Jane Rizzoli had seen a lot during her career on the police force, and Maura Isles had seen quite a bit herself as a medical examiner. They both had worked closely together almost daily over the past several years, including undercover.
Nothing they'd seen, however, quite prepared them for Abby Sciuto.
While Abby's laboratory itself was as well-equipped as any lab Maura had worked in or visited, the person running it - and the music blasting throughout it - distinguished it from any other lab Maura had ever worked in.
Abby, by all appearances, was a goth girl - late 20s, dark hair, spiderweb tattoo on her neck, dog collar, all black clothing underneath her white labcoat - and the music, the very loud music, matched Abby's appearance.
Yet, when Maura, Jane and Kate walked in to her lab, Abby Sciuto was grinning, ear-to-ear, and looked genuinely happy for them to be there - if a bit surprised - while holding a toy hippo in one arm, and an extra-large plastic soft-drink cup full of Caf!-Pow in her other hand.
"Oh hi," Abby said excitedly. "Iamsohappytoseeyouandsohappytomeetyou."
Her bright, bubbly, happy demeanor contrasted greatly with her attire and makeup, and Jane and Maura tried to make some sense of it.
"Jane, Maura," Kate said, "this is our forensics specialist, Abby Sciuto. Abby, Detective Jane Rizzoli, Boston Police, and Dr. Maura Isles, the medical examiner of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts."
"I'm so glad to meet you!" Abby said enthusiastically, then hugged Jane - before she could extend her hand for a handshake - and Maura.
Jane looked at Kate with a 'what's going on here' look, while Maura embraced Abby back.
"You're Detective Rizzoli" - Abby looked at Jane - "and you are Dr. Isles, and you look just like Kate! You're not sisters, are you?"
"Not that I'm aware of, although I am adopted," Maura said.
"Really?" Abby said. "Do you have brothers or sisters?"
"Only child," Maura said.
"Me too," Abby replied. "Are your parents alive?"
"My adopted mother is," Maura replied.
"My parents aren't," Abby said. "They're gone."
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Maura said, and hugged Abby in response.
"Uh, I hate to break up the bromance," Jane interjected, rather loudly, "but I'd hate to keep Abby from her work, right Maura...uh guys? Guys?"
Neither could quite hear Jane over the very loud industrial rock music blasting from Abby's stereo.
"Uh, Abby, could you turn the music down?" Kate shouted.
"Bring what down?" Abby said.
"Turn the music down," Kate shouted. "The music."
"Music...oh, the music! Turn the music down."
"YES," Jane and Kate shouted in unison. "THE MUSIC!"
Abby ran over to her stereo, and turned the volume down to a much more tolerable level.
"How on earth did you hear her, Maura-"
"I heard Abby just fine, Jane-"
"And what on earth was that...'music'?" Jane asked.
"Oh, that's Green Satan," Abby replied.
"Green what?!"
"Green Satan."
"You mean Satan, sends people to hell, and environmentally conscious, drives a hybrid-"
"Jane," Maura said, giving Rizzoli a 'drop it' stare. "Abby, it's so good to meet you."
"And it's awesome to meet you, and you too Jane," Abby replied. "Are you going to be here a while?"
"Maybe," Jane said. "We're not sure yet how long."
RI&K
DiNozzo found the woman suspected of being Ari Haswari's accomplice, to a gym in downtown Washington. She had been sighted numerous times in recent weeks in D.C., as well in the last two months by FBI and local police in Chicago, San Francisco and Louisiana.
"Whatcha got, DiNozzo?" Gibbs said, while reviewing an email Fornell had just sent him.
Tony was standing outside a pool, watching the woman from a corner. "Well, boss, whoever she is, she's hot."
"That's what you have to tell me?"
"Sorry boss," DiNozzo replied. "She's...attractive. Young, early 20s. Israeli. Good looking-"
"DiNozzo. What is she doing?"
"Swimming, boss," he said. "For the last 20 minutes."
"Drool on your own time, DiNozzo. Track her wherever she goes, whatever she does. Fornell says he's got a guy there. Touch base with him, and get back to me in an hour."
RI&K
McGee came through, finding that Ari had made withdrawals from bank accounts in Switzerland and New York, and deposits into an account in Boston.
"What the hell's he doing in Boston besides stalking," Gibbs said, more to himself than to McGee.
"Maybe it has something to do with Dr. Isles or Detective Rizzoli?" McGee asked Gibbs.
"Check it out," Gibbs answered, and McGee tracked the account to a Boston-area man.
"David Carlton, 28, former Boston police, kicked off the force for insubordination three months ago," McGee said. "Recently became a person of interest by Boston PD."
"For what?"
"Written communications with a Charles Hoyt."
"Who's Charles Hoyt?"
"Looking him up now."
A minute later, McGee found a bio on Hoyt.
"BOSS!" McGee shouted across the room.
"Yeah, McGee."
"Hoyt is a convicted serial killer. Has a history with Detective Rizzoli, to the point of threats against her life, even after he was incarcerated...he's said to have terminal cancer. If Ari Haswari is dumping money into Carlton's account-"
"And Carlton is communicating with Hoyt who's threatening Rizzoli," Gibbs said. "McGee. Call down to Ducky, or Abby, and get Rizzoli up here now."