Murderer of the Dead

By Simahoyo

A/N This is the sort of plot Tess Garettson likes so much...dark and controversial.

I love it when Maura tells a story especially about when she was a little kid, This one was about when she was three, and her parents couldn't find her in their own house. Mind you, I have been over there, and if there is any place where you could lose a three year old, that would be that place.

"So, my parents had looked all over the house, and finally, they saw my legs sticking out in the fireplace, covered with soot."

"Good thing it was July. What were you doing?"

"I wanted to see what was up there, so I had climbed in and stuck my head up to see the inside of chimney."

"Jeez, Maur. Constance must have loved that."

"Actually, Dad dragged me out, and they listened to my explanation–but I didn't understand why one of the other of them would leave the room for a minute, then come back. A few years later, they confessed they had to leave to keep me from seeing them laughing."

I lost it, laughing until I hurt. It was just what my doctor ordered–literally. We had a case that was trying to attach itself to my every waking hour, and I couldn't let it.

A doctor had been shot in the stomach, right in front of her kids, and get this, on the front steps of her church. We were looking hard for whoever would do it. That was as heartless as I've ever seen.

The laugh helped a lot. The black cloud over my head was gone.

"Thanks, Maur', I really needed that."

Suzy walked in just then, and glanced at Maura, then looked at me.

"Detective Rizzoli, you have a visitor. "

I figured the guys had sent them down, so I got up and followed Suzie.

And standing there was my former next-door neighbor, Marissa. I had attended her wedding to a nice fellow who treated her like a queen, and she had emailed me to tell me she was pregnant about four months ago. Hey, wait–closer to five months, and she wasn't showing.

"Hey Marissa, how are you? And how's Jack?"

Then I saw the dark circles under her eyes, and the look on her face. And I shut up.

Marissa opened her mouth, wrung her hands, Closed her mouth. I waited. "Jane, I think I might have an idea who shot Dr. Locke."

Whoa, that was like dropped from heaven, but poor Marissa looked like hell. I invited her to the small interview room so we could record it, and she could have some privacy. When she sat down, I could see she was shaking.

"Take your time, and tell me about it in your own way."

She shook her hands out like pitchers do before throwing a fast ball. Then she leaned back in her chair. "I told you I was pregnant."

I nodded.

"I miscarried–well technically, the baby died before it was ever born, and I was only 5 months along."

I couldn't help gasping. That must have been terrible. I reached over on put my hand over hers.

"So, I called that really good women's clinic over in Waltham. I found out I needed three appointments, so I went to the first one, and there was this woman standing there with a really gross picture of an aborted fetus. And she was screaming at me not to murder my baby.

I was afraid to say anything because I thought she might become violent, so I walked past her into the clinic. Dr. Locke was so kind, she was aware of my feelings, and explained every test before she did it. By the time I left, there was a man standing where the woman had been, holding another sign, and he didn't scream at me, he was perfectly polite."

"Good thing I wasn't me. You know I would have lost it. And I'd hate to have to arrest myself."

Good, I made Marissa smile. I waited a bit, kind of indicating for her to go on.

Marissa blew out a breath. "So, I went to my second appointment, and everything was ready so I could get my baby's body out of me." She looked down at her hands. "God this is hard. Dr. Locke was great, and so were all the people working there. I was set up for the operation, and as I walked out, that same woman was there, with about six others with her. They all had these horrific signs, and were calling me a murderer. I know they were supposed to be further away from the door, but they were right in my face. I ran to my car."

Maura was behind us, and she looked up, "The Supreme court is allowing them closer now. Sometimes I wonder about that court. It seems as if previous incidents would inform them as to what behavior they can expect..."

"Maur, this might not be a good time, Okay?"

Maura backed off and went into her office.

Marissa gave me a ghost of a smile. "She's right, you know. By the third time, I had to push my way in, and they were talking about bringing back the escorts. But I was so worried about what would happen with a dead baby inside me."

I felt myself grow cold, thinking of my baby...I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"So, are you thinking this woman might have harmed Doctor Locke?"

"Yes! You didn't see or hear her. Talk to her. I'm sure she's in front of that clinic again. Please Jane, if she did this...think of any other women who might have to go through this..."

And I did.