Maura follows Jane into her apartment. Jane leaves Maura standing in the living room. She returns to from her bedroom in a pair of flannel pajama bottoms, and a white t-shirt. She plops down on the couch, and Maura takes a seat at the other end. Jane hands Maura a book.
"What's this?" Maura questions.
"All I've got," she admits.
Maura opens the book, and finds a baby picture in the center of the page. She flips through. Jane stops her when she gets to the last page. Maura stares at the picture of the little girl. She's wearing a pink sundress, with white sandals. Her dark locks end at her shoulder. A pink headband keeps her hair out of her eyes. She stands in front of Angela's front door, with a smile on her face.
"That was her first day of preschool. It's the last picture I have of her."
"Jane she's beautiful."
"She was perfect."
"I'm surprised she was wearing a dress."
"She was a girly girl. That was my mother's doing, of course."
"Jane..."
"You don't have to say anything. There is nothing to say. I wonder what I could have done differently. I wonder what else I could have done to find her. Everyday I hope that I'll get a call that they found her," Jane's voice cracks, "but after seven years... I don't know what would be left to find," she admits with tears in her eyes.
"Jane..."
"I spent every waking hour for years looking, searching for anything. I hoped that someone missed something, that I would find something that would lead me to her but... there's nothing."
"No bank records or..."
"He drained all of them, and cancelled all of his credit cards. His cell phone was in the car. His only relatives are his parents, and they're still here."
"Do you think that she's still alive?" Maura questions.
"As her mother, I want to believe that she is, but as a cop...I know the chances."
"I'm sorry."
"Me too."
"Do you want me to stay?"
"No," Jane shakes her head.
Maura gets off the couch, and heads for the door. "I'll see you in the morning?" she questions.
She simply nods. Instead of going home Maura goes to the lab. She begins doing some research.
Jane heads down to the morgue around eight. She takes a cup of coffee for Maura. When she reaches the lab she finds Maura asleep next to the keyboard in her dress from the day before. Jane sits the coffee down on the counter top, and quietly tiptoes around the other side of Maura. "Man this one has a really nice head wound," she says loudly.
Maura's head pops up, and she looks around. She shoots Jane a dirty look.
"Good morning."
"Do you need something?" Maura questions.
"Just thought I'd bring you some coffee," Jane admits.
Maura's eyes light up. Jane grabs the cup off the counter and hands it to Maura.
"Were you here all night?" Jane accuses.
"What would make you think that?"
"Oh, I don't know. Isn't that the same outfit you were wearing yesterday."
"Ok. You caught me."
"So why were you pulling an all nighter?"
"I'm trying to put this case to bed."
"And did you find COD?"
"Yes..."
"But?"
"You aren't going to like it."
"Of course I'm not. It's a kid..."
"It's going to enrage you," Maura warns.
"How did she die?"
"What I found was consistent with malnutrition."
"The mother was lying?"
"About a lot more than you thought."
"What do you mean?"
"This little girl is not four years old. Her teeth and her bones are comparable to that of a six year old. So I did some digging."
"What did you find?"
"She's six."
"I saw the birth certificate."
"For her sister."
"She doesn't have a sister," Rizzoli points out.
"She has a four year old half sister whose father has custody of her."
"Why does he have custody? Judges don't usually..."
"I don't know. That's your job."
"How long?"
"How long what?" Maura questions.
"How long has this been going on?"
"I'd say for at least three years."
"I've got to go fill my partner in."
"Ok."
That night Maura finds herself at the bar, waiting to see if Jane will show up. She's checking her watch when Jane slides in the booth on the other side of the table. Maura looks up at Jane.
"Long day, huh?"
"I can't believe that anyone could do that to a child."
"The mother confessed?"
"She left the girl at home everyday while she went to work. When we searched the house the only thing in the refrigerator was beer, and butter. There was a loaf of moldy bread in the cabinet, and a package of expired crackers. She would work doubles. According to the neighbor the only time the little girl got to eat is when she would take her over peanut butter sandwiches."
"Why didn't she call children's services?"
"She did on at least half a dozen occasions, and they never came."