The Unclaimed
Deanlu
Rizzoli and Isles are the property of TNT and Tess Gerritson. This story occurred after an article in the newspaper about the NYPD's attempt to identify 850,000 remains of those killed in New York who had not been identified. I believe this is a very noteworthy and compassionate project for the NYPD as it allows for closure and I applaud them. I am moving the location, however, for stories sake to Boston. Acidofilo, here's for you.
The older woman gazed up at the lettering on the building, Boston Police Department. She sighed as she walked inside. Off to her right was a café where she could see men and women of BPD catching a bite to eat. In front of her at a security desk an officer perused her as he did the other people coming and going to assess if they were a threat. Slowly she approached the security desk area.
"My name is Lily Mays. I have an appointment with Doctor Isles." Mrs. Mays said softly. The officer smiled and checked for her name. He issued an ID badge and then checked the brown paper bag she carried. He was careful not to touch anything as the note next to Mrs. Mays alerted him to the bags contents.
"You are okayed to go ahead Mrs. Mays. Just go through the turn stiles, press the elevator for G. Once out of the elevators turn left. Dr. isles office is the third door on the left. She knows you are on your way." The officer smiled kindly at her. It heartened the woman some. Her husband said she was being foolish and this was a wild goose chase, but Lily had to know. She had to take a chance even if it broke her heart once again. She walked through the turn stiles and approached an elevator. She pressed the down button and waited. A tall, Italian brunette stepped up next to her with two cups of coffee in her hands. She smiled at her graciously. When the door opened she let Lily enter and then followed. Lily pushed G, and then waited as a couple more people filed inside. Lily became lost in her thoughts as she remembered the article and phone call that had her at BPD.
A month ago…
"Jerry, your coffee is getting cold. You need to come inside now." Lily had called to her husband. Jerry's gruff voice had sounded back to her from the garage.
"I'll be there in a second." Jerry had said. Lily sighed and turned heading down the hallway. She passed the door of her eldest daughter stopping for a moment. She rested a hand on the door and looked at the handle. No, not today. She couldn't go in there today. Slowly she moved on straightening the nearby bathroom. Then she retreated into the kitchen, grabbed a cup of coffee and the morning newspaper. She sat down at one of the breakfast stools and began reading. As she perused the paper she quickly skipped over the election information and the notes on celebrities. It was when she came to the third page from the end of the front section she noticed an article that caught her eye. BPD project IDs dead, finds closure. Lily began reading the article noting that BPD's medical examiner's office and Boston College University had joined forces using the latest technology and anthropology advances coupled with grants from the federal government and the Isles foundation to identify the hundreds of thousands of unidentified victims in Potters Field in an attempt to bring closure to families. Families with missing loved ones just needed to submit DNA to the medical examiner's office along with a short interview of when the loved ones had gone missing.
"What are you reading?" Lily's husband asked gruffly. His coffee was cold because he had taken too long to come inside. "The coffee is cold." Lily shook her head.
"You should have come in sooner." Lily walked over and popped his cup in for fifty seconds into the microwave. "It's an article about BPD trying to identify those in Potter's Field. I was wondering if…" Lily's voice died as she looked back toward the hall.
"I told you to stop wishing. She's gone. She didn't want to be here. Just drop it." Jerry said gruffly as an old pain in his heart opened again. She had left in the middle of the night with no explanation. God, he missed his daughter. Words he should never have spoken and he would take back if he could. But he couldn't and Lily needed to understand that. They had tried everything. The police, private detectives, missing children organization, and runaway organizations had all come to nothing. Nothing, she was gone. He moved on. Lily needed to move on.
"I know. I just…it would be easier to know one way or the other." Lily said as she removed the cup from the microwave. She set it in front of him. Jerry saw the sad look that was always present in Lily's eyes. Even after all these years, two other children she still grieved for her daughter who was missing. He never told her he did too. Men don't confess those things. He hugged his wife suddenly.
"I don't want you hurt and disappointed again. Let it go Lily." Jerry had said grabbing his coffee and kissing her. He had gone back into the garage. Lily knew she should listen to her husband, but she couldn't. Another week had passed until the article had wormed itself so deep inside that she couldn't ignore the hope of closure. So she had made the call.
"Hello, Dr. Isles?" Lily asked.
"Yes, this is Dr. Isles. How can I help you?" Maura had stated.
