even harder to handle than his deep anger.

Silently she handed him napkins first, and he pressed one to his face. Grabbing the two teas off Gil’s desk Dani sat next to him, giving Bright time to compose himself. When he dropped the napkin into his lap she offered him the sugar packets.

“I hope you don’t mind French Blend. The Lady Grey is for me.” She smiled softly, trying not notice how red his eyes were.

“When it comes to tea, it’s all good with me. I appreciate this, Dani.”

“You’re the one who wanted to drink more tea with friends.”

He chuckled softly, his body relaxing in slow measures. “And so I did.”

“Any chance you can sit down with your mother face to face and work it out like reasonable adults?” Dani wasn’t sure that she should start him up again but maybe if they could work it out, he’d be less upset. She stirred sugar into her tea.

He dumped the rest of the sugar packets into his tea and whipped it in violently. Refined Bright had not made it into the station apparently. “Probably not.”

“At the end of the day, it’s your choice, Bright, no matter how it upsets her.”

He tossed the stir toward the garbage can by Gil’s desk and almost made it in. He sighed but didn’t immediately get up to fetch it. “You don’t know Mother or my family. They literally are not above levying sanctions against each other. I guess I can’t blame her there. It was how she was raised and that Milton money can be used as a bludgeon.”

Dani studied the worry etched into his face. It frightened him. “How so?”

“Mother will tell you a story about why she kept Dad’s name. The reality is Grandmother threatened to cut her off without a dime if she didn’t lie in the bed she made.” He gritted his teeth and Dani wanted to slap someone she never met. “When I’ve stood her up, she’s teased me about giving away my inheritance. Mother’s jokingly threatened to evict me from the loft. She owns it but she could do it if I pushed her hard enough. I know it makes me sound pathetic but…” He wagged his head, raised the cup to his mouth before settling it back on his knee without drinking.

Dani took his free hand, squeezing it. “It doesn’t sound pathetic. For better or worse, you’ve always been rich. You don’t know how to function like the rest of us. Yes, you’re talking about simply cutting off the money, but the reality is you’re talking about exploding your life. That’s scary, and that’s not fair of her to threaten you like that.”

“We are reflections of our parents. I’m not even sure she realizes how much she can be like her mother and I’m not certain she liked Grandma, loved her yes but liked her?” He shut his eyes. “She hasn’t threatened me yet but I can see it coming.”

“So, talking logically is off the table?”

He rolled his shoulder. “I could try. I didn’t this morning. I was the match to her gasoline. I have reasons, Dani. I really do. I didn’t make my choice lightly.”

“I’m sure you didn’t.” She gave his hand another squeeze. “Tell me if you want. Practice what you’d like to tell your mother with me if you don’t mind me hearing it.”

A little crease v-ed its way into his brow. “Are you sure you want to hear this?”

“I’d like to help. I know you usually turn to Gil but right now he’s in a bad position. He’s seeing your mother. He’s caught in the middle, and he might not be quite as unbiased as he used to be.”

The crease deepened. “I know she was texting him too. He put his phone in the drawer but I could hear it vibrating.” Bright sighed and took a deep drink of the tea. He shut his eyes but looked less in pain. He drank more deeply. “This is very good.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

His eyes fluttered open. “I’m not sure Mother will let me get it all out.”

“Tell her in no uncertain terms you want to say your piece, and she can talk after you’re done.”

He gnawed his lower lip before giving a sharp nod. “She says she wants to be there for my problems since I’m always there for hers. She might do that. Of course, between now and when I get a chance to talk to her she might take a few valium and be mellower.”

Dani said nothing to that, unease creeping up on her. She knew pills for anxiety and depression were far different than what she had done to herself during her time with Estime. On the other hand, Bright had hinted more than once his mother drank too much and took too many pills. “If she’s not, then tell her it can wait until she’s calmer.”

“All right. Mother, I want you to think about what I went through growing up. I might have changed my name, and more than twenty years have gone by but people still know who The Surgeon is. Nothing will change the fact that my child will be the grandchild of a serial killer. Will they have to deal with what I did? Will they worry that they have the same psychopathic tendencies? Will people accuse them of it regardless? Will every flash of anger make them think, is this it? Is this the moment I go over the edge and become like him? I was thinking that today when Dani went to get me some sugar for my tea after I blew up all over her and Gil for no reason.”

Bright paused, swallowing hard. His Adam’s Apple bobbed, and his hand started to shake, caged by her own. Dani interlocked her fingers, stilling it for him but she was afraid that he felt frightened of himself.

“Even in my ridiculously expensive boarding school, I was bullied and all the Milton money couldn’t stop it. Murder Malcolm, Killer Kid, just to touch the tip of that iceberg. You remember all the fights I ended up in even though I didn’t want to hurt anyone. I was afraid to hurt anyone. You remember the wildings I went through.” Bright touched the scar on his lip, and Dani imagined how he got it, separated from teachers and anyone who might have helped him – if there had been any – beaten by a gang of entitled kids who apparently could be as vicious as any others. “Vijay helped a little but he was never a fighter. Gil taught me to protect myself but the fact that it was necessary at all....” He shook his head. “Ains and I were already born by the time anyone knew what Dad was. You didn’t knowingly put us in that position but I would be doing just that. It wouldn’t be fair to them.”

He took another drink of his tea. Dani said nothing, suspecting he was just warming up. “Even if no one figures out that the Bright kids are really Whitlys, they still have to deal with me. I’m not saying people with mental illness shouldn’t have kids. I’m saying this man with mental health issues should not have kids.” Bright thumped his chest. “I shriek in the night. I’ve thrown myself out of windows in my sleep even in spite of my restraints. What would that do to a child seeing that? I am addicted to benzos, and even all my meds don’t always calm me down. I would be an awful father.”

Dani almost spoke up at that but Bright rolled on, not even seeming to notice she was still there.

“I’m a borderline. BPD can be inherited upwards of forty percent. That’s almost like flipping a coin that my child will have borderline personality disorder too, and it is a rough thing to live with. Sometimes I truly hate myself. I feel awful so do I risk putting a child on this same path? Did you know that Harvard published a study in Nature about the ‘scarring’ that happens to DNA from abuse and trauma? The DNA is methylated and gene expression is changed. The trauma is damaging and can literally be passed down if that study is correct. So, when I look at everything all I see is a lot of minuses, so much unfairness to saddle on a child. That’s why I think not having children is the best for me.”

Dani stared for a moment, trying to figure out what to say. There was so much pain in his flood of words she was drowning in it. “You have put a lot of thought into this.”

He slumped back on the couch. “But will be enough to sway Mother?”

“That I can’t tell you, and I know that I have no business saying anything but I think you are wrong about one thing.”

He cocked his head. “What?”

“You would not be an awful father, Bright. You are one of the kindest men I’ve ever met. You are smart and sweet. You also had a very good example of how a father should be.”

“Gil,” he whispered. “And my dad…he was a good dad to me, Dani, for all that he’s a monster and very much not my favorite person today. But does any of that outweigh the other?”

“I can’t answer that. You have valid reasons for your choice except the one about you being awful because you aren’t even with your temper. Mostly you control it well. I have no idea if that will sway your mother but you could at least try.”

He nodded, draining his tea. “Not to mention my girlfriend was murdered and the only female friends I have here are you and Edrisa. Something tells me you’re not volunteering to have my baby any time soon.”

“I have no immediate plans.” She chuckled. “I can’t speak for Edrisa.”

“If I did that and JT has pulled out of the pool, he’ll be disappointed.” Bright managed a real grin.

“He would be crushed.” Dani patted his shoulder. “Feeling a little better?”

“Yes, thank you.” He pressed back against the couch, looking in no hurry to go back to work. “You remind me of Jackie.”

Dani lifted her eyebrows. “How so?”

“Jackie could calm me down like no one else. For that matter, she could do the same with Mother. I miss talking with Jackie but now, I have you. Talking to you is solace.”

Dani’s chest hitched, momentarily speechless from that confession. Recouping, she said, “You must have taken to Jackie very quickly.”

“Not at all. I hated her the first time I met her,” he replied, a pained expression on his face.

“That is an understatement,” Gil said from the doorway. He leaned against the frame, holding his tea.

Dani shifted, looking him dead on. “Really?”

Malcolm rolled his eyes. “Like you can’t believe. And I’m sorry, Gil, about earlier.”

“I’m aware of how your mother can wind you up, kid and in this case, I don’t blame you.” Gil crossed the room and sat at his desk. “Dani, I talked Malcolm up to Jackie and vice versa. I told her he’s a sweet kid, super smart, you’ll love him. He’s polite, raised to be a little gentleman. She was excited to meet him. She and Jessica had already met a few times because Jess is understandably an overprotective mother, and she wasn’t taking my word for it that Jackie was okay. So, Jess says bring Jackie over to meet him. We go to the townhouse and instead of Malcolm, Jessica introduces Jackie to Damien.” Gil grinned broadly.

“Hey!”

“Your mother actually said ‘Rosemary had a better baby than me’.”

Dani laughed. She’d heard enough of Mrs. Whitly’s sarcasm to believe that.

“I wasn’t that bad.”

“The only thing missing from the demon child that Jackie met that day was the three-sixty head spin and pea soup. You were brutal.”

“What was wrong with Jackie?” Dani asked.

“Keep in mind I was eleven. I didn’t want to share Gil with anyone. He was mine.” Bright thumped the arm of the couch. “And he was supposed to marry Mother.”

“Better late than never,” Dani said.

Gil rolled his eyes at her.

“I was not happy that this woman was taking Gil away. Apparently eleven-year-old me was filled with high drama.”

“I like that you think you outgrew that,” Dani replied, and Gil nearly choked on his tea. Bright’s expression nearly soured her own drink into vinegar. “How did Jackie win you over?”

“On the fourth or fifth try, we were going out for the day. I wanted to be shot instead, and Gil got called into work leaving me alone. I was…not happy.”

“What he means is he had a tantrum. I was ready to throw him in the East River with an anchor around his neck,” Gil translated. “Jackie assured me she could handle him. He just needed some patience.”

“She took me to the Fire museum. I didn’t want to go but…once we were there it was fun. I’m eleven so firemen were cool, and then she took me out to a park and we had hot dogs and some other junk food. She let me do whatever I wanted that day.” Malcolm shrugged. “I realized she was really nice, and I was being bad.”

“It really went to plan.” Gil smiled and Bright’s eyes widened.

“What?”

“I didn’t get called out. Jackie thought maybe with me out of the picture you’d warm up to her a little and you did. If you decided not to behave, she planned to turn you back over to your mother.”

“Devious.”

Gil shrugged. “It worked. You seem a little calmer. Ready to get some work done?”

Bright nodded. Dani stood. “JT said he had some potentials.”

“Well, let’s go see what he’s got,” Gil said.

They left the office, converging on JT who shot Dani a bit of a panicked look. She inclined her head to him and he relaxed a bit.

“Dani said you had some suspects,” Gil said.

“I’ll catch up with you on this later. I just remembered I promised to work with Edrisa on some of the finer points of the haruspex,” Bright blurted out and raced out of the bullpen area, taking the long way around.

JT squinted. “That man is like a Jack Russell on meth. Never seen anyone in that much of a hurry to go talk to Edrisa.”

“He’s been running hot for days, getting places too early, like his mother’s house last night.” Gil sighed, pointing toward the entrance to the bullpen. “But I know why he took off.”

Dani glanced over, spotting Mrs. Whitly sashaying toward them.

“JT, update Dani, put your heads together on the list. I’ll get to you once I put out this fire.” Gil’s shoulders slumped.

Dani nodded, surprised at how fast Bright’s mother could go on heels that high. She stopped at JT’s desk, her cheeks bright. Dani assumed she hadn’t calmed much since blowing up Bright’s phone.

“I know I shouldn’t disturb you at work,” she said.

Gil slipped a hand into the small of her back. “But?”

“I needed to see Malcolm. I made things worse, and I need to be sure he’s okay.”

“He’s currently in the morgue talking to Edrisa, Mrs. Whitly,” Dani said.

She sighed. “Hiding from me in a morgue, that’s a first for him.”

Gil guided her away from the desk gently. “Let’s talk.”

She didn’t argue, letting Gil sequester her away in his office.

“I feel sorry for Gil and Bright today,” Dani said.

“So, it was a fight with his mother that set him off?” JT asked.

Dani nodded. “His father told her about Bright’s plans for not having kids. She apparently took it badly. Gil’s stuck in the middle on this one.”

“I’m sure this is not the first time he’s been in that position.”

“True though they’ve never dated before.”

JT made a face. “Yeah. Man, I thought being stuck with Bright on a stakeout was about the worst situation to be in with that guy but Gil found one worse.”

“Agreed. Being stuck in the middle between him and his mother is worse.”

JT snorted. “I was thinking more about the fact that he got cockblocked by Bright intentionally or not.”

Dani rolled her eyes. “Okay I’ll give you that.”

“We should consider sending Gil to that fancy mental hospital of Bright’s. He might need a little shrinking himself, diving into that lake of crazy.” JT wagged his head.

Dani couldn’t argue. “You said you’ve made some progress on the case.”

JT went to his a desk and handed Dani a print out. “I think these ten are our best starting place for interviewing suspects.”

She stared at the list. “There were that many history majors?”

“Nah. I figured we shouldn’t get tunnel vision so I pulled guys with issues with women or violent attacks. Seriously these tour groups should vet their people better.”

“Did any of them match Bright’s criteria?”

“Four. I starred them. One, Cody Ward ticks both boxes. He should be showing up for work around three this afternoon. He drives a carriage. I figured we could talk to him at the stables.”

“Good.” Dani widened her eyes, spotting Bright hustling back with Edrisa on his heels.

“What’s wrong?” Dani called to hm.

“I met Edrisa on the way up from the morgue. She found another email from the person who thinks Doctor Whitly is sexy, which I’m currently not brave enough to read, and another email from the video thief.”

“It looks like Dr. Whitly has already viewed it,” Edrisa added.

“He probably asked for extended computer time. Is Mother in with Gil?”

“Yep, so you’ll have to man up and face her,” JT said.

“I might have phrased it ‘screw my courage to the sticking place’,” Bright replied sourly.

“Yeah but my way is more on point given the actual bone of contention.” JT waggled his eyebrows, and Dani wanted to slap him for being insensitive.

Bright favored him with a murderous expression but went to knock on Gil’s door. “Gil, we have another one,” he called through the wood.

In a moment, Gil opened the door. “Another murder?”

“No, another video sent.” Bright stepped back as his Mother pressed close to Gil in the doorway. “Mother, I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Really?” She arched her eyebrows. “Is that why you were hiding in the morgue?”

“I wasn’t hiding. I was conferring with Dr. Tanaka about the Etruscan haruspex found at the last crime scene.”

“I see, so that’s why you ran out of here like you were on fire when you saw me across the room.” Mrs. Whitly’s voice was too smooth to have so many barbs in it and yet it did.

Bright sighed so dramatically, Dani wanted to rescue him. Edrisa took a protective step closer. Dani wondered what his mother would do if presented with a human shield of Bright’s female friends. She might actually rejoice that he had them in the first place. “We do have a string of murders to solve, Mother and now whoever is stalking me is at it again. If Dani and JT are working on the Central Park issue, maybe I should look at whatever this video is.”

Gil nodded. “Fine.”

“We can’t actually go talk to our suspects yet. I wanted to run a few of them past you and Gil anyhow. Want to tackle your issue first? I wanted to corner this one guy at work, and he won’t be in for hours. Or would you prefer us to not see the videos?” JT asked.

“At this point what does it matter? I’ll bring up the videos in the conference room. Edrisa, did you read the email at all?” he asked.

“No, just skimmed the first few lines. I should get back to the morgue but I wanted to put a few more of the emails into their proper folders.”

“Go ahead and help us with that if you want,” Gil said. “If you don’t have another case waiting.”

“I can spare a few minutes.”

“May I see the video?” Mrs. Whitly asked.

Malcolm took a step back, eyes wide. “Why?”

“Because I’ve been dragged into this, haven’t I? You said it was just stuff from college. Is there some reason I shouldn’t see it?” She reasoned.

“Not necessarily but it is an active case,” Bright said. “I could show the video later if you really want to see it or…” He looked to Gil.

“It’s up to you, kid. This is your life.”

“I guess it couldn’t hurt but it might be embarrassing for me. That’s what this person seems to be getting out of it. She, or at least I’m leaning toward it being a woman, seems to be courting Dad.”

Mrs. Whitly made a disgusted sound. “Whatever for?”

“I wish I knew.” Bright beckoned for her to follow them into the conference room.

Dani didn’t think he should but it was his life. What could she say other than it wasn’t proper? Bright already knew that, and maybe he didn’t want to rewatch it a second time, or more likely didn’t want to go to his mother’s home by himself, all things considered.

He opened the laptop and let Edrisa take a seat to quickly sort the emails. “Who wants to be the one to take the lead on this other fan of Dad’s who’s writing him smutty emails? I really don’t want to read that.”

“What?” His mother made a face. “Why would someone…”

“They think he’s cute.” Malcolm shrugged.

“He is until you realize what he is,” his mother said but of course she had to have found him attractive once.

“I’m not sure I see it,” Edrisa said, “No offense, Bright. He might just be too fuzzy for me.”

Gil face palmed but Bright smiled.

“It’s the curls.”

“I always wished your hair had more curl to it.” His mother brushed a stray lock of his very straight hair back into place even as he tried to duck away. Now that Dani really looked at them, it was obvious Bright took after his mother.

He brushed her hand away. “Mother.”

“I’ll take the lead on that if Dani and JT want to keep out of it,” Gil said, with all the enthusiasm of someone volunteering to fall on a sword.

“I hope it doesn’t make your eyes bleed,” JT replied, definitely not volunteering.

Dani wondered briefly if she should, to keep a female perspective on it but she considered it might embarrass Bright more.

“Here you go, the email with the video and oh, a couple of jpegs,” Edrisa said.

“Let’s open them first. That should be quick.” Bright’s dread etched into every plane of his face.

Had he nude photos somewhere? God, what if some of these were sex tapes? Dani knew she wasn’t up to seeing that.

He clicked one open. It was a bit faded and taken at a beach. A long-haired Asian, shirtless, was front and center of the picture, back to the camera.

“Asian porn?” JT guessed.

“No!” Bright made a face. “Look closer.” Before they could get a good look he opened the other picture. Same beach, same person but this time they were looking over their shoulder at the camera, nearly waist length hair swinging.

“Gil, is that you?” Dani couldn’t quite believe it.

“When I was about nineteen or twenty. Damnit, this stalker must be in my computer too.”

“Or mine,” Bright said.

“Why do you have these pictures?” Gil narrowed his eyes.

“Jackie gave them to me for blackmail purposes.” Bright beamed.

“She what?” Gil jammed his fists into his hips. “What would you need…never mind. Of course, you’d need it at some point.”

“You were pretty, Gil.” Dani teased him.

“Pretty?” he grumbled.

“I agree. Any chance you could have that hair again?” Mrs. Whitly asked in pure bedroom voice.

“No!” Gil gestured to the computer. “Move on, Bright. Did the stalker say why they sent like this?”

“I haven’t read the email yet. I should.” Bright squinted at the screen.

“Let’s not rule out the hair,” Mrs. Whitly said.

Gil widened his eyes at her so much Dani had to battle down her amusement. “Jess,” he warned in a low rumble.

JT leaned over to Dani and said lowly, “If Bright finds a long dark wig in that house, he should run.”

She bit her lip to keep from laughing at the inappropriate comment. Bright covered his face obviously having heard JT. Gil’s hot look said he had too.

“Read the email, Bright.”

“I cannot tell you how happy I am to hear from you, Dr. Whitly. I’m surprised that you are not quite as disappointed in your son as I am but I see what you’re saying. You are concerned for him as any good father would be. He suffered from the loss of your influence at too early an age, and you already know about the bad influences in Malcolm’s life. You and I are of the same mind about that damn cop. I’ve only included one short video this time to further illustrate that your son is easily corrupted and a couple pictures because I know you’ll laugh at. I hope to hear from you soon.” Bright looked over his shoulder at Gil. “I told you we shouldn’t have hung you out there like bait.”

“Well it worked,” Gil replied.

“Is this person as crazy as your father pretends to be?” Mrs. Whitly pointed to the computer.

“Honestly, Mother, I’m afraid she might be. I don’t have enough yet to make a decent profile but in my gut, I’m wondering if she is delusional…or he.” Bright shrugged. “I don’t even have enough to decide that yet but I’m still leaning toward this is a woman. She certainly hates you now, Gil, and she thinks I’m an idiot.”

“Are you going to watch the video?” Dani asked. “I’m not sure how good it is for you, everyone prying into your life.”

“I mind the intent behind these stolen videos but I’m not ashamed of the things I did with my friends,” Bright replied but Dani didn’t miss how his gaze cut to his mother. He had purposely not told her many things and now he was risking her learning things he hadn’t wanted her to know. What could she do? It was his choice.

“Okay then. I just wanted you to have an out. We don’t all need to be here for this,” she replied.

His mother started to say something but thought better of it. Bright shrugged and turned on the video labeled exhibitionist. Dani hoped to hell she wasn’t about to see naked Bright in front of everyone. It probably wouldn’t be a bad sight but entirely inappropriate with his mother standing there. It opened to Bright, fully clothed, draped over the couch half asleep. Jaylin, more high energy, sat in the chair next to the couch. Dani assumed Suzume was behind the camera and Roisin was nowhere in sight.

JT snorted loudly. “Isn’t that the truth?” He expertly ignored Bright’s withering look.

“Nude beach?” Mrs. Whitly asked, and JT hit the pause button.

“I thought I heard that in another of these videos. Did you really go to a nude beach with three women, Bright?” JT shot him an approving look.

His face as red as Roisin’s Bright squared off his jaw, meeting his mother’s gaze. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“Did you take them to Capocotta on vacation and not tell me?” Mrs. Whitly asked.

Bright wrinkled his nose. “Where’s that?”

“Outside of Rome.”

“No, Mother, I did not fly everyone to Rome and why do you even know about a nude beach in Rome?” Bright’s grumpiness made Dani smile because she knew he was going to regret that question even before his mother arched her eyebrows and shot him a sly look. The sheer horror in his eyes forced Dani to cover her mouth. JT didn’t bother hiding his amusement. “Ew! Mother! Was that with Dad…no, don’t tell me!” Bright shuddered. “But if he’s okay with that, I need to know so I can answer this person. But I don’t want to know! Whisper to it one of them.” He pointed to the team.

“Your father has never been shy,” she replied, and he waved his hands wildly.

“No, now that’s in my head!”

“I find it amusing that you have spent years worrying you’re just like your father while missing entirely that you are so much your mother’s son,” Gil said.

Bright grunted and turned the video back on.

“And now we know where Bright’s hand was for quite some time.” JT patted Bright’s back as he paused the recording again.

“We fell asleep in the sun. Well, Rose was in the sun. I was under the beach umbrella.”

“You call her Rose every so often instead of Roisin,” Dani said. “Why?”

“Roisin is Gaelic for Rose,” he replied.

Edrisa took a closer look at the computer screen. “That does look awful. Did you ever convince her to go to the doctor?”

“She had clinicals the next day, and they checked her out there for sun poisoning,” Bright said.

“I have to say, she had a nice butt,” JT said.

“JT!” Dani shook her head. She pointed to the recording. “Start it again?”

Bright obeyed.

JT slammed his hand down on the pause, bursting out laughing. Dani couldn’t quite smother her own snicker. Edrisa looked ready to scold them but she was giggling under her hand too.

“Oh my god!” JT gasped.

“Shut up,” Bright moaned.

“Oh, Malcolm.” His mother rubbed her forehead. “All your life people have told me how intelligent you are but you weren’t smart enough to realize you can’t take lotion to a nude beach.”

“Mother,” Bright whined. “Are you all done now?”

“No, I can’t with this.” JT held his sides, belly laughing.

Ignoring them, Bright started it again.

The video ended. Bright turned to his mother and said, “That still goes, Mother.”

“There is no penis I’m prepared to tell you about.” She gestured to the computer. “I don’t understand why this person thinks your father would care about this.”

“This one is mild compared to the others. It’s not like Suzume documented every moment of our lives, just a fair number of them. The stalker inundated Dad with these videos so she might be scraping the bottom of the barrel.”

“Or she’s prudish and expects your father to be upset about the nude beach or your roommates seeing you naked,” Dani suggested.

“You’re probably right.” He ran a hand through his hair. “That’s all the there is, Mother. I’m sure we have to get back to our other case now. I need to confer with Edrisa about the haruspex.”

“And I do need to get back to the lab. Did you know, Bright, that the Etruscans didn’t just use the haruspex to tell the future? They also read lightning.” Edrisa said.

“I did not. You’ll have to tell me all about it,” he replied and Edrisa all but floated away.

“Before you go, I wanted to run a few our of potential suspects past you,” JT said.

“All right. Edrisa I’ll meet you shortly.”

She beamed and bounced out of the room.

Bright turned to Mrs. Whitly. “We probably need Gil for this too, Mother.”

“I can take a hint.” She crossed over to him and cupped his cheek. “Are you all right? I’m sorry I upset you, and I don’t want you by yourself if-”

“I’m fine, Mother,” he broke in.

“I still want to talk.”

“I do too. But not now, and I want you to listen without interrupting me.”

Her expression hardened but she patted his arm. “Call me when you’re ready. I’ll call you later, Gil. And Detective Powell, let Malcolm know when you and I can go shopping.”

Dani snapped to attention, spotting Bright’s little smirk at her panic. “Shopping, Mrs. Whitly?”

“We have to go try on that dress or move to an alternative if it doesn’t suit you as well as I think it will. We’re running short on time.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Dani spotted JT smothering a laugh at her expense. “I….” She looked to Bright for support but he’d developed a ridiculous level of interest in his tie.

“You can bring Malcolm if you’d like,” Mrs. Whitly offered. “He doesn’t have to be part of the trying on procedure but he does actually have a nicely developed sense of style.”

“I’ll agree with that. I’ll let you know, ma’am.”

“Jessica, please. Ma’am makes me sound as old as I feel today.” She waved goodbye and sashayed off.

Dani watched her go, surprised it wasn’t more of a fight. Bright lifted his eyebrows at her as if to say they were on the same ship and they just hit an iceberg but no one said a word. Instead they dove back into their work.

Chapter Text

Chapter Thirteen

“Manuel seems to be late for work.” JT fanned his face.

Malcolm didn’t blame him. He was thinking about advice Gil had given him long ago: ditch the fancy suits and wear cheap stuff to work as they walked through blood, mud and worse many days of the week. Today there were horse apples around and the smell from the heat hitting the manure permeated everything. He’d never gotten the horse riding bug many in his boarding school had. Oh, he could ride. It had been mandatory but he had never fallen for horses. Dani eyed the draft horses in their stalls, unease cloaking her like a second skin. Probably not a lot of stables in the Bronx but honestly he had no idea. Outsiders had no idea just how widespread the city was, how very possible it was to not know anything about large swaths of it. “It’s making me nervous,” he admitted.

His teammates turned to him. “Why?” JT asked.

“Edrisa and I were talking. The cirrhotic liver would have been seen as a very bad sign in the Ancient world. Anomalies like that would have been a portent of the gods’ disfavor. To us, it seems reasonable that whoever it is doing this might be prompted to kill again, hoping for a better outcome and if Manuel isn’t here….”

“What if they panic because of it and decide it’s a sign that they shouldn’t be doing this,” Dani suggested. “They could stop which, great, no more people lose their lives but if we don’t have more to go on than we have now….” She scowled deeply. “Or if they take it as a sign to flee...”

“All possibilities,” Malcolm agreed, wishing it weren’t. “At least we were able to talk to the boss here and that other potential killer off of JT’s list.”

“Tom Carroll was your typical angry twenty-something,” JT said. “Mad at the world for making him work when all he really wants to do is play video games. Who doesn’t?” He turned to Malcolm. “Did you ever play video games?”

He shook his head. “Not until college. Roisin was a huge fan. Mother discouraged that, and honestly I had no one to play with which I didn’t know for the longest time wasn’t a requirement. However, your point is taken. Tom was not one of the history majors, which seems like a shame really given what LeBlanc said about the expectations of the better carriage drivers. I didn’t realize that several of the tours aren’t just a jaunt around Central Park. Some of them are meant to give history lessons.”

“Never done that either?” Dani raised her eyebrows.

He shrugged. “I lived most of my adult life away from the city, really, and when I have been here I’ve been alone. I suppose I’ve seen it more as a romantic activity.”

JT scanned the stable, made eye contact with LeBlanc, the manager of this carriage drive group. LeBlanc shook his head, still no Manuel sighting. “You okay now, bro? It was a rough morning for you.”

“It started out great. I had a good dream for once, about Roisin and me at Martha’s Vineyard, more of a memory than a dream, though I suppose many of my dreams are rooted in my memories.” He furrowed his brows. “I wonder why because that’s not how it is for most people.”

“I don’t really remember a lot of my dreams,” JT said. “But the PTSD ones, they are memory ones too which I suppose makes sense.”

Malcolm nodded. “Maybe I can dream of her again but more than likely I’m going to dream of Mother screaming at me.” He loosened his tie a smidgeon. “And I should have prepared you for the shopping trip, Dani. Of course, after today you might be ready to tell me to go to the dinner on my own.”

“It was close,” she replied in no way leading him to believe she was joking. “Don’t worry about me. I have no issues in telling your mother about how I’m not planning to have your kids.”

“She won’t ask…I don’t think.” He made a face.

“I’m starting to see why you warned me to draw my gun at Berkhead’s party when you realized she was coming your way.” This time Dani smiled softly.

“Right? I’m probably going to have to start slipping Gil some of my meds to keep him sane.” He managed a grin just as JT pointed to an end horse stall.

“There’s our guy.”

A young Hispanic man opened the stall and led the large black horse with white stockings half out of the stall. He paused when he saw LeBlanc signaling them but he didn’t try to bolt as they walked over to him. He watched them curiously.

“Manuel, these detectives want to talk to you. They’ve been questioning a few of us, me included,” LeBlanc said, keeping to their suggestion to not alarm him. LeBlanc had been certain that Manuel wasn’t who they were looking for. He hadn’t offered up similar protests about Carroll whom Malcolm assumed wasn’t long for this job.

“Manuel Sosa, I’m Detective Tarmel and my partner, Detective Powell,” JT waved a hand to her. “And our consultant, Mr. Bright.”

Manuel looked them over for several long seconds before asking, “What can I do for you? Is this about the deaths in the park?”

“Why do you ask?”

“It’s all over the news, isn’t it? It’s scary. I’m here until late. I have the last shift.” Manuel stroked his horse’s neck. It stomped a hoof the size of a dinner plate. Dani didn’t back up but she did eye it warily. “Makes me uneasy knowing I could be here with a killer lurking around.”

“Have you seen anything strange going on toward the end of your nights here?” She watched LeBlanc move off when a horse kicked the stall door.

“I see all sorts of weird things. This is Central Park.” Manuel shrugged. “But if you’re asking did I see anyone killing anyone in the park, I would have called the cops, wouldn’t I?”

“That would be what most people would do,” she agreed. “Out of the weird things you’ve seen at night, is there anything that really stands out to you?”

“I guess it would be a group of witches or pagans or whatever you want to call them. I’ve seen them over by the ramble doing rituals, mostly with herbs, flowers and wands, nothing violent that I could see.” Manuel worked at a knot in his horse’s mane. “There’s been some tension with the rickshaw snobs, like they’re better than us because they don’t use animals. We’ve had some PETA types around but I think they don’t know horses. Animals get bored too. They like to work. Sunset is pampered, aren’t you?” He made a whickering sound at his horse. “He gets excited when I bring him out. No one is hurting him. I always make sure he stays hydrated when he’s working.”

Dani and JT exchanged looks but Malcolm took a step forward. “Sunset is lovely. What breed is he?”

Manuel beamed. “He’s a Shire. You can pet him if you want. I know why you’re here. I have a record.”

Malcolm stroked the coarse hair of Sunset’s neck, feeling the warmth and strength of the muscles under his hand. “Tell me about that.”

Manuel sighed, leaning his forehead against Sunset’s neck, opposite to where Malcom stood. “I damn near ruined my life. I had just finished my M.S. in history a few weeks before, was getting ready to go on for my doctorate. I had a girlfriend, Rachel. My friends all warned me about her. I was dumb in love, you know?”

“I’m acquainted with the feeling.” Malcolm smiled as Sunset moved his massive head and butted him gently, his lips going for Malcolm’s tie.

“He likes you,” Manuel said and JT snorted. “Anyhow, Rachel was crazy jealous. She thought I was looking at someone at a party. It was a girl I knew from school. Anyhow Rachel came at me with scissors and god knows why she had them in her purse. I protected myself but I was drunk. I hit her to get her away from me. We both walked away with domestic violence charges filed. I didn’t stay in school after that. I got my job here and it’s not that bad. Not what I dreamed, mind you, but I do the history tours and I work with a local haunted city tour too.”

“That sounds like fun,” Malcolm said. He should take a trip like that. Would Dani like to come with him? Maybe not. Edrisa would. He could ask them both, make it seem less date-like. A date could be fun though, dangerous, oh so reckless.

“It is. As for what happened with Rachel, I’m very sorry about it. I hate myself for losing my cool.”

“Understandable,” Malcolm said, cutting JT off. He sensed a different tact on offer but he had one he wanted to try. “It sounds like you’re a history buff. Me too. I love the Etruscans and Romans.”

Manuel held up his hands. “Wrong continent for me. My family’s from Peru. The Incans and the violent influence of the Spanish colonizers are my interest. It’s weird sometimes, knowing I’m part of both worlds.”

“I get it,” JT said. “So, no other little drunken incidents.”

“No, sir. One was enough.”

“Can you tell us a bit more about the tension with the rickshaw people? Is it all just competition or is there more to it?” Dani asked.

“A lot of is oooh look at my calves of steel you pudgy horse jockeys.” Manuel snorted. “There are two guys who stand out. Zack is a complete douche. You’ll see him around, lots of carrot hair sticking out from under his helmet, flapping behind him like a flag.”

“What’s douchey about him?” JT pressed him.

Manuel shrugged. “He’s aggressive. He’ll cut you off and he will try to swoop your fares. I’ve seen him get snappy when people turn him down, telling him they want a nice carriage ride. It’s not all about getting from point a to point b. They want the experience. He doesn’t like it when they tell him no.”

“Do you know his last name?”

Making a face, Manuel leaned over, glancing down the stalls. “Hey, Kennedy, know Zach’s last name? You know who I mean.”

“Bicycle jerk? I think it’s Williams or Williamson, something like that.” She rolled her shoulder. “He tried to pick me up. Did not want to take no for an answer, the creep.”

“Thanks. There you go. He’s not a nice guy. The other one though isn’t so bad. He knows the history of the park like it was his kin. I appreciated that,” Manuel said.

Sunset chose his moment and mouthed Malcolm’s hair, contently munching on it, eliciting a yelp. Malcolm grabbed for his hair, feeling a velvety nose and fleshy lips.

“Sunsets likes you!” Manuel laughed, intervening on Malcolm’s behalf. “Behave, boy.” He backed the Shire up a few paces. “I need to get him into his harness.

Malcolm tried to smooth his damp hair. “You were telling us about this other history fan.”

Manuel nodded, leading Sunset out of the stall. “Phil. He really is interesting but man he goes off on tangents.”

“How so?” Dani asked, steering clear of the big horse as it plodded along with Manuel toward the carriage.

“It’s a long story. Most of it is esoteric, philosophical stuff. The one I remember most is a long conversation we had about Frankenstein, the book, not the movies. They are so very different. I can’t think of a movie that has really captured the book.”

“Most just have the monster as a lumbering mindless zombie more or less,” Malcolm replied. “They miss the whole point of the book, the ‘should we do something just because we can,’ the idea of personal responsibility and morality.”

“Exactly.” Manuel stabbed a finger at Malcolm. “That’s the really interesting part of the books, and no one ever gets it. It’s not all pitchfork mobs and fire.”

“The monster is rather sympathetic until he starts killing,” Malcolm said, ignoring JT’s stares. Dani nodded and he realized she had read the book.

“And he’s pushed to killing by Frankenstein’s rejection of him,” Dani added. “It was the loss of his father figure, the deep disappointment the monster had in the man he perceived as a father who no longer wanted him.” She peered at Malcolm out of the corner of her eye as if considering him and his situation in a Frankenstein context.

Manuel’s face lit up. “Should have invited you two to the conversation with Phil. Anyhow, is that all? I really do need to get Sunset harnessed up and get out there.”

Malcolm deferred to JT on that.

JT shook his head. “Got a last name on Phil?”

“Nah, sorry. We’re not that friendly. We just talk sometimes.” Manuel scowled. “I hope you find who you’re looking for. It’s scary to think the crazy dude killing in the park is someone I might know or work around.”

“We’re not sure of anything yet. We’re just checking on a few things. Thank you for your time,” JT said, waving toward the carriage.

Manuel went back to work and JT led the way back to their car.

“He’s not our guy,” he said once they were all inside but not on the road yet.

“No.” Dani shook her head. “You don’t think he is, do you, Bright?”

“I think we need to find out who Phil is.”

“Agreed and track down this Zach dude too,” JT said, peering into the rearview back at Malcolm who volunteered to be in the back. Dani didn’t care for it if she could avoid it.

“Neither name was on the lists were they?” Dani asked.

“No.”

“I think we’re actually closer than I expected to be. I was starting to second guess my carriage-rickshaw theory,” Malcolm said.

“I hope you’re right, dude and also, only you could nearly be eaten by a horse. You can’t get through an outing without something weird happening to you.” JT snorted.

Malcolm glared. “Horses deal with their world using their lips.”

“Your fancy hair treatments probably smelled like food,” Dani countered.

“My shampoo isn’t that fancy.”

“I’ve seen your shower, Bright. You have more product than the rest of the team combined.” Dani laughed.

“Are you trying to shower shame me?” Malcolm arched an eyebrow at her.

“I think I might be succeeding.”

“What can I say? I was taught to take care of my skin and hair. If you think I’m bad, you ought to see what Mother has going on in her boudoir. Oh right, if things keep going as they are with this dress, you probably will. Fair warning, you will need new heels too.”

“Bright,” Dani sounded pained. “I don’t even like heels.”

“The dress will demand it. You didn’t run off. I gave you a shot but you didn’t take it.”

Dani slumped back against the head rest. “I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?”

“Not more than poor Gil who can’t cut and run. I’ll make it worth your time, promise.”

“Just be careful of that evil magic of his, Powell. He seems to somehow be able to make smart accomplished women want to be naughty with him,” JT said, and Dani jabbed a finger at him.

“Bright’s a gentleman or else.”

Malcolm chuckled softly, entertaining a moment’s thought about the naughty. It was far more pleasant than turning over the things Manuel had said to them, not as helpful but definitely enjoyable.

XXX

Malcolm left off his reminiscing there hoping to get his mind set up for sweet dreams later. He saved remembering the rest of that night in Glendalough for a little pleasure in the shower before he slipped under the covers with the promise of a good night.

He slept hard until he felt weight shifting on the bed next to him. Startled mostly awake, Malcolm moved his leather straps, sliding one out from under his hip so he could turn. On the bed next to him, long blond hair flowing over her shoulder, a woman slept. He started to whisper Eve until he realized how her legs went on forever.

“Roisin,” he rasped out.

She rolled over, looking at him with greyed eyes. Her smile was more of a rictus, and she ran a hand over his arm, streaking it with blood. Thick clots of it clung to her cold fingers as she interlocked hands with him. The green Connemara marble of her Claddagh ring stood out from the gore of her opened wrists.

“Why didn’t you answer your phone, Harvard?” she asked.

“I couldn’t have it on. I was on a case.” His voice shook, thin as rice paper. “I called as soon as I could.”

“Not soon enough, lover boy. I saved you. Where were you when I needed you to save me?” Her fingers convulsed over his, crushing them.

“I tried but I was too late.”

“Story of your life, isn’t it? Always a day late and a dollar short.” Roisin let go of his hand so she could straddle him. “Have you ever saved a life, Harvard? Have you ever made a difference?”

“Yes!” He fought to get his restraints off. Footsteps echoed from the stairs leading up to the mostly unused level of his loft.

“Really? Then why am I dead?” Eve leaned over the railing, dripped water down onto the floor. “Where were you when Eddie came for me?”

“On a case?” Roisin grabbed for his hand as he fumbled one cuff off. “That’s your excuse right? You were busy working. No time for the women who loved you when they needed you.”

“You left me, Eve! I didn’t know. You wanted to go it alone. If I had known,” he argued. “It’s not my fault.”

“Whatever lets you sleep through the night, Malcolm. Oh right, you don’t, do you?” Eve chuckled, water bubbling out of her drowned throat.

Malcolm got the second cuff opened. He shoved Roisin off him. Blood splashed him in the eye as her arms flailed. Malcolm tumbled out of bed and ran for the door. Eve clutched at him with raisined, water-logged fingertips. He dodged her icy grasp and almost made it to the door when it slammed open from a well-placed kick.

Dani stomped in. She surveyed the room. “They look mad, Bright. You’ve been lying to them, haven’t you? You keep telling lies!”

“You forced me to lie! You didn’t believe in me,” he sobbed. “Dani, please.”

“Liars need to be punished. You know that, Bright.”

Her fist caught him under his chin. His backside slammed into the floor a moment before his head bounced off the wood. Dani’s boot caught him in the ribs, flipping him onto his belly. As she snapped the handcuffs on him, Malcolm woke up.

His body revolted hard. He’d gotten one cuff off in his sleep. He freed the other and raced barefoot over the floorboards barely in control over either end of himself. He vomited into the sink first but the convulsions of his abdomen did him no favors. He tore down his pants, peed while he still had that under control, thankful neither thing happened before he made it to the bathroom.

Marginally better, Malcolm washed up, threw some water on his face, and rinsed his mouth. His eyes were red crazed twin pools of blue in a colorless face. He shook all the way to his toes and was barely able to walk back out of the bathroom. His ribs ached as if Dani had really kicked him. He couldn’t even look at his bed. The loft stank of sweat. He’d never get back to sleep and even if he could, what waited for him? The ghosts of dead lovers? Dani’s deep disappointment in his lies?

Should he turn on the TV for a while? Read until his nerves stopped jangling and the adrenaline left his system? Should he make tea? Drink whiskey until he couldn’t see? His phone ringing and JT on the other end of the line telling him they had a fourth victim was a life line, and he clung to it for all he was worth.

Chapter Text

Chapter Fourteen

“He looked awful,” JT said, beating his shoe against his trash can knocking some of the mud from the scene into it. “He was pacing on the sidewalk when I picked him up, so jittery I thought it was a tweaker at first.”

“He’s not even in a suit,” Dani said, shocked when JT had arrived in the park with Malcolm merely in a long-sleeved shirt and trousers, no tie, no jacket. He had hardly spoke, not even to Edrisa who had tried hard to engage him in the findings. No matter what Dani tried, he hadn’t made eye contact with her. Even now back at the station hours later, he was actively avoiding her. “Did he talk to you on the way there?”

JT shook his head, slipping his shoe back on. “Dude’s losing it. Maybe he needs taken off the case but we both know what he’s like when he’s not working.”

“Worse than when he is working. It’s this stalker,” Dani decided. “That has to be freaking him out.”

“Agreed. I want to know where all of our potentials suspects were last night after midnight.”

“Have you found out who Phil could be? I’ve come up with nothing.”

“I found one privately owned rickshaw cyclist who thinks the guy’s last name is Cleveland but I’m not sure about that. I was going to do a search on him first thing and then we got called out.”

“Why don’t you do that now? I’ll check in with Edrisa and see if she’s finished the autopsy. I can grab Bright for that. We’re still waiting on fingerprints on our latest victim but if she’s like most of the others…”

“She’s not in the system. I think Bright’s in Gil’s office. I heard the boss man tell him to sack out on the couch. I’m getting Bright didn’t do much sleeping again.”

Dani nodded. She got up from her desk, making her way to Gil’s office. Gil looked half asleep, head propped up on his fist. It had been a long night with that call coming in at five. No one had gone home after that. She wished she could catch a cat nap herself like their consultant who was fitfully sleeping on the couch. JT edged up next to her, a piece of paper in his hand. Had he found something that fast?

“No, Dani, stop!” Bright muttered in his sleep, his head thrashing on the arm of the couch.

“Geez Powell what are you doing to him?” JT didn’t quite grin because as much as he wanted this to be a joke they all knew it wasn’t.

“Bright,” Dani called as Gil shot to his feet.

Bright’s mouth opened but his scream came out as a strangled moan as he catapulted off the couch. The team moved as one. Dani slammed the office door shut as JT and Gil grabbed hold of Bright, bearing him back to the couch. She drew down the shades as well, unable to ignore Bright’s panting.

He looked up at her, his chest heaving. He started to shake, his eyes never leaving her face. God, he was terrified: Of Her! What the hell had he dreamed? Why would she frighten him like this? Sweat soaked a V into his shirt. Whatever had played in his mind had robbed him of his voice entirely. He flung a hand up shielding his eyes, cutting off his view of her.

“Bright,” she said. His flinch cut her like a dagger. “Malcolm,” she tried again, and he shook his head. “Okay, I’m going.”

Dani let herself out, shutting the door harder than she meant to. The twins, anger and fear, grabbed on to her as she stomped into the break room. That he could be afraid of her shook her deep to her most hidden places. That he could be afraid of her made her irrationally angry at him. What had she ever done to him that he would dream of her in such a warped way?

Dani shook it off. Irrational was the right word for both her anger and his night terror. She knew that. The brain was under no one’s control while they slept. She whipped back around and got her mug off her desk and Bright’s from his. There was no coffee left because some Philistine had emptied the pot and not followed office decorum and started a new one. She poured two mugs of hot water and popped in the bagged tea that claimed to be Earl Grey but didn’t have much of a scent. They were cheap supermarket fare and probably stale but it was that or nothing.

Refilling the coffee pot gave her something to do while the tea brewed. She stirred in sugar as JT made an appearance. His grim expression sent shivers up her spine.

“I’m making him tea. Will he take it from me?”

JT shrugged. “He’s calming down.”

“Did he say…” She made a face. “I know I shouldn’t pry.”

“You have apparently been arresting him, kicking him around, and-or handing him over to his dead girlfriends for the last several nights.”

Dani’s hand convulsed on the coffee pot’s handle and she nearly cracked it on the sink jamming it under the spigot to fill. “I don’t understand it.” Yes she did and both she and JT knew it.

“You and I are no strangers to PTSD either. We’re not Bright level but still…we hurt him.”

“His worst fear is being alone again I think,” she said more calmly. “We saw how the FBI treated him. He doesn’t work well with a team because teams never wanted him.”

“And we didn’t believe him. I mean, I didn’t think he could really have killed Eddie, not really, but there was an outside chance. He certainly knows more than enough about how killers think and if someone killed a woman I cared about…” JT spread his hands wide. “I can see him doing it.”

“I know. I feel the same way. We left a scar.”

“No, it’s still an open wound,” JT countered. “He hasn’t let it scar. I think he’s picking at it when he’s alone. He says he’s okay with us. On one level I’m sure he is. On the other, you’re right, Dani. He’s so used to rejection that it had to feel like a kick in the teeth. I mean, I don’t blame him for lying to us and sneaking out of the house after getting his ankle monitor off. Okay I blame him for that last thing because it was dumb but since he thought you and I weren’t on his side and weren’t going to help him…”

Dani dragged a hand through her hair, getting her fingers caught on a snarl. “And I did blame him. I told him so.”

JT put a hand on her shoulder. “I think he gets that lying is a trigger for you. Not sure it matters to his subconscious. We kicked him when he was down and forgiven or not, you know how brains work. Mine can’t hold on to a happy thought for a day sometimes but it sure can dredge up something terrible that happened to me when I was in high school like it was yesterday.”

She sighed. “I know. I’ll talk to him if he’s willing. Maybe not today if he’s not up to it. I’ll give him the tea and get back to work, give him some space if that’s what he needs.” She yanked the tea bag out of his mug and loaded it with more sugar than was reasonable. Bright liked that, she knew. It would make him happier.

“I got a text. The person who told me the last name was Cleveland was wrong. He said it was Brown. He just mixed up the football team with the city.” JT snorted. “I’m going to run both names just in case. That’s what I was going to tell Gil before Bright lost it.”

“Okay. I better get this to him.” She nudged the mug and took out her own teabag. She took it with a lot of sugar herself.

Feeling buoyed a bit by the fact Gil’s office door was open, Dani peeked in. Both men sat on the couch, neither talking. Bright’s haunted gaze froze her. Dani managed to hoist the mug. “I brought you some tea, Bright. I thought you could use it.”

He smiled faintly but said nothing even as she handed it to him. He gave her a little nod.

“I need to get back to seeing if we can track down our latest victim,” she said. “And Bright, I’m sorry.”

“What for?” His voice sounded rough, like he’d spent the night being sick and had acid-burned his throat. For all she knew, he had.

“For upsetting you. We don’t have to talk about it now but I’d like to talk some time. I think we both have been keeping things from each other.”

He nodded, holding the mug close to his chest. Off Gil’s look, Dani left them and went back to her desk. She called Edrisa who told her there was another haruspex found inside this victim and that she had two very distinctive tattoos that might help with the ID if the woman wasn’t in the system. Dani downloaded the pictures Edrisa sent of them, one was a fancy tree with a circle of Celtic knotwork around it and the other said They can’t hold you down. You were born to rise. It might be something they could release to the media to see if anyone knew the victim.

“Roisin had a tree of life like that, only bigger,” Bright said over her shoulder, startling her. “It covered her shoulders.”

“Is it uncommon?”

“Not really. Fans of Celtic culture and pagans often gravitate to the symbol. I think it’s pretty.” He pointed to the computer screen, still cupping his mug close to his chest in the other hand. “Those are Halestorm lyrics.”

She twisted on her seat to look at him. “What?”

“Freak like Me. It was one of Roisin’s favorite songs. Those lyrics meant a lot to her, me too.” He shook his head. “I’m a little freaked out seeing those. She could have been Roisin, a kindred spirit at any rate.”

Dani softened her expression. “This has to be hard on you seeing her everywhere right now.”

“I would settle for not waking up in bed with her corpse.” His voice as bitter as the cheap tea. “Anyhow, that should be a lead for you.”

She nodded. He knew as well as she how to track down tattoo artists but in a city this size it wasn’t all that easy. Still, when released to the media it would help. If nothing else, Ainsley would be good for assisting with that. Sometimes their if it bleeds it leads mentality worked for the police. “Halestorm? What sort of music is that? I don’t know them.”

“Hard rock. Lzzy Hale is the lead singer. Not too many women in the genre, or at least not that get much play I suppose.” He shrugged, and Dani tried to picture him listening to hard rock. She failed.

“I’m assuming that was Roisin or Gil’s influence on you.”

“Both. I enjoy Halestorm. I’ve been to concerts. When I was being a dick in school, I’d blast hard rock around Mother’s house if she had annoyed me.” He offered a faint smile. “My tiny teenaged rebellion. She rightly blamed Gil.”

“Poor Gil.” Dani shook her head. “He must really care about your mother because from some of the things you’ve said and things I’ve observed she is a force of nature.”

“That’s being kind.” He sighed. “I think they loved each other once very early on. I’m glad they’re getting this second chance even if she is still on my ‘I do not want to deal with her’ list.”

“Hey Powell,” JT called from his desk.

