"Why," Will groused, pulling his coat around himself, "Do we always get called out on murder cases at three in the goddamn morning?"

Magnus fixed him with a baleful look over a cup of a coffee. "Because it's easier to get away with murder at three in the goddamn morning. Do we have an ID on the victim yet or not?"

"Not yet, we'll run it back at ops. Done bagging evidence?"

"Yeah, Thomas and Henry are bagging the last of it now. Let's go back before we all freeze to death, then. We've got a case to crack."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Will found it much easier to think when it wasn't so early in the morning and after several cups of coffee.

Magnus sat on the edge of his desk without ceremony and opened a folder. "Victim is Elias Carstairs, 54 years old, lived alone on the Carstairs estate."

"No kids? No wife?"

"None that have ever been on record, but there is another name here..." Magnus paused, scanning the information until he found their next lead. "James Carstairs. Nephew. Maybe he or his parents know something about why someone would want Elias dead."

Will was already standing, grabbing a notebook and a handgun, both tucked into his belt carefully. "C'mon. Let's move."

Magnus rolled his eyes. "I'm coming, calm down."

Will, already halfway to the elevator, didn't hear him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"If his uncle lived on that big ass estate," Magnus wondered aloud, "Why's this James guy living in a tiny flat in London?"

"Size isn't everything, Magnus-"

"Please don't make me shoot you," Magnus said affably as they ascended the staircase to the fourth floor.

When they arrived at the correct door, soft strains of violin music could be heard through the door. Will rapped on the door firmly, listening to the music as it came to an abrupt stop and a brief moment of shuffling before the door swung open.

A tall, thin man about Will's age, perhaps younger,  with a violin in one hand stood on the other side of the doorway, eyeing the detectives on his threshold.

"Can I help you?" he said, one eyebrow raised. His voice was light and almost musical, a London accent not quite covering up something else Will didn't recognize.

"James Carstairs?"

"Yes, that's me. Who are you?"

"I'm Detective Bane, and this is my partner Detective Herondale. Mind if we come in, ask you a few questions?"

Still looking wary, James stood aside and let the door open wider. "By all means, come in."

When the door shut behind them, James turned and set the violin in a battered leather case, then facing the detectives.

"What's this about?"

"Your uncle was found dead in his manor early this morning," Will said frankly.

He'd found that it was easier to deal with shock, tears, disbelief, or anger than to try and beat around the bush. He was prepared for any of those things.

What he was not entirely prepared for was a lift of an eyebrow and a terrifyingly unconcerned expression.

James looked pensive only for a moment before shaking his head slightly and looking back at the pair. "That's rather unfortunate. However, if you're looking for information, I'm afraid I won't be of much assistance. My uncle and I have been estranged for nearly twelve years."

"What about your father? Would he be able to tell us anything about his brother?"

James gave a sad smile. "Only if you have some way to talk to the dead."

"Mother?"

"The same. For over a decade."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Will said after a moment. "Your mother, did she die around the time you and your uncle lost contact?"

James sighed. "You may want to sit down, detectives, it's a bit of a long story."

Magnus and Will sat side by side on a low, squishy couch, earning a ferocious glare from a fat gray cat sleeping on the coffee table. James sat in the chair opposite them, leaning forward to brace his elbows on his knees.

"My parents were killed twelve years ago when we still lived in Shanghai. I'll spare you the details, as I'm sure the case file is available to you. Elias never liked my mother, some nonsense about dirty blood in his precious ancient European family history." The eye-roll James gave here earned a rather sympathetic chuckle from Magnus. Will sat awkwardly.

"Nonetheless, he kept up contact with my father, trying to sway him to come back to London and marry some respectable English girl. Elias was less than pleased when I was born and a clear result of my mother's "dirty blood." When my parents were murdered and I was attacked, I went to my uncle seeking refuge from the killer that was still out there. He refused, and I fled to London and never saw or spoke to Elias again."

His voice was pleasant and flat, as if merely relating the tragedy of someone on the news, but Will was horrified.

"You had just been orphaned and attacked and were likely still being pursued by your parents' murderer, and he turned you away?" Will asked, nearly wanting to reach out and put a hand on his shoulder but thinking better of it.

"Yes. Such a pleasant man, my uncle."

"Regardless of being estranged, can you think of anyone that would want him dead?"

James hummed thoughtfully, thinking for a long moment. "He was a prejudiced, self-serving old bastard, from what I know and remember of him. It's entirely possible he pissed off the wrong person, or someone was after his money."

"Wouldn't the estate go to you, as the last living Carstairs?"

"In theory, yes, but I've no doubt that I've been burned out of the will a long time ago. If not the money, then the case file may be of use to you. Elias and my father share a last name. He wouldn't be hard to find if Yanluo was on the hunt for the Carstairs family again."

Will and Magnus exchanged a long look, both suddenly afraid for this beautiful young man, alone in the world with only his plaintive music for company.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Will, after looking at the case file for the original incident twelve years ago, was royally pissed off.

"Mags," he called, engrossed in photos of the late Mr. and Mrs. Carstairs side by side with the more recent photos of Elias, "Look. I think it's the same killer. Look at the wounds- all three of them were badly bruised and died of a stab wound to the heart."

"You don't think it's a coincidence?"

"I don't believe in coincidences and neither do you," Will shot back, worried now. "James is in serious danger if this guy is looking to finish the job."

"Call him down here, we'll get security at his apartment and keep an eye on him."

"Magnus, shouldn't he be moved to a safe location? Somewhere that can't be traced to him? If we leave him there, it'd be like shooting fish in a barrel..." Will trailed off, eyes widening. "Oh my God, you want to use him as bait."

Magnus had the grace to look sheepish. "It might be our only way to catch this creep!"

