Hey everyone. This chapter kicked my butt. Ha, ha.
I really appreciate you guys sticking with me and reviewing and even just following along. I think it is all great fun. I know some of you are antsy for the Surgeon to reemerge so I just beg of a bit more patience in letting me figure out the plot and such. In the mean time I hope you enjoy this next installment.
Kind of a lot to swallow in it. But I think it is a good transition to reintroduce crime into the story. I was going to just do one giant chapter but I couldn't manage it so I sort of think of this as a Part One thing.
Watching
/
"Where have you been Rizzoli?" Crowe asked as she trampled through the layer of snow that had settled over Boston in the night. It turned the park that they were called to into a blinding white landscape that glittered beautifully.
"Waxing your mom's chest hair." Jane glowered at him through her reflective aviator sunglasses though her heart was not really in the insult. She rolled her neck, trying to relieve the pain that was still present from sleeping on the bedroom floor. The hot shower this morning had done little to soothe her muscles, which now protested her every movement. Not that she was about to complain if it meant she could spend every night with Maura like that. She very desperately wished that she had not been forced to leave the warm nest of her girlfriend's house but crime seemed to never rest so neither did Jane.
"Piss off." The junior detective bit at her.
"Do you even have clearance?" Jane retorted somewhat juvenilely. "Aren't you on probation for being a dick?"
" Aren't you on probation for being a c-"
"Detectives." Maura interrupted pleasantly. "Do I have to separate you two?"
"Yes please." Jane smirked as an amused smile played on the medical examiner's lips while she looked at the brunette over her tortoise shell Ray Bans that were slipping jauntily down her narrow nose as she juggled her doctor's bag in one hand and steaming coffee in the other. The detective pushed the sunglasses back into their rightful position and Maura gave her a dazzling grin that made Jane forget her own name.
"Where is Vince?" The blonde glanced around, her bouncy curls catching in the winter sun like they were embedded with thousands of little diamonds.
"I don't know if he has made it in yet. Should we go to the body?" Maura nodded. Jane nabbed the doctor's cup and finished the rest of the rapidly cooling liquid before passing the trash off to a stray rookie who seemed to take it without question. They started across the lawn towards a patch of shrubs and trees. The ground was becoming slick as the sun fought to melt the powder while the frigid temperature tried to freeze it over. The brunette noticed Maura treading carefully on the icy surface in her designer boots with high heels tapered to thin points.
"You know you really shouldn't wear these ridiculous shoes to crime scenes." Jane lectured as her work boots easily gained traction. Regardless, she let the shorter woman grip her bicep to help her stay upright.
"My shoes are quite comfortable, Jane." Maura insisted.
"Then I'll race you to the body." The detective dared jokingly.
"Why is the perimeter so large?" The blonde wondered curiously as she ignored her girlfriend's playful jab. Jane realized for the first time how many uniforms were surrounding the area.
"It's the nature of the crime." Lieutenant Cavanaugh was suddenly approaching them looking grim and serious though that was generally his default expression.
"Lieutenant." Jane greeted him, although she was mildly surprised to find her superior out in the field. "What's going on?"
"Just come take a look."
The two women exchanged a worried gaze but followed him silently. They broke through the foliage into a convenient clearing where a man lay naked and exposed to the elements. However, it was not like the usual crime scenes they came across.
"Oh my…" Maura muttered as they surveyed the victim. On the victim's abdomen a pentagram had been carved deeply into his pale blue skin. Surrounding him were mysterious symbols that marred the snow in eerily vibrant dashes of red. A few animal skulls were arranged around him. He was splayed as if he had been sacrificed in some occult ritual. The officers on scene hovered back, clearly unnerved by the sight. Unfettered, the ME knelt in the snow and tugged on her rubber gloves to examine the corpse's exterior with a careful scrutiny.
"Jesus." Jane eyed everything warily. "Is this what I think it is?"
