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And the story continues:
Booth stepped into the interrogation room with Agent Jacobs. The room was comfortable to him and he was relaxed and at ease. Interrogation rooms were his playground. Police work he was good at, he had an intuitive gut and a knack for finding the truth. He quietly studied the young soldier as Agent Jacobs did the preliminaries. The young man was of average height, average weight and average looks. There was nothing remarkable about the Private. Even his badges and patches were average. Booth had always been above average once he had reached high school. He had been a jock and had dated the head cheerleader. As a soldier, he had worked hard and stood out from the crowd and as an agent, he had pushed even harder and he and the squints had become the best. Booth silently wondered how it would feel to be just average in everything and an image of the Private began to form and he sent Sweets a silent thank you, the twelve year old would be proud of the mental profile he had created. Agent Jacobs finished his questions and looked to Booth who immediately jumped in.
"Private James did you know Cheryl McKenzie?" Booth watched as the Private's eyes flitted to the left and he moved in his seat, both indicators of a lie. Wanting to make the young man squirm, Booth sat unmoving as he stared at the young man. Intimidation had worked wonders in the past.
"We have confirmed from two witnesses that you had been flirting with her in the restaurant." Booth state simply.
"She was just a waitress. She brought drinks and I flirted. It's what men do." Booth again used silence as his best weapon. Moist beads of perspiration had begun to form on the Private's brown.
"You flirted, she rejected you and it made you angry." Agent Jacobs observed the interrogation with fascination. There was truth to the s stories that had been told at the FBI Academy at Quantico.
"No. It wasn't like that. She liked me, I know she did." Booth leaned forward on his elbows, closing the gap between him and the suspect. He stared at the young man until he flinched. No one won a staring contest against Seeley Booth.
"She liked you enough to leave with you and have sex in the alley? I mean, I've seen pictures of her, she was the head cheerleader type you know what I mean? I have a hard time seeing a girl like that with a guy like you." Booth gave the Private a long look. Booth leaned back in his chair, showing complete confidence back up by proof supplied by his Bones.
"No." The Private muttered. Booth remained silent and let the young man stew as he propped his elbows on the table, leaning towards the young man.
"I know how it happened. Cheryl's autopsy showed special K in her system. I know guys like you work, you had a roofie in your pocket and waited. When she went to get a soda, you slipped it in her drink. I mean why would she want you? You're just an average Joe. Nothing special right?" The Private blanched, not knowing how to get out of what he had done. "You kept pressuring her until she agreed to go outside with you where you led her to the alley and you initiated sex. She was stoned and didn't know any better and you took advantage of it. Things got rough and the next thing you know, she was limp and her head hit the wall. You couldn't stop though, not yet, you held her head with your hand and gripped her neck so tight, digging your thumb into her neck so hard that you chipped a piece of bone that nicked an artery. She died. You panicked and shoved her body behind the dumpster." Booth sat back in his seat again and waited as the Private digested the scenario that Booth had described. Satisfied that he had him, Booth pushed forward. "Sergeant First Class Donaldson saw you with Cheryl that night, didn't he? You showed off when you left with the girl and because of that, you knew that he could describe you to CID. So, you followed him to the roof of convention center and you fought him. You wrestled for his weapon, the gun went off and you killed him too." The Private's hands covered his face.
"I just wanted a date. That's all. I never meant for this to happen, but she asked for it, every night for weeks she would flirt with me and then blow me off. I didn't mean to kill anyone. I knew that CID would find the Sergeant First Class and interview him. I couldn't let that girl ruin my career." Booth's entire being was filled with disgust for the scum sitting across the table. The idea that any man thought that it was okay to do that to a woman deserved to be hung.
"No, you did that yourself the moment you decided it was okay to take what you wanted." Booth nodded to the CID officer who moved behind the suspect and arrested him on two murder charges. Booth left the room and headed straight for the observation room where Bones waited for him. He opened the door and Bones moved towards him, her grin wide.
"Excellent work Booth, you really hung him to the wall." Booth wrapped his arms around her and kissed her lightly on the lips.
"I nailed him to the wall Bones. It's nail to the wall." Bones laughed.
"Either way, you did well. Your skills haven't deteriorated during your months in the Army." Booth felt energized and excited. He had been teaching interrogation methods to his students, but he hadn't actively participated in one since he had taken leave from his other life.
"Let's get you home Bones. We all did a good job, including Agent Jacobs. I should tell him to look me up if he ever leaves the Army. We could use agents like him at the Bureau." Booth's hand moved to the small of her back and he led her out of the small room where they met Agent Jacobs in the hallway. He offered his hand for Booth to shake, who returned it.
"Sergeant Major, Dr. Brennan, it's been an honor watching the two of you in action. You guys make one hell of a team. Thank you both for your assistance. I'm not sure we would have closed the case without you." Booth patted the agent on the shoulder with an open palm and Bones beamed.
"I'm glad that we could assist. You are a very good agent." The CID agent blushed from the rare compliment from the anthropologist.
"Look me up if you ever leave the Army. I'd like to see you in the bureau." The CID agent shook Booth's hand again before stepping away.
"I may do that. Stay well." He said before turning and walking away. Booth stood silent for a moment and then turned to his wife.
"So, what are you going to do now Bones? Your class is over and the case is solved." Booth knew that it would only be a matter of time before she was antsy again. But a usual, Bones never failed to surprise him.
"First, I think that I will let my husband take me home and then, I have a large Christmas party to plan. We are having Christmas at our house this year according to Angela. She and Hodgins will be home in a couple of weeks." Booth's look was concerned, understanding why Bones had always hated Christmas.
"Are you sure you're okay with that?" Bones took his hand.
"Yes. It's our first Christmas together. I think I would love to have everyone. I miss our family Booth."
"Me too Bones. Me too." Bones hooked her arm through his and laid her head against his shoulder as they made their way down the hall.
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