between your ribs


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Chapter Four:

September 23rd, 2015.


The FBI set up base back in Boston, at her own precinct, where the investigation had first begun. According to Korsak, it sends the entire department into a frenzy – trying to co-operate with the feds, provide them with everything they need, while still solving their own cases. She doesn't doubt that Cavanaugh is on edge from the situation.

Two days. She's been away from work for two days and so much of her life has changed. Still, she pulls a shirt and trousers on that morning as if everything is still the same, clips her badge in place and gathers her gun from her nightstand. Jo Friday sniffs at her ankles and she squats, stroking the dog and needing one more minute of silence.

Her life has been full of it since Maura disappeared. She'd never realised that she'd begun to think of it as a companion in her place.

Her mother rushes towards her when she enters the precinct twenty minutes later, squeezing her tightly in a hug.

"Ma," she squirms a little, but doesn't pull away.

"Just a few more seconds," her mother mumbles, squeezing her a little tighter before letting go. "How is she? How's Maura?"

"They're transferring her to the clinic here on Friday," Jane tells her. "Her mother will be staying at her house while she recovers, and then she'll… she'll hire help for Maura when she's ready to live on her own again."

"What's the point in wasting money? She's got you," Angela says, waving a hand. "That's the problem with all these rich types. They throw their money around needlessly thinking it'll solve the problem."

"Actually, Ma, I… I can't look after Maura."

Angela stares at her as though she's just told her she's quitting the force. "What? Don't be stupid, Jane. I'll move back into the guest house, look after her when you're not there, I can make the two of you dinner and I'm sure her doctor will tell you all of the medical side of things – "

"Ma," she sighs. "I'm… I'm not good for her recovery. When I was down in Connecticut, they discovered that she – well, she gets confused around me. She doesn't think I'm real and then she thinks I was one of the people who held her hostage. So I'm… I'm bad for her. I'm bad for Maura, Ma, and I have to put her first. You know that."

"That's ridiculous," Angela protests. "Are you listening to what you're saying, Jane? She's your family. Whatever the doctors have told you, you don't just abandon – "

"I'm not abandoning her. I'm just giving her space until she's ready to deal with me," Jane says, and when it looks as if Angela is going to protest again she cuts across her quickly. "Look, Ma, I can't get into it now. I've gotta go see where they are with the case. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

Angela sighs. "Okay. But don't think you're getting out of this, Jane Clementine Rizzoli."

Jane hears a couple snickers from officers passing by and closes her eyes, drawing in breath slowly. She does not have time to waste arguing over petty things like her name with her mother. Needs to get up there and find the son of a bitch that did this to Maura, because she can give her nothing else but this. Closure. Even if she doesn't get her own.

"I'll see you later, Ma."


The lead Agent on the case is Agent Phillips. She'd done her fair share of research on her last night. Agent Molly Phillips, one of the youngest women to be recruited to by the FBI – widely praised and plenty decorated. Jane had struggled to believe that half of the cases she'd worked on and half the things she'd been rewarded for were real; they'd all sounded like something out of an action movie. Still, she'd been happy about it, reading up on the agent. Maura's case is being run by someone competent, someone – though she hates to admit it – a little better at her job than herself.

Seeing the agent in person a little difference. They've taken up one of the rooms on the floor below homicide, a sea of men and women in black suits with technology far superior to the BPD's set up around the room. Agent Phillips stands at the far end of the room, speaking with Frankie as they stare at something on a computer screen. She's tall – a little taller than Jane – with blonde hair pulled back in a tight bun, eyes green and sharp as they track movement on the screen. She's… surprising. Broad, and intimidating, but when she pats Frankie on the shoulder she's warm.

Well. Here goes nothing, Jane thinks.

"Agent Phillips."

The agent quirks and eyebrow as Jane approaches her. "Detective Rizzoli. It's a pleasure to meet the woman who stole copies of classified files from my case."

Phillips holds out her hand to shake even as she chastises her, and Jane accepts it warily, straightening out her shoulders as she attempts to hold her own. "You mean they weren't free for me to take home for some bedtime reading? You should probably put a little more warning on them."

"I believe the huge red classified usually warns people enough," Phillips responds dryly. "You could've just asked, you know. Your brother here offered to assist us in our investigation the minute we set up base."

Frankie looks sheepish as Jane shoots him a look. "What? I just wanted to help."

"And you have," Phillips replies. "Frankie's been searching through CCTV for almost twenty four hours. Managed to track Kyle Matthew's location down to two hours ago."

Phillips gestures to the computer screen behind them, and she leans over the desk, watching the video intently. Frankie hits play to reveal a dodgy looking back street she can't name, and one of their suspects emerges from an alley. Kyle. The guy makes it obvious – that he's running from someone. He's ditched the zoned-out, relaxed druggie look she's seen in his mugshot, instead paranoia seems to have settled in. He rushes down the sidewalk, constantly looking over his shoulder as he takes a right at the end of the block.

"I lost him there – he hit a blind spot in the CCTV and could've gone in any direction, or still be in the area."

"He knows we're after him," Phillips says. "This is all down in Franklin – he must be trying to get back here. We can't find the father, Jacob, and suspect he's still here in Boston if Kyle's headed here. I just asked Franklin PD to search the area."

"What about the sister, Melissa?" Jane interjects.

Phillips frowns. "You think she was in on this? I think she knew about what her brother was doing, sure, but there's nothing to suggest she was an accomplice."

