Not One, But Two

"A truck chest, of course!" Peyton jogged into Bridgette's office, where the two investigators were having an early start on their paperwork. Geoff, welcomed the interruption, as the last half hour was spent looking over Bridgette's report, complete with mind numbingly long forensic jargon.

"A what?" Bridgette looked up from her desk, pen in hand.

"You know, those large metallic boxes you can attach to pick-up trucks for better organized storage? Apparently this is a Delta Pro, aluminum chest suited for a Ford pick-up." He walked out into the lab, followed by Bridgette and Geoff, "The box was most likely used to carry the same compost and soil that are used in the fields. That would explain why there weren't any other trace elements on the victim's clothing besides the carpet and the soil."

"So most likely the murderer was someone who worked or volunteered at the fields." Bridgette surmised, drumming her gloved fingers lightly on the truck chest.

Geoff looked at the chest, "Makes sense, the person must've known that the compost would cause the body to decompose quicker. He knew his way around the area; why else would the killer drive all the way from the hotel to the fields."

"So the killer knows about the field and worked there for long enough to have a truck chest to carry compost." Bridgette murmured, mostly to herself. She looked up with a determined face.

"I think I know who did it."

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"Okay, I admit it, I killed Bianca Mills and buried her at Phillips Pharms," Ryan Clark exclaimed exasperatedly across the table at the FBI headquarters.

"I didn't think it would be that easy." Geoff whispered to his partner who was sitting beside him. Bridgette however, looked curiously at the boy as if something didn't add up.

"I saw that Bianca Mills tease and push around Catherine every time I pick her up and I guess I just blew up. In a rage I took this plank of wood and hit her in the head."

"Geoff," she leaned over to the FBI agent, "That doesn't match the evidence. Given Ryan's height and body structure if he were to have hit Bianca like that the damage to her skull would've been much more severe."

"But we searched his truck, it's a match."

Suddenly Bridgette turned towards Ryan, "We know you're taking the fall for someone Ryan."

Feeling like his investigation was somehow snatched right under him, Geoff looked at Ryan with a hard stern face, or at least as stern as someone like Geoff could. "Lying to an officer is a serious offense. Now, tell me who killed Bianca Mills!" He stood up, looking rather intimidating for such an easygoing man.

"But I did do it, no one else was there!" Ryan dropped his head in his palms. Bridgette tilted her head, moved to his side of the table, squatted slightly and gently rubbed his back.

"We know you're doing this to protect someone, but lying isn't going to help the situation. Just please, tell us who did it."

Ryan remained silent and Geoff slumped back in his chair, his huff of breath coming out in sync with his back touching his chair, "Well that's a bust. Why would you want to ruin your whole life for someone else?" he gave a quizzical look to the young man, who tried to do whatever possible to avoid his eyes.

Bridgette stood up slowly, looking at the hunched over figure that was Ryan, thinking intently. Something kept trying to make its way to the tip of her tongue; she went over every little thing that had happened over the last few days and suddenly, an epiphany.

She turned over to Geoff, sulking in his seat, softly, almost imperceptibly, she said, "I know who did it."

"Oh God," gasped Ryan through tears when he realized that she knew.

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"I'm keeping up, keeping up with the time lapse lifeline
And they can run they can run from the fonts to the last rites"

Catherine Clark was in the living room, busy putting on her outfit for the pageant finals tonight. She looked up at the full body mirror and saw behind her the solemn faces of Dr. Bridgette Dodson and Agent Geoff Murdock standing in the doorway. She stilled and when she finally turned, tears were beginning to form in her eyes.

"And we can hear we can hear the first beat to the flat line
I'm keeping up, keeping up with the time lapse lifeline
And once it's done"

Tyler was off to the side holding and stroking the back of his crying wife, her arms were flung around his neck, her hand still holding on to the piece of paper that served a devastating blow. Both weren't sure how to react to this situation.

Neither did Bridgette and Geoff who were torn between their sense of civic duty and their sympathy. The little girl slowly walked to towards the couple on the opposite side of the room, trying to hold back tears and starting to fail. Finally, Bridgette made up her mind, took several long purposeful strides and hugged the girl who started crying.

No words were spoken throughout these events. No words were needed.


"I get up I get up
Stop, fast-forward, rewind"

"Bianca was teasing me again back stage during intermission, saying I was ugly and the reason my mom and dad weren't around was that they didn't want me." She sobbed, wetting the shoulder of Bridgette's jacket. Bridgette held her tighter. "Everyone else was in the main hall. I pushed her but when she fell her head smacked in to the table. The glass cracked and she started bleeding." The investigators already knew it. Bridgette had remembered the cracked vanity table and the forensic technicians discovered blood with the black light. "I didn't know what to do, my brother Ryan arrived and saw the whole thing. He said he'll take care of it. I didn't mean to do it. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do it, really!" She resumed crying; muttering sorry and I didn't mean it in a continuous loop.

"Still we stand with the help of a steady hand
Capture images of boy and man
Till it's done"

Bridgette, who had started crying as well, jumped slightly when she felt Geoff run his hand over her back and threaded through her hair. Both the girl and the woman looked up and let each other go. Geoff held out his hand and Catherine, with a knowing face took it.

"And 7 years combined is just a flicker of a neon sign
Little negatives of hopes refined
Till they're done, oh they're done"

Outside, Ryan, handcuffed and in the back of a police cruiser saw the two detectives, one holding onto his sister, make their way quietly out the door, followed his shocked aunt and uncle. As the group passed the cruiser towards another car, he caught his little princess' eyes and they stared as she walked, she soon having to turn away as the distance between them increased. Resigned he let his head fall sideways, hitting the glass.

"Oh we dreamed a life
It was just like that, was like that
And just like that, and just like that it's done"

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Here it is, chapter five, a little late but here it is.

I had a bit of trouble writing this scene as I wasn't sure how to present all the emotion and tension in it. So I hope I did a good enough job.

The lyrics in italics are the song "Time Lapse Lifeline" by Maria Taylor. I heard it on Bones and been loved it since. I even found that some of the lyrics kinda matches the scene.

Next chapter is the final one. Kinda an epilogue which will hopefully tie everything up.

Read and review please