Here is the next one. I hope you will like it. And thank you for reading.
T73
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I walk her to the door and take a deep breath. I lean in and kiss her gently. "Be safe."
She smiles broadly at me and runs a hand over my bare arm. "You too. Do you want me to come by again later?"
I lift an eyebrow, "That would be nice, but I also could come to your place."
She shrugs, "It's up to you, Jane. Give me a call."
I nod my head and open the door ... and freeze instantly.
Korsak and Frost are standing in the hallway.
The older man has his fist raised, ready to knock.
Both men stare blankly at me and Maura.
She lowers her chin. "Sergeant. Detective." she mumbles before she rushes out of my apartment.
"Doc," they say in unison.
I want to die right here and right now but I pretend that nothing happened.
I let the two men enter my apartment. "You want something to drink?"
"Beer," Korsak says.
I walk to the fridge and open its door.
I take three bottles of beer out of it and hand two of them to my friends. "Did you found something in Liam's apartment?"
Korsak sips his beer and nods, "Pretty much indeed."
I am about to open my own bottle and frown, "This means?"
Frost put his bottle in his neck and groans, "We be up shit crick without a paddle."
"Why?"
"Liam wasn't a simple fishmonger," Korsak answers and hands me a copy of a photo with Liam. "He was a stooge of The Indomitable."
I stare at the copy and the blood in my veins runs ice cold.
All the efforts to keep Frankie and me safe, in vain.
I have more or less sealed our doom.
Unless ...
I abandon my beer and walk into my bedroom and take the other phone from the drawer of my bedside table.
I dial a number and hold the device to my ear.
"Hey, Speedy."I hear Tory's voice.
I have to suppress a growl, "Can you give me CJ's number?"
He laughs, "Are you looking for fun?"
"Just ... give me the fucking phone number."
He tells me her phone number and I walk back into my living room.
The her phone rings three times.
"Hey, Jane." CJ purrs and I can see her smile.
I stare at the two men and lick my lips. I only have one shot. "Hey, to whom are you loyal?"
She is quiet for a moment and then laughs, "To the highest bidder. To whom are you loyal?"
"Myself. Do you know who Liam Sullivan is?"
"A bad guy," she says elongated. "What do you have to do with him?"
"In a nutshell, he was murdered by Tory's thug."
She pauses for a moment. "Oh."
I nod to myself. "Yeah, and I like to be alive."
"What do you want me to do?"
I glance over my shoulder and take a deep breath. "I want to step up on the ladder, but Tory is trying to keep me down. I'm not made for small jobs. I want to ..."
"Make a name, Speedy?" she interrupts me.
I turn to Frost and Korsak and nod my head again, "Yeah."
"So ..." she sighs. "What can I do for you, Jane?"
I hesitate for a moment. I have to trust someone in that fricking racer scene, "Set up a race for me. Preferably with one driver of the crews in Boston."
She is quiet for a moment. "Is there a reason why you betray Tory?"
"You mean Terry," I growl.
She is quiet again. "Yeah."
I decide to tell her the truth. "I don't like to wake up with a knife in my back."
CJ clears her throat, "I set it up."
I start to breathe again. "Thank you."
"You owe me one, Jane."
I smile, "Sure thing." I say and end the call.
Korsak glances worriedly at me. "What are you doing?"
I place my hands on the surface of my counter and sigh.
Frost knows me too good, "Jane?"
I look at him and swallow hard, "I keep myself alive."
Korsak lowers his half emptied bottle and stares at me.
"Just let me do it," I sigh. "I know what I am doing."
"You sure?" he growls. "Because your plan sounds like a damn suicide attempt.
I roll my eyes, "Vince, we have to bring down Tory and his brother. And I am sure when he hears that there will be a race with drivers from every crew, he or Tory will attend the race. Reinforce the patrols on that day when the race should take place and arrest the drivers."
"You included?" Frost asks.
