CHAPTER 11
When Jane opens her eyes the next morning, images of the dream, which her waking had interrupted, are still imprinted on her retina. In the dream, Jane had found herself in a deserted street. In the distance she had caught sight of Maura. The medical examiner had been smiling and waving at her, and Jane had started to walk towards her. But as Jane got closer, Maura had suddenly transformed into a frightful wolf. The wolf had growled and shown its teeth and as Jane had tried to wrap her head around the sudden and startling metamorphosis, the wolf had started to charge at her. Jane had sprinted away as fast as she could. She had run and run until she could run no more. Stopping to catch her breath, she had turned around to see whether she had managed to shake off the wolf. The wolf was nowhere to be seen and in its stead, an adorable golden retriever puppy was standing just a few feet away from her, happily wagging its tiny tail at her. Its big hazel eyes had looked so much like Maura's that Jane had asked, "Maura? Is that you?" But the puppy had simply stared at her, uttering nothing in reply.
Jane sits up, stretches her arms above her head and tries to let the impressions of her room dispatch those left behind by the dream. The uncanny feeling the dream brought on lingers for a moment but then vanishes as Jane walks into her kitchen to make herself some coffee. When the coffee is done, she takes her mug into her bedroom so she can get dressed. Spotting the clothes she had been wearing the previous evening, she's reminded of the altercation with … what was his name again? Murdoch? Murphy? She can't remember ….
But she does remember the look in Maura's eyes after she had followed Jane into the restroom. Those big eyes that were trying to make sense of someone so very different from herself. Jane smiles for a moment as she tries to imagine Maura grabbing hold of someone's throat like she had, ready to punch them. What a dick that guy had been.
The dinner that had preceded the scuffle had been both pleasant and awkward. More than ever just being near Maura made her feel good, helped her feel calm. But last night had also shown her that easing back into the way things were before all the kisses happened wasn't going to be easy. Her whole body now seemed to respond to Maura's smallest touch. But she'd have to try. Somehow she would have to make it work.
As she's about to put on some jeans, Jane remembers that the previous night she and Maura had made tentative plans to go running. She debates for a second whether she could get away with pretending to have forgotten about it, but then dismisses the idea and grabs her phone from her nightstand. She's about to dial Maura's number when she feels her heart starting to pound. Jane grunts. Dammit, is this how it is going to be from now on? Is she going to get nervous just calling her? Jane sighs and then presses "call."
"Jane."
"Morning, Maura. Are you up?"
"Yes, I'm eating breakfast with your mother."
"Of your own free will?"
Maura laughs and says, "Yes, as a matter of fact."
"Did you still want to go for that run?" Jane asks hesitantly.
"Yes, I do," Maura replies enthusiastically.
"Want me to come by your house in half an hour or so?"
"That sounds great."
Jane finishes her coffee, puts on her running shorts, a gray Boston PD t-shirt and her running shoes. She quickly grabs a banana and a muffin out of a cupboard in her kitchen, and then heads out.
When she gets into her car and starts the engine, an unusual sound meets her ear. "You've got to be kidding me," she groans.
As she drives away, the weird noise produced by the engine becomes less loud, but it doesn't disappear as she had hoped it would. As she gets out of her car at Maura's house, she kicks the front tire to express her frustration with the vehicle. Just at that moment, her mother walks out of the main house. "Why are you kicking your car?" she asks.
"It's my car, ma. If I wanna kick it, I'll kick it."
"So I see you're in one of your great moods?"
Jane looks at her mother and is just about to give her a snarky reply when she thinks the better of it.
"I'm sorry ma," she offers instead. "The car's making a weird noise and I need it for work, so I don't want it to break down."
"Why don't you ask Maura to look at it?" her mother suggests.
"That's actually a good idea," Jane says as she gives her mother a tiny smile.
"Okay. I'm gonna get some groceries. You need anything?"
"No, I'm good."
