Bones s09e06 Episode Script
The Woman in White
The musicians will wait for my signal, then once everyone's set Oh, my God! Angie, it's just a rehearsal.
You can't keep crying.
I can and I will.
We only have the church till 11:00.
Can you cry after 11:00? Can't forget the best man.
No, he'll be dressed on the day.
My son's flying in later.
So.
hey That's my dad.
This isn't really necessary.
This is just to get a general idea He isn't very dependable, but I imagine my father will be here.
I'm sure.
How can you be sure? He's just being nice.
Don't worry, Bones.
Max will be here, all right? Ju Can we hurry this along? I have been trying.
Okay, then, after opening rites, we have the first reading.
Dr.
Hodgins? Got some stuff from Ecclesiastes that's gonna kill.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Uh, no problem.
Uh, then after your reading, Dr.
Sweets will Oh, God.
I'm sorry.
Don't worry.
God grants me patience for just such events.
No, no, Bones, don't even pick it up.
Shut it off.
Just put it away.
Put it away.
Oh Put it away.
No Oh, I'm sorry.
Am I allowed to kiss him now? It's really just a rehearsal, Dr.
Brennan.
Because we are sleeping together.
No.
Shh Sleeping, of course, is a euphemism for sex.
No.
I'm really sorry, Father.
You don't have to apologize, Booth.
It's not like he's going to be jealous.
Don't say sex So, moving on, we have uh, the reading, music, the homily, blah, blah, and then your father will Oh, gosh, I-I'm sorry.
Sorry.
I thought I turned it off.
Sorry.
That will not happen again.
Yeah.
Okay.
Okay, then.
Here we go.
Excuse me.
Yes? No, I do last rites, but I don't do murder.
It's for you.
Me? Yeah.
Sorry.
This will just take one Booth.
Booth They found the remains on the grounds by a senatorial building, the one on P Street.
That's where the President used to stay.
- Yep.
They were excavating for a new gazebo.
The remains are being brought directly to the lab.
Which will not concern Dr.
Brennan or Agent Booth, will it? Well, we're not getting married until tomorrow.
I should really take a look.
Oh, no.
What do you mean, "Oh, no," huh? Rings, kiss, vows-- hitched.
Are you serious? Yeah, totally serious.
You know, work is good.
Keep her busy.
Don't worry about it.
Yep, let's go.
See you all back at the lab.
I'll put $25 on the wedding being canceled by lunchtime tomorrow.
Yeah.
50 bucks says it's canceled before the sun goes down.
Worst friends ever.
The victim is female, mid-30s.
Almost completely skeletonized.
Remaining tissue is desiccated.
This happened a long time ago.
Multiple stab wounds to the chest; degree of staining on the clothes suggests she bled out.
Fabric-wise, it looks like the victim died in the '70s.
That's impossible to know at this stage.
Afraid not.
Cicada.
It was caught in her sleeve.
They only emerge once every 17 years, meaning our victim was killed in 1979.
Or I guess, 1945, or 1962, 1996.
Okay, we get the point.
You see, Brennan? This is gonna solve itself.
You are not needed.
And since the wedding is tomorrow, you should get your beauty sleep.
I don't need sleep to be beautiful.
No, but it does help you be pleasant.
We have this under control, Dr.
Brennan.
Angela, can you take this paperwork and see what you can restore? Got it.
No one here is a forensic anthropologist.
Without me, you won't be able to Dr.
Brennan, what are you doing here? What are you doing here? I asked him to come because you have your mani-pedi appointment.
I can't, in good conscience, leave until I feel confident you are capable of handling the case.
I'm gonna chalk that up to nerves and not be insulted.
Good call.
Would you just stop acting like the wedding is doomed? Brennan really wants this.
Then why are we here? I mean, this case is over 30 years old.
It could wait till Monday.
Hey, look at this.
What is that, a protective sleeve? Yeah, for, like, a photograph or an important document.
Yeah, but it's empty.
Ooh, hey, I found it.
Her I.
D.
Laminated.
That's helpful.
Nancy Handelman.
She was born February 5, 1943, which makes her 36 when she died.
Poor thing.
Listen, Brennan's just nervous, okay? It happens.
But we have to support her.
We have to stay positive.
I will be as positive as a proton, I promise.
I got your text about the wedding pool.
ll p $50 on it being called off by 3:00.
Yes.
They'll call if they find anything, so just get home, okay, Bones? I think your dad is here.
His stuff is on the counter.
I told you he'd make it.
All right, hurry back.
I love you, too.
Hey, Max, are you hungry?! Bones is gonna go pick up Christine and Oh! Looks like I'm gonna need a new bag.
Really? I mean, I think it's very generous.
You know, it's tradition for the father of the bride to pay for the wedding.
Max is obviously a traditionalist.
Okay, did you hear me? The bag looked like it was buried.
Maybe it's just dirty.
Oh, come on, Sweets.
Look, I'd advise you to just concentrate on the wedding.
How's Dr.
Brennan doing? Okay, look, this is the area where the body was found, right? Up in that one.
You're really gonna duck the question by hiding behind your work? Okay.
Used to be part of Adams University.
It was sold off ten years ago.
What are those buildings? Grad student housing and faculty offices.
I'm gonna do a background check on all the tenants from 1979.
And you know what? I am not hiding behind my work, okay? I'm just trying to keep Bones busy so she doesn't get nervous.
And get cold feet.
Listen, Bones doesn't have cold feet, all right? Actually, they're warm.
Actually, they're very hot, thank you very much.
I'm on your side, okay? And I think what you're doing is great psychology.
As far as the bag full of money, you're right, it's-it's kind of creepy.
Go do something else somewhere else.
Okay.
Thank you.
Dr.
Hodgins, what have you got for me? Brennan's done with her mani-pedi.
I meant Right.
Sorry, sorry.
Today, all I seem to think about The wedding pool.
Wh No.
What kind of a person do you think I am? That was rhetorical.
All right, these are the results from the stab wounds.
Now, traces of iron-carbon alloy.
So the weapon was made of steel.
Yeah.
Also, I got some particulate residue from multiple insect and foliage species.
Inside the wounds? That's odd, especially in an urban area.
Still working on trying to I.
D.
the various species.
Is that our victim? Booth just e-mailed me her file.
Nancy Handelman was single, no living family, worked at the Library of Congress in the Manuscripts Division.
The Manuscripts Division? Maybe that acid-free sleeve she was carrying did contain something important, like the letter that Nixon wrote confirming the presence of aliens, or even a map that reveals Slow down, Da Vinci Code.
As far as we know, she was just a simple librarian.
I know what you're up to.
Yeah, I'm not up to anything.
Okay.
If Brennan realizes the enormity of this case, she's gonna ditch the wedding, so you want me to keep quiet until after the nuptials.
Yes, Dr.
Hodgins, nothing gets by you.
Angela told me not to touch anything, so can you pick up rib five? Two minutes with you and I'm back to being an intern.
Note the peripheral indentation, as though from a hilt, so the weapon could've been short.
Medio-cam, please? Oh, I guess I should be glad you're saying "please.
" A little more steady, Dr.
Edison.
I have to solve this case before I consummate my marriage.
A splinter.
Dr.
Hodgins will want to see this.
Brennan.
Hair.
You have to get your hair done for the rehearsal dinner, honey.
No, that makes no sense.
I have my hair done today for the rehearsal dinner and then again tomorrow for the wedding? Why? Because you're the bride.
So just accept and adapt, okay? Hey.
Did you place a bet on this wedding? I prefer not to tell you while you're wearing your tough face.
Mm-hmm.
Is that the protective sleeve from the victim's bag? On the left, yeah.
whatever was in it might have been the motive for her murder.
But whatever was in it is long gone, and without it Not necessarily.
This image on the right, I found that folded up in the victim's wallet.
It's a photocopy.
See the outline? Oh, so you think that this is a photocopy of what was in there.
