The Boy With The Answer - Season 5, Episode 21
The trial of the Gravedigger hits close to home for members of the team, and everyone at the Jeffersonian must work overtime to uncover the forensic evidence that will elicit a conviction.
Brennan has a nightmare: Hodgins and Booth, trapped by the Gravedigger... and then herself captured and buried alive, Heather Taffet standing over her, laughing. She awakes, and sweating watches a news report. The Gravedigger case begins today, and Taffet (a former Federal prosecutor) is defending herself. Later, at the courthouse, Brennan assures Booth that she's fine. Max Keenan greets them. He wanted to be here to support his daughter. This isn't going to be an open-and-shut case, he says. "I thought you were here to support me," snaps Brennan.
The hearing begins. Cam and Hodgins testify about evidence found in Taffet's storage locker, but Taffet manages to convince the judge that the evidence was obtained illegally, and so all evidence from her locker is thrown out. This doesn't leave much evidence for the Squints to prove the kidnappings of Brennan, Booth, and Hodgins, but they decide to press on. As Taffet is led away, she smirks at Brennan: "Why couldn't you find something as simple as the number?" Brennan is determined to discover whatever evidence she missed.
The team reviews numbers on the Angelatron. Booth will get them Taffet's arrest records and old case files to look through. Hodgins thinks Taffet is toying with them. He leaves to analyze soil samples... again. Angela says that Hodgins still has nightmares. Later, at the diner, Caroline Julian brings a box of files to Booth. She wonders how his "girlfriend" is doing. Booth sighs, and says that Brennan is not his girlfriend. Caroline hopes Booth is more believable on the stand. Unable to find anything in the numbers, Angela returns to trying to unscramble the voice of the Gravedigger in the ransom phone call. Hodgins confesses that the case is wearing on him. He still feels trapped, like Taffet has come between them. That's why he doesn't want to tell anybody about their marriage yet; not until the case is closed, and Taffet is put away.
Brennan reviews files in her office, forgoing food. Booth urges her to take a break. She's smarter than Taffet, and will figure this out. Brennan isn't so sure. What if her relationships have clouded her judgment? Taffet is detached, and that makes her dangerous. Booth notices that Taffet called a number in Salt Lake City after her arrest. Booth dials the number. It's a pizza place. Brennan is convinced that this is the number Taffet was talking about. She has no connection to anyone at the pizza place, and none of the employees has a criminal record. Angela works with the phone number until she determines it is not a phone number at all, but a GPS location in Virginia. The FBI investigates, and uncovers a filthy glass freezer. Brennan slides open the glass, and finds the body of a small boy. It's Terrance Gilroy, one of the Gravedigger's first victims.
At the lab, Brennan examines the remains, but Caroline Julian arrives to stop her. Brennan cannot act as an expert witness in a crime where she is the victim. Taffet knew the Squints were the only people with the skills to solve the case, but now their hands are tied. Brennan wants to drop her case so they can prosecute Taffet for Terrance's death. She wants Hodgins to drop his case too. Hodgins resists, angrily, but Brennan says they have one chance to put Taffet away, and they can only do it with evidence from the body of Terrance Gilroy. Hodgins reluctantly agrees. Booth finds out that Terrance Gilroy was last seen at the Rockland Mall on June 23rd. He is checking Taffet's credit cards to see if she was in the area on that day. Booth tells her he has dropped his case too. They are in this together. Brennan lets herself break down, and Booth holds her. Brennan and Cam find that the boy was strangled. Taffet did not taser him with a stun gun. He must have struggled, and she tried to subdue him. Perhaps Taffet knew the facts in this case wouldn't be consistent with her other crimes, thus causing reasonable doubt.
In the courtroom, testimony begins. Booth asserts that credit-card charges place Taffet at Rockland Mall the day Terrance Gilroy was abducted. He also tells the court that the phone number Taffet called led them to the boy's location. It was the same ransom tape and demands as the other kidnappings. Heather Taffet discredits Booth. There is no evidence that Terrance was taken from the mall. Hundreds of other people were there that day. As for the phone number, could it have been placed in her file accidentally? The officer on duty when she was arrested was from Salt Lake City. Perhaps he made the call. In the hallway, Max tells Booth that Taffet is playing them. They only have the boy because Taffet allowed it. Booth is confident they will get her. Max isn't convinced, and tries to take the matter into his own hands. Outside, as Taffet is being transported, he kneels behind the shrubs with a gun and takes aim. He almost takes the shot, but fortunately Booth followed Max. He leaps on top of him, saving Taffet. Booth won't let him compromise the case. Max says Booth doesn't understand; Brennan could die if Taffet wins the case and is freed. Later Max calls Brennan from jail, asking to be bailed out. She refuses. He is staying in jail until the trial is over.