She went over to him with Bright moving along as if on a string. “What’s up?”

“I got a hit on the name Phil Brown.” JT pushed away from his desk so they could see his computer better.

“Violent assault?” She asked.

He shook his head. “Causing a disturbance. He had a break down or something according to the clip in the paper. He broke into an art gallery ranting about end of the world stuff, and later claimed it was performance art.”

Dani wrinkled her nose. “I’m assuming it wasn’t.”

“He was an artist with an exhibition at the gallery but that wasn’t part of it.” JT tapped the screen. “Art history and fine arts major. Close enough for you, Bright?”

“Certainly worth the look. Want me to delve into his college days and see what I can find?”

“Am I right in thinking religious delusions is some kind of break down?” JT asked.

“It can be a sign of schizophrenia or psychosis of some sort, so in a layman’s sense, yes. He could well have been hospitalized after that event but that might be hard to find.”

“Not if it was an involuntary hold. There would have been a police record if he was put in on a seventy-two hour psych hold,” JT replied. “I’ll look and see if anything else spits out on the police files.”

“Have we isolated any fingerprints on those resin livers?” Dani asked. “Last I looked there wasn’t any on the first one, but they were still processing it.”

“I don’t think so but you can check with Edrisa.”

Dani nodded. “I’ll get started on that.”

Bright didn’t follow her to her desk. He sat at his own, the expression on his face suggesting he was happy to have something to do. She wondered if he’d checked in to see if his stalker was still at it but they could worry about that once they exhausted their leads on the murders in the park. In the meanwhile, she hoped that the stalker stayed non-violent.

A couple hours later exhaustion sucked at her marrow. She wanted to go home. She wanted a lead that broke the case open. She wanted her bed. She did manage to get the tattoos and an artist drawing of their latest victim to the journalists. A real photo would have too gruesome. JT hadn’t turned up much other than yes, Brown had been sent to Bellevue five years prior.

Stretching as she stood, Dani sauntered over to Bright’s desk. His eyes were shut but she doubted he was asleep. His face looked too relaxed. He might be meditating. He said he did that, didn’t he? Along with his yoga maybe? “Find anything, Bright?”

He nodded, opening his eyes. “Phillip Brown has talent.” He clicked on a tab, opening it to photographs of a college art display. “I’d have bought his stuff had I seen it. I particularly like this one of the bull dancer.” He flicked a finger against the screen.

Out of the corner of her eye, Dani spotted JT approaching them to see what Bright had. She studied the painting that was filled with vibrant reds, yellows and blues. A well-built young man soared over the horns of a charging bull in a graceful arc.

“Why that one?” she asked.

“It’s dynamic. Also, this was a ritual in the Etruscan society. And this other painting would have been one idea of what their cities would have looked like. That’s probably the Arno River right there.” He waved his hand to indicate it.

“This is our guy,” she said.

“I’d be surprised if it’s not.” He looked up over his shoulder. “Good call on talking to Manuel, JT.”

“I thought Manuel was a good suspect. Never expected this but I’ll take it. We better bring Gil up to speed. We’re going to have to find out where he was. I did check in with most of our other potentials. A few had alibis for between midnight and four in the morning which is when the call came in,” JT replied.

They reported to Gil and tried to find a home for Brown. After failing that, they tried the manager of the rickshaw company but couldn’t get him on the phone. Gil put the night shift on it so they could go home and get some sleep. Dani watched Bright argue softly with Gil before Gil waved her over.

“Powell, can you take Bright home?”

She nodded, not really looking forward to it. Gil must be desperate to ask her to do this after that nightmare Bright had had about her hurting him. He seemed okay with her once he had his tea and settled down but still, she knew this wouldn’t be easy. Bright said nothing as they headed for her car. Even when she said she’d be stopping at a food truck to grab dinner all he did was nod.

The closest acceptable one she found was one of the Halal food trucks that she got stuff from at least once or twice a month. Dani picked up her usual chicken and rice platter and a side of baba ghanoush. To her surprise, Bright went for a gyro with some baklava. She was learning if it was sweet, he’d eat it.

She was half way to his loft when she threw the dice. “Can I come up to your place and eat before this gets ridiculously cold. It never heats up well.”

“You can just say I’d like to talk now, Malcolm,” he countered.

Dani fought back the glare. She hated when he profiled her and was dead on about it. “Fine. I’d like to talk. Can we?” She wet her lips. “Because I hate that things are more broken than I thought they were.”

He tucked his chin against his neck, not answering for a moment. Surprised by how much pain seized up in her chest at the potential she could be rejected, Dani involuntarily stepped harder on the gas pedal.

“I hate that too. I can’t help what I dream, Dani. If I could, I wouldn’t have night terrors. I wouldn’t be chained to my bed every night.”

“I’m sure you’ve tried lucid dreaming. I’m guessing it has no affect.”

He watched her out of the corner of his eye, maybe trying to determine how she knew anything about lucid dreaming and the techniques needed to take control of them. He’d tried them all, Wake Back to Bed, Mnemonic Induction of Lucid Dreams, and Wake-initiated Lucid Dream. “I tried that last night actually, something they call WILD. I called up a really sweet memory of Roisin and I in Ireland. Went to bed happy. Woke up with her corpse sleeping next to me, Eve’s corpse hanging over the staircase to the upstairs and you breaking down my door and kicking in my ribs. It’s safe to say I’m a spectacular failure at lucid dreaming.”

She didn’t know what to say to that. I’m sorry seemed inadequate and it wasn’t her fault, not really, that his brain churned out endless horrors. On the other hand, JT was right. They had added to Bright’s trauma. “Is that a no to dinner at your place?”

He shook his head. “I want you to come up for dinner. I want some company. Honestly, I almost asked to go back to Gil’s tonight but I know he and Mother had plans, which had already been pushed back. I can’t keep imposing on him.”

“He’d rather have you safe, Bright, than dinner out. I’m sure you know that too.”

He leaned against the passenger door, sighing heavily. “I do but he and Mother deserve time together. I can manage my own crazy for the night. I didn’t have the option of running to Gil when I worked with the FBI. I’m an expert at dealing with it.”

“But you don’t really want to be alone.”

“I can’t shake that dream, Dani. I’ve been having similar ones for months now. Roisin is a new addition, no doubt because she’s so much on my mind right now. If it’s not that, it’s Gil being dead. Mother and Ainsley both dead thanks to Endicott. It doesn’t matter that none of them are dead, of course. You can’t tell my subconscious that.”

“I wish you could tell it something, Bright. You can’t keep going like this no matter how practiced you are. No one should have to live like this.”

“I know. I can only take so much medication, Dani. I’m already in more therapy than is reasonable. I have another appointment coming up with my sister. I don’t want to go to it but if it helps her, then I have to be there.”

Dani didn’t want to know what was behind that. Of course, if she had watched her sister snap and do to someone what had been done to Endicott she might be uneasy too. “Sorry. I don’t mean to be poking fresh wounds.”

He slashed a hand in front of him. “You can’t really talk to me without touching a sore spot most days. It’s fine. I just…I feel like I’m losing, Dani.”

She shouldn’t have brought anything up. The brokenness to that confession misted her eyes. She’d likely rear end someone at this rate. “Losing what, Bright?”

“My mind. My friends. My life. All of it.”

“You haven’t lost any of it,” she assured him.

He said nothing, and she let him lapse into silence. She was no longer hungry but she drove faster anyhow. Finally, his building came into sight. Bright gestured to an alleyway.

“Go down there.”

She complied, shocked to see it open into a small parking lot behind the building. He pointed to a spot and she parked. All this time he had a parking lot and he never said. Of course, to be fair, the last two times she drove him home and came inside he’d been messed up on drugs or snake venom. Bright led her into the back door and into an elevator. It spat them out on his floor and into a hallway that led to his front door.

Bright tossed his food onto the kitchen island and opened Sunshine’s cage. Dani noticed he’d gotten a bigger one, a much bigger one actually. His parakeet flew out and disappeared somewhere into the loft. He filled Sunshine’s food tray and water before getting plates out of his cabinet.

“I can’t be the only one who’s too tired to eat, can I?”

“Not really.”

Bright faced her. “Dani, if you’re too tired, you can stay the night. I don’t want you driving and crashing because you fell asleep.” He glanced over his shoulder scowling to see he hadn’t made the bed. The loft did have a faint gym sweat smell to it that surprised her. Bright might have a point about losing it. “I’d say you could have my bed but I’d have to strip it first. The couch isn’t bad and upstairs there is a day bed. No one needs to know you stayed if you’re worried about the work gossips.”

“I could care less about them. Right now, I’m fine to get home and I appreciate the offer and the concern.” Dani busied herself with opening up the chicken platter. “I wasn’t sure you’d want me around after this morning at work.”

“I know you would never kick me for no reason. My door maybe,” he said and that was in no way a joke. The pain in his eyes told her all she needed to know about how forgiven she wasn’t. “Go ahead and use the microwave first. I have microwave dishes if you don’t want to heat up your plate.”

“This is fine.” Dani mechanically put rice and chicken onto her plate and put it in the microwave. “I’m sorry, Bright. You have to know JT and I didn’t want to arrest you either time.”

“I know.” He pulled his gyro out of the tin foil and put it on a plate.

“Do you? Look at me, Bright.”

He didn’t. He picked onions out of his gyro instead.

“Malcolm!”

He snapped his head around, staring at her silently.

“I didn’t want to arrest you.”

“We’ve talked about this, Dani. I said I know. I also said I forgave you guys. I mean, think about it. In that OR waiting room, I had all my fears over Gil. My mother was traumatized. I didn’t comfort her. I comforted you. I truly do forgive you. You had a job to do. What hurts is that you didn’t believe me. You doubted me. You apologized and I appreciate that but it doesn’t change the fact that you believed I could be a killer, like my father. I knew you doubted me and I felt so alone. All of that forced me to lie and now we’re both here with our trust broken.” His Adam’s apple bobbed as he fought to suppress emotions.

“We did that to each other.” Dani couldn’t meet his eye, upset that she made him look at her. She couldn’t handle that much pain. She could drown in him. “You looked me straight in the eye and promised me you hadn’t left the house. I believed you and you betrayed that trust. You lied so well and that’s what hurt me.”

“I learned to lie to protect myself when I was young.” He shook his head, his gaze dropping to the kitchen island. “I thought…I was so certain that once Mother bailed me out that you’d listen to me. Instead, I got ‘We’re not even supposed to be talking to you.’ Well then how were any of you going to interrogate me? Was my case being handed off? No one told me a thing.”

For a second, she thought that was a lie. Gil had told him even though the upper brass had forbidden him to. He had to have but Bright would go down swinging to protect Gil. That literally was a hill he’d be willing to die on. She let him lie. “You knew we couldn’t.”

“Maybe but I was afraid. Do you understand that? I was so afraid. I knew what Endicott’s money could buy. I would die in Rikers and quickly too. Endicott would have made sure of it. He put a hit out on my father twice. He arranged to murder Gil. God knows what he’d have done to my Mother. I still to this day don’t know what he did to my sister before I got to the house that night, Dani. She was in tears! I’m the crier of the family, not my sister or my mother for that matter. They’re tougher than me by far. Endicott couldn’t be in enough pain to make me happy after what he did to them.”

“And that temper is why we had to consider you could have killed Eddie, Bright. I know you’re not your father’s son but like JT said to me earlier today, if someone killed a woman he cared about, we’d have to consider he could have gotten revenge.” She extended her hands to him, as if to embrace him but let them drop. The pain on his face robbed her of breath.

“All I wanted was for you to listen to me but all I could hear was my front door shattering. I still don’t know how Gil had his arm twisted to serve a no-knock warrant on me. What if I had one of my guns? All anyone had to do was ask me to come in and let me explain my side of things. Only Edrisa did. If you had just listened to me, you’d have known right there in the autopsy room how Endicott framed me because that’s when Edrisa and I realized how Endicott had to have managed the job but you both deserted me. I can’t help feeling hurt.”

Dani ignored the ding of the microwave. She didn’t want her Halal chicken now. All she could hear was Mrs. Whitly telling Bright how the cops weren’t his friends as she stared Dani and JT down. He wasn’t wrong. His mother was tough. None of them had wanted to kick in Bright’s door but they had their orders. Maybe sometimes orders shouldn’t be followed. Maybe that’s why Bright did some of the things he did when he didn’t listen. “I’m sorry I hurt you.”

He slapped both hands down on the kitchen island, leaning hard on them. “That’s all I wanted. I apologize for hurting you. I’m sorry I lied. I didn’t want to but honestly if you knew what I did, how I escaped, you’d be complicit. I was trying to protect you and JT from that.”

Dani considered that motivation. She hadn’t and she should have because it made sense. Her knee jerk reaction to being lied to had colored her vision. “Okay then. I can forgive that lie. It’s just….”

She trailed off, meeting his gaze. Still so much pain, still so far to fall into him. Dani touched his arm and he didn’t jerk away, not like this morning. She held out her arms and he moved into her space, letting her hug him. He caught her up in his embrace. There was nothing romantic or sweet about the gesture. She literally was hauling a drowning man out of the raging ocean. His breath curled along her skin, beating out a staccato rhythm as it went. Dani squeezed him tighter still, letting him soak in all the comfort he could from it.

In that moment, any of her own disappointments and anger in him didn’t matter. They were minor. She hadn’t realized how close she and JT had inadvertently pushed him to the edge or how long he’d been dangling by his fingertips. She remembering him recently confessing that he’d been suicidal the night they came through his door like he was some violent criminal, that they had saved him. More correctly they had taken a suicidal man, falsely accused him, and left him all on his own. She abandoned her own hurt feelings. It was time to let go.

Dani drew slow circles over his back, feeling the muscles through his shirt. She’d never been in this close contact with him without him in all the layers of his formal suits. Finally, she took her own step off the edge. “I was close to someone who was the gaslight king,” she whispered.

Malcolm disengaged from her, stepping back. He brushed her hair off her cheek. “I’m sorry. I get why you hate the lies.”

Of course, he did. She’d seen his father gaslighting him herself. He’d lived with as much of that nonsense as she ever had even though it was different. He’d been born to it. She had chosen the one to hurt her. Dani didn’t know which was worse.

“Are we okay, Malcolm? We can fix this, right?”

“We’re okay. It’s good we got it all out instead of trying to pretend it wasn’t there, but I can’t promise you that I won’t still have a night terror or two about you arresting me.”

Dani fetched her dinner out of the microwave. “I understand. Do you dream of JT too?”

He made a face and jammed his dinner into the microwave. “No. Hmm, you know, mostly I dream of women or my father. I rarely even dream of Watkins, which I’m not complaining about. I’m sure Dr. Le Deux would say something about that if I told her about it.”

“Maybe you should.”

He shrugged. “We’ve analyzed my dreams more than once. I guess I could ask Jaylin when she calls tonight.”

“Oh, she’s calling you?”

“Didn’t I say? It’s one of the other reasons I decided to let Gil have tonight to more than likely fall asleep on Mother. Jaylin is going to call late once her daughter is in bed for the night.”

“Do you usually talk about this with her?”

He shook his head. “I’d rather her as my friend than my therapist. You really can’t be both, not effectively. But she’ll listen if I’m having bigger than usual troubles.” He took his food back out. “Do you want to sit here or on the couch where it’s more comfortable?”

“You don’t care if something spills?”

He shrugged carelessly. Of course, he could buy a new couch like she’d buy a new shirt or something. “It’ll clean. I meant it earlier, Dani. If you’re too drained…”

“I’m fine.” She carried her plate, silverware, and a napkin to the couch. “I forgot to get something to drink.”

“Water good?”

“Water’s fine.”

He brought her a bottled sparkling water along with one for him and his gyro. Bright sat with her on the couch. Sunshine soared down and landed on the arm of the couch, watching them with tiny black eyes. She didn’t go for the food as Dani suspected she would. Bright turned on the TV, surprisingly set to the Syfy channel. She wasn’t sure what the show was but neither of them really seemed to watch it as they ate mechanically. Her own emotions were in such a turmoil that she didn’t want food but knew she needed to eat. Was this what Bright felt like daily? If so, she should cut him even more slack than she already did.

They didn’t bring up the damage they’d done to each other and themselves again. He told her a little about what to expect on a shopping trip with his mother. She might have to go prepared with an escape plan. It still stunned her a bit that he wanted her to go to the dinner even before this talk. He had a bigger capacity for forgiveness than she did. Or maybe he was just so lonely, so in need of companionship, that he was willing to be hurt. That, she knew from experience was a bad thing. He was just lucky she had no desire to hurt him.

In the end, she left soon after they finished eating. Bright seemed safe enough on his own, looking forward to hearing from Jaylin and Suzume. Confident he’d make it until the morning, Dani drove home, hoping that night shift would find where Brown was holed up and tomorrow would end it. She was home and in the shower before she even remembered she never asked if the stalker had come up with anything new.

Chapter Text

Chapter Fifteen

Gil had seen some truly horrific living conditions, especially on his time on the beat. They had been unable to find an address for Phil Brown but he had turned up something through a contact of his own. Sister Mary Margret ran a soup kitchen for the homeless and she knew of a place for artists, not exactly homeless, but close enough. He wasn’t sure anyone paid rent on the place she sent him to. It was more likely a colony of squatters. She told him that the majority of them were wanna be actors, artists and musicians. Most of them were young. All of them were hungry in more ways than one. She’d also warned him that the place was a rabbit warren and as likely to fall down on them as anything else.

He'd gathered up some uniforms along with JT and Dani and descended on the place just before noon. If Phil Brown worked the late shift in the park, he was likely to be there and asleep. Bright said it was very likely he was still creating art. Gil ordered him to stay in the car so naturally Bright was the first one out and inside. How else could he see what was going on in Phil’s mind which of course would lie in his art? How else could he put himself in danger because at this point he was fooling no one. The team realized that half of what Bright did daily was a version of suicide, waiting for the day he miscalculated with a criminal and didn’t make it out, something that wouldn’t hold quite the pain as self-termination for his family.

Gil stuck tight to his jittery son while Dani and JT worked the other side of the room. No one seemed particularly concerned that they were there. People were drawing and playing in some sections of the old warehouse that had been curtained off into small little ‘rooms.’ The entire place stank of sweat, sex, and weed. Bright seemed unaffected but of course Gil knew some of the things he’d gotten up to with Roisin, Star, and some other less savory acquaintances. Had he any interest in art – other than dance, which he had purposefully hidden from Gil for reasons he hadn’t discerned yet – Malcolm could have been one of these people in theory.

“Gil, over here,” he whispered, waving his arm wildly. Bright had the curtain pulled back with a finger as if unwilling to touch it more than necessary.

Gil peered in. Bright’s gaze wasn’t on the sleeping man. He was studying what was on the brick wall. There were more pictures of bull dancers and Italian countryside but there were others of livers decorated with symbols. There couldn’t be much doubt now that Phil Brown was their killer.

Gil edged Bright back and nudged Brown’s foot with a toe. “Wake up.”

Brown rolled over holding out a hand to ward Gil off. Now that he could see both of the man’s hands clearly and spotting that they were empty, Gil grabbed his wrist and slapped a cuff over it. He flipped Brown to the side and finished cuffing him.

“Hey, what is this?”

“Phillip Brown, you’re under arrest for murder,” Gil said as Malcolm gesticulated at someone, probably Dani and JT.

“You have no authority over me. Thalana and Vecuvia guide me! The goddesses watch me. They know I do their work. I hear their prophecies,” he screamed.

Gil raised his eyebrows, glancing at Bright.

“Etruscan goddesses,” he replied to the unanswered question. “I looked it up when Edrisa and I were digging into this.”

Gil felt relieved. He’d hate to think Bright was just ambling around with that much useless knowledge in his head. “Mr. Brown, I don’t think that the goddesses are going to help you now.”

“Thetlvmth and Thufltha hear me! See me!”

“The third haruspex should have been a warning,” Bright said, playing into the man’s delusion.

“I had chosen badly. I made it right last night. Thalana knows I made it right.”

“I’m sure she does,” Bright said. “Why did they want human livers and not a goat or a sheep’s?”

“Big prophecies, big creation requires big sacrifice,” Brown explained more patiently. “I had a big creation to do. You can’t stop me.”

“I think you’ll find we can.” Gil hauled him up, handing him off to the uniformed officers. “We need to get CSU over here to process all of this.”

“You should deputize Sister Mary Margaret. She was dead on.” Bright smiled. “I want the artwork, Gil and any journals he might have kept.”

“You’ll get it all once it’s processed,” he promised.

Bright’s eyes glowed as he picked his way carefully past the detritus on the floor so he could peek at the art without touching and compromising anything. His mind was already racing, picking through the crazy landscape of Brown’s fractured psyche. Sometimes it disturbed Gil just how excited this stuff got Bright. “This is going to be fascinating. I need to order my thoughts on this.”

“This isn’t a college paper.” Gil remembered too well when Bright got like this in the past. He gave no signs of hearing Gil. He was gone, lost in his observations. Gil left him there studying the art. He would get something out of it that would no doubt help their case. At least this was an end to the murders.

He waved over JT. “Do we have the warrant yet for Brown’s rickshaw?”

“Not yet. Soon hopefully,” he replied. “We’ll take CSU with us once we do. It’ll probably light up like a football stadium.”

“Though, he was good about not getting his prints on the resin livers,” Dani reminded them.

“Surprising when you listen to him and how far out he is,” Gil said.

“Religious mania doesn’t mean they’re entirely delusional,” Bright interjected. Gil hadn’t realized he was listening until then. “Getting caught would have interrupted his mission, much like Watkins when you think about it. Of course, Brown’s religion is far more ancient. Oh, I think I see a notebook sticking out from the bedding. I hope that’s a journal. I want to unpack all of this, how he sees the world.”

“Well at least he’s entertained,” JT said but Bright ignored him. Gil let the slight pass since he’d been thinking much the same thing. Once they got Brown into interrogation, things would only get weirder. Of that, Gil was certain.

XXX

Dani hated that Bright was right about religious mania not meaning Brown was so delusional he could be easily led. Once he hit the police station, he seemed to become cognizant of the real world trouble he was in and lawyered up. She and JT shifted through CSU’s preliminary findings while Bright curled up on Gil’s couch with one of Brown’s notebooks and his laptop so he could take notes of his own. Gil was talking to the upper brass and currently not in the office. She rapped on the door and Bright looked up at her. “Need a refill of coffee or anything?”

“I’m good.”

Was he? He had an obsessive gleam in his eye. “Okay. They didn’t find as much blood in the rickshaw as we’d hoped but there is some. It’ll take a while to get the DNA back.” Dani didn’t know why she told him that. He was aware of how long DNA took. “We found a roll of plastic sheeting in that flophouse. We think he was using it to keep the blood off the rickshaw.”

He nodded but his eyes were still on the notebook. “He’s quite intelligent. I think I would have liked to have known him before he broke. He has such a passion for his subject matter. On the other hand, what he thought he was seeing with the augury is terrifying and gruesome.”

“I’m sure. He’s insane, isn’t he? I mean by the legal definition.”

“I would say so but it’s not up to us. That said, in spite of being smart enough to ask for a lawyer, I’m not sure he has any ability to realize what he was doing was wrong. He truly believes a host of Etruscan deities of prophecy were controlling his life.”

“Who knew there were that many of them?” Dani thought about the litany Brown had gone into, calling upon them to help him before he managed the phrase, I want my lawyer. Maybe he wasn’t quite as nuts as he made himself out to be. “Is this what you’ll be doing for the foreseeable future pun intended?”

He snorted. “Yes. I am hooked on his journals. Why? Do you need help?”

“No, JT and I have it. I just was checking in to see if you wanted something to drink,” she replied. And to see if you’re still anchored or if you’re off floating high on someone else’s mania. “Have you peeked in to see if your stalker has gotten back to you?”

He scowled. “Not in almost a day. Maybe I should get some tea.”

“I’ll get it. You fire up that email.”

“In my desk drawer, there are some tea bags in a bamboo box. They’re much better quality than what’s in that break room. Use them please. Help yourself. It’s not Earl Grey but you might like it. I brought some blackberry black tea and the green is cucumber melon. You might be better off with the black. The water in the ever-present pot is probably too hot for the green.”

“What?”

“Green tea should not be made with boiling water. It leeches out some of the compounds that are very bitter. I should bring in my electric kettle. You can set it for the proper temperature for the various tea types.” His hands talked excitedly as he explained it. For a moment Dani expected a full lecture on the art of tea brewing.

“I…didn’t know it was that complicated,” she interjected quickly when Bright paused for breath, a skill she had perfected over the years dealing with Edrisa.

“It can be if you want it done right. The same is true of coffee.” He frowned. “I just read an article about how the French press style adds diterpenes to the pot, which is very bad for our cholesterol. I might be tossing mine for something less likely to poison me slowly.”

Dani suppressed her urge to roll her eyes. “Is that old coffee pot in the break room any better?”

“In this case, maybe. I need to do more reading.”

“You do that. I’ll go make the tea.”

Dani left him there, animated, and bright eyed, which she counted as an improvement over the zombie-like state he’d been in lately. She found his tea stash, picked out two blackberries and then a third when Gil caught her at it and asked for one. “Thought you switched to coffee long ago.” She grinned.

“After Whitly nearly poisoned me with tea, it was years before I would drink anyone’s but my mother’s. Coming from Ireland, she’s pretty sure everything can be cured with tea or whiskey. My Asian father was in agreement.” He shrugged. “Bright has the best tea. He is very dedicated to his caffeinated drinks and buys high quality. I tried to dissuade him from getting Deathwish Coffee but I think he might have bought some when I wasn’t looking.”

“Do I even want to know?” Dani walked into the breakroom with her mug and Bright’s in tow.

“Strongest coffee in the world.” Gil disappeared into his office and she had that pulled up on her phone before he returned with his own mug.

“So Deathwish is a very Bright coffee, isn’t it?” She laughed.

“He swears it’ll be all right. The low acidity will be good on his stomach. All I can picture is one of us hauling him back to the hospital for a caffeine overdose.”

Dani all but hurt herself trying not to laugh. “I cannot imagine him on that much caffeine. He’ll vibrate through the walls.”

“He might prove the existence of other dimensions as he vibrates straight through to one.” Gil’s grin was infectious as he hit the stopwatch feature on his wrist watch. “You have to time the tea, five minutes. Trust me, he’ll ask.”

“He didn’t with the supermarket tea.”

“Because he knows it’s crap. That stuff will get strong and bitter if you don’t time it. Also, do I smell berries?”

She nodded. “I left him checking in to see if the stalker was back, which will probably ruin the fun he’s having with those journals. It’s been a while since I’ve seen him this excited about something.”

“Well it is a weird case.” Gil tossed some sugar in his tea. “I have honey packets in the office if you want some. Bright will take both in his.”

Dani put in the sugar and started walking. “He likes weird things. I mean, I’ve never seen anyone hit it off that easily with Edrisa.”

“Those two are peas in a pod,” Gil agreed as they slipped back into his office.

Bright’s expression had dimmed as he stared at the screen.

“You got another message,” Gil said.

“Yeah. This one is different. I don’t know how to answer this one, Gil.”

A chill ran up Dani’s spine at how plaintive he sounded. Glowering, Gil leaned out the door and gestured to JT no doubt. He put his mug on the desk. “Were there videos too?”

He shook his head. “Just some pictures. Nothing really bad, mostly displays of affection with Roisin and one or two with her and Star. A few more from inside your Uncle’s bar.”

“Give JT a sec to get in here then read us that email.”

“I wanted to ask you, is it just a coincidence that you had family in Boston, Gil.” Dani bounced her tea bag up and down in the water.

“Yes. Well, not really, I guess. Depends on how you look at it. Mom and Uncle Tadgh were all born in the Dublin area. New York and Boston are two of the biggest cities for Irish Americans. We came through in Boston first, and then Mom moved down here with a girl friend who wanted to make it big on Broadway. Mom found plenty of hospitals she could work at.” His watched dinged and he pulled the tea bags out from his and Bright’s mugs. “I think my family in Boston is one of the reasons Jessica was so willing to let Malcolm attend Harvard. She struggled with letting him go.”

“Understatement. I always wanted to go to Harvard ever since I was a kid. Having Gil’s family up there if I needed something was a bonus.” Malcolm sipped his tea and wrinkled up his nose. Dani hadn’t sweetened it to hummingbird food, and apparently it hadn’t passed inspection.

Gil took the honey packets out of his desk and tossed a couple to Bright who added them in.

“Thanks for this.” He saluted her with the tea as JT made an appearance.

“What’s up, Gil?”

“Bright’s stalker has returned. Go ahead.” Gil nodded to him.

“The pictures like I said are relatively mild but there is a promise of more videos to come. That’s not what’s upsetting me. This is. ‘Dear Martin, I can see your point that the human body has inherent beauty. I agree that it shouldn’t be put on public display like subway art. I would have thought Malcolm learned refinement from both you and your wife. If nothing else, Jessica is a lady’.” Bright rolled his shoulders. “’Ainsley appears to have all the refinement her brother lacks. I can only hope to be like her’.”

“She really doesn’t like you, bro,” JT said.

“I know and it gets worse. ‘I was hoping for guidance as to how to be worthy of being in your family. I know you’ve had mentees before. I saw that there was a connection between you and the Junkyard Killer. He must not have been a good student. He is so inelegant, though he seemed to share my thoughts that Malcolm could be more worthy of your attention’.”

Bright made a face. “If she only knew how wrong she is. Watkins wanted me to be his new partner.”

Gil reached out and rubbed the back of Bright’s neck. “Forget about him. Is there more?”

“Unfortunately, she goes on. ‘I have some plans to prove myself but guidance is a needful and welcome thing’.”

“Damn,” Dani whispered. “She’s going to start killing.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of. I can’t actually tell her no because she’ll suspect I’m not my father. What the hell do I do?” His voice shook.

As Dani put a hand on his arm, JT asked, “Have they found where this is all coming from?”

“It’s a compilation of burner phone emails and public library access. I’ve got Chang running down the library sign in sheets but so far she’s only turned up stolen ids. We’re trying to find where the burner phones were sold and see if we can find some contact info or security footage,” Gil replied. “This stalker is intelligent. There’s every chance she bought it all illegally on the street.”

“And a fan of Ainsley’s newscasts.” Bright dragged a hand over his chin. “Or of what she did to Endicott. I can’t rule that out. I need to talk to my father. He has to help me answer this.”

“You’ll only feed his ego,” Gil countered.

“He’s already seen it. I’m sure of it. I can’t answer her.” He trembled under Dani’s hand.

She slid her hand down his arm, taking his hand. “You can. You just need to take a step back.”

He shook his head. “I’m not sure.”

“You don’t go alone to see your father in that case,” Gil said.

“Okay.”

Bright gave in so easily Dani wondered if Gil would call Claremont and get Bright put on a do not allow list. She wasn’t sure but it led her to another thought. “Would she have visited your father?”

“He doesn’t get many visitors but there have been journalists and book authors who have gone to see him. He usually won’t talk too much about his work, which has to kill him.” Bright made a disparaging noise. “He does like to pretend he’s not as guilty as we all know he is so he can’t brag on himself. He was unable to destroy his work. He could have hidden the victims better than he did. However I’ve often wondered if a victim could have been traced to him, would he have made that person disappear for good? There has to be more victims, ones he never displayed. Anyway, I’m sure he has some of the books written about him. I’ve seen them on his shelves.”

“Eddie got on staff to get close to your dad,” JT reminded them. “I noticed most of the staff is male but we could be wrong about the gender.”

“True but I’m going with my gut that the stalker is female. However, it’s probably a good thing if one of us keeps the field wider. I think some of the nurses and cooks are women. It’s also possible she’s working up to a visitation. She doesn’t know we’re aware of this correspondence. She’ll have assumed Dad wouldn’t tell anyone about this contact, and if I hadn’t been there to see his facial expression, he wouldn’t have said a word. If not for the timing, we’d never know about this unless someone at Claremont decided to check up on his email accounts.”

“All right. Once we get all of Brown’s case stitched up here, we can plan a trip to Claremont,” Gil said. “I’ll have our techs be sure your father hasn’t tried to answer this and I’ll call the hospital right now to insure he doesn’t have computer access until we can get there.”

Malcolm nodded and Gil made the call. Dani nudged Malcolm gently. “You okay?”

“Not even a little,” he replied as his phone buzzed. He checked it, making a face. “Leave it to Mother to have the worst possible timing.” He scrolled through whatever she had texted and then handed his phone to Dani. “It’s actually for you.”

“Me?”

“Mother has jewelry she’d like you to wear with the dress, and she wants you to pick which set you like best. The first set is all diamonds. I’m going to make a controversial statement. I find diamonds rather boring. I much prefer the second set, all art deco sapphires and diamonds on platinum.”

JT peered over Dani’s shoulder as she looked, breathless. Her chest tightened. “Bright, I can’t wear this.”

“You don’t have to but you’re only going to be wearing it in the house. She’ll let you borrow the set when you arrive. You wear it to dinner, a few times around the dance floor and back into the safe before we escape to the beach,” he said with the confidence of someone who had it all planned out.

“That is some bling. Tally will be jealous.” JT chuckled.

“I don’t even have a dress yet.”

“The sapphires will complement the blue dress and diamonds go with anything,” Bright replied.

“Bright, I can’t wear fifty thousand in jewelry. I’ll feel uncomfortable.”

He rolled his eyes and gave her that little arrogant smirk he got from time to time. “It’s not fifty thousand in jewelry.” He tapped the large sapphire ring with scrollwork encrusted in diamonds. “The ring is fifty-five thousand, and I’m trying to remember about the bracelet but just look at it. Isn’t it gorgeous? The centerpiece is a sugarloaf cabochon sapphire, and like all of the set it’s accompanied by diamonds on platinum.”

Dani studied the narrow bracelet. The centerpiece was bluer than his eyes and smaller sapphires ran all the way around with diamonds on every side. She couldn’t ask what it was worth.

As if reading her mind, he added, “The bracelet, I believe is like sixty-five thousand.”

“Bright….” Why was he making it worse? Dani ran a finger over the next picture, enlarging it. The earrings had hefty sapphires and a swirl of diamonds. The bib necklace had eight sapphire flowers hemmed between two lines of diamonds with trails of more diamonds interconnecting them.

“Another ten on the earrings, and the necklace is a hundred thousand on its own so close to a quarter of a million in gems. You will look gorgeous,” he assured her, looking happy for a moment. She should let him have that since he looked so miserable after the realization about his stalker.

“I will look nervous.”

“To be fair, I saw his mom toss four times that on the ground in the park. It’ll be okay,” JT said.

“You don’t have to wear the jewelry,” he said, his disappointment ringing loud in her ear.

JT texted someone with a large grin on his face.

“Do you want me to wear the jewels?” She didn’t know why she asked. Of course, he did.

“It doesn’t matter. You’ll be beautiful either way.” He waved her off. Realizing what he said, Bright’s eyes popped open wide as his face threatened to set his hair on fire. “I…I…”

“Have slipped a gear yes we know,” Gil said, peering at his own phone.

“I’ll think about it, Bright.” Dani smiled. “And thanks. I just have visions of bad things happening to your mother’s jewelry.”

“Great Grandma’s, it’s all from the 20s and 30s. It’ll be fine.”

What would she look like in jewels like that? A princess: something she never saw herself as, had never really wanted to be. In her mind’s eye, she glittered. What harm could there be if she never left the house?

“Huh,” JT grunted. “Tally says she’ll wear them and go in Dani’s stead. I’m not sure where I’m at in this scenario.”

“We could be a threesome.” Bright smirked, and JT rolled his eyes.

“That is a terrifying thought.” Dani nudged Bright. “Let me get through the dress selection first, Bright.”

“I think this text is for you and Dani too,” Gil said, holding his phone out to Bright.

Bright read it, and then shook his head. “Endlessly funny.”

Gil narrowed his eyes. “What?”

“Gil, that’s for you.”

“I couldn’t make a decision so I bought both. That’s not Dani’s dress?” Gil asked.

“You’re the one car shopping,” Bright said in a tone of an adult explaining something to a toddler.

Gil nearly dropped the phone, his hands scrambling for it. For a moment Dani was put in mind of a squirrel trying to cross the road. She didn’t want to laugh at someone’s panic but Gil’s expression was hysterical. “She didn’t!”

“I’m going with yes she did. They’re probably sitting in your driveway.” Bright laughed. “Endlessly funny.”

“Bright is right,” JT said, and Gil shot them both a withering look.

Bright stood and waved to the door. “I think we should let Gil panic in peace.”

“Your mother,” Gil grumbled.

“You knew how she was,” Bright countered. “You knew. Just hope it’s not the Shelby Cobra.”

They left Gil raking his hand through his thick hair as he made a call. Bright brought his laptop and Brown’s journal with him. He bee lined for his desk. Dani let him retreat back into Brown’s delusional world. They had plenty to resolve yet on that case. She wished, however, she could help Bright with the pain of knowing the stalker was going to evolve into something much worse. They didn’t even know where to begin to look and Dani couldn’t shake the feeling Bright was the one in danger.

Chapter Text

Chapter Sixteen

Malcolm’s hand started up the moment his father’s door came into view. Gil put a hand on Malcolm’s back, as Dani cast a worried glance at him. JT had stayed behind working on the Brown case but Malcolm suspected he’d look worried for him too if he were here.

“You don’t have to do this, kid.”

“We know I do. At least the techs didn’t find any signs of him trying to contact my stalker. I don’t think my father is computer savvy enough he could have found a way to do it undetected but who knows what they let him study in here.”

“How supervised is his computer time normally?” Dani asked.

“Not very, at least I don’t think so. HIPAA wouldn’t allow that but maybe there’s a waiver in place all things considered. I was thinking of adding a line to my next response asking for the stalkers name, something along the lines of you know my name, will you do me the honor of knowing who I’m inviting into my family as a potential heir.”

“That sounds pretentious enough for your father,” Gil snorted, knocking on the door.

Mr. David opened it. Malcolm sailed in and came to a complete stop, causing Dani to collide with him. He hadn’t expected Dr. Higa to be visiting nor to see the book on borderline personality disorder in his father’s hand. Oh, that absolute bastard.

“My boy! I thought you might be coming for a visit with your dear old dad.” His father grinned broadly.

Rolling his eyes, Malcolm slumped.

“And you brought the delightful Dani with you. Too bad you couldn’t have left Gil behind.”

“I’m sure Gil would rather be out playing with his new vintage Mustang than being here with you but you know this isn’t a social call. Sorry for interrupting, Dr. Higa. We can wait until you’re done.”

“Not a problem, Malcolm. We were just conversing on the intricacies of borderline personality disorder,” Higa replied. “Though Martin has never shown much interest in psychiatric disorders before.”

“I am partial to the cardiovascular system, it’s true, but there’s always room for growth.”

“Less said about that the better,” Malcolm said, thinking about Billy Franklin and the young man’s removed heart as part of his father’s quest for knowledge. “He’s interested now because he learned his son has BPD.”

A distressed expression tightened Higa’s features. “Sorry. If I over stepped….”

Malcolm waved him off. “Not an issue. I loaded that particular pistol.”

“Well, I’ll leave you to talk then. We’ll revisit this another time, Martin, unless I deem it a risk,” Higa said. “I should take back that book.”

“Of course.” Malcolm saw the vicious glint in his father’s eyes and doubted Higa missed it.

“I don’t care if he reads up on it, doctor.”

“In that case.” Higa left and his father put the book on his desk. He grabbed a piece of yellow lined paper and held it out to Malcolm.

Malcolm went up to the line to take it. His father didn’t have doctor writing. It was precise, even florid. The same writing he remembered in all of the anatomy drawings he’d studied as a child, drawings of his father’s work.

“I assume you’re here for this. I knew you’d want my input the moment I saw your stalker wanted to know how they can please me.” His huge smile proved he was already pleased, and Malcolm’s stomach took a turn for the worse at the thought.

Dani plucked the paper from Malcolm’s hand, folded it, and slipped it into her pants pocket.

Malcolm and his father observed her in shock.

“You have enough nightmares right now without reading this answer. We’ll look at it first,” she said.

“So protective. I’m glad you asked her to the charity ball, Malcolm,” his father said in a tone so solicitous it made Malcolm’s flesh crawl. “When is that again? I want to look in the society pages for it.”

The supreme smugness lit a fire in Malcolm’s gut to go with the churning. “I’m sure you’ll find it on your own and why do you even care?”

“To get pictures of my children, of course.” He put a hand on his chest. “Why else?”

“I would have said looking for a picture of mother and Gil for some dark magical spell.” Malcolm shrugged.

His father snorted. “That would be Roisin’s influence right there.”

“She was Catholic…well, started that way. Fine, she had an interest in Druidry, but it wasn’t like she went around hexing people. How did you even know? Never mind. You on the other hand.”

“Am a scientist.” His father cut in.

“Bright, there will be pictures in the paper?” Dani widened her eyes at him.

“Maybe…most likely.”

“Of me in your great grandma’s jewels?” Her voice pitched up a notch.

“You’ll wear them then?”

“That’s not really the point.” Her tone told him to never let Dani study under his mother’s tutelage or he’d be doomed, sliced on their sharp edges.

“The point is we’ll escape the party at the soonest.”

“And laugh at those who can’t?” Dani’s gaze cut to Gil.

“Endlessly funny,” he assured her, ignoring Gil’s grumpy face.

“Which set of jewels? Your great grandmother had so much jewelry.” His father leaned forward, faking engagement. “Have you discussed how to wear your hair to show them off? You know your mother will have thoughts on that.”

“That is not why we’re here-”

“Really? Do we have to talk about my hair?” Dani cut him off.

Malcolm shook his head violently. “Oh no, I didn’t live with Jaylin all those years without learning I have not one thing to say about how a woman wears her hair. Also, a lifetime with Mother taught me the only opinion I have about any woman’s sense of style is, it’s flattering and if it makes her happy, I’m happy.”

“That is very wishy-washy, son. You need to have your own opinions.”

Malcolm, for a brief moment, wished he could set fire to people with his brain. “Why are you doing this?”

“So, no matter what I do, you’ll be happy?” Dani arched her eyebrows.

“No matter what, you’ll look great. Down, up, it’s fine with me. Mother, on the other hand will have suggestions. You do you.”

“So, no opinion.” She narrowed her eyes.

“I’m of the opinion I’m not going to win this. I love it down but with the jewelry…well, you know best how to deal with your hair.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Also I’m beginning to think I should have urged Bjorn to come into town arrive and take him to the dinner. He wouldn’t care what I thought about his hair,” he said, and Dani’s expression turned murderous.

“Bright, focus.” Gil inclined his head toward the matter at hand.

Sighing, Malcolm turned back to his father. “I can’t let her start killing people.”

“Oh, of course son. When Dani approves my response for your consumption, you’ll see I said nothing about how to get away with murder.”

“Because you know we’d never send it to her,” Gil countered.

“True. Shouldn’t you be out playing with your new toy, Gil? Did my wife buy it for you? You can’t afford a vintage Mustang, can you?”

“Do you feel she will start killing?” Malcolm interjected before Gil could do more than glare.

“Your mother? I’m sure she could.” His father chuckled.

“Okay, fine, we’re done here, if you’re not going to take this seriously.”

His father held up a hand, “Sorry, son. I get so few opportunities for humor.”

“Is that what that was?”

“Yes, I think your stalker is looking for excuses to kill. I think they have been considering it for a while now, and I’m giving them the reason they’ve been looking for, some sort of tacit approval. Some need that. Watkins did. He knew what he wanted to do but couldn’t quite get his ducks in a row. That overweening religious background certainly didn’t help him. Did I read it right? Your latest triumph was to bring in someone with an ancient religion mania?”

“Close enough.”

“I wonder if he’ll end up here.”

“It doesn’t matter. Are you saying that regardless of what we send back to this person, they will kill?”

“Yes, if I’m any judge of it, that is going to be the outcome. You know as well as I, if I say don’t do, they’ll see me as a hypocrite at best. At worse, they might decide I’m not worthy of the attention they’ve been putting on me and take it elsewhere. Where would you be then? Are you anywhere near capturing this person?” His father walked to his desk and sat down.

“We had our efforts concentrated on the man performing haruspicy in the park. I hoped that this would just be a simple stalking or her being content to write you fan mail.”

“Speaking of which, am I ever getting my other letters back?”

“I’m going to start a bonfire with them,” Malcolm countered, and his father glared.

“You can be thoughtless, Malcolm. I blame Gil’s meddling in your upbringing. Your mother should have known better than to allow you to hang out with people in his strata.”

Gil thinned his lips but didn’t rise to the bait.

A hint of a scowl told Malcolm his father was disappointed but he schooled the expression away quickly and changed topics. “But I’m worried about you and your friends. She doesn’t approve of you in the least. Seems to be more of a fan of your sister’s.”

“You think I’m a target?”

His father rubbed his furry chin, studying him. “You don’t?”

“I considered it. I haven’t seen anyone following me and trust me, all of us have been looking.” They exchanged looks, stalemated in a game Malcolm wasn’t sure he knew all the rules too, even after all these years. “All right then. I have what I came for. Thank you for writing it.”

His father narrowed his eyes, not liking the quick dismissal. “I knew you’d panic the moment you saw she could kill. That’s the sort of thing that would spook you, and we’ve already talked about that big stumbling block of yours, son.”

Malcolm straightened up, taking a moment before speaking to calm himself. “I don’t consider my fear a fault. It keeps me alive. I didn’t panic. I don’t need you to write this email for me. I could use your insight but I don’t needyou.”

“Whatever you say, son.” He waved Malcolm off. “If you don’t need me for this, then let’s talk about man performing haruspicy. That has to be fascinating.”

“Another time. We need to go.”

“Already?” His father heaved a heavy sigh. “If you must. But tell me this, if you didn’t need me, if you weren’t afraid of what I might say, then why did you need to bring the cavalry with you?”

“Car pool. We’re on our way somewhere for another case.” Malcolm hoped he seemed nonchalant, hating that he was like glass to his father.

“Have you looked at the email this morning?”

Malcolm screwed his eyes shut tight for a moment. “No.”

“They’ve sent another few pictures of you as a boy with Gil.” The dirty look his father shot Gil needed an hour-long hot shower to wash away. “And Jackie. Looks like you’re on vacation somewhere.”

“I went on many vacations with Gil and Jackie. I don’t regret a moment spent with them.”

His face hardened. “I’m sure you don’t. You looked ridiculously happy.”

Malcolm shrugged. “Sorry if that makes you jealous but you’re the one responsible for your own fate. Good day, Dr. Whitly.”

Before he could open the door, his father shot back, “You should be thankful Gil was so patient with you. It couldn’t have been easy given some of your, shall we call them, less than endearing qualities. I’m surprised the stalker hasn’t entitled any of these little snoop or Judas.”

Malcolm refused to give him the satisfaction of looking back. Dani’s fingers ghosted over his shoulders letting him know he wasn’t alone.

“And you should remember what you asked me to do, Martin. You’re not making it easy with digs like that,” Gil said, opening the door for Malcolm.

His father grunted, obviously perturbed Malcolm knew of the request. “That’s Dr. Whitly to you, Gil. And tell my wife to quit wasting my children’s inheritance on you.”

Gil gave Malcolm a little shove through the door, and Dani followed as if on a string. Gil yanked the door shut hard without saying another word to Malcolm’s father.

“I’m sorry, Bright,” Dani said.

He shook his head. “I’m used to his gas lighting and temper, Dani. It’s my own fault for coming here. You should read that note.”

“Not before we get some coffee and something to eat. I know what you’re going to say. Make it a bear claw. You do well with carbs.”

He made a broken sound. “Thanks.” Malcolm didn’t argue. He had begun to enjoy Dani taking care of him.

XXX

They made it back to the precinct with coffees, Bright’s being so big he could probably drown someone in it. He’d been quiet as she drove, sitting in the back seat looking half asleep. Gil had left his car at the precinct mostly because the backseat of the Mustang wasn’t that great. Also, they knew they’d have to grab something to eat, and she’d bet dollars to donuts Gil didn’t want her donuts in his car. She’s seen Gil with the Mustang before they left and Dani swore he’d been talking to it. Dani also wondered if Bright didn’t want in the backseat of the Mustang because he thought there was a good chance his mother’s naked butt had touched it. She’d seen him staring through the window at the backseat, a thoughtful but horrified expression on his face.

Bright ensconced himself in Gil’s office, and she took that as a sign he didn’t want to openly discuss whatever his father had written. JT spotted them as they came in and joined them. He glanced at Bright and then to her. “It didn’t go well, did it?”

“My father is researching about borderline personality disorder, most likely in an effort to figure out how better to manipulate me and that’s all my fault.”

“You were exhausted, kid. I should have shut that down long before I did. I regret that not doing,” Gil said.

Bright sipped his coffee but didn’t contradict Gil, maybe because it was true. They all should have known better. He hadn’t taken his breakfast out of the bag.

Dani took the cheap small napkins out of her bag, put one on his knee and pointed to the bag. Mechanically he got out his selection, a sticky bun instead of a bear claw, as if the pecans on it somehow made it healthier. He smoothed out the bag and rested the pastry on it but didn’t make an attempt to eat it.

“Read the response please, Dani,” he said.

JT arched his eyebrows at her and Dani shrugged. She tugged the note out and studied what Dr. Whitly had written. It wasn’t as bad as she expected and that made it somehow worse.

“Just tell me what it says. You honestly don’t need to police it for me.”

Dani wasn’t sure of that. “I am, of course, very flattered by all this attention. Being asked to be a teacher is a high honor. I believe it was Henry Brooks Adam who said teachers affect eternity. No one knows where their influence ends. I rather like the idea of affecting eternity.”

“Of course, he does,” Bright grumbled.

“There are paths that can be followed. I would not suggest my own. You know how it ended, of course. You need to look into your own heart to see where your path takes you. You can’t just follow along. A trail that has too many people on it will eventually become boring. Not everyone has the same path, not you and me . Not my son and me. Is he on a path I would have chosen for him? Not at all. Oh, don’t get me wrong. I was very flattered by all the interest he had in killers growing up. I suppose I expected it to shape him one way. I didn’t count on his own nature being so different from my own nor the influence of a certain police detective who no doubt had his fingers in the clay that shaped Malcolm. It’s not a matter of what will please me. You need to decide what will please you.”

Dani set the paper on the table. “He doesn’t come right out and say go kill people but you get the gist of it. He wants her to follow her instincts.”

“What if she isn’t sure about taking that step?” JT asked. “Any way to warn her off a little more strongly without it being obvious someone other than your dad is writing to her?”

Bright bit his lip, seeming to diminish right before Dani’s eyes. “I need to think on it. This is actually better than what I was expecting. I’ll cut out the part about Gil.”

“Do you think you should?” Gil asked. “She has to be expecting that your father won’t be able to resist taking a shot at me.”

“Yes but I don’t want to paint an even bigger target on you, especially if we have a nascent killer sitting right on the cusp, trying to decide will she take that big leap from stalker to killer or if she’s being given an out, that she doesn’t have to kill to impress him.”

“But you still need to sound like your father,” Gil reasoned. It didn’t make Bright happy, nor Dani for that matter. Dani doubted JT was a fan either.

“Yes, but I can do that without throwing you under a train. I want to play up that different path stuff a bit more. I think if I include a bit about how much he’s enjoying seeing my life because he never got to know this version of me, that might work. If we can keep her focused on digging into my life more, that might keep her from killing a little longer.”

“But is that safe for you?” Dani cocked her head to the side, studying him.

