Facts, Just the Facts (CH 4)
A Rizzoli & Isles Story
By Enginerd
Chapter 4 – Planting Seeds
As they walked to the Aston Martin together, Jane looked at the nice ride, then at her boss curiously, wondering if she might get to drive. As the Lieutenant put her sunglasses on, she said "No chance in hell, Rizzoli," before going to the driver's side.
With a sigh, Jane got in, glad she had not embarrassed herself more by actually asking; but it was a sweet ride, she considered as she buckled up.
R&I
As they arrived at their destination, Jane looked curiously at the storefront. "Johnston's Martial Arts school? I thought he was a banker," Jane said in confusion.
"He is. I checked out other leads based on your research of the projectile. This is a business investment of his and a part-time hobby," the Lieutenant said. "Lose the badge and sidearm."
"I'm sorry?" Jane said in confusion, staring at her as she took her own weapon and badge and placed them in the center console.
"I want to feel them out without the hardware," she said, opening up the glove box for Jane, who hesitantly took her badge and weapon and placed them in the glove box.
"Just follow my lead," she said, getting out of the car. An uneasy Jane followed.
R&I
"May I help you?" A muscular man in a black gi emerged from behind the front counter and approached them with a pleasant smile.
The Lieutenant took her sunglasses off and surveyed the room, not immediately answering. Trophies and pictures of students at tournaments adorned the wall. At the center of the room were mats, where a student and a curly haired blond, female instructor were going over forms. On the front counter, a clear collection can for the American Cancer society sat, with only a few handfuls of small change in it. Next to the counter was an antique gumball machine, which was almost full with colorful spheres. Finally, her gaze returned to the man. "I hope so," she said with a smile, which was returned uncertainly by the man.
"My friend and I were wondering if there were any martial arts tournaments coming up."
"Are you interested in competing?" he asked with surprise, looking over the two women critically. Normally younger people pursued the tournament circuit. Though these two seemed in good shape, he considered.
Jane's eyes widened as she wondered what the hell her new boss was getting them into.
"Oh no," the Lieutenant said with a chuckle, to Jane's relief. "We're purely spectators," she added. "Frankly, I'm tired of baseball and football and just discovered martial arts. I had no idea how exciting they were to watch until I saw a match in New York," she said, getting him to smile slightly. "Person against person, matching the physical skill and wit of each competitor. Art mixed with an incredibly intense sport. It's . . . exhilarating."
Jane thought she was laying it on a bit thick until she saw the man's broad smile; he clearly agreed with her assessment.
"Well, if you are staying a while, we have a city tournament coming up in a week, then a county event in two. Our members are expected to make a good showing," he said helpfully.
"Oh," she said with disappointment. "I was hoping for something a bit more…aggressive to watch."
"I'm sorry?" he responded hesitantly.
"Something that one might wager on?" Jane spoke up, getting a nod from her boss.
"I'm afraid I don't know anything about what you're interested in," the muscular man said uncomfortably.
"Too bad. Is the owner here?" the Lieutenant asked, glancing once again around the dojo.
"No, he works . . . elsewhere," he said vaguely, growing more uncomfortable at the questioning.
"Oh, too bad. Well, if you hear something about what we're interested in, I'd love a call," she said handing him a business card with a hundred dollar bill, neatly tucked beneath it.
Jane's eyes widened.
He looked down at the card. "I'm sorry I don't think there's anything I'll find like that, Ms. Largo," he said reading the name on the card and attempted to hand back the money.
"Marie, please. And I do understand quality entertainment is not cheap," she said with a smile, pushing back the card and bill. "Thanks for your time."
As they walked to the car, Jane whispered, "Do you always carry around business cards with false names and hundreds for incentive?"
"Doesn't hurt to be prepared," she said, getting into the car.
Inside, the curly haired woman finished with her student and joined the muscular man behind the counter. "Who were they, Bob?" she asked, curiously, glancing out the window to see a green Aston Martin with New York license plates drive away.
"Some women looking for an "aggressive" match to bet on. Not sure why they thought this place would be connected to anything like that. This is an honorable school," he said shaking his head with disapproval, throwing the business card in the trash. After depositing the hundred into the collection can on the counter for the American Cancer Society, he shook his head a sad, thoughtful moment.
"The next class will be arriving soon," he said briskly, looking at the clock on the wall. "I'll take out the towels from the dryer."
As he left for his chore, the woman instructor eyed the hundred in the collection can and glanced down to the card in the trash with a raised brow.
R&I
"Any luck with the sister, Gwyneth?" Jane looked up from her computer and asked Frost, who returned just after she and the Lieutenant did.
