Maura closed her eyes as she stepped under the spray, hands rising to smooth her hair back as it plastered itself to her head. Her tongue darted out to slide across her lips, tasting coppery water from the shower, and salt from her own sweat. She exhaled a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and leaned against the wall, side jets pulsing against her back.
She let her mind wander, and sighed. It had been nearly a week since she and Jane had discussed her former lovers, and while nothing outwardly had changed, she sensed a certain shift in the detective. Jane had become guarded, but not against Maura, necessarily. "Perhaps it's simply the stress of this particular case," Maura said out loud. After all, Jane's affection for the doctor hadn't changed.
Maura had spent Wednesday night at Jane's apartment, and tonight, after all, was dinner at the Rizzoli house. She thought back to Wednesday night as she soaped herself slowly, loofah scrubbing gently at her skin. They'd finished the bottle of wine opened earlier in the week, and lay in Jane's bed watching a ridiculous movie.
Maura smiled to herself remembering the way she'd naturally curled up against Jane, and Jane had played with her hair absently. Her eyes slipping shut once more, her hand trailed down her body, the hempen puff dropping to the floor, forgotten, as her fingers slipped between her thighs, all thoughts of Jane.
She licked her lips once more as her hips bucked against her own hand, memories turning to fantasies. "Oh, Jane…" She cried out softly as she neared the drop-off, her fingers working frantically. Lip caught between her teeth, she writhed against the wall, her reward coming swiftly, rendering her breathless.
Well, that settles it. Maura stood after a moment, finishing her shower with haste and stepping out, wrapping a towel around herself. She dressed quickly, selecting a mild sandalwood fragrance and an exquisite tan linen dress. Slipping her heels on, she fastened her watch around her wrist, gathered her keys and purse, and walked out.
Jane walked into the Rizzoli house, unlocking the drawer in the table near the door and putting her gun next to Frankie's, locking it once more. Walking into the family room, she waved at her father. "Hey, pop."
Frank held up a hand and nodded. "The game's just starting, Janie." He pointed at the television, chuckling. "Frankie'n me got a bet."
Jane sat next to her brother, peering at the television. "You guys are betting on a game without me?" She let her mouth drop in feigned horror. "I'm hurt."
"Nah, we're betting how many times they stop the clock." He laughed, nudging Jane with his elbow. "I got twenty bucks on five."
Jane raised an eyebrow, amused. "Does ma know you guys are betting on this?" She reached into her pocket and dropped a bill on the table. "Twenty on six, but only after the second half. She leaned back, then turned her head, seeing Maura out of the corner of her eye. Maura was beautiful as always, but there was something different. Her hair perfectly done, her clothing impeccable… and standing in the doorway to the family room almost nervously. "Maur? You okay?" She sat up, brow furrowed in concern.
Maura nodded then forced a smile. "I'm well, Jane, thank you. I just… I wasn't certain if I should come inside or not. No one answered the doorbell." She crossed the room, Jane shifting to make room for her on the couch.
"Yeah, it broke yesterday. I'm heading to the hardware store tomorrow." Frank said absently. "No one but you ever uses it." He laughed a bit, eyes focused on the television. "You're always welcome here, walking in was the right thing."
Maura nodded. "Oh, I see. Well, thank you." She sat back on the couch, hyper aware of her proximity to Jane. "How has your day been?" She turned, looking at Jane, her cardigan shifting on her bare shoulders, releasing an intoxicating scent.
"Frost got the credit card records back. The name's Croyth Hales." Jane spoke dryly, accepting the bottle of beer her mother handed her, smiling at the glass of wine Angela pressed into Maura's hands. "Thanks, Ma."
"You're welcome, Janie. That's an odd name." Angela perched on the edge of a chair after handing Frankie a beer as well. "It sounds English."
Maura nodded. "It does, Hales is a surname from London, if I recall." She sipped the wine, a squeak of pleasure escaping into the glass. "This is delicious."
"It is. Frost checked. Thing is, there's no Croyth Hales listed in Boston at all. Or in the national database. This guy's a ghost." She lifted the bottle to her lips, amber liquid running down her throat.
