36

Angela and Jack rushed to the field. It was pitch black outside, and flood lights had been put up to light the area. "Come on, they said we can follow them," Temperance told them. They drove behind an SUV with flashing lights to the Jeffersonian Institution, where they were greeted by high-tech equipment and a general shine.

"Hello," someone greeted them. He was a shorter man with a mop of black hair and a pleasing face. "I'm Agent Burns. You can call me Charlie," he introduced himself, shaking hands with all four of them. "Angela, the tissue markers have been placed if you want to start a sketch. I heard you're quite the artist." Angela smiled and rushed off, hands slightly shaking. "Jack and Temperance, you can join Cam on the platform, she'll tell you what to do. And Seeley," Charlie finished, smiling, "you can come with me. The victim's mother is in the interrogation room."

Booth nodded. "You can call me Booth," he said shyly.

"OK, Booth." They entered a room and Booth found himself looking through a window. He saw a blonde woman, probably in her forties, wearing a tan jacket and old jeans. She wrung her hands nervously as she frowned deeply. "This is a two-way mirror," Charlie explained. "You can watch me as I interrogate the victim's mother, but she can't see you." Booth nodded, still a little overwhelmed. "Hello, Dr. Sweets," he suddenly greeted.

"Dr. Sweets?" Booth asked, turning to see the young doctor walking through the door.

"Hello, Charlie. Hello, Booth," Sweets greeted them.

"What are you doing here?" Booth asked, then cleared his throat. "Sorry."

Sweets just smiled. "He advises me," Charlie told him. Charlie entered the room and went through the standard line of questioning with the occasional prompt from Sweets.

During a pause, Booth worked up the courage to speak to Sweets. "Dr. Sweets?"

Sweets looked down, and Booth was again struck by how young the doctor looked. "Yes, Booth?" he asked kindly.

"Tell Charlie to ask what her daughter did at school. Like, extra- curricular activities." Sweets relayed the message and Charlie asked the question.

"Well," the mother started. She had a soft, nervous voice. Booth thought maybe her husband abused her. He hated to think those thoughts, but he knew the signs. "She liked to play lacrosse. And she was helping plan the prom."

"I knew it," Booth said.

"What?" Sweets asked.

"That's Kathryn's mom."