Moments—Chapter 8
Disclaimer: I don't own them but I'll be more than happy to accept them as a Christmas present.
Author's notes: Well the new fortress of DB photos has worked wonders! It's just a bonus that he's so nice to look at…especially shirtless. Is it wrong that we all view him as a sex object? Nah, I didn't think so.
BonesDBchippie—I'm glad you're enjoying the new view. Here's a daiquiri…don't forget to read the chapter below after you've finished drooling.
elliot02uk—It's nice to be back. I've missed our banter through reviews and author's notes. Thanks as always for your lovely review and encouraging words of support.
Howdylynn—Did you really use the "it's not you, it's me" line? (big grin) I certainly understand your POV. I know what's it like to find a fic and really enjoy it and the frequent updates and then…nothing. Yes, a story can lose its momentum after a certain amount of time, I agree. I just wish that it had been feasible for me to update when I wanted to. Anyway, I appreciate and respect your honesty about your feelings in your last review…even though you may never even read this. (LOL)
To everyone else who took the time to review, I thank you. It's always nice to see that people are still out there, hungry for B/B interaction.
As always, please read, enjoy and be sure to let me know what you think. And if I don't have the opportunity to update again before Christmas, I wish every one of you a safe and happy holiday.
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Booth ran his hand over his tie, smoothing down the material, as he entered the lab. It never ceased to amaze him what a hot shower and clean, crisp, dry clothes could do for one's attitude. As he pondered that thought, Cam fell in step beside him, her heels clicking loudly on the floor.
"You certainly appear cleaner than your partner did when I last saw her," she said, flashing him a slightly flirtatious smile.
The image of his anthropologist stepping into a mud hole as they walked along the road, arguing, caused him to chuckle. "Yeah, it was kind of a rough day yesterday."
"Hmmm, and last night…?"
Booth stopped and turned to look at his former lover. "Cam…"
She held her hands up and smiled innocently. "I only ask because you seem to be moving rather slowly this afternoon. And from what I've heard of Brennan, she tends to play rough with others sometimes."
"Not that it's any of your business but nothing happened, okay?" He straightened his stance and rubbed the small of his back as the unpleasant memory of hitting the floor earlier that morning came back to him. "We were stranded because of the storm and a flat tire."
"Um, Dr. Saroyan," Angela interrupted as she approached the pair. "Hodgins wanted me to tell you that he located some fibers on Katie Stonestreet's belongings that might belong to her killer."
"Okay, thank you Angela." She smiled at Booth once more before turning to leave for Hodgins' office. "Take care Booth."
Angela's dark eyes followed Cam before her gaze strayed back to Booth, who was still massaging the sore spot on his back. "So…"
"Nothing happened Angela," he stated as he winced.
"Yeah, that's what Bren said," she said as she chuckled. "What she didn't tell me was why she kicked you out of bed. Care to share, stud muffin?"
He glared at her as he moved past her. "Is she in her office?"
"Yes," she answered, allowing him to get within a few feet of his intended destination before continuing. "She's getting dressed." Angela chuckled as the agent suddenly stopped walking. He rolled his shoulders and turned back to face the artist.
"So did you two have a nice little 'girl talk'?" he asked as he glanced at his watch before shoving his hands in his pockets.
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
"Angela, are those photographs ready?" Brennan asked as she briskly exited her office, wearing a pair of well worn blue jeans, a light blue button up shirt and carrying a new bag.
"Got 'em right here sweetie," Angela replied as she watched Booth's eyes rake over her friend.
"You look better Bones," he stated appreciatively. "We'll try to stay away from mud holes today…"
She narrowed her eyes at him as she took the photographs from Angela's hand. "Thanks Ange," she murmured as she tucked the photos into the case file and placed it in her bag.
"Aren't you going to say anything about my new suit?" Booth asked as he picked a small piece of lint off the arm of his jacket.
Tilting her head to one side, Brennan looked over his wardrobe carefully. "It looks like all of your other suits…"
"No it doesn't," he huffed slightly.
"Black pants, black jacket, black tie and a white shirt; Booth, that's what you always wear. Now are we done with fashion week?"
"Fash…? Bones have you been watching 'E'?"
"I don't know what that means," she said as she walked past him. "Are we going to talk to Lucas Barnes or not?"
"But…but she didn't even get to see my new leprechaun socks," he mumbled.
"Guess that means Bren won't be after your pot of gold anytime soon," Angela offered as she walked away.
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They drove in silence to Lucas Barnes' studio apartment, each grateful that the trip would keep them in the DC area.
Brennan once again poured over the file and the photos. Something about the case was bothering her as she found herself pondering how Katie had gone from one extreme to the other—from a good girl to an angry runaway. What were they overlooking?
"You know Bones," Booth said as he glanced over at her, "usually when someone gives you a compliment, you compliment them back. I'm sure Emily Dickinson would agree with me."
"Post," she corrected as she turned to the next page in the file.
"What?"
"Emily Post wrote about etiquette," she replied as she sighed. "Besides you didn't compliment me…"
"Yes I did. I told you that you looked better," he reminded her.
"Be still my heart," she mumbled.
