Harassment
Jane walked back into the Homicide area with Frost, both still smiling in the aftermath of Captain Marquette's effusive praise for catching their serial killer.
They'd tracked him down after viewing CCTV of the area, then painstakingly running down every lead, interviewing literally hundreds of potential witnesses before finally locating and eventually identifying several suspects who might match their perp. Together they'd then crawled into the suspect's lives and examined every possible interaction they'd had. Five excruciatingly long days and nights of work had led them to focus on one George Carmody, a late-middle aged divorcee who lived alone a few blocks distance from each of the three killings.
They'd then tracked down his ex-wife who was living in Philadelphia, only to find from local police she'd been killed in what seemed a random mugging in a park gone wrong two months before. She'd had her purse and wedding ring stolen too. Talking to the detective in Philly who had investigated the case Jane had confirmed that the women's shoes were missing; distinctive two tone high heels, similar to the shoe's the local victims were wearing.
With a strong circumstantial case they had gotten a warrant and searched Carmody's house, finding several pairs of two-tone high heeled shoes hidden in a cupboard. Carmody had tried to claim they were all his ex's shoes, but the lab had confirmed DNA traces on three pairs from each of the victim's. The kicker was a detailed search had turned up a cut-throat razor in his car, still with minute traces of DNA from the most recent victim inside the handle.
They'd taken great pleasure in walking Carmody down to booking for four counts of murder before wrapping up and taking two days off, Jane didn't know about Frost but all she wanted to do was sleep, preferably cuddled up to Maura.
Back at work they'd barely arrived when they'd been summonsed up to Marquette's office where the Captain had been effusive in his praise, together with hints that their work had been noticed upstairs and good things might be coming their way. That had been enough to make them both smile, something which lasted till they got back to Homicide.
"I think a day this good this deserves a coffee" said Frost, smiling. "I'm heading outside to get a decent espresso, you want one?" Jane nodded, that sounded real good right now.
"Yeah thanks, lemme grab some change" I pulled open the top drawer where I kept loose change, my smile vanishing instantly together with my good mood. I grabbed a latex glove out of my coat pocket and used it to lift out a glass jar that had appeared in my drawer.
Lifting it I read the hand written label stuck to the front. 'To have kids, break jar and insert contents, not for oral use' Inside were a number of obviously used condoms, complete with their liquid contents.
Hearing a barely repressed snigger I focused on the all too obvious perpetrator, Crowe and his sock puppet partner Tomkins, standing at his desk, both smirking as they looked her way.
In three steps I was at his desk, my expression a good reflection of my mood.
"Got something to do with this Crowe?" He shook his head even as he grinned at me.
"Not me Rizzoli, looks like someone decided to help you and the Queen of the Dead out though" I was pretty sure my scepticism was about as obvious as my anger.
"Really, I would have thought you'd be the most likely candidate, after all you're the serial masturbator here, polishing the pope cause no woman would stomach being with you" I grinned cruelly and continued. "Unless it's some of the crack whores down on Lyndhurst Street in Dorchester" Crowe sneered at her.
"You're full of shit Rizzoli, go run crying to your sugar momma"
"I dunno Crowe, this seems like a little too much thinking for just you, it's never been your strong suit' I threw a glance at Tompkins, couldn't leave him out of this. "Did your partner help you out, with the thinking and collecting parts I mean, given you couldn't have come up with this all of your own" Tompkins bristled.
"You got a problem Rizzoli, come out and say it to my face" I pushed out an obviously fake smile.
"Oh look, Crowe's mini-me talks" I obviously moved my head to one side and looked down then smiled a little wider. "I can't see Crowe's hand up your ass, so that must mean you've mastered independent speech, next thing you know it'll be having its own thoughts" I shrugged as I pulled a face. "Can't expect it any time soon though"
"Go and fuck yourself Rizzoli" At Tompkins weak riposte I just smiled.
"No thanks, I have something much better waiting for me, unlike you and Crowe here" She shrugged. "I'm sure you can help him out though, can't you Crowe" The bald detective scowled, at me and what I was implying.
"I don't have to take your shit Rizzoli" He shrugged. "You and your girlfriend can fuck off for all I care" I smiled cruelly.
"Oh we will, unlike your partner and you, what's that description?" I sneered at them, weak pricks both. "Oh yeah, that's right, forever alone"
"Weak cunt" At that piss poor response I smiled, twisting the knife, I could take it, but could they?
"At least I've got one; I doubt you've ever seen one you didn't pay for Crowe" I shook my head at them both and turned away, getting two steps before Crowe's voice reached me.
"Is it true that lesbians who want kids have to go to a clinic? Tell you what Rizzoli, I'll donate my services free of charge, get the Doc knocked up for you good and proper" I heard him bray out a laugh as I stilled in anger. "Give her a taste of real dick, who might even come to her senses and realise what's she's missing" I froze as a wave of rage filled me, seeing and ignoring both Frost and Korsak's worried shake of their heads. Standing still I surreptitiously started unscrewing the jar still in my hand even as I spoke.
