Chapter 6
"Oh…. Brennan," Angela sighed quietly in fear, still gazing at the picture. Booth remained quiet, fixated on the image of his partner covered in blood.
"Hey, Booth, you might want to hear this," Cam stuck her head into the office and called after the agent, interrupting the moment. "What's that?" She asked, approaching the pair to get a better view of the object in Booth's hand.
Booth wordlessly shot up and tucked the invitation into his jacket packet, shooting Angela a 'keep quiet about this' look. "Nothing. What do you have?"
Cam shot a curious look between Booth and Anglea, then shrugged and turned to lead the pair back to the platform. As they approached, Zac immediately got down to business. "This skeleton displays very, very minor evidence of a genetic skeletal disease. Likely the victi – individual – didn't even realize they had it, and it didn't impact her daily life." Booth remained silent, unwilling to look up from the skeleton.
Sensing the agent's withdrawal, Cam nodded and spoke for him, "And what does that mean for us, Dr. Addy?"
"It means, Dr. Soroyan, that this is a genetic disease. And therefore she would have inherited it from her parents," Zac said. "If you are assuming that this is the body of Dr. Brennan, then I need you to exhume her mother's body. If I can compare her mother's bones next to these bones, side-by-side, I'll be able to tell you within a reasonable doubt if they are mother and daughter."
Booth's eyes flicked up to the scientist and he studied Zac's determined face before giving a brief nod and pulling out his cell phone and speaking quietly into it. "Caroline, I need an exhumation order for Christine Brennan, located in St. Charles' cemetery."
At the mention of the name of the cemetery, a flicker of recognition passed over Angela's face as she realized that was the name of the cemetery listed on the letter Booth had received.
"I can't go into details right now, Caroline. Please contact Agent John McKnowles with the FBI for more. We need this immediately," he concluded, remaining quiet and emotionless as he continued staring at the skeleton.
Sweets exchanged looks with Cam and started to walk forward to put a reassuring hand on Booth's shoulder. Sensing the movement, Booth held up a hand to stop him. "Stop right there, Sweets." The psychologist halted half way across the platform. "One more step and I swear I'll punch you."
Sweets nodded, anticipating this behavior. "Agent Booth, it may seem easier to try to emotionally detach yourself from this case, but you need to consider that that just isn't possible."
Booth straightened, turning to gaze at the psychologist coolly. "How about you consider the fact that if I hear any psychobabble, and I mean ANY, I will pull out my gun and shoot you in the face," he said menacingly, slowly approaching an increasingly terrified Sweets.
The psychologist gulped in fear and nodded. "Ok, Agent Booth." He remained in place, trying a different tactic. "So, why did you return to the lab instead of remaining at the crime scene?"
Booth quickly glanced at the ground, "They said I was causing too much of a commotion and I was asked to leave so I would not further impede their examination of Bones' house," he admitted quietly.
Snapping out of his reflection, the FBI agent looked at Cam. "Anything on those surveillance tapes?"
She nodded, pulling out her cell phone, "I'll ask them to send what they've found to the computer on the platform – maybe we'll be able to determine who the creep is that's using Dr. Brennan's key card."
Booth ran a rand through his hair, attempting to breath at a steady rate. "Ok."
As the group crowded around the computer monitor in anticipation of viewing the uploading footage, Hodgins entered, looking nearly as anxious as Booth.
"What happened?" The agent demanded as the scientist returned his field bag and notebook to their rightful places at his desk.
"There wasn't anything worth collecting," Hodgins answered.
Booth looked angry and very doubtful. "Could you please explain how that's possible? No one can walk around a home without leaving some trace of their presence, right? "
Hodgins shrugged, "Despite the massive amount of blood pool on the bed-"
"What?!" Angela cried.
"There is no body," Hodgins continued, ignoring the artist's exclamation. "Therefore, no bugs. No bugs, No Hodgins. The intruder must have worn footies over his shoes or something to keep particulates from falling off. I was able to identify traces of the material used to likely bind Dr. Brennan stuck in the dried blood, but it is unfortunately nothing more than common rope available nationwide at any home improvement store. Nothing for me to work with."
