CHAPTER FIVE
"Hey, Maura," Jane says as she breezes into the autopsy suite, doors swinging closed behind her.
She's halfway to the metal table when she suddenly pauses. This morning's incident flashing through her brain is all it takes to slow her steps.
They're together now. Apparently. Things have changed between them, and it takes a second to shake off the idea that they might interact differently in these situations. It doesn't seem likely, especially given the things Maura said.
Focusing solely on the case, she pushes any personal thoughts aside, just clears her throat and smiles as Maura looks up from where she's leaning over the victim's body. "Got anything for me?"
The smile she gets in return is just like old times and she can do nothing about the flutter of her heart.
Maura grabs the fluoroscope and runs it over the victim's limbs. "She was beaten severely before she died."
The deep purple bruising on the woman's body should be shocking enough, but she glances at the screen, takes in the image of even more invisible marks beneath the skin's surface and can't help but grimace. "Wow," she breathes, talking to herself. "Guy sure was angry."
"Cause of death is a single gunshot wound to the chest," the doctor continues, points a gloved index finger at a very obvious wound, before she offers up a small steel bowl for Jane to peer in to. "I recovered a 9mm bullet. It transected the aorta before getting lodged between two of her spinal vertebrae. I'll send it to IBIS for analysis."
Jane strokes her chin as she runs through possibilities. "Tough guy either couldn't bring himself to finish the job with just his hands, or… killing her wasn't the plan to start with."
A simple head tilt and pursed lips is all she gets from Maura. Like the blonde thinks either theory sounds plausible enough.
"Ballistics could be a bust since we didn't find the murder weapon," she says, not thinking and watches as one of Maura's eyebrows lifts, unimpressed.
It's not that she means to offend, or insinuate that Maura's part in these proceedings is anything but the single most important step in finding a killer. She just forgets herself sometimes. It's why their friendship has always been peppered with occasional bouts of strain and tension. She values Maura just as much as Maura values herself, she just forgets to let the other woman know sometimes.
"Anything else?" she says, quickly moving along.
"I can tell you she wasn't sexually assaulted," Maura sighs with a shrug. Like it should be a good thing but she's clearly frustrated. The autopsy hasn't revealed anything they weren't already expecting, leaving them no further along in the investigation. "The lab tests are being rushed through because there's a missing child involved. I'll let you know the second I have something."
"Thank you," she smiles, drinks in the doctor's apologetic face and appreciates how thoughtful the woman is even in difficult times. She catches herself staring again, much too long for it to be work appropriate, and a feint blush rises on Maura's cheeks. "Okay, well… In the meantime, I was wondering if you could help me with something else..."
"This is very unconventional," Maura huffs as she strides back and forth behind the two-way mirror, exudes a mix of nerves and anxiety.
The doctor is bound to feel pressured; she hadn't taken no for an answer. She had loitered downstairs for another half hour waiting for Maura to finish up with the victim. Had made a nuisance of herself even as the body had been slid into a refrigerated drawer.
"You've done it before and you'd really be doing me a huge favor."
"Jane -" Maura whines, breaths coming faster and shallower the more she paces. "What if I get this wrong? You know psychology isn't my specialty. Look at what happened with Hoyt. I made a huge mistake and you almost -"
"Maura -" she butts in, trying to appear as caring as possible while preventing any further recap of the worst day of her life. Grasping the blonde by the shoulders, she locks eyes and wills the other woman to calm down. "Just breathe for a second."
She can't help but glance at Maura's neck… where dark eyes trace the path of three long scars where once there was only one.
It's odd, she muses, since she surely must have seen it – them - up close before.
And they are very close, she realizes, her hands having pulled Maura's body into hers of their own volition. Her attraction is stronger than ever.
"This guy isn't Hoyt," she whispers, throws a quick glance at the man behind the glass. "He's not a danger here. Nothing bad is going to happen to us if you're wrong, but I know a six-year old girl that will love you for helping."
It is a low blow, she knows that, cringes internally the instant the words leave her mouth. Using emotional blackmail should be beneath her and honestly, she's ashamed. But then she's always made it a point to use every investigative tool available to get the job done. Sometimes that includes utilizing the hidden talents of their Chief Medical Examiner.
"Korsak's gonna ask him some simple questions," she explains as soon as Maura nods her agreement. "We already know that people tend to avoid eye contact when they're covering up their lies."
"Or love," Maura adds, all soft voice and warm hazel. "People avoid eye contact to hide lies… or love."
It makes Jane smile.
She wiggles long fingers in front of her own face. "You just… do your asymmetric face reading thingy and tell me if his is wonky or whatever. I just need to know if you think he's lying, if we're on the right track. Okay?"
Maura steps away and turns toward the glass just as Korsak re-enters the interview room and takes a seat opposite Charlie Mills. It looks like they're all ready.
"Okay," Maura nods as Jane slips in the earpiece.
She slaps her cellphone down on the desk. "Dammit!"
"There's nothing more we could do, Jane," Korsak offers impatiently, hovers at her side as she sits down.