"I don't know." Cavanaugh shook his head. "But I can only keep this out of the press for so long and Satanism tends to raise the alarm, which is exactly what we don't need right now. Every wacko with a phone will be calling in claiming they saw the devil do it."
"This isn't Satanism, Lieutenant." Maura spoke up confidently.
"How can you tell?"
"Well, there has never been a documented case of ritualistic killing in Satanism. That is a myth. It was in the 1980's a few allegations lead to 'Satanic panic', all of which were debunked when the FBI found no physical evidence of abuse or death but our society still tends to villainize the counterculture and turn them into a taboo."
"How do you know we don't have the first case here?" The man was obviously trying to show some restraint and remain patient with the doctor.
"The eye carved in the tree there is the Hamsa, a talisman used to ward off the evil eye in Islamic cultures. These symbols appear to be from the Haitian sect of Voodoo. And these are Sanskrit." Maura started pointing out all of the inconsistencies. "Whoever set this up knows nothing about any of these religions and obviously didn't know what they were doing. I'm not sure about all of the imagery but I have a colleague who is an expert in theology at BCU and can help us sort this out."
"So you don't think this was done by a fanatic cult?" the boss asked.
"Based on the conflicting belief systems present, it would be irresponsible to say that the crime was committed for a sacrificial purpose or a sacred act."
Cavanaugh stared at her blankly for a moment before turning to Jane for her to translate the brainy woman's drawn out answer.
"We don't think this is in connection with Satanists." Jane supplied.
He nodded briefly at her, "The implications can still be bad. This will get to the media and they will run with it. I'll do my best to control the story and emphasize that we are not pursuing Lucifer as our lead suspect."
"Good luck with that." Jane puffed warm air into her hands to thaw them.
"We need to put our best foot forward on this. That means you and Vince, Rizzoli." The lieutenant said, "Wrap this up quick before it gets out of hand."
"Yes sir." Jane gladly stepped up to the plate.
"Good. I want you to report back to me directly when you get something. I'm heading back to the station. Tell Vince the same when he gets here." He stalked off briskly, leaving the two women to do their work. Jane crouched closely next to her girlfriend, pushing the thin line between professionalism and their personal relationship.
"Yes and no are perfectly good answers." Jane teased as she scanned for clues.
"What I said was perfectly - you know, never mind." Maura seemed like she was speaking more to herself as she looked perplexed, directing all of her focus on the dead man laid before them.
"What are you thinking Maur?" Jane wondered, "You have a COD?"
"I couldn't possibly-"
"I know the bit Maura." Jane stopped her, "Let's rule some things out. The star on his stomach, could that have killed him?"
"The wound is not deep enough to cause that kind of blood loss and appears to have been inflicted post-mortem."
"Head injury?"
"None that I can see."
"Strangulation?"
"There is no bruising around his neck to indicate that."
"GSW?"
"No."
"Hangnail?"
"Jane…"
"Come on Maur. There has to be something you can tell me."
The blonde shot her a mildly annoyed look, considering her for a moment. She held up her finger to Jane, silently asking for her patience as she turned and began digging through her black medical bag until she produced a large syringe and needle. Gamely, Maura stuck it into the man's eye and began to extract some fluid.
"Ugh, I hate this part." Korsak bumbled through the bramble just in time to witness the off-putting procedure. Trying to shield his eyes from the doctor's actions, he took his place next to Jane.
"What we got here?"
"John Doe that looks like a ritual killing but we think that's a diversion. My guess, the killer is trying to distract us from what really happened."
"I have…" Maura held up her newly filled vial with a bit more drama than she would normally allow, "The approximate time of death. Based on the cloudiness of the vitreous fluid I would say this man died at least 12 hours ago. The lab can be more accurate when we test the level of potassium."
"No COD?" Korsak inquired.
"No. But the body was dumped here before it snowed." Maura lifted a rigid arm, "There is no snow underneath him."
"We will check the weather report when we get back to headquarters." Korsak scribbled in his notebook.