"Okay, you girls enjoy your run."
"We will," Jane hears from the direction of Maura's front door. Jane looks to her right and sees the medical examiner emerge in some black leggings and an azure top. Jane can feel her heart skip a beat. How ridiculous to look this gorgeous even in running clothes, she thinks.
"Hi, Jane," Maura says and she walks towards the detective.
"Ready?" Jane asks, thinking that the sooner they start running the better.
"Sure."
As they run down the sidewalk on Maura's street, Jane notices for the first time what a beautiful spring day it is. The sky is cloudless and the sun shines down on them gently. The air is still crisp at this hour of the day and it feels good to run and breathe in the fresh air. The trees are lush and green and all around them flowers are in bloom. Jane is suddenly glad Cavanaugh told her to take the weekend off while they wait for extra help to arrive. She had only grudgingly agreed, but is now grateful he had so stubbornly insisted. It would be nice not to have to think about work for 48 hours.
Jane glances over at Maura and then says, "It feels good to run."
Maura smiles at her and replies, "Yes, running causes the release of endorphins in the prefrontal and limbic regions of the brain and has been proven to suppress pain and to lead to significant increases in euphoria and well-being."
Jane can't help but smile. "Well thank you endorphins." And as she feels the warmth of the sun on her face she adds, "And thank you sun."
"Well, sunshine does boost one's serotonin levels, thus also increasing one's feeling of happiness," Maura continues her scientific explanation of Jane's sudden good mood.
Jane looks at Maura and jokes, "So I should just run in the sun all day and I'd be happy as a clam."
"Actually, most research indicates that clams cannot feel happiness or pain, because their brains and nervous systems are too small to develop the cognitive capacity needed for emotional responses. Also, if you'd run all day, you'd expose yourself to the risk of all kinds of common running injuries like Plantar Fasciitis, Iliotibial Band Syndrome, Shin Splints, Achilles Tendinitis, Runner's Knee…."
"Okay, okay," Jane interrupts her. "I get it. Don't run too much. And don't spend too much time in the sun. And don't try to feel like a creature that doesn't have any feelings." She gives Maura a cheeky smile, but Maura responds quite seriously, "Yes, it's all about balance, the happy medium, what the ancient Greeks called the Χρυσό μέσο, 'the Golden Mean'."
"Alright, professor Isles, alright," Jane says with a grin.
When they've turned the next corner, Jane suddenly remembers her car and says, "Oh, by the way, my car's making a weird noise. Do you think you could maybe have a look at it before I take it to a mechanic?
"Yes, of course, I'd be happy to," Maura says. "I can look at it when we get back from the run."
"Great."
"So, any plans for tonight?" Jane asks moments later.
"Yes, I'm attending a fundraiser at L'Espalier for the Boston Children's Hospital."
"Ooh, fancy."
"You want to come?"
"No, thanks," Jane says with a smile. "The Red Sox are playing tonight and Tommy and Frankie are coming over to watch the game at my place. We'll be eating some very fancy pizza and drinking even fancier beer."
Maura smiles as the two women continue to run.
After a while, Maura finds it difficult to keep up with Jane who is clearly feeling invigorated by the run. Maura allows for Jane to get a few feet ahead, not least because she finds watching her friend run mesmerizing. Those strong lean limbs, those perfectly shaped legs, the black curls bobbing up and down, the agility with which she all of a sudden swerves around an old woman walking on the sidewalk. Hold on, why is Jane….
But it's too late. As she braces herself for the moment she's going to hit the sidewalk, Maura realizes that her foot must've got caught on something. When she hears a dog squeal, she figures it's probably the leash connecting the old woman to the squealing dog. As she continues to make her way down to the concrete, Maura notices once again how it's true what people say about time slowing down when something bad happens. It had happened when she had watched Jane shoot herself outside of headquarters and it was happening to her now. Everything around her becomes calm for what feels like seconds. She can see Jane coming to a sudden halt and looking over her shoulder, her expression slowly changing from one of relaxation into one of horror. She can see the panicked look on the old woman's face. She even notices a car driving away in the distance.