I glare at him." No I shouldn't be arrested. We go after the arrests drinking a cup of coffee." I pause and furrow angrily my eyebrows. "Of course me too!" I say louder and Korsak chuckles. "Or do you want me to get killed?"
"And how does that help us to bring down the Bennett brothers?" Frost replies.
Shit, I haven't thought my plan through thoroughly. I raise my eyebrows, "We'll find a reason."
Korsak sips his beer and frowns. "So ... what did Dr. Isles do here?"
I choke on my beer and glance at him, "Uh ... she has asked about my well-being."
Frost and Korsak exchange glances.
"Really?" Frost says with a smug smile. "And therefor she needed two and a half hours? That must have been a detailed check-up."
"Does Dr. Isles' boyfriend know that you are sleeping with her?" Korsak asks.
My eyes snaps to his. I must have misheard. Her what?"
Maura hasn't mentioned a boyfriend. I would have never gotten involved with her if I'd known that she is in a relationship.
Like hell I would.
I clench my teeth and swallow hard. I feel cheated.
Korsak furls his eyebrows, "She did told you that she is in a relationship, didn't she?"
I blink a few times, "Yeah, sure. Would you excuse me?"
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I stomp through the corridor of the lab.
I still haven't processed the news that Korsak has shared with me.
And I am mad as hell.
And when I am mad no one better should mess with me ... or lie to me.
Many offenders got to know that.
And Maura will get to know that too.
I round the corner to Maura's office and I see her sitting behind her high-end desk, typing something into her laptop. A large bouquet of flowers is on her desk.
She jumps a little as I enter her office and looks up at me, "Jane? I wasn't expecting you."
I don't react on that and point at the flowers. "Is the bouquet from your boyfriend?"
The smile on her lips disappears again, "My what?"
"You heard me," I respond louder and several heads of the lab employees turns to her office. "Your boyfriend, the one you forgotten to mention. Korsak told me that he was in the BPD today."
She gets up from her chair, walks over to the door and closes it, "Could you please lower your voice?"
"No," I reply loudly. "I'm pissed off. You lied to me. You knew that my ex-girlfriend cheated on me and you didn't say that you are in a relationship. God, I'm so stupid. How could I believe that you are seriously interested in me. That was too good to be true. You're not a bit better than Melanie. With the difference that I didn't proposed to you. But you're just a liar and a cheater, too. I should have never trusted you. Never."
"Jane, please listen to me,' Maura says with pleading eyes. "I have not lied to you. I am not able to lie. I can't lie. And I don't have a boyfriend. But ... the thing is complicated."
"Yeah, sure." I snarl. "So fucking complicated. Your whole damn life is so complicated."
"Listen to me. Martin is my ex-boyfriend. We were together when I still lived in California and we were madly in love with each other. It was pretty serious." she sighs and licks her lips. "We moved in together at some point. And suddenly Martin changed. He was no longer the sweet guy that always made laugh. He got imperious and ... aggressive. He withdrew from me and blamed me that I am a little quirky. When we went out then he made me look like a fool in front of all of his friends. He started drinking, a lot. And that's why he hurt me, not physically but emotionally. Eventually, I couldn't bear it anymore and left him. Shortly after I even left California." she pauses and shakes her head and my anger vanishes. "I came back to Boston to start a new life and then you stumble into my life and turned it upside down." she points at the bouquet. "The flowers ... I had no idea from whom they were until now. I even haven't noticed them because I was lost in my thoughts when I came into my office. I didn't even know that he is in Boston. He hates Boston."
I stare at Maura and breathe heavily. I do feel anger in my veins, but not because of her anymore. But because of this son of a bitch who has hurt her so much. And because of him for making me believe that she is dishonest. I inhale sharply through my nose and clench my teeth. Apparently I have to teach him manners. "He's stalking you?"
She looks worriedly at me and places an hand on my arm, "Don't. Don't do anything stupid. He's not worth it."
