Please see Ch 1 for disclaimers and warnings…

The smell of beeswax, lemon and musty paper instantly transported Jane back to her childhood. She shook the hand of the priest at the door and followed Maura into the sanctum. Maura's heels echoed against the marble before hitting the runner up the center aisle.

The place was almost empty. Jane saw Marcie and a few of the shelter staff sitting up in the front row and when Maura looked back at her in question she quickly nodded. Halfway up the aisle they started to pass Verna's window, light filtered in falling on empty wooden benches. She grabbed Maura's elbow. "Changed my mind. Let's sit here."

Maura glanced up at her face and followed her line of sight, expression softening when she spotted the angel. "Of course."

A quick genuflection later and Jane encouraged Maura down to the end of the row. Verna had said her angel would show the way. While she waited for Mass to start she studied the stained glass art in the light of day.

The window was beautiful, powerful. The colors were difficult to make out in the low light of the church but the stained glass was welded together to form a giant angel, arms outstretched, sword in hand. Giant wings surrounded by dark navy glass with diamonds of white. Children clustered at the feet of the icon, almost hidden in its robe.

Verna's angel.

The organ started to play and people stood up, waiting for the priest to pass by and the Mass to start. Jane clutched her hands in front of her, acutely aware of Maura by her side. Up at the altar, the priest opened the Mass and Jane started responding reflexively, familiar words feeling wooden on her tongue.

She turned to look at the angel again and was caught by Maura's profile. In the background the priest's cadence echoed through her brain.

"Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received the bread we offer you: fruit of the earth and work of human hands. It will become for us the bread of life."

Sunlight pushed through the glass, glowed through the angel, the children huddling at its feet. The filtered light caressed Maura before spilling over to her. As Jane clutched the wooden pew in front of her she moved her fingers, watching the light play over her skin.

Maura turned to her as the Lord's Prayer started, the words spoken in unison through the congregation. Years of church and Sunday School allowed Jane to speak without thought.

"Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."

It took the sign of peace to break the spell. Everything in this case had always returned to St. Vincent's. Jane narrowed her eyes and looked around the room. She noted the faces. Several of them familiar enough that they would have known Verna as well as anybody could.

Jane accepted communion, looked into the eyes of the priest, returned to kneel next to a sitting Maura as the organ played in the background. Lost in her head, snippets of memorized prayer bounced with thoughts of Verna's last moments and Maura's findings.

By the time she'd returned to her seat to hear the words of remembrance, Jane was ready to leave. She needed Nina's help. Buried in her thoughts she almost missed the priest praising Verna's service as the church organist for years.

Startled, she stared up at the priest as he recalled years of faithful service to the Lord and asked for the God to welcome Verna back home to the kingdom of heaven. No wonder Verna thought of this place as home.

Jane barely heard the concluding hymn. She let Maura grab her elbow and guide her out the doors and after picking up their coats, they headed down the front steps. They were walking through the parking lot towards the shelter when Maura finally spoke.

"You know, you don't attend Mass or confession regularly. I would think that accepting the Host during Communion was…"

Jane shook her head. "Really Maura? You're going to lecture me on Catholic proprietary? Let's not discuss why you know so much about a religion you don't believe in." Maura pursed her lips and Jane took a deep breath. "Forget about that. I'm sorry."

With a quick glance back at the church, Jane stared at ground while they walked. "I had no idea Verna was ever involved with this church. In all the years we've been dropping her off nobody ever mentioned why they always found her a bed." She glanced over at Maura quickly. "Doesn't that strike you as odd?"

"You should ask Marcie about it while I drop off the check." Maura went up the shelter steps and pulled open the front door and Jane had to jog up the last few to catch up.

This time they knew their way to Marcie's office. The same paper cartoon fawn curled up in the snow with the cardinal on its head and a wreath around its neck looked back at them. Jane stared at it hard. The snow around the deer and the small red bird, the evergreen wreath, she could almost feel the cold from her dream as she ran.