"Yeah, and he could take James with him in the process! That is an irresponsible move, and we are better than that."

"Are you mad because a life is on the line, or mad because his life is on the line? You looked at him like he hung the stars, Will, and now is not the time for you to get a crush and go soft on me!" Magnus closed his eyes and calmed down a little. "Listen, I don't like it either. He has suffered enough in his life, and I definitely don't want him to die. But we need to catch this son of a bitch, and we can bet James is his next target. It's a logical plan."

Will had flushed brightly at Magnus's accusations, embarrassed how accurate they were. "It's a flawed plan."

Magnus threw his hands up in defeat. "Fine. Call him in. He can stay with you."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Sorry to have overstayed my welcome so long," James said quietly one night as they drove in comfortable silence to Will's house. "You've been very kind."

Will tried not to squirm, thinking about his perhaps less than honest motivations. "James, I-"

"Jem," he corrected gently.

"Jem," Will started again with a smile, "I don't mind having you around. As house-guests go, you're my favorite. You cook and you don't make a mess unlike some detectives I'm partnered with."

"Still," Jem said pleasantly, staring out the window absentmindedly. "There is the slight hazard of me being pursued by a murderer."

"Yes, there's that," Will said, worried they'd gotten nowhere in the three weeks since they'd relocated Jem (and his grumpy cat, Church) but matching Jem's lightness, "But you're cute enough to be worth the hassle."

Jem laughed quietly, rolling his eyes, but he couldn't hide the blush creeping up his cheeks.

"When this mess is over," Will said again after a long moment, "Would you like to go out for drinks sometime? Like, on a date?"

He received a bright smile and a kiss on his cheek for his courage. "I'd love to."

Any further conversation was brought to a halt by the sound of a gunshot and the back windshield shattering.

"Shit," Will said loudly, looking in the rearview for the shooter. "Jem, get down!"

Jem obeyed without hesitation, undoing the seatbelt and sliding down in the seat until he was impossible to see through the windows.

As Will drove recklessly away from the more populated areas, shouting into his radio to Magnus that they were under attack, another gunshot rang out from the car behind them.

"James!" Will said, feeling adrenaline pounding through his veins. "You okay?"

"Fine. Are you hurt?"

"No, but this bastard's going to be," Will growled.

Another shot, and the back tire blew. A quick fourth shot, and another tire gone.

"Shit," Will swore, feeling the car skid to a stop and managing to turn it so the driver's side door was perpendicular to the oncoming car. "Get out, quick, and take cover."

Jem dove out of the car without a second thought, and Will followed, diving over the seat and landing on the ground beside Jem.

The second car came to a halt, and a door opened and closed.

Will saw Jem draw in a deep breath, eyes closed tightly, before opening his eyes and settling into an artificial calm.

"I have waited a long time to find you, Ke Jian Ming," a gruff voice said in an accent similar to Jem's. "Show yourself, and your friend doesn't have to die."

Jem rose slowly, ignoring Will's frantic gestures, and squared his shoulders. "Yanluo. Can't say I'm pleased to see you again."

Will shifted into a crouch, deciding to wait until he could press his advantage. Hopefully Jem could stall long enough for Magnus to arrive with backup.

"You," Yanluo crowed triumphantly, "are the last piece missing from my puzzle. And you are my masterpiece. All your scars and the damage to your lungs... I gave you twelve years, but they were twelve years of pain. You escaped me when your parents died, but only because I let you go. Do you know what is more delicious than hearing them scream in fear of death, Ke Jian, do you know why you got the worst of it all? It is more delicious to hear them beg for it. To beg for death and finally submit to my mercy. Just as you will." He laughed, making Will's skin crawl in sheer disgust.

"I don't know if you've noticed this about a Carstairs yet," Jem said, muscles tight. "We don't beg."

"Who is this 'we', boy? You're the only one alive," he sneered. "And even that won't last long. Your detective friend, did I kill him? If not, he's a coward if he's willing to sit here and listen to you die."

Will shifted but found Jem's foot planted firmly on his chest and the hand that Yanluo couldn't see behind the car was extended in a clear signal. Wait.

"I tried to save him," Jem said in a helpless, quieter voice. "I always try to save them. He wasn't a Carstairs, you had no quarrel with him. He should've lived."

"Don't worry, lover boy," Yanluo said, voice seeming to come closer. "You'll be joining him soon."

"Like hell I will," Jem growled, and the tension of the moment exploded into action. Jem whipped a knife from his belt (Will noticed it was his with a start) and threw it with a snap of his wrist as a gunshot cracked through the air. Two bodies hit the ground, and Will crawled over to Jem with his heart in his throat.

To his utmost relief, Jem was swearing like a sailor and keeping one hand firmly pressed over his shoulder. "I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm alive, go make sure that son of a bitch isn't getting up any time soon."

Will quickly got to his feet, gun drawn, and approached the other figure lying prone on the ground five feet from the car.

The handle of Will's knife was protruding from his stomach, and Yanluo was wheezing and coughing blood onto the ground. Will hauled him roughly to his feet. "You are under arrest for three counts of murder and a count of attempted murder. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law..."

As Will rattled off his rights, he heard Magnus pull up and run over to him, sending one medic to the cop car they were shoving Yanluo into and the other over to Jem, who had managed to stand on his own.

"You nail the bastard?" Magnus asked, nodding at the blood on the ground.

"No," Will said, a bit breathless. "Jem did."

Magnus raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

Will tiredly clapped him on the shoulder, walking over to check on Jem.

Jem somehow flashed him a heart-melting grin when he looked up and saw Will. "So," he said nonchalantly, "I think we could both use those drinks right about now. Shall we?"