“No but I don’t think she’ll kill me, not yet anyhow. She wants to please my father. Me dead won’t do that.”

“She also wants to replace you as heir, dude. You can’t be sure of that,” JT reminded him.

“I know that too. Still, I think I’m safe. I’ll work up another draft of the note.”

“Eat first,” Dani said, and he sighed. “You need something in you, Bright. Let’s see those pictures and what she titled them. That might help you direct the narrative on this response.”

Dani doubted that they would in the long run but she wanted to see him happy with Gil and Jackie. She had started looking forward to getting to know Bright more intimately too, even if some of it was awkward or painful.

He pulled over his laptop and brought them up. Dani sat closer to him to see and JT leaned over the arm of the couch, wrinkling his nose slightly as if sniffing Bright. She had to admit, whatever body wash or cologne he’d put on today smelled extra nice. Bright brought up one of him on a cabin’s porch surrounded by lush woods. Jackie and Gil both were in it with him so she wondered if Jessica had gone too or if they had had a tripod?

“Aww this is adorable. How could she think this …never mind.” Dani slashed a hand in the air. “You’re replacing your family with the Arroyos. But you look so happy.”

“I was. I loved that trip. I saw a moose!”

“Okay, cool,” JT said, sniffing again, and Bright eyed him.

“Went white water rafting. Jackie and I loved it!”

“I spent the trip down river making sure your skinny butt didn’t get flung out of the raft like it nearly did about a dozen times.”

“That’s your story. Jackie and I had our theory that had something to do with scaredy-cats.” Bright grinned so broadly it could have been carried over on JT who edged closer. Bright glanced up at him. “Problem?”

JT shook his head as Edrisa bounced in with a file.

“Final report on our three victims. I emailed it too, of course,” she said, and Dani assumed the hard copy was an excuse to see Bright. “Also, I did want to tell you that your father got a few more emails from the person having sexual fantasies about him. Do they even allow conjugal visits at Claremont?”

“Edrisa!” Gil warned as Bright made a lemony face.

“I don’t know. All I know was Mother wasn’t interested in that.” Bright shuddered and brought up a picture of him at some large stone structure that had been titled, lured away.

“Is that you as a kid? You were cute even then. Probably didn’t smell quite as good as you do now,” Edrisa handed the file to Bright who blushed deeply.

“No, probably not. I ran Gil and Jackie ragged all over Fort Adams.”

“At least someone finally said it,” JT said.

“Is that what you were doing hovering over me? I thought you were having an allergy attack.”

“You smell good today, different,” Dani agreed.

“I was trying to place it. Tally would probably like it if I walked around home smelling like that.”

“I didn’t realize it was that noticeable.” His cheeks deepened their rosy hue. “That’s why everyone’s sniffing me? It’s just my Epsom salt soak. I was stiff and sore yesterday so I took a long hot bath with a good book.”

“Well, it’s very nice,” Edrisa swept her gaze over him, probably imagining the bath, Dani figured. Worse, he’d made her imagine it too.

“It’s just Bergamot oil, which is what makes Earl Grey smell the way it does,” he said directly to Dani. “And the rest is merely Cannabis sativa oil.”

“So, you soaked yourself in bong water?” JT snickered, and Dani couldn’t quite stifle her own laugh at that.

“It doesn’t have THC in it!”

“Cannabis oil penetrates skin nicely. It’s a good emollient,” Edrisa said. “Your skin must feel very nice.”

“Okay, enough about Bright’s skin care regime,” Gil broke in, giving them all a look.

“Which includes more product than Edrisa and me combined,” Dani gleefully ignored the warning. “I’ve seen that shower.”

“You knocked him out cold in it,” JT said.

Gil’s expression loudly stated, ‘when did I lose control?’ “This is not helping.”

“Edrisa, I’m sorry you have to keep reading those emails.” Bright tried to get them back on track. “If you want to trade off the duty to them.” He pointed to Gil.

“You think I want to read someone’s bedroom fantasies about your dad?” JT widened his eyes at Bright.

“I sure as hell don’t want to be the one to do it! You can pull straws to see who reads them.” Bright shrugged. “Just don’t tell me the details.”

“I don’t mind reading them,” Edrisa said “It’s helping, right?”

“Absolutely.”

“So, I’m happy to do it. Besides, the medical emails are fascinating really. Your father’s consultations are high risk cases and his insights….” Edrisa shook her head. “It’s such a waste, all the good he could have done.”

Bright flinched, making Edrisa jump. “Sorry. It’s just that’s how he justifies himself. He earned the right to indulge his monster.”

“I’m sorry. I forgot.”

“It’s okay. I’m used to being a minefield at this point, and I appreciate your help. I’ll have to take you to dinner.”

“Have another charity event?” JT asked as Edrisa glowed so bright she could potentially supernova.

“There’s always another one.”

“You didn’t invite me to dinner.” JT gave Bright’s shoulder a light shove.

“I did. You said no to being a threesome. Besides, you aren’t reading sexual fantasies about my dad.”

“That would be worth eating somewhere with a Michelin star with Tally in tow because she’s the one who knows about those things.”

“If that’s what Edrisa wants.”

“No reward is needed,” Edrisa said. “But I’ll think about it.”

“Speaking of food, Edrisa let’s get your opinion as a doctor. Bright’s not eaten anything all day. Should he attempt to do more than pick a lone pecan off his sticky bun?” Dani shot him a look.

“Definitely needs food.”

“Bright, eat and then rework that message. Edrisa, thank you for bringing the reports. Dani, JT if you’re done looking at my vacation photos, see if the techs have managed to track any part of this down while I’ll remind them that Bright’s and my computer have very obviously been hacked into as well. If we can’t get ahead of this stalker soon, someone is likely to die,” Gil said. “And I need my office back. I have a meeting with your sister about doing a deep dive on Phil Brown.”

“Really?” Bright sighed. “She and I have therapy this afternoon too. I hope she remembers that. Also, Mother wants to know if you’re free for dinner, Dani. Apparently Gil told her the case was over and he had a meeting with the chief of Ds tonight so that equates with free time for dress shopping.”

“I…guess I’m free.” Dani hadn’t planned on dinner. Shopping was stressful enough. “Tell her nothing too fancy.”

“I’ll tell her to keep it dress casual. Also, am I there or not for this dress thing? I’m fine either way.”

“If you think you can abandon me to your mother, a woman you jokingly told me to arm myself to deal with before you ran away, I’ll kick you in the business and you will be taking JT to the ball. He won’t look nearly as good in those jewels,” Dani said, honey sweet.

“I shudder to think but I bet he does look Bond-good in a tux.”

“Thanks…I think.”

“Wait, there really is a charity dinner?” Edrisa looked hurt she had been left out.

“You are at a conference that weekend,” Bright said as Gil chivvied them all to the door.

Dani grabbed the sticky bun as Bright deserted it. His sister walked across the room as they stepped into the bull pen. With her was a woman who was every bit as Nordic as Roisin. Hair pale enough to be called ivory, eyebrows so white they couldn’t be seen at this distance and eyes the color of a storm, she stood a good two or three inches taller than Ainsley.

“Hello, Gil.” Ainsley gave a little wave. “Am I interrupting?”

“Just plans for the charity dinner in the Hamptons,” Bright said, eyeing the woman.

“This is Lavinia DePriest, an intern. They have her job shadowing me,” Ainsley said. “She has great investigative instincts.”

Dani watched a cool yet interested look pass between Lavinia and Bright as if she were attracted but was weighing the trouble that would come from making a play for her mentor’s brother. “Didn’t I see you in the news van at Claremont?” she asked Lavinia.

“Good memory. Yes, I was there but I wasn’t allowed in, not with all the restrictions, at least not on company time,” Lavinia said. “Nice to meet you all.”

“Nice to meet you too. Ains, we’re not canceling today, are we?” Bright asked.

She shook her head. “I’ll be done long before that. Are you ready for us, Gil?”

“Yes, come on in.” He waved the ladies into his office and shut the door.

Dani cast another glance at Ainsley and Lavinia wondering, if as journalists, they ever felt bad about chasing pain for a story. She’d never say that to Bright. She understood his relationship with his sister was complicated but regardless he loved her and was protective. Shedding those thoughts, Dani slapped the sticky bun down on his desk. “Eat, Bright. I’m going to check and see if anything’s popped up on our attempts to track down those burner phones point of origin.”

He sighed and picked off a piece of the pastry that wouldn’t keep a squirrel alive. Dani shook her head and dove back into her work, while keeping a good eye on him. The man wasn’t going to starve to death on her watch.

XXX

Jessica trailed her finger down Gil’s smooth chest, both of them half asleep wrapped up in her incredibly soft sheets. Sadly, Gil had arrived half asleep, and she had come to an ironic conclusion that maybe her sleepless son had picked the right job for himself; one where they were walking around like zombies half the time because they worked on so little sleep.

Gil cupped his hand over hers, pressing it against his skin. “I didn’t get to ask, did you have a good dinner with Dani?”

She smiled. “Is that your way of asking did I break your detective?”

“She’s a match for you, once she figures it out.” He echoed her grin. “I’m more worried about Malcolm’s string snapping during dinner than Dani’s.”

“It was a lovely dinner really. She let me spoil her, and my son actually put more than two bites of food in his mouth so I count that as a win.”

“Dani’s been riding him a little about not eating. I think she’s appointed herself guardian over his diet.”

Jessica let a fleeting smile cross her face but it escaped as her worries chased after it. “He was very quiet over dinner, Gil. What’s wrong? Malcolm is a lot of things but quiet isn’t usually one of them.”

“He was being teased about the jewels and not committing to having any opinion on how Dani should wear her hair and also somehow his choice of bath product.” Gil wrinkled his nose. “And from the way he was eyeing the Mustang’s back seat, he thinks we’ve been in the back.”

Jessica made a little noise of disgust. “Just because he’s willing to have car sex doesn’t mean I am. I can just imagine where he got his dirty little mind.” From her, but she wouldn’t admit to that. “But it’s more than that and you know it.”

Gil squirmed. He didn’t want to confess but she gave him a look. “The topic of conjugal visits at Claremont did come up but I don’t think that’s it.”

She pulled her hand free of his. “Just why was that a topic of discussion?”

“Leave it as it was relevant. As for the rest, it’s not a good thing to go to sleep on.”

Sighing, Jessica sat up and pushed her pillow against the headboard so she could lean back on it. “That alone is going to insure I don’t sleep. Tell me what’s going on, Gil because you know he won’t.”

Gil rolled up onto his elbow, looking up at her. “He’s protecting you.”

“I’m supposed to protect him.”

“The stalker is hinting around she’s ready to kill to impress Martin. It’s weighing on us all because we have the barest of clues. We’re in no shape to stop her if she goes on the hunt.”

Jessica pressed her fingers to her mouth. “That’s so much worse than I thought. Gil, what are you going to do?”

“We’re doing it, Jess. We think we’ve narrowed down the burner phones she’s using as being purchased in a couple of stores. If we’re lucky there’re surveillance cameras. Malcolm is corresponding with her as Martin and is trying to dissuade her from killing.”

Jessica didn’t want to hear this, to think of Malcolm slipping into his father’s skin and thinking like that man. Anger at Gil and Malcolm for not turning this over to someone else slowly blossomed. “And you think Malcolm can sound like his father via email?”

“Honestly, Martin wrote most of this last message himself with zero encouraging of murder but a little bit of blaming me for Malcolm not measuring up to this person’s standards, one they believe Martin shares.” Gil pushed himself up and braced his back against the headboard next to her. He ran his hand down her arm because of course he’d try to comfort her. That’s who Gil was.

“And he is just enjoying this, isn’t he?” she growled, punching the mattress.

“He is. Martin’s not hiding that. We expected it, of course, but he is also worried about Malcolm and maybe even you. If I die, that’ll just be icing on his cake.”

She couldn’t stop herself from glancing down at the multiple scars on his belly, two thanks to the other monster she let into her life and one interconnecting them from the surgeons who had to open him up wider to fix all the damage. She had not once let herself hide from those scars. She was the cause, and she didn’t want to insult Gil by averting her gaze. “I hate this, and what’s worse is I know it’s not really your job putting us in danger this time. This person would have come for Malcolm no matter what he chose to do with his life. They’re here because he wouldn’t become the killer his father wanted him to be.”

“You’re right. That’s what’s disappointed this person. They believe Martin deserves a better heir. They think Ainsley’s refined. Whoever it is, she seems to approve of Ainsley. Malcolm not so much. We’re doing all that we can. I’ve scanned some new photos in of me and Malcolm or us with Jackie, and Suzume has uploaded a few more of her older videos onto her computer. We don’t know if the person is coming back to us or not but if they do, the techs hope to track the stolen data this time.”

“And if they don’t?”

“We have other avenues.”

Jessica shuddered. “You’re right. This wasn’t good bedtime talk. I can’t sleep now.”

Gil caressed her shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Jessica pushed off the mattress, straddling him. She leaned forward, her hair tickling his shoulders. “I bet you know some ways to distract me.”

“I’m sure I do.”

Gil pulled her into a kiss as a prelude to showing her his ways.

Chapter Text

Chapter Seventeen

“Did the chief of D’s rake Gil over the coals?” JT leaned around the edge of his desk, peering at Gil’s opened door. “He seemed exhausted.”

Dani snorted. “Mrs. Whitly only ended our dress and shoe shopping early, by her definition not mine, because Gil was supposed to be coming over. I’m ninety percent sure I only got out of trying on more shoes because she wanted to get to her booty call.”

JT sat back chuckling. “Those Whitlys are going to be the death of him. It’s just a matter of time and which one.”

“No argument.”

“Also good on him. Questionable offspring aside, Jessica Whitly is a fine woman.”

“Please don’t say that in front of Bright. He might be of the mind that anything goes in his own sex life, he’s shockingly prudish about his mother’s.” Dani rolled her shoulders. “But who does want to think about their parents having sex?”

“Where is the skinny-assed menace anyhow? Has he heard more from the stalker?”

“Not yet and he’s in the morgue.”

JT’s brow knitted. “Why? We don’t have any new bodies.”

“I think he and Edrisa are writing a paper on Brown. He was excited and since none of us can do the techie stuff….”

“Yeah. We’re just lucky to have finally found the store that sold some of the phones. I wish they’d hurry on sending the digital recordings so we can maybe get a damn clue,” JT said as Dani straightened up, catching sight of someone near the door to the bullpen.

A young woman in uniform hurried in front of the mass of muscle, making her way to Dani. “Detective Powell, that man has a visitor pass and says he’s here to see Mr. Bright but…” She glanced over her shoulder, gaze sweeping over the man’s tattoos.

“And that’s why we don’t judge on people’s looks alone, officer,” Dani said in gentle reprimand. “I know who he is, and he is Bright’s friend. I’ll take it from here.” She waved at him.

His big blue eyes sparked and he made his way over to her slowly as if not trusting a roomful of cops not to react badly if he went quickly. It hurt that he had reasons to think that way. “Detective Powell, right? And Detective Tarmel?”

Dani stood as the uniformed cop abandoned Bjørn there. He held out his hand and Dani’s disappeared into the giant mitt. His arm was covered in tattoos. She saw part of a tree sticking out from under his t-shirt sleeve with its roots wrapped around a symbol of some sort and on his forearm stood knot work and an elaborately decorated hammer. Different knot work was on his other arm. She was put in mind of Brown’s last victim. “Bjørn. I guess Bright sent our photos.”

“He did. I’m early. I couldn’t stand thinking about him dealing with this mess alone. My job is a little easier to get out of. Star and I talked about it. She stayed in Boston to take care of the tattoo parlor and Jaylin and Suzume will be here in a few days. Is he okay?” Bjørn said in a rush, in a strong Boston accent.

“He’s fine. He’ll be surprised,” Dani said.

“I’ll call down to the morgue,” JT added, and pointed to a chair next to his desk. “Have a seat.”

“Thanks. Is Gil here? I’d like to say hello to him.”

Dani gave him credit for not even batting an eye at the idea Malcolm was in the morgue but he’d known Bright for years and had been infatuated with him if he still wasn’t. His early arrival suggested he might still be carrying a torch. Bright could have his wish about going to the charity dinner with someone who wasn’t going to pinion him over hair styles but she wasn’t about to give up that dance now. She’d been killer in the blue dress and the shoes Jessica had bought her cost more than her rent. She’d tower over Bright but if dating Roisin had taught him anything, it would be how to deal with that. “Come on, I’ll take you in and see if he’s busy.”

“Thanks.”

Dani led the way. Gil appeared to be nearly face down into his Yankees mug, either reading paperwork or bored into a coma by it. He didn’t register their appearance so she was going with coma. Jessica must be more energetic than Dani gave her credit for, and she had given her plenty of credit. She rapped on the door sending him out of his skin.

He blinked rapidly and nearly knocked over his mug “What?”

“Sorry, boss. I have a visitor.”

Gil recovered and grinned, pushing back from his desk. He greeted Bjørn with a hearty half hug and slap to the shoulder. “Bjørn! You have to be early or Bright would have said something.”

“Early. I got a hotel that is a complicated number of stops between here and there.” He laughed.

“You don’t have to. You can stay with me if you’d like. I have room,” Gil offered.

“I wouldn’t want to be any trouble.”

“No trouble. Bright would put you up but that ridiculous loft of his only has the one bed in front of a huge curtain-less window.”

“Like that’ll help his insomnia,” Bjørn said.

“Right?”

“I’ll leave you two to catch up. JT and I are waiting on the surveillance footage, Gil.”

“Thanks, Dani.”

Dani left them to talk. Oddly, she felt better about the idea of Bjørn staying at Gil’s. Ever since he nearly died, she’d been as anxious as Bright about Gil. He could take care of himself but he was getting older, just a little slower, and Bjørn would make any intruder or any crazy stalker out to impress a serial killer take pause.

“That is one big dude,” JT said as Dani returned to her desk.

“He’s definitely a Thunder God.” She grinned, daydreaming a bit about how handsome Bjørn was.

“Just as well Bright decided he was off limits. He’d never survive that encounter. Bjørn would accidentally break him.”

Dani snorted. “Gil wants him to stay at his place. I think it’s a good idea…until I consider that it might put Bjørn at risk.”

“Yeah.” JT shook himself. “It’ll be okay, Dani. After all the things our problem child’s been through, this isn’t how it ends.”

“Not if we have anything to say about it,” she agreed but Dani sat down and pulled up the email just to see if the stalker had answered. She found a few medical emails and one more from the one with the naughty daydreams about Dr. Whitly.

“Anything?”

“Only that this person with the hots for Whitly has one hell of an active imagination as to what she wants to do to him.” Dani made a face. “Remind me to let Edrisa rot her brains with this and to never let Bright see it.”

“See what?” Bright rounded the corner with Edrisa following him.

“An ode to the joys of beard burns,” Dani said, “at the mildest.”

“Oh.” Bright held up a hand. “My father’s would be girlfriend or Mother… never mind. What is wrong with me? I just hurt my own brain.”

“I’m sure you did.” JT looked around Malcolm to Edrisa. “Is there something we need to know?”

“We were wondering the same. You just said get up here,” Malcolm said.

“JT.” Dani shot him a look.

“Thought it would be a nice surprise.” JT picked up his phone and texted someone. Dani assumed Gil.

A few moments later, Bjørn came out of the office, a huge grin on his face. He flung his arms out like Thor preparing to toss lightning. Bright lit up and raced across the room in stark contrast to the more caged excitement he’d shown when he had first seen Vijay. Dani put it down to the fact there had been a strain there not to mention they were both rich kids taught to act with a certain amount of refinement. Bjørn was not from that life, and he grabbed up Bright in a bear hug, lifting him straight off his feet. Bright got one arm around Bjørn’s broad shoulders or maybe he was signaling for her and JT to save him before Bjørn really did accidentally break him.

JT chuckled. “Bro, your feet are a foot off the ground.”

Bjørn pounded Bright’s back and set him down almost daintily. “It’s so good to see you! You are the worst at keeping in touch, Malcolm.”

“You’re early! I’m glad to see you.”

“How could I let you face something like this alone? And don’t hand me the ‘it’s my job crap’.” Bjørn chucked Bright’s shoulder nearly rocking him off his feet. “It shouldn’t take a crazy stalker to make you get in touch.”

“I’m bad with friendship.”

Bjørn snorted, tossing his mane of hair back. “Who are you telling? You’re lucky I don’t enact what Roisin would have done to you.”

Bright winced, squirming a bit. “The family jewels thank you for your restraint. Have you met everyone?”

“I’ve met Detectives Tarmel and Powell, and this must be Dr. Tanaka.” Bjørn stuck out his hand to Edrisa. “If he hasn’t said so, because he’s bad with friendship.” He rolled his eyes. “I’m Bjørn Savage.”

“And you are…very well-muscled.” Edrisa swept her gaze along his beefy arm.

Bjørn bounced his biceps at her. “I am. And you and Detective Powell are every bit as adorable as Bright said you were.”

Dani’s cheeks had to mirror Edrisa’s rosy ones from the burn she felt.

Bjørn turned to JT and added, “But he drastically underestimated how cute you are.”

“I…don’t even know what to say to that.”

“He’s married with a kid on the way, Bjørn,” Bright said, returning that bros shoulder punch thing men did and Dani didn’t realize Bright even knew about.

“Story of my life, all the cute ones are straight or taken.”

“Eh, he’s surly half the time anyhow.”

“Wait? Are you teasing me?” JT narrowed his eyes at Bright. “You don’t do that.”

“I sometimes do,” Bright protested. “What hotel are you at, Bjørn?”

“Doesn’t matter. I’m just there tonight since I’ve paid for it. Gil’s letting me crash at his place.”

“Oh great. I’d say we could go for lunch but I have a midafternoon therapy appointment, and I don’t want to have to rush through the meal,” Bright said. “How about we go for dinner?”

“Sure. Are your friends coming?”

“Please say yes because I’m sure Bjørn has the best stories about you.” JT grinned evilly.

“What? The videos weren’t enough?”

“Suzume never recorded the worst crap you got up to.” Bjørn’s smile was bright enough to light up Times Square.

“We have to come,” Dani said. “We can pay our own way.”

Bright shook his head. “No, it’s my treat. I’ve never had two sets of friends meet before because…I’m bad at friendship.” He sighed.

“You don’t have to. I mean your mother spoiled me yesterday with the lobster thermidor.”

“I don’t mind. I want to do something nice. JT, you can bring Tally, and Edrisa, are you free?”

“Yes, thanks.” Edrisa positively glowed at being included.

“Thanks. Where we going?” JT asked.

“I know an Irish pub that has really good food.” Bright shrugged. “Okay, it’s one of Gil’s finds but it has good music, good food, not too fancy so none of us have to dress up.”

“So, you’re not going to show up in a suit?” JT quirked up his eyebrows.

“He’s always in his suits, ever since he started with the FBI.” Bjørn cocked his head to the side. “Maybe before but Roisin wasn’t putting up with him being too stuffy.”

“We’re sorry about your sister,” Dani said. “With these videos, we feel like we gotten to know her a little and wish we could have known her.”

Bjørn’s smile managed to be sad and tender at the same time. “Thank you. She was one of a kind.”

“Dani reminds me of her a little, Edrisa too. Might be why I became friends with them so easily. Anyhow, the pub has good beer too so you should like that, JT,” Bright sounded wistful. He had to miss Roisin more with Bjørn here.

“I would.”

“Gil,” Bright called and a few moments later, Gil poked his head out of his office. “Are you free tonight? I’m taking the group to the Crosskeys Inn.”

“Sounds great but I promised your mother I’d go with her to the opening of Liu’s.”

“Liu’s?” JT’s eyes widened. “Isn’t that the new fancy place everyone is talking about? For some reason Tally loves all this high society stuff.”

“Yes, Liu’s hasn’t even opened and it already has a six month wait period,” Bright said. “Are you driving, Gil?”

He nodded. “We’re taking out the Barracuda for a drive afterward. We have an early seating so cross your fingers nothing happens that we have to roll out on between now and then.”

“You will be the next murder victim if you stand up Mother on something like this,” Bright assured him. “And I’ll ask her to borrow Adolpho; that way I can pick you up Bjørn.”

“Is that her driver? You know it’s weird for me to be chauffeured around.”

“Did you bring the car or the Harley?” Bright asked.

“Harley.”

“I’ll come get you in the Bentley. JT, Dani, Edrisa, do you need rides?”

“I’m good,” Dani said.

“I’m not sure where we’re going but I’m probably okay,” Edrisa said.

“Okay, I’ll give you the address and you can decide if you want to be picked up, and then I have a little time to talk before I have to go meet Dr. Le Deux.”

Bjørn put a hand on Bright’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “You okay, brother?”

Bright’s eyes dimmed. “No, I’m not. It’s been a while since I’ve been this far down but these guys are holding my head above water for me. I’ll be okay.”

Dani flinched at that honest, frightening admission. JT looked equally taken aback and even Edrisa was subdued. She hadn’t realized he was clinging to them quite that hard and his confession the other night about how much he’d been hurt by her doubt took on deeper meaning. He had said it, hadn’t he? That if he hadn’t been accused of a murder he hadn’t committed he might had taken his life. It hurt knowing that. Bjørn, on the other hand, didn’t seem surprised but he’d been through a suicide attempt with Bright once. He’d seen him this low.

“You will be. We’re watching out for you,” Bjørn said.

Bright nodded, his jaw tight. He sucked in a deep breath. “Let me give them the address and we can decide on a time. I might not have time for lunch but I have time for coffee so we can talk. I’ll have to check the email to see if the stalker has made contact first.”

“I was doing that when Bjørn arrived. I didn’t see anything but the sexual fantasy author,” Dani said and Bjørn’s eyebrows shot up. Bright curled his lip as he shook his head. She sat back at her desk, peering at the computer. “Nothing new’s come in.”

“Because that’s not going to make me nervous at all.” He sighed.

Dani knew exactly what he meant. Had they scared her off? Was she out killing someone? She had a bad feeling. They all did even as they decided on a time to meet for dinner. Bright headed out with Bjørn, and within the hour she and JT got the phone store video to review. She hoped it would give them something.

XXX

After the waitress moved off after delivering their food, Malcolm took a picture of their table. JT had been served a ridiculously large platter of fish and chips, Edrisa had opted for the smoked cod and Dani the beef and Guinness stew. He and Bjørn had bowls of lamb stew heaped with creamy mashed potatoes, and Tally had gone for the medallions of beef with peppercorn sauce.

“Is your mother making you check in with your meals now?” JT smirked, nodding to Malcolm’s phone.

“No, this is for Gil.” Malcolm texted the photo, pleased that all the ales and ciders were in full view too.

“So, you’re checking in with him?” Dani shook her fork at him. “I mean he has asked me to make sure you eat.”

He rolled his eyes. “No. I’m pretty sure Gil doesn’t know that Liu’s a molecular gastropub or if he does know, he’s playing it close to the vest.”

“Wait that’s one of those places where you eat a foam and it’s a deconstructed cheesesteak or some crap, right?” JT asked.

“Right.”

“So, you’re trolling Gil with real food?” JT let out a wicked laugh.

“I am. Don’t worry, Mother will make it up to him.”

“Yeah, your mother is going to give Gil a heart attack that way.” JT broke off a piece of his fish.

“I know but I am trying not to picture it.” Malcolm forked up a bit of mashed potatoes, getting a little meat with it. He liked lamb but knew this was way more than he could eat at once. He’d send it with Bjørn as a midnight snack.

“Seriously, JT, be nice to the man buying your dinner.” Tally poked her husband with the handle of her fork. “And Malcolm, thank you for including me. This is so good, it makes up for the fact I can’t have the mussels. That’s been the worst part of the pregnancy so far, the food restrictions. I want fish and soft cheese and beer.” She leaned over sniffing Dani’s pint of cider. “This smells so good and I can’t have it.”

“It’s amazing,” Dani said. “I don’t drink much but this….”

“Makes me sad I didn’t opt for the private driver,” Edrisa finished for her, hoisting her pint of Gladiator cider. “I want more of this. Lots more.”

“Exactly, thanks for suggesting it, Bright.”

“When we were in Ireland, Roisin got hooked on it,” Malcolm said.

“Understatement.” Bjørn snorted.

“I’m glad though that food disappointment is the worst part for you so far, Tally. Hope that keeps going,” Malcolm said

“It could be worse. Don’t mind me, I’ll just be here sniffing Dani’s drink longingly.”

“Better that than your husband sniffing me.” Malcolm swished another lamb bit into the potatoes.

“I heard about you and your bong water bath.” Tally grinned.

Malcolm groaned. “Cannabis oil, not bong water. Trust me, I know the difference.”

JT leaned against Tally’s shoulder. “He definitely does.”

“Another understatement.” Bjørn grinned.

Malcolm pointed at Bjørn. “Enough out of you.”

“You still smell good though,” Edrisa said.

“She’s not wrong,” Dani said. “Different than the bath salts though.”

“It’s his usual, well, I was going to say aftershave but you don’t actually shave, just whisper the razor over your face,” JT said.

“It’s a mix of bergamot, vanilla tea, and lavender.” Malcolm rubbed a hand over his scruff.

“Did you always use Earl Grey as aftershave or is this new?” Dani’s eyes glinted.

She was asking ‘was this for her?’ and he knew it. “Not new. I have a few different ones I like.” But had he started using this one more? That was the real question.

“And he has to leave the scruff or he gets carded.” Bjørn popped a piece of meat into his mouth, chewing.

“That is a baby face,” Tally agreed.

Bjørn chuckled, shaking his head.

“What?” Malcolm asked.

“Baby got me thinking about that first time Jaylin and Suzume entrusted Arwen with you.”

“No one wants to hear about that.”

“Bro, this is exactly why we wanted to come to dinner to get to know Bjørn. These are the stories we want,” JT said, and Malcolm moaned.

“They thought he’d be the best baby sitter since he already doesn’t sleep,” Bjørn said.

“And I had that thought myself,” Tally admitted.

“Don’t.” Bjørn waved his hands. “Malcolm was traumatized.”

“I thought it would be easy. Food goes in one end. Horror comes out the other. She couldn’t even crawl yet,” Malcolm said, his tone bemused. “How much trouble could she be?”

“You almost puked on the baby.”

Malcolm narrowed his eyes. “So, did you, Bjørn! How does milk become what comes out the other end? Nothing should smell like that. The gag reflex must work entirely differently in mothers.”

“Actually, pregnant women can become super sniffers, and in general women have better olfaction than men,” Edrisa said.

“Then they have all my pity.” Malcolm made a face. “I was ill prepared for how squirmy babies are. She was adorable but I was lost. Jaylin and Suzume laughed long and hard at us when they got home.”

“Okay so no abandoning our baby with Bright.” JT wagged his head.

Malcolm stabbed a piece of meat. “Tally, if JT gags the first time he changes the baby’s diaper, I’ll pay you to give me a heads up.”

“No payment needed.” Tally waved him off. “I plan to record it.”

“Let me remind you the hot water Bright’s boiling in has been made possible by recordings.”

“I’ll risk it.” Tally smiled sweetly.

“She’s fun. I see why you married her.” Malcolm chuckled.

“I have a question for you,” Dani sipped her cider, eyeing him over the rim.

“Go on.”

“You said Edrisa and I reminded you of Roisin. After watching the videos, I’m not sure I see it.”

“It certainly isn’t a perfect match. Edrisa has Roisin’s lack of a filter,” Malcolm said holding up a hand. “I don’t see that as a bad thing, Edrisa. I appreciate the candor.”

“Good.” The shy, almost pained expression on her face made him wonder if he should have brought it up. “I know I’m…awkward.”

“Maybe but you’re also smart and kind and interesting, and I’m glad to have you in my corner.”

“Doesn’t hurt that you’re his biggest fan,” JT said.

“He has admirable traits.”

“I think JT’s trying to say I like it when you get enthusiastic,” Malcolm said, wondering again if he should touch on the subject. “And I do. It might be shallow but I’m not used to people finding good things to say about me.”

“That isn’t fair. You are not your father any more than I’m mine,” Bjørn snarled, making Malcolm instantly regret bringing it up.

“We saw how your former colleagues treated you,” JT replied. “It wasn’t pretty.”

“He doesn’t deserve it,” Bjørn said. “At least you guys treat him right.”

“You can thank Gil,” JT shrugged. “Dani and I were a little hesitant at first but Gil insisted Bright was one of us, and he was right, even if Bright isn’t always the best team player.”

“I learned that I couldn’t trust my former team. I’m getting better, right?”

“You are,” Dani assured him.

“Thanks. And since you asked, you and Edrisa both have Roisin’s kindness and intelligence. It’s appreciated more than you know,” he sighed, hoping he wasn’t getting maudlin. “Dani, you share her intolerance of my nonsense, and aren’t afraid to call me on it. I don’t necessarily like it but I know I need it.”

“You don’t hear me arguing.” Dani grinned at him.

“I should be allowed to get away with a few things every once in a while,” Malcolm shot her a puppy dog look. It was rewarded with an eye roll. Nope, she wasn’t going to let that pass.

“We’ll take that nonsense on a case by case review,” she replied.

“I’ll go for that.” He pulled out his phone and dragged up a browser.

“You aren’t looking at that damn email are you?” JT shook his head. “Turn it off for the night.”

“I can’t. She didn’t reply. You guys talk to Bjørn. This won’t take me but a minute.”

They didn’t talk. Malcolm tried to ignore the eyes on him. He wished they would just talk, eat, something. He hated his need to check this but if he had made a mistake on yesterday’s reply then someone could be dead by now. He flicked past emails that had nothing to do with what he wanted to see. Heaven help him if he accidentally clicked on the emails from the sexual fantasist. His dinner tried for force its way back up when he spotted her email.

“Bright, you’re green,” Dani said, reaching for him.

“Mal, put the damn phone away,” Bjørn said but Malcolm shook his head.

“She wrote back, I thought long about what you said, Dr. Whitly. I might not be ready for some of the truth of it. It bears thinking about. I have more to send you, tomorrow morning I think. Tell me honestly, why do you think Malcolm resists your truth? And you can call me Gwen. It’s not my real name, not yet. I’ve loved the name since reading about Guinevere and Arthur. I plan to change my name soon enough. I suppose I can at least understand Malcolm’s need to reinvent himself even if he dishonors you in doing so.”

Malcolm put the phone on the table, staring at it, letting his breathing even out. This wasn’t as bad as he feared.

“You’re right. She’s a woman,” Dani said.

“And she’s not ready to kill,” Edrisa said. “Right? Am I interpreting it right?”

“I hope so,” he replied.

“Why do I think she’s going to concentrate more on you, even more than she has been?” JT scowled.

“I wish you’d just leave here,” Bjørn said, “come with us to Boston or go somewhere for a little while.”

He shook his head. “If I do that, we could lose her. I don’t want that to happen.”

“And you’ve already been kidnapped by a serial killer this year. Isn’t that enough for you?” Bjørn grimaced.

“He was kidnapped by a gang too for a few hours.” JT made things instantly worse.

Bjørn nudged Malcolm a little harder than necessary. “You did what?”

“It was nothing much. I was helping an old friend. You remember me mentioning Vijay.”

“I remember you saying you had a falling out. Do I even want to know how that led to you getting kidnapped?”

“You do not,” JT said. “Vijay is a weird dude. You, at least, are a more normal friend.”

Bjørn laughed. “No one has ever said that before about me.”

“I guess you and Bright do have some shared traumas,” Dani said.

“We’d argue about who had the worst childhood. Roisin and I said him, Mal says us.”

“I still say that. My father…”

“Didn’t beat you or fry you with cigarettes or rape you like our father did to me and Roisin. Your mother didn’t blame you for seducing your father into doing what he did,” Bjørn said, setting aside his utensils. “He was a good dad so when the truth came out, you were gutted. My father was a complete bastard. He turned my two older brothers in mini-mes and now they’re all in prison for life where they belong. It was a relief when he was gone and Roisin and I got to live with Grandma and Aunt Kathy. For you, the nightmare began when your dad was taken, and I don’t think it’s ended.”

“True but on the other hand you two had to live through all that abuse. That’s worse.”

“Leave it as you both had bad childhoods,” Tally said. “But look at you now. You’re survivors. Malcolm has a cool job and Bjørn…actually what do you do?”

“Oh, show them. Do you have anything on your phone,” Malcolm said cheerily, happy for the change of ugly subject. “I want to see your new projects.”

Bjørn pulled out his phone and scrolled through his gallery before clicking on something. He handed it to Malcolm who leaned over to show the phone to Dani and Edrisa. “That one and the five that come after it are my newest collection. I’m an artist, Tally. Tattooing pays the bills but I also paint. I would love to get a show down here. And I play fiddle in an Irish band. We’re just in it to play around Boston in various pubs, mostly for fun.”

“Wow, this is something,” Edrisa said. “I love this one!”

“Thank you,” Bjørn said as Dani passed the phone to JT and Tally.

“And who might you know that could help you get a show here in the city?” Malcolm grinned.

“You’re into the art scene?” Bjørn lifted a single eyebrow, Spock-like.

“Mother is. I’ll have her poke around, see if there’s any interest.”

Bjørn beamed. “Thanks.”

“This is fascinating work, Bjørn. I don’t know much about art, but I’d like to see this up close,” Tally said.

“Thanks. Yeah, if my dad knew he had a gay artist son, he probably would have drowned me in a toilet.”

“And now my dad knows he has a bi kid.” Malcolm shrugged. “He was more put out by my refusal to have children.”

“Have you spoken to your mother about that yet?” Dani asked.

“No, I’m putting it off.”

Dani gave him the gimlet eye. “Why? Dragging it out will only make it worse.”

“I can’t see how. Right now, we’re not talking much. It’ll be fine. It’s not the worst it’s ever been.”

“Jackie,” Bjørn said, and Malcolm nodded.

“What about Jackie?” Dani asked.

“Mother didn’t go to her funeral or send flowers or talk to Gil and send her condolences. I was furious with her.”

“You were pissed,” Bjørn corrected. “How long did it take for you to speak to her again?”

“Six months. Gil had to sit me down and say enough’s enough. Talk to your mother. I guess if he could forgive her, I needed to do the same. I am still disappointed in her for it but I understand it better now.”

“She was carrying a torch and was jealous,” Dani said. “And now they’re dating.”

“Wait? What?” Bjørn twisted on his chair. “When were you planning to tell me?”

“It’s new. I was working my way up to the weirdness that this is.” Malcolm pushed his bowl away. “Anyone for dessert?”

“You’re singing the song of JT’s people.” Tally grinned.

“Damn straight.”

Malcolm let the dessert discussion wash over him. He put in his own choice but he let himself relax and enjoy their company, feeling confident for the moment that Gwen wouldn’t kill, at least not tonight. He’d earned the right to relax a little and he was claiming it.

Chapter Text

Chapter Eighteen

Another day, another group visit with Dad, Malcolm thought as they moved en masse down the hall. Mr. David didn’t even appear surprised as he let them in. His father, on the other hand, managed a supremely disappointed air at not getting alone time, sparing his most hateful expression for Gil naturally.

“This is becoming a thing, Malcolm. Shall I pencil you all in? Before or after group therapy?”

“It can be never again, Dr. Whitly,” Malcolm replied, fooling absolutely no one. “This will be quick again. We were nearby so we stopped to see what your thoughts are about Gwen’s response.”

“What could possibly be nearby?”

“A shop selling burner phones. Also, a park that intersects with our last case,” JT replied.

“Ah, please tell me all about that.” His father sat on the edge of his bed, templing his fingers over his gut.

Malcolm scowled. “No.”

“Did he take souvenirs? Archie ate his as you know,” his father plowed on.

“I don’t have time for this,” Malcolm said. Brown had sequestered the missing uteri in the park along with a few other body parts. Malcolm had insisted on seeing it in person. “I’m taking off the rest of the day so I really do want to make this quick.”

“A day off?”

“Bjørn is in town and I want to show him around.”

“You could have brought him for a visit. I like meeting your friends.” His father eyed Dani and JT even as he pouted. JT scowled.

“Let’s see, I could go to the Guggenheim with Bjørn or bring him somewhere he has to sign off on paperwork saying Claremont isn’t responsible if you maim him psychologically or physically, which should I pick?” Malcolm made weighing motions with his hand, earning himself a death glare.

“How come we didn’t get that consideration,” JT stage whispered to Dani.

“You’re not a sensitive artist,” she replied.

“Can you just answer the question, Dr. Whitly so I can go collect Bjørn and get him moved over to Gil’s instead of the hotel.”

“Gil’s,” his father said, in a silky tone as he meandered over to his desk. “Playing host, Gil, or are you too busy taking out my wife?” He snatched up a newspaper, brandishing it.

“I can do both.” Gil shrugged one shoulder, not impressed by his picture in the paper with Jessica at Liu’s. “Your thoughts, Dr. Whitly, or we have no reason to stay. I’m sure Bjørn’s sitting in the lobby with his luggage waiting on Malcolm and me.”

“Do you think Malcolm is in more danger?” Dani redirected his father masterfully. His facial expression said that was exactly the right button to push.

“I do. I think you might be putting your friend at risk, Malcolm, by being seen about town with him.” Tossing the newspaper, he picked up a piece of paper off his desk.

“I disagree. If it was Roisin, yes. But other than one kiss that I shut down, Bjørn has never done anything that would be considered inappropriate.”

“Ah, then you don’t know another video came in only ten minutes ago. I was just about to sit down with it over my morning tea.” His father paused in the light as he crossed the room, almost as if sensing it caught in his curls, rendering him nearly angelic. The man had showmanship if nothing else.

“I hate every part of this.” Malcolm ran a hand over his hair. “Fine, show us.”

“I thought you were in a rush.” His sweet smile hid a serpent’s tongue.

“I can watch it on my phone. I was being generous.”

His father walked to the line and thrust out the piece of paper. “I have another response to Gwen since you did use most of mine. I was surprised you left in the bit about Gil.”

“I told him to,” Gil replied.

“Color me surprised.”

“Gwen expects you to feel a certain way about me. If we played it any other way, she could either be disappointed and act out or get suspicious. Malcolm, are you sure you want to do this here?”

“We have to watch it one way or the other. He’ll just watch it before we can get back to the station. I can add context.”

“Son, so far, very little of this has needed context.” His father laughed. “You had fun in college, is there more context needed?”

“Fine.” He gestured to the computer knowing it was probably a mistake to let his father be the one who got to run it but he’s the one who had opened the door to this.

His father practically bounced back to his desk, and he turned the computer monitor so they could all see it. “It’s titled Drunken Idiocy. See? Very little need for context.”
Malcolm sighed loudly and his father downloaded the video. It was a surprisingly shaky camera phone video of a pub, the Green Fiddle, owned by some cousin of Gil’s mother. Suzume’s voice came over the video.

“This is going to be good,” JT chuckled wickedly.

Malcolm and his father both turned to stare at Gil. JT and Dani shared in that astonishment. He barely found his voice to ask, “What the hell was that?”

Gil squirmed. “I have absolutely no memory of that night!”

“Twelve beers in, no wonder. That’s how it is, right? A drink in every pub?” JT asked.

“And more if you didn’t follow the rules, like the only drink with your left-hand thing,” Gil said.

“You can’t remember anything?” Malcolm narrowed his eyes, and Gil shook his head.

“Do you remember the morning?” His father asked but Malcolm didn’t want an answer.

“I’m not sure I remember anything for days.”

“I woke up in a tub,” Malcolm said. “How I didn’t die of alcohol poisoning I’ll never know.”

“I was wondering that myself, son.” His father side eyed him, and then fast forwarded the recording, which went black soon after Bjørn and Roisin tried to haul Malcolm out the door toward a cab. Gil left with Jackie and Jessica on either arm, Jackie loudly promising to help Jessica get home safely. Gil’s mother didn’t leave at all. However, Suzume had spliced something more to into the Christmas tape. It was all of them in the dining room of the house they had rented for the holidays. Jackie, his mother, and Gil were at the table with Jaylin, Bjørn, and Roisin. Everyone looked exhausted. Malcolm stumbled in, red eyed and disoriented.

“Oh god, you’re so green!” Dani said.

“I am sure I’m dead at that point.”

“Thanks Mom,” Malcolm grumbled, ignoring JT’s snickering.

“I have the worst friends and family,” Malcolm grumbled, and Dani patted his back.

“Et tu, Gil?” Malcolm glared up at Gil.

Gil shrugged one shoulder. “I know you.”

“What if I hadn’t eaten the creepy pudding?”

Gil turned on heel to face him head on. “You’d have thrown up over something.”

JT snickered, “Bro, you had two sets of parents for all intents and purposes and…”

“They both sort of suck?” Malcolm raised his eyebrows at Gil.

“That’s a harsh assessment, son, though since three of them did try to kill you with alcohol poisoning…”

“You don’t get to comment after all the damage you did to my liver with chloroform,” Malcolm huffed. “And the actual attempt on my life.”

“I don’t think the video is done.” Dani nodded to the screen which had faded out and had come back with a beach scene.

“Now this is more like it,” JT said. “Except…why is everyone wrapped in blankets?”

“It’s Christmas Day,” Gil said. “Some parts of Ireland have a tradition of racing into the sea….I’m not exactly sure why.”

“You aren’t going to, right?” Dani shook her head as Suzume’s tight camera work opened up on her friends in shorts and sweatshirts. Even Gil had on the attire along with Jackie. Jessica wore a fashionable coat but had on sandals. Their conversation had been muted while Suzume voice overed the holiday tradition as they stripped to their swimsuits.

JT laughed so hard Malcolm thought he hurt himself.

“Eschewing gender roles I see, son.”

“I’m comfortable with my manhood, thank you. Was that the only video?”

“This time. And in case you’re wondering, the email only said, you might want to know how Malcolm’s parental figures failed him. It goes a long way to explaining why he is how he is.”

“As if you didn’t get the ball rolling on that. All right then, I guess we can go.”

“Next time you visit maybe you can not bring an entourage.”

“As I said, this wasn’t a social call. We were at work and no one wanted to sit in the car on a hot summer day. I probably won’t be back, what with Bjørn visiting and the charity ball only a couple days away.”

“You’ll be back,” his father replied in that knowing, irritating way he had.

“Goodbye Dr. Whitly.” Malcolm left the room with the team in tow. He waited until they were in JT’s car – he and Dani in the back – before asking. “So, you really don’t remember if what looks like could have happened really happened?”

Gil looked into the rear view. “I literally remember nothing of that night after about the fifth pub but I can’t imagine your mother sharing with Jackie.”

“I suppose you could ask your mother,” JT said, pulling out into traffic.

“I can only imagine that conversation. Mother, do you remember the Christmas we spent in Ireland and the time you might have had a threesome with Jackie and Gil?”

“With your life choices, do you really think you get to weigh in on this topic?” JT asked.

“When it’s my two mothers, yes! But on the other hand, I don’t want to know…ever.”

“As drunk as I was, if I was capable of anything like that, I’m impressed with myself.” Gil snorted.

“Images no one needs,” Dani said. “Your life is illuminating, Bright.”

“My name promises it, right?”

“Your sense of humor is…wonky. I’m assuming you at least recovered from the icy ocean.” Dani nudged his ribs.

“The whole vasectomy discussion looming over me wouldn’t be necessary otherwise…thought it might have been a moot point there for a while. I do wonder about the sanity of the Irish in general. On the other hand, it’s one of the best Christmases I almost remember.” He grinned.

Dani laughed leaning forward to nudge JT’s elbow. “Your phone synched with the radio?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Hand it over.”

Bemused, he did and Dani pulled up something. The next thing Malcolm knew was the first strains of Freak Like Me blasted out of the radio. “This is the right song, right? The one you and Roisin liked that was tattooed on Brown’s victim.”

He nodded. “That’s it.”

“You like this music?” JT shot Malcolm a look over his shoulder. “Doesn’t sound like a you thing.”

“Roisin got him into Halestorm,” Gil said.

JT grimaced, listened a bit, and then laughed. “Okay, I get it. It’s Bright’s theme music.”

“That’s not how I’d put it,” Malcolm said. “But I guess I do identify with it.”

“I like it,” Dani said. “I cannot say the same about the Dropkick Murphys.”

“I appreciate you tried,” he assured her and settled back to listen.

Once the song was over they started talking about what they had seen in the park with Brown’s stash point and what they hoped crime scene techs would come up with to help further nail down the case against Brown. As for the phone shop, the surveillance video had been useless. The woman in the video could have been anyone. She had long dark hair and big sunglasses and a ball cap that all but screamed ‘I know there are cameras and I’m not going to get caught on them.’ She even seemed to be wearing heels to throw off height estimates. It unfortunately wasn’t likely to lead them anywhere because naturally she was smart enough to pay in cash.

Malcolm had put it out of mind as much as he could. So long as he could keep Gwen focused on sending videos and doubting her career in serial murder maybe people would stay alive until they found a way in to catch a clue. The video sent today wasn’t one of the ones Suzume had made recently available. It was something that had been snagged before the tracers were put on.

Once back at the station, he fetched his garment bag out of Gil’s office. He had brought a change of clothing even though he knew Gil had probably been rolling his eyes at him for turning up in a suit for the brief period of time he would be working. Malcolm couldn’t help it. That’s how he was trained to turn himself out. He dropped the blinds and changed quickly. Gil knocked and came in just as Malcolm was tucking his suit into the garment bag.

“I have a few things I have to deal with before we go get Bjørn.”

“Okay.” Malcolm hated that Gil would have to take a couple hours of personal time for him. He’d maxed out his sick hours with his recovery and most of his vacation days too. He’d make it up to Gil later.

He started out for the break room for some crappy coffee, which was better than no coffee when he spotted his sister and Lavinia in the bullpen talking to Detective Stiles. He meandered over to them but kept his distance until Grace waved him over.

“Can I help you, Bright?” she asked.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt. I just wanted to say hi to my sister.” He inclined his head to Ainsley.

“No problem. They had questions about the serial rapist case I’m working on. Lavinia is going to do some ride alongs with me,” Grace said in a tone that had him doubting she was fully onboard. The upper brass had probably arranged it in exchange for something with the station. “We’re done for now.”

“Oh, good.”

“Thanks, detective, Ainsley said. “I’m sure spending some days with you will help Lavinia out.”

“I’m thinking maybe one of those shows on ID Discovery could be an interesting thing to host,” Lavinia said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See you then,” Grace replied.

“I was about to get crappy coffee if you two want some.” Malcolm pointed to the break room.

“Pass. Want to go out for real coffee?” Ainsley swept her gaze over him taking in his grey slacks and deep blue short sleeved shirt. “You’re dressed down today.”

“I’m taking the day off. I texted you about Bjørn being in town. He and I are going to go out to do something.” He shrugged. “Gil and I are heading out to see him shortly so no time for real coffee I’m afraid.”

“We have a few minutes,” Ainsley said, falling into step with him. Lavinia followed them.

“Seriously though, Malcolm, are you okay? Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad you’re going out with Bjørn but you look wrung out.”

He sighed. He had always struggled to fool Ainsley. “I am. You know how well I sleep, and I had to see Dad today.”

Lavinia perked up at that but of course she would. She was a beginning journalist, and The Surgeon was a juicy topic, especially if she had an interest in crime reporting. Ainsley on the other hand scowled at him.

“You shouldn’t go there. Neither of us should.”

Malcolm wished he could believe Ainsley. A year ago, he would have believed she wanted him to have nothing to do with their father. Hell, it wasn’t even that long ago she had pleaded with him to stay away, warned him to not let Martin Whitly back into his head, had reacted with horror when she saw multiple phone messages from him. When he thought about it, that’s when things had changed, her hearing their father’s voice for the first time since she had been a very young child. She went from the safe sane Whitly to whatever it was she was now. Killed in self-defense? Full on murderer?

