NOTE: I do not own Rizzoli & isles or its characters (just a reminder)

Thanks to everyone who has been leaving such nice reviews. I really appreciate them.

Each day that passed brought Maura closer to her trial date, but no closer to finding out what had happened to Jane. After meeting with Angela and Tommy, she had felt somewhat better because they didn't believe she did it. Then a couple of weeks later in the next batch of discovery items was a new name being subpoenaed for the trial – Mark Clayton.

She had called Tommy shortly afterward. She had to know if they knew and they did – the Rizzolis now knew that the prosecuting attorney planned to bring the man whom she had slept with to testify at her trial. Her attorney was planning on objecting to his testimony but had warned her that it was highly unlikely the judge would allow the objection. Mark Clayton not only spoke to her character, the prosecuting attorney could argue but could also provide crucial timeline evidence.

It made her sick just thinking about it.

The whole thing almost sent her into another depression but she had vowed she was going to fight this, and she would.

Samantha had also received a subpoena and if nothing else Maura wanted to face that woman in court. She wanted to be the one to question her, although she knew that would not be allowed. She had wanted to confront her since finding out the truth but everyone had warned her against it. Not to mentions she wasn't allowed to travel out of state due to the conditions of her being out on bond.

She had finally told her mother that it was ok, if she had to leave and get back to her own life. Constance was reluctant but ended up leaving, although she called every day and planned on being back during breaks – even small ones. She told her that during the trial she would be there the entire time.

Now she was alone in the house. Alone in the home where she was supposed be with Jane for years to come. Before all of this they had broached the subject of having a child. They discussed in vitro as well as adoption as possibilities.

It seemed unfathomable that it had all come crashing down.

She wasn't a detective but she knew she had to act like one. She had converted a spare bedroom into her own office for this case. She had dry erase boards up with copies of documents and evidence hung up and notes scrawled under and around them. How many times had she seen Jane study evidence like this? She stood there now looking through things she felt like she had examined a hundred times, but since she was no closer to the truth she knew she must be missing something.

Her phone rang, startling her; she was so lost in thought. It was Stipling. She had asked him to keep on investigating Samantha and she was paying him directly. He had told her he couldn't work on it anything more than a cursory way because he had other investigations he was getting paid for by the attorneys. Still he gave her an update each Wednesday, which hadn't amounted to much. Samantha had been traveling for weeks now on the west coast. She had been sent there by her boss to make some connections out there and look into the East Asian market more. She had been in New York for awhile.

"Hello Gary," she said.

"Hello Maura. I have some news. Samantha has decided to stay on the west coast. She isn't returning to New York. She turned her notice to her boss, although she plans on freelancing for them."

"When did this happen?"

"I just confirmed it today, but she resigned a few days ago."

"She is staying in California then?"

"That's the strange thing. I don't think she is. To be honest I am not sure where she is at. Her credit card was used to book a hotel in California for a week, and then used again for a flight to Japan and back, then another hotel booking for two weeks. But here is the thing, I haven't confirmed she ever actually took that trip or stayed in the hotel. My connections on the West Coast aren't as good as they are here. There was one other charge that stood out; it was a charge that coincided with the layover of the flight back from Japan in Seattle, Washington. I only found it to be odd because when Samantha first flew out there, she did so on her firm's private jet and before going to California it stopped in Seattle first. It may mean absolutely nothing but I'm trying."

"I know you are and you have no idea how much I appreciate your help with this."

"I just wish I had more to give you."

They said their goodbyes and Maura sat down. She had not been concerned about Samantha being on the West Coast because her job did require travel. But now that she wasn't coming back it worried Maura. Surely Samantha wouldn't ignore the subpoena and not show up for court. Why the sudden move? Samantha had lived in either Boston or New York her whole life.

She was sure Samantha knew where Jane's remains were. She hadn't said out loud why she thought that. She had two theories. Number one, that Samantha had indeed killed Jane somehow but doing so wouldn't have ended her obsession. She would want someway to visit Jane's body. Her second theory was that she didn't kill Jane, someone else did, but Samantha helped them by making Jane vulnerable. Tommy was right, Jane hadn't been thinking like a detective. She was devastated over the divorce which meant she could have let her guard down easily enough. Even under this theory Samantha would want something a souvenir of Jane's body to keep.

