Hey everyone! Thanks for all of your encouraging comments. They are greatly appreciated. There were some mistakes in the first chapter that I corrected, hopefully there is not many more. Why didn't you guys tell me? Ha-ha.
But I have found myself in need of someone to help edit and correct mistakes. If you are interested in helping out, please let me know! Now onto chapter 2!
Hidden Messages
/
It had been over 24 hours since Jane had seen her bed. They were long hours of stale cups of coffee and cheese curls from the vending machine, of sifting through their meager evidence and being unable to find any connections. Jane tugged at her hair in frustration. They were nowhere near finding Carrie Horn and their window had closed several hours before. She sighed in defeat. It was only a matter of time before they got the call.
"Korsak." Jane jerked her head up when her partner answered his phone. She had not even heard it ring. The brunette looked at him expectantly. She watched as his shoulders fell and hers slumped along with them, "Alright, we'll be right there."
"That was Dispatch. White female. Late 40's." His voice was tired and somber. "A trucker spotted her on the side of the road."
"This sucks." Jane stated honestly. She grabbed her jacket and they headed out of the precinct to face the inevitable.
/
Maura sat on the edge of her car seat, her legs hanging out of the door. She slipped off her gray suede sling-backs and reached for her boots. The black rubber brushed unpleasantly against her calves as she put them on. She made a mental note to purchase a nicer set, perhaps ones with a nice fleece lining. These were entirely to utilitarian for her taste, a far cry from her normally sophisticated style. She would have to look at L.L. Bean's selection. They normally had a bit more fashion to accompany their function.
Maura scolded herself internally. Now was not the time to be considering her footwear. When the call came in about this latest victim, it had been surprisingly upsetting. The doctor had looked over the Putman's case file, the one Jane had told her about, and it was truly sickening. To imagine that her patient had fallen victim to the same fate made it more difficult to stomach. She had seen the haunted look in Mr. Horn's eyes as he looked at his lifeless son and heard the shuddering cries of Mrs. Horn. The medical examiner had done her best to make their son appear peaceful but it seemed like a meager consolation for the elderly couple. Maura felt a little silly now to think it would have assuaged some of their pain. It filled her with unfamiliar dread that she was about to go and find someone else's child who's had been taken before their time.
Maura took a cleansing breath, picked up the doctor's bag, and stepped out into the late afternoon. The evening was slowly creeping in as the sun hung low in the sky, seemingly just as tired as the rest of them, but unable to quit just yet. Or at least that was what she felt when she looked at one Jane Rizzoli who was just stepping determinedly onto the scene with her partner. The lanky detective was showing clear signs of exhaustion from her desperate search for Carrie that proved to be in vain.
"Dr. Maura Isles, Chief Medical Examiner." She spoke softly to a younger looking officer who just nodded nervously at her. As Maura approached Jane, she could feel the tension in her shoulders and see the responsibility she felt for the murdered woman that now weighed her down. Maura wanted to tell her it was not her fault that she could not control the wickedness of this man. But she held back, not sure that Jane would want to here it.
"Detectives." She greeted them.
"Dr. Isles." Jane's voice was rough. Still despite her tired state, she thought to take two big steps toward Maura and wordlessly extended her hand to help her into the slight ditch where the body was. The blonde's hand tingled and her heart skipped a beat when her cool hand slipped into Jane's warm calloused one. Maura murmured a thank you and Jane managed a stiff smile. She tried to not pay attention to the displeasure she felt when the detective released her hand. She knelt next to the body that lay face down in the brown, unkempt grass.
The woman was in pajamas, though her shorts were practically torn off of her body, a rattling clue of what had happened to her. Ugly ligature marks stained her wrists and ankles. Her auburn hair was twisted and snarled so that her face was covered. The apprehension was thick as they waited for some crime scene techs to help turn over the body. Jane looked away and wiped her nose harshly as the face was revealed.
"Damn it." She swore, shaking her head in disappointment.
Korsak himself exhaled sadly, "Carrie Horn, 48. Went missing around 5 o'clock yesterday morning. Recovered at 4:08 today."
Maura was already taking out her ruler and measuring the length of the wound, "11 centimeters."
"I am going to take a statement from the trucker driver." Korsak spotted a gruff looking man who was being kept by an officer. He climbed out and left the two women alone with the body.
"The body was dumped?" Jane asked just for clarification.
"Lividity of the body indicates she died facing up. You see how her back is darker where the blood pooled? Also the lack of blood in the vicinity suggests that she was deposited post mortem." Maura stated while closely studying the deep red cut that marred her neck. It was almost identical to the one that had been found on her husband.
"Time of death?"