But then all of a sudden it is as if time speeds up again as Maura hits the concrete. Immediately a burning sensation makes itself felt in her right wrist and elbow and in both of her knees. As she glides to a halt, the burning sensation turns into outright pain. For a moment, the pain makes her feel nauseous and dizzy. "Oh God," she whimpers. Then she feels Jane's hand on her back and the nausea and dizziness somewhat subside. Maura's still lying on her side, but when she feels Jane's touch, she pushes herself up on her good hand and looks down at her body to take stock of her injuries. The elbow is pretty bloody, but it's especially her knees that are a mess. They're covered in gravel and blood and dirt, and big chunks of skin seem to have been ripped away together with the fabric of her leggings. "Oh my God, Maura," she hears Jane say. She looks to her side and sees that Jane has kneeled down by her side. The old woman has taken a step back and seems uncertain what to do. The dog, a small French bulldog, is now calmly observing the scene in front of him and appears to have fully recovered from being yanked to the side so violently. Maura feels Jane rubbing her back gently and then hears her say again, "My God, Maura, are you alright?"
Making tiny movements with her arms and legs, Maura tests whether she may have sustained any other injuries, whether there might be any sprains or fractures. Fortunately it doesn't feel like there are. She looks Jane in the eye and says, "Yes, I think I'm alright."
Jane lets out a sigh of relief. "Thank God," she says.
"I'm terribly sorry," the old woman offers. "Should I call an ambulance?"
"Oh no, there's no need. And it's not your fault," Maura says. Then the muscles in her face contract all of a sudden as a wave of pain washes over her again. She takes a deep breath to steady herself and then adds, "I simply wasn't paying attention." At that, she can feel Jane study her face and she knows why. It's out of character for her to be so heedless, so negligent.
With big dark eyes full of concern and affection, Jane asks her, "Do you think you'll be able to get up?"
Maura looks down at her body and then slowly nods. "Yes, I think so."
Jane turns to the old woman who's still observing them and says, "I think we can manage from here. We're sorry about this. I hope your dog's okay."
The woman smiles at them hesitantly and asks, "Are you sure?"
When Jane nods, the woman looks at Maura and says, "I hope you'll feel better soon."
Maura smiles an uncomfortable smile, the muscles in her face still responding as much to the pain as to the old woman's well wishes. "Thank you," she says.
"Come on, Charlie," the old woman tells her dog, and the twosome slowly continue on their way.
Relieved that their audience is gone, Maura smiles at Jane.
"My God, Maura, you scared me," Jane says. "Those knees look pretty gross. You want me to drive you to the emergency room?"
"No, there's no need. I have everything I need to treat these wounds at home."
"You mean, you have everything for me to treat your wounds at home?"
"Yes, I'm sorry," Maura says with a tiny smile. "Would you mind?"
Jane rubs Maura's back again gently and responds, "Of course not."
"Do you want me to grab my car and come and pick you up?"
At that, a slight panic appears on Maura's face. "Please don't leave me," she says pleadingly, looking deep into Jane's eyes. Jane returns her gaze with so much warmth and affection that Maura wishes she could hold on to the moment, make it last.
But Jane gets up and stretches her legs as she grabs her phone. "Let me call my mother," she says. "She can come and pick us up."
Catching her mother on her way home from the supermarket, Angela gets there within ten minutes. When she sees Maura sitting on the sidewalk, with her daughter right next to her cross-legged and with a hand on her friend's back, Angela can't help but think how comfortable and peaceful they look together. But when she gets out of the car and sees all the blood and dirt on Maura elbow and knees, the scene quickly loses its calm serenity.
"Oh my God, Maura," she cries out. "What happened to you?"
"She fell, ma," Jane answers drily in Maura's stead.
