Let me run the disclaimer because I don't remember when I last did so. These characters belong respectively to Tess Gerritsen, Janet Tamaro and TNT. I make no profit from their use and believe me, I have the bank statement to prove it.
Thank you to all for the wonderful reviews. I've enjoyed writing this one and it's gone on longer than intended but Jane and Maura keep coming up with new scenarios and well, I can't deny either of them anything. Especially Maura.
This is a little (a lot) longer than originally intended but I thought it could make up for a couple of shorter chapters.
I hope you enjoy.
Chapter 10
The next few days passed in a haze. Both Jane and Maura felt they were in a bubble, one made of love and acceptance. Announcements were made to both families and coworkers and all were happy for them. Frost and Korsak thought they were already together; Korsak pulled Crowe aside and told him if he gave Jane and Maura any problem Korsak was going to rearrange Crowe's favorite body parts. Since then Crowe had been scarce.
Angela caught Jane in the kitchen after their announcement. She cupped Jane's cheeks in her hands and gazed into her daughter's eyes.
"I am so happy for you, Janie. Maura is a wonderful girl. You'll be happy, I know." Jane's relief was so great she started to cry. Just then Maura walked into the kitchen and stopped when she saw Jane's tears.
"Jane? What's wrong?" For a moment Maura dared not to breathe, thinking Angela had given Jane a hard time for asking another woman to marry her. Jane laughed, then choked on her tears.
"Nothing, Maura. Ma said she was happy for us and I kinda lost it," Jane opened her arms and Maura stepped into them. Looking over at Angela Maura said a quiet "thank you." Angela picked up a tray of snacks to take into the living room. Looking over her shoulder she called out, "You still have to give me grandchildren!" Jane and Maura looked at each other and started laughing.
Much to Maura's surprise her parents were supportive as well. Her father clapped Jane on the back and welcomed her to the family. Then he said, "Hurt her just once, Rizzoli, and I'll make mincemeat of you." Jane backed away in surprise. Mr. Isles laughed and hugged Jane. "Just kidding. I always thought I'd give grief to the man who married Maura, so I decided you were fair game for equal treatment." Mrs. Isles poured champagne for them to toast the next step in their daughter's life. She started asking Maura questions about what type of wedding she wanted and Jane stepped back. Watching Maura interact with her mother about the wedding, Jane knew she was a lucky woman to have Maura Isles in her life. For the first time in a long time Jane offered up a prayer to whoever might be listening. "At least fifty years, please. Forever won't be enough time with Maura."
Unfortunately the bubble didn't last long. Shortly after two a.m. the next morning both women were paged to a homicide. Jane kissed Maura goodbye and told her she'd see her at the scene.
"What do we have, Frost?" Jane asked as she arrived.
"White male, early forties, two stab wounds to the upper chest. Landed awkwardly on his back with his right arm twisted behind him. Listen, Jane, there's something strange about this," Frost said then hesitated.
"What, other than the fact he ended up dead tonight?"
"No, he had something in his hand, the one behind his back. I think it was meant for us to find." Jane watched Frost's face intently. She knew it had to be serious for him to have this type of reaction.
"What is it, Frost?" she asked quietly.
"A note. And, something else." Frost gestured at Jane to read the note.
Another one for you, Jane.
Can't keep me away from you.
I long for the day your blood covers my hands.
Just a reminder that I look forward to that day.
"What else?" Jane asked.
"A hole was cut into his right hand."
"To look like mine?" Jane asked. Frost nodded. "I think so."
Jane hurried over to the body. Maura had just arrived and was pulling on her gloves.
"I should have something for you soon, Jane."
"Wait just a moment, Maura. I want to examine the cuts on the body first."
"Why? Is there something different—," Maura started to ask then noticed the precision of the stab wounds. She felt her anxiety start to grow.
"You don't think this is Hoyt, do you? Jane he's in maximum security!"
"Yeah, but he left a note in addition to a carved hole in the vic's right hand. Hoyt's got someone doing his work for him, looks like," Jane said. Her mouth was pursed in a tight line.
"I wish he were dead," Maura said fiercely. Surprised, Jane looked down at Maura. The Queen of the Dead was having an emotional reaction to a body.
