CHAPTER TWO
PART ONE
Temperance Brennan sits in her office staring into space. There are a thousand things she could be doing right now but she can't seem to focus. Explaining that is easy. Who could possibly concentrate when they know someone is trying to kill them. Leaning back in her chair Brennan goes over what Dr Goodman told her this morning when Booth dropped her at the lab.
"Repairs and reconstruction will take three to four weeks. There will be an impact on several exhibits." Dr Goodman explains. "The FBI came to analyse the scene and took with them the bomb fragments."
"I still can't believe it." Brennan sighs. "Why? I just don't understand why?"
"You have helped the FBI put away a lot of killers. It isn't beyond belief that one of them would seek revenge." Dr Goodman offered.
With this in mind Brennan had attempted to look through some old case files and see if anyone stuck out as particularly threatening. But her mind keeps wandering. Booth pops in there a lot. She had heard him arguing with Tessa last night…over her. I wonder if they'll make up and get back together? Her gut tells her she doesn't want them too. Tessa seems nice enough but she doesn't seem to understand Booth and what he's all about. Not that Brennan herself has much more of an idea but she doesn't push Booth to be someone he's not. Stop thinking about Booth. This isn't helping. She tells herself. She needs to find out who would want her dead so he can be put behind bars and she can be free to go back home. Sighing, she sits up in her seat and opens another file.
Booth strides through the lab towards Brennan's office. He walks past the devastated lab and images flash in his mind of what he imagined happened. He squints his eyes closed as an imaginary flame comes towards him. Shaking off thoughts of Bones being here instead of at a crime scene with him, Booth continues to her office.
"You're early." Brennan says without even looking up to see who is at her door. She's developed this weird sense of knowing when he's there before he makes his presence known.
"Hey yourself." He smiles and walks into her office. The seat opposite her is free and he flops down into it. "Whatcha looking at?" he asks.
"Old files." She tells him. "I thought maybe I pissed someone off." She shrugs and closes the file.
"Anything?" Booth asks. Brennan merely shakes her head. Any of these people could be responsible.
"Nothing is standing out." Brennan sighs. "I'll take the rest of them with me, look at them later." She stands up and starts to place the files in a box. Booth rises with her and when she's done he lifts the box off the table.
"So, I can drop you at the hospital now and pick you up around six." He tells her.
"Booth, you don't have to drop everything to drive me around." Brennan tells him. "I don't want you getting in trouble at work for not being there."
"It's fine Bones. My Boss wants this 'case' solved. Apparently the FBI doesn't take kindly to threats to its external partners." Booth grins. "Besides, you think I'd let you wander around on your own when we have no idea who is after you?" he asks.
"I have protection." Brennan reminds him.
"I know." He nods his head. "Humour me." He asks.
"Fine." Brennan sighs. "For now." She adds. She isn't letting whoever this psycho is ruin her life.
PART TWO
Brennan keeps pace with Booth as they walk out to the parking lot. Despite the weight of the box in his arms Booth keeps a fast pace and Brennan almost has to jog to keep up. As Booth crosses the roadway Brennan drops her bag.
"Hey, hold on a second." She calls. Booth stops on the other side of the road as Brennan crouches down to pick up her bag and a few things that had fallen out. As Brennan crouches down gathering her things, Booth's attention is drawn to two bright lights at the far end of the parking lot. An engine roars and the lights speed towards an unsuspecting Brennan. As the car approaches, Booth reacts and drops the box of files. He runs at Brennan, diving towards her and pulling her out the way of the car. The two roll along the hard concrete, finally coming to a stop with Brennan underneath Booth, her head protected from hitting the concrete by his arm under her neck. The car roars past them and screeches out of the parking lot.
"You okay?" Booth looks down at Brennan. Her eyes are wide and shocked and her breathing is fast and panicked. "Bones?" he asks when he gets no reply.
