BONES AU - PART THREE "The Cannibal in Question"

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER FIVE

In the basement of the Jeffersonian, the multiple rooms of the underground vault and its contents were being meticulously transferred to an enormous space. Max excitedly descends to the space where Kevin, Joe, Bones, and Mitch are there already as are many other squints.

"Joe thaid you needed me?" Max asked.

Scott started talking before Joe could. "I noticed that Jason Harkness arranged his suicide."

"If it was suicide then someone provided him with the dagger." Kevin remarked.

"His body is arranged in the same position as the silver skeleton." Scott nodded.

Joe looked to Max. "You think that's a coincidence?"

Max scoffed. "Huh! Tho thuddenly you think my inthane conthpiracy ravingth are legitimate?"

Scott and Joe answered at the same time.

"Yes."

"No."

They both gave each other a stern look before Scott kind of gave in. "But... obviously, there are other insane people out there who have the same ravings and we need your insight." Joe nodded and marked his mental tally scoring.

"Mhmm... Alright, alright. Both the body and the thilver thkeleton are in the attitude of what the ancient Greekth called 'pharmakos' means 'thcapegoat' or, or 'thacrifice'." Max input.

"So, what? Like he was being pulled into the sky against his will?" Joe asked.

Mitch raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Please tell me you don't mean aliens, sweetie..."

"Well, its one definite possibility. Yeth. Also the 'Rapture'. Now as I tried to tell you before, most thecret thocieties have this figure deep in their originth. For Freemasonth, it's known as the 'Widow'th Son'." Max nodded.

"Yknow... Sean Collins lost his father when he was twelve..." Kevin thought aloud.

Max snapped. "A Widow'th Son."

"Right, so Jason Harkness killed himself to keep his secret society, well, secret?" Joe pondered.

"Or was thacrificed." Max pointed out, which got a collective skeptical look from the group. "Hey all the signth point to it!"

"Strictly speaking, the evidence so far indicates only one other murderer." Scott said more to himself than anyone else. He didn't like conspiracies.

"This entire vault is filled with evidence, who know where it will take us...?" Kevin looked around.

"Deeper that you can imagine. Probably get us all killed. Just so you know." Max shrugged and started to leave before Joe grabbed his arm.

"Thanks man. No no, Max? Really... thanks."

Max nodded and went back upstairs.

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At sunrise the next morning, Joe and Scott walked around the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool as Joe carried the coffees he had just bought for the two of them.