Disclaimer : Rizzoli and Isles and all of its parts belong to Tess Gerritsen, Janet Tamaro and TNT.
Have I mentioned my beta reader (for this part roethfan7) rocks ?
Please read and review ! Let me know what you think...
When Jane arrived at the precinct, her boss Lieutenant Cavanaugh, went to her immediately.
"What about Doctor Isles? Is she going to be okay ?" he inquired with concern.
Jane was now more in control of the situation and more calm. She replied in a hopeful tone. "The medical staff is taking great care of her. She's in good hands. Angela will stay with her until she wakes up. Ma and I will be going back and forth as we go through this..." she didn't finish her sentence and turned her gaze to Frost.
"Have we got any clues?"
"Jane," the Commander of the Homicide Unit said "I wonder if it's best for you to work on this case."
"Why?" she asked roughly.
"You perfectly know, why, Jane ..."
"Maura is my best friend. I have to investigate, I have to find the people who did this to her."
"You're too much emotionally attached. It could possibly affect your judgment."
"Me, Frost, Korsak, and the rest of this precinct will not rest until these offenders are brought in."
"But..."
"Lieutenant, I need your support. It's my job, my place. If I can't do that, you can go ahead and kill me now." Jane all but shouted at her boss.
Deep inside, he knew Jane was right. Above all, he trusted her. "Okay, okay. Keep me informed on all matters related to this investigation. I want an hourly report. Is that clear?"
She nodded in consent.
"The analysis of the debris indicates that it was an improvised explosive device." Her youngest colleague said. "The bomb was made from gas-pipe filled with dynamite and capped at both ends with wooden blocks."
"A terrorist act?"
"No. It seems to be the work of a serial bomber who uses pipe bombs."
"What do you mean?"
"Cops in the Haverhill Police Department are on the lookout for a man, Justin Konitz, 23, they said targeted two policemen and an ex-girlfriend with homemade pipe bomb attacks."
"Have any fingerprints been found yet? And do they match?"
"No, not yet but the M.O. for these attacks appear similar."
Jane's phone rang interrupting the conversation.
"Rizzoli." Jane barked into the phone. "Ok, Ma, no problem, I'm on my way." She hung up. "Maura just woke up. I have to go. You guys go and try to locate this guy."
Maura was extubated and conscious but after exchanging a few words with Jane, she was too tired to talk and be her lively googlemouth. She soon fell back asleep. Jane kissed her forehead tenderly and was about to leave when a large hand came from behind and covered her mouth to keep her from calling for any help.
"Listen very carefully. I'm not going to hurt you if you do exactly what I tell you. Do you understand?" she heard the baritone voice say in a perfect Irish accent.
"Mmmhmm, " the detective mumbled and nodded as she recognized the voice of Paddy Doyle.
"I'm going to take my hand away and for God's sake, keep your mouth shut."
Jane turned to face the old man. "What the hell are you doing here?" she asked in a low voice with a hint of a growl.
"I read the papers...I desperately needed to see her." He stared at the sleepy blonde and gave her an affectionate look. "I can only be mad at myself, everything is my fault." He clenched his fists in anger.
"I don't understand...Do you know the suspect? Justin Konitz?"
"That's why I came here. I need to give you some information about the case because, for the moment, you're wrong."
"Go ahead, I'm listening." Jane was now intrigued at what the Irish mobster had to say.
"I believe the intended target of the device was not at the Maura's place and the bomb had been thrown there as a warning."
"Why?"
"Because of me, I was wrongly accused of being an informant by our gang's head boss. I tried to explain to him that it was a false accusation but he would never believe me. I never thought he would go after and hurt my daughter," he said now furious at the thought.
"If the other gangs have learned that you have spoken with me, a police officer, you're a dead man."
"Whatever. I don't care. If I could, I'd break every bone in his goddamn body!"
"And what do you want me to do about it?"
"The guy who did this, Aengus McAllister, is a violent and ruthless man but he's not the brightest bulb in the pack."
Despite the tense situation Jane couldn't help but smile at a mobster cracking a joke.
"He's a breakers yard owner. If you inspect his garage, you'll find the evidence you need there."
"I have one question, why don't you settle your score with him yourself?"
"If I commit an act of revenge I will start a gang war and in retaliation, this time, he will not hurt my daughter, he'll kill her, he'll kill my all my loved ones."
"You forgot one important thing. You're an organized crime boss from Boston and you're listed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list so why should I believe you? Why should I cooperate with you?"
"Because of my daughter, the way you look at her, I know you care. You would give up your life to save her."
She nodded silently. Paddy Doyle squeezed the hand of his daughter, opened the door and said "I'm counting on you, and let me assure you that you can always count on me. But don't ever disappoint me" he threatened. He closed the door behind him. Jane was alone.
Maura was transferred to the Burn Center at Brigham and Women's Hospital to start her treatment.
She was in shock, unable to speak. She only remembered her urgent need of getting out of the car. The smell of burnt flesh mixed with gasoline and melted plastic and other terrifying images mixed in her mind.
The horror still fresh in her mind, she looked at Jane sitting near her bed. She painfully spoke with a thin reedy voice.
"Am I disfigured?" tears were now forming in her eyes.
Jane held her hand with all the tenderness in her body and murmured softly, "Honey, don't do that, don't even think about that...You're beautiful." She stroked Maura's cheek lovingly. Deep inside, she was praying for her full recovery.
Jane Rizzoli woke up in the middle of the night bathed in sweat, plagued by nightmares. She picked up a bottle of water and drank the whole thing. Lying on her bed, with her eyes wide open, she wondered how she could solve her problem.
Telling the truth to Frost and Korsak wasn't a good idea. She couldn't say anything to her partners. No one should be involved in this case. The murderer was the mob boss of the city with many lawyers ready to defend him. And any association was related with Rizzoli or any of her colleagues, their own lives and their family's lives would be threatened.
She wasn't a crooked cop but this time it was a big challenge. She couldn't fail. Maura's life was at stake. She knew there was only one way to solve the problem. It was an unpleasant option but fortunately it was a radical solution.
A hooded figure, whose face was covered by a mask, moved slowly around Aengus McAllister.
The fat bald mobster was now naked and tied to a table, plastic wrap covering his body, rendering him unable to move. He looked anxiously around him. He was in his office at the breaker's yard. The site was completely draped in clear plastic tarps adorned with photos of his victim, Dr. Maura Isles.
The mysterious silhouette wearing latex gloves approached the man, holding a sharp knife, blood now trickling down his neck. He knitted his bushy eyebrows in fear.
"What the hell are you doing?" He cried like a baby begging for his life.
His attacker remained silent.
"Please don't kill me!" He screamed, all his arrogance was lost.
As was the most important part of the ritual, the hooded figure sliced open his cheek and took a sample of his blood. Then, without hesitation, his throat was cut.
The avenger recalled father's words. "There are people out there who do really bad things. Terrible people and the police can't catch them all. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Aengus McAllister deserved it.