A/N: Hey Darlings! *Slides this chapter into your DMs*
I am writing this from the airport. I wanted to give you all the filler chapter I meant to upload three months ago as a little continuation and to let you know that I have not scraped this story. I was planning on writing more in depth chapters later this week as I have a break from school and working. Thank you all for your continued support and messages. 3
Chapter 5:
The route from the Metro station on Borough Hall to the Four Seasons took exactly 23 minutes, if the 4 train wasn't delayed. It was another 6 minutes to the cramped studio above the corner market on Livingston that left a lot to be desired. Grace calmly walked up the winding stairs to the fifth floor and waved to the bubbly blonde girl that lived two doors down who looked like she was on her way to a party. She slid the lock easily open and sighed in relief as the quiet washed over her as she made her way in. She dropped her bag on the desk that dominated the left side of her apartment before settling in front of her small desk.
The smile that she had kept from emerging the whole night finally stretched across her face as she replayed the look on all pig's faces when they read her note. Of course, Maura Isles' reaction had been exactly what she was looking for she hadn't expected the FBI or Jane Rizzoli to show up. Had she not been meticulous in her planning, there would have been a strong chance they would have spotted her. Lucky for her there was never a low supply of bell hops that needed some quick cash. The uniform had fit perfectly, and no one batted an eye when she had crossed through the hotel restaurant just as that bumbling idiot Hargrove made his way over to the command center they had set up in the security office.
Letting out a contented sigh she slid her camera out of her bag and connected it to her small black laptop. The importing would take a moment since her normal setup had been left in Boston after the Incident. She missed her old home and the freedom it allowed her. New York was fine for hiding, but she itched to be back in her domain. Nevertheless, she would have to make do with her temporary workspace, at least it was close to Mary Castor's new apartment in Chinatown. There was plenty of coverage there and it would send the message it needed to.
"Earth to Dr. Isles!"
Maura saw the wild hand waving in front of her face before she registered the words being said. She slipped her earphones off and laid them on the smooth teak desk. She looked back to see three eager detectives staring at her.
"Jane, gentlemen. What can I help you with? I don't believe I have any reports for your active cases."
"Are you still up to snuff with the hoity toity gossip?"
Maura felt her brow crinkle.
"I'm sorry I don't understand. What gossip?"
"Sorry Doc, what Jane meant to ask was, are you still involved in the Boston social circles? We are looking into this guy Alan West and the only things we can seem to find is some society articles."
Korsak smiled at Jane's eye roll and made himself comfortable on the small couch near the door.
"Alan West as in Western Rail and Cargo? He is an occasional guest at some of my family's foundation fundraisers and I have run into him at a few outings at the Harbor Club. He hosts parties on his yacht a couple of times a year. What are you wanting to know, I'm not sure how much help I will be though?"
Jane leaned against her desk, strong arms folded across her chest and teeth gnawing at her lip.
"We have a theory, but it's not solid. Do you remember all those double dates we used to go on before we started dating?"
Maura nodded, trying not to shudder at the memory of the Slucky phase of their relationship.
"Half the time I was only there because I wanted to be with you-"
Frost's laughter was loud before being drowned out by a cough and she saw his hand raise quickly to hide is faux pas. Jane huffed in his direction before facing her fully.
"Like I was saying before the man-child over there interrupted. I wasn't interested in any of the guys you set me up with, and definitely wasn't there for the conversation with your dates when I was third wheeling."
"You weren't? Not even Jorge, he was so nice."
"Maur, focus here. No not even Jorge. I was there because I would rather suffer though dinner like that to spend time with you and see you that happy than sit my ass at home and pout that you were out with them and not me."
Maura sat back in her chair and watched as Jane fidgeted under the gaze of their two friends in the room. Her voice was getting tense, which she knew was Jane's embarrassed voice. The woman had come a long way in expressing her emotions to her, but there was still a lot of work in that department when it came to others. As she was thinking about that, she realized what Jane had been saying.
"You think Alan West, was attracted to James Brumfield? Then somewhere in there he killed James because of it?"
"Like I said it's just a theory, but it would fit. Jealous lover scorned for being kept on the side, wouldn't be the first time. What do you think?"
Maura tilted her head in agreement, the number of cases that ended up in her office that fit that description occurred more often than it should.
"I think you need to be careful when it comes to labeling people we don't know are or are not involved like that. Especially when it comes to these groups of people. Being out in our world is one thing, but we are merely tolerated as being queer in any form. To be having an illicit affair with a man whom up until now everyone had known to be straight not to mention married, then accusing one of them of murdering the other is opening a whole can of Annelida."
The three of them stared back at her, she rolled her eyes.
"Annelida?" Frost questioned.
"Worms, Barry. Annelida is their scientific name."
Korsak let out a small hum of acknowledgement before perking up.
"Doc, we were kind of stonewalled today when we went to question West. You said you know him, right? You think you could do some foot work for us?"
Maura found three eager faces looking back at her, not unlike Susie when she really wanted her hands on a case.
