Chapter 9
Judy Benjamin had given them the contact information for Dr. Katherine Lauren and Dr. James Sullivan. Brennan's phone rang before they had even buckled their seatbelts.
"Brennan."
"Hey Sweetie, how'd it go with the ex-wife?"
"They were good friends Ange. I think that Dr. Benjamin was right."
"A little too good. They were married for seventeen years and just divorced like it was no big deal. You and Hodgins didn't break up that well and you are squints."
"Nice Booth, thanks. You know, after seventeen years, maybe the spark was gone. Speaking of sparks..."
"Ange," Brennan said desperately, "We are going to go and talk to the Biochemist that Mrs. Benjamin said owed him some money."
"Booth, have you ever talked to a Biochemist?"
"No, but I work with you guys. I'll grant you, this is like, Squint World, but I can talk to you guys okay."
"Booth, we like you, we talk to you. You should ask Agent Perotta how easy we are to work with. Imagine Brennan at her most neurotic..."
"Hey!"
"...now multiply that ten times or more. She has to talk to people, they never do. Many of them are mostly normal but you are talking about scientists who only live and work with other scientists. You might actually want Brennan to ask the questions. Good lu-uck."
"She said I should lead the investigation." Brennan grinned.
"No, she said that you should ask the questions. She's never seen you in action though. If you have a question, let me know what it is first and then ask it, okay." Brennan's eyes were on fire again. She was really insulted. Usually he could get away with such a bold statement and while she would be a little miffed, he could smile and throw her a compliment and she would be fine. Not this time, he began to fear for his life.
"If you don't think you need me then I'll just head to the anatomy labs and relax for the rest of the day, or hire and car and go back to the remains."
"Its not that. Look, I'm sorry, that's not how I meant it. I have a series of questions in my head. They lead the person we are talking to through certain logic so that they give me information they don't mean to and I can catch them in lies."
"Like a debate cross examination. Why didn't you ever say that? It doesn't look like it when you do it. You seem to be able to guess what they are going to say but it is because you are leading them and using the information they give you to plan your next move. Why can't you just speak clearly? I get it. I don't know if I can read their minds like you do but Russ could never win a debate against me."
"I don't doubt that. I bet even your Dad had trouble winning debates against you."
"Not until I was thirteen, and then only occasionally."
"Look, I want you there. Cam's right, I may need you to translate, I may need to call Wendell to translate for you, but I have a better chance of solving this if you are with me." Brennan instinctively knew a smile was coming, she forced herself not to look.
"Fine, but if you shush me again, I'm leaving." She wouldn't meet his gaze, not so normal after all. Good going, you betray her, you let her down and now you hurl insults at her, what a guy! They drove the last few blocks in silence.
"Virology Lab is through here." Brennan said as they worked through another maze of labs. They rounded a corner and Booth nearly knocked Dr. Shannon over.
"Well, if it isn't my two favorite investigators! Hello!" Dr. Shannon's smile beamed and Brennan was reminded how very much he looked like her father.
"Hello Dr. Shannon. We were just looking for the Virology lab." Brennan said cheerfully. Booth looked miserable. He forced a weak smile.
"You must be looking for Katie, two labs down that way."
"How did you know we were looking for Dr. Lauren?" Booth asked. Brennan looked at Booth incredulously.
"Well, Special Agent Booth, its obvious. She owed Robert Newton a little bit of money. There still isn't anyone else missing and Mr. Newton hasn't returned. No one had any real reason to harm Robert so you must check every lead, no matter how weak. I'm sure she's expecting you. Its a small community, news spreads quickly."
"Well, uh, thank you Dr. Shannon." Booth put his hand on the small of Brennan's back and pushed her toward the Virology Lab. They were almost there before Booth realized what he'd done and prepared to lose his arm. He stopped pushing and she turned to him. He stepped back and braced for an attack. His subconscious movement was endearing and it demonstrated a certain respect for her skill. Brennan decided a dirty look would suffice. She looked quickly away not wanting to see his face in the event of his puppy dog eyes, or a Booth grin.