"Rigor mortis has almost set in completely." Maura said thoughtfully as gently tried to move the woman's arm, "I would say 8 to 12 hours ago and she has not been lying here for much longer than that."
"Damn it." Jane muttered again.
"Exact transection of the carotid and jugular arteries. Consistent with the laceration found on Mr. Horn."
"We were too late." Jane looked down.
Maura paused. She did not have a lot of practice in comforting some one but for Jane she was willing to give it a try, "You mustn't blame yourself. There is a man out there killing these people, not you."
Jane looked at her surprised by her bluntness. Maura nervously waited for her response, hoping that she had not upset the detective. After an uncertain beat Jane finally nodded appreciatively at the ME. More importantly, Jane's almost charcoal eyes flashed at her with softness, an affection maybe. Maura was not sure how she knew that but she did not have time to think it over this woman's remains. The doctor pushed forward, "Once I get her to my lab I will know more."
She motioned for her team to begin moving the body. Maura was grateful as she and Jane got back up on the road. The slightly higher ground felt freer, the air fresher, and less stifled by death. Again, she found herself studying the detective as she spoke, "When are you doing the autopsy?"
"I won't have time today. It will be tomorrow morning."
Jane rubbed the back of her neck, "I guess I will look for older cases we may have missed then."
"No." Maura protested simply.
"No?"
"No, you need to go home and rest Detective. You cannot possibly do anyone any good without a warm meal and a proper night's sleep."
"Ha," Korsak snorted without any humor as he joined them, "The only warm meal Janie might get at home is boxed macaroni and cheese."
Maura looked perplexed, "Macaroni and cheese?"
"Don't call me Janie." The brunette growled, "And it's a perfectly acceptable meal."
"What is macaroni and cheese?"
Maura regretted the question when both Jane and Korsak turned on her in surprise. The older man blurted out, "Holy crap, where did you grow up? Under a rock?"
"No, mostly southern France." Maura stated in a matter of fact manner.
Jane laughed in amazement, "You're something else Dr. Isles."
This time Maura was positive that Jane did not mean the words in a negative connotation. She just smiled sheepishly and carried on, "Well, perhaps you would like to come to my place tonight and have dinner? I'm excellent at preparing nutritious and well-balanced meals."
Jane stalled, "I wouldn't want to impose."
"It would be no imposition." Maura insisted.
"A home cooked meal does sound better than the questionable leftover Chinese food in my fridge. That'd be nice."
"Excellent." Maura turned to Korsak, "You're also welcome Detective Korsak."
"No thanks Doc," he declined, "I got a date with my couch and Vanna White."
"Alright." Maura addressed Jane again, "I have to finish here and over see the transfer. You could go home and shower then meet at my place at say… six."
Jane chuckled ruefully, "Is that your way of saying I look dirty?"
Maura appraised Jane's appearance. She still had the same navy t-shirt that Maura had seen her in at the Horn's household, which had a powdery, orange residue on her shoulder. Her blazer had since been abandoned and her slacks were in desperate need of ironing. The brunette's hair was untamed and would benefit from a comb. Maura answered honestly, "Yes."
Jane just smiled at her candor and agreed, "Sounds good to me Doctor."
"I will text you my address."
"See you at six then." Jane waved goodbye and climbed in her car while Vince squeezed into the passenger seat.
"See you at six." Maura said even though Jane was long gone.
/
Later that evening, Maura bustled around her kitchen, trying to calm her nerves. It was really unnecessary for her to be so concerned. The chicken was in the oven and only had about 10 more minutes to cook, which was approximately when Jane was arriving. All the other food was prepared so there was nothing really more to do than wait. She paused at her island counter top and picked up her wine glass that she had been sipping from. She swirled the burgundy liquid around but did not feel inspired to drink it.
Maura felt strange and a bit lost now that she had a moment to rest. She had come home and promptly began her flurry of activities to prepare a meal for her impending guest. In addition to food preparation she had done some light cleaning, pulled out her nice china, and of course fed her faithful tortoise Bass his dinner of Bok Choy and alfalfa sprouts. Everything was in place. However, her brain had begun to hum with insecurities with her hands at rest. Of course, the doctor had played hostess to colleagues before but it had been quite some time ago. Besides that there was something about the detective that made Maura excited in a way that she had never felt before. The peculiar doctor worried her bottom lip between her teeth. She had scared off many people in her life with her somewhat odd behavior and she did not want Jane to be one of them.
The doorbell rang through her house causing her to start. She spoke to her unusual house pet, "Jane is here."