"That's bullshit and you know it," she says quietly, frustrated but not wanting to raise attention throughout the bullpen.
"I'm not saying it doesn't stink," he argues, clearly a little pissed at her petulant mood. "I trust Maura's judgment just as much as you do. But the DA isn't going to charge him because his left eyebrow wiggled when I asked him about killing Rebecca."
She plants her elbows on the desk and palms her face, groans as she rubs her fingers into tired eyes. It's her way of acknowledging his voice of reason.
"Look, it could be worse," he nudges, stating the obvious positives that she's choosing to ignore in favor of sulking negativity. "He could have been totally uncooperative and lawyered up the second we brought him in, but he didn't. At least this way, if the DNA and GSR tests confirm what your gut keeps telling you, then when we charge him it'll stick."
"I know, I know," she sighs, flops back in her chair. "It's just… The way he asked if he was free to go..." A growl escapes from the back of her throat as her top lip curls up in a sneer. "I wanted to slap that smirk right off his face."
Korsak chuckles sympathetically. "You're not the only one."
"I'm gonna find that little girl if it kills me," she promises.
A beefy hand claps her on the shoulder blade. "And I'm here to make sure it doesn't come to that. Come on. We're going to talk to Nina."
Korsak comes rushing to her side at the sound of breaking glass. "Jane!"
It's probably the fastest he's moved all week. She can imagine the way his head must have whipped around and the curse words that she suspects left his lips. The thought generates a tiny smile as she reaches through the door to unlock it from the inside.
"What?! I thought I heard something," she lies, and the rise of a single bushy eyebrow tells her he isn't the least bit fooled.
Nina had confirmed this address is tied to the suspect, and while they're stuck waiting for warrants she reasons Exigent Circumstances will permit them entry. It is the only house on the list left unsearched and she just needs to be sure Kelsey isn't here. The girl's life depends on them leaving no known stone unturned.
If there's any fallout for breaking the rules she'll argue that Vince wasn't here, take the blame and the punishment alone. The fact that he was just out of sight around the corner is a minor technicality that she doesn't plan to mention.
Stepping over broken glass, they withdraw their weapons and move through the house. With an ease borne of training and experience, they clear it room by room in near silence.
There's nothing in the way of furniture, no hiding spaces except for the odd closet, so it doesn't take long to declare all the rooms truly empty.
When Korsak points her attention to a suspiciously padlocked door, most likely leading to the basement, they both freeze. He's a pale shade of gray and she thinks it might have a lot to do with the look of horror on her face, as well as the thought that little Kelsey might be down there.
She knows when Hoyt held her captive in a basement of her own, she wasn't the only one he left tortured and wracked with nightmares.
But this space is clear, too. Kelsey Mills isn't here.
She waits on the sidewalk while Korsak calls it in. Wonders what they missed as her imagination runs wild.
"What if she wasn't even taken?" she blurts when he approaches. "Why haven't we thought of that? What if she got woken up by the noise of her parents fighting, and ran off into the night, frightened and alone?"
"A wandering kid would have been reported by now if someone had found her," he says, all forced patience and calm as if he hopes it might rub off on her.
She snaps her fingers. "Exactly! If someone found her. What if no one found her, Vince? She could be lying in a ditch somewhere."
"Jane -"
The way he holds his palms out to her is reminiscent of the last time she saw him trying to soothe a frightened stray dog. She purses her lips, unimpressed. "Or what if somebody found her, and didn't report her, huh? Some sicko could have snatched her, taken her hundreds of miles away from here by now..."
She knows he hears her, has to have considered all other possibilities himself at some point, just like any good detective would. But with a deep sigh, he just opens the passenger side door and points for her to get in. "Come on. We have to get back to the station," he says, all no nonsense and steely eyes as his pointer finger moves from the car to her chest. "You've got reports to write."
She falls into the seat with a roll of her eyes, supposes that doing his share of the paperwork means getting off lightly considering the shit she just pulled. It's a decision she doesn't regret though. It was worth the gamble, and she'd do it again in a heartbeat.
"You're not staying? Wow. I thought I was gonna have to escort you out," Korsak chuckles as he watches her put on her suit jacket.
She's worked late more times than she can count, and would of course put in every hour required to close a case. But today – today has been a strange one from the off and she needs – wants - to try doing something a little different.
"I'd love to stay," she professes dramatically, gets the rolled eyes she expects from him. And it feels a little reckless saying it out loud, but the temptation to see how the words taste on her tongue instead of swallowing them and going home alone is just too strong. "But I - I wanna spend some time with Maura."
Admitting what she wants is such a relief. Even more so when all she gets is an indifferent shrug that says fair enough in return. It feels a lot like permission. Like encouragement.
She wants to be able to say it every day.
A/N: Thank you for continuing to read this story! Your comments and reviews are very welcome and much appreciated! It's always nice to hear what you guys think, and entertaining to read how some of you think this story will progress. :)
Thank you once again to Orison, who continues to provide valuable advice and who spots the holes I have become blind to in my endless editing process!
Heads up for Chapter 6, which will make this story M rated. Hope I don't lose any of you! ;D