"Cavanaugh wants us to keep the lid on it for as long as we can and to keep him in the loop." Jane puffed up as the wind blew through the trees. "Jesus it's cold."
"It doesn't look like there's much else we can do here anyways." Her partner looked just as eager to get out of the elements, "They are holding the guy who found the body down at the precinct. Eugene Wallis was out here bird watching apparently."
"Bird watching? In winter?" Jane asked doubtfully. "Don't they all fly south?"
"There are plenty of non-migratory birds. Blue Jays, Cardinals, Chickadees, Eastern bluebirds depending on the severity of the season…" Maura provided.
"Okay, thank you Jane Goodall."
"Jane Goodall was a primatologist not an ornithologist." Maura corrected.
"You just can't help yourself, can you?" Jane grinned.
"Not really." Maura joined the brunette in good-natured self-deprecation as she stood brushing her hands together.
"Well, we'll see you back at the morgue?" Jane half asked.
"No, I'm coming with you." Maura latched onto the detective's arm again to make the trek back to the car. "My team can handle transporting the remains."
"Dr. Isles, you're leaving the body unattended?" She acted scandalized.
"Yes Jane. As you so aptly told Jesus a moment ago, it's very cold outside."
Jane laughed in surprise at the comment. She paused as her giggling shook through her and amused tears formed at the corner of her eyes. The brunette wiped them away to clear her vision, glancing to her right to try and pull herself together. Her line of sight fell onto the gathering of early morning park goers who stood around curiously, wondering what had interrupted their routine. Three younger women who were decked out for a jog whispered to each other. A bundled up old woman, more coat than human being, looked prepared to feed the birds. A handsome father with a double stroller attempted to placate his twins who were disappointed that they could not play on the swing set.
She was just about to look away when something made her stomach drop and her head snapped to do a double take. The detective looked searchingly through the crowd, her brown eyes nervously sweeping over each face.
"Jane?" Maura's worried voice broke her concentration. Her girlfriend noticed the change in her demeanor and was running her fingertips over the thick wool on her forearm.
"Yeah?" Jane could not take her eyes off the by-standers quite yet.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I just thought-" The brunette stopped herself. "Yeah, I'm fine. Let's go."
Jane did her best to put a smile on her face but it was strained at best and she could tell Maura did not believe her. But Jane was grateful when the doctor let it slide as she allowed herself to be ushered towards the car. The detective swallowed her panic like a bitter pill and trying to crush the need to send Maura to some remote, unreachable region where she would be safe from anything. She told herself it had been imagined or perhaps a look alike, a trick of the light, anything but what she thought she saw. Still Jane could not shake the image of a man lurking behind the father, next to a worker who was trying to salt the pathways. His frame was eerily familiar, lean and gnarled, from the detective reviewing the same pictures over and over again. He had on a navy baseball cap and wrap around sunglasses that covered most of his face. But what had really struck her was the devilish, insolent smirk that haunted her. But it could not be she kept telling herself.
/
Maura stuck the x-rays into the light box mounted on the wall. She hit the switch and the bulb flickered to life revealing a cranium that was completely intact, nothing to indicate any trauma or fatal blow. The man's entire body was actually in near perfect condition with his muscles healthy and well developed. His bones were free from any breaks, except for a fissure in the left tibia that had healed itself long ago. She went back to the autopsy table where her patient lay waiting while she systematically went through the possible causes of death, undeterred by her lack of success. The medical examiner had complete faith in the methodic procedure and she did not think it would let her down today. Picking up her scalpel, it was time to see what was going on inside.
Just as she finished her Y-incision Jane and Korsak dragged themselves into the morgue, "This case is already giving me a headache."
The brunette rubbed her temples while Vince nodded dourly in agreement, "The reporters are on this like white on rice. They know something is up. And I think that Claire Jensen really has it out for you, Janie."
