6.5x11 The Fairest in the Land - Written by Squinttoyou and Brainysmrfs
"All I'm saying is that the first thing I'm gonna do when I get out is go down to the Iron Gate and get me the biggest, fattest Porterhouse and a single malt. What about you?" John Hershey asked his cellmate as they walked along the cross-country trail in Draper Park, picking up trash as part of a prison work detail.
Anthony paused and looked down at his feet before responding, "Hell, I don't know…Get my girl naked and keep her that way for a week."
Hershey laughed as he continued down the path, "Sounds like a plan to me."
"How far are we supposed to go?" Anthony asked as he turned around and saw that the rest of the work detail was a good distance behind them.
"I don't know, just keep going until they tell us to…" Hershey paused as he noticed something oddly shaped pinned underneath a fallen tree. He stepped off the path to get a closer look, "What the hell? Tony, get over here!"
Anthony walked over and took a double take, "Is that what I think it is?"
Taking the tip of the stick he had been using to pick up litter, Hershey rolled the dead wood over. The two men stared at what was revealed, unsure of what to say until Hershey looked over at Anthony and asked, "You think we'll get time knocked off our sentences for finding a dead body?"
B&B
"You know, Bones, we gave Cam a baby gift at the shower," Booth said lightly as he eyed the gift bag dangling from her hand.
The anthropologist's eyes dipped to the present and she shrugged with one shoulder. "I saw this yesterday and found it very humorous. I thought Cam would enjoy it." She followed him up the steps to stand at Cam's front door, her expression now one of concern. "Am I breaking some social taboo by bringing another gift so soon?"
Booth kissed her cheek before shaking his head and then pressing the doorbell. "No, it's a very nice thing to do and I'm sure Cam will be thrilled." Brennan's smile was eager as he eased her fear. "You are looking forward to this aren't you?" he teased as they waited for a response to his ring.
"I am. Cam is a friend and it is our duty to show our support and affection by acknowledging her offspring."
"And you like holding him," Booth added remembering how Brennan had cooed over Macon at the hospital.
"You do too," she retorted unable to deny his accusation.
"Yeah, he's a cutie," Booth admitted. "It seems like forever since Parker was that size. And babies smell nicer than ten-year-olds."
"That is undeniable," Brennan quickly agreed. The door opened and she turned with anticipation.
"Hi!" Cam called, sounding very pleased to see them. She pushed the door wide in silent invitation and smiled brightly as Booth stepped into the doorway and wrapped her in a hug. "Great to see you guys!" she gushed still holding him tight. She gave a slight cough to hide her surprise when Booth's hug was followed by one from Brennan. "Brennan, how's my lab?" she asked unable to stall the question.
"Everything is fine." Brennan's assurance was given with a look of stern sincerity but a smile tugged at her lips as she held out the gift. "I even had time to go shopping yesterday. I saw this and thought you might enjoy it."
"Another gift?" Cam said raising an eyebrow at Booth as she turned to lead them into her home. "I'm flattered, Dr. Brennan."
"Yeah, yeah, Bones is very thoughtful," Booth teased as the partners trailed behind the recovering mother. "Where's Macon? He and his Uncle Seeley need to do some bonding!"
Cam chuckled. "He's just waking from a nap." She had pulled the onesie from the bag as they walked and her chuckle turned into a laugh. "Oh, Brennan, this is great! Thank you." She held up the tiny outfit which had a large recycling symbol on the chest and the words 'Made from Recycled Genetic Material' underneath. "Paul will actually crack up at this."
"I'm pleased you like it," Brennan answered. "Could we see the baby now?"
Cam pointed to the bassinet at the end of the couch as she gingerly lowered herself back down on the cushion. She smiled as she watched the partners silently argue about who could have the first opportunity to hold Macon and then smirked knowingly when Booth backed off and let Brennan win. "So, what's new?" she asked innocently.
"The lab is operating at maximum efficiency," Brennan reported her attention fixed firmly on the baby now cradled in her arms.
Booth took a seat next to his partner and leaned against her shoulder to get a good look at the baby. "It's actually been fairly quiet," he added. "You aren't missing much except for Bones' spring cleaning."
"What cleaning?"
Brennan lifted her eyes to her boss when she heard the concern in the question. "The interns have been assigned various duties. There are a number of projects I have been meaning to get done and this seemed an apropos time to accomplish them. The additional tasks give them extra hours in the lab and allow for advanced opportunities to conduct work on their theses. For example, Mr. Bray cataloged the bones in your paleopathology consultation project."
Cam blinked through her shock. "Thank you, Brennan. That's actually very helpful, I'd fallen behind on that project and left it in some disarray given my surprise labor. Using the interns for those kinds of projects is actually a very good idea."
"Of course it is," Brennan agreed as her attention returned to Macon.
Cam watched silently as Booth moved even closer to his partner. His arm slid around her back and he leaned against her as he offered a finger to the baby. Macon grasped tightly, his small fingers clamping around Booth's trigger finger in an instinctual grasp. There was no space between them now and Brennan rested Macon on their legs her right and his left making a safe platform on which he could lay. "So, the lab is good," she prompted slyly. "What else is new?"
"I don't know," Booth said, still watching with delight as Macon examined his finger. "Not much I guess. What's new with you?" He did look to her then and he flashed a mild but charming smile. "You're the new mother. How are you?"
"I'm better than I ever imagined I could be," Cam admitted with a rueful chuckle. "I just never knew it could be so…" Macon made a tiny grunt and her eyes moved to him quickly to make certain all was well before looking back at her friend. "I never knew it would be so wonderful," she finished.
"Best feeling ever, isn't it?" Booth asked with complete understanding.
"It really is." She laughed at herself. "I can't explain how lucky I am to have stumbled into it."
"Are you healing well, Cam?" Brennan asked.
She nodded clinically. "I'm doing well." Her mouth opened to say more and then she paused. Silently she berated herself for letting them distract her with talk of her recovery. That wasn't what she wanted to talk about. "Enough about me," she objected instead. "Tell me what's going on with…everyone."
They missed the hint.
"I've been contacted by the University of Tennessee with a request for access to the Terry Collection," Brennan reported. "I'm inclined to allow them access as it will benefit their body farm research."
"Wendell and I picked up a new goalie on our hockey team," Booth added.
"Really?" Cam gushed as if an academic request to the museum and developments in the men's open-age hockey league were fascinating topics.
"What?" Booth asked.
Cam cocked her head and waited but when he didn't say more she rolled her eyes. "Really? That's all you've got?"
Booth glanced at Brennan. "We really wanted to know what's up here," he said diplomatically.
"What's up here is if you weren't holding my son I'd smack your heads together!"
"Whoa!" Booth muttered, "Forgot about the postpartum mood swings."
"Are you experiencing emotional instability?" Brennan asked Cam.
"I'm experiencing impatience!"
"Why?"
"Give me the baby!" Cam said in irritation as she struggled to her feet. It took her only an instant and they sat stunned as she snatched Macon from their grasp. Once she held him, she turned and smacked Booth in the head.
"Ow!" he yelled as he flinched.
Brennan raised an eyebrow but Cam knew better than to offer her the same treatment. She glared at Booth instead. "Really? Really, Seeley? Nothing's new? You don't have anything to share? You just came over to see the baby and you can't think of anything I might have missed lately?"
"Well…" he stammered knowing he had misplayed this but unsure how to save himself. "Camille…"
"Don't call me Camille," she snapped automatically. "You two inflict years of tension and insanely frustrating idiocy on me and then, when you finally do what you should have done years ago, you can't bother to tell me about it!" She looked down at the baby in her arms. "Can you believe them?" she asked him.