"Detective Rizzoli, Dr. Isles, sorry I was late. I wanted to thank Father Carmichael for holding Mass for Verna." Marcie quickly stuck her key in the door and opened her office.

The same chaos met them but this time Jane didn't sit next to Maura. The Mass, the stained glass angel, Maura's irritation with her all combined and buzzed along her nerve endings. The night Verna had died she had supposedly ran from here. Ran from the place Verna would have considered home. Jane clasped her hands behind her back and wandered the small room While Maura and Marcie spoke about the service.

When she started to wander over to the window behind Marcie, Jane could tell the woman was starting to get uncomfortable with her prowling. Marcie finally turned around and stared at her. "Are you okay, Detective Rizzoli?"

"Sorry, habit from when I was a kid. Sitting through Mass always makes me restless."

Maura was running her eyes along her body and Jane knew that she'd figure out the lie in a second. Maura didn't disappoint. "Marcie, I need a copy of my check for tax purposes, would you mind making one for me here?"

"Not a problem Dr. Isles." Marcie went to the door. "Stephanie?" She waited a second and called out louder "Stephanie?" Still no reply. Marcie turned to them. "If you'll excuse me for a moment, we only have the one copier."

The second Marcie was gone Jane went behind her desk.

Maura stood up as well. "What are you looking for?"

"I don't even know." Jane pushed stacks of paper, rifling through it quickly. "Maybe nothing but Verna died outside that church after being in this shelter. The same shelter that housed Susan and Alida Taber. And there's a stupid deer on the office door."

Maura looked behind them quickly. "You don't have a warrant or consent."

Jane turned around and the view out the window froze her for a second. She could see The Good Word across the street and Verna's stained glass angel glinting in the December morning sun. "I know Maura. I'll deal with that later if I see something. Right now I'm just trying to figure out how the shelter fits into this whole mess."

"Jane." Maura's tone made Jane close the desk drawer she had opened. Maura was pointing to a photo pinned into the wall above Marcie's office phone.

Jane leaned down and looked at it. Marcie's arm was around a tall handsome man with a clean cut jaw. The shock of red hair and bright blue eyes were just as startling as the first time she had saw them.

"Joe Venno. Fucking, Detective, Joe Venno."

They were both sitting when Marcie walked back in the room. Jane clutched her phone, waiting for Korsak's text back. Marcie handed Maura the copy of the check. "Thank you very much for your support Dr. Isles. If you'll excuse me I have to meet the weekend staff down in the kitchen to get the volunteers organized for tonight's dinner."

"Not a problem." Jane waited for Maura to stand up and they followed Marcie out to the door.

In the parking lot walking to Maura's car Jane's phone buzzed. She scanned the message. "Korsak says to come in."

Without looking up from her phone Jane went to open the passenger side door but it was locked. Looking up she found Maura smiling at her. "Okay so that's an Isles I-know-something-you-don't-know look."

Maura held up the paper. "I need you to get the keys from my purse." Jane flicked her eyes from the paper to the purse trying to figure out what she was missing. Maura's dimple appeared. "And then an evidence bag out of the back. I wouldn't want to lose potential fingerprints for your case."

"Oh my god, you really are fucking brilliant." Jane blinked slowly. "I can't… I thought that was to get her out of the room." She rushed around the car and grabbed Maura's purse, pulling out the keys. "I'm going to open the door for you. Get in the car and I'll grab the bag from inside okay? Marcie's office window looks out over the parking lot and if I were her I'd be making sure we were gone."

It wasn't until the piece of paper was safely stowed away and they were approaching the first traffic light that Jane felt the shock wear off. She held up the bag, looked at Maura as laughter bubbled up and escaped. Maura glanced at her and immediately joined in.

Catching her breath, Maura flipped her blinker on and turned down the street the BPD was on. "Don't get your hopes up we're going to find a match. It's only a chance."

"That's one more than I had when I woke up this morning." Jane shifted to face Maura. "Speaking of this morning that was sneaky getting up that early to go commune with nature or karma or whatever it is you do in that mediation room. I woke up alone."

