Chapter 2: Mystery
Ring…Ring…Ring…
Jane's phone went off. She looked at the clock. 7:00 am.
"Ugh. This better be good."
She picked up the phone.
"Rizzoli."
"Jane…You're needed at the Boston park. It's important."
Jane was confused, very few times has she heard the word important. She called Maura. There was no answer. She figured she was already at the scene.
She arrived at the scene to see Korsak and Frost. Jane approached them to see a college age male standing next to them. He looked scared and sad about something.
"What have we got?" Jane asked.
"Kid was jogging this morning. Found a body." Korsack said.
"Alright. Shouldn't we wait for Maura?" Jane asked.
"The doc's not answering her phone." Korsak stated.
"I tracked it at her house but there's no answer." Frost jumped in.
"That's weird. I talked to her yesterday." Jane said.
Jane was starting to worry. Maura was usually up at this hour. What was happening?
"Can I go now?" the kid asked.
"Take us to the body first." Jane ordered.
They walked on the path for a good mile and then the man pointed to the off path that went into the woods.
"It's in there. Do I have to go in? It was pretty gruesome." The man said obviously too freaked out to return.
Jane looked at the man for a moment then at korsak.
"I already took his statement. His story seems fine."
"Alright you may go, we may contact you again." Jane said.
The man walked away returning to the barricades to talk with the other cops.
"Still no word from the doc." Frost said hanging up his phone.
"That's weird she's usually here by now." Jane said.
"Maybe she's having a fashion mishap." Korsak joked.
The three of them laughed and continued off the trail. They walked a good mile before Jane had a bad feeling in her gut.
"Hey Korsak…"
"Me too Jane." He said. He hadn't felt this unsettled since Hoyt first returned.
The three of them walked in silence for a little bit. Frost took a different way to cover more ground.
"Where's this body?" Jane said.
"Maybe the killer moved it or gave them a shallow grave." Korsak said.
Eventually they found Frost vomiting badly.
"What's the matter Frost? Can stand deco?" Korsak teased.
Frost grew grim and said nothing.
"Hey Frost he was joking." Jane said.
Frost was still quiet.
"Frost, is it that bad?" Korsak asked.
"Well let's go." Jane said heading to a cleared spot past Frost.
"NO!" Frost yelled and reached for Jane but couldn't due to his vomiting.
Korsak grew afraid for the first time in years. If Frost didn't want Jane to see it, it must be bad. He ran to his old partner and tried to stop her.
It was too late. Jane stood paralyzed for a moment and stared at the scene in front of her. Maura was slumped back against the tree. Blood ran down her arms although it's dry now. The lines on her arm were starting to heal. There was blood and tissue splatter to Maura's left side. Maura's skin was starting to turn green from advanced decomposition and the heat.
For the first time since she was a rookie she ran from the scene and vomited like Frost. She vomited and then screamed and fell to her knees. Frost came over and hugged her. Korsak moved closer to the scene. While he didn't vomit there was a slight trembling on his part and a choked up voice.
He hadn't gotten close enough to see Maura very clearly as no one had touched her yet. However he knew something that Frost and Jane wouldn't. He saw it during Vietnam but didn't want to acknowledge that reality.
He went to Jane and hugged her then ordered the crew to evaluate the scene. Jane tried to remain calm but broke down in their arms. She had calmed enough to go to Maura. She kneeled and stroked Maura's face. It looked like Maura was sleeping.
"Maura?" Jane asked quietly.
There was no answer.
Frost started to move to Jane. Korsak put his arm in front of him and shook his head. Frost stood still.
"Maura get up." She whispered.
There was still no answer.
"We gotta go home." She said as she shook Maura.
Maura fell onto Jane's lap. Cold and still.
"Ma..Maur…?" Jane couldn't finish as her voice choked up.
Jane looked at Korsak for help. His face was cold.
"Korsak?" she asked tears running down her face.
Korsak said nothing.
Jane let out the most horrid scream she ever heard. She held Maura close as she sobbed. She felt someone pulling her from Maura. She fought them and screamed Maura's name before everything went black.
Jane woke up in the ICU a few hours later. She heard the familiar beep of monitors as she sat up.
Must have been a dream. She thought.
She laid back down and looked around. She saw Frost and Korsak. Their faces were sad and mournful. What was wrong? Wait it couldn't be real…Could it?
"Where's Maura?" Jane asked.
Frost and Korsak looked at each other. Jane grew confused. Why were they hesitating? Frost left the room to get coffee. Korsak went to hold Jane's hand.
"Jane…the doc…the doc is dead." He said.
Jane's eyes rolled back as she passed out from the news.
"..And I don't think it was a homicide." He said to himself.