"You going home anytime soon, Rizzoli?" Frost's voice startled her. She ran a hand through her hair, looking up from her computer screen, drawing her out of her catatonic state. Her stomach rumbled, the two donuts she'd gobbled hours ago hardly sustaining her, and she suddenly noticed how full her bladder was. She didn't know what time it was, but she reasoned it was late.
"What're you still doing here?" she muttered, avoiding Frost's question.
"My mother's here for the week. I needed a break," he laughed, his eyes darting down to the papers splayed across Jane's desk. "Still working on the case?"
Jane had zoned out for a moment, and his question drew her back to the present. "Hm? Oh, yeah. Not making much progress though," she sighed, gently untangling her fingers from her messy curls.
"You seem distracted," Frost frowned. He leaned up against the side of her desk, raising his eyebrow in demand of an answer.
Jane sighed, leaning back away from the desk. She swiveled in her chair, contemplating if she should tell Frost what she had seen this afternoon. "Did you know Maura Isles?"
Frost seemed a bit taken back by her unexpected question, though he took a moment to consider it. "Should I have?" he finally answered, the name not registering any sort of recognition.
"She was the medical examiner here," Jane offered, but Frost's face remained thoughtful. "Long, blondish hair. Always wearing fancy shoes and coats..."
Frost's face lit up for a moment, but then immediately fell. "Nope, never mind. I can't picture her," he admitted. "Do you think she's connected to the case?"
"Oh, no. She quit over a month ago," Jane explained. "Korsak's got her old office, and she left some stuff so I drove it over this afternoon." She paused, unsure if she should confess to her snooping. After all, she really had no significant leads to go on.
"Was she your friend? I feel like I'm missing something here, Jane," Frost prodded, and she could tell he was becoming a bit impatient.
"No," she answered truthfully. "Not really," she amended, but then quickly reverted back to her previous answer, "No." Frost raised his eyebrow again. "We talked a few times...but that's not really important," she rambled. "But when I was over at her house today, it was all dusty and abandoned. The newspapers and mail were even piling up," Jane finally confessed.
"And your point?" Frost clearly was not on board.
"Well, it's all the obvious signs of a missing person," Jane sighed in conclusion, realizing that her argument was feeble.
"Not without anyone reporting her first, Jane. For all you know she's just been neglecting the care of her home. Or maybe she's off visiting relatives. There are hundreds of reasons you need to consider before jumping to conclusions," Frost chided her.
Jane sighed heavily. "I know, Frost. I know. But I got this feeling in my gut, you know? And she quit her job so suddenly – I dug around a little today, and I...I found her file," she muttered, a guilty twinge in her tone. "I just wanted to see why she quit."
"And the reason was...?" Frost raised an eyebrow, clearly not amused, but curious nevertheless.
"Personal reasons," Jane muttered very quietly, almost somewhat reluctantly. She looked away from Frost, instead chipping away at her nail intently.
"And what does 'personal reasons' mean?" Frost prodded, questioning her as if she were a child, but she supposed by her behavior she was only asking for it.
"Fucking anything," Jane grumbled in defeat. "Fine, you win this one. But I just can't ignore my gut, Frost. Intuition is one of my greatest tools. When I get this feeling, I'm usually right – its what helps make me a good detective. Instinct is there for a reason," she argued.
"Jane, you're letting something personal twist your reasoning – I don't know what it is, but you'd better let this one go before you get in trouble for snooping," Frost warned her. "Now come on." He snapped her laptop shut. "We're leaving."
She fought off a protest, sliding the contents of her desk messily into her bag before following Frost out of the nearly empty office. She couldn't get Maura's face out of her mind, and she continued to rattle off the small amount of information she had in mind, hoping for something to stand out as a lead.
"You're still obsessing," Frost noted at her distracted silence.
Jane only grunted.
"If something's wrong, I'm sure it will get reported in due time. Just let her be," Frost pleaded with her, before adding softly, "I can assure you that you aren't the only one who cares about her."
XXX
Jo nearly plowed her owner over as Jane opened the door to her apartment, wriggling from excitement and her ready-to-burst bladder. Jane dumped her bag on the first uncluttered surface she could find and relieved her own bladder before hooking Jo's leash to her neck. The terrier bolted for the door and scurried for the elevator as Jane dragged her tired limbs behind her.
