Chapter 33
Tommy Rizzoli's Home – Monday at 9 a.m.
God, I'm not looking forward to this. But I must see Ma and see if she can recognize the woman in the photo that Nina pulled from the coffee shop. I've waited long enough for Ma to walk T.J. to school and for Tommy to go to work. T.J. doesn't need to hear this, and Tommy needs to mind his own business.
My stomach is in a knot as I knock on the door. From the look on Ma's face, she's surprised to see me. "Hey, Ma."
"What are you doing here, Frankie?"
"I'm here to show you a photo, and I want to know if it looks like the lady that returned your keys," I explain.
She nods, and I hand her the photo. She takes a couple of minutes to look at it before she answers, "Looks like her. Tall, black hair, pale skin. It could be her, but I can't tell you with 100% certainty."
"Well, it's something. Thanks, Ma," I say as I put the photo in my inside pocket.
As I begin to turn away from her to head back to my car, she asks, "How's Jane?"
"Happy for the most part. A couple of sociopaths are raining on her parade at the moment, but we'll catch them," I sarcastically answered.
"Is she really happy with her?" Ma asks in disdain.
"Yes, Ma, Jane is very happy with Maura. I've never seen either happier," I answer honestly.
"Frankie, it's wrong," Ma grumbles.
"For the last time, love isn't wrong, Ma. And if you disapprove, stay the hell away from them," I again point out.
"She's my daughter, and I need to save her," Ma continues.
"She's a grown-ass woman that has the right to love anyone she damn well pleases," I answer emphatically.
"You should be helping me, Frankie. We need to save your sister," Ma says.
"For the last time, Jane doesn't need any saving. We're done here. Goodbye," I say as I walk away from my mother. I'm wasting my breath.
But before I'm out of earshot, I hear, "This isn't the end of it, Frankie. You're crazy if you think I'm not going to break them up."
I shake my head in disbelief. I can't believe that my Ma is willing to hurt one of her children. But that doesn't matter now. We'll protect them, and if necessary, I'll arrest Ma, but she's not going to hurt them.
B.P.D. Bullpen – Monday at 10:27 a.m.
Korsak and the gang have just come back, and I'm doing my very best to pay attention to what they're saying. The flower arrangement I sent Maura was delivered at 10:12 a.m., and I still haven't gotten any response. Fuck, what if she hated it. Maybe I should have gone the more traditional route. When I called the florist, I was clueless about what I wanted. The nice woman talked to me for a while and when she finished the arrangement she sent me a picture. I thought it looked really good.
She even explained the meaning of the flowers. And I took notes so that I wouldn't forget. The orange roses mean passion and intense desire; the red means love, even I knew that. And the white carnations represent purity and good luck. I asked her to add more of those because God knows we need more good luck. And the lilies mean friendship and devotion. I thought they fit because we started as friends. I am praying she likes them, or I just threw $100 bucks in the trash.
When I see Harvey walk into the Bullpen, my heart begins to beat harder. Either something is very wrong, or she has something for me. She doesn't say a word and smiles as she hands me a small card. The card is the one they sent with the arrangement. It now smells like Maura's perfume, and when I turn it over, there's an imprint of a kiss. Her kiss. And suddenly I have more important things to do.
I hear Korsak call out, "Jane, where are you going?"
I answer over my shoulder, "Maura, I'll be back."
Mr. Sanders, Ms. Harvey, and Mr. Grant are hot on my heels. I skip the elevator and go down the stairs.
God, I hate having an entourage.
Maura's Office – Monday at 10:33 a.m
Ms. Harvey hasn't returned, and I'm getting anxious. What is taking her so long? I keep glancing at the arrangement, and its aroma has filled my office. It's like I have a constant reminder of Jane all around me now.
"Dr. Isles? Are you still with me?" Dr. Lewis smiles.
I blush and apologize, "I'm so sorry. I don't seem to be able to concentrate."
Before she can reply, I hear what I've been dying to hear. Her boots. I grin and say, "Could you excuse me for a few minutes?"
Dr. Lewis just smiles and leaves just as Jane walks in.