"My name is Lily Mays. I saw the article in the paper about the BPD project to identify the unidentified. My daughter went missing ten years ago. We haven't seen her since. I was wondering if perhaps I could give you DNA to help look…" Lily's voice hitched at this point when she became scared her daughter was there.
"Mrs. Mays, I believe we can help you. If you would come down to BPD at 11 am next Tuesday. Just bring something that was hers that has not been touched and we will take a sample from you too. Let the front desk officer know you have an appointment with Dr. Isles. He is aware of the project." Maura said warmly, her voice allowing the appropriate amount of sympathy.
"Thank you Dr. Isles. I will see you next Tuesday." Lily had said hope beginning to blossom inside. Lily was brought out of her thoughts when the Italian detective next to her called to her.
"Mam, did you want this floor?" Detective Rizzoli was holding the doors looking at the woman in a concerned fashion.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I was lost in thought." Lily stepped off the elevator and turned to her left. She headed down the hallway until she reached the third door. She was surprised when the Italian lady next to her stopped at the same door.
"Do you have an appointment with Dr. Isles?" The Italian lady inquired.
"Yes, yes I do. Here let me get the door for you." Lily opened the door to reveal a beautifully decorated office. A beautiful, Irish woman with caramel locks sat behind the desk. "Dr. Isles?"
"Yes, you must be Lily Mays. Please come in." Maura said. It was then she noticed Jane behind Lily. "Detective Rizzoli, how can I help you?" Jane smiled and stepped in as Lily took a seat in front of Maura's desk.
"One Latte with two raw sugars and a touch of cinnamon just as you ordered. I will return later Dr. Isles." Jane set the coffee down on the desk and gave the doctor a warm smile. Dr. Isles smiled back.
"Don't forget to pick up Karine for lunch. She would be very upset with you again." Maura said watching the look in Jane's eyes.
"Already set up. Have a good day Mrs. Mays." Detective Rizzoli said as she left the office. Maura turned her eyes on Mrs. Mays. She was an average middle age woman. There was sadness in her eyes that Maura had seen with the others who had come in for help with the project.
"Do you have the item I requested?" Maura asked warmly. Lily nodded and handed her the paper bag. Maura stepped forward gathering it into her hands and then stepped over to her desk. She pressed a button.
"Kim, could you come to my office. DNA evidence for the project kit please." Maura then sat down and pulled up a form on her laptop. She asked several questions of Lily and filled in the form. Senior criminologist Kim came in took a cheek swab from Lily Mays, labeled it, and then labeled the bag. She then stepped out. Maura printed off the form and had Mrs. Mays sign and initial where she needed too.
"Alright Mrs. Mays that is all for now. As soon as we have any information we will contact you." Maura stepped around the desk and took Mrs. Mays hands. "Please understand I cannot promise you anything. But we will do our best and hopefully we will be able to bring some closure." Maura said softly.
"Thank you Dr. Isles. You have no idea how important this is for me." Lily said as gentle tears slid down her face. Maura just smiled and escorted Lily to the elevators. As the doors closed Lily heard a young child's voice and the flash of a Bayberry coat as the moving object leaped into Dr. Isle's arms.
"Mommy! Mom picked me up from school and Uncle Frost used his siren and lights to bring me back here." Little Karine shouted.
"Jane!" Maura said as the door closed. Lily never heard the rest of the discussion. Lily returned to her life as a house wife checking her mail and phone messages daily. After a month, she began to give up hope. Perhaps her husband had been right. Life moved at a snail's pace for her again. Her two other children visited and sensed the sadness nearer than normal. Nothing was ever said though. Late one Monday morning Lily received a phone call. She was just returning from the grocery store when she heard the voice of Dr. Isles leaving a message. She dropped everything and ran to the phone.
"Dr. Isles? Do you have something?" Lily asked frantically.
"Yes, Mrs. Mays. I believe you and your husband should come to the medical examiner's office. Could you both be here around three this afternoon?" Maura asked.
"Yes, we will be there." Lily stated. Once done on the phone Lily called her husband. After being angry at first, he calmed when Lily told him they had found something. He came by the house and picked Lily up. They both headed to BPD. Lily and Jerry Mays were ushered into an interview room upon their arrival. Not ones they used on suspects, but a nice office with leather couches and chairs. Dr. Isles entered shortly with Detective Rizzoli.
