Author Note: I wish today brought a happier me. It doesn't. I was so excited about this chapter, and then my brain dragged me down. I'm happy with the chapter, and I'm glad to share it. I just wish I was cheerier in doing so.
"Thanks, Maura," Jane said, hanging up her cell. She stood up, hovering beside Korsak's desk with the case file in her arms. "DNA's a match. You wanna tell him, or should I?"
He picked up his jacket. "Good cop, bad cop?"
They marched down the corridor, side by side. Jane talked herself up. Preparing the first words she was going to say when she got into the interrogation room. "Today's our lucky day."
"You think?"
"Arrest a guy on the same day the DNA test comes back?" Jane smirked, pushing down on the door handle. She leant against it with her back. "Today we're gonna close this one down."
Korsak stood up straight, his shoulders back. Jane leant forward, slouching against the table in the middle of the room. Korsak sat down beside her. "Mr Nelson, good of you to join us."
"This is a fucking joke!" he slammed his fists against the table. "Where's my lawyer? You can't hold me. We've been here before, you have nothing. Get me my lawyer."
"Not until you explain." Jane moved forward, her hands holding her balance. She looked him in the eye. "We've got DNA, Stevie. You can give it all up. We've got you."
"You got nothing!"
"Yeah?" Jane leant back, folding her arms. She glanced at Korsak and laughed. "Whaddya think, Korsak? You think this guy's gonna go home tonight?"
"Not a chance." He shrugged. "Sorry Mr Nelson. Rizzoli here calls the shots today, and she's bang on. Your lawyer's on his way. You can wait for him if you'd like, or you can admit to raping and murdering Paulette Jones."
He stood up, his wrist tugged him back down as the handcuff held his arm close to the table. "I didn't do it!"
"Just like you didn't go anywhere near her apartment," Jane said, sitting down. She opened up her file. "Yet we have DNAevidence that you were in the bathroom."
He leant forward; his temple pulsed so fast that Jane thought he might keel over. His face reddened. His voice rose as he shouted. "It wasn't me."
Jane shrugged, holding her emotions in. "Settle down, Shaggy."
"You're setting me up."
"Detective Rizzoli wouldn't do such a thing," Korsak said. He placed a can of beer on the table. "You want a drink?"
"It'll be your last one before you go inside." Jane laughed, catching Korsak's eye. "Judge will never agree to bail, not with what you've done."
"Please." He leant forward, his eyes wild. "You've got to believe me."
"Sure." Jane stood up, slapping the file against the corner of the table. "I believe that you believe you didn't do it. I believe that you believe that the sex was consensual. I believe that you believe you were never even in Paulette Jones apartment on the night of her murder. I also believe that you don't believe you're gonna be convicted for this, on account of being some hot shot basketball player with enough money to pay for a Harvard educated lawyer. What are the chances, Korsak?"
"With evidence like this?" He shook his head, his lips curved at the edges. "Not a chance. Sorry Mr Nelson. We'll be seeing you in court."
x
The dim alleyway was an obstacle course. Jane ducked under the police tape, moved around the dumpsters, tiptoed through a pile of trash, and came to a halt at the end. Maura had arrived a while ago. Korsak stood beside her, staring down at the body of a man.
"What do you need, Korsak?" she asked, smiling at Maura.
He motioned towards a fence behind him. She looked through the railing. The light was fading as the evening drew to a close. Korsak patted the chain link. "We need you round the other side until we can get the crime tech down there. Uniform is stopping people at the far end, but we need you to look around."
"Anything in particular?"
"A knife." Maura's voice filled the chaos, settling Jane's fractured thoughts in an instant. She resisted the urge to kiss her right there in front of half the police department. She nodded her understanding. "It's perfectly possible the suspect took it with them."
"But it could be over there. I'm your gal." Jane backtracked, her eyes fixed on Maura's. She collided with the side of a dumpster, her whole body jolted. She spun round, ignoring the bruise forming on her hip. "I'll be there ASAP."
On the other side of the fence, she cased the surroundings. Her eyes travelled methodically across every inch of the surface area. She glanced back through the fence. Maura hadn't left yet. She chewed on her bottom lip, hoping to dissuade all thoughts of Maura with no clothes on. She cleared her throat and crouched down on the floor.
Her cell buzzed against her hip. She dropped her forehead against the ground as she reached for her phone. She rubbed her head. "Rizzoli?"
Heavy breathing filled the air. Jane froze, her palm on the ground, her other hand supporting the phone. She forced the lump in her throat down. She peered under the dumpster where all she could see was a rat, a used condom and an empty doughnut box.
