Chapter 3

Thanks so much for the reviews and story alerts. Sorry this update has taken so long; we were hit hard by the hurricane. I hope to have another chapter up tomorrow. This story is a challenge, and I hope it's keeping you engaged.

Jane, suddenly feeling limp, slipped into the embrace and allowed the comfort it provided to wash over her like a calming wave. The smell of Maura, her body heat, and her embrace always made her feel like every situation, no matter how daunting, would turn out OK.

Maura released a sigh, and absorbed the hug, subconsciously knowing each one from Jane could be her last. Ever since the shooting, a slight fear that started in Maura's stomach and clawed its way to her throat would erupt whenever she was physically close to her best friend. Each time it happened, she would swallow it back down, and try to convince herself that the chances of Jane getting hurt again on the job were infinitesimal.

That fear that gripped her insides and twisted them was the same fear that made her want to run from Jane and simultaneously kiss her with absolute abandon. She looked at her best friend, who was now sleeping on her couch, with tenderness and pain for what could have happened. Maura then wiped a stray tear off of her cheek with the back of her hand. She slowly and quietly approached Jane, gently placing a blanket on her before retreating to her bedroom.

Three hours later, the ride back to station was enveloped in silence. Jane's cheek pulsated with anger, and Maura knew that speaking was not an option for the brooding woman. The doctor turned to briefly study Jane's profile, and suddenly she felt a hollowness deep in her chest. She knew Jane felt powerless; she couldn't even be the one to inform her parents that they were being brought in for questioning. Maura patted Jane's knee then quickly returned her hand to steering wheel.

When the friends parted ways at the elevator, Jane looked more fragile than she had in the hospital after the shooting. She raised a pale shaking hand to her hair and ran her fingers through it. She was angry, exhausted, and sleep deprived.

Maura took a step closer to Jane and placed her lips centimeters from the detective's ear.

"Jane, listen to me. It's going to be alright. I know this is hard, but please trust the process. If you interfere, it'll only get harder." She moved slightly to the left and placed a gentle kiss on Jane's cheek.

Jane nodded and walked to her desk where Korsak was waiting for her. At 5:00 am, they were the only two in the bullpen.

He waited for her to sit before he quietly stated, "Jane, We're not supposed to divulge anything about the case to you so I gotta be careful. Last night, after you left, we made an emergency call to elder services. Turns out Patterson's dad was found wandering around his upstairs apartment mumbling something about a gun. The guy's got dementia."

Korsak looked around to make sure they were still alone. "Cooper's preliminary findings show there is an entrance wound in the guy's noggin, but no exit wound. No weapon was found."

"Thanks Vince."

"Me, and Maura's lab tech—we'll keep you in the loop, and I'll personally ensure your parents are treated right. Frankie and Frost aren't allowed anywhere near this case either, so stay away from them, and for God's sake stay out of the investigation, and don't let anyone find out you've got info."

She smiled a little, and squeezed her former partner's hand as she watched him retreat to his new office. After a few minutes, she tapped her foot furiously as she waited for her mother and father to be brought in for questioning. Then, an hour had past, and Jane had practically chewed the inside of her cheek to shreds. When she couldn't stand it any longer, she went to Lt. Cavanaugh's office.

She found him sitting at his desk reading a report. "Sir, I thought you were going to bring my parents in for questioning."

"We are. Korsak and Vines went to pick them up." He looked at the haggard woman and issued an order. "You, until we are done, are going to go home and stay there until you are called back in for questioning. And I'm dead serious when I say limit your contact with your family to ONLY the necessary. You shouldn't even be here. Leave now."

Jane was about to voice her displeasure when Maura's words flashed through her mind. "Fine, I'll go." She had next to no emotion in her voice as she reached in her pocket for her car keys.

She made it home in record time, and fully clothed, flopped on to her bed. Jane tossed and turned as she thought to herself, "Oh, ma is gonna love this. Wait until she gets her hands on us. She's gonna tear me, pop, and Frankie new ones. In her eyes we're all going to have some blame in this." Seconds later the drained woman was asleep.

Maura still at work was relegated to Autopsy Suite Two. It was a smaller set up, with older equipment, and poor lighting, but it still served its purpose. The ME was about to cut into her 48th floater when Joanna, her most competent lab tech, stepped into the room."

"Dr. Isles. I have some information for you. Sergeant Korsak asked me to keep you informed on the Q.T."

"Come into my office." The doctor waved the woman inside.

They walked into the lavish accommodations, and carefully made sure no one else saw them.

The tall, dark haired woman who was slightly overweight and extremely attractive pulled a small notepad from her pocket. "OK. The wound in Mr. Patterson's head was caused by a nail."

"A nail?"

"Yes, most likely fired from a nail gun about three feet from the victim's head. C.O.D was penetration of the brain stem. His breathing and heart stopped within seconds of being shot."

"Hmmm, extremely quiet and extremely effective; a weapon of opportunity, you see that a lot in crimes of passion. I doubt someone planned to kill him with a nail gun."

"That's not all. There's a three inch long indentation in his head that was made by a 90 degree angle. There were splinters of low quality pine in the victim's scalp that matched the samples taken from….."

Maura interrupted, "Those rickety stairs leading down to the basement?"

"Yes. He was most likely going up the stairs when his attacker surprised him, pushed him down them, and shot him while he lay on the basement floor."

"Thank you, Joanna. You'd make a good detective. Be careful leaving."

"You're welcome Dr. Isles." The woman smiled before quietly leaving down a corridor that was rarely used.

Maura immediately called Jane. The sleepy officer answered hoarsely.

"Yeah Maur."

"Jane….were you sleeping?"

"Yep, got sent home until some of the shit dies down."

"Well, if Vince is having Joanna keep me abreast of the case on the lowdown..."

"That's down low," Jane interjected.

"Whatever. I bet he's informing you as well."

"He is."

"You promised not to get involved."

"And I haven't…..yet…..and I won't….unless the process you asked me to trust in goes terribly wrong."

"Uh…Jane, you are exasperating at times."

"Love you too. Now what have you got?"

"C.O.D. is a nail gun shot to the temporal lobe that traveled toward the occipital lobe and virtually destroyed the brain stem."

"Huh…They found Patterson's father in an apartment upstairs. He was talking about a gun. I just didn't think nail gun. The M.O., it's consistent with a crime of passion, maybe a lover, or a pissed off client."

Maura could hear the investigative tone in Jane's voice. "Jane you promised."

"I know, I know trust the process."

"So is the father a potential witness?"

"Even if he saw something; how much help could he be? He's got dementia." Jane sighed audibly. "See you after work Maur?"

"Yes, I'll come to your place so there is no chance of you running into your mother before she's cleared."

"Thanks."

Little did they know that the process they vowed to trust in was about to be blown straight to Hell.