Chapter 21. A Day Rent Asunder

Jane felt a cold stab of fear pierce her heart at Frankie's words.

"Are you sure, Frankie?" she asked.

"Yeah, Jane. Nothing else it could be. I'm sorry."

Jane refused to give in to panic. She turned to Frost. "Where's the bus? Constance needs to go to the hospital. Did you call Korsak?"

"I just called him. He pulled Angela aside to tell her the wedding's delayed a bit. He'll be here shortly. The bus just pulled up outside," Frost said as two EMTs came in. They knelt down beside Constance and began checking her vital signs. As one attendant checked her pulse Constance's eyes began to flutter.

"Maura, who are…wait, where's my daughter?" Constance nearly screamed. Jane crouched down next to her. "Oh, Jane, there you are. I must have hit my head I guess…no, that doesn't seem right. Is Maura ready to go?"

"Constance, Maura isn't here right now. Can you try to remember what happened?" Constance gazed at Jane in confusion.

"Why isn't she here? Did she leave without me? Oh, that man!"

"What man, Constance. Can you describe him?"

"I'll try. Where's Maura? He didn't hurt her did he?" she asked Jane.

Heaven help him if he does, Frost thought. As Constance rattled off what details she could remember he jotted them in his notebook. The EMTs loaded Constance into the ambulance and took her to the hospital. Jane promised Constance that Maura would be okay.

Frankie and Frost scoured the rest of the house, looking for clues. The perpetrator entered through the bathroom window. The crime scene team took photos of the bathroom and scooped up glass from the floor as well as the window itself, checking for any DNA that might help. Beyond this they had no leads, until they heard from the kidnapper.

Jane was pacing the living room. "Where the hell is she? Who would kidnap Maura? She hasn't a mean bone in her body." Frost looked at Jane. She was on the verge of completely losing it.

Korsak joined them, reviewed Frost's notes with him and talked with Jane. She couldn't calm down.

"This is my wife we're talking about, Korsak! She's out there, some nut snatched her for God knows what reason and we have to find her. If I have to walk every street in this city and beyond, I'll find her," Jane collapsed, sobbing, on the sofa. Korsak pulled her into his arms and held her.

"Don't worry about it, kid. We've got this. Frost and I are going back to the precinct. There has to be some connection in one of Maura's cases. We'll find her, Jane, I promise and then the two of you can have the day you deserve." With a glance at Frost the two detectives left. Frankie sat down next to Jane.

"They're right, Janie. They'll find her."

"I meant what I said, Frankie. I'll start walking the streets, down by the old warehouse district. A lot of places to hide a woman in a wedding dress."

Frost and Korsak started reviewing old case files in their heads en route to Boston PD.

"Let's see, there's that one case Maura had, her in depth autopsy put Adam Sellers in prison for manslaughter when the original medical examiner ruled it a suicide. Has he been released?"

"Make a note of that one, Korsak and I'll run it when we get there. What about the Benson case? Maura testified in court for over two days about the forensics on that one. The husband killed the wife and the children were sent to foster care. Think any of the children are harboring feelings against Dr. Isles?"

Korsak sighed. "I hope not, Frost. I hope Maura's fine. Maybe the nut job who took her just has a thing for brides and releases her soon."

"Unharmed, too, Korsak. Dr. Isles doesn't deserve this," Frost said.

Jane sobbed into Frankie's shirt so much it was soaked with her tears. He held her, rubbing her back and trying to soothe her when Angela walked in the door.

"Oh, my baby!" she cried and rushed to Jane. Frankie stood up and embraced his mother.

"Come with me, Ma, I want to tell you something," he said in Angela's ear and pulled her away.

"Ma, be careful with her. She's devastated that Maura's been kidnapped."

"What's being done to find her?" Angela demanded.

"Frost and Korsak are back at the precinct, reviewing old cases for any connection. Several uniformed cops are questioning informants for info, we've basically turned BPD inside out to put as many people on this as possible. Be gentle with her, Ma."

"Of course, Frankie. You going to help?" she asked. Frankie nodded grimly. My uni is in my car. I'm heading out to the warehouse district. Tell Jane I love her and we'll find Maura in no time. What did you tell the wedding guests?"

"I asked Frank to tell them Maura had a wardrobe malfunction and the wedding was postponed."

"Good. Thanks, Ma."

Angela sat down next to Jane and pulled her daughter into her arms. She began rocking Jane back and forth.

"Ma, we have to find her," Jane said in a small, weak voice.

"You will. Maura is such a lovely woman, she doesn't deserve this. God will look after her. She'll be home soon."

Jane tried to take comfort in her mother's words but she was broken.

Korsak was pulling old case files when his phone rang.

"Yeah, Rice what do you have?" Korsak asked, then listened. Frost turned to the older detective and watched Korsak's reactions.

"Where was the body found?" Korsak asked quietly. Frost watched Korsak scribble down an address and end the call. Korsak hesitated briefly before looking over at Frost.

"A woman's body, dressed in a wedding dress, was found at 11468 Elm. It's a vacant lot not far from the waterfront," Korsak said grimly.

"Was Rice able to ID the body?"

"No. She's face down, deceased. He didn't want to disturb anything. Frost, her hair coloring and body style match Dr. Isles. We have to get over there."

"What about Jane?"

"I'll call her." Korsak opened his phone and dialed Jane.

Jane heard her phone ring. She jumped up, nearly pushing Angela off the couch.

"Yeah, Korsak, what is it?"

"Jane, we just got a call. Rice found a woman in a wedding dress on Elm. 11468. It's down by the waterfront."

"Great, Korsak, I'll be there in a few minutes."

Jane looked at Angela. "Ma, I gotta go. They found Maura."

"I'll head over to the hospital and check on Constance, you call me when you know," Angela said and left.

Jane drove to the site as quickly as she could. She felt relief that Maura had been found. Seeing the police cruisers as well as Korsak's car, she jumped out.

Just as quickly Frankie restrained her.

"Frankie, what the hell? I want to see Maura."

"No, Jane you don't. What Korsak didn't tell you on the phone was that Rice called in finding the body of a woman dressed in a wedding dress that matches Maura's description. We just got here. They're trying to determine if it's Maura."

Jane heard the words but failed to comprehend their meaning. "You mean Maura's dead?"

TBC.