Jane winced at the sun as she removed her Aviator sunglasses and placed them in her top pocket. The crime scene was quiet, in part due to the many hangovers from the previous night, but mainly because of the sight of a murder victim.
Jane saw her brother Frankie blocking the crime scene.
"What do we got bro?"
"I think you should look for yourself Jane. Frost just got here so should be throwing up."
Sure enough they both turned to see Frost vomiting.
"Right about now."
"Thanks Frankie. Catch you in a bit."
Jane moved to Frost and put her arm on his back.
"Are you ok? Is it bad?"
Frost nodded his head. Jane took a deep breath before heading towards the body. Nothing had prepared her for what she was about to see.
The body of a girl who looked to be 8 or 9 was seated in a swing of a playground. She had been arranged as if she was playing, but Jane knew she would never play again. There was no blood at the crime scene and from the bruising Jane could see that this wasn't the murder scene. Jane had been around enough crime scenes to know about how blood falls post-mortem; and from her positioning this wasn't how she died.
Jane's eyes scanned the body; there was nothing to be gathered from the scene.
The mood back at the station was sombre, only to be changed when Jane was called to the morgue to view the young girl's naked body. Jane immediately noticed the mark on the girl's thigh. Her heart sank and her fists clenches. However, instead of seeing the "V" that she expected to see she saw a "VI.
Jane ran to the sink and threw up. How could she have missed it? How could she have failed to even think about what the letters could mean? They had made it fit his name. They didn't even think it could be a tally.
As she ran up to her desk she nearly knocked Frost over.
"Oh Jane, someone just delivered something for you. It's on your desk."
Jane tore open the manila envelope and gasped when she saw inside, the colour draining from her cheeks.
"Jane? What is it? Oh Jesus Christ!"
Inside the envelope was a photograph with a yellow post it stuck to it. The post it read X marks the spot; one a day for the next four, Jane. Catch me if you can. V.
The photograph was of a man's forearm containing a tattoo of the following letters. IIIIIIIVVVI.
"That son of a bitch. Get me Cavanaugh. Now!"
Within minutes the team was assembled. Jane had pitched her theory to Cavanaugh and this is what they were running with; Smith intended to kill another four girls over the next four days.
"I want every single record pulled of any murder of girls under the age of 16 who have a letter carved into her skin. It is safe to say that we have a potential serial killer on the loose. We are working on the assumption that the killer is Victor Smith and that Louise Winters was not in fact the first victim that we had thought, but the fifth. Find me those other four and as soon as we even hear of a missing kid, I want an amber alert. Find this bastard, I want him caught yesterday."
The room disrupted into noise as Jane noticed the time. It was 13:45 and she was due to meet Maura. She looked at Frost.
"Frost, I'm following up on a lead. I'll be back as soon as I can."
As she walked to her destination she felt conflicting emotions. She was so angry that Smith had been able to kill another innocent child, potentially another four. She was also livid with Maura for making her look like an idiot and enabling Smith to get out. Most of all though, she was pissed off with herself.
They knew their evidence was at best circumstantial. They should never have taken it to trial. Any lawyer would have done the same. Maura was just doing her job.
Maura. She was so incredibly attracted to this woman. She still didn't know what in the hell was happening between the two of them. She still wasn't convinced Maura was gay, but she seemed so interested in her.
Jane steeled herself for their meeting. As her eyes fell on the woman she couldn't help but feel her heart skip a beat. God she was beautiful.
Jane sat down opposite Maura and waved to catch the attention of the waitress. She put the envelope on the table and placed her hands on top of it.
"Hi."
"Hello Detective."
"Please, call me Jane."
Jane gave Maura a winning smile just as the waitress came over.
"Can I have a latte please? Maura?"
"I would like a soy cappuccino please."
Jane pulled a face.
"Soy? Really eurgh!"
"It is much better for you Jane, perhaps you should try it."
"You know, I'm fine. But thanks. So I wanted to ask you something but it may come under that client confidentiality thing but I have to ask."
Maura blew on the froth of the drink that had just arrived. Jane emptied three packets of sugar into her drink, steeling herself for the uncomfortable conversation she was about to have.
Jane cleared her throat.
"Did Smith ever say anything to you about places he liked to go, or had been or anything else that could pinpoint his whereabouts? Something that might not have seemed much at the time."
