~*~*~*~*~ D.C.~*~*~*~*~*~
Neal took a few steps from the S.U.V. in the parking garage and adjusted his ankle with every step.
"So is Hughes feeling sorry for me and letting me go anklet free?" He asked, looking up to Peter.
"It was my idea but you get the watch," Peter said as he got out of the Durango. He held out the device and Neal put it around his wrist.
"And so do I," Peter said as he slipped a matching watch onto his wrist.
"Yeah?" Neal asked.
"Jones put an app in my phone, I can see you anytime I want and it even says how far apart we are," Peter said and showed Neal.
"High-tech hand cuffs, nice," Neal said, looking at the display on Peter's phone.
"Though the two miles still applies. If you get two miles away from me local FBI will be alerted, which leads me to your other ground rules," Peter said and stopped Neal.
"Which are?" Neal asked.
"You are not allowed into any of the actual museum exhibits unaccompanied and if the Jeffersonian sees fit, you will be searched upon leaving," Peter said. Neal made a face.
"Understand?"
"Understood, So who are we meeting?" Neal asked.
"Special Agent Seeley Booth, he is the FBI liaison with the Jeffersonian. Apparently these brainiacs refuse to work with anyone but him, they already remind me of Moz," Peter explained and led the way through the parking garage to the museum.
"So why does the FBI need a liaison with a museum?" Neal asked.
"It's not the museum it's the high tech equipment and high tech genius' that work here. This Dr. Brennan and her team are as good with bones and murder as you are with running cons," Peter said adjusting his tie as they walked into the building.
"Which makes me wonder what happened to where they miss identified you," Peter said as he came to a desk.
"Hi, Agent Burke, FBI. We're here to see Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan," Peter said to the receptionist as Neal snagged one of the brochures.
"You think they would have checked my anklet first," Neal replied, flipping through the paper in his hands.
"That was my first instinct but maybe their consultants don't wear anklets,' Peter smiled at Neal while the receptionist checked something.
"Oh Peter they have an exhibit on-" Neal started as he held up the brochure .
"On something you'd like to steal and fence, not now Neal," Peter said. Neal glared at him and slapped him with the pamphlet.
"They have the Hope diamond!" Neal pushed.
"And they are going to keep it," Peter said sternly to him.
"Can we at least take a tour after we are done with the case, please? You know, defeating death is no easy feat!" Neal asked. Peter just laughed at him. Peter laughed harder when Neal tried to give him a puppy dog face.
"Peter!" Neal said in frustration.
"Maybe, but after we get to the bottom of this, Quiet now," Peter told him and turned to the receptionist. Neal smiled and continued to look through the brochure.
"Follow the hallway all the way down and turn right, you will come across a set of security guards. Tell them who you are and they will escort you the rest of the way," The woman at the desk said.
"Thank you," Peter said and they followed the directions.
Angela gathered her official report on the sketch and left her office. She walked across the lab, intending to go see Cam. She heard the doors open and paused. She looked up and saw Elliot the security guard escorting in two gentlemen. Angela got a good look at both of them and her mouth gaped at the younger of the two men.
"Mrs. Hodgins these two are here to see Dr. Brennan and Agent Booth," Elliot told her. Angela continued to gape as Neal gave her his usual smile.
"Hi," Neal said. Angela shook her head.
"Uh…awkward!" Angela said. Neal and Peter looked at each other. Elliot smiled back at them.
"Good Luck Gentlemen," he said and left them. Neal and Peter turned to watch him leave in confusion.
"Awkward!" Angela said again. Neal turned to her and laughed.
"You said that already Mrs. Hodgins. Name's Neal Caffery and this is A-" Neal said but Angela grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards the forensics platform while repeating that same word. Peter followed behind them giving Angela a strange look.
"Ey! Don't steal my Con! " Peter said after them.
Bones looked down at the table intently.
"Hodgins says the amount of dust and particulates say that the body has been in that basement f-" Bones started to say to Wendel before she heard Angela.
"Angela, what's awkward this time?" Bones asked, standing up.
