To Hell and Only Halfway Back Chapter 7
I don't own R and I.
Jane showered quickly, dressed even quicker and was ready to head out by the time Maura was ready. She had barely said a few words once receiving her early morning wake up call; her mind totally engrossed in the case. Jane couldn't help but feel helpless, powerless to stop McFadden from his mission. She shuddered at the thought they would have to recover six more victims before he came for her. Jane was convinced he would come for her, it was just a matter of when. She knew better than to assume she would be after victim nine; McFadden was varying the game plan. This latest victim was raped and murdered. He's mixing it up.
Jane's hair was still damp as she strapped on her gun. Maura watched as her movements seemed forced even after a decent night's sleep. "You okay, Jane?"
"Yeah, Maur, why?" Jane pulled her jacket on, consciously straightening her posture to ward off her friend's concern.
Maura decided not to push the issue. "It's getting colder by the day, winter is fast approaching."
Jane stopped at her door, turned to look at Maura who was grabbing her jacket and purse. "I can't stop him. He's controlling this game. I feel like a puppet or something."
Maura had no words for Jane, just a look of understanding and concern. "You'll beat him, Jane. I know you will." Maura pushed past her close friend forcing Jane to follow. Jane could only wish she felt as confident as Maura's words suggested.
Jane stood back against the far wall in the small apartment where their fourth victim was left. Casey Lomax, average height weight, approximately thirty. Beaten, raped…marked. Korsak and Frost quickly made it to the scene and proceeded to investigate. Everything was procedure, everything was routine. Jane pushed off the wall, making her way over to where Maura was recording her initial assessments. "What can you tell me?"
"I'll know more when I get her on my table." Maura's eyes locked on Jane's when she looked up toward the detective who was refusing to come to close. Jane nodded as this was Maura's initial answer each time they had to assess a homicide victim. Then Jane would gently persuade Maura to give a few educated guesses. It was a familiar song and dance, but today the usual back and forth was lacking something. Maura was more willing to throw out her opinions without all the proper findings to back up her thoughts.
Jane finally crouched down, her balance seemed off as her hand fell onto Maura's arm to help steady herself. Maura kept her gaze locked with Jane's as she read the plea in Jane's eyes not to ask if she was okay. She was not okay, Jane knew it, Maura knew it, McFadden surely knew it.
Jane lifted the woman's shirt, letting her eyes travel to exactly where she knew she would find McFadden's signature. She stared at the blood that had since dried . McFadden carved with such skill as each letter was perfectly proportioned to the next. JR 4. Jane covered the wound after taking a few extra minutes to take it in. "Was she raped before or after she was killed."
"I'll know for sure when…"
"Maura! Please." Jane realized she couldn't get upset with her friend. Her eyes apologized and Maura got it. "I know you have to do tests, but I need to know now."
"I would say yes, but I will know for sure in a few hours." Maura stood, now towering over the crouching detective. "What is he doing, Jane?"
"He's breaking pattern. Trying to throw us." Jane stood to face Maura. "He's not deviating at all though. He's sticking to his plan."
Jane's eyes narrowed as she looked at Maura. "What?"
"Jane, he's escalating. He didn't kill them before. Now he's killed and raped two?" Maura looked down at her hands as she slowly pulled the gloves off.
Jane placed both her hands on Maura's arms. Maura was always so by the book, never involving herself in anything but the forensics and the facts. Never guessed without having substantial evidence to back up her hypothesis. Never questioned motive. She always left the questions to the detectives, she just provided the answers when she found them. Jane waited until Maura looked up at her before she tried to explain.
"He's angry. He's pissed off I put him away. He wants me to spin awhile. Unfortunately these women are having to pay for that." Maura looked away from Jane and the look on her face concerned the usually intuitive detective. "Tell me, Maura."
"How are you going to stop him when he comes for you? He is so…"
"I will." Jane's strong voice cut Maura off in mid sentence causing her to look into Jane's dark, focused eyes. "I will."
Jane's attention was diverted towards the front door as Agent Brady entered. "Great, the big boys are here."
Maura watched as Jane met up with Korsak as they approached the FBI agent. Jane was strong, smart, and physically able to hold her own. Maura knew all that, but still couldn't help but worry about her. She knew Jane was feeling every one of these victims. Maura knew Jane felt a sense of responsibility for the injuries, their deaths. She knew Jane was frustrated, scared, and tired. She was worried about her and watching Jane square off with Agent Brady again made her hurt for the woman who somehow managed to capture her heart. Jane was oblivious as to Maura's feelings for her and Maura knew that was the way it needed to be. That very fact made it hard for Maura to watch Jane spin at the hands of Duncan McFadden.
"Ah, Detective. I was wondering when I would get to see you again." Dylan McFadden sat back at the same table he sat at a few days earlier waiting for the Boston Detectives to interrogate him some more.
Jane once again sat across from him, staring him down, carefully deciding what to ask him and how much to tell.
"Whatever it is, I didn't do it." Dylan stared back at Jane. His straight serious face instantly formed a taunting grin as he let his eyes begin their slow descent down's Jane's body.
"I know that." Jane's voice held her usual raspy quality but the tone showed an anger that would've scared most people. Not Dylan. "I don't understand why you would go down for what you're father's doing."
"I won't. I'm not involved. Eventually that will be proven and I will be released." Dylan leaned across the table. "I know you're a little busy now, but I don't see why when this is all over, you and I couldn't…you know…maybe hook up."