I'm still working on the restoration, but I'm hoping to pull something from it.
Dr.
Saroyan, I'm finding a large number of micro-fractures on the bones.
Dr.
Brennan doesn't know yet.
She missed them? Only because you told her not to touch anything with those fingernails.
What's the question, Dr.
Edison? If I tell Dr.
Brennan about those fractures, she's gonna check them out.
These fractures are gonna take at least two days for both me and Dr.
Brennan to catalogue, and for her to check my work.
The wedding is tomorrow.
Simple.
We don't tell her.
We can't lie to Dr.
Brennan.
Normally, I would agree with that, but this time we lie our asses off.
Or we could call in the reserves.
And that's why I'm checking with you, because that would entail extra costs.
I bet the reserves would come in for free.
Yes, because they don't have to really do the work.
Dr.
Brennan just has to think that it's covered.
Tricky.
Yes.
Tricky is an excellent coping mechanism when dealing with people like Dr.
Brennan.
Dr.
Brennan, I thought you'd be home getting ready.
I'm checking Dr.
Edison's work so that I can talk to him before I leave.
Uh, he doesn't need your help.
How can you say that? These indentations could have easily caused the micro-fractures to the ribs.
But we don't have a murder weapon that matches any of these.
Trust me, Dr.
Brennan, Dr.
Edison's got plenty of help.
Where did we get the budget for this? That's not your concern.
What is your concern is getting to that rehearsal dinner.
I owe you one, all of you.
Okay, well done.
Thanks, guys.
Though, while you're here, I do have a few questions you might be able to help me with.
Uh, we were told ten minutes, max.
I have a date.
I have therapy.
I have to go get ready for the wedding.
Sure, rub it in that you're dating the boss.
You do know Saroyan's gonna want to get married now, right? What? Does anyone besides me care about this poor, murdered woman? Hmm.
Hey.
Hey.
"I see your hands, "and my body trembles with memory; "your touch is like coarse silk against my bare skin, pulling me ever closer.
" You can't read that at my wedding.
There's gonna be kids there.
No, no, no.
It's from Angela.
Oh.
Well, that figures.
It's text from the letter found on the victim.
Oh.
Yeah.
It's very erotic.
And the voice is definitely female.
And there's mention of her lover's wife.
Well, the librarian she was having an affair.
Uh, possibly.
Gives the wife, you know, a nice, clean motive to get rid of her.
Right.
But here's the thing: The language seems antiquated.
And it was found in one of those sleeves that you use for collectibles.
Problem? It's not Dr.
Brennan, is it? No, no.
It's it's It's about Max's money.
Oh.
Dirty? Not from the dirty bag.
I mean illicit money? I got it.
No, okay? The money is clean.
You seem disappointed.
Because something is off.
You don't carry around a sack of cash like that.
I mean, not if you're honest.
Max isn't like other people.
That's what I'm afraid of.
I don't want a SWAT team crashing my wedding.
All right, Booth, this is just your anxiety talking.
All right? You're deflecting your concerns about your wedding onto Max.
You're right.
You're actually right.
Because, you know, he wasn't a fugitive for all those years.
You know what? I gotta get out of here.
I'm late.
Gotta get to the airport, pick up my son.
Ooh, tough decision.
Ah, they're both nice.
Now, results from the remaining particulate samples.
First, the simple part: that wood splinter inside the bone was Cocobolo.
It's not indigenous to this country, so it must be part of the murder weapon.
Am I wrong to assume there's also a not-so-simple part? The foliage and insect particulates from inside the wound? Right? There weren't just a few.
There were many different species, from many different parts of the country.
You think the body was moved postmortem? Unless the killer moved the body from Massachusetts to Georgia to Virginia, there's got to be another explanation.
I just don't know what it is.
Oh, God give everything you have to the interns.
We do not want this hanging over Dr.
Brennan's head or this wedding will not happen.
Okay.
All right, uh You don't want in on the pool? No.
Dr.
Hodgins? by 1:00 tomorrow.
Oh, God, I hate myself.
London is a long flight, okay? You must be tired.
I'm fine.
I can't wait till Christine wakes up from her nap.
Yeah, she's sleeping, huh? And if you have to go to work No.
I don't have to go anywhere.
I am exactly where I want to be.
Right here with my son.
Boom! Mom packed my tuxedo.
That's what I'm supposed to wear, right? Yeah.
You know, we're gonna look like a bunch of waiters out there.
Or better yet, some penguins sliding around on the ice.
Huh? Ah I'm glad you're marrying Bones, you know? Mom's happy for you, too.
Thanks.
I'm happy.
I'm happy you're here.
All right? So, look, I have this list of things that I need to remember to get done, all right? Mm-hmm.
And I need you to make sure I don't forget.
Me? Yeah, you.
That's what a best man does, and I'm asking you to be my best man.
Really? All right? Thanks, Dad.
I love you.
All right, lookit.
Here's what we gotta get.
This is a hair comb that I got in the Marais in Paris.
These aren't real jewels because I couldn't even afford bread then, but I None of the fractures on the calcanei are remodeled.
There are other fractures Okay.
I don't care, honey.
I am giving you the "something borrowed" that you need.
It's also blue and old, so we've got three out of four down.
I'm sorry.
Thank you.
Have you found the provenance of the letter yet? No, I'm-I'm focusing on your wedding.
'Cause somebody has to.
I just want all the information in order before I leave.
Brennan, this is insane.
It's bad enough that I didn't have time to throw you a bachelorette party.
Don't spend your last few hours working.
Why not? Because you don't want your fingers to smell like death when Booth puts on the ring.
There's a murder victim.
That is an objective fact.
It's my job to find out who killed her.
Brennan, she's been dead for 35 years.
I think she can wait a little longer.
Hey, hey.
Did you even look at the hair comb I gave you? It meant a lot for me to give that to you.
My feelings they're a jumble But this case is something I understand.
You understand happy, right? Go with that.
One more minute and I'll leave.
Have you catalogued all of the injuries? I've filled one binder so far.
But we're still examining.
There's chipping from an indeterminate cause which You're stating the obvious, Mr.
Fisher.
A high school student could do that.
The coccyx and sacrum show bruising.
I was going to say that.
Micro-fracture of the left olecranon.
That, too.
I swear.
The perimortem micro-fractures on the calcaneus bones indicate repeat blunt force trauma, probably from a flat object like a 2x4.
Very good, but you will not be helping with the remains anymore, Dr.
Wells.
You have to find the provenance of the letter fragment.
I'm doing that.
You have a wedding to prepare for.
And Dr.
Wells is a polymath and more than qualified to do the research.
And if he isn't, we dismiss him.
No one likes him anyway.
I kind of do.
You're a constant surprise.
If I have to think about the remains instead of my wedding, I will be very unhappy.
You wouldn't want that, would you? No, absolutely not.
No.
No.
I thought not.
Good luck.
Now I would like to try on that comb.
We're not even getting paid.
I am.
You know, I just thought, look, you know, before I get married, you'd be able to give me some advice, here.
I'm not a priest anymore, Booth.
I know.
Okay? I know that.
But the real ones, they don't know me like you.
We could've done this at the bar.
Come on, Aldo, will you just cut me some slack, here? Okay.
I'm jealous.
What you and Temperance have, it's the reason we draw breath.
You screw this up, Booth, and it'll be worse than any hell God can dream up for you.
I agree.
I'm Max.
- I'm Tempe's father.
- Oh This guy he thinks I'm still a crook.
Aldo.
He still thinks I'm a priest.
What are you doing here, Max? Well, I saw you were here, and I though maybe you had had a change of heart.
So you're following me? He's a good father.
I tell you what I've never seen anything more right.
I'd be proud to call you my son.
I only wish that Tempe's mother was here to watch her walk down the aisle.
Me, too.
Thanks.
All right? Thanks.
Thanks.