"How did you know?" Brennan asked curiously.
"Angela's been here," Cam answered dryly.
"Oh."
"Yeah, oh."
Booth chuckled. "We didn't want to steal your thunder," he admitted. "I was gonna tell you, but we wanted today to be about the little guy."
Cam softened. "He's wonderful," she agreed with a gentleness she couldn't withhold. But the moment passed quickly and she shook her head. "But this is huge! I missed the biggest thing that's happened in the lab in years! I'm so jealous that I wasn't there when you told everyone." She held Macon to her breast and settled back in her seat. "So, the visit is appreciated and the attention to my son is wonderful, but what I really want is every detail about you two. So spill it. Tell me all about it."
Booth looked to Brennan and she nodded. He smiled and turned to his friend happy to share the best news of his life. He opened his mouth to begin the tale and his phone rang.
Cam sat stunned to silence as she watched the one scenario play out that she knew would rob her of her story hour. He took the call and then signaled his partner. "Sorry, Cam, gotta go. Let's move, Bones; body waiting."
"But!" she called. They didn't slow their walk to the door and she sighed. "I expect you back next week and I want details!" she yelled just before her front door slammed shut.
B&B
"Ok, I'm finished," Angela announced as she returned to the platform. She held up the quick sketch she had drawn. "She was gorgeous."
Brennan looked up from the body and studied it carefully paying more attention to how the features conformed to the skull on her exam table than standards of beauty. "Very good, Ang."
"Why does she look so sad?" Fisher asked. "Not that I object, I prefer it in my women actually, but you don't usually make them so morose."
"They found her just lying in the woods," Angela said giving the body a look of sympathy.
"That sort of discovery is fairly common in our cases, Ange," Brennan noted from her position at the table.
"Yeah, I guess. It just feels sad to me."
Brennan lifted her eyes to her friend. "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine, just melodramatic," Angela promised.
Brennan looked down at the body on the table. "It is sad," she agreed softly.
Angela smiled and gave her friend a one-armed hug. "I love the new you."
"She was pretty hot," Fisher mumbled as he continued to stare at the sad face in Angela's sketch.
Both Angela and Brennan opened their mouths to chastise him but were interrupted by Brennan's ringing phone. "Brennan," she said as she put the setting on speaker and placed it on the table so she could remove her gloves.
"It's Turner, I have a possible match for you from the missing person's database. Ivory Reed, age twenty-seven. I'm sending you the fact sheet now, but she fits the general parameters you gave us for physical characteristics and time of death." Angela moved to a nearby computer and logged in to retrieve the information as Turner continued to speak. "Miss Reed was last seen at her bon voyage party December thirteenth and reported missing a day later by her fiancé."
Angela opened the file the young agent had transferred and sighed. The face on the computer screen was a near exact match to the sketch in her hand. "At least she looks happy," the artist noted.
Brennan took only a moment to study the beautiful face and nodded. "Claudia, I'll have Mr. Fisher confirm with dentals, but I'm confident in stating Miss Reed is our victim."
"Ok, I'll let the boss know," Turner answered.
"Please let him know we are beginning a more complete exam of the remains in hope of determining cause of death," Brennan stated clinically. "I'll contact him when I have something to report."
"Got it. Happy hunting," the agent said she hung up.
"I think I like Angela's picture better," Fisher announced. His face showed disappointment as Angela hastily snatched it up holding it against her chest with the drawing turned away so that he could no longer leer at it. He lifted his eyes to hers and tried to make his smile ingratiating. "If you are done with that could I have it?"
"You found her, didn't you?" Spencer Hannigan asked before Booth could settle in his chair.
Booth stared into the eyes of the man on the opposite side of the table. The grief Spencer felt was already palpable and the agent regretted the words he had to say. "Yes. Ivory Reed's body was discovered in Draper Park. I'm sorry for your loss, Mr. Hannigan."
The young man nodded silently as tears ran slowly down his cheeks. He leaned back in his seat and stared at the ceiling trying to regain some control.
Sweets and Booth both lowered their gaze, giving him a moment of privacy to process the news. After a moment, Sweets spoke with trained sympathy, "Mr. Hannigan, there are a few questions we have to ask."
"Yeah," he answered struggling to sit up and focus on the interview, "Of course." His hand shook as he wiped away his tears and he took a shuddering breath. "I knew this was likely the way it would turn out," he said his voice weak but resigned. "But still, I had hope. You know?"
He looked to Booth, drawn to the big man's understanding expression and peaceful presence. Booth nodded and Spencer took another deep breath. "What do you need to know?"
"Can you recap for us the events that lead to you reporting Ivory missing?" Booth asked.
"She…uh, she threw a party." He laughed gently. "She loved a good party. We were running away together," he added with a sad smile. "She was going to join me in London and we were going to Paris for a quick ceremony and then…happily ever after…"
"So it was a bon voyage party?" Sweets prompted as Spencer faltered.
"Yeah." He shook himself and again tried to focus this time with more success. "She wanted to say goodbye to all the important people in her life. I couldn't make it. I was trying to get some things at work wrapped up so I was free for the wedding. She said it was a great party."
"You spoke to her?" Booth asked jotting down the information he had not yet heard.
"We talked about an hour after the party started. I just called to make sure she was having a good time. She said it was going great."
"And that's the last time you spoke to her?"
He nodded as new tears welled in his eyes. "She was supposed to call me afterward, but she was also supposed to stop by her dad's place and say goodbye. When she didn't call I figured she got caught up in that farewell and we just missed each other. When I couldn't reach her the next day I knew something was wrong."
"I came home as fast as I could, but the police couldn't find anything. I tried everything, flyers, pleas through the press, a reward, but there wasn't any clue where she went."
"You established quite a large group of volunteers," Sweets praised. "I saw several news stories on their efforts to locate Ivory."
"I had to try." He reached for a thick file sitting on the table next to him and slid it closer to Booth. "This is everything I could put together about that night. The cops have been through it several times, but they didn't find anything. I'm hoping the FBI can do better."
"I have confidence in Agent Booth and his team," Sweets assured him.
"We'd like more detail about the party," Booth said as he flipped through the file. "Is there anything else you can add?"
"No, like I said, I didn't speak with her after our call early in the evening. There's only so much I can tell you when I was an ocean away. Have you spoken with Ursula?"
"That would be Ursula Reed?" Sweets asked glancing at the file Booth had given him.
"Her stepmother," Spencer answered. "She actually attended the party. They weren't very close, but Ivory tried so hard to keep the peace between them. And Ursula is the kind of woman who would have been miffed to be left off the guest list. I'm sure if you need scuttlebutt on the party she's the one to ask. She pays very close attention to that sort of thing."
There weren't many more questions to ask and after Spencer had provided everything he could tell them he left. "That was painful," Sweets said as the two men stood watching him board the elevator.
"It would hurt to be that close to happiness and have it snatched away," Booth observed.
Sweets knew they had both skirted such pain and escaped to better days. He nodded solemnly. "Yeah."
B&B
"Hey, babe." Angela leaned into Hodgins and placed a quick kiss on his bearded cheek. "How's it going?"
His arm circled her waist and he straightened from his hunched position over the victim's clothing. "Slowly," he admitted.
"Can't find anything?"
Hodgins' head bobbled. "Nothing substantive; I can say she was spoiled, in a good way."
"What do you mean?"
He nodded to the clothing on the table. "Eileen Fisher."
"Ooh, I love her winter line this year," Angela gushed.