Maura gives Jane a disapproving look and says, "Thank you, Angela, for coming to pick us up. I tripped over a dog leash."
"Oh my God, is the dog alright?"
"Really, ma?" Jane utters in disbelief. "You're gonna ask whether the dog's alright?"
"Dogs can be really fragile, you know," her mother explains.
"Yes, the dog is fine, Angela," Maura says.
"Ma, if you could open the back door, I'll help Maura into the car," Jane tells her mother.
Looking at Maura warmly, Jane asks, "You think you can stand?"
"Yes, I think I can."
Jane kneels down by her side again and puts an arm around Maura's waist. "Put your good arm around my neck," she says softly.
Feeling Jane's body pressed against her side makes Maura forget about the pain for a moment. But then as Jane uses her legs to push the two of them up into a standing position, the pain floods back in waves. Maura whimpers softly. When Jane hears her friend moan, she stops for a second and asks, "Are you sure this is okay?"
"Yes, just be careful," Maura answers breathlessly.
When she's back on her feet, the pain from stretching her scraped knees makes Maura feel like she might faint. Holding on to Jane more firmly, she presses her forehead against the side of Jane's neck, allowing her head to rest on the detective's shoulder for a moment. After a couple of deep breaths, the dizziness slowly dissipates and Maura lifts her head off of Jane's shoulder again.
"Ready to walk to the car?" Jane asks.
"Yes, I think so."
And like two elderly women, Jane and Maura shuffle to Angela's car. In order to make sure Maura's knees aren't supporting too much of her weight, Jane holds on tightly and lifts her friend off the ground as much as she can. Meanwhile Maura's arm remains firmly lodged around Jane's neck. But despite the slow pace and Jane's strenuous efforts, half way to Angela's car, the pain makes it difficult for Maura to breathe and continue to walk. Breathlessly, she whimpers, "Can we just stop for a second?"
Jane immediately stops and with a look of concern replies, "Of course. Anything I can do to make you more comfortable?"
Maura takes another deep breath and says, "No, let me just catch my breath."
When they get to the car, Angela has already opened the back door which faces the sidewalk. Jane positions Maura right in front of the open door and slowly bends her knees. "Slowly, slowly," she says soothingly as she lowers Maura into the car.
When she finds herself seated on the back seat with her feet still on the sidewalk, Maura takes a deep breath.
Jane takes a look at the state of Maura's legs and says, "Why don't you stretch out your legs across the entire backseat. Maybe that will be the most comfortable."
Maura uses her hands to push herself further into the car, her back first with the rest of her body following. When Maura has moved her whole body onto the back seat, Jane slowly closes the door.
"Ma, let me drive," Jane says to her mother as she holds up her hand to take her mother's car keys.
"Why do you need to drive? I'm a great driver."
Jane gives her a look that says, Really?
Her mother shrugs and quietly hands over the keys.
The drive over to Maura's is uneventful. It only takes them a few minutes and in this neighborhood at this time of day, traffic is light. Sitting in the back seat, watching Jane drive, Maura feels so much love for the detective, who's doing everything in her power to make Maura more comfortable, that it helps her take her mind off the pain. Jane can be so caring for someone so abrasive and impatient, Maura can't help but think.
When they arrive at Maura's house, Jane opens the back door and slowly helps Maura out of the car. When she has moved her bottom to the very edge of the back seat, Maura doesn't ask or wait for permission, but puts her arm around Jane's neck and presses her body against that of the detective.
"Okay, ready?" Jane asks gently.
"Yes."
Jane helps Maura stand and, holding onto her tightly, the two women slowly walk into the house. Angela had walked ahead and opened the door for them, and as she sees Maura and Jane enter the house, she asks, "Where should we put you, Maura?"
The medical examiner thinks for a second and then suggests, "Maybe the couch for now?"
