Triangles, Chapter 6
Title: Triangles
Author: Sarah-Beth (memorysdaughter)
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Rating: PG
Summary: A senator's husband is murdered at a school for disabled children, and Booth and Bones must look at the world in new ways in order to solve the case.
Chapters 1-5
Triangles
“Mrs. Kalefsky? I’m Special Agent Booth, and this is Dr. Temperance Brennan. We’d like to ask you a few questions.”
Maryam Kalefsky was on the floor, her arms around her daughter, who was rocking back and forth. “I’d like to take Ruby home. She’s very upset.”
Brennan looked at the girl, whose face was blank and expressionless. Aside from the rocking, she was completely still. If anything, Ruby looked calm. Her mother was the upset one.
Cam spoke. “We cleaned up the mess. I’m sure I can keep an eye on her for a moment.”
She looked over at Maryam and nodded. Maryam looked down at her daughter, whose eyes were glued on the far wall. “I’ll be right back, Ruby,” she whispered.
In the interrogation room she faced them. “I don’t know what good this is going to do. Ruby has no long-term memory. Everything past a week or so ago is simply gone for her.”
“Which is why it’s so important for us to work with her right now,” Booth said quickly. “We need to know if there’s anything she remembers about the other afternoon, when Mr. Kirkpatrick was murdered.”
“I’m not sure if this is the best sort of situation for Ruby. She’s unpredictable at best, and I don’t really know what effect this will have on her.”
“We understand,” Booth said. “I just have a few questions for you, and then you both can go. In the future we’ll talk to Ruby at the Muth School.”
Maryam considered this. “I can only give you a little more time today, but please, ask your questions.”
Booth motioned to a seat at the table. Maryam took it, and Booth and Brennan sat across from her. Booth took his notebook from his pocket and opened it. After a moment he said, “Do you know many of the workers at the Muth School?”
“I know many of the teachers,” Maryam replied. “Ruby’s been going there since she was four. Before that she was in an intensive schooling program in Bethesda.”
“Are you close to any of them?”
Maryam sighed. “Yes. Arielle Sutherland, Ruby’s head teacher, lives in our neighborhood. We’ve been friends since Ruby was little. She and her husband Erik have been so nice to us. They’re so generous. And Lind McNally, the music and art teacher, has worked really hard with Ruby.”
“Did you know Mark Kirkpatrick?” Booth asked.
“The head of janitorial services? Yes. My husband Adam is friends with… was friends with Mark, and his wife Jan. The Muth School… it’s really small, and we all know each other. Mark Kirkpatrick was the head of the Muth Foundation.”
“What’s that?”
Maryam seemed surprised that they didn’t know. “The Muth Foundation supervises the school and provides for special or strange expenses. Two years ago they sent four of the Muth School athletes to the Special Olympics Nationals, and this year they’re funding a trip to the National Science Olympiad finals for our team of deaf-blind students. They make sure that every kid in the school eligible for an augmentative communication device gets one, no matter how expensive. Ruby’s being evaluated right now for hers.”
“And how did Mr. Kirkpatrick come to head this foundation?”
“You’re confused because he’s a janitor,” Maryam said, smiling. “Mark chose to be the head of janitorial services. Fifteen years ago he was the head of the Muth School board. He was best friends with Alistair Muth - they founded the school together, with Alistair’s wife Edie. Alistair died shortly after they were able to scrape together the funds for the building. Mark and Edie worked to get the school open. Edie wanted to appoint Mark as the principal, but Mark didn’t feel he was suited for the job. She begged him to stay on, and Mark told her he would do so, but as the head of janitorial services. Edie said that the only way he would do that was if he would also be the head of the Muth Foundation.”
Booth turned to look at Brennan. “Well, it’s certainly a strange rags-to-riches-to-rags story, isn’t it?”
“I think it’s… anthropologically unlikely but very touching,” Brennan answered.
Maryam gave them a sad smile. “Mark was a special man. He was brilliant. He was giving. He really wanted to change the lives of the children he worked with.”
“Why?” Brennan asked.
“What do you mean, why?”
“Well, most people find working with people with disabilities a little socially repellent. The work is difficult and strange and often goes beyond comfortable physical and emotional boundaries,” Brennan answered. “It’s rare that someone not affected by disabilities or someone with a disability chooses to go into a field that would put them in contact with the disabled.”
