A/N- I apologize in advance for the lack of Rizzles together time in this chapter. Try to remember they are nothing without the tension :) Please review!
"Okay, there's only one way we're going to do this, and it's going to be my way. I don't have time for bullshit, so you're going to tell me what you did to your daughter."
Jane Rizzoli was not going to take any games from this guy.
"I love my daughter," the suspect said calmly.
"Is that why you killed her?"
"I didn't kill her!" he exclaimed.
Jane pulled the crime scene photos out of the file and laid them on the table. The man refused to look at them. She held the one showing the little girl in front of his face.
"Is this your daughter? Is this Abigail?"
"Yes," he choked out.
"You're telling me that someone else took the gun that you recently purchased, went to your ex's house, and shot her, her husband, and your daughter?"
"I don't know!"
The man was crying now, but the guilt was evident in his eyes. Jane didn't let up.
"Why did you do it? Why'd you kill Abigail?"
"I didn't mean to!" he sobbed. "I didn't know she was there!"
"That was easy," Jane muttered to herself. "Tell me what happened."
"I thought Abby was at Stacey's sister's. That's what Jeff told me. I didn't want to kill them, I just wanted to see my little girl. I went to talk to Stacey, and she actually opened the door. I thought she might let me talk to her, but she just told me she was going to get a restraining order. I tried to reason with her, but she wouldn't listen. So I pushed my way in and threatened her with the gun. I tied her up and threatened her and I thought that would work. Then I heard someone come down the hall and I thought it was Jeff. I panicked and I shot. I didn't know it was my Abby."
"You mistook your four-year-old daughter for a grown man?" Jane pressed.
"I told you! I just panicked! I didn't think Abby would be there. Am I going to jail?"
Jane rolled her eyes and stormed out of the interrogation room. What an idiot.
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Maura was in the morgue finishing up the autopsy on the retired cop when Frost and Korsak walked in.
"Find anything that could help us?" Korsak asked her.
"Multiple stab wounds to the abdomen; the weapon had a serrated edge. Cause of death though, is blunt force trauma to the back of the head. The stabbing occurred antemortem," Maura told them.
"So the murderer just got tired of waiting for him to die and hit him on the head?" Frost questioned.
"He was definitely stabbed while lying on his back. I don't like to guess, but it seems strange that the killer would sit him back up just to hit him on the back of the head," Maura answered.
"Interesting," Korsak mused. "Well, Jane got a confession out of Abigail's father. Will you watch to see if his story matches up with your findings?"
Maura took the flash drive from Korsak and plugged it into her computer. She watched intently as Jane interrogated the suspect. Seeing Jane get all commanding with him like that made Maura feel a little weird. She suddenly felt hot and lightheaded.
"Frost, could you bring me that stool?" she asked quickly, afraid she might pass out.
"Sure, Dr. Isles. Are you still feeling sick?"
Maura sat down gratefully and shook her head at him, turning back to the video. When it was over, she turned back to the detectives.
"His story matches up with the crime scene, the ligature marks on Stacey's wrists, and the gunshot wounds," she confirmed. "I wonder if he really thought that Abigail was Jeff? It seems like he really does love his daughter."
Frost was about to speak and then noticed that Maura had tears in her eyes. He looked nervously at Korsak, who just shrugged.
"Uh, Dr. Isles, are you alright?" Korsak asked.
"I'm fine. I need to get back to work," Maura sniffled, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
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The suspect's confession and Maura's confirmation of his story were enough to charge him with first degree murder and put him in jail until his bail hearing. Jane and Frost were relieved to be done with that and get back to their retired detective case.
It was almost nine and Jane was starving. She was also more than ready to make things right with Maura and knew the medical examiner hadn't yet left for the day. She hurried down to Maura's office. Maura was just gathering her things to leave. Perfect timing. Maura jumped a little, surprised to see Jane. Jane immediately pulled her into a tight hug.
"Maur, I'm so sorry," she breathed.
"I'm sorry, too, Jane," Maura said into Jane's hair.
"Let me make it up to you. Come to dinner with me."
"I don't really feel like going out right now. I just want to get home and get some rest."
"I can come with you and take care of you."
"No," Maura answered quickly. "I'm fine. I just want to go to bed."
Jane reluctantly let Maura go and left the station alone. Immediately after entering her apartment, she grabbed a beer from the fridge and turned on ESPN. She tried to focus on scores and game highlights, but her thoughts kept turning to Maura. It seemed they had made up after apologizing to each other, but why hadn't Maura wanted her company? They always wanted to be around each other. Jane had tried so hard to take care of Maura and her friend had always seemed appreciative. Her desire to be left alone now caused Jane to worry that their friendship was changing for good.
Maura was also at home alone, but she didn't open a bottle of wine or turn on the TV or even eat dinner. She lay on top of her made bed, still in her work clothes, and stared at the ceiling. It was a lot of work to steady her breathing and keep from crying. Thousands of questions ran through her mind. How could I let this happen? Why me? Why now? What am I going to do? What will Jane think?
Jane. Maura felt terrible for blowing her off. Her best friend had simply been trying to take care of her, to make her feel better, as she always did. This was something Jane couldn't fix. She sent the text anyway.
"I need you."
Jane's reply came almost automatically.
"I'm coming."
"It's ok, Jane. I'm going to sleep. Tomorrow please? My office?"
Jane could've replied with "yes" or "ok" or "of course", but the word she used meant more to Maura than anything anyone had ever said to her.
"Always."
