BONES AU - PART THREE "The Cannibal in Question"

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Scott sighed. "During that time, the vault and the skeleton would be unsecured..."

Kevin nodded. "Yes, until the security system was brought back up at 12:18 and 41 seconds. The explosion was a diversion set up by Gormogon."

Joe's eyes widened. "He's here in the lab. It's an inside job. Gormogon works at the Jeffersonian."

Scott looked at Joe. "Either Gormagon or his new apprentice."

Joe frowned and dialed a number in his phone as Malo shook his head. "Seriously wig-out-worthy thought..."

Joe rolled his eyes at Malo as he spoke into the phone. "Yeah, it's Booth. Listen, I need a full forensic team sent to the Jeffersonian. Mobile labs, computers, analysis - the works. No. Their equipment could be compromised."

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Two hours later, Kevin walked down to the vault filled with F. B. I. agents, one which was using a body recognition software to see if anyone is out of the ordinary.

Kevin tapped her shoulder. "Hair? Prints? Anything?"

Marlene, the F. B. I. forensic tech consultant, shook her head. "Not since you asked five minutes ago. No."

Dobium snorted at this. "Look. Dr. Olusola, please don't bother the techs. You have a problem? You see me."

Kevin rolled his eyes and looked up at him. "It's my people you suspect here. I wanna make sure you're doing your job. After all, you're a prosecutor, not a forensic-"

Dobium put a finger over Kevin's mouth. "You have been breathing down our necks for two hours, Cherie. Why don't you go get a latte or something. You shouldn't be here anyway."

"This is my department!"

"I know. And you have full security clearance and complete access to the lab and the vault."

Kevin scoffed in slight shock. "Are you saying I'm a suspect now?!"

Dobium shrugged. "I'm saying someone's gonna put your name on the list. You were a cop. Wouldn't you?"

"You've got over thirty agents here. Find something." Kevin said sourly before storming off.

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At the diner, Scott and Joe sat at the bar, drinking coffee. "The Medico-Legal lab has over 100 employees..." Scott said with a concentrated face.

Joe nodded. "Yeah, and all their records are being looked at, including yours and mine."

Scott nodded and looked over at Joe's space on the bar. "What, you're just having coffee? Don't you want pie?"

"I'm fine."

"But you always have pie."

"Can we stop talking about pie?"

"Is this about what Malo said?"

"I'm just going pie-less. Okay?" Joe retorted as Malo sat with them.

"Can we talk for a minute? I have a profile of someone I feel could be Gormogon." He noticed Joe was only having coffee. "No pie? You always eat pie."

Joe face palmed. "Enough with the pie, will you just tell us what you got?"

Malo nodded and got out some files, one on each of the team members. Before he could open his mouth, Scott spoke up loudly. "Hey! You've been spying on us? More experiments?!"

Joe's head whipped around to Malo. "Experiments?"

Malo shook his head. "I'm just being thorough. The dynamics of our work environment play a role in how I treat you and Agent Hobbs. I believe it's Dr. MacDunagh. "

Scott raised an eyebrow. "You think Max is what?"

Joe groaned. "He thinks Max is Gormagon."

Scott made a face as if he was about to protest, but Malo cut him off. "Max exhibits clinical paranoia as well as a rationalized feeling of superiority. He's consumed by numerous conspiracy theories. My observations today? He's even suspect of the F. B. I., with whom he works closely."

Scott scoffed. "That's all supposition. There's not concrete evidence."

Joe turned to Scott. "He might be on to something..." Joe turned back to Malo. "Go on."

"Joe!"

"What, Bones? He knew all about the Gormagon-y stuff!"

"Yes. He was doing his job!" Scott spat back.

Malo raised a finger. "Or justifying himself. He had access to all the chemicals Kirstie was using. He could have changed the labels."

Scott gave him a challenging look. "I also had access to the chemicals Kirstie made. Why am I not a suspect?"

Malo considered this. "Well, you have a reverence for life that belies the cold, calculations of a killer. And the emotional connection you share with Agent Hobbs-"

"No- That- I-" He got up. "I don't have time for this. No." He said before leaving.

Joe sighed. "Don't you know by now you can't rush him, Malo?" He got up and ran after Scott.

Malo slouched. "We're trying to catch a killer. I thought it best not to waste time..."