Deep down, Malcolm knew this was a bad idea.

Doorstepping Gil on his way into the precinct probably wouldn't win Malcolm any favours but It had been fourteen hours since Malcolm had found out about his father's escape from Claremont and he still couldn't quiet his mind. All the tricks he'd taught himself over the years to manage at least the outwards signs of his PTSD were slipping through his fingers like sand because Martin Whitly, the Surgeon, was free once again and that meant only one thing, his days were numbered.

While Malcolm Whitly, the son, still nursed a few delusions about his father's love for him, Malcolm Bright, the profiler, did not. His father 's paternal overtures were headed in only one direction because, like most psychopaths with narcissistic traits ,Martin Whitly wanted a son in his own image, and if he couldn't have that then he'd show his displeasure in the only way a predatory psychopath can.

Which is why he was now stomping his feet on the front steps of the precinct, trying to ward off the cold, while carrying an an extra cup of coffee - black, two sugars - in the hopes that it might sweeten Gil up enough to go to bat for him with the FBI task force. He knew better than to expect they'd let him join them in the field, but maybe they might let him help in the situation room. After all,A his former employers might think he's crazy but they also knew he's one of the best profilers to come out of Quantico in the last decade.

And with seven of Claremont's most psychotic inmates now back on the streets of New York, four of which were formally classed as serial killers, they could do with the help

"Malcolm, what are you doing out here?" Malcolm looked up to see Dani trot down the steps to him, her winter coat pulled around her slim frame.

"Waiting for Gil," he said, lifting the extra coffee in salute. "I'm hoping that a sip of actual decent coffee instead of that swill the machine churns out might make him see the department's decision to send me home in a new light."

Dani sighed. "Malcolm, you know that's not going to happen, you're too close to the case and, besides, you're supposed to be at your mother's."

"I know," he said, "But I've been cooped up in that house with her for over twelve hours and I can't do it anymore. I'm too manic, and my mother has crossed that line from controlling to shrewish…and neither of us handle stress very well."

"Really? I didn't notice," Dani said dryly.

Malcolm let out a huff of a laugh. "Yes, I know, we're rather predictable in our dysfunction but it wouldn't make me any less useful in the situation room. I think it's fair to say I have a unique insight into my father's psyche, and they must have figured out by now that the only part of his old life my father had clung onto over the last two decades,is the belief that he was the consummate family man. Sooner or later, he's going to come looking for me, so what better place to have their bait than right here at the precinct!"

"Malcolm, they know all this," she said impatiently, her eyes scanning the street. "Which is why they put a car out in front of your mother's home. "How did you manage to slip by them, by the way?"

"Tunnels," Malcolm said. "The sub basement area is riddled with them, which is why a patrol car out front really isn't going to help you if you want to catch my father." Dani closed her eyes. He was pretty sure she was counting to ten under her breath but he thought it might be rude to call her on it.

"We'll put another patrol car on the tunnel exit," she said. "Please tell me there is only one exit?"

"That we know of."

"Perfect," she sighed, her eyes looking over his shoulder again. "Listen, I have to go." Malcolm's eyes followed hers, catching Edrisa's brightening smile as she noticed him, her coroner's bag by her feet. Malcolm watched as she snatched it up and jogged up the steps.

"Are you coming with us?" she asked. "I didn't think this would be your kind of case but the more the merrier, I say."

"You've got a case?" Malcolm asked, wincing at the plaintive tone in his voice. He sounded like a kid who'd lost his puppy.

"Not really," Dani said. "Some old guy died in his sleep and his family donated to the Mayor's last election so they're getting the kid gloves treatment."

Malcolm frowned. "Am I missing something?"

"A couple of billion," Edrisa said cheerfully. "Or maybe not," she added, remembering who she was talking to. "It's normal to have a medical examiner sign off on a death that happens suddenly at home, but usually it's the body that comes to us, not the other way around."

Malcolm turned to Dani. "That explains why Edrisa is going, but you?"

"His son kicked up a lot of fuss at city hall and insisted this wasn't a rubber stamp job. Apparently there is a new will and some of the family members are very unhappy about it. He insisted there was foul play.

"And what do you think?" Malcolm prompted.

"I think Robert Alderson was eighty two years old and had a dodgy heart, and his son is more worried about his inheritance than his father's death," Dani said wryly.

"Robert Alderson," Malcolm repeated. "Very old money. They even put the Milton fortune to shame." He frowned, his mother had been friendly with one of the Aldersons before, well, everything. What had been her name again? Something beginning with a B. "I'll go with you."

"Excuse me?" Dani said. "You can't go with us, Malcolm. You're on leave, remember?"

"I was sent home," Malcolm said. "There is a difference. Listen, I can't stay at home, there is a good chance my mother might actually kill me if we're cooped up together for another twelve hours, and I'm barred from the one place I could actually be of some help, so why not? An extra pair of eyes, can't hurt, can it? And at least this way you can keep an eye on me and make sure I'm not up to no good."

Dani rolled her eyes but pulled out her phone. "I have to run it by Gil first," she warned.

"Oh good, tell him I have some of the good stuff waiting for him," he said, raising the cup again. "A caffeinated detective is a happier detective."

"True," Dani said, swiping the cup from his hand and taking a long sip. "Oh hey, this is good. She stepped away to talk to talk to Gil, no doubt letting him know about the tunnels as well.

Trying not to eavesdrop, Malcolm used his now free hand to pick up Edrisa's bag. "Wow, what do you have in here?"