Jane let herself smile an irritated grin before looking up at Korsak. "You're not going anywhere. You're an accomplice to murder."
"No, Detective, I'm not." Dylan stared into Jane's eyes. It was a long few seconds before he spoke. "I would never kill anybody. I would never help him."
"You did. Emily was found at your house. You helped him, you tried to protect him against us." Jane was careful to stay in control. "I need to know what next. I cannot stop him. Okay, I can't. I just don't want any more women hurt because he wants to finish with me."
"Are you asking for my help, Detective Rizzoli?" Dylan resumed his perusal of her body.
"Yes." Jane shifted uncomfortably at the sound of herself asking McFadden's son to help her.
Dylan seemed to be in deep thought. He looked back up to Jane's face before speaking. "Take these cuffs off."
Jane shook her head from side to side, but didn't say anything. Korsak watched the interaction. He trusted Jane but was having a hard time following where she was going with this.
"I will help you, but I want to be able to touch you." Dylan grinned as Korsak jumped to his feet. Jane placed a hand on Korsak's arm to settle him. She never lost eye contact with Dylan.
"Give me something." Jane pleaded with Dylan as she guided Korsak to sit back down. "You give me something I can use and I will be back. I will owe you."
Jane felt Korsak's glare burning into her from the side as she watched Dylan again take her in with his eyes. She leaned forward as Dylan prepared to speak to her.
"Okay, Detective. I'll play." Dylan set his eyes on Jane's mouth, tracing the line of her lips with his eyes. "My father wants nothing more than to break you, Detective Rizzoli. He wants to break you, rape you and then claim you. Do you understand what I'm saying to you?"
Jane stared at the younger McFadden for a few moments before nodding. "Help me find him, Dylan. I don't want any more women to get hurt. I don't think you do either."
Dylan placed his cuffed hands on top of the table. His eyes asked her to remove the cuffs.
"Tell me something." Jane's voice was lower than normal and the tone caused Dylan to smile wide. He leaned in as close as he could to Jane.
"Go to hell, Detecitve. You will find what you're looking for there." Dylan straightened up in his chair, watching Jane fight to control her anger.
Jane's movements were fluid as she pushed to her feet, shoving the table into Dylan. She watched as Dylan was instantly on his back on the cold, hard floor of the interrogation room. He laughed loudly as Jane made her way towards the door. "Hell, Rizzoli. You owe me, you know. I just told you where to go. You owe me!"
Jane was furious. She sat at her desk, tapping her pen against a stack of files. She could only see red, she could only feel heat. She had to calm down or she would be no good to anybody. How could she let Dylan control the game like that. Korsak approached, failing to pull her from her anger induced haze.
"What the hell were you doing in there?" Korsak's tone was one of anger and fear himself. He was watching Jane lose her grip and it bothered him terribly.
"Trying. Trying to do whatever can to find McFadden. I can't wait for him to victimize six more women until he shows his face." Jane looked up at Korsak who seemed to soften at her words. Jane caught Maura entering and got to her feet.
"Casey Lomax, age twenty two. College student at BCU. Beaten, and raped. Murdered by asphyxiation." Maura took in Jane's agitated state, wondering what had happened. She wouldn't ask.
"Raped before or after?" Jane's voice sounded defeated and strained.
"Before." Maura answered looking towards Korsak who shook his head suggesting she didn't ask.
Jane resumed tapping her pen, before she threw it down on her desk. She dropped her head into her hands in a frustrated move that was becoming more and more common. Maura sat on the edge of Jane's desk, waiting for Jane to recover.
Jane sat straight up, glancing at Maura before looking at Korsak. "Casey was a college student? In state or out of state?"
Korsak shrugged as he headed toward his computer. Maura took in Jane's disheveled appearance. "Jane?"
"It's just a thought, but I may have gotten something out of Dylan after all." Jane's eyes followed Korsak as he stood from his desk and approached the women.
"Casey Lomax was a senior paying out of state tuition." Korsak's questioning gaze prompted Jane to follow up her thoughts.
"Out of state. Where was she from, Korsak?"
"Michigan. Her parents still live in Michigan." Korsak could tell Jane had hit on something.
"Dylan told me to go to hell. That I'd find what I was looking for there." Jane looked at Maura and wasn't surprised that the medical examiner had caught on to Jane's long shot. "There's a city called Hell in Michigan."
Jane stared at Korsak for a few long moments before turning to face Maura. "Right?"
"Yes." Maura answered quickly.
"When Hell freezes over." Jane mumbled as she picked her pen up and continued to tap it with much more purpose now.
"Rizzoli, Korsak. Our boy is on the move. Young girl abducted, eye witness account. It's McFadden." Cavenaugh approached the two detectives with two other FBI agents in tow. Jane wondered why they were even here, it seemed like a waste of labor dollars.
"Where?" Korsak was quick with the question they all wanted to know.
"Michigan. Rizzoli you're on the road with Agent Brady. Now." Cavenaugh turned on his heal leaving Jane to stare down Brady. Jane pushed back from her desk and headed for the ladies room.
Maura watched what had transpired and her heart was beating at a slightly faster pace than normal. Jane had managed to get ahead of McFadden only to be slapped back down. She followed Jane into the ladies room to find her splashing her face with cold water. She looked up at Maura when she entered, not bothering to reach for a towel.
"Well, it looks like I'm going to Hell." Jane smiled a smile that didn't come close to reaching her eyes.
