In the Blink of An Eye

By LizD

Winter 2011

Chapter 9

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Bones let Booth's call go to voice-mail. She needed a bit more information from Ms. Carroll. When she had gotten all that she could (which wasn't much), she suggested that Lacey wait in the lounge because Brennan was going to call Booth. Lacey didn't seem to like the idea of bringing in the FBI, but Brennan assured her that Booth would have to be informed. She even challenged Lacey with knowing that before she brought this information to her.

She dialed Booth's cell. "Booth?"

"Bones? Did I wake you? I'm sorry. I didn't want to wake you."

"No, Booth, I was not asleep. I'm at the lab. Something has come up." She hesitated not knowing exactly how to tell him what she was unsure of herself.

"At the lab? At this hour?"

"I often work this late." He apparently didn't know how often over the past five months. "It's only midnight. Something has just been brought to my attention."

"Well, I'm glad you're up." He paused unsure of his goal and not really listening to her. "I wanted to talk to you. ... There is something I wanted to say ... I wanted you to know ... I hoped we could talk in person."

"Booth, it's about Rebecca," she blurted out.

"What?" He was confused. He didn't want to talk about Rebecca. Why would she think that?

"Someone brought me some information tonight that could possibly affect the events surrounding how Rebecca suffered the skull trauma." She hated being so imprecise but at the mention of Rebecca, Booth tensed up and she imagined how this kind of new would affect him.

"Who? Brought what to you? What's going on?"

"Her name is Lacey Carroll. She claims to work in the coroners' office."

"What do you mean she claims?"

"She self reported it to me, I have no way of verifying if she is telling the truth." Brennan looked toward the lounge to see a very nervous Lacey drinking coffee with Joe keeping an eye on her. "She is here with me right now."

"What are we talking about, Bones?"

"Murder," she stated.

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Somewhere across town a shadowy figure stepped into a doorway and answered the call on a cell phone. "Yes ... yes ... it was ruled an accident." The voice was deep and male. "I have the coroner's report right here. ... It's very easy to bribe an underpaid, overworked city official, cheap too. ... No there is no possibly way it will link back to you. The body has been moved to the funeral home and will be cremated in the morning. Case closed. ... It was unfortunate. The Stinton woman wasn't supposed to die. ... Yes, he has been dealt with. ... The other situation is being handled." He ended the call.

He pulled a picture out of his pocket, the light from a street lamp illuminated it. The picture was taken at a distance. The subject was female, late twenties, thin with long red hair; like Lacey Carroll. She was sitting at a bistro table street side. Her companion was unmistakable: Rebecca Stinton.

Keeping his hood pulled low over his face and avoiding the cameras on the street and around the building, he lay down on the ground next to a maroon Prius parked in the lot of Kirkland Construction Corp. It looked like he was placing something in the wheel well of the left front tire. Scanning the area to be sure he wasn't observed; he slipped back into the shadows.

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"Murder?" Booth exclaimed.

"I can't be sure. I don't have all the evidence. I can't even ensure that the evidence I do have belongs to Rebecca."

"Bones, Bones, Bones ... Start at the beginning."

"Tonight -."

"When?"

"Less than ten minutes ago. Will you please let me tell you what I know; then you can ask your questions."

"Go on." He checked his frustration.

"Ten minutes ago a woman named Lacey Carroll came to me claiming to have evidence that proves that Rebecca's injuries were not due to a fall down the stairs. The evidence she gave me were a set of X-Rays. It's unclear if the X-rays are of Rebecca at this time but they were taken earlier tonight and the general size, shape and condition fit Rebecca's. Regardless of whose X-Rays they are, the injuries are not consistent with a fall down a flight of stairs. The injury on the skull is consistent with blunt force trauma that could be from the head slamming against something hard, but the other bone indicators suggest defensive."

"Who would want to kill Rebecca?"

"I don't do the why Booth, that is your department. I only do the how."

"I know, I know. This is too unbelievable."

"Agreed. I would like to have the body - Rebecca's body transferred to the Jeffersonian tonight. Cam and I will do an examination."

"Cam knows about this?"

"Not yet. I will have to call her in. But in case I'm wrong, in case this Lacey Carroll person is lying or is mistaken somehow, I don't want anyone else involved."

"Bones, she is scheduled to be cremated in the morning. Her body is already at the funeral home."