He shuddered and grabbed for the coffee pot, not wanting to think about it. It would be easier to swallow self-defense if he hadn’t seen her in Riker’s taking their father’s hands, talking him up, getting him past his fear, encouraging him to let loose the monster inside him. He’d never forget the pride in their father’s voice when he uttered those two little words, My Girl. Ainsley was his child more than Malcolm ever would be.

“I know that, Ainsley, but it’s for a case. I’m worried that she’s going to go from stalking to murder.” Malcolm poured his coffee, watching Lavinia’s eyes spark but there was something other than pure curiosity in her face.

“Stalker?” she asked.

He shook his head. “Sorry, shouldn’t have mentioned it. I can’t talk about an active case. Ainsley knows the one I mean. Anyhow, I was reminded today of the holiday in Ireland and the twelve pubs of Christmas. Also, sorry, we only have paper cups here. I hope that’s okay.”

“Better than Styrofoam.” Ainsley shrugged at the same time Lavinia asked, “Twelve pubs of Christmas.”

“It’s a tradition in Ireland, or at least in Dublin, a twelve pub long pub crawl.” Malcolm shook his head. “I have no idea why I agreed to it. My liver must still hate me. But what little I remember of it was fun. Roisin was always fun. She was my girlfriend in college,” he added for Lavinia’s sake.

“I elected to go to Miami for the holidays with Bethany and that’s when you decided to be super fun.” Ainsley eye rolled.

“You weren’t old enough to pub crawl.”

“In Ireland I was, and Mom probably would have let me.” Ainsley took the cup he offered her. “I know you have to be feeling pretty sad thinking about Roisin, especially after what happened to Eve.”

He nodded, handing a cup to Lavinia who shot him a curious look. “Roisin committed suicide a few years ago, and Eve was murdered a few months ago.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Thank you. Anyhow, you didn’t hang around here to talk about that. I never did get to ask, Ainsley, who are you bringing to Mother’s dinner?”

“I didn’t tell you? I have to work. I’m on the air that night. You’ll have to fend off Wayland and Aunt Audrey yourself.” Ainsley beamed at him.

“That is worse than this coffee.”

“Are you sure?” Lavinia eyed her cup, and he laughed.

“I’m sure. You’re lucky but I think Dani and I will enjoy ourselves a little, probably more than Gil will at any rate.”

“I just realized if something happens all three of you will be on the same case.” Ainsley’s eyes widened in horror. “Mother will lose it entirely if you three have to abandon her party.”

“I will move back to Boston in that case,” he assured his sister. “Gil’s cousins are on the force there. I’m sure he can swing me a job.”

“Don’t worry, Gil will be living with you.” Ainsley patted his back as they walked back out into the bullpen area, laughing loudly.

Gil glanced up from where he’d been talking to Dani at her desk. “What’s so funny?”

“What will happen if you, Dani and I get called to work and have to miss Mother’s party.”

Gil winced. “That will not be funny. There will be a triple homicide and JT won’t have to work hard to solve it.”

“No kidding.” Dani rolled her eyes.

“Okay I can take you to get Bjørn now.”

“Let me get my suit. Nice seeing you again, Lavinia and Ains, I’ll be okay.”

“I hope so. Tell Bjørn I said hi.”

“Will do.” Malcolm ditched the bad cup of coffee and grabbed his suit, looking forward to time with Bjørn. In the back of his mind, he made a note to ask Ainsley more about Lavinia. She had him curious.

Chapter Text

Chapter Nineteen

Dani could barely breathe, looking at herself in the mirror. The day of the charity party arrived and somehow she felt unprepared for the event in spite of it all. Jessica had swooped in with a practiced air and helped out. Dani had gone with her hair up but not as severe as she’d worn it at the Taylor wedding. Loose curls dangled artfully as the stylist Jessica had hired for Dani finished packing up. She’d done Dani’s makeup as well, her eyes smoky with a hint of glitter and her lips painted a deep plum. The stylist had left Dani with the tube of lipstick for touch ups later and scooted out of the room. The woman in the mirror didn’t even seem like Dani. She truly was the fairytale princess. Dani still had on her thick robe when someone knocked on the door with an hour yet to go on before she was expected downstairs for the pre-dinner mingle.

Dani answered it, wondering if it was another servant. She would not be able to get used to that but maybe she was kidding herself. Instead, it was Bright. He was already mostly in his tux but wasn’t wearing the jacket yet. Of course, he looked perfectly put together. He’d been born to this.

“Just checking to see how it was going.” He looked her up and down. “Perfectly I see.”

Dani ducked her chin. “Are you going to be a shameless flatterer all night, Bright?” What JT had said about how quickly Bright had talked Eve into his bed echoed in her brain. Damn if Bright didn’t look good in his tux and naturally he smelled fantastic too. It was something woodsy with hints of orange, cream and damn it, bergamot. She was becoming able to smell it on him easily. He was doing this on purpose, wasn’t he?

“I shall be a gentleman,” he assured her.

But what if she didn’t want him to be? Dani cinched her robe tighter around that thought. “Good.” That’s when she noticed he had a velvet box in his hand but he set it on the bookshelves of her bedroom’s sitting area. And seriously, who had bedrooms with a sitting area? Hers had books galore jammed into it.

Bright touched one of the spines. “I stocked most of these shelves. I’m sure there’ll be something you’ll enjoy.”

“You think I’ll have time to read?” She arched an eyebrow at him.

Bright shrugged. “I suppose it depends on how tonight goes. Did Mother show you where everything was in the bath?”

“I’m sure I can figure it out.”

Ignoring her, Bright crossed the room to the en suite. He didn’t go in as if maybe worried he’d spot something he shouldn’t, like her underwear. He pointed to the closet door along one wall. “You’ll find towels in there, and I think you’ll like the bath oils, which are also in there.” He turned and put his back against the doorframe. “Do you have something to change into for a walk along the beach?”

“You’re serious about that?”

“I am unless you’re having fun. We can stay and dance as long as you like. If you’re bored, let me know and we’ll escape. Trust me, Dani, once we get past the dinner party and I buy you a few drinks for charity, Mother won’t care if we run away.”

“What did I tell you about that fancy cocktail, Bright? I swear if you buy me a ten thousand dollar cocktail someone will be tripping over your corpse in the sand.”

“I got that. I’ll get you something a little more price friendly, which still will be eye rollingly expensive.”

“I’m sure every part of this night is. Okay, Bright, tell me, what’s in that box you brought?”

“The jewelry.”

“And you just left it on a shelf?”

He laughed at her panicked tone. “Dani, we’re standing right here. I’ll help you put it on once you’re dressed.”

“Oh no you don’t. You take that box back with you until I’m ready.” She couldn’t imagine a quarter of a million dollars in jewelry just lounging on the bookshelf. He was right. She was being ridiculous. What could possibly happen with her in the room? Even so, Dani didn’t want to risk it.

“Okay.” He walked over and picked up the box. “I’m just across the hall. Get me when you’re ready. And Dani, you really do look lovely.”

“I’m in a robe, Bright.”

“Even so. And for tonight, can you call me Malcolm?”

There was something painfully shy in that, and Dani thought about it for moment. Even Vijay had called him Whitly. Colette had been barely able to utter any part of his name. Roisin had called him by nicknames unless alone. She and JT only ever called him Bright, Edrisa too. He was Bright, her friend, but tonight he was more, wasn’t he?

“Of course.”

She watched him disappear out the door, a happy smile on his face. Time seemed to warp and suddenly she had very little of it left to finish getting ready. The blue dress pulled up over her like a silky second skin. The little beads on it caught the light, shattering it around her. Her heels made it worth the battle to get nylons up over her legs. She hadn’t brought her own perfume but she had lied to Jessica that she had because in that moment she realized Jessica expected it. She had also offered Dani use of some of the perfumes in the medicine cabinet. Dani tentatively dabbed on Gucci’s Bloom. The heady mix of honeysuckle, jasmine and rose tickled her nose, beautiful. She whispered on more of it before going to knock on Bright’s door.

By the time he opened it, he had on his jacket and bow tie, looking perfect. The man was made to wear suits. His room didn’t have bookshelves in its little sitting area. Instead it had a fireplace with a couch and a table with a whiskey set. His window was open, and she heard the ocean.

“You look fine, Malcolm.”

He grinned, giving her an appreciative glance, nothing too lingering or smarmy but he obviously liked what he saw. “Thanks, and that dress is beautiful. Ready?” He opened the velvet box. She sat on the couch because she doubted he could easily put the sapphire and diamond art deco floral fantasy of a necklace on her when she towered over him in heels. Malcolm slipped the necklace on expertly and helped her with the matching bracelet. He ushered her into his bathroom so she could use the mirror to put on the sapphire earrings and ring. Dani took stock of her metallic blue gown with its plunged neckline with a strap of material between her breasts which probably did more to call attention to them than anything else. She hoped most gazes would center on the stunning necklace. Malcolm grinned over her shoulder at her in the mirror.

“See? They’re perfect with your dress.”

“I promised Tally a picture.” Dani dug in the tiny purse she had for the dress, barely big enough for the lipstick and her phone.

“There’ll be a professional photographer but sure, grab a few now. Want me to take the picture and also not here in the bathroom. Go over by the fireplace. It’s more picturesque.”

Dani handed him the phone and let him position her like a model in front of the ornate marble fireplace. After a couple of pictures, she waved him over, slipping a hand around his waist. “You need to be in some. Don’t tell JT but Tally thinks you have the prettiest eyes.”

Roses bloomed on his cheeks as he tucked alongside of her.

“She’s not wrong,” Dani added just to watch his blush grow. The camera probably captured it. Dani stared at the heavy ring on her finger, still amazed she was being allowed to wear it and that it even fit. “I’m still nervous as hell wearing all this.”

He took her hand. “It’ll be fine. Shall we?”

“You’re leading the show tonight.”

Dani pondered the fact he didn’t let go of her hand as he escorted her down the stairs and shifted her grip so she could take his arm when they got downstairs. The princess feeling redoubled as he ushered her into the large ballroom because yes, this house was old enough and grand enough to have one. A few tables had been set up along the periphery and a couple of them already had people seated at them. At the far end was the cash bar that would no doubt earn even more money for the charity.

Bright scanned about, a little wrinkle forming in his brow. He turned them around and Dani found herself led into the living room. Gil stood next to another fantastic fireplace, looking bored already as Jessica spoke to a woman with an expensive looking camera around her neck. Gil brightened when he saw Dani, hurrying across the room to greet her.

“Powell, you look amazing.”

“And look at 007.” She smiled. Who knew Gil would clean up so well other than Jessica who no doubt saw the potential. Of course Jessica looked stunning in a deep green dress with a scalloped halter top and a skirt that quit just above the knee, surrounded by a floor length fall of fringe that played peek-a-boo with her shapely legs. Dani hoped to age as well as Jessica had.

“And Bright talked you into the jewels. They are beautiful,” Gil said, looking as if he wanted to touch them to prove they were real. Dani understood the feeling.

“She’s still nervous about them.” Bright rolled his eyes, and she wanted to kick him in his ass.

“You’re not the one strutting around with expensive rocks dangling from you or are you?” She pushed on his sapphire cufflinks that she just noticed. Gil’s were emeralds and no doubt borrowed from Jessica’s forefathers. Anything of Martin’s had been disposed of according to Malcolm.

“Oh, just look at you two,” Jessica gushed, turning to them. “You will steal the show.”

Part of Dani wanted to fly under the radar but a louder part of her was beginning to enjoy the attention. She studied the tear drop emerald and diamond on Jessica’s ring and the emerald the size of a robin’s egg resting against her pale skin, dangling from a silver chain that seemed too fragile for the job. “You look beautiful, Jessica.”

“Thank you, dear. This is Ashley. She’ll be taking photographs. Just a few more of me and Gil with them if you will Ashely, and then some of Malcolm and Dani together. I have to begin circulating.”
“Of course, Mrs. Whitly.”

Dani found herself roped into a few pictures with Jessica, Gil, and Malcolm. In the back of her mind, the words ‘family portrait’ tumbled around. The thought shook her, and she hoped it didn’t show on the camera. This could be her family in the future. Malcolm wasn’t the only one who saw Gil as a surrogate father. Initially she hadn’t wanted to come to this charity dinner but as the day of the event drew closer, Dani hadn’t just warmed to the idea. She found the idea of actually being Malcolm’s date, and just not a friend he’d asked because he didn’t want to be alone, more and more appealing. It wasn’t just how good he looked in a tux or the blue of his eyes or even how good he smelled. Oh those things had their appeal too –Dani didn’t deny it – but there was much more to him than what was on the surface.

Malcolm was a kind and gentle soul that got battered about for no good reason by too many people. Yes, she’d have to bend her golden rule about liars for him but his reasoning about the lies he told during the investigation into Eddie’s murder were solid ones. What if he’s lying about other things? Would he confess Dani wasn’t sure she wanted to know that answer.

Jessica left quickly but Gil stayed for a couple more shots with the two of them, some with just Malcolm, and some with just her. Malcolm insisted Ashley take a few of Dani alone. She felt posed like a model in them but deep inside, it excited her. The ones with Malcolm were equally pulse racing. Finally, he escorted her back into the ball room. More people had arrived. Ashley went off to do her job as Malcolm scanned the room. He pulled a long face.

“Great. Aunt Audrey and Wayland are of course on time. I’m going to need that drink. Let’s get something.” He steered her toward the bar without waiting for her answer.

“Are they that bad?” Dani suspected the elderly woman seated at a table watching the proceedings with an obvious air of disdain was likely to be Aunt Audrey.

“Yes.” He pointed to the menu on a chalkboard behind the bar. “What would you like?”

She knitted her brow. “Penicillin?”

“Dumb name, good drink, it’s scotch, ginger, and honey syrup.”

“I think I’ll stick with the chocolate martini.”

“Good.” The people at the bar made room for him. “A chocolate martini and scotch neat.”

Dani tried not to look at the money he laid down on the bar for the drinks but she was sure it was a week’s pay. As he led her away once they had their drinks in hand, she said, “I’m really uncomfortable with this.”

“I know. Nurse it if you’d like. I won’t be getting much more but you can have what you’d like.” He eyed her. “You don’t drink much, do you?”

“Not really.” His expression revealed his ‘profiler face.’ He was wondering if she didn’t drink because of her addiction issues, which fair enough, if it was true.

“Me either. Doesn’t mix with my meds.” He cast a gaze across the room. “Wayland’s enough for me to want to play Russian roulette with a coma.”

“Behave.”

He shot her an impish grin and took the initiative. He went directly to his aunt’s table. No doubt it would have been worse down the road had he avoided her. “Good evening Aunt Audrey, Wayland.”

“Is it?” Audrey asked, her voice had none of the quivery notes Dani associated with some old people. Wayland might have been a year or two older than Malcolm with thinning dirty blond hair. His small eyes never left her, leaving behind the feeling she needed to scrub her skin clean. Audrey swept her gaze over Dani for a moment before immediately dismissing her. “After what you and your sister did, I don’t know how any of us can hold our heads up.”

“And yet you came? I guess you found a way,” Malcolm said as Gil drifted their way.

“Don’t be a smarmy mouth,” Audrey said and her grandson smirked at Malcolm. She made a sharp motion at Gil. “My drink has run dry.”

“Gil isn’t the help, Aunt Audrey. He’s mother’s date,” Malcolm growled out.

“And that means he can’t get me a drink?”

“I’m sure I can find someone to get you one,” Gil said, his eyes narrowed. Malcolm lifted his eyebrows, patting his pocket. Dani swore he was signaling Gil to slip one of the benzos Gil was probably carrying for either Malcolm or his mother into Audrey’s drink. Gil took off, obviously regretting ever coming over.

“Who is she?” Audrey sniffed, waving a hand at Dani.

“Dani Powell, my date. Dani this is my Aunt Audrey and my cousin, Wayland.”

“Really? You expect me to believe she’s your date. How much are you paying her? I’ll double it.” Wayland didn’t even try to hide his eye banging.

Bright closed his fingers hard around Dani’s wrist to either stop her from punching Wayland or to stop himself. “Don’t be insulting to my girlfriend, Wayland. Just because your marriage is a dried-up shriveled husk of one.”

Wayland’s jaw clenched as his grandmother sniffed, flipping a dismissive hand at Dani. “That’s the best you can do? I don’t recognize that family name. She’s a nobody.”

“Not to me and even if she was, we can still be civil to nobodies,” Bright said. Dani was too shocked to even find her voice.

“I still don’t believe she’s your girlfriend.”

“Wayland, I don’t honestly care. I have better things I could be doing right now. I just didn’t want you to cause trouble for Mother if you thought I was rude by not coming over to say hello.”

“Plenty better things,” Dani took his drink from him. She slapped it down along with hers on the table in front of his bitchy aunt and then grabbed him.

Dani pulled Malcolm into what she meant to be a quick but enthusiastic kiss to hopefully scandalize the old prune and her mean-spirited grandson like she had promised to do when she agreed to the not-so-fake date. Malcolm’s lips tasted of the smoky scotch which mingled with the bergamot scent of his cologne, exciting her. That first kiss melted into something longer, warmer. She forgot there was someone watching as she let her fingers explore his back. His scruff scraped skin as she feathered kisses along his cheek and back again. She pressed her tongue into his mouth, tasting him, the warmth of the whiskey on his tongue as it warred with hers. She hadn’t expected Bright to be a great kisser, after hearing so many times how awkward he was with social things. She could kiss him all night and would have until he pulled away slightly.

It was then she realized Aunt Audrey had stormed off somewhere, taking Wayland with her. Malcolm’s lips were wet but miraculously not stained plum. This must be some killer lipstick. His chest heaved slightly, his eyes cloudy with so much lust Dani was shocked he had pulled away from her.

“That was…” he whispered.

“Stimulating.” She grinned.

“A little too.” He shifted his weight, his cheeks reddening.

“Oh,” she said as it hit her. “Oh!”

“Yeah, I am not up to having Mother lecture me about embarrassing her in public.” He chuckled self-deprecatingly.

But he was up, or at least half-mast. “That might be a bit much for this early in the evening,” Dani agreed.

“Especially after having to deal with the whole vasectomy talk. The less I have to say about my privates to Mother the better at this point.” He wagged his head.

“Oh, so you did talk to her. I’m assuming it didn’t go well.”

“Better than the first time. She listened but she had that look in her eye that said, ‘Malcolm Whitly if you think this is the end of it, you are sadly mistaken.” He fetched his scotch off the table. “Let’s circulate.”

“There’s a blonde in the corner watching us, like she wants to come over and tell me to quit manhandling her boyfriend.”

Malcolm followed Dani’s line of sight. “Oh, that’s Shannon, the one Mother would have made me bring if you had turned me down.”

Dani remembered how mean girl Ainsley and Malcolm had turned on the topic of Shannon. Of course, if she was half as dim as they made her out to be, she would have nothing to talk to Malcolm about. “I see.”

Shannon made it impossible to avoid her. Dani quickly learned the siblings had undersold how ignorant she was. Dani met a few other acquaintances of Malcolm’s only finding one of them worth talking to, a forty-something woman, Paige, who liked books and museums. Dani was never so happy to sit down to dinner.

She was used to the rubber chicken dinners at the charity dinners she’d been to at one or two police functions. She expected more from this. She found herself at the head of the table seated next to Jessica and Gil. Malcolm was nestled in between her and Gil and across the table were Audrey and Wayland. God, she hoped she didn’t have to talk to them. Malcolm had provided her with menu options a few days ago. Like Gil, she had opted for the beef tenderloin stuffed with artichoke hearts. Malcolm had bacon wrapped scallops on pineapple quinoa, something she never had gotten a taste for. Jessica had the sweet potato tortellini in hazelnut sauce that smelled so good, Dani wished she had gotten that right up until she tasted her beef.

She only managed a few more bites before Audrey asked Gil, “Do I know you?”

“I should hope so Aunt Audrey. He’s been to my parties before. He arrested Martin. He would have brought down Nicholas…” Jessica let that trail off.

“She thought he was the help the last time she saw him at one of your Christmas parties. It’s been several years,” Malcolm added, completely unhelpfully and entirely to be a little shit, Dani didn’t doubt.

His mother, however, appeared to be amused. Aunt Audrey not so much. Dani didn’t care. Malcolm was right. His aunt was utterly unpleasant. Gil, on the other hand, simply ignored her entirely which added fuel to the fire judging by the old woman’s expression.

Dani caught a motion out of the corner of her eye. She glanced down to see Malcolm had snuck a scallop onto her plate. He grinned at her. She tried the thing. She’d never had them before but hadn’t wanted to tell him that. She had almost ordered them but had been afraid she’d hate them. The thing tasted like nothing she’d imagined, salty and almost sweet. She could get used to this.

“Thanks.” Dani feathered a kiss over his cheek, making him grin wider. Wayland curled his lip at them. That might be sweeter than the crème brulee she knew was coming for dessert.

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty

Dinner flew by. Luckily, Paige had been seated within ear shot, above the salt as Wayland said as if unhappy about it. That got Bright and Paige launching into the history of the meaning of the phrase until Dani laughed at them and told him it was like being with Edrisa. Too bad she couldn’t whip out her phone and capture Bright’s pout at that. Dani tuned out most of Jessica’s spiel on the charity other than it was one Dani approved of. It wasn’t like she or Gil could contribute much to the cause other than their presence here.

Relief flooded her when the dinner, as fine as it was, broke up and the dancing started. The music was nothing she knew. She doubted it was even from this century or the last one. It had that old Vienna feel. Gil didn’t let that deter him. Who knew he could dance so well? Jessica had a dreamy expression on her face as she melted against him as Gil waltzed her along the ballroom floor. Bright seemed almost entranced by it. Of course, this was deeply weird for him, and she knew it.

Spotting Wayland making his way toward her, Dani decided to head that off at the pass. She took Bright’s hand. “Let’s dance.”

He shook himself as if coming out of a deep slumber and then smiled. “I would love to.” He took her hand and spun her out onto the dance floor. If her being taller than him in heels bothered Malcolm, he didn’t show it.

He might not know much about dancing to today’s music, if he was to be believed about that, but he’d obviously been schooled in all the dance moves a proper gentleman needed in Queen Victoria’s court. He masterfully guided her through the moves. She loved the press of his well-toned body against her. They danced several dances and had another drink before he finally leaned in close and whispered, “Do you want to stay or would you like that walk on the beach?”

“Beach please.”

Dani had enjoyed the evening a little more than she expected – his creepy cousin and aunt aside – but she’d had enough of being in hose and heels. At least all of great grandma Milton’s jewels had stayed right where they should. Dani followed Malcolm back upstairs and tugged him into her room.

“Help me out of all this jewelry,” she said.

“Sure.”

He removed her bracelet and necklace, putting both back in their velvet box carefully. She put the earrings and ring in with them. Malcolm snapped the box shut. “I’ll put it in the safe on our way out.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

After he disappeared, Dani eased her feet out of her heels, flexing her toes to get the feeling back in them. She peeled off the hose glad to be done with it. She hung up the dress. It would need dry cleaning but at least she hadn’t spilled anything on it or otherwise mangled it. She pulled on a pair of Bermuda shorts since it was going to still be quite warm out, and she pulled on a plain purple cotton t-shirt, now feeling woefully underdressed for the walk on the beach. She put on her sneakers. Dani went across the hall and knocked on Bright’s door.

To her shock, he had on cargo shorts and a blue t-shirt. She had no idea he ever wore shorts. A large bandage covered part of his arm where he had stitches from that night at Gil’s. She had nearly forgotten about that injury. Bright also had a blanket over his shoulder and a little basket. He hoisted it. “Some water for later and some cheese and crackers.”

“Sounds great.”

“Also, two flashlights so we don’t crash into random junk out there.”

“You planned ahead.”

“I did. I was very excited for this and I…have said too much.” He ducked his chin.

Dani took his arm, flashing him a coy smile. “You said just enough.”

Ebullient, he led her downstairs to a room she hadn’t seen before and put the velvet box in a wall safe before escorting her out a set of patio doors. Malcolm walked a short distance from the house and dropped both the blanket and the basket. He gave her one of the flashlights. Dani wasn’t entirely sure it was needed. There was plenty of light from the surrounding houses and moon hung fat and round overhead. She let him turn his on.

“Lead the way.” She gave his arm a squeeze.

Malcolm didn’t need to be told twice. He set off down the beach. They didn’t really talk much, merely enjoyed the scent of salt on the warm night breeze. Even in the day Dani wasn’t sure it was the most spectacular of beaches but no doubt it was very private. She almost felt as if she didn’t belong – and well, she really didn’t – but she didn’t voice that to Malcolm.

“You were talking poetry with Paige,” she said.

“Do you like poetry?” He couldn’t hide the hopeful tone.

“I haven’t been exposed to much of it.”

“That’s a shame. I mean, let’s be fair, some of it is pure crap like any other art form but some of it makes you think. Others lift you up.”

“I think good song lyrics do that too.” Dani paused, staring up at the moon. Was that a dumb thing to say? She hadn’t dated in so long This isn’t a real date! She shook her head. It hadn’t started out as a real date but it felt like one now.

“Lyrics are often poetry put to music.”

“Do you have a favorite poet?”

“I have several.”

“Can you tell me some?”

Malcolm stared out over the waves as if composing himself. “I think this is appropriate for tonight. It’s by Lord Byron. She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.”

Dani caught her breath, holding it for several heartbeats before letting it out. She obviously wasn’t the only one realizing this wasn’t a fake date any longer. “That was beautiful.”

“He has several that are beautiful. That is my favorite.” He brushed a strand of hair off her face. “I think it fits you.”

“You are going to be a shameless flatterer all night,” she said, breaking the spell. It was getting too close to dangerous.

“And a gentleman, as promised. Tell me some of your favorite lyrics.”

“That’s probably even harder than finding a favorite poem.” Dani gave it some thought before coming up with something. “When the river was deep, I didn't falter
When the mountain was high, I still believed
When the valley was low, it didn't stop me, no no
I knew you were waiting.”

Malcolm smiled. “I like it. What is it?”

“I Knew You Were Waiting For Me, an unlikely duet with Aretha Franklin and George Michaels.” She thought no more unlikely than her and Bright.

“I like that.” Malcolm her a little tighter into him as they walked back toward his mother’s home.

“I think it’s a nice sentiment,” she said. “And I like Aretha. I love a lot of the old R&B stuff. My father used to listen to it.”

“Hmm, nice memory to have I’m sure.”

“I have a lot of good memories about him,” she said, knowing that was shaky ground at least where Malcolm was concerned.

“Tell me about him… I mean, if that’s not too uncomfortable for you.”

“He was a cop too,” she said. “It’s what took him away.”

“I am sorry. There is no good time to lose a parent but it just seems harder when you’re young.” Malcolm slipped his arm around the small of her back.

“True. I don’t really want tonight to be depressing.”

“Then tell me one thing about him that brought you joy, besides the music.”

Dani leaned into his touch, thinking about that. “He worked hard and you know what this job is like, how much of our time it consumes, but he tried to be there as much as he could. He took me to all the fun things he could, and he gave me a sense of pride in where we lived.”

“Oh, I’ve heard that pride when you have talked about the Bronx.”

And she remembered him calling it her hood and it still made her cringe. He tried too hard sometimes. “Have you ever spent much time there?”

“The zoo,” he answered without hesitation. “That’s mostly what I’ve seen of the Bronx. Remember I spent much of my time as a kid in boarding school both before and after my father went away. I never got to play around in the city all that much.”

“Was it lonely?”

“Very. Even before I became Massacre Malcolm or Wicked Whitly or whatever else they could come up with to torment me.” He sighed. “I was so envious that Ainsley got to stay close by at Chapin.”

Chapin? Dani knew she shouldn’t be surprised but it was another reminder that they grew up in two completely different, entirely incompatible worlds. Malcolm could have turned out every bit the entitled dick his cousin Wayland was.

Malcolm paused, staring up at his mother’s house before turning off his flashlight. He tossed it toward the blanket and then toed off his shoes.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going to put my toes in the water.”

That sounded lovely. Dani followed suit, winging her shoes toward the blanket along with his. Malcolm took her hand and they sprinted down to the surf. The water washed over her feet, cold even in the summer heat. The sand tickled her as the tide receded drawing it along with the water. Malcolm didn’t wade too far out and she stuck close, not wanting her shorts to get saturated.

“Can you swim?” he asked.

“Yes. You aren’t thinking of dunking me, are you?” She side eyed him.

“How would that be me acting like a gentleman?”

“I’ve had people do that before.”

“No, and the waves here are mild but you can never quite trust the ocean.” Malcolm tilted his head back. Clouds swirled past the moon. “I do love it out here, even with his shadow hanging over it.”

“I wish you had a place where his shadow didn’t touch.”

“I do. Gil’s home, my loft, but I guess there are still hints of him because he’s here.” Malcolm tapped his temple. “It’s the worse in Mother’s home, of course.”

“I honestly don’t know how she can live there all things considered.”

“Mother is stubborn. She won’t let anything back her down. And she was raised with a strong sense of tradition. It’s not just that the Miltons have been in that house since the eighteen hundreds, Dani. We’ve been on that property in other homes since it was all woods and farmland. I’m pretty sure we had a relative caught up in the Salem witch trials. We’ve been here for almost four hundred years on that land.”

“I can’t even imagine that really.”

“We go back even further in England. We’re in the Doomsday book, which was completed before the year eleven hundred.”

“Wow…were you ever related to the royals?”

“I don’t think so but we were distantly related to John Milton.”

Dani made a face. “I know that name. Why do I know that name?”

“Paradise Lost, an epic poem about Satan, which, how ironic is that for my family. You know, Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.”

“Yes, that I know. Oh man, so some great great cousin wrote that?”

Malcolm nodded. “The Miltons are important, have been for a long time, so Mother stays in her haunted house and plans for my kids to be born and grow up there.” He sighed.

For a moment, Dani almost couldn’t blame Jessica for that, but she could almost feel Malcolm’s melancholia growing. She gave his hand a squeeze. “How about we go for that cheese and cracker basket?”

Under the moon’s silvery light, she saw him smile. “Gladly.”

They left the water, walking toward the blanket, sand sticking to their feet.

“And it better not be that stinky god-awful cheese you tried to make me eat when I took you home from Estime’s club.” Dani hip bumped him.

“Aww but the brie de Meaux is delicious.” He stooped to scoop up his shoes and the flashlight. Dani grabbed hers too.

“Bright, it smelled like feet. I’m not eating that.”

She knew he was pouting even if she couldn’t see it. She helped him straighten out the blanket. They both sat at the edge of the blanket, vainly trying to de-sand their feet.

“I’m not hearing it isn’t stink-cheese, Bright.”

“It’s not. One is a bourbon cheddar and the other is smoked gouda. The crackers are supposedly everything bagel crackers so we’ll see.”

Dani laughed suddenly.

“What?”

“Just thinking you finally got your wish. That night you wanted to dance so badly.”

“I did? I’m assuming we didn’t.” Malcolm stretched out on his side, rooting in the basket.

“I told you I was going to kick you in the business if you didn’t behave.”

“I must have behaved because I would have felt that in the morning.” Malcolm chuckled, taking a couple bottles of water out of the basket.

“You were too busy bragging on your business,” Dani teased.

He sat bolt upright. “I did not!”

“You did.”

“God. Tell me I didn’t try to show you.”

“You wouldn’t have your current elective surgery woes if you had,” she replied sweetly and he snorted.

Malcolm took the cheeseboard out of the basket because of course he had one. “I apologize for my behavior, which I had already assumed it was abysmal because you punched me out in the tub.”

“You actually weren’t that bad, Malcolm. And you were hallucinating badly at that point, fighting with me. I probably shouldn’t have punched you but you were getting hard to handle and I reacted.” Badly, she thought. Of course, if Malcolm had gotten hold of her when he’d been grappling with her, he could have easily done damage. It was easy to forget he was Quantico trained. She hadn’t seen him do much fighting but he knew how, and he knew how to subdue someone just as well as she did.

“I don’t blame you for that.”

“The best part of the night might have been you standing on the back of the couch trying to convince me to go throw axes with you.” She tried to lighten up the mood a little again.

Malcolm paused, cheese in hand. “I did what?”

“You heard me.” She dug the crackers out of the basket.

“Apparently whatever I inhaled really had its way with me.”

“Definitely.” She didn’t remind him that he had enjoyed the experience up until the hallucinations kicked in. She remembered how good drugs could make you feel. Let him forget that. “I’m glad you asked me here tonight. I have to admit, I wasn’t sure about it but I am having a good time.”

“Good. I was afraid you’d be bored.”

“I suppose hobnobbing is not the most stimulating of events but the food was good and the company,” she said and he ducked his head shyly grinning a little. “Thanks for sharing your scallops with me. I’ve never had those. I liked it.”

“I do too. I’m going to work on learning to cook them better,” he said in a tone that suggested there was more to it. “And thank you.”

“For what?”

“For coming. For putting up with me. For holding me up going through this mess with Gwen. For sticking with me in spite of what I’ve done.”

Dani put her hand over his as he reached for the crackers. “Malcolm, I thought we worked that out, that we were good as far as the stuff with Eddie.”

He averted his gaze. “We have but I was thinking…do you have any idea what it’s like for me sometimes? My trust has been so broken – not by you or JT – that I keep so much secret. I do things that make everyone crazy.”

“Like running into danger alone.”

“Like that. Like not being the man I want to be.”

Dani pushed the cheeseboard aside and tugged him against her. “How so? You are a good man, Malcolm. Surely you have to know that.”

“Am I really, Dani? Are you sure?”

She frowned. How had the evening turned so quickly? How deep was the scar she and JT had left on his soul? She caught his gaze and held it before saying, “I’m sure,” she said, because she was. “You’re flawed. Who isn’t? But you’re good.”

“The FBI said I was a psychopath.”

“And they are idiots because anyone can see how much you care.”

“My father faked it pretty good.”

“Are you faking? Bright, what is this about?”

“Shame,” he whispered. “I wanted to be good for you tonight but all I feel is shame.”

She cupped his hand in hers. “About lying to me and JT? Again, we’re past that.”

“Not that. I slipped. I called him Dad.”

Dani wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. “Bright, he is your dad, no matter what. I can’t imagine how hard it is for you, and I get that you feel ashamed because you still love him. You hate what he is and what he’s done, but you still love your father.”

“But I shouldn’t.”

Dani couldn’t see the tears in the dark but she heard them in Malcolm’s voice. She tightened her embrace. “I don’t know that I agree.”

“Roisin and Bjørn were able to hate their father,” he argued.

“And he hurt them while your dad did his best to be the perfect father. You said so to us early on, remember?” When he didn’t respond, Dani plowed on. “Did you know that BTK’s daughter wrote a book?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Because when it became obvious that Gil wanted me and JT to give you a chance, that we were going to have to work with you….”

“You didn’t want to do it,” he broke in, his voice quavering.

“That wasn’t what I was going to say.”

“I saw your face, Dani, when I said who I really am.”

“It was a shock and you’re right, we didn’t want to work with you …at first, but Gil was right. You’re one of us. And my point was BTK’s daughter talked about how she didn’t know the serial killer, didn’t want to know him. She knew her father, loved him, not the monster. I thought about you and how you have to feel. I don’t think you should feel ashamed because you still have those feelings for him but you also have to be sure he can’t use that to manipulate you because you know he’d try.”

“He already has.” Malcolm wiped his face.

“Then you stop him because I know you can.”

He made a hiccupping sound, trying to stop himself from crying. Dani rubbed his back. Malcolm slowly quieted. She let him go and reached for a water bottle. She cranked it open and gave it to him.

“Drink and let it go, Malcolm. You don’t have to be ashamed with me or JT. We aren’t going to blame you for all these complicated emotions. And I know you know Gil doesn’t, right?”

“I’m worried about him. My father hates him so much. He already did for years, naturally blaming Gil for his arrest but now…” Malcolm shook his head.

“Your father’s communications are monitored for the most part and you can get the email sessions to be proctored I’m sure. He can’t get to Gil.”

“I know but it still gets into my nightmares. But what if she didn’t want to embarrass me to make my father happy? What if she had skipped straight to targeting Gil?” He sighed. “I’m sorry. I ruined the evening.”

“You did not.” Dani soothed his arm and tried to bring things back on track. “I’m hungry. Let’s eat cheese!”

“Okay, yes. Let’s!”

Dani couldn’t tell which cheese was which in the dark – probably not in the light either – but it didn’t matter. She put a chunk on a cracker for him and one for herself. He chewed quietly. “You do get that no one on the team is ever going to blame you for your feelings or go blabbing them to just anyone, and I know that you probably are worried because the FBI did do that.”

“I know.”

“And I should have been more sensitive to your fear when we were at the morticians’ convention instead of tramping on your feelings. I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”

“I understand. You were thinking about your own father.”

“Not a great excuse.” Dani popped the cheese into her mouth. It was the bourbon cheddar.

“I felt worse about that time I was very thoughtless about Edrisa. It’s like kicking a puppy.”

“She’s tougher than that.”

“Oh, I know. She set me straight.”

Dani snorted. “I’m almost sorry I missed that.”

“It was something to see. She might be slow to anger but that is a button you do not want to push.” He chuckled self depreciatingly.

“JT got Edrisa angry once. It was epic.” Dani handed him another cracker. “Remind me to show you a picture of my father sometime. I think I’d like you to get to know him a little.”

“I would like that very much.” Malcolm actually ate the second cracker. And then he slowly turned toward her and held her gaze. “You’re beautiful, Dani,” Malcolm said softly. You know that right? I don’t mean just physically…well, yes, that too obviously. But I mean your heart. You have been nothing but kind to me, even when you weren’t that thrilled to be working with me. You stood up for me to the FBI. You read that book to try to get a sense of what it’s like to be me and I’m not sure anyone has tried that before. You are one of the few people outside my family who thinks that I’m not so broken that it’s not worth putting time into me…that I can be fixed,” he said as he slowly looked down.

The idea that she was beautiful to him overwhelmed her. She hadn’t expected that.

“Malcolm, you are worth it. I’m sorry that you have been told otherwise because I know you have. I can even tell you at least one of the people on your former team who has.” Dani cracked her cracker, clenching it as she thought of Colette Swanson. She appreciated that Swanson had wanted to give her a hand up career wise. Too bad she wanted to do it standing on Bright’s back.

“That they thought I’m a psychopath hurt,” he whispered, lying back on the blanket, one hand over his eyes.

She remembered Swanson saying how dangerous Bright was and there was some truth in that but when he was given a team he could trust he made better choices, not great ones still but better. “So, when did they say that?”

“When they fired me.”

“What exactly did you do? Gil never said and Swanson merely said it was a pattern of behavior, not one thing.”

“Lost my temper and punched a cop.”

“That’ll do it,” Dani said trying to keep it light as she set the cheese aside. She had known the reason, or at least the one the rumor mill had generated and she was almost surprised he’d been honest about it. Something fluttered inside her belly, an ugly feeling of memories of a man with a temper. She had seen Malcolm’s temper before, flinched away from it but he was grieving over Eve. Would she have acted better if someone had murdered her lover? If someone had framed her for murder? She stretched out next to him on the blanket, looking up at the stars. She wasn’t worried that Malcolm would hit her. He wasn’t Khalil. Even Khalil hadn’t been physical…much. He knew Dani could kick his ass. No, he went for the gas lighting and emotional abuse.

She wanted to recoup the good feelings from earlier. “It’s beautiful out here, Malcolm. I grew up in the city. I never got to see night skies like this.”

“Yeah, even with the light pollution here you can still see so much. I loved going in the woods as a kid. The stars were so big. I’m not sure I could ever do that again.” He sighed. “Another thing he took from me.”

She looked over at him. “It was my former boyfriend that hurt me,” she said softly. “That time taught me lessons but slowly and done the hard way. I did end up going through my own dark period and then rehab and all that but I learned something. We give them too much power over our lives. We need to take some of it back.”

“You’re right. I know that.”

“It’s hard, I know.”

“Very.”

“Maybe you should try going out to the woods someday, just to see if you can get it back, if that’s something you really enjoyed,” Dani suggested, interlacing her fingers with his.

“I’m not sure I’m brave enough to do it on my own.”

“You don’t necessarily have to do it alone.”

“I know that but I’m not sure what to do about it. I can count my friends on my fingers. Bjørn, Star, Suzume and Jaylin live in Boston and Suzume and Jaylin have a kid.”

“I’m trying to picture Vijay in the woods, and it is so ludicrous, I can’t even.”

Malcolm chuckled. “Nor can I. That leaves you, Gil, Edrisa, and JT. Don’t get me wrong. Gil would do it though I’m ninety percent sure Mother wouldn’t, not even for me. She hated camping when I was a kid which I’m sure suited Dad well. I’m not sure that I should subject pregnant Tally to me screaming in the night.”

“Fair point.” Dani battled mentally with herself because if she said what was in her head she might not be able to wind it back. “We could go. Not necessarily together in the same room,” she added hurriedly. “Like tonight, as friends.”

Malcolm shifted onto his side. She felt his eyes on him. “You would do that?”

“I have never once spent a night in the woods. Never did camp as a kid. I think it could be an adventure,” she said, rolling up on her elbow so she could look down on him. “You can ask the others. Somehow I think it could end up being you with me and Edrisa.”

“That would be one interesting camping trip.”

She laughed. “Or just me if that’s what you want.”

“As friends.”

“If that’s what you want,” she replied, sliding her hand along the scratchy plane of his jaw. She leaned in, brushing her lips against his.

He drew her in, hungry. His hands traveled down her back, as she kissed him hard. Now he tasted like whiskey cheese and somehow sadness. She knew that was her imagination but that tinge of bitter was there. What was she even doing? This had been building. Dani knew it, had almost feared it. It could be an insane complication in their lives. But in this moment, she no longer cared.

People referred to touches as electric or hot but Malcolm’s touch was different. He was like the ocean she heard softly kissing the sand again and again - sure, powerful, natural. She didn’t want this to end. It had been a long time since something felt this right. Dani hadn’t expected to feel it, especially not with him.

Malcolm pushed away gently, surprising her. “Just friends?” he whispered.

“Maybe more,” Dani admitted.

Malcolm sat up, shocking her further. He ran a hand over his hair, dislodging it from its usual neat array.

“I crossed a line.” She hated that her voice quavered, that she sounded so worried.

“No, it’s not that. Believe me, nothing happened that I didn’t welcome.”

“Same but…”

“I’m a mess Dani. I mean, I’m always a mess but I’m pretty bad right now.” He shook his head as she sat up. Dani put her hand on his back. “I’m in a bad place.”

She circled her hand on his back, not sure what to say to that. All Dani could hear in her head was him telling them he was going to kill himself that night they came to arrest him and she thought about the wounds on his and Gil’s arms. “You’ve been through a lot, a serial killer tortured you. Someone you cared about was murdered.”

“I was framed for her killer’s murder. My sister killed Endicott. I was fired from a job I loved and took great pride in. I had to move back home. Yeah, it’s been a hell of a year.” He made a derisive sound. “And that’s sort of my point. I’m in pieces. I care about you, Dani, and I would love to be more than friends with you. But I don’t want to mess things up. And right now, I think I would. You deserve better. I don’t know if I have enough of me left to even give myself to someone. I want to be…healed as much as I can be, to be better than I am now before I…before we try a relationship. At the same time, I don’t want to lose out on the chance to be more than friends with you. And I’m afraid that if we wait, it’ll be too late.”

Dani pulled him against her. “That won’t happen. I can wait for you. It’s not that I didn’t know you might be interested. I’ve suspected it for a while.”

“Might have been a little obvious at the Taylor wedding,” he tried to joke and almost managed it.

“Actually, I didn’t start to suspect anything until that time when you had your hand on the landmine. But sure, I could definitely tell you liked the red dress and that got me thinking.” She tightened her embrace and kissed his cheek. “I want you to feel better, Bright. You’re right. Starting something when the ground is shaky is not the best idea, and it could lead to it not ending well. I want you to get better. For you first and foremost. And, if it’s meant to be, for us. Can I help?”

“You already are.”

“Maybe after we catch Gwen, you should go with your friends, Malcolm. I know you feel better when you’re working but maybe some time off with people you like and trust would do you good.”

“That could be my time in the cabin, maybe up in Maine. I did that once with Jackie and Gil as a kid. Would you want to come?”

“I have vacation time,” she said, thinking that alone in the cabin would be dangerous but with a group, that could make things safer. He was at a tipping point, she could see it. He needed her and his other friends.

“Am I asking too much?”

“Hardly. If we’re going to be more of a something to each other one day, going on vacation is not a chore, Bright. Can I confess something?”

“Yes.”

“I had a few daydreams that your mother sent me with you to Tahiti. But then I find out all you did was hide in your room and read. I’ll warn you now, I like to read but that is not a vacation.” She waggled her finger.

“Noted. If it helps, I wouldn’t have minded taking you to Tahiti but to be honest, that’s Mother’s idea of a vacation, not mine. I prefer doing historical touring over lying on the beach.”

“Castles?” Dani leaned forward, excited. “I’ve always wanted to go inside a real castle.”

“Absolutely. I should take you to Ireland and Wales and throw in a little Scotland and England. Now that’s a vacation I would love to take.”

“Then why didn’t you?”

“I didn’t want to go on vacation at the time but Mother, as you noted, is a force of nature. Sometimes it’s just easier to go with the flow than try to fight her. She means well, and let’s be honest, my head wasn’t nearly as clear as I pretended it was.”

“I’ve noticed you’re not that truthful about how you’re feeling mentally, at least not at work.” Dani took his hand. “I think that’s what made it scarier when lately you’ve just been flat out saying, I’m screwed up.”

“I can’t be truthful about my mental state because then people would think I can’t do my job.” He let out his breath raggedly. “Gil said the same thing.”

“He’s a wise man.”

“I agree. I’m going to hate myself for this, but I think maybe we should go back to the house.”

Dani cocked her head at him. “Why?”

“Because I’m starting to think more and more that I’m being an idiot for holding you, us, off, and the stupid head might demand I pay attention to it even though I know, in my head, it’s the wrong thing to do.” He pointed down to his crotch. “I don’t want regrets Dani, and I don’t want to make things awkward. I think maybe it’s best to leave it as we are both are interested in becoming more than just friends but that I just need to get things worked out with me, get my brain settled first.”

“And if I were to say yes to the impulsive side of you, we would never hear the end of this once JT found out I fell right into bed with you on the first date.”

“And he would somehow find out.”

“He would.”

“It’s not as if we haven’t known each other the better part of a year though.”

Dani put the cheeseboard back in the basket. “There’s those second thoughts.”

“You don’t know how hard it is for me to do what’s right instead of making the decision I know will reward me with a headful of feel-good chemicals.”

“You might be surprised but you said something important earlier.”

“That you deserve my best, not my most broken.”

Dani nodded. “Hold onto that thought.”

Malcolm made a soft noise and helped her pack up. They dusted off their sandy feet again now that they were drier and slipped on their shoes. He gathered the blanket, flapping it a few times to knock the sand off.

Dani locked arms with him. “Did you want to talk more when we get back? Are we expected to get dressed again?”

“Hell no. I’m done with that part of the night. I think I’d just like to relax. You could try out that big soaking tub…without me, I mean” he said hurriedly. “Do you know how to work it?”

“Your mother showed me. And are you profiling me because that’s exactly what I was thinking?” Truthfully, Dani had been thinking for him to snag a bottle of his mother’s wine and join her in the tub but that was her own lust talking. Malcolm had been painfully honest about his state of mind, and while he obviously was good to go if she said she wanted him, Dani wanted to respect his wishes and play the long game. She didn’t need intimacy tonight if it was going to wreck the future, and it very likely would.

“Well, that tub did seem to sell you on coming in the first place.”

She laughed. “It’s a nice tub. And it has been a nice night, Bright. Thank you for asking me here.”

“Thanks for saying yes.”

“I’m glad I did.” Dani hadn’t expected to have this much fun tonight but it had been enjoyable. It seemed almost too soon once they were back upstairs and had quickly kissed goodnight. Maybe she should have asked him to talk some more she thought as she made her way into her bedroom and began preparing for her bath.

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty - one

Dani sighed, sinking deeper in the tub. The bath oil Jessica had in the room was so luscious she almost wanted to drink it. Scents of chocolate, vanilla, caramel, honey, and something fruity coated her senses. The bath jets hit her just right. This alone could be pleasure enough for one night.

To top it off, she had found a hardcover copy of N. K. Jemisin’s This City We Became on the shelf. She had wanted to read it and before she knew it, the water had gone cool and she was a hundred pages in, completely engrossed. Reluctantly, Dani set the book aside and climbed out of the tub on pruned toes. She dried off quickly and put on the sleep shorts with Eeyore on them and a matching light weight sleep halter. She laughed lightly thinking her pajamas were so every day for someone who had ridden with Bright and his mother, along with Gil in a Bentley to the beach house.

She took her hair down, massaging her scalp as she made her way into the bedroom, carrying her book with her. She paused by the door as she went to dim the big overhead light so she could read by the bed stand light. Thinking she heard something, Dani set the book down and stepped out into the hall. Noises came from the room across the hall: Bright

Listening to his door for a moment, just in case they were sounds that meant he didn’t want to be disturbed because most men didn’t want caught doing that, Dani decided those weren’t sexy sounds. They were sharp whimpers. She knocked on the door and he didn’t answer. Dani opened the door to see him thrashing in the moonlight. Did the man ever use curtains? No wonder he couldn’t sleep well.

His restraints snapped and relaxed again and again as he pulled on them. Dani moved to the edge of the bed, not touching him. “Bright! Malcolm, wake up!” she demanded.

He didn’t but he did groan louder, half sitting upright as he jerked on the end of his tethers.

“Bright!”

At the loudness of her voice, Malcolm startled awake with a sharp cry. He glanced around the room not seeing her at first, she didn’t think, still lost in whatever nightmare he was having. Now she dared to sit on the edge of the bed and touch his shoulder.

“You were having a nightmare,” she said.

He moaned and flopped back on the mattress. “How bad? I woke you up.”

“No, I just got out of the bath.” Dani spotted his book on the floor. She slipped back off the mattress to shut his door. She picked up the book and set it on the night stand as she sat back with him. She rubbed his arm. “Are you okay?”

He shook his head. “No.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“I don’t want to make you sleepless too.” He sighed, dragging a hand over his eyes.

“I wish I could help.”

“I’ll be fine, Dani. We both know it’s not my first nightmare.” His tone had edges sharp enough to cut her but Dani ignored them.

“That doesn’t make it easier.”

“No, it doesn’t. But it’s why I sleep alone.” He rolled onto his side facing the window.

Dani walked over and pulled the curtain cutting some of the light. “You should try it a little darker.”

“It’s what’s in my head that scares me not shadows on the wall.”

“And you know how brain chemistry and light work.” She leaned on the wall, listening. Could she find a topic that could relax him? “I love the sound of the waves.”

“Me too. I’ll be okay. You can go get some sleep.”

Instead, Dani walked back around the bed and climbed in next to him. His eyes went huge as she tucked the sheet around them both. “Do you really want to be alone?”

“No,” he whispered.

“I’ll stay until you relax a little. I know what it’s like to be rattled after a nightmare.” She slipped one arm under the strap of his restraint and rested her palm against his belly. She felt the scar tissue Watkins left him under the thin cotton of his shirt.

Tension left his body as he covered her hand with his. “You found the bath salts. You smell fantastic.”