I am a cop, a protectress. And deaf when it comes to physical or psychological violence.
Especially if thereby someone is affected that I love. That makes me even more mad. Ask Frankie and Tommy. Many school enemies have lost teeth. "What's his last name?"
Maura looks through me, "Jane ..."
"I'm not kidding, Maura. His last name."
She sighs, "Lester. His name is Martin Lester."
I growl and want to leave the office again, ready to kick Martin Lester's sorry ass. What can happen? That Martin Lester ends up dead in a sewer? Doubtful.
"Jane,"Maura says and I turn back to her. "Please don't do anything stupid."
I walk back to her and place an hand on her cheek, a frown is crawling up on my forehead. "I love you. Hear me? With flaws and all. And absolutely no one is allowed to hurt someone I love. And no one messes with the one I love. Absolutely no one."
She closes her eyes and a tear runs down her cheek and I know that she has never experienced such a affection.
And it breaks my heart.
All the affection of my Ma was natur for me. It never crossed my mind that there could be people whose feelings are neglected.
I mean, I would never voluntarily lay down with a serial killer in a bad and cuddle with him or her.
But we are not born as who we are today. There is always a reason that we become who we are. We're designed that way that we need love and affection.
Otherwise, you are becoming crazy and apathetic. Never a good combination.
Rather a seeding ground for psychopaths.
Given the circumstances I am starting to wonder how Maura could become such a wonderful person.
Maybe she's an axe murder. But I don't care now.
I lean in and kiss her lips gently, without ulterior motives and she kisses me back.
I break the kiss and stare into her eyes, "I love you."
She still has her eyes closed, "I love you too."
"Do you trust me?"
She opens her hazel eyes again and nods once. "Yes."
I smile a little, "Good." I say and leave the office.
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I sit at my desk and stare at my computer screen. I haves checked Martin Lester.
He's a good standing citizen of San Francisco. He has reprimanded because of parking and drunk driving. According to the photo, he's handsome.
He have dark hair and light brown eyes and a perfect smile. What else?
Moreover, he's an successful investment broker.
Technically, the two are made for each other.
Let's consider it: a successful investment broker and the wealthy Chief Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Or a blue-collar Homicide Detective and the wealthy Chief Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts ...
I certainly have no inferiority complex, but let's be realistic.
I would stand no chance.
"Who is that?" Frankie breathes into my ear as he looks at my screen.
I close the electronic file with a click on my computer mouse and sigh. "Listen, I'm sorry for my blowup at the crime scene."
He waves his hand and walks to the coffee maker. "It was also my fault." he thrusts his chin to my screen. "Is this a new target?"
I sigh again and shake my head, "No, he's Maura's ex-boyfriend."
"Is he about to lose some teeth?" he asks and sips his coffee.
I glance at him and grin. Sometimes I could hit him but we're always on the same page.
My brother walks over to a table, "Need some backup?"
I start to chuckle. Korsak and Frost are great partners. Especially after all we went through.
But they are nothing to a great brother like Frankie or Tommy.
We were always each other's backup. No matter what.
I shake my head and smile, "I tell you if I need a bodyguard because of him."
He sits down at the group table, "How serious is it between the two of you?"
I sigh, "Pretty serious ..." I pause. "I think."
"You've fallen hard." he laughs.
I make a face, "Shut up."
He laughs even harder.
I join him because I am caught, "Shut up." I repeat and he laughs harder. "Dam it!"
Dam it!
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I stand at Maura's front door and am about to knock when I hear loud voices through the door. It doesn't sound like a couple having sex. It sounds more like an loud argument.
I can Maura's voice and a male voice which I assume belongs to Martin Lester.
What the hell?
I decide not to knock and to enter the house like I would live there too. "Hey, Maura." I announce my presence and round the corner.
And there he is. Martin Laster in full-seize. He is tall and beefy.
And stands to close to Maura for my taste.
She seems to be relieved that I let myself in and walks to me, "Jane."