A young, fierce looking woman with blonde hair tied into a loose ponytail met them at the entrance to the Virology lab.
"I'm Dr. Katherine Lauren. You are Dr. Temperance Brennan and Agent Booth. You are here to talk about the money I owed Robert Newton. Let us step into the lounge. We have a clean lab." Booth raised his eyebrow in question and Brennan explained.
"Dr. Benjamin said that they were working with rhinovirus. That's the common cold. It is likely that we are carrying several species of rhinovirus on our clothing now and brining it into the lab could compromise their research."
"Dr. Lauren, how is it you knew we were coming?" Booth asked. He looked worried, everybody seemed to know what he was going to do and say. They all said it was obvious and he was starting to feel out of step.
"Judy called me and said you might be stopping by. My lab is before the Medical labs so it seemed prudent to scrub out."
"What can you tell us about Robert Newton?" Brennan decided to take control before Dr. Lauren got impatient.
"Robert was a kind man. He always said that subatomic particles were his god and science his religion. We made a bet that I couldn't sequence the rhinovirus code faster than it could mutate. I lost. I owed him three-hundred dollars and we agreed that I would pay him next weekend if I hadn't outpaced the mutation rate. We can get a sequence to the vaccine lab in two days but we are still behind the mutation rate."
"Everybody tells us how small this community is, how well did you know Robert?" Brennan asked. Booth was stunned, that was a good question.
"He was a quiet man. He didn't volunteer personal information. He made people around him feel like comrades and friends. We called him our Mediator because if you couldn't resolve a disagreement quickly, he was capable of negotiating an agreement within a few minutes."
"Are there many disagreements around here?" Booth asked.
"No, only rarely. Except for the alternative fuel researchers, they get a bit territorial now and then."
"Do you know who uses highly concentrated inorganic acids regularly?"
"What an interesting question. Do you think acids were used in Robert's murder?"
"No, we found high concentrations of certain ions in the surrounding soil and we were hoping that the people using acids may have seen something."
Booth tried to swallow, exhale and inhale all at the same time, he started coughing. Brennan had just lied, well.
"Oh, well, I would guess some of the alternative fuel researchers are trying different acids for batteries and you can try the Inorganic Chemistry labs, of course. I think every lab has a little hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid and glacial acetic acid around somewhere but only in the usual concentrations. I prefer the weak ones myself." Dr. Lauren winked at Brennan and they shared a chuckle. Booth just stared.
"Thank you for scrubbing out to talk to us today Dr. Lauren." Brennan stood and shook the woman's hand.
"It was a pleasure Dr. Brennan. I enjoy your books. Would you mind if we extend you an invitation to come speak at our Mole Day Festival this year?"
"No, that would be lovely. Please email me the details." Brennan handed Dr. Lauren a business card and they shook hands warmly again.
"It was nice to meet you too Agent Booth." Dr. Lauren shook his hand and went back to her lab. Booth turned to Bones with a look of admiration.
"Bones, you put her at ease and asked focused and poignant questions! That was great!" Booth was grinning the first genuine smile he had smiled in two days.
"While I am annoyed that your comment implies that I am not capable of adequately questioning someone, I am flattered at your tone. I have a steep learning curve and the people here are easier to understand than most of the people we talk to." Brennan decided that he was being nice and smiled as they walked back to the SUV.
"Okay, I have to ask. What was she talking about with the weaker ones, and what is Mole Day." Booth asked as they started toward the medical building.
"Biologists work more often with weaker organic acids over the stronger inorganic ones. She's a Biochemist so she was just making a joke. A mole is a unit of measure that indicates there are the same number of units of a pure substance as there are atoms in twelve grams of carbon-12. A mole of one element has the same number of atoms and a mole of another element it is useful because it allows us to calculate the mass required of a particular substance..." Booth looked utterly confused. "...um, okay, its a chemistry thing. It has to do with Avogadro's number which is 6.02x10e23. So every year on October twenty-third, many scientists celebrate Mole Day from 6:02am to 6:02pm."
