Jessica Whitly

**Jessica Whitly** is an elegant New Yorker, who has been ostracized from her social circle for the last 23 years, after her husband, Dr. Martin Whitly, was imprisoned in a mental asylum for murdering 23 women. Left with nothing but money and her two children, she engulfs herself in every part of their lives, specifically her son Malcolm, out of guilt for his trauma.

## Early Life

One day in 1998 a police officer came to their house, responding to a prank. This led to the arrest of her husband, Dr. Martin Whitly as it was discovered he was the serial killer ‘The Surgeon.’

In 1996 *The Surgeon* killed *The Lehrer* brothers' mother, but he wasn't connected with the crime for another three years. In the meantime, they went to jail for it. Years later, Jessica offered them a settlement. They insisted on a jury trial and lost.

## Season 1

After hearing of her son's dismissal from the FBI, Jessica Whitly goes to his apartment and prepares him some chamomile tea. She tells him to drink it, but if it's not strong enough she does have pills. Malcolm Bright agrees and she sees herself out.  Days later Jessica is having dinner with both her children. The night soon turns sour when Malcolm informs her that there is a copycat serial killer of her husband, *The Surgeon*. Visibly upset she excuses herself. Not long after that, she is seen at another high-end social party by her son. Only to later find out fellow high social elite, Carter Berkhead was killing people.

Jessica called both her children to have breakfast with her early one morning. Before they finished her daughter ran off to be the first to drop the ball about a murder in the upper east side. Her son soon followed after she confronted him about his night terrors, where he once again brought up the question about a dead woman in the box. Days later Jessica was contacted by a nurse she had paid to keep tabs on her husband's visitors, having a suspicion her son had started seeing his father again. She was contacted by him who confirmed her suspicions. Furious Jessica smashed her phone onto the floor.

Jessica arrived early to her son's apartment only to be annoyed to be locked out. She was then very surprised to see her son hanging outside his window, having flung himself out during one of his night terrors. Inside his apartment, she cautioned him against visiting his father, pointing out that his night terrors had only become worse. Later that day she tracked down her daughter, wanting to know why she hadn't informed her personally that Malcolm and Martin were seeing each other again. Ainsley blew her off, telling her she no longer wanted to be involved in their problems.

    Not long after that, she made another trip to the NYPD, to have a private conversation with Gil Arroyo. They both discussed the pending trouble Malcolm would be getting himself into.... After 20 years of avoiding her husband, Jessica decided to finally make a trip down to Claremont Psychiatric Hospital. When she arrived she was personally escorted by Mr. David inside her ex-husband's lavish looking cell room. Jessica was still very well aware of who she was talking with. When her husband tried to caress her face, she lashed out at him, telling him to leave her son alone.

Malcolm enters his apartment and finds his mother there. The two get into a heated argument, and Jessica informs her son he is no longer allowed to visit his father. Malcolm accuses her of being complicit in his father's murders, and she leaves, visibly upset. Later, Jessica is at home looking for the red dress Malcolm accused her of wearing. Upon finding it she was reminded of a huge fight she and Martin had had. He admitted to her that the choice was hers if she wanted to break up their perfect family. Ainsley comes into her mother's walk-in closet to find her possibly drunk in front of her mirror. She confesses to the fight between herself and Malcolm, insisting it was a huge one. Ainsley basically tells her mother to get it together, and both of them should cut their father out of their lives because he's causing too much drama.

Jessica is having breakfast with her son Malcolm, when she decides to take up some advice he gave her a while ago, and look into some charities to help support. She decides on 4 before arranging lunch for them all.

     Only absolutely none of them show up. She is surprised to meet Eve Blanchard who has snuck into her house, and is looking to stop human trafficking. The two have lunch and the next day Jessica agrees to work with her. They are briefly interrupted by Malcolm looking for an old shoebox. Jessica insists she knows nothing about it. However, the next day at some point she has dropped it off at his apartment. It would appear Malcolm finally did give her a copy of his new key as requested.

Jessica was thoroughly surprised and disappointed when she finds out from the owner of her daughter's news station that Ainsley has requested, had been granted, and her ex-husband has agreed to conduct his first interview about his past with Ainsley in the coming weeks. Jessica immediately had the project scrapped and informed her daughter as such. This led to a fight and days later Ainsley came back informing her mother that a new boss had been put in charge and her interview was back on.

