Disclaimer - These characters are not my own. I am truly thankful to Janet Tamaro & Tess Gerritsen for creating such wonderful, rich characters with whom I hope to have many more good times! Please feel free to leave comments, suggestions, critique in a respectable manner - I welcome it!
Chapter One
Maura Isles glanced up from the microscope positioned in front of her and offered a warm smile to the harried-looking woman who entered the morgue. Jane Rizzoli returned the gesture with one of her own as she eased herself onto the counter-top, handing Maura one of the paper cups of coffee she'd brought with her from Division One Cafe where she'd endured a five-minute lecture from her mother. Recounting the story to Maura, Jane could not help but noticed the vague sense of distraction she sensed in her friend.
"So, you know, I drew my weapon and I shot the register which seemed to fix the problem." Jane remarked as she took a sip from the caffeinated beverage, shifting her eyes in Maura's direction intently.
"I'm sorry Jane, you were saying?" Maura finally met the younger woman's gaze, a worried look filling her hazel-green eyes. Jane set the cup down and offered a frown.
"Is something the matter, Mar?"
"I'm worried about Bass."
The M.E's reply threw Jane completely off, her jaw falling agape as she blinked several times in succession.
"Well...I'm sorry... to hear that." Jane drawled uncertainly. "Is there anything I can do?" Maura, oblivious to the slight trace of sarcasm in Jane's tone, offered yet another of her dazzling smiles.
"You're a good friend, Jane. I've been considering taking him to a specialist. I'm just not certain whom."
"Whom?"
"Dr. Thomas Spencer is an excellent herpetologist. Although I find his inflammation of the epidermis to be somewhat disconcerting." Maura contemplated aloud as she cocked her head to one side, gazing off.
"You lost me at herp-derp." Jane confessed. Giving a tolerant smile, Maura stood and carried herself over to the supply closet, opening the opaque glass door and peering within.
The treacle-haired woman spent a moment looking at the various items neatly stacked upon the shelves before turning to Jane.
"What was I getting for you?"
"Wow. Maura. Really?" Jane threw her hands into the air as she slid off the counter, studiously avoiding the 'dead people fridge' where Maura had been known to store, on occasion, her lunch. Standing before her friend, she placed her hands upon Maura's shoulders. "Whose the other vet you're thinking of taking Bass to?"
"Dr. Valerie Byrd."
"And is she a herp-ologist?"
"Herpetologist, and no. She is a personal friend of mine." Maura corrected with a soft smile. Upon hearing the fondness in Maura's tone, Jane gave an almost deer-caught-in-headlights sort of grin. The way Maura made mention of this 'personal friend' made Jane feel uncomfortable, jealous even. Did Maura ever speak of Jane in such a manner, she could not help but wonder.
Lost in her thoughts, Jane failed to notice the tender look Maura offered her. Although Bass was forefront on her mind, the articulate woman could not help but take a moment's pleasure in the feel of Jane's hands upon her shoulder. The moment passed all too soon, however, as the Detective moved to retrieve the last of her coffee, swigging it down and tossing the cup in the general direction of the trash can. It missed and bounced across the cement flooring.
Scoffing, Jane crouched down, scooping the piece of trash with one hand and placing it into the trash receptacle before turning to face Maura once again.
"If Dr. Spencer makes you feel uncomfortable, you have your answer. Call Dr. Byrd."
"Oh, Jane, doesn't that make me a terrible person?" Maura asked, genuinely concerned. There it was, Jane thought to herself, that sweet and caring nature she truly admired in her friend.
"Nah, just honest." Jane quirked her lips as she slung her arm about Maura's shoulder, directing her towards the telephone, as she tried to ignore the niggling feeling of jealousy growing within her.
…
"So, how are we going to do this?" The look of sheer determination etched across Jane's features gave the woman a look of foreboding, as if she was not to be trifled with. Contrast, Maura's features were more relaxed as she offered her friend a reassuring smile.
"We'll lure him with a strawberry. I have the British ones he prefers."
"Right. And then what? We just casually lift a 200-pound turtle into the back of your Prius?"
That stumped even the great Dr. Isles and she frowned, twisting her lips as she pondered, glancing from Bass to Jane.
"You don't think we could?"
"No, Mar, I don't think we could." Jane mocked, shaking her head as she strolled towards the refrigerator, pulling the door open and peering into the cold recesses. Reaching forward, she snatched up one of the 'special' strawberries reserved for Bass and chopped down upon it as she stood upright. The disapproving look from Maura made the woman grin sheepishly as she returned to stand beside her friend, glancing down at the pet.
"What are we going to do with you, Mr. Turtle?"
"Tortoise." Maura corrected, not seeing the 'blah-blah' look Jane pulled, quickly replacing it with a flashing smile as Maura glanced up at her. "I'll have to call Valerie, ask if she'll make a house-call. I can't believe it didn't occur to me." Maura spoke, the last part more to herself than to Jane, as she hurried to the telephone. Jane kept her head bowed down to hide the look of worry on her features. She truly did not want to meet this Valerie.
The Detective's mood had darkened considerably when Maura had returned, informing her that yes, Dr. Valerie Byrd would make a house-call. If Maura noticed, she made no comment. Instead, the slightly older woman moved to her beloved tortoise and crouched down, picking up a small handful of the mulberry leaves and offering them to him once again. Bass' eyes moved ever so slightly in the direction of the offering although he made no effort to accept them and Maura pitched a sigh.