Booth turns talk to Terrance Gilroy. Brennan says there's evidence he put up a good fight. Booth isn't surprised. Parker would be the same way: He'd bite. This gives Brennan an idea. Brennan and Hodgins turn their focus to the victim's teeth. They have to look for particulates between the teeth or under the gum line. Anything else would have been destroyed by saliva. Meanwhile, Angela manages to decrypt the scrambled ransom tape. The voice revealed is clearly Taffet's. On the stand, however, Taffet questions Angela's credentials: She doesn't have a degree in sound engineering. Taffet submits her own evidence. She plays a recording in which the Gravedigger's voice morphs into that of Angela. This recording was made by Special Agent Graham Steele, who has a PhD in Forensic Auditory Analysis. Angela is discredited.
Brennan collects her things for court. Booth reminds her to ease up on the science when she is on the stand. Brennan only wants to talk about the facts, but Booth says that the presentation of the facts is just as important. The jury needs to know what that little boy went through. On the stand, Brennan explains that the victim's bones were broken when someone kneeled on top of him as they forced him into the freezer. There were breaks on the chest from the assailant's knees, and breaks on the kneecaps from steel-toed boots. This gives the height of the assailant, which matches that of Heather Taffet. Taking a cue from Booth, she speaks of the boy's terror, saying she understands since she was buried alive herself. Taffet, however, forces Brennan to admit she is seeing an FBI psychologist, making the jury doubt Brennan's judgment and emotional stability.
Hodgins shows Sweets and Cam a dust mite from the boy's teeth. Dust mites eat dead human skin cells, and this one has a full stomach. If the boy bit Taffet, the skin cells are probably hers. There is only a small sample of DNA, but it should be enough. Later, on the stand, Hodgins explains to the jury that the dust mite was found in the teeth of the victim. It was transferred when the boy bit his attacker. Cam says that the dust mite contained human female epithelial cells. They were a match for Heather Taffet. Taffet objects because she was not allowed to test the sample. Cam explains that the small sample was destroyed by their tests. The blindsided Taffet wants the evidence dismissed, but the Judge denies her motion. Instead Taffet tries to assert that the epithelial cells ever existed at all, and that she's being railroaded by the Jeffersonian team.
At the Founding Fathers, Booth has a celebratory drink. He says that they did well today. Caroline will deliver a fantastic closing, and Taffet will go to jail. Brennan, however, is tired. She doesn't want to deal with murder and pain and sadness. She used to be a researcher, an anthropologist. Booth insists they are making the world a better place. It's what they do. Brennan says no: that's what Booth does. She was only caught up in it. The team waits in the hallway for the verdict. Booth says that Caroline nailed her closing argument, but Hodgins thinks that Taffet was also rather convincing. Booth wonders if Hodgins ever sees the bright side. Hodgins tells him what the bright side is: he and Angela are married. He's tired of hiding it, of letting Taffet have any control over his actions. Everyone is surprised, but elated. Caroline approaches. The jury is back. In the courtroom, the Judge reads the verdict: guilty on all counts. Everyone hugs and applauds. Taffet is stunned, but as she's led away, she tells Brennan that this isn't over.
At the Founding Fathers, everyone celebrates. Brennan wishes Angela and Hodgins "a successful blending of filial obligations as well as monetary and property consolidation." Outside, the Squints throw handmade confetti as Angela and Hodgins run down the street. Max apologizes to Brennan for his behavior. He never meant to doubt her. Max goes home, and Brennan is left with Booth. She has the sense that everything is changing. Booth tries to reassure her, but Brennan thinks she may need time off. Booth wants Brennan to have one more drink, and stop thinking about the future. Brennan just wants to go home. She hails a cab. As she gets in, Booth says, "See you in the morning, right?" Brennan doesn't answer, her eyes tinged with sadness. She turns and looks at Booth throw the cab's rear window as it drives away.
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