"Oh, you know, the usual." Which probably meant it wasn't usual at all but Edrisa was extremely good at her job so he wasn't about to call her on it.

"Okay, you're good," Dani said, rejoining them, and he studied her face as she tucked her phone away. Something was up, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Something happened?" he asked.

"Bright, just leave it," Dani said. "You know I can't share details about the case." The case , it sounded so innocuous, Malcolm knew this was the calm before the storm. His father never committed to anything without having a plan for every eventuality.

But maybe a few hours spent annoying one of the one percent of the one percenters might help him slough off the feeling of dread that threatened to engulf him, and allow him to think again.

Because his family couldn't stay hidden behind armed protection forever. Sooner or later, his father would get his claws into one of them, be it him, or his mother or - worse - Ainsley, and then he might not be able to stop what happened next.

He couldn't let that happen.


"Where are we going?" Malcolm asked, as they left Central Park behind in the rear view mirror, and swept through Harlem.

"Didn't Dani tell you?" Adrisa piped up excitedly. "We're going to the Alderson's family home - on their private Island. "

"Isn't this a little out of our purview?"

The Southern Brother is technically part of the Bronx Borough but only barely," Adrisa piped up, leaning forward from the back seat. "The Alderson House is the only property on it and the rest is a nature preserve. There hasn't been a cop out there since the old Ruppert house was burned down in 1909."

"In other words, the powers that be in the Bronx have passed the buck," Dani said. "But nobody wants to say no to them either. So the Mayor called in a favour with our department chief and here we are."

"Huh," Malcolm said. "Weren't both of the Brother islands bought by the state about a decade back?"

"Oh my God, imagine if we ended up going to the Northern Brother," Adrisa said suddenly, failing to keep the excitement out of her voice. "Quarantine Island, the last resting place of Typhoid Mary. Now there is an Island with History."

"I thought that too," Dani said, after taking a moment to decide she didn't need to comment on Adrisa's history lesson. "But apparently back in 2013, the Aldersons leaned on the city pretty hard for the deeds, and as the city was pretty cash strapped at the time, they obliged."

"Definitely a family used to getting their own way," Malcolm mused. It was becoming clear why Dani was going with Edrisa, she was going to be her back up in more ways than one.

Dani just nodded. "Apparently their helicopter isn't back from the Hampton's yet, so we're taking a patrol boat out there. Brace yourself." Malcolm wasn't sure if she was saying he should brace himself for the boat or the family but it seemed like good advice either way. His cell buzzed and he pulled it out of his coat, frowning at the ID. His mother was being most persistent. He hit the reject button and tucked it away again. A moment later, it began to buzz again.

Dani snaked him a look. "Your mother?"

"My mother," he admitted, not seeing the point in lying.

"She's just worried about you. You should answer."

Malcolm just smiled in answer. How could he explain the fraught relationship he had with his mother? He loved her dearly, but Jessica's Whitly's idea of love tended to roll over you with the force of a mack truck when she was this wound up. "Perhaps later," he allowed. His phone buzzed again, this time it was a text.

'In the last hour, Mother has fedexed me a gun, a rape whistle and some kind of pepper spray that I'm pretty sure is illegal in New York State. DON'T DO THIS TO ME. ANSWER YOUR DAMN PHONE.'

"Ainsley," he said, tucking it away again as Dani and Edrisa both looked at him expectantly. "Mother is being Mother." Dani smirked but said nothing, while Edrisa looked uncomfortable even at the thought of entertaining the idea of criticising his family.

"We're here. " Dani pulled into a parking space and Malcolm clambered out, eyeing the green expanse of Randall's fields. A patrol boat was moored up against the shore on their side of the road, a boarding plank already extended. Something told him this wasn't a usual stopping point.

"Gil knows a guy," Dani said, seeing his face.

"Doesn't he always," Malcolm said lightly, grabbing Edrisa's bag from the trunk. What the hell did she have in this thing?


The Southern Brother was only five miles from the shore but it still took over a quarter of an hour to make it to it's small dock. "Are you sure you don't want me to wait around to bring you back?" the pilot asked, having taken a shine to Dani.

"No, it's okay, they're flying us back," Dani said, which was news to Malcolm but he supposed he couldn't object, he hadn't been exactly invited on this expedition.

"Suit yourself," the pilot said, as he eyed the Skiff moored to the other side of the dock. "I'd have thought these guys would have something a little sturdier tied up here."

"I guess they thought the Helicopter was sturdy enough," Edrisa piped up.

The pilot gave her a wry look. "With their money, they could have their own fleet out here."

Malcolm looked around. He'd done a swift google search on the way here but it had revealed nothing more than a small summary of the Island's history, and a few aerial maps that showed a lot of trees and a beach on the other side of the island. The images must have been a few years old because the dock hadn't been in them and nether had a house. Speaking of which…

"I don't see the house," he said aloud.

"It's inside the treeline," the pilot supplied, "about half a mile in."

"A house on a private island without a view of the water?" Malcolm asked. "Weird."

"Weird about sums them up," the Pilot agreed, as he unmoored the boat and started the engine. "Good luck."

They watched the boat speed back across the water, and Malcolm couldn't help but feel a moment of trepidation as he realised they were trapped upon the Island until the Aldersons saw fit to let them go. "Beatrice," he said, as the name of mother's old school friend rose to the surface.

"Beatrice Cambridge," Dani said. "You know her?"

"My mother did," he said. He had a dim memory of a blonde, overly thin woman, who wore a lot of white and cream, and only wore pearls. She wasn't the kind of woman who talked to children, or even deigned to see them - unless, they were their own, of course. Malcolm seemed to remember a little girl around Ainsley's age. She'd been quite sweet, surprisingly.