Jo squatted down on the first patch of grass she could find, and as Jane breathed in the summer air that mingled with the scents of the city. She gave Jo a gentle tug to lead her back up to the apartment, but Jo insistently jerked the other way, reminding Jane of her promise this morning. She was in no mood to traipse across Boston while Jo stopped at every other sidewalk square to sniff each interesting scent. But Jo was quivering with energy, and Jane felt bad at her mild neglect of her pet, so she let out a heavy sigh.
"Fine, Jo. Let's at least walk somewhere new." Jo had the habit of circling the block a good few times, and if Jane was going to indulge her dog, she at least needed a change in scenery.
Suddenly, Jane had an idea, and she yanked Jo a bit forcefully in the other direction. "How about a car ride, huh? Get you some new sniffing territory," she grinned, though Jo's needs were hardly her intention.
She plopped Jo into the passenger side of her car, turning her keys in the ignition as she drove off in a direction she knew she should not. "You're gonna like it here, girl," she laughed lightly, though Frost's warning about obsessing rang clear in the back of her mind. "Lots of high class bitches' asses for you to sniff."
As she pulled up to the familiar house in Beacon Hill, it was just as dark as it was when she had visited earlier. She checked her watch – nearly eleven, and she would have expected to see some sign of inhabitance at this hour.
"Come on, Jo," she muttered, snapping her leash back on. Jane approached the front window again while Jo eagerly seized up the lawn. She peered into the interior, looking for some other shred of evidence on which she could base her assumptions.
"Wonder what you do with a tortoise when you go on vacation," Jane muttered allowed, recalling Maura Isles strange choice of pet. "Call up the neighbors and ask them to hand feed it British strawberries?" She peered into the house again, wondering if perhaps the poor tortoise was still there, left forgotten by whatever circumstances had accounted for Maura's disappearance.
If she had merely gone on vacation, wouldn't she had stopped her mail and newspaper delivery, or at least asked a neighbor to collect it for her? The empty house, the neglected care of it, and her sudden disappearance from work all seemed too fishy for Jane to write off. Perhaps Jane was obsessing, but it all came with devotion to the job. Jane couldn't just let a hunch slip away.
There was nothing left to see, so Jane walked around the block once for Jo's sake, feeling inferior as she passed by the massive, gorgeous homes. She herded Jo back into the car, taking one look back over her shoulder before she left.
"I'll find you," she spoke softly, the promise firm on her lips.
XXX
Jane did begin to worry that she was becoming a bit neurotic when she woke up early merely to drive past Maura's again, but she wanted to confirm it's abandoned state. Confirmation led to facts, and facts brought her one step closer to solving the case.
"Morning, Jane," Korsak greeted her as she plopped down at her desk. "We're bringing Jackson Holmes in later today for questioning – Ellie's husband," he reminded her, referring to the case that Jane had hardly given a thought to.
"Mhmm," she muttered dutifully, but questioning the missing girl's abusive husband seemed somewhat bland in comparison the mystery she had on her hands. "Let me know when he's here." She opened up her laptop, tapping her foot as she waited for it to start up.
She missed Korsak's eyebrow raise, her distracted behavior peculiar for the station's most dedicated detective. Instead, she pulled up Google, typing 'Dr. Maura Isles Boston' in the search bar. The top hits named her chief medical examiner of the Boston Police Department, still not updated despite her month of absence. A few more down informed Jane that she had graduated first in her class at Boston Cambridge.
Impressive, Jane raised an eyebrow, scrolling down further, her eyes landing on a somewhat promising link. It was the website of Constance Isles, modern visual artist in the Boston area, and Jane wondered if she had any relation to Maura. She clicked around, finding a short biography, and sure enough, though the mention was brief, Maura was credited as her daughter, as well as her deceased husband. Jane grinned in triumph.
"Find a lead on the case?"
Frost's voice made her jump, and she immediately clicked out of the webpage, taking in a sharp breath. "No, actually just beat my high score in solitaire." She smiled sweetly at him, silently beckoning him to leave.