"Him" Angela said, pushing Neal next to the table and the sketch. Bones looked from Neal to the sketch and then down to the skull.
Bones walked around the table and looked at Neal very closely. Neal looked around for anything to take the attention off of him.
"Great lines. Who did the drawing?" Neal asked, the sketch being the first thing he naturally noticed.
"Thank you, that would be me. You can call me Angela by the way. " Angela smiled. Bones then picked up the skull. She held it up next to Neal's head.
"Neal and is that real?" Neal asked, trying to take a step away.
"Of course it is," Bones said plainly.
"Uh-" Neal was rapidly becoming more uncomfortable. Bones then grabbed his jaw and turned his head.
"Sweetie, don't!" Angela tried to get her to stop but it was too late, Neal and the skull were now 'face to face'.
"PETER!" Neal called out in a panic.
"Ok, that's enough, FBI! Let him go!" Peter said showing his badge before reaching in, grabbing Neal's arm, and pulling him away. Neal ducked behind his partner and carefully watched Bones.
"FBI? Where's Booth?" Bones asked.
"Close I hope, we were supposed to meet him here," Peter replied.
"He went to the new coffee exhibit," Angela answered.
"There's a coffee exhibit?" Peter asked and Angela nodded.
"Coffee from around the world brewed and served in the Jeffersonian for the next three months. Then it goes to the next stop on the tour," Angela said.
"Told you we should have taken a tour!" Neal said, still hiding behind Peter.
"Shush," Peter said, over his shoulder.
"Do you have a twin Mr. Caffery?" Bones asked, still looking back and forth from skull to very nervous conman.
"Oh the thought of there being two of you…" Peter trailed off before Neal could answer.
"Not that I know of," Neal answered. They were gratefully distracted by someone speaking.
"The diamonds are all real and…" Hodgins trailed off as he walked onto the platform.
"Our Dead Guy's not dead?" Hodgins asked as he set the tray of diamonds on the examination table next to him. Neal looked intently at them, committing them to memory.
"Hodgins, how long did you say he was down there?" Bones asked.
"Original guess was ten years but the more I find, the more I want to say closer to 20 years," Hodgins answered.
"Twenty years dead and you send us an email saying someone who hadn't even hit puberty twenty years ago is him? I thought the Jeffersonian was the best at this," Peter said.
"There was a rush on the identification," Booth said swiping his badge before coming up onto the platform. Peter and Neal turned to look at him.
"You see Booth, why you should never rush us!" Bones protested.
"Not now Bones," Booth said and turned to Peter and Neal.
"FBI special agent Seeley Booth, Agent Burke and a not so dead Neal Caffery," Booth said. He shook hands with both gentlemen.
"Pleasure," Neal said before giving Bones and her skull another glare.
"That smells fantastic," Peter said, looking down at the cup.
"Well, how about we talk about this little mishap while we go get you a cup," Booth said.
"Lead the way," Peter said.
"Ang, obviously we need another rendering of him done. Use the computer, clay, paper mache, bubble gum I don't care just make sure you take your time so it can't be argued we rushed through the rest of this case," Booth said. Angela nodded.
"On it," Angela said.
"Is the coffee in the building?" Peter asked.
"Yes, it is," Booth answered after taking a sip.
"Alright, Caffery you can stay here with Mrs….?" Peter trailed off.
"Hodgins," Neal, Angela, and Hodgins all said in unison.
"Stay with Mrs. Hodgins until I get back," Peter said.
"Peter you can't leave me here, what if bone lady comes at me with that skull again?" Neal asked. Booth laughed and looked back at Bones.
"Bones, did you attack him with a skull?" Booth asked.
"I didn't attack him!' Bones protested.
"Sweetie it was a little attack-like, you scared the poor man," Angela told her.
"I didn't mean to, I was only looking at the facial similarities. I apologize," Bones rambled.
"There you see, she apologized," Peter said. Neal just looked at him.
"Come on blue eyes, I'll protect you," Angela smiled, reaching her hand back out to Neal who reluctantly took it. Angela took him from the platform and to her office.
"Uh Ang?" Hodgins asked after her, but got ignored.