"So, we got literally nothing from the scene," Booth stated, feeling more helpless with every passing moment.
Hodgins nodded as he approached the group at the computer. "They're bringing in the sheets so you can map the blood pattern and see if you can identify where she was wounded." He went to put a reassuring hand on Angela's arm, but the artist quickly excused herself and moved quickly towards the bathroom, struggling to hold her sobs until she was out of earshot.
"The video's uploaded," Cam announced, drawing everyone's attention back to the screen.
The group watched eagerly as a figure dressed in black wearing a black ski mask entered the lab around 3:15 a.m. carrying a large duffle bag. The figure swiped into the platform, seeming to approach the table with awe before carefully laying down the duffel bag and beginning to pull out bones that had been wrapped in a blanket, as well as what appeared to be a crinkled sheet of paper.
After spreading out the paper flat on the table, it was evident the paper contained an image of a human skeleton, as the intruder continued to reference it as he lay out the skeleton, piece by piece.
"Wait, freeze that right there!" Booth said suddenly, right when the figure had completed his mission and was folding up the paper and stuffing it into his pocket. Booth stuck his finger on the screen, pointing at the paper. "Can you zoom in here?"
Cam nodded, manipulating some controls on the keyboard until the folded paper, frozen in the intruder's hand right before it was stuffed in his pocket, took up about 85% of the screen. The other side of the paper was now showing and the viewers could read part of the words – 'dicated to my' before the rest of the word disappeared behind the fold.
"I recognize that skeleton," Booth said, quickly standing and running to grab a book from Bones' bookshelf in her office. He returned, opening to the dedication page of her latest book – the one dedicated to him. "It's printed on the back page of the dedication page," he said, flipping the page to reveal the skeleton. "Rewind the film a bit to see if he's made any markings on the page."
Cam complied and rewound the footage in slow motion, stopping when the figure lifted the sheet from the table at the conclusion of piecing together the skeleton and started to fold it. Now unfolded, the group could see the complete, unobscured dedication page – where they noted 'Special Agent Seeley Booth' was marked out with a thick marker.
Booth pressed his lips together and glanced at Sweets. "What does that mean? Why would he cross my name out?"
Sweets shrugged, "Jealousy. He's obviously already made this very personal to you, Agent Booth, considering the FBI said he left something specifically for you at Dr. Brennan's residence, and now we see he's angry that you have a place in her life. It's possible that this whole event occurred the same time that a very favorable article was printed in Scientific America about you two, portraying you as a romantic couple, for a reason. The man is jealous. Thus, he blocks out your existence on the dedication page."
Booth's face dropped a few shades of white. "But that doesn't mean this is directly your fault," Sweets hurried to say before Hodgins quickly cut him off with a sharp look. Booth ignored the men, focusing on Cam, his hands shoved deeply into his pockets. "Continue the tape," the agent directed.
The video began again, showing the figure retreat from the platform and head towards the door then stop suddenly, pull something out of the duffel bag that appeared to be a stack of papers held together with a binder clip, turn to face the security camera directly, and wave into the lens. He then entered Dr. Brennan's office, could be seen leaving the stack of papers in one of the files in her filing cabinet, pulled something out of his pocket to place on top, then left the building altogether.
Booth stood immediately and ran towards the filing cabinet in Dr. Brennan's office, flinging it open. "Why the hell wouldn't they look in here," he muttered under his breath, cursing his coworker's so-called 'thorough search.' He opened and closed each drawer until he reached a drawer where a red rose was sticking out of the top of one of the files.
The agent pulled the file out of the drawer and laid it on Brennan's desk, noting that it was labeled 'personal.' The squints crowded him as he opened the file, revealing the document. 'The Last Will and Testament of Dr. Temperance Brennan,' read the cover page.
A collective sharp intake of breath erupted around the room. Booth wordlessly stared at the paper for a moment before abruptly grabbing his jacket and walking out.