The older detective chuckled but Maura tensed up ever so slightly at the mention of Jane's old fling. Logically, she knew that the blonde reporter was not a threat to her relationship, but that did not stop the small thrill of jealousy from consuming her momentarily. She did not look up from her work of exposing the internal organs as she asked innocently, "What is the weather girl saying?"
Vince did not catch on to Maura's subtle indignation but Jane was quick to realize as she rushed out, "Oh you know 'lead Detective Jane Rizzoli seems hopelessly clueless, etc.' I stopped listening after that. What do you have so far?"
Maura glanced at Jane through her safety goggles as her girlfriend rapidly changed the subject. It was the second time she had done so that day and the blonde did not particularly care for it. The case however was pushing that on to the back burner for now as she resumed her cutting, "I have a match in dental records. Silas Porter. Age 45."
"I've heard that name somewhere." Korsak scratched his goatee thoughtfully.
"He is the author of From Pitchfork to Sacrifice: The Truth about Satanism." Maura informed them.
"So you're telling me this guy was really into the occult?" Jane asked, a bit exasperated knowing that this was not going to go over well with Cavanaugh.
"He was." Maura confirmed. "He was a leader in trying to dispel the myths surrounding the religion. He was quite brilliant despite his controversial stance."
"Controversial?"
"He spoke out harshly against Christian religions calling them hypocrites and other not so savory names. He certainly had a lot of enemies."
"So he had this coming." Korsak stated.
"No." Maura furrowed her brow.
"The guy worshipped the devil. You think he wasn't asking for it?"
"Perhaps he should have not been so antagonistic but he was a great thinker. He wrote other books on a variety of subjects like the critique of social class systems. He had a lot of original thoughts."
"You believe in this Satanism hoodoo Dr. Isles?"
"Hoodoo is a traditional African American folk magic. And I believe in science and the first amendment." The blonde countered.
"Okay, we don't have time to debate the nuances of the occult." Jane jumped in to play mediator. "We need a cause of death Maur."
"I can't be sure yet but there is strange blackening on the stomach and starting into the small intestine. Here." She lifted the sack like structure from the body's cavity onto one of the clean, metal tables.
"What does that mean?" Jane crossed her arms, leaning in slightly to get a better look.
"In addition to the way the walls have been thickened, it seems to be poisoning." The doctor said as she sliced into the organ.
"You know what kind?" Jane pressed.
"It could be numerous irritants that affect the body like this. There is no way of telling until the labs come back." She shook her head, "But it was apparently very fast acting. Look at the contents of his stomach. The steak, some green bean, and looks like… portabella mushrooms are hardly digested."
"Steak? That's a pretty fancy last meal." Vince whistled.
"And unfortunately what most likely killed him." Maura could see the wheels in Jane's head spinning, "So we need to find more out about Silas Porter. Korsak, let's go-"
The brunette was interrupted by a high, spooky tone that indicated her mother was calling. With a little groan she answered her phone, "Ma, what is it? I'm working-"
Abruptly, on the other line the occupants could hear loud wailing, not unlike the ring tone signifying the call. Jane pulled the phone away from her ear momentarily, "Slow down. I can't understand you Ma… What's happened?"
Jane apparently got something from the indistinct sobbing because her concern swiftly shifted to shock, "He what? How could he?"
Maura noted the way Jane clenched her jaw; that was never a good sign, "I'm coming up Ma. Don't move."
She hung up the phone in aggravation. Maura waited for her to speak while her girlfriend adjusted her holster, a nervous tick, "Something's happened with Tommy. I have to go take care of it…"
The detective looked torn between the urgency of the case and resolving her family dilemma.
"You go ahead." Korsak assured her. "I'll look into Porter's life and when you get back we can go from there."
"Thanks." Jane mumbled gratefully as the older man left ahead of her and the brunette lingered. Her eyes roamed the room not quite meeting Maura's. The doctor just patiently waited for her girlfriend to speak, "I have to go… I'm not sure what's going on exactly. I want to tell you but… Ma is here now…"
Maura quelled the twinge of hurt she felt when Jane shut her out. She knew it was beyond her control, "I understand. Go and we can talk later."
