A/N: I'm reposting this chapter to keep it in line with my chapter listings. Sorry for any confusion.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bones.
Chapter 10 The Second Victim (Friday)
The call from dispatch came early and Booth reluctantly answered. After he'd showered and dressed he sat on their bed lowering his face to hers. First he kissed her forehead, quickly moving to her eyelids, cheeks, and then lips.
"Hmmmm, Booth. Leave me alone. I'm working from home today." She turned her face away; he grinned, she was really embracing this flextime schedule Cam had granted when she reached her sixth month.
"Bones, we've got more bones." Her eyes flew open and she pushed him aside, scrambled for the bathroom.
"Tell me more," she demanded, unsatisfied unless she knew all that he knew concerning the case.
"We'll have plenty of time in the car. I'll get the boys to school and pick up Zack. Will you be ready in an hour?"
"Give me thirty minutes." She was already running the water in the shower, flinging her clothes to the floor. He watched, amused at her persistence and enjoying the site.
"Take an hour." He planted a gentle kiss on her lips then leaned down to add another to her naked belly. "Wake up baby Booth. We've got a busy day ahead."
"Where are we going?" inquired Zack from the back seat of the SUV as it sped down Highway 29.
" Lynchburg, Virginia. Body found in a local cemetery. Not buried in a casket." Booth added quickly anticipating the next question before it came. "Local police is securing the site until we get there. It's about a three hour drive, so get comfortable."
"Details, Booth; you promised details in the car. We," Temperance gestured around her, "are in the car."
"As you wish," he sighed, recalling the case file. "Victim is female, according to the local Medical Examiner." Zack quickly cut him off.
"According to what bone markers?"
"Based on the long hair and purse found nearby. I know, I know," he held up a hand at their protests. "You'll make the official determinations when we get there. So, possibly a female, adult found in the same position as our first victim."
"Hands tied in front of the body, lying face down?" Zack confirmed.
"Yes. The body did not appear to have the same level of decomposition as the first victim indicating victim number two may have been killed later."
"Different environmental factors, unnatural preservation of the body, the presence of predatory animals, postmortem mutilation of the body--all could influence time of death," Booth resigned the point to Temperance.
"The ME also seems to think animals could have gotten to the body. Clothes were ripped away, the torso seem to exhibit more damage than the rest of the body."
"Tell us about the purse found at the scene," Zack requested, eager to fill the time.
"Well, not many people leave their personal belongings at a cemetery. Wallet was missing but the cell phone traced the purse's owner to the local college. Business Professor, Mary Beaver. The professor lived in town and her residence is empty, no signs of foul play. Her car is accounted for."
"What about work, did she show up for classes?"
"She didn't have any Friday classes. Her dean plans on filing a missing persons report if, and only if, she doesn't show up or call in for Monday classes." Zack settled back into his seat, contemplating the facts, his mind churning.
Six hours later Booth was bored. The drive through the rolling hills, though beautiful, had lulled his mind. After an hour on scene he'd interviewed the dog walker who'd found the body and supervised the police as they canvassed the neighborhood. Now he leaned against the SUV watching as Temperance and Zack worked the site. The body had been photograph and secured and was now in transit to the Jeffersonian. The collection had thus far yielded half a dozen soil samples, bugs for Hodgins, partially decomposed particulates, including what appeared to be cloth.
Booth's phone rang. When he snapped it shut with a curse, Temperance looked up.
"What's wrong?"
"That was Cam. She'll have an ID by the time we get back."
"That's good. Why isn't that good?" While normally he loved the confused look she got when evidence was convoluted or missing, this time he barely noticed.
" Cam found breast implants. She's running the lot numbers through the databases now. We should have the doctor who performed the surgery and the victim's name soon." Temperance frowned at the news.
"That's good, Booth. We have an ID, something to go on."
"Yeah, but the idiot from the ME's office who was here with the body for five hours didn't find it. We could have had this id hours ago."
"Well, get over there and go federal on his ass. Or, be thankful we found the evidence and the ME didn't ruin important clues and won't be needed at trial. He probably did you a favor." Temperance returned to the soil she was scanning, leaving Booth muttering behind her.
"What was that sweetie?" Her voice was sweet as molasses.
"Nothing, Darling." The sarcasm was not lost on her but the mood lightened considerably as the sky darkened.
END CHAPTER
A/N: Okay, hope you liked it. Next chapter has some more Booth family time, news on Angela and Hodgin's rather complicated relationship and Zack Addy, ladies man.