Week 5
Sergeant Detective Vince Korsak hammered on Jane's apartment door. "Open up, Janey! I know you're in there." Raising his fist to bang again, the door swung open.
"It's Jane. Not Janey."
Korsak might have felt a little hurt at that, the coldness in her voice, but he was too in shock at how battered Jane looked.
Her left arm was in a cast and sling, while cuts and scrapes covered her right. She had what looked like a nasty gash on her forehead, butterfly stitches holding it together. A black eye, swollen lip and at least another dozen or so cuts and scrapes were visible, and that was just what he could see.
"Christ, Jane. You look terrible."
She smiled grimly at him. "I've been through worse."
The sad truth was, she wasn't joking.
Standing aside, she let him in. "My neighbours are going to be pissed at you. You don't have to knock so loud."
He shrugged at her. "Answer the door faster next time."
"Hey, I'm working with one arm here. Cut me some slack."
Korsak casts a critical eye over Jane's apartment. "It's disgusting in here. I'd bet Tommy's place is cleaner than this."
"Yeah, 'cause ma cleans up after him."
"How would you know?"
A stony silence settled over the room.
Jane had effectively cut herself off from her family. For all the times her mom had said she wanted her to leave the force, when she handed her badge in, her ma had lost it. Screaming at her about wasted years and throwing her life away. She had stood there, listening. Waiting for something other than harsh words. None had come, and so she had walked away. Since then, she'd only spoken to her mother a handful of times.
Grunting, she reached for a beer. "You want one?"
Korsak ignored the lack of response to his question and nodded his head. "Sure."
Walking away from the fridge, Jane called over her shoulder. "Help yourself."
Rolling his eyes, he grabbed one then settled on the couch.
"Since you're drinking you must be off the clock. What do you want?"
Vince eyed her. "Don't play dumb. You know why I'm here."
"And?"
"And I checked it out…" There was a definite anger in his voice now. "…Me and Frost. Nothing. The place was clean. No guns. No body."
"You think I'm making this up?" Jane was growing angry herself. The volume of her speech increasing with each word.
"The only proof we got is your multiple injuries." He sighed. Backing off a little. "I just need more."
Jane felt herself calming slightly now that Korsak's volume level had returned to normal. "I told you everything I could."
"You didn't say who hired you."
Jane eyed her former partner. Her now empty cool beer bottle pressed to her head.
"You're not a licensed P.I., Jane."
"Maybe I'm thinking of changing that… Care to give me a recommendation?"
Korsak suddenly looked very tired. Sad eyes looking at his broken friend. "Come back, Janey."
She glared at him. Voice ice cold.
"It's Jane… And she doesn't want me there."
Knowing he was stepping on eggshells, he got back on topic. Doctor Isles was a subject best saved for another time. "Listen Jane. I know you're telling the truth. Which means you're onto something big and incredibly dangerous. I can't help you if you won't tell me everything."
"I don't need help."
Korsak raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Could've fooled me."
Jane walked to her front door. His time was up.
"Look, I hope you're right. Because as much as you think Maura hates you. It'd kill her to have you turn up on her table…" Jane swallowed down the sudden lump in her throat.
"…Take care, Jane."
Closing the door behind Korsak, she pressed her back to it, slipping down to the floor. Relieved to have a reminder from her past gone.