"No. She – she was definitely in on it. Maura she… spoke of her. She's afraid of her."

Frankie's watching her intently, she knows, but she keeps her gazed fixed firmly on the agent in front of her. Phillips nods, tucking her hands into her pockets. "I have a BOLO out on her anyway, hoping we could question her about her brother, but there's not been a hit so far. Thanks for the info, detective."

Jane shrugs. "I'm here to help."

Phillips raises her eyebrows. "You think homicide could spare you?"

"That depends – you willing to give up Frankie?"

"Detective, Frankie has been doing great work – "

"There won't be enough down in homicide without the both of us. Korsak can hold his own with Nina, sure, but you need a team – "

"It's not a choice," Frankie interjects, stepping forwards, and Jane feels pride welling inside of her. "I'll work in homicide while Jane temps with you. I want to help Maura, sure – but not if it means taking Jane's place. Jane, she's… Maura's your person to help, you know what I mean?"

Jane grins, lightly punching her brother in the shoulder. "Thanks, Frankie."

Phillips watches the exchange unfold with her eyebrows raised. "If that's your choice, thank you for your help while Detective Rizzoli was away. You've really helped the investigation."

Frankie actually salutes, making Jane roll her eyes. "You're welcome, Ma'am."

He knocks shoulders with Jane as he leaves the room. She catches his supportive smile and nods, just slightly. Yeah. Her family have her back. She can get through this. If she just compartmentalises, focuses on the case – views it objectively. Then she can get through this.

"Detective, when will Maura be back in the area? I understand she'll be admitted to a private clinic here."

Jane nods, leaning against the desk and crossing her arms over her torso. "She's going to be transferred in two days. This Friday."

"Think she'll be up to giving us a statement? We need it to get the ball rolling, but doctors keep sending my agents away when I send them down to her in Windham."

She takes a deep breath before replying. "You know I… I don't think she will be. The doctors are right in sending your men away for now. Maura isn't herself at the moment. I know she'd rather give her statement when she's more coherent."

Agent Phillips purses her lips. "Detective, are you suggesting that Maura Isles isn't a reliable source?"

"What? No! Jeez, she's – she's a little messed up right now but she's not that bad. I just don't think we should push her before she's ready."

The agent is watching her peculiarly, eyebrows knitting together. Jane feels her face growing heated under the sharp gaze. How many suspects has she given this same look? When the cogs are spinning in her mind, searching for their motives; their reasoning; their methods. Her hands knot as she shifts uncomfortably, narrowing her own eyes as she tries to hold it together. Objective. She needs to be objective.

"What if I sent you to get the statement?"

Jane clears her throat uncomfortably. "That wouldn't be a good idea. It's – you know, easier to talk to someone you don't know. Isn't it?"

Agent Phillip's smiles wryly. "You really are one tough nut to crack, detective."

"Excuse me?"

Philips shakes her head, laughing. "Nothing. I just need to learn to stop listening to gossip."


Phillips has her combing through records of her old cases – maybe you've encountered the family before – and despite Jane's protests that she's done this a thousand times since Maura disappeared, she's stuck there anyway. Phillips assigns her a partner, of sorts. Agent Kei Ito, who seems far too young to already be working in such a high-ranked team in the FBI. He's friendly enough, however, and focused and quiet as she likes the people she works with to be.

"You and Maura both have one Hell of a case closure record," Agent Ito remarks, letting out a low whistle at the stack of files in front of him. "Haven't any of you heard of digital memory?"

"You've seen how old my superiors are, right?"

Ito laughs. "You're not one for subtlety, are you, Detective?"

Jane shrugs, flipping the page of the file she's searching through.

"The FBI hired me straight out of college. That was about three years ago," Agent Ito tells her, shrugging. "I'm young, yes, but everyone starts somewhere."

Jane wets her lips. Thinks about the gruelling training for the police academy, the college she had skipped in order to get there. She had worked her ass off, and this fresh faced kid had just been plucked out of school and pushed straight into such a huge group? That's not the kind of person she wants looking for Maura's captors. She wants someone who knows the meaning of perseverance, of hard work; she wants more Agents like Phillips herself. Maura deserves the best.

"Inexperienced kids shouldn't be put on cases like this."

"You really think that Phillip's would have inexperienced agents on her team?" Ito asks, raising an eyebrow. "Don't worry, detective. We'll get your girl justice."

Jane flushes. "She's not my girl."

"Really? That's what everyone's saying around here."

She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth, biting down hard. Maura has been held captive for two hundred and ninety two days. She has endured unimaginable physical and emotional pain and now her abusers are still out there, hiding from them. And all anyone has to gossip about is her non existent relationship with Maura? She's not quite sure which she'd rather them gossip about.

Her voice is soft when she next speaks, despite her best intentions.

"She's… She's not mine," Jane confesses.

Understanding washes across Ito's face immediately and she hates it. The people around here – these agents – catch onto things too easily. Which should be good, until the things that they're catching onto involve her. And her feelings for Maura that leave her head buzzing with noise and stomach flipping with guilt every time she thinks about the fact that never truly got to save her, and now she's not quite so sure whether she'll ever be able to save her from herself. In all of the dreams that she had had involving the feelings she'd been harbouring, ones that she were too afraid to admit to, this nightmare she's living had never been one of them. Losing Maura had simply never been an option.

Two hundred and ninety two days is a long time to spend alone.

"We'll get them, detective," Ito tells her gently. "And when we do, you can be the one to slap the cuffs on them."


TBC