Jane still kept her eyes down as she cautioned forward until she could lean down and brush her lips against Maura's. She rested her forehead on the blonde's for a heavy moment, sighing deeply, "I do love you."
"I know." Maura finally smiled and nudged her away gently. "Go see your mom."
"Okay." Jane reluctantly stepped away to go back out to the elevators.
"Jane." Maura called to the detective just before she made it to the hall. The brunette turned and looked back expectantly. "I'm here whenever you're ready to talk. About anything."
"I know." Came the husky voice in response as Jane slipped out of view.
/
Jane tried to sort her jumbled thoughts, focusing on the most relevant information as she found her mother sitting in the waiting area outside of the holding cells. She was sitting on the edge of one of the blue plastic chairs; watery-eyed in her puffy white coat like a depressed marshmallow. Her hands tightly clasped onto her purse, placed on her lap with one occasionally coming up to dab at her red nose with a crumpled tissue. The brunette went to her in an instant taking a seat next to her. "Ma, what's going on?"
Jane asked worriedly, one of her long arms sliding to rest around her mother's shoulders. Angela folded into her daughter immediately, fat teardrops starting to roll down her cheeks once again, "Oh Janie. It's just awful."
"What is?" The detective managed to keep the terseness out of her voice while her mother kept her on pins and needles, "What's happened to Tommy?"
"They've… arrested him." Angela sobbed harshly.
"It's going to be alright Ma." She tried to soothe the older woman. "Where's Pop?"
"Talking to the lawyer I think."
Jane was struck with suspicion. Her father had not needed to talk to legal representation before. Her eyes narrowed, "Did they get him for disorderly again? Or did he start a fight at Flannigan's?"
"No…" Jane realized that her mother was not giving her the whole story. A mixture of anger and dread bubbled in her. She sensed this was not going to be like the other instances her little brother had gotten in trouble with the law. In the past her mother would call her in hysterics, and she would haul herself down to save Tommy's ass. Or if the arresting officer knew her personally, they would normally go straight to her to get the situation squared away. However, this time something was different.
"What did he do Ma?"
"He… hit Father Crowley in the crosswalk." Angela admitted woefully.
"He… Tommy hit a priest?" Jane's voice cracked as she flew to her feet and began pacing agitatedly, " Is Father Crowley going to be okay?"
"Yes, they said his injuries were minor and he will make a full recovery." Angela sniffed. "But what is going to happen to my baby?"
"Ma." Jane stopped to express her seriousness, "Was Tommy under the influence?"
"I don't know…" Angela whimpered.
"Ma."
"The officer he said… yes, I think he had been drinking." Jane slumped back down in the chair and closed her eyes tiredly. This was her brother's second offense and judges did not take kindly to people who were repeat offenders, especially when they struck religious figures with heavy machinery. She felt at a complete loss as to what to do. There was no way to smooth over his indiscretions this time. How was she supposed to tell her mother that he would be doing minimum of 2.5 years? This was going to devastate her.
"Janie," The older woman spoke softly, catching the detective off guard. She found herself staring inquisitively at her mother while her dishpan hand came to pat her knee, "Last night, Tommy, he was out of line. I shouldn't have…"
The brunette sighed, "Don't worry about that now."
"No, you were right. Tommy needs help. And I was completely wrong to let that happen to Maura, to imply that she had done something wrong." Angela insisted, "I wanted to apologize to her."
Jane blinked at her mother, not sure she was really hearing the words come out of her mouth. "That- that means a lot to me Ma."
As the eldest Rizzoli, Jane often felt pressured, by her mother in particular, to exceed the expectations placed before her while her younger brothers skirted consequences. Growing up it had been one of the great injustices, but now she was glad that her parents had pushed her into being so driven. She was grateful to them for making her into the person she was, because it had also given her the courage to step off the beaten path and form her own. Still, to have her mom finally concede that Tommy was not the golden boy she painted him to be, the brunette felt a little relief that maybe he would get the assistance he needed to get better. Then there was the slightly vindictive part of her that took solace in the brute that assaulted her girlfriend being locked away.
