13CHAPTER THREE

No sooner than the SUV doors had locked Booth had twisted the key and started the engine. Doctor Brennan rested her hands in her lap doing her best to be patient while trying to figure out how to break the quiet that had fallen over them.

Without asking, as was her style, especially with Booth, she reached for his phone taking it off the dashboard and opening it up. She immediately began flipping through the first few photos on the case that had been sent before they even got on the scene. Blinking with confusion as she saw that a great deal of flesh was still on the body, in fact the face was entirely recognizable. A blonde female in her early 30's late 20's. This was a job for the local police not for her! And her thin lipped mouth gaped in utter disgust as though she was offended.

"This is an incredible waste of time!" She exclaimed from the passenger seat of the car as she stared down at the phone contents causing Seeley to momentarily look away from the road. She didn't look up once as she went about her rant. "The facial structure is still highly recognizable, the skin is still on the body, you could run it through missing persons and have a match in two minutes!"

"Bones." Seeley attempted to interject, trying to be calm as he focused his eyes back on the road but it was a losing battle.

"It's a waste of our man power when we should be focusing on the case back at the lab." Bones shook her head and bit down on the bottom inside of her lip. "This is extortion of our work for the law to use it like a joy ride!"

"Bones!" Booth said a bit louder, his fingertips squeezed around the firm steering wheel.

"Not only that it's using my team when our purposes would be better served—"

"Temperance!" The loudness of Booth's voice and the use of her first name caused Brennan to fall quiet and turned her head to look at her partner.

"They think the killer was the same guy who tortured your vic." Booth said quickly and lowly, his eyes still focused on the road as he flicked on the turning signal and Brennan felt herself swallow, looking down at her lap she shut the phone.

The car ride over after that exchange of words had been relatively quiet. Booth was driving and he kept his darkened eyes on the road while Temperance tried to occupy herself by looking out the window and watching the scenery. Of course she wasn't watching the scenery for real. Her mind was far too occupied on the case back at the Jeffersonian and if the body they were going to investigate now was related like Booth had alluded to.

After what seemed like ages Booth parked the car by the curb, near the city cemetery. Without a word he opened the door and got out, Bones followed his lead and both began to walk up the sidewalk toward the gated cemetery where a large group of people had already begun to gather. Cops, people in suits and ties, and a circle of yellow tape preventing the growing group of bystanders from getting in the way. They clearly weren't the first ones informed of what had happened.

Booth bumped into Bones from the quick and eager pace he was walking. "Sorry." Temperance gave him a silent nod. Clearly a lot was on his mind about the case, something Temperance couldn't help but be wary about. Was he not sharing something with her? Or perhaps the phrase 'serial killer' stirred emotions within him that she was feeling herself.

Their last experience with a serial killer, the Gorgmogon, had resulted in her student's imprisonment in a mental institution after he practically wrecked the nerves in his hands. She missed Zack Addy. She genuinely missed him and Temperance Brennan wasn't one to become too wrapped up in emotion ever. Yet a day couldn't go by without her thoughts drifting onto the poor kid. He was cooped up all alone, so far Hodgins was the only one who had been able to visit him. Bones couldn't bring herself to do it. She wished she could if only to prove to herself that such a primal things as emotions could be controlled.

It was very bright out, especially for early November. No sign of snow yet and the grass had still maintained its green color. Booth would argue that it was from good grounds keeping by the cemetery staff while Bones would stick to the argument of Global Warming, even if only just to annoy him. But it wasn't time for that now as they weaved themselves around yellow police tape and various blue bodies (cops), she could even see a few people with the letters F.B.I. printed in bold white on their backs. This was only adding to the excitement of the gathering crowd whom were attempting to crane their necks around to get a peak or even take photos which was made more evident by a bright flashing light.

Temperance squinted and turned to say something but she was distracted by a voice from behind her and turned just in time to see a cop, no the officer whom was in charge of this particular shift, begin to speak with Seeley. Seeley Booth nodded, only half listening at first as his dark eyes surveyed the cemetery grounds, appearing miles and miles away (at least to Bones) until another hand shoved a cup of coffee toward him which brought him back to reality. Booth was a man whom enjoyed a good cup of joe.