"Uh fine." She finally answers. "Except I can't breath because you're crushing me." She tells him in a semi joking manner. He's crushing me but I'm not in any hurry to move she thinks before her sensible side interferes. Stop thinking like that.
"God, I'm sorry." Booth realises he's lying on top of Brennan and he quickly adjusts position so he sits up off her. As he moves he lifts the arm which her neck is resting on and she sits up too. "Are you sure you're alright?" he asks. He looks her over for signs of injuries.
"I'm fine, really." She insists. "Thanks for..." She can't quite bring herself to say the words 'saving me'.
"I think if we had any doubts that someone was after you this proves they are. Bones, this is getting serious. Two attempts on your life in two days." Booth kneels on the concrete and sighs. As he pushes himself up with his hand on the ground he winces.
"Are you okay?" This time Brennan is asking the question.
"Just a graze." He tells her. Brennan scrambles to her feet and grabs his hand, pulling it towards her.
"This more than a graze, you must have cut it on something as we fell." She keeps looking at the wound, refusing to meet his eyes which she knows are staring down at her. She keeps hold of his hand as she looks around for her bag. She spots it lying in the middle of the roadway.
"I have a first aid kit in there." She finally lowers his hand and walks towards her bag, keeping a careful look out for any other killer cars. Booth follows her over and pauses as she lifts her bag off the ground. Somehow the car missed running over it. They then continue over to Booth's SUV. Brennan places her bag on the bonnet and rummages around while Booth pulls out his cell.
"Who are you calling?"
"I'm reporting this incident." He tells her. With his uninjured hand he calls the FBI. While he explains to someone what happened Brennan finds her mini first aid kit and pulls out several antiseptic wipes. As Booth ends his call, she tears a package open and unfolds a wipe. Taking Booth's hand in hers she gives him a warning.
"This might sting a little." She smiles.
"I'm a big boy Bones, I think I can handle it." He says as he glances around the parking lot. His senses are on overdrive, the adrenalin still pumping. Brennan then starts to wipe away the blood and grit with the wipe.
"Ouch." He snatches his hand back.
"What's the matter?" Brennan cocks her head and smiles.
"That stings." He tells her.
"Big Boy huh?" she laughs. Booth sulks as she continues cleaning the cut. She finishes by placing a large bandaid over the cut. "Okay, I'm done." She announces.
"About time." Booth sulks but in a manner that Brennan knows is playful.
"Next time I won't bother." Brennan plays along.
"Next time I'll let the car run you over." Booth smirks at her and pulls open the passenger door. "In." he nods for her to get inside. Once he closes the door he picks up the box of files he dropped earlier then moves to the drivers' side and pulls the door open. He lifts the box over the seat and places it in the back before he gets in and starts the car.
"So what's going to happen now?" Brennan asks.
"We'll get the security tapes and see if we can identify the car." Booth explains. "It might help identify who's after you." He tells her.
"Good." Brennan says. "Because this is starting to piss me off."
PART THREE
After Booth escorted Brennan up to the floor where Angela and Zach are, he left strict instructions with her not to leave. He would be back at six to pick her up. Remembering their agreement she had nodded.
Having spent some time with a quiet Zach, Brennan goes to find out about Angela. Dr Harris is in Angela's room when Brennan walks in.
"Dr Brennan." He seems surprised to see her.
"How is she?"
"I'm doing fine." Angela pipes up from the bed.
"Ang?" Brennan rushes into the room and over to the bed. She grabs Angela's hand and holds on tight.
"Steady there Temp, do you want to crush my bones?" Angela laughs.
"Sorry." Brennan loosens her grip.
"How's she really doing?" Brennan asks the Doctor.
"Very well. You had us worried for a while Ms Montenegro." He smiles. "You'll need plenty of rest and you won't be leaving the hospital for at least two or three weeks." He insists. "With some physiotherapy you'll be back on your feet in no time."