God, she's so adorable. She's nervously biting her lip as she stares at the arrangement. When I catch her eyes with mine, she asks, "You hate it?"
By then, I'm already making my way towards her. I have already decided to answer her question with a kiss. I wrap my arms around her neck and brush my lips with mine.
I smile when I feel her arms wrap her arms around my waist. She pulls me close, and I sink my fingers into her curls and pull her lips to mine. At first, there are only chaste kisses until she runs out of patience and deepens the kiss. I moan as she explores my tongue with hers. I'll never tire of her taste. When I begin to suck her tongue softly, I feel her left hand slip down to my ass. She presses our bodies tightly together.
Her sounds are making me so wet. What I wouldn't give to be in my bedroom. She breaks our kiss and groans, "We have to stop."
"Why?" I murmur against her neck. Even her skin tastes good.
"Because we're at work," Jane says as she continues to caress my body with her hands. Her mouth might be saying one thing, but her body is saying another.
"If we didn't have half a dozen people outside, I'd let you feel how wet you've made me," I moan.
"You can't talk to me like that," Jane whines as she pulls back a little.
I meet her gaze and smirk, "Why not?"
"Because I'm going to push you on your desk and find out how wet you are, and then we're going to get fired," Jane growls as she begins to place open mouth kisses all over my neck and begins to knead one of my breasts.
"Fuck Jane," Is all I can say as I try to get closer to her. She's making my nipples get hard.
"Why do you like to provoke me?" Jane groans against my neck as her hands slide down to my waist.
"Because now it seems to be working. I've been trying to provoke you for years," I whimper. Jane's making me get so hot.
"Jesus, Maura, you've been driving me insane for years. Do you remember when we went undercover at the lesbian club? I was ready to knock more than one woman out. Even Korsak and Frost were drooling when they saw you in that waitress uniform. You weren't helping either, Maura. You shoved your chest into my face more than once," Jane says in between kisses.
"At the time, you didn't complain that I got too close to you. And that was the club's waitress uniform; we were going undercover. What did you want me to wear?" I groan as Jane tries to undo my vest.
"What I wanted was for you to put on my fucking sweater when I walked into the club. I was barely able to concentrate on my assignment. I kept following you with my eyes the entire fucking night. And watching women slip you their number was driving me crazy. And if one would have touched you, I would have been arrested for assault," Jane continues.
"A lot of women slipped you their number too, Jane," I point out as I kiss Jane's jaw.
"But I only wanted you. I wanted to take you back to the changing room and pin you against the door and show you that you belonged to me. And show the entire fucking club too," Jane growls as she yanks the vest off me.
"I wish you had. I loved feeling your eyes on me the entire night, and I hated the way the bartender was staring at you when you were getting wired. She was dying to touch you, Jane," I groan as I begin to undo her vest too. I'm starting to regret insisting Jane wear one.
"Yeah?"
"Yes, I wanted to touch you too," I say as I continue my kisses and pulling Jane's vest off.
"Fuck, we need to stop," Jane says as she takes a step away from me.
But I don't want to stop, so I step forward and kiss her hard. To my delight, she groans loudly and wraps her arms around me again. I smile as I kiss her again. It feels so good to be in her arms.
A knock on the door is what finally makes us stop. We're both panting, and we both want to continue, but we don't seem to have a choice. I call out, "We'll be out soon."
I then turned to a still panting and flushed Jane. I can't help my smirk; I love that I'm the only one that can test Jane's limits. I give her a soft kiss and say, "I love the flowers. Thank you."
"You like them?" Jane answers clearly, still unsure.
"No, I love them. But you didn't have to," I smile. I love being in Jane's arms. It feels so right.
Jane is now grinning, which makes me feel so good. She kisses my cheek, and as she redoes my vest, she says, "I'm so glad. A nice florist put the arrangement together for me."
"Do you know what the flowers mean?"
Jane proudly grins, "The roses mean love, passion, and intense desire, the carnations mean good luck and purity, and the lilies me friendship and devotion. I told her to add a lot of carnations because we need lots of luck."
I raise an eyebrow and ask, "Intense desire, huh?"