"We're happy, Jane. We're engaged, we're starting a new life, I don't like the idea of a sick killer having control over you."
"I love you, too Maura, but you're the only one that has any control over me. Sweetie, Hoyt is in maximum security. This could be a copycat, you know," Jane replied, placing her hand on Maura's arm.
"Besides, we're going to be happy for a long time," Jane said. She hoped Maura didn't hear the small doubt in the back of her mind.
Maura completed the autopsy and took it upstairs to give to Jane. All three detectives were huddled around Jane's desk, talking over the case.
"Any visitors to Hoyt recently?" she overheard Jane ask. Frost shook his head. "All of the prison's visitor logs show no one even asked about Hoyt in the past two months," he answered.
"Maybe this was planned before that, then they chose to not have any contact to throw us off," Jane said.
"Possible. But are we still looking at a copycat?" Korsak asked.
"That is a possibility, Jane," Maura said. "Here's the autopsy report. I didn't find anything else beyond what we all saw at the scene. Two stab wounds, neatly cut, so he must have subdued the victim beforehand. No trace of drugs but the tox screen is still out."
"Thanks, Maura. We're going over Hoyt's movements, visitors, mail, all that good stuff," Jane said sarcastically. She pulled Maura away from the bullpen.
"Why don't you go home, babe? Get some rest? You finished the autopsy," Jane was concerned. She could see how tired Maura looked. But Maura shook her head.
"No, Jane. I don't want to leave you. If this is Hoyt's work or influence I want to be with you."
"You need rest, Maura. Besides, you'll be busy for the next couple of days planning our wedding. You need your strength," Jane smiled at her fiancée.
Maura shook her head. "My mother is taking care of most of the smaller details, Jane. I called her on the way to the morgue tonight and explained we'd be too busy for awhile. I also gave her your mother's number. The two are working together. I think I'll just grab a blanket and take a nap in my office," Maura said as she headed back to the elevator.
"Lock your door behind you," Jane cautioned. "It's late and I don't want any creeps walking in on you while you're sleeping." Maura smiled at Jane as she entered the elevator.
Jane walked back to her desk. "Guys, we need to get his guy. I don't want to have to get married under an armed guard."
"Don't worry, Jane, we'll get him before that," Korsak said.
"Yeah, how's the planning going, Jane?" Frost asked.
"Maura called her mother and gave her my mother's number. The two moms are going to be doing some of it for us, starting tomorrow," Jane said. She wondered how that was going to work since Judith Isles and Angela Rizzoli were so different. Suddenly Jane didn't want to know and was grateful she was going to be too busy to get cranky phone calls from her mother.
A couple of hours later, Frost caught Jane's attention. Jane was starting to feel jittery from all of the coffee she'd been drinking. Trying to run through all of the prison logs regarding Hoyt was so tiring. She kept refilling her coffee cup to keep her eyes open.
"Watcha got, Frost?"
"I don't think it's a copycat, Jane," he said. Korsak looked up from his desk.
"Why not, Frost?"
"A fellow prisoner was released two months ago. According to prison records one of the guards noticed that the two men kept managing to run into each other fairly frequently in the prison yard."
"Yeah that's not allowed," Korsak interjected. "Maximum security prisoners are given their time in the yard separately from other prisoners to minimize any type of exchange."
"What's his name, Frost?"
"Adam Summers. Was convicted of manslaughter two, time off for good behavior. And get this, Jane. He was a medical tech for a hospital prior to his conviction."
"Too much to be a coincidence, Frost. Do we have an address?"
"Yes, but he failed his meetup with his parole officer. The address is over on Sherrill Avenue, 212, Apt. A."
"Let's go, Frost," Korsak said. "Jane, stay here."
"What the hell, Korsak? It's my case!"
"Maura's asleep downstairs. Not many other cops here, Jane. Keep her company. We'll keep you informed as to what's happening." Frost and Korsak left. Jane grabbed her coffee cup and decided to see how Maura was faring.
Jane knocked lightly on Maura's office door. After a moment she heard Maura stirring about and the door opened. Maura looked at Jane with a sleepy expression on her face and her hair in a halo around her head. Jane's breath caught at the sight. She smiled.