"Great, I hate lying around doing nothing." Angela smiles.
"Well, I'll leave you to visit." Dr Harris says to Brennan.
"Thanks." Brennan flashes him a smile as he walks away before turning back to Angela. "I am so glad you're awake." She smiles.
"How are Zach and Jack?" Angela asks.
"Jack is at home. He was lucky, just a gash to the head and cuts and scratches." Brennan explains. "Zach is a few doors down. He 's got quite severe burns to his arms but he's going to be okay."
"Good." Angela sighs.
"Angela, you should know that this is all my fault." Brennan hangs her head.
"What is sweetie?"
"The bomb, someone is out to kill me." She explains.
"It's hardly your fault that some psycho chose to send a bomb to the museum." Angela assures her.
"I still feel responsible." Brennan tells her friend.
"Well you shouldn't." Angela has taken a minute to process the information. "And what do you mean someone is trying to kill you?" Angela asks.
"The bomb was addressed to me and a car tried to run me over in the parking lot at the museum just an hour ago. Lucky Booth was with me or I'd be in here with you if not in the ground."
"Booth saved you?" Angela grins through her pain.
"Yeah." Brennan tells her. She contemplates adding that she's staying at his house but Angela would have far too much fun with that and with everything that's going on Brennan doesn't need those thoughts being put in her head.
"I always knew he was the knight in shining armour type." Angela says.
"I don't know about the shining armour." Brennan smiles. "But I don't know what I'd do without him right now." She admits.
"Oh sweetie, I knew it." Angela grins widely.
"What?" Brennan feigns innocence. I know exactly what she's thinking.
"You and Booth, it's so meant to be."
"Angela, get a grip, I think these drugs are too strong." Brennan stands up. "Booth is picking me up in a minute so I'd better go wait for him. He'll have a panic attack if I'm late."
"It is so cute that he worries about you. I swear, if he and Tessa ever break up you should just go for it." Angela has no idea that Booth kicked Tessa out last night and Brennan isn't about to tell her.
"I'll come see you tomorrow Angela. Get lots of rest and don't be giving the cute doctors a hard time." Brennan warns as she walks out the door. Angela gives her a little wave as she goes.
Booth waits at the nurses' station for Brennan. She walks down the hall at exactly six o'clock.
"So, how are they?" he asks.
"Angela woke up this afternoon, she's fine. Well as fine as she can be. Zach is doing well too but I'm worried about him. He seems so depressed. Booth shakes his head.
"Only to be expected. He's young and he's been through something quite traumatic."
"I guess." Brennan falls into step with Booth as they head to the elevator. "I hope he works through it, I'd hate to lose him." Brennan states. When the elevator opens Booth places his hand on her lower back and guides her inside.
"Don't worry. I have every faith that you squints will be back in no time." Booth grins as the elevator doors close.
PART FOUR
Booth is busy tidying up the kitchen after he created a mess making dinner. Still it was worth it because Brennan looked impressed when she tasted his pasta surprise. He glances over his shoulder at her. She's sitting on the couch, her shoulders hunched over as she studies the files she brought with her from the museum.
"You want anything else?" he calls over to her.
"No thanks." She replies. Both tosses the cloth into the sink and wipes his hands on the kitchen towel. Then he saunters over to her and sits down in the armchair.
"Aren't you exhausted?" he asks. It's now nearly ten and she's had a tough day.
"No." she replies. "But don't let me stop you going to sleep." She doesn't even glance up from the files.
"Well you're kinda sitting on my bed so…" he shrugs.
"I can sleep on the couch." She states. "I'm putting you out enough by staying here, I'm not going to rob you of your bedroom as well." She insists.
"I don't mind." He tells her.
"Well I do." She replies. "Just give me a pillow and a blanket and I'll be fine."
"Are you sure, I don't…" he starts but Brennan cuts him off.
"Booth." She sighs. "I'm sure." She tells him.