"Yes," Jane replies. I can see it in her eyes, and once again, I wish we were anywhere else but here.
"God, I couldn't love you more," I grin. Jane Rizzoli is simply amazing.
"And I love you. Now, let's get back to work before we get fired," Jane smiles as she quickly straps on her vest again.
"You're going to be in luck tonight."
Jane's smile widens as she says, "You mean I'm going to get lucky tonight, right?"
"That's what I said," I frown.
"You're adorable. Come on, let's finish our work so I can get lucky later," Jane grins.
I wipe my lipstick from her lips and then reapply mine. As soon we're both presentable, we open the door and are both surprised to find half a dozen people waiting outside my door.
R&I
Since the detective is safe in Dr. Isles' office, I will take the opportunity to have a team meeting. I quickly begin, "Ladies and gentlemen, we have a change of plan. Eunice, Sanders, and I are assigned to the detective, and Neville, Brittany, and Darlene, you are assigned to Dr. Isles."
Darlene frowns, "Excuse me?"
"Dr. Isles biological father Paddy Doyle has escaped federal custody, and the F.B.I. has just confirmed that he's already here and might still have a grudge against the detective," I explain.
"Unbelievable," Darlene says in disgust.
"Darlene, are you okay with not only helping Dr. Isles with the investigation but also protecting her? We needed another bodyguard, and the detective is comfortable with you taking on that role," I explain. I hope she doesn't say no.
"Of course, I'll bloody protect her. But I didn't bring my weapon with me," Darlene answers.
"Good, Eunice, you are reassigned to the detective, and Darlene is Dr. Isles's new bodyguard," I order.
Neville tosses one of the SUVs ' keys to Darlene and says, "Glock 17 and holster in the center console. Loaded and ready to go."
Darlene nods, and Brittany continues, "Paddy Doyle is Boston's most powerful crime boss. We're going to need more people to guard the house."
"Oh, it gets worse. Paddy Doyle has successfully kidnapped his daughter from this building in the past. So, I don't have to tell you that that can't bloody happen again. Period. End of sentence," I state with finality.
"It's time we break out our toys," Neville answers honestly.
Martin grins, "They'll never see us coming."
"I agree, but I'll have to talk to the Lieutenant, and Mrs. Isles might have to speak to the Chief. We need more officers to guard the house. We can't do everything. If he doesn't get permission to walk around with our combat shotguns and SA80's, then we'll walk. If the detective resists, I'm more than confident that Constance Isles will make her understand that we can't protect them here under these conditions. We might be six, but with our weapons and body armor, we can outlast a dozen officers," I explain.
"Cavanaugh is going to want to add more officers to our team," Martin points out.
"That won't work. Paddy Doyle has paid off officers already working here. There's no way we can trust anyone," Sanders adds. I'm impressed. I'm starting to feel relieved that Sanders joined our team. Sanders knows what we're up against since he's from Boston.
"The bloody Apprentices are already roaming these halls, Aldrich. Someone switched the blood samples of the Mass. General shooter. Make no mistake; they're already here," Darlene explains.
"Are you sure we can't move them back to Dr. Isles's home? Brittany is already finished with the renovations. They're safer there. Even with all of us here, a bloody bullet can go thru a door or a wall, and we won't be able to protect them from that," Neville points out.
My head is starting to hurt. Neville has a point. As I rub my temple, I say, "Constance Isles is on her way. Once she arrives, we'll have a meeting with everyone and decide on the plan. But I agree with you, Neville."
They all nod, and I order Darlene, "Go get the weapon, Darlene, and hurry."
This mission might be the most challenging assignment I've ever had, but I refuse to let the bloody villains win.
R&I
"Mother, what are you doing here?" Maura asks when she's met with her Mom at her door.
In a word, Constance Isles looks stunning. She's wearing a green midi dress with a sweetheart neckline and what looks like a silk asymmetric hem skirt. And I think the black leather pumps are Louboutin's. I've spent so much time in Maura's shoe closet, I've picked up on some things. And a beige pouch completes the outfit. Before Constance can answer Maura, I interject with a smile, "Love, the outfit, Constance."
