Broken Bones

Episode 56 "The Cinderella in the Cardboard" Part 1

-Venus POV-

We made it to the crime scene as Booth says, "All right, let's go, everybody. Move back. Hello? FBI. Watch out. Excuse me. Watch out. You folks clear a path, please. Thank you. Let's go." We made it in front of the cardboard stacks as Booth says, "Wow." I look to see a resemblance outline of the Virgin Mary as Booth and I did the Trinity. Booth then says, "Oh, my God. It's the Virgin Mary." Cam then asks, "Have you Googled, the grilled cheese Jesus? 'Cause that was just a faulty griddle." I shrug, "Still need to pay my respects." Temp then says, "We're here because someone suspected a crime, Booth." "Oh, I'm just saying, life is a lot more than what you cook up in your chemistry sets. Miracles do happen." Temp then argues, "Well, religious visions are nothing but pareidolia- random stimulus being perceived as significant." "Oh, yeah? Did you hear of the Shroud of Turin, Dr. Burn-In-Hell?" I chuckle as Cam then says, "Sorry, big guy, that was debunked 20 years ago." Booth looks at her as she continues, "Carbon dating doesn't lie." Temp adds, "Neither does phenolphthalein. This was not a miracle. It's dried blood."

Booth nods, "Oh, all right. Let's get this bale of hay down. Come on." I grab some wire cutters as the two officer brings the stack down and move out of the way as I start cutting the two wires off, "There you go." Cam then says, "All right. Let's do it." I nod as Temp, her, and I lifted the first cardboard off, then the second, and then the third as I say, "Careful." Booth then says, "Whoa! Okay!" We landed at the body as Booth continues, "Okay, I'm going to give you this one. Maybe it's not a miracle." I nod, "Let's just take this back to the lab." The other two nod agreeing. 

We are back at the lab examining the remains as I say, "The fractures I can see are consistent with the baling machine." Cam adds, "Based on lack of hemorrhagic tissue, she was dead before ending up in the baler." Temp then asks, "Can we remove her from the cardboard?" Cam shakes her head, "Not until she's completely processed. I don't even know how I'm going to tox her. The cardboard soaked up most of her bodily fluids." Wendell then speaks, "Her blouse looks like it's got patches of glaze on it." Temp looks and says, "Could be extruded body fat." Cam then found something, "Ooh, hello, maggots. Now should I give them to you or Hodgins?" I look at her, "I don't want to hog all of the fun to myself." She smiles then says, "Hodgins can use these little devils to give us time of death." Wendell then speaks, "The second joints of victim's middle toes have been shaved. I think she was tortured." I freeze up a bit as I take a deep breath and walk over to check. I look at it and sighed, "No. The victim had her toes surgically shortened." Wendell asks, "On purpose?" Cam adds, "For vanity. Woman love shoes." I add, "Well she loved it too much."

Temp and I are with Booth in his office talking to the surgeon who did the victims toe procedure as he says, "Like I said on the phone, this is definitely my patient. I remember I threw in a toe tuck for free." Booth asks, "A toe tuck?" "What can I say? Toes are the new nose." Temp then says, "The Board of Plastic Surgeons hasn't approved this for elective surgery." "They haven't condemned it, either." Booth then asks, "Right, okay. So, who's our girl?" "Oh, um, Meriel Mistsakos. She wanted the surgery 'cause she was getting married. Had her eye on a pair of Christian Louboutin sandals, but her middle toe stuck out. I said it was an easy fix." Booth asks, "What, you cut her toe off, so she could fit into a pair of shoes?" I nod as Temp says, "Self-mutilation for antiquated ritual. It's barbaric." Booth then says, "Well come on, marriage is very important to a lot of people, Bones." "It's ridiculous. No one can guarantee how they're going to feel about someone for life. We are not monogamous species." "Marriage has been around since the beginning of time." "Women form Amazonian tribes expressed their love by spitting in their partner's faces. I hope we've progressed past that." 

The surgeon and I look between the two as Booth says, "Okay, well, you know what? Sometimes love trumps logic." "Love  is a chemical process which causes delusion. An intellectually rigorous person would never get married." "Never say 'never." "That's a paradox. It makes no sense." The surgeon then asks, "Am I still needed here? Because if you two are having, relationship issues, I..." I laugh as Booth and Temp say at the same time, "We're not a couple." Booth adds, "No, we just work together, that's all." I could see and feel the tension as I decided to change the subject, "Meriel Mitsakos was murdered." Booth adds, "And as of now, you're the only on  we know who's taken a knife to her."