"Okay." He pushes himself up off the armchair and wanders down the hall. He returns a few minutes later with two pillows and two blankets. He places them on the floor by the couch.
"As long as you don't complain about having a sore back tomorrow." He smiles as Brennan fusses with the blankets. I like that she's independent like this. Tessa could be so demanding sometimes.
"I wouldn't dream of it." Brennan lifts her head and smiles. "Thanks."
"Okay, well goodnight then." Booth back towards his bedroom. "Don't stay up too late with those." He points at the files.
"I won't. Goodnight." She adds.
Brennan has only just fallen asleep when a noise wakes her. She sits up on the couch and looks around. The only light comes from the orange street light and a light glow from the moon. She can't see anything and the noise has stopped. I must have imagined it she tells herself. But as she goes to lie back down she hears the noise again. It sounds like someone is outside. She reaches down and her hand finds her bag. She pulls out the gun Booth gave her and she gets up off the couch. As quietly as she can she pads through the house towards the back door. As she passes Booth's door she sees it is open a crack. She pushes it open further.
"Booth." She hisses. He is lying with a sheet up to his waist on his stomach with am arm splayed out across the bed. In the moonlight Brennan can't help but notice his muscles. Stop it Temperance, there could be a psycho outside. She shakes her head to bring her back to reality. "Booth." She hisses a little louder. He grunts and rolls over onto his back but he doesn't wake up. Giving up, Brennan continues to the back door. She peers out the window into the dark, her bright eyes searching for something or someone.
Suddenly a hand clamps over her mouth and an arm is wrapped around her chest pinning her arms at her side. She is dragged away from the window and down the hall. She kicks her legs out trying to get free but he has her tight.
Brennan is carried into a room. Her heart is beating wildly and her breathing is frantic and laboured. Who has me? Where's Booth? Someone help me!
PART FIVE
Brennan's captor sets her feet on the ground and then she hears his voice and her entire body relaxes.
"Don't make a sound." Booth whispers right into her ear. He removes his hand from her mouth and she as much as she wants to yell at him for scaring the life out of her she keeps quiet because he wouldn't do this unless he had to. She turns to face him and he places his finger over his mouth to indicate she should not speak. He then gestures that she is to wait in here while he goes out to investigate. She watches him go outside and her heart starts beating madly again. She can't hear anything and the silence is driving her crazy. Still holding the gun she at least feels she can protect herself.
Five minutes passes but it feels like hours to Brennan. She paces Booth's bedroom silently, the gun held in her hand loose at her side. She hears some movement and a light is switched on in the hall. Booth walks back into the bedroom carrying a bunch of flowers. He turns the main light on and the look on his face tells Brennan that the flowers are not a nice gesture.
"What the hell were you thinking." She yells. Having held it in she needs to get it out. "You scared me to death Booth." She waves her arms around, the gun also dangerously being waved around.
"Uh Bones, you think you can put that down." He nods at the gun. She stops moving her hands and looks at the gun. She had forgotten she was even holding it.
"I've got a right mind to use this on you." She threatens before placing the gun on the dresser.
"I'm sorry but someone was right outside and if you'd made even a little noise it might have spooked them before I could find out who it was." Booth explains.
"And so you thought that grabbing me from behind and dragging me down the hall was the right way to go about it?" she places her hands on her hips demanding an answer. Booth has now just realised that she is wearing tweety bird pyjama pants and a white vest. She looks cute he smiles to himself.
"Maybe not but I didn't exactly have a lot of time to think about it." He reminds her. Brennan sighs and turns around. Thank God he put a shirt on is all she's thinking about right now. She turns back and takes a deep breath.
"So what's with the flowers?" Brennan asks.
"They were left on the back door." Booth tells her. "With a note, addressed to you." He adds.
"No bomb in there?" Brennan checks.
