Denial

Prompt: #001 BROKEN killing for the sake of killing

Notes: Written for 30angsts

"Why did you kill them?" Brennan asked the burly fisherman, who was seated across from her and Booth in the interrogation room. Her voice was firm, angry, emotional and a glint of determination shone intensely in her eyes.

"Ain't me that killed those girls!" came the indignant response. "You ask anyone down at the docks an' they'll back me up on that. It wasn't me!" He leaned back in his chair, letting his head fall back slightly so that instead of looking at the forensic anthropologist and FBI agent, his focus was on the corner of the room where the ceiling met the wall.

Booth shot Brennan a sardonic glance and then turned back to the suspect. "Mr Taylor. Are you saying that your buddies down at the docks are able to supply an alibi for you?"

Taylor shook his head, his matted dreadlocks dancing around his face as he did so. "No," he snorted scornfully. "I wasn't with them at the times of the killings."

"Then what –?" Brennan started to ask but was cut off as he continued.

"They'll all say I couldn't hurt a fly, if you ask," he stated leeringly. "An' they're the good types, too." He stared at them smugly, confident that he was going to be found not guilty.

Brennan let a smile emerge on her face at his obvious feeling of safety. She predicted that his good mood wouldn't last long. By the time she was finished with him, he'd wish he were never born.

"Okay then," Brennan said, smartly. "Explain to me how you knew that the victims were girls. You said before that you didn't kill 'those girls'. We didn't specify on the age or sex of the victims." She tossed a victorious smirk at her partner, certain that she'd be able to prompt the guy into confessing.

As predicted, Taylor's smile faded into a scowl. "Heard it on radio las' night," he told them. "Was on the news, too."

This time it was Booth's time to smile. "Sorry, Taylor, but the information on those deaths is classified. It's not available to the public and the news last night was cut off due to statewide blackouts, anyway. So…" he said lightly. "Feel like telling us the truth now?"

Taylor frowned. "I tol' you the truth already! I didn't do it!" He spat angrily at the floor to his right, a patch of saliva landing inches away from Booth's shoe with a loud splat.

"The truth, Taylor." Brennan studied him carefully and took on an intimidating persona. Maybe if she could scare him or just make him worry, he'd break.

"'Tis the truth!"

"We both know that it isn't," Brennan said calmly. "You killed those girls. Why?"

Taylor remained silent for a moment, as if taking some time to weigh up his options. Finally settling on denial, he spoke. "It wasn't me!"

Booth interrupted before he or Brennan could get another word in. "Guess you just like killing for the sake of it, huh?"

Taylor glared at him. "No! I didn't do it!"

"Then explain this." Booth brought a file into view, placing it on the desk and flipping it open. A stack of ten, maybe fifteen, photographs were revealed. He reached out and spread them across the desk so that Taylor could see.

Taylor slowly let his gaze drop to the pictures, gulping nervously as he did so. When he saw what they displayed, he lost all hope. Brennan could see it in his eyes.

"Security cameras were installed in the house where you murdered one of the girls. These are a few of the less gory screenshots," Booth explained.

The first photographs showed Taylor standing above a cowering girl, his already bloodstained knife raised above his head. A wild grin was plastered on his face. He was clearly having the time of his life. The rest of the photographs were too disturbing to describe.