Chapter 32

Maura's Home – Sunday at 1 p.m.

"What's up, Frankie? Don't you have a life? It's Sunday afternoon, for God's sake," I say into my phone.

"Jane, something bad happened," Frankie answers nervously.

"Frankie, you're scaring me. Did they kill again? What happened?" I ask. My stomach is now in a knot.

"Paddy Doyle broke out of prison last night," Frankie bluntly answers.

Well, fuck, my life just got even more complicated.

It's been an hour since I told Maura that her "father in sperm only" broke out of prison, and I haven't been able to calm her down.

"Maura baby, just because Paddy broke out, it doesn't necessarily mean that he's coming after me," I say, hoping to soother her. She's worried that he will put a hit on me again or come after me directly.

"He wanted you dead, Jane," Maura answers as she continues to pace.

"Baby, you're making me dizzy with the pacing," I say. To my relief, she stops and sits next to me on the couch. I put my hand over hers and continue, "Even if Paddy would want to harm me, we have our shadows here to protect me. So, I'm safe."

"Paddy blew up Cavanaugh's apartment to try to kill him and instead killed his wife and baby son. No bodyguard would have saved their life, Jane," Maura points out.

"Come on, Maura, I don't think even Paddy would blow up an entire building to kill me," I answered in astonishment.

"He blew up Cavanaugh's home without regard to human life. Jane, Paddy Doyle is a danger to you. And there's nothing you can say that will make me change my mind," Maura insists.

"Truth be told, he has good reason to hate me, Maura. An animal almost killed you to get back at me. I'm the reason you were targeted and why you're still in danger. And to make things worse, I wasn't here to protect you," I reply honestly.

"No, no, no. None of this is your fault, Jane. Paddy Doyle has no right to hurt you under any circumstance," Maura answers passionately.

"Maura, baby, what can I do to make you feel better?"

"I don't know. All I know is that I don't want anything to happen to you, Jane," Maura answers with a hitch in her tone. That's not good.

"Please, please, please, don't cry, baby," I plead, even as tears begin to run down her face.

"I can't help it. The thought of Paddy hurting you or worse makes me panic, and the tears roll down my face," Maura says quietly.

I cup her face, and as I wipe her tears away with my thumbs, I softly ask, "What if I promise to be extra, extra careful? If you want, I can ask for Cavanaugh to add more officers to our detail, and we can also ask Mr. Grant to bring in more bodyguards if that would make you feel better."

At this point, I'd sell my soul to the devil if it would stop her from crying.

"Promise, you won't jump before you look. Promise, you won't run off by yourself or try to escape your shadows. Promise, Jane," Maura pleads as she meets my gaze.

I bite my lip and answer, "I promise."

She turns her face and kisses my palm, and whispers, "I love you, Jane. So much."

"And I love you. It's going to be okay," I say as I pull Maura into my arms and kiss her forehead. We get comfortable on the couch, and Robbie joins us as I turn on the T.V.

B.P.D. Morgue – Monday at 8:30 a.m.

It's been ten weeks since this nightmare began, and it feels great to be back at work. More importantly, Maura is almost completely healed. The doctor signed off on light duty for her. So, she's to take it easy and can only work for four hours a day. I'm going to order Mr. Armstrong to stay in the Morgue with Maura. She's more vulnerable, and I have a building full of bodyguards. I have no doubt I'll be fine. Now, if only I could find Paddy Doyle.

I can't believe the bastard bribed himself out of a federal prison. Well, I'm going to find him and put him back where he belongs. I have no doubt he's on his way to Boston, or he's already here. This is where his criminal organization is based. He has a million friends in Southie, and I don't see anybody giving him up. Even with the F.B.I. naming him to their top 10 Most Wanted List and offering a one-million-dollar reward, I doubt anyone in Southie will ever turn him in.

But I must be careful. I promised Maura, and I don't want to break my word.

Which reminds me, Dean should be here any minute now. He's using Paddy's escape as an excuse to come to the Precinct. I have no choice but to deal with him. Mr. Armstrong brings me back to the present when he asks, "Are you ready to go upstairs, detective?"

I bite my lip and say, "Actually, I'd like for you to stay here with Maura. With Paddy on the loose, I'd feel better if she'd have more protection."

I see him give my request thought, and I'm almost positive he's going to say no. But to my shock, Mr. Armstrong said, "As you wish, detective."