"I checked them, just flowers, nothing else." Booth places them on the dresser beside her gun. He hands her the note which she stares at for a moment before opening. The envelope is still sealed so she knows Booth hasn't read it already. Brennan unfolds the note and reads it to herself.
Dear Temperance
I thought it would be a lot easier than this to get you out the picture. You are far more resilient than I anticipated. Perhaps that's because of your FBI friend. But he can't protect you from everything. It may not be today, tomorrow or next week but one day you will pay for what you've done. And don't think for one minute that I won't hurt those around you to get to you. I've already done that haven't I?
Booth notices Brennan's hands shaking as she reads the note. When she's done she folds it closed again.
"Are you going to tell me what it says?" he asks. Brennan sighs and sits down on the end of his bed. She hands the note to him.
"Just the usual, I'm going to kill you, kind of letter." Brennan sighs.
"Maybe the guys at the lab can get fingerprints off this or the flowers." Booth places the note beside the flowers. "We can deal with it in the morning though. You should get some sleep." Booth tells her. Brennan lowers her head for a moment.
"I'm not sure I'm going to be able to sleep." She admits.
"At least try. You can't let this guy stop you living." He says.
"I already have." Brennan reminds him. "I'm not in my own home." Both can't argue with that.
"Look, why don't you sleep in here, I'll take the couch." He suggests.
"No, I'm fine on the couch." Brennan walks towards the door but Booth stops her.
"Bones." He says softly.
"I'm fine Booth." She removes his hands from her shoulders and walks into the hall. "You need your sleep too." She reminds him. "What good are you to me if you're exhausted." She lets a smile tug at her lips.
PART SIX
Booth falls asleep after an hour or so but it happened more from exhaustion than wanting to sleep. He feels the need to watch over Brennan but he can't do that twenty four hours a day. He lies on one side of the bed, his gun sitting on the bedside table within inches of his reach. He doesn't move when a light weight sinks onto the bed at the other side.
Brennan has been trying to sleep for over two hours. It isn't that the couch is uncomfortable but she just can't relax. Every noise and every movement outside panics her. She knows there's only one place she'll feel safe tonight but she isn't sure she can go there. The final straw comes when a tree branch hits the window. She jumps up and wraps the blanket around her. Padding down the hall she opens his door as quietly as she can. She creeps in and Booth looks to be sound asleep.
"Booth." She tests. He doesn't move so she gently sits down on the far end of the bed and curls her legs up. She lowers her head onto the pillow and her eyes fall shut. Sleep comes easily knowing Booth is right there.
When Booth rolls over early in the morning the last thing he expects to see is Temperance Brennan in his bed. But there she is, curled up in a blanket at the far edge of the bed facing him.
"Bones?" he whispers. She doesn't respond. She must be sound asleep he thinks. Why is she here? He wonders. She must have been scared. Poor Bones. He lies and stares at her for a while. Her eyes flutter behind the lids but other than that she doesn't move a muscle. He pulls the sheets up around him and just watches her breathing in and out for a while.
PART SEVEN
Wide awake from this little surprise, Booth eventually slides off the bed, careful not to disturb Brennan. He pulls a wife-beater on then picks up the comforter he tossed on the floor last night and drapes it over Brennan. That blanket she has can't be too warm. He glances at the clock on the wall. It's still early, only five thirty. He wants Brennan to get as much sleep as she can. Until they catch this guy things are going to be tense and if Brennan is going to get through this with her sanity she needs sleep.
With time to spare, Booth starts to look through the case files Brennan had been looking at last night. He becomes so immersed in them he doesn't hear her getting up and walking through.
"Morning." She says. She had been hoping to get up before him and come back through so he wouldn't know she couldn't spend the night alone. But since that isn't going to happen she has to go to plan B.
"Morning." Booth replies.
"Uh about last night." She says.
"No need to explain Bones." He the turns on the couch to face her. "It's quite cold out here." He smiles and she knows he's pretending to think she came through for a different reason to make her feel more at ease.