"Thank you, Jane darling. The dress is from one of my favorite designers, Alexander McQueen," Constance beams.
"He's one of Maura's favorites too. It's great to see you. We weren't expecting you," I continue to smile.
Maura smiles widely and asks, "You know who my favorite designers are?"
I blushed hard and mumbled, "Maybe. I do pay attention to what you say most of the time, and you've taken me shopping with you enough times for me to pick up on stuff you like. I am a detective, you know."
Maura kisses my cheek and has the goofiest grin on her face as Constance says, "Aldrich called me. Maura darling, with Paddy's escape, we need to reevaluate your security arrangements."
"What does that have to do with me?" Maura asks, perplexed.
I nervously bite my lip as I answer Maura, "Paddy loves you, baby. He might attempt to see you."
"Can we come in?" Mr. Grant nervously asks.
"Yes, of course," Maura says as she walks back into her office with me on her heels. She sits down on one of her chairs, and I sit on the arm.
Once Mr. Grant and Constance are seated on the couch, I quickly ask, "What's the plan?"
"Wait, before we speak about a plan, I want to know what's happened that I don't know?" Maura demands.
I don't want to worry her, but I don't see that I have much choice. So, I explain, "We had a meeting with Dean about your 'father in sperm only'. Dean says that Paddy Doyle escaped his captivity to protect you. He also said that Paddy is still angry that you were targeted because of me and that I wasn't here to protect you."
Maura's face loses color as she demands to know, "Did he put another hit on you, Jane?"
"Maura baby," I begin, but she interrupts, "Answer my question, Jane. Did Paddy Doyle put another hit on your life?"
"Dean says no, but Paddy is still angry with the detective," Mr. Grant explains.
Maura looks like deer caught in headlights. I grab her hand and plead, "Baby, it's going to be okay. We don't know what's Paddy Doyle's plan. Mr. Grant and your Mom are just being cautious."
Maura nods her head and asks Mr. Grant, "What's the plan, Mr. Grant?"
"I recently hired another bodyguard that you'll meet shortly. Each of you will have three bodyguards assigned to you. Dr. Lewis, Ms. Harvey, and Mr. Armstrong are assigned to you, and Mr. Sanders, Ms. Martin, and I are assigned to the detective. We are also going to have a meeting with Lt. Cavanaugh to ask for us to be allowed to carry our military equipment in the building."
"Dr. Lewis is my new bodyguard?" Maura asks in surprise.
"I assure you, Dr. Lewis had extensive weapons training at the F.B.I. She's an excellent shot," Mr. Grant explains.
Maura nods, and I ask out of curiosity, "What kind of military equipment?"
"Body armor, military rifles, and combat shotguns," Mr. Grant explains.
"Jesus, is that really necessary. We are in a building filled with police officers," I say.
"Detective, you know as I do that Paddy Doyle has some of your officers on his payroll. He's already managed to kidnap Dr. Isles once from this building. No offense, but being in a building full of officers doesn't offer me much comfort," Mr. Grant explains.
If it were anybody else, I would have jumped down their throat in defense of my comrades. But everything Mr. Grant has said is true, and I'll be damned if Paddy kidnaps Maura again from under my nose. So I grit my teeth and ask, "Is there anything else we need to know?"
Maura can feel the tension in me. She holds my hand with both of hers and whispers, "He doesn't mean any disrespect, love."
"I know."
"There's one more thing that we need to discuss. We were wondering if you'd reconsider working from home. The house is done, and it's a lot safer than here," Mr. Grant nervously asks. I can't tell he's nervous because he has a tell. He scratches his jaw.
"Unacceptable. I could probably work from home, but Maura can't. This place is falling apart without her, and we need the forensics," I answer.
"All right, detective, we're going to try to carry out your wishes. But if the Police Department doesn't allow us to carry our military equipment in the building, we'll have no choice but to move both of you to Dr. Isles's home. It's the only way I can guarantee your safety," Mr. Grant says seriously.
I look at Maura, and she nods. I sigh and say, "Alright, Mr. Grant, let's go find Cavanaugh, and if he is uncooperative, then maybe Constance can call the Chief and get him to cooperate with us. I also need to update Korsak and the rest of my team."