I'm shocked at how easily he agreed to my request. I should run before Mr. Armstrong changes his mind, but I still have one more thing to do. I need to find Kent. Once I see him, I ask, "Where is the bell?"

Poor Kent looks at me like I've lost my mind until I say, "Where's the bell Maura used when she had the concussion? Come on, Kent, I got places to be and people to arrest."

Now, it dawns on Kent what's coming. He sighs in defeat and takes it out from the bottom drawer of his desk. When I see it, I smile and order, "Same rules as last time with the one exception that if you lose Maura again, I'm going to shoot you. You've had your one free pass, so don't say I didn't warn you. Maura is still recovering from her injuries, and she's on light duty. My version of light-duty is that she doesn't lift a finger, and you make sure she's feeling okay and drinking lots of water."

"But Jane," Kent begins, but I cut him off with, "No buts, Kent. She's only going to be here for four hours, and she needs to take it easy. While she's here, you're to keep your butt in that chair so that you can hear the bell and see her through the windows of her office. You're a boss here, now, so delegate. If something is wrong, you better be the one telling me. Got it?"

Kent's shoulders slump as he surrenders, "Yes, Jane."

That makes me grin as I say, "See, that wasn't that bad. I'm glad I pulled you out of my annoying people file to my friend's file."

I walk away before Kent can respond. It doesn't mean I'm not going to be checking up on her myself but having Kent here is added insurance. And God help him if he loses her again or if she becomes ill and isn't the one who tells me.

I go into Maura's office, give her a quick kiss goodbye and make my way to the elevator. Now, I can concentrate on the investigation and searching for Paddy Doyle. But I have to text Maura's shadows that she will receive a flower arrangement and that it's from me.

R&I

I look up when there's a soft knock on my door. I call out, "Come in."

Carrie pokes her head and says, "Welcome back."

"Thank you. Please come in. I'd like to have a conversation with you," I say. Carrie and I have a pending conversation, and I want to get it out of the way.

When she comes in, she's surprised to see Ms. Harvey sitting on my couch. Carrie says, "I'm sorry, I didn't know you had company."

"Ms. Harvey is part of my security team, and you'll be seeing her here often, along with Mr. Armstrong and Ms. Martin. Please introduce yourself to them when you leave. In the meant time, Carrie Norton, please meet Ms. Brittany Harvey," I say.

Ms. Harvey, for whatever reason, gives her an odd look. She only says, "Please to meet you," and doesn't shake hands with her.

I raise an eyebrow at the weird interaction between the two women and ask, "Ms. Harvey would you give Carrie and me a few minutes alone?"

Ms. Harvey nods and says, "Of course, I'll be right outside that door. If you need anything, call out for me, Dr. Isles."

"Thank you. I will."

Ms. Harvey nods and leaves the room.

R&I

As I join my colleagues, I ask, "Do you guys know who Carrie is?"

Neville shrugs his shoulders and says, "Lab tech. She's wearing a lab coat."

"Is something wrong, Brittany?" Eunice asks.

I glance into Dr. Isles's office as I mumble, "I got a bad feeling. She's giving off negative vibes, and I don't like how she looks at Dr. Isles."

"Sure, you're not overreacting, Brit?" Neville smirks.

"Last time we didn't pay attention to her "feelings," we got shot at and almost lost our charge," Eunice points out.

Neville raises his hands in defeat and says, "Find out what her last name is, and we'll have Byron run a deep background on her. Will that make you feel better?"

"Yes, and I don't need to ask Kent her last name. Her last name is Norton," I smile.

"We'll email Bryon and tell him to do a deep background check, oh her. And soon, we'll find out if you're overreacting or if we should follow your instincts," Armstrong smirks.

Now that that's been settled, we get back to doing our jobs. I really do hope I'm overreacting. This Carrie person is too close to Dr. Isles for my taste.

R&I

When Ms. Harvey leaves, I now notice Carrie is holding a coffee cup. She hands it to me and smiles, "It's your favorite."

"That's very sweet, but Jane got me my coffee before she went upstairs," I answer as I point at the cup on my desk.

All Carrie says is, "Oh," and puts the cup on the desk. When she takes a good look at me, she says, "That's a gorgeous outfit."

"Thank you. Jane loved my it too. She said it brought out my eyes," I simply answer.

"Why are you wearing that ugly vest?"