The chuckle that escaped Hodgins was dry and warm. "I know, I saw the receipts."
"Very funny," she growled without any real bite. "Come on."
"Where are we going?"
The suggestive lilt of his question made her chuckle, it wasn't a bad idea, they just didn't have time for it right now. "Bren wants a meeting. She wants to give Booth something concrete after he and Sweets meet with the family."
"Why isn't it she and Booth meeting with them?" he asked following her out of his office and across the lab.
"She's in charge of the lab," Angela reminded him.
"So? What's that supposed to mean? We can't be left alone?"
"Babe, last week you and Vincent put a block of wood and a pig's head on a barstool and shot flaming arrows at it."
"I don't understand the relevance."
"The relevance is there will be no unauthorized experiments conducted while I am in charge," Brennan interrupted. She held their victim's skull in her hands with delicate care and she nodded toward the body. "I would like to discuss our findings to date."
Hodgins sobered when he heard her tone and he quickly approached the table to discuss what they already knew.
B&B
"Mrs. Reed, thank you for coming in," Booth began.
The redhead smiled, her bleached teeth flashing behind her ruby lipstick. "Well, if I had known I could be speaking with someone as appealing as you, I would have arrived sooner."
Booth managed to conceal his reaction. "Yes, ma'am," he replied in perfect Bureau etiquette. "We won't take up much of your time. There are just a few questions we need to ask."
Her cheek gave a slight twitch at his form of address but she remained casual. "Why don't you send the boy away and you and I can have a grownup chat?"
"That was very inappropriate," Sweets scolded primly. "Mrs. Reed, we are looking for information regarding your stepdaughter's murder."
"Why ask me?" Ursula replied her tone shifting to indifference. "Ivory and I were not especially close."
"You married her father some time ago," Booth noted. "The two of you never managed to bond in the last twenty years?"
"Not really," she answered. "Ivory saw me as competition."
"For what?"
"Her father's attention," she said glaring at Sweets. "She seemed to think she was the center of the universe; probably because my husband treated her that way."
Booth spoke next, feeling the need to rescue Sweets from the woman across the table. "You attended her party the night of her disappearance, didn't you?"
"I was there. It was your typical gathering of sycophants all slobbering for a chance to stroke her ego."
"Interesting choice of words," Sweets muttered. "So you feel those invited weren't really her friends?"
"I think they were under her spell."
Booth and Sweets exchanged a puzzled look. "Like magic?" the psychologist asked.
"Like a siren's lure," she corrected. "The room was full of people she had enticed into her bed. If you ask me any one of them had motive to orchestrate her disappearance."
"How did her family feel about her activities?" Sweets asked intently.
Her cold eyes turned to him and he sat back instinctively cowed by her glare. "Her father would never believe me and I frankly grew tired of trying to convince him that she wasn't perfect. Ivory did as she pleased. Until you found a body my guess was that she simply found someone else to entertain her and ran away with him, or her, instead."
B&B
Brennan entered the diner and nodded when the three companions already seated looked her way. Booth stood as she approached and he leaned forward his lips meeting hers for a quick kiss hello. They both ignored the happy smiles of the young couple watching their exchange. "I apologize for my tardiness," Brennan said as she took the seat next to her partner.
"We just got here, Bones," Booth promised, his hand sliding across her back until his arm was wrapped around her shoulders.
"Just sat down, Temperance," Turner corroborated.
"I was confirming cause of death."
Their waitress had approached and her face screwed into a grimace of disgust. "Do I need to come back later?" she asked.
Brennan looked at her in confusion. "Why?" Her eyes turned to Booth. "Are you not ready to order? You always know what you want."
"Iron stomachs, Callie," Booth promised with a smile, "Comes with the job."
The waitress nodded a little excited to be receiving one of his stunning grins and Brennan rolled her eyes. "I would like a walnut-pear salad," she stated firmly.
"Oh, that sounds yummy," Turner gushed. "I'll have that too."
"Yeah, ok, me too," Sweets added.
Callie looked at Booth expectantly and he shook his head. "Meat, I'm having meat. Double cheese burger, extra fries."
"You need more roughage," Brennan said as she leaned toward him her voice low.
"I get plenty," he argued. "You keep enough vegetables in your apartment to feed a rabbit den."
"Those are called warrens," Brennan corrected.
He ignored the information on rodents and tried to get them back on task. "You said you had cause of death?"
"Yes, subdural hematoma, the blood staining at the juncture of the parietal and occipital bones is quite clear. Mr. Fisher is taking measurements now and Angela can have suggested scenarios programed for my examination by this afternoon."
Booth was nodding. "Great, you'll probably have details before we are finished with these seven interviews we have to do."
"Seven? Why so many?"
"I told you we met with the stepmother and the fiancé," Brennan nodded in agreement. "There wasn't much there except the fiancé is a nice guy and the mother is…"
"Hell on high heels," Sweets interjected. "That woman is scary."
Booth didn't object. "The bon voyage party is our best bet on a lead. Ivory was there, but she never showed for the visit with her father later that night."
"Are the seven interviews the entire guest list?" Brennan asked.
"No, just the interesting ones," Sweets answered. She cocked her head quizzically wanting further information and he leaned forward in excitement. "Ivory had a sexual relationship with each of them."
"How do you know?"
"The stepmother told us," Booth answered, "Spitefully."
"It should be totally fascinating," Sweets gushed. "You don't normally have access to so many indicators of a person's sexual proclivity. We'll know a great deal about Ivory Reed when we are done."
"I think you are a little excited by this one, Lance," Turner teased with a smile. "You haven't been hiding something from me have you?" She leaned into him and tweaked his cheek. "Do you have a kinky side I don't know about?"
"I'm interested academically," he protested, trying to keep from turning completely red.
"I like it," Turner answered as she leaned back. Her eyes darted to Brennan with humor. "I think I'm in for an interesting evening."
"Booth has a definite kinky side I did not anticipate," Brennan reported.
"Bones!" He tightened his grip on her shoulder and his voice dropped to a panicked whisper. "We're keeping it professional remember?"
"I wasn't going to give details," she scoffed.
"Mrs. Wool, I know that this is difficult for you but there are a few questions we need to ask about your relationship with Ivory Reed." Booth explained to the very prim and proper Jane Wool as he and Sweets entered the conference room and took seats across from her.
She grasped at the top button of her cardigan and nodded, "I understand."
"Now, you were at the bon voyage party for Ivory, correct?"
"That's correct." Jane avoided making eye contact with either of the men and kept her hand protectively holding her sweater closed.
"What was the nature of your relationship with Ivory?" Sweets asked as he leaned back, trying to give her any extra space he could, sensing that she needed it.
She tilted her head and one corner of her mouth tugged up, "Friends. We were friends."
"How did you two meet?" Booth asked.
"College." She adjusted her headband and smoothed her blonde hair down. "We met in college."
Taking the woman's lack of eye contact into account with her stilted responses, Sweets shook his head and pressed for the answer he knew she was withholding, "No, I think that you were more than friends, weren't you?"
Jane closed her eyes and exhaled deeply but refrained from answering the question.
Booth softly tapped on the table and then spoke in a low, soothing tone, "Mrs. Wool, we're trying to find out who killed your friend. Any information you can give us will help."
She opened her eyes just in time for one single tear to roll down her cheek, "Ivory and I were, we were… involved for nearly two years in college."
"You had a sexual relationship?" Booth asked as the woman's face was taken over by a deep blush.
"Yes, I-I loved her…She was the first and," her voice faltered for a moment but then she continued, "and the only woman I ever had those kinds of feelings for. I'm not a lesbian; that was just a phase." She looked pointedly at Booth, "A phase; my husband doesn't even know about it."