"Other than making her cry?" he said with a frown, sitting at his desk. "I think the highlight was when she threw us out after we suggested the brother might have motive. All in all, a pleasant afternoon" he said dryly.
"Why suggest the brother to her?" Jane asked curiously, though it did appear that there was interesting circumstantial evidence with the dojo connection.
"Well, Korsak brought a copy of the policy from the insurance company, which checks out with her story that she knew nothing about is. While they both are beneficiaries, her brother's signature was the only one on the policy."
"Hmmm," Jane offered as she tapped on her keyboard. "Korsak dig anything up on their finances yet?"
"No. He got his subpoena this morning."
"Hmmm," Jane responded again, still tapping on her keyboard. "Do you know how their parents died?"
Frost looked at her and blinked. "Car accident, why?"
"I wonder if there are any unusually high life insurance payouts for them," she offered with a shrug. He blinked at her again. "Hey, I just happen to believe in the innate badness of all people," she said unapologetically. "Well, except Maura."
"You've been around the block a few more times than I have," he acknowledged, quickly jotting down a note. "How did your visit with the brother pan out?" he asked, looking up.
"It didn't. We never saw him," Jane said, glancing back to the Lieutenant's office.
"Missed him?"
"I don't think the Lieutenant ever expected to see the brother," Jane said thoughtfully.
"So what did you do?"
"Plant some seeds," Jane said with a shrug. "The guy we talked to seemed on the up-and-up when we asked about interesting tournament gambling opportunities. I'm not so sure we'll get any bites," she said with a sigh.
Jane frowned, still pondering why the Lieutenant had a business card with a false name. She leaned back and stared over at the empty office a perplexed moment, before her cell phone went off.
"Rizzoli," she said briskly. "Hi, ma," she said wearily, sitting up straight and glancing at Frost, who had a smirk on his face. "Yeah. Yeah, ma. I'm not so . . . all right. I'll ask her but…. I know, six sharp," she said with a sigh. "Yeah, ma. Love you too."
She shut her cell and stared at it a moment, wondering what life might have been like before having that device. Much quieter, she quickly concluded and stood up. Looking over to the Lieutenant's empty office again, she smiled as an idea struck her and turned her gaze to a very happy Frost, who was typing away on his computer.
"Frost, I need you to run a check for me. A Marie Largo, Caucasian, mid-forties. Can you see what you can dig up on her?"
"Was that someone you met today at the dojo?"
"Yeah. Will you run the check? I need to…" Jane said, absently motioning towards the elevators and the morgue.
"…invite Dr. Isles to your mother's for dinner," he finished for her with a smug smile.
"Are you sure you want to be a detective and not a SPY?" Jane said with a frown. "So you'll do it?"
"Yeah. I wish your mom would invite me to dinner," Frost complained.
"I'll save you some leftovers, will that do?"
"Yeah! Don't forget the garlic bread," he said with a happy smile.
Jane looked at him and shook her head as she left.
R&I
"So, if the perp knew about the medical condition, what is the probability that they would have known their actions would have likely caused the victim's death?" the Lieutenant leaned against Maura's desk with her arms crossed over her chest.
"I am not sure how to assess that probability," Maura said honestly.
"Someone deliberately hit him in the head with that . . . spiky ball thing," she blurted, at a loss for the right name for the object, getting an amused smile from Maura. "Don't start," she warned the medical examiner whose smile widened. "Anything from toxicology?"
"I just got back the results, which were surprising," Maura offered.
"They drugged him too?" the Lieutenant asked.
"No, but if you let me finish," Maura scolded her. What was it with detectives and guessing, she wondered with mild frustration.
The Lieutenant raised her hands in surrender. "Enlighten me, doctor," she said with a smirk, getting a reluctant smile.
"The victim was taking a drug, abiraterone acetate."
"He's only twenty-nine and he has prostate cancer?" she responded with surprise.
"His private medical records have not been released yet but from my preliminary examination, it appears to have metastasized to the bladder and rectum - he was in an advanced stage."
"Doesn't make sense to risk the insurance – why not just wait for him to keel o…uh, die," the Lieutenant amended, not wanting to offend the medical examiner.
"There can be successful treatment, even in the advanced stages of cancer," Maura offered.
The Lieutenant nodded.
Maura eyed the brunette curiously. "How did your trip to the brother go?" Maura asked nonchalantly, actually more interested in how her trip with Jane went.
"We didn't find anything yet. But it seems like an interesting coincidence that the . . . the," the Lieutenant stumbled, looking for the right word.