"And I want to say that I'm so sorry to you Janie." Angela eyes were leaking again.
"You don't have to-"
"No, I do. I've been unfair to you for too long. I am very sorry for that." Angela began crying once again and her daughter gathered her weepy mother in her arms.
"It's okay Ma. We're okay."
"Just don't…"
"Don't what?"
"Don't keep my grandbabies away from me." Angela pleaded.
"Oh lord." Jane rolled her eyes. "I'm not even- I haven't proposed. Can't you at least wait until I am married to start in with the kids?"
"I suppose." Angela grumbled. "But I'd like grandkids while I can still pick them up."
"Really?" Jane questioned the validity of her mother's statement.
"I'm just saying I want to see them before I die. I could go tomorrow."
"Go? Christ, Ma. The only place you are going to tomorrow is a sea food buffet." Jane griped. Angela held her hands up in surrender and they lapsed into silence. It was not long before her father ambled over to them looking rather bedraggled. They stood to greet him.
"What did the lawyer say?" Angela asked at once.
"I don't know." The older man rubbed his face tiredly. "A bunch of legal talk. I hardly got any of it."
"We'll figure it out Pop." Jane touched his arm sympathetically.
"He was asking to speak to you Janie." Her father told her solemnly. The detective balked. She really did not want to listen to Tommy's sob story. He would beg for forgiveness and she was just not willing to bend just yet. Fortunately for Jane though, Frankie, dressed in his uniform, and Korsak joined them saved her.
"What's going on?" The middle Rizzoli demanded.
Korsak did not wait for anyone to respond as he made eye contact with Jane, "We have to go. Porter runs a… church I guess, on Franklin. I figured we could start asking questions there."
Jane glanced apologetically at her family, "I'm on an important case."
"We can take care of things here." Frank tried to rally and exude some sort of competence in the matter.
"I'll talk to you later." She promised, as she did not have much of a choice but to follow Korsak anyways. Tailing her partner, she shoved her family issues into a compartment and gathered her thoughts around the case at hand the best she could.
/
"The First Church of Satan?" Korsak shook his head as Jane parked the car on a shabby street corner. "You have got to be kidding me."
"You shouldn't really be surprised anymore with all the crazy that you've seen, old man." Jane observed their destination. Nestled in between a pawnshop and a chiropractor's office, the front of the building was rather unassuming. There were no gargoyles or inverted crucifixes anywhere to be seen. Just plain brown bricks and a modest wooden sign over the door, with the name of the church embossed onto it.
"This is just a shade too screwy for me." Vince squinted his eyes suspiciously.
"Well, try not to offend anyone in here. Who did you say we were looking for?"
"Janice Van Camp is Porter's girlfriend. She also helps run the church here."
"Alright, let's get this done." The partners got out of the car and walked the short distance from the sidewalk to the front door. As Jane pushed her way inside, a little bell above the door tinkled, so they paused and waited for someone to come greet them. The interior was just as simple as the outside. In fact, it almost looked like a regular church with its dark wooden pews and candles burning mutely on the altar at the head of the room. However, three large black swathes of fabric hung above the white clothed table, the center drape depicting a red pentagram not unlike the one that had mutilated the victim.
"Hello?" A female voice sounded down a set of stairs in the back of the room, before a woman in her late thirties joined it. Jane appraised her quickly. She was a bit curvier but she held the weight well, with her face thin and pretty. She was pale with coal-colored eyes and nearly black hair that fell shiny and straight down her back. Jane could easily imagine her in a dress looking like Morticia Adams but instead she wore dark wash jeans and a white button-up that was more fashionable than the ones Jane donned. "How can I help you folks?"