“I want to take all of that back home with me.”

“You can,” he muttered. “Almost wish it was cold outside right now.”

“Why?” She smiled against his shoulder.

He pointed to the opposing wall and the ornate fireplace. “Fire crackling in the fireplace, snuggling up under the covers.”

“That does sound nice,” she agreed.

He made a soft noise, almost a purr. Malcolm quieted, and Dani listened to the waves as his breathing slowed and deepened. Before she knew it, she followed him into sleep.

XXX

His body moved over her, into her, as steady and sure as the waves pounding the sand. Dani groaned, her fingernails raking his strong shoulders. She was almost there, the heat of her enough to melt him into her. Just a little bit more.

The obnoxious squawk of a seagull startled her awake. Flushed, her breathing staggering toward a finish line she’d never reach now, Dani groggily cursed both the stupid seagull and her own freshly awoken confusion and state of arousal. Light filtered through the thin, pretty curtains and slowly she realized she had fallen asleep in Malcolm’s bed. Her leg was thrown over his and her hand was most definitely not on his belly anymore. At least the part it was resting against did not share her horny state.

“Hoo boy,” she whispered, rolling away as gently as she could so not to awaken him at least not until her perky nipples weren’t signaling her arousal like a beacon. Dani scooted to the edge of the bed, prepared to bail and make a break for her room but the ease of the pressure of her body against him made a difference. Malcolm rolled onto his back, his eyes fluttering open. His eyes shot comically wide as his mouth dropped.

“Morning,” she said because really what could she say at this point?

He looked between her and the clock on the bed stand which read 8:30. “Wow.”

“We overslept,” she agreed, shocked herself that they had both conked out for hours.

“That was a beautiful night’s sleep,” he said, stretching, heedless of his restraints. For once, he didn’t have exhaustion tucked away into the planes of his face. “I’d like more of this.”

Dani smiled at him, knowing he both meant the invitation but didn’t mean for her to take him up on it at this very moment.

“However, Mother is likely to send someone to knock on the door soon if I’m late for breakfast….maybe. She might just be thrilled I’m asleep and leave me be.”

“She isn’t going to come barging in herself, is she?”

He rolled his shoulder, starting to undo one of the restraints. “Maybe or send Gil. Either way…”

“It’ll be embarrassing unless they just knock and run.”

“Hope for that.” He got the restraint off. “Did you sleep okay? I thought I heard someone groaning but put it down to my dreams. You didn’t have a nightmare, did you?”

“That’s not the only reasons people groan in their sleep, Bright,” she said, thinking he needed the reminder. It took her less than a second to regret saying it.

“Oh!” How his eyes got bigger she had no idea.

Dani ducked her head, letting her hair shield her hot face. “Don’t you profile me.”

He rolled up on his still cuffed arm. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw the profiler-at-work expression in spite of her warning, and then a wicked grin spread across his face. “Did dream me have fun?”

Dani whipped the pillow off the bed and lightly hit him with it before putting it over his face. “Real you might be in trouble. And what even makes you think the dream was about you?”

He caught her wrist with his manacled hand and that’s when she remembered that he liked it a little rough not to mention most men woke up frisky. Dani peeled the pillow up and he smirked at her. She let the pillow go back on his face and rolled out of bed.

“I better get dressed if you think your mother will send out a search party for us,” she said, walking toward the door.

Bright tossed the pillow aside. “Probably wise.”

“I don’t really have to dress for breakfast, right? I mean you don’t eat in a suit, do you?”

“Yes, but your usual attire is fine.” Malcolm freed himself and sat up on the edge of the bed while she tried to picture sitting down in dresses and suits for breakfast.

“Good.”

She left him deliciously bed-headed and went back to her room before she started something foolish and fun. After taking care of her morning ablutions, Dani dressed in black slacks and a green top and tried to make her hair look presentable. Someone knocked on the door.

“I’m coming, Bright,” she called as she opened the door. Dani took a step back in surprise. “What are you doing here, JT?”

“Gil had to go back into the city last night. He and I drove out here after some things happened last night and sent me up to see where you two were.”

A chill ran up her spine. “Was it the stalker?”

He shook his head. “Let’s get Bright and then I’ll tell you what’s going on.” And then after a pause, “Don’t turn me in to HR but you smell even better than Bright usually does.”

“I smell good enough to eat,” she agreed, tugging the door shut. “I’m pretty sure chocolate was the predominate scent in the bath salts last night.” Dani crossed the door and knocked. “Bright, you decent? JT’s here,” she added as a precaution. Malcolm didn’t answer so she peeked inside. He wasn’t in sight so he must be in the bathroom. “Did you hear me, Bright? JT’s here. Something happened.”

“Okay, I’ll be out in a second,” he said as JT inspected the room.

“I wouldn’t mind living like this.” He studied the ornate wooden headboard then narrowed his eyes. He beckoned Dani out of the room. “His bed smells like chocolate!”

“He does have a sweet fetish you know.”

“Powell, you didn’t!”

“As if it’s your business.” Dani suppressed the urge to slap him. “We did not…but I did fall asleep there. I was trying to quiet him after a nightmare. We woke up late.”

“Sounds like he had a good night post nightmare.”

“He deserved it though he’s feeling a little smug right now. I had a …certain kind of dream about him and he figured it out in three seconds.” Dani didn’t care if JT knew. They had been partners long enough to tell each other most everything.

JT laughed, shaking his head woefully. “Of course, he did. That’s what he does. It’s like he can read minds. I’m sure he’s very full of himself.”

“Just let him have his moment. He’s…pretty lonely really, JT. He had a good night. Don’t tease him.” She turned, hearing footsteps on the stairs. Gil popped into view. “She really did send out a search party.”

Gil snorted. “It’s not like Malcolm to not be downstairs by now.”

“He’s in there.” She jerked her thumb to the bedroom. “What’s going on, Gil?”

Gil held up a hand to her and went into Malcolm’s bedroom. “Bright?”

“Yeah?” he said, peeking around the corner with his toothbrush in his mouth.

“Hurry it up,” Gil suggested.

Malcolm disappeared and came back a minute later still in his cotton shorts and shirt that he’d been sleeping in. “What’s up?”

“Your mother wants you downstairs now,” Gil said.

“Why is JT here and let me change.”

“Change later, it’s just us at breakfast and your Aunt Audrey and Wayland. Maybe the sight of you being so undressed will make her have breakfast in her room.” Gil smirked.

Malcolm allowed himself to be chivvied barefooted down the steps but he shot a look over his shoulder at JT. “What is going on?”

“Shane Tolley, who led up the vice division,” Gil said.

“And one of Endicott’s inside men,” JT added.

“Killed himself last night. The commissioner and I were called back into the city,” Gil said.

“Gil!” Malcolm cried.

“You should have called for us too,” Dani said.

Gil shook his head, going down the steps. “You and Bright were out on the beach enjoying yourselves. You weren’t needed. Tolley shot himself in the station house in front of witnesses. He knew he was going to jail probably for life after everything he did for Endicott. That said there was a lot of paperwork the commissioner and I had to do. It was bad enough I had to abandon Jess. I didn’t need to ruin your evening too.”

“I appreciate that,” Malcolm said. “I didn’t know Tolley but I’m sorry it ended that way.”

“I used to work for him,” Dani said in a soft voice.

Malcolm turned on the stairs, reaching a hand out to her. “Are you okay?”

She nodded. “He wasn’t exactly good to me, Bright. He knew I was using but if it got him what he wanted, he didn’t care.”

“Ah, I’ve known bosses like that.” He jogged down the last few steps.

Jessica waited for them at the bottom. “Malcolm,” she drew his name out like a song. “You look fantastic this morning.”

“I got a solid night’s sleep, eight full hours.”

“The salt air and Dani seems to agree with you. Breakfast will be in about forty minutes. Aunt Audrey is having a lie in.”

“Then why send out reinforcements to drag me down?” He swept a hand between Gil and JT.

“Because you need to keep up your morning routine.” She stabbed a slender finger toward the living room.

“Don’t we have to rush back to the city because of what happened last night?” Malcolm asked.

Gil shook his head. “No, you aren’t needed for that. Just the upper brass were required last night and me. It’s nothing but paperwork today so listen to your mother.”

Dani followed Malcolm inside the living room. A yoga mat rested on the floor in front of the TV. On the coffee table were two cups of coffee.

“Dani, JT, if you’d like a cup, I’ll ring for Hannah to bring you some.”

“I’d love that,” Dani said. “I like it dark but sweet.”

“Same,” JT said as Malcolm turned on the TV and downloaded a yoga program. “My wife wants me to take up yoga, says it’ll be good for me and I’ll be more flexible.”

“Follow along for some of the simpler poses,” Malcolm invited him. “Flexible is good. This one is a short program, and you won’t be able to do all of it.”

JT followed him into Virabhadrasana, warrior one. He managed the easy transitions into the mountain and tree poses. “This isn’t so bad.”

“Glad you like it,” Malcolm said as the recorded instructor called for them to go into downward facing dog. JT struggled a bit to touch the floor.

He grunted. “I see Tally’s point about flexibility.”

They flowed back to mountain but JT hesitated at the open legged squat that came next. He stopped and stared as Malcolm tucked one arm under his thigh and caught that hand with his other hand around the back of his thigh.

“Now that looks uncomfortable,” he said.

Dani agreed. Gil and Jessica said nothing, just sitting on the couch drinking their coffee. Hannah came in with Dani and JT’s just as Malcolm followed his instructor and straightened out of the squat on one leg. With his other thigh caged by his arms, he lifted that leg with his arms. Her eyes widened as he tugged it straight up next to his ear.

“And I’m out,” JT wagged his head and took his coffee, sitting down on a chair to watch Bright. “How are you even doing that?”

Bright didn’t answer, and Dani didn’t need him too. She was entranced at how flexible he was. The instructor had him return to the dog thing and asked for the scorpion pose. Malcolm stripped off his shirt, tossing it aside as he got down on the mat resting on his arms. His bandaged arm had to hurt as he moved into a bent elbow headstand with his legs dangling out over his head.

His mother gasped softly as the still-reddish scar on his gut showed brightly against his abs. Who the hell knew he had abs like that hiding under his suit?

“Damn,” Dani whispered, pulling her coffee cup close, and JT reached out to nudge her. “Always just assumed he was skinny under that suit.”

“Not skinny,” Malcolm said flowing into something called the peacock, another bent elbow stance with his entire body parallel with the floor.

“Not with a core like that,” she said appreciatively.

“Okay Tally might have a point,” JT conceded.

Malcolm went from that to the grasshopper pose, still a handstand but this time one leg passed straight across his body and the other foot rested on that leg’s thigh. Dani watched the little quivers of his arm muscles as they fatigued. Finally, the instructor ended the short session with happy baby, leaving Bright on his back, knees to his chest and his soles touching each other as he grabbed them.

“I’m tired just looking at you,” JT said as Bright unfurled from his position.

“Tired wasn’t the word I was looking for,” Dani muttered.

“Yeah I know what word that was.” JT didn’t manage to dodge her ankle kick.

Malcolm’s extremely smug expression said yes, he was in fact related to Martin Whitly. He then noticed his mother’s alarmed look as he picked up his mat and shirt. “Mother, please tell me you’re not going to react like that every time you see me in a swimsuit.” He rubbed his scar.

She scowled at him. “I’m allowed to be dismayed to see my baby maimed.”

“You’re going to have to get used to belly scars,” he muttered, and Gil winced, scooting away from Jessica a little as if expecting a nuclear explosion.

“Malcolm Whitly!” She pointed to the ceiling. “Go shower and dress and do your daily affirmation. You have a few minutes before breakfast.”

He had the good grace to flee. Dani watched him go. She hadn’t expected his back to be that strong either even though she had felt it several times. She had underestimated him. It was probably a good thing she hadn’t known about the abs when she curled up with him last night. It might have gone a different way. No, you’re smart enough to know he was right about all his broken pieces needing to be gathered up and made whole again or as whole as he can be.

She listened half-heartedly to JT and Gil talking about Tolley’s suicide and its implications for the Endicott mess. Jessica looked distinctly unhappy so Dani engaged her with her thoughts about how the party had gone. She was also happy that Wayland and Aunt Audrey hadn’t made an appearance yet.

Bright returned, in a suit of course, just before Wayland came down the stairs and turned down another hallway. He returned with his grandmother in tow looking Dani over. She wondered where his wife was.

“You’re still here,” he said.

“Where would I have gone?” Dani got to her feet, instinctively not wanting to be seated around him.

“I thought there was some emergency. Isn’t that where he went?” Wayland jerked a hand toward Gil.

“I did but we’re back,” Gil said adding a chill to the room.

“I didn’t think anyone was around last night,” Wayland said, and Dani knew in an instant that he had paid a post-midnight visit to her room and she hadn’t been there to answer his knock.

“And Dani stayed with me naturally.” Malcolm slipped a proprietary arm around Dani and she allowed it. She pulled him into a quick kiss to reinforce the idea. He walked Dani between JT and Wayland. JT had put himself between the man and his friends.

“And who’s this?”

“Our partner, JT,” Malcolm said, taking a step back. He leaned into JT’s chest and ran his free hand along JT’s jaw.

Wayland’s small eyes slotted. “What?”

“Sometimes you just want to be the middle of a really delicious sandwich,” Malcolm purred.

“I would have said an Oreo cookie,” Wayland sneered.

Malcolm stepped away from them both, getting up his cousin’s space. “Do not say racist crap to my friends.”

“Or what?”

Malcolm’s eyes flashed cold fire. “Do you really want to know?”

“Jessica, are you going to let him talk like that?” Audrey snapped.

“No, I am not. Wayland, apologize or you can find breakfast elsewhere. I will not tolerate such behavior in my house,” Jessica said.

“You are getting above yourself young lady,” Audrey said and grabbed Wayland’s arm. “I will not eat with these people.”

“Suit yourself. You know where the door is, Auntie.” Jessica pulled Gil close, kissing him hard probably to make a show like Dani had done with Malcolm the night before. And like Dani, Jessica seemed to forget for a moment there was an audience. When she came up for air, she added, “These people are going to be here for the long term.”

“Then you don’t need to invite me around. Come along, Wayland. Find that maid and have her pack our things,” Audrey said, stomping out surprisingly fast for an old lady.

“Wow, we might have successfully run her off,” Malcolm whispered.

“Good.” Jessica gave Gil another quick kiss. “Breakfast is waiting.”

“Sorry about that,” Malcolm said to Dani and JT.

“It wasn’t you being a racist douche, Bright.” Dani stroked his shoulder.

“No, I meant for coming on to JT. I just wanted to rub it in a little and hey, it worked.”

“Took me by surprise, can’t lie but I’m good with it. Pissing off someone like that is a good way to start the day,” JT chuckled following Bright into the dining room.

At the head of the table was a chef with an assistant and a small open flame. On the table were champagne flutes filled with bubbly purple stuff and by each plate was a slice of quiche.

“That’s blue cheese quiche and Chef Kate will be making us Crêpes Suzette,” Jessica said. “Kate, we’re down two people for breakfast.”

“No problem, Mrs. Whitly. Everyone can have an extra Crêpe.” Chef Kate smiled as her assistant put a platter of the Crêpes on the table.

Jessica lifted her glass. “Let’s hope their early departure is just the first good news for the day.” She grinned.

“I’ll drink to that,” Malcolm replied.

Dani eyed the drink. Blackberries floated on the bubbles of whatever it was. She lifted her eyebrows at Bright.

“It’s Kirk royal, just sparkling wine and crème de cassis,” he said.

“It’s good,” JT decided.

“You are eating with us, aren’t you, JT?” Malcolm asked.

JT nodded but Dani was sure he had eaten before he drove all the way out to the Hamptons in the early hours. “This quiche looks great and I’ve never had Crêpes Suzette but I’ve heard of them.”

“We’re happy to have you here, JT,” Jessica said as Kate poured cognac and grand Marnier into a pan and set it on fire.

“Orange butter,” Malcolm said nodding to the butter the assistant was putting on the Crêpes.

“Nice.” Dani took a tentative bite of the quiche. She wasn’t a big fan of blue cheese. Shockingly, Malcolm dug in with enthusiasm. Then again he ate stinky cheese so now there were two things she knew he liked beyond sweets, cheese, scallops and maybe a third if he ate the Crêpes, but that probably counted as a sweet.

“I think apologies are owed,” Aunt Audrey said, darkening the dining room door.

“Yes, I agree. I’m waiting,” Jessica said.

“I meant you.”

“I have nothing to apologize for. Have a nice drive back to the city, Auntie”, Jessica smiling so sweetly, the orange butter wouldn’t have melted in her mouth.

Audrey huffed off again and Dani heard the front door open and slam. Jessica shrugged and put her hand over Gil’s giving it a little squeeze.

Dani tasted the Crêpe as soon as it was plated for her. It almost melted on her tongue, absolutely delicious. She’d gladly eat Wayland’s portion. They all ate well, and after they were finished, she went back upstairs with Malcolm to finish packing up. JT followed, probably to give Gil some privacy with Jessica.

“Take the bath salts with you, Dani,” Malcolm said.

“I couldn’t do that.”

“Sure you can. It’s why Mother keeps them in the guest rooms.”

“I think Tally would like that. It does smell great.”

Bright nodded and opened up a hall closet. He took out two bags of the salts. He gave one to JT and the other to her. “Take them.”

“Thanks. I had started a book too. I’ll have to get it from the library or download it,” she said. “It’s really good.”

“Take that too.”

“Bright…”

“Dani, you see me all the time. Just give it back when you’re done.”

“Thanks.”

Dani quickly finished packing up, including the gifts. She was surprised to see that Gil must have driven in with JT in the early morning. They all piled into JT’s car and headed back to the city. Jessica had always planned to stay longer. Aldopho would bring her home. It took several miles before she realized that neither she nor Bright had checked the email for Gwen. She hoped that wasn’t a mistake.

XXX

Malcolm was surprised that, at the end of the day, Dani asked JT to drop her and her luggage off at his loft after asking him if he minded if she came up. He didn’t but he was curious. He could see no reason for her to stop by other than to talk, which why shouldn’t she want to? They had smudged a lot of boundary lines last night, and she might want to reestablish a few of them. In any event, since he didn’t mind her coming up and even welcomed the company, he didn’t ask Dani what her reasons were for wanting to come in.

She turned down his offer to carry her luggage so he escorted her to the service elevator versus dragging all their stuff up three floors. Dani side eyed him “I’m still annoyed it took several visits before you mentioned you’ve had an elevator all this time.”

“I enjoy the exercise normally.” Malcolm unlocked his loft. “Want something to drink? I have bourbon and whiskey or I could make tea.”

“I’d like the tea if it’s not too much trouble.”

He shook his head, rather pleased she’d picked that. It would take time, and that meant they’d have more time together. “I have dark spice tea from the Brooklyn tea company. It has cinnamon in it. It’s supposed to help with anxiety and digestion. I’m not sure it does but I figure why not err on the side of caution.” Malcolm scowled. He was babbling. After last night what did he have to be nervous about? He filled the tea pot and put it on the stove.

“Have a seat while I feed Sunshine. Would you mind if I leave the cage open for her?”

“Not at all.” Dani sat on the couch staring up at his weapons collection.

Malcolm put seed in Sunshine’s cage and left the door open. She’d pop out on her own. He sat next to Dani.

“Why weapons?” she asked suddenly.

“I don’t know. I guess when I started studying serial killers, and it started early, long before college for the obvious reasons, I got interested in them, especially the old ones. See that knife over there?” He pointed. “That’s the one Gil’s grandfather gave me.”

“Cool. Hey, you said that you two guns like the one used in the Taylor-related killings? I don’t see them out.”

He jerked a thumb toward the ceiling. “I have more up there. Really, I was surprised no one took my collections when I was arrested, and then that’s when I realized he hadn’t been killed using a weapon. That made it more shocking anyone could think I killed him with my bare hands. I wasn’t checked for scratches either so I’m like do they have touch DNA?”

“Funny you should bring that up. It’s partially why I am here,” she said softly, leaning back on the couch pillows. To Malcolm’s surprise, worry etched into the soft planes of her face.

“I don’t follow.”

“You didn’t wonder why I wanted to come?”

“Oh, I wondered. There was the naughty hopeful part of me trying to trample the intelligent portion of my brain.” His smile faltered when Dani didn’t react to the teasing. “Okay, now I’m a little nervous. What’s wrong Dani? Are you having second thoughts about last night? I know we crossed certain boundaries. I guess we could set that aside, stay just friends.”

“I was thinking the opposite really,” she replied. “But I have questions that I know I’m not going to like the answers to.”

“I don’t think I’m going to like this either but okay.”

The tea whistle went off and he reluctantly abandoned the couch to go pull it off the stove. He poured it into the pot and set the timer. He leaned on the counter, looking at Dani. “What questions?”

“I’ve been wanting to ask this for weeks but the timing never seemed right. It probably still isn’t but I need to know even though I realize this is probably going to be upsetting. The number you had me look up even though I shouldn’t have since you literally had a warrant out for your arrest,” Dani said. “You took hours to get back to the hospital after we called you to tell you Gil got stabbed. You chased down that number.”

“Dani please,” he begged. He didn’t want her to go any further. If she did, they’d cross the Rubicon. He couldn’t come back no matter what he said to her.

“I have to know. You said it yourself last night, you keep secrets.”

“Let me keep them.” Malcolm ran a hand through his hair, his finger catching on snarls. He refused to meet her eyes.

“How can we have something together if you’re hiding things? You wanted to be better for me. You said that too.” Dani stood, crossing the room. She stopped just outside of arm’s length. “Malcolm, look at me.”

He did so reluctantly. He couldn’t hide the emotions. He had the worst poker face when it came to being in the moment, being surprised. It had always been one thing he disliked about his job performance. He fought to hide how he felt. He could only accomplish it if he was talking down a criminal or digging for their secrets. Malcolm couldn’t treat Dani like that.

“Did you find Eve’s sister?”

He clenched his fist as it began to shake and betray him. Dani knew now that he had whether or not he said a word. She had to have suspected it for a while of course but couldn’t bring herself to ask until now. “Dani…”

“Are you going to lie to me, Bright?”

His shoulders slumped. “Sometimes I keep secrets to protect people, Dani. Once I answer you will have to decide what to do with the information. Do you keep my secret or is that something you can’t live with?”

“I gave you an address in Massachusetts. It took you hours to get to the hospital. It stands to reason you went there.”

“I found Sophie. She’s alive, Dani. My father didn’t lie about letting her go. It was the one decent thing he did that night,” Malcolm blurted out bitterly, watching the pain flare on her face and the tightness in her body increase. “He took me to the cabin to murder me. He changed his mind but was okay with drugging me into unconsciousness so he could go downstairs in that cabin and murder a girl while I was upstairs. For God’s sake, she was in the back of the station wagon inches from me for the whole drive. Can you imagine that?”

Dani took his hand. “No, I can’t.”

“Sophie is alive. She and Eve found each other just a handful of days before Eddie took Eve away.” His voice shook, his breathing deteriorating. “She had to be terrified Endicott had come to kill her too. The look on her face when she realized I wasn’t there about a sick bird like I had said. She’s a vet. She turned her life around, hidden away from that man. She had to give up everything and become someone else but she did it. I didn’t tell anyone, not even Gil that I found her.”

“You need to tell Gil.”

“Do I?” He shook his head. “I should. I mean he’s been with me through all my girl-in-the-box trauma even if he never believed me that she was real.” Malcolm flicked his tongue along his upper lip, swallowing back emotion. It had hurt that Gil and Mother had never believed him. Gil had been man enough to apologize and that went a long way. “I never even told Mother that Sophie was real. I didn’t want her to feel awful for not believing me about her. Gil told her but I was trying to protect her. That’s my first instinct, Dani. I’ve lost so much, so many people I love have been hurt beyond full repair. I keep secrets to protect them.”

“She killed Eddie, didn’t she?” Dani pressed him like he was in the interrogation room.

“She remembered me, the boy in the basement. I wonder if she thought about me from time to time. She would have had to, don’t you think?” he asked as the timer went off.

“Bright…”

“It would be only natural that she did.” He took down two mugs and started pouring tea as if this were the nice visit he’d been hoping for. “I’m glad she knows I’m okay. She might have worried.”

“I’m sure she did.” Dani stilled his hand on the tea pot. “Did she kill Eddie?”

He couldn’t stop his face from twisting up as he tried to wall up the emotions. “I don’t know, Dani. I think so.” She had said so but he couldn’t come completely clean, he just couldn’t. He owed Sophie something. “I think so,” he repeated.

“And you never said a word. Would you have gone to jail for her?” A brittle edge worked into her tone.

“I don’t know. Maybe? The sins of the father…”

“Have never deserved to be visited on the son. One of the preachers at Grandma’s church was big into that. I always hated it. Why should the innocent suffer?”

He shook his head, having no answer. “It doesn’t matter, Dani. All the evidence is gone, of someone else killing Eddie is gone, replaced with things to frame me. None of the original evidence collection remains. That’s why no one has been too hot to find the killer of an assassin.”

“True and I’m not going to do anything with this either. What would be the point? You’re right. There’s no evidence and Sophie suffered enough.”

“She escaped two serial killers. Oh sure, Endicott isn’t technically one because he had his cronies do his dirty work but the end result is the same. For all we know, he killed more people than my father and all for greed and power. Somehow that makes it worse.”

“I guess. What was your father’s reason? I’m not sure I ever saw it anywhere in the reports and books. In full disclosure, since I’m digging for secrets, I read the book by Parker. Gil said it was the best because it focused on the victims as well as your father. I’m sure me having read this book is a little weird for you.”

“Not really. To me, it’s you making another attempt to understand me versus just judging me on what you think you know.” He honestly was happy Dani had made the attempt. Malcolm got out the sugar and honey from the cabinet. He took two spoons from a drawer. “Here. And since you asked, my father’s crimes were mostly for scientific curiosity. To him, it was like taking apart a toy like a kid to see how it worked. His killings weren’t based on rage or sex. It’s actually a very rare presentation for a serial killer, and it’s one of the reasons it was easier for Sterling and his other lawyers to sell the courts on the idea that he’s insane. I think a part of him believes that because he has saved lives as a doctor, it makes up for him taking some.”

Malcolm dumped too much sugar into his tea and stirred briskly. “What now, Dani? You know, so what now?”

Dani took her tea and went back to the couch, folding up on it. “When I decided I had to see if you would trust me with the truth, I knew that I was picking up a burden. But I also knew what you said about the evidence was true as well. There’s nothing we can do short of a confession and we’d have no evidence to back it up. No one is mourning Eddie, no family ever came to claim his body. If Sophie is out there doing good in the world, I’m not going to lose too much sleep over Eddie.”

“I never wanted you to have to carry this burden, Dani.” Malcolm sat next to her but not quite as close as before. “I guess a part of me knew you had to have some idea about it. You had to be curious about the phone number, and you’re no fool.”

“Thanks for realizing that. I’m sorry to have pushed you but… I had to know.”

“That I trust you? Of course, I do.” He probably trusted her more than she trusted him. He didn’t blame her for her trust issues, and he’d certainly not always been truthful. He tried but he was far from perfect. He worried too about how seriously she took her job. She could turn him in; hell she should turn him in as duty demanded. He would have to trust her not to and that frightened him a little.

“Sometimes proof is needed.”

And with that he realized the depth of hurt he’d inflicted on her by lying about leaving the house and all the things he’d done to try and clear himself had left as deep a wound in her as the wound her doubts left in him.

She sipped her tea. “This is good,” she said softly.

“I like it. I’m sorry I put you in this position,” he replied as Sunshine landed on Dani’s knee, startling her.

“I put myself in it the moment I ran that number for you.” Dani eyed the bird and Sunshine returned the stare.

He reached out a finger and scratched the top of Sunshine’s head. She walked up Dani’s leg. “She won’t peck you. If you put out your finger, she’ll sit on it.”

Dani gave it a try and Sunshine fluttered up to her hand. “This is not what I imagined bird feet to feel like.”

“They are descended from dinosaurs. I suspect Sunshine remembers that.” He offered a fragile smile.

Sunshine flew off. Dani watched her go until she disappeared into the upper level. “Why a bird?”

“Snakes weren’t very comforting. I’m too much of a mess for a cat or dog and I like how she sings.”

Dani appraised him. “It’s hard to be too much of a mess for a cat but I believe you.”

“I didn’t put you off last night for no reason. I really need to gather up the wreckage of my life and figure out what’s worth saving.” He sighed.

“I want to ask one more question that probably should be left unasked.”

“We’re already down the rabbit hole,” he said, wondering if she would take no comment as an answer.

“How were you unable to stop your mother that day in Claremont?”

Malcolm blinked unprepared for that. He set his tea on the coffee table. He shook his head. No, he didn’t want to answer that.

“You’re Quantico trained. I know we’re all confused how you didn’t get that ice pick away from your mother, either talking her into surrendering it to you or just taking it away physically.”

He shook his head again, tucking his shaking hand against his side. Malcolm clenched and unclenched his hand trying to get it to stop. He knew Dani didn’t mean to ambush him. She was picking at scabs that had been bothering her, and he was the one who had inflicted them.

“Bright?”

“Please Dani, don’t make me answer that.” His voice broke. “I can’t.”

The skin around her lips tightened. He’d disappointed her. A lie by omission was still a lie.

“You didn’t try to stop her.”

“I did try. I couldn’t let my mother do that.”

“I don’t get why you didn’t just call in and tell Gil what was going on. The hospital would have gone along with setting up the OR like they were doing surgery, and we could have smoked the killer out as soon as he realized the surgery wasn’t real.” Dani wrinkled her nose, catching what Malcolm just said. “Wait? Couldn’t let her?”

“I never thought about that ruse, Dani. My head was a mess. A killer was manipulating my mother, and she was being foolish and bullheaded…and yes, I see the irony of me saying that. I really am her son. She’d dumped a million dollars on the ground and watched him throw an innocent man off the roof anyhow. Mother had been through enough. I’m not sure why either of us believed he’d let his other hostage go if my father died.”

“He wouldn’t have.”

“I know that now when I’m clear headed. I made a huge mistake, Dani. I’m still paying for it.”

“You did it,” she whispered.

Tears streaked down his cheek. “I couldn’t let her kill him. I had to protect my mother. Dad reminded me of a case where there’s a place to strike near the heart where there would still be a chance of survival.”

“Did you all go stupid! Why not just stab him in the gut or over by a lung? Your mother wouldn’t know anatomy right, and she’s not a killer. Any stab wound would have taken him into the hospital. So long as it sent him to the OR, how would the blackmailer had known how serious it was until your dad was in the operating room?” Dani set her tea down and pulled him close. “You stabbed him!”

“He wanted me to, all but made me.”

“How?”

“He goaded me until he triggered me. He knew he could do it. He knew I wouldn’t kill him if I could avoid it. You don’t get it, he knows me so well Dani. He knows he can manipulate the hell out of me, and he does it every time. It’s why I didn’t go back for a decade. I should have never have gone back. Gil warned me, but at the same time, steered me that way. I know you thought I was being mean that day I said what I said to Gil - before Coppenrath was called in. And I was, but it was true. Even though I know he didn’t mean to be, Gil is partly to blame for why I am even more of a mess right now than when I first came back to New York. That’s why it hurt.”

“I can’t believe you stabbed him.”

“I should have stabbed him years ago,” Malcolm grated out, wiping his face. “Roisin always said I would have felt better if I stabbed him. Partially it was teasing, partly she believed it. I don’t, by the way, feel better that is. In exchange for him saying Mother did it under duress, I have to keep visiting. He knows he has me. If I don’t visit, I’m not sure what he’d do but I’m sure it wouldn’t be good. Now you know that too. It’s something else Gil doesn’t know. I’m sure he suspects it, and for all I know Mother has told him but if so, he hasn’t confronted me about it. And I know everything about it was stupid. I should have thought to fake it. I should have at least struck somewhere less lethal. But in that moment with his voice in my ear, ‘come on, boy,’ mocking me, goading me, knowing that he thought I was too weak to do it….”

Malcolm broke down again, his throat closing up on him. The room swam as bands of iron tightened over his chest. Dani held him tight whispering to him. Was she saying it was okay? He wasn’t sure but the panic attack was mercifully short. He crumpled against her.

“I should never have asked. I just…I don’t even know why, I did, Bright. I guess I felt the need to peek behind the curtain. I’m sorry.”

He rested his head against her shoulder, saying nothing. He stayed that way for several long moments. “You didn’t want to build on the shaky ground full of lies and secrets that will swallow you.”

“I’m never telling anyone,” she assured him. “I couldn’t do that to you. Now I feel even worse about how I treated you at that convention. You weren’t just worried for your father. You were worried you might have ended up killing him.”

“I nearly did.”

“But you didn’t. I wish I hadn’t started digging but…I can see just how much you do trust me and that’s overwhelming. You put your life in my hands.”

“I already do that, almost every time we’re out on a case. I told you, trust beats fear. I trust you. Maybe that’s foolish to trust someone so much. It probably is. Gil is family, and he doesn’t know. I told Ainsley and the first thing she did was blurt it out loudly in the hospital. I should have gone to the grave with that secret being just between me and Mother.”

Dani stroked his hair back off his face, saying nothing. “Forgive me.”

“Nothing to forgive. Just please don’t hate me.”

She leaned in and kissed his tear-wet lips. The kiss was brief but comforting. “I don’t hate you. I should have known better than to dig so deeply so quickly. I want to stay a while with you tonight if you’ll have me.”

Malcolm nodded. “I can call for delivery if you want to eat. I know that fridge of mine is empty, and I probably should eat something.”

“Since you skipped lunch, yes. Pick something. I’ll stay for dinner and, if you’re good by then, I’ll go home.”

“I’m okay to be alone, and I’ll get you an Uber when it’s time.”

“You don’t have to.”

“You don’t want to have to drag luggage onto a train. I’m happy to or I can call Adolpho. Mother wouldn’t mind, especially if it’s for you.”

“Thanks.” She regarded him. “You told the ugly truth even when you didn’t want to. That means more than you know to me.”

“I wish my life wasn’t full of ugly secrets but it is. One day, you’ll have to tell me some of yours.”

Dani shook her head and had him pull up restaurants near them and they ordered food. While they ate, she thought that she would one day tell him the story of Khalil, one ugly truth traded for another.

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty –Two

Malcolm had debated leaving Gil in the car but it seemed rude seeing as Gil had been enjoying showing off the Barracuda to his less-than-enthusiastic audience. Malcolm would never be the son who loved cars. Gil knew it but he tried anyhow. He was also planning to leave the ‘Cuda at the Whitly home for weekender fun because it was too expensive and too likely to be stolen on the job. The Mustang Malcolm’s mother had given him was going to be the everyday car.

Regardless, at some point in Gil’s bubbling exposition on the merits of the ‘Cuda, Malcolm had slyly turned on his phone to find eighteen phone messages from his father. Gil, who wasn’t born yesterday, knew Malcolm was no longer even pretending to listen to him and demanded to know what was going on. Since they were on that side of the city driving around, they opted to stop in to see what it was his father thought was so urgent. However, his father’s expression upon seeing Gil renewed Malcolm’s wish he had just asked Gil to hold tight in the car.

“I’m beginning to think you’re never going to visit alone again, like a good son.” His father pulled distractedly at his wrists handcuffed to his restraint belt. He scowled at them.

Malcolm didn’t need to be told that the cuffs infuriated and embarrassed his father. If there was one thing he had liked about Riker’s, it was he hadn’t been so thoroughly restrained for visitations. “And maybe once you’ll come to a point when leaving me a message. I don’t really have time for a visit today”

“And yet here you and Gil are. Did you have a nice time with Dani at your mother’s party?”

“I did but that’s not why you asked me here.”

“Has anything about your stalker been in the news?” His father narrowed his eyes. “I try to keep tabs but there is only so much I can do from in here. I did see your mother and he make the society page.” He jutted his chin at Gil who stared at him, impassive.

“As far as I know, no.”

“We’ve not contacted anyone in the press about this,” Gil said. “Why?”

“I received another email, no pictures or videos this time. Gwen was very short this morning. She asked me had I spoken to anyone about our emails. She said she hoped not.”

Scowling, Malcolm pulled out his phone and brought up a browser. “When did this come in?”

“Just after breakfast. I would have thought you were checking diligently, son.”

“Normally I am. I was out this morning early with Gil,” he replied. Truthfully, he had lasted until about two in the morning after his painful talk with Dani before giving in to his anxiety and depression. He’d regretted getting that Uber and sending Dani home but it would have been the wrong move to ask her to stay. He shouldn’t have told her any of the things he had and now worry ate at him. He broke after a terrible nightmare about being in jail for killing his father and called Gil and Bjørn. Bjørn came immediately with an extra helmet and shuttled him to Gil’s on his Harley.

“Busy at work?”

“Not today. Mother is having a lunch soiree for my friends. Jaylin and Suzume will be here later this afternoon and my other friends are coming over to meet them. It’s a day off for us.”

“I suppose it is Sunday. And the reason I left so many messages, my boy, is I’m worried about you. She seems to think I’ve betrayed her, which of course I have. I’m curious why she was suddenly worried about that.”

“Yes, you’d imagine she might have suspected earlier on that your correspondence is monitored.” Malcolm read Gwen’s message with Gil looking over his shoulder.

Dear Martin, I’ll have a few other videos to share with you soonish. I do have to ask, have you told your son about our correspondence? I’m not sure I’d like that but I can understand how you might be tempted to do so. In the long run it doesn’t matter but if you can restrain yourself I’d appreciate it. Yours, Gwen.

“Son?”

“Did you already prepare a response?”

Nodding, his father retrieved it from his desk. “I admitted that I had told you because you are my son, and I need to protect you. I assured her you aren’t looking for her. You’re too busy hunting murderers, and if she would like to keep out of your sight, well the inference is there. Are you going to allow me to say that much?”

“I’m not sure. I need to think about this. She does seem like she knows and that is curious.” Malcolm turned it over in his head. There was something in his memory that kept shifting out of view, something he should be able to remember but couldn’t, like when a perfectly normal everyday word suddenly disappeared from someone’s mind only to reappear a few hours later in an a-ha moment that left them feeling foolish.

“I’m assuming you haven’t been talking about it?”

“Just with family and even they don’t know all the details. I haven’t really spoken to Ainsley about it hardly at all since that day she was here and Mother worries too much as it is. I won’t have her frightened if I can help it.”

“And here I thought she had Gil to keep her safe.” His father glared at Gil who gave it right back.

“He’s hosting Bjørn at the moment, and we’re not going to go down this road right now.” He shot his father a look that did nothing to quell the fury. “If there is nothing else, I promised Mother I’d be there before noon.”

“Give her my love.” His father smiled his most charming smile.

Malcolm rolled his eyes. “Goodbye, Doctor Whitly.”

This time his father let him and Gil escape without further commentary. As they strode through the halls, Malcolm fingered the piece of paper his father had written his answer on as it rode in his pocket.

“What is going to happen if I send you in there by yourself next time?” Gil took him by surprise.

“I usually do visit alone. This stalker thing has changed that. It’s irritating him.”

“I could see that. I don’t want to make things more difficult for you.”

“I’m not sure we can avoid that at this point.” He sighed, setting his sights on the front door to Claremont.

“Are you ready to tell me what happened last night? Bjørn isn’t here to overhear.” Gil pulled his keys out of his pocket. He had a different keychain now, probably one Malcolm’s mother found more acceptable or maybe the rabbit’s foot got splattered with his blood on the way to the hospital that night.

“You’ll be angry.”

Gil rolled his bottom lip in, watching Malcolm out of the corner of his eye. “What did you do to Dani?”

“How do you know it has to do with Dani?”

Gil unlocked the doors to the ‘Cuda and slid in. “Because you spent the night with her.”

“Did JT tell everyone?” Malcolm fumbled with his seatbelt.

“Tell me what?”

“Oh…I thought… never mind.”

“Bright.”

The ‘Cuda’s big engine roared to light. Malcolm wished it was loud enough to drown out his thoughts. “I had a nightmare in the Hamptons. Dani heard and came to quiet me. She fell asleep in my bed. Last night we were talking about it and about some things that happened after Eddie’s murder and…I told her some secrets I shouldn’t have.”

“Like you found Eve’s sister?”

Malcolm startled. He stared at Gil.

“I’m not a fool, kid, and I had nothing to do but lie in that hospital bed thinking. When I heard you took hours to get there, I realized you took my advice but only partially. You ran but you didn’t run away, did you? You ran to someone.”

“I did.”

“Were you ever going to tell me?”

“I don’t know. I was only trying to protect everyone. If you all know about Sophie then you have to decide what to do about it. It’s hard, Gil.”

“I don’t have to decide anything. Endicott contaminated every last bit of evidence and the NYPD has better cases to be working on. Eventually Eddie’s case will go into some cold case file and be forgotten because we can’t move on it without a shred of evidence.” Gil deftly navigated traffic. “You’re worried about what Dani will do.”

He nodded. “There were other secrets too. About me and Mom and my father.”

“I don’t want to know about that, kid. I mean, I already do know. I knew there was no way in hell your mother stabbed him no matter how adamantly she confessed to it.” Gil reached over and gave Malcolm’s arm a squeeze. “I’ve known from the beginning what had to have happened but you’re right, if I know, I might have to do something. Right now, I have plausible deniability. Leave it that way and you should have done that with Dani.”

“And I think I would have lost her.” He scrubbed a hand over his eyes. “She won’t let me lie, and I can’t blame her for that. And we both know we could be disrupting the team dynamics and it could be stupid.”

“Yes, it could but hearts are complicated things, kid. I don’t have to tell you that.”

“You do not.” Malcolm pulled out the note, trying to get his mind off Dani and whatever future problems they may have because of the previous night’s talk. He should have known he and his mother hadn’t a prayer of fooling Gil about who stabbed his father. “He is frighteningly good at writing these things.”

“Your father is a master manipulator. We shouldn’t be too surprised that he’s good with words.”

“My Guinevere, as you surmised Malcolm has an inkling that someone is looking into his life. My boy is perceptive and takes an interest in my life, always has. Did you know he visited me as a boy even though he probably shouldn’t have? We were close for a time. Quantico put a wedge between us but that’s gone now. I can’t have you actually harming Malcolm. He’s my only son and for all his many flaws, I do love him. He isn’t a bad boy but you may be right, he is not an heir for my legacy at the very least. I’m grateful for you pointing out that he doesn’t plan to carry on my legacy in any way. I’m working on one issue in that regard, enlisting his mother. Thank you for that information. Yours Martin.”

“Flattered her right out of the gate with the Guinevere thing,” Gil said.

“Pretty damn proud of himself too siccing Mother on me about my plans to not have children.”

“You’ve not nearly heard the last of that.”

Malcolm slid down in the seat. “I thought she listened to my reasonings but yeah, I suspected that. Sorry you’re caught in the crossfire.”

“I’m sure it won’t be the only time.” Gil glanced over at him. “Maybe you should try to take a nap before the others get to your mother’s. You look like I ran you over with this car.”

“Thanks,” he grumbled but he knew Gil was right. He put the note back in his pocket and let himself drift off into a light sulk as Gil turned up some song from the Eighties. Right now, he’d gladly listen to Gil prattle about the car. It certainly was better than worrying he’d made a huge mistake with Dani last night.

XXX

Tally’s face lit up as the maid opened the door to Jessica’s home, making Dani grin. Tally had texted her how excited she’d been to be included for today’s luncheon. She’d enjoyed meeting Bjørn the other night, and Dani was no stranger to Tally’s love of royalty both America’s version of it and the actual thing. It always surprised her a little though since Tally was otherwise so down to earth.

She let Tally and JT go in first. The maid led them down a hall Dani wasn’t sure she’d been down before. She spotted Gil and Jessica in a dining room fussing with the table. Well, Jessica was fussing. Gil seemed bored. They both smiled seeing them.

“I’m glad you’re here. Malcolm’s napping on the couch in the game room,” Jessica said two seconds before a scream echoed through the house. Tally jumped. JT and Dani exchanged looks. “Well, he was sleeping.”

Hearing him shriek her name, Dani wanted to run to him but wasn’t sure where in the maze of the townhouse he was. Gil jogged ahead of her. Three doors down, Malcolm was on the floor between the table and the couch, pounding a fist against the lush carpet. Gil let Dani past him, and she knelt beside Malcolm, putting a hand on his back.

“Bright, it’s okay,” she said, and he shook his head. At least he was fully awake. “Come on, can you sit up?”

She helped him to sit back against the couch. He covered his face with hands, and she pulled him against her shoulder, sitting next to him.

“Malcolm?” Jessica said softly.

He dropped his hands, tears dotting his cheeks. He grimaced seeing the Tarmels were there too. “I’m sorry.”

“Do we need to keep telling you there’s no need to apologize for the things you see in your dreams?” JT asked.

“I was dreaming Dani and I had a baby,” he said.

“Figures you’d take her sexy dream somewhere weird,” JT said, and Tally elbowed him. “Wait, how does a baby equal screaming?”

“That’s all they do,” Tally said, touching her belly.

Malcolm shook his head. “I dreamt Dad cut the baby out of her.” He turned his face to her. “You didn’t survive.”

“It was just a dream.” Dani took his hand. “A damn creepy one though, Bright.”

“It was a little girl. She lived.”

She squeezed his hand. “Maybe let all that go back into the land of dreams.”

“If I could…”

“Maybe no more naps for you,” JT suggested.

“He didn’t sleep much last night. I can tell,” Jessica said.

“At all.”

“Not at all?” Dani winced. This was her fault. She had pushed him too far. She should have let him keep his secrets.

“Maybe a few minutes, long enough to have a nightmare. Bjørn and I rode around at almost three in the morning. He was still sleeping when Gil and I left this morning. He planned to meet up with Jaylin and Suzume later here.” Malcolm’s chest heaved.

Dani leaned in close and whispered “I’m sorry. I should never have…”

He held up a hand. “It’s okay.”

It wasn’t and she knew it. She’d hurt him even as she was trying to protect herself from being hurt.

“Is there anything we can do?” Tally asked.

“I’m fine but thank you. We have some time before lunch. I promised Dani and JT a tour of the house.” Bright pushed up off the floor.

“Maybe you should take a minute,” Tally said.

“Tally, when I get like this, the last thing I really want is to have time to think about what’s going on. I really would rather have something to do. You wanted to see the house probably even more than you wanted to have lunch.”

“I wanted both. Do you need help with anything, Mrs. Whitly?” Tally asked.

“Please, call me Jessica and no thank you. It’s all in hand.”

“And I’m not sure Mother even knows where the kitchen is.” Bright smiled but Dani spotted where it faltered. He wasn’t really over the dream. At this point she wasn’t either. The dream made her skin crawl.

“I know exactly where it is.” Jessica’s smile chilled Dani.

“Actually, I think it’s a great place to start the tour. Follow me,” Malcolm said, scooting out of the room.

Dani followed with Tally and JT. “You’re moving pretty fast.”

“Mother looked like she was ready to toe off her shoe. I might be a silver medal axe thrower but my aim is nothing compared to Mother and a thrown high heel.”

“And you know when you’re about to get a heel in the ass.” JT snickered.

“Mother didn’t raise a fool.” Malcolm led them into the kitchen where a couple of people were working, including Chef Kate from the other night. Malcolm waved to them. “This kitchen has obviously been completely redone to modernize it but it’s also the best entry to where I really want to start the tour. Lunch smells wonderful, Kate.”

“Thank you. We’ll be having scallion lo mein paired with a charred peach Panzanella,” Kate said. “So a little Italian-Asian fusion.”

“Can’t wait. I thought we should start at the top of the house and work our way down.” Malcolm opened a wooden door which led into a staircase. He started to climb.

Tally followed closely, surveying it. “This isn’t as grand as I imagined.”

“It’s the servants’ staircase. Back in the original days of the home, there would have been several servants, and they weren’t to be seen,” he said a hint of bitterness. “They would only have been on the main stairs if they were cleaning it.”

“The whole upstairs downstairs thing,” Tally said. “I really can’t imagine it.” She looked him over. “I know you could be like that but you aren’t.”

“I’m glad. I can be on occasion but I don’t mean to be. I think some of the best things Roisin and the others taught me was how most people live. I’m sure I was a hundred percent more obnoxious then.”

“Can’t even imagine it.” JT shook his head.

“Don’t be an ass. Malcolm is delightful,” Tally said.

“Thank you. Mother can be a little classist. Honestly, Gil and Jackie did for her what Roisin did for me. She doesn’t mean to be, and she genuinely wants to help people but when you were raised like we were….” He shrugged.

“I met Audrey and Wayland. You could have been like them, classist, racist and probably several other ists while we’re at it.” Dani scowled. “You’re better than them and so is your mother and sister.”

“Hold onto that as we look over the mansion.”

“Hey!” Edrisa’s voice echoed up the stairwell. “Wait up! Gil showed me where you were heading.”

“Hi Edrisa. I wasn’t expecting you until the actual lunch,” Malcolm said. “Or I’d have waited for you.’

She jogged up the steps. “The last few lectures were by some doctors I’m not a giant fan of so I skipped out early and drove right here. Thanks for inviting me.”

“How was the convention?” Malcolm asked, and Edrisa’s face brightened.

“It was great. I have a few new ideas to try out the next time we have a case. Have you heard…”

“Wait til later,” JT broke in. “The rest of us don’t want all the gory details.”

“Did you get to sit in on Dr. Kumar’s forensic-”

“Bright!” JT inclined his head to Tally.

“I did. We can talk later,” Edrisa promised.

“Excellent. Okay we’re going up to the third floor which is where the servants’ quarters were and now is mostly just storage.” He opened the door and escorted them into the hallway. “The one at the end of the hall has been preserved as what it was, the sewing room. It’s interesting. This room has a twin bed and a couch, so it’s sort of a sitting room but I swear I have no idea who for. There’s literally just Mother here now.”

“Does Aunt Audrey stay over from time to time because I’d hide up here if I were Jessica,” Dani said.

Malcolm snorted. “Sometimes yes. Fair point. Tally, you mentioned you might like to spend a night or two in a place like this. You can stay and if JT annoys you, you can shove him up in the servants’ quarters.” He pointed to the room with the bed, ignoring JT’s glower.

“I would if I could get him to clean or do dishes or otherwise do servants’ chores.”

“I do laundry…sometimes.” JT wilted. “Thanks, Bright.”

“No problem. Up there is a full attic.” He opened another doorway to a set of rickety looking steps. “Nothing but dust and crap so feel free to skip it.”

“That is how horror movies start. No thanks. Probably full of poltergeists.” JT shook himself.

“Nah, that’s one of the downstairs bedrooms.” Malcolm smiled so big his face seemed unable to contain it all. “And probably the formal living room…the basement.”

“Dude, this house is probably ghost central.” JT sniffed. “I should have brought a crucifix.”

“Gil might have a spare rosary.” Incredibly his grin got bigger.

“If I get possessed….”

“We’ll record the exorcism,” Tally promised.

“Wife... I can’t even with any of you right now.”

“I’m impressed with how small this sewing room is,” Tally said ignoring him.

Dani pressed in next to her. An old-fashioned black Singer sewing machine sat atop a desk with foot pedals. The window was just a small round one, letting in little light. “How could they even see to work in here?”

“Candles,” Edrisa said. “And they would have had to remove all the buttons from the lady of the house’s dress and resew them after washing.”

“True.” Malcolm nodded.

Dani knitted her brow. “Why?”

