Jane put the phone down, and sat staring blankly towards it. What an odd conversation. How could one woman be so apparently intelligent, and yet make such odd interpretations of a common phrase? And how could someone she had met once, and had a brief professional interaction with, then have her imagining highly inappropriate scenarios when she mentioned biting in a short telephone call?

Jane looked up at her desktop. Next minute she found herself typing "Maura Isles, Boston' in to google. Quickly pictures popped up. The beautiful defense attorney certainly had a public profile. Jane looked more closely at the photographs thrown up

In amongst some photographs from more prominent cases she had been involved in, she found a number of photos of her beautifully dressed for an evening out with captions like

"Ms Maura Isles arrives at the Isles Foundation Charity Ball on the arm of Mr Garrett Fairfield"

'Garrett Fairfield and Maura Isles arrive for the Mayors Charity Christmas Lunch"

For every photo of Maura on her own, there was another with her accompanied by the same smarmy looking, clean cut man.

Jane thumped her right palm against her forehead.

'Nice one Rizzoli, outdone yourself this time. Not just straight, but straight and loaded and high society. Let's count the ways she isn't going to show an interest in you"

"Jane. You okay in there?"

"Oh Frost, just muttering to myself' she replied as Frost came in to her office. She wasn't quick enough to get the google page down

"And who have we got here Jane? She's hot!"

Jane found herself flushing despite herself. "No one Frost, no one. Just curious about what the local rich do with their time".

Frost looked a little perplexed, having never known Jane to take an interest in Boston society, but decided best not say anything more, other than "Night Jane, see you tomorrow".

...

Jane met up with Nathaniel in the secure facility he had been placed after being arrested. It was all right as these facilities went. He didn't seem obviously mistreated. He showed no concern about the placement. And he accepted Jane coming to visit him twice weekly. Jane's receptionist reported all invoices for his care were paid immediately.

After three weeks, Jane began to wonder whether there was anything she could offer the young man, or his lawyer. She decided to give it another three weeks, and then report back to the lawyer than she had made an effort, but had nothing she could offer.

She sometimes got to wondering if the adolescents could sometimes sense when she was starting to wonder if it was worth continuing. But maybe it wasn't that. Maybe it was conversely that she looked like she would stay the course. Or maybe, she smiled to herself, maybe he thought if he didn't talk, he would never be rid of her. Whatever the reason, in the fifth week he suddenly started to talk.

Negotiating with Nathaniel, she sought permission to feed back some thoughts to the lawyer.

"Maura Isles"

"Ms Isles, Jane Rizzoli"

"Dr Rizzoli, a pleasant surprise. How is Nathaniel?"

"Stable. Maybe doing a little better. Coping with the boundaries and structure in the placement"

"and any thoughts for me?"

"Well Ms Isles, his presentation looks consistent with a young man that has been traumatised. Which is fairly typical I guess for many young people that end up in these facilities. Some turn it more outwards, Nathaniel tends to turn inwards. He dissociates a bit. Appears distressed by some recollections. Easily startled."

"and the trauma?"

"He hasn't said"

"what would your guess be?"

"I don't like to guess, Ms Isles"

"But if you did?"

"I don't do guesses. I guess I could comment that given he has lost his parents to murder, it would seem probable that either he is traumatised by his involvement in that murder, or that he is traumatised by witnessing it or the aftermath. It would be a bizarre coincidence if he suffered some unrelated significant trauma at the same time as his parents were murdered."

"So he did it, or he is traumatised by someone else doing it?"

"Ms Isles, that would be guessing. I will keep assessing, and I will put any conclusions to you in a report. But right now, too early to say"

"Right, I will try and wait patiently then doctor. You know it is just difficult, thinking of him in there, not sure which way to approach the defense. I still think there is something not right here"

"A gut feeling?"

"A what feeling?"

"gut feeling, you know instinct, intuition?"

"Do guts think Dr Rizzoli? I always thought that was the domain of the brain. Regardless, I hate cases based on circumstantial evidence."

"Can you run me back through the specifics of the case please?"

"Indeed. Nathaniel Svensson is the only son of Hilda (46) and Andrew (48) Svensson. The family are seen as a quiet, devoutly religious family. Andrew Svensson runs the family woodworking equipment business with his brother Michael. Hilda was a homemaker, who was involved in church activities but tended to keep to herself. On the night of 15th August neighbours heard screaming from the house, including, reportedly Nathaniel screaming "I hate you". On the evening of August 16th, neighbours responded to howling from the house and found Nathaniel holding a bloody knife, standing by the bodies of his two parents, reportedly crying "I did it, it is all my fault". Police have not identified any other likely involved parties. They have however not identified a clear motive for Nathaniel to have attacked his parents, and school describe him as a quiet, pleasant, well behaved young man. School staff report being shocked."

"substances?"

"no one is known to have any significant issues with substances"

"Family relationships?"

"The family kept mainly to themselves. Neighbours have heard raised voices on occasion but nothing like those heard on the two nights reported"

"Thank you Ms Isles, I will be in touch".

….

Sunday followed Jane's usual pattern. She got up and went for a run. Did some chores. Went around to her Mother's for dinner, pleased to find both Tommy and Frankie there this week. Jane was partway through enjoying a mouthful of her Mother's lasagne, when Angela said in a signsong voice [which from Jane's experience almost always boded poorly]

'So Jane, Teresa Carlucci told me that she heard that Stefani Ameratti's daughter might like the ladies"

'Ma, c'mon, can't I just enjoy your wonderful lasagne in peace"

"But Jane you're getting older, and I'm getting older, and I just really want some grandbabies"

"Ma, I work with kids all day. I love kids, but I don't need to be going out generating my own. Besides…"

Jane was quickly cut off by Angela who warmed to her own enthusiasms 'But Jane, you know how those Ameratti's look…great genes, I am sure she is a looker"

"MAAA!. Honestly, I didn't think you could do worse than your taste in men for me when you used to try and set me up with your friend's sons, but honestly, your taste in women is terrible'

Angela looked affronted "well sorry if I don't have an ability to look a woman up and down the way you would like, after all….."

Jane "yeah Ma, I get it. But Andrea Olivetti, she was like 4 feet, 11 inches tall"

"So are we height-ist now"

'Really? Height-ist Ma, is that even a word? Actually, don't answer, but c'mon, what are people going to think if I am walking down the street with someone a foot shorter than me'

Tommy grinned cheerfully "they're gonna be thinking Andrea has a good view of your rack Jane, ya know, easy to…" fortunately that sentence was forestalled by a well-timed bread roll thrown by Frankie hitting Tommy on the side of his face. "Bro, no! No mental images. No thinking about what Jane does, and definitely no talking about it"

Jane flushed, somewhere between anger and embarassment.

Frankie quickly redirected "Ma, can I please have some of that bread. Ah, have you done something different with it this week"

Angela looked at him oddly "Just the same way I've been doing it for the last 36 years Frankie, but thanks"