Here's the next chapter, it was supposed to be up over the weekend but I was busy.
Simon Ransom was a fifty two year old man; he was still as strong as he had been ten years ago with a full head of light brown hair which was greying at the temples. He had been the groundskeeper at The Hastings Cemetery for over twenty years and he had never, ever seen anything like that. He had come on duty at around six and started making his rounds straight away, he always checked every crypt door because he knew kids liked to break them open from time to time, usually on Halloween, to drink and do drugs in there. On more than one occasion he had had to clean out a crypt and replace the lock on the door, he always informed the family which owned the crypt which had been used and they were thankful for his actions. He never minded doing his job, the cemetery was peaceful, and he could wander around at his own pace doing what needed to be done, up until now that peace been unbroken. He had been halfway through checking the crypts when he had caught sight of the door slightly ajar on the one which was now surrounded by police and weird bystanders. Anyway he had entered the crypt expecting to find the usual beer bottles and cigarettes littering the floor, he had received a shock however when he saw the skeleton laying on the plinth in the centre.
"That's when I called you people in. So it's definitely real then, not a prank?" He asked, his light blue eyes flashing with panic as he clung desperately to his final hope. It was getting close to Halloween after all, maybe the kids decided to start early this year.
"I'm afraid it isn't a prank Mr Ransom. Did you notice anything strange about the crypt other than the open door?" Special Agent Booth questioned him as he made notes in his pad. His partner Dr Temperance Brennan, his wife's favourite author, just looked between the pair keeping quiet the entire time allowing her partner to take the lead.
"Nope, like I said I saw the door was ajar, went in and saw that thing, then left to call the police." He repeated, hoping beyond hell that he wasn't a suspect.
"Have you seen anybody hanging around? What I mean is not visiting a grave just wandering around?" Booth asked as he looked in Simon's eyes.
"No, everyone that visits usually just, you know, leaves flowers on a grave, maybe stays ten minutes or so and leaves." Simon answered panicking that he was going to get chewed out for not paying enough attention to the people who came to visit loved ones. It's not like that's even his job, he watched as the agent nodded in understanding as he made a series of notes in his pad.
"Mr Ransom could I ask you a question?" Dr Brennan asked suddenly. Simon just nodded as he turned his gaze to her; he noticed that her partner also turned his gaze to her looking slightly anxious as to what she was going to ask. "Do you have any knowledge of skeletal anatomy?"
"Erm, no I dropped out of high school when I was sixteen. I was a pretty messed up kid I'm not going to deny it I stole cars, did drugs you name it. Then I met my wife and well everything fell into place, so believe me when I say that my knowledge of any kind of biology is basic at best." Simon rambled, trying his hardest not to panic at the fact that he appeared to be a suspect in this case.
"Okay, well thank you for your help Mr Ransom. If we have any further questions we'll be in touch, here's my card in case you remember anything." Agent Booth said as he handed over a business card with his name, job and office phone number on it. "I suggest you go home Mr Ransom, you have had a shock. I can get one of the officers to give you a lift if you would like?" He asked with genuine concern at the man's pale complexion. During the entire conversation he had been shaking, his eyes darting all over the shop, if Booth hadn't known better he would say the guy knew more than he was letting on. However he did know better and he knew that the poor man in front of him had hoped to never see anything like he had this morning, which was why he had told him to go home.
"It's alright, I phoned my wife she is going to come over and drive me home. I'll just go and sit down I think." Simon mumbled before he swayed on the spot and hit the floor in a dead faint. Brennan and Booth both instantly fell to their knees beside the man checking his pulse to make sure he was okay.
"I think he just fainted, we should get someone to move him." Brennan said calmly to Booth who stood and waved over a couple of the local officers.
"Could you call for an ambulance, I want this gentleman checked over before we send him home." Booth spoke to the oldest of the men, authority lacing his tone. Once he had finished he tapped Brennan on her shoulder causing her to rise from her position next to the prone man, the younger of the two officers took her position. The partners walked away from the two officers not talking until they had left the area around the crypt.
"You don't think he had anything to do with it do you?" Brennan asked as Booth walked her to her Toyota.
"No, my gut says he is innocent. That and the fact that he passed out at the idea of it, you know it just doesn't scream murderer to me." Booth answered, smiling slightly.
"We don't know its murder yet Booth; I didn't get that far in my analysis. For all we know the body could be of someone who died naturally years ago or committed suicide and was placed in the crypt as a sign of respect." Brennan argued as they reached her car. Turning her back to him she opened her door and threw her bag onto the back seat before positioning herself in the car.
"You don't believe that Bones, you think it was murder just like my gut knows it was murder." Booth said as he leant on the open door, smiling down at his partner as she looked up at him exasperation clear on her face.
"Booth I don't know anything about this case yet, other than the fact that skeletal remains were found in a crypt they didn't belong in. I'm heading to the Jeffersonian; I'll call you when I have something." Temperance said placing her hand on the handle of her car door she pulled it out from underneath her partner who nearly fell to the ground. He stood stock still as he watched her drive away, wondering what in hell it was he was supposed to have said or done which had pissed her off so much.
With a heavy sigh and many curses about Sweets and his stupid book he turned and took in the area around him. The cemetery was for the most part beautiful, considering the fact that it was a cemetery; it had woods off to one side which blocked the view of the road. All of the graves were well tended, the grass kept short clearly Simon Ransom was doing his job properly. He tried to get a feel for the person who had left the body but could get nothing other than the fact that they were obviously disturbed. He walked through the damp grass towards the scene cursing the fact that his new leather shoes were now covered in water. When he reached the entrance to the crypt he looked around for an FBI tech, finding one on his knees by the door he walked over to him.
"What have you found so far?" Booth asked, pulling out his pad to make a note of anything pertinent.
"The lock was picked. After that we have nothing Agent Booth," the tech answered as he stood from his position and met the agent's eyes.
"What do you mean you have nothing, do you need more time?" Booth asked incredulously.
"No, that's one thing we don't need. The scene is clean; there are no fingerprints, footprints, we have absolutely nothing here which could help us catch the guy who did this." Booth sighed loudly as the tech explained what he had meant by his statement. He made a note of what the tech had said before he turned to the plinth where the body was still positioned. He walked over to it and wandered around it slowly, once he had circuited it twice he called out to the tech he had spoken to before.
"Yes Agent Booth." The man asked as he walked over to the plinth.
"Can you get the remains sent over to the Jeffersonian ASAP, also send over any soil samples and pictures you have." The man nodded before turning and walking over to one of his colleagues to relay the message. Booth left the team to do their jobs and walked out of the crypt heading back to his car, he barely acknowledged the crowd surrounding the scene so he never noticed that one of the spectators wasn't watching the action in front of them, they were watching him as he headed toward his car.
The game has started Agent Booth, you and your pretty little Anthropologist had better watch out. The individual thought to themselves as the FBI agent drove away in the direction of downtown DC. When Booth had driven out of sight the figure returned their gaze to the scene, watching as two FBI techs carried boxes into the crypt to remove their handy work. Smiling they lowered their head, thrust their hands into their jacket pocket and walked away towards the entrance. Anyone watching would just think that the individual had gotten bored, in fact the person was anything but bored but they did however have somewhere they needed to be right now.
I hope you enjoyed the chapter, Angela is in the next chapter and I must say I did throughly enjoy writing that one XD
I found out recently that Booth's girlfriend is now called Hannah, when I started this she was called Ashley and as I love the name Ashley it is staying, but in the series she will be Hannah. I hope that isn't too confusing for people, it did annoy me and I spent time contemplating changing her name for ease.
Until Saturday, which will happen this week.