CHAPTER 6

Nearly a week went by before there was a break in the case. The handwriting analysis had been inconclusive, which Brennan was still unable to believe. Hodgins hadn't found anything else that would link Hollings directly to the crime. Zack had figured out the murder weapon as well as how many times Zoe Deacon had been struck, but he failed to link any such weapon to Hollings.

They were at a loss…until 6 days later when Booth and Brennan got a call from the D.C. County Jail…….

Booth and Brennan arrived on the scene in the middle of the afternoon. As they approached Hollings' cell, an aroma of burnt flesh crept up their noses. Booth grimaced, clasping his hand over his mouth while Brennan simply breathed through hers. They reached the cell and the image that they beheld was all too similar to one they had seen not too long ago. There was a burned body in the corner of the cell.

Booth and Brennan exchanged glances as Brennan knelt down, snapping on latex gloves as she moved. She had taken her engagement ring off in her office at the Jeffersonian.

"Victim is male," she said as she squinted at the skull. "We need to get these remains back to the lab so we can determine if it is Hollings or not."

They knew all too well not to assume that the victim was in fact the prisoner who was the only one allowed in the cell.

"You think it might be someone else?" Booth asked.

Brennan ignored him as something caught her eye. She leaned in closer to the skull. "May I have a pair of tweezers?" she asked the agent in charge of collecting the remains.

He pulled out a plastic case of tools and handed Brennan a pair. She lowered the jaw and poked the tweezers through the mouth and pulled out an object. Her eyes went wide and her mouth fell half-open as she laid the object in her hand.

"What is it, Bones?" Booth inquired.

She shifted her weight towards Booth and stood up, holding her hand out for Booth to see. His expression matched hers as he stared at her. She stared back.

"Alright, let's get the remains to the Jeffersonian, and pronto!" Booth bellowed. The agents began maneuvering to collect the remains as Booth and Brennan made their way out of the cell.

"I guess I should go home and wait for my father to stop by," Brennan said as she dropped the Columbus coin into a plastic bag.

"Yeah, that might be a good idea," Booth replied as they made their way out of the prison and back to the Jeffersonian.

"The victim is most definitely Kevin Hollings," Angela told Cam as they stared up at the Angelator.

"Alright, case closed," Cam replied as she left the room.

Angela was frozen in her spot. She thought about Brennan and tears came to her eyes. Hodgins entered the room a moment later.

"At least she won't have to go through the trial," Hodgins told Angela, reading her mind.

Angela nodded as she hugged him. "Can we just make it to our wedding without anymore…death?"

"We work in the forensics lab at the Jeffersonian…I don't think that's going to happen," Hodgins replied.

"Yeah, well, could there at least be less…death?" Angela asked.

"3 weeks, my dear…3 weeks," Hodgins said, smiling as he kissed her softly.

Brennan sat at her kitchen counter, a beer in one hand. She took a sip and set it back down. A moment later, there was a knock at the door. She looked towards the door before getting up to open it. She didn't even need to look through the peephole.

She swung the door open and there stood Max Keenan…as expected.

"Hi, sweetheart," he said, managing a smile.

"Come in," Brennan replied as she turned from her father, leaving him to close the door.

"You don't seem very surprised to see me…or very happy," Max said.

"Why would I be surprised? You killed a man this morning and left me a calling card, so I was obviously expecting you," Brennan replied, her face cold.

"Yeah, I guess that's true," was all Max could say.

Brennan regarded her father for a few moments before speaking again. "How do you even do the things you do? How do you get into a prison and…no, you know what, I don't want to know," Brennan said as she threw her hands in the air.

"I have many connections, you know that," Max replied.

Brennan's icy expression shifted towards hurt. "What took you so long?" she asked her father.

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused.

"I was kidnapped over 4 weeks ago and you just now figure out how to kill the man responsible?" Brennan said, her voice rising in her chest. She could feel the sting of the tears trying to escape.

Max was taken aback. "Well, honey, I didn't even find out until about 10 days ago. Then I had to find my connections and then…why are you asking me why I took so long? You're not angry with me?" he asked, quizzically.

"Of course I'm angry. I don't condone killing another human being, but…" her voice trailed off and she glanced away, ashamed of how she felt. "But that monster did horrible things to me and to another young girl and to who knows how many others! There would probably have been a trial and I don't even know if he would have been found guilty. I'm not saying what you did was right, because it wasn't. I'm just…glad he's…dead. There, I said it," Brennan spit out, tears of anger and hurt spilling out.

"Oh, sweetheart, I would never-" Max began as he stepped towards Brennan.

"Don't…touch me! I can't deal with that right now," Brennan instructed her father, throwing her cast up as a barrier. He halted immediately.

"How's your wrist?" he asked.

"It's better. Do you know everything?" she replied, wiping her eyes with her left hand.

He watched her as she wiped her face and he noticed a glimmer. His brow furrowed and he pointed to her hand. "What's that?" he asked.

"What's what?" she replied.

"That…on your hand?" he inquired.

Brennan sighed. This was not exactly the right time to tell her father she was getting married, but she figured there was no way around it.

"It's an engagement ring. I'm getting married," she told him.

A smile broke out across his face. "Oh, honey, that's wonderful," he said.

"Do you even want to know who it is I'm marrying?" she asked.

"Honey, you don't have to tell me…that's an easy one," he replied.

Brennan looked at him, realizing that it truly was "an easy one." "Are you still in contact with Russ? I'd like him to know," Brennan asked.

"Yeah, he's still with me. So, have you and Booth set a date?" he asked.

"No, we haven't," Brennan replied bluntly.

"Oh, okay," Max said as he glanced away from his daughter. He thought he'd try another tactic. "Would you like me to walk you down the aisle?" he asked, glancing back at her.

"I don't-I don't know yet. You know, it was going to be hard enough to keep Booth from arresting you. Now that you've…killed again, it's going to be even harder," Brennan explained to her father, unable to believe she was having yet another conversation with her father about killing people.

"I know, I'm sorry, sweetie," he replied.

"Don't call me that. My best friend calls me that, it's weird when you do," Brennan told her father.

"Okay, sorry," Max replied. "I'm sure Booth knows that I was coming."

"Yes. But he's keeping his distance this time," Brennan replied.

"You know, I really would like to walk you down the aisle. And I'm sure your brother would like to be best man," Max said, smiling softly.

Brennan glanced away and sighed. "Dad, I don't know how I can deal with that. Everyone knows about you. Any one of them could call the FBI even if Booth agreed not to interfere," Brennan explained. "And I'm not, not inviting people just because of you. And Booth's brother will probably be best man."

"Right, I understand. Well, I should get going, I guess. Tell Booth hello and at least let me know when the wedding is. I would love to be there," Max said, heading towards the door.

Brennan hesitated, but she followed him to the door. "It's probably going to be in the winter," she informed him, thinking back to Angela's comment earlier that week.

"I'll let Russ know," Max said as he opened the door. "Bye, sweetheart."

Brennan watched him go and found herself stopping him in the hallway. "Dad?" He turned back towards her. "Thank you," she told him, a somber look on her face.

He smiled softly and turned back around and disappeared.