One
December 10, 2012:
Pamela breathed a sigh of relief as she pulled onto her street. This week was precisely what she needed. It had been almost a year since she was able to take a full week off work, but she had not been home in more than two years. It had been even longer since she was able to see her brothers. All three of them would be home this week. A few seconds after turning off C Street onto West Third, she pulled her car into the garage of her parents' home. No, she reminded herself, her home. Her parents had left the house to her and her two brothers when they died three years ago. She got out of the car and lowered the garage door, looking to make sure her brothers had enough room on the curb to park. In another ten seconds, she was in the door of the house and began taking off her uniform.
-0-
"What do you think?" Jeremy asked.
"She's Navy," Michelle answered.
"So?"
"Kind of dangerous," she said.
"Not if we're careful."
"We were careful last time," Michelle said.
A few minutes later, Michelle had gone around the block and again approached the corner of C Street and West 3rd. "You ready?" she asked as she slowed down.
"Yeah"
At the intersection, she came to a full stop allowing him to get out of the car and head to the woman's house. Jeremy didn't bother to look back. This plan was simple, no need to set a backstory like in Virginia. He was just going to go in, grab the woman and then he and Michelle would take her somewhere else for the fun. As he came upon her house, he saw the near window on the top floor was open slightly with the light on. Good, he thought as he skipped across the street to the house. From this side of the house, there's less chance of the neighbors hearing anything. It took him less than three seconds to pick the lock on the front door and slip into the house.
-0-
"Geez," Jane hissed wiping the too hot liquid from her wrist. "There's got to be a better way to do this!"
"Calm down," Angela Rizzoli said as she took the bottle from her dark haired athletic daughter. "Just add a little more formula to the bottle."
"When is Lydia supposed to come pick him up?"
"She and Tommy are spending the weekend together to try to figure everything out," Angela said taking the bottle over to the crib where TJ lay waiting quietly. "I just can't believe how good he is. I haven't heard this baby fuss more than twice since Lydia dropped him off."
"Come on Ma." Jane said watching her mother care for her nephew. "Why are you doing this? I know he's your grandson but they can figure things out without making you babysit the whole weekend."
"It's worth it Jane if they get together and make a real family for Tommy Jr."
"Ma, TJ has a real family."
"It's not the same Jane."
Jane's cell phone chose that moment to ring, interrupting anything she was going to say to her mother. "Rizzoli," she said as she brought it up to her ear. "Alright," she said. "We're on our way." As she hung up the phone, she grabbed her gun from the drawer she put it in when she came to her mother's place. "Ma," she said grabbing her coat. "Maura and I have to go. Will you be ok with him?"
"I raised you and your two brothers pretty well didn't I?" Angela responded. "Besides, Frankie's staying the night."
Jane headed out the door and made her way to the main house on the property where her friend and the city's medical examiner lived. Jane let herself into the back door just in time to catch Maura hopping into the living room with one shoe half on.
"Boy you really are classy when no one watches," Jane said with a smile as her friend finished putting her shoe on. "You want to ride together?"
"I don't see why not," said Maura, picking up her jacket and keys. The duo exited the front door and headed for Maura's Lexus.
"How is your mom doing with Tommy Jr.?" Maura asked as she started the engine.
"Ugh, she's in Heaven," Jane replied. "She's convinced that Tommy and Lydia are gonna get together and be a 'real family'."
"Oh," Maura said with a smile. "That would be nice for the three of them." She put the car in gear completely ignoring Jane's look of disgust.
-0-
"Look, I don't know who you are or what you want but you really want to let me go." Jeremy was starting to worry. The older man was now driving along the William J Day Blvd while Jeremy tested the limits of the handcuffs he was wearing. Only about twenty minutes had passed since Jeremy claimed the gorgeous young sailor. Just as he started truly enjoying himself, he heard the bedroom door bang open and three men entered the room. Two were Marines and the other was the man now driving him to God knows where.