Maura's dry tone and side-eyed glance wasn't lost on Jane. "After yesterday morning I was not going to take a chance that I was going to be walking in late to Church. I have my limits." She pulled into the BPD parking and maneuvered into her spot. "I'll also point out that a benefit of an early departure was missing your mother's scrutiny over breakfast. You can thank me by bringing me something to eat later since I'm now working through lunch."

Jane opened her mouth to protest and shut it just as quickly. "I'm not even going to try to disagree with that."

Following Maura into the BPD, she immediately spotted Korsak waiting for her by the front desk. He nodded at Maura. "Jane, I only have a few minutes to show you what Frankie and Nina have put together with the video before we need to meet with Cavanaugh."

She turned to Maura who merely held up the bag with the note in it. "I'll let you know the second we have an answer."

"Thanks." Jane touched Maura's arm when she went to leave. "Any preferences for lunch?"

Maura shook her head. "Surprise me."

When the doors closed and they were alone in the elevator, Korsak sighed. "Your text said you think the lead detective for the State Police is involved?"

Jane bounced on her heels slightly. Explaining why she suspected Joe Venno wasn't going to be easy. "He's a guess based on that photo I texted you about, but do I think its one of us? Yeah, I do." The elevator stopped on their floor and she headed for Nina with Korsak at her back. "Maura and I pulled copies of all the files yesterday so I could go through the evidence with her. It's the only explanation."

Korsak studied her silently. Finally he groaned. "Jane it's gotta be airtight. Please tell me you have something more than a guess."

Folding her arms over her chest, Jane raised an eyebrow. "Maura believes me."

Korsak chuckled. "There's a perk to being in a relationship Maura I hadn't thought of. Personal validation from the Chief Medical Examiner. Jurisdiction issues need not apply."

"Nothing new about that. Maura's definitely validated me more than once." Jane smirked at him. There. Let Korsak think on that. She put a swing in her step, winking over her shoulder.

"Never said I thought it was new. Though according to your mother, the method of validation might have gotten more personal and that mark on your neck says she's right." Korsak cuffed her shoulder, laughing as she practically bared her teeth at him, drawing stares from the other detectives.

"Korsak! NOT another word." Jane refused to look at him, quickly doing up another button as she rushed ahead to where Frankie was pointing at Nina's computer screen.

Frankie leaned back to look up at them. "Hey."

Korsak rested hand on the back of Nina's chair. "We're going to need the condensed version and we'll come back after we sit in with Cavanaugh."

Frankie sighed and wheeled away from the desk so he could face them. "Condensed is the easy part. We've been through everything the state sent over and we have plenty of video leading up to the deer strike and then nothing else from that night clear enough to see vehicles. Some of the raw stuff had some timestamps on it and after the accident it's already dark out pretty much like Maura said. Headlights and that's it. Typical shitty home security footage."

Nina caught Jane looking at her and nodded her agreement. "The rest of the footage that shows both the van and Alvarez's Explorer are from a different day."

"Shit." Jane looked at them, feeling hope dwindle. "What about the idea of following those other two cars in the strike footage?"

Frankie grinned at her. "Bingo. That turned out to be the key. Pretty much proves we're missing footage. When we ran the same home security cameras that were a little further up the road we used Maura's suggestion of the lighting and it became obvious the file was spliced together."

Nina started a video and slowed down the playback. "Plus, see here in the woods you have deer running through the trees. Then right here..."

Korsak whistled. "Gone, just like magic."

Jane slapped Nina's desk, startling all of them. "See Vince! Now are you willing to believe me this case isn't solved?"

Korsak rubbed a hand over his face. "It's not a matter of me believing you." He let out a long sigh. "But alright Jane, let's go see Cavanaugh."

A/N

siDEADde had to deal with me all on her own for this one. Thanks dahhhlin'

To all:

Okay so someone nominated this story over at Rizzles Fan Awards for best angst/author…. I need a better way to say it other than thank you… but truly thank you.