"Of course, Jane darling, I'm sure I can get the Chief to accommodate us," Constance confidently answers.
I kiss Maura's cheek, and as I walk out with Mr. Grant, I hear Constance say, "Maura darling, those flowers are gorgeous."
I can't help but smile because it's not easy to impress the Isles' women. I need to put that florist on speed dial.
Maura Isles Office – Monday at 1:15 p.m.
It's time Kent and I have a conversation. Kent paid for something he didn't do, and I'm going to find out why he'd do such a thing and who is the actual responsible party. Because Dr. Kent Drake doesn't make such a stupid mistake, it's like saying that I cross-contaminate my samples. It just doesn't happen.
I ring the bell, and I can't help but smile. Jane must have put the fear of God into him because he was in my office in seconds. And the first thing he asks is, "What's wrong? Are you in any discomfort?"
"I'm fine, Kent. I called you in here because I want to talk to you. Please have a seat," I say as I motion to a chair.
"Did I do something wrong?"
"Yes, you lied to me. You didn't do the D.N.A. analysis on the blood sample we collected from the shooter of the Mass. Hospital shooting. I want to know who is truly responsible and why you lied," I order. Kent is not leaving my office until he answers my question.
"Maura, I thought we were past this," Kent says as he begins to fidget in his chair.
"Well, we're not. I want to know who was the analyst that did the D.N.A. analysis on that sample, and you're not going anywhere until you tell me the truth," I answer emphatically. And Kent will find out that I mean every word, and I can be more stubborn than Jane.
"Maura," Kent begins, but I interrupt with, "Tell me who it was, Kent. Again, you're not leaving until you tell me the truth."
He closes his eyes and says, "It was Carrie."
"Why didn't you just tell me?"
"Because it happened on my watch. I was responsible for her," Kent explains.
"I understand what you were trying to do, but making such a stupid mistake is inexcusable. Carrie is going to face the consequences, and I don't want her processing any new evidence from the Apprentices' case. Is that understood?" I say.
"Yes."
"We're done here. You can go back to work. Don't say anything to Carrie about our conversation but make sure she's not working on this case. And if she is processing something, I want you to take care of it," I explain.
"Understood," Kent says and then walks out of my office.
I need to find out if this a stupid mistake or if she did it on purpose. What if she's one of the Apprentices? But that's impossible. We have her D.N.A. sample on file. If she were the female Apprentice, we would have already gotten a hit. There's always the possibility she might be helping them for money. I need to speak to my Detective and see how she wants to play this.
B.P.D. Homicide Bullpen – Monday at 2:30 p.m.
As I look through the victim's financials, I can't help but feel relief that Cavanaugh cooperated with Mr. Grant. They're surrounding me, but they're also giving me some space. Sanders is at the door, Martin and Mr. Grant are sitting at the large table in the Bullpen. I think they're trying to figure out how to station themselves better.
I checked on Maura two hours ago, and she's didn't want to leave after her four hours because we finally found our last missing victim. We lost evidence because it took us so long to find her. Kent went to the scene, and Maura and Dr. Lewis are doing the autopsy now.
I get a text from Frankie. All it says is:
"Meet me in the conference room. Now."
I frown but decide to see what the hell is going on. Of course, my shadows are right behind me. As soon as my shadows and I walk into the conference room, Frankie says, "Jane, you're killing me."
I'm totally confused, so I ask, "What the hell are you talking about?"
"You've always been better than me in almost everything. But I never imagined that you would be better than me with women, too."
"Frankie start making sense," I demand.
"Nina saw the flowers you sent Maura and wants to know why I can't be as sweet and romantic as you," Frankie grumbles.
I begin to laugh hard. Behind me, I can hear Martin, Sanders, and even Mr. Grant trying to stifle their laughter.
"How could you do that to me?"
"Do what to you? I didn't know I had to get your permission to send my woman flowers. Since when is that a crime," I continue to laugh.
"It's not funny, Jane. Nina isn't happy. Now, how are you going to help me fix this?" Frankie sulks.
"What the hell do you want me to do?" I giggle.
