Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me, and I make no profit from playing with them.

Chapter Seventeen

Jane drove to school to pick up Angelo and Caitlyn, wondering what she was going to tell them about their father. She decided to say he was on a business trip and address the issue later.

"Mama!" Angelo spied her first and came running. He jumped into Jane's arms.
"Hey, buddy, how are you?"

"Why are you here, Mommy?" Caitlyn joined them, hugging Jane's knees. She bent down to hug her daughter.

"I'm taking you guys home tonight. Your grandma's cooking dinner for us and we're going to visit with Dr. Isles. You remember here, right?"

"Dr. Islands, right?" Caitlyn asked. Jane laughed.

"Yes, snuggle bug, Dr. Islands to you."

"Is she your friend, Mama? Like Daddy said?" Angelo asked. Jane's breath caught in her throat for a moment. Joey, you righteous son of a bitch, she thought.

"We were friends for several years before I married your dad. She's been hurt and Grandma's helping to take care of her."

"She's pretty," Caitlyn said. "I like her."

"I'm glad, Caitlyn. She is pretty and she is a nice person, too."

"I think she's scary," Angelo chimed in.

"Why do you say that?"

"Daddy said she used to cut up dead bodies for a living. Why would she do that, Mama?" Jane closed her eyes for a moment. Joey if you were here right now…Jane didn't want to finish that thought.

"Dr. Isles used to be our medical examiner, Angelo. She did the autopsies for our homicide unit. She doesn't just cut up dead bodies. She is a very brilliant woman and we were lucky to have her work with us."

"How did she get hurt, Mommy?" Caitlyn asked. Jane hesitated before replying. Well, let's see, Caitlyn. Your daddy is a jealous prick who can't stand seeing your mommy happy with another woman…, no I guess I can't say that.

"A bad man broke into her home and was robbing it. She came home and surprised the burglar," Jane explained.

"Cool," Angelo said. Jane laughed in spite of herself.

"I don't think Dr. Isles thinks of it in quite that way, Angelo, so let's not be quite so enthusiastic, okay?"

"Okay, Mama. Where's daddy?"

"I'll bet he's at home having a nice respite without us," Caitlyn spoke up. Jane turned around in her seat and looked at her daughter.

"Wow, Caitlyn, that's quite impressive vocabulary you have there."

"No, Mama, she's just repeating what Daddy says sometimes."

"Yeah, when you're working late and he puts us to bed early he says it's so he can have a nice respite without us. What does it mean, Mommy?"

"It just means, sweetie, that sometimes parents have to have time to themselves, especially if it's a busy day."

"We thought it meant Daddy had a girlfriend," Angelo said.

"What gave you that idea, Angelo?"

"Because sometimes when he puts us to bed early to have his nice respite, Mommy, we sit on the top stair and listen to him talk to someone he calls 'honey babe.' We've never met her though," her son answered. Jane parked in Maura's driveway and sat there, stunned. She tried hard to make sure her children did not pick up on her growing fury.

That SOB was having an affair, Jane's thoughts raged. She wanted to beat the steering wheel with her hands and scream at the top of her lungs. Instead, she opened the car door and followed her children to Maura's front door.

Angela opened the door. "What have we here, two little children missing from home?" she teased. The kids hugged her fiercely and followed her inside.

"Ma, I need to call Frost right quick. Later, I need to talk with you about Joey," Jane said in a low voice.

"Sure, honey, whatever you need," Angela said.

"Yeah, Mama, like that only he said honey babe," Angelo overheard his Nonna's words. Angela looked at Jane quizzically.

"Joey's affair," she managed to say quietly behind her hands.

"That's great, Angelo. Let's go in and say hi to Dr. Isles."

Angela stared at Jane. "I knew he wasn't right when you guys were in kindergarten together. He kept eating dirt."

"Later, Ma, there's more to this. Please say hi to Maura for me and I'll be in as soon as I finish my call to Frost."

Jane walked back out into the front yard. She dialed Frost's number with shaking hands. How dare that asshole have an affair in our home, where the kids could hear him. I hope he didn't fuck her in our bed, Jane couldn't turn off the venom.

"Hi, Frost, it's me. What do you have?"

"It's bad, Jane. I'm so sorry. The intent was to assault Maura, cover it as a burglary and drive the two of you apart. Joey didn't know Maura was planning on moving to New York."