I wrap an arm around her waist and pull her closer. "Hey, babe? We have a visitor?"
"Martin is about to leave." she answers.
Martin stares at us in disbelief, "Are you serious, Maura? You are leaving me for a fucking dyke?" he barks with a deep voice.
"Hey," I snarl and make a step forward.
She holds me back, "I can't leave you, Martin, because we are not together anymore. I ask you to leave my house now."
"Or what," he asks.
"Or I make you leave." I answer.
"You beanpole want to make me leave?" he laughs.
I clench my fists, "Try me."
He becomes serious when he notes that I am not kidding. "You are crazy if you really think that I am leaving."
Within seconds, I have put a wristlock on him and he howls in pain, bending over.
I lean to his ear, "Never mess with a police officer." I growl low and lead him to the door before I open it. "And now get lost."
He stumbles out of the door and has wide eyes, "You're ... you're crazy." he yells.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." I grumble and shut the door with a bang. I walk back in the living room and glance at Maura, "You okay?"
She nods her head. "Yes. Thank goodness you are here. He just showed up. I don't know how he got my address."
I went to her and tug a strand of hair behind her ear I've tried to call you but you didn't picked up so I got worried. Luckily."
She sighs and smiles a little, "Do you want something to drink?"
I nod my head, "Sure. Bring me a glass of your fancy wine."
Her smile grows bigger, "Actually ... I prepared myself for your visits and bought beer for you."
I stare at her and raise my eyebrows. "Really?"
She lifts her eyebrows briefly and and walks to her fridge and takes a bottle out of it.
I open it and glance at its label. "Nice. Blue Moon."
She takes a deep breath and walks to her couch, "A pretty exiting day."
I follow her and sit down next to her, "Indeed."
She is quiet for a moment, "What happened between you and Melanie?"
I sip my beer and shrug my shoulders. "We were together and broke up again."
Maura sips her wine and licks her lips. "But that's not the whole story."
"What do you mean?"
"Today, in my office, you said that the only difference between Melanie and me would be that you didn't proposed to me."
Crap. Did I really said that in my tantrum?
Well, I would want to have an explanation if I would be in her shoes.
I lean back and take a deep breath, "She left me more or less at the altar. We were long together. With Melanie I had the first serious relationship, ever. You know, first true love and such things. We were happy and my mother has also accepted her. You've met her. She can be exhausting and intrusive." I say and she smiles a little. "We moved in together and everything was fine. Well, at least I thought so. I was so busy with my professional education that I didn't noticed that Melanie was cheating on me. May I only turned a blind eye to it. I don't know." I say and sniffle. Talking or just thinking about it does still hurt. I am great at bottling up my feelings. "However, I stood at the altar and was happy through and through. This should be our big day. And the wedding march was already played, but she didn't came down the aisle. I already knew that something was odd. Don't ask me, I just knew it. So I asked my then best friend, my best man, if he know what was going on. Randy just shrugged and told me that Melanie probably eloped with his brother Sam. They would sleep with each other already foe one and a half years. My world shattered. I was willed to marry an unfaithful woman and my best friend knew it. And he didn't said a damn word. All three of them made me look like a fool. Melanie and Sam and Randy. That should never happen again, so I've hardened my heart against love. I've got involved with a woman here and then. I didn't live a life of a nun. But I didn't gave love another chance. And then you came into my life."
Maura smiles broadly and takes my hand in her own, "We're a strange couple."
I start to chuckle and nod, "Yes, we are."
She runs an hand over my nape and takes a deep breath, "You should wear your hair open more often."
"Noted," I say and lean in, kissing her gently.
She breaks away and read in my eyes, "What should we do?"
I put off my shoes and lay down on the couch, placing my head on her lap. "We should relax."
She laughs and runs an hand through my hair, "You mean, you should relax."
I close my eyes and smile, "Mhm." I hum.
Instantly my exhaustion is noticeable and sleep surrounds me.
