Hello! A very lovely and helpful reviewer pointed out to me that saying that Rizzles was only a 'potential' in this story, probably wasn't going to have everyone totally confident about it. I can say, with pleasure, that Rizzles is a definite in this story. I just have a sick, twisted sense of humour. Thank you to all those kind folk who reviewed chapter one. You are all my favourites.

Hope you enjoy this chapter. L – x

"It's another Bible passage," Maura opened the piece of paper found lodged in the victim's throat using a pair of tweezers, and flattened it out on the surgical tray.

Jane moved to read the note and grimaced at what she found.

Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears theLordis to be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.

"So it's a woman hater, then. What the hell is this guy doing?" She took out her mobile and dialled before putting it to her ear. "Hey Korsak, do we have an ID on the victim yet? Uh-uh, yeah, okay thanks." She looked at Maura sadly.

"Her name was Andrea Simon. Two kids and her husband were out of town visiting grandparents. She stayed behind because she had the stomach flu. Turns out, her mother's receiving chemo and can't be exposed to any germs. Damn it."

She clenched her fists in frustration and shook her head.

"It's very sad, but the best thing we can do is to find out who did this to her. Are you okay?"

Jane sighed.

"I don't get it. Men who hate women, it makes no sense."

"Many men who suffered abuse or neglect from mothers during childhood will go on to resent the women in their lives. It's a never ending cycle." Maura bent down to examine the fatal head wound, probing it with a variety of surgical tools.

"Small caliber, fired from a few feet away." She looked up at Jane. "He didn't want to be particularly near her when he shot her."

"So we've got a woman hating coward on our hands. Dangerous."

"Do you want to stay with me again tonight? We can get take out."

"I hate to inconvenience you Maura, you know that."

"Of course I do, but it's not an inconvenience. It's a pleasure to have you."

Jane smiled, blushing. She nodded.

"Okay, but Chinese is on me."

"Who says we're having Chinese?"

Jane laughed and made her excuses to return back to her office. Strange, however dire or depressing a case seemed to be, she had to spend just a few moments in Maura's presence to feel lighter, to have the weight lifted from her shoulders. She pressed the back of her hand to her cheek and was surprised to feel the heat still remained.

Once back at her desk, Korsak told her that he had notified Andrea's husband and he was returning to Boston with their sons.

"It's sad; she shouldn't have even been there. When are they due back?"

"This afternoon, we can go talk to them then."

"We gotta find out if they were church going people. There's something seriously religious about this whole thing, and it's not sitting right. How do people use this stuff as justification for butchering people and not feel any guilt at all?"

"We'll get him, Jane."

As Jane sat pondering their next move, Maura walked in looking confused and a little nervous. Jane sat upright, moving to get up before Maura put out a hand to stop her.

"You should stay sitting down. Look at this." She waved a polaroid at Jane, who took it and had to swallow back bile.

The picture showed Andrea Simon's back, upon which a dozen or more crosses had been burnt into her flesh. The wounds all looked fresh and Jane noticed the blood and flesh caking at the edges of the impressions. She swore, not realising the expletive had left her own mouth.

"Son of a bitch."

"He burnt her feet first, then he started the torture on her back."

"Why'd he dress her again?"

Maura shook her head as a police officer in uniform entered the office with an envelope.

"Dr Isles? This is for you. A messenger just dropped it off at the front desk. Said it was urgent. Mumbled something about the case you brought in this morning."

Jane stood up before anyone else moved and stood between Maura and the young man, squaring up to him.

"It was definitely a messenger?" The officer looked genuinely terrified. Jane's eyes burned fierce and inquiring.

"He comes frequently. Showed me his ID and everything, honest." Jane nodded and the man left after placing the letter in Jane's hand gently, shaking slightly at the encounter. Maura placed a hand on Jane's shoulder.

"Let me open it, Maura. Just in case." They had had terrorist threats at the station before. Jane was not about to let anything happen to Maura if she could help it.

"Jane, let the security team handle it."

Jane, never one to listen to reason, ripped the end of the envelope off more out of curiosity than anything else. Everyone else took a step back as she did so. One man at the end of the office even hid under his table, but stood back up after a severe look from Frost.

Inside the envelope was another note, written in the same script as the others. Jane immediately put it on her desk and shouted for an evidence bag.

Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.

Keep an eye open, Dr Isles. The only one doing any marking of the flesh should be me.

"I want units over to Dr Isles' house immediately, search the house and the yard." She looked to Maura, an apologetic look in her brooding eyes. She walked towards the elevator that would take them to the autopsy room and signalled that Maura should follow. Once inside, she placed both hands on Maura's shoulders.

"There's no doubt I'm staying now. This just got personal. Why is he doing this?" She was irritated suddenly.

"I don't know, Jane. But I'll certainly feel safer if we're together tonight."

Once Jane and a further three officers had done a sweep of Maura's entire property, Jane was satisfied enough to lock and bolt every possible opening to the house. She had brought a spare gun from the station and sat Maura down on the couch once they had eaten dinner.

"You need to make sure the safety's off. Breathe out when you fire. Don't close one eye, that's such a cliché."

Maura was looking at Jane with adoration.

"You're very cute when you're telling people what to do, do you know that?"

Jane blushed for the second time that day due to Maura's compliment. Maura raised a hand and brushed the pad of her thumb along Jane's prominent cheekbone, sighing when she felt pressure in her palm. She placed the gun down on the coffee table and looked into Jane's eyes.

As her gaze fell to moist lips, Jane leapt forward suddenly.

"Sorry, you didn't turn the safety back on. Could've ended badly."

Maura chuckled.

"I'm so glad you're here, Jane."

"If anything ever happened to you, Maura, I don't know what I'd do. It's like, when I'm with you, none of the horrors I've seen stick in my mind. They disappear. When you smile, it's like nothing else matters. Is that cheesy? I've just never had a friend like you, Maura. I think, what I'm trying to say, pretty badly, is that I'm grateful for you. Endlessly, totally grateful."

Jane was surprised to see tears welling up in hazel eyes.

"Oh, Jeez, now look what I've done. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to make you cry." She pulled the sleeve of her sweater down to her thumb and wiped away at Maura's cheeks.

"I've never had a friend like you either, Jane. I couldn't live without you; I know that is a fact. I just hope you can solve this one quickly."

"I knew it was a pain having me here." Jane's expression betrayed her true feelings on the matter, a smile breaking as Maura looked up worriedly.

"It's a blessing to have some company, actually." She poked Jane's bony side and squirmed when she returned the action. Once they had calmed down once more, Jane patted Maura's hand.

"I'm not going anywhere."