Wiping her clean hands on her pristine apron, Maura walked to the front door. Sparing a glance at her reflection in the hall mirror, she determined that she looked acceptable. The blonde would have preferred to change after work, but had not found the time. She opened the door and could not stop the bright smile from gracing her face at the sight of the homicide detective. Jane still looked a little tired, however she appeared to be somewhat refreshed from her shower. Her dark hair was less wild and her skin was a much healthier color. She seemed to be a bit more at ease. Or perhaps that was what her outfit reflected. Jane had changed into a worn in pair of dark wash jeans and a white tank top with a black zip up sweater thrown over the top.
"Why do you always look like you are about to do a photo shoot? What is it tonight? The cover of Good Housekeeping?"
"Please come in." Maura caught onto the joke, rewarding it with an amused laugh. It was odd that something that would have hurt her feelings was suddenly okay coming from Jane. It even felt like her way of complimenting Maura's appearance.
"Nice place." Jane looked around clearly impressed.
"Thank you." Maura was pleased with how she decorated her home. It definitely qualified as eclectic as it reflected Maura's travels and interests, which were widespread and diverse. In her own way, she saw it as a rebellion against her rather structure upbringing. Younger Maura had grown up surrounded by formality. Exotic wood floors imported from India, antique floral couches that were not meant to be sat upon, and heirloom vases from the Ming dynasty filled her parent's large home. Her parent's interactions with her had been just as impersonal as the knick-knacks that took up the space in her life with the occasional silent family dinner or a stiff pat on the head good night.
Now her home was rather modest in comparison and she was certain her mother would cringe at some of Maura's choices. The blonde loved each thing though and it allowed her to reflect on a certain instance in her life.
"You have only been here a month?"
"Yes, why?"
"It's just that I moved into my apartment 3 years ago and I still think there are boxes to unpack." Jane laughed sheepishly.
"I prefer to do the entirety of a task before moving onto the next." Maura said vaguely. She did not feel very comfortable discussing it. The blonde doctor knew that she exhibited slightly obsessive-compulsive tendencies and that was part of it. Maura kept it under control for the most part anyways. She did not want to ruin this dinner by talking about her mild neurosis. Fortunately, the taller woman did not seem to think much of it and moved on.
"Well, I like the goats." Jane was craning her neck to look at the bizarre embellishment placed on the ledge above her front door.
"Capra hircus." Maura stated their genus, "Australian Feral Goats. They were a gift to me from a Shaman in an Aboriginal tribe."
"Wow."
"I participated in Doctor's Without Borders in my youth."
"That must've been quite the experience." Jane followed her out of the foyer.
"It was extremely rewarding." The oven timer beeping impatiently interrupted Maura. "Dinner's ready."
Jane inhaled deeply, "It smells delicious, Dr. Isles."
"Oh please, call me Maura." She waved her oven mitt at her.
"As long as you call me Jane."
"Alright, Jane." Maura was pleased with the way her name felt on her tongue. Jane glanced to the floor.
"I like the turtle too."
"Thank you. His name is Bass."
"He is alive?" Jane suddenly sounded stricken.
"Of course." Maura spared a moment to gently caress his shell while he made an unhurried escape from the kitchen.
"Right, he's really great. Real interactive." Jane said without conviction. Maura nodded.
"I made Coq au Vin." Her voice dipping into her practiced French accent, "Chicken in red wine sauce. But then I was unsure of you eating habits so I made Ratatouille in case you were a vegetarian."
"Maura, I am Italian and I grew up in South Boston. Do you think I am a vegetarian?" Jane laughed.
Maura cocked her head to the side, "Would you prefer that I prepare some Italian cuisine?"
"No," Jane said quickly, "I just mean you should not have gone to all the trouble. I will eat just about anything. This all looks great though."
"Thank you." Maura began to plate the chicken now that she had the go ahead, "Would you like a glass of wine?"
"Sure." Jane leaned on the counter and watched her pour the wine and finish making the plates. Mindlessly she picked up her fancy sugar jar and looked at it with interest. Jane returned it to its place but slightly skewed. Maura smiled slightly as she realized she did not have the need to correct it. Jane seemed to curiously be an exception to many of her rules. Maura took off her apron and hung it on its designated hook.
"Here you are." Maura extended a full plate to Jane who took it and picked up her wine as well. Maura took them to her overly large dining table. She sat at the head while Jane chose the seat directly to her right. It was quiet until Jane took her first bite of food.
"God Maura, this is so good." Jane practically moaned.
Maura politely chewed her zucchini before replying, "Thank you."
"Seriously, why are you not some famous chef somewhere?"
Maura laughed and blushed with modesty, "I don't have that much skill in the kitchen."
"Well, you certainly put me to shame." Jane continued to eat heartily, "So how do you like Boston so far?"
