A/N: Sorry this took so long to get up. The plot bunnies were running wild. LOL Enjoy!
The Arm in the Suitcase
By 18lzytwner
Chapter 1
Washington Dulles International Airport, Tuesday at 6:30 am
"Remind me why we had to get up so early?" Booth rubbed his eyes again for about the tenth time.
"Because a bloody suitcase was found to hold a severed arm," Brennan sighed. His complaining was starting to get to her.
"So it couldn't wait until at least sun up?" Cam wasn't in a good mood either.
"Not when it was leaking bodily fluid all over the other luggage," the forensic anthropologist said flatly.
"We're going to have to confiscate all the luggage that has any fluids on it. There could be other limbs somewhere. Plus we'll need the plane," Cam told them.
"Oh I bet the FAA is going to love that," Booth couldn't believe it as he watched the ex-police coroner kneel down at the bag in question. The crime scene tape flapped lightly in the early morning breeze and Cam shook her head as she looked at the right arm. The sever wasn't clean and it would be up to the lab's equipment to narrow the type of weapon.
"I've had the plane pulled off the runway and away from the terminal. I also pulled the manifest so we can track down any of the passengers criminal records. It wasn't a very full flight being the red eye and all but almost everyone was still waiting for their luggage," D.C. Police Detective Chris Pawlicki joined the group.
"Thanks. Go tell them that we'll be talking to them soon. In the meantime, all this needs to go back to the Jeffersonian. Bones, Cam, why don't you look at the plane? Unless you'd like to take that back to the Lab too," Booth chuckles slightly.
"No, here is good," Cam shook her head and walked over to the plane to have a look. She scanned the cargo hold with her flashlight. Fresh blood stains were pooled on the bottom of the hold and it was quite obvious that whoever was murdered bled all over down there. The only problem was the fact that the rest of the body was missing. Blood everywhere and the rest of the body was missing.
"Something is seriously wrong here," she shook her head again.
"What did you find?" Brennan asked.
"It's what we didn't find. No more body parts. All this blood and no body parts," Cam said.
"So the victim was murdered in the belly of the plane and then what?" Booth wondered. Cam just shrugged.
"I have no idea."
"Well Bones, why don't you and I go talk to the passengers and see who is missing from the plane," her partner gave one of his classic smiles. Brennan pulled her latex gloves off and followed him leaving Cam to ensure all the evidence was hauled to the Jeffersonian.
Booth and Brennan walked into the terminal and were shown to where the D.C. police was holding the passengers from the morning flight. Most of them appeared to be very cranky upon returning from Florida. Quite a few complained that they wanted to go home however Booth informed them that no one would be going home just yet.
"When I call your name please move to the front of the room," the FBI agent instructed. After calling six names, he waited until all six moved. Then utilizing the help of the D.C. police, all six were asked some routine questions. After not finding any reason for keeping them anymore, they were released.
"What about my suitcase?" Christine Relia asked.
"Unfortunately your luggage can not be returned to you until the investigation is complete," Booth said.
"But my medication is in my suitcase," she told him.
"Then tell the officer at the door. He'll write down your contact info and we'll work something out," Booth smiled at her. Christine didn't seem very happy but she nodded and headed out. The next six were called and questioned. This went on for about another hour before only four names remained. It was at this point that Booth noted there were only three people in the room. They were asked questions and then released.
"Well we might have a name for our victim, Ryan Schamberger. He's the only one unaccounted for," Booth told his partner.
"Did he work for the airline?" Brennan wondered.
"No. According to the manifest he was in seat seven-b," he said.
"Let's get out to the plane and take a look," the forensic anthropologist replied and the two quickly headed back out to the plane.
"It looks like Cam removed everything except the plane itself," Booth commented as they entered the aerial vehicle.
"I wish we could get the plane back to the Lab but that simply can not happen," Brennan sighed.
"Well Cam took pictures and under my orders the plane isn't to move unless I say so," he reassured her. Brennan nodded as they found Mr. Schamberger's seat. It was empty as they expected, as was the overhead compartment.
"His luggage must be with the rest that Cam collected," the forensic anthropologist commented.
"Yeah I guess so," Booth nodded. His phone rang and he picked it up. Brennan lost focus on his conversation and moved about the plane's cabin. There were plenty of places to stash a body and the pieces had to be here somewhere. First, she checked the obvious places in the plane's galley. When nothing turned up, she moved to the front lavatories. Both were empty and slightly smelly. Not entirely unusual considering the small compartment and what people did in it. Then she moved to the back of the plane to check those restrooms.
"Booth!" She shouted. He moved toward her and hung up his phone.
"What is it Bones?" He asked as he came to her right shoulder. Upon getting close enough to her, he was almost knocked over from the smell.
"It's coming from the toilet. We need to empty the tank and get the contents back to the Jeffersonian," the forensic anthropologist told him.
"What for? It smells like someone was really sick," Booth gagged as he clamped his index finger and thumb over his nose a little tighter.
"That's the chemicals in the tank reacting with our corpse. Destroying the evidence," Brennan said. The two backed away from the atrocious smell and closed the door. Booth picked up his phone again and called Cam.
"We need a team out here to drain the toilet tank in the plane. Bones thinks our victim is down there," he said. Brennan imagined what the ex-police coroner was saying to her partner and when he got off the phone she smirked.
"What?" Booth asked.
"Hodgins is going to have a field day with that stuff," she said. This made Booth chuckle as they exited the plane.
To Be Continued…