Booth nodded, "I understand, we can be discreet."
"Thank you." She whispered before taking a small sip of water.
"Who ended things between you and Ivory?"
Jane sniffled and wiped her cheeks free of tears, "I did. We were graduating and I knew that I couldn't start my real life with her as a part of it. My parents never would have approved."
Booth glanced down at the file, "You graduated college more than five years ago. What were you doing at her going away party?"
"Ivory and I remained quite close. She was even a bridesmaid at my wedding a few years ago."
"You remained friends with your lesbian lover from college who you broke up with?" Sweets asked with a brow cocked and his voice full skepticism.
"Yes." She showed them a small, shy smile, "You had to have known her to understand, she was so…so beautiful and full of life, people just wanted to be around her. Actually, Ivory remained friends with almost every person she had a relationship with, both men and women. We were all joking the night of her party that that's why Spencer was sweeping her off to London – so he didn't keep finding himself at dinner parties stacked with all of her former lovers." A flash of sadness crossed her pale, pretty face, "Not that Spence really cared, he loved her so much and she always said he was so perfect. She even used to call him her 'Prince Charming'. She was finally happy and now…" She took a tissue from the table and dabbed her eyes.
"At the party that night, did you see anything or anyone out of the ordinary? Maybe there was someone who shouldn't have been there?"
Jane shook her head, "Not that I remember, it was a fairly small group and most of us have been friends for a long time."
Booth made a few notes and then asked, "What time did you leave the party that night?"
"Uh, we had to be home by ten pm because our sitter couldn't stay past then. So, Chad and I probably left about nine-thirty."
"Was Miss Reed still there at that time?"
"Definitely. I remember finding her to say goodbye and she was sitting on the bar talking with a man and a woman I didn't know. Ivory was having a very good time but then she always did, even doing the most mundane things, she found a way to have a good time." She paused and shook her head, "If I had known I'd never see her again, I would have…I would have told her…"
The two men glanced at each other as she trailed off and more tears fell. Sweets shook his head slightly and Booth acknowledged him with a single nod. Booth closed the file in front of him, "We're very sorry for your loss, Mrs. Wool. We might need to ask you a few more questions but for now you're free to go."
Sweets slid the file away from Booth and looked through it while Jane left the room. Without looking up, he sighed, "Well, she didn't do it."
Booth shook his head, "Nope."
"The good news is we have still have six more people to interview. Chances are someone has to know something." Sweets looked at the agent hopefully.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Booth sighed, "Tell Turner to bring us the next one."
B&B
"This is epic, man." Brad Miner ran his hand through his hair and looked around in awe. "I'm at the FBI."
Booth glared at the lithe man, "Yes, you are and you're here as a person of interest in a murder investigation, so, have a seat."
Brad sat down and looked at Sweets, "Dude, if he's the agent, you gotta be like, the agent in training, right?"
Sweets glared at the man and then at Booth's poor attempt at stifling his laugh, "Uh, no. I'm Dr. Lance Sweets, I'm a psychologist here at the FBI."
"Very cool, I was young when I started my own yoga studio so I can totally roll with a younger guy working as a shrink for the feds."
"I'm so very glad you can." Sweets deadpanned, wanting to point out that those two things were not at all alike but instead he looked down at the file in front of him.
"Mr. Miner," Booth began, "You were at Ivory Reed's bon voyage party held at Oak Hills Country Club on December thirteenth, correct?"
"Of course, Ivory and I are tight. She never missed my Bikram classes. Well, that's at least until she did but, yeah I was there."
Booth looked over at Sweets, causing the psychologist to shake his head, "Yeah, I don't know what Bikram is either."
"Oh, my bad." Brad leaned toward the other men, "Bikram Yoga is what people refer to as hot yoga. It's a ninety minute class in a climate-controlled room. It's generally over 100 degrees and at 40 percent or higher humidity in the room. It's an intense, incredibly righteous experience."
"Really? Because it just sounds like a really bad day down the shore to me." Booth looked down at his notes, "How long had Ms. Reed been your student?"
Brad's eyed rolled up and he blew out a long breath, "I guess about two years."
"If she was just someone who took a class from you, why would you be at her going away party? It was a small gathering of mainly close friends." Sweets asked, beating Booth to the punch.
"Oh, Ivory was much more to me than a student. She was a good friend and at times a really good friend, if you catch my drift."
"You were romantically involved with Ms. Reed?"
"It wasn't all that romantic but it was hot." Brad looked at both men and then continued, "And not because of the climate control in my studio either."
B&B
Brennan spoke as soon as he answered. "I just received the report from pathology."
"About time," Booth grumbled.
"Cam isn't here; we're relying on a secondary source of analysis."
"I'm not complaining, Bones. I'm just hopeful for some good information?"
"She was in respiratory distress at the time of death."
"Like she couldn't breathe?"
"Correct."
"So she suffocated to death."
"No, the blow to the skull is still the confirmed cause of death."
"Was she being strangled?"
"There is no indication of that."
Booth sighed. "Ok. Thanks."
"Hey, Dr. B, I am…" Hodgins stopped speaking when she raised a hand and he realized she was on the phone.
Brennan switched the call to speaker. "Booth, Hodgins is here. Do you have something to report Dr. Hodgins?"
"Particulates in the skull confirm a hydrothermally-altered diorite."
"Which is what?" Booth snapped.
Hodgins shrugged even though the agent couldn't see him. "Common Virginia rock, the stuff is everywhere. This particular sample contained byssolite, prehnite, epidote and feldspar. It's a perfect match for the geological footprint of the area where she was found."
"So someone just picked up a rock lying on the ground and bashed in her skull?"
"That would be a logical assumption," Hodgins agreed. "I have some tests running, I'm hopeful I'll know more soon."
"Hopefully you'll get more than we did from Bashful and Dopey," Sweets piped in to say.
Hodgins smile showed his interest. "Bashful and Dopey?"
"Yeah, the first two of our seven interviews were a bust."
There was a murmur in the distance and they heard Turner telling Booth the next interview was ready. "Bones, we have to go. I'll call you in a bit with another update."
"Hi-ho, hi-ho it's off to work you go," Hodgins called out.
Sweets laughed but Booth very clearly said, "Shut up, Hodgins."
B&B
Booth held his head in his hands. "Is there anything else you'd like to add, Mr. Tunston?"
The man across the table shook his head but was unable to speak as another allergic reaction seized him. Sucking in a deep breath he made a quick grab for the box of tissues Booth was once again sliding toward him. He sneezed mightily and then blew his nose in a loud honk. "Nutheen further, Agen Boof," he said his clogged sinuses making his speech slurred and muffled. "Just that Ivory was the most beautiful woman I've eber known. I will miss her gweatly."
Tears glistened in his eyes and he blew his nose again.
"Thank you, Mr. Tunston," Sweets said climbing to his feet. "That will be all."
The thin man stood snatching up a tissue as he rose and another fit seized him. He offered his hand after the second sneeze but Sweets managed to avoid it. They heard three more honking blasts from his nose before he entered the elevator.
Sweets dropped back into his chair with a chuckle. "That one was Sneezy," he said as if Booth needed help seeing the similarity.
"Will you knock that off!" Booth hissed.
"Hey, Boss you ready?" Turner asked as she stuck her head through the open doorway.
"Please; let's get it over with," Booth answered.
"Ok, I'll have to wake him up. I think the guy might be narcoleptic. He dozed off three times while you were interviewing the last one."
