Booth is out the door of the bakery and on the main street in seconds. He pulls out his cell and calls Brennan but she isn't answering.
"Damn." He curses and snaps his phone shut. Booth stands with his hands on his waist looking up and down the street. Brennan could be in any store anywhere up this street. Booth realises his best bet is to head back to the hotel and wait for her.
Brennan opens the door to Arthur and gives him a stern look.
"Dr Brennan." The young man steps inside, looking a little nervous.
"Arthur." Brennan backs into the room. "I know what you did." She says, referring to the journalist cornering her. A panicked look crosses Arthur's face.
"What?" he asks.
"I know what you did Arthur and can you imagine how I feel?" she asks. Arthur's face changes from panic to anger and Brennan notices his more firm stance.
"I did it for you Temperance." Arthur says as he walks threateningly towards Brennan.
"What?" she asks, confused at his sudden darkness.
"I killed Abigail for you."
"You killed Abigail." Brennan gasps and backs towards the wall, quickly trying to work out the best way to incapacitate Arthur. Her phone is all the way across the room so she can't call Booth for help.
"Don't you see how much publicity this has created? Dr Temperance Brennan aids local police in a serial murder while on a book tour." Arthur laughs. "I planned this so carefully." He steps closer to Brennan who is only a foot or so from the wall in her hotel room.
"Arthur, you murdered someone. You murdered an innocent girl." Brennan tries to make him see sense.
"You were supposed to believe she was murdered by the serial killer in New York." Arthur says. "You weren't supposed to figure out it was me." As Brennan raises her arms to take on Arthur, he grabs the lamp and with nowhere to move, Brennan catches the full force of the lamp on the side of her head. Stunned, she falls to the ground, her vision swimming and an intense pain pounding through her skull. Arthur drops to his knees and pins Brennan to the floor.
"I'm sorry Temperance. I don't want to do this but you know too much." He shakes his head and clamps his hands around her neck. Brennan immediately fights back and grabs his wrists trying to loosen his grip. But her actions have little effect and as her oxygen supply is cut off, her body weakens and her vision goes cloudy. Arthur clamps down harder, a determined look on his face. Brennan can think of only one thing to do to make him stop. She closes her eyes and goes limp, pretending to be dead. Arthur buys it and lets go of her neck, standing up.
"You were amazing Temperance. I'm sorry you had to go so soon. The world would have loved more of your books." He says.
Booth hurries to his SUV and jumps in, taking off down the street before putting his seatbelt on. Dust flies everywhere as he hurtles down the dirt road to the hotel. After haphazardly parking, he jogs round the front and into the main reception.
"Has Dr Brennan returned?" Booth asks.
"Yes, she…" the woman doesn't finish her sentence because Booth takes off for the stairs, desperate to speak to Brennan before she contacts Arthur or he contacts her.
After Arthur has gone, Brennan lies still on the floor for several minutes wanting to make sure he has actually left. Finally she opens her eyes and takes several shaky breaths as she sits up, leaning against the wall for support.
She hears a knock at her door and her heart pounds. But a familiar voice calls her name and she immediately relaxes, relief flowing through her body.
"It's just me Bones, I have important information about your assistant, are you in?" Booth calls through the door.
Brennan struggles to her feet and staggers across the room, using the furniture to steady her. Heaving her body backwards she pulls open the door and Booth gets a look at her, his eyes widening with shock.
"Important information like Arthur was here in town eight weeks ago and killed Abigail Wyatt?" Brennan croaks. Booth stands stunned at Brennan's appearance. Her hair is tousled, she has a large bruise and cut on her head and he can see purple bruises appearing on her neck.
"What happened?" he steps close to her and his hand reaches out for her head, stroking the skin around the bump before moving to her neck. Brennan closes her eyes as he touches her. His touch is soft and gentle, so different to what she just experienced with Arthur.
"Arthur was here." She whispers, her throat hurting.
"He did this to you?" Booth asks, his voice thick with both anger and concern.
"He thinks he killed me." Brennan suddenly feels light headed and she leans forward, her body colliding with Booth's and her head finding his shoulder. His hands grasp her elbows and keep her on her feet.
"You should sit down." Booth backs Brennan over to the bed. Holding her elbows firmly, he sits her on the edge of the bed.
"Tell me what happened." Booth asks as he kneels on one knee in front of her. Brennan slowly explains how she called Arthur to confront him about the reporter but Arthur thought she knew about Abigail and admitted to killing her. All the time Booth stares at Brennan but she purposely avoids meeting his eyes, afraid that if she looks at him she'll start to cry.
"I'll get you some ice for your head then we should get you to a hospital." Booth rises to his feet.
"I'll be okay Booth, you don't need to fuss." Brennan protests. Booth ignores her and hurries out the room to go to the ice machine down the hall. While fetching the ice, Booth calls the Sheriff, explains the situation and asks him to pick up Arthur. Booth figures he'll be getting out of town after what he's done and if the Sheriff acts quickly his deputies can catch him as he leaves using the only road out of town.
When Booth returns to the hotel room minutes later, Brennan has scooted up the bed and is lying back against the pillows, her knees drawn up and a hand on her bruised and swollen throat. Booth sighs and crosses the room to her side.
"Here." He takes a handkerchief from his pocket and wraps a few ices cubes in it before placing it over the bump on her head. Brennan closes her eyes, soothed by the cold. "I asked the Sheriff to pick up Arthur. He's going to call when they have him in custody."
"Mmm hmm." Brennan mumbles.
"Are you sure I shouldn't take you to hospital?" Booth asks.
"They'll just tell me to get some rest. I'm not going to sit around an emergency room for hours to hear that." Brennan sighs.
"Well, at least get some sleep."
"I can't, not until we have Arthur." She says quietly. As Booth adjusts his position on the bed, his cell rings.
"Booth." Brennan listens to his end of the conversation. "What? You have got to be kidding…I'll be right over." Booth hangs up.
"What's going on?" Brennan asks
"Arthur turned himself in. Apparently 'killing' you was too much for his conscience. You stay here, I'll be back shortly."
"I'm coming with you." Brennan sits up.
"I don't think that's a very good idea." Booth says. Brennan just looks at him with a face that tells him nothing he says will change her mind. Sighing heavily he agrees to let her come with him. "Fine but you have to promise to let me take you to the hospital after." Booth bargains with her. Again, Brennan's glare tells him he hasn't won so he resigns and grasps her hand as she slides off the bed and stands up.
Down at the Sheriff's office, Arthur is waiting in a room to be interviewed. He has already provided a statement to the Sheriff admitting to Abigail Wyatt's murder and the 'murder' of Dr Brennan. He doesn't yet know she isn't actually dead. Pacing the floor anxiously, Arthur stops and looks up, his face turning to one of relief when he sees Brennan walk in.
"I am so sorry." He starts. "I am so, so sorry Dr Brennan, I don't know what came over me."
"I know what came over you." Brennan says angrily. She steps towards Arthur but Booth grabs her arm and holds her back.
"Bones." He whispers. She glances at him and stands with a frown on her face as Booth steps forward, placing himself between her and Arthur.
"Sit down Arthur." Booth states. Arthur does as he is told. Booth steps to the side and gestures for Brennan to take a seat opposite Arthur. She slides onto the chair and glances up as Booth takes his position protectively at her side, leaning over to brace his hand on the table. Arthur slumps down, his shoulders hunched as he faces up to his crimes and suffers a Booth style interrogation.