Jane sought out Maura's eyes. When the hazel pools met her own brown ones she was not expecting the anger that sat behind them.
"Is that what this is Detective? A way for you to get information to feed your vendetta against Smith? I should have known. Why would you be interested in me? I am plain Maura Isles. Maura-the-borer. Dull. Socially awkward. You are the formidable Detective Jane Clementine Rizzoli. I am sorry for making you look less than confident on the stand but you really need to drop it Jane."
Formidable? What? How the hell did she know her middle name?
Maura stood and threw down a fifty for their coffees, way too much but she didn't care. She collected her purse and ran out of the cafe. Jane snatched the envelope and followed, surprised at how far had gotten in those darned heels.
"Maura. Maura! Wait. Jeeze you move quickly."
Jane could see those beautiful eyes shimmering with tears.
"Take a look at this."
Maura took out the picture and post it and gasped. Jane's hand shot out to steady her.
"Jane. W-w-what is this?"
"I received it this morning. The body of a young girl turned up this morning, raped and murdered with the letters "VI" carved into her. I then received the photo of the tattoo with the roman numerals on it and the post it."
"It is Victor's handwriting. I can confirm that."
"Well ok. At least that's something."
"Oh God, this is all my fault. If he were in prison that girl would still be alive. He he's threatening to kill others. Oh Jane, what are we going to do?"
"We are going to catch the bastard. I take it you won't be taking the case when we catch him."
"Actually I am thinking of a change in career, that is why the Captain invited me along. I have been training as an M.E. I took the Smith case as a favour to my Father to keep my skills sharp but science is what interests me and has done for the last few years. I have been both working and studying practically full time."
Jane looked at her confused.
"I took my exams early. I was a lonely child and studied. I was a PhD by the time I was 21 Jane. It is amazing what money will do. The Chief is willing for me to start working with you all as soon as my paperwork is cleared. It is why I was so keen to get to know you Jane. We are going to be working closely together and I wanted for us to be friends."
"Wow. That is a lot to process. So let me get this straight. Not only are you a Criminal Psychologist, you are an attorney and a Medical Examiner?"
"Yes. As I said. I took my exams early and I have always found money can cut through any learning curve or time delay."
Huh. My God, this woman was something else.
"Wow. That is quite amazing. It isn't your fault that he got away Maura. We didn't have enough on him. I will not make the same mistake twice. We have to catch this bastard and put him away for good. Having you as part of the team will help us do that. What's say we head to the Precinct and make a start? I know just the person to help with your paperwork."
"Frost, can you hack into HR's computer and see if Maura's paperwork is cleared?"
"Uh, yeah. Hi Maura. Does someone one to tell me what is going on?"
"Maura is going to be our new M.E."
Frost looked at Maura puzzled.
"I have been studying for the last few years. I have passed my exams and been getting experience. The Chief and my Father think I am ready to fly solo."
"Well ok."
Frost turned his attention to the computer and within a few minutes beamed and whistled.
"Wow that is an impressive record Doc."
He stood and stuck his hand out to the woman.
"Welcome to the team."
Maura beamed at them both. She was tired of being treated like a social pariah. She knew that people were surprised at what she had achieved in her relatively short life. But she was a scholar. She enjoyed learning and science and the Law had interested her. Her Father's connections had meant she had been privately schooled in France and had achieved her qualifications years before she should have.
The fact that she hadn't needed to work had helped which meant that rather than fighting for cases to represent she had been able to pick and choose while studying her true passion. She wanted nothing more than to become and M.E. She wanted to see the other side of it. She wanted to give the dead a voice, rather than those who had or hadn't committed the act itself.
"So what? She's all set?"
"Yeah. She just needs to speak to the Chief and she is good to go."
"Want me to show you to his Office?"
Maura smiled at Jane, popping her dimples out of her cheeks. "Yes please Jane, I would be most grateful."
"Then follow me."
Jane led the woman to the Chief's office.
"So I will probably be here until late, why don't you come find me and we can get some dinner?"
"Sounds perfect. I'll see you later Jane."
As Jane walked to her desk she couldn't help but smile at the prospect of being close to Maura on a daily basis. As she saw the men huddled in the office she remembered why she was there. She had work to do, and she was damned if Victor Smith would win. She intended to catch him before any other innocent little girls had to die. She just hoped she wasn't too late.