"Ms Carroll switched the bodies at the lab. Rebecca is now listed as Jane Doe #896."

Booth shivered at the thought that Rebecca was listed as a Jan Doe. "I'll call right now and get the body transferred. Can you keep this Lacey person there?"

"I don't think she has any intention of going anywhere."

"Why do you say that?"

"She is acting squirrelly."

Booth almost laughed. "Where did you hear that expression? Proper use of it though."

"I have been watching procedural television. The science is always wrong – often comically so - but some of the detectives are a lot like you and also have a very colorful vocabulary."

"I'll run a background on her as well. I'll be there in thirty."

"Booth, you can't come here."

"Why not?"

"First of all, Parker. Second of all you are on leave right now. And finally, you shouldn't be working Rebecca's case. You're too close and are dealing with your own grief."

"Don't try to keep me out of this, Bones. I owe it to Rebecca. I owe it to Parker. If she was murdered, I will find the person responsible."

"There is no doubt that we will find the person responsible, but your first priority has to be Parker."

"You're right. I know you're right. I'm just no good sitting on my hands."

"Let us do the examination first and then you can decide what needs to happen next. This could all be nothing. It could be a horrible misunderstanding."

"How did this Carroll person find you?"

"Says she is studying to be a forensic anthropologist and has followed my career."

"She's a fan? She's an uber-fan? She's probably a nut case, Bones."

"That is entirely possible, but we can't assume that. She knows you too. Said she saw you at the morgue today and connected Rebecca to you to me."

"Squirrely is right. Keep her there. I don't care if you have to hog tie her. She goes nowhere."

"Make the calls, Booth." She dismissed his concern. "Let me take care of Lacey Carroll and the evidence."

"Thanks Bones." He softened. That's what he wanted to say from the beginning. It wasn't nearly enough but it was from the heart. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

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"This is Special Agent Seeley Booth, badge number 22705. You have a Jane Doe 896. I need those remains transferred to the Jeffersonian institution immediately. ... Yes part of a federal investigation. ... Immediately means right now. ... Your name? ... Your superior? Let me speak with her. ... Well get her on the phone ... wake her up ... Good. I'll expect that body there in less than an hour."

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"Dr. Saroyan, this is Dr. Brennan. ... You don't sound like you were sleeping ... Have you been exercising? ... Is there someone there with you? … Did I interrupt you during intercourse? ... I need you to come to the lab, tonight. ... Yes, right now. ... I'm having Rebecca Stinton's body transferred here. Some evidence may have come to light that proves that Rebecca was murdered. ... Thank You. ... I'll see you here shortly."

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"Hey Jake, Booth here. I need you to run a background on Lacey Carroll. ... Nope that is all I have she may or may not work in the coroner's office in Arlington. ... Right, right ... you're the best that's why. ... Hey, also need you to run the law firm of Drake and White. They are environmental lawyers out of Arlington. Just see if you can find out what they have been working on. ... I don't know ... permits they have submitted ... anything. ... No, I need it now. ... Yes, as in NOW. ... Carroll first, call me with that as soon as you get anything. ... Hey, one more thing. Pull the cell phone records for 703-555-8527 ... yes, Stinton, Rebecca Stinton. ... Yes. ... Yes. ... Don't use that expression. Show a little respect, huh? ... Yeah, get those to me first. ... Cell phone first, Carroll second. And Jake, keep this on the down low OK? ... Hey if you could follow the rules, you wouldn't be working the swing shift. ... I know ... I know ... I KNOW ... Look, I'll put a good word in for you at your next review. … Yes, Yes, a bottle of Tequila too. ... Thanks Buddy. You're the best."

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"Saroyan ... S.A.R.O.Y.A.N. ... Camille. I need the tox screen results immediately. ... I know it takes time, have it take the least amount of time possible. ... Yes, I know it's the middle of the night. I own a watch ... and I'm losing sleep too ... You're wasting time ... Yes ... immediately. ... Thank you."

