Jane, Maura, and the rest of those in attendance for the fundraising dinner settled into a long, narrow room almost completely taken up by one very long, massive table. The light tan, textured paint that ran around the bottom half of the walls and the almost teal green paint that ran along the upper half of the walls greatly clashed with most of the outfits worn by the ladies and gentlemen currently seated and quietly talking as best they could along the rectangular table.
Having been the first to enter the room, Jane and Maura were seated at the end of the table and almost right next to the wall, just below a flat screen television, which was currently off. Gigi had opted to swing in quickly to take a seat immediately next to the wall and right beside Maura.
Next to Jane sat Amanda with Heather next to her. Across from Gigi was Ripp. To his side, Carlene happily sat, ever his contented wife. Next to her sat Cricket with Blake by her side and immediately across from Amanda. Thus, the regular players in this week's activities, with the exception of Sharon, were arranged into what an outsider looking in could easily describe as a wagon circle of overly polished and highly annoyed women with oblivious husbands interspersed for looks.
Sharon's seat was directly across from Heather, but it was unoccupied, and her husband, Zach, kept looking to his left with a worried expression at the absences of his wife. As the attendees settled at the twenty-six place settings along the table, a glass was tapped, bringing everyone to silence.
At the far end of the table, away from the wall with the television and the empty seat, stood Sharon. Dressed in something reminiscent of the latest Fashion Barbie style and smiling brightly as her top bounced along with the rest of her in her excitement, she carefully set the glass down and clasped her hands together.
"Hi y'all," she said, voice bright with excitement. Gigi winced. Cricket rolled her eyes. Carlene smiled brightly, and Maura and Jane's expression remained unchanged. "Welcome to the First Annual Dinner for Children with Something!" Sharon gave a little giggle of excitement. "I'd like to thank everyone here. The cost of your three course meal tonight will go to benefit all those children with something, and I want to extend a special thank you to Doctor Maura Isles and her family's charitable organization, the Isles Foundation, for agreeing to match the total price of tonight's combined plates. Thank you, Doctor Isles!" Sharon gave an energetic clap, while the rest gave much more conservative claps. Maura smiled gently and gave a nod in response.
As Sharon spoke about the meal, the fundraising so far, and other various assorted items associated with the week's charitable events, Cricket leaned over to Carlene and whispered, "If she bounces anymore tonight, none of us are going to wonder what Zach sees in the bedroom."
"We'll just have to pray the structural integrity of her dress maintains through the night," Carlene whispered, closing her eyes briefly.
Across from them, Jane and Maura maintained quiet and polite attention to the night's hostess, though Jane's eyes flicked quickly over when she heard the low murmurs of the other women. Waiting until Sharon's speech was over, the clapping had quieted down, and Blake and Ripp were engaged with conversations with people other than their wives, Jane said to Maura smoothly and loud enough for the others around her to hear, "It's clear that Sharon put in a lot of time and effort for tonight. The room is lovely, her dress is very fitting for her, and I'm excited to finally try something from here. I've read this restaurant has high reviews by the local patrons."
Maura raised an eyebrow at the tone and demeanor of Jane's comment, but decided to follow along. "Yes, I think she's done a wonderful job, and I believe her dress is a Chanel."
Jane nodded. "I think that shade of pink is lovely on her. Don't you, Cricket?" Jane turned a cool gaze to the woman directly across from her.
"Well, it's certainly eye catching," Cricket said with a raise of her eyebrow and a tilt of her head. "Modesty notwithstanding."
"At least her cross is straight," Carlene said with a sigh.
"Straight is relative," Jane said before picking up her water glass to take a sip.
"Indeed," Maura's polite smile never wavered. "Seeing something as straight and it actually being so are often two different things."
"How do you measure straight, Cricket?" Jane gently returned her glass to the table, that same calm, cool expression still on her face. "As a woman who deals in fashion design, among other things, I'm sure you have to find a way to determine the straightness of something all the time, don't you?"
"There's a fine art to it," Cricket said, posturing a bit. "When you don't have the right tools to measure the waywardness of something, sometimes you have to improvise."
"Having the right tools for the job is important," Maura agreed. "Fortunately, Jane always has the rights tools for anything needs I have."
"That," Jane said with a small smirk on her face, "is also a fine art."
Cricket's eyes widened a bit, but, before she could speak, Carlene broke back into the conversation. "The Bible tells us the importance of being prepared. Have you read it? Those portions, I mean?" She was clearly raising the stakes.