When they've reached the couch, Jane slowly lowers her friend onto the soft cushions and as soon as Maura is seated, Jane sits down next to her and grabs hold of Maura's good hand. "Okay, now tell me how we're going to do this," she says warmly.
"Well, I'd like to shower first."
Jane looks at Maura's knees and tries to imagine what it'll feel like to have water running down those wounds and, as she winces, asks, "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sweaty from the run, and that way I can wash the dirt from the wounds."
"Okay, so what can I do?"
"Well, if you can help me to the bathroom, I think I can manage from there."
Jane helps Maura up and together they slowly make their way to the main bathroom. Jane quickly grabs a towel and puts it on the sink next to the shower, so that Maura won't have to reach for it later. Then she says, "Let me grab you some clothes for when you're done. What should I get you?"
Maura looks down at her elbow and knees and says, "Probably a short skirt and a sleeveless blouse?"
"You've got it."
Jane slowly lets go of her friend and takes a step back to see how well she can stand on her own. When Maura doesn't wobble and when there's no indication that Maura's on the verge of falling down, Jane asks one more time, "Are you sure you can manage?"
Maura smiles at this excess of concern and says, "Yes, I can manage. Now go. I'll call you if I need anything."
"Okay, but let me grab you those clothes first."
Moments later Jane comes back with a black skirt and a blue sleeveless blouse and asks uncertainly, "Is this alright?"
"It is. These actually go well together."
Jane laughs, looking impressed with herself, which makes Maura laugh too.
"Okay, so don't hesitate to shout if you need anything," Jane says as she walks out of the bathroom.
Twenty minutes later, Maura emerges from the bathroom in her black skirt, but with her blouse untucked. As soon as she sees her friend, Jane rushes over and grabs hold of her hand. While supporting her good elbow, she gently guides Maura to the couch.
Maura slowly sits down as Jane continues to support her elbow until she's fully seated. Then Jane lets go and takes a step back to inspect the wounds. Without all the gravel and dirt, she decides, the wounds definitely look not as bad.
"Okay, Dr. Isles, what do you need me to do?"
"Well, could you first get me some ibuprofen from the kitchen cabinet and a glass of water?"
When Jane hears her mother in the kitchen shout, "I'll get it," she smiles at Maura and says, "We're on it. What next?"
"Well, in that drawer over there…, "Jane turns her head to make sure she knows which drawer Maura's pointing at, "… there's a medicine box. If you could just take that out."
Jane walks over to the chest of drawers and retrieves a white box with a red cross on it. She holds it up and asks, "Is this it?"
"Yes, that's the one," Maura answers as she accepts the pills and glass of water from Angela.
Jane walks back over to Maura and kneels down by her side.
"What we need is an antibiotic ointment and some sterile bandages."
Jane holds up a yellow and white tube and asks, "Like this one?"
"Yes, Neosporin. That'll do. So what you'll do is, you'll wash your hands, then you'll check the wounds to make sure there aren't any foreign particles left in the damaged tissue. If there are, you'll need tweezers to remove them, and you'll need to put the tweezers in boiling water for 15 minutes and then soak them in Isopropyl alcohol."
"Okay, hold on," Jane says as she walks into the kitchen to wash her hands. When she kneels down by Maura's side again moments later, she carefully inspects the wounds, fortunately without finding any 'foreign particles'.
"The wounds look pretty clean to me," she says.
"Well, then you can put the ointment on all the wounds and cover them with the bandage rolls. Make sure that the gauze covers the whole wound. You can use that tape over there to make sure the bandages stay put."
"Where shall I start?" Jane asks.
Maura holds out her elbow and says, "Why don't you start here."
Jane works meticulously for a couple of minutes, gently applying the ointment and then covering the wounds on the elbow, wrist, and knees with lots of gauze. From the grimaces on Maura's face, especially when she applies the ointment, Jane can tell that touching the wounds must be painful, but the medical examiner doesn't complain and calmly undergoes Jane's ministrations.