"I'm Detective Rizzoli and this is my partner Detective Korsak. Can we have a word with you?" Jane asked politely, but the woman still scowled at her.
"Detectives? If you are looking for Silas, then he won't be back until tonight. He is away on business. You can talk to him then and he can clear up whatever matter the little Christian Coalition has cooked up for you this time." Her answer was curt and she obviously had reason to speak with the police before.
"Actually ma'am we are looking for Janice Van Camp." Jane corrected her.
"Well, that's me. I'm his girlfriend." The woman said, obviously puzzled.
"Maybe we should sit down." Jane spoke gently.
"No." The woman suddenly appeared stricken as she gripped the doorframe tightly. "Tell me here. Tell me now."
"Ms. Van Camp, Silas was found dead this morning. I'm so sorry." Jane watched helplessly as the woman covered her mouth, shaking her head vehemently.
"That can't be. It can't be. He wasn't supposed to come back until today. He wasn't even supposed to be here. You have the wrong man. Silas is on a flight back from San Francisco. He is at a conference. A conference." Her panicked denial hit Jane hard in the gut. She was relieved when Korsak went forward and offered a supportive arm to her.
"We are so sorry but dental records confirm his identity." He told her regrettably.
"I can't believe…" Sobs took over her and Vince led her to a pew so she could sink onto it in despair. When she calmed enough, she cleared her throat, "I need to tell Seth."
"Who is Seth?" Jane did not recognize the name and Korsak just shrugged.
"He is Silas's son."
"Son? I didn't see any record-"
"It's mostly kept a secret. Si gets so many death threats that he didn't want his family to be targeted as well."
"Are you his mother?"
"No, his biological mother died. I've known him since he was 6. We're close. Silas and I chose to never marry out of respect for his late wife."
"How old is he now?"
"20. He is just upstairs. We live above the church… What am I supposed to tell him?"
"We'll be here to help you." Jane assured her. "Take your time."
Ms. Van Camp stood shakily then went to the bottom of the steps, "Seth."
They could hear the muffled voice of a young man call back, "Yeah?"
"Can you come down here please?" There was a pause and the sound of heavy footfalls overhead, then reaching the stairs until Seth Porter appeared in front of them. Superficially, he did not look much like his father. He had blonde hair that flopped across his forehead and blue eyes contrasted against his tanner skin. But if Jane looked deeper she could see the resemblance, the same square jaw and slightly crooked nose.
"What's up?" He shoved his hands into his pockets and Jane wondered if the mannerism mirrored his father's in the way that her father and Frankie both hooked their fingers on their belt loops or peeled the label off their beer bottles.
"Seth, something has happened to your father." Janice's voice wavered.
"Was it that Jesus group again? Is he going to be alright?" The young man's eyes traveled to the somber faces in the room searching for answers.
"No, honey. Your father died." Seth stared at her in shock as if she had spoken a different language. Slowly he turned away and rubbed at his eyes like he was trying to wake up. Janice walked over to be with him, placing a pale hand on his slumped shoulder, "Seth-"
"What happened?" He asked with an edge of anger to his tone.
Janice looked to the detectives for answers, not sure herself. Jane replied, "The investigation is still underway but we have reason to believe that he was poisoned."
"Oh God." The woman's resolve crumbled and the man who was essentially her stepson turned around to consol her, his own tears pricking his eyes.
"We are so sorry for your loss but we need to ask you a few questions." Jane hated having to intrude on the family's grief but it was a necessary evil.
"You can ask us anything." Seth put on a brave front. "We will do anything to help find his killer."
"Both of you have mentioned groups that Mr. Porter had conflict with. Can you tell us about them?" Korsak prepared to take notes.
"My dad had a lot of enemies. He was always getting hate mail and death threats from people or other religious organizations. I guess it was only a matter of time before someone followed through."
"It comes with the territory." Janice interjected. "Our beliefs make us very unpopular."
"Then why be a part of something that puts your life at risk?" Korsak wondered.