Unfortunately, he couldn't remember much more than that. It turned out that children weren't the only people Beatrice Cambridge ignored, the wife of a convicted criminal neatly fell into that same category.

"Oh dear, you have that expression on your face," Edrisa said. "She can't be that bad, can she?"

Malcolm wondered how he should phrase it. "From what I remember, she's the textbook definition of a wealthy WASP; Elitist, obsessed with her family's status in the world, and willing to do just about anything to preserve it. Not evil, per se, but definitely dangerous, given the right circumstances."

"Wonderful," Dani said. "Well, looks like they're not picking us up, so I guess we should start walking.

The tree lined lane was beautifully kept, the oaks and sycamores swaying above then as they walked. It was quite peaceful, Malcolm thought. The quiet before the storm. "So how do we play this?" he asked.

"We're just here to escort the Medical examiner to the body," Dani said. "We'll ask the family if they're willing to be interviewed, and hopefully rule out the possibility of foul play as quickly as possible."

"I don't see how we tell them that definitively if they refuse to properly release the body to us," Edrisa said, then paused. "I mean, I'll probably be okay , I came prepared. I even brought this really nifty little electron microscope that I can hook up to my laptop and a field blood test kit that's pretty comprehensive, so unless they used a blow dart or something - oh my god, wouldn't that be so cool? - I think we'll be okay."

"Good to know," Malcolm said, at least he now knew why her bag was so heavy.

"Holy Shit," Dani suddenly burst out, before collecting herself. "That is quite a place."

Malcolm's gaze followed hers and he stopped as he took it all in. "It's a place all right," he said, as he stared at the massive stone building ahead of them. He didn't know what architectural addition was the most incongruous, the turrets or the castellations. The monstrosity even has a gate tower with a portcullis. It was the most nightmarish reimagining of Medieval Architecture he'd ever seen

"Cool," Edrisa breathed. "I wonder if it has a dungeon?"

Something told Malcolm that this place definitely had a dungeon. At least they'd had enough restraint to not add a moat. "I heard the old man had gone a bit eccentric towards the end, but this is….wow."

The trees thinned out, revealing a rolling grass lawn that seemed to span around the house, and the portcullis was raised, revealing a Jeep parked in the courtyard just beyond the curtain wall. "We may need a new plan," Malcolm said softly. "These people are definitely not the type to react well to the word no."

"Don't worry, I can play the part of the subservient public servant," Dani said. "I've seen Gil do itenough times."

"Good, good," Malcolm said, nodding before abruptly stopping himself as Dani eyed him. Was he being too Brightish again?. "It's probably best they don't know who I am. It might throw them off a little, and not in a good way," he said. "Good thing I haven't seen Beatrice since I hit puberty so it should be all good."

As if on queue, his phone began to buzz again and Edrisa and Dani sighed as one as he let it ring out. "You should answer it," Edrisa siad. "She isn't going to give up until you do."

They were right, of course, but while Malcolm could dispassionately admit that to himself, the urge to stick his fingers in his ears and ignore her was as powerful now as it was when he was twelve years old. Reluctantly, he pulled out his phone and then frowned when he realised it was an unknown number. "Malcolm Bright?"

" Malcolm, my boy !"

Ice ran through Malcolm's veins as he recognised the voice, his mind flashing to the night his father had been arrested. I will always love you because we're the same. "Dr Whitly," he eventually got out, and Dani and Edrisa stiffened beside him. "I wish I could say this was unexpected." He watched as Dani stepped away and started hissing into his phone, no doubt trying to start a trace on the call. Something told him she would be fresh out of luck on that. His father might have been behind bars for the last couple of decades but he did try to keep up with the times. Malcolm didn't doubt his father knew the police could track cell tower usage.

"Oh, now, Malcolm, don't be like that ," he said. "Especially as our relationship is now entering a new phase. I'm free now, boy, and we can at last begin to truly bond like I wanted us to for all those years. It's going to be wonderful, just you see - by the way, where are you at the moment, I can't seem to find you. " The new, careful pitch to his voice told him all he needed to know. His father had gone looking for him and, when he'd come up empty, had decided on a more direct tactic.

"I'm out on a case," he said.

"Oh, a new murder? Tell me all about it, " he said.

Malcolm raised an eyebrow at Dani, who spun her hand in the universal signal for 'keep him going '.

"Well, it's a funny thing really, we're really not sure it's a murder yet," he said. "But apparently there is a will and the family are convinced there was foul play, so-"

"Don't tell me you're investigating the death of old Robert Alderson?" his father said, not even bothering to keep the glee out of his voice. " Well, if there was ever a man who had it coming, it was him. He once made a pass at your mother, you know, and she was still in high school at the time. Atrocious behaviour, there are standards to maintain, after all."

Ah yes, his father the serial killer had standards. Malcolm tried not to let the image of his mother trying to fend of a middle aged letch in high school intrude on his mind as he forged ahead. "How did you learn about Robert Alderson's death?"

" Well, it's all over the internet, dear boy ," Martin said. " No doubt that's William's work. He probably has his lawyers working on overturning the will as we speak, this is just the opening salvo."

"Did you know him?" Malcolm asked, it hadn't occurred to him that William and Martin knew each other but he supposed it made ran in the same circles, after all.

" Money mad ," Martin said, "and also doesn't know how to keep his hands to himself. Like father, like son, as they say. Well, you'd know all about that. "

Malcolm let that one go. "Anything else I need to know?"