Maura nodded, laying a supportive hand on Jane's thigh. "I have complete faith in your abilities, Jane. What does your intuition tell you?" She crossed her legs at the knee, sipping her wine once more.
Jane smirked, standing. "That it's time for dinner." She held a hand out to Maura as she rose, lifting the blonde to her feet. "That's all I got right now." She frowned as her phone rang, the grimace deepening as Maura's joined it. "Crap."
"I'll pack you some leftovers and bring them by the apartment," Angela said as Jane moved to the table by the door, opening the drawer with one hand, the other answering the call. "Rizzoli."
Maura and Jane entered the crime scene, waving credentials and ducking under the yellow tape. Maura moved to the body quickly, waving away a patch of flies swarming over her head. The victim was on her back, left arm positioned carefully over her left breast, legs drawn up and fallen open, revealing her sexual organs. Maura crouched down, searching quickly for swabs and collection dishes, swabbing for semen, then drew a sheet over the knees. She inserted a thermometer into the liver, scribbling the temperature on a pad.
Jane walked over, crouching next to Maura. "Frost said the body was found about twenty minutes ago, no ID. Please tell me you've got more for me." She swept her eyes over the victim, then around at the rest of the crime scene.
Maura nodded, continuing her ministrations. "It appears much the same as the last one. She's been dead since early this morning. Around six a.m." She continued taking stock of the body. "Asphyxiation due to the scarf on her neck. Throat has been incised, a near complete decapitation. Part of her uterus is missing."
Korsak walked over, standing near the head of the body. "This is startin' to look like Jack the Ripper," he mentioned casually. "I read a book on him once. If it hadn't been over a hundred years, I'd wonder."
Jane nodded. "I was just thinking that. Thanks, Maura. I'll come get your report later." She stepped away, clear enough for Frost to join her. "We got a serial, here." She looked over her shoulder. "Guess I should have watched more Criminal Minds."
Frost nodded. "Well, so now we get to call him an unsub?" He grinned with humor he didn't feel, hands balled near his midsection, stance restless.
"Looks that way. So, no witnesses, no blood at the crime scene… This guy's killing 'em, bringing 'em home, slashing 'em up and dumping them for us to find?" Jane cracked her neck, exhaling a breath. "Of all the crazy cases, we gotta wind up with a Jack the Ripper copycat."
Korsak stepped up next to them, catching the end of Jane's words. "Did you see that, Frost? Her intestines were hung around her shoulders like pearls." He chuckled as the junior detective ran toward the entrance to the yard. "Be careful, Rizzoli. This don't smell too good, and it's not 'cause of the corpse rotting."
Jane nodded. "I hear you loud and clear, Korsak. I'm gonna work this through by the book. I don't really like the idea of the Men in Black swarming in either." She massaged the scars on her right hand, eyes sweeping the yard, mind working.
Frost walked over slowly, hazel eyes glaring daggers at Korsak. "Not funny, old man." He wiped his mouth on a handkerchief, sipping water from a bottle.
Korsak grinned, eyes twinkling. "You kidding? It was priceless. Better toughen up that stomach, kid." He walked away, his laughter carrying over his shoulder.
Jane sighed and shook her head, laying a hand on Frost's shoulder. "He's just fucking with you. You're a good cop, a better partner and one of the finest detectives I've ever met. Don't let him get to you." Jane shook her head, watching her old partner walk away.
Frost slid a glance over at Jane and nodded. "Alright, let's do this." He cracked his knuckles and led Jane over toward where Maura still crouched next to the body. "Look on the fence." He pointed, gritting his teeth on the queasiness he felt. "There's blood. Maybe the vic fell and cracked her head open." He shrugged, not really believing his own theory.
Maura confirmed his suspicions from the ground. "No chance of that, I'm afraid. There are no head wounds, and none of the lacerations on her body would have left a smear like that." She shook her head, standing. "I'm finished here, I'll see you both back at the station?" Straightening her skirt, she picked up her purse and kit.
Jane nodded. "Count on it. Frost, have someone check that for prints. Maybe it's a handprint." She stood over the body, peering down at it. "This guy's a real charmer."