"Obviously, for security purposes," I answer curtly. I'm not a fan of the vest either, but both Jane and Mother insisted, and I agreed if Jane wore hers too. The vest does nothing for my Dolce & Gabbana wool stretch midi green dress, but that doesn't mean I didn't get the best compliment from my Detective. And she's all that matters. As she was helping me into my St. Laurent wool coat, she said, I was breathtaking. She loved how the color brought out my eyes.

"Sorry," Carrie mumbles.

I sigh and try to calm down a little. Carrie is an intelligent young woman, and I don't want to hurt her feelings, but I have to set boundaries. And I didn't like the way she treated Jane the only time they crossed paths. Since we're both back at work now, they're going to be seeing each other regularly, and I'm going to make sure Carrie shows her the respect Jane deserves. If they don't like each other, that's fine, but Carrie will act professionally, which goes for Jane.

I begin, "I heard you met Detective Rizzoli the day I was found in the back lot."

Carrie nods but doesn't verbally respond, so I continue, "Detective Rizzoli told me that she didn't think you liked her very much. Is that true?"

"Yes."

I raise and an eyebrow in surprise. I didn't think Carrie would admit it. So I ask, "Why don't you like her? She's a stranger to you."

"Because she's the reason you've been so sad, but I'm sorry I said anything. It wasn't my place. I know you're only interested in having a professional relationship with me," Carrie admits.

"We've only known each other for a very short time while I've known my Detective for over eight years. I don't understand why you're taking such outlandish liberties," I say.

Instead of replying to my last statement, she focuses on, "So she's your detective now?"

It was my slip of the tongue, but it's not like my relationship with Jane is a secret. I've learned from experience that men can gossip more than women. So I answer, "She's always been, my Detective. Not that it's any of your business, but I am in a romantic relationship with Detective Rizzoli now. All I expect of you is to treat her with professional courtesy. If she asks you to run any test, you run it immediately. You don't need to ask for permission from Kent or me. And you are to report all your findings to Kent or Detective Rizzoli if she asks for them. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Dr. Isles, and again I apologize for overstepping my boundaries."

"I'm willing to let this incident go. But keep in mind that I'm your employer, and you're my employee. Nothing more. Detective Rizzoli has been reinstated, and she's going to be spending a lot of time here, and I expect you to treat her with the respect she deserves. If what happened when you met her happens again, I will be left with no other option but to dismiss you from your employment. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"You will not receive another warning."

"I understand."

"Dismissed."

Carrie leaves without saying another word. For her sake, I hope she takes me seriously because I'll fire her without a second thought if she disrespects Jane again. I've given her enough chances. Now, I need Kent to update me on the cases the lab is currently processing. Dr. Lewis should be here within the hour, and I want her to tell me about the audit she conducted. If my people are making mistakes, I want to know who, and I want to know if any other cases have been compromised in any manner.

And I also received an email from Vince asking for Dr. Isles and me to go over all the Apprentices' autopsies'. I have faith in Kent's skills, but Vince is right. Fresh eyes couldn't hurt.

B.P.D. Homicide Bullpen – Monday at 8:45 a.m.

When I walk into the Bullpen, I'm shocked to see Mr. Grant sitting at my desk and what looks like another bodyguard seated in the chair next to my desk. I didn't see this coming, but at the same time, I can't help but be impressed. Obviously, Mr. Grant has my number.

Mr. Grant stands up when he sees me and smiles, "Good morning, detective."

"Good morning, Mr. Grant. What are you doing here?" I ask innocently.

"Mr. Sanders and I are your two new bodyguards, detective," Mr. Grant grins.

Sanders gets up and sticks out his hand as he says, "It's an honor to meet you, Detective Rizzoli. Austin Sanders at your service. "

I shake his hand and answer, "Nice to meet you."

I turn to Mr. Grant and say, "Nobody told me you were going to be my bodyguard or that Mr. Sanders was joining our team. This is not necessary, Mr. Grant. I'm safe here."

"You didn't tell anybody that you were going to reassign Mr. Armstrong to Dr. Isles," Mr. Grant counters.

I can't help but grin, "You're very good, Mr. Grant."

"I must be, or Constance Isles would have never hired me, detective," Mr. Grant proudly boasts.

"Good point, but I'm perfectly safe here. I'm surrounded by cops. I'm safe in this building," I confidently say.

"I'm sorry, detective, but I have my orders," Mr. Grant stubbornly answers.

"So only Constance Isles can change said orders, correct?" I ask. God, I can't help it, but this irritates the hell out of me. I can take care of myself.

