A/N: Hope you're enjoying it. Thanks to all my reviewers. I really appreciate your opinions.

Chapter 3

Mandy Manning's Apartment, Sharpsburg, Maryland, Thursday at 4:00 pm

The almost ninety minute drive to Sharpsburg gave Booth and Brennan an opportunity to discuss in more detail the other case they were working on. The FBI lab was looking for DNA from the eyes and anything on the notes but so far the notes had turned up zip. Also Charlie had been assigned to heading out to Greenbush, Minnesota to see what he could find. If anything pertinent came up while he was out there he was to follow up. With everything set up, Booth had agreed to escort her to her apartment to get some things before heading back to the Jeffersonian. Surprisingly, Brennan did not argue and Booth wasn't sure what to make of that.

"Here we are," her partner smiled as they pulled onto the main thoroughfare of Sharpsburg.

"This is a very small town," Brennan commented.

"Yeah, you would have thought when Sam Butter went missing there wouldn't have been a lot of suspects. Heck considering where the body was found, I can't believe someone didn't find it earlier," Booth looked around as he turned down the first street he came to.

"Very odd indeed," Brennan agreed as she watched the people outside.

"I suspect they know we aren't tourists," she pointed out as they all gave the big black SUV a dirty look.

"In a town this small word travels fast. No doubt someone at the sheriff's office tipped off someone else," the G-man shook his head and pulled up next to a small apartment building.

"That just means that people won't want to talk," she sighed.

"Very likely but we have to give it a shot Bones. Someone around here knows something," he gave slight smile and they both hopped out of the vehicle. Heading inside, Brennan turned to him.

"Where does Mandy live?" She asked.

"Apartment 2. Upstairs," he pointed. She nodded and they went upstairs. Booth knocked on the door and when a middle-aged woman with graying hair answered the door, he identified himself,

"Hi, I'm FBI Special Agent Seely Booth and this is Dr. Temperance Brennan, can we come in?" A flash of the badge was all it took and the woman nodded.

"So let me guess you're here about Sam," the woman said.

"Yes ma'am, we have some questions for you," Booth smiled.

"Please call me Mandy. Now come on in," she smiled back as she let the partners in.

"Would you like some iced tea? I just made it," Mandy offered after they took their seats on her couch.

"Yes please," Brennan smiled and she was rewarded with a glass. Booth declined however and he dove right in.

"What made you think we were here about Sam?" He asked.

"Sheriff Townshend called me. I guess he wanted to make sure I was going to be here," Mandy smiled.

"Did he tell you why we're investigating now?" Booth wondered.

"No, just that you had some questions," she answered.

"Sam's body was discovered by some hikers walking through Antietam National Battlefield," Brennan filled in. A sigh escaped Mandy's lips and she nodded.

"After all this time I kind of figured he was dead, I just didn't want to admit it,"

"I'm sorry about your loss but I do need to ask you some questions. Do you know anyone who would have wanted to hurt him?" Booth asked.

"The detectives asked me that before and to this day I haven't been able to come up with anyone. Sam always paid his bills on time, worked at the grocery store, and volunteered for the fire department. He always took care of his folks and his neighbors. I don't understand it," Mandy was trying hard to hold back tears.

"Was he into anything? You know drugs, gambling, that sort of thing?" Booth wanted to know.

"The closest Sam got to drugs was when the doctor gave him a prescription and as for gambling, he played the lottery occasionally but other than that…" she trailed off.

"What about his parents? Did they have any other children?" The G-man inquired.

"No, Sam was it. His mom was forty-seven when he disappeared and after seven years, they declared him legally dead. After that she found out she had cancer. Died about a year later. Old man Butter is still around although I haven't talked to him in a few years. He should be about seventy-seven by now," Mandy wiped a stray tear from her eyes.

"Keeping track of their birthdays?" Booth raised an eyebrow.

"Sam proposed to me about a week before he disappeared. We'd been dating for almost two years," she explained.

"When you last saw him, how was his mood?" The FBI agent continued on.

"Good mood, same as always. We'd had lunch together and he had to go to his parents' place soon after. He dropped me off here and then he went to his place. When he didn't show up at the Fourth of July, we didn't know what to do," Mandy sighed.

"Thank you very much. We'll be in touch. If you think of anything, please call me," Booth handed her his card.

"Thank you," she smiled slightly and the partners started toward the door when Booth stopped and turned around.

"One last thing, did Sam ever get into Civil War reenacting?"

"No but his dad was a big Civil War buff," Mandy replied. Booth gave a nod and the partners saw themselves out.

"I guess I know where we have to go next," Brennan said.

"You got it Bones. Old man Butter's place," he looked at his watch. It was five o'clock. His stomach rumbled as they got into the SUV.

"Or maybe dinner?" She smirked.

"Let's go see if Butter is in the mood to talk then we'll get food on the way home," he said. Putting the key in the ignition, Booth fired the vehicle up and headed back toward the police station. He needed an address.

"Greg Butter's address?" Sheriff Townshend looked at him.

"Yes. Is that a problem?" The FBI agent gave him a look.

"Well yeah. Greg has Alzheimer's," the sheriff told the partners.

"Well we'd still like to try to talk to him," Booth knew that wasn't going to be easy.

"He lives at Autumn Acres in Hagerstown. That's about thirteen miles to the north," Townshend said.

"Thanks, we'll be in touch," Booth shook the man's hand and he and Brennan headed back out to the SUV.

"Alzheimer's is a degenerative disease. You probably won't get a lucid answer out of Mr. Butter," Brennan shook her head as he fired the vehicle up again.

"I know but it can't hurt to try. I'm going to call Steve at the Bureau and see if I can't get some more background info on Greg Butter. I was kind of hoping he was still living at home. It would tell us how much this guy was into Civil War memorabilia," the G-man smacked the steering wheel with his palm as they headed back toward the highway.

"Do you think Greg Butter killed his son Sam?" His partner asked.

"Greg was into Civil War stuff and his son was supposed to be visiting his family before the holiday. When he didn't show, no one made a call to the cops until the Fourth of July," Booth's gut was telling him something was off.

"I see your point," Brennan nodded.

"But my big question is why? Mandy thought he was a saint and according to his file, he never missed a day of work or called in late or sick. Sam wasn't in debt and he volunteered at the fire company. What dad would not be proud of his son for that?" He wondered. Brennan knew that Booth's dad hadn't always been the best to him and she wondered how proud he was of his son. She knew she was proud to call Booth her partner, best friend, and now boyfriend. She sighed and watched the SUV turn off onto the Hagerstown exit.

To Be Continued…