"Well, I don't know about Robert's second wife, " Martin said. "But there were rumours about the first one. Apparently her first husband, the one before Robert, died under some very suspicious circumstances."

"A black widow," Malcolm mused. "Interesting."

."Isn't it though? Well, I have to dash, you know how it is. I'll see you when you get back from the Island." Malcolm's throat went dry, he knew better than to believe it was an accidental slip. His father had been telling him he knew where he was.

"Please tell me you managed to trace his call?" he said.

Dani shook her head. "No luck."

"Great, just great." He stabbed at his cell, and heaved a sigh of relief when his mother picked up.

"Malcolm, it's about time. I was just talking to Gil and he said you've gone haring off to the new Alderson house. What were you thinking? You need to get back here right now-"

"Mother," he interjected. "Martin has been watching the house. I need you to step out onto the street and head to the patrol car outside. Ask one of the officers to accompany back inside. Is Ainsley with you yet?"

" What? No, she isn't. Why, is she in danger?"

Malcolm winced at the panicked edge to her voice. "Relax, I'm sure Gil has someone watching Ainsley too." I glanced at Dani, who nodded in reassurance. "I'll get them to bring her to the house." He hung up. "Sorry," he said, as he began to ring Ainsley's number "Just give me a few moments."

"Sure," Edrisa said, a worry line forming between her eyes. "Take whatever time you need."

"Malcolm, where are you? You can't leave me to deal with mother alone -"

"Father has been watching us," Malcolm said.

" How do you know that? Has been in contact with you? What am I saying, of course he's been in contact with you," Ainsley said, the words practically tumbling out of her. He could hear the wheels turning in her mind.

"Ainsley, whatever you're thinking about right now, stop. I need you to get to mother's right now. I'll join you as soon as I'm finished here."

"What? Oh no you don't. You're not going to lock me up with Mother while you run about town, solving murders. We share the pain, remember?"

"I'll be there soon, I promise," Malcolm said. "Just let the officers watching you take you to the house."

" Malcolm, no- "

Malcolm hung up, knowing he would probably pay for it later. He and Ainsley have been playing the game of 'tag, you're it' since childhood, when it came to fending off their mother's more overbearing tendencies. His turn was way overdue.

"You okay?" Dani asked.

"Me? I'm fine," he said, ignoring the wince that escaped Edrisa's lips as he eyed the monstrosity in front of them. "Is it just me, or is this whole place giving off a very ominous vibe?"

"Tell me about it," Edrisa said, with more than a touch of excitement. "It's like something out of an old Agatha Christie Mystery."

"Or a Dracula movie," Dani muttered.

Malcolm let out a laugh. They were both right. It didn't feel real, it was like something that escaped from the pages of a creepy tale. "I guess we should knock," he said.

"Where?" Dani said. "Should we bang on the portcullis?"

"Oh, I don't think we need to go that far," Malcolm said, as he spotted a figure heading towards the jeep. Dani grabbed his arm as he picked up his pace.

"Easy, let me do the talking," she said. "I'm the lead, remember?"

"Oh, right." he nodded. "After you."

Luckily the figure changed course when he spotted them and sprinted through the gate tower to meet them. "Greg Peterson," he said, in greeting. "I'm the head groundskeeper around here. Sorry I didn't pick you up at the dock. I didn't think you'd get here this fast. The nearest Marina is quite a way down river."

"We caught a lift with a patrol boat," Dani said, holding out a hand to shake. "Detective Dani Powell. This is our medical examiner, Dr Edrisa Tanaka, and Malcolm Bright, a consultant with the NYPD.

"Nice to meet you all," he said. "Follow me, I'll bring you to William, he's with the others in the main drawing room."

"The others?" Dani echoed pulling out her pad.

"The rest of the family," Peterson clarified. "That would be William and his wife, Ophelia; Amelia and Janet, Robert's wife and ex wife; Beatrice, Robert's daughter, and her husband Alexander Cambridge. Their children are here too, Abigail and Bobby - he's only a kid, barely thirteen.

"And the staff?" Dani prompted.

"Well, there is myself of course," Peterson. "And I have a couple of guys who help me out part time on the grounds, but none of them have been here since Wednesday."

"Best give me their names, anyway, just in case," Dani said, with a reassuring smile." She was really quite good at this, Malcolm thought. It was usually Gil who dealt with the families in these situations, while Dani interrogated the perps.

"Jack O'Sullivan and Jose Garcia," he said. "They live up in the Bronx. I don't have their contact details on me."

"That's okay, I'll get them off you later," Dani said. "Is that all of the staff?"

"Oh hell, no," Peterson said ."Ann O'Kelly is our housekeeper, and Irie Browne is the cook. Valentina does most of the cleaning, I think her surname is Rios, Jenny Masterson was Robert's secretary and is helping William out at the moment, and Chance Burke is the Helicopter pilot."

There was something in Peterson's voice when he mentioned Burke's name that made Malcolm raise an eyebrow. Was that a hint of contempt?

Anyone else you think we should be talking to. Maybe an ex-employee with a grudge?"

Peterson shook his head. "Not anyone who's worked at the house," he admitted. "Although the Aldersons have a finger in just about every industry in the country. It'd be strange if they didn't have any enemies."

"Fantastic," Malcolm said. "A suspect pool of millions." Dani threw him a look, the one that said shut the fuck up .

"I don't suppose you have someone who can show me to the bod- I mean, the remains?" Edrisa asked.