"I'm not sure that I have the time today as I do have a lot to catch up on having been out of office last week. Can you push it till tomorrow? Perhaps see if you can dig up any real evidence I could examine before wildly throwing accusations around."
She saw Jane huff and open her mouth to argue, but her well placed glare had her closing it just as quickly.
Korsak tapped the two on the back and nodded his head towards the door, the silent command easily heard, and they muttered their thanks before slipping out of her office. It wasn't odd that they asked her to tag along on an investigation, but she was never very comfortable prying into people's lives the way that they needed to. She preferred seeing the hard facts in front of her, hard science that allowed her to see the bigger picture.
Sure, there was mystery to some of that science, but the clues were mostly quantifiable she could dig them out one google search of time. There was no lying, no odd speech patterns or tones that she would not miss, nothing to make her feel inferior or lacking.
She slipped the previously discarded earphones back on and settled back into the case files that were laid out in front of her. The common slip and fall hadn't taken more than a couple of hours to complete, report and all, but that wasn't what was holding her interest now. The note that she had underneath was what had kept her attention. Jane would probably snatch it up had she seen it to keep her mind off it.
Grace Callaway was an enigma to her as many sociopaths were. She just couldn't wrap her mind around the obsession that seemed to consume the disgraced doctor. She and Jane were at the top of their fields and being in the public eye often made them targets more often than most, but still here she was pouring over every detail this woman had allowed her. Her analytical brain hunting for any detail that could give them something to grasp onto. Callaway was smart but with Jane's brilliant mind, and her own genius-level intelligence she would slip up and when she did, they would be waiting.
Jane slapped the side of the old vending machine in the small breakroom near the patrol officer's floor, two below her normal stop. The machine groaned in response, but the small bag of chips leaned unmoving against the glass.
"You uh gotta rock it, the smack doesn't do much these days."
Frankie's voice was nervous as she straightened. She threw him a look as she braced and rocked the box left and right. The bag slipped from its stance and landed with a gentle sound at the bottom where she quickly snatched it.
"Look at that. Thanks."
He nodded and they stood their eyes not meeting but Jane could sense his conflict. She ripped the bag open and held it out to him, waving it gently in his line of sight.
"I know it's not your favorite kind, but you can't beat a good bag of salty deliciousness."
He chuckled and took the proffered snack, crumbles of barbeque flavoring dusting his otherwise pristine uniform.
"I was hoping you'd come down here. Brass won't let me back upstairs without anything less than a signed permission slip from God, and with you and Maura going through all that stuff this week I knew it wasn't my place."
She nodded and lowered her eyes focusing on the small but rapidly expanding tear in the chip bag. She wasn't sure what she had wanted to say when she came down here. She racked her brain thinking of anything to try and fumble her way around an apology she knew he was owed.
'I'm sorry-"
Their voices echoed each other. She watched as his jaw went slack.
"I'm sorry, can we go back a step and get that on official record?"
The pair let out a shared chuckle and Jane could see the laugh lines crease Frankie's eyes.
"I know that this whole thing with the…with Heather is delicate, and I can't say that I'm still not upset at you for it. I respect you and I trust you, and honestly right now? I need my brother on my side."
Frankie listened quietly his eyebrow raising at her tactfulness.
"Between the media frenzy on the Brumfield case and Callaway being back after us I can't afford get caught up in a stupid fight, even if it was justified."
"You're right it was justified, I shouldn't have let her talk me into anything, let alone let anything slide. It was killing me knowing that I hurt you like that."
He reached forward and grabbed her hand to convey what she assumed was all the emotion he could muster in a room full of his buddies. She let his hand fall loosely to slap him lightly on his shoulder.
"Damn right it hurt. Please don't pull that kind of act again, just find yourself a nice girl Frank. Preferably one that isn't out to ruin my career."
They stared at each other for a beat, letting the words of their mother flow over them before letting out the tension with a light laugh. She could still feel the anger towards the situation siting heavy behind her chest but being here with him after everything made her feel safe and loved.
"Ma would be proud with that impression of her. Another couple of years and you'll be just like her."
Their banter was interrupted by Frankie's phone beeping quickly in his pocket. Jane watched as he slid the lock screen open and him quickly scan the message. His hands tapped around to another app and she realized he was focused on the attachment that popped up.
"You good Frankie?"
He looked up from the screen with a furrowed brow, turning his hand to allow her to read.
"Yeah, I uh, may have not stopped contact with her fully, but it looks like she wants to help."
It's not much but it may be something to look in to. I remembered that I had some photos from a charity gala last month that I ended up not selling cause of some editing errors. Hope they help…
There wasn't a name signed and the sender's name was clearly a throwaway, but she opened the attachment.
A grainy but clear enough photo showed her prime suspect and her victim locked in an embrace. Their lips brushing as one seemed to pull away.
"Can you send this to my work email?"
Jane thrust his phone behind her as she strode towards the elevator bank. Any thoughts of Heather Green, her brother, or Callaway fell from her mind as she locked on to her theory. She could faintly hear Frankie's agreement as she began to sort the pieces in her mind.