"Crowe, I will give you one warning, one time only. You can come after me all you want, but Doctor Isles is off limits to you and your idiotic comments, you hear me?" He didn't take the warning.
"Why Rizzoli, can't she handle it, she's fucking you so she should be able to handle anything; I mean she must have a strong stomach…" The lid loosened and I unscrewed it as I spoke over my shoulder.
"Last warning Crowe"
"Fuck you Rizzoli, or better yet, fuck Isles, she's gotta be a better fuck than a skinny dyke like you" I grimaced, the lid finally coming off as I turned and started walking Crowe's way, seeing several people carefully backing out of the line of fire as I did.
"I'll tell you what Crowe, you keep your mouth closed and you won't need another trip to the dentist" He didn't take the warning.
"Like hell, that'll get you suspended, Cavanagh will see you run out of Homicide so fast you won't know what hit you" I shrugged and stopped in front of his desk.
"Maybe, in the meantime, I'm returning these, you may need them" With that I upended the now opened jar and dumped used condoms all over his desk, including his paperwork, the donut he'd been eating and one even, miraculously, fell into his coffee cup. I looked up and smiled as innocently as I could manage.
"Oops" With that I shrugged, dropped the jar and lid in the trash bin by his desk and turned away, not missing the look of pure rage that contorted his features. I'd barely taken two steps when I heard Crowe's heavy tread as he rushed me; I turned and saw him step into my space, his fist already swinging. I had enough time to block it and consider my response before I realised I'd never have a better opportunity.
CRACK!
The sound of my fist impacting with Crowe's face was loud in the quiet room, the aftermath wasn't.
"Ow, ow, ow" I cradled my suddenly throbbing hand as I reminded myself, 'don't go for the face, too many bones there'. It wasn't apparent from first glance, but I was stronger than I looked, thanks to a daily regimen of gym work, something Crowe had just painfully relearnt.
I looked up to see Crowe sprawled on the floor, shaking his head before spitting gobbets of blood and a tooth out on the floor. I experimentally flexed my fist, it hurt but everything moved okay. 'Probably gonna bruise like hell though' I looked over at Crowe and a slow wolfish smile appeared, matching the satisfaction I felt as he spat out more blood.
"Learn something Crowe?" He shook his head even as Tomkins crouched down next to his partner then looked up at me.
"You'll lose your job for this you bitch" he spat as I shrugged and smiled.
"What for, I was defending myself" I looked around the room. "Crowe here threw the first punch" Korsak stepped up and spoke.
"All right everyone, calm down. Tomkins; get Crowe here to a dentist, when he gets back he can front the Lieutenant to explain why he attacked a fellow officer" He looked to me. "Rizzoli, don't you have a job to do?" I nodded slowly.
"Yeah, I do" He gave me a 'don't give me shit' look.
"Then get back to work, same goes for the rest of you" Crowe meanwhile had managed to work up a head of steam.
"That bitch started it" Korsak wasn't buying his shit.
"From where I stood, your practical joke backfired, then you attacked Rizzoli, throwing the first punch, Rizzoli was just defending herself" He looked down at Crowe. "That's what my incident report to Cavanagh will say" Crowe got to his feet and shook his head even as Tomkins handed him a wad of tissues to clean up the blood.
"Wha abou ma deshk…" He mumbled through the tissues. Korsak looked over the mess and shrugged.
"Your desk, your practical joke, your mess to clean up" He took in Tomkins. "You helped set it up I bet so only fair you help clean it up too" The look he gave them both was pure 'don't mess with me', cowing them both. "Capisce?" They both nodded and Tomkins spoke.
"Yes Sergeant" Korsak nodded as I reached my desk.
"Everyone else, get back to work" I sat down as Frost moved over.
"You okay Jane?" I shrugged, flexing my hand; it was throbbing, though I didn't think it was broken.
"Yeah, my hand hurts though" At my words he shrugged, keeping his voice down.
"Not surprised, that was one hell of a punch" I looked to where Korsak was watching Crowe and Tomkins start the clean-up then back to Frost.
"It's been coming for a while" Frost nodded.
"True" he said, then glanced at the Lieutenant's empty office. "Cavanagh's going to be pissed though" That made me forget the pain for a moment.
"Self defence" I said. "Too many witnesses saw Crowe throw the first punch, so based on Cavanagh's previous criteria, that should see Crowe suspended for a couple of days" Frost shook his head.
"Nah, somehow this'll end up all being your fault" I sighed, he was right.
"Probably" I shook my head. "Can you grab me that coffee you were talking about and bring it down to the morgue" I glanced at my hand. "I wanna get this into an ice pack" He nodded slowly.
"You do know the Doc's gonna read you the riot act, right?" I smiled a little, he was dead right.
"Yeah, but I'm gonna play the wounded warrior defending her honour card, that might help" He just shook his head.
"Good luck with that" He straightened up. "I'll bring that coffee to you"
"Thanks man" With that I stood and headed for the elevators, anticipating a scolding. I wasn't wrong.