There was no bloody body waiting for them when they reached the park, but Brennan found her surroundings even more ominous and cryptic than she had the night before. Dark clouds, heavy with moisture and bolts of not-too-distant lightening were followed by rumbling claps of thunder. A group of teenagers carrying skateboards stopped to watch as Booth and Brennan stepped from the SUV. Her mind went into overdrive as she tried to picture one of the wielding a knife and cutting Carly Winters' throat. The innocence on their faces made them seem incapable of such brutality.

Booth glanced their way, but then dismissed them as if they were inconsequential. "It's going to pour soon, lets get started."

"What do you want to know?"

"Where did you park your car last night?"

"Down the block, near that big oak." She point to a tree whose branches canopied the half of the street.

He didn't bother waiting for her, just strode off in that direction, his gaze scanning the area. Once under the tree, he glanced up into the branches above as if he half expected the killer to be sitting there, waiting. "Was there anyone standing nearby when you got out of your car?" he asked when she finally caught up to him.

"Booth, there were groups of onlookers everywhere. I didn't notice anyone in particular."

"Did anyone speak to you?"

"Not then."

Across the street from the park were small houses, mostly brick fronts with touches of stucco. A few had porches. A middle-aged man sat in a porch swing in the house directly across from them, watching as he gently swayed back and forth. It was a natural thing for him to do, but his gaze still made Brennan uneasy. She softly spoke he concerns, "Do you think the killer was watching me even before I entered the park?"

"Possibly."

"From one of the houses?"

"Bones, he could have been watching you from any number of places. A house. Sitting in a parked car. Crouched behind someone's bushes. Most likely he was just mingling with the other bystanders."

And if the guy had been there last night, he could be out there now. She could all but see his eyes. They'd be dark, piercing, threatening. "Do we have to go back into the park?" she asked anxious to get in the car and go home.

Sensing her discomfort, Booth walked over to her and placed a kiss on her forehead while he rubbed his hands up and down her crossed arms. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to scare you, but it would help. Just retrace your steps and I'll be right with you."

They walked back to the gate as another bolt of lightening hit, this one a little too close for comfort. Tangling her fingers with his, Brennan headed directly for the area the body was found. "I followed the lights from the TV crews which led me to my encounter with Dudley Do-Right."

Chuckling softly, Booth let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Was that a joke Bones?"

Standing quietly with her, he kicked at a small pebble sending it flying past the yellow crime scene tape and directly into the area the body had been found. Bloodstains were still visible, thought they'd probably fade after the rain. The images in both of their minds were still as clear as if Carly Winters had still been lying right in front of them. Shuddering slightly, she pulled away from him and started to walk away.

Booth took her hand again. "Steady now. We're almost done."

"Seeley? Do you ever get desensitized to murder?"

"No. If I did, I'd get out of the business."

It wasn't the first time she'd asked him this type of question. She liked hearing the small admissions that made him human, it made her calmer. "Have you ever been on a case where the killer contacted someone he'd seen at the crime scene?"

"No, but it's not unheard of. I remember reading about one case on the West Coast a couple of years ago. Serial killer called a female news anchor before every crime was committed."

"What happened?"

He shook his head and refused to meet her eyes. "I don't remember."

Not buying that for a second, she stepped in front of him, forcing him to look at her. "He killed her, didn't he."

For the second time in as many days he pulled her into his arms all but squeezing the life from her. He softly whispered into her hair, "Nothing's going to happen to you Sweetheart. We won't let you get drawn into this bastard's sick games."

The first drop of rain fell, quickly followed by another. They splattered on his nose and started running down his cheeks. Grabbing her hand, they both started running toward the SUV. By the time they'd reached it, their clothes were soaked through and the water from their hair was slowly trickling down the backs of their necks. Booth started the engine and turned on the heater, but then sat for a moment before putting the SUV into gear. Brennan had a feeling there was something more he wanted to say, but if there was, he changed his mind.