Agent Booth looked from the steaming brown liquid to his partner whom was eying him with suspicion mixed in with confusion. It was then that he noticed she had somehow pulled her thin light brown hair into the usual ponytail that she sported when examining things in the lab. How she had done that in the car without him noticing, he just couldn't put his finger on it. He did like it when she wore her hair fashioned like that, though he'd never vocalize it. He could see her face when it was up like it was, her cheek bones and her eyes (at least when they weren't hiding behind squint goggles).

Catching himself he blinked, cleared his throat, and turned his attention back on the cup of coffee and took a sip, feeling the hot liquid run down his throat. It only then came to him that the police officer was still speaking and he hadn't heard a damn word! Too busy thinking about ponytails, and bone structure, and other nonsense he didn't give two shits about until he met Temperance Brennan. This needed to stop right now.

Clearing his throat he looked to Brennan, giving her a polite nod. "One second." He moved to step away and she gave him such a shocked look that he couldn't help but feel guilty... On the inside of course. So he did his best to hide that fact and yet make her feel better. "Bones, listen, I just need to speak with Officer Cole. You're free to do whatever squinty things you want alright? Poke and prod until your little squint heart is content!" He threw his right arm in the air and then walked along side the officer, just getting some space so that he could give the case the time that it needed and deserved.

"I do not prod." Brennan declared but it fell upon death ears, even amongst the masses of people and she sighed, bringing her eyes back forward.

It was then that she saw the scene. Amongst the green grass and tombstones was what appeared to be a freshly dug hole which was also taped off and three or four young officers were peering inside with sick looks on their faces. Temperance knew all too well what that meant and she stepped boldly forward, slinking under the yellow tape and slipping on gloves that she removed from her kit that she had carried from the car.

Stealing a peak from where she stood she saw the body and it looked just like the cell phone picture. A blonde haired young woman whom was most definitely in her late 20s wearing a rather revealing pink dress that was torn. Her hair had dirt in it (something Hodgins would be excited to see) but was also elaborately styled for a night on the town.

Not even asking the officers she slid down into the hole, which they began to object to and call for her to get out, but she ignored them (or was far too focused on the body to pay them any mind). "Miss! Miss! You have to get out of there!" She didn't even look in their direction. Already she was examining the body, carefully pulling back parts of her clothing to examine the scrapes, cuts, and bruises. "Miss! RIGHT NOW." No response from Temperance again as she picked up one of the slender hands, spreading the fingers carefully apart. It was a rare occasion that she examined someone with so much skin. Already her mind was drawing conclusions and deductions.

"Miss! This is a crime scene." This time Brennan rolled her eyes, but still did not look at them, and now began to take out plastic baggies and did swipes putting bits of evidence and possible DNA in their respective vials or bags. The young cops were now looking incredibly worried and eventually all of them then ran off, no doubt to fetch someone of a higher rank that could tell them what to do or handle the situation much better as this woman didn't seem to be intimidated by four young men of around twenty four. And she wasn't.

Temperance Brennan wasn't intimidated by much of anything as she had no code of law or ethics to obey other than the ones she picked up from her books. She had no idea what was accepted by society and what was seen as improper. It never crossed her mind that this was someone's daughter, or girlfriend, or wife. If it did she wouldn't have made it as far as she had managed. No. This was just a job and it would stay that way. Stay out of the personal and keep it professional. Simple enough, or at least it used to be. Until...

"She's the forensic anthropologist!" Came an annoyed yell from Seeley Booth, and Temperance looked up in time to see some of the younger cops lower their heads like children being scolded. Part of her felt bad, but then the science part of her kicked in and she knew they deserved it for being complete idiots.

Upon further quick observation she noticed that Seeley was no longer holding his coffee cup and he was rubbing his hand furiously. He had clearly dropped it and may have burned himself. Brennan raised a curious lightly colored brow at the situation before Booth spoke again, this time in her direction in an exasperated tone. "Bones will you get back up here?"

Temperance pulled off her gloves and grasping onto the edge of the grassy grave hole she pulled herself back up, ignoring the help offered from several apologetic young officers. Standing back up she set the dirty gloves in her kit. On one knee she began to place the bags in the kit as well, to bring back to the Jeffersonian.