"You're too uptight," the older man said, interrupting Jeremy's thoughts. "I just saved your life. I even let you finish your fun before I pulled you out of the situation." It was true. Jeremy was convinced that the three men were about to kill him. He jumped off the bed ready to run or be killed trying before the older man tugged on a rope that brought the two Marines falling backwards. It was then that Jeremy noticed the Marines were loopy and quite restrained. The older man convinced Jeremy to help him put the two men into chairs facing the bed before allowing him to resume his conquest.
"Let me ask you," the man said. "Did you find it fascinating that although you were defiling their sister, both of those Marines were aroused by the sexual acts they witnessed?"
"They were her brothers?" Jeremy asked.
"Oh yes," the man said. "From their conversation as they entered the house, I assume they were on leave for a small family reunion."
"So I know I'm not under arrest," Jeremy said after a few moments. "What do you want with me?"
"What do I want?" the older man said. "Why, I want to help you perfect your technique. I want to make you less sloppy."
"Who are you?"
"For now," the man said with a smile. "Just call me Doctor."
-0-
A chill ran down Jane's back when she entered the upstairs bedroom. She knew this sight all too well. There was one exception to this scene than the others. This time she saw two men sitting in the chairs. The men, brothers by the looks of them, tied and positioned in a way to ensure they saw everything that happened to the woman. The openings at each of their necks spilled blood ruining both of their Marine Corps uniforms.
"Jane," Vince Korsak said coming over to her. "He's dead. If this is what it looks like, it's definitely a copycat." Vince knew as well as anyone the methods of Jane's worst nightmare. He was there with her almost each time she faced him. The one thing he regretted about his relationship with Jane was that she had to face him that final time without him. Vince wanted so much to be the one to end Charles Hoyt so Jane wouldn't have to.
All of that was in the past though. Vince watched as his friend and partner surveyed the new crime scene. They both knew that this had to be a copycat, but the horror of the scene brought back the memories of horrors past.
"There's a clear substance here," Maura said checking the woman on the bed for additional wounds. The cut across her throat was obvious to all the cause of death, but the medical examiner would never say so aloud until she could scientifically prove it. Jane didn't want to look at what the monster had done to the woman, but forced herself to look where Maura indicated.
"Considering the location, I assume its seminal fluid," she said clearly not wanting to be here.
"I'll have to have it analyzed to be sure." Maura said standing and shaking her red hair from her face. Her friend's infuriating refusal to assume brought Jane out of her shock.
"Come on Maura," she groaned. "Isn't it obvious considering it's still leaking-?"
"It could be lubricant," Maura defended. "Or possibly a gelatin based fluid. However, I would be hard pressed for a reason for finding it here. Did you know that most gelatins are made of 44% pig skin?"
"Maura please," Jane said clearly disgusted.
"Sorry," the doctor said. "Based on the lack of rigor, lividity and liver temperature, the time of death was approximately two hours ago, so roughly 9:30 pm."
"And we got the call at 10:00," Jane said. "So the housekeeper must have gotten here say about 20-25 minutes after the killings."
"That's your domain," Maura said signaling for the morgue techs to come in for the bodies. "I need to get them to autopsy so I can determine the cause of death."
"A-are you kidding me?" Jane asked.
Maura simply looked at her with pursed lips.
"Jane, check this out." Korsak said bringing the attention of both women to him. "Just like with Stark. He made them watch and then killed them one at a time."
"So who are they and why two guys?" Jane asked finally bringing her investigator mind into the scene.
"They're siblings," Frost's voice came from the hallway. "The woman is Commander Pamela Corsi, 31, Navy. The two men are both Staff Sergeants in the Marine Corps William and Phillip Corsi. Both are Infantry drill instructors. William is out of Pendleton and Phillip is out of Camp Geiger."
"So we can expect feds to get involved," Korsak groused.
"NCIS has been informed." Frost answered. "They're sending Special Agent Evans from the Newport Field Office."
"Great," Jane said. "O.k. Maura are we ready to let the techs in?"
"Yes. I'll ride in with the bodies you can take my car."
"Thanks."
-0-
The older man looked at Jeremy carefully before taking the keys out of his pocket. Jeremy returned the man's look with a smile of his own.