Hey, I tell you what.
Why don't we go light her a candle, huh? Come on.
Well, she really wasn't the religious type.
It's you know what? I'll light it.
It can't hurt, right? Come on.
It'll be like she's part of the ceremony.
She'll be, uh, watching over us, huh? What the hell.
Can I say that? Yeah, what the hell? I'd like to make a toast before we go.
No, no, Pops, we're running late.
You do that at the rehearsal dinner, okay? Just a little one, Shrimp, a private one.
I've been waiting for this day ever since I met Tempe.
Then I'm going after him.
Then I'm going to sing a song.
A little one.
Actually, two.
- I'm pretty hungry.
- We should hurry.
We don't want to be late to the dinner.
- Yeah.
- You know what? We're getting in trouble for loving them.
Better not to listen.
You're a lucky man, Shrimp.
You found a woman who's willing to stand up to you and call you on your crap.
My what? You can be stubborn.
And if she's willing to stick around and try to civilize you, then you'd better listen and make adjustments, 'cause that's love.
I just want say a couple of things.
When I was on the run, trying to stay alive-- which wasn't easy Dad.
No.
This actually sounds good.
You know what? Maybe I should go while you clean up your story.
Seeley, what you have here is the final piece to the puzzle.
It's what's going to make you whole.
Tempe is the woman that I always wished I could be, and the one that every mother always prays that her son will find.
Now I'm gonna cry.
How caI a speech if I'm gonna cry? Oh, don't cry.
I still have to sing.
Oh, hold on, that's the guy, the limo driver.
We're probably late.
Let's get everything together here, huh? Yeah? Turn on the TV.
The church.
What about the church? A passing motorist called 911 at roughly 7:00 p.
m.
when they spotted smoke coming from the Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
By 7:30, it was a three-alarm blaze with several area fire departments responding.
Investigators have yet to determine the cause of the fire, though it seems to have started from the back of the sanctuary.
My God, Booth.
You burned the the church down? Mmm.
Wow.
These are some zesty eggs, Pops.
Gramma, those are Pops' famous Eggs From Hell.
At my age, who wants bland food? Spicy lets you know you're alive.
Hey, you can take off the tux, there, buddy.
The wedding has been postponed.
He likes it.
Makes him feel like James Bond.
Where's Temperance? She's back on the case, now that the, uh, wedding has been delayed.
You should elope.
- Oh - What's that? Means going to a Justice of the Peace to get hitched.
No fuss, no bother.
Pops, forget it, okay? I owe Bones a fuss.
Eloping is romantic.
Chicks dig romantic, Dad.
That's true.
What do you mean, "chicks"? There you go.
Hot! Hot! Oh, whoa! Oh! - Oh! - I told you it was too spicy.
It'll leave a stain.
Oh! Okay, that's a sign from the gods, huh? Best man ruins his tuxedo? Looks like we'll have to postpone the wedding till we can do it right.
Dad.
Come in.
You all right about the wedding? Yes.
The damage to the victim's feet is confusing.
See, I-I-I think it's my fault.
Oh, not the victim's feet.
But the wedding.
Booth says that Mom burned down the church.
Your mom did not burn down the church.
Booth says that Mom burned down the church because she didn't want you paying for the wedding with dirty money.
Your mom knows where the money came from and she was all right with it.
Mom's dead.
You want the truth? That money comes from a magical night in Vegas where I just couldn't lose.
It was 30 years ago.
I was playing blackjack and I won all this money.
I I thought, well, okay, I might as well bet it all.
Statistically unwise.
And then I realized what it was for.
Your wedding.
So I grabbed it and was out of there, and I buried it, and, 'cause you know, banks and bank robbers.
Booth's gonna be my son-in-law.
I think he should have just trusted me.
You can understand his reticence, Dad.
Yeah.
You want my advice? Get married today.
I've called eight churches, Dad, none of them are available today.
It doesn't have to be in a church.
It could be at City Hall.
It could be underwater or bungee jumping.
Church is very important to Booth.
And I love him.
I want him to have what he wants.
Sure.
I have a question.
Is it about the iliopectineal line? No, it's why I wasn't invited to the wedding.
None of us were.
I was invited.
Not really.
You're just going a plus-one, dude.
We work here.
We're not friends with each other, we're colleagues.
It's a small, intimate, friends-and-family wedding.
Not for us.
Aw, your feelings are hurt.
Aren't you supposed to be working on the letter? I am.
I just crave the camaraderie of my peers.
I'm just kidding.
Angela's office smells like sage.
Findings, please.
Mr.
Fisher? Well, the majority of micro-fractures were confined to the heels of both feet.
With a secondary number of micro-fractures on the ischial tuberosities.
The amount of damage to both the right and left calcanei is almost identical.
The victim was dragged down the stairs.
The cracks on the ischial tuberosities further support that scenario.
Those occurred when the body was dragged onto the landings in between flights.
How many big a building are we talking about? Taking into account the victim's weight and the height of a standard stair riser and the amount of spiderweb fractures Come on, guys.
It's not that hard.
Fifth floor.
I used to work construction.
Only one of those buildings at Adams University sharing that courtyard had a fifth floor.
Cutting our suspect pool down to the perhaps 20 academics that worked on that floor.
Bam.
We still need a murder weapon.
I feel a little bit guilty, but I think I may have won the pool.
You're giving that money to charity.
Yeah, can't really argue with that.
Exactly.
"Complete Weddings"? What are you up to? I can't let their wedding be postponed again.
You know what's amazing? I was just about to say, "Angie, I think you should throw a wedding for Booth and Brennan.
" You were? Sure, yeah.
There's just so much to be done if this is gonna happen today.
Today?! Yeah.
You think that's crazy? I should, but no.
Because I have absolute faith in your absolute faith that they should be married today.
You do? Well, listen, we cannot breathe a word of this to anyone until we know that we can pull it off.
Sure, all right.
What if Booth and Brennan won't agree to go through with this? Hey, if you build it, they will come.
I hated that movie.
Yeah? Well, it doesn't matter.
It was built, and they came.
Okay, so we know that the victim was killed and then dragged down five flights of stairs.
And we know the murder weapon left traces of a wood found only in Central America.
Cocobolo is a wood used in making guitars.
I don't think she was stabbed with a guitar.
And woodwind instruments.
Death by clarinet? That'd be awesome.
Look, if we don't solve this, Dr.
Brennan is gonna blame us for everything, probably accuse me of burning down the church.
Well, that one's easy to blame on Agent Booth.
I think we should all show a little compassion.
They're about to start a new life, and now all their dreams have been shattered.
You're just being nice 'cause you were invited to the wedding.
A pool cue.
There was trace in the wound from carbon steel, but no pool cue has a steel tip.
Yeah, but the size is right.
So what else the size of a cue has a steel tip? Hey, I have a few things to arrange for Brennan, so, you sure that you can handle this? I'm running the pattern- recognition software right now.
Okay, you don't have to be snottier than usual.
I'll be a phone call away if you need me.
And don't break my machine.
The letter the victim was carrying was written by Emily Dickinson.
What? The poet.
Yeah, I know who Emily Dickinson is.
That-that would make the letter extremely valuable.
Certainly give someone a financial motive for theft and murder.
Are you sure that it's Emily Dickinson? The punctuation mirrors that which was taught at Mount Holyoke where Dickinson studied.
The rhyming is experimental and inexact, and the single speaker is consistent with the style of the 19th century, so, yes, I'm positive.
Oh my God.
Let me see that.
No.
You said Dr.
Brennan was your first priority.
And you would never forgive yourself if you neglected her well-being because of this case.
Yeah, you're right.
Thank you, Oliver.
And you're completely unnecessary.
Well, the squints found us a suspect.
Janet McCann.
She's an Emily Dickinson scholar.
The victim had correspondence with her.
How did they land on her? Victim was killed and dragged down five flights of stairs.