"You have squint holidays? That's funny. Squint jokes, squint religions and now squint holidays. You have, like, a whole different culture don't you?" Booth was laughing.
"Squint religion, what is that supposed to mean?"
"You referred to yourself as an empiricist, Dr. Lauren said that Dr. Newton always said subatomic particles were his god. So you have different squint religions."
"Not exactly. She said science was his religion. What he meant was the idea that we exchange subatomic particles with our environment, the air, things we touch, et cetera. Some scientists believe that what humans experience as god is actually the sensation of exchanging material with our universe, giving us a feeling of being connected. Its romantic and completely unfounded. Its one way that scientists who have grown up with strong religious beliefs can rectify the rational science with deeply ingrained beliefs."
"You told me once that you cannot separate the victims we help from yourself because we all share humanity. I've seen you show the same compassion for animals and even plants. You don't think that its possible that we share something more than what science has currently identified? That these subatomic particles could really be what give us the feeling of connection?"
"Booth, do you realize that that would mean the religion you believe in was false?"
"I don't necessarily believe in everything that the Church says, but I feel a connection to people, and to God. If it is these subatomic particles, it would still mean that we exist together and have a real connection to each other. I can accept that. You didn't answer my question. Isn't it possible?"
"Well, Booth, in an infinite universe..."
"Bones."
"Yes, Booth, it is. It is completely unfounded, but it is possible."
The medical lab was linear and ordered and looked much like a hospital. There was a large sign listing all of the rooms and the lead researcher for each project. Next to it was a map and the hallway had prominent markings.
"It should be much easier to find Dr. Sullivan than it was to find anything in the other labs."
"Probably because the other labs were built to emphasize function and maximize efficient use of the space. This is meant for visitors to find their way through in order to participate in research." Brennan was already striding down a hallway and Booth was forced to jog along to catch up.
"Do you think anyone has had a motive to kill Robert Newton?"
"We don't know if Robert Newton is dead and we don't know if the remains we found were his."
"I know Bones, just go with it for a minute. Do you think anyone we've met so far has a motive?"
"You know I don't like psychology, but no, I don't think anyone has a good enough reason to have killed Robert Newton."
"Bones, are you serious?" Booth had caught up with her. "We have someone who owes him money, someone who believes he was unfairly treated by a figure with no real authority only perceived authority and an ex-wife who is the sole beneficiary of the alleged victim's estate. We've seen people murder for less."
"None of those people had any rational reason to kill him, they wouldn't gain anything by killing Dr. Newton. Dr. Wickman said it, no net gain, no motive." Booth just shook his head.
They entered a large brightly lit room with two large recliners and a compliment of monitors and equipment. No one was in the room but a door to an office was open on the other side. They crossed the room, Brennan nodded to one wall.
"EEG" She whispered. She had leaned close to Booth's ear and he could feel her breath on his cheek. He closed his eyes trying to remain in control. His spine tingled and his cheek stung. He froze, willing himself not to touch his cheek. Booth! You are walking in to talk to someone who may have killed and dissolved a fellow scientist. Next to you is your beautiful scientist and you are distracted by a whisper! You are going to get her killed! Booth shuddered and took a deep breath. He opened his eyes to find her looking at him, she was worried again. His stomach dropped and he fought the impulse to touch her. He smiled at her and walked toward the office. Brennan watched him walk by her and studied his gait, how he held his shoulders. He didn't look injured or in pain but he was behaving strangely. Shuddering, stopping suddenly, clutching his chest, he wouldn't leave until they got through this interview, but then, hospital.
Booth paused at the doorway of the office, "Excuse me, Dr. Sullivan?"
"Yes? Come in." Dr. Sullivan was a very thin man with graying hair. When he stood to shake their hands they could see he was a very tall man. His face revealed no emotion. He was not unpleasant, he was calm but cold.
"I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth and this is my partner Dr. Temperance Brennan from the Jeffersonian. We'd like to ask you some questions."