"Of course, Alice will escort you to where we're keeping Robert," Peterson said, and Malcolm raised an eyebrow at the phrasing.

"Where are they keeping him?"

"In the freezer," Peterson said, before seeing the expression on Malcolm's face. "Oh, don't worry, it's a walk in and they covered the body in plastic. They've even cleaned up the butcher's table in the scullery just in case the examiner needed it."

"How long has he been in there?" Edrisa asked, her tone suddenly businesslike. That was always a bad sign.

"About five hours. William wanted to make sure the body was perfectly preserved for examination."

Malcolm closed his eyes. Even he knew what that meant. The body would be frozen solid. He looked at Edrisa, who looked to be struggling with her temper, an unusual sight. "How bad is it."

"Very," she said shortly. "A frozen body just can't be defrosted with a hair dryer. You have to regulate the defrosting by moving the body to a refrigeration unit set at exactly 38 degrees. It's the only way you can successfully defrost the inner organs before the outer limbs start to decompose. The process takes about a week." She sighed. "I'll only be able to do a cursory examination of the body and while evidence of cyanosis is a good indicator of heart disease, it doesn't exclude a variety of other possibilities."

"Great," Dani muttered. "Well, do what you can. I'll talk to the family and break the news to them."

We're going to need specialist transport," Edrisa warned her. "A medical helicopter would do the trick but they're usually run off their feet with live patients."

"Noted," Dani said. "Let me run it by the family before we call it in."

Malcolm sighed, something told him that this would be one of the many compromises they'd have to make for the Alderson family. A figure looking out a window on the second floor caught his eye. It was a boy, a little gawky and obviously at that awkward stage right before puberty; it must be Bobby Cambridge. He raised a hand in greeting but the boy just ducked back from the window. Interesting.

A woman stepped out of the large oak doors they were heading towards and Malcolm examined her clinically. She was a good looking woman, mid-forties, her make up was light, her hair pulled back into a chignon, discreet earrings, white linen blouse, dark wool pants suit, simple flats; not quite a uniform but it gave the suggestion of one. The housekeeper, Malcolm guessed. Her hard flinty eyes also suggested that their presence wasn't welcome, but she gave them a perfunctory smile, nonetheless.

"Ann O'Kelly," she said, by way of greeting. "I'll escort you to the drawing room.

"Uh," Edrisa raised a hand and they stepped into a lofty foyer clad in dark oak paneling "I'm Doctor Edrisa Tanaka, medical examiner, I'd like to be taken to the remains."

The housekeeper's eyes flashed but her words were polite. "Of course, Peterson here will take you."

Peterson's lips pulled into a thin line but he nodded. "Right this way, Dr Tanaka," he said, and Edrisa pulled a face at me as she followed him. Malcolm knew how she felt. Usually he would be delighted with all the possibilities such a dysfunctional family would present to him but there was something about this place that was so...oppressive. He looked up at the stained glass windows above the door. They were long and steepled and depicted a strangely pagan tale, even if it was from the classics: Hades and Persephone, locked in an embrace as a wreath of pomegranates and narcissus twisted around them. Had Robert seen himself as Hades? If so, who had been his Persephone?

"Bright," Dani hissed, and Malcolm blinked.

"Sorry, just admiring the stained glass," he said, catching up to them. "Beautiful work, is there a story behind it?"

The housekeeper gave him such a look of prim disapproval that Malcolm struggled not to react. There was something about this place that set him on edge. He eyed the suits of armour as they passed them on the wide corridor. Most of them were replicas but a few of them were definitely the real deal, although some of them were early renaissance rather than truly medieval armour, designed for jousting rather than the battlefield. His eyes took in the other details. The panelling seemed to be a feature throughout the entire house, although there were a few examples of exposed stonework here and there, covered by tapestries that were definitely the real thing. The unique odour of must and camphor was hard to replicate.

A genuine Saxon longsword was mounted over a wide fireplace that the architect had seen fit to place along the hallway. That too was an original, no doubt ripped out of an old Norman castle somewhere. The sconces attached to the wall were replicas and, thankfully, had light bulbs screwed into them. At last, they came to a halt before a set of double doors and Alice O'Kelly, gave them a firm rap and waited.

"Come in, called out a voice, and Alice opened the doors and stood aside. "Ah" said the man attached to the voice, he was a dark haired man in his fifties, in a navy bespoke suit. "You must be Detective Powell, Bill let me know you were coming." Bill, just a subtle hint that he was on a first name basis with the city mayor. Malcolm watched as William Alderson's bright green eyes went to his. Malcolm noticed how he hadn't volunteered his own name, which was telling in itself. He let a few moments go by before he gave into the silent demand.

"Malcolm Bright," he said. "I'm a consultant with the NYPD, and you must be William Alderson. Nice place you have here. Very…bijou." He covered his mouth, as if to hide a yawn, as he looked around the room.

William Alderson's eyes narrowed, reacting to the not so subtle jibe. Yup,no empathic response to his yawn, definitely a sociopath, not that it was very surprising A frightening large percentage of the fortune five hundred suffered from a range of sociopathic traits.

"Our medical examiner has gone to examine your father's remains, Mr Alderson," Dani said briskly, before the silence dragged on any longer. "But unfortunately, we've hit a bit of a snag. While I know you had only the best of intentions when you did so, preserving the body in the freezer has complicated matters. I'm afraid we now no longer have any option other than to transfer it to the Coroner's office, as Dr Tanaka will now need specialised equipment to properly examine him."

