Chapter 10
Phoenix Police Headquarters, Wednesday at 8:00 am Mountain Time
Booth was busy talking to the Sheriff while Officer Chambliss and CSI Oliver Mendoza helped Brennan with Champ at the Phoenix Forensics Lab. The German Shepard had to be sedated in order to make the mold of his mouth but the forensic anthropologist figured his friendly personality would have made things easy. Protocol was protocol however and they did things the way they needed to be done.
"I need these bite impressions sent to the Jeffersonian immediately. They'll tell us whether or not Reggie Sanderson was buried at Charles Reed's house," she said.
"Right away Dr. Brennan," Oliver smiled and carefully wrapped them for transportation through the mail service.
"What will happen to Champ?" Brennan turned to Officer Chambliss.
"Well even if you prove he bit Reggie Sanderson's leg, he did it after the guy was dead, long after, if I understand your explanation of it, so there should be no reason he couldn't go back to Charles Reed. That is of course unless we prove he had something to do with the murder of Reggie Sanderson. Then he'll go next of kin," he explained.
"I see. And of there is no next of kin?" She wondered.
"He'll be sent to the SPCA. I'm sure someone will be willing to adopt this adorable pooch. Meantime, Oliver will take good care of him," he smiled and then headed out of the room and toward the patrol car. She followed and they made the short drive to Police Headquarters.
"So how'd things go with Champ?" Booth asked as they walked through the door and into Sheriff Bosch's office.
"Well. The bite impressions are being sent to the Jeffersonian as we speak," Brennan smiled as she took a seat next to him.
"Excellent. The Sheriff was just telling me about Charles Reed," her partner smiled back.
"Charlie owns three tax places around the city. They're called Tax Hut. Now Agent Booth put us in touch with Agent Blachura and she's getting us some of those underground radar pieces of equipment. Teams of FBI forensic guys are going to check all the places at those facilities where Vinny Scarpini had had Reggie pour concrete. If we're lucky, we'll find something and be able to bring Scarpini in for questioning," Bosch explained.
"How did you get a warrant for that?" Chambliss wondered.
"We got permission from Charlie's second in command. He doesn't want any more trouble. Besides if Charlie goes to prison, he gets sole control of the business," Booth said.
"Ah there's an ulterior motive if I've ever seen one," Chambliss smirked.
"And what about Billy Bob?" Brennan asked.
"He's stable. I have two guards outside his room until he can be released to our custody," Bosch told them.
"Caroline has agreed to put them into Witness Protection and reduce their offenses to a fine," Booth added.
"What about the blood at Reed's place?" Chambliss wanted to know.
"The blood type matches Charlie but until we get DNA we can't confirm it's his. At any rate we have an unknown set of fingerprints on one of the fire pokers that the FBI is running through their databases to see if they match anyone," Bosch said.
"It would be nice to have evidence to question Scarpini with," Booth heaved a sigh.
"I'd like to back that son of a bitch into a corner. I can't tell you how many times we've tried to get him and how many times he manages to slip away," the Sheriff pounded on his desk with his fist.
"With any luck my team will call soon with what we're looking for," Brennan told them confidently. Just then her cell phone rang, she had a smug look on her face as she picked it up.
"Brennan,"
"Dr. Brennan, it's Simon. I've managed to discover what removed the kneecaps. Gouges match a carpenter's knife and a drywall putty knife," the intern said excitedly.
"Excellent work Simon. Can you send images to my e-mail?" She asked.
"Right away. Also you should know that Hodgins couldn't retrieve anything from the soil samples. The sand stripped away anything of use. All he says he has is "common everyday Arizona dirt"," he told her.
"I understand. Thanks," she hung up and everyone in the room was staring at her.
"According to Simon the kneecaps were removed with a carpenter's knife and a drywall putty knife. Although I'm not sure how it applies to concrete," the forensic anthropologist explained.
"It doesn't. It deals with the other half of his construction business," Chambliss said.
"So he had someone kill Reggie, remove his kneecaps, and bury him. How does Charlie Reed play into this?" The Sheriff asked.
"They had him bury Reggie's body in his yard. Perhaps as a reminder to keep his mouth shut. Ten to one, Charles know something about a person buried in the concrete at his office buildings. Having Reggie in his backyard makes him not go to the police," Booth offered.
"What would stop him? I mean if he didn't kill anyone why wouldn't go to the police?" Brennan wondered.
"My guess is Vinny killed someone for Charles and then he asked Charles to kill someone for him," Chambliss suggested.
"Charles Reed has no weapon registered in his name. Reggie Sanderson was shot in the back of the head with a nine millimeter handgun," Bosch reminded them.
"Nothing but wild speculation until we find Charles Reed," Brennan shook her head.
"I just hope we find him before Vinny does," Booth said.
To Be Continued…