"Mr. Mays I am Dr. Isles. This is Detective Rizzoli. If you would both sit down." Dr. Isles and Detective Rizzoli sat down nearby. "Mrs. Mays you came to me two months ago with DNA of your daughter and you. I am sad to report that your daughter, Felicia Mays, died in a robbery gone wrong five years ago. She was never identified and was laid to rest in Potter's Field. We have the body here in the morgue." Maura said softly. Lily burst into tears even as tears fell down her husband's cheeks silently. After all this time they finally knew what happened to their daughter. After short time Lily's tears stopped and her husband's comforting touch grounded her.
"As Dr. Isles stated I am Detective Rizzoli. Due to the nature of Felicia's death, we wanted to let you know about the case and give a little background. Felicia was working for Hammerstein's, a law firm here in town. She worked as a paralegal. She was good at her job and had a good life. The murder suspect from the robbery was convicted and given life imprisonment for Felicia's murder. Due to the injuries to other patron's from that day and other charges he has no hope for parole." Jerry and Lily nodded. The project had not only given Lily and Jerry their daughter back, closure for them, but it had also given them justice too.
"I don't know how we can ever thank you both. You have no idea how much pain, anger, frustration, and fear this has caused over the years. Thank you so much." Lily said even as Jerry held her.
"No thanks are necessary. Just a chance to give you closure finally is thanks enough. There is one more matter before we leave you. Hammerstein's head partner would like to speak to you." Lily and Jerry looked at Dr. Isles questioningly. "It is a matter of Felicia's disposition of items. I think we will let Mr. Barnett explain." Detective Isles rose and opened the door. Mr. Barnett came inside. He was a man in his late thirties, but with the same sadness that Lily carried with her.
"Hello, I am Edward Barnett, lead counsel for Hammerstein's. When Detective Rizzoli came to us we were quite shocked. We didn't know what happened to Lily. We just couldn't believe what we heard. Hammerstein's wanted to offer their deepest condolences to your family. We would like to pay for the cost of the funeral expenses." Edward watched as the parents of Felicia nodded in a shocked sort of way. "There was one other thing. When Felicia was at our firm she fell in love with an up and coming new attorney. They married after a year of courtship. Two years later they had a daughter. Her name is Lily Grace." Jerry and Lily were shocked. They had a granddaughter. She looked at the gentlemen while she digested the information he had given them. Dr. Isles and Detective Rizzoli waited silently off to the side.
"You didn't know either? Did you son?" Lily asked Edward Barnett. For the first time in his life since Felicia, Edward Barnett was caught off guard. Lily had seen it. The deep sadness, the need for closure, the need for forgiveness after years of blaming one's self.
"No, I didn't." Edward said brokenly. "I thought she had left me. She had just disappeared. I tried everything to find her. But to no avail. She had told me about the fight she had with you both and how stupid she had been. She had planned to call you and get back together so you could meet Lily Grace. But then she just disappeared." The gentlemen broke down and Lily reached forward drawing him into her and her husband's arms. Dr. Isles and Detective Rizzoli quietly stepped out. A liaison with BPD was left to wait on them. He would gather the information needed for the disposition of the body.
"Dr. Isles." Lily Mays called down the hallway. Maura stopped and turned with Jane next to her.
"Yes?" Maura asked.
"Thank you for giving us closure. Thank you for giving us Felicia back. What you and BPD are doing is an honorable and noble thing. You ever need someone to stand up for you, let us know." Lily said as tears fell from her cheeks. She was joined by Jerry and Edward.
"You're welcome." Maura turned as the liaison shuffled them away to fill out the paperwork. Senior criminologist Kim came around the corner with little Karine in her arms sound asleep.
Hey, how's my daughter doing senior criminologist Kim?" Jane asked taking the precious load into her arms.
"Just fine. She fell asleep while coloring in your office Dr. Isles." Kim said patting the young ladies back. "You know you could have waited until after vacation to tell Mr. and Mrs. Mays, and Mr. Barnett. A few days would not have mattered." Maura watched Jane with their daughter gently cuddling her into the tall Italian's frame.
"Yes Kim, it does make a difference. It makes a big difference." Maura said as she and Jane walked toward the elevators and the rest of their vacation.
NYPD is in the process of identifying 850,000 unidentified bodies through DNA and anthropological advances through a grant from the federal government that lie in Potter's Field.