"I don't understand," WIlliam Alderson said, although something told Malcolm he was lying.

"They'll need to defrost the body at a regulated temperature in order to avoid decomposition," Malcolm said. "Can't be done here, I'm afraid." Again, William's eyes twitched, but what Malcolm saw was pure anger, not grief. This was a man who didn't like to be crossed or said no to. A type he was all too familiar with.

"Perhaps you could introduce us to the rest of the family," Dani said hurriedly, glaring at him. Well, okay, maybe he was stepping up to that line a little too closely, but he'd always found he got the most honest reactions when people were angry - and before they realised he was a profiler.

"And what kind of consultant are you, exactly, Mr Bright," William said suddenly.

Ah, busted.

"I'm a profiler, Mr Alderson," he said, waiting for his reaction.

"Ah." William Alderson let out a fake, depreciating laugh as his shoulders relaxed. "That explains it. Tell me, do you find out a lot about people when you annoy them?"

So he knows he's a sociopath, Malcolm surmised, and knows what steps to take to hide it when he needs to. "I find I get a more honest reaction, yes. Sorry, it's the job."

"Oh no, don't apologise." He waved a hand in the air, the epitome of a wronged man being gracious. "After all, I asked Bill if he could pull out all the stops to make sure my father's killer was brought to justice. I can't complain when he delivers."

"It hasn't been verified that this was a wrongful death, yet, Mr Alderson," Dani quickly interjected, and Malcolm cast his eyes down, trying to fade into the background again as he studied the others in the Room.

He recognised Beatrice immediately, her cosmetic surgeon must be top notch. The young woman sitting beside her must be Abigail. She had the same fair hair, carefully styled, but didn't have the same supercilious air as her mother. Malcolm was more than a little relieved, he'd have hated to think that the sweet little kid he remembered had grown up into a carbon copy of her mother.

A vaguely familiar man with blonde, graying hair and wearing a dark grey three piece suit, sat in an armchair to their left. Malcolm assumed he was Alexander. On the other couch were two women. One was in her seventies, wearing a grey twinset with pearls and a sporting pale blonde bob. The other was in her forties, her dark hair pulled back into a ponytail, and she was wearing an electric blue couture suit. The wide gap between them told Malcolm he was looking at wife number one and two, Janet and Amelia.

He glanced around the room to find the one family member he hadn't put a face to yet - Ophelia Alderson, William's wife. She seemed to be in her late thirties, with long dark hair curling around a pale and very beautiful face. She wore a dark Chanel jacket over a Kelly green dress and held an unlit cigarette between her fingers as she studiously looked out the window, trying to pretend she wasn't there.

He glanced back at Dani, who arched an eyebrow at him. He responded with a gentle shake of the head, and she turned back to William. "We'll have a medical helicopter out here to collect the body as soon as possible but perhaps Mr Bright and I can ask a few questions while we're here. Is there a more private room where we can set up. It's probably best if we spoke to you all individually."

"Oh, really, do we have to?" Janet asked, with an indignant snort. "Everyone knows Robert died from a heart attack. This is just sour grapes. Give it up, son, you'll have to make do with your mere tens of millions he left you. The company goes to Bobby. Maybe if you and Ophelia had made more of an effort to produce an heir, you wouldn't be in this pickle."

Malcolm watched As Ophelia Alderson stalked across the room and slammed the door behind her as she left.

"What?" Janet said, her voice harsh with protest. "I've only said what we're all thinking. Robert was always very vocal about his expectations"

"Well, yes, thanks for that, Mother," William said flatly, before turning to Dani. "I'm sure we're all only too happy to help you with your inquiries, Detective. I'll set you up in the study." He turned to Janet. "Perhaps you should go first, Mother. Then you'll be free to discuss my failings for the rest of the evening." Janet Alderson threw her son a sour look but didn't protest.

"That sounds ideal," Dani said smoothly, and William smiled at her again, cloaking himself in the persona of the mild mannered yes, Malcolm thought, definitely a snake.


Malcolm examined the study's bookshelves as Dani rang the Precinct and talked to Gil. Sometimes you could learn a lot about a person by their reading material - or, at least, who they wanted you to think they were. Robert Alderson's shelves had the usual classics, Everything from Herodotus' History of the Peloponnesian Wars to Dante's Inferno . Neither of their spines were cracked so Malcolm surmised they were there for show. This same couldn't be said for some of the more modern books about business and economics. Milton Friedman on Economics and Capitalism and Freedom seemed very well thumbed, for instance. That Robert Alderson was a proponent of trickle down economics wasn't a surprise to Malcolm, the man seemed well disposed to all forms of Feudalism.

Gil can't get a helicopter out here until tomorrow morning. It seems that already dead people aren't a priority to the New York Ambulatory Helicopter services."

Malcolm wasn't surprised. Edrisa had already basically said as much. "So do we come back tomorrow?"

Dani sighed. "Not an option for me, I'm afraid. As the mayor insisted on treating this as a possible homicide, I can't leave the body unattended overnight."

"Oh well, all for one, one for all," Malcolm said. "I'll stay too."

Dani rolled her eyes at him. "You can't avoid your family forever, Bright," she said. "It might even be good for you to spend some real time with them. It could help you all to deal with your father's escape from incarceration." She lifted a hand as he opened his mouth to protest. "And please don't say you're fine. We all know what that really means." She took out her notepad again and Malcolm wished he'd thought to bring one of his own. He liked to spread all the aspects of the case in front of him when he tried to put the puzzle pieces together. Unfortunately, even Edrisa wouldn't be able to pack a case board into her bag.