"Don't say it," Booth warned when Sweets burst into laughter.
B&B
"Play it one more time," Brennan ordered. Angela ran the simulation again watching with sad eyes as the amorphous assailant approached Ivory from behind and swung the rock at her head. She flinched as the blow struck but Brennan nodded approvingly. "I'm confident that would result in the damage I see on the bone."
"He was a big guy," Angela noted as she froze the image.
"Given the required height to inflict that type of damage at that angle the presumption of male gender in her attacker is logical," Brennan agreed. She paused realizing she wasn't responding to the scenario in the same manner as Angela. Her blue eyes turned to her friend and she offered a sad smile. "We'll find him," she promised. The vow filled the silence between them and Angela nodded gratefully. "I'm going to call Booth," Brennan said as she turned for the door. "Good work, Ang."
"Some fairy tale," the artist muttered as she took one last look at the image on her computer screen.
Brennan felt Angela's melancholy and she dialed Booth without her usual pride in discovering a useful piece of information. When he answered however the sound of his voice lifted her spirits and she smiled. "Hey."
"What's wrong?"
"Angela and I were just analyzing Ivory's attacker. It is a sad ending."
"Yes it is," he agreed. "You ok?"
She understood the expression 'warmed her heart' as she felt her heated response to his concern. The warm tightness in her chest was a comfort and she immediately felt better. "I'm fine, Booth," she assured him. Sitting up straight she pushed the emotion aside and focused. "Given the damage to the skull I'm confident in stating her attacker was a large male."
"How large?"
"Six-three," she answered remembering to convert the measurement to terms he would understand.
"Damn."
"What?"
"None of our persons-of-interest fit that description."
Brennan slumped in her chair and sighed. "I would know that already if I was conducting interviews with you."
"You are the one who insisted you needed to be in the lab."
"I do! It's just…" she smiled to herself able to admit her frustration had as much to do with missing him as it did in wanting firsthand access to the field work. "I'm your partner."
"In every way," he agreed and she knew he was wearing a smile too. "If it makes you feel better, Bones I can assure you that I would much prefer to be conducting these interviews with you instead of Sweets."
"That does make me feel better."
"Good."
"I've never really been a fan of Snow White," Angela mused as she lingered near Jack's work station on the platform. "Who wants to run away and live in a house with seven men?" She shook her head. "Do you know how much laundry that would be? If you ask me Cinderella has the best story. She marries the prince and I bet never has to do a single day of housework ever again." The smile she gave Hodgins showed an affection deeper than Cam would have approved of in the middle of the work day. "Sometimes I feel like Cinderella," she admitted.
He winked at her. "I'll be your Prince Charming, Baby," he joked.
"I am happy the real life version doesn't include singing mice," she admitted with a laugh. "They are cute on film, but I don't need that."
Hodgins moved to the remains on the table and collected another sample for examination. "The sad part about this Snow White is her prince can't wake her with a kiss."
"What the heck are you two talking about?" Fisher asked in complete confusion.
Jack and Angela shared a quizzical look before the artist tried to answer. "What part didn't you get? You don't know about Cinderella and Snow White?"
"Of course I know Cinderella and Snow White," Fisher scoffed. "But what was all that about mice and kisses?"
Angela's expression was confused. "You know…the mice. They make Cinderella's dress and they sing that song."
Hodgins joined in. "Everybody knows Snow White wakes up when the prince sees her and kisses her. Kind of gross really, to kiss a chick in a coffin, but that's the story."
"No it's not," Fisher objected. "She wakes up when the apple piece falls out of her throat. Then she marries the prince and when the evil queen shows up for the wedding they put her feet in heated iron shoes and make her dance til she drops dead."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Hodgins cried horrified by the intern's version of the story.
"Grimms' Fairy Tales," Fisher shrugged. "Didn't your parents read them to you?"
"You read the original versions?" Hodgins gasped.
"My mother believed in exposing me to the definitive versions of literary works."
"So, you never saw the cartoons?" Angela asked.
"Never saw the point," Fisher answered. "Once you've read about the queen eating Snow White's heart, why watch it?"
"She does not!" Angela protested.
"Technically that's true," Fisher mused thoughtfully. "It's really a boar's heart isn't it? Still, she thinks its Snow White's, which makes her all the more deliciously evil." He glanced at the body. "I'd say this one got off pretty easy really."
B&B
"Hey, Alan!" James Evans called as he passed the man who had just finished answering Booth's questions. "How you doin', Buddy? Great to see you!"
"Get out of my way, Evans," the other man growled. "I can't believe we have to come down here. They should be out catching her murderer instead of asking questions about her party!"
"Come on, Alan, you know they have to start somewhere. I'm just happy we get to help even in some small way."
"Great, you help. I'm going to have a give a toast to Ivory and then get roaring drunk."
"Ok! Bye!" The cheerful man waved and then approached Booth who stood waiting at the conference room door. "Hi!" he said pumping the agent's hand. "Grumpy Gus," he joked nodding toward his departing friend. "I'm James Evans. You wanted to see me?"
Booth ushered their final interview into the room silently wondering if this was going to be the most challenging yet. "Mr. Evans," he began as they took their seats. "Aside from the party on the night of the thirteenth, how often did you see Miss Reed?"
"Every day!"
"Every day?" Booth asked cocking his head. He glanced at Sweets sharing the significance of that statement. This was someone who saw Ivory far more regularly than anyone else.
"Sure, she came by the coffee shop every morning." He smiled proudly. "She always said no one else could make her latte just right."
"Was it always a quick coffee stop or did you get a chance to chat?" Sweets asked already suspecting that no matter how busy, this chatterbox would have found time to talk to Ivory.
"That was the great thing about me and Ivory," Evans gushed. "We loved to talk. Most mornings she would sit around and I could find time to join her for a little while. It kept us close even after, you know, she dumped me."
Sweets was fairly sure he had never seen anyone smile so big while mentioning a breakup. "In those talks, did she ever mention any troubles?"
"Nah," he scoffed with a wave of his hand. "Ivory was like me. There was always a bright side! It was what made us a great couple and it was what drew people to her. Everyone wanted to be around her. I even had customers who would time their stop with hers."
"How do you mean?" Booth asked suddenly alert.
"You know, show up when she did because she was so great."
"Who did that, Mr. Evans?" Sweets prompted with more patience than Booth had available.
Evans shrugged. "There was this one guy, he came in every day right at the same time. He always let her go first and then he'd jump in line right behind her. I know he was there because of her because he was always watching her. He appreciated her."
"Could you describe him?"
"Big, tall dude," Evans answered. "Middle aged, maybe a couple years older than you," he added nodding at Booth.
Sweets bit his lip to keep from reacting. "Anything else?"
"Dark hair with a touch of gray," the barista listed. "Wore jeans every day so I don't think he had an office job."
"Anything else?"
Evans smiled and began to sing. "Yeah. Louie, Louie, oh no me gotta go. Aye-yi-yi-yi!"
"What is that?" Booth demanded.
"It's the Kingsmen," Sweets answered.
"Are you trying to be funny because Bones isn't here?"
"No, I just thought it was a question."
"Why the song, Mr. Evans?" Booth asked ignoring Sweets.
"That's what I sang to him every day. You know, when his order was ready. Tall brew, double sugar, extra black."
"So his name was Lou?" Booth asked trying desperately not to lose his temper.
"Yep!"
B&B
"Both Mrs. Wool and the Tunston guy confirmed the congeniality of the group," Booth said as he continued his summary. "I just don't think any of them were involved in any way." They sat on Brennan's couch, with Sweets opposite, comparing notes on each portion of the investigation.