“Because they would be put through the mangle,” Malcolm replied. “A hand cranked wringer to dry the clothes out and the buttons were often pearl or shell and wouldn’t have survived.”

“Glad I live today and not then,” Dani said, for so many reasons she added mentally.

“So back this way.” Malcolm walked the way they came and descended one level, “is the hidden corridor.”

“I swear if I see Shaggy and Scooby in there, Bright, I’m kicking your ass.” JT said.

“I would have thought you were more a Daphne guy,” Bright replied.

“Who wasn’t?”

“I like Velma. Smart is sexy.”

Dani swore Edrisa all but floated into the corridor buoyed by that. “Why is there a hidden corridor?”

“I’ll show you.”

Bright led them down the narrow dusty corridor and opened a door Dani barely picked out in the gloom. They entered a small room with a vanity at one end. “Oops. I miscounted. I thought this was my bedroom and it’s actually Mother’s boudoir so don’t tell her I showed you this. I do not want a heel to the head.”

“Judging by that she has plenty of ammunition.” JT chuckled, waving a hand to the open shoe closet.

“Mother does love her shoes. And since you asked, Dani, the purpose was to keep the servants hidden from view. Wouldn’t want to ruin a rich person’s day by forcing them to look at the lower classes.” Malcolm rolled his eyes. “They would use that corridor to get in and out of the rooms to clean and make the beds etcetera without any chance of my ancestors crossing their path in the main hall.”

“It’s amazing how anyone could feel that superior to others.” Tally shook her head. “I am fascinated by the architecture and the clothing but the attitudes not so much.”

“I can’t argue that.” Malcolm shooed them into the main hallway. The next room was obviously his bedroom even if Dani hadn’t spotted the restraints on the bed. It still had a boy’s room feel to it even though everything from his childhood seemed to be gone, either donated or up in that spooky attic.

“I have trouble with this room,” Malcolm said in a soft voice. “I have so many happy memories of my father playing with me here, reading to me. I really should have had it switched to another room on the rare days I stay over but…” He rolled his shoulders. “Is there anywhere here that I don’t feel his presence.”

Dani went to put a comforting hand on him but froze, somehow reluctant with everyone looking on which was insane. JT had already seen her kiss him even though that was for Aunt Audrey’s sake, but he also knew she had spent the night with Malcolm to comfort him after a nightmare. While she was dithering, Edrisa hugged him. The one thing about Edrisa was she wasn’t exactly shy.

“Why don’t we move on then,” Dani suggested.

Malcolm nodded and stepped back into the hall. He nodded to the far end. “Ainsley’s room is down that way and there are several guest rooms. Jaylin and Suzume are staying in one. I’m not sure how I feel about that right now. I hate to say it, as happy as I am to see them all, I wish my friends would have stayed in Boston. I almost said for you all to stay home but if the stalker has eyes on me outside of the virtual world, she already knows I spend most of my days with you all, Tally excepted.”

“You have security here,” Dani said, “They should be fine.”

“I hope so.” Malcolm scrubbed a hand across his face, rallying himself. “Down there, JT, second door from the end, that’s where the ghost is.”

JT crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not falling for that.” When Bright’s expression didn’t change, JT’s waivered. “You are kidding, right? Do I want to know? Can it be some family member who died in their sleep at age a hundred and not some victim out for revenge?”

“Could be but no.” Bright grinned. “Mother will kill me for mentioning it because ghosts absolutely do not exist. However, the house before this one wasn’t knocked down. It burned.”

“Maybe you should abandon this place, call in a Catholic priest. Gil knows a few,” JT suggested.

“If anyone throws holy water on this house, I want to be in London when it happens.” Bright shivered and then continued his tour.

Dani lost track of the rooms, so many guest rooms and bathrooms. There was a parlor, a breakfast room, a library that they nearly left Edrisa behind in and a former smoking room. Finally, they descended into the basement which meandered everywhere. Dani hated this place. She’d been in it before when Bright had been missing. She’d been there with JT and Gil to see the blood trail Bright had left on the walls and stairs as he had gone after Watkins. The place chilled her to the bone.

Bright paused at the opening in the wall, roughly hewn through dry wall. “My father’s studio. Mother walled it up as soon as the trial was over. I wish…he taught me so much here.” With a rueful shake of his head, he turned to Edrisa. “You and I might have been colleagues if I had followed the path he wanted me to go on. He’d already been grooming me for it, teaching me anatomy.”

“You would have been a surgeon, like him,” she replied. “We would never have met.”

“Probably not unless I followed him into his sideline. The drawings he used to teach me…they were drawn from his kills. I’m not sure that detail is in any of the books about my father. I’ve never read any of them.” His voice tightened.

“Not in the one I did,” Dani said. She needed to get him out of here.

“But this isn’t where you ran out of the house on JT and Dani, is it?” Tally asked and Dani winced. She didn’t want to prolong this. Tally didn’t know Bright’s moods like she did.

“Follow me.” He headed down there with Edrisa and Tally close behind. Dani and JT exchanged looks. They’d already been in the secret room but Dani hadn’t followed the passageway out.

They crowded into the space. Dani tried not to look at the stains that hadn’t come out of the concrete. Malcolm pointed, “Through there is the passage, it’s mostly brick and earth.”

“Why would this house have that?” Tally asked. “Was your family into something illegal back then?”

“No. We were gun runners in the seventeen hundreds, sold to pretty much everyone, got very very rich. But like I said, this house only dates back to the late eighteen hundreds but it’s built on the old foundation. That passage predates the house. Dad just made use of it when he found it, god knows how. I looked into it while I was off work recuperating. I came across some of the family journals, which are in the library.” He jerked his thumb toward the ceiling. “The Miltons were always staunched abolitionists, from the very earliest days. There are even a few eighteenth-century journals in the house from cousins who must have given them to my relatives because otherwise they’d have burned. Anyhow, there was never any mention of slaves, servants yes.”

“You think this…” Tally trailed off, staring into the passage.

““Was part of the Underground Railroad? It’s possible. Some of my ancestors were involved if the journals are to be believed,” he said. Everyone stared down the unlit passageway and around the room, trying not to imagine being afraid and huddled there, hoping not to be uncovered by slave catchers. At least Dani wasn’t. Bright’s head dipped and he stared at the floor, his expression slackening. “Last time I was here I didn’t linger…just scooted out of the house,” he murmured.

“Why did you go out this way?” JT asked.

“Thought you might be watching the house. Gil came in the front, I went out here,” he answered but his gaze remained glued to the stain his blood had made. His color retreated as he made a gasping noise.

“JT,” Edrisa said at the same time Dani started moving.

She and JT caught Bright between them as he went noodle limbed. JT slipped an arm under Bright’s and half walked, half dragged him out of the room. He started slithering out of JT’s grasp, out completely now. JT set him against the wall and Bright puddled up. Edrisa knelt next to him, scooping up his legs. She put them over her shoulder, rocking forward lifting them higher. Bright’s lips faded to blue.

“Dani, see if you can wake him up,” she instructed.

As Dani knelt at his head, she heard footsteps on the step, heavy and fast. Gil called to them that Bjørn had arrived and as she tapped Bright’s cheek to rouse him, Gil cried out sharply. Bright roused a little, his eyes fluttering.

“Hey, there, Bright,” Dani said, rubbing his neck. “Come on, wake up for me.”

“What happened?” Gil demanded to know, racing over with Bjørn on his heels.

“He had a panic attack and passed out,” Edrisa said.

“He should never have gone in the passage room,” Dani said, and she swore she heard Gil whisper ‘idiot’ under his breath.

“’M okay,” Bright whispered.

“Take some deep breaths in,” Edrisa said. “We’ll get you upstairs and you can relax there.”

Bjørn gently nudged Dani aside and lifted Bright up. He steadied him on his feet for a second but when it looked like Bright wasn’t going to stay that way on his own, Bjørn swept him up and carried him, making it look nearly effortless as he went up the stairs. By the time he crested the top step, Bright squirmed around trying to get free. Bjørn set him down but supported Bright as he walked to the game room.

Jessica flew across the room when she saw how pale Bright was. “What happened?”

“I’m fine, Mother. Just a panic attack.” He held out a hand to fend her off.

“This doesn’t look like you’re fine. You’re shaking.” She took his hand and guided him to the couch. “Sit. Do you need anything? I have…”

“I don’t need a valium, Mother,” he cut her off sharply.

“I was going to say I had something planned. I can move it forward.” She narrowed her eyes.

“We shouldn’t have let him go into the passageway,” Dani said. “There’s still….”

“I know what’s still there,” Jessica assured her. “And as soon as Watkins’s trial is over and it’s not needed as potential evidence, all of that is getting boarded up.” She swept out of the room.

Dani sat next to Bright on the couch. “Maybe you should lie down.”

“I’ll be fine.” He leaned against her shoulder, and then made eye contact with Edrisa before patting the pillow next to him. She sat too. “Thank you for taking care of me, all of you.”

“It was sort of our fault,” Tally said. “Maybe we should go.”

“No, please. I’m fine. Sometimes the anxiety gets the better of me. Please, sit down everyone. Bjørn, glad you made it.”

“What were you doing in the basement? What passageway?” he asked, taking a wingback chair.

“It’s where he was held by Watkins. His father and Watkins used it to do, well probably the less said the better.” Gil scowled. “I always wondered why your father brought any of them here. It seemed like such a risk.”

“I don’t think he did bring many,” Malcolm said. “Mostly just the latter few because he was getting a thrill out of poisoning with the ketamine in the tea. The risk is what he was actually after until it backfired.”

“He really killed those people with you and your mom and sister upstairs?” Tally covered her mouth with a hand.

“No, I don’t think he killed any of them here. That might have been a step too far. He kept at least one in the basement, the one I found.” Malcolm swayed on the seat.

Edrisa slapped a pillow into Dani’s lap and put one on her own. “Lie down right now, Malcolm.”

At the sharp order, he obeyed, swinging his feet up onto the pillow on her lap and put his head on the one resting on Dani’s. Edrisa rubbed his calves.

“I am okay,” he said unconvincingly.

“Maybe now is a good time to stop talking about your father,” Gil suggested.

“Yeah…but I don’t want you to get the wrong idea, Tally. He was perfectly comfortable with driving to the cabin where they did their killing with me in the backseat and the girl in the box trussed up in the back of the station wagon. He was going to kill her while I was sleeping upstairs in the cabin.”

“That is messed up,” Bjørn said. “Almost my father’s level of messed up.”

“Your father was worse?” Tally asked incredulously.

“I’ll tell you later,” JT said, guiding her to the other couch.

“You rest, kid. I’m going to check on your mother,” Gil said, walking out of the room.

Dani circled her hand on Bright’s arm. He sighed, his body loosening under her and Edrisa’s care.

Malcolm’s phone slipped out of his pocket onto the couch pillow. Dani picked it up before he could and held it up. “Unlock it.”

He pressed his thumb to it. “Why?”

“You meditate and do daily affirmations. I’m betting you have relaxation music in here. You could use it.” Dani scrolled through his music gallery. “Ah, there we go, relaxation number one. Knew it.” She played it and sounds of rain and waves echoed out of his phone. She made a face. “Really?”

“That would make me want to pee,” Tally said.

“I like the sound of rain and waves. You like waves, Dani,” he protested.

“True.” Dani turned that off and hit relaxation two. Sounds of a fire crackling merrily and was that the turning of pages in a book? “What is this?”

“Sounds of a manor house library in winter,” he said.

“You must really feel safe and at home in the Hamptons,” she said.

He looked up at her through the corner of his eye. “Why do you say that?”

“Because you told me you wished it was cold enough for a fire. You associate that room with its ocean sounds and giant fireplace with your calm spot.”

“I guess I do.” He closed his eyes, letting more of the tension leave his body.

“Weirdest calm music ever dude,” JT said.

“Not necessarily,” Edrisa broke in because Dani knew there was probably nothing that made her happier than defending Bright. “Functional magnetic resonance imaging scans have been used on people listening to nature sounds which made most of the study participants shift to an external-focused attention leading to a decrease in the sympathetic fight or flight nervous system activity. On the other hand, artificial noises caused an internal-focused attention shift, which has been associated with depression and anxiety. Given Malcolm’s mental health history, these natural sounds are exactly what he should be listening to in order to calm him.”

“There you have it,” Bright muttered. “Science.”

“At least the fire sounds don’t make me want to pee.” Tally laughed, and they listened to another minute or so of the crackling fire.

“I almost died in that room,” he said finally.

“But you didn’t. You’re tough,” she replied.

“You didn’t just get out of that room, you took down a serial killer,” JT said. “Dani’s right, you’re tough.”

“Mother softened him up with a blow to the head.” Bright smiled a little. “She’s the tough one.”

“And don’t you forget it,” Jessica said, coming back with Gil in tow. “Louisa will be bringing something in for us in a moment. Can I get you anything? It’ll be a while before the luncheon. Mrs. Tarmel, are you all right?”

“I’m fine, Mrs. Whitly and please call me Tally.”

“If you call me Jessica.”

“You have a beautiful home. I’m very grateful to get to spend a little time here, basement drama aside. I’ve always wanted to know what some of these grand old homes were like.”

“I’m happy to have company. I don’t get as much as I’d like.” She sat down on a well-padded chair. “Malcolm said you’re pregnant. I hope that’s going well.”

“Really, it’s not been so bad yet.”

“Malcolm was an easy baby up until the moment he was born.” Jessica shook her head. “I was sick constantly with Ainsley. It’s like they flipped the page once they entered the world. Malcolm went from easy baby to infant horror show and Ainsley was a little angel.”

“Thanks, Mom,” he muttered.

She arched an eyebrow. “It’s true. Ainsley was a twelve-hour sleeper. If we wanted to get up at six in the morning, we’d put her down at six at night. I was worried at first that she wasn’t getting enough to eat with all that sleeping but she was fine. Greedy though with food. If she didn’t want to finish her smashed whatever it was that day, I’d just pretend to feed it to Malcolm and she’d gobble it all down.”

Tally laughed. “I’ll have to remember that if this little one gets fussy.”

“Malcolm was such an easy pregnancy like I said, not a lot of sickness, just some weird food cravings like a pickle and peanut butter sandwich.”

“I didn’t know you had even tasted peanut butter,” he interjected, and she waved him off.

“Then he arrived nearly a month early. He wouldn’t eat or sleep. Even before all the trauma, he never wanted to eat or sleep. He actually lost weight, and we almost had to put him in the hospital. And he’d wake up every two hours, maybe drink two ounces of milk, and then just be awake. He wasn’t wet or hungry. He’d watch the world going on around him, as if he couldn’t wait to learn all about it. Meanwhile three au pairs quit because he wouldn’t sleep. Martin used to drive him around in the car at night to get him to sleep, which suited me fine.” She wrinkled up her nose. “In retrospect, for all I know he was throwing people in the trunk while Malcolm was snoozing in his car seat.”

“Thanks for that happy thought, Mother. I’m sure it’ll be in my next nightmare.” Malcolm swung his feet off Edrisa’s lap and sat up, rubbing his face. “And I’m sure I was a good baby.”

“You were not, and when it comes down to it, boys should probably be kept in a cage until they’re in their twenties. You were constantly in trouble.” His mother rolled her eyes so dramatically Dani couldn’t help but laugh. How many times had she seen Bright mirror that gesture?

Gil snickered. “That story about the tantrum with the gloves…”

Jessica grinned. “Or the one with the ponies.”

“You two are not allowed to sit around and tell each other stories about me!” Bright pouted.

“I like to know how you plan to enforce that.” Gil raised his eyebrows.

“I’ll think of something.”

“You do that. To give you an idea, Tally, when I brought Ainsley home, Malcolm was so jealous he bit me right on the wrist.” Jessica wagged her head.

“Classy,” Bjørn said.

“I knew I didn’t want a sister!”

“You did not but within the week all you wanted to was to hold the baby. Anyhow, enough of that. His color is back, and if we keep this up, he might have another attack,” Jessica said as a woman wheeled in a sizable cart with lots of mugs and a big pot of something. Dani took a deep breath in. Chocolate! “Thank you, Louisa. Can you go to my office and bring the first album on the left. You know the one.”

“Yes, Mrs. Whitly.”

As Louisa left, Jessica waved a hand over the cart. “I know hot chocolate is a winter thing, which is silly when you think about it. We drink hot tea and coffee year-round but also I know Malcolm likes it. Have some. We have chopped up chocolate covered mints, caramel sauce, marshmallows, of course, strawberry sauce, toffee bits, rock candy and for those of us who might want a little boost, peppermint schnapps, butterscotch schnapps and Bailey’s Irish cream. And naturally lots of whipped cream.”

“Okay your mother can organize all our parties,” JT said, and Dani concurred.

“She excels at it.”

“I’ll make yours, Malcom,” Jessica said.

“No thanks, Mother.”

“You always act like I’m going to put a valium in it.”

“You have in the past. I can get my own.”

Dani had to wonder if she really had drugged her son in the past and decided Malcolm might not tell the whole truth as much as she wanted him to but he wasn’t really the type to make stories up whole cloth for fun. Everyone let him get his first, even though he fussed about being a bad host if he did. Gil settled that and made him take the first serving. She watched just to see what he’d make of it. Strawberry sauce, caramel, marshmallows and a giant dollop of Bailey’s. For her part, she went for the chopped mints and the peppermint schnapps.

Dani enjoyed a few heady sips of absolutely amazing hot chocolate. This wasn’t some powdered mix. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Malcolm on his phone. “You aren’t looking at the email, are you? You need to relax.”

“I’m fine now, unless Mother powdered the inside of my mug with valium.”

“Such trust. Don’t conflate me with your father.”

“Oh, there’s a new video.” He sighed.

“Dare we watch it?” Dani asked.

He nodded. “Hand me the TV remote please, Edrisa.”

She snagged it off the coffee table and he went through the clumsy process of opening his father’s email on the smart TV. They all could read the note Gwen had left.

“I need time to think about what you said about your son and your need to protect him. In the meantime, here is another video. I’ll have more later.”

Malcolm clicked on the video to open it. It was labeled fear.

The video opened to Roisin and Jaylin decorating for Halloween. The living room was decked out, every spare space stuffed with something scary. Roisin was busy behind a low chair doing something that couldn’t be seen on camera.

“Okay I know this is mean but it’s also very funny.” JT laughed.

“I had that animatronic at my Halloween party,” Edrisa said. “it’s great.”

“You and Roisin would have gotten along,” Malcolm grumbled.

“Malcolm!” His mother eyed him. “You’re awful.”

“And he wonders why you throw shoes at him.” JT shook his head.

“He’s about to get another shoe,” Jessica warned.

Malcolm killed the video with only a few seconds left to go according to the timer. “So, Halloween things freak me out. They’re supposed to, right?” he said hurriedly.

“True. Anything you care to tell me about my nephew?” Gil raised his eyebrows.

“No, I do not.”

Jessica stood up and scooped up some marshmallows, dropping them into his mug. Dani half wondered if a pill went in with them. His mother kissed his cheek. “If you’re worried about me knowing, Malcolm, I’ve known you’re bi for years.”

“I don’t…wait, what? You know?” He turned huge eyes on her.

“I’m your mother, and I’m occasionally perceptive.”

“But you never said a word.”

“Because you hadn’t told me. I hoped you’d realize one day that I didn’t care about that, that I love you unconditionally.” Jessica’s lips fell into a little pout.

“It’s not that. I just didn’t want the set up calls and texts to double if you knew the playing field was wide open.”

She glared. “Noted. Now tell me why this person is sending these things to your father.”

“To embarrass me, to prove I’m not worthy of being the favored child.”

“This is very unpleasant.” Jessica shook her head. “Can we talk about something less ugly now?”

“We can,” Malcolm said, leaning forward to refresh his mug of chocolate with more cocoa and whiskey.

“I see your point, Bjørn,” Tally said. “About why Bright has to keep the scruff. That is an absolute baby face in that video.”

Malcolm scrubbed his thumb over his scruff as Bjørn laughed loudly. “I was only twenty something.”

“You still have a baby face,” his mother assured him.

“I do not,” he grumbled.

“Shave and prove it,” JT said.

“Tell me your name, and I’ll shave it,” Bright countered.

“Nice try but no and don’t tell him, Tally. It’s making him nuts.”

“You’re awful.” Tally patted JTs knee. “Keep it up and I might trade you in for the model with the pretty eyes and the big house.”

“That would be an upgrade.” Dani smirked and JT snorted.

“Should I remind you, we’re married?”

“Divorce is a thing.”

“And he does have nice eyes and a big house,” Dani agreed.

“Great, you two will be wrestling in bikinis over him next.” JT laughed. “And Edrisa will be there to take on the winner.”

“To sweeten the pot and since Tally likes fancy old homes, should I mention the summer cottage?” Malcolm beamed.

She leaned forward, nearly losing her mug of cocoa in her excitement. “As in a Newport, Rhode Island summer cottage?”

Jessica laughed. “Yes, dear, that’s what he means. Show her.” She gestured to the TV.

“Want to see it? There’s a YouTube on it, some sort of society thing,” Malcolm said

“Absolutely. Oh, I’d love to see it for real. I’ve always wanted to go to the cottages.”

“I can make that happen. The house is open to the public but we can close it for a week or so whenever the family wants to stay,” Malcolm said, going to YouTube to bring up the video. “We can go for a weekend, all of us if we want. There’s plenty of room.”

“I would love that!” Tally said at the same time JT remarked, “A whole weekend with you?” She nudged him hard. “We’d love it.” She shot him a look.

“Whatever happens, be it on your head.” JT widened his eyes at her.

“See the cottage first, JT and then make a choice.” Malcolm clicked play and a huge home with statuary out front came into view.

“Is the cottage that little thing in backyard?” JT asked.

“JT, the summer cottages are the mansions” Tally rolled her eyes.

“How is that a cottage?” he demanded to know and Dani had a similar thought.

“They were only used a few weeks every summer,” Malcolm replied. “The little thing in the back, JT, is a chashitsu a Japanese tea house an ancestor built around the turn of the twentieth century.”

“That monster home was basically for a week at the beach? Ah, hell, man. You have to be kidding.”

“No, the worst part is after the twenties when these went out of style with the advent of other entertainment, a lot of them were just torn down. All that craftsmanship, all that work and resources. It’s a shame.” Malcolm made a face.

Dani watched every bit as entranced as Tally, as the cameraman went from one amazingly ornate room after another. It made the home she was in now look plain and somehow middle class. Rose marble, gilded everything, rooms bigger than her apartment, Dani couldn’t even imagine being in a place like that. If Malcolm was serious with his invite, she was going.

“We had a steampunk party there once,” Bjørn said. “Too bad your stalker didn’t include that photo shoot. We all looked amazing.”

“We did. So, do you like the cottage, Tally?” Malcolm asked.

Tally templed her fingers. “Dani…”

“I’ll go buy the three of us bikinis,” Dani said.

“I’ll go contact a divorce lawyer.” Tally grinned.

“I’ll get a gallon of olive oil,” Edrisa added, and when all eyes turned to her she shrugged. “What? We need to make it interesting.”

“I like how you think, Edrisa.” Malcolm beamed.

“You’re just going to encourage this?” JT shot him a bemused look.

“How can I lose?” Malcolm waved a hand to the ladies. “They all share traits I find desirable. They’re smart and they’re kind. They’re all lovely.” He inclined his head to Tally. “She comes preloaded with a grandkid so I don’t have to hear about that again.”

His mother narrowed her eyes. “That is not the same thing.”

Ignoring her, Malcolm reasoned, “Edrisa and I share so many interests in common, and Dani is someone I enjoy talking to for hours. So, no matter who wins the wrestling match, I come away a winner.”

“He makes a fair point,” Gil said.

“Though I will feel a little guilty wrestling a pregnant woman,” Dani admitted.

JT chuckled.

“Losing me makes you giggle.” Tally put her head on his shoulder.

“Never. I was just picturing it if Edrisa pulls this one out. She and Bright will have the smartest, strangest kids ever.”

“I think we’ve been insulted, Edrisa.”

“I just convert what he says to white noise in my head,” she replied and JT snorted.

“Mom!” Ainsley’s voice echoed in the house.

“We’re in the game room,” Jessica said as Louisa finally returned with an album. Jessica handed it to Dani. “Proof that Malcolm was at the very least a cute baby, even if he was a bit of a handful.”

“Mother, no!” Malcolm groaned.

“Oh, hush, the pictures are cute. Luckily, your father took most of the baby pictures so I didn’t have to burn them because he was in them.” She waved him off.

“Aw, look at him. You were sweet,” Tally said, crowding onto the couch next to Dani. “It’s that a Bergdorf Goodman onesie?”

“Yes,” Jessica said. “Good eye.”

“And you’re eating your toes, how cute.” Dani laughed.

“He can still do that,” JT said reminding her of the yoga session just as Ainsley strolled in with Lavinia in tow.

“Oh, I didn’t expect this much company,” Ainsley said. “Mother, this is Lavinia who’s my mentee at the moment, and I think you know the rest, Lavinia. Hi, Bjørn, it’s good to see you again.

He popped up and gave her a hug. “It’s been too long, Ainsley. You’re looking well. Nice to meet you, Lavinia. I’m Bjørn, Malcolm’s friend.”

“Nice to meet you and you too, Mrs. Whitly,” Lavinia said as Jessica stood and extended her hand. They shook.

“What’s up with you, Malcolm? You’re looking…haggard,” Ainsley said.

“Had a bit of an anxiety attack and thinking about a Xanax right about now.”

“As bad as that?”

“Mother is showing off my baby pictures.” He pointed to the album and his sister burst out laughing. “Hey, you’re in there too!”

“Mother!”

She waved her children off. “Not that I’m not glad to see you but did you just drop by to see me or did you need something?”

“Actually, I think I forgot my tablet here. It had a lot of my notes for some upcoming projects.”

“It’s on my desk.”

“Thanks. Sorry we can’t stay but we have work to do. Try not to embarrass Malcolm too much Mother. or at least give him a Xanax.”

“I would but he’s paranoid about me slipping something in his cocoa.” Jessica rolled her eyes.

“I’m not paranoid,” Malcolm huffed. “She’s also very busy telling everyone how you were the best baby ever to draw breath, and I was a little monster.”

“Probably accurate,” Ainsley teased.

“I was a good baby!”

“Rosemary had a better baby than me,” Jessica said, refreshing her cocoa with some butterscotch schnapps.

Ainsley laughed, along with most everyone, and led Lavinia off in search of her tablet.

“I suppose I am the baby of a devil,” Malcolm slid down on the couch and Dani patted his arm.

“There are occasions when I’ve wanted to check for horns.” Gil managed to keep a straight face even under the weight of Malcolm’s scowl.

“I am a little worried about how I’ll do as a mother,” Tally rubbed her belly.

“You’ll do great,” JT reassured her.

“I was afraid too even though I knew I’d have more help than was reasonable,” Jessica said. “It’s natural to worry. I remember being terrified there’d be something wrong with Malcolm. You see all the possible things that could go wrong, and it’s suddenly hard to remember that most of the time it’s perfectly fine. It didn’t help when he decided he couldn’t wait to be born. We barely had the nursery ready.”

“That would have been scary. We’re getting ideas down for the nursery now,” Tally said. “Gil and Dani are going to help.”

“I’ll help too,” Malcolm said.

“You can paint?” JT shot him a look of disbelief.

“How hard can it be?”

“Say yes. I want to see this,” Gil said, and Malcolm narrowed his eyes.

“You’re not the only one,” JT replied.

Tally elbowed him. “Of course you can help. I just wish I had a clue as to what I’m doing.”

“Everyone will give you unasked for advice,” Jessica said. “And you’ll still feel that way. Here’s mine. If it’s a boy, when you’re changing diapers, always put one over the business end as a buffer while you clean him up because nothing makes them pee faster than being naked. They’ll tell you that babies can’t aim but don’t you believe it!” She chuckled ruefully.

“You peed in your mom’s face, didn’t you?” JT snickered.

“Involuntary reaction entirely.”

“Sometimes I wondered. Also once they get moving, real insanity sets in. That one never wanted to wear clothes.” She nodded to Malcolm. “Always streaking through the house.”

“Mother! Okay now I’ll take that valium please,” Malcolm huffed. “And I do have some unasked for advice too.”

“Is it don’t be a serial killer because you already offered me that one,” JT said.

“That stands but no. I was going to say read to the baby. My childhood might be a train wreck but some of my happiest memories are of my parents reading to me,” he said, and his mother lit up.

“I already planned on that, thank you and I’ll keep the diaper trick in mind, Jessica, because I’m sure little boys are fascinated with their little garden hoses from the moment they realize they have one.” Tally grinned.

“I object to almost every part of that but especially the use of the word little.” JT draped an arm around Tally.

“You could but I plan to ask your mother what you were like as a baby.”

“Unfair.”

“Do you want more cocoa, Malcolm?” Edrisa asked, seeing him looking into his mug woefully.

“Yes, please.” He held out his mug to her.

“You’re right, too bad it’s not cold. We could wrap you up in a blanket to go with your coco,” Dani said softly. His pupils dilated. Yep, he would absolutely love it if she cuddled him up in a blanket. He’d probably love it more if she were willing to dominate him a little. Dani didn’t know why that thought crossed her mind or why it wouldn’t leave.

“Try not to completely fill up your belly with hot chocolate, Malcolm. Lunch should be ready any minute,” Jessica said.

Dani tried to dislodge thoughts of giving Bright a few gentle slaps and allow herself to concentrate on the awaiting food, but they wouldn’t go. It was going to be a long lunch.

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty-Three

Lunch had been great. Jaylin and Suzume arrived just in time for it to start. Tally and JT stayed a few hours afterward before going home. Edrisa left not long after, all her convention travel catching up with her. Dani considered leaving since Bright surely wanted to visit with his Boston friends who were staying with his mother. However, during the lunch, she learned that Bright had called for help at two in the morning.

He assured her that he hadn’t lied to her the night before about being okay when she left him after their hard, painful conversation. He believed he was until his brain had its way with him when he tried to sleep. She felt awful because it was her fault he had nightmares the night before. She should have let him keep his secrets. She still had most of hers. It wasn’t fair of her. Even JT laughing at the idea of Bright motoring around on the back of Bjørn’s Harley in the dead of night did nothing to ease her guilt.

Eventually Bjørn headed out because he was tired. He had the spare key to Gil’s house so Dani assumed either Gil was going home late or not at all. Suzume and Jaylin were going to be staying with Jessica so Dani found herself wrapped into dinner with them. She had eaten more rich food in the last few days than in a full year before it. She had no idea how Jessica stayed trim. She found she enjoyed Malcolm’s friends. The couple was witty and warm, talking to her as if she had known them for years. They were talking about Jaylin and Suzume’s daughter and how Malcolm needed to come up for a visit when thunder clapped so loud they all jumped.

Half certain it hit the house, Dani ran to the window and looked out. Rain lashed the glass. “Wow, did anyone know this was coming?”

“I thought rain was supposed to be a few days out. I hope Bjørn made it home before this started,” Gil said.

“I guess I’d better get going myself,” Dani said, hating the idea of having to drive in that rain. “Bright, are you coming or are you staying the night?”

“I wasn’t planning to stay but maybe we both should,” he said, and Dani whipped around to face him. “That’s an ugly rain,” he added as a rationale.

“I’ll be okay,” she said, flinching again as thunder pealed like cannon shot. “Maybe.”

A third fork of lightning, so bright it left after images on her retinas, chased ahead of its thunder. A second later the lights went out.

“Well, that’s not good,” Jaylin said.

“Hopefully, it won’t last long,” Suzume added.

Dani kept staring out the window even though she knew she shouldn’t. “It’s out all over,” she said.

Gil joined her at the window. “For blocks! Do you have a generator, Jess?”

“No, but we have plenty of candles. Malcolm, help me get them.”

They went foraging by the light of their cell phones and came back a few minutes later with several candles in glass and a long grill-style lighter. To Dani’s mind, all the candles did was cast ghostly shadows on the wall. After several minutes, the power didn’t come back.

“I don’t think anyone is leaving,” Gil said.

“I think the rain is lightening up,” Dani protested.

“And I don’t think it’s a good idea, you driving out there with no street lights or traffic lights. There are plenty of rooms here,” Gil replied.

“I have a plethora of spare nightgowns,” Jessica said, “You can borrow one.”

“Okay,” Dani gave in because Gil was right. It would be dangerous to drive out there now.

“Poor Sunshine,” Malcolm said. “I hope she has enough food and water.”

“She’ll be fine ‘til morning,” Jessica assured him. “Maybe we should all turn in early. Jaylin and Suzume have to be tired from all the travel.”

“I know I am,” Jaylin said.

Jessica dispersed her candles, and they all ascended slowly to the second floor. If Bright was weirded out by the fact that Gil detoured into Jessica’s room, he didn’t show it. Jessica followed him as Jaylin and Suzume said their goodnights and headed into their guest room. Jessica came back quickly with a silky nightgown. “How’s this?”

“Fine, thank you.” Dani took it, and Bright nudged her arm.

“I’ll show you to your room. I’ll grab some fresh sheets for you.”

“Thanks.”

Dani followed him to the room which was two doors down from his. He stopped at the linen closet and grabbed out the sheets. They made quick work of stripping the bed and remaking it. The lights didn’t come back on.

“The bathroom is right across the hall. Good night, Dani.” As he begin to leave the room he paused, looked back and said, “I’m glad you were here today. I’m just sorry that you are stuck staying here overnight.”

“You didn’t make it storm.” She smiled but it faltered. “And I’m sorry you had such a bad night last night. That is entirely my fault.”

He shook his head. “It’s… I did have a bad night but you deserve the truth. So it was worth it”

“Maybe I didn’t need it all but you’re good now, right? I mean going into the basement earlier today didn’t help matters I know.”

He wouldn’t quite meet her eye. “I’m fine. I have great friends and family here. I’m good.” He summoned up an uneasy smile but she saw through it.

There was that manic energy trying to convince her of it. She knew he wasn’t but she decided to let him have that lie. “Good. See you in the morning.”

“Good night. And oh, there are spare toothbrushes in the bathroom closet.”

“Great.”

Once he was gone, Dani took her candle into the bathroom and quickly went through her nighttime routine. She slipped into Jessica’s nightgown, which hung too big on top but managed to caress her skin like a lover. Holy crap, she needed a gown like this. It probably cost more than her rent.

Returning to her room, Dani put her cell phone on the night stand and slipped into bed. She blew the candle out hurriedly as it cast dancing shadows on the walls. All she could think about was Bright teasing JT about ghosts in the house. Wasn’t this the room he had pointed to? She knew he was kidding. Ghosts weren’t real, right? What did she have to fear? Lying in a strange bed in the dark in a storm proved she had things to fear. Where was the secret entrance to this room for the servants?

Oh, why in the hell did she think of that? That was scarier than any ghost. Dani strained to hear noises in the hallways. Jessica’s servants weren’t live-ins. No one should be moving in the servant corridors and as dusty as they had been she doubted the servants even know they were there. This wasn’t eighteen ninety. She thought she heard a soft snoring from the end of the hall, probably either Jaylin or Suzume who had to be beat after traveling all day.

Of course, maybe she shouldn’t be straining to hear things in the house. God knows what she might hear from Jessica’s room. Gil was pretty damn close to a second father to her too, and she loved the man. She didn’t want to picture him doing that any more than Bright did. The rain pounded on the windows and lightning kept throwing shadows like phantasms across the room. Dani wished she had brought her gun.

“You’re being ridiculous,” she whispered to herself, tucking the sheet tighter around her body.

Swearing she heard a creaking floorboard, she grabbed her cellphone and turned on the flashlight. Nothing. Sighing, Dani swung out of bed and used the light to pick her way down the plushy carpeted corridor to Bright’s room. She knocked softly. “Bright, you still awake?”

“Dani?”

“Can I come in?”

“Sure.”

She opened his door, shutting it behind her. Her heart raced. Under the light of her phone and a candle still burning on his night stand, Bright was in shadow as he rested against the headboard, his wrists shackled up. “Sorry,” she said.

“What’s wrong?”

She spotted his tablet on the bed. He had been reading most likely. “I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

“Something is wrong.” He fumbled with his restraint and she held up a hand.

“I’m fine just…okay I worked myself up with ghosts and shadows, and I feel like a child. This was stupid. I’ll go back to my room.” She shook her head, her face hot. How foolish could she be?

Malcolm patted the bed next to him. “This house makes people uncomfortable for good reason.”

“Do you have a gun here?”

“You planning to shoot a ghost?” He grinned.

“No, I’m being silly. I should go.”

“It’s fine, Dani. You comforted me the other night. Let me do the same.”

“Yes, but I didn’t plan to sleep in your room.”

“I didn’t say it wouldn’t be a little awkward,” he replied.

Dani turned to go and the thunder shook the house. “Okay, I’m staying. But first, where is that stupid secret door?”

“There. Why?” He pointed to the far wall.

Dani spotted a trunk and dragged it over, shoving it front of the door. She couldn’t remember if it opened in or out. Either way, the trunk would block it or trip an intruder unless it was a ghost who’d just walk through it. She suddenly realized that her whole top was gaping open. She crossed her arms over her chest, hoping she hadn’t flashed Bright. As if he’d complain.

“Sorry, your mom’s endowments are a little better than mine.”

“I hadn’t noticed.”

“Liar.” She laughed. “And tell me why, with all your girl in the box trauma, do you have damn trunks everywhere. That’s at least the fourth one I’ve seen here, and you have one at the foot of your bed in your loft.”

“It was an effort to desensitize me to them.”

“Did it work?” Dani paused at the edge of the bed, trying to make a decision. She climbed in.

“Not really.” Malcolm leaned over and blew out the candle. At least he had the curtains pulled this time.

Dani kept space between them, just a little, not so much as to say she didn’t trust him – or her – but enough that they weren’t on top of each other, not that she might not wake up there. “Tell me something. Is this place really haunted?”

“Do you believe in ghosts?”

“Not until I was lying in that guest bedroom. Do you?”

“I don’t know. Edrisa and I have talked about it. She’s on the believer-skeptic line. I guess I am too. I’ve seen weird stuff happen in this house.”

“Thanks, that’s not going to help.”

“My gun is in the bed stand drawer if you think that’ll help.”

Dani couldn’t see him smile in the dark but she heard it in his voice. “Just be thankful I don’t shoot you if you tell me there are ghosts.”

“They’re harmless. I’m more worried about who could get in and out of here now that the power if out.”

“Great, Bright. Now neither of us will sleep.”

His fingers touched hers under the sheet and she entwined hers with them. Malcolm gave her hand a little squeeze.

“We slept well last time.”

“No ghosts.” She chuckled and settled down with the sheet tucked up just in case he woke up first and half of her chest was exposed because the bodice gaped wide. “This is so awkward.”

“Only if we make it awkward.”

“You just said it was not two minutes ago. And in the Hamptons I didn’t know you were hiding those abs under your suit.”

“My body takes enough abuse. I try to take care of it. My problem with the awkward was earlier, you knowing my other reason for loving hot chocolate.”

“Nothing wrong with knowing what makes you happy,” she said, and he grunted softly. Of course she also knew he was not opposed to having her be the one to wrap him in a blanket and feed him chocolate. Every time the thought crossed her mind, her body got a little more of that low down tickle. That was strange and intriguing at the same time, and it wasn’t conducive to sleep either. “Just remember, if Roisin is to be believed, you’re noisy, and your mother is just down the hall.”

“With Gil…yeah that’ll kill any mood. Thanks, that’ll help me to not suggest something we might regret.”

“Or not.”

“I’m loud,” he said.

“That helps. Go to sleep, Bright.”

“Good night, Dani.”

Dani hadn’t realized she’d drifted off until something woke her up. Bleary-eyed, she rolled over, colliding with Bright’s arm. He was sitting up in bed. Had he had another nightmare? No, he was watching something. It took a second for her to realize the power was back on, and he was staring at the trunk. Dani caught her breath seeing the trunk had been pushed a little way away from the hidden servant’s door.

“Bright,” she hissed.

He fought with his restraints, and she helped him tear them off. He rolled to the side and opened the bed stand drawer. It was a large caliber gun he’d hidden there. Dani texted a 911 to Gil hoping it would wake him up.

She held out her hand, and he surrendered the gun with a look. Yes, she knew he could shoot but it had been nearly a year since he’d been fired by the FBI. When was the last time he’d discharged a weapon? She’d never seen him on the gun range.

He got out of bed with his cellphone. It occurred to her she didn’t know where the lights would be for the servants’ corridor and they must not be close at hand since he eased the door open and knelt so she could shoot over him if she had to. The flashlight from his cell phone showed nothing in the corridor in either direction. Her breath rasping in and out, Dani lowered the gun.

Malcolm rolled out of the doorway and screamed, “Gil!” a couple of times. He stood up, his face blotchy with anger.

The pounding of footsteps echoed in the hall and Gil burst into the room, still settling his t-shirt down over him. Dani’s gut clenched a bit, as Malcolm’s comment about Jessica needing to get used to belly scars echoed in her head. Gil’s stood out deep red brown against his skin.

“What is it?” He looked between her and Malcolm questioningly.

“Someone was in the servants’ corridor. Get Mom, Jaylin and Suzume into one room and barricade the servants’ entrance off. I’m going to see if I can catch her before she gets out. You know where it empties out,” Malcolm said and darted into the hidden corridor.

“Bright.” Gil held out a hand but wasn’t fast enough to stop him.

“I’ll go after him,” Dani said, brandishing the fire arm.

She followed Bright down the dark hallway, his cellphone light bobbing in the distance. Suddenly his hand flicked out and grabbed a dangling cord, turning on the lights. Dani picked up speed now that she could see. She ran up to the third floor, just in case while he went down. She spotted no one on the third floor and the steps to the creepy attic were so thick with unbroken dust, she didn’t bother to go up them.

Instead, she wheeled around and went down the servants’ staircase which eventually dead ended in the basement. Bright whipped into the secret room just as she left the staircase. She followed him past his bloodstains and into the passageway. He threw open the secret door and then they were outside. He signaled for her to go right while he went left. By the time they both got all the way around the home, Gil was out on the front steps with his own gun. Seeing them, he shook his head.

“Nothing,” he said.

“Same here,” Dani replied.

“Tell me what happened.” Gil beckoned them both back inside but he didn’t holster his weapon.

Malcolm jogged back inside without a word and Dani followed. Jessica, Jaylin and Suzume stood in the foyer. Malcolm glowered. “This isn’t barricading yourself in your room, Mother.”

“If there’s trouble, I’d rather be able to run out the door, screaming if I have to.”

Dani doubted highly that Jessica was a scream queen. Somehow, even woken rudely, she managed to look elegant. Jaylin and Suzume trembled, rattled.

“I thought I heard something which woke me up,” Dani said to Gil. “When I opened my eyes, Bright was staring at the servant’s door.”

“Wait,” Jessica broke in but Malcolm whipped up a hand and gave a sharp shake of his head.

“I hadn’t wanted to sleep with that servants’ corridor door unblocked. It was freaking me out, which is why I decided I wasn’t sleeping alone.”

“Malcolm was probably telling people there are ghosts in here again,” his mother muttered.

“That too. Anyhow, I put the trunk flush to the wall, and it was pushed away a little. It had to be what woke us up.”

“Someone was in the house,” Malcolm said without a shred of doubt. “I could hear someone moving faintly. It had to be her, and she knew her way out of the house. I’m not sure if she went through the passage or out the front door. I lost track of the sound once we got to the first floor.”

“The front door.” Gil scowled. “It wasn’t locked, and I know it was when we went to bed.”

“She’s watching me,” Malcolm said. “She might have been outside and decided to take advantage of the power outage. She might have gotten in via the passageway or the back door. I didn’t check it.”

“I did and how would she know about the passage?” Gil finally holstered his weapon.

“Martin?” Jessica offered.

“No, we are monitoring what is sent back to Gwen. He’s complied with what I asked. He’s not contacted her.”

“What do we do now?” Jaylin said.

“You three go in the game room and wait while we do a walk around of the house to see if we can figure out how she got in,” Gil said.

“How would she even know about the servants’ corridors?” Dani asked.

“It’s on the blueprints. She might have investigated the house,” Malcolm said.

“Let us help,” Jessica said

“We’ve got this. I want you three together and safe. There’s no way in or out of the game room but the door. You should be okay there,” Gil said.

Jessica sighed but chivvied her guests into the game room. Dani walked to the formal living room but didn’t get to check it out before Jessica called for Gil. Dani whirled around and ran for the game room. Gil beat her to it. Jessica pointed to the window where a curtain billowed. Malcolm nearly plowed into Dani racing into the room.

Gil checked the window. It hadn’t been broken but it apparently hadn’t been locked either and had been opened. “Damn. All right. I’m going to call for a unit to come out and finger print that window. Malcolm, you should get your mother out of here, Jaylin and Suzume too. Maybe take everyone to my place while Powell and I wait on the crime scene unit.”

“I’m not leaving my house, Gil,” Jessica said.

“Jess, don’t argue.”

“She’s gone, right? I doubt she’s coming back tonight. We all can stay here tonight. The power’s back on. I’ll get the security system back online,” Jessica reasoned.

“Now’s not really the time to be stubborn, Mother, but she probably has a point. No one was in the passageway, and you did say the front door had been unlocked. She’s likely gone.”

“She wasn’t on the third floor. I did a cursory check,” Dani said.

“Jay, Suz, do you want to stay? I’m sure we can get you to Gil’s. Dani’s car is here. Either she can take you or I could borrow it I’m sure,” Malcolm said.

Jaylin and Suzume conferred quietly. “We’ll stay tonight but…maybe we should go somewhere this person doesn’t know tomorrow and that probably includes your place, Gil.”

“Look, you two might want to just go home. I appreciate you being here but you might be at risk, and I couldn’t live with it if something happened to you,” Malcolm said.

“We’ll be fine at a hotel,” Jaylin said. “There are far too many of them in the area for someone to keep tabs on them all.”

“Then I’ll pay for it,” he said.

“We should do a top to bottom search just to be sure,” Dani said. “Bright, you want to stay with your mother?”

He shook his head and went to a book shelf. He took the books off one section and pressed a hidden button, opening a wall gun safe. He gave his mother a small caliber handgun and took a .9 millimeter for himself. “Mother learned to shoot way back once it looked likely Dad’s victims’ families might come looking for us. She’s not a bad shot but try not to shoot at anything that moves, Mother.”

“I know better. We’ll be fine…in the kitchen I think. Maybe we should have some coffee or something ladies.”

“Sounds good,” Suzume said

Dani watched them go, not entirely sure it was good to give Jessica a gun but wondered if it had been Gil who had taught her to shoot twenty years ago. They went through the house, finishing around the time the crime scene unit showed up to finger print the room and make a record of the break in.

While the crime scene unit worked, Malcolm booted up his computer and pulled up the email again as he sat at the dining room table with his mother and friends.

“She did say she was going to connect with your father again, didn’t she?” Dani said.

“Yes.” His face twisted as he found an email.

“Read it,” Gil said.

“I have to say I’m surprised at your son being seen about town mostly with the lady detective he works for. I can’t work out if they are friends or if he’s being entitled and using her as a taxi service. Do you know about this? What are your thoughts? I am surprised that your wife allows it. For all her faults, she is usually quite refined, though I suppose that did not work in her favor with Nicholas Endicott. “

Malcolm’s hands shook, both in equal measures as he struggled to put his phone away. “She’s seen me with you, Dani. She’s not just stalking me through my computer and the computers of my friends. She’s actually seen me with you!”

“Enough times to know you ride with her often,” Gil added, his voice a perfect match to Malcolm’s worry.

“What if she’s traced you or Dani back home, Gil? What if….” Malcolm swallowed hard unable to force the words out. The room swam. “We should call and warn Bjørn too. He might want to leave Gil’s.”

“Good idea, and forget about me, I can handle myself,” Dani said, wishing she didn’t sound as worried as she thought she did. That rattled her. “There are pictures too. Download them.”

Malcolm opened the images and everyone pressed around him trying to see what it was. None of these had come from Suzume’s computer this time. All of the pictures were from the Hamptons and the charity dinner. Clear as day pictures of her and Malcolm dancing, Gil and Jessica kissing in front of a fireplace, blurry ones of her and Malcolm on the beach that Dani only recognized because she’d been there, and another that was her silhouetted against the curtains in Malcolm’s bedroom that night.

“Damn,” Gil hissed.

“She was right there with us. She could have hurt as at any time. I didn’t have any sense of anyone watching us,” Malcolm said in a broken tone.

Dani rested her hands on his shoulders, angry and nervous at the same time. “You aren’t alone in that. This is bad.”

“She was here to get you two,” Jaylin said. “I mean she was trying to get into Malcolm’s room. If she was watching the Hampton house, do you think she is watching us all here?”

“It’s likely,” Malcolm said. “I don’t know if she was aware that Dani stayed over in my room tonight.”

“But could have expected it since she had pictures of us in the Hamptons.” Dani swallowed hard. She hated this feeling of being prey. It was one she had experience with from her undercover drug days, and it still left a sour feeling in her belly. Her hind brain kicked, flooding her with adrenaline she didn’t want.

“Then you aren’t safe,” Jaylin said. “You ought to look into an anonymous hotel too.”

“I’m thinking of a police safe house for us all,” Gil said. “And you two going home to Boston with Bjørn. And no, Jess, I’m not going to be reasonable about this so you’re going to have to be.”

“A suite in some hotel might be a little less uncivilized and probably just as safe,” Jessica countered.

The bickering lasted until after the crime scene unit left and Dani didn’t envy Gil’s task of talking sense into any Whitly. They did try to get some sleep afterwards, Dani retuning to Bright’s room, but neither got much rest. This had been too close to home.

Chapter Text

Chapter twenty-four

“I can’t believe someone broke into, Mother’s,” Ainsley said, having paid Malcolm an early morning visit. Dani had stopped off there so he could change. Ainsley had been on her way to their mother’s and made a detour to talk to him first. Dani flopped on his couch in one of Suzume’s brightly colored shirts since they didn’t have time to return to her place to get a fresh shirt. She cradled her cup of coffee.

“I think we all need to get out of sight. Gil wasn’t wrong about that and that includes you, Ains,” Malcolm said.

“How can I do my job if I’m hiding? This person seems to have no interest in me,” she protested.

“We can’t know that. She thinks you’re refined but if she wants all of Dad’s attention, you’re in the way too.”

“Your brother has a point,” Dani said. “No one is safe.”

“I’m terrified that I put Tally in the crosshairs too. I’m nearly a hundred percent sure Gwen knows who was at the house yesterday.” Malcolm knotted his tie. “JT is pissed. I’m not sure my friends will go back to Boston but they are at least checking into a hotel.”

“And Gil has talked Mother into a police safe house. She sounded horrified on the phone. That’s why I was heading her way,” Ainsley said.

“No, he tried. He’s lucky to come out of that house with his skin still on,” Malcolm said. “I think the safe house is a suite in the Waldorf-Astoria but for all intents and purposes it would work. I really wish you’d at least do that much, Ains. Stay at a hotel. Get a room next to Mother, something.”

“And are you and Dani going into hiding?” She jammed her fists into her hip.

“Yes,” Dani said and Ainsley looked shocked. “After tonight at least. I need to go home and grab some stuff. We’ll swing back here and Malcolm can pack up Sunshine and go into hiding too. Gil’s already wrangling the cats to go into your Mother’s suite.”

Ainsley let out a burbling laugh. She covered her mouth. “Sorry. I can’t even imagine Mother overrun with cats. I know she made her peace with them at Gil’s but still.”