Either theory wasn't something that the Rizzolis needed to hear. They didn't need to know that Samantha may have a piece of Jane. Some knowledge was best not to be shared.

Maura was convinced that Samantha's obsession went well beyond even documented "norms" of such case studies. She had spent time reading up on the most up-to-date research into these behavior patterns.

What she couldn't understand still was why Samantha broke up with Jane in the first place. She had Jane, they were in love from what everyone had said, so why would she break up with the object of her obsession?

She finally gave up for the day an hour or so later, knowing she wasn't going to get any insight into Samantha's motives.

She went to bed that night and found her sleep uneasy, which was not strange for how her life had been but it was like she couldn't get her mind to shut off. She managed to sleep for an hour or so before waking up again around 4:05 a.m. She got up deciding to get some water to drink. She shuffled out to the kitchen grabbed a bottle of water and walked back toward her room. She stopped at the doorway of her office. The door was open. Normally she closed but she hadn't that night. She leaned against the doorframe looking at the boards even though it was dark.

"Seattle, Washington," she said. Ever since Stipling had mentioned it, it was like something was nudging at her from inside her skull but she didn't know what.

…

Maura got up late the next day as she tried to catch up on her sleep. She dressed, ate breakfast and went back to review the evidence. She would do this every day until she either went crazy, was convicted of a murder she didn't commit or someone forced her to stop. She owed it to Jane to keep trying.

She went first to a couple of files – ones she thought about that morning. After thinking about her last night with Jane she had remembered her mentioning Carl, the forensic accountant they used on cases. Carl was not one of Maura or Jane's favorite people. He was an ass, whom Maura was sure had some sort of sex fetish. She hated the way he looked at Jane and her. He had not so subtly suggested a threesome to them once. Maura had to keep Jane from decking him. They were in the middle of a case at the time and unfortunately he was needed.

After remembering, Maura called him up and made an appointment to meet him – of course he suggested this take place at some hotel bar. She went, feeling like she had no choice.

"You are looking as beautiful as always Maura," he said when she sat down.

"Thank you," she replied. "Did you bring what I asked for?"

"I did," he said indicating the files that were under his other hand. "But there is no reason to just straight to business."

"I am only here for business," Maura replied.

"At least have a drink,"

"Fine," she said and he motioned the waiter over and she ordered a wine. "Now I need to know what Jane came to you about as it concerns Samantha Collins."

"That is privileged client information."

"How so?"

"Did you think I was going to spend hours of my life delving through this woman's financials for free? The woman is a millionaire in case you were unaware of her resources. That kind of work takes time and I don't do pro bono."

"Jane was paying you?"

"Yes."

Maura knew Carl wouldn't have given Jane a discount on the price either. This could explain why she was living in such an apartment. She was using her money to investigate Samantha.

"Did you turn over your findings to her?"

"Never got the chance before she well …" he said.

"Did you turn your findings over the police?"

"No one has asked for them beside you. Jane wanted all of this done on the down low. I can only guess that some of the information she provided me in terms of banks Miss Collins was using she got from not-strictly legal means. She was determined to find something on her former lover to nail her with and not the good kind of nailing."

The waiter returned with her drink and she took a sip.

"I want those files and I want you to tell me if you found anything unusual in them."

"Say I was inclined to give up such information, what is it worth to you?"

"I will pay you double what Jane paid you. That should be more than fair compensation for work you've already done."

"What makes you think Jane was paying me purely in money? Clearly she didn't mind bending the wedding vows."

It took every ounce of her strength not to get up and punch him.

"You should be careful about what you say about my wife," Maura said. "Maybe you don't fully appreciate the situation here. I am charged with murder. You are out with someone who is accused of killing a Boston Police Detective. We are in a rather public place. Do you think the city, which often employs you, or your own firm would find me as an acceptable dinner companion for you, much less anything else if it got around. Perhaps you should have chosen the location of this meeting a little better. Am I making myself clear?"

Carl got a shade whiter and he sat back in his chair looking around the room. "I was just joking; I didn't mean anything by it. And I meant no disrespect to Jane. I liked her. You are right double what she paid is fair."