"It is admirable that as a group the people around Ivory were able to set aside the potential emotional entanglements of prior sexual relationships. Much like our team they seemed to have found a way to enjoy each other's company without dwelling on the past."
"We aren't some group of swingers, Bones," Booth objected.
"There are quite a few prior entanglements around here," Sweets argued to Brennan's point. "But like you said, Bashful and Sneezy both said Ivory's group was able to adapt."
"Stop calling them that!"
"I find it helps identify each person since I was unable to attend the interviews," Brennan noted.
Booth shook his head. "Don't encourage the kid," he scolded. His attention returned to his notes. "The yoga guy was able to provide Ivory's time of arrival at the party."
Sweets snorted. "That's because Dopey got the time wrong and showed up two hours early." Booth glared at him and he clamped his lips closed.
"Ted Sidell, the co-worker, was the last to leave. He says Ivory was still talking of visiting her father that evening," the agent continued.
Sweets caught Brennan's inquiring look and mouthed "Sleepy."
She nodded her thanks. Booth's head lifted suspiciously and she gave him a wide smile. "You indicated there was a minor altercation during the party. Is there any chance that is a potential lead?"
Booth shook his head. "The Doc had words with the trainer, but it wasn't serious."
"I thought you didn't approve of Sweets' names for her friends?" Brennan said in confusion. "Isn't Doc one of the seven dwarfs?"
"In this case it's accurate," Booth objected. "Sherry Tooze was her college roommate and is now a pediatrician."
"She got in an argument with Grumpy, Ivory's trainer, over the intense workout he'd had her on to get in shape before the wedding. Not surprising really," Sweets added. "That dude was so grumpy he would argue with a stump."
"So, the final interview was the only one of any real consequence?" Brennan surmised.
"Happy!" Sweets interjected.
Her partner nodded as he shuffled through the paperwork on his lap and ignored the psychologist. "It's the closest thing to a lead we heard all day. I've got Turner going back over everything so far looking for anything we might have missed."
"She'll find something," Sweets said confidently.
"It's cute how he talks about her, isn't it?" Booth joked giving Brennan's shoulder a playful bump with his, eager to pay back some of the annoying behavior he had suffered through all day.
Brennan smiled as she caught his teasing tone and she nodded with exaggeration. "Adorable."
"Ok," Sweets said slightly embarrassed when he realized they were at least partially correct, he had jumped on that very quickly.
He was saved from further teasing as Hodgins burst into Brennan's office. "Wait until you hear this!" the entomologist cried with excitement. They were looking at him expectantly and he didn't wait for a prompt. "So, the clothes were a bust and I switched my focus to the other items found with the body."
"What else was there?" Sweets asked.
"She was jogging at the time," Brennan answered. "The only other item she had on her person was a music player."
"Yeah, and the thing was booby trapped!" Hodgins added.
Booth's face scrunched in disbelief. "How?"
"With proper alteration the battery could produce an electrical shock delivered via earphones," Brennan theorized.
Booth turned to look at her his face showing amazement. "Sometimes I worry about you," he muttered.
"No, no, it's far more ingenious," Hodgins assured them. "The thing was covered in unrefined peanut oil! It was washed off the surface of course, but when I pulled the thing apart the inside still had a hefty coating."
Brennan's understanding was clear and she nodded. "That would be most effective," she agreed.
"Why?" Booth asked. "Why is it effective?"
"Our princess was allergic to peanuts," Hodgins answered. "The oil was absorbed through her skin when she touched the iPod."
"And the exercise would have increased the rate of distress," Brennan added.
"But, don't you see," Hodgins continued still boiling with excitement. "That's not the most ingenious part!" He looked at their blank stares. "Oh, come on!" he said amazed that they didn't already get his point. "Don't make me say it." He shook his head when the three continued to wait for him to explain. "It's a poisoned APPLE!"
"Oh don't start!" Booth scolded.
"That is awesome," Sweets admired quietly.
Booth glared at him but his phone was ringing and he answered it instead. "Booth!"
"Hey, Boss. I might have something interesting." They all heard her since Booth had turned his phone to speaker.
"Great, give me something Turner, I'm surrounded by idiots over here. Idiots with genius IQ levels," he added when both Sweets and Hodgins looked offended.
"I started digging a little deeper on everyone you spoke with today. Turns out Ursula Reed might not be the devoted wife she claims."
Booth's eyebrow shot up and Brennan demand more information. "You have evidence of infidelity?"
"It seems Ursula has quite the reputation," Turner explained. "My info says her latest paramour is the stable hand, the guy that trains her horses."
"You got a name, Turner?"
"That's the interesting part. His name is Lou Clark."
"How tall is Lou the stable boy?"
"Six-three."
"Bingo, Baby!" He jumped to his feet. "Come on, Bones!"
"I can't," she reminded him.
"Oh, right," he said with chagrin as he realized his mistake. "Sorry." He bent and gave her a quick kiss. "Come on, Sweets," he said rolling his eyes for his partner to see.
B&B
"Lou Clark?" Booth called as he and Sweets stepped through the open barn door.
"Yeah!" a voice answered from somewhere inside. "One sec!"
They waited and after only a moment a tall middle-aged man emerged from a nearby stall. He shut the door behind him and approached. "Can I help you?"
"I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth, FBI this here is my associate, Dr. Lance Sweets. We'd like to ask you a few questions."
The man's eyes widened but he quickly schooled his features into a mask of civility. "Sure, what about?"
"Were you acquainted with Ivory Reed, Mr. Clark?" Booth asked.
"No." He shook his head and ran his hand over the back of his neck. "No, I never met Ivory. I started working here about a year ago, but she had long since moved out and didn't come around much. Real shame what happened to her though."
"Yes, it was," Booth agreed. "You a big coffee drinker, Lou?" he asked suddenly.
"Sure, I guess about as much as the next guy. Why?"
"Ever frequent a coffee shop on Market Street?"
Lou shifted to his opposite foot. "Uh, sure yeah I think I've been there once or twice."
"Mr. Clark, can you account for your whereabouts on the night of December thirteenth?"
"What am I a suspect?" he laughed in disbelief. Booth only stared at him and he swallowed nervously. "Yeah, uh…ok, yeah I was in Charlottesville."
"You seem fairly certain of that. Is there any way to substantiate it?"
Clark nodded toward a small office. "Yeah, I probably have a receipt or something," he answered still sounding very nervous. "Let me look." They followed him exchanging a look behind his back that said they both had suspicions regarding his body language. He pulled a large ledger book from the drawer and began flipping through the pages. "There was a sale down in Charlottesville that week," he explained as he searched. They could see various notes and entries on the pages of the book all printed in neat handwriting. "I should have some info on where I was that day," he added as his phone rang. "Yeah," he answered as he continued to search. He froze when he heard the voice of his caller and when he spoke his voice was hushed almost to a whisper. "They're here now."
Trying to maintain a casual expression as he lifted his head to meet Booth's eyes he thumbed his hand at the door. "I just need to take this," he said. Booth nodded without answering and Clark scurried through the door to finish his phone call.
"Why did you let him do that?" Sweets asked.
"Because he left the book open." Booth quickly turned back several pages to get a better look at something that had caught his eye.
"What is it?" Sweets asked.
"It looks like a detailed account of Ivory's daily schedule."
There was a scrape of a boot against the floor and Booth turned already reaching for his handcuffs. "Lou Clark, you are under arrest."
