Well I guess I should apologize for the long wait, but life just killed me for the past few months. I'm going to try to start to post more once I get back into the swing of things. I appreciated those who have reviewed and even remembered who I am. Thanks a million!

Chapter 9

Red Bank, New Jersey

10.22 EST

They parked on the opposite side of the street looking at an apartment building.

"Are you sure this is the right address?" questioned Booth.

"Yeah, according to the translation that you did. Could it be wrong?"

"No," he replied with a shake of the head. "If it was wrong it would have been a garbled mess." He shrugged and pulled the key from the ignition. "It's the only thing we have to go on Bones."

They put on the jackets and grabbed the files before heading across the street. A doorman stood in front of the door, his own collar turned up against the wind.

"Good morning sir, can I help you?" he asked.

"Um yeah, we need to visit my sister inside," said Booth quickly.

"Oh, where does she live?"

"Third floor. Look, it's a little cold out, let us in."

"Maybe I should ask her first," said the doorman, looking at Booth's cut hand and the spot where his gun was holstered. "It'll just take a minute."

"Look," said Booth stepping forward. "Don't bother my sister right now." He flashed his badge under his jacket. "Okay?"

"Of course sir. Do you need any help with your bags?"

"No sir, we've got it," replied Booth with a smile. The doorman held the door open allowing them entrance. Once in the elevator Brennan slapped Booth lightly in the arm.

"You're visiting your sister?" she said mockingly.

"Well I didn't see you Miss Genius coming up with anything."

"And what if no woman lived on that floor?" inquired Brennan.

Booth sighed. "Bones, this is one of those things that you don't really think about, you just act."

The elevator dinged and the doors opened into a corridor. Booth went out first and found the apartment they were looking for. He put his ear to the door and heard a baby crying on the other side. He gestured for her to do the same and she looked at him curiously. With a shrug Booth knocked on the door.

A woman about Brennan's age answered the door with a crying baby on her hip. She still wore a robe and looked frazzled.

"Can I help you?" she asked tiredly.

"Hi, can we speak to you inside," greeted Booth, slightly showing the badge from his pants pocket. "I'm sure you don't want to stand in the hallway with your pajamas still on."

She stepped back to quickly shut the door and lock it. "Why are you here? Who are you?" she asked quickly, not hiding the panic evident in her voice.

Booth stepped forward. "I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth with the FBI. We are currently working on a murder investigation which has led us here."

The woman sat and held a hand to her mouth. "Oh my god, he wasn't kidding…"

"It seems she knows why we are here already," whispered Brennan to Booth. Booth looked at her, wondering how she could be so nonchalant.

Booth sat beside her and took the baby from her. "Bones, take the boy for a minute." She was about to protest but Booth gave her a look and she knew not to disobey him. Brennan cradled the child who stopped crying and began cooing as a result of Brennan's rocking actions.

Booth on the other hand leaned down to face the woman. "Ma'am it seems that you already know why we are here."

"Please call me Mary, Mary Bauer."

Booth squeezed his eyes shut when he realized whom he was talking to. He pulled out Paul Bauer's military photo. "Do you know this man?"

She wiped at her eyes as she nodded. "I married Paul knowing that he was an elite soldier and he wasn't going to be around a lot. When we had Steve here he said that he was going to try to leave or at least get transferred to the reserves and work up here."

"When was the last time that you saw him?"

"He was home about a month ago but he spent most of the time in the basement."

"And what's in the basement?"

"Well laundry machines. At least I wish he was doing the laundry. No we have storage lockers down in the basement and he spent a lot of time down there doing whatever he did. I never bothered him about it because I knew that it was important."

"Do you mind if we go downstairs and take a look at that storage locker?"

"No, not at all. I'll show you down."

Brennan must have been listening to the conversation because upon hearing this, she walked into view with the baby. Despite being so adamant about taking the child, she was doing a great job at keeping him quiet.

"Um, maybe I'm going to go get dressed really quick," said Mary.

"No problem," replied Booth. Mary smiled quickly before brushing past to head to her room. Brennan looked at Booth and quickly turned the boy over. Booth looked down at the boy, realizing that he had his father's eyes.

Mary returned and they headed down to the basement where the storage lockers for the different apartments were located. Mary took out a key from her jeans pocket and opened the locker to the far wall, revealing a large case and a few crates filled with documents and videotapes.

"Whoa," said Booth. He started to pull out some of the tapes and read the labels, which only told him dates. He turned to Mary. "Is it okay if we look through this?"

"Please, go ahead. I hope that it helps you find something to find out what happened to Paul." Booth went through the folders in the bins and saw surveillance photos along with little notes in barely legible scrawl. He started to pile the papers into the bag that he had slung around his shoulder.

"Okay I've got everything." He put the bag on his back. "Let's head back up." Together they trudged back up the stairs. As they passed the front door, Booth stopped. "Where's that annoying doorman?"

"What, you mean Fred?" asked Mary. "He should be out there. He never leaves." Booth looked over to Brennan.

"Okay, Bones go upstairs with her. I'll be right there." Brennan nodded and followed Mary up. When they were out of sight, Booth headed towards the front door. He held his hand over the holster that sat on his hip. He got to the door and pulled his weapon but leaving it behind the door as he opened the door.

"Shit," he swore as he saw the doorman slumped over by the door, a single gun shot between his eyes. He kicked the wall and stopped when he noticed a white van sitting at the end of the street. Without a second thought he dashed upstairs.