McCann's office was on the fifth floor of the Humanities Building at Adams University.
She, uh, steal and sell the letter? I don't think money was a motive on this one.
According to McCann's scholarly work, Emily Dickinson's writing was an attempt to feel something that she had never felt before.
You're saying that Dickinson was a virgin? That's the conclusion of most biographers, but the letter proves that wasn't true.
Now, if the victim had published it, McCann's entire academic career would've been pointless.
Look, we have worse motives, okay? We just still have to find a murder weapon.
I'll, uh, I'll call the squints.
I'm already on it.
I figured you could use a break.
I'm fine.
Okay.
You know, Bones'll never admit it, but, you know, she was dreaming about that wedding.
I wouldn't worry too much about Dr.
Brennan.
She's a lot stronger than you think.
Right.
Okay, okay, that's enough of that.
Booth was looking forward to this wedding so much.
And it's still gonna happen, sweetie.
So dry your eyes because today's the day.
Angie, I swiped the keys for all the exhibits on the second and third floors.
We're all set.
Hi, Dr.
B.
All right, I gotta hustle.
What are you doing? That does not concern you.
All that matters is that you two are gonna tie the knot today.
I've got it all under control.
But Booth wants us to be in control.
Yeah, well, the killer wanted to be in control, too.
I don't understand.
That professor wanted her Emily Dickinson story to be the only real one, right? But circumstances changed.
Just like here.
The details aren't what's important.
The poetry, that's what's important.
And the poem here is you and Booth.
So don't put off what you two have wanted for so long because a few details have changed.
But Booth can be stubborn, Angela.
Not about this.
Because he loves you.
And if you're okay with it, then he will be, too.
But I don't know if I'm okay with it.
I'm your best friend, sweetie.
Trust me.
You're okay with it.
So this is from the last book that Janet McCann wrote on Emily Dickinson.
It's her bio on the book jacket.
"In addition to her post at Adams University, "Professor Janet McCann is also an avid hiker, "and hopes to soon complete what has been a years-long quest: exploring the entire length of the Appalachian Trail.
" The trace particulates Dr.
Hodgins found: shagbark hickory, found throughout these states along the trail.
Insect and foliage particulates from Vermont to West Virginia.
Yeah, it fits.
The killer was a hiker.
It was a trekking pole.
We identified the one in this picture had a steel tip and a Cocobolo shaft, manufactured in the late '70s.
It's a match for the injuries.
Unfortunately, I don't think there's gonna be a trial.
Booth found out the professor suffered a stroke two years ago.
She's in a nursing home confined to a bed.
So now Dr.
Brennan is free and clear to get married.
Oh, I wish it were that easy.
Angela says we're getting married today.
So Angela, she's calling the shots now? Uh, yes.
She's planning this whole emergency wedding.
Bones, she would have us getting married in a garage.
Look, I know what this wedding meant to you, and the flowers and the dress.
I don't care about any of that.
It's you who I'm worried about.
Me? Why me? The church.
I know how important that is to you.
I didn't ask for that.
That was your idea this time around.
Because of you.
Bones, I would wear elephant tusks on my head and have a squirrel monkey do the wedding ceremony if that's what you wanted.
You really don't care? No.
Well, neither do I as long as you're there.
We've waited long enough.
We have.
So, we're doing it? We're doing it.
I'm not certain if you are aware, but Agent Booth and I are getting married today.
Congrats, Dr.
B.
Suck up.
Being polite is not the same thing as sucking up.
I'm pretty sure that it is.
We're all very happy for you.
Yeah, says the guy who got invited.
Well, he didn't really get invited.
He still gets to go.
That's why I asked to speak to all of you together.
The work that you did solving this crime, not only was it expertly done, it was like, a wedding present to me, and I'd like to invite all of you to the wedding.
What, as like some kind of reward? No.
Then why? Because Angela said that I should.
No, no, that is not why.
That's not actually why.
Why are you asking us now but not before? I didn't invite you to my wedding because I thought it would be cruel.
Excuse me? None of you has found a life companion.
It seemed unfair to ask lonely people like yourselves to watch the joyous celebration Booth and I had planned.
But Angela says that you are my friends as well as my colleagues, and as such, you will take joy in our good fortune.
So, I'm inviting you.
I have to go put on my dress now.
I have a girlfriend.
She's awesome.
Are you gonna marry her? Welcome to the losers' club.
Do we get to bring guests? No, no, and the wedding starts in a half an hour.
I don't really have a dress for this.
I don't even own a jacket.
No worries.
I have got you covered, my peeps.
History of fashion exhibit, third floor.
I'll bite.
Look at all this.
It's like every woman's dream.
Good to know.
Oh, my God.
This couldn't have turned out better, honey.
I-I am so proud of you.
Thanks, Mom.
Thank you.
All right.
Okay.
All right.
You ready, Booth? I've been ready for years.
Hey, thanks.
At last My love has come along My lonely days are over And life is like a song Ooh, at last The skies above are blue My heart was wrapped in clover The night I looked at you I found a dream That I could speak to A dream that I could call my own You're a lucky man, Booth.
I know.
To press my cheek to A thrill that I've never known You smiled, you smiled And then the spell Was cast And here we are in heaven For you are mine At Last I'm sure you know how happy I am for both of you.
And, Booth, it's my fatherly duty to tell you that if you do anything to hurt my girl, I'll kill you.
Thanks, Max, for all of this.
Dad.
And by the way, I won the pool.
I knew it was today that you would tie the knot.
This is not one man ceremonially handing over a woman to another man as though she's property.
Okay? Come on, Bones.
Ladies and gentlemen, friends and loved ones of Seeley Booth and Temperance Brennan, if anyone here has any reasons why these two shouldn't be married, keep it to yourself or get out because this - is going to happen.
- It is! I'm a psychic, and I promise you, this is gonna happen.
Now, I foresaw this a long time ago when I first Avalon.
Avalon.
Right.
Sorry, everyone.
Lucky for me, Seeley and Temperance have written their own vows.
So we'll start with Seeley Booth.
All right.
Okay, um You know, I worked really, really hard on my vows, but you know, now that we're here Look, um, hey.
Do you remember the last time that we were here? Standing right around in this spot? It was, um, right in the beginning, before we really knew each other.
I was trying to get away from you, because, um, you were irritating me.
And, uh, you chased me down, and you caught up to me.
I said to you, "Listen, I just have to get all my ducks in a row, right?" And then you said to me "I can be a duck.
" Yeah.
You know, we have been chasing each other for a long time.
We've been chasing each other through wars and serial killers and ghosts and snakes and You know, chasing you has been the smartest thing that I have ever done in my life.
And being chased by you has been my greatest joy, but now we, uh, we don't have to chase each other anymore because we caught each other.
We didn't bring - enough Kleenex.
- And now, Temperance, will you be speaking from the heart as well? No, I will be speaking from my mouth.
When Hodgins and I were buried alive, we each wrote a message to someone we loved, in case our bodies were ever found.
Hodgins wrote to Angela, and I wrote to you, Booth.
"Dear Agent Booth, "You are a confusing man.
"You are irrational and impulsive, "superstitious and exasperating.
"You believe in ghosts and angels, "and maybe even Santa Claus, "and because of you, I've started to see "the universe differently.
"How is it possible "that simply looking into your fine face "gives me so much joy? "Why does it make me so happy "that every time "I try to sneak a peek at you, "you're already looking at me? "Like you, it makes no sense.
And like you, it feels right.
" "If I ever get out of here, "I will find a time and a place "to tell you "that you make my life messy and confusing "and unfocused "and irrational and wonderful.
" This is that time.
This is that place.
Did I do that wrong? No.
Oh.
By the powers vested in me by the District of Columbia and the Internet, I now pronounce you man and wife.
You can kiss me now.
Aldo didn't say that I could kiss you.
As usual, she's right.
Go.
So, what do you think happens now? Everything that happens next.
