Sorry took so long. School, homework and sports keep putting me in bed before sunset :/ Oh well.

Chapter 7: Family Comes First

Maura didn't like it. She didn't like it at all. The sight of her own mother in a dark and intimadating interrogation room was unnerving. Jane and her team had done everything they could to keep this quiet but that wasn't the problem. It was the thought that the detectives may actually consider the older woman on the other side of the one-way glass to be guilty. The thought alone tore Maura to bits but she refused to leave. She needed to watch the interrogation, one Jane would preform herself.

It wasn't to long until the one door in the room opened and the tall brunette walked in. Constance's attention was immediately stolen by the familiar woman; she gave Jane a warm smile. With her back to the window Jane managed to keep a stoney look and throw down the thick files in her hand on the cold steel table. Constance didn't react except to break the eye contact and glance at the plain files before her.

"Did you know a Mr. Jeremy Maddison." Jane demanded more then asked. Constance looked up to look the detective in the eye, the warmness in her own never faultering.

"I did. We had many projects together back in the day."

"Would you say the two of you had been friends?"

"Without a doubt."

"What kind of friendship lands your DNA under his fingernails? Did the two of you have a friendly fight and you just accidently happen to beat him to a friendly death?" The accusation sounded stupid in her own mind but Jane had to. If there was any chance Mrs. Isles had killed her friend she was going to find out. Constance merely looked at the younger woman as her hand reached for the file. Her attention fell to the pages as she turned through the many sheets of paper, her look becoming sour as though she had just tasted some nasty wine.

"I knew all of these men, I knew their families. I want nothing more then for their murder to be brought to justice but I can assure you Detective, I am not your killer. Yes me and Maddison quarreled, he grabbed my arm to try and get me to stop and listen to him, but I only tore it away and accused him of harrasment. I never saw him again." The senior lifted the sleeve of her tailored suit jacket to reveal three thin scratches encased in slightly bruised skin.

So many possibilities ran through Jane's mind. Everything was adding up in a way against the woman seated accross the table she stood in front of. She was their connection. She was also most likely the last person to see Maddison alive and harrasment was very good reason to have someone killed.

"What was the fight between you and Maddison about." Constance stayed quiet for a moment weighing her options. "If you withhold information during an investigation-"

"He was dilussional." She cut in before a threat could be made, she had always been a woman who never took to threats to kindly. "He thought that since Allen and Charles had already been murdered, we would surely be next. I told him he was mistaken and he tried to explain. I wouldn't hear any of it."

"Why would he think that you two would be next?"

"I do not know Detective. Like I said, I refused to hear any of his theories."

Jane silenced again this time pondering what about the deaths could have spooked Maddison. No one just thought they would be next in line for a serial killer for no reason.

"When was the last time you saw the other men? Brown? Stiles? Pire? Taylor?" Mrs. Isles sat thinking for a moment.

"Taylor and Brown had approached me months ago with the idea of holding an exhibit here in Boston to show off their latest discoveries in Nigeria. After that we made most arrangments over the phone."

"And Pire and Stiles?"

"I have not seen either men in years, but I was able to contact them and invite them to Taylor's and Brown's event a month ago. They were more then happy to make the trip down to Boston."

Jane stood hands on her hips studying the older woman. What were the chances she could be lieing to her?

"Maddison must have know the other men to be spooked by their deaths." Jane voiced her thoughts.

"Well yes. We all knew each other. Having held banquets and exhibits all over the world you grow quite fond of the people you work with." So this had been the missing link. They had all worked together at some point or another. "It hadn't been since the rally a few years ago that I had last seen any of them."

"The rally? In Pennsylvania?" Constance looked shocked at first but then nodded.

"Yes, that same one. What a disaster it had been. If I had know it would be so upseting to the public I would have never had gone through with it."

Jane leaned over and gathered the files from the table.

"Thank you for your time, Mrs. Isles. We will contact you if we need anything else." And with that she left briskly through the door to the Investigation room where she would test the new idea forming in her head.