"Do not leave this lab Neal! This is an opportunity to gain a lot of trust!" Peter called after him.
"Don't leave, Trust, got it!" Neal called back to him.
"Trust what?" Hodgins asked.
"Oh, he's got two years left on his tracking anklet," Burke said.
"Anklet? He's a criminal? I thought he was a consultant," Hodgins asked.
"Yeah, he's serving out his sentence as a member of my team catching other criminals and consulting," Peter answered.
"And he's with my wife?" Hodgins asked.
"He doesn't bite," Peter said and went to follow Booth when Bones interrupted.
"Why don't we do that Booth?" Bones asked.
"No offense Dr. Brennan, but I think about Neal stealing my wallet when I'm not looking, not slitting my throat. You catch murderers, I catch thieves." Peter said. Bones looked at him for a moment.
"I see, but what about Zac?" She asked, looking at Booth. Booth sighed and looked to Peter.
"When this case is over, I'll look into it, ok Bones?" Booth asked.
"Ok," Bones answered and Booth led Burke from the lab.
"Oh my God!" Hodgins blurted once their guests were out of ear shot.
"I know right?" Wendel asked. Bones looked between the men.
"Are you two talking in code?" Bones asked.
"Did you look at that guy? Does he really look like that?" Hodgins asked obviously threatened by the fact that such a man was spending time with his wife.
"I assume you are talking about Mr. Cafferys good looks? I found the symmetry of his facial structure aesthetically pleasing though perplexing as to why he and our John Doe share such similar bone structure- perhaps they are father and son," Bones said, staring at the skull.
"You said something about the diamonds?" Bones asked.
"Yeah, they are real. Top of the line in quality, this big one here easily worth 150 million. I think our John Doe was a jewel thief," Hodgins said. Bones turned the skull over and looked at the roof of the mouth and at the teeth. There were scratches all over it, chips taken out of the teeth. Bones looked over to the diamonds and walked over to the plate. She picked up the biggest one and set it inside one of the deep scratches.
"I don't know if he stole them but he was definitely killed with them," Bones said.
"Killed with them?" Wendel asked.
"Someone shoved these diamonds down his throat which explains the striations on the vertebrae" Bones answered, her eyes having yet to leave the bone before her.
"Who would use 200 million dollars worth of diamonds to kill someone?" Hodgins asked. Bones shrugged as she placed the diamond back on the plate.
Peter brought his coffee to the table and looked down. He happened to noticed Booths socks as he took his seat.
"Those aren't standard issue. Neither is the tie or the belt buckle," He said with a smile. Booth grinned and lifted his pant leg to show off his striped socks.
"Bones got me started on them," Booth said.
"My wife got me started on them too," Peter said, revealing his own weird socks.
"Hey, look at that," Booth smiled.
"Bones isn't my wife though, not sure I want to ask," Booth said.
"Afraid the bureau won't let you stay partners?" Peter asked.
"Don't care about that, not sure she'd say yes," Booth replied.
"I take it, it's complicated," Peter said. Booth nodded and rolled his eyes before taking a drink.
"In the most intricate sense of the word," Booth said. Peter smiled.
"So what happened that led you to believing my partner was dead? " Peter asked.
"I am sorry, I can't imagine getting news like that," Booth said. Peter nodded, turning his cup on the table.
"I'll admit at first it shook me up. I was sat down and Hughes, my boss, told me Neal was dead and I literally turn around and him and his stupid hat and million dollar smile walk in the door," Peter replied, staring at his coffee.
"Didn't think I would think of a world renowned con man as my best friend, half the time I still can't trust him as far as I can throw him." Peter said.
"You want to head back and check on him?" Booth asked. Peter shook his head.
"Nah, he won't leave Mrs. Hodgins' side as long as the bone lady is there," Peter smiled. Booth laughed.
"I gotta ask, Is he really as good as his file says he is?" Booth asked.
"As good as your doctor is with bones," Peter said.
"Really?" Booth asked again.
"One night out of morbid curiosity, I laid my badge on the table and told him that he could have full immunity for whatever he told me from that one night, Yes he is that good. Promise him immunity and he will tell you some stories," Peter answered.