"Your sarcasm is endearing, Jane," he rolled his eyes, peering over her shoulder as he took in her empty screen. She sunk a little lower in her chair, expecting a chiding remark about her recent behavior, but Frost took a somewhat tactful approach. "Here's Jackson Holmes' file – it'll keep you busy." He gave her a significant glance before settling at his own desk.
Jane looked at the file, sighed, opened the file, sighed again, and them promptly closed it. She eagerly opened up Constance Isles' webpage again, wondering how she could go about questioning this woman about Maura's location without invading her privacy. She clicked on a few more links, landing on her scheduled events. She had an exhibition this Friday, and Jane almost couldn't believe her luck, glad that her intuition seemed to be rewarded.
She picked up the file, doing her best to shake her informal case off her mind and instead focus on the one at hand.
XXX
"Whoa-ho! What have we got here?" Frost had an uncanny habit of appearing at all the times Jane wished her wouldn't.
"Fuck," she hissed under her breath, looking bashful as she nearly tripped over her heels. She stood awkwardly in the red dress she had thrown on in the bathroom, and she watched his eyes dart to her rarely made-up face.
Friday had rolled around quickly, especially with the discovery of Ellie Holmes' body, though it was proving difficult to prove that her husband had been the one to take her life. She was rarely annoyed by a busy week, but her mind had been elsewhere, and for the first time in years Jane found herself eager to leave the office early. She had dressed nicely, knowing it would be a high-end affair, and the last thing she wanted was for appearance to make her stand out. She had hoped to slip out to her car unnoticed, but Frost seemed eager to pounce on her.
"So who's the lucky man?" Frost chuckled, enjoying his power.
Jane was about to vehemently deny his claim, but confessing to her true destination was significantly worse. She hissed out a breath, spinning a lie in her mind immediately. "Some loser Ma wants me to go out with," she grumbled convincingly. "Mrs. Ligouri was gushing about her new grandbaby the other day, and apparently Ma's desperate to wed me," she reminded Frost of her mother's past antics that had been less frequent in recent years.
Frost snorted. "Well, at least you'll get some free alcohol," he optimistically reminded her. "And I expect details on Monday morning." He winked at her, and she almost wished she had admitted the truth instead.
She shot him daggers with her eyes, stumbling again as she attempted to strut from the building, Frost's laughter ringing softly until she reached the door. She checked the address of the exhibition again, her trivial worries about Frost slipping away as they were replaced with anticipation. She had been waiting all week to dig her hands into this case again.
The exhibition was in the lobby of the Ritz, and as Jane followed an elegantly clad couple inside, she was glad she had thought to change her outfit. As she neared the entrance to the hall, a man with a clipboard in his grasp stopped her. "Name please?
Fuck, she bit down on her lip, not accustomed enough with elite installations to have anticipated a guest list. She cursed herself for assuming it would have been an open event just because she had seen it online. "Maura Isles," she spoke quickly, realizing it was her best shot.
He scanned the list a few times, before looking up apologetically. "I'm afraid you're not on here, ma'am."
Jane processed this information quickly, trying to analyze what it meant. Perhaps Maura was simply on an extended vacation, and knowing this, her mother had not included her on the list. It seemed somewhat disheartening, as Jane's feeble lead became weaker and weaker. She hadn't come all this way to merely walk away, however. Determined, she fished around in her bag for her badge, knowing that once again, she was using her liberties a bit too freely.
She raised an eyebrow, and he immediately nodded her in. She replaced her badge in her bag, looking around the hall. Her eyes fell on the most prominent piece of the exhibition, a large mass of water bottles hanging from the ceiling. She didn't claim to understand art, but this seemed a outrageously ridiculous. She spotted Constance Isles easily, recognizing her from her photo online. Even if she hadn't had a photo to reference, Jane knew she would have quickly pegged the woman, regardless. She walked with an air of confidence as she received her guests, and while she did not exactly look like Maura, she was dressed impeccably in a style that matched her daughter's refined taste.