Brennan was completing yet another requisition form. She had not realized just how much of this tedious administrative paperwork Cam was required to submit. It was an unwelcome chore. She appreciated the ability to manage the lab to her exact specifications while the coroner was out, but the inane bureaucracy was a waste of her talents. Her time was much better utilized in direct application to her anthropological duties, and more importantly, her duties regarding FBI investigations.
The thought of their current investigation caused her mind to drift and a sudden realization had her bolting from her chair. "Ang!" she called as she hurried into the artist's office.
"What's up, Sweetie?" Angela asked from her perch in front of an easel and canvas.
"I need to rerun that last scenario," Brennan answered with impatience.
"Ok, why?"
"I believe I miscalculated."
Angela's expression was disbelieving. "I guess it's bound to happen once in a while." She entered the necessary commands to her tablet and the Angelatron sprang to life.
Brennan took a step forward. "I didn't account for the respiratory distress," she lamented. "Hodgins found a great deal of residue still on the Apple device."
"Yeah, you have no idea how happy he is about that," Angela drawled.
"That amount remaining would indicate that on the day of the event the concentration was quite high."
"Sure," Angela agreed hesitantly.
"The onset of anaphylaxis would be induced at a higher rate due to the prevalence of the allergen and her increased respiratory rate."
"Ok," Angela agreed again.
"She would have been experiencing physical distress."
Angela nodded as she caught up with Brennan's train of thought. "Like shortness of breath."
"Acute," the anthropologist insisted. "It would have affected her movement."
"Sure, like maybe she was bent over; to catch her breath." Angela adjusted the image on the screen so that Ivory was bent double, her hands on her knees as if gasping for breath.
Brennan shook her head. "The blow was not delivered in a downward angle." She studied the image for another beat. "What if she were on her knees?"
Angela nodded as she once again altered the parameters on the tablet. The character representing their victim jogged across the screen and then took two or three faltering steps before falling to her knees. The attacker character emerged and delivered the same blow and once again Angela flinched.
"No," Brennan said with a frown. "The angle is wrong. Ange, reduce the height of the attacker by fifteen percent."
When the artist complied and the scenario played out Brennan nodded in approval.
"Does that mean what I think it means?" Angela asked.
Brennan turned. "If you think it means the killer was five-foot-four you would be correct."
"You better call Booth," Angela said. "He arrested the wrong guy."
B&B
"Sweets hold up," Booth called.
The psychologists halted his hand on the door to the interrogation room. "Why?"
"Bones just called. She recalculated her estimate based on the information Hodgins provided about the peanut allergy."
"And?"
"And Lou can't be our guy. Bones says the killer is only five-foot-four."
"So, you have to let this guy go?"
"No way," Booth assured him. "He knows something. You saw his face when we started asking questions."
"Totally," Sweets agreed. "He definitely knows something."
Booth nodded. "Follow my lead," he said as he turned the knob and opened the door.
"I don't understand," Lou said the moment they entered. "I showed you the ledger. I can prove I was down in Charlottesville that night!"
"You can," Booth agreed. "But what I need to know is why you were following Ivory Reed."
"I…I don't know what you are talking about."
"Lou," Sweets said leaning forward as if he were offering advice. "Agent Booth has a really short temper and he doesn't react well to being lied to." Lou's eyes darted nervously to Booth who sat scowling at him. "If we check the security tapes at the coffee shop I'm pretty sure we are going to see you there, right?" Lou nodded and Sweets pressed. "I think that means you should tell him what he wants to know."
"Why were you following Ivory Reed?" Booth repeated.
"I was supposed to learn her routine so I could carry out the plan," he mumbled.
Booth tapped the table. "I'm a little hard of hearing, Clark," he barked. "Speak up. What plan?"
"I didn't do it!"
"We know," Sweets soothed. "You were in Charlottesville."
Lou shook his head. "No, not that night, I meant the plan. I didn't go through with the plan."
"The plan for you to kill Ivory," Booth stated without question.
Lou nodded. "I didn't do it!"
B&B
"Boss, you are a genius!" Turner called as she entered Booth's office.
"I've been told on numerous occasions that I'm not," Booth answered.
Turner chuckled and dropped into the chair in front of his desk. "Well, if you want to get technical," she laughed.
"What do you have Turner?"
"You had me going over that will you subpoenaed." Booth gave her an impatient look and she hurried her explanation along. "You were right. If Ivory preceded her father in death then everything went to the wife." Booth nodded. "You don't seem surprised," Turner noted.
"I'm not. I've seen it before. Plus, my gut told me it was the only possible explanation."
"I thought we followed the evidence?"
"We do. But sometimes to find the evidence you have to trust your gut."
"So, you trust your gut more than the evidence, more than the science?"
Booth shook his head. "I trust the science. If I didn't, Bones and I wouldn't be what we are." Turner smirked at that and he shook his head. "Get your mind out of the gutter, I meant professionally. Our partnership is based on a balance. She's the science, I'm the intuition. It works best when you trust them equally."
"I'll try to remember that," the young agent replied.
The call of his name at the door with an accompanying knock made them both turn. "Your suspect is here," Agent Gaines reported.
"Come on, Turner," Booth said as he stood and slipped his jacket back over his shoulders. "You can watch from the observation room when my gut saves the day."
B&B
"Mrs. Reed, when was the last time you saw Ivory?" Sweets asked, easing into the real line of questioning.
The woman rolled her eyes and sighed audibly. "I've answered that question many times. Don't you people read what you write down?"
"I'm afraid we have to keep asking," Sweets replied mildly. "There are reasons."
She snorted with contempt. "Yes, you assume you will catch someone in a lie. Well, I'm not lying. Ivory was at her party of course, but she never showed up to visit with her father afterward." Her voice changed to something both men easily identified as faked regret. "He was so devastated when she didn't show. And then when he learned she was missing. Well, it almost killed him."
"You are certain you did not see her after you left the party?" Booth asked.
"I said that didn't I?"
Booth lifted an eyebrow at her harsh retort, but he continued in a mild tone. "Do you exercise regularly, Mrs. Reed?"
Her entire demeanor shifted and she suddenly offered him a softer, more inviting smile. "Thank you for noticing, Agent Booth. I do exercise regularly." She smirked as her eyes moved slowly over him. "You obviously do more than your fair share in the gym."
"You are an equestrian, right?" Sweets interjected.
She looked to the psychologist with a scowl. "The horses are a hobby." Her eyes returned to Booth and she spoke through a smile. "I do regular yoga and pilates to maintain my flexibility and taut body."
"How about jogging?" Booth asked. "Ever do any of that?"
"No, not really my style," Ursula answered sitting back. His question had rattled her but she hid it well. Anyone but the two men watching her might have missed it.
"Ivory was a runner," Sweets stated.
"So?"
"She jogged often in the park where her body was found."
"You would think someone would have looked there sooner," Ursula theorized coolly.
"If they'd known she was alive the morning after her party they might have," Booth agreed.
The woman's eye twitched, just a tiny movement, but it was a definite reaction to his words. "Well, in answer to your question," she repeated. "I'm not a runner."
"But you did visit the park in Boonsville," Booth noted.
Ursula shook her head and scoffed. "No."
Booth opened the file at his elbow and slid two photocopies across the table. "The toll records from the turnpike show you took the exit to Draper Park at six-fifteen he morning of the fourteenth and that you returned two hours later. "What were you doing in Draper Park for two hours that morning?"
"I…I had no idea I was there that long," she stammered. "I was distraught over Ivory ignoring her father. I was troubled by his reaction to her behavior and I needed time to think."
"It took longer than you anticipated, didn't it?" Sweets asked.