"Yes, of course. I assume this is about Robert Newton?"
"Yes..." Booth started.
"I assume you've been told that I had an argument with Mr. Newton shortly before his disappearance." Dr. Sullivan cut Booth off. Brennan could see that Dr. Sullivan was trying to establish dominance. Booth should interrupt or ask a pointed question rather than allowing Dr. Sullivan to finish. He's good at this but he's missing this opportunity.
"Dr. Sullivan," Brennan said with her teaching voice, "please tell us why you and Mr. Newton were arguing."
"Mr. Newton had been participating in some research of mine and he wanted to end his participation. I was trying to convince him not to."
"Because it would compromise your results." Booth offered.
"Yes, I'm trying to map the brainwave pattern differences between different dreams. I'm hoping that tracking the EEG during a nightmare can lead us eventually to understanding the difference between nightmares, dreams and night terrors. More keys to unlock the brain." Booth noticed that his tone was almost proud.
"Did Mr. Newton have many nightmares?" Booth asked.
"No, none at all." Booth looked confused. Brennan leaned in to his ear.
"Control group." Here we go again, focus. Booth thought to himself.
"Did you and he know each other outside of the research?"
"No. It is a small community and I knew of him but I don't think we'd ever even talked before I approached him to participate in my research."
"Did you place some sort of advertisement to get participants? Did he volunteer?"
"No, I approached doctors and psychologists in nearby towns looking for people who complained of nightmares and approached a number of people at random. If I place an ad, I get a lot of people who have insomnia and want free treatment. Stopping people on the street and in malls or department stores, I'm more likely to find a random sampling."
"B..." Brennan started.
"So you approached Mr. Newton on the street one day?" Booth glanced quickly at Brennan, he hadn't meant to interrupt but she had allowed him to ask his question. Booth raised his eyebrow slightly to thank her.
"Yes, I was walking around outside the physics labs asking for participants."
"Short of the referrals from area physicians, how much of your sampling is done from Walden?"
"For this research, I did ask quite a few people from around here. It is easier for them to come in for overnight monitoring. We don't have a hotel as it were. We keep a few rooms in a few houses prepared for out-of-town participants and the occasional guest speaker. I need to record many nights with each participant so the limited space can make for difficulties in accommodations. I was getting ready to try a new phase of the research, inducing nightmares in people who did not have them frequently."
"And Mr. Newton didn't want to have nightmares?" Booth prompted.
"We'd been trying for several weeks to induce a nightmare but he hadn't had any. He was bored with the process and wanted out. I tried to persuade him to continue a little longer but he refused and I never saw him again."
"How did you intend to induce nightmares?" Brennan asked shifting forward in her seat.
"Horror stories and movies mostly. That prompted most of the participants to have at least one nightmare."
"You said mostly, what else did you try?" Brennan had the same look as she did when she found some particularly intriguing mark on a bone.
"It was just a figure of speech. Although I've had many people suggest spicy food." Dr. Sullivan met her eyes. Brennan wished she could read what was behind them the way Booth could.
"On his personal information, who is listed as his next of kin?" Brennan asked.
"His ex-wife, Judy Benjamin. She called me to ask me if I had seen him when they found him missing."
"...found him missing..." Brennan stifled a giggle. Dr. Sullivan's face broke into a smile and he started laughing. Booth looked at Brennan and they started laughing.
"Thank you Dr. Sullivan." Brennan said, laughter still in her voice.
"Of course. Good luck, I do hope you find him." Dr. Sullivan's face was again blank and expressionless. They walked back through the lab.
"This place seems pretty deserted." Booth commented, looking around.
"It is almost 7pm. I'm sure everyone has gone home or is in back rooms working. This late, there aren't people coming in and out for testing and research. This isn't a working hospital."
"Mm." Booth nodded. Brennan watched him out of the corner of her eye, trying to gauge whether to let him drive. He had that look, like he doesn't know where to go with the case and he'd frustrated by it.