"Of course," the doctor turned to thank the waiter who had just set down her salad.
"I was raised Catholic," the detective answered as she patiently waited for everyone to receive their first course. "I'm well versed in the Bible, and, in fact, I can recite a great deal of the Scripture."
Carlene smiled. "Oh, really? What's your favorite verse?"
Not missing a beat, Jane coolly answered, "Song of Solomon has always been a favorite of mine." She looked to Maura, eyes growing less harsh. "Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is stronger than death." She looked back to Carlene. "Song of Solomon, 8:6."
Cricket rolled her eyes as Carlene took in a harsh gasp of air. "Song of Solomon is for married couples to express their love and devotion to each other." She took in another breath to speak, but Jane cut her off, again looking to Maura.
"Jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord." Jane gave Maura a secretive smile before turning back to a red-faced Carlene. "Many water cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it. Song of Solomon 8:6 to 8:7." She picked up her knife and fork to cut the salad into more bite sized pieces as she spoke, looking to her food instead of her opponent. "I believe that means the fire of love is God's gift to us, and, once one finds that kind of love, no one and nothing can extinguish that Divine gift." She looked to the honey brunette at her side. "Don't you?"
A blush had flowed across Maura's face as Jane spoke, and it took all her will power to remain composed instead of turning into the teenaged, love stricken girl she had suddenly found herself mentally to be. "That would be my interpretation, yes."
"Yes, the Lord does sanctify the marriage between a man and woman," Carlene said, her voice becoming more absolute in purpose as she spoke.
The sound of his wife's voice pulled Ripp from his conversation with Gigi, and, sensing something was about to happen, he quickly stepped in. "Gigi, I think we pulled ourselves away. Enough about the oil market," he said with a happy smile. "What are you girls talking about?"
"Love and marriage," Jane answered before taking a bite of her salad.
"Yes, it's quite the institution," Maura said from behind her water glass. "Though I'm certain some would see it more in terms of a working business relationship, as it could be argued to be."
Cricket snorted. Ripp glanced to the women on his side of the table, and quickly tried to change direction. "Doctor Isles, it was really nice of your organization to donate to my wife's charity. It's important to help these children with something."
"Thank you," she gave a nod to indicate she was willing to turn directions. "When I worked with Doctors Without Borders, I came to realize the importance of helping the impoverished."
"I didn't know they cut up dead people. I thought they only helped with the living," Cricket jumped on this new information.
"Did you know," Jane stepped in again, ignoring Ripp's attempt to redirect away from the tension building at their end of the table, "It is entirely possible to commit the perfect homicide?"
Ignoring the jarring feel she had injected with her seemingly random comment, Jane placed her utensils in their proper place, indicating she was finished with her course, and continued on as though she were commenting on the weather. "Someone with an incredibly high IQ, a very keen eye for detail, an extensive knowledge of the human antimony, and intimate knowledge of forensics and how to prevent forensic evidence from appearing at a crime scene could easily do it. It's likely to be even more successful if that person has an accomplice who can vouch for their whereabouts, provide specific knowledge of how crimes are investigated, and knows the tricks used by law enforcement in finding leads and clues."
"Theoretically," Maura added, with a look of apology to Ripp, "that is true."
Gigi, who had been quietly watching the scene play out since her conversation with Ripp had ended, asked, "I understand your IQ is quite high, isn't it, Maura?"
Maura smirked as she looked down at her plate. "I qualify as a genius, yes."
"How long have you been a detective?" This from Amanda, who had clued into the more interesting conversation going on to her right.
"Nearly a decade," Jane answered as she looked to her side to thank the waiter for removing her plate.
"Interesting," Amanda commented as she glanced to Cricket. "Don't they make an interesting pair, Cricket? A top-in-her-field Medical Examiner with ties to families across the States and a highly decorated homicide detective well-known in her city to be one of the best in her field as well? It's sort of like Batman and Robin, but with better style and class."
"Thank you," Maura and Jane said simultaneously.
"Excuse me," Cricket stood up, nearly letting the back of her chair hit the wall behind her, "I need to take a phone call." Pulling her purse onto her shoulder, she walked out of the room. Blake saw her go, excused himself from his conversation with Heather, and quickly stood to follow, clearly confused as to what was going on.
"The salad was lovely, don't you think, Gigi?" Jane looked over to the redhead at the end of the table.
"Yes," the older woman nodded, her eyes sparkling with humor. "I think this is one of the best appetizers I've had in a long time."