Chapter 17

Sharpsburg Public Library, Sharpsburg, Maryland, Wednesday at 1:45 pm

Booth, Brennan, and Sheriff Townshend entered the library to find Margot still at her post. The FBI agent was surprised by this considering she had directed them to the Sheriff who would did not back up her story.

"Can I help you?" The librarian asked.

"Yes you can. Margot Bartnik you are under arrest for the murder of Leon Fick," Booth announced. He continued to read the woman her rights as he handcuffed her hands behind her back. The few patrons in the library watched in horror as their librarian was led away.

"Library is closed people. Gather your things and leave," Sheriff Townshend told them. Quickly the patrons did as they were told and Townshend used Margot's keys to lock up.

Down at the station, Margot sat in the interrogation room with a bewildered look on her face. Somehow she couldn't figure out how she managed to get herself into this mess.

"So why did you make up that story about Leon waving his nine millimeter around at you?" Booth wanted to know.

"I didn't. That's not something you lie about," Margot defended herself.

"You pointed us to the Sheriff. Why?" The G-man continued his questioning.

"Because I sent him to get Leon. The man was drunk. I was afraid he'd shoot someone," the librarian stuck to her story. Brennan puzzled from the other room as to why Margot was sticking to her story. It was now that she wished Sweets was there. He always seemed to know what the suspects were thinking despite the fact that psychology was only guesswork. It was then that Deputy Houser entered the room and looked at her before knocking on the door. Booth allowed him to enter and gave him a look. He didn't like to be interrupted but if Houser had information about the murder weapon it was worth it.

"We have a team searching your house for your husband's shotgun," the Deputy said nonchalantly.

"My husband's shotgun? I don't own a shotgun," Margot said.

"We know you do. When Sheriff Boyd died all his possessions went to you including his entry shotgun that he purchased with his gun allowance from the county," Houser showed her the file he'd found.

"I never took any of Mark's guns. He knew I hated them," she told them.

"Except when you found out that Leon killed your husband after he discovered that Mark knew about what had happened to Sam Butter," Booth chimed in.

"Leon killed my husband?" Suddenly Margot looked like she was going to be sick.

"Yes, he used the nine millimeter that his nephew used to shoot my wife," Houser was starting to get angry.

"Listen, I told you I didn't know Marie had gotten the weapon for Leon. It wasn't until I saw it in Leon's hands that I knew something wasn't right," she claimed.

"So you're saying the Sheriff went to Leon's house and after he took the nine millimeter that Marie had stolen from evidence, you went back and cooked Leon some breakfast. Oh and I almost forgot fed him some of your sleeping pills," Booth raised an eyebrow.

"What? No. I didn't go back to Leon's. I figured Bob would arrest him," the librarian said.

"Except conveniently the Sheriff has no idea what you're talking about. Seems he'd be more than happy to arrest Leon after he knew the Jeffersonian matched the bullet fragments to Leon's gun," Houser pointed out. To this Margot had no answer. The story no longer made sense either and Booth was beginning to wonder if something else was going on. It made sense that Margot would send he and Bones back to the Sheriff to give her time to escape however she didn't. What was worse was the fact that the librarian was sticking to her story. It was then that Deputy Houser's phone rang and he picked up the call. There was a long pause on his end and after a minute or so the Deputy said,

"Thank you sir." Everyone in the room waited anxiously to hear what he had to say.

"That was the Sheriff. They found your sleeping pills and the shotgun used to kill Leon Fick. No doubt we'll match the fingerprints on it to you," a smug look crossed his face. There was no way the librarian was getting out of this one.

"I want a lawyer," Margot told them.

"Good call," Houser said as he left his seat and went to retrieve a local lawyer. Booth looked at her for a moment before leaving the room as well.

"Case closed," Brennan gave him a nod.

"Except something isn't right," her partner said.

"How so? We caught her and she has the murder weapon and the pills. Plus her fingerprints are at the crime scene," the forensic anthropologist was confused.

"Her story. Why tell us that elaborate mess and then not leave when she had the opportunity? Her ex-husband was a cop. She would know how this would go down. Then there is the fact she called Townshend by his first name. Everyone else we've talked to always called him Sheriff," Booth's unrelenting uneasiness made Brennan pause. There was validity in his thinking but no other explanation.

"The only way this works is if the Sheriff is in on it," the G-man told her.

"I don't follow," Brennan said.

"Suppose what Margot is telling us is the truth. What if she told Sheriff Townshend about Leon waving his nine mil around?" He tried to point her in the right direction.

"Yes but then the Sheriff would also have to have access to her sleeping pills and the shotgun. There is no evidence of that especially since the search of her home found the possible murder weapon. She lied," Brennan raised an eyebrow.

"Still I want the pill bottle and the gun tested for prints. Anything not belonging to Margot may clear things up. Especially if it points to a relationship between she and the Sheriff," Booth said.

"A relationship between them would give the Sheriff access to everything and it would explain his prints on the window sills. Perhaps we should have Sweets talk to Margot. I don't put much stock in his psychology but he does seem to have an uncanny knack for reading people," his partner suggested.

"That might be a good idea. He can confirm what the evidence says and maybe give us a little bit more. Heck she might even flip on him," he smiled and walked back into the room and Deputy Houser wasn't far behind him.

"I called up Mr. Torna. He'll be by to offer you representation," John said.

"Good. Tell him to meet us at the Hoover building. I'm taking her and the evidence back to D.C.," Booth told them.

"You got it," the deputy nodded and headed back out the door.

To Be Continued…

A little shorter than usual but I hope you like it. :)