"I bet. Well...the John Doe was found in the basement of a building the Historical Society just bought and is renovating. Restoration workers found the bones and pushed for an ID. Angela made the sketch and I ran it before all the facts were in and emailed you. By time we started realizing it couldn't be him your Boss was already jumping down my Bosses throat for miss identifying him," Booth said.
"Hughes? Really?" Peter asked.
"Yep, now the Jeffersonian has to wipe the egg off its face by nailing this case, whoever that John Doe is," Booth said. Peter nodded.
"Does Neal really look like the body? Could Angela have gotten the sketch wrong?" Peter asked. Booth shook his head.
"She's never gotten one wrong and Bones approves every rendering before they run it. I'm more than sure the computer is going to come up with the same picture," Booth said. Peter looked down at his coffee again.
"Moments like this, if it is Neal's father, remind me how little I actually know about Neal's past from before I met him," Peter replied.
"Bones will get to the bottom of this," Booth said.
"Is there anything we can do? Check out the crime scene? If it is a crime," Peter asked, finally picking the cup up and drinking. Booth nodded.
"Well…hang on," Booth said and pulled out his phone. He dialed and put it on speaker.
"You know I have never been interrupted this many times when examining remains," Bones' voice said over the speaker.
"This won't take long promise! Have you figured out who John Doe is?" Booth asked.
"You've been gone ten minutes Booth! I'm working on getting a bone marrow sample to Cam so she could run DNA," Bones answered. Booth nodded.
"How did he die?" Booth asked.
"I found striations on the roof of his mouth, on a few teeth, and on the C2, C3, and C4 vertebrae, along with heavy blood staining," Bones said. The Agents looked to each other in confusion.
"And what does that mean?" Booth asked.
"It looks like someone very forcibly shoved the diamonds down his throat. Angela can check angles and say which stone did what damage but I felt it was appropriate to wait until the jumpy Con-man wasn't around. Especially if he's anything like my father," Bones said.
"Ha!" Booth laughed.
"Smart," Peter said in the background.
"I thought so," Bones said.
"Ok so you are officially saying murder?" Booth asked.
"Those diamonds sliced his throat apart; he drowned in his own blood, Booth!" Bones snapped at him.
"You have to say it!" Booth said.
"Fine, Murder!" Bones gave in.
"Yes! Thank you Bones, Agent Burke and I are going to the crime scene!" Booth said.
"Wait what about the jumpy con-man?" Bones asked. Peter leaned forward.
"We'll be picking him up on the way," Peter said.
"Ok," Bones said and hung up.
"And just like that we have a case! Though I will never look at diamonds the same way again," Booth said.
"No," Peter nodded as they both rubbed their necks and got to their feet.
"Angela, you do great work," Neal said looking intently at a painting against the wall. Angela was running things through the computer while Neal explored the room. Neal took another step and his foot bumped into something. He looked down and found a play pen with a baby inside.
" Especially this one, exquisite," Neal smiled picking up the baby.
"What do you call this piece?" Neal asked. Angela looked up and laughed.
"Michael Staccato Vincent Hodgins. My greatest masterpiece to date," Angela answered.
"Staccato?" Neal asked.
"Uh yes, that would be my father's influence. He believes the universe reveals a person's true name through music and one night when he was playing his guitar and he heard the name Staccato Mamba. He insisted that be the babies whole name, but he's lucky he got a middle name," Angela explained.
"Huh! I'd be interested to know my name," Neal said.
"Why? You need another alias?" Peter asked as he and Booth walked in.
"You can never have too many aliases," Neal said.
"Right, put the kid down and let's go. We are going to check out the crime scene," Peter told him. Neal passed Michael off to Angela and followed Peter.
"Thanks Angela," Neal said as he went out the door.
"Yeah see you Neal," Angela said as Neal shut the door behind him. Angela looked down to Michael.
"Hey kid, if you're even half as cute as that one you will never have problems with girls…or boys, whatever you prefer," Angela said as she walked Michael back to his pin.