There was an insistent knock rap on the door and Malcolm grinned at Dani, his mood already lifting. "Showtime," he said. The hunt was on.

Janet Alderson didn't wait until she was asked to enter. She strolled inside and eyed them disdainfully as she neatly folded herself into the armchair beside the lit fireplace. "Let's get this over with, shall we?" she said. "Yes, my ex husband was no good philandering piece of shit. No, I didn't kill him, and any inclination I may have had to do so died over a decade is only so much time you can spend angry at your ex before you have to move on to maintain your sanity - and no, the changes in the will not affect my annuity. I had very good lawyers at the divorce table."

"Good to know," Malcolm said. "And what about your children?"

"And by that, I suppose you mean William," she said. "Beatrice is hardly going to protest the new will, is she?. Her and that idiot husband of hers are going to be the custodians of little Bobby's fortune until he reaches the age of thirty. I'm sure they are only too pleased with the current state of events."

"So you think William might have done it?" Malcolm prodded and she glared at him balefully.

"Don't be ridiculous. I don't think anybody killed him. The old coot smoked cigars every day for over half a century. It was his heart, of course. He had a triple bypass ten years ago and he's been on medication ever since. He's had a good run of it, all things considered." She crossed her legs, a sign of defensiveness that had him intrigued. She was definitely hiding something, but what he didn't know.

"And your grandkids?" he asked. "What about them."

"Bobby and Abigail?" she asked. "Is this some sort of joke?" She got to her feet abruptly. "Perhaps you should talk to someone whose fortunes were significantly altered by the new will - the widow, perhaps."

"Really?" Malcolm asked, purposefully taking the bait. "Why is that?"

"Because that stupid woman has been sleeping with that idiotic helicopter pilot and wasn't very discreet about it. She was giving us all hell earlier about the fact she's only been left the bare minimum laid out in their prenuptial agreement. All in all, she's very lucky he died when he did. There was an infidelity clause in their contract. If he'd had time to divorce her, she'd have been left with nothing. Although, I suppose the measly 5 million she's walking away with is barely worth talking about. " I could see exactly what Dani was thinking just from the expression on her face. She couldn't believe someone had actually said the words 'measly' and 'five million' in the same sentence.

"Yes, well, just for our records, where were you when your ex husband died?" she said.

"In my house in Connecticut," she said. "I flew in this morning when I heard the news; for my children, you know. My housekeeper can verify that, and I suppose that helicopter pilot can too. He should be back soon. Can I go now?"

Dani smiled that close lipped smile she used when she was close to losing it. "Yes, thank you, Mrs Alderson, could you have Amelia join us?"

A gleeful spark shone in the old woman's eyes. "Be sure to grill her about the himbo. I'm sure it'll be very entertaining." Malcolm raised an eyebrow. Himbo? With the relish Janet Alderson used the word, Malcolm felt certain it was newly added to her lexicon.

"Did she strike you as the Black Widow type?" Malcolm asked, remembering the water patrol officer's words.

"Not really," Dani said. "But you never can tell. This is going to be interesting."

Malcolm smiled in answer as his cell began to ring again. Another unknown number. "Speaking of interesting," he said. "Get Gil to trace it."

"He's already got a lock on your phone," she said, as she dialled, and Malcolm nodded, picking up.

" Malcolm! " his father said. " So glad you picked up. I thought you might still be annoyed with me."

"Dr Whitly," Malcolm said, as evenly as he could. He curled his hand into a first as the tremor took hold of his fingers. "Twice in one day, I'm honoured."

" Yes, well, I had hoped to do this face to face but you know how it is ."

"Yes, being on the FBI's most wanted list must be really crimping your style," Malcolm said dryly.

"Oh don't be like that, son, I just feel we'd both benefit from some quality time together. I'm always here for you, you know. If there is anyone that understands what you're going through, it's me."

"I'm touched," Malcolm said, eyeing Dani, whose face was the picture of frustration as she kept her ear to her cell. He couldn't hear what Gil was saying but something told him it wasn't good. "Why are you calling me, Dr Whitly?"

Another sigh came down the phone. " You know, I really wish you wouldn't call me, Malcolm, I know we have our issues, but I'm still your father. Your distancing techniques can't change that. Like it or not, I'm a part of you, and it just isn't good for you to ignore that….besides…...see you….your mother….."

"Dr Whitly?" Malcolm asked as the phone hissed once more and then went dead. He glanced up at Dani. "I lost him."

Dani looked at her cell in exasperation. "I lost Gil too. I guess reception out here must be spotty."

Malcolm frowned, they may be on an Island, but they were still only five miles from the heart of New York City. Maybe it was the stone walls? "We might be able to get a signal outside," he said, glancing out the window as he heard the harsh whip of a helicopter blade. Oh look, here comes the himbo."

"Don't say things like that," Dani said, but Malcolm could hear the amusement in her voice.

The helicopter cleared the curtain wall, and Malcolm frowned. There was something off about it, the way it was slowly spinning around as it neared the ground. His eyes widened as he realised it was about to crash. Without thinking,he dashed for the door.

"Bright, where are you going?" Dani called after him. He could hear the light tread of her feet behind him. The helicopter whir was now a whine and, when Malcolm ripped open the main doors, it was already leering to the left as the pilot tried to land. For a moment, it looked like he was going to succeed but then the helicopter lurched to the side and hit the courtyard, the blades sparking against the flagstone. In a split second, the helicopter tail was alight and Malcolm sprinted forward.

