Frankie groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose as he looked at the clock reading 6:30 am. He had just put the finishing signatures to paper for the arrest of a double homicide perp that had lead him on a three day chase with just as few hours of sleep. His head hurt. His body hurt. And all Frankie wanted was to go home with his beautiful fiancé and sleep. Nina shot him a tired smile from across the bull pen and Frankie couldn't help smiling back.
'Pssst,' Frankie heard coming from the direction of the elevators. Frankie groaned when he looked over to see Raymond 'Rondo' Washington, being kept from the bull pen by an officer waving frantically at Frankie. Rondo was Jane's, now Frankie's, confidential informant. A good one at that. Making him the last person Frankie wanted to see at the moment. Frankie waved the officer away. 'Thanks Baby Vanilla,' Rondo said in that cheeky way. Frankie hated the nickname but he'd resigned himself to living in Jane's shadow when he accepted the role in homicide.
'What do you want Rondo?' Frankie asked, his impatience showing.
'Ouch. Baby Vanilla bites,' Rondo said with a grin.
'Baby Vanilla,' Nina said with a grin, 'has slept three hours in the last three days. Better make it fast Mr. Blues.' She brushed by the pair, 'I'll get you both some coffee.'
Frankie wasn't sure if he wanted to cry in gratitude or pain but he had a responsibility to Jane, at the minimum, to do right by Rondo. Frankie squeezed his eyes shut, took a deep breath and tried again, 'what can I do for you Rondo?' Frankie asked in the most polite tone he could currently manage.
'Better,' Rondo said with an easy chuckle, 'Vanilla trained you up real good.'
'Rondo?' Frankie asked, hoping it sounded both inquisitive and forewarning. Frankie was pretty sure it mostly sounded desperate though.
'Right,' Rondo said straightening up, 'I've got a CI who gave me some interesting news.'
'You know CI doesn't stand for crazy individual right?' Frankie asked.
Rondo laughed, 'Vanilla said the same thing Baby Vanilla.'
Frankie groaned, burying his head in his arms. Only the smell of freshly made coffee enticed him to look back up. Nina placed three mugs on his desk before pulling up a free chair. Frankie gave her a sappy, grateful smile. She didn't need to say it. She was there. She was with him. She'd do whatever he needed to help. God he loved this woman. Frankie took a large sip of very hot coffee, ignoring the pain of his tongue. 'Alright, you have a CI. What did they say?' Frankie pulled out his notebook and looked expectantly at Rondo.
'Thank you Ms. James,' Rondo said with a wink at Nina. She smiled and gestured at him to go on. Frankie managed to suppress a groan.
'My CI says theres been some interest in Doctor Vanilla lately,' Rondo whispered conspiratorially.
'Doctor Vanilla?' Frankie asked, eye brows raising.
'Well she can't be Mrs. Vanilla,' Rondo said as if offended by the notion.
'Why can't she be Doctor Isles?' Frankie asked.
Rondo laughed, 'Vanilla and Doctor Vanilla belong together Baby Vanilla. Can't split them up.'
Frankie stared at the man. He was pretty sure he didn't know about Jane and Maura's new relationship status. Or maybe Frankie needed to start paying him more and he really was the best CI Frankie had ever worked with. 'What do you mean?'
'They're in love, Baby Vanilla,' Rondo said with a grin, 'heart stopping, soul yearning, meant to be, forever kind of love. They're just too stubborn to realise it.'
Frankie sighed, Rondo wasn't wrong but Frankie didn't want to out Jane, 'fine people have been asking questions about Doctor Isles. What's so strange about that? She wrote a book, she's been doing TV interviews, she's all over the place.'
Rondo gave Frankie a look that told him that Frankie had asked a preposterous question. Frankie was too tired to figure out what was so crazy about it though. 'You do need sleep Baby Vanilla,' Rondo said at last, 'folks don't ask people like me and my CI about pop culture.'
Nina stifled a yawn, 'so why were they asking?'
'Don't know,' Rondo shrugged, 'seemed like they mostly wanted information. My CI said they stopped real quick when they found out about Paddy Doyle being Doctor Vanilla's daddy dearest.'
'Does your CI know who is doing the asking?' Frankie asked.
Rondo shook his head taking a long sip of coffee, 'not one of us. My CI thinks it might be an out-of-towner.'
'Why?' Nina asked, 'did they see something? Say something?'