"No, only Dr. Isles can change my orders," Mr. Grant grins. Goddamn it, this man is no fool. He knows that Maura can make me do anything she damn well pleases.

There's no point in arguing. Maura is not going to call off my bodyguards. She'll refuse, and we'll get into an argument, and if there's even a hint of tears, I'm going to agree to anything she wants. Who needs that kind of drama? Maura is going to get her way. So, instead, I accept my fate and ask, "Any idea where my team went?"

"All they said that they were running down some leads. They left right after 8 a.m.," Mr. Graham explains.

Before I can say another word, I hear, "Jane."

I know that voice. Fucking Dean is here. He's standing in the Bullpen's doorway and looking from Mr. Grant to Mr. Sanders. When Mr. Grant sees him, he orders Mr. Sanders, "That is F.B.I. Special Agent Gabriel Dean, Mr. Sanders. He put his hands on the detective a few days ago, you are to consider him a threat, and you are to put yourself between them at all times. He is not to get past you, is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," Sanders answers as he glares at Dean.

Dean smirks and asks, "Where is your pumped-up side of beef?"

"That's none of your business. But I'm pretty sure either of these men can kill you if you try to get any closer," I smirk.

"I can break the old man in half in seconds," Dean boasts.

"I invite you to try," Mr. Grant counters. Jesus, he looks deadly. He might be older, but he's fit, and I have no doubt that he's extremely well trained. Sanders already has his hand on his gun. Dean is fucking moron for even provoking either Mr. Grant or Mr. Sanders.

"Two on one isn't exactly fair," Dean answers as he looks at Sanders.

"Oh, I don't need Mr. Sanders. I'll have him stand down if that will make you feel better. I'll drop your bloody ass all by myself," Mr. Grant answers with deadly calm. There's an edge in his tone, which tells me he means every word.

"Are you here to tell us how Paddy Doyle escaped from a federal penitentiary or not?" I interrupt the testosterone-filled scene. Seeing Dean get his ass kicked by either of these men would be great, but I don't want them to get into any trouble, and I don't want to write reports explaining who did what when.

He nods his head, so I say, "Mr. Grant, Mr. Sanders, follow me into Lt. Cavanaugh's office. Let's get this over with."

I knock on the door, and Cavanaugh calls out, "Come in."

He smiles when he sees me and stands up when he sees Dean. He quickly asks, "What the hell are you doing here? What of you have to stay away from Rizzoli, don't you understand?"

"That only applies to the Apprentice investigation, not the Paddy Doyle case," Dean smirks.

Cavanaugh turns to me and asks, "Are you okay with that?"

I nod and answer, "Let me introduce you to my two new bodyguards, Mr. Aldrich Grant and Mr. Austin Sanders. I doubt Agent Dean will get past these men."

Cavanaugh smiles at Mr. Grant, "I appreciate a boss that is willing to get their hands dirty."

"I'll do whatever it takes to keep these two women safe," Mr. Grant says as he glares at Dean. He's not talking to Cavanaugh. He's warning Dean.

Cavanaugh extends his hand to Sanders and says, "Nice to meet you, Lt. Sean Cavanaugh."

"Austin Sanders, nice to meet you too, Lieutenant," Mr. Sanders says as he shakes hands.

Cavanaugh turns to me and grins, "The vest looks good on you, Rizzoli."

"It's not like I had a choice. Now that all the introductions are done, how the fuck did Paddy Doyle escape from federal prison, Dean?" I ask.

"He bribed half a dozen guards and took the warden's family hostage. He was driven to an airstrip, and once he was in the air, the Warden's family was released, and no one was hurt," Dean explains.

"The correctional officers?"

"Arrested. The correctional officers are to be arraigned in federal court next week. No charges are filed against the Warden yet. We are still conducting our investigation," Dean says.

"Any idea of where he is?" I impatiently ask. Deep down, I know he's going to contact Maura. And that worries me. I know he wouldn't hurt her, but I don't trust him. I think I'm going to have a Paddy meeting with our shadows. Paddy already kidnapped her once from right under our noses. I'll be damned if he does it again.

"Here. Our wiretaps have confirmed that Paddy Doyle is here, and his family is hiding him," Dean explains.

"Is that it?" Cavanaugh asks.

"Other than the obvious, do you know why he broke out? I thought he had made his peace with his fate," I say.

"We're not sure, but we suspect it has something to do with Maura," Dean says.

"What the fuck are you talking about? What does Maura have to do with Paddy's escape?" I ask. Shit, if Paddy wants Maura, he will lure her to him or outright kidnapped her again.