"You seem a bit smug," the man said. "You shouldn't be. I mean after all, if she comes in here ready to do me harm, I'm afraid this would be the end of our relationship."
"Who?" Jeremy asked his surprise showing clearly on his face.
"Why, I mean the woman who followed us from the house of course." The man answered. "I tell you what. Let's make this as painless as possible. Call her and tell her all is well and to come on in. After all, we're going to all be good friends."
The man unlocked Jeremy's handcuffs and handed him his cell phone. Jeremy took the phone and dialed quickly.
"Michelle," he said. "He knows you followed us. I don't think there's any danger." There was a quick pause. "O.k." To the man he said. "She wants us to come out to the car and she wants you unarmed."
"She can have one or the other," the man said. Jeremy put his ear back to the phone. "Yeah. We'll do that." Jeremy disconnected the line and turned to the man. "We both go outside. You let us separate enough that if she has to shoot you, she doesn't accidentally hit me."
The man thought about it for a moment. "That sounds fair he said."
The older man opened the door for Jeremy who stepped out first and edged to the right from the doorway. The man stepped out next and edged to the left. The car he had spotted following them sat parked just opposite their room and the woman driving was beside it with a gun in hand.
"You can tell her what I told you," the man told Jeremy. "I am willing to help you refine your technique and reduce your chances of getting caught."
Jeremy nodded to him and took a step towards Michelle. "But," the man said, stopping Jeremy in his tracks. "I am also willing to kill the both of you right here to keep my secret." Jeremy looked again at the man and nodded. "Your choice."
-0-
The crime scene tech walked up to the trio as they were scrutinizing the vehicle parked on the curb. Frost had just informed the others that William Corsi rented the car just a few hours ago.
"Excuse me detectives," the tech said. "We picked up a couple of prints that didn't belong to the victims.
"Great," Jane said taking the sample from the tech. "Frost can you rush these? It may be our killer."
"If it is, it's just proof that this guy is nowhere near as smart as the others." Korsak said as Frost headed for his car down the block. "He seem quiet to you?" he asked Jane once Frost was out of earshot.
"Yeah," Jane answered. "He probably still feels left out because of the Hoyt thing. Thinks I don't trust him with what went on."
"I thought you guys settled that."
"Yeah well, you know Frost." She said, and then looked up as another car came to a stop. "Oh great."
"Which one of you is Rizzoli?" the man asked as he approached them.
"That's me," Jane said extending her hand.
"Special Agent Romin Evans, NCIS," he said shaking her hand.
"Yeah," Jane said. "Jane Rizzoli and Vince Korsak," she indicated herself and Korsak respectively.
"Can you bring me up to speed?"
"Well," she began. "All three victims are yours, one Navy and two Marines. I.D.'s show they are brothers and sister. She was raped and tortured before being killed and the brothers were forced to watch."
"O.k.," Evans said taking notes. "I have a couple more agents on the way. We'll take over once they get here."
"What?" Jane asked incredulously. "No, the victims are yours, but the killer is a copycat of one of ours."
"Detective Rizzoli," Evans began, "do I need to point out that any crime involving Navy or Marine Corps personnel whether victim or perpetrator falls under the jurisdiction of NCIS?"
"No, Agent Evans you do not. Do I need to point out that the M.O. of the perpetrator indicates a copycat of a serial killer whom Boston P.D. is intimately familiar with?"
"Then you should have everything together for me to get caught up," Evans shot at her.
"Listen pal," she started.
"No you listen," Evans interrupted. "Two good Marines and a damned good sailor are dead. This is federal jurisdiction and unless you want me to bring you up on charges for impeding an investigation, you will cooperate with it. I want those files in my office by noon."
"You're freezing us out of the investigation?" Korsak asked.
"You're welcome to assist," Evans said. "Just remember that we have lead."
Jane was ready to shoot the federal agent in the back as he disappeared into the house. Korsak was only slightly less angry but was calm enough to convince her to head to the office to get the Hoyt files ready. As she pulled Maura's Lexus onto D Street, she thought of looping around the block just to scratch the paint on Special Agent Jackhole's G.I. Dodge Stratus. But of course, that would be petty.
-0-