"Spherical shuriken?" Maura supplied helpfully. "Though the typical shape of a shuriken is flat," she noted.
"A martial arts expert too, Doctor?" the Lieutenant asked with a smirk.
"Oh no," she readily admitted. "I just did some research on what Jane…Detective Rizzoli had found," Maura corrected herself.
"Dr Isles, I know you and Jane are friends. As long as it doesn't adversely affect the job and isn't illegal, I don't care who you or Rizzoli associate with in your free time."
Maura looked at her with a smile. "I can assure you our friendship positively affects our job performance," she said and added with amusement "and is not illegal."
The Lieutenant smiled slightly, not so sure about the effects on Rizzoli's job performance at the moment.
"Would you like to have dinner with me?" Maura asked with a hopeful smile. "I think knowing you better will also positively affect our job performance," Maura added, considering it also might help Jane if they knew her better.
"I'd . . . like that," she responded with surprise. "Fiona never joins me for dinner," she grumbled.
"Whose Fiona?" Maura asked.
"Oh…the housekeeper. Amazing cook, but goes home as soon as my dinner is on the table," she noted. "I can't say that I blame her. She has her own family to think about."
"You have a housekeeper?" Maura asked curiously; she really didn't seem to be the type to have a housekeeper. She appeared to have the means, but seemed far too private and independent to let someone take care of her, Maura considered. Like Jane, she thought, then acknowledged that her people skills were a bit lacking and she might be reading the Lieutenant wrong.
"My better-half insisted," she said sheepishly with a shrug.
"You're married?!" Maura said with great surprise, immediately glancing to the Lieutenant's left ring finger, which now sported a simple gold band. She was surprised she hadn't noticed it before.
"Hard to believe, isn't it?" she said flatly.
Maura was aghast with embarrassment.
"No! No, not at all! I was just surprised. Not surprised because I didn't think anyone would marry you because obviously you would be quite the catch," she blurted rapidly.
The Lieutenant eyed her silently; it was just too easy to tease the Doctor.
"…I mean it! Well, obviously someone thought so," Maura added, then winced at the surprised look on the Lieutenant's face. "Not to mean that . . . uh . . . I just hadn't realized, really," Maura blurted weakly in defeat, deciding further discussion was fruitless and would only serve to make things worse.
Seeing the worry on Maura's face, the Lieutenant started to feel guilty.
"Relax, Doc. I shouldn't tease you. I'm sorry," she said with an apologetic smile, relieving the medical examiner. Lifting her hand, she caressed the gold band with her thumb with a satisfied smile. "I'm married. Happily. Still want to have dinner with me?"
"Why would your marital status have any bearing on whether I would like to have dinner with you?" Maura asked honestly.
The Lieutenant just chuckled. "No good reason," she said with mild amusement, getting a slightly confused look from Maura. "So when, where?" she continued, expecting the evening to be…interesting, for Dr. Maura Isles was certainly that. "I'm still new to the area and I trust your…," she continued, but was interrupted when Jane barreled in.
"Maura! Ma wanted me to invite you to . . . ," Jane blurted, then stopped seeing her boss in Maura's office. ". . . dinner," the word left her mouth in a frustrated exhale. "Sorry."
"You've got interesting timing, Rizzoli. I'll give you that," the Lieutenant said, eyeing her with a small smile.
"Jane, I've already made plans this evening," Maura said apologetically.
"I'll understand if you want to make it another night, Dr. Isles," the Lieutenant offered graciously, causing a look of consternation on Jane's face as she realized Maura's plans were with the Lieutenant.
"No, no," Maura quickly countered. "I meant it. I'd really like to have dinner with you tonight." Maura turned to her friend. "Jane?"
Jane blinked at her, still wondering why Maura would really like to have dinner with the Lieutenant.
"Please tell your mother thank you for the invitation . . . but I have other plans," Maura said apologetically.
"Uh . . . sure. Sure! Don't worry about it," Jane said, plastering on a smile.
"Are you ready now? I'm starving. We never got a chance for lunch," the Lieutenant said, motioning to Jane, who blankly looked between the two women…who were going out to dinner. Together.
"Let me get my purse," Maura said warmly and quickly retrieved the designer bag. Pausing in front of Jane, she asked with a slight wince "You'll tell her I look forward to a rain check?" she asked hopefully. She really enjoyed dinner at the Rizzoli's - and not just for the delicious food.
"Sure, don't worry about it. Ma likes you best anyway, so you'll always be welcome," she joked, getting a big smile that would have made her feel really good, had Maura not been leaving with the Lieutenant.
TBC...