“Two to one, she’s sleeping with them tonight.”

Ainsley shook her head. “Now all I’m seeing is her and Gil covered in cats.”

“That’s accurate,” Dani said. “Your brother and I will be taking rooms in the hotel to be secluded and to provide protection for your mother. JT is sending Tally to her sister’s and probably going with her, just in case.”

“I’m paying for Edrisa to come to the hotel too. I’m taking no chances with my friends,” Malcolm said. “So, please, Ainsley.”

She held up a hand. “I’ll do it. Malcolm, how long can this last?”

“I don’t know. We got some fingerprints from the window last night. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”

“I can’t believe she was almost in your room.” Ainsley’s eyes sheened over and she hugged him. “What if she plans to kill you, Malcolm, to take your place?”

“I’m hoping that Dad’s note about how much I mean to him will make her set any of those ideas aside but I can’t be sure, especially not with her being only feet away last night.”

Ainsley squeezed him tight. “You take care. I’ll go calm Mother down as much as I can.”

“Thanks and be careful.”

Malcolm watched his sister leave. He grabbed his coffee and Dani led the way back to her car. The day proved pointless as far as processing anything on the case. Gwen didn’t email again. Malcolm fielded a call from his father but refused to go to Claremont and talk it out. Finally, his father relented and suggested a few other things to try to derail Gwen. There was a hint of fear in his voice. Nice to know even a sociopathic killer could worry a little about his son.

By early evening, no closer than they had been in the morning, Dani took Malcolm to her place. It was small apartment, neat, one corner crammed with books and plants under a window sill. Dani hurried him out just as soon as she gathered a few necessities, a couple changes of clothing and toiletries. He hated that the first time he got to see her space was under these circumstances and that it was over so quickly it barely counted. Following the drive by her place, they made their way back to his.

“Make some tea while I pack,” he said to her.

“How long is this going to take?” Dani put the kettle on the stove in spite of the exasperation in her tone.

“Not that long, Dani. I just need to pause a moment and calm myself down. I feel like an overstretched rubber band.”

He pulled out a suitcase and started packing it hurriedly. His travel restraints and mouth guard were always inside his case.

“Do I need to worry?”

She sounded like she already was. “I wouldn’t go that far but…I wish I had better ways of getting some of my calm back. All of this has stirred me up.”

“You miss Roisin.”

“Yes.” He scowled, now uncomfortable with talking about Roisin with Dani. With the blurring of the lines between friendship and something more, talking about a former lover, especially Roisin, felt awkward. He tossed the clothing in without his usual care and zipped the case up. He needed to get Sunshine into her travel cage. “I also miss what she did for me. It’s hard to explain.”

“No, I’m not sure that it is, Bright. Those…sessions with her were like therapy for you,” Dani said while getting out the tea. She had been in his place enough times now to know where he kept it. “You’re missing out on something that helped your state of mind and that’s unfortunate.”

“It is.” He grabbed up a canvas grocery bag and put in Sunshine’s food and treats. “I know it’s hardly conventional but hell, there are only so many drugs I want to take. I did used to take more if you can believe it.” Speaking of his meds, he grabbed those and swept them into the same bag with Sunshine’s food.

“And to reintroduce those sessions into your life now, you would have to have someone here you trust as much as you did Roisin” She took down two cups.

“In this city I have you, JT and Edrisa. Well Tally now but that’s not exactly going to help in this regard.”

“Edrisa would never hit you even if it would help you.”

“I know,” he called going into the bathroom to get his go-kit and shaver. “JT would hit me and probably enjoy it,” he added as he returned. “But I’m not sure it would work for me.”

“You trust him though right?” she asked as the kettle whistled. She poured it over the leaves in their strainer in the tea pot.

“Yes, but for me, these sessions don’t work with men. Don’t ask me why. I like guys too but…for some reason I can’t trust them with that. I guess in the past men haven’t respected my boundaries as well as women have. A lot of them don’t like to hear the word no.”

Dani flinched, crossing her arms over her chest, hugging herself tight. “No, they don’t.”

“For the bondage, I need a woman.” He turned, looking at her directly but Dani wouldn’t meet his eye.

“I’m not sure I could.” Dani lifted her head, tossing her hair back. “It’s been in my head. This isn’t the time to talk about it though.”

He tried to hide his shock that she’d thought about it but his pulse raced in spite of it. It probably showed in his eyes too. “Maybe when we get through this nonsense with Gwen.”

Malcolm let the topic go and conversation went with it. He put Sunshine in her travel cage, putting it next to a smaller cage that he planned to take with and into which she could go after they arrived at the hotel. Dani poured the tea when the timer dinged.

They sat on the couch with the tea and Malcolm dared to try and restart the same topic of conversation again. “The submission is not really sexual for me.”

“I’m not sure it would matter to me if it were. It’s just…that’s a big step and I have no idea what I’m doing.”

“There are people who could train you,” he replied thinking of a few.

Dani made a soft non-committal sound, maybe thinking it was too bad he was not into JT handling his whip. Malcolm decided he’d better let this drop for now, thinking that if he pushed too hard, Dani could be put off. If she decided she could do this, she’d come to him. The door buzzer sounded and made them both jump. They exchanged glances and Dani pulled her pistol having opted for open carry given the circumstances.

Malcolm went to his intercom system. “Yes?”

“Malcolm, it’s Lavinia, your sister’s intern. She thought she might have left her tablet here when she was by this morning. Can I come up and look? We need those notes for tonight.”

“She ought to strap that thing to her wrist,” he grumbled, looking at Dani. She holstered her gun, nodding. “All right, I’ll buzz you in.” He did so and turned to Dani. “Did you notice a tablet?”

“I wasn’t really paying much attention to Ainsley this morning. I was pretty well brain dead. I’m not sure how you function on so little sleep all the time.”

“I’m well trained.” He smiled thinly. “I don’t see a tablet.”

“She probably left it in her car or a restaurant.”

“Maybe. It’s not like Ainsley to forget things like that but…well everything with Endicott has unsettled her more than she’s willing to admit, at least in our family therapy session. Hopefully she’s more open and honest if I’m not around,” he said, opening the door when Lavinia knocked.

She smiled at them. “Thanks. I’m sorry to disturb you at home. Ainsley’s pretty upset about this.”

“That’s fine. We don’t have much time. We were just having some tea before heading out,” he said, not willing to say more to a near stranger. “I don’t remember seeing the tablet but we just got back from work ourselves.”

“I appreciate you making time.”

“Would you like some tea, help finish off the pot?”

Lavinia inclined her head. “Thank you.”

“Sugar?”

“One teaspoon, please.”

“I can help you look for the tablet. Your sister didn’t go to the bathroom did she?” Dani asked, her brow furrowed. She must have been zoned out entirely during the visit.

“No. You two can check the sitting area. I’ll look over the kitchen,” Malcolm said.

As they dug around the living room couch pillows and the table, Malcolm made the tea for her. A quick glance told him what he already suspected, the tablet wasn’t there. “Any luck?” He handed Lavinia the tea cup.

“No, unfortunately. Maybe she left it at home. She’ll have to look there herself.” Lavinia blew a lock of hair away from her face. “Thanks for indulging me. I appreciate it. I’d hate for your sister to look bad at work.”

“Me too. Have a seat.” He sat back down to his own tea and Dani did the same.

“Thanks. You have a great space here, Malcolm. I love it. That’s some collection.” She nodded to the weapons.

“He’s pretty avid about his collecting weapons and books. I like his reading selection.” Dani drained her cup. “And I’m loving that Jemisin book you let me borrow.”

“Isn’t it great?”

“I should read more,” Lavinia said. “I enjoy it but time gets away from me.”

Dani snorted. “Tell me about it.”

“You’ll probably laugh but I enjoy mysteries.” Lavinia smiled, sipping her tea.

“A good mystery is nothing to laugh at,” Malcolm assured her.

“Thanks. Ainsley didn’t mention you two were dating.” Lavinia shot him a flirtatious look.

“Oh, we’re not,” Dani said a little too hurriedly. “We’re just friends.”

“I’m still not quite ready for that after what happened to Eve.”

“Makes sense” she said, looking down. After pausing, she added, “Can I ask you something while I’m here? It shouldn’t take too much of your time.”

Malcolm glanced at Dani who shrugged. “Go ahead.”

“Can you tell me a little something about your sister? Nothing super private or anything like that, and I’m not asking about what happened earlier this year. It’s just I’m working with her, and I am enjoying it. So, I want to know her better beyond the rich girl thing, which is all anyone talks about at work.”

Malcolm scowled. He hated hearing that. It was all too easy to assume he and Ainsley only got to where they were because they were born rich. Yes, that certainly helped but they both had worked hard to get what they had. “She’s a hard worker. Mother didn’t buy her position.”

“I didn’t think so. I can see how seriously she takes it, which is why I want to get to know her better. What was she like as a little sister?”

Dani snickered, and Malcolm nudged her. “Dani knows I wasn’t thrilled to have a sibling when I was a little kid but like Mother said, within a few days, I couldn’t get enough of her. She’s a great sister, supports me no matter how bad things go sideways for me.” He’d tried to do the same for her especially since Endicott but that little bit of fear had crept in. Malcolm didn’t fear that Ainsley would hurt him or Mother. She loved them but what if she had more than a little of their father in her? She had certain seemed bonded to him in Riker’s, taking him by surprise.
Malcolm told her a few good stories from growing up. He couldn’t resist telling her the Ainsley and the pony story which made Lavinia and Dani laughed. Their grand tour of Italy was a good one too because it showcased just how curious his sister was. They applauded Ainsley riding to his rescue when some of the kids had been particularly mean to him at a charity mixer at the zoo, even though later they teased him about needing his baby sister to fight his battles. He had been going on for about fifteen minutes when he began to stumble over his words. Dani watched him with a pinched expression.

“Did you just slur?”

“Dani…I’m not feeling well,” he said. He’d been feeling a little light headed for the past few minutes but had chalked it up to skipping breakfast and lunch.

“Bright, you look funny.” Dani pressed him back against the couch pillows clumsily.

“Not right…”

“Is he okay? Should I call for an ambulance?” Lavinia’s voice sounded shrill and yet somehow distant to his ear.

What was wrong with him? “I’ll be…okay.”

“I’ll get you a glass of water,” Lavinia said, jumping up and running for the kitchen.

Dani stroked his cheek. “What’s going on?”

He could barely keep his eyes open, even breathing took up all of his energy. Realization spiked into his fogged brain. “Dan…drug,” he fought to get out but if it made sense to her, he couldn’t tell. He pulled out his phone and clumsily texted a 911 to Gil or at least he thought he did.

Dani swayed or was that him? Something swung into view, crashing into Dani’s head. She dropped like a discarded hand puppet, and Lavinia stood over her. She tossed the pan she’d hit Dani with along with the hand towel she had griped it with and grinned down at Malcolm as the pan hit his legs.

“I have plans for you, Malcolm,” she said in a tone that sounded much more sinister than it was up until now. She pulled zip ties out of her pocket and did up Dani’s wrists while he watched unable to even lift his head.

“Gwen…” he rasped.

“Oh, well done. Good thing I never thought you were stupid, just foolish. They’re not quite the same thing, are they?” She beamed. “I improved a little on your father’s ketamine tea. To be fair I wasn’t sure I could overpower you if you figured it out before you were snowed under. Lucky for me it wasn’t an issue. Now…it’s time for you to sleep and go for a little ride. The real trick is going to be getting you on the dolly.”

Malcolm forced himself up, only he didn’t move at all. The effort took all his remaining strength, and he slid into darkness’s waiting arms.

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty-Five

Jessica paused outside the heavy door, catching her breath. She was getting used to coming here now and she hated that. Mr. David still spared her a look of pure pity. It could be worse. She could be him, stuck here every day with the monster she married. He opened the door for her and that betrayer inside her chest still beat a little faster at how good Martin looked with the curly hair. His beard needs trimmed. He looks like a hillbilly, she thought viciously trying to remind herself how hard it had been to kill him inside her mind, to be done with the man she loved. That man never really existed. You have a man now that would lay down his life for you. Would Martin have ever done that?

“Jessie!” Martin leaned back on his chair, studying her, making her confidence ebb. “What brings you here, my dear? Shall I have Mr. David send for tea?”

“This isn’t a social call and you know it.” She put her back to the wall, keeping as far from him as possible. “Your little internet friend was in my house as I’m sure Malcolm has already told you.”

He stood and strode to the line. “He mentioned it. I never thought she’d do that. I was shocked to hear it.”

“And did he tell you I’ve been driven out of my home because this,” she growled, trying to ignore that he sounded honestly concerned by the invasion. “I have to go into hiding to keep me and everyone else safe.”

“I’m surprised you just didn’t suggest to Gil that you all go to New Zealand or some south sea island.”

She knew that glint in his eyes, the ‘I’m going to fight with you’ set of his jaw. “I was too upset last night but that’s a good idea.”

“What are you even doing, Jessie? A man like that?” Martin spat.

“He’s worth more than you and Nicholas if you two were all rolled up into one sick package. Maybe for once I have someone who only wants me and not what I can do for him.” Jessica knew that it might be unfair to Martin because deep down she had to believe he had cared for her in his own broken way, that she wasn’t just his public face. Look at me, I’m a normal family man. I couldn’t possibly be a killer. He had loved her, hadn’t he?

He gave a deprecating laugh. “And you think that poor cop doesn’t want something from you? A new car perhaps?”

“Two new cars if you must know but he didn’t ask for them. They were a gift. But that’s not why I’m here.”

Martin slapped his hand against his thigh. “Then why are you here?”

“I want you to tell me everything you know about this Gwen. There has to be more than you told Malcolm.”

“Sorry to disappoint you but there isn’t.” He spread his hands wide. “I’m sure you’ll be fine sleeping close with your cop. Try not to choke on all the cat hairs.”

She raised her eyebrows. How had he known about the cats? “I sleep just fine cuddled up with Gil and his gun will be right there on the night stand, don’t you worry.”

The absolute fury in his eyes forced Jess to press against the wall harder. She’d gone one step too far. He’d kill her if he could get around his restraints. Mr. David sensed it too, jumping to his feet.

“Step back from the line, Dr. Whitly.” Mr. David’s voice boomed.

With a venomous look, Martin did but only a single step.

“If you can’t help me, then there’s no need for me stay,” she said, and then jumped as someone knocked on the door. Mr. David opened it and Gil rushed in, his eyes on Martin. He didn’t spot her for a second.

He widened his eyes. “Jess, what are you doing here?”

“It must be like Beetlejuice. We said his name too many times.” Martin snickered to himself. Jessica had no idea what he was talking about.

“You didn’t have your phone on,” Gil plowed ahead when Jess couldn’t find her voice to answer him.

“I wanted to think. I had turned it off…which I suppose given the circumstances was dumb. I didn’t mean to worry you but…why are you here? Gil, what’s wrong?” Her legs went newborn deer wobbly at his expression.

“She’s right. You have the same look in your eye as when you came to tell me Watkins had my boy.” Martin stepped back up to the line.

“I’ve been calling Jess. I need you to come to the station with me,” Gil said.

“But you didn’t come here to look for me. Gil, you’re scaring me.”

“You’re right. I came to ask Dr. Whitly a question.”

“If it’s whether Gwen has been in contact with me that you haven’t seen, the answer is no.”

Gil faced him. “I hope you’re not lying to me Dr. Whitly. I couldn’t get hold of Dani or Malcolm. I drove to his place.”

“No,” Jessica whispered. She didn’t want to hear any more of what Gil had to say. Her soul ripped slowly.

“I found Dani’s car and Sunshine was in her travel box but there is no sign of them. There were two tea cups on the coffee table and some blood.”

“Oh god.” Her knees gave slightly and Gil wrapped an arm around her, steadying her against his chest. Martin’s tether clanked as he tried to cross the line.

“It’s not his.” Gil’s hand trembled on her arm. “We tested it. It’s female, probably Dani’s. We found two tea cups but a third one is missing. I know Malcolm had a set of four. We searched, and the fourth cup is gone.

“Drugged?” Martin asked. Jessica looked up sharply at the fear in his voice.

“With a modification to your special tea, Dr. Whitly, ketamine with Rohypnol. There’s blood on a pan as well. We suspect Dani didn’t make it easy. Malcolm’s already on benzodiazepines. He’d have gone under much faster than Dani. Hell, Gwen will be lucky if he doesn’t stop breathing.”

“G-G-Gil,” Jessica stammered. She couldn’t hear this, not again. She couldn’t go through this again. In his eyes, she saw the worry, the fear building. She pulled away from him, whipping around to face Martin. “This is all your fault!”

“I didn’t think she’d take Malcolm. I definitely told her to leave my son alone. Gil can tell you that much.”

“I don’t care! She did this to impress you,” Jessica raged. “He could be dead and it’s because of you! You have taken everything from me, time and again!”

Martin said nothing. Gil took her hand, causing her to turn back and look him in the eyes.

“They’re most likely alive, Jessica. If her goal was to kill them, we’d have found their bodies in his loft. It took a lot of effort to haul two unconscious people out of the building without being seen.”

“We were supposed to be safe,” she whispered. “He was going to the hotel. They were armed. Why would they stop?”

“They probably thought what could a cup of tea matter? Like you said, they’re armed. They’re both well trained law enforcement agents.” Gil raised a hand before she could protest. “I know Malcolm is a profiler but Quantico trained your son to be a weapon. There’s no sign of forced entry. He buzzed whoever it was up. The buzzer was wiped. She’s cautious but she’s not a pro at this. She’s made mistakes.”

“The last time you visited, I thought you said you didn’t have many clues,” Martin said, robbing Jessica of even more of her strength.

“We didn’t but the list of people Malcolm would have buzzed up is short. I’ve already pulled Ainsley into the station for her own protection,” Gil said. “She said she talked to Malcolm a few times today and didn’t notice that anything was wrong when she did. Ainsley did mention that received a text from Malcolm about not finding her tablet at his place but she never misplaced her tablet.”

“That was yesterday” Jessica murmured, deep in thought.

Gil pressed on. “Ainsley said she was worried that maybe she didn’t notice that that was strange or that something was up with Malcolm when she spoke to him earlier since she might have been distracted with the fact that Lavinia had called in sick.”

“The young lady who came with Ainsley to the house?” Jessica had barely paid attention to her once she had made a quick once over of the girl’s knock offs. She was pretending to wealth she didn’t have but obviously wanted. “Do you think-”

“Yes! And if I’m right, and it’s Lavinia, she would know where you live. She might even have learned about the corridors from Ainsley. Malcolm would have buzzed her in if Lavinia came looking for Ainsley’s tablet. That’s why I’m here.” Gil took out his phone and pulled up a picture. He strode to the line. “Have you ever seen this woman?”

“I don’t get visit…hold on.” Martin leaned forward, peering at the phone. “Yes, she’s a reporter, too right?”

“She’s interning at the station, and Ainsley has been mentoring her,” Gil replied. “You’re telling me you have met with her?”

Martin shook his head, his curls bouncing, “Not as such. She had wanted to interview several of us but all they would allow her to do was observe art therapy. She talked to all of us. She asked me about my drawing, that’s all. I had no idea.”

“This couldn’t be about money, could it?” Jessica asked as she fished her phone out of her purse. She found several missed calls from Gil and texts from Ainsley but nothing else. No calls from a strange number possibly demanding a ransom

“No, I don’t think so. You’re right, Gwen wants to impress Dr. Whitly. She has a different end game in mind but I’ll be damned if I know what it is.

“What are we going to do, Gil?”

“You’re going to the station with Ainsley. I have no idea if just having Malcolm will be enough or if she’ll come for all of you,” Gil said, and Martin ran over to his desk.

“I can’t just sit…”

“You can and you will! Help Ainsley. I have her digging into Lavinia’s background. It makes sense that she could be Gwen. Lavinia is a journalist. They know how to find things out,” Gil said.

Before she could protest again, Martin said, “She sent another email.”

“Read it,” Gil demanded. “Any pictures?”

“No. She wrote dear Martin, I kept your concerns for your son’s safety in mind. I hope he doesn’t make it necessary for me to hurt him. I wouldn’t want to do anything that would upset you. I have different plans for Malcolm. You were very upset about his foolish, near sightedness. I agree that the world deserves to have your grandchildren in it.” Martin made a face. “I don’t like to think about what she has planned.”

“It’ll keep him alive,” Gil said, seeming to come to the same distasteful conclusion that Martin had. “Hopefully long enough for us to track her down if we’re right about who Gwen is.”

Jessica didn’t have the courage to ask about an alternative scenario if they were wrong about this one. That would mean they really did have nothing and she couldn’t bear the thought of that. Pretty sure she understood what kind of plans Gil and Martin thought that Lavinia had for Malcolm and holding on to hope that their theory was right because it would mean that he was still alive, she asked. “What if he won’t cooperate with that? Does she plan to use Dani…Malcolm would never.”

“No, but he’s very good at talking down criminals, Jess. He might be able to talk her out of it. Trust me, he would do anything to keep Dani safe,” Gil said.

“He’s also very good at talking himself into trouble. She is going to hurt him!”

Gil skimmed his hand up her arm. “Trust Malcolm. If anyone can get himself out of this mess it’s him, and Dani is no slouch at this either. We need to go but first, answer her, Dr. Whitly. Tell her not to hurt them.”

“Tell her not to put her hands on our son,” Jessica added.

“And you think she’ll listen to me?”

“I want to see you type it!” Gil stabbed a finger at the computer.

Martin glared but typed. Jessica wanted to think he would have regardless. She couldn’t have been that wrong in her choices but, of course, she could and had been. Still, Martin cared a little, didn’t he, about Malcolm at least. She could barely read the letter as he typed it. What she did see was elegantly written, and she prayed that it would sway this woman. She couldn’t picture what Lavinia, Gwen or whatever she wanted to call herself putting her hands on Malcolm but she knew it was happening. Her stomach clenched.

“Good enough?” Martin asked.

“Send it!” Gil waited until Martin hit the send button, and then he took Jessica’s hand. “We need to go. Maybe by the time we get back, JT will have gotten a hit on the fingerprints from the game room window last night He’s also digging stuff up on Lavinia. I have our Bostonians already under guard at the hotel.”

“Good.” She tried to focus on the positive but couldn’t quite make it. Jessica let Gil lead her to the door.

“You did the nigh impossible last time, Gil, and got him back,” Martin said, making Jessica pause. “We’re expecting you to do the same this time.”

“He rescued himself last time. He’s no doubt trying to do the same again this time,” Gil replied.

All Jessica could do was hope Gil was right. She could not lose her son. She simply could not.

X X X

A chill took him by the hand and led Malcolm back to the land of the living. His head hurt and his tongue felt swollen. It took a second to throw off the hang over feeling and take stock of his surroundings. He was on a mattress on a cement floor, which was at least as step up from the last two times he’d been held hostage. Pale light filtered through the tiny window near the ceiling giving him a bird’s eye view of the lawn. He was in a basement and outside of a chicken wire cage he’d been dumped into, he could see where the cement slab ended and the earthen basement typical of old houses began.

“Dani,” he croaked past his dried-out mouth. It took a moment to realize she was on the bed next to him, stripped to her bra and panties. A nearly hysterical thought raced through his mind about how, so unlike any time one saw a woman in her underwear in a Hollywood production, Dani’s didn’t match. Her bra was plain black and her panties a flowered blue cotton, nothing lacy or silky.

As he reached for her, vaguely remembering she had been hurt, Malcolm saw the handcuffs on his wrist. They had a d-ring attaching them to a hefty dog chain. Dani was similarly restrained. Unlike Dani, he hadn’t been allowed to retain his underwear. No wonder he was so cold. This did not bode well. At least Watkins had only taken his jacket, tie, and shoes.

He grazed his fingers alongside a matted patch of Dani’s hair. She had a sizeable goose egg and the scalp wound had bled heavily as head wounds loved to do. She would have a massive headache when she woke up at the very least. If she had a concussion, he hoped it wasn’t so severe she couldn’t function. He’d probably need her help to get out of this.

Malcolm gently shook her shoulder. “Dani,” he said softly. “Come on, wake up for me.”

Her features pinched. By the time he called her name a third time, her eyes fluttered open. “Bright?…What happened?”

“I’m having trouble remembering so I think we were roofied, and you got hit in the head.”

Dani reached up to touch her injury, whacking herself in the face with her chains. “Damn.”

“We’re in a basement and most of our clothing is gone.” He forced himself up on one arm taking better stock of the room, while Dani patted her body as if to prove she was mostly naked. “Don’t see them either. We’re in a chicken wire cage and that doesn’t bode well.”

“The chicken wire?” she asked, bleary eyed not really seeming to be able to focus.

“No, well yes that too but I meant that.” He pointed to the bare toilet that had been enclosed within the chicken wire with them.

“Is that a toilet in a basement?” Dani narrowed her eyes at it. “Who does that?”

“I had a friend in Harvard who called them Pittsburgh Potties. Back in the day when coal mining was much bigger and even dirtier than today, the miners would come into the house via the basement. They often had a rudimentary shower and toilet there so they could clean up and not track coal dust all through the house. So, I don’t think we’re in Manhattan anymore. We might be as far as Buffalo or maybe into Pennsylvania. I don’t think we’re been unconscious long enough to get all the way to Pittsburgh.”

“Perfect,” Dani grumbled, running a hand over her chest. “You weren’t kidding about the clothes and oh…” Her gaze flicked down at him, and then back up to his face.

“I didn’t even get to keep my underpants. Not how I imagined you seeing me naked.” He had imagined it but those thoughts were of no help here.

“What are we going to do now, Bright?” Dani cupped his shoulder. “Damn, you feel like a Thanksgiving turkey fresh from the freezer.”

“Definitely chilled,” he agreed. “Right now, my head hurts too much to think, and I’m sure yours doesn’t feel much better.”

“It’s killing me but I can ignore it because we can’t just lie here,” she said.

“We’re shackled and inside a makeshift cage in a basement. All of that means we’re in more trouble than I want to think about. I have no idea how long we were unconscious but I’m sure that we’ve been missed.”

“Are you?”

He nodded to the window and Dani looked up at it.

“Ah, sunlight. It was getting close to dark when we were in your loft. It’s the next day at the very least.”

“Right. We have another problem.”

“I can think of several but I’m sure you don’t mean our chains might not make it as far as the potty. Even if they do reach, we’re going to be stuck using it in front of each other.”

“Can’t say that any of that makes me happy but what I was thinking of is, it’s morning and if you haven’t guessed by now I’m pretty well addicted to benzos.”

“Bright…”

“They’re appropriately prescribed but they are addictive and sudden withdrawal causes huge side effects.”

Dani shuddered. “What am I to expect?”

He made a face. “I could have grand mal seizures, become detached from reality, hallucinate, go into deliriums, vomit, shake, sweat, pulse racing and that’s just the short list. You can add in memory and anxiety issues.”

“Okay none of that is ideal.” Dani sat up and swayed.

“You have a concussion, don’t you.”

“I’m pretty sure the answer is yes. We’ll be fighting to puke in that gross toilet.” She drew up her knees and put her head against them.

“If it helps, I had nothing to eat yesterday.”

“I can’t see how that could possibly help.”

“A lot less in me to throw up,” he said, shivering. A door opened and he sat up too fast. He nearly collapsed on Dani.

When he saw who came down the uneven earth-dug steps into the old basement, several things came back to Malcolm not the least of which was that this was all his fault.

“Gwen,” he said.

The woman he knew as Lavinia sat on the steps, smiling. “Oh good, you’re awake, Malcolm.”

“Why are you doing this?”

She cocked her head to the side, her long nearly white hair spilled down to her knees. “I’m sure you know. Your father and I have decided you can’t possibly be his heir. You are not right for the job.”

“Maybe not but I’m still his son. He won’t forgive you for hurting me.”

“Last person who did that, Dr. Whitly dug out his eyes with his thumbs,” Dani added. “I had to stop him.”

“But your father knows I’m not hurting you. He was very clear about the fact that he doesn’t want you to be harmed. He even said if I had Dani, that I should treat her with respect. Martin likes you, you know.”

“I…suspected it,” Dani said with a little head bob. “But I don’t think this is what he means.”

“Oh, I’m sure he’s fine with it.”

“I can’t see how he can be. We’re chained up in a basement, Gwen. What part of that would make my father happy?”

She stood and stalked closer to the cage she had built for them. She studied Malcolm closely just out of reach. “Your lips are blue. I was afraid you were going to stop breathing on me. It was hard to know what a safe dose was for you with all the meds you take,” she said.

“He’s cold. It’s chilly as hell down here. Be decent. Give him a blanket. You’ve made your point you don’t have to embarrass him like this. You don’t want him to get hypothermia on top of all the other stuff that’s likely to happen to him.”

Lavinia wrinkled her nose and disappeared back up the steps. A few minutes later she returned with a large fuzzy blanket. She opened the lock on the chicken wire door and opened it just wide enough to toss the blanket in. “I suppose you’re used to seeing him like this anyhow but you have a point about the cold.”

“You’re wrong. Dani isn’t my lover.”

“I find that hard to believe after all I saw on those recordings.” Lavinia laughed loudly.

“I’m not that young man any more, Gwen. I’m older, and I recently lost my girlfriend. Dani’s my best friend but not my lover.”

“That might make it harder then but we’ll work around it.” She shrugged.

“Work around what?” Dani asked.

“His purpose. I brought him here for a reason. I think Martin was right. I feel…no compulsion to kill. I don’t think that’s my path to being his heir. On the other hand, I’m perfectly equipped to give him what he wants most.”

Malcolm took a deep breath in, his blood pounding in his ears. “No, Gwen, that’s not what he wants.”

“Of course, it is. He even got your mother to help. Ainsley told me. They want grandchildren. The world deserves that gift. For all your faults, you’re highly intelligent. Ainsley said Dani is as well. So, we can give your father two gifts for the price of one.”

“What?” Dani eyed Lavinia in horror.

“No.” Malcolm shook his head. “You can’t make me have sex with you, Gwen and I absolutely will not do that to Dani. I would never force her to sleep with me. It’s not going to happen.”

“Oh, I think it will. There are so many things I can do to you, Malcolm, to force your hand. I’m sure if it came down to doing it or Dani dying, well you wouldn’t let your best friend die.” Lavinia smiled sweetly.

“You just said you weren’t a killer,” Dani reminded her.

“I said I had no compulsion to kill but if you force me…”

“No, leave Dani out of this. It’s me you want.”

“True. I didn’t expect to see her in your loft but what’s a girl to do? I had to either bring her or kill her. I couldn’t leave a witness.”

“I appreciate that you didn’t kill her,” Malcolm said, frantically trying to think of what to say to this woman to keep her agreeable but his brain was so foggy it barely functioned. “But please, don’t make me do that. I don’t think…you do realize mental state plays a role in male arousal. I don’t think I could with that hanging over me.”

“That is of course a consideration. You need a little inspiration though it sounds like. I don’t have to kill her to make you compliant. Pain will do.”

“Please, don’t hurt my friend.” He took in a stuttering breath.

“Then you’ll do as I ask.”

“You can’t ask that of me. I can’t hurt Dani. I love her,” he said. Dani’s eyes popped wide. Lavinia’s mirrored them. He should never have said that. His head was still filled with the remnants of drugs and his judgement centers were offline.

“And yet you’re not lovers.”

“You can love a friend without being lovers. I won’t hurt her. I don’t care what you do to me.”

“But as I said, I could do it to her.” Lavinia stood and sauntered over to a cabinet along the wall. She came back with a long, orange stick-like device.

Malcolm panted, pulling on his handcuffs which gave not one iota. He knew what it was. “Do not hurt Dani, Gwen. Father likes her too. He wouldn’t approve.”

“Maybe not but this doesn’t do permanent harm.” She opened the makeshift door and swung the device around. “But we can test it on you if you’re so concerned about your friend.”

“No!” he and Dani cried in unison.

Lavinia jammed the cattle prod against his thigh anyhow. His back arched, his heels and shoulders digging into the bed and the electricity jolted him. Malcolm let out a yelping sound before his jaw clenched. She pulled it away, and he flopped down on the mattress. “Hmm, that was somehow less spectacular than I was expecting.”

“D-d-disagree,” he managed to get out.

“What? I thought you liked being shocked.” She smirked.

“Not that hard.”

“I can try her next time.” Lavinia narrowed her eyes at Dani.

“No…”

“Then you had better decide quick what you want to do.” Lavinia gave him another quick jab with the cattle prod.

“Bright.” Dani touched his forehead once he stopped twitching. “Stop hurting him. How can that possibly help your cause?”

Lavinia sighed and carried the prod back to the cabinet. She returned with a rifle. “I was hoping to do it the fun way. I’m not entirely sure how well a man can maintain an erection if he’s unconscious. I mean it is part of the autonomic nervous system, not entirely under conscious control. I guess we can find out.”

“What?” Malcolm eyed her suddenly very afraid.

“Ketamine is much quicker when injected. I bet you knew that.” She snapped the rifle up and fired a tranquilizer dart into his thigh.

Malcolm couldn’t stifle the sharp cry that ripped out of him as the thick needle slammed through his flesh. Dani grabbed it and threw it away but he knew it was already too late.

“Don’t do this to him. Just leave him alone,” Dani said, putting herself between him and Lavinia.

“You should be honored. You get to be a part of this process too. Martin likes you. He’d be happy to have you in the family. The two of us can give Martin what he desperately wants.” With that, Lavinia darted Dani too who swore violently as she tore the dart out of her flesh.

Lavinia put the rifle back and walked up the steps. “Rest well you two. It’s going to be an interesting time for us all.”

Once Lavinia slipped past the basement door and locked it behind her, Dani asked, “What do we do now, Bright?”

“We’re going to sleep. I can already feel it. We’re not going to be able to fight the ketamine.”

She nodded grimly. “We’ll be lucky not to fall down a K-hole.”

Malcolm could only imagine how his brain would handle the dissociative nature of the K-hole, that sensation ketamine abusers wanted so badly. “We’re in a hell of a lot of trouble.”

“Nothing we haven’t been in before,” she replied, trying to sound positive and failing. Dani grabbed the blanket and covered him.

He gave her a look.

“We’re going to be unconscious. Might as well be warm.”

He held up the end of the blanket and she slipped closer to him. She shivered and he doubted it was from the cold. Lavinia’s plan for them might not be death but it wasn’t much more pleasant. Of course, his body might be too drugged to respond to her when she returned for him. He had no idea what would happen after that but he’d put money on cattle prods, more ketamine, and a lot of pain. The best they could hope for was to fight their way back to clear headedness during a period that Lavinia wasn’t in the basement. It was their only chance, something that echoed in his mind as his father’s drug of choice pulled him back into the darkness.

Chapter Text

Chapter twenty-six

Gil scrubbed sleep from his eyes, not that he’d gotten much. He had insisted Jessica and Ainsley go to the hotel and get some rest. Jessica dragged him with. Gil doubted any of them got more than an hour or two. JT looked equally exhausted when they met up at the station just after dawn. Sitting at his desk, Ainsley tore into the computer files trying to track Lavinia but she hadn’t been having much luck. The only sign of ‘Gwen’ was a new email she sent to Martin assuring him that neither Malcolm nor Dani were seriously harmed, and that Martin would love her plans for them.

No one spoke of those plans. None of them could bear to think on what it meant or how Lavinia planned to force Malcolm into compliance. They had to find them and fast but there wasn’t much on Lavinia to be found: not on police records nor on the civilian ones Ainsley powered through. Jessica ensconced herself on Gil’s office couch with her coffee, silently observing everything. Gil was looking into veterinarian office break ins in a one hundred-mile radius as they often kept ketamine in stock. He had already crapped out yesterday with pharmacies. Vice was supposed to be handing him a list of all of the dealers of ketamine and roofies with the promise of helping him track down if anyone had sold to Lavinia and knew anything about her.

Her apartment of record had nothing much in it. The dogs found no trace of Malcolm or Dani’s scent in it. How Jessica knew where to look for investigators with tracking dogs he had no idea but since the K-9 units were backlogged, Gil was thankful for it. The studio proved to be tiny and almost unlived in from the looks of it. Lavinia must have simple needs but more likely this was just someplace she used to lie her head while in the city. She had rented it a mere six months before applying for the internship with the news station. They found a record of her living in Virginia before that, not that far from Malcolm. That couldn’t be a coincidence.

There were no police records of her in Virginia either. So whatever else she might be, Lavinia DePriest was law abiding on the surface. Gil and JT both were convinced she had to have another property somewhere because it wasn’t possible to hold two hostages in her tiny studio. Of course, she could have them in some abandoned building somewhere in the city but that would be harder to control. He’d even dispatched a team to the Whitly cabin in the woods. Gil could imagine her finding that fitting, romantic even, using Martin’s special space to hold his son. No signs anyone had been there either.

He sat next to Jessica, covering her hand with his. “Anything I can do for you now, Jess?”

“You’re already doing it. I’m just angry there is nothing I can do to help get my son and Dani back.”

“I wouldn’t call the scent dogs nothing,” he said.

JT rapped on the door. “Gil, I’m not sure Lavinia DePriest is actually Lavinia DePriest.”

Gil sat forward. “What?”

“I can’t find anything on her prior to three years ago except for a young woman who died five years ago at the age of nineteen in Port Jervis.”

“I put her name into How Many of Me and got 1 or less,” Ainsley said. “So, it’s a very rare name. It wouldn’t surprise me if she stole the name of a dead woman. I checked with her university, and they never heard of her, so much for whoever did the background checks at the station.”

“If…if we don’t even have her real name.” Jessica tented her fingers over her mouth and nose, leaning forward. Gil put an arm around her, tugging her close. “Gil, how will we find them?”

“I might be able to help,” Edrisa said, coming in. “The lab got a hit on the fingerprint on your window. Her name is Destinee Beckenbauer. She was fostered by the DePriests.”

“Really? That’s probably going to come back as a rare name too,” JT said.

“Did you find out anything more?” Gil knew it wasn’t Edrisa’s job but suspecting she might have tried because it was Bright and Dani.

“She had a sealed record but the record that gave us a hit was a drunk and disorderly when she was eighteen,” Edrisa said.

“Spell the name,” Ainsley said and Edrisa complied, showing no signs she was prepared to leave Gil’s office now that her report had been made.

“Gil, do you think we can get this seal broken?” JT asked.

“Probably not in time but see what you can do with that name. I’ll make a few calls once you get the details.”

“Edrisa, was the foster Mom Amy DePriest?” Ainsley asked.

“Yes.”

“Did you find something?” Gil demanded to know.

“She had properties all over the New York and Pennsylvania borders. Homes and cheap hotels it looks like she used as rental properties. It went to her daughters, Lavinia, and Destinee. I guess she thought highly of her foster child.”

“It’s not too surprising. Some families become close with the children they foster even if they never officially adopt them.”

“JT, Edrisa, is the sealed file from when she would have been sixteen? It looks like Amy died of a heart attack at an early age, and Lavinia petitioned to keep Destinee with her because she was of age.”

“Where are you getting that?” JT asked.

“From this newspaper article that popped up. There was a big fire at a high school football game, a pep rally bon fire gone wrong. Destinee and Lavinia witnessed it. A couple of kids died. It said that Destinee was sent to St. Mary’s outside of Port Jervis to recover.”

“St, Mary’s?” Edrisa pulled out her phone and started typing. Her eyes widened. “Oh…that is a mental hospital.”

“Oh, just perfect. Exactly what sort of trauma did she suffer?” Jessica groaned. “There had to be some right? I mean to hero worship Martin…”

“I could try to get those records,” Edrisa said. “Patient-client privilege might apply but we can probably convince them that Destinee is a danger to herself and others. That would waive privilege.”

“I’ll help you with that, Edrisa,” Gil said. “Ainsley, you and JT can work on the property searches, see if you can narrow down the list to ones where Gwen might be holding Dani and Bright.”

“I can help with that too. Just give me a computer,” Jessica said.

“Come on, you can use Malcolm’s.” JT waved for her to follow him.

Gil breathed only slightly easier. This was could be something. “Check for basements on the records and properties with few neighbors. Those will be our likeliest places,” he added for Ainsley and Jessica’s benefit. Knowing who Gwen really was should be the break they needed. He feared, however, learning the reason for her being placed at St. Mary’s as a young woman. Pretending to be Martin, he had sent her a terse reply to her latest email, reusing some of Martin’s phrasing, hoping to beat home the idea that harming Malcolm, and by extension, Dani wouldn’t make Martin happy. If nothing else Gil prayed it bought them some time because they desperately needed it.

XXX

Dani woke up to a pain in her thigh from where she’d been darted. At least her handcuffs weren’t on too tight, just enough to do the job though. Her head still killed her between the mild concussion and the drugs. At least she was warm tucked up against Malcolm. She tried to wake him but he didn’t so much as stir. Dani took advantage of that to pee as quickly as she could on the icy toilet. That didn’t wake him up thankfully and ironically Lavinia had thoughtfully put baby wipes there for their hands. She probably thought hand sanitizer could have been used as a lubricant to slip out of the handcuffs.

Dani sat on the bed, surveying the room. Her stomach growled loudly and her tongue scraped like sandpaper in her dry mouth. It was still light but was it the same day or the next? She had no way of knowing. Her brain buzzed, part of it wanting just a little more of that light floaty feeling the ketamine had given her before it sucked her under. Dani wrapped her arms around herself, trying to ignore it. Downers hadn’t been her drug of choice but the addictive part of her brain didn’t much care. It remembered how fun being high had felt.

Dani pressed a hand just below her belly button. Had Lavinia accomplished her goal? Could it even work like that? Maybe? Swabbing around with a sperm sample might be adequate to achieve the goal provided there was enough of the sample and the timing was right. She was probably in the danger zone timing wise. She couldn’t tell if Lavinia had put her hands on her. Nothing felt like she’d been touched but would she know?

Unbidden, thoughts of Khalil surfaced. Dani fought back the tears that came with them. Breaking down now wouldn’t do her any good. Memories of him cajoling her, guilting her, just plain forcing her and making her feel like she had deserved it for being a ‘bad girlfriend’ wouldn’t serve her now. Still a few tears slipped her control, and she dashed them away.

She checked again to make sure Bright was breathing okay. How different was he from most men she’d known? He took the pain to protect her. He’d do it again. He’d do it as many times as necessary to keep her safe. Dani couldn’t let him sacrifice himself for her. She didn’t know how she would accomplish that exactly. She couldn’t imagine just giving in to Lavinia’s plan. Even if they did, would Lavinia trust them to have sex if left alone? Would she want to sit and watch to ensure that Martin Whitly got his damn grandkids? Was she watching now?

Invigorated by that thought, Dani scrutinized the room. Yes, there was a camera in the corner focused on the cage. Was it wired to Lavinia’s phone? That would suck for them because once they got out of this cage – and Dani had every plan of managing it somehow – if the feed went to her phone, Lavinia would know about their escape immediately. Dani stalked the edges of the cage as best she could. Lavinia had stapled the wire to the exposed floor beams above and to two by fours on the floor. It reminded Dani of a haunted house attraction one of her school friends had worked in. They had constructed rooms like this. The two by fours on the floor were then locked around joists so they couldn’t easily be lifted or shifted. It could be done, Dani felt sure of it. It was the handcuffs that would be the issue.

Malcolm groaned and she knelt back down next to him. Dani rubbed his arm. “Malcolm?”

His eyes fluttered opened, and he moaned again. “I feel awful.”

“I’m sure you do. Can you sit up?”

He nodded and pushed himself up, a panicked expression shooting across his face.

“Have to pee?”

“Yeah.”

“Go ahead. I won’t watch.” Dani lay down and pulled the blanket over her face. It didn’t help that she could hear him, stumbling first trying to walk and obviously not quite managing a straight line. She hummed to herself trying to blot out the sounds of him relieving himself. When he all but fell on the bed, Dani dared to look, keeping her eyes on his face, or at least tried to. She did see the bruising on his thigh from the dart next to the burn from the cattle prod.

“Get off the blanket,” she said, and he managed to flop to one side. Dani nudged him until he sat up, and then draped the blanket around him, tying it over one shoulder, toga-style. “There. That should keep you warm and a little less exposed.”

“But now you’ll be cold.”

“I’m fine for now. We need to figure out how to get out of here. I have-” Dani broke off when the sound of the door unlocking echoed in the basement.

Lavinia walked down the stairs carrying a tray. She set it on the floor and fetched a broom. When she unlocked the cage door, she pushed the tray to them with the broom and locked up immediately afterward. “I’m sure you’re getting hungry and thirsty by now.”

“How do we know you haven’t drugged this?” Dani asked.

“You don’t. I’m feeding you. If you don’t trust that, go hungry.” Lavinia shrugged. “I have to go out but I’ll be back quickly. You’ll be happy to know your father is still very concerned for you, Malcolm. I’ve assured him you’re mostly okay but uncooperative. Maybe he has ideas on how to handle you.”

“I’m sure he has thoughts. Please end this, Gwen. You haven’t done us any lasting harm. It’s time to let us go. This wouldn’t be what my father wants.”

“As if you’re a good judge of that. I’m surprised at how much you’re balking at this, Malcolm, with your sexual track record. If I climbed in there with you, it would hardly make the first time you’ve been in a threesome.” She shot him a withering look. “It’s not the sex, is it? You hate children that much?”

“I don’t hate them, Gwen. I just shouldn’t have any. I’m not well.”

“He’s not kidding about that, Gwen. He needs his medication. Did you bring it?” Dani asked hopefully. Bright seemed to be holding on but he was sweating in spite of the chill in the basement. It was only a matter of time before withdrawal really hit.

“I didn’t, and I can’t go back and get it. I’m sure they’re looking for you by now. He’ll have to make do.”

“I can’t. Benzodiazepine needs to be tapered off,” he said.

“Ah, well isn’t Rohypnol in that drug class? You’ll be fine.”

“I don’t think it works that way,” he muttered.

“I guess we’ll find out. As I said, I’ll be back soon. I have to call into the station and be sure they got my doctor’s excuse. I’m out with the flu so they don’t get suspicious that I’m gone. Give a little more thought as to how you’ve lived your life, Malcolm. I’m sure the idea of sex isn’t repulsive to you and who said anything about you raising the children.”

With that, Lavinia swept up the steps and locked them in. Malcolm sighed, staring at the bed. Dani listened intently for the front door opening and closing just so she’d recognize it if Lavinia ever left without announcing it.

“Ignore her, Malcolm. I know what you used to do with your partners is nothing at all like having sex against your will.”

“No but she is convinced I should have no troubles being with you. She’s been watching us, probably guesses that it’s true I would be happy to be with you in any other condition but this one,” he snarled, punching the mattress, and worrying at the seam. “I wonder if we can dig a spring out of this thing.”

“Why?”

“Lock pick. I know a little about using them.” He nodded to the lock.

“You got out of handcuffs before. Any thoughts about these?”

“Yes, but I don’t see a handy hammer lying around. Watkins underestimated me and left his torture tools within my reach. I’d shatter my hand again if I thought it would get us out of here.”

Dani quirked up the right corner of her mouth. “I know you would. Let’s hope it doesn’t come that that.”

“Great because I wasn’t looking forward to you jumping on my hand until things broke and I can squeeze the cuff off like last time.”

Dani shuddered at the thought, taking his hand. Her finger stroked over his wrist. “Your pulse is racing.”

“I know. I’m not going to be good for much of anything soon enough. I’m sorry. Leave me if it comes down to it, Dani. If you can get free and I’m too sick to help, you leave me!” He squeezed her hand hard.

Dani couldn’t meet his eye. It made sense. She knew that but it didn’t make it any easier. “I will,” she whispered.

“Come back for me with help.”

She nudged his shoulder. “Did you imagine I wouldn’t?”

“Never.” He looked up at the camera. “We know that’s up there. I don’t see another. I don’t think Lavinia is too sophisticated criminally. She obviously knows computers but didn’t go all out when it came to wiring up this basement.”

“She might not have the money,” Dani said. “It’s expensive.”

“True. I don’t think we could pick the locks on the cuffs but that padlock on the door yes. We might even be able to force it without getting cut up too bad once we can actually get to the door. She has our shackles linked up to that big d-ring in the floor.” He made a face. “Where are people getting these d-ring enabled floors? There was one in Mother’s place too.”

“She probably did it herself. I mean Lavinia, not your mother.” Dani wasn’t sure but the floor there didn’t look like concrete where their mattress sat. “This looks like an earthen floor, don’t you think?”

“I think so. We might be able to pull up the anchor if we keep at it.”

Dani nodded slowly. “It’s a place to start. Who knows how long we have.”

“Nine months if she has her way,” he replied bitterly. “I don’t know what happened after she darted us.”

“Neither do I but no matter what, you aren’t responsible for what she’s doing to us.”

“I feel like I am.”

Dani caught his chin, tipping his face up. “You’re not. You remember that, Malcolm. This is not your fault. “Now…,” she said looking toward the tray that Lavinia had pushed into their enclosure, “what do you think about the chances that that water and food are clean?”

“Not great. And we’re sort of screwed either way. We could go days without food if we have to but we can’t do that with water. I’m fairly sure she’s going to keep sedating us. If you and I aren’t willing to participate with her plans, she is going to take things into her own hands, literally.” He trembled. “Is it wrong to rather drink that roofie water than get another dart full of ketamine?”

“No, that hurt like hell. I’d rather drink it too.”

“Not drinking will get very painful very fast. Our bodies will scream for the water.”

“So, you’re saying we might as well.”

“Sips if nothing else. Might just make us sleepy and not completely knock us out.”

Dani considered her options and took a sip of the water. It tasted funny but she couldn’t stop herself from taking a few more swallows. He did the same. They both ate the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Afterward they started pulling on shackles. They didn’t get very far before they both slipped under again.

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty Seven

“This is the third building we’ve looked in,” JT said, telling Gil what he already knew. “Even narrowing the DePriest holdings down, there are just too many.”

“I know.” Other teams were checking other places. Gil didn’t know what else to do. He couldn’t call Jess and tell her they couldn’t find Malcolm. God help him if he had to make an even worse call. No, Malcolm and Dani are both strong and clever. If anyone can survive this, it’s them. Reminding himself of that did little good. “Check your phone, see if any more emails have come in.”

None had in the morning. He’d been hoping Lavinia was proud of her accomplishment and would send Martin a picture of her captives. It might have more detail than she knew. Hell, a lot of photos were imprinted with GPS these days. So far she hadn’t and she might know enough about the digital world to know that would be an issue. She knew enough to hack into computers. She also was delusional according to what Edrisa had uncovered. Lavinia, Destinee, Gwen whatever she wanted to call herself might have had early onset schizophrenia but psychiatrists didn’t like to make that call in the teenaged years. There had apparently been speculation about whether she was responsible for her foster mother’s ‘heart attack’ and for the real Lavinia DePriest’s death, but there had never been enough evidence. She had been suspected of arson too in the bonfire that killed some of her classmates. Gil wasn’t sure Lavinia knew how disordered her thinking could become, not if she had disassociated during them much like Ainsley had done when she had killed Endicott. She seemed hesitant to kill but he couldn’t trust that and definitely didn’t plan to bet Dani’s and Bright’s life on it.

“Nothing.” JT gritted his teeth, putting his phone away. “She has what she wanted I guess. You don’t think she’s killed them?”

Gil shook his head. “I’m feeling fairly confident she won’t kill Bright. It’s Dani I’m worried about. She took her for a reason, and I’m grateful for that in a way because the alternative would have been to kill her to eliminate a witness. She might have thought her ‘out sick’ excuse at work would be cover enough for her and it might have done had Malcolm not texted Ainsley about the lost tablet ruse.” He hiked through the tall, unkempt grass to the shed behind the house. He wasn’t going to let any possible hiding places go unexamined. “As creepy as it sounds, I think she wants to have Bright’s kid.”