And here we are in heaven For you are mine At Last What's that mean?
You can't keep crying.
I can and I will.
We only have the church till 11:00.
Can you cry after 11:00? Can't forget the best man.
No, he'll be dressed on the day.
My son's flying in later.
So.
hey That's my dad.
This isn't really necessary.
This is just to get a general idea He isn't very dependable, but I imagine my father will be here.
I'm sure.
How can you be sure? He's just being nice.
Don't worry, Bones.
Max will be here, all right? Ju Can we hurry this along? I have been trying.
Okay, then, after opening rites, we have the first reading.
Dr.
Hodgins? Got some stuff from Ecclesiastes that's gonna kill.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Uh, no problem.
Uh, then after your reading, Dr.
Sweets will Oh, God.
I'm sorry.
Don't worry.
God grants me patience for just such events.
No, no, Bones, don't even pick it up.
Shut it off.
Just put it away.
Put it away.
Oh Put it away.
No Oh, I'm sorry.
Am I allowed to kiss him now? It's really just a rehearsal, Dr.
Brennan.
Because we are sleeping together.
No.
Shh Sleeping, of course, is a euphemism for sex.
No.
I'm really sorry, Father.
You don't have to apologize, Booth.
It's not like he's going to be jealous.
Don't say sex So, moving on, we have uh, the reading, music, the homily, blah, blah, and then your father will Oh, gosh, I-I'm sorry.
Sorry.
I thought I turned it off.
Sorry.
That will not happen again.
Yeah.
Okay.
Okay, then.
Here we go.
Excuse me.
Yes? No, I do last rites, but I don't do murder.
It's for you.
Me? Yeah.
Sorry.
This will just take one Booth.
Booth They found the remains on the grounds by a senatorial building, the one on P Street.
That's where the President used to stay.
- Yep.
They were excavating for a new gazebo.
The remains are being brought directly to the lab.
Which will not concern Dr.
Brennan or Agent Booth, will it? Well, we're not getting married until tomorrow.
I should really take a look.
Oh, no.
What do you mean, "Oh, no," huh? Rings, kiss, vows-- hitched.
Are you serious? Yeah, totally serious.
You know, work is good.
Keep her busy.
Don't worry about it.
Yep, let's go.
See you all back at the lab.
I'll put $25 on the wedding being canceled by lunchtime tomorrow.
Yeah.
50 bucks says it's canceled before the sun goes down.
Worst friends ever.
The victim is female, mid-30s.
Almost completely skeletonized.
Remaining tissue is desiccated.
This happened a long time ago.
Multiple stab wounds to the chest; degree of staining on the clothes suggests she bled out.
Fabric-wise, it looks like the victim died in the '70s.
That's impossible to know at this stage.
Afraid not.
Cicada.
It was caught in her sleeve.
They only emerge once every 17 years, meaning our victim was killed in 1979.
Or I guess, 1945, or 1962, 1996.
Okay, we get the point.
You see, Brennan? This is gonna solve itself.
You are not needed.
And since the wedding is tomorrow, you should get your beauty sleep.
I don't need sleep to be beautiful.
No, but it does help you be pleasant.
We have this under control, Dr.
Brennan.
Angela, can you take this paperwork and see what you can restore? Got it.
No one here is a forensic anthropologist.
Without me, you won't be able to Dr.
Brennan, what are you doing here? What are you doing here? I asked him to come because you have your mani-pedi appointment.
I can't, in good conscience, leave until I feel confident you are capable of handling the case.
I'm gonna chalk that up to nerves and not be insulted.
Good call.
Would you just stop acting like the wedding is doomed? Brennan really wants this.
Then why are we here? I mean, this case is over 30 years old.
It could wait till Monday.
Hey, look at this.
What is that, a protective sleeve? Yeah, for, like, a photograph or an important document.
Yeah, but it's empty.
Ooh, hey, I found it.
Her I.
D.
Laminated.
That's helpful.
Nancy Handelman.
She was born February 5, 1943, which makes her 36 when she died.
Poor thing.
Listen, Brennan's just nervous, okay? It happens.
But we have to support her.
We have to stay positive.
I will be as positive as a proton, I promise.
I got your text about the wedding pool.
ll p $50 on it being called off by 3:00.
Yes.
They'll call if they find anything, so just get home, okay, Bones? I think your dad is here.
His stuff is on the counter.
I told you he'd make it.
All right, hurry back.
I love you, too.
Hey, Max, are you hungry?! Bones is gonna go pick up Christine and Oh! Looks like I'm gonna need a new bag.
Really? I mean, I think it's very generous.
You know, it's tradition for the father of the bride to pay for the wedding.
Max is obviously a traditionalist.
Okay, did you hear me? The bag looked like it was buried.
Maybe it's just dirty.
Oh, come on, Sweets.
Look, I'd advise you to just concentrate on the wedding.
How's Dr.
Brennan doing? Okay, look, this is the area where the body was found, right? Up in that one.
You're really gonna duck the question by hiding behind your work? Okay.
Used to be part of Adams University.
It was sold off ten years ago.
What are those buildings? Grad student housing and faculty offices.
I'm gonna do a background check on all the tenants from 1979.
And you know what? I am not hiding behind my work, okay? I'm just trying to keep Bones busy so she doesn't get nervous.
And get cold feet.
Listen, Bones doesn't have cold feet, all right? Actually, they're warm.
Actually, they're very hot, thank you very much.
I'm on your side, okay? And I think what you're doing is great psychology.
As far as the bag full of money, you're right, it's-it's kind of creepy.
Go do something else somewhere else.
Okay.
Thank you.
Dr.
Hodgins, what have you got for me? Brennan's done with her mani-pedi.
I meant Right.
Sorry, sorry.
Today, all I seem to think about The wedding pool.
Wh No.
What kind of a person do you think I am? That was rhetorical.
All right, these are the results from the stab wounds.
Now, traces of iron-carbon alloy.
So the weapon was made of steel.
Yeah.
Also, I got some particulate residue from multiple insect and foliage species.
Inside the wounds? That's odd, especially in an urban area.
Still working on trying to I.
D.
the various species.
Is that our victim? Booth just e-mailed me her file.
Nancy Handelman was single, no living family, worked at the Library of Congress in the Manuscripts Division.
The Manuscripts Division? Maybe that acid-free sleeve she was carrying did contain something important, like the letter that Nixon wrote confirming the presence of aliens, or even a map that reveals Slow down, Da Vinci Code.
As far as we know, she was just a simple librarian.
I know what you're up to.
Yeah, I'm not up to anything.
Okay.
If Brennan realizes the enormity of this case, she's gonna ditch the wedding, so you want me to keep quiet until after the nuptials.
Yes, Dr.
Hodgins, nothing gets by you.
Angela told me not to touch anything, so can you pick up rib five? Two minutes with you and I'm back to being an intern.
Note the peripheral indentation, as though from a hilt, so the weapon could've been short.
Medio-cam, please? Oh, I guess I should be glad you're saying "please.
" A little more steady, Dr.
Edison.
I have to solve this case before I consummate my marriage.
A splinter.
Dr.
Hodgins will want to see this.
Brennan.
Hair.
You have to get your hair done for the rehearsal dinner, honey.
No, that makes no sense.
I have my hair done today for the rehearsal dinner and then again tomorrow for the wedding? Why? Because you're the bride.
So just accept and adapt, okay? Hey.
Did you place a bet on this wedding? I prefer not to tell you while you're wearing your tough face.
Mm-hmm.
Is that the protective sleeve from the victim's bag? On the left, yeah.
whatever was in it might have been the motive for her murder.
But whatever was in it is long gone, and without it Not necessarily.
This image on the right, I found that folded up in the victim's wallet.
It's a photocopy.
See the outline? Oh, so you think that this is a photocopy of what was in there.
I'm still working on the restoration, but I'm hoping to pull something from it.