"Okay, wait…who's Emily Dickinson?" he asked as he made a right turn and slowed the SUV to search for Lucas' address.
"An American poet," Brennan answered. "This is his building."
Booth stopped the SUV, shifting it into 'park'. "I didn't know you were into poetry Bones."
"I'm not but it's amazing the things I learned by paying attention in my high school English classes." She exited the SUV and waited for him on the sidewalk.
"There's nothing like a smartass squint," he mumbled as he opened his door.
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"Thanks for taking the time to speak with us Lucas," Booth said as he and Brennan sat down on the young artist's couch. "I know this must be difficult for you."
The young man's blond hair swayed as he shook his head in agreement. "It is," he said as tears filled his dark blue eyes. "I loved Katie. She had so much raw talent…"
"Katie was an artist too?" Booth asked.
"That's how we first met," Lucas answered. "I worked in an art supply store after I graduated from high school…trying to save enough money to move away, you know? I met her at the end of her junior year of high school. She showed me some of her work—real dark context."
Brennan studied the young man as he continued to tell them about Katie. He was six feet tall with a strong athletic build—he could've overpowered the young woman despite her attempts to fight back.
"Did you ask her to run away with you?" Booth asked.
"No," Lucas answered sadly. "I told her that if things got too bad…if they became too much to bear…she could come visit me."
Booth leaned forward, tapping his index on the coffee table in front of him. "See Lucas, that story…well, I'm not buying it. You just leave your girlfriend and tell her to come by if things start getting bad?"
"Wait, girlfriend? Katie wasn't my girlfriend…"
"That's not what her father told us," the agent countered.
Lucas snorted and shook his head. "Her step-father," he corrected. "Yeah, you may want to go and have another little talk with him. He's knows damn well that I'm gay. The last time I saw Katie, I went by her house to tell her goodbye and give her my new address. Carl grabbed me by my throat and told me that his little girl wasn't allowed to have 'fairy' friends."
"What 'things' were you referring to?" Brennan asked. "When you told her if things got too bad or became unbearable, were you referring to Carl?"
Lucas sighed and lowered his head. "Yeah, I was."
"Did he abuse Katie?" Booth watched as Lucas' jaw clenched.
"It started when she was fifteen. She said that his drinking had become worse and worse. One night she woke up to find him standing in her bedroom, staring at her, reeking of beer and cigarettes. He…he…" Lucas stopped, unable to finish the story.
"Did he rape her?" Booth's voice was tight as he thought of the horror and the shame that the young girl must have felt.
"Yeah, that night and several other nights," Lucas admitted. "I tried to get her to go to the police but she refused. She thought her mother would blame her."
"We'll be in touch," Booth said as he pulled Brennan to her feet and ushered her out of the apartment.
Brennan watched as he angrily punched the button for the elevator and then began to pace. "That son of a bitch," he growled. "Katie runs away so he can't…He tracked her to DC and killed her. I know it! We need evidence Bones. We need evidence that puts him at the scene."
"Booth, there's a possibility that Carl Stonestreet didn't kill her," Brennan reasoned.
The agent stopped pacing and stared at her, his jaw clenched in anger. "He did it Bones. Trust me, he did it."
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The SUV weaved through traffic at a slightly faster pace than the posted speed limit as Booth pressed his cell phone to his ear. "No, no, I don't want you to call me back," he said gruffly. "I want you to find the information while I'm on the phone with you—now!"
Brennan, with her cell phone also pressed to her ear, glanced over at her partner. "Booth…"
"Do the squints have anything we can use?"
Before she could answer, Hodgins began talking to her again. "Okay Dr. Brennan, you were right—there were several cigarette butts inside the wall with the body. They were covered by the decomposition of the body. I can try to extract DNA from inside the filter…"
"Okay. I'll see if we can get a DNA sample from her step-father. Hodgins, is there any way to determine the brand of cigarettes?"
"No, I'm sorry, there's not. I'll begin the DNA extraction now. By the way, I did recover a fiber from the victim's backpack. It's consistent with the fibers you would find in a work glove and it had particles of a cheap concrete mix on it."
"Which is not unusual to find at a construction site," Brennan added with a sigh. "Thanks Hodgins."
"Okay, and you're sure about those dates?" Booth asked as Brennan placed her phone in her bag. "All right, good job."
He switched off his phone and slipped it into his jacket. "So Carl Stonestreet works construction. Guess where his company won a bid to build a new parking garage two years ago."
"DC," she answered.
"You get to pass 'Go' Bones and collect your two hundred dollars." He glanced over at her, noting her confused expression. "And I know that you don't know what that means. Did the squint squad have anything?"
"Hodgins was able to determine that several cigarette butts had been left at the scene…"
"It was a house under construction Bones. I'm sure that some of the guys smoked while they hammered a few nails."
"They were inside the wall with Katie, covered by decomp," she informed him. "Hodgins is going to attempt to extract DNA from them."
"Carl was awfully quick to inform us that we didn't need a sample of his DNA," Booth reminded her.
"While he was blowing smoke in our faces," Brennan added.
Author's notes: Sorry for the short chapter. There's probably only one or two chapters left for this story. I'll do my best to update again soon.