"Frost, how did you know it was Joey behind this?"

"Remember when the perp made the credit card comment to you, about how Joey was grousing because his wife took an impromptu trip to Australia?"

"Yes."

"The perp wanted five thousand dollars. That's when Joey told him about you're charging the trip to Australia to your credit card. Joey wanted a lower price and used that as an excuse. Of course, when he said Australia, I knew where to look. I found your picture of Joey in your office and the guy id'ed him right away."

"Also, Frost, Joey was having an affair. The kids overheard him talking to her when I would work late. No names, he just called her 'honey babe'. Can you get his cell phone records for me?"

"No problem, Jane. Right now he's acting indignant that we would think he's part of this. We're just about to lower the boom, tell him he's been identified by the suspect. Jane, we expect him to get bailed out by his lawyer once he gets here. If you need anything from your house, call me and I'll go with you to make sure there's no problem."

"Oh, there won't be a problem, Frost. I'm just going to take him apart with my bare hands. How dare he hurt, Maura, Frost. I could just stomp him into the ground for that. Killing's too good for him. I want him to suffer. God, Frost, I'm so angry at him for this I can't talk about it. Except, how do I go inside and tell Maura what really happened?"

Frost let out a long breath. "I don't know, partner, just know I'm with you in spirit when you tell her. Maura's a great person, Jane, she won't hold this against you."

"Yeah, Frost, but if it wasn't for me, for running away from her, this wouldn't have happened to her."

"Remember, Jane, the assault was completed. The guy didn't get to do what he wanted."

"The thought of a threat of rape is bad enough, Frost. It's the ultimate violation to a woman's body," Jane nearly shouted. "Listen, I have to go. Ma's probably got dinner ready and I'm trying to keep it together for the sake of my kids."

"I'll keep you posted on anything, Jane. Maybe we'll have a cruiser go by Dr. Isles' house tonight just to be certain nothing goes wrong."

"Thanks, Frost," Jane ended the call and stuffed her cell phone into her pocket. She was just about to go inside when a voice interrupted her.

"So what really happened to me, Jane?" Maura was standing on the front porch. The swelling around her eyes was starting to recede and she could open them a small amount.

"Hi, Maura. How are you?"

"Listening to an interesting conversation in my front yard. So what happened?"

Jane's eyes began to fill with tears. "Let's sit down, Maura."

Jane took Maura's hand in hers. She choked back her tears. "Maura, I am really sorry but apparently the robbery was only a cover-up for an assault."

"Why me, Jane?"

"Joey arranged it. He hired a hit man to assault you and make it look like a robbery gone bad." Jane couldn't stop the tears. She was so sorry Maura got caught up in this, because of her, and hated Joey Grant for doing this to Maura.

Maura sat still and watched Jane. If only you hadn't left, Jane, she thought. None of this would have happened.

"This wasn't your fault, Jane," Maura said softly. She stroked Jane's hand with hers. "Joey couldn't handle losing you to me and knew he was. You had nothing to do with this."

"Maura, I can't stand the thought of Joey doing this to you. If that man hadn't stopped by when he did, oh God I can't stand thinking what he would have done to you. And what if you died? What if he decided to just kill you? I can't lose you again, Maura. What I did was stupid. Never mind asking for your forgiveness, I don't think I can forgive myself."

"People do strange things, Jane. Joey probably never thought he'd do anything like this, either."

"Yeah, and it turns out he didn't love me, either."

"Why do you say that?"

"He was having an affair with another woman. Angelo told me he and Caitlyn used to hear Joey talk with her on the phone the nights I worked late."

"Joey's having himself a banner year," Maura said lightly.

"Maura, how can you be so calm about this?"

"You're upset enough for all of us, Jane. You don't need to apologize to me. Fortunately I'm just bruised. Nothing more serious happened. Now come into dinner. Your children are entertaining me by coloring pictures of my house since I can't see it too well and Angela just put dinner on the table."

Jane sat with Maura's hand in hers for another moment. "I don't deserve you, Maura, even if it's only as a friend."

"I don't know about that, Jane. You're a pretty fantastic person, I think. By the way, did you ever ice your hand?" Maura asked as she walked back inside. Shaking her head, Jane followed.

TBC