Chapter 6: Landslide

It had been a week since Maura confessed to planning a murder. A week since Jane had even laid eyes on the woman she once considered her closest confidant. She had watched helplessly that night as Maura walked out of the morgue and, assumingly, out of her life for good. During the past week the detective had attempted to contact her multiple times throughout the day only to reach a voice mail. At times she found herself comforted by the lack of communication because it meant that she didn't have to find the words to talk with Maura about everything that had happened.

While work proved a welcomed distraction from the awkward reality that Jane now found herself living, she couldn't find the same reprieve at night. She would constantly find herself sitting alone in her apartment wondering where Maura was and what she was doing. The day after their argument in Maura's office Jane had made a trip by Maura's house under the guise of visiting her mother. Much to her dismay, the medical examiner was nowhere to be found. Jane had attempted nonchalance when asking her mother about Maura's whereabouts, but it was obvious that it hadn't worked. Her mother had very little information other than a note left on her door that stated:

Gone on a trip. See you when I get back.

It was Friday night and Jane found herself, beer in hand, on her sofa staring blankly at the TV screen. Normally she would have been wrapped up in the Sox game, but she couldn't seem to get her mind off of Maura. In the entirety of their friendship, the longest they had ever gone without some form of contact was three days. Those three days had been the hardest of Jane's life and yet it seemed like a cake walk compared to the week she had just endured. She was just about to give up on watching the game and call it an early night when her cellphone rang. The caller id depicted an unknown number.

"Hello?" Jane answered a bit cautiously.

"Hello Jane." A familiar voice responded.

"Who is this?" Her voice came out as though she were back in the interrogation room.

"Jane, I need you to meet me at the docks alone. Look for The Starry Night." The voice instructed in a business-like fashion.

"Why would I do that?" Jane questioned as she tried to stall the phone call long enough to figure out who the caller was.

"You'll do it for Maura." The voice reasoned before ending the call.

Jane sat stunned for a moment before jumping off the sofa and pulling her jacket on as she headed out the door. She couldn't explain why she chose to listen to the voice. She could very well be walking into a trap without any backup, but she had to know what the phone call had to do with Maura. As she drove, the detective fought not to let fear override her system. Her hands were already shaking as they clasped tightly around the steering wheel. What if something happened to Maura, Jane worried.

Upon arrival, Jane realized two key points about the chosen meet location: there weren't any people around and, from the looks of it, no security cameras either. She recalled Korsak mentioning something about the Mob ruling the docks, specifically Paddy Doyle running the show. Suddenly, Jane found herself becoming less confident than she had felt the entire drive over. If Paddy had called the meeting, it must mean that something had happened to Maura. She had long ago formed an understanding with Paddy involving his reluctant daughter and she knew that something was awry if he was calling in a meeting with her instead of taking care of the issue himself.

Jane found The Starry Night with very little trouble as it was the only one lit up within that section of the harbor. As soon as she stepped aboard the awaiting boat, she came face to face with Paddy Doyle sitting comfortably at a table on the upper deck.

"Jane." His matter-of-fact greeting left little to her imagination.

Paddy Doyle was, by nature, a business man. He was accustomed to demanding something and receiving it in an efficient and timely manner. It came as little to no surprise that he expected Jane to follow suit when dealing with him.

"Paddy." She acknowledged as her eyes searched the boat for any of his henchmen.

"They aren't here. I came alone; as I am sure you did as well." Confidence emanated from him.

Of course they aren't here, Jane reasoned silently, they were probably following me to the docks to make sure that I came alone.

Taking a seat across from the man that Maura had hesitated to call her father, Jane took a moment to really look at him. The last time he was in contact with her it was over the phone and she had yet to meet him face to face. Now, she had the opportunity to really size him up. He appeared older than the security camera at the morgue made him out to be. Perhaps meeting your daughter after years of hidden surveillance causes aging, Jane mused.

Paddy shook his head for a moment before returning his gaze to the detective sitting across from him. For her part, she sat tall in the chair as her eyes skirted the area looking for any sign that something was amiss. She was every bit the detective that her file had made her out to be and then some. Unlike many of 'Boston's Finest' who were merely second and third generation yuppies following the status quo, Jane had worked hard to get to her position. Her file had noted everything from her academy scores, detectives' exam evaluation, and colleague reviews. On paper she stood out as an impressive recruit, but Paddy knew that doing his own research was the only way to really get to know the woman who now sat in front of him. So, he had surveyed her tirelessly for weeks in hopes that she was the stand-up woman that she presented herself to be. To his surprise, he found that not only was she a great friend and confidant to his daughter, but she would also prove to be a great lover, which he suspected both the detective and his daughter wanted despite the various dates he had seen both of them attempt.

"You risked your career for my daughter once and I am in your debt for that." He stated with a hint of gratitude.

"I gave you the name of the man trying to kill her. Do you think I would really let anything happen to her? Even if my job were on the line?" She questioned despite her desire to forget this particular conversation.

She had called him all those months ago with the name of the man responsible for his son's death. After the fact she hadn't felt any guilt over sentencing a murderer to death. Jane knew she would never reveal this to Maura, however. She saw the look in her eyes that day in the morgue when she had originally suggested calling Paddy. The look told her what thousands of words could not; it was the look that Maura held the first time she spoke about her father killing all those people, it was a mingling of fear and disgust. She would never have been able to rectify Jane's actions in her mind and it would have severely affected their friendship. With much regret, Jane had lied to Maura about contacting Paddy, but refused to believe that it wasn't for the greater good.

"Something is wrong with Maura. She's been acting different lately; you know, with the almost daily visits to the gun range. Aside from that, she has taken a great interest in the prison system. I see her drive into the parking lot at least once a week just to sit there for a while before leaving." He slid a few photos across the table as proof.

Taking them in her hands, she scanned over the images. One photo in particular stood out among the rest. Maura stood at the range, used target in hand, but it wasn't the target Jane zeroed in on, it was the look in Maura's eyes. The medical examiner's eyes held a cold determination which Jane had yet to see on her friend in real life. It was similar to the look she saw in Paddy's eyes when she mentioned his son's killer.

"What do you want?" Tired of this game and eager to find Maura, Jane decided to take the direct approach.

"I want you to save her." He stated as if the answer were obvious.

"From what?" Jane was a bit afraid to know the answer.

"I want you to save her from herself, from turning into me." He explained despite the worry that seeped into his normally monotone voice.

"You don't think I've been trying? She's going through something right now and I don't know how to help her." Jane practically screamed as she stood.

"You love her, which should be more than enough." He whispered without meeting her gaze.

Jane stood silent for a moment unsure of how to respond.

"Where is she?" A shiver ran up her spine at the weakness in her voice.

"She is currently staying indefinitely at a cabin in Watertown. I have already sent the address to your phone." It was evident that he expected her to take a trip.

Without another word, she turned to leave.

"She plans to kill a man by the name of Charles Hoyt." The name stopped her in her tracks.

"If you want to know more, you will take a seat." He motioned to the vacant chair.

Despite fearing what was to come, she felt her feet carrying her frozen body back towards Paddy and back into the nightmare that had become her life since Charles Hoyt.