"Well she wasn't lieing. They where all sponsers of the Pennsylvania rally. No doubt they payed off the press to conceal their identities in the papers." Frost concluded looking up from his computer screen

"It would explain why we never made the connections. Plus it happened over 5 years ago, we only checked bank statements from the last year." Korsak added taking a sip from his cup of coffee.

"Hey Frost, can you pull up those deaths and injuries again?" Jane asked eyes completely focused on the large television screen.

"Yeah, give me a sec."

"You think you can find something from this rally?" Korsak wondered.

"It's worth a shot."

"Here. Woah, look at this." Frost pulled up one of the many articles. "This girl, Stephanie Hendricks, was trampled to death by a spooked patrol horse when the riot broke out. Says here she was shielding a younger girl who got seperated from her parents in the mess." Jane read it intentley.

"She was a student at Penn State-"

"-Pennsylvania State University? That's where Jennifer attended before she dropped out and dissapeared." Maura interjected having entered the room unnoticed.

"Did Jenn ever go to your mom's ralley?" Jane asked curiously.

"I don't believe so, she had been in an audition for Symphony regionals that week. I remember because it was last any of us had heard from her."

"Look at these pictures," Jane noticed gesturing to the two men. "It looks like she was-"

"Beaten to death. Just like our vics." Korsak added seeing where his partner was going. Jane pondered for a moment her hand supporting her chin as she sat at her desk.

"Do you think Jennifer might have known Stephanie?"

"What, do you think Jennifer might know who could have been effected by her death?"

"That or she could have been effected by her death." Jane wondered out loud. Her gut was telling her something. Like the answer was in her face but she just couldn't see it.

"First my mother and now Jennifer?" Maura demanded her eyes glaring at Jane's turned back. "Are you trying to tear apart my family again or is there something you need to address with me." Jane didn't have to turn around to know the look on her friends face. There was a lot they needed to talk about, but right now she only had one mind set.

"Right now, nothing matters more then to find our killer." She replied with a glare to her desk. Jane didn't think she could stomach the rising anger in her if she had to turn and face the doctor. A moment of silence passed between the four of them, Frost and Korsak knowing better then to intervene in the two woman's bickering.

"Not even our friendship?" Maura asked in almost a whisper, her voice wet with the promise of tears. Jane stayed quiet. The bubbling anger within had reached a new height. What friendship? The one where Maura would lead Jane on into hopeing the Medical Examiner could ever return her feelings. The friendship where Jane was forced to swallow her sorrow and humility when those feelings where thrown back in her face by whatever man just happened to show up in Maura's life at that moment? The memorise of the previous night washed through Jane again, the anger in her threatening to slip through if she even opened her mouth. She only pursed her lips and looked back at the screen. A moment later she heard the doctor make a slow exit, pausing for a second before leaving.

"Jane..." Frost began.

"I don't want to hear it." She shot. "Jennifer just happens to show up during the killings after 5 years of being missing. Along with Mrs. Isles and that exhibit she's hosting here in Boston. Sounds like 5 years of plotting revenge to me."

"But we don't even know if she had any connection to Stephanie Hendricks. Jennifer was a Freshman when Hendricks was a senior."

"I have a feeling about this, Frost." The detective growled opening up her laptop and typing in a few things.

"What are you doing?" Frost asked going along with his partners new theory. How could he not? Jane Rizzoli is someone you do not cross when she gets into her mode. She didn't answer at first, her eyes darted across the screen. She didn't have to search to long before she sat back with an 'I-knew-it' look before turning the screen towards her partners. They glanced at each other after seeing what was on the screen. If anyone had psychic intestines it was Jane Rizzoli.

Jennifer was slung under Stephanie Hendricks arm on a bench just outside what appeared to be a music hall, two other girls on either side of them, a smile from ear to ear plastered on all girls faces.

