Bones

The local vet, Denise Randall, performs a necropsy on a black bear while the park ranger, Sherman holds a flashlight for her. She is shaken when she finds a human hand among the contents of its stomach.

At the Jeffersonian Institute Medico-Lab, Temperance looks at a picture of the hand and tells Seeley that it looks human. Seeley tells her it was found inside a bear in Washington State. She views more pictures of the bone fragments that were retrieved from the bear's stomach and determines that the hand was severed from the body before the bear ingested it. Seeley informs her that they are going to Washington State to investigate the case.

As they walk through the Jeffersonian, Temperance complains to Dr. Goodman about Seeley deciding that she has to go to Washington State. Goodman corrects her assumption that Seeley made the decision about her going and tells her that it's his decision, not Seeley's. Goodman explains that he's sending her to give her the opportunity to interact with people outside of the Jeffersonian.

Temperance and Seeley are driving along a mountain road and discussing per diem. She reveals that she has no daily limit as he does and she imagines that it's because she has "an indispensable skill." He wants her to take him to dinner but she agrees to buy him breakfast instead.

When they arrive in town, Seeley walks in the opposite direction of the hotel. Temperance wonders what where he is going and he explains that he's going to ask someone how to find the sheriff. He walks off to continue his search for the sheriff as she heads in the other direction.

Denise explains that she called Dr. Rigby when she found the remains in the bear to verify that they were human. Temperance offers her preliminary analysis of the remains and asks Dr. Rigby if he has performed any recent amputations. He tells her he has and asks why. She tells him that there are saw marks on the remains.

Temperance arrives at the local courier's building with a box of human remains and tells Charlie she needs to ship them to the Jeffersonian overnight. They engage in idle chat and she asks where she can find the sheriff. Charlie recognizes her name and tells her he's reading her book.

At the Jeffersonian, Zack analyzes the images Temperance sent from Aurora. He becomes frustrated because he is not able to reach a conclusion without help. Angela offers to help him and tells him that he shouldn't be hard on himself.

Seeley and Sheriff Cutter discuss the case as they walk through town. Sheriff Cutter tells Seeley that a tourist named Ann Noyse disappeared a couple of weeks ago.

Sheriff Cutter and Seeley discuss crime in Aurora as they return to Cutter's office. Temperance arrives and Sheriff Cutter asks if he can help her. She pushes past the secretary to enter the room and indicates that she's with Seeley. Sheriff Cutter comments to Seeley in a low tone of voice: "Suddenly, I wish I was FBI," at which Seeley chuckles. Seeley introduces Temperance to Sheriff Cutter and the three of them discuss the case. Temperance asks if the bear scat has been checked for more remains and Sheriff Cutter offers to organize that with the Sherman.

At the Jeffersonian, Jack and Zack discuss the case. A beautiful delivery woman arrives with the package of remains addressed to Zack. Jack jumps up to sign for the package and takes the opportunity to flirt with the woman.

Temperance, Seeley, and the Sherman walk through the woods in search of bear scat. Seeley walks ahead of them and finds the scat. Temperance squats and begins to collect samples of it while she sends Seeley to find more.

Temperance brings the box of scat to Charlie to be delivered to the Jeffersonian overnight and they have a brief discussion about her book. Zack calls her cell phone to update her on their findings and ask her to look at something he is unable to categorize. He sends her some images and she determines that the killer is also a cannibal.

Temperance discloses the new findings to Sheriff Cutter and Seeley. In the course of their conversation, Temperance realizes that a cannibal is going to get sick from eating human flesh.

Angela and Zack discuss the teeth marks in the lab at the Jeffersonian. Jack paces as he waits for the delivery woman to bring the bear excrement. A man enters the lab and tells Zack that he is wanted upstairs.

The delivery woman is waiting with the package. She flirts with Zack and tells him: "I could just eat you up," as she rubs his chin. She leaves and Zack watches her go with his mouth agape.

Temperance asks Dr. Rigby if he's treated anyone with Prione disease. He tells her that he hasn't. She becomes suspicious when he mentions the cannibal and he tells her that the entire town knows about it already.

At the Jeffersonian, Jack and Zack examine the excrement while arguing over the situation with the delivery woman. Jack finds a piece of skin in the excrement that has a tattoo on it.

Angela reconstructs the tattoo from the design found on the pieces of skin that were recovered from the excrement. Jack and Zack argue over whom the delivery woman likes more.

Angela tells Temperance via computer satellite phone call that the victim had a Haida Sun tattoo. Temperance disconnects when Angela turns the conversation to social happenings rather than business. Sheriff Cutter identifies the victim as Adman Langer and tells Temperance and Seeley that Adam wanted to be a park ranger and visited Sherman on a regular basis.