Jane did not have much of a plan as she wandered about the exhibition, each piece of art leaving her scratching her head and wondering how people got paid to glue trash together. Constance remained occupied by her guests, and even if Jane had found a free moment to speak to her, she wasn't quite sure how she'd approach the topic just yet. She needed to be very careful not to abuse her power in an unofficial case.
She passed by the water bottles again, her eyes falling on Constance, who made brief eye contact with her. She stepped away, trying her best to appear natural, and just as she hoped, she heard the click of heels behind her moments later. She turned at an appropriate rate, smiling pleasantly as she noticed Constance behind her. "Hello," she spoke with a smile.
"Hello," Constance greeted in return. "I've noticed you've passed by this exhibit quite a few times now."
"Uh, yeah," Jane spoke, quite eloquently. "I really like it. Real artistic. And stuff." Damn, she chided herself. She'd get kicked out in a minute at this rate.
Constance smiled a bit uncomfortably. "Yes. I'm glad you appreciate it." She paused for a moment, considering her words. "I can't help but to wonder what brings you here. I choose all my guests selectively, and I'm quite certain I can't put your face to a name."
Jane blushed, glad for the dim lighting. She knew she had to choose her words carefully, and she figured cutting straight to the point would work in her favor. "I know your daughter – Maura," she spoke. "I work down at the Police Station." She left her position vague for now.
"Oh, is Maura here as well?" Constance craned her neck, looking mildly panicked at the idea. Jane watched her curiously, realizing that Maura's lack of an invitation may not have stemmed from her being out of town after all – at least not with her mother's knowledge.
"No, I came alone," Jane answered slowly. She watched Constance's creased brow relax.
"Our lives are both so busy, you know – and I never got around to seeing if she'd be busy this evening," Constance felt the need to explain herself. Jane nodded, realizing she had Constance right where she needed her.
"Well she may be busy after all. She's not in town this evening," Jane spoke confidently. "In fact, I haven't seen her ever since she quit her job down at the station, and I-"
"Maura quit her job?" Constance's shock was apparent, and Jane was surprised as well. For living in the same city, the mother-daughter duo seemed to have poor communication skills.
"Um, yes, about a month ago," Jane spoke carefully, even more baffled than before. She wondered if she had inadvertently crossed a line. Perhaps there was a reason Maura had not told her mother.
"What a shame," Constance muttered, looking thoughtful as her brow creased again. "I must confess, Maura and I do not keep in contact well. It's been months since we've chatted – and even longer since I've seen her." Jane was glad Constance felt the need to validate herself.
"Is it normal, then, for her to leave for extended periods of time?" Jane asked hesitantly, not wanting to imply anything prematurely.
"She does enjoy traveling," Constance informed her. "Though I hardly know where she's been in recent years. I love her dearly, but at this point in both our lives, our careers are just so time consuming."
As Jane contemplated what she should ask next, a man came up from behind Constance. "Ma'am, its time for you to speak to your benefactors."
Constance darted her gaze from the man back to Jane. "Excuse me," she muttered politely. "We can finish chatting later."
Jane watched her disappear to the adjoining room, mulling over her new information. After a few minutes had passed, she slipped out the door, realizing that she had gained all she could from Maura's mother. Further questioning had the potential to dig her into a rut. There was no need to worry her mother just yet.
She stepped out into the night, yanking her heels off feet as soon as she exited. She walked barefoot across the parking lot, the dirt better than the searing pain in her ankles. She turned on the air, closing her eyes as she leaned back against her seat. Wherever Maura Isles was, she had not told her mother. Her father was dead, and she hadn't had anything beyond casual acquaintances at work – at least to Jane's knowledge. So who would she have told? Who did Maura trust? Of course, there was always the chance that her disappearance had not been voluntary. The sudden resignation from one of Boston's most esteemed jobs continued to send up a red flag. What if she had been forced to quit to keep her disappearance under wraps?
Jane had so much to go on, but so little proof to support any of it. Perhaps Frost had been right – she should have let her speculation drop before she became too consumed. But it was already to late for that – Jane had invested herself completely. She looked down at her hands, sighing again. After all, she did owe Maura at least that much.
A/N: Thanks for the feedback guys. I'm glad you're enjoying it. Any guesses as to what has happened to Maura?