Jessica made one last-ditch effort to try and convince her Ainsley to not go through with interviewing her father. Ainsley was confident in what she was doing, but Jessica again warned her not to try and out-wit Martin Whitley. Hours later while at the precinct, Jessica found out her kids were trapped inside Claremont Psychiatric Hospital during a lockdown after a patient stabbed someone. Jessica was beside herself and immediately rushed to the hospital, waiting until both her kids are safe. Malcolm explaind the situation to her back at her home but was cut off when the old phone from Martin's office begain ringing. It had been locked away behind a brick wall for the past 20 years.

Malcolm picked it up and learns that the man on the other end was a colleague of hers named Paul Lazar. Not long after, the NYPD come to her house, nervously she offered everyone anything from coffee to alcohol. Gil tried to console her and offered police protection but she declined, knowing she kept a small pistol close to her. Still scared of her husband's past she canceled all her appointments for the upcoming days but was both surprised and annoyed when Eve showed up. Jessica mildly confided in the other woman, only for her to find out she told Malcolm. She was annoyed, but her son promised her she had always been safe as he had insisted on an undercover police team outside the house at all times. Malcolm again insisted she go to a hotel but Jessica refuses, adding that her grandfather built this house in the 1800s and she had survived worse and she refuses to leave.

Jessica is aware something is bothering her son and after not getting answers from him she brings up the subject to Gil who admits Paul Lazar confirmed the existence of the *Girl in the Box*. Jessica feels horrible for not believing her son and convincing him the dead girl was never real.

Jessica was furious when she saw her son watching her daughter's interview about her ex-husband. Even throwing her shoe at his TV. The two argued before she apologized to Malcolm for not believing about the woman he saw in the box, admitting that her guilt over the situation was continuously growing. Wanting to do better she visited Malcolm to find out if there was anything that could be done. When he is called away, she snoops through his files and finds a photo of the dead woman's bracelet. After getting into your another fight with Ainsley over her TV interview, Jessica decided to follow suit. Changing the media's narrative, she broadcasted the woman's bracelet offering $1 million award for information.

Having just given out to her number to the public, Jessica was receiving a large amount of phone calls about the missing woman's bracelet. Gil came over and calmly instructed her to send everyone home, he then informed her that her son Malcolm was missing, thought to be kidnapped by Paul Lazar. Devastated, she called her daughter Ainsley to come over and to inform her of the news. While Jessica fixed them drinks she recognized the Angel figurine that she had believed her imaginary friend had given her. They both realized her imaginary friend had been Paul, and not long after saying that a man burst through their basement with an ax, chasing them both through the house after shutting down all the power. While trying to get away Ainsley had been cut across the face while Jessica barricaded them in the bathroom, after arming herself with scissors. Paul was interrupted with Malcolm's shouting. Not long after, Malcolm returned, saving them both.

Jessica was recruited by her son on behalf of the NYPD to interview Curtis Marsh, while he posed as a servant in the room. After a number of people came through, Malcolm was able to pinpoint *Curtis Marsh* as a possible culprit. She later recounted her involvement in the case to Dr. Simon Coppenrath as part of a sting operation.

Jessica, believing she was getting back into high society, was pleased to discover she was invited to the wedding of the son of New York billionaire George Taylor, New York's royal family. Unbeknownst to her, her daughter Ainslie had managed to get her an invitation by getting her placed with the media. At that same wedding, Malcolm stopped the father George from being shot by his son's former girlfriend whose death he had covered up.

Two weeks later Jessica was contacted by Cory Wheaton with information about the bracelet belonging to the woman in the box. She and Malcolm went to the park's merry-go-round only to find a man dead. Wanting to put an end to all that death, Jessica agreed to pay him $1 million ransom to save another *Noah Lehrer*. However, he killed the man anyways and later contacted her to kill her ex-husband in prison. Her son stopped her, but it was Malcolm who stabbed Martin when they realized their murders were connected to a woman who died on his operating table, to save the time of the kidnapped OR nurse.