He slid the files over to her.

"The first file is a breakdown of all the known assets I could find that are associated with her, a financial history, stocks, etc. The second is my report," he said. "Now um I have a meeting in a little bit, so … um I will send you the bill for the files."

"You do that," she said standing up. "I am sure you can afford to take care of the check here. And Carl, if I have any questions about what is in these, you better answer my call."

She took the files and left.

She held those files now. She had gone through them as soon as she had gotten home that day but nothing about them seemed to stand out to her. All her business seemed to be perfectly legitimate. Carl too hadn't found out any thing that raised a red flag. He noted only a couple of things in his report that he found odd and those had to do with real estate investments.

He noted that Samantha never dabbled in real estate until four years ago and when she did, she made several buys. He noted she bought three foreclosed properties in Florida, two of which she spent some money in renovations and flipped them in the last year as the housing market rebounded. She made a profit on each. The third one she had renovated and deeded it over to a non-profit women's shelter, another example of her charitable works.

She had an eye for property that she could turn around for profit. But Carl had noted a few properties that she had taken a loss on or still owned – one was in Boston, which she no longer owned because she took a loss on it and five were in Seattle – all of which she still owned.

Two connections now to Seattle. Did that mean that was where Samantha was planning on staying? And if so, why Seattle?

Even as she came across the information about the real estate holdings she knew that was not what had been bothering her mind. She walked out, grabbing a jacket as the weather was getting colder and sat out on the back deck.

This was one of the places in the house that she most felt Jane's presence. They had made a rule early in their marriage that they wouldn't discuss work in bedroom and they would try their best never to go to bed if they were having a disagreement. Most of their talks took place either inside on the couch if it was a simple argument that would be resolved quickly and usually the kissing would start there before ending in the bedroom. But if it was more serious or if they were both stressed from a case they came out here.

They had spent countless nights out there over the course of their dating, engagement and marriage. Before all of this, there had never been a time she hadn't looked at Jane and thought here is someone I will spend the rest of my life with. Even when they were just friends, she knew Jane would always be there for her. That was why she had felt her supposed betrayal so deeply. Jane was the one person she knew she could count on. Jane had never made her feel like she was unwanted, a cast off, a freak. But once the idea was in her head that Jane had sex with Samantha she couldn't get it out. No matter how hard she tried. Even as she listened to Jane beg her to give her another chance, she couldn't get the feeling out that she wasn't wanted.

For the rest of her life she would live with the guilt of knowing Jane hadn't betrayed her but she had forced Jane from her life. She had been the one to ruin the marriage, not Jane.

She shook her head, trying to force these thoughts from her mind. Thoughts she was sure would drive her crazy.

She tried to think of the good times. Hearing Jane's laughter, seeing her smile, feeling her touch.

There were places in the house where she couldn't get a feeling of Jane's presence – this wasn't one of them.

Funny, she thought since it took some convincing to get her to agree to make this their home.

"I don't see what the difference is. You moved in here, we live here together, why wouldn't we live here after we get married?"

"This is your home. I moved in here not just to be close to you, but because you have too much stuff for you to have moved in with me. I am not sure my entire apartment would have supported what you have in your closets," she smiled, earning her a playful slap from Maura.

"True, your place would have been inadequate, but I don't see why we shouldn't remain living here after the wedding. It may be a home bought with my family's money, but I don't consider it my home. I think of it as our home. Before it was just a house, someplace to live, but when you came here, it started to feel like a home."

"Then you have to give me a room."

"What do you mean?"

"I need a room that I get to decorate how I want."

Maura was not liking the sound of it, but she also knew it was not an unfair request. 'And what would you be doing with this room?"

Jane turned toward her, a glint in her eye that told Maura she had been thinking this through long before bringing it up.

"I was thinking of maybe converting the basement, which besides being used as storage for most of my stuff anyway, into like game room. I could mount a big screen on the wall, my couch and chair is down there already since Ma didn't want it. I can put my Red Sox memorabilia up and there is room for a pool table and foosball table. It could be a place for the guys to use when they come over to watch a game. This way we wouldn't be messing up anything upstairs."