When she's done, Jane looks Maura in the eye and says with a smile, "All done."
"Well, actually," Maura says, "could you please also apply some Neosporin on the wound on my hipbone? I didn't notice the wound until I took a shower, but it's better if we cover that one up too." She lifts the hem of her blouse to show Jane the wound. The skin on the right hipbone is badly scraped and looks rather painful.
"Are you sure you don't want to do that one yourself?" Jane asks.
Maura grimaces and says, "Touching the wounds hurts, and it's easier when someone else does it."
"Alright."
Jane puts some ointment on her finger and as she moves her finger onto the wound, a shiver runs down her spine. She looks up and catches Maura's eye. For a few seconds, the two women lose themselves in each other's eyes. Jane's hand has stopped and her breathing has become shallow. Then all of a sudden a voice from the kitchen breaks up the moment. "How are you girls doing?" Angela shouts.
The shock of the interruption causes Jane to push her finger further into the wound. Maura cries out.
"I'm so sorry," Jane says as she winces.
Maura gives her a reassuring smile and says, "It's alright." Then she adds more loudly, so Angela can hear, "We're doing well. If Jane ever decides to quit the force she'd make an excellent nurse."
"Jane, I'd love it if you'd become a nurse," her mother yells back.
"So I can help people who get hurt rather than get hurt myself?" Jane asks.
"Exactly," her mother responds.
Then Jane moves her attention back to Maura and says, "Want me to use one of those large Band-Aids for this one?"
"Sure, as long as it covers the wound."
Jane finds a packet with extremely large Band-Aids in the medicine box and gently applies one to Maura's hipbone. When she's done, Maura tucks in her blouse and give Jane a big smile. "There. All set."
"Has the ibuprofen kicked in yet?"
"Yes, I think so. But I'm not sure I'm really up for looking at your car today."
"Oh God, don't even think about it," Jane says as she gets up to get herself a glass of water. "I'll just take it to a mechanic."
Maura looks down at her elbow and knees, now completely covered in white bandages, and says sadly, "I'll look awful at the fundraiser tonight. And I bought such a beautiful dress especially for the occasion."
Having reemerged from the kitchen, Jane frowns at Maura and says, "Are you crazy? You should just stay here tonight. Just write them a check or something."
"You think?" Maura asks uncertainly.
"Hell yeah," Jane replies.
Then Jane turns to her mother and says, "Ma, I'm gonna go home and shower and take the car to a mechanic. Could you fix Maura some lunch?"
"Jane…," Maura starts, but Jane interrupts her and insists, "Just let my mother make you a sandwich, it's really no big deal. Let her take care of you a bit."
When she hears her daughter's words, Angela walks over to the couch and says warmly, "Maura, I'll be more than happy to get you some lunch. I could even drive somewhere and pick you up something fancy."
"See?" Jane says with a grin.
"Alright then. Thank you Angela."
"Okay, I'll be back later," Jane says. "You take it easy now."
"I'll make sure she does," her mother says.
"Thanks ma," Jane replies as she affectionately pats her mother's back.
When she gets home, Jane quickly showers and then heads out again. She drives over to one of her favorite sandwich places and as she places her order, she realizes that she's around the corner from Giovanni's garage. She quickly eats her sandwich, drives over to the garage, parks her car out front, and walks inside.
At first, the place looks empty, but then Giovanni emerges from behind an old Chevy wiping his oil-stained hands on an already dirty piece of white cloth.
"Jane Rizzoli. Looking hot," he says with a broad smile and a twinkle in his eye. He walks over to Jane and stands right in front of her in his blue overalls with his hands on his hips, looking her up and down.
"Lay it off, Giovanni," Jane says reproachfully, hoping to prevent the inevitably avalanche of flirtatious, if not altogether lecherous, comments and looks.
But Giovanni can't help himself and, while giving Jane a cheeky smile, says, "So, how's …," but stops midsentence and frowns, obviously unable to remember the name he's looking for.
