I don't think it went down that way ...
I don't think it was a Whamp, either.
At least, not directed by a Whamp -- one of them may have been somebody's "murder weapon," of course; that whole "Malcolm died with a smile on his face" really could have been Jim foreshadowing his intentions, instead of Jim planting a red herring. Only time will tell, I suspect...
I'm just presenting the notion as a "what-if" thought experiment.
Meanwhile, I keep going back to the WoJ that, if Harry knew what Lea had done, he'd want to kill her (
I really need to track down that WoJ and re-read it!). Remember, atop Arctis Tor he was "gallantly" moved to
rescue Lea. I think there are very very few things Lea might have done that would move Harry murderously.
Killing Malcolm is very high on that list; or killing his mom (killing her by removing the veil on her, the moment Harry was born; knowing an Entropy-Curse would strike momentarily).
Hmmmmm.
What if Margaret bargained a twofer? "Protect my Starborn babe 'til they're old enough and strong enough to protect themself." That will, of necessity, obligate Lea to veil Margaret too (until the baby is born).
What if she wasn't yet pregnant? What if that's the core of her "keep safe from Raith's Entropy-Curse"? I expect others were searching for her, too. A top-tier Faerie veil could do the trick; the entire WC warden-corps couldn't get through one.
I remain convinced that Mab (she of the far-reaching plans; she whose largest activity is the anti-Outsider war) was profoundly complicit in Margaret's intention to have a Starborn child; and thus, so too Mab's handmaiden.
... it would be an interesting horrific twist if Harry found out that it was Lara that murdered his father ...
Yes indeed; and this "torment Harry" element is, to me, the single greatest argument in favor of this notion.
... that way or some other way, the question still remains, who was the cat working the paw?
Absolutely. Much more meaningful to know
who the cat, and
why the kill.