"Yeah." She sighs. "Do you know you snore." She says, changing the subject.
"I do not." Booth retorts.
"Oh, trust me you do. I'm surprised Tessa ever put up with it." She didn't mean to bring Tessa up but now she has and she is worried how Booth will react.
"There's a lot about me she put up with for longer than she should have." Booth sighs. Brennan feels guilty as Booth stands up and walks around the couch to go to the kitchen. He looks upset.
"Booth, I'm…"
"It's alright Bones." Booth says. "Me and Tessa, it was never going to work." He says. "We weren't right, we were forcing it." He is being incredibly open and Brennan isn't sure how to react to this. Especially since she isn't a relationship expert. "She just doesn't understand what it's like, doing my kind of job." Booth keeps his back to Brennan as he talks and makes coffee. "The late nights, trips away…" he trails off. I need to change the subject he thinks. "So when you're ready we should go to my office, take those flowers and the note in to be analysed." He states.
"Yeah." Brennan responds. "I'll go get ready now." She turns on her heels and walks to the bathroom. Booth remains in the kitchen, his shoulders hunched as he thinks of all the times he was with Tessa but thinking about Bones. Over dinner with Tessa he would be thinking to himself that the conversation would be more interesting with Temperance. Bones wouldn't drag him to see girly chick flicks at the movies. She would also not wimp out if he suggested rock climbing for the day. Why am I thinking about this? He asks himself. Bones is a friend, a good friend and that's all.
PART SEVEN
Booth and Brennan have been at the FBI laboratory all morning. Having called the hospital to check on her friends, Brennan is satisfied that they are alright and will go see them later. Right now she is anxious to find out about the flowers and the letter.
"The flowers have no surfaces to pull prints off of but I traced the label to a flower shop down town. You can probably get security footage, see who bought bunches of flowers like these." Dave, the technician explains.
"What about the letter?" Brennan asks.
"Printed on standard paper, no watermarks." Dave replies. "There are some tell tale spots from the printer but unless I have a printer to test it against it's useless information." Dave sighs.
"Prints?" Booth asks.
"I pulled three different prints off the letter Agent Booth." Dave says.
"Who's?" Brennan asks.
"Yours and Agent Booth's." he says. "And one unknown. There was a fourth partial print but it is too smudged to use." Dave shows him the image.
"The unknown print must be whoever dropped the letter off." Booth says. "What about DNA on the envelope?" he asks.
"I thought you'd ask about that so I tested it and only water was used. No saliva." Dave states. I analysed the water content though and the properties found in the water confirm it is bottled water."
"That helps." Brennan says, rolling her eyes.
"Bones." Booth scolds her.
"Actually it does." Dave smiles. "The water is Danson Energy, you know, the stuff that has those extra minerals in them.
"So whoever sealed the envelope used Danson Energy Bottled water and isn't in the system." Booth puts it all together.
"Like I said, that helps." Brennan is frustrated and Booth can tell.
"It's better than nothing Bones." He tells her. "Thanks for this."
"Oh, Agent Booth, the AV guys are working on the footage from the parking lot. If you stop by they might be able to give you an ID on the car." Dave adds. Booth nods, accepts the copy of the report Dave holds out and guides Brennan out the room.
"So what now?" she asks.
"I spoke to my boss this morning and we're assigning protection to Angela, Zach, Hodgins and Dr Goodman. We have to take the threat that whoever this is might hurt them to get to you, seriously. Two agents will stay at the hospital with Zach and Angela, and two others will be assigned to Hodgins and the Doc. Round the clock protection." He explains.
"What about me?" Brennan asks.
"You…" Booth drapes his arm across her shoulders. "Have me." He grins.
"Great." She turns her head to face him. "The sooner we find this guy the better." She comments jokingly.
"Why Bones, don't tell me you're sick of me already?" Booth asks with feigned hurt in his voice.