"I love Boston. Actually, I came here for university. Boston Cambridge is my alma mater. I'm glad to be back." Maura said enthusiastically.
"Does that mean your parents are located here?"
"No. They are not really located anywhere. I guess they spend the most time in upper state New York."
"Oh? And where do they spend the rest of their time?"
"Geneva or perhaps the vineyard in California."
"Your parents carted you around the globe like that?"
"Of course not. I stayed with my governess in New York for the most part. Then when I was ten, I went to an all-girls boarding school in France. I stayed there until I graduated from high school."
"That's quite the education you have there." Jane looked intimidated so Maura shifted focus.
"What about you? Have you always lived in Boston?"
"Yeah, born and breed. My parents still live in the house that I grew up in." Jane went on, "My life has not been terribly interesting. I went right to the Academy after high school, much to my mother's dismay."
"Nonsense, you're very interesting. Tell me about your family." Maura enquired.
"Well, my Pop is a plumber. He owns his own small business, Rizzoli & Sons. Ma stayed home with us kids. She's overbearing, hates the fact that I am a cop. She would much rather I settle down and marry."
"Why is that?"
"She thinks I am going to get myself killed on the job. And she blames me for my brother Frankie joining the Academy too. He is due to graduate soon. He's really good actually."
"It sounds like you care about each other."
"Yeah, I suppose we do. What about you? Any siblings?"
"No, I am an only child. I was adopted when I was a baby."
"Have you always known that?"
"Yes, my parents didn't hide it from me."
"Was that hard for you growing up?"
"Yes and no. My parents provided me with all of my needs and were, in their own way, proud of me. But I wondered about my biological family from time to time. I wanted to know what they were like and why they gave me up."
"So have you tried to contact them?"
"Once." Maura admitted. She had never told anyone this before and yet felt compelled to tell Jane. "But the records were sealed and I never found anything out."
"Sorry to bring up a sensitive subject."
"It's quite alright. I have not spoken about it in a long time. It's nice to be able to say it out loud for once."
"I'm glad to lend an ear."
"I appreciate that." Maura met her warm gaze.
"Well, I'm stuffed." Jane leaned back into her seat and rubbed her stomach, "Everything was really excellent Maura."
The doctor suddenly realized that her plate was clean as well. She picked hers up as well as Jane's and moved for the kitchen, "It was nothing. Would you like to sit in the living room for a bit?"
"Sure. Thanks." Jane took her glass of wine to the couch while Maura deposited the dishes into the sink before joining her.
"I have to tell you I am not much of a wine drinker but this is good." Jane said after taking a not-so-dainty sip.
"I am sorry. Would you like something else?"
"Not unless you have any beer."
Maura shook her head no but made a mental note for the future. Jane chuckled, "I thought not."
The detective continued, "So French boarding school, BCU, then Doctors Without Borders, what came next?"
"I have been at my position at John Hopkins University."
"Did you teach there?"
"I would guest lecture for the courses but mostly I was head of the research department."
"Sounds like a good job. What made you want to come to Boston and be the Chief Medical Examiner?"
"The work I did was very gratifying but I always wanted to help people. I was never any good with live patients though. In this way, I can help victims and their families find closure. So when, I was tapped for the position by the previous ME I couldn't say no."
"We are lucky to have you." Jane told her.
"You have many achievements to be proud of as well Jane." Maura blushed, "You are the youngest homicide detective and the only female. That is a very impressive feat. What made you want to become a detective?"
"I grew up in an okay neighborhood. But the surrounding area wasn't always safe." Jane recalled, "One time, my youngest brother Tommy, got his bike stolen right out from under him. The guys roughed him up pretty good too. He had to get stitches on his forehead. Tommy was real shook up."
Jane's hand ghosted over her own forehead where the scar would have been, "Anyway, I decided at that point I wanted to make it safer for him, for everyone. So I set my sights on being a cop. I found out I excelled at this stuff. I always wanted to be the best, you know, make the most difference. I looked into it and decided that homicide was where I wanted to be."
"You do make it safer Jane." Maura found herself saying. She felt safer with the detective just sitting there but she did not divulge that.
"I try."
"You do."
The conversation topic became less heavy as the evening progressed. Jane rambled a little bit about how the Red Socks team was shaping up this year while Maura tried to follow along. And the blonde chatted a little bit about the benefits of organic produce that Jane actually seemed to be listening to. The night was winding down and all too soon Maura found it was 10 o'clock. Jane tried to stifle a rather large yawn.
"I should be going. It's getting late."
"I am sure you are very tired. You need to rest." Maura agreed.