Yes, Maura thought, she had definitely given this some thought before now. Maura looked at her. "That sounds like a good idea."

"Really?"

"You act surprised."

"I thought maybe you would have some reservations."

"Like I told you, this is our home."

Jane smiled at her and Maura could practically see her laying out the design of her new room in her head.

"Have you ever thought about living somewhere other than Boston?" Maura asked her suddenly.

"No, not really," Jane said. "Why do you ask? Is this where you tell me that you've gotten a job offer in California or worse Texas?"

"No, no job offer. I am content with being ME here. I was just making conversation. I didn't really expect you to have any answer besides Boston. After all I can't seem to get you to decide on a place for the honeymoon."

"Oh, so this is what that is all about," Jane said. "The honeymoon."

"You do realize you have to make a decision at some point."

"I don't see why it has to be my decision."

"You've left almost everything concerning the wedding up to me. The honeymoon belongs all to you."

"Well for your information, I have narrowed it down to two choices."

"A three-game home series to the Red Sox is not a honeymoon."

"Then I've narrowed it down to one choice."

"Are you going to tell me what that is?"

"Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do."

"Then you don't need to worry about it. I have taken care of everything. You just need to trust me."

"Ok," Maura said. "I trust you."

They settled back down into silence for a bit.

"When I was um dating Sam, she used to like to talk about other places we could live. She wasn't content to stay in Boston that was for sure. She would name various places and I would say no to each of them, especially New York. I think she moved there just to spite me some times. Anyway, one day I asked her where would you want to live if we could live anywhere. Guess where she picked for us to live if we had gotten married?"

"I have no idea," Maura responded. Jane never spoke much about Sam so she didn't know the other woman at all.

"Seattle. Can you imagine me living in Seattle?"

"No," Maura laughed. "Although you would have plenty of places to feed your coffee addiction."

"I do not have a coffee addiction."

The conversation broke down to some tickling and kisses before they ended up in bed.

Maura realized that was what had been bothering her – that was why Seattle had stuck out in her mind.

She went back inside and did a quick check of online real estate records and found Samantha still owned four of the five properties in Seattle. Carl had put together his report months ago so she had to be sure before she made her next move.

…

She knew jumping bail should bother her more, but Maura was too focused on finding Samantha to care about the consequences of her actions. Her attorney had called her the day before asking her to come in to the office. Once there he told her the district attorney was willing to make a plea deal – second-degree murder.

With the charge, she would avoid the death penalty, which had been added as a specification to the first-degree murder charge because Jane was a cop. It was typically automatically included in cases where the victim was a law enforcement officer. She could be sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 15 years. The prosecuting attorney's office said it would not make a sentencing recommendation to the judge.

The fact the attorney was telling her this was another way of saying they didn't think they could win the case.

So that morning she got into her car, drove to New York and took a light out of there into Seattle. Despite what TV would like people to believe people charged with a crime who are out on bail are not monitored 24/7 and there isn't a list of their names at airports to avoid just what she was doing. Still she drove to New York because someone could have recognized her in Massachusetts.

She had short layover in Chicago that made her nervous, but she was able to make it through on to her connecting flight. She wasn't a criminal before, but jumping bail made her one now.

Once in Seattle she used cash – she always kept several thousands of dollars in cash in the house in case of an emergency – and rented a car. She went to the first address and found it was under renovation. She had talked to the construction foreman acting as if she had just moved to the area and was just curious. He said the owner was fixing it up for resale.

She went on to the next. It was a nice home that was somewhat secluded with only a few houses on the short side street. It didn't appear to need any work done on it. It was a quiet street so she parked on another busier street and walked down to get a better look. She stayed on the opposite sidewalk.

She didn't see anything noteworthy so she went back to her car. She waited around for about 20 minutes but not wanting to seem suspicious she left and went to check out the third address. It was an old house that needed fixing up, but there was no active work being done on it. The other house would require her to go to the complete other side of the city so she backtracked and went to the second house again.

It was growing dark so she knew her time was limited as far as observing anything. She realized she had nothing to lose. Still she was nervous as she walked up to the door and rang the bell. She had to ring it again. Then the door opened.

"Maura. This is an unexpected surprise," Samantha said.