"Sick is not the word I'd use." She says. More like can't live without, don't want to leave, need to be around…
PART EIGHT
Booth drives Brennan to the hospital for a flying visit with Angela and Zach. Once again Brennan tells Booth she is worried about Zach. He doesn't seem to be cheering up at all.
"I'll talk to him." Booth promises. Brennan smiles thankfully and heads into Angela's room.
"Hey Angela." She slides into the seat by the bed.
"So, how are things?" Angela asks.
"Getting creepy." Brennan states. "Last night someone dropped off flowers and a note threatening me and you guys." She says. "I could hardly sleep after that. And that's why you get an FBI agent outside your door."
"I'm not surprised this has happened, you should have called someone, like Booth." Angela tells her. She is still unaware that Brennan is staying with Booth.
"Uh, yeah, that wasn't really necessary." Brennan admits. "He was kinda there."
"Booth stayed the night, way to go sweetie." Angela says enthusiastically.
"No, I'm staying with him." Brennan corrects her. Angela looks stunned. "Not like that Angela." Brennan protests. "He didn't think it was safe for me to stay alone at my house with all this going on so I agreed to stay at his place for a few days." Brennan explains.
"Awe, honey." Angela coos.
"Hardly" Brennan sighs. "Booth and Tessa broke up over it."
"What?" Angela lifts her head a little.
"First Tessa was pissed that Booth spent all night here at the hospital with me after the explosion." Brennan explains. "Then she freaked out when she found out I was staying at Booth's."
"You heard them arguing?"
"Yeah, Booth thought I was a sleep." Brennan admits. "He told her if she had a problem with me staying she could leave and if she left not to come back."
"She left didn't she?" Angela asks. Brennan only nods in response.
"Honey, if it's not obvious now when will it be. He chose you over Tessa." Angela tells her. "He could have stuck you in a hotel or something but he brought you to his home then basically gave his girlfriend an ultimatum. He likes you Tempe, a lot." before Brennan can answer there is a knock at the door.
"Hey Bones, we gotta go." Booth says.
"Okay." Brennan turns her head to Booth to answer but returns her gaze to Angela. "We'll talk later." She states. Brennan rises from the chair and crosses the room.
"By Angela." Booth calls as he and Brennan head down the hall. They have a florist to visit.
PART NINE
Inside the small florist store Booth is having a hard time getting the owner to agree to handing over the security footage.
"You have no warrant." He states.
"I was hoping we wouldn't need one." Booth says. "We just need to see who bought a particular bouquet of flowers yesterday." He states.
"I'll tell you what, you can watch the tapes in my office. If you want to take them away though I'm going to need a warrant."
"Agreed." Booth smiles. The store owner leads them to the back of the store and through a door marked 'Staff Only'. The office they enter is a mess. Paperwork is strewn across the table and piled up on the floor. At the back there is a small television with four VCR's hooked up to it.
"What areas do the cameras cover?" Brennan asks.
"Front door, over the cash register, main floor and the loading dock out back." He replies.
That's yesterdays tape. " He points to a marked tape on the shelf beside the TV.
"Thank you, we'll let you know when we're done." Booth states. The store owner backs out his office leaving Booth and Brennan alone. Booth pops the tape in and presses play.
Twenty minutes later both are tired staring at the screen. So far nothing has stood out. They managed to identify the area of the store the specific flowers are displayed in so all they need to do is spot anyone picking up flowers from that area. It looks hopeless at first. Then Brennan points at a tall blonde standing with her back to the camera beside the flowers. She picks up a bouquet and walks to the cash register.
"Look." Booth points at the woman's bag. A bottle of water is sticking out of her bag.
"I can't make out the brand." Brennan says. "Or her face."
"Wait until she turns to leave." Booth says. The two sit staring at the screen as they watch the mystery woman buy the flowers. Then both are stunned as the woman turns around and they see her face.
"Tessa?" Booth gasps.