Rondo shrugged again, 'when you've been on the street as long as we have, you just get a feel for these things.'
Frankie did groan then. 'You mean, you don't have anything actually useful for us.'
'Frankie,' Nina whispered in just the right tone to let him know he'd crossed a line.
Frankie took another deep breath, 'Rondo, look, you're my best CI. If you say someones asking questions about Doctor Isles with harmful intentions, I'll listen. I believe you. I'll give Jane and Maura the heads up. But without anything else, there's nothing I can do. I can't even go interview a suspect because you can't give me a name or a description or even if the person lives in Boston.'
Rondo smiled a sad kind of smile at Frankie, 'it's okay Baby Vanilla. I wasn't here on official police business. Just giving a friend a heads up.' He stood to leave, taking their coffee cups towards the kitchen.
'Rondo!' Frankie called, he fumbled quickly for some of his CI cash, 'wait. If you hear anything more or you see anything more, pass it on. I'll make sure Jane gets it at the very least. Okay?'
Frankie took the mugs from Rondo and pressed the cash in to Rondos hand. The older man nodded, looking thoughtful, 'it just didn't feel right, you know?' It was all he said before disappearing down the hallway.
Frankie slumped over. He'd have to find a way to apologise to Rondo eventually. When he had slept and showered and wasn't feeling like a barely functioning automaton. Frankie deposited the mugs in the sink, giving them all a less than generous scrub before heading back to his desk. Nina stood waiting at his desk, her jacket on and things gathered. Frankie was grateful. He grabbed his things, logging off his computer and grabbing his papers to put in the captain's box. In the elevator he pulled out his phone and sent out a quick text to both Maura and Jane.
'Hey. Need to talk to you both this evening, Rondo related. He's okay, just had some information. Let me know when. Love, Frankie.'
Frankie powered off his phone then. He knew Maura would wait until the allotted time, sending only a confirmation response. Jane however, would blow up his phone with questions the minute she had a free moment. Frankie wasn't about to be cheated out of precious hours of sleep because Jane couldn't wait a few hours. After all, it wasn't even all that hot of a tip. People all across the United States were asking questions about Maura Isles right now. He couldn't verify that they all had good intentions. He couldn't even track them all. So why did it leave Frankie with a bitter taste in his mouth?
Nina wrapped a solid arm around his waist, Frankie slung his arm over her shoulders. They'd figure it out later.
Maura received Frankie's text as she was arriving at the airport in Minneapolis. She frowned for a moment as she read it. She wasn't sure what she and Jane could do. Although, Frankie had said it was Rondo business, not BPD business. Of course, Maura supposed if it was BPD business, she'd expect Kent or Governor Baker to reach out to her. Not Frankie. She sighed. She liked Rondo. He was intelligent, funny, and kind. She hoped the older man was doing well.
'Certainly. I'm free after 7 pm CDT.'
Maura had loaded her luggage on to the cart and was half way through ticketing when Jane called. Maura could picture the happy look on her face and the mess of her hair when she first woke up. It tugged at Maura's heart. 'Morning Maur,' Jane murmured, her voice still raspy with sleep.
'Good morning love,' Maura answered with a smile.
'What the hell was that about?' Jane asked. She sounded frustrated but not distressed.
'I don't know,' Maura replied steadily, 'I possess no additional information.'
'You could guess,' Jane accused half-heartedly.
'I don't guess,' Maura answered the same as she always did. It was a rise Jane never failed to get. 'I use all the available data to make an educated prediction.'
'Fine,' Jane said stifling a yawn, 'make a prediction.'
Maura sighed, 'you're impossible. I'm predicting that Frankie will tell us tonight, when we talk.'
'Maaauuurrraaa,' Jane whined, 'that's not a prediction. I bet its about an old case. Something he needs us to solve.'
Maura smiled, 'it is one possible outcome.'
'What else could it be?' Jane asked. 'What else could Rondo possibly have to do with us?'
'He is our friend Jane,' Maura answered, 'he could be ill or injured or -'
'Nope.' Jane cut her off, 'not going there. Don't say it.'
Maura sighed, 'he could be moving or getting married. He could just want our mailing address.'
Jane was silent a moment, 'if it was any of those things, wouldn't he have contacted us directly. It's not as if he doesn't have our numbers.'
Maura switched ears, 'maybe or maybe not. Either way we'll know tonight.'
'I'm going to text Frankie,' Jane replied, 'he can't just send something like that without further context.'