“Mark and Jan had a disabled daughter, Allison, who was deaf-blind. Allison was just like Mark - smart, funny, and absolutely brilliant. She was attending school at Gallaudet University and decided to go into town with some friends to get a drink. Allison went to use the restroom and never came back. Her body was found in the alley behind the bar. Mark and Jan were absolutely devastated. So, Dr. Brennan, if you’re looking for the reason behind Mark’s selfless, giving life, which has now been senselessly ended, there it is. Her name was Allison.”
Maryam stood up. “And now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to collect my daughter and go home. I have nothing more to tell you. Oh, well, I guess there’s one more thing - if you’re looking for Mark’s killer, you’re looking in the wrong place. Ruby can’t tell you anything.”
“So Senator Kirkpatrick claims she’s never heard of Ruby Kalefsky. Maryam Kalefsky claims she and her husband Adam were friends with Mark and Jan. Who’s telling the truth?”
“The senator just lost her husband,” Angela suggested, reaching for some of Booth’s fries. “It’s possible she just forgot.”
“Excuse me!” Booth said. “Those are my fries!”
“And you had half of my soup,” Angela pointed out.
“You can have my fries,” Brennan said, and dumped them on Booth’s plate. “What I want to know is, where’s the hand?”
“It’s possible the killer took it as a souvenir,” Zack suggested, snapping into a carrot stick.
“Why would he take the hand, though?” Booth asked.
The table was quiet for a moment. Zack ate another carrot stick. Hodgins leaned over to grab half of Zack’s ham-and-cheese melt. “Maybe the killer wanted to make a point,” he said around a mouthful of sandwich. “Mark worked with his hands.”
Brennan swirled the ice in her glass. “I wonder if Mark’s killer and Allison’s killer are the same.”
Everyone turned their heads to look at her.
“What?”
“Well, sweetie, you never really… wonder. Usually you… um… get the facts,” Angela said tactfully.
“I just find it interesting that two members of the Kirkpatrick family were brutally murdered.”
“The cases occurred more than fifteen years apart, Bones,” Booth said.
“But Allison’s killer was never caught.”
“How do you know that?”
“I looked it up.”
“Why would you do that?”
Brennan put her glass on the table. “I want to know everything about the case. It seemed like a logical place to start.”
Booth started to say something, but was interrupted by the ringing of his phone. “Booth.”
He listened intensely, then barked, “Thanks” into the phone and slammed it shut. “Bones, let’s go.”
“What?”
“They found Mark Kirkpatrick’s hand.”
Author: Sarah-Beth (memorysdaughter)
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Rating: PG
Summary: A senator's husband is murdered at a school for disabled children, and Booth and Bones must look at the world in new ways in order to solve the case.
Chapters 1-5
Triangles
“Mrs. Kalefsky? I’m Special Agent Booth, and this is Dr. Temperance Brennan. We’d like to ask you a few questions.”
Maryam Kalefsky was on the floor, her arms around her daughter, who was rocking back and forth. “I’d like to take Ruby home. She’s very upset.”
Brennan looked at the girl, whose face was blank and expressionless. Aside from the rocking, she was completely still. If anything, Ruby looked calm. Her mother was the upset one.
Cam spoke. “We cleaned up the mess. I’m sure I can keep an eye on her for a moment.”
She looked over at Maryam and nodded. Maryam looked down at her daughter, whose eyes were glued on the far wall. “I’ll be right back, Ruby,” she whispered.
In the interrogation room she faced them. “I don’t know what good this is going to do. Ruby has no long-term memory. Everything past a week or so ago is simply gone for her.”
“Which is why it’s so important for us to work with her right now,” Booth said quickly. “We need to know if there’s anything she remembers about the other afternoon, when Mr. Kirkpatrick was murdered.”
“I’m not sure if this is the best sort of situation for Ruby. She’s unpredictable at best, and I don’t really know what effect this will have on her.”
“We understand,” Booth said. “I just have a few questions for you, and then you both can go. In the future we’ll talk to Ruby at the Muth School.”
Maryam considered this. “I can only give you a little more time today, but please, ask your questions.”
Booth motioned to a seat at the table. Maryam took it, and Booth and Brennan sat across from her. Booth took his notebook from his pocket and opened it. After a moment he said, “Do you know many of the workers at the Muth School?”
“I know many of the teachers,” Maryam replied. “Ruby’s been going there since she was four. Before that she was in an intensive schooling program in Bethesda.”
“Are you close to any of them?”
Maryam sighed. “Yes. Arielle Sutherland, Ruby’s head teacher, lives in our neighborhood. We’ve been friends since Ruby was little. She and her husband Erik have been so nice to us. They’re so generous. And Lind McNally, the music and art teacher, has worked really hard with Ruby.”
