The story of the married surgeons and the vile acts they’d committed could be analyzed on so many levels. They were devotees of the Marquis de Sade, Nietzsche and Josef Mengele. This was a breakdown of humanity. Two respected, privileged members of society had flourished in secret visiting evil on the vulnerable. After Ben replayed the dungeon video, he’d come to a decision.

This was the one. This story had to be told.

Relieved he’d landed on a case, he began thinking ahead. He’d go to Stockholm, rent a place to stay while he researched the book.

There were many players he’d need to talk to, the investigators, the families—the doctors themselves, if they consented to it. He knew the drill. He also thought about the possibility of Emma and Kayla joining him when he was done—they could take a family vacation across Europe. He’d likely need the break from all the dark elements of the story before he returned to California to write.

Roz and Adam, his editor, would be happy.

This could work out, he thought, feeling a spark of renewed energy.

Ben then typed on his keyboard, went online to the sites of the TV stations, KRVZ and KTKT, and again watched the short reports on the book fund-raiser. It had been a week since they’d been broadcast and posted. They made him smile.

Here we are: a family.

As he watched Kayla, Ben thought about his call with Doctor Hirsch and her observations on why Kayla was rejecting Emma and regarding her as an imposter of sorts.

We’re going to have to work on that.

His phone rang. Roz.

“I’m afraid I got some bad news,” she said.

“Go ahead.”

“The publisher’s lawyers had concerns with the stories we’d sent you.”

“What do you mean?”

“It started with the Swedish case. Apparently, the defense lawyers for the doctors and the prosecution got wind that you might be considering the case for a book.”

“So?”

“It hasn’t even gone to trial yet and because of Swedish laws, and Swedish press practices whereby they tend to protect suspects’ identities until convicted—”

“I’m aware of European press ethics. My book wouldn’t be released until after the trial, Roz.”

“True, but there are concerns that for you to conduct any work on it by talking to key players before it concluded could be potentially damaging to both sides. So Sidney Preston, the publisher’s attorney—”

“I know Sidney.”

“Yeah, well he suggested that because of the potential legal minefield, Sweden should be put on hold.”

Ben shut his eyes and cursed under his breath. “That’s the one I wanted to do.”

“I’m sorry. We’ll just have to push it back.”

Shaking his head, he cursed again and steeled himself.

“All right,” he said. “I’ll look at the others. There’s that Boston case.”

“That’s the other bad news.”