She turned to him confused by the question. "What?"
"For the anaphylactic shock to kill her," he clarified. "It took longer than you expected."
"I…"
"You see," Sweets pressed. "Agent Booth has this amazing partner. She can't be here today, that's why I'm here, but if she were here you'd understand. Because she knows exactly what happened. She examined Ivory's body, she studied her bones and she knows."
There was fear in Ursula's eyes now and they both leaned forward in anticipation. "You knew Ivory was allergic to nuts," Booth stated as factually as Brennan would have. "And you coated her iPod with the peanut oil that night at the party. Then you drove to the park to make certain it worked. You'd already had the plan for Lou to kill her fall through and you were out of time. She was leaving for London that day."
Ursula's eyes widened in panic but her lips tightened into a firm line of refusal.
"So you waited," Sweets continued. "But while she struggled to breathe, even fell to her knees, she just wouldn't die."
"So you picked up a rock," Booth finished. "And you hit her hard enough to make her brain bleed."
"Since you convinced everyone she had already disappeared the night before," Sweets added. "It was almost a perfect plan. She disappeared and then all you had to do was wait around for your husband to die and then all that money was yours."
"It was already supposed to be mine!" Ursula snapped. "I was his wife! Do you have any idea how annoying it was to watch him dote on that brat year after year? She was young, she was beautiful, she didn't need my money! But instead of taking care of me, he bent over backwards to take care of that princess. What was I supposed to do, just let her marry her prince and ride off into the sunset with my money too! No way! That wasn't happening!"
"Well what's happening now," Booth said as he stood, "Is that you are going to jail. Ursula Reed, I'm placing you under arrest for the murder of Ivory Reed."
B&B
"Ok, its eight o'clock on the dot just like I promised," Hodgins bragged as he entered Angela's office.
"Thank you, babe," she said before beginning to put away her paints.
"You didn't believe me," he accused.
There was no sense denying it, the fact that she had still been painting made it quite clear she hadn't expected him to meet the deadline. "Jack, you've kept me waiting every time."
"Yeah, but I promised I was going to try harder."
Angela nodded. He had tried and she had to give him credit for it. Last week he had kept her waiting ten minutes, the week before thirty, so being on time meant he was truly trying to keep his word. These nights were a compromise and he was making an effort. She had agreed to wait, one night per week; one night for him to focus on finding something new among the golden beetles and collected particulates from each of the Creeps murders. It was a solution they could both live with because he couldn't stop trying to find an answer and she couldn't continue to watch him obsess daily.
"You did try," she admitted as her arms wrapped around his neck. "Thank you."
"What are you working on?" he asked when their kiss ended.
Angela turned toward her canvas. "Ivory inspired me," she explained.
Jack looked at it trying to use the skills she had given him on their endless museum trips in Paris. "It's quite evocative, Babe," he praised. "I get a sense of euphoria and a darkness at the same time."
Angela beamed to hear him expressing what she intended in the art. "That was the idea," she gushed. "There's just such a difference between the Snow White tale we know and the one Fisher told us. It felt like that was a good metaphor for Ivory's life. It was all light and happy with those she loved and with that future she had planned. And yet it was dark and terrible in the way her stepmother hated her and schemed against her."
"Reality is a lot closer to the Brothers Grimm than Disney I think," Hodgins agreed.
"Just promise me one thing," Angela said as they turned from the painting and headed for the door.
"Anything, you know that."
"Never tell me the Grimms' version of Cinderella. I don't want to know."
"Nothing but singing mice and happily ever after for you, Babe," he vowed.
"Did you really object to the obvious comparisons between Ivory and the fairy tale?"
"It was silly," Booth answered around the toothbrush in his mouth. "I'm surprised that didn't bother you more, Bones." He continued to brush as he waited for her answer.
Brennan set down the hairbrush she had been using and reached for her own toothbrush. "I never detected any intended disrespect to the victim." She trailed a dollop of paste over her bristles as she continued. "Disrespect is something I will not tolerate."
"I know."
She began to brush as he leaned forward and spit. "The similarities were striking," she admitted. "The seven lovers each with a distinctive characteristic, the stepmother designing her death and of course her striking beauty."
Booth lifted his eyes without rising from his angle over the bowl. His dark eyes watched her in the mirror as he swirled the water in his mouth and the shot a stream into the sink. Still keeping eye contact in the mirror on the wall he moved, speaking as he stood, "You are far more beautiful."
She rolled her eyes at him and giggled when he turned and tried to kiss her. "I'm brushing my teeth," she stated around a mouth full of lather and brush. She giggled again when he leaned down with her to place a kiss on the back of her neck as she rinsed.
When she righted herself he saw the look on her face. "What?" he prompted. "What are you thinking about?"
"I've never understood the infatuation with fairy tales."
"Not even as a little girl? Come on, Bones, every little girl loves that stuff."
She shrugged. "I recall a few references, but I was never an enthusiast. And from my vantage point today, I would say that is best. The concept of happily ever after is deceptively simplistic."
She was walking away and as she flipped the switch she left him standing in the darkened bathroom with a new kind of worry. "What do you mean deceptively simplistic?" he asked and hustled after her.
"You don't find it misleading?" she asked as she turned down the covers on her side of her bed.
He grabbed his half and pulled still focused on their conversation. "Misleading how?"
"Am I correct that as a general rule the story ends with the princess being rescued by the prince who then proposes marriage? And their subsequent union is presented as an ultimate reward by creating an environment that is happy ever after?"
"Wow, I think you just squinted up fairy tales so much they'll never recover." She made a face and he chuckled, "Yes, that's the general idea. What's wrong with it?"
Brennan slid into bed and he followed. "It's not that easy," she answered as they settled.
"What?"
"A monogamous relationship," she answered. "To suggest that the characters move in together and suddenly all hardship is avoided is simplistic and it glosses over the complex issues that arise when you begin a serious relationship involving cohabitation."
They weren't officially living together, but they damn well might as well be and Booth felt a growing since of dread. "Bones, are you having a problem with me being here so often?" he asked.
"No," she stopped when she saw his look of relief. Scooting closer she touched her hand to his cheek. "I simply meant that to reach the reward suggested in those tales, we are required to put forth some effort. We are not able to simply be happy, we have to adapt to one another." She pulled him close and pressed her freshly brushed mouth to his. When their lips parted she continued in a soft voice of sincerity. "Learning to be with you makes me very happy."
"You know what makes me happy?" he asked his voice dropping to a playful growl.
Brennan could think of several things but she lay back on the pillow with an expression of crafted innocence. "What?"
It worked. She was quickly learning it always worked. A simple look of anticipation could get her exactly what she wanted. It was a benefit of nonverbal communication she had never fully appreciated until now. She smiled encouragement as Booth shifted his body over hers. "I get really happy when I can hear those sounds you like to make," he answered.
"What sounds?"
Brennan's voice was breathy and soft and she sighed when his lips brushed her neck. "Like that one," he whispered in her ear when he heard the sigh. His lips slid over her, brushing her skin but only barely and his hand did the same tracing her curves without making contact. Brennan moaned with longing. "I really like that one," he gloated.
"I enjoy making you happy," she teased looking up at him with blue eyes that promised he would be overjoyed. "What other sounds do you like me to make?"
Booth chuckled as he slid his hand beneath her pajamas top. "This is how you get to happily ever after, Bones."
Join us again next week when Booth and Brennan have to go undercover at a truck stop where several bodies were found, and Hodgins finds that being King of the Lab isn't always all that it's cracked up to be in The 10 in the 4 by Thnx4theGum and GCatsPJs.