The next day started with a meeting in the squad room. Maura had decided that she felt well enough to join the team again. But Jane secretly suspected that she got bored of staying home. It felt somewhat strange to drive to work together and she wondered if they would do that more often, when they were back in Boston.
Sipping coffee, she tried to concentrate on Frankie's and Korsaks story about their interview with senator Crave yesterday evening. It turned out, that senator Crave hadn't been happy about Frankie's and Korsaks visit at all. But he had finally let them in.
"You should have seen him." Frankie chuckled. "He was all nervous and denied knowing anything about the case."
"Yeah. He started to tell us, that his wife had run away, and that she was safe." Korsak snorted.
"Every time we asked him a question about his wife, he became more nervous. His story must have changed about six times. First, she was in Spain, the next time in France… the poor guy is not a good liar as a politician is doubtlessly supposed to be." Frankie added. "And of course, he had no clue as to who the riddles are."
"Of course,…" Jane stated and rolled her eyes. "How could he?"
Both men chuckled.
"At the end he threw us out, threatening to sue us for defamation."
"So, all in all you learned nothing new?" Maura participated in the conversation for the first time.
"Unfortunately, not." Frankie said. "We know that he's lying, but we need something more to nail him."
Jane watched as Maura thoughtfully furrowed her eyebrows. "Can you check his phone record to see who he called after you left? Maybe he called someone of the riddles. So, we could pin a number to them."
"We need a judge to sign a warrant to be able to do that. But it's a great idea, Maura!" Korsak said. "I know a judge who might be willing to help me. He owes me a favor. I'm going to call him as soon as we are finished with our meeting. But let's put not too much hope in it. Maybe they communicate over pre-paid phones."
"I know." Maura said. "But given the fact, that they already made some really stupid mistakes, we might get lucky."
"Anything new from Mrs. Rover?" Jane asked changing the subject.
"Not so far. She's following her everyday routine. She makes it easy for the surveillance team to tail her. Mrs. Rover even allowed an officer to stay into her motel room."
"I would do the same." Jane remarked. "Seeing as to the fact that her husband wants her dead. How did her husband take that?"
"Not well." Korsak chuckled.
They talked on for a little while. Most about the question how the ritual murders added up to the riddles business of killing people as hitman. But no one had a clue.
"We are going to find out eventually." Frankie, the optimist said.
"I hope so." his sister replied.
Afterwards Maura went into the morgue to take a look at the two cross victims from last week while Korsak and Jane went to visit a witness who had called in the previous day in regard of the shooting. In the meantime, Frankie would join the surveillance team.
The judge was reluctant to give them the warrant at first. Jane didn't know why he owed her partner a favor. But she mused that it must be a big one. Because at the end they've got it. And that was the main thing.
As they arrived at the address, Jane noticed that the Chinese restaurant was just a block away across the street. The windows had already been replaced. She decided to take a closer look and went over. The owner showed a morbid humor by hanging a sign to the door. We are closed for renovation but will open soon again. You don't have to shoot us; we serve our delicious food to everyone for a reasonable price.
Korsak read the sign too and started to laugh.
An elderly woman opened the door after the second ring of the doorbell. She wore an apron and it smelled like she was baking something. Jane apologized for interrupting. The woman smiled and said: "Don't worry sweetie, I'm almost done."
They were shown to a nice, cozy living room and sat down while the woman went into the kitchen to make some coffee and finish up.
"It smells heavenly Mrs. Barcley." Korsak noted after she had returned with a tray of tea and cookies.
"Thank you." The old woman smiled. "I thought you would come later. By then the cookies would have cooled down a little. But I guess its also fine in a few minutes." She poured them some tea in old-fashioned cups which reminded Jane of her grandmothers and sat down.
They started by some small talk. But Mrs. Bradley soon came to the reason why they were here. Korsak who had just finished eating a cookie took an old notebook out of his pocket to take some notes.
Mrs. Bradley pointed out of the living room window which gave a good view to the restaurant and the street. "So, I was sitting here and watching TV as I heard the car speeding down the street. She stated. I didn't look until I heard the gun shots. You must know that people around here are driving like nuts all the time. By the time I was at the window, the car was gone." An apologetical smile hushed over her crinkled face. "I'm 85 years old, she noted proudly, so It takes me a while to move around. I looked at the restaurant and what was going on after calling 911." Jane watched her taking out a modern mobile of the pocket of her apron. "My daughter gave it to me, she smiled proudly. So, I can call for help if I fall or so." She gave a snorting sound.
"Anyway, after a few minutes I heard the car speeding down the street again. It was a white pick up truck. A Ford, I think. Her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to remember. "I was able to see that it was a Boston license plate which started with… uhm… let me see", now she took out a notebook, flipping through the pages. "Ahh yes, there it is. The license plate had the numbers 356 and a Y in it. Does that help you?"
"Yes, this is perfect Mrs. Barcley." Jane said and smiled. "You would make a great detective."
The elderly woman blushed a little at the compliment. "Thank you my dear. I've always been interested in crime stories. And my daughter showed me how to use podcasts so that I can listen to true crime stories." She blushed again.
"But I have to say, that I like the crime better when it comes from my phone than when it happens in front of my doorstep."
"I totally understand that." Jane replied. "It must have been terrible for you."
The old woman gave a thoughtful nod. Then she told them how it had scared her at first. "That's why it took me so long to call you."
Jane wondered why no police officer had taken her statement that night. Usually they were supposed to comb the neighborhood for witnesses. She would have to talk with Frankie about that.
They thanked Mrs. Barcley and left with a huge box of cookies each.
Korsak was on the phone as soon they had reached the car asking somebody to check for a white pickup truck – presumably a Ford – with a Y and the number 356 in the license plate. "That should be easy." he told Jane when hanging up. "Yeah. Unless the plates are stolen." She replied thoughtfully.
"By the way." he continued, "senator craves made a call after Frankie and I had left. Maybe Maura was right."
"Do they know who he called." Jane asked smiling when thinking of Maura.
"Not yet." Korsak replied. "But they are working on it."
They headed to the precinct to do some paperwork and called it a day at 7 pm.
It smelled great as usual, when they returned to the casa Rizzoli. A smiling Angela greeted them with some homemade Pizza.
"Ma, where are the vegetables?" Jane asked jokingly after taking a bite.
Angela rolled her eyes and threw a napkin at her daughter.
They all laughed.
"So, when are you going to move into your home?"
"We just have to sign the papers." Maura stated.
"Wohoo", Korsak said and toasted to them with his wine.
"But of course, we will stay a little bit longer with you, if we are allowed." Maura said and Angela seemed relieved to have them around a little bit longer.
"Ok. But no more ranting about the food." She snorted.
Jane smiled. She loved her family. And she loved Maura. She sipped at her wine, leaned back in her chair and watched them joke and laugh and tease.
Later they made themselves comfortable in front of the TV with ice cream and the cookies from Mrs. Barcley.
When in bed, Jane listened to Maura's even breaths. She had fallen asleep as soon as her head had hit the pillow. No wonder Jane thought. Her first day at work. Maura had texted her during the afternoon, that the money had arrived at the bank and that they could sign the papers and pick up the keys for their new home if they wanted to. She felt excited even though she was tired to death.
Both had agreed to drive to the bank tomorrow eager to get their new home. Unless they couldn't leave work. Then It would have to wait till the day after tomorrow.
Smiling, Jane fell into a deep sleep with Maura snuggled into her arms.