"Would you have told Jewish people to stop when they were being killed in the Holocaust? It was killing them so why not just change religions?" Janice snapped. "These are our beliefs. We won't change them because it makes some people uncomfortable."
"Do you have any of the letters that were sent?" Jane tried to get the interview back on track.
"We don't keep them. But the ones that are serious we report to the police. You learn to tell the difference between a crazy zealot and someone who means to actually do harm after a while." The woman sighed.
"Has anyone ever tried to assassinate your boyfriend before?"
"Once, 15 years ago. Max Turner tried to shoot him at a conference in St. Louis. He missed and that was when Seth's mother… She was hit by the bullet and died."
"She was murdered? Was this Max Turner convicted?"
"Yes. That man is currently serving a sentence of fifteen to life." She said spitefully.
"Do you know if he had any affiliation with the a religious group?" Korsak posed.
"No, he worked alone. Wasn't even on the membership roster." Janice shook her head.
"We will still need a list of all the organizations or individuals that have a problem with Silas." Jane required.
"It will be a long list." Seth frowned.
"Who would be at the top?"
"The Christian Coalition. They protest in front of our church and send the most hate mail. We haven't been able to prove it, but they've broken in and ransacked the place before." Janice said bitingly. "The woman who heads the committee, Ilene Todd, she is a real witch. Everything she says is 'God's law' to them."
"We just have one last thing. We need to know your whereabouts last night." Korsak asked the tough question.
"Are you implying-" Seth started angrily but Janice quieted him.
"They are just doing their job. I was running a midnight service last night. We finished around 1:30 a.m. then I went to bed."
"Can anyone verify that?"
"I can get you a list of people in attendance. No one was here when I fell asleep though."
"Where were you, Seth?" Jane turned to him.
He glared but answered. "I had a big project due for my science class. I was at my lab partner's house working on it for most of the night and then I crashed there. Miles Yang can vouch for me."
"Alright." The female detective dug into her coat pocket and took out her business card, "If you could just send the list that would be very helpful, and if you think of anything else please don't hesitate to call."
"Of course." Janice took the small card then wrapped her arms protectively around herself.
"Thanks for your time." Korsak bowed slightly to them as they went for the door.
"Detectives." Seth caught their attention, "Please, you'll find out who did this to my dad?"
"We will." Jane said solemnly then reentered the bitter cold with her partner. She shivered as an arctic blast blew through her coat. "So what do you think?"
"I think we have a lot of foxes in this hen house." Korsak muttered as he hurriedly crammed his hands into leather gloves.
"I'd say. We should start by pulling those incident reports on-" Jane stopped short at the image she had now seen twice today. Her heartbeat picked up rapidly as she caught sight of a man down the street. He was leaning in to look through the window of an electronics store that appeared to be closed for lunch. It was him; with his lanky figure and blue baseball cap. He started to stroll away as if he did not have a care in the world. Jane took a step towards him still not sure, shouting down the block, "Hey!"
The man did not turn. He simply continued to wander down the street and started calmly around the corner. The brunette worked fast and took off after him, yelling for him to stop. Korsak had realized as well and she could hear his heavy boots slapping the pavement behind her, trying to catch up. Her heart pounded in her chest as she reached the bend. Skidding to a halt, Jane's eyes hunted impatiently for the direction that he went in but there was no one, just an abandoned, frozen street. The frustration coursed through her as Vince made it to her puffing, "Where did he go?"
"I don't know." Jane growled.
"Jane, look." Korsak pointed to the ground at an object that she had not noticed.
"Damn it!" She cursed from the very depths as she started to jog, ducking into an alley to check for any trace of the man who had mysteriously disappeared then spinning around and continuing her frenzied, and probably fruitless search. Perhaps it was more she wanted to look anywhere but at the hat that lay taunting her in a pile of slush.
/
Goodness. I love to hear what you guys think so drop me a line and tell me how awful I am. Or you know, you could like it ;)