Bone Daddy

Rocky Carlson, the agent of novelist Bill Palmer, is assaulted in his Chicago hotel room by an unknown figure. The attack immediately ties the Bone Daddy case to real violence and hints at a motive connected to Palmer's insider knowledge. This event sets the investigation in motion.

Palmer and his PR man enter the empty hotel room and discover a human finger bone left behind. The find confirms a staged crime and strengthens the link to the Bone Daddy storyline. The discovery pushes the investigation forward with a grisly clue.

Palmer is allowed to serve as a consultant on the investigation and is paired with reluctant police officer Sharon Hewlitt. This marks his transition from novelist to active participant in the case, bridging the literary and investigative worlds. The partnership sets the tone for ongoing collaboration.

Palmer and Hewlitt attend a party celebrating Peter Palmer’s appointment as chief medical examiner. The celebration is abruptly cut short when lower leg bones are found in a gift box, accompanied by the taunting note: Here's your agent. Bone Daddy. The room cracks under the threat.

Forensic examination reveals the bones were removed from a still-living individual named Ricky, and more bones are shown being surgically removed from him. This gruesome detail raises the stakes and expands the scope of the killer’s methods. The investigation shifts toward a surgeon-like precision.

Hewlitt reviews archives and uncovers that Dr. Morten Franz, who once worked with Bill, was a prime suspect. The connection adds a personal dimension to the case and widens the circle of potential culprits. The archival discovery grounds the investigation in past professional rivalries.

Marshall Stone adds context by explaining Franz’s professional and personal rivalry with Bill, and notes that Bill’s novel had fictionalized a killer who was a medical examiner. This backstory helps explain motive and suggests the killer could be closer than expected. The revelation tightens the interwoven web of truth and fiction.

The next day, Peter’s children discover a tibia on the hood of the family car. Palmer records part of a threatening call from the Bone Daddy, heightening the danger to Hewlitt and underscoring the personal risk to investigators. The threat feel personal and escalating.

Hewlitt finds Rocky’s body outside her home just as Palmer arrives, confirming that the killer has moved from threats to murder. The discovery brings the case to a grim turning point and accelerates the hunt. The personal danger to those close to Palmer intensifies the urgency.

Hewlitt and Palmer go to Franz’s home and find him diminished by the downfall, while Mort Jr. blames Bill for the professional ruin and the murders. The family dynamics reveal a motive rooted in pride, jealousy, and legacy. The investigation edges closer to its culprit.

Peter Palmer’s house is discovered ransacked and empty, signaling that the killer is pressing in on the family and attempting to erase connections to the Bone Daddy case. The intrusion underscores the danger facing the investigator’s circle. The stakes are raised as the threads tighten.

Bill and Hewlitt find newspaper clippings about Bone Daddy and a copy of the novel with pages missing that match those used to wrap the bones. Palmer also goes to the morgue to compare stitches on Rocky’s corpse with Peter’s work, discovering a match with another body. The physical clues begin to converge toward a specific suspect.

Hewlitt and a specialist de-scramble the Bone Daddy call and identify Marshall Stone as the killer, who took Bill’s imperfect account of his crimes as an affront. The revelation assigns motive and places Stone at the center of the conspiracy. The investigation moves from speculation to confrontation.

As Marshall Stone is about to hurt Peter, Bill and Hewlitt barge in and a struggle ensues. Hewlitt shoots Stone, who falls into a deadly pit, and reinforcements seal the crime scene, bringing the ordeal to a grim close. The case is resolved, but the cost is high.