Maura shook her head. There was no point in trying to stop her. 'Fine but if you're going to interrogate him, please do so on a private thread. I don't want to land to a hundred text messages.'
'You don't want to know what's going on?' Jane pouted.
'Of course I do. Which is why I will talk to Frankie tonight.' Maura replied. She pressed a few buttons on the automated check in machine.
'Fine,' Jane replied, 'I was going to offer to summarise what I learn for you separately but since you're so patient….' Jane teased.
'Oooh,' Maura replied excitedly, 'yes, please do that!'
Jane laughed, making Maura's heart beat faster, 'see you're just as nosy as me. You just use me to do the dirty work.'
Maura felt a faint blush rising on her cheeks, 'I use a variety of tools to inform my predictions, Jane.'
'Oh,' Jane laughed again, 'so I'm a tool now?'
'You know what I mean,' Maura replied without dignifying that response.
'Do I?' Jane asked, 'seems to me you just called your girlfriend a tool and that's not very nice.'
Maura sighed. She wasn't sure how Jane always got the better of her in these teasing battles. 'Fine, I apologise profusely.'
'Good. How's the airport?' Jane asked.
Maura murmured a silent thank you as she passed over her baggage to the ticket counter. 'Quiet,' Maura answered. She had chosen an early flight for that very reason. 'What are your plans for the day?'
'Except for interrogating Frankie?' Jane teased.
'Yes, except for that,' Maura affirmed with a wry smile.
'Not a whole lot. It's evaluation weeks so grading probably,' Maura could hear Jane shrug. Jane would find grading boring.
'Any one you're concerned about?' Maura asked.
Jane chuckled, 'might fail Whitehead for being an asshole but other than that.'
'Jane!' Maura replied, her heart racing at the idea of a student failing.
'What?' Jane asked, 'it's the FBI Maura. Not physics. Character matters. I can't send an asshole out there to be an agent. Assholes shouldn't be given power to police others. He'll just abuse it.'
Maura shuddered, 'it sounds horrible either way.'
Jane chuckled, 'you just hate the idea of failing something, bet the thought of it is giving you hives.'
Maura stopped mid-scratch, 'you're right. Let's talk about something else.'
'What time does your flight leave?'
'I have an hour,' Maura replied.
'And you're headed for Seattle?' Jane asked.
'Mmmhmmm,' Maura replied.
'Will you have time to do all the touristy things?' Jane asked.
'Probably,' Maura replied, 'why? Is there something in particular I should do?'
'Yes,' Jane said with a grin, 'rumour has it there's a bubble gum wall. You've got to add to it.'
'I beg your pardon,' Maura replied, feeling vaguely nauseated, 'you want me to what now?'
'Add some gum. Its near Pike's Place. People from all over the world go there just to add a piece.' Jane spoke excitedly now.
'That's disgusting,' Maura replied her nose wrinkling, 'and incredibly unsanitary.'
'You also have to get a Starbucks from there. It was the first,' Jane ignored her comment.
'But they over roast their beans,' Maura heard herself whining.
'I didn't say it had to be coffee,' Jane replied, 'just something. It's a right of passage, you know.'
'Fine. I will go to Pike's Place. I will get a Starbucks and I will take a picture of this bubble gum wall,' Maura sighed.
'You have to add a piece,' Maura could hear Jane's grin, 'and you have to add one for me too.'
'Jaaannneee,' Maura replied.
'Please Maura,' Jane asked in a sing song-y voice. Maura whimpered. She would do it. She knew she would and all because Jane asked. 'How's it all that different from the last time you defaced public property?'
'Tagging is a legitimate art form Jane,' Maura rebutted.
'So sculpt your gum before you place it, I don't care,' Jane replied. Maura heard the dogs barking in the background, 'listen Maura, I gotta go. I love you though. Have a good flight.'
'Oh,' Maura couldn't hide her disappointment, 'have a good day Jane. I love you too.'
'Bye!' There was an audible click and Maura sighed as she lowered the phone from her ear. For a moment Maura wanted to change her flights, to head home. To quit the whole thing. Maura counted in her head until ten. She knew the feeling would pass. She knew she'd regret quitting now. She'd see Jane in a little over two weeks. She could do two weeks. She sighed, moving once more towards the TSA Pre-check line. Every flight was another flight closer to home, to Jane. At least, that's what she told herself. Even if her heart was screaming at her that she was flying the wrong way.