"He's worried about her safety. Paddy Doyle is still pissed at you, Jane," Dean explains.

"Shit," I mumble. What the fuck am I going to do now?

"Does he still want Rizzoli dead?" Cavanaugh asks.

"He hasn't put out another hit on her head if that's what you're asking," Dean says.

"Is that a yes or a no?" Cavanaugh pushes.

"I'd lean towards yes," Dean says.

"Do you have anything else to add?" I ask.

"No."

"Then leave," Cavanaugh orders.

Dean looks at me and asks, "Can I have a word with you?"

"No."

To my surprise, he walks out without saying another word.

I turn to Mr. Grant and ask, "What do we do now?"

"If you want to continue to work, you and Dr. Isles need to be in an area we can completely isolate. Either here or downstairs. The other option is for you to work from Dr. Isles's home," Mr. Grant explains.

"Working from Maura's isn't going to help solve the fucking case. You guys up here are making some progress. While the lab downstairs is falling apart without Maura. We need her in the lab if we're going to catch these bastards," I explain.

"We need more bodyguards then," Mr. Grant says.

"I agree. Can either Mr. Knight or Dr. Lewis shoot?" I know it's a long shot, but I'd rather use them than bring in more strangers.

"Dr. Lewis is an excellent shot," Mr. Grant grins.

"Great, let's trade. Dr. Lewis works with Maura and carries a gun. And you send up Ms. Martin for me. That way, we each have three bodyguards with us at all times. That should make everybody happy except me, but I have to keep the Isles' women happy. I'm no fool. If they're happy, I'm happy. Are you sure Dr. Lewis will accept her new assignment?" I explain.

Mr. Grant nods, "I'm sure she will."

"Does she have her weapon with her?" I ask.

"No, but I got her covered," Mr. Grant says.

"Then get Ms. Martin in here and tell Dr. Lewis she's on Maura's work schedule from now on, and make sure you update Constance," I order.

As Mr. Grant pulls out his phone, he says, "Yes, detective."

R&I

As soon as I left her office, I made my way to the ladies room. I angrily threw Maura's cold coffee into the trash. Of course, the Rizzoli bitch had to get her morning coffee.

I need a minute to compose myself. I don't fucken know what she sees in Rizzoli. She's a blue-collar uneducated waste of time. The last thing I wanted was to apologize for my interaction with that bitch, but I saw where the wind was blowing, so I apologized. If I hadn't, Maura would have gotten angrier with me, and that's the last thing I need. I need to be on good terms with her, and I need her to trust me. Because if she doesn't, I'll never get her away from Rizzoli.

And more importantly, I need my job so that I can continue to switch samples when needed.

I sigh and put myself together. Time to go back to work.

Maura's Office – Monday at 10:20 a.m.

As Dr. Lewis is telling me her findings, there's a soft knock on my door, and when it opens, I'm left speechless. Ms. Harvey is carrying a gorgeous bouquet. Ms. Harvey grins, "Special delivery for Dr. Isles."

The arrangement is unique. Anybody else would have sent a dozen red roses. But not my love. Her arrangement is made up of red and orange roses, white carnations, and lovely lilies. And I know that it's from my Detective. Of that, I have no doubt. The bouquet smells wonderful, and I can't stop smiling. I grab the card and read,

Welcome back, beautiful.

I love you so much.

J

Short and sweet. It's totally Jane. I couldn't ask for anything more. I never imagined she could be this romantic. And I wonder if she knows the meaning of the flowers.

Dr. Lewis smiles, "The flowers are beautiful, Dr. Isles."

"They are, aren't they?" I grin widely. After all these years, Jane can still surprise me.

I turn back to Ms. Harvey and ask, "Is it against the rules for you to deliver a note for me?

Ms. Harvey grins back, "As long as I'm fast, it shouldn't be a problem."

I continue to grin, "Give me five minutes."

Ms. Harvey and Dr. Lewis nod, and they give me some privacy. I grab my bag and hope my little note will get me a visit from my Detective.

R&I

Her fucking bitch has to rub salt in the wound by sending flowers too. And Maura is acting like a fucking school girl. It's not like she's the first woman to receive flowers. But I'm going to wipe that smile off her face if it's the last think I do. I have a new mission for "W".

Hope you enjoyed it! I'd love to know what you thought of the latest chapter. Reviews are very welcomed.

See you soon!