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"Brent, Booth here, I assume I didn't wake you. ... Yeah, it's been pretty rough. ... Sherry is a piece of work. Hard to believe that she and Rebecca share any DNA, huh? ... Parker's holding up. He's a kid, ya know. ... Resilient, exactly. ... Hey, I have a couple of questions. What can you tell me about what Rebecca was working on? ... Was it anything big? … Yes, I know that Drake and White are the biggest environmental lawyers on the eastern seaboard. What else can you tell me? ... Who? ... Kirkland Construction Corp ... They're building the new offices for Home Land Security, right? ... Oh yeah, I read about that ... the bridge … I thought that was bogged down in a senate committee…. Right. ... Why? Well ... I ah ... I came across some paperwork Rebecca was working on and it didn't make sense to me. ... It's probably nothing. ... Don't worry about it. ... Hey listen, I wouldn't ask this, but since you're up, do you think you could come by and stay with Parker. ... He's a sleep now, but he might get up in the middle of the night and need someone to talk to. ... Yeah, we all do. ... I'll be back before morning. … Thanks, man. See you shortly."

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"Booth, it's Brennan."

"What have you got?"

"Jane Doe #896 is indeed Rebecca." She said sadly. "I have compared the X-rays from the -."

"Cut to the chase ... was Rebecca murdered?"

"I can only tell you that her injuries are not consistent with a fall down the stairs."

"Can you tell me anything else?"

"I can tell you that she was struggling with someone shortly before she died – I would say twelve to eighteen hours. Her wrists show signs of restraint by what appear to be hands. There is bruising on the back to indicate a boot or other heavy soled shoe. She was probably pushed into something … a wall or vehicle. Something hard."

Booth was silent imagining Rebecca fighting … fighting for her life as it turned out.

"This is all very cursory. I'm not done with my examination. Cam has taken samples and sent them to the lab. The tox screen should be back shortly. We have done as much as we can without getting more invasive. We would need to open a case if we want to do a full blown autopsy and I don't believe the FBI has jurisdiction."

Booth was still silent.

"I can tell you this. She put up a fight."

"She would."

"Are you OK?" Brennan finally asked.

"She called me," he said sadly full of guilt. "She called me Sunday night ... a day before the accident. She was upset. Asked me to call her back. I missed the call on Sunday ... I was ... I was ... you know ... I was busy."

Booth flashed on the memory when the call came in. He and Hannah had just gotten out of the shower. She grabbed the phone playfully when it rang. She giggled showing him it was Rebecca. Then she held it away and told him to make a choice. Booth pulled Hannah too him and kissed her hard. He tossed the phone into the living room and he and Hannah went back to the adult fun they were having. To be fair, he assumed Rebecca was calling to read him the riot act for allowing Parker to eat all that junk at the park. He could hear that any time, but he would never hear it again.

"I tried to call her later ... you know, after ... but she didn't pick up. I was going to call her the next day, but we got that case and I just forgot."

"This is not your fault, Booth."

"Doesn't feel that way. Feels like I let her down. That she needed me about something important and I let her down." He sighed. "So important that she lied to the paramedics."

"Why would she lie about something like that?"

"She was scared, Bones."

"Do you know that, or are you just guessing."

"Making an educated guess from what you're telling me and the facts that I have." He paused. "You still have that Carroll woman there?"

"Yes, as I said she doesn't look like she is going anywhere. She looks scared."

"Well she should. Not only does she not work for the coroner, but she and Rebecca had been in contact for weeks before Rebecca died. She is an environmental impact analyst working with Kirkland Construction Corp. Rebecca is ... was an environmental lawyer. I'm on my way over to talk to her."

"Booth, what about Parker?"

"Brent is on his way here right now."

"But -."

"I'm doing this for him, Bones. And for Rebecca. And me. How can I look that boy in his eyes knowing that his mother was murdered and I wasn't there to prevent it and did nothing to help catch her killer?"

"You're being too hard on yourself, Booth. But I understand your need to do something. You know we will solve this."

"Too late for Rebecca."

"Sadly, yes. But her killer will be brought to justice."

"Thanks Bones." He paused. "I mean it. Thank you for everything." He started to tear up and his voice cracked. "I don't know what I would do if I lost yo-"

"You're welcome," she stopped him from saying any more. There were too many emotions flowing for him to say anything to her that she could trust. She could feel herself being drawn back to him in ways that she couldn't control. "I'll see you shortly."

They hung up and Booth realized that he never told her about Hannah. Well at least he had his priorities straight, finally.

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A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Alexander Graham Bell and the Bell Lab engineers, Douglas Ring (great name for a guy who worked for the phone company) and W. Rae Young, who proposed hexagonal cells for mobile phones back in 1947. We have come a long way baby.

Again your responses are very encouraging. Thank you all very much.