Dr.
Saroyan, I'm finding a large number of micro-fractures on the bones.
Dr.
Brennan doesn't know yet.
She missed them? Only because you told her not to touch anything with those fingernails.
What's the question, Dr.
Edison? If I tell Dr.
Brennan about those fractures, she's gonna check them out.
These fractures are gonna take at least two days for both me and Dr.
Brennan to catalogue, and for her to check my work.
The wedding is tomorrow.
Simple.
We don't tell her.
We can't lie to Dr.
Brennan.
Normally, I would agree with that, but this time we lie our asses off.
Or we could call in the reserves.
And that's why I'm checking with you, because that would entail extra costs.
I bet the reserves would come in for free.
Yes, because they don't have to really do the work.
Dr.
Brennan just has to think that it's covered.
Tricky.
Yes.
Tricky is an excellent coping mechanism when dealing with people like Dr.
Brennan.
Dr.
Brennan, I thought you'd be home getting ready.
I'm checking Dr.
Edison's work so that I can talk to him before I leave.
Uh, he doesn't need your help.
How can you say that? These indentations could have easily caused the micro-fractures to the ribs.
But we don't have a murder weapon that matches any of these.
Trust me, Dr.
Brennan, Dr.
Edison's got plenty of help.
Where did we get the budget for this? That's not your concern.
What is your concern is getting to that rehearsal dinner.
I owe you one, all of you.
Okay, well done.
Thanks, guys.
Though, while you're here, I do have a few questions you might be able to help me with.
Uh, we were told ten minutes, max.
I have a date.
I have therapy.
I have to go get ready for the wedding.
Sure, rub it in that you're dating the boss.
You do know Saroyan's gonna want to get married now, right? What? Does anyone besides me care about this poor, murdered woman? Hmm.
Hey.
Hey.
"I see your hands, "and my body trembles with memory; "your touch is like coarse silk against my bare skin, pulling me ever closer.
" You can't read that at my wedding.
There's gonna be kids there.
No, no, no.
It's from Angela.
Oh.
Well, that figures.
It's text from the letter found on the victim.
Oh.
Yeah.
It's very erotic.
And the voice is definitely female.
And there's mention of her lover's wife.
Well, the librarian she was having an affair.
Uh, possibly.
Gives the wife, you know, a nice, clean motive to get rid of her.
Right.
But here's the thing: The language seems antiquated.
And it was found in one of those sleeves that you use for collectibles.
Problem? It's not Dr.
Brennan, is it? No, no.
It's it's It's about Max's money.
Oh.
Dirty? Not from the dirty bag.
I mean illicit money? I got it.
No, okay? The money is clean.
You seem disappointed.
Because something is off.
You don't carry around a sack of cash like that.
I mean, not if you're honest.
Max isn't like other people.
That's what I'm afraid of.
I don't want a SWAT team crashing my wedding.
All right, Booth, this is just your anxiety talking.
All right? You're deflecting your concerns about your wedding onto Max.
You're right.
You're actually right.
Because, you know, he wasn't a fugitive for all those years.
You know what? I gotta get out of here.
I'm late.
Gotta get to the airport, pick up my son.
Ooh, tough decision.
Ah, they're both nice.
Now, results from the remaining particulate samples.
First, the simple part: that wood splinter inside the bone was Cocobolo.
It's not indigenous to this country, so it must be part of the murder weapon.
Am I wrong to assume there's also a not-so-simple part? The foliage and insect particulates from inside the wound? Right? There weren't just a few.
There were many different species, from many different parts of the country.
You think the body was moved postmortem? Unless the killer moved the body from Massachusetts to Georgia to Virginia, there's got to be another explanation.
I just don't know what it is.
Oh, God give everything you have to the interns.
We do not want this hanging over Dr.
Brennan's head or this wedding will not happen.
Okay.
All right, uh You don't want in on the pool? No.
Dr.
Hodgins? by 1:00 tomorrow.
Oh, God, I hate myself.
London is a long flight, okay? You must be tired.
I'm fine.
I can't wait till Christine wakes up from her nap.
Yeah, she's sleeping, huh? And if you have to go to work No.
I don't have to go anywhere.
I am exactly where I want to be.
Right here with my son.
Boom! Mom packed my tuxedo.
That's what I'm supposed to wear, right? Yeah.
You know, we're gonna look like a bunch of waiters out there.
Or better yet, some penguins sliding around on the ice.
Huh? Ah I'm glad you're marrying Bones, you know? Mom's happy for you, too.
Thanks.
I'm happy.
I'm happy you're here.
All right? So, look, I have this list of things that I need to remember to get done, all right? Mm-hmm.
And I need you to make sure I don't forget.
Me? Yeah, you.
That's what a best man does, and I'm asking you to be my best man.
Really? All right? Thanks, Dad.
I love you.
All right, lookit.
Here's what we gotta get.
This is a hair comb that I got in the Marais in Paris.
These aren't real jewels because I couldn't even afford bread then, but I None of the fractures on the calcanei are remodeled.
There are other fractures Okay.
I don't care, honey.
I am giving you the "something borrowed" that you need.
It's also blue and old, so we've got three out of four down.
I'm sorry.
Thank you.
Have you found the provenance of the letter yet? No, I'm-I'm focusing on your wedding.
'Cause somebody has to.
I just want all the information in order before I leave.
Brennan, this is insane.
It's bad enough that I didn't have time to throw you a bachelorette party.
Don't spend your last few hours working.
Why not? Because you don't want your fingers to smell like death when Booth puts on the ring.
There's a murder victim.
That is an objective fact.
It's my job to find out who killed her.
Brennan, she's been dead for 35 years.
I think she can wait a little longer.
Hey, hey.
Did you even look at the hair comb I gave you? It meant a lot for me to give that to you.
My feelings they're a jumble But this case is something I understand.
You understand happy, right? Go with that.
One more minute and I'll leave.
Have you catalogued all of the injuries? I've filled one binder so far.
But we're still examining.
There's chipping from an indeterminate cause which You're stating the obvious, Mr.
Fisher.
A high school student could do that.
The coccyx and sacrum show bruising.
I was going to say that.
Micro-fracture of the left olecranon.
That, too.
I swear.
The perimortem micro-fractures on the calcaneus bones indicate repeat blunt force trauma, probably from a flat object like a 2x4.
Very good, but you will not be helping with the remains anymore, Dr.
Wells.
You have to find the provenance of the letter fragment.
I'm doing that.
You have a wedding to prepare for.
And Dr.
Wells is a polymath and more than qualified to do the research.
And if he isn't, we dismiss him.
No one likes him anyway.
I kind of do.
You're a constant surprise.
If I have to think about the remains instead of my wedding, I will be very unhappy.
You wouldn't want that, would you? No, absolutely not.
No.
No.
I thought not.
Good luck.
Now I would like to try on that comb.
We're not even getting paid.
I am.
You know, I just thought, look, you know, before I get married, you'd be able to give me some advice, here.
I'm not a priest anymore, Booth.
I know.
Okay? I know that.
But the real ones, they don't know me like you.
We could've done this at the bar.
Come on, Aldo, will you just cut me some slack, here? Okay.
I'm jealous.
What you and Temperance have, it's the reason we draw breath.
You screw this up, Booth, and it'll be worse than any hell God can dream up for you.
I agree.
I'm Max.
- I'm Tempe's father.
- Oh This guy he thinks I'm still a crook.
Aldo.
He still thinks I'm a priest.
What are you doing here, Max? Well, I saw you were here, and I though maybe you had had a change of heart.
So you're following me? He's a good father.
I tell you what I've never seen anything more right.
I'd be proud to call you my son.
I only wish that Tempe's mother was here to watch her walk down the aisle.
Me, too.
Thanks.
All right? Thanks.
Thanks.
Hey, I tell you what.
Why don't we go light her a candle, huh? Come on.