“Did you know Mark Kirkpatrick?” Booth asked.
“The head of janitorial services? Yes. My husband Adam is friends with… was friends with Mark, and his wife Jan. The Muth School… it’s really small, and we all know each other. Mark Kirkpatrick was the head of the Muth Foundation.”
“What’s that?”
Maryam seemed surprised that they didn’t know. “The Muth Foundation supervises the school and provides for special or strange expenses. Two years ago they sent four of the Muth School athletes to the Special Olympics Nationals, and this year they’re funding a trip to the National Science Olympiad finals for our team of deaf-blind students. They make sure that every kid in the school eligible for an augmentative communication device gets one, no matter how expensive. Ruby’s being evaluated right now for hers.”
“And how did Mr. Kirkpatrick come to head this foundation?”
“You’re confused because he’s a janitor,” Maryam said, smiling. “Mark chose to be the head of janitorial services. Fifteen years ago he was the head of the Muth School board. He was best friends with Alistair Muth - they founded the school together, with Alistair’s wife Edie. Alistair died shortly after they were able to scrape together the funds for the building. Mark and Edie worked to get the school open. Edie wanted to appoint Mark as the principal, but Mark didn’t feel he was suited for the job. She begged him to stay on, and Mark told her he would do so, but as the head of janitorial services. Edie said that the only way he would do that was if he would also be the head of the Muth Foundation.”
Booth turned to look at Brennan. “Well, it’s certainly a strange rags-to-riches-to-rags story, isn’t it?”
“I think it’s… anthropologically unlikely but very touching,” Brennan answered.
Maryam gave them a sad smile. “Mark was a special man. He was brilliant. He was giving. He really wanted to change the lives of the children he worked with.”
“Why?” Brennan asked.
“What do you mean, why?”
“Well, most people find working with people with disabilities a little socially repellent. The work is difficult and strange and often goes beyond comfortable physical and emotional boundaries,” Brennan answered. “It’s rare that someone not affected by disabilities or someone with a disability chooses to go into a field that would put them in contact with the disabled.”
“Mark and Jan had a disabled daughter, Allison, who was deaf-blind. Allison was just like Mark - smart, funny, and absolutely brilliant. She was attending school at Gallaudet University and decided to go into town with some friends to get a drink. Allison went to use the restroom and never came back. Her body was found in the alley behind the bar. Mark and Jan were absolutely devastated. So, Dr. Brennan, if you’re looking for the reason behind Mark’s selfless, giving life, which has now been senselessly ended, there it is. Her name was Allison.”
Maryam stood up. “And now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to collect my daughter and go home. I have nothing more to tell you. Oh, well, I guess there’s one more thing - if you’re looking for Mark’s killer, you’re looking in the wrong place. Ruby can’t tell you anything.”
“So Senator Kirkpatrick claims she’s never heard of Ruby Kalefsky. Maryam Kalefsky claims she and her husband Adam were friends with Mark and Jan. Who’s telling the truth?”
“The senator just lost her husband,” Angela suggested, reaching for some of Booth’s fries. “It’s possible she just forgot.”
“Excuse me!” Booth said. “Those are my fries!”
“And you had half of my soup,” Angela pointed out.
“You can have my fries,” Brennan said, and dumped them on Booth’s plate. “What I want to know is, where’s the hand?”
“It’s possible the killer took it as a souvenir,” Zack suggested, snapping into a carrot stick.
“Why would he take the hand, though?” Booth asked.
The table was quiet for a moment. Zack ate another carrot stick. Hodgins leaned over to grab half of Zack’s ham-and-cheese melt. “Maybe the killer wanted to make a point,” he said around a mouthful of sandwich. “Mark worked with his hands.”
Brennan swirled the ice in her glass. “I wonder if Mark’s killer and Allison’s killer are the same.”
Everyone turned their heads to look at her.
“What?”
“Well, sweetie, you never really… wonder. Usually you… um… get the facts,” Angela said tactfully.
“I just find it interesting that two members of the Kirkpatrick family were brutally murdered.”
“The cases occurred more than fifteen years apart, Bones,” Booth said.
“But Allison’s killer was never caught.”
“How do you know that?”
“I looked it up.”
“Why would you do that?”
Brennan put her glass on the table. “I want to know everything about the case. It seemed like a logical place to start.”
Booth started to say something, but was interrupted by the ringing of his phone. “Booth.”
He listened intensely, then barked, “Thanks” into the phone and slammed it shut. “Bones, let’s go.”
“What?”
“They found Mark Kirkpatrick’s hand.”