It had been two hours since Mrs. Garcia had been arrested and taken in for questioning. There had been enough evidence to convict her at least for breaking and entering, as her fingerprints were confirmed with those found in Brennan's apartment. As for the murder, there was motive and method, having found the deadly nightshade in her garden; it was all right in front of them, but still… Booth's investigative instinct told him something was missing.
"It doesn't add up." Booth mulled over from the observation window. "What about the Jack of Hearts? Jack Brithe had never even met Mrs. Garcia, what's the connection?"
"Booth, you have all the evidence and it all points to Mrs. Garcia, what more is there to look at?" Brennan asked. "Mrs. Garcia must have found out about his affair and when he retuned home after Vegas, she poisoned him in his nightcap."
"It's something…. There's something more to this." He stared into space, deep in thought. "Wait a minute…" He snapped his fingers, smiled and stormed into the interrogation room.
"Mrs. Garcia, you know Wendy Myers." Booth accused her, Brennan following in after him. "And I believe that she's a part of this."
"Booth…" Brennan asked, confused at where he was going with this.
"How else would they have got Jack Brithe's card with the body? Mrs. Garcia never met Brithe, but Wendy bumped into Brithe several times in Vegas and could have easily lifted the card from him. They tried to frame him, but it backfired because of his alibi." Booth pieced together. "That's it, isn't it?"
Mrs. Garcia remained silent, a sure sign that Booth was on to something.
"Why? What's the motive?" Brennan asked, unable to see how Booth put this all together, frustrating her further.
Booth smiled again, staring hard at Mrs. Garcia. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Mrs. Garcia must have met Wendy, they both realized they could do better than a two-timer and decided to get even." Booth concluded. "We have to get Wendy in."
"Leave her out of this!" Mrs. Garcia pleaded, speaking for the first time in hours, her voice hoarse. "I'll take the full blame, just leave her be."
"Why would you want to protect her?" Brennan asked. "She was your husband's girlfriend." Both Booth and Brennan stared at her for the answer, but Mrs. Garcia remained unmoved and silent. The realization hit Brennan like a lightning strike. "The red handbag. It's a knockoff. Someone with your money wouldn't have bought that and you wouldn't have held onto it if it didn't have sentimental value." Brennan pieced together, Booth listening intently to every word. "That handbag's from Wendy, you and she are…"
"Lovers." She finished defiantly.
"Oh." Was all an uncomfortable Booth managed to say. Brennan smiled triumphantly at Booth, finally able to conclude something that he didn't. "Let's go."
They left the room to once again visit Wendy Myers and bring an end to another messy, involved murder case.