"Hi, sweetie, just came down to keep you company," she whispered.
"Did you catch someone or get a lead, Jane?"
"Yep. Frost and Korsak left a few minutes ago to find our suspect. He was a medical tech for a hospital before being convicted of man 2 and meeting Hoyt in prison," Jane replied. She settled in Maura's desk chair and pulled the caramel blond into her lap.
"Oh, no, Jane, I'm sorry. I guess I'm naïve enough to think if Hoyt's in prison you're safe away from him," Maura said.
"I am safe, Maura. Anytime I'm with you. Now, come here," Jane said and pulled Maura in for a kiss.
"Wait, Jane, if Frost and Korsak went to interview a suspect why didn't you go with them?" Maura asked when they broke apart for air.
"I don't think Korsak wants me on this case since it's another apprentice of Hoyt's. And with so few people in the precinct I didn't want to leave you alone. It's still the middle of the night, you know."
Maura leaned in for a kiss. God bless Vince Korsak, she thought. As much as she loved Jane anytime Hoyt's name came up Maura felt a little less safe and almost as if Jane were slipping from her grasp.
Jane's fingers found the bottom of Maura's blouse and she started running her fingers up the bare skin on Maura's stomach. Maura broke away from the kiss and leaned back.
"Jane," she warned. "Not here. Not at work."
"But it's okay to kiss you here?"
"God, yes," Maura breathed into Jane's lips. "You do such incredible things to me, Jane, I can't lose control at work."
"Good to know," Jane smiled at Maura. "I guess I'll have to wait until later to drive you crazy." Maura moaned at the thought and leaned in for another kiss.
"Maybe you won't have later," came a deep voice from Maura's doorway. Maura turned around so fast she almost fell off of Jane's lap.
"Who the hell are you?" Jane yelled. She instinctively grabbed Maura and set the medical examiner on her feet while pushing Maura behind her as she rose. Jane reached for her weapon but the man in the doorway raised his pistol and fired.
Maura screamed as the bullet hit Jane's left upper arm and Jane fell back. Grabbing Maura Jane pulled her down with her and rolled over Maura to shield her. She managed to grab her weapon and return fire. Two more shots were fired by both assailant and detective before the man fell to the floor, his weapon sliding across the morgue.
Jane jumped up to grab the weapon and handcuff the man. She ran back to Maura.
"Maura, sweetie, are you okay?" she asked. Grabbing Maura's upper body Jane pulled the other woman into a sitting position against the wall. She scanned Maura's body for any injuries or blood. Finding none she pulled Maura into a frantic embrace.
"Thank God, Maura, I thought for a moment he shot you," Jane practically sobbed.
Maura shook her head to clear her hearing. The gunshots in such a confined space had deafened her.
"Jane, he shot you! Let me look at your arm."
"I'm fine, Maura, it's just a flesh wound. His aim was bad, fortunately. If you're okay let's check out the newest member of your dead body society," Jane said.
Scanning the body before touching it she noticed he was a white male, early thirties. He wore jeans, tshirt and a windbreaker. Nothing telltale about his clothes; Jane found his wallet.
"My God, Maura, it's our suspect, Adam Summers. Let me call Korsak and Frost."
"No need, Jane, we're here," Korsak answered. He and Frost had just stepped off the elevator.
"We were en route back to the precinct when we got a call about shots fired in the morgue."
"It's Adam Summers," Jane said. She held the dead man's ID out to Korsak. He handed it to Frost who bagged it for the evidence box.
"He dead?" Frost asked Maura. Maura, for her part, grabbed her bag and put gloves on to start her examination of the body.
"Yes, Jane's second shot killed him."
"He didn't go down, though."
"No, the angle of the shot killed him but wasn't enough to force his body to the floor. The final shot, Jane's third, is the one that caused his body to finally fall and drop his weapon," Maura said. She knew an investigation would be held and she wanted to make sure everyone knew this was self defense on Jane's part.
Maura rose and stood before Jane. "Let me call my assistant to take care of this. Jane needs to go to the hospital," Maura said with a calm she didn't feel.
Jane opened her mouth to say she was okay to stay for a while longer but didn't get the chance. A wave of dizziness overcame her and she crumpled to the floor.
TBC