Jessica was facing a possible murder charge after telling the police she was the one to stop her ex husband. Though she wasn’t worried, Ainsley contacted Martin's former lawyer, whom she despised. Mother and daughter waited at the hospital, though she didn't care for him she was worried if he died how it would affect Malcolm. Though she would be charged for murder she wasn't worried. She eventually decided to hire Eve as her lawyer.

Jessica is annoyed to have to be in the same room as her ex-husband, as he admires his new bed he forced her to buy him for his part of their agreement for his statement. He once again aggravates them both when he reminds them of his statement alone saved her and Malcolm. Back at Malcolm's place, they celebrate finally being finished with court, and she immediately calls Eve to find out why she hasn't been returning her son's phone calls, but her son quickly takes the phone from her. The next week, Eve also shows up at her place with flowers to celebrate the final paperwork of her murder trial.

While having lunch with Eve, they are rudely interrupted by her daughter who begins interrogating Eve about her adoption as a child, embarrassed, she makes her exit. Jessica scolds Ainsley for her behavior. Later, while at Malcolm’s, they beginning connecting the dots, questioning if she's might have a connection to the Girl on the Box. Eve surprised them all when she too arrives at Malcolm's place, admitting she does, and that the girl is most likely her sister that went missing 20 years ago. She apologizes for using them, but insists her feelings for Malcolm were real. She leaves and, both women apologize to Malcolm for this, and after a very mild breakdown, he composes himself and goes to work.

After angrily calling her son demanding his presence at a banquet, Jessica is joined by her old friend Nicholas Endicott the host of the party, and they take a photo together. During the performance, one of the dancers drops dead, and her son and his team began their investigation. While admiring her photo in the paper with Nicholas, she is interrupted by a phone call from her ex-husband. She ignores his rant, and continues to date Nicholas over the next couple of weeks.

Nicholas is comforting her after she finds out Eve died from suicide. He politely excuses himself when Malcolm arrives. Malcolm insists Nicholas was behind it. Jessica and the rest of her family demand Martin reveal what he knows about Nicholas. Admitting he is indeed a dangerous man, and he blackmailed him to get his cushy prison sentence. Hurt, Jessica lashes out at her ex-husband, who mocks her for sleeping with another killer. Back at her home, her daughter comforts her, as does Gil. The two appeared to reignite an old flame.

Malcolm makes bail, despite his DNA found under the victim's fingernails. His mother has hired him a team of lawyers, and he has to wear ankle monitor at all times. He later slips away, while she is visited by Gil When he returns, both her and her daughter insisting he never left as they are informed Martin's lawyer has been murdered. Malcolm admits he left, and they haul them off for questioning. Wanting to help her son, Jessica agrees to go on a date with Nicholas, secretly recorded the entire thing. They are interrupted with someone at the door, and Jessica sneaks down and watches Nicolas stab Gil. When he returns, she strikes them in the face without plate, and hits the security guard with Gil’s own car. Saving him, furiously driving to the hospital. Her son is called away, but the rest of his colleagues stay while they all wait for news.

## Notes

* Back in the 1990s, she was unknowingly married to one of the worst and notorious serial killers of his time, “*The Surgeon*.”
* Her great-great-great-grandfather built their house in 1871.
* Malcolm locked Paul Lazar in a chest after he attempted to murder her and his sister.
* In 1996 *The Surgeon* killed *The Lehrer* brothers' mother, but he wasn't connected with the crime for 3 years. In the meantime, the brothers went to jail for it. Jessica offered them a settlement. They insisted on a jury trial and lost.
* Her maiden name is Milton.

## Trivia

* Bellamy Young and Tom Payne play mother and son, but are only 12 years apart

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Pilot
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Eye of the Needle
3. ↑ Annihilator
4. ↑ Fear Response
5. ↑ Designer Complicity
6. ↑ The Trip
7. ↑ All Souls and Sadists
8. ↑ Q&A
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Family Friend
10. ↑ Pied-A-Terre
11. ↑ Silent Night
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Alone Time
13. ↑ Internal Affairs
14. ↑ Wait & Hope
15. ↑ Death's Door
16. ↑ The Job
17. ↑ Stranger Beside You
18. ↑ Scheherazade
19. ↑ The Professionals
20. ↑ Like Father...