Well, she really wasn't the religious type.
It's you know what? I'll light it.
It can't hurt, right? Come on.
It'll be like she's part of the ceremony.
She'll be, uh, watching over us, huh? What the hell.
Can I say that? Yeah, what the hell? I'd like to make a toast before we go.
No, no, Pops, we're running late.
You do that at the rehearsal dinner, okay? Just a little one, Shrimp, a private one.
I've been waiting for this day ever since I met Tempe.
Then I'm going after him.
Then I'm going to sing a song.
A little one.
Actually, two.
- I'm pretty hungry.
- We should hurry.
We don't want to be late to the dinner.
- Yeah.
- You know what? We're getting in trouble for loving them.
Better not to listen.
You're a lucky man, Shrimp.
You found a woman who's willing to stand up to you and call you on your crap.
My what? You can be stubborn.
And if she's willing to stick around and try to civilize you, then you'd better listen and make adjustments, 'cause that's love.
I just want say a couple of things.
When I was on the run, trying to stay alive-- which wasn't easy Dad.
No.
This actually sounds good.
You know what? Maybe I should go while you clean up your story.
Seeley, what you have here is the final piece to the puzzle.
It's what's going to make you whole.
Tempe is the woman that I always wished I could be, and the one that every mother always prays that her son will find.
Now I'm gonna cry.
How caI a speech if I'm gonna cry? Oh, don't cry.
I still have to sing.
Oh, hold on, that's the guy, the limo driver.
We're probably late.
Let's get everything together here, huh? Yeah? Turn on the TV.
The church.
What about the church? A passing motorist called 911 at roughly 7:00 p.
m.
when they spotted smoke coming from the Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
By 7:30, it was a three-alarm blaze with several area fire departments responding.
Investigators have yet to determine the cause of the fire, though it seems to have started from the back of the sanctuary.
My God, Booth.
You burned the the church down? Mmm.
Wow.
These are some zesty eggs, Pops.
Gramma, those are Pops' famous Eggs From Hell.
At my age, who wants bland food? Spicy lets you know you're alive.
Hey, you can take off the tux, there, buddy.
The wedding has been postponed.
He likes it.
Makes him feel like James Bond.
Where's Temperance? She's back on the case, now that the, uh, wedding has been delayed.
You should elope.
- Oh - What's that? Means going to a Justice of the Peace to get hitched.
No fuss, no bother.
Pops, forget it, okay? I owe Bones a fuss.
Eloping is romantic.
Chicks dig romantic, Dad.
That's true.
What do you mean, "chicks"? There you go.
Hot! Hot! Oh, whoa! Oh! - Oh! - I told you it was too spicy.
It'll leave a stain.
Oh! Okay, that's a sign from the gods, huh? Best man ruins his tuxedo? Looks like we'll have to postpone the wedding till we can do it right.
Dad.
Come in.
You all right about the wedding? Yes.
The damage to the victim's feet is confusing.
See, I-I-I think it's my fault.
Oh, not the victim's feet.
But the wedding.
Booth says that Mom burned down the church.
Your mom did not burn down the church.
Booth says that Mom burned down the church because she didn't want you paying for the wedding with dirty money.
Your mom knows where the money came from and she was all right with it.
Mom's dead.
You want the truth? That money comes from a magical night in Vegas where I just couldn't lose.
It was 30 years ago.
I was playing blackjack and I won all this money.
I I thought, well, okay, I might as well bet it all.
Statistically unwise.
And then I realized what it was for.
Your wedding.
So I grabbed it and was out of there, and I buried it, and, 'cause you know, banks and bank robbers.
Booth's gonna be my son-in-law.
I think he should have just trusted me.
You can understand his reticence, Dad.
Yeah.
You want my advice? Get married today.
I've called eight churches, Dad, none of them are available today.
It doesn't have to be in a church.
It could be at City Hall.
It could be underwater or bungee jumping.
Church is very important to Booth.
And I love him.
I want him to have what he wants.
Sure.
I have a question.
Is it about the iliopectineal line? No, it's why I wasn't invited to the wedding.
None of us were.
I was invited.
Not really.
You're just going a plus-one, dude.
We work here.
We're not friends with each other, we're colleagues.
It's a small, intimate, friends-and-family wedding.
Not for us.
Aw, your feelings are hurt.
Aren't you supposed to be working on the letter? I am.
I just crave the camaraderie of my peers.
I'm just kidding.
Angela's office smells like sage.
Findings, please.
Mr.
Fisher? Well, the majority of micro-fractures were confined to the heels of both feet.
With a secondary number of micro-fractures on the ischial tuberosities.
The amount of damage to both the right and left calcanei is almost identical.
The victim was dragged down the stairs.
The cracks on the ischial tuberosities further support that scenario.
Those occurred when the body was dragged onto the landings in between flights.
How many big a building are we talking about? Taking into account the victim's weight and the height of a standard stair riser and the amount of spiderweb fractures Come on, guys.
It's not that hard.
Fifth floor.
I used to work construction.
Only one of those buildings at Adams University sharing that courtyard had a fifth floor.
Cutting our suspect pool down to the perhaps 20 academics that worked on that floor.
Bam.
We still need a murder weapon.
I feel a little bit guilty, but I think I may have won the pool.
You're giving that money to charity.
Yeah, can't really argue with that.
Exactly.
"Complete Weddings"? What are you up to? I can't let their wedding be postponed again.
You know what's amazing? I was just about to say, "Angie, I think you should throw a wedding for Booth and Brennan.
" You were? Sure, yeah.
There's just so much to be done if this is gonna happen today.
Today?! Yeah.
You think that's crazy? I should, but no.
Because I have absolute faith in your absolute faith that they should be married today.
You do? Well, listen, we cannot breathe a word of this to anyone until we know that we can pull it off.
Sure, all right.
What if Booth and Brennan won't agree to go through with this? Hey, if you build it, they will come.
I hated that movie.
Yeah? Well, it doesn't matter.
It was built, and they came.
Okay, so we know that the victim was killed and then dragged down five flights of stairs.
And we know the murder weapon left traces of a wood found only in Central America.
Cocobolo is a wood used in making guitars.
I don't think she was stabbed with a guitar.
And woodwind instruments.
Death by clarinet? That'd be awesome.
Look, if we don't solve this, Dr.
Brennan is gonna blame us for everything, probably accuse me of burning down the church.
Well, that one's easy to blame on Agent Booth.
I think we should all show a little compassion.
They're about to start a new life, and now all their dreams have been shattered.
You're just being nice 'cause you were invited to the wedding.
A pool cue.
There was trace in the wound from carbon steel, but no pool cue has a steel tip.
Yeah, but the size is right.
So what else the size of a cue has a steel tip? Hey, I have a few things to arrange for Brennan, so, you sure that you can handle this? I'm running the pattern- recognition software right now.
Okay, you don't have to be snottier than usual.
I'll be a phone call away if you need me.
And don't break my machine.
The letter the victim was carrying was written by Emily Dickinson.
What? The poet.
Yeah, I know who Emily Dickinson is.
That-that would make the letter extremely valuable.
Certainly give someone a financial motive for theft and murder.
Are you sure that it's Emily Dickinson? The punctuation mirrors that which was taught at Mount Holyoke where Dickinson studied.
The rhyming is experimental and inexact, and the single speaker is consistent with the style of the 19th century, so, yes, I'm positive.
Oh my God.
Let me see that.
No.
You said Dr.
Brennan was your first priority.
And you would never forgive yourself if you neglected her well-being because of this case.
Yeah, you're right.
Thank you, Oliver.
And you're completely unnecessary.
Well, the squints found us a suspect.
Janet McCann.
She's an Emily Dickinson scholar.
The victim had correspondence with her.
How did they land on her? Victim was killed and dragged down five flights of stairs.
McCann's office was on the fifth floor of the Humanities Building at Adams University.