The smile had long since dissapeared as Jennifer now sat in the interrogation room of the Department. Korsak sat alone on the other side of the one way glass eyeing the young girl. Jane had thought it appropriate for Maura not to be informed or present at the interrogation, something he completely disagreed with. A unit had gone to Doctor Isles house to arrest Jennifer just after Jane had recieved a call from the handsome Pharmacist for a late lunch. Jane was about to kindly decline before both Frost and Korsak jumped her and took away her phone promising the Pharmacist that she would be there.

"What the Hell!" She had demanded.

"You seriously need a break, Jane." Frost stated rewarding him with a glare from his friend.

"I'll rest when we solve the case."

"If you don't go I'll have the Leuitenet pull you from this case." Korsak threatened his tone pleading with the younger woman.

"WHY are you two suddenly interested in my love life." She demanded glaring between the two.

"We arn't. We just need you to get out of here for a bit to clear your head. What ever else happens is between you and your medical hunk." Korsak teased giving Jane a caring look. He truely worried about her and her well being, she knew this and respected him for it. So after the interrogation she agreed she would go. But first came the interrogation.

Jane let herself and Frost in through the door before closing it softly. Jennifer turned to them.

"What the Hell is going on." The smaller girl began to protest as she stood. Jane firmly grabbed her by the shoulder and sat her down again with a shove.

"Sit." The look the two girls exchanged spoke of a long held grudge between them. Jennifer sat with her arms crossed defensivley infront of her.

"I have a few questions." Jane continued holding the folders in her hand resting against her abdomen. Jennifer smirked knowing she could push the detectives buttons with one simple reply.

"I want my lawyer present." The look on Jane's face gave Jennifer a satisfactory feeling in her chest.

"Look kid. This isn't a game. I won't put anything on you unless you pull some shit like this. I just want to know; How did you know Stephanie Hendricks." Jane threw the files down, slapping her hands down on the table and leaning in close to Jennifer. This time, the look on Jennifer's face gave Jane the confirmation that she was on the right track. The girl stayed quiet for a minute looking down at the folders.

"May I?" She asked.

"By all means." Jane stepped back and took the seat infront of the younger girl, Frost against the wall behind her. Jane studied her face, drinking in every emotion she could see as Jennifers eyes danced from side to side as she went through the files. The sandy haired girl swallowed hard.

"In college, I didn't know anyone. I hardley ever saw Maura. She was busy with her job and whatever. I met Steph in Symphony because I would always get picked on because of my family. She refused to let people give me shit for how rich my parents where and why I couldn't just buy my way into Harvard or Yale. She knew even if I never told her, that wasn't who I was." She took a deep breath. "She was a senior, you know. I was only a freshman when we started to hang out. Introduced me to her friends and soon enough we all became a family. I spent so much time with them, just having fun; living."

"Doing drugs." Jane inserted. Jennifer didn't fall for it and snorted at the attempt.

"That was after-" She nodded towards the file. "After she died, we all just..." Another sigh. "I haven't seen the others since I left school and went to go do my own thing."

"And what thing was that." Jennifer looked the detective in the eye, searching. Searching for honesty; a true soul devoted to Justice. A Knight of Justice.

"I went looking for my real parents." She finally admited her head bowing in resentment. Jane didn't know how to respond. What about this girls parents could be so bad that it would break the fiesty woman just at the mention of them.

"Did you-"

"Dead. Both of them."

"Jennifer, I'm-"

"They where drunks, Rizzoli." She spat. "Killed each other in a fight 3 weeks after I was born." At this Jane was truely stumped. She had no clue how to continue. Luckily Jennifer did it for her.

"Maura's the only real family I have left. Because according to you I want to kill my mother or something." A smile played on Janes face mirroring Jennifer's, a chuckle slipping through the younger girls lips. Jennifer open the file and pulled out a photo. She smiled at the memories before laying it on the table for Jane to see. Jane looked down at the five smiling faces of the college student all knitted tightly around each other in their own goofy positions, the blue-eyed boy next to Stephanie giving her what seemed to be a suprise kiss on the cheek.

"I don't want to lose another family."

The chapters are getting longer but that just means everything is starting to fall into place. Reviews make my World go 'round