"It's so unlike him to be uninterested in his meals, to be this lethargic." The comment was randomly given and Jane crossed her arms over her chest as she lent against the kitchen island, peering down at the pair.
"Aren't all tur...tortoises lethargic?"
"Bass is quite active, particularly at dawn and dusk." Maura flicked a glance in Jane's direction. "It's not unusual for him to make several laps of the house."
"Oh, of course." Jane remarked. "What's Byrd's ETA?"
"Well," Maura rose, "Valerie's coming from Burlington, it's mid-afternoon. The traffic shouldn't be too terrible..." Maura trailed off, momentarily lost in her thoughts. "Approximately thirty to thirty-five minutes. Did you have someplace else to be, Jane?"
It was entirely innocent, Maura's question, as was always the case, yet Jane could not help but feel a twinge of guilt for feeling so impatient, for feeling that she did not wish to witness the arrival and subsequent visit of Valerie Byrd. Instead, she had a compelling urge to kick something. Choosing not to share such thoughts with Maura, who would inevitably ask why Jane felt that way, the Bostonite merely smiled. A little white lie couldn't hurt, could it?
"I promised Ma I'd run a few errands for her."
"That was nice of you, Jane." Maura believed her friend; having no reason not to, and returned her attention to Bass. Swallowing thickly, Jane took a step away from the kitchenette and retrieved her coat from where she'd draped it over the back of the golden and white striped sofa. Sliding into the jacket, she glanced over at Maura once again, disappointed to find her friend's attention entirely turned towards the reptile. Resisting the urge to sigh, she called out a farewell and slipped out of Maura's house.
The urge was too strong, however. Forty minutes after she'd left, Jane Rizzoli found herself crouched in the bushes that lined Maura's driveway, trying to balance precariously on the balls of her feet as she struggle to peek inside the house. It was futile, she quickly realized, as she could only see the occasional figure move past the window.
"I don't understand!" Maura's voice was strained as she glanced from her pet to Valerie. The blonde veterinarian offered a soft smile.
"It happens, Maura, on the rare occasion. With medication, Bass will be back to his normal self in no time."
"Sulcata's are prone to respiratory infections only if they are kept in cool or wet enclosures, which Bass isn't."
"There are other circumstances that can bring on infection Maura, you know that." Valerie offered gently, stepping closer and placing a hand upon the woman's forearm.
Maura allowed the gesture from her long-time friend, glancing up to catch Valerie's gaze. Fifteen years ago, the two women had met at Boston University and although Valerie had left before Maura, they had formed a close friendship that had lasted over the years. Although there was no denying Dr. Spencer's invaluable knowledge, there was no looking past the trust she had in Valerie to correctly diagnose Bass. Even if the diagnosis was one she did not wish to hear.
Valerie did not insult Maura by running her through the proper treatment and care of Bass' minor infection, instead reassuring the woman that he would make a speedy recovery under her watchful eye. Business aside, Dr. Byrd had only just begun to turn the conversation to one of a slightly more personal nature when Jane Rizzoli barged through the front door.
"Jane!" Maura gave a warm smile. "You finished your errands?"
"What? Yea, sure. Detective Jane Rizzoli. And you are?" Boorishly, Jane approached Valerie, jaw set, eyes darker than normal.
"Jane!" This time, Maura's tone was less approving. "Would you excuse us, Valerie?" Yanking the darker haired woman by the arm, Maura drug her towards the guest room, closing the door behind them. "You're acting like some kind of homo sapiens neanderthalensis!"
"A what who now?" Jane frowned slightly. Maura tsked.
"A homo..."
"I get the gist. I'm sorry!" Jane declared, voice rasping as she struck a higher octave than usual. Feeling her cheeks begin to burn, she glanced away, refusing to meet Maura's gaze as the Medical Examiner studied her friend's face intently.
"Valerie is an old friend of mine, Jane, not one of your homicide suspects." The hurt in Maura's voice was evident and Jane knew without looking it would be evident in those hazel-green eyes of her, too. Feeling appropriately berated, she inhaled softly.
"I'm sorry, Mar. I guess I'm just on edge lately..." Jane trailed off; they both knew it was an untrue excuse for her behavior, but Maura seemed to be willing to accept Jane's apology.
"Why don't you come to my yoga class?" Maura suggested. "It might help you relax."
"Are you forgetting the last time I came to class?" Jane remarked, reminding them both of the childish shenanigans Jane had undertaken, promptly earning herself a quiet word from the instructor followed by a request to leave when she had been unable to maintain a calm presence within the group. Just thinking of it caused both women to share a fond smile.
"Perhaps not a good idea, then."
"Probably not."
"I am concerned about you, however, my friend. It's not like you to be this highly strung."
"Yea. Well... why don't we talk about it later? Isn't Valerie still out there?" Jane reminded Maura, whose eyes widened in shock.
"How terrible of me to forget!" Maura spun on one heel and hurried from the guest room, leaving Jane to contemplate her words. Jane Rizzoli knew precisely what her problem was, although she'd scarcely admitted it to herself. The feelings she carried for Maura Isles were very quickly becoming something above and beyond those she would feel for merely 'a friend'. The only problem? Jane had no idea how to handle them.