"You heard me. Tell me how to fix it," Frankie repeats.
"I don't know. Do you want my florist number?"
"Text it to me. Jane, tell me how to fix this." Frankie continues to plead.
"All women are different. What works with one might not work with another." I explain.
"I was going to send her flowers, but she shot that down. She said she wanted something from me, not you. Whatever the hell that means," Frankie explains, clearly confused.
I continue to laugh. But I try, "When you first started dating, Nina, you learned a few magic tricks to impress her. She loved that, as I recall. She wants you to do something special like that just for her."
"Like what, Jane?"
"Jesus, I don't know, Frankie. Cook her her favorite dinner. Since you can't cook worth shit, I suggest you start practicing now. Find out what her favorite flowers are, get a florist to make a small bouquet you can give her when she walks in, or get her favorite sweet or favorite perfume. She'll love any of that stuff. Clean your apartment and try not to give her food poisoning. And if you don't know all of this information by now, you're a lost cause, and Nina should start seeing other people." I explain.
"That's not funny, Jane. Now, how do I find out what's her favorite flower and her favorite perfume?" Frankie grumbles as he takes notes.
"I don't know. You're engaged to Nina for the love of God. You should know all that stuff already," I say in frustration. Jesus, I know all this stuff about Maura. And I knew it before she became my girlfriend.
"How am I supposed to know what her favorite perfume is?"
"You've spent the night at her place, have you not?"
"Well yeah."
"Well, look at what she has on her dresser or in her bathroom. You're a detective, Frankie. Use your skills," I explain.
"Okay, that'll work. But in the meantime, how do I find out what her favorite flower is?"
"You don't have to get her everything I said at once. Save some of it for later. Gift wrap the perfume and then put it on her desk just because, be sweet Frankie. To gather the information you want, I suggest you try your mother-in-law. You're on good terms with her, right?"
"Yeah."
"Well, ask her that and anything else you don't know for your romantic evening. Don't forget to swear her to secrecy. If Nina finds out that you didn't know this stuff already, you're going to have a bigger problem on your hands," I explain.
"Got it," Frankie smiles.
"And Frankie?"
"Yeah?"
"You can't use your mother-in-law for information often. If you do, she will tell Nina that she needs to see other people because by now you should know Nina's favorite things. Again, you're engaged. You should already know all of this information," I explain.
"Okay, okay, okay," Frankie mumbles.
"Anything else?" I grin.
"It's your fault I'm in this mess, Jane," Frankie continues to pout.
"Whatever, Frankie," I giggle.
"Janie, I went to see Ma," Frankie says seriously. The fun and games part of the conversation has just ended with a cold shower.
I take a deep breath and brace myself. "Well, what did Ma say?"
"I took a picture of our phantom emailer to her, and she said that the woman resembled the one who returned her keys," Frankie explains.
"That's something."
"But Janie, she's still hell-bent on breaking you and Maura up," Frankie says.
"Well, she isn't going to get away with it," I promise the universe. The only way I'd walk away from Maura Isles is if she gave me my walking papers. And I have to hear that directly from her. Otherwise, I'm not going anywhere.
"I know Janie. I just wanted to give you the heads up. We're not going to let Ma hurt you or Maura," Frankie promises.
I smile and walk over to him. I kiss the top of his head and say, "You're such a good brother. Thank you, Frankie."
"If you want to thank me, tutor me on this being romantic crap," Frankie grumbles.
"I'll try to help, but there's one thing you have to do first," I grin.
"What?"
"Listen and pay attention to your woman, for God's sake," I happily say.
"Okay, okay, I got it," Frankie smiles back. Men can be so dense. It doesn't take much to make a woman happy.
I can't help but smile as I walk into the Bullpen. That is until Korsak walks up to me, shows me his phone, and says, "You just had to send her flowers, huh? Now, tell me, what the hell to send Kiki that's romantic?"
Well shit, Nina put a picture of Maura's arrangement on her Facebook.
And my shadows are still trying not to laugh at my predicament.
Hope you enjoyed it. Please let me know what you thought. Thank you so much for taking the time to review.
See you soon!