"Thanks for dinner." Jane reluctantly stood.
"It was my pleasure." Maura led her back out to the front door. She opened it for Jane; "I- I had a really nice time tonight."
Suddenly Maura was plagued with doubt. She feared that Jane might have found her boring or snobbish. Was the menu too pretentious? Did she did find her photographs of old autopsies disturbing?
"I had a nice time too." Jane's genuine words caused Maura's internal struggle to dissipate. Instead, a warm feeling settled in her stomach. Jane loitered her in doorway leaving the two women hovering there. Maura felt as if something where pulling her towards the brunette. She could not fathom what it was about this woman that drew her in, but it was thick and electric, making her heart race.
"Well, night." Jane dispelled the moment as she backed away slowly.
"Good night." Maura replied.
"Be sure to lock your door." Jane said before turning away completely and heading to her car parked on the street. The detective did not see her nod but she closed the door and slid the lock in place with a definitive click.
/
The next day Jane came to the precinct early feeling much lighter than she had in a while. Dinner with Maura had gone better than she could have anticipated. She had not said anything too offensive or spilled anything down her front. Jane considered that in itself to be an extreme success. It was a cause for celebration, so she had gone to the fancy cafe on the corner for the morning coffee. Walking into homicide, she greeted Vince.
"Hey Korsak." Jane set down a cup of coffee in front of her partner along with his usual two creams and two sugars.
"Whoa, look at you coughing up the dough." He nodded approvingly. "What is the occasion?"
"No occasion." Jane defended, "Can't I just want a nice cup of coffee for once and not one that tastes like it was brewed with gym socks?"
"I hear that." Korsak made a face at the coffee he had gotten downstairs. He easily abandoned it for the richer blend.
"I'm going to head down to the see the autopsy." She finished her cup and shot it effortlessly into the trashcan. She could hardly wait to get down there.
"Hey, didn't you go to Dr. Isle's for dinner last night?"
"Yeah. So?"
"So how was it? Did she have a coffin in her living room or what?"
"She isn't a vampire Korsak." Jane glared, "She is sweet and I don't want to hear you talking shit about her like the rest of these clowns."
"Alright, I didn't mean anything by it. Sorry."
Jane took a deep breath realizing that she might have been overreacting. Not that she would apologize for snapping, "Are you coming to the autopsy?"
"I will be there in a few. I got to finish this paperwork."
"Alright, see you down there." Jane walked purposefully to the elevators. As she made her way to the morgue, she thought of the dinner with Maura once again. A smiled tugged at the corner of her lips. She had learned so much about the medical examiner and yet Jane still wanted to know more. It had been a teaser into Maura's life. It was the first bite of ice cream and now Jane wanted the rest of the sundae.
The blonde had led a privileged youth but Jane could tell that it had been a lonely one. She had not said so expressly, but the detective could tell. There were many things she could tell about Maura that she did not say. On Jane's part, she had not opened up to someone like that in a long time. It was just so effortless to talk to her. The detective hoped that they would do it again soon.
Jane stepped into the cool basement and went straight to the operating room. Maura was already there with her hair pulled half up. She was holding Carrie Horn's hand and clipping her nails to be sent to the forensics lab. Maura looked up with a quaint smile, "Jane, you are just in time."
"What do you have there Maura?"
"I noticed some fibers in her nails so I am having them sent for analysis."
Jane nodded, "Look promising?"
"I cannot say at this point." Maura sealed the little bag full of evidence and picked up her scissors. Jane watched as Maura began to cut off the woman's spaghetti strap top revealing skin blotted with bruises. Jane winced from the apparent brutality but Maura's face kept with her cool, scientific indifference. Jane admired her for that. She was able to remain unbiased and stuck to the facts. The truth was the only thing that mattered. The medical examiner's face shifted to one of more intense curiosity as she leaned in close to the body's side.
"What is it?" Jane prodded.
" Something has been inserted between her fourth and fifth rib." Maura took up a pair of tweezers and carefully reached into a deep wound about two inches in length. Slowly, a folded piece of paper appeared, soaked with blood. The two women looked at each other. This was new. This could be a big break. Wordlessly, Maura gingerly began to unfold it, gradually showing the message. The blonde's eyes grew wide as she read.
The shorter woman gasped, "Oh Jane."
Jane quickly walked over to Maura. Her stomach dropped as she read the words scrawled across the page in black ink:
Nice to see you again Detective Rizzoli, or can I call you Jane?
/
What do you think? Did you like their dinner together or was their too much dialogue? I wanted for Jane and Maura to begin to get to know each other better.
Sorry about the bit of a cliffhanger! I just wanted to post ha-ha. Please review.