Temperance, Seeley, and Sheriff Cutter arrive at Sherman's home. Sheriff Cutter suggests that he go make them some tea to give Temperance and Seeley time to search the house and Sherman takes the opportunity to leave through the back door. Seeley chases Sherman through the woods as Temperance and Sheriff Cutter search the house. They find a saw and fresh meat in a freezer. Temperance takes an apple core from the trashcan to measure the bite marks. Seeley looses Sherman in the woods when Sheriff Cutter's flashlight batteries die.

While Temperance and Seeley are in the car, she tells Angela that she sent the meat overnight for analysis. She also tells Angela that Seeley lost Sherman in the woods and he becomes defensive saying it's not his fault. They argue over it and Angela tells Temperance that she needs to take him for a drink and some fun.

Temperance dances with Charlie while Seeley sits down at the bar. Dr. Rigby cuts in just after Charlie starts discussing the case and he and Temperance dance. As Rigby begins discussing the case, Sheriff Cutter cuts in to dance with her and discuss the case. She continues to protest about discussing the case and Seeley cuts in on Sheriff Cutter. Seeley and Temperance dance while he explains that the men were not interested in discussing the case and that Denise is jealous of the attention the men are giving Temperance.

Jack analyzes a mushroom while he waits for the next delivery.

Temperance, Seeley, and Sheriff Cutter search the woods for Sherman.

An exhausted Jack sits at his desk when Zack arrives with the package. Jack is frustrated at having missed the delivery woman. While he worked through the night, he discovered that the fir trees are infested with beetles.

Temperance, Seeley, and Sheriff Cutter find Sherman sitting on a rock waiting for them. Zack calls Temperance on her cell phone and tells her that the meat is black bear. She informs Seeley and Sheriff Cutter that Sherman is the poacher and that is the reason he ran from them. She also tells them, "The bear dug up the arm in a stand of Western Pine Beetle infested Douglas Fir."

A handcuffed Sherman leads them to the Douglas Firs as he explains why he poaches the bears. Seeley finds what he thinks is a satanic stone circle. Temperance takes pictures of it and sends them to Angela for identification. Temperance looks around and finds two bodies buried under some pine needles. Sherman recognizes Adam's body and Seeley surmises that the woman must be Ann Noyse. Temperance discovers that Ann's heart is missing.

At the Jeffersonian, Dr. Goodman examines the images and deduces that it's a perverse version of an Indian Medicine Wheel. He discovers that the killer is performing an Indian healing ritual by consuming the human body parts. The killer has consumed the arm for strength and the heart for spirit. He tells Angela that it is likely there will be two more victims.

Temperance and Dr. Rigby perform autopsies on the two bodies. Chris, Seeley, and Sherman talk in the hall outside of the examination lab. Sherman tells them that Denise is having an affair with several of the men in town and Adam was one of them. Sheriff Cutter admits that he is one as well. Zack tells Temperance via cell phone that the bite marks from the apple do not match the bite marks on the remains. She relays the information to the others and Seeley decides to check the bite marks of other townspeople.

Temperance and Seeley attempt to get Denise to make an impression of her teeth in a mold. After a certain amount of drunken philosophizing, she consents.

Zack shows Angela marks he found on Ann Noyse's sternum that are too regular to have been made by anything other than a machine. He explains that they are exactly 2.4 millimeters apart.

Temperance gets a cell phone call from Angela as she and Seeley leave the bar. Zack sends the magnified images to her computer via satellite and she deduces that a sternum spreader made the marks on Ann Noyse's sternum. She wonders aloud how she and Dr. Rigby could've missed the marks on the sternum and suddenly realizes that he didn't.

Walking down the hall of the medical examiner's office, Temperance argues with Seeley about having a gun. Seeley concedes and gives her his spare firearm but cautions her to be careful. They enter the lab, but it's empty.

They head for the incinerator and find Dr. Rigby trying to dispose of the bodies. Temperance maneuvers her way behind him and knocks him unconscious with a bedpan.

Jack and Zack anxiously await the delivery woman's arrival as Angela walks up to stand beside them. The woman arrives with the package and Jack indicates that he person who signs for it is her choice for a date. She hands the package to Angela.

Temperance and Seeley are having breakfast in Aurora. Temperance begins discussing cannibalism and Seeley pushes his plate away. He starts to eat again when she tells him she's going to return to go skiing with Charlie in the winter. She says, "I bet he's a great skier. His hips and thighs are perfectly developed for strength and maneuverability." Seeley pushes his plate away. She tries to feed him cornflakes, but he refuses.