"God damn it, Bright, wait!" he could hear Dani behind him but he didn't stop. He knew the fuel tank was going to blow soon and the pilot still hadn't emerged from the wreckage.

Malcolm bounced up on the nose of the helicopter and pulled open the door. The pilot was conscious but dazed and he leaned in to pull at his belt. It didn't budge. He pulled at where it was attached to the helicopter frame and managed to loosen the belt enough to pull the pilot towards him.

Dani was suddenly beside him again. "You take the left arm, I'll take the right," she said. With a heave, they pulled him free and had him draped over the edge of the helicopter door frame.

"We don't have time to be gentle," he said, nodding at the flames that were already beginning to lick the main fusilage of the helicopter.

Dani nodded and, as one, they pulled, again, and all three of them fell onto the courtyard. Malcolm felt something in his shoulder protest but stumbled to his feet nonetheless. "Can you stand?" he asked Dani, and she nodded as she rolled to her feet and grabbed the arm of the now unconscious pilot. The flames had now risen to a dull roar, and Malcolm hastily grabbed the other arm as they tried to put as much distance as possible between them and the burning craft.

The percussion wave of the explosion hit them before they could reach the door, blowing them off their feet and the discomfort in Malcolm's shoulder bloomed into agony as they hit the flagstones but, hey, they were alive...and on fire, apparently.

"Close your eyes," Edrisa's voice barked, and Malcolm instinctively obeyed, glad he did so when he heard the sound of a fire extinguisher.

"It's okay, you can open your eyes now, it's Halon," Edrisa said. "Which it shouldn't be, because this stuff was definitely banned a few years ago, but it isn't actually toxic to humans, just the environment.

"Huh," Malcolm said, opening his eyes. His pants legs were definitely a bit singed around the edges, but he couldn't feel the painful tingle that came with skin burns.

"Don't worry," Edrisa said, with a wide smile. "You are still in one perfect piece." Malcolm rolled his eyes at her and she shrugged back."Too much?"

"I'll give you a pass this time, seeing as you saved our lives."

Her smile grew wider as she pulled her cell out and leaned over the pilot. "At least we now have a legitimate reason to call for a Medivac," she said, as she peeled back the Chance Burke's eyelids. Dani sat up on her elbows and gave her a wry look that Edrisa cheerfully ignored. "Mr Alderson's body definitely showed signs of cyanosis but, as I said before, that isn't enough to make a definitive decision. I'll be happier once we get him back to the coroner's labs." She frowned at her phone. "Funny, I can't get through."

"Strange," Malcolm said, pulling out his own cell. "We're outside, we shouldn't be getting any interference anymore. The bars on his phone were blank, he wasn't even picking up a weak signal. He glanced at Dani, who was also frowning at her cellphone.

"We'll use the landline," she said, struggling to her feet and limping towards the door just as Peterson and William Alderson burst out into the courtyard.

"Oh, good," Edrisa said. "I don't suppose either of you could scrounge up something we could use as a stretcher? |I don't want to move him more than I have to."

"Right," said Peterson, retreating back into the house as William took another step forward, glaring at the fireball in the middle of his courtyard.

"What the hell happened here?"

"Kind of self explanatory, I would have thought," Malcolm said, not able to help himself. "Luckily we were able to drag the pilot free."

"Oh, right," William pulled himself together enough to fake some concern. "Is he going to be alright?"

"I think so," Edrisa said. "He's knocked out but I don't think he's broken anything." She eyed Malcolm as he got to his feet. "What's wrong with your shoulder?"

Hit it when we jumped off the helicopter," Malcolm said. "The explosion doesn't seem to have helped."

Let me see," she said jumping to her feet, and Malcolm winced as she poked at it. "Hold still," she said. "This is going to hurt." Malcolm let out a surprised scream as Edrisa shoved and pulled at her shoulder and pain shot through him as his shoulder popped back into place. "There, all better."

"Thanks," Malcolm gasped out.

"We've got a problem," Dani said, as she limped out of the door again. Edrisa frowned, glancing down at her ankle.

"I want a look at that," she said.

"In a minute," Dani said, waving her away, as she turned to Alderson. "Our cells aren't working, and the landline is down."

Alderson scowled, before looking up at the curtain wall the helicopter had passed over. "Damn it, both the phone line and the Island's cell tower are on that roof. The helicopter must have taken them both out."

He stalked back into the house, muttering under his breath, and Edrisa went to Dani's side, letting her lean on her shoulder. "Uh, guys, she said quietly. You know that hitting one cell tower shouldn't leave us with zero bars, don't you?"

Malcolm's eyes widened as Edrisa's words sank in. "Someone is using a signal jammer," he said.

"Those are illegal," Dani pointed out.

"So is that fire extinguisher I used," Edrisa said.

"I think we've entered a world where the players believe the normal rules don't apply to them," Malcolm said softly.

"So you're saying we're stuck on this Island with no way off, with someone who's just destroyed all our means of communication with the outside world," Dani said.

"Well, until the morning, when the Medical Ambulance Helicopter arrives," Malcolm said. "Or we could use the skiff."

"Can either of you sail?" Dani asked pointedly. "Because I can't"

"I've just realised something. We're really in an Agatha Christie story," Edrisa said, her voice strangely muted, "trapped in a secluded house with a potential killer. This isn't as much fun as I thought it'd be."

"Oh, I don't know," Malcolm said, a small smile pulling at the edges of his mouth. "I think this might be a lot of fun."

"Oh God," Dani muttered. "Here we go again."

TBC