She, uh, steal and sell the letter? I don't think money was a motive on this one.
According to McCann's scholarly work, Emily Dickinson's writing was an attempt to feel something that she had never felt before.
You're saying that Dickinson was a virgin? That's the conclusion of most biographers, but the letter proves that wasn't true.
Now, if the victim had published it, McCann's entire academic career would've been pointless.
Look, we have worse motives, okay? We just still have to find a murder weapon.
I'll, uh, I'll call the squints.
I'm already on it.
I figured you could use a break.
I'm fine.
Okay.
You know, Bones'll never admit it, but, you know, she was dreaming about that wedding.
I wouldn't worry too much about Dr.
Brennan.
She's a lot stronger than you think.
Right.
Okay, okay, that's enough of that.
Booth was looking forward to this wedding so much.
And it's still gonna happen, sweetie.
So dry your eyes because today's the day.
Angie, I swiped the keys for all the exhibits on the second and third floors.
We're all set.
Hi, Dr.
B.
All right, I gotta hustle.
What are you doing? That does not concern you.
All that matters is that you two are gonna tie the knot today.
I've got it all under control.
But Booth wants us to be in control.
Yeah, well, the killer wanted to be in control, too.
I don't understand.
That professor wanted her Emily Dickinson story to be the only real one, right? But circumstances changed.
Just like here.
The details aren't what's important.
The poetry, that's what's important.
And the poem here is you and Booth.
So don't put off what you two have wanted for so long because a few details have changed.
But Booth can be stubborn, Angela.
Not about this.
Because he loves you.
And if you're okay with it, then he will be, too.
But I don't know if I'm okay with it.
I'm your best friend, sweetie.
Trust me.
You're okay with it.
So this is from the last book that Janet McCann wrote on Emily Dickinson.
It's her bio on the book jacket.
"In addition to her post at Adams University, "Professor Janet McCann is also an avid hiker, "and hopes to soon complete what has been a years-long quest: exploring the entire length of the Appalachian Trail.
" The trace particulates Dr.
Hodgins found: shagbark hickory, found throughout these states along the trail.
Insect and foliage particulates from Vermont to West Virginia.
Yeah, it fits.
The killer was a hiker.
It was a trekking pole.
We identified the one in this picture had a steel tip and a Cocobolo shaft, manufactured in the late '70s.
It's a match for the injuries.
Unfortunately, I don't think there's gonna be a trial.
Booth found out the professor suffered a stroke two years ago.
She's in a nursing home confined to a bed.
So now Dr.
Brennan is free and clear to get married.
Oh, I wish it were that easy.
Angela says we're getting married today.
So Angela, she's calling the shots now? Uh, yes.
She's planning this whole emergency wedding.
Bones, she would have us getting married in a garage.
Look, I know what this wedding meant to you, and the flowers and the dress.
I don't care about any of that.
It's you who I'm worried about.
Me? Why me? The church.
I know how important that is to you.
I didn't ask for that.
That was your idea this time around.
Because of you.
Bones, I would wear elephant tusks on my head and have a squirrel monkey do the wedding ceremony if that's what you wanted.
You really don't care? No.
Well, neither do I as long as you're there.
We've waited long enough.
We have.
So, we're doing it? We're doing it.
I'm not certain if you are aware, but Agent Booth and I are getting married today.
Congrats, Dr.
B.
Suck up.
Being polite is not the same thing as sucking up.
I'm pretty sure that it is.
We're all very happy for you.
Yeah, says the guy who got invited.
Well, he didn't really get invited.
He still gets to go.
That's why I asked to speak to all of you together.
The work that you did solving this crime, not only was it expertly done, it was like, a wedding present to me, and I'd like to invite all of you to the wedding.
What, as like some kind of reward? No.
Then why? Because Angela said that I should.
No, no, that is not why.
That's not actually why.
Why are you asking us now but not before? I didn't invite you to my wedding because I thought it would be cruel.
Excuse me? None of you has found a life companion.
It seemed unfair to ask lonely people like yourselves to watch the joyous celebration Booth and I had planned.
But Angela says that you are my friends as well as my colleagues, and as such, you will take joy in our good fortune.
So, I'm inviting you.
I have to go put on my dress now.
I have a girlfriend.
She's awesome.
Are you gonna marry her? Welcome to the losers' club.
Do we get to bring guests? No, no, and the wedding starts in a half an hour.
I don't really have a dress for this.
I don't even own a jacket.
No worries.
I have got you covered, my peeps.
History of fashion exhibit, third floor.
I'll bite.
Look at all this.
It's like every woman's dream.
Good to know.
Oh, my God.
This couldn't have turned out better, honey.
I-I am so proud of you.
Thanks, Mom.
Thank you.
All right.
Okay.
All right.
You ready, Booth? I've been ready for years.
Hey, thanks.
At last My love has come along My lonely days are over And life is like a song Ooh, at last The skies above are blue My heart was wrapped in clover The night I looked at you I found a dream That I could speak to A dream that I could call my own You're a lucky man, Booth.
I know.
To press my cheek to A thrill that I've never known You smiled, you smiled And then the spell Was cast And here we are in heaven For you are mine At Last I'm sure you know how happy I am for both of you.
And, Booth, it's my fatherly duty to tell you that if you do anything to hurt my girl, I'll kill you.
Thanks, Max, for all of this.
Dad.
And by the way, I won the pool.
I knew it was today that you would tie the knot.
This is not one man ceremonially handing over a woman to another man as though she's property.
Okay? Come on, Bones.
Ladies and gentlemen, friends and loved ones of Seeley Booth and Temperance Brennan, if anyone here has any reasons why these two shouldn't be married, keep it to yourself or get out because this - is going to happen.
- It is! I'm a psychic, and I promise you, this is gonna happen.
Now, I foresaw this a long time ago when I first Avalon.
Avalon.
Right.
Sorry, everyone.
Lucky for me, Seeley and Temperance have written their own vows.
So we'll start with Seeley Booth.
All right.
Okay, um You know, I worked really, really hard on my vows, but you know, now that we're here Look, um, hey.
Do you remember the last time that we were here? Standing right around in this spot? It was, um, right in the beginning, before we really knew each other.
I was trying to get away from you, because, um, you were irritating me.
And, uh, you chased me down, and you caught up to me.
I said to you, "Listen, I just have to get all my ducks in a row, right?" And then you said to me "I can be a duck.
" Yeah.
You know, we have been chasing each other for a long time.
We've been chasing each other through wars and serial killers and ghosts and snakes and You know, chasing you has been the smartest thing that I have ever done in my life.
And being chased by you has been my greatest joy, but now we, uh, we don't have to chase each other anymore because we caught each other.
We didn't bring - enough Kleenex.
- And now, Temperance, will you be speaking from the heart as well? No, I will be speaking from my mouth.
When Hodgins and I were buried alive, we each wrote a message to someone we loved, in case our bodies were ever found.
Hodgins wrote to Angela, and I wrote to you, Booth.
"Dear Agent Booth, "You are a confusing man.
"You are irrational and impulsive, "superstitious and exasperating.
"You believe in ghosts and angels, "and maybe even Santa Claus, "and because of you, I've started to see "the universe differently.
"How is it possible "that simply looking into your fine face "gives me so much joy? "Why does it make me so happy "that every time "I try to sneak a peek at you, "you're already looking at me? "Like you, it makes no sense.
And like you, it feels right.
" "If I ever get out of here, "I will find a time and a place "to tell you "that you make my life messy and confusing "and unfocused "and irrational and wonderful.
" This is that time.
This is that place.
Did I do that wrong? No.
Oh.
By the powers vested in me by the District of Columbia and the Internet, I now pronounce you man and wife.
You can kiss me now.
Aldo didn't say that I could kiss you.
As usual, she's right.
Go.
So, what do you think happens now? Everything that happens next.
And here we are in heaven For you are mine At Last What's that mean?