"Hello? I can hear you breathing. You've called me every day for weeks, what the fuck is going on?"
The call ended abruptly. Jane turned back to Maura, busy prodding the body with her gloved hand. Jane closed her eyes.Her body alert to dangers around her. She gritted her teeth, in the hope of warding off her demons. She stared again at Maura, the space between her breasts on show for only Jane to see. She chewed her bottom lip. Her whole body tingled with the anticipation of their next night together.
"Rizzoli!"
Jane jumped up, narrowly missing the side of the dumpster. She cursed under her breath and turned to face Korsak, stood on the other side of the fence.
"You found anything?"
"Not unless you want a used condom as evidence." She slipped her cell back into its holder.
"Keep looking."
x
"Are you sure you don't mind him staying over?" Jane asked, balancing her cell phone between her ear and her shoulder. She slammed the car door shut. "I don't want a repeat of last time."
"It's fine, Jane. He's already asleep." Maura paused. "The second he starts screaming, I'll drive him over to your house."
Jane walked around the car. "He hasn't had a nightmare in nearly two weeks, it's not that unusual, but he's only just started seeing Sonya. I don't think it's connected."
"Whether it is or not, I'm happy to keep him here."
"Thank you." Jane lifted the trunk and retrieved a couple of shopping bags. "I owe you one."
"I think you've repaid me in kind many times over the last few days."
Letting out the smallest of growls, Jane sighed. "I can hear you moaning, are you moaning?"
"The children are asleep."
"I know, you said."
"No, Jane." Maura paused. "The children are asleep…so I'm alone."
"I see." Jane slid both bags over one wrist and closed the trunk. "So it was moaning."
"What do you think?"
She sighed. "I think I should be there with you."
"You need your rest if you're going to be on call all night."
"There's no guarantee anyone will even call me." Jane locked her car and headed up the front path. "Besides, they'll be calling you too."
"Not tonight."
Jane clicked her tongue, her body sprang to life. Her mind sped through several scenarios, all leaving her with heightened senses. "What are you doing now?"
"I'm not going to do this."
She pushed open the front door with her shoulder and stumbled across the threshold. She sighed. "Spoilsport."
"You need your rest."
She fumbled on the wall for the light switch, bathing the living area in a bright light. She dropped the bags onto the counter and took each item out one by one. "I also need to do something about this constant feeling inside of me."
"The honeymoon period."
"You feel it too, though, right?" Jane pulled open the fridge door and put milk, cheese and a bottle of orange in their rightful locations. "That's why your breathing is so heavy."
"Yes. I'm constantly aroused. I could barely contain myself at the crime scene earlier."
"What are you doing?" Jane shifted the phone from one ear to the other. She closed her eyes briefly. She folded the paper bag up and emptied the second one. "Are you getting yourself off?"
"You're getting me in the mood." Maura's voice drifted off.
A breath hitched in Jane's throat. She gripped the edge of the counter, her heart raced. "You're making it really difficult to finish putting away my groceries."
"Did you get the wine for dinner tomorrow?"
"Shit."
"You forgot?"
"No." Jane scrunched up the other bag and headed for the front door. "Left it in the car."
She headed back out onto the street. The night was closing in; every last sign of daylight had vanished. She pressed the button on her keys and opened the side door. She felt around in the dark, her hand landed on the neck of the bottle as the light came on.
"Hey, Maur, can I call you back?" All she could hear was a gentle moan. Jane rolled her eyes. Goose pimples travelled across her skin. The night air cooled her hot skin. "Okay, I'll call you soon."
She spun around, locking her car behind her. She ambled back up the front steps. She placed the wine on the floor in the doorway as she was about to step inside.
"Jane?"
The voice was so familiar that she could barely breathe. She didn't turn at first. Her breath hitched in her throat, her body froze, unable to move, rendering her helpless.
"Jane. I know it's you."
She closed her eyes. Her heart thumped so fast it hurt. She leant forward; hoping that by some miracle when she turned around, the voice would be gone. She closed her eyes, keeping her head down. She twisted back towards her car.
She opened her eyes.
He stood in front of her. Taller than the last time she saw him. His hair had grown out and he had fuzz on his chin. She attempted to swallow, but razor blades travelled over her throat. She pressed her tongue to the roof of her mouth, creating saliva. It barely stopped the pain, as she forced herself to hold it together.
"Aren't you gonna say anything?"
She forged a smile, her shoulders hunched. "Hi, Tommy."