A Woman in the Slums
by Rondabunny
Wednesday, somewhere in the slums
It was a foggy evening. Thick mist covered the ground and the air was so heavy that little drops of water can be seen flickering in the torch-light. Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan came at the scene to examine the remains. The skeleton was a disaster. Rats, larva and worms feasted more than one week.
"It's a woman about 30-35. Booth, light up the victim! Aha, according to the state of flesh on her body she died two weeks ago. Rats swallowed a great part of her." Brennan took a wrist of the victim and looked at it carefully. "Her metacarpal bones are smashed by something flat and heavy, maybe a stone. I take the victim to the Jeffersonian. I need to clear the bones then I can tell you if it was a murder or not," she said standing up and turning to her partner.
"Ok, then. Let's go."
Thursday, at the Jeffersonian
Booth, wearing a dark-blue suit, grey tie with black stars on it came into the lab to find Brennan examining the bones.
"Hi, what can you say about the victim?" he asked Dr. Brennan looking at the disjoint skeleton lying on the examination table.
"It is murder. The 2nd, 4th and 5th ribs on the left side are broken. The thoracic cage was pressed into lungs which caused internal bleeding. Her proximal and middle phalanxes on both wrists were smashed. She was tortured till she bled to death."
Angela approached Brennan and Booth giving them the picture of the victim: "Look at her. She was pretty. I looked in our database and found her. Madeleine Weiss or "Hot Mad". She got legal jobs here and there but her main job was "flirting with men in the street", you know what I mean. Dark night, a lonely girl."
"She was a prostitute right?" asked Booth in nonchalant voice.
"Yes, take a look at the police report," Angela handed Booth the report.
Brennan left the remains for a moment and made an interesting conclusion: "This woman gave birth 3-5 years ago. Do we know her address?"
"Yes, Bones, come on. Let's find the kid."
They set off.
Slums 12:00
It was a very dirty district with poor building, sometimes without windows, with dirty children playing in the street, strange bands wandering here and there. Brennan and Booth went up to the third floor and knocked at the door. The inhabitants of the building looked at them suspiciously but with interest. People in good clothes were rare guest in this part of the world. A girl in baggy jeans, T-shirt and khaki jumper opened the door. She was chewing the gum. Hair in dreadlocks was showing from under the cap.
Booth: "Hello. Is it Mrs. Weiss apartment?"
Girl looked them up and down and said: "That's a damn good observation. What did she do?"
"Why do you think she did something?" Brennan asked curiously.
"She always gets into trouble," the girl folded her arms.
"What I want to know is… Who are you? And what are you doing here?" asked agent Booth.
"I'm standing here in front of somebody, who doesn't even mind to introduce himself. Show me you badge," the girl said coolly leaning against the door.
Booth took his badge and showed it to the girl nearly touching her nose with it.
"Listen to me. I'm agent Booth. This is Dr. Brennan from Jeffersonian. Madeline Weiss is dead. You're the main suspect because you opened the door of her apartment. So, cut the crap and start talking!"
The teenager unfolded her arms and stood straight staring at them in disbelief.
"I'm Irene… Irene Weiss, her daughter. What's happened? How did she die?"
"Bones, you've mistaken. She gave birth much longer than 5 years ago."
"Nope, I said that the latest childbirth was 3-5 years ago. I haven't said she gave birth just once," Brennan stood her ground.
Booth turned to the girl again: "Whatever. So, where is another kid?"
"My brother died of pneumonia a year ago. What's happened to mom, an overdose?"
"Why? Was she a drug-addict?" asked Brennan.
"Yes, she couldn't do without a shot," said Irene.
"How old are you?" asked Booth staring at the girl.
"I'm 18. Is it important?"
Brennan: "She's lying. She's about 12 or 14 according the development of her haunch bones and her secondary sexual characters."
Irene: "Ah, you're f*****g smart, aren't you?
Booth shook the girl. "Hey, mind your language! When did you see your mother last time?"
Irene: "Two weeks ago. She came home with some guy maybe her client I don't know. I don't remember all the guys she is, I mean was with. They quarreled. He left. Next day when I came from work she wasn't at home. I haven't seen her since then."
"And you were living alone all this time? Why haven't you called the police? Weren't you afraid that your mother was missing for two weeks?" Brennan looked at the girl in a shock.
Irene rolled her eyes. "Is she from Alpha Centauri or something? Lady, my mother was a drug-addict and a whore. She didn't give a damn about me or my brother. Once she met a guy and was missing for 6 weeks till he dumped her. She came back and beat me up. She said it was my fault. I was 10 and Dylan was 3 year-old. We survived."
"Ok. You didn't like your mother as I understand. It gives you a great motive to kill her. Where were you on September 2?" asked agent Booth.
"So, she was murdered. I didn't kill her. I was at school half a day and then at work. I work as a cleaner at grocery store 6 blocks from here. You may ask the owner."
"Believe me. I'll check everything. Now, pack your things. You're coming with us," said agent Booth to Irene.
"Am I under arrest or something?"
"No. You're under-age. It means the state has to take care of you. I can't leave you here by yourself," said agent Booth as a matter of fact.
Brennan and Booth waited for the girl to pack her clothes. They've searched the small one-room apartment but have found nothing. They escorted the girl towards Booth's car. Irene went down the street Booth and Brennan following her. Suddenly the girl was off like a shot. She dropped her bag along the way. Brennan ran after her but Booth stopped her partner.