It takes Jane a moment to realize he must be referring to Maura. For a second, she had forgotten that Giovanni had been pursuing Maura and that to get him to stop they'd ended up pretending to be a couple. How weird to be reminded of that episode now, with everything that had been going on. When Jane realizes that Giovanni is staring at her and obviously waiting for her to supply the name, she quickly says, "… uh, Maura?"
"Yeah," Giovanni says as he smiles, "the hot blonde one."
Jane can't help but roll her eyes.
"You two…." Giovanni continues.
"Yes, Giovanni, we're still together. Now will you look at my car? It makes a weird noise."
"So you're still batting for the other team?"
"Giovanni, oh my God, will you just look at my car or should I go someplace else?"
"Because, you remember Guido?" Giovanni continues, with his mind obviously stuck on the lesbian track.
"What, Guido Salucci?"
"Yeah, so Guido says…"
"Hold on, you know that Guido is a moron, right?"
"That guy is real smart. I swear. Anyways, so Guido says that some women, you know, some lesbians, they actually want the bisexual."
"They want the bisexual?"
"Yeah, you know, they want to be with a man and a woman."
"Oh God," Jane whimpers.
"Anyways, so I thought that if you and Maura…"
Jane braces herself for what comes next.
"… ever want the bisexual…"
"For Pete's sake, just look at my car!" Jane cries out.
"Alright, no need to get upset. Jeez, Jane. You know, there's no hurt in asking," Giovanni says with a smirk.
"Is that what Guido says? 'There's no hurt in asking'?"
Giovanni smiles his most lascivious smile yet and says "Yeah."
"Well, you know how many people end up murdered because they just asked?"
"For real?" Giovanni looks both shocked and impressed.
"No, of course not," Jane answers, almost unable to believe the display of utter stupidity in front of her.
"Ah, Jane, you messin' with me?" Giovanni asks with another broad smile as he bobs his head up and down and points a playful finger at her.
"Yes, I'm just messing with you. But unless you want me to really mess with you…," and Jane allows for a long pause and a dark look to underscore that she's not kidding anymore, "would you mind looking at my car? It makes a weird noise when I start it."
"Sure thing," Giovanni says as he takes a step back and looks down bashfully. "I'll give you a call when I know what's up. That sound good?" he asks with all the bravado gone from his voice.
"Yes. Thank you, Giovanni. But can you make sure it's today?"
Giovanni takes a moment and, as the cheeky smile returns to his face, says,
"Jane, you're looking so hot today, I'll squeeze you in."
Minding his coarse comments a lot less when it means she may have her car back sooner rather than later, Jane gives him a smile in return. "Well, I'll see you soon then," she says.
"Sure thing. And tell Mrs Rizz I say hi. I saw her the other day and she was real nice to me. Gave me some good relationship advice too," Giovanni says, giving Jane a knowing look.
"Well, that's nice."
"Yeah, and it's nice she likes your girlfriend."
Jane feels her heart beat faster.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, she said she was real glad she could stay with her after Mr Rizz left her for that hot chick."
The thought of both Tommy and her father sleeping with Lydia makes Jane squirm for a second, but then her mind quickly brings her back to the fact that Giovanni—who happens to think Maura and she are a couple—discussed the medical examiner with her mother. What did this moron tell her?
"What did you say to my mother?" Jane asks menacingly.
"Hey, whoa, we were just having a nice conversation. I didn't try to hit on her or anything."
"God I hope not. But what did you say?"
"I didn't say anything," Giovanni says defensively.
Realizing that, unless she offers Giovanni some kind of explanation of the situation, she's not going to get a straight answer from him, Jane decides to drop the matter.
"Okay, never mind. Let me know when the car's done."
"Sure, Jane. I'll let you know."
Jane turns around, calls a cab, and lets the taxi drive her back to Maura's.