Booth couldn't take the silence, the burn on his hand would be far easier to bare. So, he took a slow inhaling breath before wiping his brow, stepping toward the woman. She could hate him later. Right now, he had to run this show. He might as well start with the basics. "Funeral party found the body around one. The family flipped, though the funeral was selling grave plots like dorm rooms." He began, rattling off the information the officer had given him earlier but with his own Seeley Booth flair. "The funeral had to reschedule." Booth moved to wipe at his hand once again as Temperance rose to her feet.

"Female. Late twenties, early thirties." Bones looked at Booth and Booth only. She had little to no respect for officers of the law. Mainly because they usually had no respect for her field, science. Booth was different, in more ways than one. "Bruises around the collar bone. Judging by the dirt imprinting around the body and the rain from last night, the victim was dumped this morning. Mister Murray will be able to get a better estimate."

"Anything else?" Came from the pudgy, older cop that had been speaking to Booth earlier.

"Based on the rate of decomp she's been dead for less than twenty four hours." Brennan added in a side casted gaze his way before looking back to Booth, awaiting a response.

Booth's hands tucked themselves in his black pants pockets before Temperance found herself face to face with a blinding flash and a loud "DOCTOR BRENNAN!". Temperance shielded her eyes with her right hand as Booth went into defense mode. Coming between her and what appeared to be a scruffy looking poor college kid whom was attempting to be a journalist.

"Give me that!" Agent Booth demanded, yanking the canon camera from right around the bearded kid's neck so fast that his green beanie hat almost fell off. The kid scrambled almost falling into the hole but Booth caught him by the collar.

"That's my camera! Freedom of the press!" The young man yelled out, but Booth ignored him, shaking his head. He was in no mood to deal with antics like this today.

"Now it's evidence." Seeley Booth shot back, cool as a cucumber as he roughly shoved the young man aside and back behind the yellow police tape where the young man scampered off like a puppy with its tail between its legs.

Another quiet as the cops all seemed passive after Booth had exercised his power on a 'kid' and Bones just stared at him wondering what had brought that on. He had lashed out in a way. Surely he was trying to compensate for something. Did he have a bad day? Was something wrong with Parker? Why did she care?! Luckily Booth brought her out of her haze.

"Bones?" Brennan looked up with a blank expression. "Get back down there."

Moments later Dr. Brennan, Agent Booth, and three cops were sharing the hole as Temperance knelt by the body examining it carefully. She usually did this in quiet. Her work habit of silence often getting in the way of the partnership that she had because she wouldn't fill Booth in so it looked like she wore the pants in the operation when it was 'supposed' to be him.

Agent Booth hated just standing there, with his arms crossed, not knowing anything until Bones said it. What was even worse was waiting for her to affirm what everyone else was already dreading. Booth found himself praying in the deepest depths of his mind praying, praying to god for this not to be the case. Of course he held it behind the guise of fake boredom or seriousness, just to be safe. But then he got to a point where he just couldn't take it anymore.

"Bones is there anything to suggest..." Seeley began, his fingers running over the black fabric of his suitcoat.

"I can't just conjecture something because you want me to Booth." Bones reaffirmed, looking over her shoulder to look at him with solid eyes.

"If you had to. If you were pressured to–" And before Bones could argue otherwise he spoke with a more firm tone. "And let me remind you Bones, that this counts as pressure!" And Temperance actually couldn't take it anymore so she finally made herself speak.

"By taking an educated guess..." Temperance began, every word weighted. She hated making use of guess work instead of facts and logic but she was being pressured from the outside, and she hated that more. "Judging from the similar marks on the wrists, the burns on what's left of the fingertips, and..." From where she knelt she gently flipped the body on its side and pulled back some of the torn shirt to reveal the small holes. "-The poked holes on the back I'd have to conclude, if pressured, that this is by the same person or people as the victim back at the Jeffersonian."

Booth shook his head and looked to the ground. Hiding his distraught emotions well he pulled his infamous cell phone out and pressed one of the speed dial numbers. "Great. Just great." He hissed aloud causing Bones to look up, just in time to hear Cam's familiar voice over the speaker phone.

"Seeley?"

Agent Booth bit down on his bottom lip in a rare moment of hesitation, as if the words tasted bitter in his mouth. "We've got a serial killer."