Broken Bones

Episode 87 ''The Twisted Bones in the Melted Truck'' Part 1

-Venus POV-

We were at a street as it seems to be a car that was burned down as we go over to the Arson investigator as he tells us, "Call came in at 6:00 am. Passing motorist called 9-1-1. Said she saw a ball of fire on the side of the road." I then ask, "Where's the point of ignition?" "There is none." We looked at him as Temp says, "Well, as an arson investigator, you should know that every fire has a point of ignition."

He then jokes, "Not if it was hit by an asteroid. Hmm?" I smile at the joke as Temp didn't get it as she comments, "Even an asteroid with a diameter as small as five meters would leave a-a huge crater; th-there's no crater." The arson investigator looks at Booth and I, "She serious?" We nod as Booth answers, "Always." 

I let Temp know, "Sis... that was a joke." Temp finally sees it as she chuckles a bit, "Oh... That's amusing because it's such an absurd theory. Good one." Booth then spots something on the car calling us over, "Check this out Blueberry, Bones. VIN plate. Digits are missing." I nod, "We'll give it to Angie and see what she can do." The firefighters begin prying the roof open as we look into the bed of the truck.

Quickly noticing the white powder as Temp inputs, "This white powder... I assume its residue from fire retardant used to control the blaze. Although..." She tries to joke, "it could be the remnants of a highly localized blizzard." She laughs finding it funny as no one else was. So I chuckled a bit to not make her feel alone. I look at the other two as they saw my look as they slowly joined in making Temp feel good.

We stopped as she explains, "The-the likelihood of a blizzard is even more remote than an asteroid hitting here. Do you get it?" We all nod as the arson specialist says, "It's not retardant. By the time the firefighters arrived on scene, the blaze had burned itself out." I nod, "Then I'll need to bag the powder for Hodgins to analyze."

The crew was able to get the hood open as they lifted it off as we see the bones of the victim embedded onto the side of the car and the bones seemed to almost fuse together. We were a bit surprised as Booth says, "Wow! This is a first; melted bones!" Temp and I say at the same time, "No." 

He looked at us as Temp explains, "Not possible. Bones don't melt." "You know, usually I defer all things 'bones' to you. But, you know, I've cooked with a lot of cheese, and that is melting." I shrug, "It does seem like it. But let's send this back to the lab." Booth nods going to instruct the others where the skeleton needs to be sent.

Back at the lab on the platform Hodgins comes in as he looked at the remains amazed, "Whoa! Look at that!" Temp looks at him, "You're excited about the decedent, Dr. Hodgins?" "Sure! Booth said the dude melted into the truck." Cam glances over to us, "Uh, at this point, we haven't been able to determine gender."

Temp adds as well, "And bones don't melt, Dr. Hodgins. The melting process represents a change of state from a solid to a liquid; an impossibility with bones." "I know, but... they sure appear to be melted." Cam asks, "But how? I haven't seen a fire hot enough to do this."

I nod agreeing as I then show Hodgins a bag, "That's true, but I think we may find our answer with this baggy of good. Found at the scene. A light dusting over most of the wreckage." Temp nods adding, "It could give us cause of death." Cam then comes over to us, "I think I found that."

She points over around the chest as we see a bullet embedded in one of the ribs as Hodgins says amazed, "A bullet." Cam the points out, "We presumed the victim died in a fire." Temp adds, "But he was shot in the chest." Hodgins adds, "And melted." We looked at him as he notices, "Sorry, but I don't know any other word for it." 

I shrug as it felt a bit off, "But only one bullet?" They looked at me as Cam asks, "What do you mean?" We'll if you were trying to kill someone and shoot them in the chest, you wouldn't just shoot once."