"Bones, let her go. She'll come back. It's her home. I'll call foster care, they will take care of her."
Brennan approached Booth. "I've seen a lot in my life but such a family…"
Booth: "Welcome to the US slums, Bones. It's the dregs of society, the degraded people."
Brennan: "The girl seems to be sane."
Booth: "Believe me in a year or two she'll merge with the society. I don't even understand how she hasn't mixed with the environment yet."
Brennan: "There are always conformance exceptions."
Booth: "They just don't suit this example."
Lab 15:00
Zack examined the bones of the victim. Hodgins came in with a file in his hand.
Hodgins to Brennan: "According to worms and larva she died two weeks ago. She was a drug-addict. I found diacetylmorphine. "
"Could it be the cause of death?"
"No, the doze couldn't kill a woman of her constitution."
"Thanks, Hodgins. Zack, have you found anything?"
"Not much. There are fractures on the ribs, as you said one tore her left lung. She died of internal bleeding," said Zack absorbed in the work.
Hodgins: "Today, I'm the king of the lab."
"Why?" asked Zack turning to Hodgins.
"While doing an external examination I've found a curly hair on victim's clothes. The victim's hair is wavy but not curly," told Hodgins satisfied with himself.
"Maybe it's yours?" snapped Zack back
"No. Mine is shorter than one that I've found," said Hodgins.
Brennan looked at Hodgins, then at Zack remembering something. She took her phone and rang Booth.
"Booth, call foster care. We need to talk to victim's daughter again."
Somewhere in the slums 18:00
Booth got out of the car.
"I called social workers. They say they haven't found her yet. What did she say about her job? Grocery store. Let's go."
Brennan and Booth went to the store but the owner told that the girl hasn't come today. It was too late for school, so they decided to return to girl's apartment and ask neighbors maybe they know the place where she could go. Booth turned his car and drove down the street.
"Look!" Brennan said suddenly and pointed at a silhouette at the bus stop.
"Great, Bones!" Booth stopped the car. Both partners left it. They had to cross the road to get to the girl, when Booth saw a bus coming. He called the girl. Irene reacted immediately. She dropped her huge satchel and ran to the opposite direction from the bus. Brennan who has already crossed the street pursued the girl. Irene wasn't a great runner, so, it was a matter of time for a forensic anthropologist to catch her.
Booth waited near the car with the satchel in his hand for his partner to bring the girl.
"Nice heat, Bones. You're in a good shape," he said smiling widely.
Bones gave him a dirty look and pushed the girl into the car.
Interrogation room 19:00
Irene sat on the chair. She wore a loose grey sweater. It was so big that the sleeves covered her little hands completely. Her face was pale. She folded and pressed her arms close to the abdomen as if her stomach was aching. She looked at agents in distrust. There was no lawyer in the room and no social worker looking after the process of interrogation.
"Why did you run?" asked Booth looking at the girl.
"I wanted to and ran. Is that a crime?" said the girl catching Booth's stare.
"Where were you going? Wanted to leave? Why?" Booth continued interrogation showing the ticket to the girl.
"Oh, my… Do they always take slow-witted to FBI? Read the ticket and you know the place. Why am I here?" the girl stirred on the chair and hissed with pain. Dr. Brennan watched Irene's moves with interest.
Booth started to get angry. "Don't play with me girl! We found your hair on victim's clothes. You told us you haven't seen you mom for two weeks."
"Look, softhead! You told that she was my mother, these two words "my and mother" define that that damn hair could have somehow fall on her clothes. We live together, you know. Besides, you have to prove it is my hair," snapped the girl and uttered a barely audible moan.
Brennan looked at her closely. She noticed that Irene bent her left arm and squeezed it from time to time with her right hand. Girl's breathing was short like it hurt to breathe deeper.
"Show me your hands," said Brennan firmly.
"What for?" asked the girl pressing her left hand to the ribcage.
"Put your hands on the table!" said Dr. Brennan stubbornly.
"You heard her. Do it!" demanded Booth standing closely to the girl.
Irene slowly put her hands on the table and tried to sit straight on the chair. The sleeves of the sweater covered her fingers. Brennan stood up from her chair and rolled up the sleeve on the left arm. Girl's arm was swollen especially fingers and wrist.
"What's with your ribs?" asked Brennan examining Irene's wrist.
"Nothing. They are feeling quite well except of the arm. But if you ask of "the ribs" in the arm, if there are such ribs, which I doubt, then they are aching like hell," told the girl sarcastically grimacing when Brennan pressed fingers to her wrist.
"Her metacarpals and radius are broken. The arm is swollen till the humerus. I can say more after I see X-rays. I have to see her ribs."
"Come on, girl, take off your sweater!" told Booth waving his hand.
"What?! No way! Asshole!" she said folding her arms in front of her chest. It was really painful to do, her eyes filled with tears. She just gritted her teeth.
"Ok. Let's take her to the hospital," concluded Brennan.
"No. I don't need to go to the hospital. Where is a lawyer? You don't have the right to do so!"
"You know, I would be delighted to see you dying in here but you seemed to be afraid of doctors. It will be my pleasure to make you face one of them," told Booth grinning widely and putting his hand on the girl's shoulder.
They left the room.
To be continued…