“Not going to argue any part of that. It was my take away from the email and it’s definitely creepy. About as creepy as this house.” JT cast his gaze back at the old farm house near the Pennsylvania border.

“It’s just old,” Gil said, taking a bolt cutter to the shed’s lock. Nothing was inside but some battered yard tools.

“In the middle of nowhere.” JT shuddered.

“Another city boy. I hate to say it, but we’re probably going to go deeper into the country before it’s all over.”

“Our next place is across the border.”

Gil nodded. “Across the Neversink river.”

“Strange name for a river. Let’s just hope they’re not in the river.” JT sounded as if he were questioning whether he should have made the attempt to make light of the situation as a way to break the tension.

“We have to keep hope, JT. I can’t…” Gil’s voice broke. “I just can’t.”

“Me either. Anyhow, if she planned to take Bright and have his kid herself then Dani is either a backup surrogate mom or was taken simply because she was at Bright’s. She probably didn’t suspect Dani would be there.”

“Probably not. That would have been extremely risky. She would have no doubt preferred to handle just one of them.”

“But, and I hate saying this, why concentrate on Bright? It was his sister who took out Endicott.”

Gil scowled, hating the reminder. “I think it’s because Martin has always been centered on his son. That’s made it into a few of the books written about The Surgeon. She might never have considered Ainsley. Of course, Ainsley might have done her father proud in Gwen’s eyes. Malcolm hasn’t.”

“And he’s the one who needs replacing.” JT took a deep breath in. “Didn’t Ainsley say that a lot of the homes on the Pennsylvania side have basements. That might be lucky for us.”

“It should be. We need it. They need us to be lucky. I’m going to send Gwen another email as Martin, asking for proof of life. Maybe we can get something from that,” Gil said.

“Good idea.”

“All right, I’ll also call our contacts in PA. They’re waiting on us, and they’ve already starting on some of the properties.”

“Good. Find out where they want us to go next. I’m getting tired of being worried about finding skinny ass alive after someone has captured him. I’ve seen chess pieces that get taken less.”

Gil snorted in spite of himself. They were both punch drunk at this point from lack of sleep. “It’s his super power. We’re going to find them.” He refused to add one way or the other because there was only one way he’d accept. If Lavinia had killed them, he’d be tempted to throw her to Martin if he ever found her. With that grim thought, Gil stalked back to their car. Maybe their next destination would be the one.

XXX

Dani woke up before Malcolm again. The little window reflected like black glass so she assumed that it must be dark out. She pulled on her shackles for a while and then tried to burrow into the mattress after that spring like Bright suggested. Tearing into a bed was ridiculously hard and she got nowhere. Finally, he woke up and together they both put their weight behind the shackles until they heard the lock turning. They were both back on the bed, Malcolm still in his fuzzy blanket toga by the time Lavinia flipped on a light.

She said nothing to them, her jaw grim. Setting down the bag she carried, she grabbed Malcolm’s chains and hauled on them through the holes in the chicken wire. She wasn’t just tall, she was strong, and she managed to jerk him off the bed. He half crawled, half dragged to the side of the cage where she wanted him, furthest from the cage door. Sweating heavily, Malcolm shivered against the chicken wire.

“You look awful. Starting to smell it too,” she said.

“He’s in withdrawal. He’s going to get worse, dangerously so,” Dani said.

“We’ve established I can’t go back for his meds. It’s his opportunity to prove he’s worthy of his father.” Lavinia smiled. “If he makes it through this, then he’ll be worthy. If not, then Martin will surely see his faith in him was misplaced.”

“It doesn’t work that way,” Dani said, remembering how awful she felt detoxing, and she had done so in a safe clinic with doctors there to help her.

“He’ll have to hope it does.”

“What did you want of me now, Gwen? I’m still not going to hurt Dani.”

“Curious that you seem to think sex equals hurting her. What changed since your college days? You didn’t think that then. Whatever changed your attitude must have happened off camera, though I suppose any of the bad stuff wouldn’t have been maintained for prosperity.”

He shook his head. “You’re still misunderstanding it, Gwen. All of us were willing participants, even in the orgies. Dani and I aren’t willing. It’s tantamount to rape. I couldn’t do that to her. Sex is meant to be an expression of either love or pleasure but this, here in this basement, it can’t be either. It would just be a perversion of it. We’d bear those scars forever and I, for one, already have more scars than I can bear. If they could speak, my scars would tell a story that would make you cry.”

She poked a finger through the chicken wire and stroked his cheek. “You really believe that.”

“I know it. My life hasn’t been a happy one, Gwen. Not in the last twenty years.”

“Betraying your father will do that.”

“I couldn’t let him keep killing. The irony is, he’s safe, vaguely content and really doesn’t have much in the way of worries in Claremont. It’s surreal. My father is far happier than me,” he said, licking his lips. “I’m very thirsty.”

“You’ve had enough water.”

“Not with the way he’s sweating,” Dani said. “Again, Dr. Whitly won’t be happy if his son dies.”

Lavinia heaved a huge sigh. “Push the tray to the door,” she told Dani who complied. Getting the broom again, Lavinia opened the door long enough to use the broom to pull the tray out of the door and lock it up again. Dani wished that their chains would reach that damn door. Picking up the hiking-style water bottle, Lavinia walked past the edge of the cage to the far side of the toilet where there was an old double sink. She refilled it and put it on the tray once more. She went through the broom ritual again, and then pulled on Malcolm’s chains again until he was flush with the chicken wire.

“Stay there,” she demanded. She opened the bag and took out a 1970s style automatic picture camera. “Your father wants proof I have you as if I would lie to him.”

Dani knew in that instant why Lavinia seemed to be in a bad mood. Her idol doubted her. “I don’t think it’s that, Gwen. He truly is protective of Malcolm. He needs reassurance. The last time Malcolm was taken, he was so upset he had a massive panic attack and had to be sedated. He’s probably out of his head with worry.”

Lavinia sucked in her bottom lip, her blue eyes tearing up. “I never wanted him to worry like that.”

“What did you expect? He’s my dad,” Malcolm said. “No matter what else he is, Gwen, and no matter how fond he may be of you, I’ll always be his son. Maybe not his heir. Maybe that will be you soon enough but I will always be the son he loves in spite of all my flaws and scars.”

“Then let’s make him feel better. Sit still for me.”

“The shakes are making that hard.”

“Do your best.” She took a few pictures with the old camera, including one with Dani in it. “I’m going to get these to him. You had best lie down, Malcolm, let those drugs work out of your system. Tomorrow, we’ll take another shot at our agenda.”

Lavinia ran up the stairs almost gleefully. She locked the door behind her. If nothing else, she was thorough about that. Dani sighed.

“They were hoping for a GPS coordinate,” Malcolm whispered.

“She’s smarter than that, damn it.” Dani studied him. “She might have a point, Malcolm. You’re looking horrible.”

“There was roofie residue in that water bottle. I can feel it. Take sips if you have to have water,” he murmured sagging against the cage.

Dani tugged him gently back onto the bed. She considered her options. Soon, Malcolm would be useless to her but he was already fading. It was a done deal for the next few hours at the very least. Even if she got the shackles out of the ground. Her wrists ached fiercely. What must Malcolm’s arms feel like pulling with the stitches in the one? Lavinia would be upstairs emailing Martin. Was she armed? Dani believed she had to be. The woman had planned ahead with stores of ketamine and roofies, had a dart rifle, and a cattle prod. This was a woman who would have a gun and might not think twice about shooting her. Malcolm she might spare, but Dani was expendable, especially if she wasn’t going to produce a grandkid willingly.

Dani took a few shallow sips of water, undid the fuzzy toga so she could slip some of the blanket around her to get the intense chill out of her body. Malcolm snuggled against her instinctively. His breath, foul now as was hers, curled over her skin as he slept, drugged into a deep slumber.

“We’re going to get out of this,” she promised. Dani didn’t know how but she wasn’t ready to give up just yet.

Chapter Text

Chapter twenty-eight

Dani stood, feet braced as she leaned back against her chains. She had heard the front door opening and closing, so she got to work, hoping Lavinia would stay gone for some time. She swore the chains had given just a little but maybe that was her wrists bleeding into the hand cuffs from all the pulling.

Hearing a soft moan from Malcolm, Dani stopped what she was doing to turn and look at him. He pushed up into a sitting position, and Dani immediately helped him tie up the toga again. She should have asked Lavinia to give him back his underpants at the least but with her luck Lavinia would have stripped her too.

“Morning, Malcolm. Think you can wake up a little and help me?”

He nodded, rolling onto his knees as if to stand. Dani helped him but he suddenly flew back, his mouth open, in soundless scream. He found his scream a few seconds later, waving frantically at the toilet.

Dani dropped to her knees on the mattress next to him. She captured his flailing arm. “Malcolm, what is it?”

He shook his head violently, straining against her.

“Bright!”

“She’s climbing out of it,” he squeaked out.

“What?”

“She’s in the toilet.” He leaned away, pointing with a shaking hand toward the toilet.

“Who’s in the toilet?” she asked even though she knew there was absolutely no one in the cell with them let alone in the toilet.

“Don’t you see her? She’s all bloated. Her eyes are black. It’s a little girl.”

In spite of herself, Dani looked back at the completely innocuous toilet. “There’s no one there, Bright.”

“She’s looking right at us with dead eyes,” he insisted, true panic in his voice.

“No one is there. Think for a second, Malcolm,” Dani said calmly, knowing he was hallucinating but hoping to reach him somehow anyway. “Could anyone possibly be down in the toilet? That U-bend can barely fit a human arm.”

He screwed his eyes shut, hiding his face with his hands as he took several deep but ragged breaths.

“You’re hallucinating. Your withdrawal is being a real bitch right now, okay? Do you believe me? There’s no little black-eyed child in the toilet.” Dani glanced back one more time, the urban legend about the black-eyed kids dancing in her head.

“You’re sure.”

“I’m sure. I’m also positive Lavinia is out of the house, and I need your help. Get up if you can and help me pull on that anchor. I think it might be moving. Can you do that?”

“She’s still watching.”

“Maybe if you pee on her.” Dani hated making such a silly suggestion but figured it had been hours since he’d gone and he probably needed to anyway.

He wagged his head again. “Not going over there.”

“Okay, can you pull the chains with me then?”

“I think so. Can I ask you a question, Dani?”

“Of course,” she said, holding out her hand. He didn’t take it as he studied her face.

“When did you die?”

Dani blinked. “What?”

“You’re dead. Your skin is bad. Blood has oozed out of you. Your eyes are all gone. You’ve been dead a while now.”

Dani groaned. She couldn’t even imagine what the inside of his brain was like right now. He didn’t seem afraid of her so maybe it was better to play into his delusion than to fight it. “It’s been a while I guess since it happened but do you trust me even though I’m a zombie?”

“I’ll always trust you.”

“Good to know.” Somehow she believed him. Even though he thought she was a horrible monster, he somehow still trusted her completely. “Take my hand and let’s stand up.”

“Your hand won’t come off?” He eyed it suspiciously. Bright pressed a finger against some of the dried blood that had seeped out from under her hand cuff.

“It’s sturdy,” she promised.

Malcolm put his hand in hers, and she helped him to his feet. He picked up the chains and did as she did, pulled for all he was worth. She didn’t know if he always listened to his delusions or if she were special but right now it didn’t matter because she felt sure this time that the anchor slipped some.

“Come on, Malcolm, pull harder,” she encouraged him.

“Dani…” he trailed off, sounding strained.

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye just in time to see him shake a little. His eyes rolled, showing whites as he staggered. Swearing, she tossed down the chain and grabbed for him. Dani caught him before his head hit ground as he went down hard. She had only seen full-on grand mal seizures twice before, and both times it had been scary, but nothing like this. His whole body tensed and relaxed again and again, his extremities juddering. She got his head and shoulders on to the mattress to protect them. There was little else she could do until the seizure passed. She winced every time his heels slammed against the floor. He’d be in so much pain once he regained consciousness.

Finally, after what seemed like forever even though it was likely less than a minute, he came out of it, his head lolling. Dani stroked his hair, oily and clammy from the sweat, but his facial muscles relaxed at her touch. It took him another few minutes to open his eyes again.

“Dani,” he murmured.

“Shhh, you had a seizure, Malcolm.” Dani tried to fight back the emotion edging into her voice. She was going to have to leave him if they somehow got free now. She couldn’t run with him like this. But what if Lavinia came back while Dani was running for help? She couldn’t move Bright, and he’d be alone with Lavinia, facing all this horror by himself. How could she leave him? What if Lavinia drugged him again and put him on whatever device she used to move him and Dani out of his loft and to this basement? She could take him on the run.

He mumbled something incomprehensible. Dani caressed his head again and only then did she spot it. The anchor had come free under the pull of his dead weight convulsing against it. She shook his shoulder. “The chains are free, Malcolm. I couldn’t get a spring out of the bed.”

He struggled to sit up. “Have to go now.”

“Can you walk?”

“I will do whatever I need to. Don’t want to die like you.”

Thanks for nothing, Bright. Okay so the seizure hadn’t reset his delusions but at least he was still cool with talking to a zombie. Dani took her victories as small as they were. “I can’t pick the lock.”

He scowled. “We’ll get cut up but… we could probably kick it open.” His eyes rolled toward the ceiling. She tensed, thinking he was going to seize again but he was scanning the ceiling. “Won’t have much time. She knows computers.”

“That camera has to be wired to her phone,” Dani agreed. “All right then we kick this damn door down and we run for it. Maybe she’s far enough away that we can get out the door and get help.”

“We’re probably in the country.” He pointed to the low window. “Not worried about neighbors. Has room to bury us when she’s done.” He shot her a look. “Did you dig yourself out.”

“No, she never buried me. And I’d be on the other side of this cage if I dug myself out. Come on, Bright, focus.” She sat on the concrete the chill coming straight through her thin panties. She patted the floor next to her and he crawled over. Dani laid back and kicked with both feet.

Once he started copying her, Dani rolled to her feet and kicked one leggedly. The wood splintered loudly and the door gaped. It wasn’t much but it was enough. She pulled their chains through the chicken wire because there was no way to get them off their handcuffs. She shimmied through the door gap and held out a hand.

Bright made it through easily and, in his withdrawal haze, awkwardly.

They both scurried up the steps, Dani detouring as they went to grab the cattle prod and the dart rifle out of the cabinet. She saw no darts but she gave the rifle to Bright anyhow. “Swing it like a club if you have to,” she instructed, scowling at the door. Kicking a door while standing on the stairs wasn’t easy.

It took them a few minutes of battering to get the door to open. She hoped the sounds of it hadn’t masked any sounds of Lavinia returning. The house was dark. That worked for Dani. Night time might hide their movements once they got outside but she did flick on the lights briefly just to see if there was a land line in the place. She wouldn’t turn down a chance to call 911. But, not too surprisingly, she saw no phone and no signs of their clothing.

They’d have to make do. Nothing like a man in a makeshift toga – who thought the people around him were zombies – and a mostly naked woman running down the street in the middle of the night to make the neighbors lock the doors and hide. Dani took Bright’s hand and gently tugged him toward the front door.

Suddenly he balked and jerked away. He lost the rifle. “No!”

“Bright, what are you doing?”

“They’re everywhere over there. We can’t go that way,” he screamed.

“What is? We don’t have time for this, Malcolm. There’s nothing there.” She could scream. He had been coherent, minus zombifying her, just five minutes ago.

“All the children, so many dead, black eyed children. They’ll kill me,” He backed away hurriedly.

“Damn it, Bright. It’ll be okay. You said you trusted me.” Dani held out her hand. She couldn’t knock him out this time. She couldn’t carry him if she did but if he was going to be like this, too afraid to move or listen to her, she would have to leave him and come back with reinforcements. If it came to that she would have to hope he didn’t hurt himself by accident before she got back.

“You’re already dead. They can’t hurt you, Dani.”

She waggled her hand at him. “I’ll keep you safe.”

Just as he reached out for her, a loud knocking noise sounded at the front door. Startled, Dani dropped the cattle prod. Malcolm screamed incoherently over someone saying ‘Police!’ from the other side of the door. At his shrieking, the police kicked in the front door. Dani fought to get Malcolm under control before he looked like a target.

Dani wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close. “Malcolm, it’s over, we’re going to be safe but you have to be quiet.”

“Powell!” JT bellowed, pushing past the uniformed cop, nearly bowling the poor woman off her feet. Gil followed on his heels.

Dani nearly wept with relief. She reined in her emotions. “I’m glad to see you two.”

“Look at you, almost out the door on your own.” JT grinned. “Should have known you weren’t going to be waiting around on us.”

“Didn’t seem like a good idea,” she returned the jest, hearing the brittleness in JT’s tone. “Come on, Bright. Look, it’s Gil and JT. We’re okay now.”

He opened his mouth but nothing came out. Malcolm took a step but he stiffened. This time Dani knew what was going to happen. She grabbed him and got him to the ground before the seizure took hold. Gil kicked the couch back out of the way so Malcolm wouldn’t bash his head into it. Dani pulled the coffee table out of range.

“He’s been seizing. It’s the withdrawals,” she said. “He thinks there are black-eyed children everywhere and I’m a zombie.”

“He would have delusions about those creepy kids,” JT said, whipping around and yelling at the uniformed officers. “Get those ambulances here fast! And some blankets!”

“I’m fine. I don’t have to go in an ambulance,” she protested.

“Dani,” Gil said softly. “He probably thinks you’re a zombie because your hair is matted with blood. Do you have a concussion?”

She sighed. “Not a bad one but yeah.” Seeing the convulsing stopping, she stroked Bright’s cheek. “Okay, there you go, Bright. It’ll be okay now. JT, have them look for her. Stop any car coming down the street. I don’t know about the whole house, but she had the basement on camera. We think it’s going to her phone. She was probably on her way back when she saw us get out of the cage.”

“I’m on it.” He went outside to talk to the other cops.

Gil knelt at Malcolm’s side, taking his hand. Malcolm barely roused at that. He leaned over Malcolm and whispered to her, “Are you okay? We know what she was planning to do or at least had some ideas based on her emails to Martin.”

Dani shivered. “Malcolm wouldn’t do it. So she hit him with the cattle prod.” She nodded to where she dropped it. “And darted us both with ketamine. She had some weird in vitro planned but I have…we don’t know what if anything happened. We’ve been drugged for however long it’s been.”

“Almost three days,” Gil said. “I’m sorry it took so long.”

“That you found us at all…” She shook her head. “I know I’ll have to be tested.”

“I’m sorry,” he said again, as red and blue lights started flickering through the windows. The ambulances had arrived.

Not as sorry as she was. The rape kit procedure was as invasive as it came but she also needed to know. What would happen if Lavinia had managed it, Dani couldn’t think about now. JT came back with the EMS workers. Bright was loaded up first, still barely conscious. Dani’s hands started shaking as she watched them fighting an IV into his dehydrated veins. Bright didn’t even seem to register them. She prayed he knew he was safe now. She wanted to go with him but they couldn’t treat them both at once.

She didn’t fight with Gil over going in her own ambulance. The fear in his eyes, the tightness of his jaw betrayed his emotions. Seeing it allowed Dani’s own fears to swamp her. She battled them back not wanting to let them show in front of her team, not that Gil or JT would think less of her. Dani feared the emotions would snowball and leave them all helpless. She shivered under the thin blanket the EMS workers draped over her filthy body. Dani kept watch out the open ambulance door until they closed it. Lavinia hadn’t returned by the time she was on the road toward the local hospital. Dani hoped she wouldn’t slip away.

Chapter Text

Chapter twenty – nine

Gil startled awake at the harsh sound of Malcolm’s heart rate monitor shrilling. It woke him out of nightmare of finding Malcolm and Dani dead in that old farmhouse. He had come so close to losing the two people he considered ‘his kids’ he’d barely be able to even fall asleep in the first place. He glanced around only to see Malcolm was trying to get free of his sensors. Gil swung off the reclining chair, noticing he was still alone in the room; so he hadn’t been asleep long. He’d tasked Malcolm’s friends with taking Jessica out for coffee now that she knew Malcolm would be all right. The doctors had started Malcolm back on his medications, and he had slept for at least ten hours which was possibly be a record for him.

“No, Malcolm, you need to leave those on. Your withdrawal really did a number on you,” he said, grabbing Malcolm’s hands.

Those big blue eyes stared up at him, fear in them. Of course, Malcolm wasn’t sure where he was or who was with him. For all he knew Gil was another delusion.

“You’re safe. We caught Lavinia heading for the Jersey border. You and Dani are safe,” Gil reassured him. “Luckily neither of you were hurt badly in spite of it all. You’re going to feel pretty bad I’m sure between the effects of the withdrawal and all the ketamine and roofies in your system. Are you still seeing things?”

Malcolm opened his mouth, made no sound, and shook his head.

“Okay then, you just rest. Is there anything you need? I can call the nurse for you.”

Again he shook his head.

“Bright, talk to me,” Gil said, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. Something was seriously wrong. He could sense it.

Malcolm’s face twisted up, and he shook his head a third time.

“You can’t talk?”

The pain in Malcolm’s eyes echoed in Gil’s heart. He had been here before. When Gil first came back into his life, Malcolm had been mute. Whatever he had seen and been through in that basement may have driven him back there. He’d been talking, at least enough to rave about spectral children and Dani being dead but still walking but something had obviously shifted in his head. Gil rested a hand on Malcolm’s shoulder.

“It’ll be okay. You just take some time, let your head clear. You’ll talk to me when you’re ready.” Gil had no idea how he was going to tell Jessica this. How many more blows could she take?

Malcolm pushed Gil’s hand away, trying to sit up. Gil held him down.

“You need to stay in that bed, Bright.”

He pointed to the door waving his hand frantically.

Gil looked over his shoulder but no one was there. “Do you want to see Dani?”

Malcolm nodded.

“You can’t. You stay in this bed.”

Malcolm sighed, gusty as a spring wind. He pointed to the bathroom next.

“I’m not sure if you’re allowed to go on your own or if you have to use the bed pan. Let me ask a nurse.” Gil walked to the door, knowing it was a mistake.

Three seconds later, Bright was out of bed and staggering around the end of it. Gil scowled at him. Bright pointed to the bathroom.

“Fine but that’s as far as you’re going. Leave the door cracked open. If you have another seizure, I don’t want your body blocking the door.” Gil wasn’t sure it mattered. The hospital bathroom door probably opened outward but he’d rather be safe than sorry. He hit the call button while Malcolm was in there.

His nurse, Olivia, wasn’t thrilled that Malcolm was out of the bed but she agreed to send down for Dani if she was awake. Gil knew she was okay. The head CT had shown no damage and other than being filthy, angry, dehydrated, drugged, and degraded, Dani wasn’t hurt beyond a concussion. The hospital chose to keep her for observation. She confided in him that the rape kit was negative. There were no signs that Lavinia had successfully implanted anything into her. He hated that Dani had been forced worry about that let alone endure what she had. He wanted Lavinia punished but he suspected his wishes might not matter. She was as likely to end up in a place like Claremont as she was prison.

When Malcolm didn’t reappear, Gil peeked into the slim opening he’d left in the doorway. Malcolm sat slumped against the wall and the sink. Gil went in and helped him back to bed. Olivia wired him back up to his heart monitor and, after Gil explained that Malcolm was having difficulty verbalizing his thoughts, she went to look for a tablet and a pen so Malcolm could write. She came back with one a couple minutes later.

Gil would let Jessica battle it out with the hospital as to what happened next because he knew they’d want to move Malcolm to the psych ward. If the mutism was taking hold again, he probably needed to be under the care of a psychiatrist. Bright would fight it of course. He had his therapists and would want them no doubt. And Jessica wouldn’t want Malcolm treated in some small county hospital. He’d agree with her there.

He would be better off back in the city with therapists who knew him and his trauma. While he waited on Dani’s arrival, Gil rubbed Malcolm’s shoulder, unwilling to not be in close contact. His heart wasn’t going to be able to handle much more of Malcolm being taken hostage. What Dani had gone through with him made it that much worse.

Malcolm, still semi-conscious, slowly wrote on the tablet. “Is she okay?”

“She’s fine. A mild concussion but nothing she can’t handle. Lavinia didn’t touch her. I’m sure you know what I mean.”

Malcolm made a soft pained sound, sudden tears flooding down his cheeks. Gil handed him a little package of tissue and Malcolm covered his face in his tissue-filled hands. Gil wanted to pull all this pain out of him.

“She’s going to be here any minute.” Gil rubbed Malcolm’s neck. “You’ll see for yourself that she’s okay. We caught Lavinia too. You are safe. I need you to know that. Bjørn and the ladies have your mother and sister out for coffee right now. I’ll call them in a minute.” Gil knew he should have already called them but he sensed, given all Malcolm and Dani had been through, they needed some time alone. He’d give Jess a call as soon as Dani was brought up.

Hearing JT’s voice in the hall, Gil stood up. He heard Dani complaining, “I could have walked.”

Gil stepped out in the hall to intercept them and let them know what was going on with Malcolm.

“So, you said five times now.” JT rolled Dani up the hall. She looked better now, cleaned up, more relaxed in spite of being in a robe Jessica had brought for her and another of Jessica’s nightgowns. Jessica had insisted no one should be forced to lie around in those thin, scratchy open-backed hospital gowns. Gil might not have gone so far as to call them scratchy but he had to admit that they certainly didn’t exactly instill a sense of well-being even though he knew they were designed the way they were for medical reasons.

He caught them before they got within earshot of the inside of Malcolm’s hospital room. “Dani, JT, I have to tell you something.”

Dani and JT’s face’s mirrored each other, furrowed in concern. “You said he was awake,” JT said.

“What’s wrong? Did the seizures do something to him?” Dani tried to get out of the wheelchair but JT put a hand on her shoulder.

Gil shook his head. “Did you know that when Malcolm was a little kid, he was so overwhelmed by everything he went through with his father, with the way Shannon and Turner interviewed him hard, that he shut down. He developed mutism.”

Dani nodded slowly. “He said. Are you saying…”

“I’m saying he’s not talking right now. He can’t. He has pen and paper. He can at least write but his voice is gone.”

JT winced. “That isn’t our Bright. He never shuts up.”

“I know. That’s why I wanted to warn you. It’s a little spooky. I don’t think he’s hallucinating anymore. He seems to know what’s going on around him but he just needs a little time.”

“Gil, what if they want to lock him up?” Dani’s voice shook.

“He’s not a danger to himself or others and hopefully he won’t start acting out. His mother is power of attorney anyhow. She’ll want him transferred to the city if he has to stay in the hospital. I’m hoping just seeing you’re okay will help him. He’s protective of you in case you hadn’t noticed.”

She wrinkled her nose. “I know. He goaded Lavinia into using that cattle prod on him instead of me. Part of me wanted to kick him for shielding me. Part of me is very glad not to have been zapped that hard. Do we know if she…”

“We’re waiting on that. We have to get the warrant to test her.” Gil hoped to hell that nothing would come of it, that she had kept Malcolm too drugged for his body to respond to her. If he was this broken at the mere idea… “I thought maybe you’d like to visit with Malcolm alone but if it’s too much for you all things considered….”

Dani held up her hand. “I want to. JT wouldn’t let me walk up here but I can-”

“Be wheeled in. You have a concussion, Powell. Let us pamper you a little if you can call a wheelchair in a hospital pampering,” JT argued and wheeled her in.

He stepped back out immediately and Gil waved him on.

“The coffee shop is across the street. Let’s go tell Jessica and the others he’s awake. Give those two time to talk,” Gil said, and JT fell into step with him as they walked toward the elevator. Gil knew it was probably too much to hope just seeing Dani again would snap Malcolm out of his current state but he held out hope anyhow.

XXX

Dani couldn’t swallow past the knot in her throat seeing Malcolm lying in that hospital bed, pale as the sheets covering him. He’d been cleaned up a bit but if Jessica had brought him pajamas – and Dani was sure she had - she hadn’t been allowed to dress Malcolm in them. He was still all wired up. JT had put her right next to the bed so she took Malcolm’s hand in both of hers. “It’s so good to see you awake. How are you feeling?”

He gave her fingers a squeeze before extracting his hand. He wrote. “Better seeing you.”

“I’m okay.” She frowned, touching the egg on her head. “This kills right now but I’ll be fine. The doctor said the concussion is mild. You look tired. Do you remember anything about our escape?”

He scrawled “You kick ass,” and then smiled at her.

Dani laughed softly. “You know it. Am I alive now?” He nodded so she added, “No black-eyed kids?”

He shook his head and wrote, “Sorry.”

Dani leaned forward. “You don’t have to apologize. I’ve been through withdrawal, Bright. I know how crazy it can make you. You were sick, never a need to apologize for that.”

His lips trembled as he wrote, “Gil said she didn’t.” He dropped his pen because his hands were shaking so hard.

Dani stood trying not to tremble. Her legs hurt like hell and the cold was still in her joints but she wasn’t telling him that. She was telling no one that or they’d never let her out of the damn place. It was all just muscle soreness, and she’d be fine in a day or two once the dregs of the drugs and the damp were out of her. Gil would be keeping tabs on her, she was sure, to be certain she was okay and feeling no inclination to go find something to get high on. Ketamine was nothing like her drug of choice, and she never wanted to go back to those days.

Dani picked up his pen and put it on the bed tray before pushing the tray out. She sat on the bed in the crook of Malcolm’s hip. She didn’t want to talk about or even think about the indignity of doing the rape kit. It had been horrible but she needed to know. She’d already made a decision if Lavinia had somehow been completely successful. Dani couldn’t quantify her emotions about knowing that decision was moot, a strange emptiness enveloping her. She cupped Malcolm’s chin. “She didn’t. Let’s not think on it, okay? Don’t carry that burden around. I know you feel guilty she even thought to try but if you can, push it out of your mind. She didn’t and that’s all you need to know. We’re okay.”

He wept, his entire body shaking. Dani scooped him up off the mattress, ignoring the various bells and whistles from his monitors as his heart rate jumped. Dani folded him against her, kissing his cheek. Her lips next to his ear, she whispered, “Just let it go.”

Burying his wet face in the crook of her neck, Malcolm clung so tight her ribs ached. Dani returned his embrace with interest. She rocked him gently, her own tears flowing now. She didn’t know how long they stayed that way, clinging to one another. She didn’t let go until she heard voices in the hall. His family was on the way.

She gave his cheek another kiss. “Now I know how far you’d go to keep me safe. I’ll never forget that, Bright. I want to hear your voice again so I hope it helps to know that we’re better than okay. You and I, we have something special, don’t we? You will give your all to protect me. Hell, you trust me so much you were willing to follow me when you thought I was a zombie.” Her smile wobbled.

He made a hiccupping sound that might have been a laugh as he wiped his face. He held out the tissues to her, and Dani took some. She hoped he’d say something to her. His mouth worked but nothing happened. He looked so sad it broke her heart.

“It’s okay, Malcolm.” She rubbed his arm. “You still have some healing to do. It’s going to take a few days before they get your medication levels fixed I’m sure.”

He nodded, and then looked up over her shoulder as his mother and Ainsley were the first in the door. Dani tried to slip back into her wheelchair but Malcolm wouldn’t let her go. She sat on the bed with him as his family and friends mobbed them both with hugs. She cast a glance back at Gil. He tried to look happy but she saw the worry in his eyes. It was going to take all of them to get Malcolm back on his feet. They all had known a break was eminent for months now, and if this was as bad as the break got, Dani would take it. She knew Bright would find where he lost his voice given time. She just hoped that their time in the basement wouldn’t get in the way of what awaited them. The way forward for them would be slow and full of detours Dani didn’t doubt but she wanted there to be a path for them. She’d do what she could to make that happen.

Chapter Text

Chapter Thirty

Jessica let Gil hold the door to Martin’s cell for her. She’d determined that she didn’t care if it pissed off her ex that Gil was with her. He needed to get it through his thick head he killed what they were two decades ago. He couldn’t hate Gil more at this point anyhow. His fury upon seeing them both was infectious, ratcheting up her own anger. Gil stayed by the door and let her deal with him as they had discussed.

“How is our son, Jessie?” Martin strode to the line, completely shackled up unlike he’d been that first time she visited this place. He had his cardigan down over his cuffs but she knew they were there.

“Home, recovering but not for long,” she replied. “Did you know that he couldn’t speak for months after you were arrested?” His lips tightened but Martin said nothing. “He’s right back there, locked up in himself. I had to fight with the doctors in that Podunk hospital to let him return to the city. Thank god for Dr. Young being with us. Jaylin was able to convince them that Malcolm was under the care of several doctors, and it was best he’d be able to see them. If his mutism continues as long as it did the last time, I don’t know what I’ll do.” She shook her head back, entirely grateful to Jaylin for helping her with this. Malcolm would have probably sneaked out of the hospital and had the Pennsylvania police looking for him if she hadn’t made it sound like she was also his therapist. Of course, for the next few weeks Jaylin was as good as one.

“How badly did she hurt him? All they would tell me was you had found him,” Martin replied, the accusation in his voice implying that he felt that she hadn’t done enough to keep him informed.

To hell with him, she thought.

“She did enough. He wouldn’t hurt Dani but those attempts to make him…” She trailed off, glancing back at Gil and his pained expression. “You know damned well what she wanted him to do. Anyhow, it seems between that and some straight out of a horror movie delusion his benzodiazepine withdrawal gifted him with, Malcolm isn’t speaking. He can write but that’s it.”

“Not even for you and Gil?” He shot Gil a withering look.

“For no one, not even Dani. She’s not allowed back to work yet either. She’s taking her vacation and we’re all going with Malcolm’s friends back to Boston. We’re on our way to pick Malcolm and Dani up now. Don’t try to contact him. She destroyed their phones anyhow.”

“And did he put you up to that?” Martin jerked his head toward Gil.

“I said nothing about it. Malcolm is a grown man, and he will get in touch with you if he wants to, regardless of what Jess or I want,” Gil replied. “It probably won’t be for a while. He’s not in a good place. Boston was where he was happiest. We’re all hoping a little vacation time there will help him.”

Martin moved his hand, maybe to stroke his beard like Jess remembered him doing often when he was concerned, but the shackle wouldn’t let him. “You’re going too, Jess?”

“I am. Gil’s family is putting me up which I told them wasn’t necessary but they seemed happy to help.”

“And I’m sure you’re going with her,” Martin said with rancor.

“I am,” Gil said defiantly. Jess wished he could stay with her and Malcolm as long as they needed him but unfortunately, his own injuries burned up all his time off. “Dani, Jaylin, Suzume, Bjørn, my family will all help Jess take care of him. He’ll be okay I’m sure. It’ll just take time.”

“I love that you can be so sure of my son,” Martin sneered.

“I’m the one who’s been there to take care of the wreckage you left behind. I know his moods, and I know what he’s like when he finally breaks,” Gil replied, not giving an inch to Martin. “Jess, we need to get going soon.”

“Go ahead. I have just one more thing to say, and I want to say it alone.” She glanced over to Mr. David who shook his head.

“Sorry, Mrs. Whitly. I can’t leave you here alone after what happened last time.”

“I’ll wait for you at the end of the hall,” Gil told her.

As Gil opened the door, Martin said, “What I asked of you before, Gil, that still stands.”

Jess was shocked at the pain in his voice. Maybe there were some sort of feelings in him. Gil turned and said, “I will always do everything I can to hold him together and keep him alive.”

“I actually believe you mean it,” Martin said, and Gil disappeared out the door. “Now what can I do for you, sweetheart?”

“You could stop calling me that for one,” she spat. “And don’t contact our son, Martin. Let him be. Gil’s right. If he wants to talk to you, he’ll ignore us both and do it. But right now he is broken. I need to put him back together, and I can’t with you interfering.”

“Fine, I’ll let him come to me if he wants to.”

That was too easy but of course, they both knew that Malcolm would come back if for no reason other than to continue to shield her and himself from the aftermath of her foolishness in bringing the icepick here. After ten years, he was right back in the ugly cycle of his adolescence. Maybe he wouldn’t. Jessica could only pray. “And leave Gil alone.”

He made a face. “Not you too. What do you and Malcolm think I could possibly do to Gil from here?”

“Neither of us trust you not to have your ways. I’m serious. Leave him alone.”

“Jessie, what are you even doing with a man like that?”

“We’ve already had this conversation. I’m not doing it again.”

“And you’re fine with him influencing your son, luring him into this dangerous work that he does.”

Jessica sucked in her breath. She wasn’t fine with it, and Gil knew it. But it wasn’t fair to blame him. Malcolm would have gotten there with or without Gil. She knew that now. Malcolm was happy at work, happier than she ever saw him elsewhere. “You know what? I did blame him, didn’t speak to Gil for years, and I was wrong. You’re the reason Malcolm does this work. He started it to try and understand you.”

Martin curled his lip. “Malcolm really is just like you, isn’t he? Very happy to blame me for everything.”

“As well he should. You know what kind of man Gil is? The most forgiving man I’ve ever known and one of the kindest. He stepped into the father role because I’m the one who asked him to since Malcolm wanted to see him so badly as a child, and then I got jealous when I turned Gil away and he found another love. I blamed him for things when Malcolm went to Quantico and he still forgave me for how I treated him. I’ve told him to his face that Malcolm isn’t his son but he still is there to help Malcolm every time he needs it.” Jessica wet her lip.

“And any influence he’s had on Malcolm has been for the positive. You destroyed our son, shattered him like glass, and Gil picked up all those pieces and put him back together again. He was there to teach Malcolm how to shave and how to drive a car. He taught him to protect himself from the bullies who targeted him thanks to the things you did. He made things better every time Malcolm left here upset over conversations you and he had. He was there to comfort him after his first broken heart and all the broken hearts that came after it. If Malcolm ever does fall in love and marries, Gil will be there as father of the groom, and if Malcolm can somehow get past his fears that his children will be a mess like him, stigmatized like he’s been, then they’ll call Gil grandfather. If that eats at you – and I hope it does – you have no one but yourself to blame. I don’t know why you’re the way you are. Maybe even you don’t know but it changes nothing. You ripped at least two dozen people away from their families. You deserve to lose yours in return.”

Seeing the rage in his eyes, the way his hands clenched and unclenched, knowing an explosion would come next, Jessica grabbed the door knob and swung it open. “Goodbye Martin. I hope to hell I never have to come here again.”

She slammed the door closed on anything he might have to say. She hurried down the hall to where Gil was waiting. It wasn’t just Malcolm he made things better for. He’d soothe her too. She needed him now more than ever.

XXX

Dani looked around the Irish bar which was just beginning to fill with the evening crowd. They had a large table next to the stage. Everyone had stuffed themselves at the fine dinner the Cat and the String had provided. Gil’s mother had taken a puddle jumper plane to the city and was behind the bar with her brother, serving a little but talking more with the customers, a little old now for the rigors of bartending. Gil’s various cousins worked the bar and for a while, during their dinner, Bjørn and his band had practiced on stage. They weren’t playing for real tonight which was a pity. She didn’t know Irish music much but had enjoyed what she’d heard. In the last few days at the hospital and then at Jessica’s home, she had come to like Bjørn, Suzume, and Jaylin. It was just as well since she had opted to stay in Jaylin and Suzume’s home. They were still hammering out the details as their dinner was cleared away and more beers arrived.

She had actually opted for the cider again, the same one Malcolm had suggested at the dinner with Bjørn that first time. Malcolm sat next to her, his knee touching hers. She had gotten him to eat some of his Guinness stew. She’d enjoyed her fish and chips. Fries with vinegar and salt really satisfied something in her every time she had them.

“I wish you could stay longer, Gil,” Jess said.

“Me too but you all have this in hand,” he replied.

“Do you want to stay with us just for a few days?” Jaylin asked. Her addendum ‘to be closer in case Malcolm freaked’ was inherent in her invite.

He shook his head. “It’ll be too crowded. Jess could take Arwen’s bed and me the couch but we’re not that far away at Uncle Tadgh’s. It’ll be fine.”

Malcolm nodded, reaching for his new phone. Three days later and he still wasn’t talking which made Dani freak out a little herself. She wanted to hear his voice again. He typed and the app sounded vaguely British as it said, “I’m fine,” as if anyone would believe that.

“We know,” she told him, playing along. She wished Gil and Jess could stay. It might work if she slept in Arwen’s room as the little girl was still with her grandparents just in case Malcolm did scream in the night, which was likely. Jess and Gil could have the other guest room bed or more likely, she’d end up curled around Malcolm in his room and they could have her guest room. Dani knew she wanted to be with him. She thought if he saw for certain that she wanted to be with him, he could heal a little more.

“I think tonight will help a lot,” Jaylin said with a soft smile. “We talked a lot today didn’t we?” She tapped his tablet.

He nodded. Dani knew it was awkward for them to be in a patient-therapist relationship but Jaylin had taken it on out of her feelings for him and because he refused to actually see a more appropriate therapist, probably out of sheer stubbornness. Jessica said he had a habit of doing this and that made Dani – and probably Jessica – want to kick him in the ass.

Dani knew Malcolm and Jaylin were as close as siblings once, and Jaylin wasn’t about to let him suffer if she could help him. Of course, Dani also knew their plans for tonight were a surprise for Malcolm. They wanted him to smile, and Dani hoped this would do it. It could backfire spectacularly when he knew he wouldn’t be able to participate but she hoped he would feel the love and concern and read the gesture as such.

Bjørn rejoined them, sitting next to Star who had been a sight to see when she arrived. Dani had thought herself prepared but Star had added to her dragon transformation with even more tattoos and pointy teeth caps. The woman had been very chatty with her at least. When she mentally added Vijay into the mix, Dani determined Malcolm collected strange friends. So what did that say about her?

A DJ came in and set up a karaoke machine. Malcolm watched him, his eyes narrowing slightly. He knew something was up and could probably guess exactly what they had planned now. Dani had loved the idea that they had a tradition of singing their truths or truths their friends wanted to hear. Gil and Jessica had volunteered to go first, just to break the ice. There wasn’t a real promise there to sing any truths but it would still be interesting. Dani figured Gil would do well. She couldn’t even imagine Jessica Whitly singing karaoke and wondered if she could get pictures and maybe a little video of it.

“Are you going to sing?” Malcolm’s phone asked, shaking her out of her reverie.

“I might…I don’t normally do this but your friends love it, right?”

He nodded. “Gil sings with us too. He’s good.”

“Oh, well maybe I’ll get lucky. Think he’ll let me record some so JT can see?”

Malcolm grinned and nodded again. Gil raised his eyebrows and then shrugged.

Malcolm hadn’t lied to her. Gil sang well when his turn came. She hadn’t known his voice was that nice. Dani hated she wouldn’t get to hear Malcolm but there would be other nights. To her absolute shock, Jessica really did take the stage alone. Malcolm’s eyes were so wide, Dani was surprised they didn’t just pop out of his head.

“I’ve only done this once or twice before and never alone,” Jessica said, her hands doing a little nervous flutter. “But my son and his friends really enjoy this so I thought I’d give it a try. Hopefully, I’ll not be too terrible.” She smiled at Malcolm who fished under the table for Dani’s hand. She took his, giving it a little squeeze. “I think this song does capture me a little and my son too.”

Dani had expected something poppy and fun but Jessica tackled Kelly Clarkson’s Dark Side, and Malcolm looked torn between pride and sadness. Jessica actually did a decent job of it, her voice pretty and clear. When she returned to the table, the DJ called up their group. Dani went onstage with all of Malcolm’s Bostonian friends. He turned his chair to fully look at the stage, curiosity on his face.

“For years, me and my friends have sung all around Boston. One of our traditions is we sing songs that reflect how we are in that moment or we sing a truth one of us needs to hear,” Jaylin said, and patted Dani’s shoulder, metaphorically passing the torch.

“Like Jessica, I’m not used to doing this but we talked it out, and we thought Malcolm needed to hear this,” Dani said.

He scooted closer to the edge of his chair. His mother took his hand. They launched into Marshmello and Demi Lovato’s It’s Okay Not to Be Okay. Dani knew he would cry. Hell, she was pretty sure she might cry, that they all might. It didn’t help that all of them – even her – had to be thinking about Roisin as well. This had been one of the things Roisin loved and she would have been here to help comfort Malcolm if she hadn’t succumbed to her own darkness. Dani couldn’t help Roisin other than to make room for her ghost in Malcolm’s life but she could make him understand he wasn’t alone and they accepted him just as he was.

They made it through without breaking down but the sight of him standing by the table, tears on his face broke through her resolve. Jaylin and Suzume were first off the stage and Malcolm caught each in turn in a fierce hug. He gave Star and Bjørn hugs too, taken right off his feet again by Bjørn’s powerful arms.

Dani wrapped Malcolm up her arms, feeling him shake, barely aware that the bar patrons were still clapping and cheering for them. His lips were wet with tears when he pressed them to the skin of her neck.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

Dani let out a stuttering sob, holding him tighter. “It’s nice to hear your voice again,” she said when she was able to breathe.
He looked at her, his lips trembling. For a moment she didn’t think he’d manage to say more. The fear in his eyes said he worried about the same thing. He took her hand. “I am not okay,” he said at last.

She brushed his hair back out of his eyes. “We know. That’s why we’re all here, right?”

He nodded, reaching for the chair. His weight pressed against her and she sat him down, fearing he might collapse on her. Malcolm took several deep breaths, wiping his face on a cocktail napkin. They stayed in their seats for another good hour or more. His friends sang again, their own songs. Dani didn’t. She didn’t need to. He’d heard the message he needed to hear.

In the end, they went home, Gil and Jessica leaving only reluctantly. Dani had told Gil she planned to stay with Malcolm if he and Jess wanted her bed. He decided it was better if she had a place to retreat to if Malcolm was uncomfortable with having her there. It was a possibility. It was equally possible that she would feel like they were back in that damn basement again and that wouldn’t be good either.

Once the house was silent and dark, Dani slipped into his room. She’d warned him she’d be there. She didn’t want to startle him and wanted Malcolm to have a chance to say no from the onset. He didn’t. Seeing him in the bed with his restraints, it was nothing like that basement and it wasn’t just that he had on clothing. He seemed relaxed in spite of the restraints and why shouldn’t he be? For better or worse, he was used to them, and he was in a home he loved and felt safe in.

Trying to hide her own shaking hands, Dani slipped into bed next to him. She wore her Eeyore shirt and shorts set again. She was afraid a nightgown would ride up, and she wasn’t quite ready for him to see her in panties again. That might be one step too far at this point given what they’d been through.

He was on his back but his arms were folded up over his chest. She curled up on her side, looking at him. “This is okay?”

“I wasn’t sure it would be,” he said. “It is for me. Are you okay?”

She nodded. “I am and I wasn’t sure either. I think…maybe we both need this right now, though. Being alone felt strange. I wanted to hold you until you knew for sure that I didn’t blame you for any of it.”

“I believe you. I’m just glad…” He screwed his eyes shut. “No, maybe we shouldn’t talk about that.”

“Maybe not but I’m glad too, that she failed in it. I’m sorry she hurt you. And maybe all I need to say is, if it had worked, it wouldn’t have been the end of everything,” she wrapped one arm over his belly. “Not for me.”

“Even if…”

“Even if. Not how I imagined having a kid but we would have adjusted and we can leave it with that. You’re right, there’s nothing more to talk about.”

There probably was but Dani was just as eager as he was to leave it be for tonight.

“That’s good,” he murmured and rolled onto his side. She spooned around him, her hand still against his belly. Malcolm rested his hand over hers. Hyperaware of his breathing, Dani listened until it slowed and deepened as he managed to fall asleep. She listened for a long while after, simply happy he was still able to breathe, that he was still struggling forward in spite of everything.

XXX

“How are you going to top Captain Jackson’s Historic Chocolate Shop?” Dani had enjoyed the day of playing tourist, listening to how Gil and Jackie had first brought him to Boston on the historic trail. They had tackled the Old North Church and the chocolate shop was practically next door. A history lesson in chocolate making hadn’t been on her mind for possibilities of things to do in Boston but she had let Malcolm do all the planning. He needed to immerse himself in things that made him happy. She was happy enough learning about him through the things he loved. The historically accurate chocolate drink wasn’t quite what she expected but him loving chocolate in any form was something she already was aware of. This had merely confirmed it. She knew exactly how to bribe him down the road.

“I thought we could go for a walk in the public gardens. It’s lovely no matter the time of year. I used to love to come here and then maybe we could take a little tour of Harvard. You might like that or not. Could be boring.”

“I’d love to see it if only because it was important to you.”

He smiled. “Tomorrow we can tackle Salem.”

“Definitely. I’ve always wanted to go there. So, these gardens?”

“The Commons were built in the sixteen hundreds, and the garden is the first public garden in America I think. It has a lot of Victorian planning in it.” He slipped an arm around her waist and steered her along his chosen path to the gardens. “I’ve always liked my green spaces, I guess. We should explore Central Park together when we go home.”

“I’d love that. We still need to tackle that cabin in the woods idea.”

“I’m not entirely sure I’m up to that just yet but I do think we need to plan a weekend in Rhode Island for everyone before Tally gets too pregnant to really enjoy it,” he said.

“I’m looking forward to that myself.”

He looked at her curiously. “Really?”

“How could I not? The place is beautiful. I’m not the princess type but occasionally, who doesn’t want to be royalty for a day?” Dani smiled at him, and he laughed. It was so good to hear that.

“I will make it happen. Dani?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you, for everything, for putting up with me. I know I’m not easy.”

“And I am?” Dani interrupted.

“Compared to me? You are fine, you are beautiful.”

“You said you loved me,” Dani put it out there, wondering if she should but it needed to be talked about.

He steered her to the walkway around a pond blessed with weeping willows. For a long moment Dani regretted saying it because he seemed to freeze up. “I was wondering if you’d remember that with your concussion.”

“I remember most of it,” she replied.

“Also, not how I planned saying that. I think it’s true though. I’m not sure what it all means.”

“There’s more than one kind of love,” she said, hoping that might relax him a little. Maybe it was herself who needed the relaxing.

“I love my friends. I don’t have many but I do love them. I thought I loved Eve but in retrospect, that feels more like a combination of my issues and my desire to actually have someone care about me.” His breath staggered in and out. Dani pulled him to a stop near one of the willows.

“Malcolm, it’s okay.”

He shook his head. “What I’m trying to say is I do have people who care. My friends here in Boston, JT and Edrisa too but you…you’re different. What I feel for you is much more complex.”

“I feel that way about you,” she said, knowing she couldn’t take that back now that it was out there. “I need you to know that. I don’t know what it means either. I know that right now, we’re both a little too battered to do much about it. We need to heal some.”

“I agree. I said that before. I don’t want to build anything with you with the ground like quicksand under it.”

Dani smiled at him. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“I want to promise that same thing. I might have to stay here a while and work with Jaylin. I might need to go to some place like the Respite again. I might come home with you. No matter what, I will come back to you.”

Dani looped her arms around his neck. “I’ll be waiting.”

He pulled her into a kiss, warm as the sun, sweet as the chocolates they’d so recently eaten.

“You are my solace, Dani,” he whispered when the kiss ended. “With you, my scars don’t matter.”

She kissed him again. “They don’t matter to me, Malcolm. I see right past them to you.”

The next kiss lasted longer, so deep they couldn’t touch bottom. He was going to be all right. Dani knew that now, and even if he did need to stay here for a while to work on his issues, he would come home to her. He would always come home to her.